WHY live in thailand

[big carl]

Because I can, I am currently back in Sydney working and when I tell people I live in Thailand they say I am living the dream, in fact one young lad I am working with has said he wants to retire to Thailand when he is 40 and he has never been to Thailand.

I never liked the word retirement. If this young guy wants to visit Thailand he should do it now. He may be dead tomorrow. Do it today.

Thailand is a great place to visit. I don't know about living here though. I was in Bangkok for almost a year, and I was glad to move away at the end of my stay. Now, I'm back in amazing America. The land of the home and free.

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Good post. You make sense. If you don't like living here don't. Just visit if there is some thing about it you like. I think some people just want to live here so they can get on Thai Visa and tell every one how bad and dangerous it is. Or so they claim it is.

Admitting it is the second most dangerous country for traffic deaths. But that is it.

[FiveStarVagabond]

For me Australia just became too expensive, now I live in Pattaya for B18,000 per month and this is my view, check out my webcam.

http://fivestarvagabond.com/pattaya-webcam/

[TuskegeeBen]

The OP's point is well-made

[TuskegeeBen]

Because I can, I am currently back in Sydney working and when I tell people I live in Thailand they say I am living the dream, in fact one young lad I am working with has said he wants to retire to Thailand when he is 40 and he has never been to Thailand.

I never liked the word retirement. If this young guy wants to visit Thailand he should do it now. He may be dead tomorrow. Do it today.

Thailand is a great place to visit. I don't know about living here though. I was in Bangkok for almost a year, and I was glad to move away at the end of my stay. Now, I'm back in amazing America. The land of the home and free.

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk

Good post. You make sense. If you don't like living here don't. Just visit if there is some thing about it you like. I think some people just want to live here so they can get on Thai Visa and tell every one how bad and dangerous it is. Or so they claim it is.

Admitting it is the second most dangerous country for traffic deaths. But that is it.

Thailand is second to which other country, in most traffic deaths? I can personally cite four other countries, that are far more dangerous than Thailand. For example Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saudi Arabia & the UAE, India (totally insane), or Manila, for starters.

[TuskegeeBen]

Because I can, I am currently back in Sydney working and when I tell people I live in Thailand they say I am living the dream, in fact one young lad I am working with has said he wants to retire to Thailand when he is 40 and he has never been to Thailand.

I never liked the word retirement. If this young guy wants to visit Thailand he should do it now. He may be dead tomorrow. Do it today.

Thailand is a great place to visit. I don't know about living here though. I was in Bangkok for almost a year, and I was glad to move away at the end of my stay. Now, I'm back in amazing America. The land of the home and free.

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk

Carry on then, you Dream Lover

Good post. You make sense. If you don't like living here don't. Just visit if there is some thing about it you like. I think some people just want to live here so they can get on Thai Visa and tell every one how bad and dangerous it is. Or so they claim it is.

Admitting it is the second most dangerous country for traffic deaths. But that is it.

Edited October 29, 2015 by TuskegeeBen

[TuskegeeBen]

doesnt matter. I don't want Pattaya to become like Miami.

I don't want farangs buying land and building expensive hotels and take the best spot in Thailand and having poor Thai people forced to move inside the country with pigs and farms because they can not find any decent place at any decent price.

I don't want Thailand to become a place just for the multi millionaire who just want more and more and never give anything back to thai people.

we all know that very rich farangs will pay corrupt politicians to get what they want.

so no land for you. if you don't like it, leave. go buy land in Florida to live the American dream.

Amen to that

[NativeSon360]

There are just as many reasons as there are people. You want common reasons as to why people live here and slag off Thailand.

I suspect one common reason people complain is due to the fact that they may not of understood Thailand before they arrived, since Thailand is so good at packaging.... controlling the press releases... Maintaining an image, now matter how far removed from reality... _________________________ (insert common reason here)

Once they've arrived and the haze is off, reality sinks in, and they begin to do the love/hate thing until they get fed up w/ the place.

If fact if you look at the myriad of blog posts and articles, over the years, about long term expats who gave up on Thailand, they all have a common thread.

They get tired of the culture, scams, lies, ever changing rules, racism, xenophobia.

Reasonable people are going to get tired of this anywhere they go.

"They get tired of the culture, scams, lies, ever changing rules, racism, xenophobia.", reads more like a very famous, and well-known, First World democratic republic, located directly on the 12-hours (longitude-line) opposite side of the globe, to me.

Edited October 29, 2015 by NativeSon360

[big carl]

Because I can, I am currently back in Sydney working and when I tell people I live in Thailand they say I am living the dream, in fact one young lad I am working with has said he wants to retire to Thailand when he is 40 and he has never been to Thailand.

