Came here on holiday after breaking up with a lady who kept on about getting married,liked it and came back to stay for a while ,then went to Bangkok got involved in a business which meant I was back and fore all the time,met my now wife through it and eventually she moved to the UK and we got married had a son she got on great with my family and we lived there for years ,then decided to come here to live 10 years ago , never looked back,now with Skype etc its easy to stay in touch unlike when I came here first and phone calls were one pound seventy pence a minute

35 ... sex and piss

38, on a two weeks holiday. Dreamed about coming back the following 14 years, managed to return on my 52nd birthday. After a few more years I did an early full time retirement when 56.

Only regret is that I waited too long time before moving to LoS...

Edited February 16, 201610 yr by khunPer

I came to Thailand from the UK when I stopped working aged 75, I came for a long holiday. Liked it, so never went back, apart from a 2 week holiday, after 4 days in the UK. I wanted to come back home to Thailand. I've now been here 8 years, loved every minute, never ever had a single moment of regret, made some great friends both farang and Thai. For me this was and is the best move of my life, I would never go back to live in the UK, here in Thailand I feel safer than in my hometown of Oxford. I keep in touch with friends and family using skype, Facebook or email. I love the people, the food and the weather, for me this is an old farts paradise, always warm and cheap to live. No debts, no credit cards, own house and car, after 40 years being self-employed, I love the freedom, doing what I like, when I like. I met and married a lovely Thai lady and though knocking on! still fit and active and have never been happier.

22 years old, to do 3 months of volunteer work. Been here since; that's about 11 years ago.

63. Sex.

Hahaha. 61. Ditto!

Thirteen years ago, came at 53, for love and work. Life began at 53.

Came here when I was 60 with my ex-Thai wife who persuaded me that she could advance her career her. Unfortunately it was a scam on her part. Tried to take me for everything. Divorced. Met another Thai girl and living very happily together. Now trying to sell here so we can move to France. Anyone want a house in Chiang Mai? I'll do you a deal!!!!!

1999 at 28 sick of Dutch wether,holiday,fall in love.

Now have a daughter 11,still in love,but a different girl.

Old enough. Sex. What else?

1st came to Thailand in 1971.been back and forth ever since.Now at 64 I will spend about 50% of my time in Thailand the rest of it

Traveling.

21 after uni left 5 years later.. Now in my forties and wanting to return ASAP..

Wow some good reads and some funny replies. But the majority seem to enjoy and not regret. But I suppose warm climate and great food are only part of the charm. Still for me as having to work over seas monthly I guess Tax is a huge draw.

Very nice to see most positive comments. Many related to my life here for the last 5 years.

Only regret??? Why I didn't move here 20 years ago!!!????

42. 1991

Just divorced. ( amicable )

Two week holiday.

Never left.

Been up/down/broke/rich, bla bla bla.

Now comfortable

I was first here in 1974 as a backpacker but returned often in the 80s for business - took an early retirement in 1998 and had no question that I wouldn't be happier here - as with you, a fun and wild ride at times has settled into a pleasant provincial life...

I worked in Malaya in the 60s and spent several local leaves in Thailand. When I retired I wanted to come back somewhere warm, so Thailand was my choice. The Thai ladies were a bonus.

Had just finished a SAS tour and was in thailand on R&R.. Met a Thai Billionaires Daughter... At a bar in Pattaya...got married and retired.. Now doing security for foreign diplomates and VIPs in BKK.... I was 21.

Sent from my c64

Edited February 17, 201610 yr by wow64

Moved here in 1996 when I was 41 for a job in Bangkok and never left. Came for work reasons and stayed on - still working but now in K Samui some 20 years later.

Do I get fed up - yes with certain aspects of life here.

Would I leave - no because the alternatives do not appeal at all.

On balance life here is still a lot better here than other places even with the nonsense from time to time from every facet of living here.

Got transferred here with work when i was 25, still working in the same industry about 9 years later.

35. I wanted to live and work abroad. Thailand- given their fairly liberal visa policy- seemed like the easiest place to show up and do that.

