Leaving, I've had it up to here with this country, but do I need to cancel my work permit

[Cuchulainn]

Looks like we're in the same boat, Mike. If I wasn't married, I'd be away like a shot.................

.........................or would I??!!

[meand]

Be careful.

I've been here almost 18 years now and there are times I just want to say "<deleted> this place. I'm going". But in the end I ask myself..........................where? Cambodia? Vietnam? Back home?

Anyway, best of luck and I hope you find happiness in your new abode.

Good point. That is exactly the dilemma I face sometimes. I really do love it here. But, get frustrated sometimes, by some of the aspects of life here. I genuinely like most Thai people I encounter. But, there are a few. It is mostly about the stubbornness, the inability to communicate, the nearly total absence of pride of workmanship, the lack of any sort of real law and order, the lack of discipline amongst most Thai men, the ridiculously reckless driving, everything associated with the dastardly cowardice pertaining to the whole concept of "face", and some other things. But, I ask, where would I go? Certainly not back to the US. Not unless I absolutely had to. So where? Indonesia is someplace I like, but would I want to live there? I like the Philippines too, but would not want to live there, as I do not want to live anywhere I have to have eyes in the back of my head, and the food is dreadful. Like the Cubans, the Philippine people do not have the "culinary gene". I do not care for Vietnam at all. Not on any level. Find most of the people to be cold fish, lacking in joy. And the govt. really sucks. I like Malaysia alot, and like the people too. But, would I want to live there? So, where does that leave me, as a person with limited resources?

Respectfully, it is funny because you listed pretty much everything, haha

But yes, I hear you. There arent a lot of options, and Thailand really is manageable I suppose. The one that really drives me crazy on your list is the lack of pride and what I would call thoroughness in all their work. I had this guy come into my place once because I was having trouble with my sliding glass door. He decided he would paint the little metal slider too after he fixed the door because it had gotten a little beat up. Nice enough of him, right? (he began all this when I was not looking by the way). I look over and he is spraying this spray paint on the balcony, and he did mask it very poorly but the paint was going everywhere, the little dots of paint. I almost tried to stop him in the middle but just let it go, my bad. In the end he looked up at me with this huge, prideful smile on his face like as in a job very well done. There are still paint specs all over the place on my balcony, and I just cant help but laugh every time I see them. I have no idea what my point is..... oh, I do get sick of this, very sick of it, because it is the way they do everything, but I suppose I just have to "smile".

[Digitalnomade]

I discovered that Thai people are colour-blind.

[spidermike007]

Be careful.

I've been here almost 18 years now and there are times I just want to say "<deleted> this place. I'm going". But in the end I ask myself..........................where? Cambodia? Vietnam? Back home?

Anyway, best of luck and I hope you find happiness in your new abode.

Good point. That is exactly the dilemma I face sometimes. I really do love it here. But, get frustrated sometimes, by some of the aspects of life here. I genuinely like most Thai people I encounter. But, there are a few. It is mostly about the stubbornness, the inability to communicate, the nearly total absence of pride of workmanship, the lack of any sort of real law and order, the lack of discipline amongst most Thai men, the ridiculously reckless driving, everything associated with the dastardly cowardice pertaining to the whole concept of "face", and some other things. But, I ask, where would I go? Certainly not back to the US. Not unless I absolutely had to. So where? Indonesia is someplace I like, but would I want to live there? I like the Philippines too, but would not want to live there, as I do not want to live anywhere I have to have eyes in the back of my head, and the food is dreadful. Like the Cubans, the Philippine people do not have the "culinary gene". I do not care for Vietnam at all. Not on any level. Find most of the people to be cold fish, lacking in joy. And the govt. really sucks. I like Malaysia alot, and like the people too. But, would I want to live there? So, where does that leave me, as a person with limited resources?

Respectfully, it is funny because you listed pretty much everything, haha

But yes, I hear you. There arent a lot of options, and Thailand really is manageable I suppose. The one that really drives me crazy on your list is the lack of pride and what I would call thoroughness in all their work. I had this guy come into my place once because I was having trouble with my sliding glass door. He decided he would paint the little metal slider too after he fixed the door because it had gotten a little beat up. Nice enough of him, right? (he began all this when I was not looking by the way). I look over and he is spraying this spray paint on the balcony, and he did mask it very poorly but the paint was going everywhere, the little dots of paint. I almost tried to stop him in the middle but just let it go, my bad. In the end he looked up at me with this huge, prideful smile on his face like as in a job very well done. There are still paint specs all over the place on my balcony, and I just cant help but laugh every time I see them. I have no idea what my point is..... oh, I do get sick of this, very sick of it, because it is the way they do everything, but I suppose I just have to "smile".

And I wonder where this comes from. I suppose we were taught that a job well done is something to feel really good about. So, why don't these guys have a similar attitude? Why are they so flip, and so nonchalant about their work? Where does that come from? Where does pride come from? And I am not talking about the kind of false pride, that is born of nationalism. That is hollow, empty, and useless pride. It is not of any value, since it is not based on anything substantial or real, but rather illusions that politicians dreamed up to support their own self interests.

There are some great craftsmen here, and I have seen a few fine artists who very obviously have pride in their work. But, they are few. I know part of it has to do with the way the mothers heap praise on their sons, that has no merit. Praise is fine, if there is something to back it up. But, you are a great person, because you are male, is pretty baseless, and simply creates a man who has no sense of self, and no idea of who he is, what he is capable of, nor what his obligations to society are.

So, if any of you have some concrete ideas of some good theories about why many Thai men lack pride of craftsmanship, I would love to hear them.

[ubonjoe]

Since the OP got his questions answered pages ago and this topic has gone way off topic to where there is mostly nothing but derogatory comments about Thai's and Thailand being made it is now closed.