Can't afford to live in Thailand anymore

[2fishin2]

If you treat them if respect . How are they oppressed ? Western values have totally screwed them up. Does not mean they are not able to learn anything they wish.

Thai women are no different than white women once either taken out of Thailand or exposed to western ideas which has totally screwed up their heads. Take Lao or Burmese women for example most still have their natural beauty. Once they get western thinking in their heads like most of the younger Thais have become their future is all down hill. Bhutan is a good example of keeping most of their values. Why ? Because they are not money hungry and not willing to give into mass tourism that has destroyed Thailand. In ten more years Thailand will have some serious bad karma coming its way. Look at any bar girl that hangs with a foreign. You can have them. Look like common western trailer trash. The bar foreigners taught them such great values.

Take your Thai wife to Canada and here are the possible, and only, results......

-She hates it especially the winter, and flies home.

-Under the pressure of massive change, she becomes Westernized and no longer recognizable.

-Under the pressure of massive change, she goes insane, requiring famous Canadian hospitalization.

Thai women are like some flowers that thrive only in one atmosphere. Take them out of that and they wither one way or the other. You came here to get a THAI wife, not just any woman, and now she is in your clumsy hands. Stay with her here where you made the marriage deal.

So Jungle what you are saying its better to have oppressed women with no education and have no financial awareness? Dude are you a cave man or something? Could you be anymore demeaning in your statements??

You are saying its better to keep them oppressed. You are calling western women bitches and saying western values are bad. And now you are saying they can learn anything they wish? Man o man you have either had too many or not enough this morning?

[JB300]

I visited Thailand many times over the last 28 years. It was cheap then. And it was so full of Thainess.

I decided to settle there, over 9 yaers ago. It was cheap then, and still a lot of Thainess.

But i watched as it became more and more expensive, and see the Thainess dissapear.

So 12 Months ago, I decided to say goodbye. I now live in the Philippines. I have a lovely girl who speaks English, and is not money driven.

It is a cleaner lifestyle, and a lot cheaper. I am sorry to say, because I like Thailand, but it is just not the place it used to be, and I found myself continually checking prices and buying cheaper alternatives. Goodbye Thailand, and Good luck, your going to need it.

I'd be interesting to hear where you live in the Philippines as I've visited a few different places & outside of a 3 day stay in Cebu where I never left the Shangri-La resort, have never found it to be as "Clean" as Thailand.

NB I love going to the Philippines (Visit 4 or 5 times a year) & Filippinas (have been with mine for 4 1/2 years... Oh, and she's one that doesn't want to leave the Philippines except to travel for a couple of weeks or stay with me in Singapore for a few months at a time),

NB2 I love Thailand more & visit 6-8 times a year [emoji12]

[Jungle Jim]

yea the little head and booze does wonders.

The bigger issue is that I have nothing in common with a typical Canadian woman.

What do you have in common with a typical Thai woman?

That's another thing. I've been in love a few times here, but I miss real conversation, beyond the basics. I miss western humor, or an understanding of working as an artist. Thailand can be a great adventure, but if you're not ready to retire, it's still a big world out there.

I'm like most guys. For the first few months, if she's gorgeous- it doesn't matter what words come out of her mouth. I find them fascinating. (Something about the little head acting as interpreter)

In the second and subsequent years, not so much. But by that time, the seeds have already been sown and the hook has been set.

[AYJAYDEE]

If Canada really is better, your wife ought to recognize the merit in moving there

there is only one country a pure-bred (!) Thai can happily and voluntarily live in - that is Thailand. Any other place is a foul compromise for him / her, inescapably will lead to nasty mental irritations, too.

you have no idea what youre talking about

[Jay Sata]

OP, I don't know your age, but don't underestimate the value of your health care as you get older. That one issue can break a lot of guys in LOS.

In Canada you can plan and budget. In Thailand the government is a failure at managing the economy, the value of the baht and inflation. They simply don't have a clue what they are doing to themselves. You can't plan anything to any level, as you are seeing.

In Canada at least you have health care and political stability and a predictable rate of inflation "most of the time."

