lets have a happy topic. Who all still loves living in Thailand?

[chrisinth]

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Firstly you are dichotomising the situation, just because people criticise the place it doesn't mean they don't like living here, you also use the word "love" which again is exclusive of many people who are happy to stay here.

The other possibility is that you are one of those people so cut off from reality you have not the slightest realisation of what is going on around you........ whether irt is human rights, politics social depravation human trafficking etc etc...... things that any right-minded person would be at least concerned about.

"dichotomizing".

Nice one Will, had to look that up................

[ttthailand]

Bizarre thread with similar boring posts with one ney sayer who's ugly take ruined all the love put forth by all the off shore workers. How many posters are living in finer home here than they would be back in their home countries? How many have hired house keepers, gardeners and drivers?

I would say very few live in nicer homes or have housekeepers , gardeners or drivers. Some do but many do not. There is no way I would ever find a place as nice as my home back in America. Beautiful lawns, great neighborhood, two + car garage, big house with central air , real security etc etc and all in my name.

Some would say why are you here.... Sometimes I wonder .....

[uptoyoumyfriend]

i love it here for the most part,just how they try to pull the wool over your eyes all the time annoys the hell out of me

the audacity to blame everything on foreigners and such.

did i not read the paper or the news on the net however, live would seem more harmonious

[huawei]

I have my doubts about people who are so unapologetically Thai lovers.

It seems to reflect to me that they compare it to life they use to have and in that case for many it is only better.

It says more about the individuals life prior to coming to Thailand as much as it is about Thailand.

Also coming here with eyes wide open, really, does anyone know how Thailand really is until you have lived here..

[NoshowJones]

Been here 16 years and have been scammed is so many ways. Many friends lost everything due to the cunning Thai's, and have retuned to their home country broke.

One thing they are good at is getting the money out of you, and then when you are broke they say, adios amigos.

If I had to do it over again I would chose Malaysia. My days here are numbered.

What about the friends stupidity, does that not come into it? How many of the friends you are talking about, are overweight, tattooed, facial haired, have, or should I say had, plenty of money and actually believed it when they were called "hansome man"?

[umbanda]

Bizarre thread with similar boring posts with one ney sayer who's ugly take ruined all the love put forth by all the off shore workers. How many posters are living in finer home here than they would be back in their home countries? How many have hired house keepers, gardeners and drivers?

I would say very few live in nicer homes or have housekeepers , gardeners or drivers. Some do but many do not. There is no way I would ever find a place as nice as my home back in America. Beautiful lawns, great neighborhood, two + car garage, big house with central air , real security etc etc and all in my name.

Some would say why are you here.... Sometimes I wonder .....

Yap. Some people are very lucky. I have a friend in the US that have all what you just said about your house in America.....but him also have a Thai wife.The bets of 2 worlds?

Well...sometimes we have to make a choice. Not always we can have ALL....

[spermwhale]

I've never loved it here. I stay here only because I have two kids from a failed marriage and I want to be close to them and their mom won't let me take them abroad, so we have dual custody. If I did not have them, I'd leave and never come back.

That said, I don't hate it, but for me, life is substandard here and more expensive than back in California thanks to the pricey schooling for my kids and the excessive prices for big ticket items like a car. Not to mention the inconveniences of living in BKK such as the traffic and the filth.

The only things that are highlights for me are 1. my kids 2. the food and 3. the people, who are always kind and nice to me.

[SoiBiker]

I have my doubts about people who are so unapologetically Thai lovers.

It seems to reflect to me that they compare it to life they use to have and in that case for many it is only better.

It says more about the individuals life prior to coming to Thailand as much as it is about Thailand.

Also coming here with eyes wide open, really, does anyone know how Thailand really is until you have lived here..

I enjoyed life in London too - but I didn't want to spend my whole life in one place when there's a big world out there.

On the contrary, I think the miserable attitude some display says quite a lot about the kind of person they were before they came here.

