Cost of living

How many times do I have to post the clear fact that Thailand has the 3rd highest gun murder rate in the world. I've posted those links so many times I'm not going to do it again. It is far higher than the US. Also, I'm not, one more time, posting a link to prove that the overall crime rate in the US has fallen by 1/2 in the past 20 years.

So don't tell me about safety. Not to mention road deaths.

Not arguing with your other issues, but on this one I'd like to point out that the overall crime rate isn't so relevant to visitors here, especially gun murders.

Most US cities are relatively unsafe FOR ME, certainly many areas I won't feel comfortable even driving much less walking around at 2am.

Here I do so everywhere, even in those areas most densely populated with glue-sniffing teenage gangs, and have never had any feeling of being unsafe.

Now con games petty theft overcharging whatever sure, but once you know the score pretty easy to minimize those types of losses.

This one factor is a HUGE one for me, especially with little kids.

The places where I'd feel as safe in the states don't have a lot of economic activity going on and IMO are extremely boring, don't have any interest in most people living there, while personally I find the Thais very interesting precisely because they're so different from myself.

But all this has little to do with COL.