I moved back to the US after only one year of retirement extension. I've visited many times for several months but I won't move back there. If guys were honest with themselves, Thailand is a dirty, corrupt <deleted> compared to their first world country. For those of us who have money or who come from countries where the cost of living is reasonable (USA) I find it better to visit Thailand about once a year for a few months and then come "home."

Good luck with what you decide.

My view 100% and I would advise others to never bring any money in to the country you are not prepared to write off.

[cardinalblue]

If I can find a decent job, I will move my thai family to usa. If not, I will return to Thailand.....

Things to consider:

Can you work in Canada? Can she generate any money in Canada? Does she gain any benefits living in Canada for a specified time (like in the usa)? her personality in adjusting to a foreign culture? (some just can't do it - weather, lonely, etc) can you afford air travel between the 2 places regularly? Where in Canada matters?

Just do your homework...I brought my Thai wife over to show her where I wanted to live and what she thought of the place. I have a young kid so that is driving the desire to live and work in the States again in addition to the opportunity to contribute to SS again. Don't know if that matters in Canada but it's a biggie in the US...And then there is the question of education and the child's peers/friends/networking down the road...

CB

[cardinalblue]

Sounds like many that while living in Thailand you never ate Thai food. Lived on over priced expensive crap foreign food. Thailand too expensive ? Yea if your diet is booze and foreign food.

sure thailand is cheap if you want to he'lin a rural backwater eat thai food at the market and drink chang...but its not for everyone,some have higher aspirations!

If you don't want to eat Thai food and drink Thai beer, why the hell would you come to Thailand?

because i sometimes like to eat western food and drink a decent beer.I came to thailand for the women,pure and simple.

[fey]

I can relate to this.

For years I've hung on to the idea that living in Thailand was practical because it was the cheapest and most welcoming. I could tour across EU/UK with my music half the year, and know that I had a safe and welcoming place to come back to, where the money I'd made went farther. It seemed that everyone else was the fool in that way, and it was a magical 5 years.

And then I realized recently, that it's now as expensive as living in Berlin - not to mention how very UNwelcoming Thai immigration has become; every trip a crap shoot now. All of Eastern Europe is cheaper than Bangkok now, and so much closer to opportunities - fly from one country to another very cheaply, and no hassles! My friend from America asked me the other day why I stayed, and when I mentioned my rent I expected the traditional 'Wow, that's so cheap!', and she said 'Wow, that's way more than renting a whole house here.'

Cambodia will build up now, slowly. Vietnam, for sure. But for me, I think I'm going to Amsterdam, or some cool city in EU, where I have freedom of movement. EU immigration is a thousand times more friendly, really don't care about minor infractions, and....oh yeah, AREN'T under martial law. There's that, too.

or just move to chiang mai where you can get a great place for $300 a month and eat great local meals for $1. if you think thats more then europe your fooling yourself.

i would bet its your lifestyle thats breaking you, not the prices. your not going to solve that problem by moving to amsterdam.

[SoiBiker]

Sounds like many that while living in Thailand you never ate Thai food. Lived on over priced expensive crap foreign food. Thailand too expensive ? Yea if your diet is booze and foreign food.

sure thailand is cheap if you want to he'lin a rural backwater eat thai food at the market and drink chang...but its not for everyone,some have higher aspirations!

If you don't want to eat Thai food and drink Thai beer, why the hell would you come to Thailand?

because i sometimes like to eat western food and drink a decent beer.I came to thailand for the women,pure and simple.

Your choice, I guess. Personally I can't imagine moving thousands of miles to a country I didn't like much just to get laid.

If, like me, you enjoy eating Thai food, Thailand is cheap. Seems a bit foolish to insist on imported goods and then complain the country is expensive.

[cardinalblue]

I don't what to sidetrack this thread but can't imagine anyone using quality of beer/availability as a selection criteria for Thailand...

I am not even much of a beer drinker but the beer choices are extremely limited and boring in Thailand. The US city that I currently reside has 53 micro-breweries pricing ranging from $3-5 a pint...