[NoshowJones]

I had to return to the UK after 14 years in Thailand due to the anti-government protests and subsequent coup causing our business to crash and supporting my personal choices for not wishing to live under a dictator and blah blah blah. As it happens the coup was a blessing for me as I have an illness that I wouldn't have been aware of until it was too late! I'm having treatment and once I'm clear and democracy has returned I will return (I have a missus and kid etc) But I thoroughly enjoyed living in Thailand, sure there are challenges for us farang with visas - but those problems are less than the Thais have regarding visas in the UK. My brother is emigrating to Canada, he has a Canadian wife, married for 20 years and living in the UK. They have a house bought and paid for in Canada, great CV's, my brother is at the top of his industry and makes over £1,200 per day contracting and his wife makes £350 a day in the same industry. They will be cash rich when they arrive in Canada with in excess of £1 million (proceeds of house sale etc in the UK). He is going through hell with the visa. He applied in February and the Canadiam imigration have asked for more papers that cannot possibly provided! Thailand visas are easy compared to Canada and the UK for example... It's terrible what's happening with this double murder and I've had more than my fair share to say about it but when you compare what's happening in the UK with drummer Rigby having his head cut off in broad daylight in S. London these thing seem mild... Plenty of fresh fruit, plenty of fresh fish which although like the rest of the World the prices have risen, it's all still cheap comparing to Oz or Europe! Count me in as a happy camper who has learned not to get irate about things I cannot personally change!

Great post Alwyn, and I hope you get better soon and return to this "mostly" wonderful country.

[kamahele]

I don't love living here but do so for family reasons. I also don't hate it here either . It is what it is for me. If anyone despises the place or the people, they should find a place where they can be happy if that is possible for them. I can be happy here and am able to get away to my home in the US once a year for a visit.

[Franky Bear]

I have my doubts about people who are so unapologetically Thai lovers.

It seems to reflect to me that they compare it to life they use to have and in that case for many it is only better.

It says more about the individuals life prior to coming to Thailand as much as it is about Thailand.

Also coming here with eyes wide open, really, does anyone know how Thailand really is until you have lived here..

I've had a great life so far. Maybe because i have seen so much of the world that's why i am so settled and happy here for the last 9/10 years

Or maybe you can't handle seeing people that do enjoy life and know how to handle it?

I dunno?

I'm sure you'll dictate to me how i should see the the world???

Fill your boots xxxx

[chrisinth]

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Been here 16 years and have been scammed is so many ways. Many friends lost everything due to the cunning Thai's, and have retuned to their home country broke.

One thing they are good at is getting the money out of you, and then when you are broke they say, adios amigos.

If I had to do it over again I would chose Malaysia. My days here are numbered.

Hmm. I have been here slightly longer than you and the only times I have been scammed in Thailand have been through situations that have been of my own making.

This seems to be a very important variable that is often deliberately ignored/kept hidden when people tell their stories of woe.

I'm basically Irish, so being stupid is probably expected. This gives me an edge, IMHO, to be able to admit to my own screw-ups and not directly try to put the blame the host country and population...........................

[SoiBiker]

I have my doubts about people who are so unapologetically Thai lovers.

It seems to reflect to me that they compare it to life they use to have and in that case for many it is only better.

It says more about the individuals life prior to coming to Thailand as much as it is about Thailand.

Also coming here with eyes wide open, really, does anyone know how Thailand really is until you have lived here..

I've had a great life so far. Maybe because i have seen so much of the world that's why i am so settled and happy here for the last 9/10 years

Or maybe you can't handle seeing people that do enjoy life and know how to handle it?

I think some people are so entrenched in misery they have to try and shoot down anyone who's happier than them.

Hence the rather depressing turn this initially positive thread has taken.

[muffy]

I can live anywhere I want to , I chose Thailand .

[Camilo Diaz]

I do love many things about Thailand, and I am also not surprise about how the murder was handle it, in my 11 years here I had always know pretty well that if any Thai get angry at me and kill me, nothing will ever happens to him. It is just the way things are here.

[thhMan]

I love Thailand till its time to take the kids to school. Then I have to contend with the reality of the Thai mentality as some have no idea how to drive, courtesy and so on ... drives me bonkers till I am back home.

