I moved back to the real world a short time ago. But, I must admit, I do miss the following:

[mr chow]

Ridiculous visa runs and checks every 90 days

Maniacal drivers with death wishes

Chinese tourists for a bunch of reasons

Black smoke billowing out of MANY vehicles

Songtaews and tuk tuks for a hundred reasons

Paying " farang" prices

Did I mention the garlic wreaking money hungry Thai women ( and the hookers are worse )

Having to whisper when discussing the ROYAL FAMILY

Censors and the junta shit

The ransom prices of western food

The slowness of the Internet

A country with at least 5 genders

The wonderment of the burning season

Paying overvalued amounts for ALL vehicles both new and used

Ordering 5 things in a restaurant and arriving 5 different times

One should never live in a country where you can't drink the tap water

The lack of English spoken and the lack of desire to learn

xenophobic, status conscience, selfish population

Loudspeaker trucks

Hot than hell MOST of the time

Shopping malls where most Thai people can't afford to buy anything

Having to support a family that EXPECTS me to do it

Corrupt police ( all of them )

And my personal favorite.......SAVING FACE

[sunnyjim5]

You will not be missed !

Enjoy your "real world".

[MESmith]

At least Thailand hasn't opened its borders to thousands of potential suicide bombers, with the promise of a free house & heaps of cash before they blow themselves up

[narkeddiver]

Wonder why you were here in the first place

[Denim]

If the OP is truly now happy in the ' real world ' why can't he just put his Thailand experience behind him , chalk it up as a failure and move on. Why , if you are 'done' with the place is it necessary to maintain a link with the scene of your misfortune by letting of steam on yet another ' I failed to find happiness in Thailand ' thread.

Enjoy your real world and forget TV forum.

Edited March 23, 2016 by Denim

[KMartinHandyman]

Is there an ignore poster feature in settings?

[Rotweiler]

Not yet.........

[anto]

Scorned by a Ladyboy i bet ,and ends up bitter .

[Bangkokhatter]

Some people are just not suited to leaving the bosom of their home country, i guess the OP is one of these.

[naboo]

Ridiculous visa runs and checks every 90 days

I haven't done a visa run since 2008, perhaps if you were eligible for a proper long stay visa you'd have been alright.

Maniacal drivers with death wishes

If you drive defensively, I find the roads very safe.

Chinese tourists for a bunch of reasons

They get a bad press, but every Chinese person I've met in person has been polite and friendly. And their skirts are to die for......

Black smoke billowing out of MANY vehicles

Very few cars have this problem in recent years.

Songtaews and tuk tuks for a hundred reasons

Occasionally I pay 18B for a Songtaew that takes me 25km. I find this service very helpful. Otherwise I don't interact with them, but I can't see why there would be a problem.

Paying " farang" prices

Speak Thai, it doesn't happen.

Did I mention the garlic wreaking money hungry Thai women ( and the hookers are worse )

Maybe its because I stink of garlic, but I have to say I haven't noticed the women smelling particularly bad. In fact, they smell lovely. And money hungry? Maybe its because you had nothing else to offer?

Having to whisper when discussing the ROYAL FAMILY

I don't talk about the Royal Family. They have no impact on my life, so why should I? Just like England.

Censors and the junta shit

Censors - Zenmate. Junta? No impact on my life since coming to power.

The ransom prices of western food

??? I can eat western food here for far less than I can back in England.

The slowness of the Internet

??? I get 13MB download in country, and sufficient to stream HD internationally. This isn't slow as far as I am aware.

A country with at least 5 genders

The open minded people are one of the many things that make this country great.

The wonderment of the burning season

You've missed it this year, AQI has barely crept above 100.

Paying overvalued amounts for ALL vehicles both new and used

My truck in the UK, around 1,000,000B. Here I bought new at 618,000B. Maintenance, fuel and insurance all substantially cheaper here.

Ordering 5 things in a restaurant and arriving 5 different times

And your problem? People order and eat together. The soup arrives, we eat soup, some veg arrive, we eat veg, the curry arrives, we eat curry, but there's still some soup and veg, so we eat that, the yam arrives, we're ordering more beer. Dining here is a fantastic social experience - you wanting Thailand to be like home is your problem.

One should never live in a country where you can't drink the tap water

That rules out nearly the entire world.

