Is life better in the land of smiles

[ResandePohm]

I have read here a lot about that you should be concerned about your children's education and that you should not move here until their education is complete.I disagree with this attitude 100%. I have travelled all my life. As a child I attended 13 different schools, some good and some not so good and some downright abysmal .My parents were constantly being advised that they should send me to boarding school to get a consistent education, however they considered it more important to keep the family together so I moved home and changed school often.

As for my education, I eventually went to university and got a degree in Civil Engineering. Only an ordinary degree and not an Honours or Masters but none the less a degree from a UK University. However what I gained from my travelling childhood was worth much more than any degree. Learning and understanding other cultures, other languages, how to make new friends quickly and easily, how to be tolerant of people with different views and beliefs. As for my degree, my ordinary degree, well in every job I have ever applied for not once have i been asked what kind of degree do I have.

So my recommendation would be to take your children with you and choose the best school available wherever you end up. They will learn more that will help them in real life that way.

[Eneukman]

I think you'll find that the Thai government schools that you might want your children to attend, may not want them. They are selective schools and regulary have student that have won prizes in international student science and math olympics.

In any case, why would anyone - Thailand/ UK/USA/wherever - choose to have the government educate their children? Seems like the parents are just after baby sitters.

The reason many people choose to allow the government to educate their children (in the UK it's the local government) is because they simply can't afford to send their children to a public (fee-paying) school.

To answer the OP, I'm happy here - much happier than I would be if I was still living in the cold, wet climate Scotland has where the only real benefit would be free health care though that is looking to be more and more under threat. My girlfriend here is only 8 years younger than I am with grown up children.

Alan

[JLCrab]

There's a post above where the Brit gent mentions that he has moved with his family back to Thailand and now lives where there are many British neighbours. No comment.

You just did. 555

Each to their own. Free to pick and choose whether to make friends or not.

Jeez, dunno where to start! But you did anyway. Farang friends are maybe great to have but they also seem to be the cause of just too many problems.

[watso63]

you have to jump thru a lot of hoops these days and it will get worse in the coming years requiring more funds

if you can handle this in your old age when you are decrepit go ahead

some guys think they will be young and agile forever ,never requiring expensive hospital treatment

I'll pay for what I can afford and just die the Thai way. No intention of being kept alive when the time comes if the quality of life is poor. By the way, I have died 3 times already and was only brought back by CPR and 11 pints of blood being pumped into my broken and bleeding body. So I am definately making the most of what I have.

[rct99q]

just moved back to north america after 5 years in Isaan! surprised by how good it feels. plenty of high paying work, people are as friendly as i remembered, excellent options for food including several Isaan restaurants. hate to say this but probably not comjng back. ,crazy part is since i have been back i have met 10 or so Thai people working in the small town and have had some very interesting discussions. asked 2 ladies who work in the local coffe shop why they are here, they stated it was better here then in thailand, money, house, and school.they were from khon khen area...go figure. however it was very difficult for them to get visas, especially work visas, took them nearly 4 years to get an open work permit. but they got'em.

[spidermike007]

Life here is very good for me. I have a lot of friends who would like to be able to live here, but cannot figure out how to do it. Some of very envious. And if you are fortunate enough to live with a very intelligent women, who speaks great english, like mine does, than the envy is even greater. There are men of all shapes and sizes, and all walks of life on this forum, and living here in Thailand. I have met many who are successful, smart, intellectual, and live wonderful lives here. I am often pleasantly surprised at how intelligent and thoughtful some of the replies and quotes I get on this forum are. It is a testament to the caliber of ex-pates who use it. Some have great Thai women, and some do not. Some are single, some are family men. Most are considerably more content than they were when they lived their quiet lives of desperation in the west. Simply put, life back there does not suit all of us. I hope and pray on a daily basis I never have to live back in the US again. Never. Please no. Of course there were things I liked about life back there. But, even with the lack of conveniences, and culture here, I would take this life, over life back there by a wide, wide margin.