As I say to people... I love the country... I do not however have the same opinion of some (not all) Thai people. There is enough of the crappy ones to make it noticeably challenging.

Pushing my kids out of the way to the escalator as they rush nowhere. Having to wait till someone finishes their facebook post before I am served and so on is a pain in the butt from these rude f%$rs

Then we drive out to the sticks where its a village life and its about at that point, I know why I want to live here... 8-9 years fulltime now... left patts and moved to CM, just to get away from some of the nonsense down there....

[amse]

[dichotomising] what is that, are we playing Jeopardy? Oh Well, as for me I truly love being here in Thailand, 12 years so far. I have many Thai friends in my Thai neighborhood and elsewhere. My house rent is so cheap I can't even rent a room for that price in the USA. Living on retirement here I enjoy a middle class life, in the USA I'd be living in a van. Summer all year round, in the states I'd be freezing half the year. Count your Blessings, where else in the world would be better, if you know of one, then leave Thailand, we don't need more grumpy farangs.

[smotherb]

i too love living in thailand,, yes love,

im the same when i land for my 35 days off, i do 35 /35, i cant wait to get home,

ive worked as many have in some bad places, i was in IRAQ earlier this year,, was a hell hole, was on stage 2 lock down on the camp after 4 days,( s££t myself,)

thailand isnt to bad when you think of some of the other places in this world and the trouble in these places,,

yes it has its problems, so do most countrys,

ill stick with thailand thank you,, i love it, and my family

I have a hard time accepting someone who is gone half the time saying he is living here--you are living somewhere else too.

[InTransit]

Been here 16 years and have been scammed is so many ways. Many friends lost everything due to the cunning Thai's, and have retuned to their home country broke.

One thing they are good at is getting the money out of you, and then when you are broke they say, adios amigos.

If I had to do it over again I would chose Malaysia. My days here are numbered.

What about the friends stupidity, does that not come into it? How many of the friends you are talking about, are overweight, tattooed, facial haired, have, or should I say had, plenty of money and actually believed it when they were called "hansome man"?

I have tattoos and facial hair, i don't sit in bars all day waiting for some old brass to call me "hansome man" so whats your point? Your post is stupid and makes you sound like a complete bigot. Contrary to your beliefs not every one with tattoos are alcoholics loitering around bars waiting to get ripped off mate, yawn!!!!

[Time Traveller]

i too love living in thailand,, yes love,

im the same when i land for my 35 days off, i do 35 /35, i cant wait to get home,

ive worked as many have in some bad places, i was in IRAQ earlier this year,, was a hell hole, was on stage 2 lock down on the camp after 4 days,( s££t myself,)

thailand isnt to bad when you think of some of the other places in this world and the trouble in these places,,

yes it has its problems, so do most countrys,

ill stick with thailand thank you,, i love it, and my family

I just knocked back a job in Iraq as it happens.

When you pick one of the worst most dangerous countries in the world to compare with Thailand. You're right Thailand ain't so bad.

Also I'd be willingly to say Thailand is probably better than Syria also. And probably better than Congo and Somalia as well. Although without ever visiting those countries, I can't say for sure.

[stingOldway]

i too love living in thailand,, yes love,

im the same when i land for my 35 days off, i do 35 /35, i cant wait to get home,

ive worked as many have in some bad places, i was in IRAQ earlier this year,, was a hell hole, was on stage 2 lock down on the camp after 4 days,( s££t myself,)

thailand isnt to bad when you think of some of the other places in this world and the trouble in these places,,

yes it has its problems, so do most countrys,

ill stick with thailand thank you,, i love it, and my family

I just knocked back a job in Iraq as it happens.

When you pick one of the worst most dangerous countries in the world to compare with Thailand. You're right Thailand ain't so bad.

Also I'd be willingly to say Thailand is probably better than Syria also. And probably better than Congo and Somalia as well. Although without ever visiting those countries, I can't say for sure.