The lack of English spoken and the lack of desire to learn

Why should they? This is Thailand. Do you learn the language of the foreigners who visit (that's what you were doing with your visa that required border runs) your country?

xenophobic, status conscience, selfish population

Pot, meet kettle.

Loudspeaker trucks

You got me.

Hot than hell MOST of the time

Benefit.

Shopping malls where most Thai people can't afford to buy anything

Where most Thais don't visit, because most Thais don't live within 50km of one.

Having to support a family that EXPECTS me to do it

Again, this is probably because you had nothing else to offer.

Corrupt police ( all of them )

This comes with benefits.

And my personal favorite.......SAVING FACE

And why are you back here again?

Edited March 23, 2016 by naboo

[curtklay]

Well...let's be honest.

mr chow makes some valid points.

And naboo: your rebuttal is mostly baloney.

That said, I totally agree with Denim; it's best to just quietly walk away, and don't look back.

Edited March 23, 2016 by curtklay

[mcfish]

He is just trying to justify his decision and is looking for back up. Completely normal reaction now that he is surrounded by dragons his own age LMAO!!

[uthaithanirules]

Internet is worse back in my country, Australia, in Sydney, just 3kms from the CBD and 4G drops out, move 5 metres and there it is again

I dont live there, but in South Australia, you turn on the tap, and water comes out brown

You want to pay overvalued amounts for anything, come to Australia

[Jingthing]

Is there an ignore poster feature in settings?

Yes.

Mouse over your user name and click:

• Manage Ignore Prefs

[naboo]

And naboo: your rebuttal is mostly baloney.

I will meet your argument with...

"No its not".

[djayz]

Ridiculous visa runs and checks every 90 days

I haven't done a visa run since 2008, perhaps if you were eligible for a proper long stay visa you'd have been alright.

Maniacal drivers with death wishes

If you drive defensively, I find the roads very safe.

Chinese tourists for a bunch of reasons

They get a bad press, but every Chinese person I've met in person has been polite and friendly. And their skirts are to die for......

Black smoke billowing out of MANY vehicles

Very few cars have this problem in recent years.

Songtaews and tuk tuks for a hundred reasons

Occasionally I pay 18B for a Songtaew that takes me 25km. I find this service very helpful. Otherwise I don't interact with them, but I can't see why there would be a problem.

Paying " farang" prices

Speak Thai, it doesn't happen.

Did I mention the garlic wreaking money hungry Thai women ( and the hookers are worse )

Maybe its because I stink of garlic, but I have to say I haven't noticed the women smelling particularly bad. In fact, they smell lovely. And money hungry? Maybe its because you had nothing else to offer?

Having to whisper when discussing the ROYAL FAMILY

I don't talk about the Royal Family. They have no impact on my life, so why should I? Just like England.

Censors and the junta shit

Censors - Zenmate. Junta? No impact on my life since coming to power.

The ransom prices of western food

??? I can eat western food here for far less than I can back in England.

The slowness of the Internet

??? I get 13MB download in country, and sufficient to stream HD internationally. This isn't slow as far as I am aware.

A country with at least 5 genders

The open minded people are one of the many things that make this country great.

The wonderment of the burning season

You've missed it this year, AQI has barely crept above 100.

Paying overvalued amounts for ALL vehicles both new and used

My truck in the UK, around 1,000,000B. Here I bought new at 618,000B. Maintenance, fuel and insurance all substantially cheaper here.

Ordering 5 things in a restaurant and arriving 5 different times

And your problem? People order and eat together. The soup arrives, we eat soup, some veg arrive, we eat veg, the curry arrives, we eat curry, but there's still some soup and veg, so we eat that, the yam arrives, we're ordering more beer. Dining here is a fantastic social experience - you wanting Thailand to be like home is your problem.

One should never live in a country where you can't drink the tap water

That rules out nearly the entire world.

The lack of English spoken and the lack of desire to learn

Why should they? This is Thailand. Do you learn the language of the foreigners who visit (that's what you were doing with your visa that required border runs) your country?

xenophobic, status conscience, selfish population

Pot, meet kettle.

Loudspeaker trucks

You got me.

Hot than hell MOST of the time

Benefit.

Shopping malls where most Thai people can't afford to buy anything

Where most Thais don't visit, because most Thais don't live within 50km of one.

