At times, I have to ask myself " why did I come here in the first place?"

It has occurred to me that there are many different reasons for an expat to relocate to Thailand.

For me it was the lower cost of medical treatment treatment for my Thai wife and the support she would receive from her close family members here.

For some I'm sure it was financial.

For some it's the access to younger women.

For some the sex industry.

For some the culture.

And for some the climate.

There must be many more reasons.

I am curious as to why different folks came here.

Is your initial reason still a valid reason for you?

If not, why have you stayed?

Edited January 11, 201412 yr by willyumiii

It has occurred to me that there are many different reasons for an expat to relocate to Thailand.

For real 'expats' its usually because of work in so far as we get sent here to work at the regional or Thai office. If people are here for the reasons in your list, I'd not really consider them as 'expats' more long-term visitors/tourists...

Edited January 11, 201412 yr by HeavyDrinker

From the screenplay for the movie M*A*S*H:

Hotlips O'Houlihan: [to Father Mulcahy, referring to Hawkeye] I wonder how a degenerated person like that could have reached a position of responsibility in the Army Medical Corps!

Father Mulcahy: [looks up from his Bible] He was drafted.

For me, simple: I was invited way back when by an NGO under auspices of HM The King for several extended volunteer stints. Then just decided to stay.

I had been married before, as most of the older members have .If you would have asked me if I thought I would be blessed with such a wonderful woman in my life I would have not believed you. It’s been an amazing all the years with my wife and I am still very much in love with her. She’s not perfect and yet she is all mine. She has given me her heart, her soul, and her love even when I wasn’t worthy of them. She is the woman I love . And that is why I came to Thailand .

Kevvy

Came here to work 18 years ago and have been having an on/off relationship with Thailand ever since.

Currently we are getting on fine

It has occurred to me that there are many different reasons for an expat to relocate to Thailand.

For real 'expats' its usually because of work in so far as we get sent here to work at the regional or Thai office. If people are here for the reasons in your list, I'd not really consider them as 'expats' more long-term visitors/tourists...

That's a very narrow view of the term "expat".

On that basis, you and others sent to Thailand to work might just as well be referred to as a migrant worker as a "real expat".

I fell in love with ye Mum!

Got married 10 years ago....

brought my wife to America (Calif.) and asked if she wanted to live there. She asked me "where are all the Thai people that I hear of who move to America?"...and to be honest I didn't know so I took her to a Thai restaurant (run by Thai's)...she liked that...but wanted to be in a "community" of Thai's

Then she asked "where is the market?" So I took her to Safeway (Big grocery store)....she liked that too....but wanted a local "fresh" outdoor market

Then she asked "Where are the Taxi's, The bus (ie Transportation for her as she doesn't drive) ?" I had a house in the outskirts of the city ...so told her she would have to learn to drive or I'd have to drive her .....she didn't like that ...although she liked the house!

Well long story short .....she said "America is nice, its clean, But I want to live in Thailand, Where I have family, friends and can get around easy with public transportation or taxi's....if you want we can visit America.

Well I am semi-retired and can do everything I need to do on the internet ...SO...here I am in Thailand now for 10 years and love it (we visit America once a year for Christmas to see my 87 year old Mom).

Great women and great life!....That's how I end up in Thailand ...so guess I'm not a "real expat" ...so what ...Thailand is my home NOW

Edited January 11, 201412 yr by beachproperty

Getting away from childish txtspk is one reason I'm here.

Got married 10 years ago....

brought my wife to America (Calif.) and asked if she wanted to live there. She asked me "where are all the Thai people that I hear of who move to America?"...and to be honest I didn't know so I took her to a Thai restaurant (run by Thai's)...she liked that...but wanted to be in a "community" of Thai's

Then she asked "where is the market?" So I took her to Safeway (Big grocery store)....she liked that too....but wanted a local "fresh" outdoor market

Then she asked "Where are the Taxi's, The bus (ie Transportation for her as she doesn't drive) ?" I had a house in the outskirts of the city ...so told her she would have to learn to drive or I'd have to drive her .....she didn't like that ...although she liked the house!