11 years ago, I was 37 and so very disillusioned with life in the UK. I was lurching from one bad relationship to another, I disliked my job and the price of property was going through the roof.

So i sold up and came here. Id been previously a couple of times travelling, so knew what was what and Ive never looked back.

I think what made my mind up to come was the fact that myself and my friends were hurtling towards middle age and beyond and none of us had really done much in life. The idea of dying in the

same miserable town I grew up in gave me sleepless nights. I guess i wanted an adventure before I was too old to have one.

Ive not been home in 9 years. Ive got a kid and an amazing wife. Ive learnt to speak a new language, cook foreign food, scuba dive amongst other things. It's been a ride, man.

While I don't exactly fit the bill, I'll relate anyway. First visit in 76 after surfing trip to Bali - age 20..., taxi ride into city took 2.5 hours..., next trip in 80'(twice) on way to and from Europe surf trip.., gridlock taxi(van) rides with surfboards n backpack. Penny dropped during that stay - fell in love with food and Thai ladies..., but, was already set up on coastal rural Oz farm. Been back to LOS and surrounding countries for many visits over the years.., always during southern winters. Iv'e had both hips replaced and now can't really surf the way I used to but am still otherwise blessed - with health and fitness. I won't move completely to LOS as I'm too well placed in Oz, but during winter I base myself in Thailand.., currently looking for a patch of good dirt up in the north...., maybe grow avocados.
And YES, in one sense I wish I had put down some roots in LOS in the early days.., but I've made my bed etc etc

Edited February 17, 201610 yr by Sandy Freckle

Came here aged 28 cross training as a management trainee for one of the major international hotel groups. At the end was offered a permanent position in Bangkok so stayed. Sitting here nigh on 20 years later with a wife and daughter who's fast approaching her teens wondering where all those years went.

I've really enjoyed reading all the different(but also similar) paths taken..., all without the usual TV sarcasm etc.
Cheers for sharing...,

Came first time with my dad when 10 and it was amazing to see a elephant walking behind a Mercedes. Return when 17 as exchange student at Chulalongkorn University. Returned again at 22 to celebrate finishing my thesis. Made a plan to be able to live anywhere in the world. At 25 was officially finacially independent with the help of Google stock. Return to celebrate my 28th birthday and bought a comdo on soi 15 Sukhumvit and hung out soi 13 Miami Hotel/Therme and the old Dickerson Pub at The Ambassador Hotel until it closed. Things have changed, not as farang friendly as before and it is not as appealing but better than any county in Asia.

Had just finished a SAS tour and was in thailand on R&R.. Met a Thai Billionaires Daughter... At a bar in Pattaya...got married and retired.. Now doing security for foreign diplomates and VIPs in BKK.... I was 21.

Sent from my c64

"The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club. " or if it's the other SAS "The first rule of Flight Club is: you do not talk about Flight Club. "

Came here first in 1989 on a 'supplier thanks for your business' 10 day R&R. BKK Shangri-La, first night Soi Cowboy eye-opener, few tourist venues, other places of 'interest'. Then a few days in Pattaya. Lingering memories. I was then recovering financially from my first marital mismatch. It unfortunately took a repeat and another recovery period before - third time lucky - I retired early and just upped and walked away in 2007. Came here with my dog, two suitcases and enough to create a life. Both Bangkok and Pattaya were revealing back in '89 and the trip showed me which country I wanted to live in but [importantly] which areas I did not want to live in, and so I am in CM Province and couldn't be happier. Lovely honest and trustworthy partner [she is also self-sufficient] built a nice house, dog still doing well!

No regrets. Frustrations of course but that's usually the case wherever we are; us 'retired' folk really shouldn't get frustrated by things we can't change

40

Decided to stay on first ever trip because, the only reason for putting up with the horse shit that comes with living in the UK is children and the wife that tends to come with them

I had no interest whatsoever in either

First came aged 27, spend my four weeks off from offshore, been here ever since. Initially I had planned to retire at 40, then 50 and I will be 60 this year and now have no plans to retire.