Yes, there are sacrifices we make, by choosing to live here. The lack of access to foodstuffs, the lack of great wilderness areas, highland lakes and rivers, theatre, live jazz, or any real meaningfully music scene, at all, the lack of live dance performance, and other cultural aspects can be frustrating at times. But, we make out choices. The quality of life is way higher for me here, and the general attitude of the local people are a big part of that. Thai people are remarkable in terms of their positivity, their cheerfulness, their lightheartedness, and their humor. I love that. I cannot get any of that back in the US. People there are very dour, and unfulfilled, generally.

In terms of women, maybe I am just very fortunate. I have a woman a couple of decades younger than me (I always preferred younger women, even the entire time I lived in the west, as women my age simply cannot keep up with me in terms of energy and lifestyle, and were way too lethargic for my tastes), very intelligent, very pretty, fit, and funny. She cracks me up daily. Always good humor, always in a pleasant mood, always cheerful and always has my back. She wakes up with a smile on her face! Never, in the decades I lived back there, did I experience that. Oh yes, I experienced the opposite of that frequently. All of this is not exactly something to pity. Not compared to the vast majority of relationships or marriages my friends have in the west, most of which leave ALOT to be desired. And did I mention the 200 LB. gals? Or the sourpuss attitudes? The height of the hurdles? I could go on, and on, but I won't.

And in terms of health care, I am self insured. I put money away, instead of allowing the CEO of an insurance company to buy his 4th villa. If and when the time comes, I have the cash set aside. And unless it is something very serious, I will probably come out ahead. I despise insurance companies, and use them only for my car, and a minimal personal accident policy, with includes 5 million baht in life insurance for my gal. I pay a total of about $100 a month for insurance. I feel like I have my foot halfway up the ass of the insurance executives I used to deal with. That is it, I am proud to say. Life without insurance is a beautiful thing. It is my life, and I do not belong to an insurance company. Some of the friends I have in the states spend a third of their annual income on insurance for their house, cars, life, health, etc, etc. I for one, was not comfortable paying $1000 to $2000 per month for all of that nonsense, and am thrilled on a daily basis to not have to be doing it here.

And in regard to immigration, many of us have multiple entry retirement visas. It could hardly be an easier way to stay here. Stay all year if you like, or come and go as you please. Reporting in every 90 days, to the tune of 15 minutes, is hardly jumping over hoops.

So, make your own judgment, but please try using a little bit of imagination. Many of us have truly fulfilling lives here, that we would not want to trade for anything.

[JLCrab]

If I want live jazz, I play it. Maybe only 2 or 3 % of those who buy health insurance ever suffer an extreme event. But of that 2 or 3%, probably 100% thought it would never happen to them. Putting money aside is not self-insurance; it is a reserve.

It is insurance when you have the possibility of getting back more than you put in.

[ResandePohm]

spidermike

You say you regret "the lack of live dance performance, and other cultural aspects". Where are you living? Doesn't sound like the Thailand I know and love.

[Bernard Flint]

Jeez, dunno where to start! Most of it is inside your own head and what kind of person you are. I did my time in the British Army. I loved the sunshine postings and whenever I got off the plane at Akrotiri etc, chucked my kit in my room, cracked open a cold beer and relaxed on a sunbed I knew this is what I wanted out of life. When I was forcibly "medically retired" I got a good tax free pension, index linked with UK inflation rate for life. (This gives me the financial security needed to live here) I worked for a further 10 years driving aviation fuel tankers all over the place making good money, but after working 60 hours plus every week I realised there was more to life than living for the weekend. When I split with the wife I came here with my brother and his Thai wife and liked what I saw. I did my sums, sold up and because I know my inner self I knew that I would be happy here. I have everything I need. A great TGF, a home in the country, a soon to be finished condo in Pratumnak, a great pick up truck, motorbike, dog, land, friendly, fun village people, 2 bicycles (road and mountain) which I spend riding for a few hours most days. The river Mun is just 6km away, so I am going to take up fishing. I love the simple life partying hard, travelling, so Thailand has got it all for me. Buriram isn't far away, a football match there is a great night out and I am looking forward to seeing the new race circuit. Life is great. I for one do not need the experience of having to live here for 15 years to know what Thailand is about.