I would beg to disagree about Congo (both of them), depending of the city, life can also be great in both Congo.

[NoshowJones]

Been here 16 years and have been scammed is so many ways. Many friends lost everything due to the cunning Thai's, and have retuned to their home country broke.

One thing they are good at is getting the money out of you, and then when you are broke they say, adios amigos.

If I had to do it over again I would chose Malaysia. My days here are numbered.

What about the friends stupidity, does that not come into it? How many of the friends you are talking about, are overweight, tattooed, facial haired, have, or should I say had, plenty of money and actually believed it when they were called "hansome man"?

I have tattoos and facial hair, i don't sit in bars all day waiting for some old brass to call me "hansome man" so whats your point? Your post is stupid and makes you sound like a complete bigot. Contrary to your beliefs not every one with tattoos are alcoholics loitering around bars waiting to get ripped off mate, yawn!!!!

My post is not stupid, I have friends with tattoos and facial hair, and I respect their right to have that, but that does not mean they are not ugly and revolting looking, just as you may think my long hair is ugly and revolting looking, and I certainly would not fall out with you if you told me that.

Money apart, what attractive Thai girl would prefer a facial haired, tattooed guy to a fully shaven, non tattooed guy?

[realenglish1]

I too love Thailand. Been coming here for more than 20 years and living here for more than 10. In comparison this is a great country. What it lacks in certain areas it makes up for with the temperament of the people , the culture and food. In comparison I would rather have the current PM than someone like Obama as a leader. Obama cares only about his agenda in comparison with the Army chief who I see really cares about his people.

[InTransit]

Been here 16 years and have been scammed is so many ways. Many friends lost everything due to the cunning Thai's, and have retuned to their home country broke.

One thing they are good at is getting the money out of you, and then when you are broke they say, adios amigos.

If I had to do it over again I would chose Malaysia. My days here are numbered.

What about the friends stupidity, does that not come into it? How many of the friends you are talking about, are overweight, tattooed, facial haired, have, or should I say had, plenty of money and actually believed it when they were called "hansome man"?

I have tattoos and facial hair, i don't sit in bars all day waiting for some old brass to call me "hansome man" so whats your point? Your post is stupid and makes you sound like a complete bigot. Contrary to your beliefs not every one with tattoos are alcoholics loitering around bars waiting to get ripped off mate, yawn!!!!

My post is not stupid, I have friends with tattoos and facial hair, and I respect their right to have that, but that does not mean they are not ugly and revolting looking, just as you may think my long hair is ugly and revolting looking, and I certainly would not fall out with you if you told me that.

Money apart, what attractive Thai girl would prefer a facial haired, tattooed guy to a fully shaven, non tattooed guy?

Another stupid post, some attractive Thai girls might prefer a tattooed guy to a non tattooed guy, every ones prefrences are different, your comment is a sweeping generalization. You seem to think you know what all Thai ladies look for in a man!!! Incredible, i wish i had your knowledge BEFORE i got any tattoos lol.......(although my long time Thai partner is very attractive and has no problems with my tattoos and facial hair). She is very respectable, and i did not find her in a bar either, imagine that!!!

[lee b]

Thailand is wonderful. I love the people, the food, the climate and the prices ( compared to so many other countrys ). If you want a beach you've got it. A mountain view you've got it. Want to live in a concrete jungle no probs, or even escape for a while into the sticks where nobody speaks English ! It's great !! I even love where the country is on the world map ! Great for me anyway..I have not thought of living anywhere else since i moved here 9 yrs ago. So heres to the next 9 years

[Thunderbirds20]

Anyone making the kind of money you must be making will have a good time in Thailand, .. as long as you do not marry a Thai. Then you will hear a large sucking sound as your money disappears. The only relationships that survive are ones where the money never ends!

I am older ...67 now. My life savings went to building a house and store near her family home in Isaan! I was also a kind and giving person to her family. 9,000,000 baht went in 3 years, leaving me penniles as I was still too young to get a pension ... then I was no longer wanted. The wife cheated on me and ran off with another farang. Her family lied to me and managed to make me think they cared about me.

