One for long term expats- if you had to leave LOS tomorrow, what would you miss/ not miss.

[RichBKK]

Have health problems (CRC cancer, been treated here for over a year and actually feel pretty good most of the time oddly enough and the treatment I have here has given it a kick up the arse. Stage IV but inactive) which means I may have to return home at least for a time (too expensive) so may be facing up to this question

What I would miss

1. Warm weather. Think it's helped me health wise, no colds, pneumonia or any of that nonsense here

2. Wife, family and little girl (8 months)

3. Variety of food, both western and thai

4. Low cost of living

5. Decent and not bank breaking hotels

6. Our house

7. Short hospital waiting times. Maybe it's because you have to pay but they are prompt and don't leave you sitting on your arse all day like back home waiting

What I won't miss

1. The roads. My wife asked me if I was willing to learn to drive here and she recieved the stock reply: 'I would rather eat my own penis'. The subject was dropped

2. 1970's health and safety attitudes

3. Television and music. In this regard Thailand is culturally bankrupt. You can see the education system's role in this regard

4. Difficulty in obtaining decent vegetables

5. My parents in law wandering off with the baby. Her grandfathers erratic driving and grandmothers allergy to car seats and seat belts. Go on about it tillI am blue in the face but its like explaining maths to a budgie (see point 2)

6. Immigration. And a refusal to understand why I am unable to work as a mitigation (mrs earns upwards of 100,000 THB a month now after all anyway). A major irritation

Edited December 30, 2013 by RichBKK

[herb59]

Miss:

1. warm weather.
2. Cheap and mostly good food.
3. driving without helmet.
4. some cheaper stuff and costs.
5. buddhism.

Not miss:

1. The bureaucracy.
2. Rip off taxis.
3. Thai roads (with sand) and driving abilities.
4. The crappy infrastructure and bad concrete.
5. Bad workmanship.
6. bad quality.
7. The garbage everywhere.
8. Soi and unleashed dogs.
9. thai service.
10. thai unknowledge.
11. thai beliefs.
12. thinglish.
13. face saving.
14. corruption.
15. double price system.
16. mosquitoes.
17. police.
18. immigration officers.
19. lady bar, boy.
20. land lord.
21. the fake thai smiles.
22. 80% of Thaivisaposts and -information.
23. dirty sea, sand and beaches.
24. jetskis on every beach with risky swimming options.
25. white trash holiday people.
26. firework yearround.

why i am here:

didnt find something else for now and the wintermonths

[FiftyTwo]

The longer I live here the more I miss REAL food, Thai food is crap.

Yeah, I forgot about that part.....Thai food gets old really quickly, and the farang food prepared by Thai's is even worse. Not sure what is in the burgers I get but it sure as hell ain't quality beef.

Most days I am saying to myself "what am I going to eat today?" and have a hard time coming up with an answer.

Went to KFC for an upsized zinger burger meal yesterday ........ can't get much more western than that.

Day before Gekko Garden for a lamb burger and chips.

Stack of pancakes, all you need is flour, eggs and a mixing bowl ...... a few minutes to cook in a greased wok, great with fresh lime and sugar.

So there are three suggestions for your western dinners.

Edited December 30, 2013 by FiftyTwo

[rct99q]

Only thing I would miss is the cheap women.

I don't know if you have a Thai daughter but if you did would you tell her that. Ya, honey I came to Thailand for the cheap women. Or what about the men who do have a Thai daughter? How would you expect them to react when you are in the restaurant and at the next table is a Farang with his young daughter?

Was your father like you? Where did he go to meet cheap women? Fair Dinkum eh?

You have a problem with men who are unable to find a woman to share their life with....who for their many faults must use cheap women for their indulgences.......men because of their small penis are unable to secure a real woman.....due to lack of social skills cannot properly meet and greet a woman, become friends and perhaps engage in a long term relationship.....

paullywally here does not have a problem.....you do. Young Thai daughters are just future cheap women for the likes of them normal guys.

[koeko]

My Golden Retriever and I would miss our soi dogs because we say hello to them on our daily walks.

I don’t take taxis but would miss driving these wonderful northern roads.

I would miss the good workmanship on our house and the lack of garbage in our neighborhood.

I would miss that the only real bureaucracy I deal with is my yearly visa renewal, with that process being quite painless.

No comment on IT cafes because I have internet at home in the rice field and keep in touch with my iPhone when I am out and about.

Since I am not going anywhere after living here for 36 years, I don't spend much time thinking about such things.

"I would miss that the only real bureaucracy I deal with is my yearly visa renewal, with that process being quite painless."

Did you forget the 90 days report? or did you find a way to avoid it?

[simon43]

Okay, on a more serious note, I would miss the view from my house.

Wow! That's a pretty ugly wall in the foreground

Simon

[Kudel]

Okay, on a more serious note, I would miss the view from my house.

Wow! That's a pretty ugly wall in the foreground

Simon

like drummond said, youre dumb .

[villagefarang]

My Golden Retriever and I would miss our soi dogs because we say hello to them on our daily walks.

I don’t take taxis but would miss driving these wonderful northern roads.

I would miss the good workmanship on our house and the lack of garbage in our neighborhood.