I am only 51, so I feel like the cat that got the cream.

Great to here somebody is happy and content, well done sir

[JLCrab]

OOPS double.

Edited August 18, 2014 by JLCrab

[chiang mai]

For someone living in the UK, there are primarily four issues, food quality/availability, weather, attitudes/demeanor, cost of living:

Food Quality/Availability: If you have a place of your own in the UK then it's not difficult to shop selectively and you can eat healthily and fairly inexpensively. But if you don't have a home there and/or you can't cook, feeding yourself can be a risky and expensive business, at least in Thailand there are always loads of inexpensive alternatives for food.

Weather: When it's nice weather during the summer in the UK there's no finer place on the planet, especially in the Cotswolds. But for the remaining 300 days life can be depressing and it's really difficult to plan ahead because of that (I exaggerate about the number of days of course, well, possibly). But I suppose the upside to that is that there's the change in seasons, it's always good to see Spring turn into Summer, the change in color of the leaves in Autumn and snow, on the first day when it's fresh, can be very lovely.

But here in the North of Thailand we have changes in seasons also, it's currently very pleasant and will stay that way until January when it will get very hot, smog will follow and then the cycle will start over - it's all about trade offs.

Attitudes/Demeanor: I like living here because people don't scowl most of the time, they smile, are generally very polite and courteous, don't bark at you when asked a question and it's quite safe. I have to say that in the UK I rarely feel 100% safe any longer, attitudes have changed and English people are no longer as caring and courteous as they were in years past - social and economic divisions play a large part in that, I think.

Cost of Living: We can and do live a comfortable and interesting life here on less than 800K baht per year (excluding accommodation costs), £14.5k a year in the UK, well, you make your own comparison based on how you live.

The fringe benefits (this is not what some readers are expecting so settle down): The only legislative burden I have from living here is that I must extend my visa every year and I must report my address to Immigration four times each year. The former task takes about an hour and the latter gets handled by an agent for 1k baht a year.

If I lived in the UK full time I would have to consider my tax residency status, pay my Community Charge, renegotiate the provision of my gas and electric supplies, renegotiate my car insurance, remember to pay all manner of mandatory bills which, if I forget, I would get fined.. I would need to be careful of not driving over the speed limit because if I did, any number of speed camera's would result in me being fined a days wages or more. My trash would need to be put outside my home on the designated day, more fines if the wrong sort of trash appears in any of the eight different boxes designated for this purpose, and let's not even begin to talk about tax returns. And so on and so on!

Finally, I'm not trying to be critical or vehemently in favor of either location, it's just that in light of my earlier post on this subject which seems to have been well received, I wanted to provide a slightly more objective view. OP, whatever you decide will be the right thing, good luck.

[Maggusoil]

No one can be happy here in Thailand all of the time. That's not possible. It is possible to be happy every day, although not all of the time.

TV is disproportionately populated with moaners and bitter nutcases and weirdos. I should know, I'm one of them.

Good. Its great to "come out" and be honest.

I have lived 5 years or so 3 months here and 3 months in Australia alternately. Just had a long bout in Aus and now have a

One Year non O family visit visa. I can't wait to get back to reality in Thailand.

Its not for everybody, but I love it. I have a Thai family, Thai friends and other mates in Thai. They/we all love it.

Even with ice in the beer. . and other exigencies.. . and on the whole, day to day, moment to moment, the people are a "lot" happier

[thaibeachlovers]

I'm one of the happy ones, yes we do have the occasional run-in with culture etc.

That said:

I earn more, spend less, have a bigger home and a generally higher standard of living than I ever did in the UK, I like the weather

But:

I am a consultant engineer to major infrastructure projects around Asia, not restricted to Thailand although 3 of my current projects are Thailand based.