I never spent a single night in that house, but all my belongings were stored in it. I felt it was all safe and even sent more things to be stored there, ..... they kept everything, ... things I brought for sentimental reasons from Canada, ... my photos, my computer, my books, my clothes, .. everything. I fought with them for 4 years and finally got some things from the house, ... sofa and two matching reclining chairs, king size bed, stove, washing machine, desk, and a few of the things from Canada, ... but most of it had disappeared.

I have found that many Thai people are not as friendly as they seem. I have experienced prejudice even from police, .... and have had violent acts commited against me. I've been robbed at gunpoint, had things stolen from my room, been overcharged and short-changed.

I think violent crimes have increased the last few years and do not feel as welcome as when I was first here. Immigration Rules keep changing and getting more stringent. Ex-convicts in Canada have more freedom than ex-pats do in Thailand, ..... and all the beach resort towns are turning into Russian Colonies!

Like many of my ex-pat friends, I am looking at relocating to another, more welcoming country like Malaysia, the Philippines, Viet Nam or Indonesia!

[chrisinth]

Love is such a difficult word to comprehend, so I will say that I still enjoy, and have never had any doubts about where I now call home. And I can honestly say that this country has changed me (hopefully for the better) in ways that would never have been understood by anyone that knew me pre 1997.

I actually look forward to the day's challenges, or rather solving them. For myself, someone who originally came here with a tourist visa with the intention of just kicking back for a few months after 23 years in HM armed forces, life got complicated. I ended up staying, gave up drinking, got married and basically got domesticated. Layman's terms, got my act together. Assumed different responsibilities that I had never touched before.

So there you go Franky, a success story (in my mind anyway) to add to your happy thread...............................

[pasak]

"I'm Brit national BTW"

...
"It has never ever effected the way i live.... Ok i am dam sure i have had a check bin padded....i still have a roof over my head and food in all our mouths...I can still have a amazing night out ...when i land at Swampy for my month off i still have a smile when we taxi to the jetwalk."

Didn't you have to pass a language test before they gave you UK citizenship??????

[GlobalCtzn]

13+ years in Thailand and I am truly happy here! I plan to live here the rest of my life.

I work here, I invest here, I have a wonderful woman, and most of my friends are Thai. When I find myself in a situation to be overhearing or discussing Thailand with foreigners, some things I notice that are relatively consistent are (1) they do not speak Thai. How can you expect to truly assimilate into a country if after 10 years+ of being here you cannot speak the language? Anyone with moderate intelligence and a commitment to do so can learn to read and write Thai. If you cannot speak Thai then seriously, the only Thai people you can truly interact with are bar girls, tourist oriented Thai, or the minority that can speak english. Anyone who came to America, western Europe, or Australia and after 10 years or more still cannot speak the language would be looked at as a lazy idiot. If you cannot speak Thai then you are unable to touch the real Thailand. (2) Their social life and daily focus centers around alcohol. The percentage of foreigners here that go to the bar most every night and sit with other faring doing the same is quite high. What do you expect to find in those situations? Enlightened people leading stimulating, high-consciousness, productive lives? Not a high percentage bet. If they really had a better option elsewhere they would go and take it. Most do not. Their daily habit is complaining and negativity. On this forum, and around town it is easy to observe this consciousness. "Wherever you go there YOU are." That is a quote that pretty well sums up the chronic complainers in my opinion. Flame away if you must, but I think if one takes time to quietly reflect on what I have said it is hard to deny. If you find this post irritating, it says far more about your internal reality than anything else. Most people really do not care much for personal responsibility, and thus everything looks like it is outside themselves. If you are not happy here, or do not like Thai people or culture why are you CHOOSING to live here?

[NoshowJones]

Intransit. my posts are not as stupid as yours, but that is a matter of opinion, I still say that most Thai girls, money apart, would prefer a clean shaven, non tattooed guy any day.

As it is against forum rules I am not going to get into a flaming match with you, and this debate ends now, we will just agree to differ on this.