Why are western man so unhappy in thailand

[bbbbooboo]

.......yawn

[SoiBiker]

Some I suspect would be unhappy wherever they were.

[SoiBiker]

, but I can't say "I love Thailand". To me it is just home. Also even though I can read and write Thai, have many friends, can laugh and joke with them etc. I'm always going to be viewed as a second class citizen here.

Of course it isn't home, you have a right to stay in your home, but no right to stay in Thailand at all.

Always amazed by foreigners who want to think Thailand is their home.

No it isn't.

It's my home for now. Who wants to stay in one place for the rest of their life, anyway? The world's too interesting for that.

[maswov]

Some people are not happy unless they are complaining about something.

[mango66]

you were here occasionaly in the last 6 year ,

spend your savings in bar and clubs,

and when your funds gone, you go back;

we living here 10 and 20 years,

many of us have a family here to take care,

some of us of cause also using the bars and girls as theitr bank;

We know how Thailand - LOS was,

and how it have changed -

now we like to call it LOC - Land of cry !!!

[mango66]

, but I can't say "I love Thailand". To me it is just home. Also even though I can read and write Thai, have many friends, can laugh and joke with them etc. I'm always going to be viewed as a second class citizen here.

Of course it isn't home, you have a right to stay in your home, but no right to stay in Thailand at all.

Always amazed by foreigners who want to think Thailand is their home.

No it isn't.

PS

Nobody views you as a second class citizen.

You aren't any class of Thai citizen.

Jim, Jo !

You are so right !

We live here, we work here, we have family here,

but we are just a temporarely accepted ATM !

[SoiBiker]

All countries change. Old men everywhere grieve for the world they once knew. This has little to do with Thailand.

[flyingdoc]

Yes, I love the country, warts and all, and if I were to make a list with likes and dislikes, the former would win out easily !

[mick01827]

Us westerners just like moaning, it seems if we're not moaning we're not happy, I'm not saying everyone but the majority for sure, having said that when you holiday in Thailand for 2/3/4 weeks you only see what's on the surface and it definitely lives upto the name of LOS, when you live here full time you get to see the other side of life, that it's just like anywhere in the world but with a little bit more tolerance.

[MW72]

those who are unhappy are far more likely to shout about it than those who are happy. nothing strange there, it happens everywhere.

therefore OP dont be misled by the vocally unhappy minority.

i'm happy here, obviously not everything is perfect but then neither has everything been perfect in any country i've lived in.

I see your point and agree with it to an extent.

If a contractor does a bad job in your home you will tell everyone about it. When they do a good job it is expected and you are less likely to tell everyone.

Most will have good experiences every day of their lives but don't feel the need to share it with all on TVF. When they have a bad experience they will tell all. Even if the majority of a posters comments are negative it doesn't mean that the are miserable and hate life here. They may enjoy most things about Thailand but feel that TVF is a way to vent their frustration at the things they do not like.

A minority are trolls who will post something just to get a reaction whether they believe what they post or not. What makes their twisted minds work I will never understand.

Then there are those that are just having a laugh but due to cultural and language issues their humour dosen't translate and some think they are being serious or trolling.

I would say this isn't unique to TVF. Happens all over the internet world.

[fey]

I am not unhappy!!!!! So sick of this thread!!! I hate all this negativity!!!! This makes me sick!!!!! I love it here!!!!! Quit doing these posts!!! Where is my beer!!!!! Get me a cold beer!!!!

(after 11 hours of zen therapy at the nearest wat)

zzzzzzzzzzzzz. Now i am at peace with the world, love everyone, all my friendly TFV friends.......life is good, i love this tree, this fish, bird......lol

everythings great when your drunk

[MaeJoMTB]

All countries change. Old men everywhere grieve for the world they once knew. This has little to do with Thailand.

No tears from me, happy to be financially independent and not dragging my English baggage around.

Best years of my life have been (and still are) in Thailand.

[NanLaew]

With a master degree in social psychology (43 years experience) and living here for almost 4 years and studying Thai culture I can state unequivocally that even I don't understand Thai people.

George, as a farang you don't understand Thai people and never will. And you are arrogant to think that you do understand.

"...living here for almost 4 years and studying Thai culture...I don't understand Thai people."

I admit I had to 'wiki up' on social psychology and I reckon that the locals aren't too mysterious when you look at the intrapersonal end extrapersonal phenomena they are exposed to here.

Are you sure that maybe you're just a bad student? Plenty of them here too.

Agree on the arrogance of anyone that claims to understand the locals though.

However, it's sort of arrogant to assume that just because you can't begin to get your head around it, nobody else has a snowballs chance.

[romeijoe]

im here and i love it , good bad indifferent all good to me, if and when its not will move ( but hope not )

[piersbeckett]

Happiness is a state of mind, normally, when i happen to be there, i start to worry... As everything is temporary, it can only get worse.

Being able to choose, i prefer a state of moderate pessimism

Well, 'that's you' & me too - 'all things must pass' - have a nice day - Piers

Edited April 2, 2015 by piersbeckett

[Jiggo]

Title should read "Why are western MEN are so unhappy in Thailand."

We are not unhappy, (Wrong choice of words) we are just fed up with the lame brain way of doing things.

Also the lack of respect of one another. Behind the wheel they do not show any form of curtsy on the road.

In the parking lots, they just push their carts behind another car, and in the parking lot, not thinking of returning it back to the store.

They don't understand the right of way in intersections with no traffic lights. They cut in front of you not thinking about your reaction time on the breaks. The light turns red, and still, five or six cars try to make it across the intersection. They try to park in a spot 5.9 feet wide, and their vehicle is 6 feet wide.