Pretty sad day for anyone to choose Thailand based on the quality of beer and that is clearly different than selecting a beer-drinking environment which Thailand clearly is...

CB

[SoiBiker]

Plenty of micro brewery type stuff is available here Bangkok. Not cheap though.

[Jungle Jim]

Just another typical foreigner in Thailand.

Sounds like many that while living in Thailand you never ate Thai food. Lived on over priced expensive crap foreign food. Thailand too expensive ? Yea if your diet is booze and foreign food.

sure thailand is cheap if you want to he'lin a rural backwater eat thai food at the market and drink chang...but its not for everyone,some have higher aspirations!

If you don't want to eat Thai food and drink Thai beer, why the hell would you come to Thailand?

because i sometimes like to eat western food and drink a decent beer.I came to thailand for the women,pure and simple.

[Thunderbirds20]

I hear you ... loud and clear.!!! I am watching the nose dive of the Canadian dollar with real concern, as my already measly pension is going down the drain in value with the dollar. 20,000 baht used to cost about $625 to $650, .. now it is over $800!

I'd go back to Canada if I could but I can not afford to go there either. Even with the income supplement, it is not enough to provide a decent accommodation and buy food and necessities!

I am in this position because I was considerate of my Thai girl friend that became my wife. She also had a decent job in Bangkok and I knew she would be miserable away from family, friends, food, culture etc. ... so I moved here. She ended up cheating on me and running off with another guy after I foolishly helped her family many times and built a big house and store ...only to lose everything!

My advice is pure and simple, .. put yourself first! Do what is best for you!

[Beetlejuice]

Is it really cheaper to live in canada? i can't really believe that. Can you buy a detached house for $100,000? My costs living here in LoS are far below what i would pay in the UK.

Can't say about Canada but in the US, yes. LINK

In the UK that wouldn't even buy you an outside toilet. Minimum in London @$700,000 in some Muslim ghetto.

There are plenty of places in the UK where £35k buys you a house such as this end terrace in Hull.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-48184627.html

Maybe not Mayfair but you can own it outright and not worry about visa runs. Some may say they would not want to live in the north of England but in my opinion better than eking out a life in a dirt poor Thai village.

Food and cars are also much cheaper in the UK. A decent little mid sized car can be bought for under a £1,000.

I see a lot of Farangs just wasting their days sitting in expat bars.

Everywhere is nice while you have money.

Sorry but you are talking rubbish.

I too owned my own home in England. It wasn`t so much the cost of food but the home bills were crippling. We had council tax, water rates, massive electric and gas bills, telephone bills, a license required just to watch TV, the constant need to maintain the house otherwise not possible to sell later on plus a mortgage. The monthly expenditure just for the pleasure of living in our own home, excluding food and other sundries came to more than I spent in 5 months living in Thailand. The United States was cheaper but still way more expensive than living in Thailand.

It is still possible to live cheaply in Thailand, just depends on what sort of lifestyles ex-pats expect to lead. My wife and I can still live comfortably on 30000 baht per month and we are not skimping on that amount. That`s about £610 per month and there is no way we could expect to live the same standard of living on that amount in the UK. These days it wouldn`t even cover a months rent.

Whoever believes that their money can go further in the UK or the states than in Thailand are living in cloud cuckoo land.

[CapeCobra]

I considered buying this house for less than £100,000 but my Thai g/f is hesitant, though, she's never been to the First World. Spoiled HiSo brat. They just can't get enough.

[Straight8]

Some good points. Lots to ponder about. To be honest the biggest issue for me is filth. Thailand is dirty and it's affecting my health.

What price do you put on health. That alone is a no-brainer. You are much better in the west.

Of course the other difficult part is your relationship. It's always going to be difficult when falang wants to move back home. Is your relationship strong enough for your GF to move with you. Always a good sign how deep they are into you?

I use to look forward to quickly coming back to Thailand after a short trip back home. Now it's the other way round. I look forward to going back home after each cycle.

[impulse]

Whoever believes that their money can go further in the UK or the states than in Thailand are living in cloud cuckoo land.