I never liked the word retirement. If this young guy wants to visit Thailand he should do it now. He may be dead tomorrow. Do it today.

Thailand is a great place to visit. I don't know about living here though. I was in Bangkok for almost a year, and I was glad to move away at the end of my stay. Now, I'm back in amazing America. The land of the home and free.

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk

Good post. You make sense. If you don't like living here don't. Just visit if there is some thing about it you like. I think some people just want to live here so they can get on Thai Visa and tell every one how bad and dangerous it is. Or so they claim it is.

Admitting it is the second most dangerous country for traffic deaths. But that is it.

Thailand is second to which other country, in most traffic deaths? I can personally cite four other countries, that are far more dangerous than Thailand. For example Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saudi Arabia & the UAE, India (totally insane), or Manila, for starters.

Sorry I don't have the facts. I understand how it could be with the long stretches of open road and no medical facilities. but I really don't know where the source I got it from is.

[hawkeye76]

I think i am one of the few (i guess) that actually will respond to OP post..

He ask why the people that complain, stay here..

Personally i think Thailand is a shithole. Been here countless year (close to 15) and am only staying because family.

If i was alone, i would run away screaming, and i know many people agre with me, even if they dont write it in here.

The normal reasons, such as scams, double pricing, property laws, and so on.. is all good reasons to leave.

When many of us moved here many years ago, there was not so many options for permanent retirement around the world, so people came to Thailand.

Now, its more easy. The world is opening up (except Thailand!) and countries like Panama, Costa Rica, Philippines, Bulgaria, Portugal, Cambodia, malaysia and so on..

All is great retirement destinations, that is easy, cheap and perfectly suited for foreigners.

And one day, i will collect my family and go there with a calm mind, and eternal smile.

[lopburi3]

I suspect you have never lived in those alternatives - they all have as many negatives as Thailand from my understanding/experiences (and I have lived in several dozen countries for extended periods). But yes - we do often see the grass as greener in far away pastures. But often it may be wiser to go with the known - where at least it is known - than continually fight the unknown. Remain and complain is normal.

[rogeroc]

To answer the first part of the question, i stay for many months in Thailand for a number of reasons, they are not in any particular order:

a) the women - I am ageing but i still want to enjoy the physical pleasures whilst i can (make hay whilst the sun shines) and this is very easy to achieve in Thailand. I have also discovered (to my surprise) that relationships where there is a direct transaction are (for me) more rewarding and satisfying and allow me to have a relationship with both pleasure and freedom.

I feel safe here and free to walk the streets without fear (i do however accept, reading some eloquent previous posts) that i need to be cautious.

c) I like the open air, warm evening bar scene, i can sit outside in a tee shirt all night in comfort to drink / eat. I like that most people will talk to you in a bar and that as a single man you are not looked upon as an oddity and someone not to talk to as is the case in (for example) UK / Greece.

d) the cost of living is very acceptable, i can eat out every night, accommodation is ridiculously cheap

e) i can get virtually any type of cuisine i like here and there is great availability of fresh exotic fruits / vegetables

f)) 7 / 11's - if i feel like a coffee, bag of crisps, toasted sandwich, decent microwave Krapao Gai i can go out anytime day or night walk 100 metres or less and get it.

f) Thai people do seem to smile a lot and enjoy having fun.

g) I personally like the lack of rules / regulations re many aspects of life in Thailand and many of the freedoms you witness in daily life here.

The second part of the question (why do i complain) is easy to answer, i am starting to see many of the things i like about Thailand eroding

a) Unnecessary rules about bars closing earlier / near a school or temple etc, another new no alcohol day

Police on every street corner issuing fines

c) Slim girls getting fat

etc, etc

In summary i see no harm in complaining (in a polite and reasonable manner) if we feel disgruntled at aspects of Thailand. For sure if nobody ever complained about things they disagree with nothing would ever change. Yes of course if i don't like it i can walk with my feet and if it gets to the stage where 7 /11 is open only between 7 and 11 i probably will !!

[maprao]

This cartoon from the cartoonist who lives in pattaya sums it up well

[arunsakda]

I remember a reply to a similar question and the poster said something like, "I'm here for the sun, sea, sand, Singha and snatch".

Made me chuckle!!

I remember that one but I think he mentioned seafood as well!

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[phuketruski]

This?

or this?

I like both.

I get bored of both.

6 months / 6 months is my approach.

agree, good to mix it up

having never seen the snow i find it more interesting than 38 degree bangkok traffic congested polluted humid insanity.