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

[Drew rolf]

loving a country blindly is dumb.

Love it warts and all. The Thais aren't allowed to mention the warts. Farangs can and should.

"The Thais aren't allowed to mention the warts."

That's a bit of an exaggeration given all the political unrest and the complaints voiced over and over. They may be reticent to carry on too much to farang who they don't feel overly comfortable with (especially farang who seem to endlessly complain about things in Thailand and who keep talking about how wonderful things are back in their home country), but I find criticism and dissatisfaction over this and that to be present, along with a pragmatic choice to work with things as they are rather than to be overly optimistic about major changes coming over night.

You are probably aware of "issues" within your own family, but you're unlikely to share those problems too readily with strangers or people you think are a little too eager to hear you complain about things in your home. I am critical about many things back in the US, but I can still feel somewhat defensive if I hear non-Americans continuously bashing America.

[Drew rolf]

I am sorry ,but if there are issues in other parts of the world ,Americans just have to stick there big heads in and can't mind there own business ,china is the number one country in the world, and deserve that right, they go about things truly ,they don't big talk and try to rule the world,the Americans are creating there destiny ,does Russia give a dam,

[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"?

Stupid post. So stupidity is limited to over weight, tattooed etc..

Whatever peoples demeanour most Europeans have certain values . Most come here and don't expect someone to lie to you without conscience. Even if you act stupid doesn't mean you have to taken complete advantage of..

I think stupid is not the right word.

Disgraceful post .

Who said that stupidity is limited to overweight and tattooed people, not me. I would say your the one with the stupid post, If you ever go to Pattaya, look around you and see what I mean, lots of overweight Tattooed guys with beautiful girls young enough to be their grand daughters,they ask for all they get.

So before you go on about a 'disgraceful' post, have a good sit down and think about it.

The bottom line is if any of these guys I'm referring to really believe the girl they are with loves them, then they are stupid.

[hEaDy]

I don't normally reply to posts on Thai visa because, in general, it's populated by negatively focused sanctimonious people who are living unhappy lives.

However, this is a positive post which gave me an opportunity to share, perhaps in order to balance out some of the usual negativity found here on a daily basis.

I'm happy wherever I feel happy - that's the bottom line barometer by which I actually live my life. That's right, I don't mean lip service; this is real for me.

I moved to Thailand in 1987. I lived in Bangkok on and off for one year. The first thing I did was study Thai language in school in Bangkok.

I lived in Phuket for 7 years. Many of the whining expats of those days advised me to be very wary of Thais, coz you'll get ripped off they told me...

So I was very wary of the Thais and got ripped off by expats in Phuket, and lost all of my money, lol.

Samui felt really good to me, so I moved to here in 1995 and have lived here ever since. I don't have many issues outside of government departments.

But is that really any different from Western countries? Give an insecure idiot some so-called power and s/he plays God...

If you have difficulty in Thailand perhaps it's because you didn't bother to learn Thai. After all, you will have difficulty in any country if you can't speak the local language, will you not?

You know you would because in any culture involving people, communication is the name of the game...

Yes, I still love Thailand because it feels good to me, and... I like the way the culture is heart centered and not head centered like Western countries.

Many Westerners are so full of themselves and use their own country/culture as a measure by which to compare and judge Thailand (or any country).

But the truth is that each country is different and cannot be compared, each has different things to offer and different ways of doing/being...

Yes, I still love it here because it feels great! And if there comes a time when I love it more elsewhere because it feels better, then I'll be living there, SURE! 8-)

[louse1953]

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.

Only buffalo's get touched up,smart blokes never lose more than they can afford or not at all.There are many ways to watch your arse and i use all of them.Got caught in a skim scam a few years ago and lost quite a lot but the travel insurance paid up,actually made money on the exchange rate.

[Drew rolf]

double murder does not both me, it's the death of 30,000 plus people each year on the roads.

other than that love Thailand.

[Drew rolf]

True buddy others should listen ,self preservation on the roads

[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..

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

I came overland to Thailand many moons ago , when I was 21 ,before the cheap flights for tourists , when the number of overseas visitors was 350k , it's now about 25m.

I have worked here almost all of my adult life.

I am not dictating anything.

It's just that you only have to read this board or have a random drink with someone and mostly it comes to how much they dislike where they come from not how much they know or wanted to live here.

The type of foreigner has changed significantly over that time, few I assure you "have seen the world ".

Why do you assume that I don't wish people to be happy. Silly assumption.