What I didn't understand until I moved to Asia, and met a lot of UK cousins, was how much cheaper it is to live in the USA than in the UK**.

I can't say about the UK, but I could easily live in the USA for what it costs me to live in Thailand- equivalent (but not identical) lifestyle. But they currently mail my paycheck to Bangkok, so Thailand it is.

Here, I forgo concerts, sporting events, skiing, and other non-indigenous activities that drive up the cost.

In the USA, I forgo mangoes, durian, taxi rides, and other activities that drive up the cost. (I don't drink or chase women any more, so that may skew my numbers)

Edit: **Other than health care. There, we get hosed.

Edited January 31, 2015 by impulse

[Jay Sata]

Some good points. Lots to ponder about. To be honest the biggest issue for me is filth. Thailand is dirty and it's affecting my health.

What price do you put on health. That alone is a no-brainer. You are much better in the west.

Of course the other difficult part is your relationship. It's always going to be difficult when falang wants to move back home. Is your relationship strong enough for your GF to move with you. Always a good sign how deep they are into you?

I use to look forward to quickly coming back to Thailand after a short trip back home. Now it's the other way round. I look forward to going back home after each cycle.

The air quality at times is abysmal in Thailand. They seem to love burning stuff especially plastic which is full of carcinogens.

Three months a year is fine by me to escape UK winters but nothing compares to Europe from April until September.

Thailand will always be a dirty country as the Thais care about nothing apart from eating and sleeping.

[cscraig]

You may be surprised at the Cost of Living in Canada when you return.

Here's a nicely colour coded map:

http://www.visualcapitalist.com/cost-of-living-around-world/

Utilities costs in Canada are substantially higher

Not only Gas (heat) & Electric but:

mobile: Truemobile @ BHT199 vs. Fido.ca @ CAD$56

broadband: 3BB @ BHT580 vs. Telus.ca @ CAD$63

Remember that you will need 4 seasons of clothing in Canada.

How many pairs of shoes do you need in Thailand?

Then there is the much vaunted Canadian Health Care system.

Which is great - until you need to use it.

Full checkup (full blood tests, EKG, XRAY, etc. etc), including extra consult with cardiologist/more blood work/2nd cardiologist consult was done in an afternoon in Chiang Mai. Without an appointment.

If you could get the same thing done in Canada (which you can't, until you have a problem) the appointments alone would stretch over several weeks.

Plus the driving time to and from each one.

My personal transportation costs (not including the cost of buying vehicles) went up 10x when we moved back to Canada.

Trying comparing the cost of flying Air Canada domestically to Thailand. You might not be traveling much.

Canada is a wonderful country, and there are lots of good reasons to live there, but a lower Cost of Living is not one of them.

[Thai at Heart]

Anything of quality costs the same if not more in Thailand. So while the fun of living cheap is quaint, if you come to a point in life where you want quality, you choose to leave.

For me, I needed guaranteed quality of education for my kids.

Choices

International school in bangkok v private school in UK.

Similar

Bilingual upcountry v state school

Home wins

You mention healthcare. Well, we are no essentially free versus the 100k per year I was shelling out.

The house I own in Thailand would rent for 30k baht in Thailand. Well my rent here will be a little more.

I never lived completely local in Thailand so the cost of living was never rock bottom. With the exchange rate it isn't great value anymore.

But for kids, it doesn't represent the greatest quality of education or stimulating activities either.

Edited January 31, 2015 by Thai at Heart

[AYJAYDEE]

You may be surprised at the Cost of Living in Canada when you return.

Here's a nicely colour coded map:

http://www.visualcapitalist.com/cost-of-living-around-world/

Utilities costs in Canada are substantially higher

Not only Gas (heat) & Electric but:

mobile: Truemobile @ BHT199 vs. Fido.ca @ CAD$56

broadband: 3BB @ BHT580 vs. Telus.ca @ CAD$63

Remember that you will need 4 seasons of clothing in Canada.

How many pairs of shoes do you need in Thailand?

Then there is the much vaunted Canadian Health Care system.

