Expats and boredom.

[smotherb]

I have found a couple of cold gin and tonics...with a massage...works wonders to relieve the boredom...I do not go to expat bars for the exact reason you outlined here...have drinks with friends...in their homes or yours...

Yes, groups of expats drinking in a private home must be far superior to groups of expats drinking in public places--and cheaper too.

I find no end of things to do here. Sure, tipping a few with friends anywhere is part of it, especially when you have seen all the temples and waterfalls. However, I like to be taken care of. Everyday I like to have a steam bath, be shaved, have my hair washed, and be massaged; with a manicure, pedicure, and haircut weekly. Each time my barber serves coffee or cocktails in an nice aircon salon with gold package cable TV and internet. A good start to the day, even if it does happen after noon many days. I belong to the Rotary, we meet weekly for dinner and comraderie; and are involved in community service work. My biker club goes to all local bike events and does charity work to support our local children. I ride most everyday to some out of the way place to have lunch and a beer or two. My wife and I go out to dinner with friends three or four times a week. We frequently go to one or more of the many live music clubs in town, where my bottle of Jack serves many. Every other weekend or so, we ride to a nearby town or beach resort to visit friends or attend biker meets. When it is too hot to ride, I watch people; usually at the one of the big aircon malls. These new Central Festivals are great--ever watch a Thai ice skate? Then, of course, I can stay home and play with any number of techno gadgets and try to avoid honeydos. Oh, did I mention the bars? Bored, how can you be?

This is a nice life. Where do you live sir? Thanks

I live in the South, it really doesn't matter where. You can do these things in any good-sized town, Use your imagination, get involved, make friends.

[bkkden]

Lots of charity organizations you can volunteer with and intellectual organizations, for example 'Siam Society.' Many types of clubs to join where you can also create friends with expats and English speaking Thais. Nothing to do with bars and drinking if you don't like that type of thing. Bangkok also is the perfect home base for interesting trips around the region. Next week I'm going on a photography trip to Bagan in Myanmar. Great place to be retired, stay busy and have a fulfilling and interesting life. Good luck!

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[i claudius]

BOREDOM?i've heard about that ,explain to me again what it is.

[Lizarrdo]

Khaosan Road (for younguns mostly), Soi Cowboy, pretty much all the other fun districts. I love thailand.

EDIT: my bad. But I'm pretty sure you could host parties wherever you are.

Edited May 29, 2014 by Lizarrdo

[raybal5]

getting bored after retirement is a potential problem with all retirees, no matter whether they retire in their homecountry or abroad. Retirement needs preparation and planning, so that you know how you can / will / want to fill your days. Of course, retiring to a foreign country needs even more of such planning, as you will not anymore have your usual social environment around you (i.e. no more social clubs, no more grand-kids, no more friends) and have to rebuild your new life.

Now, having said all that... maybe for the expats you met in the bar, this might be EXACTLY what they had in mind when they retired to Thailand and they feel neither bored nor lonely and it IS their favorite hobby to drink and bicker around with their friends... who knows...

I live in Melbourne Australia and I see this sort of behaviour in many places. The oldies sit around together and talk over coffee (I don't go to bars so I guess it happens in there too). It seems more common amongst people from Europe who are residents of Australia, Greeks and Italians especially.