Having to support a family that EXPECTS me to do it

Again, this is probably because you had nothing else to offer.

Corrupt police ( all of them )

This comes with benefits.

And my personal favorite.......SAVING FACE

And why are you back here again?

Agree with most of what you wrote.

OP, good bye and I sincerely hope you find Utopia. One less miserable face to have to look at.

Edited March 23, 2016 by djayz

[Throatwobbler]

You are one less miserable person other here. Now do us all a favour and become one less miserable person posting on here.

[fireplay]

I know the OP is being a negative nancy...but i gotta say...there are some wonderful things i have been missing out on in the States for the last 6 years during my stay in Thailand...

I'm not gonna get into it...but it feels good to be back home with the flexibility for longer stays around the world....

I sure was feeling a bit trapped in Thailand...of course i burned through my 30's kicking back with girls in the LOS...while all my friends have been bangin on building successful careers...I have some catching up to do!

Edited March 23, 2016 by fireplay

[KMartinHandyman]

Is there an ignore poster feature in settings?

Yes.

Mouse over your user name and click:

• Manage Ignore Prefs

Thank you

[northernjohn]

Ridiculous visa runs and checks every 90 days

I haven't done a visa run since 2008, perhaps if you were eligible for a proper long stay visa you'd have been alright.

Maniacal drivers with death wishes

If you drive defensively, I find the roads very safe.

Chinese tourists for a bunch of reasons

They get a bad press, but every Chinese person I've met in person has been polite and friendly. And their skirts are to die for......

Black smoke billowing out of MANY vehicles

Very few cars have this problem in recent years.

Songtaews and tuk tuks for a hundred reasons

Occasionally I pay 18B for a Songtaew that takes me 25km. I find this service very helpful. Otherwise I don't interact with them, but I can't see why there would be a problem.

Paying " farang" prices

Speak Thai, it doesn't happen.

Did I mention the garlic wreaking money hungry Thai women ( and the hookers are worse )

Maybe its because I stink of garlic, but I have to say I haven't noticed the women smelling particularly bad. In fact, they smell lovely. And money hungry? Maybe its because you had nothing else to offer?

Having to whisper when discussing the ROYAL FAMILY

I don't talk about the Royal Family. They have no impact on my life, so why should I? Just like England.

Censors and the junta shit

Censors - Zenmate. Junta? No impact on my life since coming to power.

The ransom prices of western food

??? I can eat western food here for far less than I can back in England.

The slowness of the Internet

??? I get 13MB download in country, and sufficient to stream HD internationally. This isn't slow as far as I am aware.

A country with at least 5 genders

The open minded people are one of the many things that make this country great.

The wonderment of the burning season

You've missed it this year, AQI has barely crept above 100.

Paying overvalued amounts for ALL vehicles both new and used

My truck in the UK, around 1,000,000B. Here I bought new at 618,000B. Maintenance, fuel and insurance all substantially cheaper here.

Ordering 5 things in a restaurant and arriving 5 different times

And your problem? People order and eat together. The soup arrives, we eat soup, some veg arrive, we eat veg, the curry arrives, we eat curry, but there's still some soup and veg, so we eat that, the yam arrives, we're ordering more beer. Dining here is a fantastic social experience - you wanting Thailand to be like home is your problem.

One should never live in a country where you can't drink the tap water

That rules out nearly the entire world.

The lack of English spoken and the lack of desire to learn

Why should they? This is Thailand. Do you learn the language of the foreigners who visit (that's what you were doing with your visa that required border runs) your country?

xenophobic, status conscience, selfish population

Pot, meet kettle.

Loudspeaker trucks

You got me.

Hot than hell MOST of the time

Benefit.

Shopping malls where most Thai people can't afford to buy anything

Where most Thais don't visit, because most Thais don't live within 50km of one.

Having to support a family that EXPECTS me to do it

Again, this is probably because you had nothing else to offer.

Corrupt police ( all of them )

This comes with benefits.

And my personal favorite.......SAVING FACE

And why are you back here again?

xenophobic, status conscience, selfish population

Yes that was my reaction . He takes it to the max in his personal life. I wonder what the list of reasons he had for leaving his home land were originally.

Do you really get songthaew rides for 18 baht? Especially for 25 kilometers. I bet that would take a lot of dickering.

[elektrified]

Maniacal drivers with death wishes

If you drive defensively, I find the roads very safe.

