Grumpy Old Men in Pattaya, Why?

[Gone]

I see so many tourists and expats here these days that walk around looking like the don't wanna be here and look very unhappy. The female tourists and expats seem much more happy. Why do you think this is?

Edited January 7, 2014 by Gone

[i claudius]

I dont know one grumpy old man ,all the guys i know are the happiest bunch you could find ,and why wouldnt they be living here in the sun and if required ,plenty of sex ,

[I Like Thai]

Because they spend their life going around thinking about what other people think.

[Gone]

It's just that I have been going out a little more often these days to the city center areas because I have a friend who is new to Thailand and I have noticed so many walking around looking very grumpy.

I agree with yes they should be happy but I have noticed this more these days then a few years back.

[Costas2008]

Victor Meldrew is a character in a BBC sitcom "One Foot in the Grave".

This character is a typical grumpy old man that keeps complaining about everything in the world.

I have met many people around that resemble Victor Meldrew, and believe many more exist.

May be it comes with age, maybe circumstances in life makes you miserable.

I wouldn't bother too much......they also have their happy moments.

[petermik]

It's just that I have been going out a little more often these days to the city center areas because I have a friend who is new to Thailand and I have noticed so many walking around looking very grumpy.

I agree with yes they should be happy but I have noticed this more these days then a few years back.

And have you looked in the mirror lately

[Gone]

It's just that I have been going out a little more often these days to the city center areas because I have a friend who is new to Thailand and I have noticed so many walking around looking very grumpy.

I agree with yes they should be happy but I have noticed this more these days then a few years back.

And have you looked in the mirror lately

I don't allow mirrors in my house. I am always happy as most people who know me here will tell you. If I was going to walk around town all frown faced I just would stay home instead to be honest.

Does this post make you contribute snark remarks for some reason?

Anyways this post isn't about retiree bashing. It is just my observation lately and there are 4 legitimate answers to the poll to chose from.

Edited January 7, 2014 by Gone

[CHdiver]

Its because all the Girls are calling them Papa, not sexy Man anymore

[impulse]

"If I had known I was going to live this long, I'd have treated my body a whole lot better".

Cumulative knocks, injuries and abuse take their toll. A lot of older guys walk around in pretty constant pain and it's tough to be cheery all the time when you're in pain. Not the kind of pain that sends you off for meds, but the kind that just drags you down and saps your energy.

I'm starting to feel it in my later 50's. Some guys feel it in their 40's and others live to a ripe old age and never seem to feel it.

As an example, my brother in his 40's became a real grouch, miserable to be around for a long time. Then he had back surgery to correct some problems and now he's a favorite grandfather in his 50's as cheerful as can be.

I try not to pass any judgment on anybody's demeanor unless I have been in their shoes- which, of course, is impossible.

Edited January 7, 2014 by impulse

[Jack Mountain]

Because they are thinking 'why didn't i knew this place 30 years ago?, so much time wasted'

[DD13]

Apparently at the bottom right hand corner of some pension statements it says

"It's OK to be Grumpy now your are retired".....

Is that true????????????

only kidding

Edited January 8, 2014 by DD13

[WaywardWind]

"If I had known I was going to live this long, I'd have treated my body a whole lot better".

Heh...origin is George Burns, the American comedian, at his 100th birthday party. Smoking his trademark cigar with a pretty blond on each arm...

The actual quote is "If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself."

[Gone]

"If I had known I was going to live this long, I'd have treated my body a whole lot better".

Cumulative knocks, injuries and abuse take their toll. A lot of older guys walk around in pretty constant pain and it's tough to be cheery all the time when you're in pain. Not the kind of pain that sends you off for meds, but the kind that just drags you down and saps your energy.

I'm starting to feel it in my later 50's. Some guys feel it in their 40's and others live to a ripe old age and never seem to feel it.

As an example, my brother in his 40's became a real grouch, miserable to be around for a long time. Then he had back surgery to correct some problems and now he's a favorite grandfather in his 50's as cheerful as can be.

I try not to pass any judgment on anybody's demeanor unless I have been in their shoes- which, of course, is impossible.

That is a great point however my health isn't so good these days and I also have real "pain in the neck" yes I still think I act and look happy when I'm out in public. I mean when I'm walking around and pass other expats or foreigners etc I still give the ole "smile and nod" or just say hi. Maybe we Canadians are just to polite? lol.

It just seems to me that so many people walk around with their heads down and wouldn't smile back even after giving a smile.

I don't know, maybe I'm happy to be alive or something but I love being here and when I go out I sure don't act grumpy.

[Chang_paarp]

It's just that I have been going out a little more often these days to the city center areas because I have a friend who is new to Thailand and I have noticed so many walking around looking very grumpy.

I agree with yes they should be happy but I have noticed this more these days then a few years back.

May be you are going out in the morning more than you used to, and are seeing all the hangovers and pre-coffee faces instead of the evening post-beer smiling faces.

[impulse]

"If I had known I was going to live this long, I'd have treated my body a whole lot better".

Cumulative knocks, injuries and abuse take their toll. A lot of older guys walk around in pretty constant pain and it's tough to be cheery all the time when you're in pain. Not the kind of pain that sends you off for meds, but the kind that just drags you down and saps your energy.