I would miss that the only real bureaucracy I deal with is my yearly visa renewal, with that process being quite painless.

No comment on IT cafes because I have internet at home in the rice field and keep in touch with my iPhone when I am out and about.

Since I am not going anywhere after living here for 36 years, I don't spend much time thinking about such things.

"I would miss that the only real bureaucracy I deal with is my yearly visa renewal, with that process being quite painless."

Did you forget the 90 days report? or did you find a way to avoid it?

My wife mails that in for me.

[villagefarang]

Okay, on a more serious note, I would miss the view from my house.

Wow! That's a pretty ugly wall in the foreground

Simon

The idea is to let the vines eventually cover the wall so that you can't see it but in the meantime the fish don't seem to mind.

[thaibeachlovers]

Would greatly miss:

Thai women (and I do touch)

Thai food

Cheap, excellent-quality Traditional Thai Massage

Super cheap taxis

Tropical weather

Not miss:

All the corruption (although it doesn't directly affect me).

The pedestrian not having the right-of-way.

Yes, touching is definitely OK, but I didn't want this thread to veer into "I hate mongers" territory.

[thailiketoo]

Only thing I would miss is the cheap women.

I don't know if you have a Thai daughter but if you did would you tell her that. Ya, honey I came to Thailand for the cheap women. Or what about the men who do have a Thai daughter? How would you expect them to react when you are in the restaurant and at the next table is a Farang with his young daughter?

Was your father like you? Where did he go to meet cheap women? Fair Dinkum eh?

You have a problem with men who are unable to find a woman to share their life with....who for their many faults must use cheap women for their indulgences.......men because of their small penis are unable to secure a real woman.....due to lack of social skills cannot properly meet and greet a woman, become friends and perhaps engage in a long term relationship.....

paullywally here does not have a problem.....you do. Young Thai daughters are just future cheap women for the likes of them normal guys.

You mixed up the posts. Paullyw said, "Only thing I would miss is the cheap women." Not I.

PaullW uses cheap women not I.

I find your comments offensive especially about the penis part. But I am assuming English is not your first language and you have only made a reading error which you should apologize for.

[smotherb]

I would miss the friends I have made here and I would not miss the plane.

[donniereadit]

Not miss:

1. firework yearround.

After awhile celebrations don't feel as special as they were before when you get so many holidays. I find myself often wishing everyone would just shut up and enjoy quiet more now like it was a holiday.

Same with a lot of stuff here that seems overblown and loses the 'special-ness' of it for long term expats. Smiles everywhere, easy girls, tolerant attitudes all examples. Can starts to feel un-genuine after awhile also when you get it every time.

[risky11]

Not sure I would miss anything.

Plenty of similar 3rd world countries out there.

Would anyone miss you? Or just the money? I mean is there anyone who would cry if you left, given you left them your money.

Too bitter to answer the topic??????????

If that's how you feel I hope you don't live here.

Would you please leave FiftyTwo alone? I can't call you bad name or the mod will ban me, but geez - what a nag! He has the right to answer the question HIS way, without getting the third degree from you. Talk about bitter...

[phetaroi]

I did leave after visiting there for 20 months (over 20 years) and then living there for 2 years full time.

What I do miss:

The weather which allowed me to be out and about every day.

Thai food (although I have had to cut back on sodium now, and that would be difficult in Thailand).

Great malls in Bangkok...surpass anything I've found back in the States.

Fresh fruits and veggies, although finding American food items often was a challenge.

The general feeling of safety almost anywhere I went.

The Skytrain and subway system.

Hiring people (maids, for example) at low prices.

I can't think of a day when I didn't find something interesting during my walks around Bangkok or travels around the country. Almost every day was an adventure.

Being surrounded with Buddhism.

What I don't miss:

Scams, bribery, and corruption; it didn't often affect me, but it was always there lurking for the unsuspecting, and sometimes I just got tired of always having to have my antenae up.

Senseless bureaucracy.

Soi dogs and cat urine at so many temples.

Cable t.v. that was so not-high def, though advertised as.

Police and the military and their attitude.

Traffic.

Salespople that would tell any lie to sell a product...or were too dumb about what they were selling.

The attitude that everything in Thailand is the best in the world.

Creepy sex climate is pervasive.

Not everything is "mai pben rai".

Poor customer service.

[thaibeachlovers]

Not sure I would miss anything.

Plenty of similar 3rd world countries out there.

Would anyone miss you? Or just the money? I mean is there anyone who would cry if you left, given you left them your money.

Too bitter to answer the topic??????????

If that's how you feel I hope you don't live here.

Would you please leave FiftyTwo alone? I can't call you bad name or the mod will ban me, but geez - what a nag! He has the right to answer the question HIS way, without getting the third degree from you. Talk about bitter...

He was being personal and not answering the question, so OFF TOPIC.

[thaibeachlovers]

Now that I have left LOS, I miss everything, even the crap.

A bad day in LOS is better than a good day elsewhere, and it's just sooooooo damn expensive and over regulated.

BTW, they drive worse here than the Thais, but the roads are better.

[somchaismith]

I would miss posting on Thaivisa. I would never want to be one of those who post err...up-to-date information, while living outside of Thailand.

[thaibeachlovers]

The longer I live out of Thailand, the more I miss it.