I think those of us not at retirement age that do 28/28, or some sort of rotation have the best deal here.

I earn outside the country so when i come for my month off i have absolutely no worries at all.

Personally i love living in Thailand. I'm from Scotland. I hate that country, it's a very bitter and twisted place and us Jocks carry a massive chip on our shoulder and think the world owes us something. I've not lived there regularly since 1999. I was 4 years in Rotterdam then moved to Thailand.

I've been with the Mrs 7/8 year and we have a 6 year old. We have a good life, nice big house and the job i do means we don't have any financial worries. I get zero problems from her Mum who lives 50 miles away, she has no other family aprt from my step kids who're great.

Naturally we have our tiffs but they last 5 mins then all is good.

I'm 40 and been to over 100 countries so traveling isn't a thrill for me.

The recent clamp downs and Junta, as usual, has absolutely no effect no me when it comes to it. So life is good

I'm here for life.

EDIT = Have to admit if i had never been to Thailand before and looked on here for advice i'd probably have second thoughts. I don't think ANY Tha based message board gives a true reflection of how expat life is. There is a lot of very bitter and twisted people on them that should really pick up a bag and go home. Thailand is very simple to live in, i feel those that complain don't fit here and that is usually down to finances and or them wanting Thailand to fit into their train of thought/way of life rather then them fit into Thailand, which is the way it should be

BUT, if my Mrs didn't have her other kids i would have moved back to the UK in a heart beat for the schools and NHS etc as kids are number 1

<people on them that should really pick up a bag and go home. >

Nah. Home is worse than Thailand.

[belg]

the grass is always greener...

untill you have to cut it

[AnotherOneAmerican]

I've lived in the US, the UK, and Thailand.

If you aren't looking for cheap and young female companions, USA wins hands down.

Food, clothing and electronics is the cheapest of the 3 countries, schools are free and good educational quality.

2nd is the UK,

but weather is bad and housing is expensive, schools are free and even better than the USA. Free health care is a big plus.

3rd is Thailand,

It's no place for anyone with children of school age. Electronics is the most expensive of the 3 countries, housing and associated costs are cheapest.

If I had a free choice of countries to live in with my kids (which I don't as I have responsibility for 2 Thai children with no chance of a VISA for them as they aren't mine)(no interest in sex with anyone)

America would be my first choice (cheapest overall excluding medical), England second (bad weather but free medical)) and Thailand third (poor schools).

[watso63]

Jeez, dunno where to start! Most of it is inside your own head and what kind of person you are. I did my time in the British Army. I loved the sunshine postings and whenever I got off the plane at Akrotiri etc, chucked my kit in my room, cracked open a cold beer and relaxed on a sunbed I knew this is what I wanted out of life. When I was forcibly "medically retired" I got a good tax free pension, index linked with UK inflation rate for life. (This gives me the financial security needed to live here) I worked for a further 10 years driving aviation fuel tankers all over the place making good money, but after working 60 hours plus every week I realised there was more to life than living for the weekend. When I split with the wife I came here with my brother and his Thai wife and liked what I saw. I did my sums, sold up and because I know my inner self I knew that I would be happy here. I have everything I need. A great TGF, a home in the country, a soon to be finished condo in Pratumnak, a great pick up truck, motorbike, dog, land, friendly, fun village people, 2 bicycles (road and mountain) which I spend riding for a few hours most days. The river Mun is just 6km away, so I am going to take up fishing. I love the simple life partying hard, travelling, so Thailand has got it all for me. Buriram isn't far away, a football match there is a great night out and I am looking forward to seeing the new race circuit. Life is great. I for one do not need the experience of having to live here for 15 years to know what Thailand is about.

I am only 51, so I feel like the cat that got the cream.