I'm starting to feel it in my later 50's. Some guys feel it in their 40's and others live to a ripe old age and never seem to feel it.

As an example, my brother in his 40's became a real grouch, miserable to be around for a long time. Then he had back surgery to correct some problems and now he's a favorite grandfather in his 50's as cheerful as can be.

I try not to pass any judgment on anybody's demeanor unless I have been in their shoes- which, of course, is impossible.

That is a great point however my health isn't so good these days and I also have real "pain in the neck" yes I still think I act and look happy when I'm out in public. I mean when I'm walking around and pass other expats or foreigners etc I still give the ole "smile and nod" or just say hi. Maybe we Canadians are just to polite? lol.

It just seems to me that so many people walk around with their heads down and wouldn't smile back even after giving a smile.

I don't know, maybe I'm happy to be alive or something but I love being here and when I go out I sure don't act grumpy.

Two Realities:

1) To one old grump, another old grump often doesn't seem so bad.

2) For every grumpy bastard that admits (and even embraces) he's a grouch, I've probably met a couple dozen that think they're perfectly pleasant to be around.

I'm guilty as well. When seen from a distance, I probably look like my puppy just died. I try to cheer it up a little when actually up close and interacting with people, but I have no clue how successful that is... Hard to smell the poop when you live in it 24/7.

Edited January 8, 2014 by impulse

[suthansman]

I know of one really grumpy, miserable old man, but he got well and truly ripped off. Lost everything but his pension.

Other than that, maybe some are grumpy because they......

Don't have enough funds to pay for all those sexy ladies on show.

Can't get it up as often as before (even if they could afford them - see above).

Got married to one lady who keeps them on a tight leash.

The Thai spy network keeps reporting back on their whereabouts to their SO's.

[balo]

Just read the local news in your home country and the latest weather forecast there, everyone is complaining about the snow and cold,

it will cheer you up, no need to be grumpy when you live in Thailand .

[Tokay]

Because they came to Pattaya to live out the rest of their days in what was once heaven on earth. Then Pattaya changed. Then changed. Then changed some more.

Now they are faced with the reality that they are living in a different place, and they don't like it. And that can make you grumpy, especially if you're rooted there with a house or family.

[bmanly]

I have met a few grumpy old men. Most are long term blokes who have been ripped off by women many times over and have become jaded. They get sick of the same old bars, same old girls and often have disagreements with their drinking mates. They complain about Thailand but wouldn't last a week back in their home country. They are ok though, I get on with these blokes well and they sure make good company in the low season when everyone else has gone home. When I walk down a soi and see one perched up in a bar I drop in and say hello. They might look grumpy but they aren't half as bad as they might look, they just don't want the hassles of women or talking to new tourists that think they know everything. Some of these grumpy old men will do anything to help you out, you just have to ask, they are ok.

[deckyup]

Because they are thinking 'why didn't i knew this place 30 years ago?, so much time wasted'

I lived in pattaya for about a year then and it was a more pleasant innocent place

Girls were free for my mate and I in our early twenties but lack of money forced me out eventually.

It was awful leaving thailand and I didn.t return for 28 years in 2011.

I.d be dead by now through aids or drink if I.d spent 30 yrs in pattaya .

[blackman]

many older people are in constant physical pain

pain relief medications can make them feel depressed and suicidal

when no ones around they can be sad and unhappy about whats happening to them

in company they often mask this pain by being jolly although the pains still there

maybe people should not be so quick to judge solely by appearances

maybe there's an invisible killer beavering away inside them

maybe that's the grumpy part.......

Edited January 9, 2014 by blackman

[Jack Mountain]

Because they are thinking 'why didn't i knew this place 30 years ago?, so much time wasted'

I lived in pattaya for about a year then and it was a more pleasant innocent place

Girls were free for my mate and I in our early twenties but lack of money forced me out eventually.

It was awful leaving thailand and I didn.t return for 28 years in 2011.

I.d be dead by now through aids or drink if I.d spent 30 yrs in pattaya .

Just a holiday then? twice a year or so. :-)

But it's interesting what you've said. Yes it could be that when you are here permanently with no chance to recharge

the battery in your home country to get rid of negative memories then everyone will be grumpy at the end i guess.

Everybody needs a chance sometimes, another country or just another place for a while.

[dennis123]

The Thai people make me grumpy.

As long as you pay, everyone is your friend.

As soon as you cut down on generosity a bit or ask them to contribute something their selves it's immidiately over.

That and all their other bullsh!t.

Thailand would be perfect without the Thai, oh wait, then there's nothing to .

As a solution I will move 6 months a year back to my country and stay the other 6 months here, or maybe explore other countries like the Phillipines, Laos, Cambodia, bit sick of the people here.

Sure it has many good things as well of course, or maybe it's just Pattaya where it's 100% gold diggers, especially when you only meet people in bars.

I'm annoyed myself as well by my own grumpyness, so got to fix that as I haven't reached the age yet where it's allowed to be grumpy.

Btw alcohol fixes a lot, after 20 beers I'm all happy again!

Edited September 9, 2015 by dennis123

[Rimmer]

It looks like this one year old topic has been resurrected in order to complain about Thai people in which case I will close it.

//CLOSED//