Well long story short .....she said "America is nice, its clean, But I want to live in Thailand, Where I have family, friends and can get around easy with public transportation or taxi's....if you want we can visit America.

Well I am semi-retired and can do everything I need to do on the internet ...SO...here I am in Thailand now for 10 years and love it (we visit America once a year for Christmas to see my 87 year old Mom).

Great women and great life!....That's how I end up in Thailand ...so guess I'm not a "real expat" ...so what ...Thailand is my home NOW

Your story is much like mine.

My wife was with me in California for 6 years until she became ill and we came to Thailand.

She had just about the same reactions as your wife.

For what it's worth, There is a huge Thai population in the San Diego area.

The climate in San Diego is very much like Thailand.

Choke dee!

just on 13 years working here

"Is your initial reason still a valid reason for you?"

Yes... because they keep paying me

I came here for the temples, hehe.

It has occurred to me that there are many different reasons for an expat to relocate to Thailand.

For real 'expats' its usually because of work in so far as we get sent here to work at the regional or Thai office. If people are here for the reasons in your list, I'd not really consider them as 'expats' more long-term visitors/tourists...

An expatriate is someone who has taken up residence in a foreign country. Whether working or not is irrelevant.

Escaped from the overall European gloom just over 4 years ago.

I go back home on holiday about once a year which is great, but every time I step out of the plane at Swampy I'm like "aah... finally back."

I came looking to escape the drudgery, expensive, ever increasing taxes and deteriorating society of the UK.

It was no longer the place I felt I could have any quality of life and felt there had to be something better. I came to Thailand on holiday, really enjoyed it and couldnt stop thinking about it when I returned to the cold UK.

I had gone through a messy painful divorce and decided to look in Thailand for something new. Not being a drinker or liking to frequent bars etc, I decided to browse around on the internet and found a really nice person.

The rest as they say is history, here is a better quality of life, more financially sustainable, live your life as you choose, great weather , and peaceful and quiet, just how I like it.

Thailand is freedom and alot less stress

It has occurred to me that there are many different reasons for an expat to relocate to Thailand.

For real 'expats' its usually because of work in so far as we get sent here to work at the regional or Thai office. If people are here for the reasons in your list, I'd not really consider them as 'expats' more long-term visitors/tourists...

That's a very narrow view of the term "expat".

On that basis, you and others sent to Thailand to work might just as well be referred to as a migrant worker as a "real expat".

why do some TV posters get so touchy when the discusssion of what an "true expat" comes up....?....I fall into HD's defintion of a "true expat".but .I really couldnt careless if someone calls me a true expat, long term visitor/tourist, migrant worker or an out and out w*nker.

Unless someone has PR or becomes a citizen, we are all just long term vistors/tourists call it what ever you want, simply becasue we have no right of abode in Thailand.

Some people on TV are obsessed with giving themselves a title or "status" to make themselves feel better about themselves, or try put themselves above someone else or if they cant do that they try and knock someone down a level, exactly as you tried to do with your "migrant worker" remark

I personally dont give a F what my "status" is simply because I am not that insecure...call me a migrant worker if you wish, the amount on my pay cheque every month is not affected now that I am a migrant worker..

however I will stay this there are many many "true expats" on TV, as they display the one trait of large numbers of expats they are always whinging that "home" is better...and country they are living in should be more like "home" and often start a sentence....in "XYZ" this happens or that happens

Jeez, haven't seen this topic in like 5 days. Next you'll be asking what do you like about Thailand.

Meditation and illegal and legal medication. Beaches and bitches were a bonus.