Great to here somebody is happy and content, well done sir

Thanks. Life is what you make it. I had a plan when I was 16 years old. I was thinking Spain or Cyprus, never had Thailand on my radar, but number 1 is the weather, number 2, seen and done most things in Europe, USA, Canada. Ruled out everywhere in the Muslim world. Thailand and SE Asia are all new to me which is quite stimulating. Trying to get to the grips with the language is my biggest hurdle. I detest spending more than a few days in any city. I am happy being alone or with a few people to socialise with. I try to keep fit, stay busy and relax with a few bevvies in the evening. Oh yeah, I've now got good internet and 365sport.tv which is a mighty fine bonus.

[EmptyHead]

I would say if your looking for a cheap lifestyle yes, But to bring up your kid and look after your wife I don't think so mate.

you would find everything in Thailand is substandard just ask your wife she should she should know that ANSWER!!

Is everything in Thailand substandard? Good and bad points about living here, same as most other countries.

Substandard,

Everything to do with housing.

Everything to do with education.

Everything to do with government.

Everything to do with trust, honesty and personal responsibility.

Thailand is doing beter than many western countries. The UK, for example. I know school teachers there who struggle to make ends met more than teachers here.

What's so special about the American government? The current governent is doing great things for Thailand.

Honestly and responisibilty?....hmm...prisons are overflowing in the west.

Housing?....trailer parks not substandard?...well maybe not.

[Gecko123]

Stay in ENGLAND . If you come to Thailand I am pretty sure your mariage will hit the rocks for one reason or another within a few years. I know 10 different couples whose marriages ended after they came to Thailand....the men lusted after bar girls, the wives changed, the families descended on them and wouldn't leave,etc etc. I bet within a few years you would regret the decision.

I'm not prepared to predict that someone's marriage is going to implode if they moved to Thailand, but I agree with this post that living back home does sometimes provide a more stable environment for a marriage, at least during the early years. This is based on my observation of couples who I know who come to Thailand to visit.

For one thing, Thai wives who live overseas seem to gain a deeper understanding of the husband's culture and values than a Thai wife who has never been outside of Thailand. Living overseas also provides Thai wives with the opportunity to earn more money than they otherwise would in Thailand, and this seems to have a stabilizing effect on the marriage. Living overseas can also avoid problems which can arise if your new wife happens to have "baggage" such as a grasping family, past debts, or a circle of girlfriends filling her ears with schemes on how to take advantage of her new hubby.

Just in case anyone is still keeping score, I consider myself to be very happy living here, and knock on wood, don't plan to move back home. There are of course things that I miss about America, but above all, the thing which I cherish most about Thailand is that I feel socially accepted and comfortable here in ways that I never experienced back home.

Edited August 18, 2014 by Gecko123

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Thailand is doing beter than many western countries. The UK, for example. I know school teachers there who struggle to make ends met more than teachers here.

What's so special about the American government? The current governent is doing great things for Thailand.

Honestly and responisibilty?....hmm...prisons are overflowing in the west.

Housing?....trailer parks not substandard?...well maybe not.

Who cares about the working conditions of teachers?

Anyway, UK teachers, 12 weeks holiday pa, 25k+ pa wage, generous pension, 6hr working day, 100% job security. Looks good to me.

American government, they don't lock you up without trial if you post something anti-Obama on the internet.

Thai government, actually it doesn't have one at this point in time, it has a military Junta that rules by force.

I've lived in a lot nicer trailers in the USA than the average foreigner condo in Thailand.

[MJP]

Its a state of mind, you can "choose" to be happy or unhappy wherever you choose to live.

You can choose or decide what will bother you or not, the rest is just geography.

I choose to spend the larger part of the year in Thailand and the rest have trips elsewhere.

Where ever you go, there you are.

I have a comfortable life in Thailand and UK and I'm still a miserable b@st@rd.

[Maggusoil]

Life is cheaper in Asia in general and i think that colours a lot of people's thinking about justice here, however we recently had a case in Australia of a farmer shooting a government inspector dead.