Which is great - until you need to use it.

Full checkup (full blood tests, EKG, XRAY, etc. etc), including extra consult with cardiologist/more blood work/2nd cardiologist consult was done in an afternoon in Chiang Mai. Without an appointment.

If you could get the same thing done in Canada (which you can't, until you have a problem) the appointments alone would stretch over several weeks.

Plus the driving time to and from each one.

My personal transportation costs (not including the cost of buying vehicles) went up 10x when we moved back to Canada.

Trying comparing the cost of flying Air Canada domestically to Thailand. You might not be traveling much.

Canada is a wonderful country, and there are lots of good reasons to live there, but a lower Cost of Living is not one of them.

what does electric cost in thailand? yearly check up in canada is free.

[Friendly Stranger]

I hear you ... loud and clear.!!! I am watching the nose dive of the Canadian dollar with real concern, as my already measly pension is going down the drain in value with the dollar. 20,000 baht used to cost about $625 to $650, .. now it is over $800!

I'd go back to Canada if I could but I can not afford to go there either. Even with the income supplement, it is not enough to provide a decent accommodation and buy food and necessities!

I am in this position because I was considerate of my Thai girl friend that became my wife. She also had a decent job in Bangkok and I knew she would be miserable away from family, friends, food, culture etc. ... so I moved here. She ended up cheating on me and running off with another guy after I foolishly helped her family many times and built a big house and store ...only to lose everything!

My advice is pure and simple, .. put yourself first! Do what is best for you!

Sorry to hear this. Thanks for being candid.

[louse1953]

I have seen my Ozzy wealth go down,but as i live a simple life i would be much better off,mentally and financially in Thailand.I can't hack Oz any more and my friends would rather visit me,than vice versa.I would have to work in Oz to survive,here i don't.

[elgordo38]

When the USA dollar is paired with other dollars also ,with the Thai baht , I still don't understand why the exchange rate also to other dollar is lower? When the U.S. Dollar goes up the Thai Bhat also more strong! But the dollar loose against the Bhat is nothing like the euro loose 20 Procent last week , for next 3 year when draghi not change his master plan nothing will be change, my only hope is that the Thai Bhat goes down also when Thai exports slow down because of strong baht! Here the price go up around 10 Procent need now 12000 Bhat more each month because of bad 36 exchange rate!

Welcome in peng mag ma Thailand !

People must also realize that to holiday here they must change their currency into bahts. With all world currencies falling and the baht going up how long will it take for tourism to dry up. I am a Canadian also and Forexed more I only got 25.63 per dollar. My reasoning was that the Canadian Central Bank has dropped interest rates this month and the dollar dropped. There are rumors they will do another quarter point next session and guess what will happen then especially with the United States hinting at raising rates (they won't in my opinion it will only drive the dollar higher making exports more expensive. Already American businesses with operations abroad are complaining the high dollar is affecting their profits and big business controls the government) Canada under this new central bank head is joining the currency race to the bottom. Debasing currencies is now becoming a world wide competition. We pensioners living abroad (except for Americans) are really getting boxed in. We get no interest on our savings (which the government kept encouraging us to do) Our pensions are indexed but barely move. The government has manipulated things to work against us and all we have worked for. On one hand they tell people to save more for retirement and cut back on spending (debt load per family in Canada is skyrocketing) and on the other hand they feed the people low interest rates like candy to rush out and buy more of what they do not need or can afford. In my opinion world wide Central Bankers are grabbing at straws they are throwing sh*t at the wall to see what sticks or works. Thailand for some reason likes a strong currency it could come back to haunt them.

[humqdpf]

This is the same thing that happens to expats who live off a single currency. When that currency weakens against the currency of the country where they are resident, their pension/investment return is worth less. Happened to a number of British expats in Spain before the crisis when Sterling depreciated against the Euro.

In your particular case, you say that you and your wife, who has a good job in Thailand, can live on what you have despite the exchange rate turning against you. Assuming that you and your wife are happy together and you can get by, what are you complaining about. Wait for better exchange rates.