Work brings me here for almost 1 year now and loving it. Not a fan of the daily drive from Pattaya to Rayong but it's a small price to pay to enjoy all that Thailand has to offer.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Met my wife in UK when she was travelling. Got offered a job at her workplace. Made redundant back home, recession kicking in etc etc blah blah blah. Also since then developed a serious health problem and the climate here is much, much better for me than the cold and wet with chemo etc

Still young btw. In that sense I was unlucky, in another sense quite lucky. Depends which way you look at it

Edited January 11, 201412 yr by RichBKK

Here to see the temples...

Sent here by my company. Liked it. Offered a job and decided to stay. Met my wife and had daughter and made a life for myself here.

Its as good a place as any.

To lay ones hat.

There's plenty of places alot less desirable.

Came here for a 30 day vacation 14 years ago, never left, I liked what I found here the people, the freedom to live my life as I pleased, no big brother / police check points, inexpensive and a better quality of life. Since then I met my wife 9 years ago, married and life became much better, a year later moved to a Thai rice growing village and the rest of my life fell into place.

I thank God that I let my friend talk me into coming to Thailand, she moved on with her life and I stayed here, second best choice I ever made, the first best choice was marrying my wife, What a difference from a western women, I am glad for the ones in my life but in Thailand I found my soul-mate. I plan to live out the rest of my life in Thailand, I only wish I could have met her a lifetime ago!

Cheers

It has occurred to me that there are many different reasons for an expat to relocate to Thailand.

For real 'expats' its usually because of work in so far as we get sent here to work at the regional or Thai office. If people are here for the reasons in your list, I'd not really consider them as 'expats' more long-term visitors/tourists...

Arrogance personified!

I fell in love with ye Mum!

Pissed again owd lad but understandable never the less!

It has occurred to me that there are many different reasons for an expat to relocate to Thailand.

For real 'expats' its usually because of work in so far as we get sent here to work at the regional or Thai office. If people are here for the reasons in your list, I'd not really consider them as 'expats' more long-term visitors/tourists...

That's a very narrow view of the term "expat".

On that basis, you and others sent to Thailand to work might just as well be referred to as a migrant worker as a "real expat".

why do some TV posters get so touchy when the discusssion of what an "true expat" comes up....?....I fall into HD's defintion of a "true expat".but .I really couldnt careless if someone calls me a true expat, long term visitor/tourist, migrant worker or an out and out w*nker.

Unless someone has PR or becomes a citizen, we are all just long term vistors/tourists call it what ever you want, simply becasue we have no right of abode in Thailand.

Some people on TV are obsessed with giving themselves a title or "status" to make themselves feel better about themselves, or try put themselves above someone else or if they cant do that they try and knock someone down a level, exactly as you tried to do with your "migrant worker" remark

I personally dont give a F what my "status" is simply because I am not that insecure...call me a migrant worker if you wish, the amount on my pay cheque every month is not affected now that I am a migrant worker..

however I will stay this there are many many "true expats" on TV, as they display the one trait of large numbers of expats they are always whinging that "home" is better...and country they are living in should be more like "home" and often start a sentence....in "XYZ" this happens or that happens

Because I love a debate and the poster gives me that stimulation when he generalises to the extent that he does in making spurious and incorrect assumptions about who and what an Ex Pat is!

There seems to be amongst the posters on TV a set of people who have an inferiority complex and delusions of grandeur !

<deleted> do I care about who qualifies as an EX-Pat ?

Thanks to those who can "qualify" the genre in so finite a way and this gives me the chance to "vent" an objection to such narrow minded and silly posters

Where am I?

Like many, I was running away from something.

I was terrified of living a normal life. I dreaded things like, career, marriage, kids, debts, divorce, redundancy, obesity, ill health, and regrets. I was assured by others that I could not escape the expectations of family and society, but I proved them all wrong.

At the time of my first visit I was yet to turn 21, still studying at university and the year was 1975. Two years later, after graduation, I moved here. The rest is kind of a long story.

Girls girls girls.

Everything getting much much cheaper as I learned to live like a local and to speak Thai.

Only downside education for the kids, so have to tough it out in farangland until I can afford a million a year for int'l school tuition.

Don't think I want them growing up with farangland culture as teenagers.