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

[maximillian]

Like in Thailand:

Contrast between Light and Shadow, Good and Bad, High and Low, Right and wrong...

Don't like in Germany:

Few contrasts, mostly grey in grey...

Sorry, I'm aware that was a bit off topic.

Back to OP's question:

Miss:

Nice ladies and cute children and their open smiles.

The climate.

The beaches.

Reasonable prices altogether.

Wednesday market, Sunday market with fresh and inexpensive produce, fruit, veg, meat, fish.

Choice of tropical fruit.

My simple life.

My rented home.

My motorbike.

My three cats.

My Lady vet.

Not miss:

Bureaucracy, corruption and lack of predictability of legal decisions.

Thai roads and careless reckles Thai style of behaviour in traffic.

Lack of security and savety. (Lack of trust in the legal system).

Garbage everywhere.

Soi dogs.

Noisy television almost everywhere.

Pollution and noise pollution.

Huge loudspeakers and basses.

Propaganda pick-ups.

Too many sign bills (often restricting the view at street crossings).

[maximillian]

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?

Good reply

[tartempion]

Only the 300+ days/year sunshine, nothing else really.

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

Whatever you buy here is rubbish also, falls apart real soon.....

[maccaroni man]

Leaving your wife out of the picture, if married/ in a long term relationship.

For myself ( undoubtedly I'll think of others as soon as I post ).

Miss:

Cute Thai girls in their short shorts ( look but don't touch ).

Hot weather ( usually ).

Cheap food, but nice restaurants too, if you want to splurge.

Amazing cinemas, like you don't find in the west anymore.

Great malls.

Fantastic public transport at a very reasonable price.

Cheap IT cafes.

Not miss:

The bureaucracy.

Rip off taxis.

Thai roads.

The crappy infrastructure and bad concrete.

Bad workmanship.

The garbage everywhere.

Soi dogs.

+1

[DoctorG]

I finally severed my relationship with Thailand 9 months ago. I miss nothing.

I continue to find TVF to be entertaining though, especially the political threads where the expats take sides. There are some very strange people on here.

[slipperylobster]

Only thing I would miss is the cheap women.

Cheap??? I guess you mean barfines are cheap? The rest are damn expensive.

[slipperylobster]

I can tell you,

if you had two circles that slightly overlapped...

and then darkened in only where those circles overlapped...

(That darkened portion being those farangs who lived here, but have nothing good to say about Thailand)

I would miss everything else in those two circles, except the darkened in part.

[BlueSkyCowboy]

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

I dont 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.

<would miss driving these wonderful northern roads>

Been on the Thaton to Chiang Rai road recently, LOL?

Have you driven through Los Angeles recently? Many roads are similar to second road in Pattaya

[BlueSkyCowboy]

I can tell you,

if you had two circles that slightly overlapped...

and then darkened in only where those circles overlapped...

(That darkened portion being those farangs who lived here, but have nothing good to say about Thailand)

I would miss everything else in those two circles, except the darkened in part.

Very good explanation. I wish some of the old &lt;deleted&gt;....ing farangs would not drive their motorbikes like idiots in Pattaya

[cbluck58]

I'd miss everything - I chose LOS to live in because I like it .

There are bad things, most of which do not affect me, but they are far outweighed by the good things, most of which do affect me.

I do not have bureaucracy problems because I am rarely in contact with them and I love living here.

I'd miss the sycophantic &lt;deleted&gt; that get on this forum and moan endlessly about petty issues and the roads and being ripped off by Thais etc., etc., etc.

If you don't like it here, why stay ?

There is no shortage of outbound flights - get on one and don't come back.

[craigt3365]

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

I dont 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.

<would miss driving these wonderful northern roads>

Been on the Thaton to Chiang Rai road recently, LOL?

Have you driven through Los Angeles recently? Many roads are similar to second road in Pattaya

Busy, yes, but no comparison. There's no scooters and no crazy baht bus drivers cutting you off! 55555

But yes, crowded and crazy drivers. Road rage is very common in the US. No fun.

[dannyman]

HI I have not been around for abit cbluck58 nailedit

[thaibeachlovers]

Like in Thailand:

Contrast between Light and Shadow, Good and Bad, High and Low, Right and wrong...

Don't like in Germany:

Few contrasts, mostly grey in grey...

Sorry, I'm aware that was a bit off topic.

Back to OP's question:

Miss:

Nice ladies and cute children and their open smiles.

The climate.

The beaches.

Reasonable prices altogether.

Wednesday market, Sunday market with fresh and inexpensive produce, fruit, veg, meat, fish.

Choice of tropical fruit.

My simple life.

My rented home.

My motorbike.