Think about the alternative for a moment - you move back to whichever city you came from in Canada where your wife knows nobody, where they are unlikely to recognise her qualifications or skills and will just see her as another immigrant who does not speak English perfectly. Now she does not have a job that fulfils her and is at home all day. She is also without her support network, namely her family and best friends. Throw in 6 months or more per year of dark freezing weather and you can watch your wife get more and more unhappy and that will affect your relationship.

Really, if it isn't broke, don't try to fix it!

[louse1953]

Money isn't everything. Go wherever makes you happiest.

Perhaps in your world, but not in the real world. In the end it all boils down to money. Nice words and happy thoughts won`t provide a roof over the head or put meals on the table.

Firstly the OP has to financially evaluate his situation. If he is not able to support himself long term in Thailand then he has no choice but to either return to his home country or elsewhere where he can work and make a living.

If the OP has no job or tangible assets in his own country, than bringing his girlfriend or future wife back with him is also going to be out of the question. Only option is that he and his now present girlfriend decide on where they actually want to be for their futures and then work at it. Meaning working hard to acquire a home and assets and if that will take several years, than so be it, otherwise if one partner or the other is not prepared to wait until their situations become applicable for marriage, then the relationship cannot be viable and is doomed from the start.

That`s the reality of the situation.

Always someone to spoil the illusion but reality does bite.

[lifeincnx]

Catch 22: The older we get the less desirable we are and the more particular we become.

[Dogmatix]

Not having any healthcare in Thailand is an important point that many foreigners overlook. Quite a few have been forced to move back to their home countries to access national health schemes when they got sick. Most Thais only want to live abroad to save money there to send home or to save up enough to come back to Thailand and have a better life. Emigration is not something that crosses their minds. The OP didn't provide any information about his own situation whether he has a job, other income or assets in Canada or Thailand which makes it hard to understand his situation.

Edited January 31, 2015 by Dogmatix

[sletraveler]

Anyone considering moving overseas needs to do worst case spreadsheet simulations of what would happen if the exchange rate and interest rates plunged, and inflation sky rocketed.

If you don't think you would be able to weather a worse case scenario, holding off moving overseas until you are confident you can, should be carefully considered.

Gotta love the dollar these days. If you are American that is.

[Kerryd]

TDLR: If you like it here, you'll find a way to make it work. If you don't like it here, you'll find plenty of excuses for why it's better somewhere else.

I recall on my first trip to Thailand in the early 90's, the exchange rate was 19-20 baht/dollar. I also recall that on my second trip (early '98) I'd just missed out on the peak of the Asian Banking crisis when the baht crashed and was trading at almost 39 - 1 (Canadian). By the time I arrived it had already dropped to 32/1 and down to 29/1 when I left.

Historically over the last 25 years, the average exchange rate is a tick under 27/1. Keep in mind that the Cdn $ has dropped quite a bit over the past few months, apparently due to the price of oil dropping to half of what it used to be over the same period. http://www.canadianforex.ca/forex-tools/historical-rate-tools/monthly-average-rates

(Odd though, that in times when the Cdn $ was worth more than the US, it still was worth less compared to the baht.)

I decided to move to Thailand for a couple of reasons that haven't changed over the years. Weather and cost of living. There are other factors, but those 2 are the primary. I'd much rather live in a hot, humid environment than a cold, damp one. As for costs, most of that is dependent on your lifestyle of course, but generally speaking, it is still a lot cheaper to live here than in Canada.

I've worked out what I was spending for basic utilities in Canada the last time i lived there (which was in subsidized military housing so a lot cheaper than if I'd been renting elsewhere). Electricity, TV/Internet, telephone, heat and "rent" was about $1,250/month (34,000ish baht). Not including food, clothing, gas/insurance, dining out, movies and all those "little" things that add up. If I'd been living somewhere else my basic expenses would have (easily) been $5-800 a month more, depending on the (much) higher rent and how far I'd have to drive everyday. Here ? Less than half that (assume 10k rent for the 2 bedroom house, 2,600 - TrueVision cable, 1,000 - internet, 450 - water, 2,500 electricity - total about 16,550 - $613ish Cdn).

