Why, actually, do you live here/keep coming back?

[laolover88]

Well, I like France and the UK. But here we have a house on the beach in the South of Thailand so we can swim and go 'boating' pretty well every day, we have BBQs on the beach every week, gas and food are cheap, though becoming more expensive; my wife has her family and friends as do I, the children are happy in school...even if the schooling leaves a bit to be desired...but look at UK/US/French schools, we have European and US pensions which, so far, no-one has managed to radically erode and my wife can open a business of whatever sort whenever and wherever she wants (encounters with UK and French planning bureaucracy not a choice!!?). I like the climate; OK it is boring to have to do 90 day reporting and get new visas every year..small price to pay......And OK it is not cheap to spend £700 on an air ticket every time you want to go 'home'....In Europe I like not having to dice with death every time I get in my car, and the children like snow. For the future? We will have to spend £10000 a year to send each child to university to learn very little, with a doubtful prospect of a job or career, We spend 7500B a month on Council Tax simply to have a house in the UK...........So we discount political difficulties/racism/absence of decent wine etc....Other TV members will of course have other priorities!!

[Ulysses G.]

The women. Obviously.

[choochoo]

WO the barGirls thailand got nothing special!

[SoiBiker]

Not everyone came here to get laid, chaps. Although I suspect we're in for several pages of people rolling their eyes at anyone who claims otherwise.

[marko kok prong]

Ye gods i wake every morning thinking why am i here,then i look at my wife,oh, yeah thats why and yeah it cheap,but really don't like the hot season.

[Costas2008]

Pleeeese, not another thread, why I'm here.......it's getting a little boring.

Anyway, I'll tell you why.

Because when I wake up in the morning and touch my wife......I feel 20 years younger and happy.

Wish, I had come to Thailand earlier.

[Payboy]

Temples.

[tartempion]

Well I don't like living in just one place.

My base where I grew up was in Belgium, but worked all over Europe, made 2 trips/year to company HQ in Atlanta, have a gf in Montreal since I'm 15 (used to stop over in YUL on the way to ATL)

Then my job moved me to Asia: Sillypore, Hong Kong, Bangkok.

Somewhere down the road decided to make the rice fields my second home.

Any place Europe too cold, any place Africa too religion I don't like (include Indonesia and others), tired of USA, Canada freezing.

India no thanks, so what's left?

Spent a record 7 months in Isaan, cooling of right now in cold Belgium, planning next trip to Belgium and Montreal for September.

Life is a bitch

Edit: missing South of France, la Provence etc, don't think I have time this month to get down there for a week or so.

Edited May 5, 2014 by tartempion

[KittenKong]

1) No income tax.

2) Tasty local food.

3) Easy to obtain a long visa extension.

4) Fairly cheap place to live when all costs are taken into consideration.

5) Fairly reliable infrastructure (electricity, water, internet, roads).

That's about it.

[whooshbang]

Avoid the british winter time.

Street Food ;-)

[Thaiberius]

Quite simple for me. In the UK I feel depressed and stressed. In Thailand I never ever feel depressed of stressed. No choice really.

[mad mary]

Bum guns

[impulse]

They mail my paycheck here.

With a big ol' "hardship posting" differential included.

And I can't help but feel some perverse satisfaction as I wander the streets with people who actually pay to be here...

Edited May 5, 2014 by impulse

[geronimo]

Been here for 32 years and will remain here until I die as I haven't found anywhere better!

[JLCrab]

A good life with adequate health insurance here (unavailable to me in USA) and no automobile required.

[geronimo]

I have been here for 32 years and will stay here until I die as there is no other place on earth like LOS!!!

[Naam]

WO the barGirls thailand got nothing special!

"nothing special" applies only to people who pay peanuts amounts of income tax in their home country.

[laolover88]

There is another thread running about why people dislike Thailand! This is not it...I am interested as to why people do like it!!! Live here, cherish it and come back!!

[i claudius]

Why do i live here? well i live in a large detached house much bigger than i could have afforded in the UK ,i have a lovely wife and a son in uni ,which would have cost a fortune in the UK ,he already has an offer of a much better job than he would have got in the UK ,i am warm and do not have to wrap up all the time, good fresh food ,cheap petrol ,no parking wardens ,no PC bullshit , no police flagging you down if you are eating at the wheel of your car ,no massive fines if you go 5 mph over the speed limit,I dont have to pay 5 pounds to park my car if i want to go to the dept store ,the other day i went to the dentist and i paid 800 baht not about 70 quid like in the UK when i want to see a doctor i dont have to make an appointment a week in advance ,i won't bore you with the other things ,but you get my drift?

