I believe that most expats, myself included, arrive in Thailand wearing the proverbial " rose colored glasses".

Everything is wonderful, beautiful, happy and enchanted.

In time the rose glasses are replaced with "dark glasses".

We realize all is not what it first appears to be.

Poverty, corruption, false smiles, racism, discrimination, and scams all start to wear on you.

Eventually and hopefully, the glasses are replaced by a good strong prescription pair that allow us to see the entire picture clearly.

The balance of the good and the bad and all the gray shades in between.

It took me a few years to get to this point.

I was just wondering how long it takes the average expat to get through this cycle.

To the long, long term expats:

What kind of eye wear does the future hold for us?

Edited November 15, 201411 yr by willyumiii

Changed my glasses three times,

1st time, dog ran under my m/c, knocked me off and broke my glasses.

2nd time, hooker knocked them off the bedside table during acrobatics.

3rd time, the little bit over my nose wore down, and kept leaving a green stain on my face.

Thailand is hard on glasses!

OP, I'm still wearing the same glasses after 7 years being here.

I knew, even before, where I'm coming to, had no surprises while being here and hope I will never have to change my glasses in the future.

I'm quite happy and content with them.

I usually get a fresh glass with each, next beer.

So, I'm constantly changing glasses.

The extent to which face culture and hierarchy affects this place has probably been the biggest eye-opener for me.

I change mine whenever I forget where I put them and sit on them!

OP, I'm still wearing the same glasses after 7 years being here.

I knew, even before, where I'm coming to, had no surprises while being here and hope I will never have to change my glasses in the future.

I'm quite happy and content with them.

Now we know why you keep trying to milk the "bulls"

Changed mine a few months ago ,thats when i found i had a small cateract ,as for Thailand ,i never had rose coloured glasses after the first few days 24 years ago.

Actually ... not that Thailand has 'changed my glasses' ... but, has instead, opened my eyes ...

.

OP:

I think you need a new pair a graph glasses.

A couple of times. I think i may just have put on the "prescription glasses" you speak of.

I would say 5 years for me for that cycle.

I don't wear glasses.

I had the skinny girl glasses. Then the chubby girl glasses. The Isaan girl glasses. The Chang glasses. Then the Leo glasses.

What next? Who knows.

I use a very dark glasses because...I am blind.

That's why Thai people kindly is helping me a lot every day. Thank you Thailand.

I had the skinny girl glasses. Then the chubby girl glasses. The Isaan girl glasses. The Chang glasses. Then the Leo glasses.

What next?

I often try the Beer Goggles on.

Mater of Fact ... I might try them now ...

Thailand immediately grows on you.

Fantastic place for a vacation as long as you don't rent a jet ski.

After a few years the noise levels got on my nerves....This is speaking of Pattaya & BKK.

Motorcycles, street vendors, soi dogs, neighbors's yapping mutts.

Driving changes from a novelty into a nightmare.

Try to do business & see brown envelopes passed around to get anything done.

Try to get construction done & some toothless retard with hopeless tools shows up.

Vendors set themselves up EVERYWHERE.

There's ALWAYS something sitting 1 foot/.3 meters off Sukhumvit Rd from Chang Mai to Trat.

Trucks/lorries are WAY overloaded & WAY under powered = you are passing/overtaking them every half a mile on your way to Isaan.

Bars pad bills - Fact.

Thai's always win in Thailand.

Cops make up reasons to extract 200 - 500 baht from you.

Those are clear glasses.

==============

First arrival & rose colored glasses....

DROP-Dead gorgeous women everywhere.

DROP-Dead gorgeous women everywhere.

DROP-Dead gorgeous women everywhere.

DROP-Dead gorgeous women everywhere.

Those glasses filled with Chang and changed at regular intervals make life and vision extremely confusing. Blurred vision occurs as if my spectacles have steamed up, followed by some clarity that enables larger & not so beautiful women appear extremely attractive.

most of the time i don't wear them at all(even if i am almost blind) -makes the life so much easier.

just would like to do the same when riding my car....

I hear what you are saying Willy, but would have to ask how many other places have you lived?

I was sent to Burmuda (Ireland Island) and my glasses changed very quickly there.

I was sent to Hong Kong, and again the glasses were changed.

Even when I was sent to the Falkland Islands for 9 months, the glasses changed, but in the reverse direction, ended up leaving there with rose tints!

Since living in Thailand for the last decade and a half, they haven't changed much because I knew what to expect.

What I am trying to say is that, it really doesn't matter where you are in this world, or where you plan to settle, nothing lasts forever. Once the initial 'honeymoon' period is over, reality sinks in.

It is the ones who don't go through this change, don't accept reality, who are going to have problems, IMHO...........................

ThaiVisa has changed my glasses (perspective).

Some westerners, on this forum, are crazier than any Thai I've ever met.

every couple bottles result in a few broken glasses. I usually get a box of 12 or steal them from nicer restaurants. Short whisky glasses are the way to go.

I have gone from the rose colored stopover glasses, to the rose colored backpacker glasses, to the rose colored tourist glasses, to the rose colored dating glasses, to the rose colored marriage glasses, to the rose colored semi-retired glasses.

And I can't wait for the rose colored "full time retired/ cremate me here" glasses.

Actually, I can wait...a long time.

I get my eyes tested every year, they can tell a lot of things from your eyes not just how bad your eyesight is. or not. Cheap Sun glasses do more harm than good. only change my reading glasses two times in fifteen years no need to.

Edited November 15, 201411 yr by Thongkorn

Never really had to as my expectations were all confirmed after the first few weeks now almost 14 yrs ago.

I'm supposed to wear them.

Anyways, sat on the last pair some four years ago, need some new ones now, getting a bit blurred.

Guess I'll be better off getting a couple of monocles.

Actually, mine were lust tinted glasses ( heavily tinted at that too) , now they're just glasses....

donnt need to change glasses as i drink straight from the bottle

donnt need to change glasses as i drink straight from the bottle

When you top it ... do you wipe the bottle neck ... the bit where you place your lips.

I still do.