Couple years ago I went back for a short trip. Was going to stay at my friends cabin back "up in the woods". Plotted out that I'd need 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 2 suppers (I'd splurge and dine out once). Went to a large grocery store and bought the basics (bread, milk, eggs, bacon, butter, pork chops, wieners, etc) - no booze, no "high end" stuff. Just enough to get me through the weekend. Walked out with 2 bags of groceries that cost me over $300 (8,000ish baht).

Even if I went to Foodland and splurged on "farang" food I'd have a hard time spending 8,000 baht, and it would sure as h*** last longer than 3 days !

Had a guy do some plumbing electrical work at the house the other day (had to replace my water pump) - labour cost for 3 hours =500 baht ($18) though I'm sure I could have probably paid less. Canada ? The hourly rate for a plumber averages about $25 (in the Vancouver area).

2 days ago I had a local shop replace both tires on my scooter - 1,000 baht total for tires and labour (or roughly the cost of just a single tire in Canada, not including labour or taxes).

Honda PCX150 (2013 model) in Canada = 81,000 baht ($3,000 after $750 dealer discount, before the 14% sales tax) so about 92,340 total ($3,420). 2014 PCX150 in Thailand - 75,000 baht + 7% VAT = 80,250 ($2,972Cdn)

Movies ! I remember paying about $35 (945 baht), including a pop and popcorn, to see a movie in Canada. Crappy seats, no reserved seating system. Thailand ? About a third that much, with nicer seats and I can pick which seats I want.

Pizza Hut (Canada) - Large Super Supreme Pizza = $26.00 (700 baht). Pizza Hut (Thailand) - Large Super Supreme Pizza = $17.37 (469 baht).

All in all, I probably have a better "quality of life" here now than I did in Canada, for considerably less expense. I have all the "toys" I want. I don't have to skimp on anything and I don't have to wear 3-4 layers of clothing every time I step out of the house. Dear old (departed) dad enjoyed a lot better lifestyle here in his last 2 years than he did in the previous 15+ years in Canada. He liked it so much that he vowed he would never return to Canada and would die in Thailand (and he lived up to that vow). Just wish I had of brought him over a few years earlier.

Every individual's circumstances are different though. You take 2 people and place them in a similar situation and 1 will most likely end up being happier with a better quality of life than the other. 1 will try to make the best of things and the other will find excuses to bitch and moan about everything (but do nothing to try and change their circumstances). Some people have "hi-so, champagne tastes" but a "low-so, warm draft Chang" budget and are never happy about anything. Others may be comfortable financially but prefer a laid back, (cold) Heineken lifestyle.

Some people just get homesick. For the most part, we are social creatures and like being in the company of others that share similar interests. Language, religion, sports, even the weather. Being amongst others that share those interests makes us feel like we "belong" (old tribal instinct that probably goes back to the furthest origins of our species). Being "lost in the wilds" and among strangers that don't share your interests is difficult for some, especially when you throw in language and cultural barriers.

It's funny in a way too, because most of my Thai friends bitch about the same things my English (speaking) friends do ! Politics (Damn Thaksin - Damn Obama/Cameron/Harper) ! Sports (Damn Chelsea/Manchester (United)/Glasgow - Damn New England/Manchester (City)/Toronto) ! Weather (Damn heat and humidity - Damn snow and ice) ! Music (Damn this new-fangled noise they call music these days - Damn this new-fangled noise they call music these days) ! Wives/Husbands (Damn that - insert hated current and/or ex-spouse here).

The details (and language) may differ, but the topics are pretty much the same. Lol - I talk to one (Thai) friend about Thaksin and his blood pressure skyrockets and the veins stand out in his forehead, just like dear old dad's would when someone would mention Trudeau (the former Prime Minister one, not the dope-smoking son one).

TDLR: If you like it here, you'll find a way to make it work. If you don't like it here, you'll find plenty of excuses for why it's better somewhere else. (Copied/pasted to beginning of overly long post.)