[Thaiberius]

Claudius, and the rest. I was in England a couple of weeks back and tried to get a GP visit to have a mole looked at on my back. I was told they were taking bookings for 6 weeks hence but cancelled appointments could be had if you called at 08:00 daily. The cancelled appointments were all taken by about 08:02. My GP equivalent in Hua Hin has a lovely surgery with a nice unobstructive receptionist. Costs me less than a tenner to go and see him and I don't get a same day appointment, I get a same hour appointment. It's all about quality of life. Quality in Thailand, drudgery in England.

[Om85]

I stay bcus of my wife and the other chicks too

also I really like the country, have many friends, an excellent job,

speak/write/read the language, and honestly speaking

at this point I can't think of any other place better than here.

The only problem for me with Thailand is that weed isnt legal

besides that, I could stay in here the rest of my life.

[coconutbar]

for the cheap leos

[i claudius]

Claudius, and the rest. I was in England a couple of weeks back and tried to get a GP visit to have a mole looked at on my back. I was told they were taking bookings for 6 weeks hence but cancelled appointments could be had if you called at 08:00 daily. The cancelled appointments were all taken by about 08:02. My GP equivalent in Hua Hin has a lovely surgery with a nice unobstructive receptionist. Costs me less than a tenner to go and see him and I don't get a same day appointment, I get a same hour appointment. It's all about quality of life. Quality in Thailand, drudgery in England.

I am over in the UK next week ,my daughter rang the doctor(yes i am still on the books) to get me an appointment ,2 weeks ,in the end she managed to get one 4 days after i arrive , bloomin joke ,i remember a time whan you could get a doctors appointment same day.

[Berkshire]

I stay bcus of my wife and the other chicks too

also I really like the country, have many friends, an excellent job,

speak/write/read the language, and honestly speaking

at this point I can't think of any other place better than here.

The only problem for me with Thailand is that weed isnt legal

besides that, I could stay in here the rest of my life.

Wish all expats had your attitude. As for the weed...I suppose that "could" make Thailand paradise on Earth. Just wait til the USA legalizes at the fed level. Would love to see what the rest of the world does.

[Tywais]

Inappropriate comment and replies to it removed.

[Bernard Flint]

All the good points on here

I have lived central Pattaya for 10 years and dont regret moving from uk for 1 second. I find its less expensive here, for my lifestyle and have many mates here

[uptheos]

Claudius, and the rest. I was in England a couple of weeks back and tried to get a GP visit to have a mole looked at on my back. I was told they were taking bookings for 6 weeks hence but cancelled appointments could be had if you called at 08:00 daily. The cancelled appointments were all taken by about 08:02. My GP equivalent in Hua Hin has a lovely surgery with a nice unobstructive receptionist. Costs me less than a tenner to go and see him and I don't get a same day appointment, I get a same hour appointment. It's all about quality of life. Quality in Thailand, drudgery in England.

I am over in the UK next week ,my daughter rang the doctor(yes i am still on the books) to get me an appointment ,2 weeks ,in the end she managed to get one 4 days after i arrive , bloomin joke ,i remember a time whan you could get a doctors appointment same day.

I'm over at the end of the month for my annual visit.

Never had to wait the time Thaiberious states, there's something amiss there.

Usually same day if urgent otherwise the miserable fart that calls herself a receptionist, will usually give me one the next day or ASAP.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrsvPizDZmo

[uptheos]

You've got to live somewhere.

On balance I've preferred it here for many years, but could easily adapt back home or elsewhere.

Can't say like some, that it's the best place in the world.....I haven't seen all the places yet.

[Morakot]

I come here for the fine conversations, the extraordinary elocution, and the jolly good outlook on life people present.

[Water Buffalo]

My main reasons:

Atmosphere is not serious, depressing, and aggressive like in the UK.

Healthier lifestyle.

People are happier in general.

I would prefer my daughter grow up here for the above reasons.

But also:

Better weather.

Cheaper lifestyle all in all (to build a house is very nice cheap)

Better variety of food (despite the fact i miss British food).