My three cats.

My Lady vet.

Not miss:

Bureaucracy, corruption and lack of predictability of legal decisions.

Thai roads and careless reckles Thai style of behaviour in traffic.

Lack of security and savety. (Lack of trust in the legal system).

Garbage everywhere.

Soi dogs.

Noisy television almost everywhere.

Pollution and noise pollution.

Huge loudspeakers and basses.

Propaganda pick-ups.

Too many sign bills (often restricting the view at street crossings).

Excluding the cats, I have to agree with your list, though I hope the lady vet is pretty .

[thaibeachlovers]

Miss:

The climate

The low cost of living

Not being taxed to death

Friendliness and smiles of strangers (even if much of it is only surface)

Vast amounts of eye candy

Really fresh fruit and vegetables

The "you do your thing and I'll do my thing and we'll both be OK" attitude

Going to a high quality mall from time to time.

Safety and security to be able to walk almost anywhere, 24 hours a day.

Wouldn't Miss:

Burning season

Traffic and poor standards of driving

The lack of quality in many things

Thai soaps

Visits to the Immigration Dept for visa related stuff

Visiting a doctor and trying to figure out if the diagnosis is correct or whether he/she's just saving face.

.............................................................................................................................................................

Chiang Mai has it right . I live in rural Isaan , in a big village with fairly good facilities including hospital and post office .

I'm married to a beautiful wife , with charming adult children who love me as father too . My wife and most of her brothers and sisters are educated , we are all very good friends , including my wife's ex husband . We are able to live very comfortably on a modest income that would go nowhere in Europe .

I am English , but I do miss Tuscany , Italy , where I lived before . I speak fluent Italian and have many friends there . I have brought with me to Thailand many book , DVDs , Videos , CDs , but I do miss European culture . I do have some Farang friends with whome I can have a good conversation on world affairs

and more intellectual subjects . I spend too much time at my computer for mental stimulation and to keep in touch with family and friends around the world .

I think that goes a long way to your feelings about living here.

My Thai family are the exact opposite, and not only will I not miss them when I go, it's the one thing that will make me happy to not have in my life. My SIL is a maipulative ^&^^% that has done much to harm the relationship between my wife and myself.

[thaibeachlovers]

I'd miss everything - I chose LOS to live in because I like it .

There are bad things, most of which do not affect me, but they are far outweighed by the good things, most of which do affect me.

I do not have bureaucracy problems because I am rarely in contact with them and I love living here.

I'd miss the sycophantic &lt;deleted&gt; that get on this forum and moan endlessly about petty issues and the roads and being ripped off by Thais etc., etc., etc.

If you don't like it here, why stay ?

There is no shortage of outbound flights - get on one and don't come back.

Many of us stay here because it's so much worse back "home", not because it's perfect here.

<There is no shortage of outbound flights - get on one and don't come back.>

If you don't like reading people's complaints, the backspace button is there for you to move onto a different thread - use it and don't come back.

[geriatrickid]

Miss: Thai food, can hire people for most anything, affordable massages, many Thai hotels, Tesco Lotus/7-11/Family Mart (Thai style), Thai variations of fast food outlets, politics (always exciting and always close to a coup), the foreign residents who give so much of themselves and money to help Thai people and animals.

Not Miss: Dangerous roads/drivers, corruption, violence, animal cruelty, creepy foreign sex tourists, unpleasant beer, cops, military,Thai railway, Thai obsession with uniforms and whistles, the large number of people presenting with nasty skin ailments, low quality toilet paper,

I just gotta ask. How do you know they are creepy foreign sex tourists? And what is the difference between a creepy foreign sex tourist and a nice foreign sex tourist. And since 95% of the business is Thai only how about the creepy Thai sex tourists? There are only 5 Farang sex tourists for every 95 sex tourists so they seem like such a small minority you must really get freaked out by the Thai sex tourists?

If you can't see the difference, not much I can say.

[HerbalEd]

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.

Edited December 30, 2013 by HerbalEd

[Dimpys Dad]

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

Wow! I would never miss this kind of a view because I would never leave it. Thanks for sharing the pic.

[HerbalEd]

Only thing I would miss is the cheap women.

You talking about the quality or price, or both? 555

[Scottythai]

I would miss everything. Even the quirky things that make me think &lt;deleted&gt;! I would miss the smiles the most.

[bunuel]

Every country has unique qualities that are available to those open to them. I have lived in both Western and non-Western countries, and I find Thailand to be the most congenial place I have ever been in in terms of creature comforts. Wonderful people, fantastic food, and all imaginable balms for the body - between good, cheap medical care and infinite varieties of massage, good gyms, fresh fruit and vegetables and a very friendly climate, Thailand is perfect place to recover from the outside world. In addition, I am fortunate enough to have a beautiful, well-designed house that I love, and I enjoy shopping in Thailand - lots od great stuff at

very reasonable prices!!