I contribute a lot to Thailand in terms of voluntary work, taxes , employing people etc..so I am not sure what fill your boots means!!

[hEaDy]

I'm an Englishman married to a Brit of Malaysian descent, we've lived in UK, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. We liked and disliked certain things about each of the countries we've lived in. Happiest here in Thailand without a doubt. Spent 5 years here when we were in our twenties and have now been here for 5 years in our forties. Both speak Thai, live in the countryside where we are certainly not scammed or cheated - far from it, our neighbours go out of their way to help.

Life is good!

The worst thing about living here is the abundance of ignorant, bitter old expat farts who think they know it all about Thailand but sadly don't realise that they know very, very little....oh well, let them keep bitching, we'll keep enjoying life

Nice! That's why I only make cameo appearances here. So many unhappy expats. I'm not sure why they don't go back to their country and be unhappy; at least we wouldn't have to listen to their bitching

[Drew rolf]

Thailand is a third world country masked by a prolific tourist industry that markets a deceptive picture of the country. The Thais that smile at you do so because you give them money, you make them uncomfortable or they think you are a white buffalo. They have no interest in you, where you come from or your culture. In fact they have no interest in anything other than their repetitive food. The question is, why are you so happy? The expat, semi expat or refugee population in Thailand is predominantly male and middle aged. Query what makes them happy. I understand why you love Thailand after spending 28 days in an oil rig, but having visited 100 countries I would expect that there would be at least 50 in the list that have more interesting things to offer than Thailand. I worked there for 3 years. I am happy to be away.

[huawei]

So why use that description at all?

[louse1953]

Thailand is great until something goes wrong.... The problem here is that you have no place to turn for help and locals just sit back and watch while the crazies kick the $hit out of you. It is them against us and we are out numbered 100 to one and we have no rights.

I have been here going on 20 years and enjoy my life but I have no illusions that my happiness could flip in a moment. When things go wrong here they do so quickly and there is no limit to how bad it can get.

It is difficult to be truly 100% comfortable and love a place when you have to be always on guard and watching your back.

Nutters will stab, shoot bottle,glass and bash you anywhere in the world if you put yourself in dodgey situations.Nothing good happens after 12pm as i finally found out.I have been told not to go out after 8pm in PP and Los Angeles.PP was ok but Harlem was an experience,luckily some locals took a shine to me,told em i was Crocodile Dundee,even had a plastic knife to show.

[Drew rolf]

Very true ,when you first come to Thailand ,get over the fact Thais make you feel so important,like it's all about me type thing, the attention you not get elsewhere ,they want farang money ,it's tourism that's keeping Thailand afloat,

[huawei]

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"?

Stupid post. So stupidity is limited to over weight, tattooed etc..

Whatever peoples demeanour most Europeans have certain values . Most come here and don't expect someone to lie to you without conscience. Even if you act stupid doesn't mean you have to taken complete advantage of..

I think stupid is not the right word.

Disgraceful post .

Who said that stupidity is limited to overweight and tattooed people, not me. I would say your the one with the stupid post, If you ever go to Pattaya, look around you and see what I mean, lots of overweight Tattooed guys with beautiful girls young enough to be their grand daughters,they ask for all they get.

So before you go on about a 'disgraceful' post, have a good sit down and think about it.

The bottom line is if any of these guys I'm referring to really believe the girl they are with loves them, then they are stupid.

That maybe true but they would probably come on here and say they love Thailand.

[dutchisaan]

OP, thank you for the happy toppic, just to bad it got invaded with the negitive impulses from some people.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[pigeonjake]

I'm an Englishman married to a Brit of Malaysian descent, we've lived in UK, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. We liked and disliked certain things about each of the countries we've lived in. Happiest here in Thailand without a doubt. Spent 5 years here when we were in our twenties and have now been here for 5 years in our forties. Both speak Thai, live in the countryside where we are certainly not scammed or cheated - far from it, our neighbours go out of their way to help.

Life is good!

The worst thing about living here is the abundance of ignorant, bitter old expat farts who think they know it all about Thailand but sadly don't realise that they know very, very little....oh well, let them keep bitching, we'll keep enjoying life

Nice! That's why I only make cameo appearances here. So many unhappy expats. I'm not sure why they don't go back to their country and be unhappy; at least we wouldn't have to listen to their bitching

you would as most of them are posting from there own country,, after being on a 2 week holiday,,,

[louse1953]

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

Must be the same as farangs blaming Thais for all their woes,nothing is right.

[louse1953]

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

Geewhiz,this thread has drawn you out,more words than all your other posts put together.Good to see you getting emotional.