They don't know how to push a cart in the store. They don't understand the flow of grocery stores and try to push a cart against the flow of shoppers. They have no concern of others, by stepping to the side, so that other pedestrians can pass them by, Or they simply stop walking unaware of those behind them. Self centered people, that think of themselves and not others around them, while walking or driving a two wheel or four wheel vehicle.

No we are not unhappy, just waiting for the Thais to wake-up and join the civilized world and the way doing things! Or is it just an Asian perceptive of life, in China it is even worse than here.

Thought you where talking about Falangs to I read the last line...

[jimky]

, but I can't say "I love Thailand". To me it is just home. Also even though I can read and write Thai, have many friends, can laugh and joke with them etc. I'm always going to be viewed as a second class citizen here.

Of course it isn't home, you have a right to stay in your home, but no right to stay in Thailand at all.

Always amazed by foreigners who want to think Thailand is their home.

No it isn't.

PS

Nobody views you as a second class citizen.

You aren't any class of Thai citizen.

Not sure if this from coming in my 20s before having built much of a life somewhere else, but I certainly don't consider the country I hold a passport for to be home. I'm very certain unless extradited or something I'll never return there. Other than the passport I have nothing else related to there (I don't even really have many farang friends anymore, couple acquaintance maybe 3 friends). So, should I still call that home, or just say that I don't have a home?.

This is just semantics and wording issue. Yeah some small remote possibility I can be kicked out of the country and can't freehold land. As far as what effects me that's all and is minor. Those don't change where I consider home to be.

[georgemandm]

April fools was yesterday this guy is geeing you TV members up.

You are so wrong you are the people I am talking about come here don't like and bag the place

[Wat dee]

They've been out smarted by 50 kg, 160 cm, criminal mastermind. And just realized just how sexy and hansum they reallly are.

[SunsetT]

I suspect many, but not all, expats were negative, judgemental, intolerant people unable to cope with change and problems in their home countries before they came to Thailand. They chose to run away to where they thought the grass was greener rather than look at themselves in order to change and grow.

.......But in the end I suspect that we all must learn that we cannot run away from ourselves.

[SunsetT]

I suspect many, but not all, expats were negative, judgemental, intolerant people unable to cope with change and problems in their home countries before they came to Thailand. They chose to run away to where they thought the grass was greener rather than look at themselves in order to change and grow.

.......But in the end I suspect that we all must learn that we cannot run away from ourselves.

[CharlieH]

7) You will respect fellow members and post in a civil manner. No personal attacks, hateful or insulting towards other members, (flaming) Stalking of members on either the forum or via PM will not be allowed.

[purushanti]

There is a point of view that the pursuit of happiness is the guarantee of sadness.

Therefore, why look for one's happiness in externals, when one's essential nature is actually happiness, joy, bliss, ananda, and ever has been, and is such, and will be, tho' we are free to ovelook it.

That internal joy can be allowed to overflow and to permeate one's experiences.

External experieces of themselves are ephemeral, transient, illusory, and less satisfying over time.

[GOLDBUGGY]

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Typical of some TV posters, I've been here longer than you I know it all blah blah blah.

A westerner can be living here for 30 years stuck in a village. Do you honestly believe he or she will 'know more' about Thailand or a 'tourist' who may have been coming for 10 years and travelled around the country.

Well, my money is on the guy who lived in a Thai Village for 30 years, since most Tradition Thai's live in villages, or come from one.

Where you on the other hand would only see one Tourist Hotel after another, or one Bar after another, where the Thai's you deal with are paid to be nice to you, or to drive you around, and who also come from the village, I may add.

[Cypress Hill]

Nothing to be unhappy about provided your expectations of Thailand are reasonable to begin with

All those jokers complaining about not being accepted or not being treated like a local in return for deigning to bring their goat cheese pensions/incomes into Thailand were doomed before the landing gear deployed . . . they just didn't know it

[opalred]

when i came here i had a dream 14 yrs ago

after usual girl problem and mixing with expats life became misery

90% frangs become grumpy old men sitting around looking football at local water hole with other lost souls

some hanging on to sad relationship with girl and dont want to lose money as brain in di,,k

then my life changed 5yrs ago found right women not a young girl stopped mixing with sad negative frangs

now have a happy full life

[Cypress Hill]

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when i came here i had a dream 14 yrs ago
after usual girl problem and mixing with expats life became misery
90% frangs become grumpy old men sitting around looking football at local water hole with other lost souls
some hanging on to sad relationship with girl and dont want to lose money as brain in di,,k
then my life changed 5yrs ago found right women not a young girl stopped mixing with sad negative frangs
now have a happy full life

So basically your happiness depends upon someone else?

[Squeegee]

If this were a genuinely positive topic it would simply feature an op offering truly positive thoughts and an invitation to join in.

Topics like this are just disguised attacks on free speech, shrouded in 'positivity', such as specifically and overtly excluding anyone who doesn't feel the same way, whilst lumping them all together under a negative moniker: 'bashers'.

OP needn't have said any of that, yet chose to be hypocritical and pretentious instead. Next time you choose to criticize others for not being positive... just listen to yourself.

And since all your 'good Thai friends' say "Up to you" I would suggest you get out (of the bar) more before trying to teach the rest of us to suck eggs.

[opalred]

my happiness is taking away the negative thinking of mixing with all the old farts who were rejected in own country by all women

then come here to show money to a inmature young girl or boy

[Cypress Hill]

my happiness is taking away the negative thinking of mixing with all the old farts who were rejected in own country by all women

then come here to show money to a inmature young girl or boy

So why did you wait until you met the right woman to stop mixing with the old farts?