That much said,we are in the process of moving.I know that I will definitely not miss driving in Thailand - this is easily the scariest place to drive that I have ever seen! Otherwise, aside from the political madness ( in all fairness, normal just about everywhere except for Scandinavia these days!) , I will not miss the total absence of anything like a cultural life - for some reason, the kinds of creative energy you find in Japan, China and Korea in design, plastic arts, music, books,cinema is not readily apparent here - even in Bangkok.

All in all, I love it here - the problems are relatively minor for me, and one has learned to adjust by driving ultradefensively,avoiding political discussions with Thais, and seeking aesthetic experiences elsewhere!

[thailiketoo]

I would miss everything. Even the quirky things that make me think &lt;deleted&gt;! I would miss the smiles the most.

Just got back from the grocery store with the wife. A family of four was shopping next to us with two of the cutest twins, 6 or 7 years old. They were dressed identical and looked very cute. I was staring, such a pretty picture they made when one of the little girls noticed me looking at her. In the States they would have called the cops but here I got the biggest cutest smiles from the angelic pair.

How could I go back. I'd be in jail for smiling in a NY minute.

[crazyfalang]

Miss:

The climate

The low cost of living

Not being taxed to death

Friendliness and smiles of strangers (even if much of it is only surface)

Vast amounts of eye candy

Really fresh fruit and vegetables

The "you do your thing and I'll do my thing and we'll both be OK" attitude

Going to a high quality mall from time to time.

Safety and security to be able to walk almost anywhere, 24 hours a day.

Wouldn't Miss:

Burning season

Traffic and poor standards of driving

The lack of quality in many things

Thai soaps

Visits to the Immigration Dept for visa related stuff

Visiting a doctor and trying to figure out if the diagnosis is correct or whether he/she's just saving face.

[crazyfalang]

Miss:

The climate

The low cost of living

Not being taxed to death

Friendliness and smiles of strangers (even if much of it is only surface)

Vast amounts of eye candy

Really fresh fruit and vegetables

The "you do your thing and I'll do my thing and we'll both be OK" attitude

Going to a high quality mall from time to time.

Safety and security to be able to walk almost anywhere, 24 hours a day.

Wouldn't Miss:

Burning season

Traffic and poor standards of driving

The lack of quality in many things

Thai soaps

Visits to the Immigration Dept for visa related stuff

Visiting a doctor and trying to figure out if the diagnosis is correct or whether he/she's just saving face.

[crazyfalang]

One Thing that i would defiantly NOT miss would be The Bloody Russians, Especially in Pattaya..

[salapau]

I am leaving in 2014 and shan't miss anything. What I have most disturbing is the deceipt of the Thai people. Look behind the smiles.

[alex8912]

Since this thread is not for just long term expats anymore:

Miss: Motorcycle taxis, the modernness of BKK every time I arrive back in Dec for the winter there are new hot restaurants, shops, bars etc( home is always the same) , how my neighborhood gets improved every year, new wide sidewalks, new but retro style lamp posts , new flowers and plants, new places to eat, new high rise building going up, the streets getting cleaned regularly the soi dogs ( almost none left) I also miss Pun Pun bike stalls everywhere now.

I live in a nice area in BKK and although it seems most posters live in the middle of nowhere or in Chiang Mai, Pattaya or Phuket I feel many of you have such a crappy view of Bangkok. I actually think some or most of the BKK bashing comes from guys who have not set foot here in 27 years and lets face it there are country people and city people. I love cities.

Don't miss: I have to by a new toaster every two years here. The one at home is now 18 years old

[thailiketoo]

I am leaving in 2014 and shan't miss anything. What I have most disturbing is the deceipt of the Thai people. Look behind the smiles.

I have done that and have discovered looking at people is somewhat like looking in a mirror.

[Deaw]

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.

[chiang mai]

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.

It sounds like learning how to cook may be part of your problem and also learniong recipies perhaps? If prime beef is your thing then Thailand is not the best place to be, but if you enjoy fresh vegetables, fruit, outstanding pork and very good quality chicken and seafood, Thailand comes very near to the top of the list, how you cook it all or indeed how it is cooked is another subject entirely but the same rules on that would apply to any country on the planet. For us we get our vegetables fresh from the local markets, the same source of supply that will feed the UK supermarkets a few days hence - the chicken and pork are fresher than any where apart from the farm, ditto the fruit.

Edited December 30, 2013 by chiang mai