For some of us here that is no surprise. Just the tip of the iceberg, of the disconnect between the modern industrial bank and corporation owned State, which is devouring democracy statute by statute.

Strange as it may seem, the latest from the "experts",

Asian autocracies were outpacing the big democracies, in many ways.

[thailiketoo]

Who cares about the working conditions of teachers?

Anyway, UK teachers, 12 weeks holiday pa, 25k+ pa wage, generous pension, 6hr working day, 100% job security. Looks good to me.

American government, they don't lock you up without trial if you post something anti-Obama on the internet.

Thai government, actually it doesn't have one at this point in time, it has a military Junta that rules by force.

I've lived in a lot nicer trailers in the USA than the average foreigner condo in Thailand.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Who cares about the working conditions of teachers?

Anyway, UK teachers, 12 weeks holiday pa, 25k+ pa wage, generous pension, 6hr working day, 100% job security. Looks good to me.

American government, they don't lock you up without trial if you post something anti-Obama on the internet.

Thai government, actually it doesn't have one at this point in time, it has a military Junta that rules by force.

I've lived in a lot nicer trailers in the USA than the average foreigner condo in Thailand.

False arrest can happen anywhere, this guy will get $$$$$ compensation, and a lot of publicity.

In Thailand he would have disappeared forever.

[MJP]

Okay, here's my take on it.

You have to make a life. It's tough to do so anywhere in the World but if you struggle to make a life in your home country then nine times out of ten you'll really, really struggle to do so in another country.

I actually don't really like Thailand. I find it arduous to travel around and I'm just not keen on the place. But I love the village where I've been for over a decade. That village I can call home, Thailand on the whole, I can't.

It's the environment we ourselves create that we can call home, that we can settle in.

Now, if you're renting an apartment and renting a partner and renting a car and wotnot in such a far away land . . . that's not settled and it's definitely not home, which is why so many are deeply unhappy there. To arrange ones life in such a manner points to deeper problems in ones existence . . . not going to be happy people to begin with. Lost souls.

I love a good old ramble . . . I'll stop now . . .

Edited August 18, 2014 by MJP

[thailiketoo]

False arrest can happen anywhere, this guy will get $$$$$ compensation, and a lot of publicity.

In Thailand he would have disappeared forever.

If posts critical of the head of the Thai government, Yingluck were illegal 99% of the posters in the Thai Visa news and general forums would be in jail.

Edited August 18, 2014 by thailiketoo

[EmptyHead]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Stay in ENGLAND . If you come to Thailand I am pretty sure your mariage will hit the rocks for one reason or another within a few years. I know 10 different couples whose marriages ended after they came to Thailand....the men lusted after bar girls, the wives changed, the families descended on them and wouldn't leave,etc etc. I bet within a few years you would regret the decision.

I'm not prepared to predict that someone's marriage is going to implode if they moved to Thailand, but I agree with this post that living back home does sometimes provide a more stable environment for a marriage, at least during the early years. This is based on my observation of couples who I know who come to Thailand to visit.

For one thing, Thai wives who live overseas seem to gain a deeper understanding of the husband's culture and values than a Thai wife who has never been outside of Thailand. Living overseas also provides Thai wives with the opportunity to earn more money than they otherwise would in Thailand, and this seems to have a stabilizing effect on the marriage. Living overseas can also avoid problems which can arise if your new wife happens to have "baggage" such as a grasping family, past debts, or a circle of girlfriends filling her ears with schemes on how to take advantage of her new hubby.

Just in case anyone is still keeping score, I consider myself to be very happy living here, and knock on wood, don't plan to move back home. There are of course things that I miss about America, but above all, the thing which I cherish most about Thailand is that I feel socially accepted and comfortable here in ways that I never experienced back home.

You post had a lot of great points.

However, my GF's friend went to live in the USA (and got married there). Now she works in Thai massage (I hear all the gory, perverted details and how much fun she is having.....she never worked in massage in Thailand). She now takes her wedding ring off before going to work and tells all her customers she is single.