[Franky Bear]

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.

That's because you're jealous. If you think we do any sort of living on a rig or a mine then you are barking

[pasak]

Count me too. Enjoy living here and satisfied with gov't requirements and, yes, corruption and crime problems.

Thai wife and I have lived, worked and visited LOS for the past 45 years, Now retired and living here permenantly 8 years.

Like my friendly neighbors. AVOID Pattaya Beach and night clubs. AVIOD drug dealers, snatch and run thieves,

scam artists.

Our house is in a quiet, out-of-the-way neighborhood so no traffic or gang problem.

Thailand is SOOO much better than the U S Police State, with high prices, gov't regulation for every aspect of life.

Advantages;

No land or property tax, no incime tax, no police or code enforcement nazis patrolling our neighborhood.

No speed traps, no speedig citations, no parking meters, no tow-away zones, no solicitors knocking on our door,

no junk mail in our mail box.

Medical and dental cost is so inexpensive we don't bother with insurance.

If you compare Thailand to the US then possibly Thailand would not fare as badly as it would against a host of other countries Dean.

[Franky Bear]

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 didn't compare it to Iraq.

[Franky Bear]

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!

Been with the Mrs 8 years. She has her Mum and that's it. Not once in all that time have a fallen into the trap you did.

Just because you were stupid enough to get <deleted> over doesn't mean the rest of us will. You allowed Thailand to control you instead of the other way round

[louse1953]

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!

You must have sucker stamped on your forehead.All of the above is preventable by YOURSELF.You never did your homework and were lazy.Asia is not for you,dont ever go to PI or Vietnam where they kidnap dogs for ransom and even steal your thongs.

[farangmick]

Always have miserable gits on any forum who make me think they should just go back to their own country. Thailand is not perfect, England is not terrible, but on balance I am far happier here. A family of five can live quite well upcountry on 70,000 baht a month. Try that in farangland. The major drawback for me is that I cannot afford a proper motorbike, then I remember that in England I had the nice bikes and good roads, but it was wet or freezing on most of my days off. Shopping locally is always pleasant, I buy cable and plugs at a hardware store and the plugs are fitted as a matter of course. All in all I have a much better retirement than I could have had in England.

[SoiBiker]

Very true ,when you first come to Thailand ,get over the fact Thais make you feel so important,like it's all about me type thing, the attention you not get elsewhere ,they want farang money ,it's tourism that's keeping Thailand afloat,

Tourism accounts for some 7% of the GDP. Foreigners aren't as important here as their self-importance sometimes leads them to believe.

[louse1953]

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?

To the contrary,i praise your post.If you never learn the lingo,you will never see the real Thailand.There is a farang bar i go to occasional and i have to leave because of Thai bashing and wife bashing(verbal).Nothing is right for these whingers.They stay here because of the money they have spent on their own little paradise and they are just as bitter in their own country,with those damn foreigners taking over.Note present predudice against Russians,Indians and Chinese that are taking over their part of "paradise".Up to them i say,but i dont mix with them,they bring me down.

[louse1953]

My biggest pet peeve is that not only do you have to take care of your Thai wife and kids, but you have to support her parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers and so on.

All I'am is a ATM, and when the money stops the arguments begin.

There are alternatives.Dont start these bad habits in the 1st place.

[louse1953]

I'm an Englishman married to a Brit of Malaysian descent, we've lived in UK, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. We liked and disliked certain things about each of the countries we've lived in. Happiest here in Thailand without a doubt. Spent 5 years here when we were in our twenties and have now been here for 5 years in our forties. Both speak Thai, live in the countryside where we are certainly not scammed or cheated - far from it, our neighbours go out of their way to help.

Life is good!

The worst thing about living here is the abundance of ignorant, bitter old expat farts who think they know it all about Thailand but sadly don't realise that they know very, very little....oh well, let them keep bitching, we'll keep enjoying life

Nice! That's why I only make cameo appearances here. So many unhappy expats. I'm not sure why they don't go back to their country and be unhappy; at least we wouldn't have to listen to their bitching

Ying and yang heady,the moaners just make me realise how good i have it,and how lucky i am.

[SoiBiker]

I wish some of the happy people would post more often - the moaners do rather dominate this place.

[Franky Bear]

I wish some of the happy people would post more often - the moaners do rather dominate this place.

it's why i posted it mate. I knew there would be the people that don;t like the post as it poops all over their view of the place....basically the green eyed monster appears.

On a whole though it's mainly positive people replying which is nice to see