As soon as she get citizenship she'll be leaving him, i think.

Moving to the USA was the worst thing her hubby did.

Edited August 18, 2014 by EmptyHead

[watso63]

Okay, here's my take on it.

You have to make a life. It's tough to do so anywhere in the World but if you struggle to make a life in your home country then nine times out of ten you'll really, really struggle to do so in another country.

I actually don't really like Thailand. I find it arduous to travel around and I'm just not keen on the place. But I love the village where I've been for over a decade. That village I can call home, Thailand on the whole, I can't.

It's the environment we ourselves create that we can call home, that we can settle in.

Now, if you're renting an apartment and renting a partner and renting a car and wotnot in such a far away land . . . that's not settled and it's definitely not home, which is why so many are deeply unhappy there. To arrange ones life in such a manner points to deeper problems in ones existence . . . not going to be happy people to begin with. Lost souls.

I love a good old ramble . . . I'll stop now . . .

I've been happy living in a cold wet trench on Salisbury Plain. Life's a great adventure that only comes around once (unless you believe different). Make the most of it. If I was a multi millionaire would I live in Thailand? No. But I'm not, yet I feel pretty good about my lot here. The only thing I really miss is the English pubs and real ale, but they are mostly on their knees now and have been ruined with feral and irritating children running about the place as if they were a playground.

Nothing wrong with a bit of rambling in my book.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

False arrest can happen anywhere, this guy will get $$$$$ compensation, and a lot of publicity.

In Thailand he would have disappeared forever.

If posts critical of the head of the Thai government, Yingluck were illegal 99% of the posters in the Thai Visa news and general forums would be in jail.

You may not have noticed, but a military coup replaced the elected government with a military junta.

Yingluck was then, Junta is now.

[MJP]

Okay, here's my take on it.

You have to make a life. It's tough to do so anywhere in the World but if you struggle to make a life in your home country then nine times out of ten you'll really, really struggle to do so in another country.

I actually don't really like Thailand. I find it arduous to travel around and I'm just not keen on the place. But I love the village where I've been for over a decade. That village I can call home, Thailand on the whole, I can't.

It's the environment we ourselves create that we can call home, that we can settle in.

Now, if you're renting an apartment and renting a partner and renting a car and wotnot in such a far away land . . . that's not settled and it's definitely not home, which is why so many are deeply unhappy there. To arrange ones life in such a manner points to deeper problems in ones existence . . . not going to be happy people to begin with. Lost souls.

I love a good old ramble . . . I'll stop now . . .

I've been happy living in a cold wet trench on Salisbury Plain. Life's a great adventure that only comes around once (unless you believe different). Make the most of it. If I was a multi millionaire would I live in Thailand? No. But I'm not, yet I feel pretty good about my lot here. The only thing I really miss is the English pubs and real ale, but they are mostly on their knees now and have been ruined with feral and irritating children running about the place as if they were a playground.

Nothing wrong with a bit of rambling in my book.

Aye! It all comes down to personal circumstances and 'where' and 'how' you live.

[thailiketoo]

False arrest can happen anywhere, this guy will get $$$$$ compensation, and a lot of publicity.

In Thailand he would have disappeared forever.

If posts critical of the head of the Thai government, Yingluck were illegal 99% of the posters in the Thai Visa news and general forums would be in jail.

You may not have noticed, but a military coup replaced the elected government with a military junta.

Yingluck was then, Junta is now.

Ya that's what I'm saying. You can criticize the elected PM in Thailand - no problem.

See you said, "In Thailand he would have disappeared forever." and that's not true. How many posts have you read critical of the last 4 PM's in Thailand? A million? No problem.

I am comparing elected leaders in Thailand and the USA. Write all the freedoms in Thailand in one column and the USA in another. Of course it is personal but I feel more free in Thailand.

I can say I don't like Yingluck here. I don't feel the same about being critical of Obama in the US. Just me but I don't want to get on his poop list. If they can tap Angela's phone just think what they could do to me.