Black smoke billowing out of MANY vehicles

Very few cars have this problem in recent years.

Did I mention the garlic wreaking money hungry Thai women ( and the hookers are worse )

Maybe its because I stink of garlic, but I have to say I haven't noticed the women smelling particularly bad. In fact, they smell lovely. And money hungry? Maybe its because you had nothing else to offer?

The wonderment of the burning season

You've missed it this year, AQI has barely crept above 100.

One should never live in a country where you can't drink the tap water

That rules out nearly the entire world.

Having to support a family that EXPECTS me to do it

Again, this is probably because you had nothing else to offer.

Come on naboo, you are in denial about the dangers of Thai roads/drivers, the emissions of vehicles, the air quality (I've had to wear a mask for the last 3 days, been coughing up mucous, have itchy eyes, dry throat, burning, dry nose - the air is so bad)......or are you joking???

If you don't think the women stink of garlic you must be congested all the time. Smell lovely?

The tap water is completely safe to drink in a number of USA and European cities. I'm sure you know that.

I do agree with your last point.

Now, having said that, I accept Thailand for what it is, just like I accepted several European countries where I lived that also had their flaws. The dangerous drivers/roads and air pollution to get to me at times. In fact I'm usually out of here by this time every year and down by the beach but business has prevented me from leaving just yet. But I'll be heading to the beach in a few days time....

[cyberfarang]

Ridiculous OP. Can anyone please tell me which countries have the perfect lifestyles? Especially as we get older and our options for exciting new adventures and abilities to turn our lives around become less and less.

If people believe they are going to find perfection and less stress elsewhere are very much mistaken. I am now the wrong side of 50s and my fantasies is to be rich, have beautiful young maidens lusting after me living in an exclusive beach house somewhere on the Med. So yesterday I bashed my head on the table, it hurt, looked around and realised my situation now is my reality and I`m stuck with it. It`s a matter of continually complaining and staying miserable or just getting on with it and trying to find the best of everything, not the worst.

[mcfish]

I wish people like the OP would just tell the truth

Guys come here for what was missing in their life.. Wild sex with endless partners and when hanging out with hookers for 24/7 starts to lose its charm it's then that the other problems that's were conviently ignored for years all of a sudden become important eg, everything on OP's list

Greener grass Is a double edged sword and OP is experiencing that right now.

Edited March 23, 2016 by mcfish

[pgrahmm]

Ridiculous visa runs and checks every 90 days

Maniacal drivers with death wishes

Chinese tourists for a bunch of reasons

Black smoke billowing out of MANY vehicles

Songtaews and tuk tuks for a hundred reasons

Paying " farang" prices

Did I mention the garlic wreaking money hungry Thai women ( and the hookers are worse )

Having to whisper when discussing the ROYAL FAMILY

Censors and the junta shit

The ransom prices of western food

The slowness of the Internet

A country with at least 5 genders

The wonderment of the burning season

Paying overvalued amounts for ALL vehicles both new and used

Ordering 5 things in a restaurant and arriving 5 different times

One should never live in a country where you can't drink the tap water

The lack of English spoken and the lack of desire to learn

xenophobic, status conscience, selfish population

Loudspeaker trucks

Hot than hell MOST of the time

Shopping malls where most Thai people can't afford to buy anything

Having to support a family that EXPECTS me to do it

Corrupt police ( all of them )

And my personal favorite.......SAVING FACE

Welcome to the real world - now you can start a new list there....

Obviously you didn't fit here - maybe you can find another forum too in your new perfect world.....

Most of us experience little if any angst your listed grievances/excuses .....

Some people are just better off nesting in their nanny state....

Good luck with that....

You forgot steep Thai steps - but

you didn't list doors so presumably it didn't hit you on the way out....

[Lannig]

Well...let's be honest.

mr chow makes some valid points.

And naboo: your rebuttal is mostly baloney.

That said, I totally agree with Denim; it's best to just quietly walk away, and don't look back.

Agreed 100%. I did the same 10 years ago, went back west. Some of his points have truth in them, although they are exposed way too bluntly for my taste, without finesse (to say the least).

My experience of living and working in Thailand was a nice one overall, but the drawbacks have gradually taken over the advantages.

I walked away, quietly.

I still like and enjoy the country as a regular visitor.

I may even consider coming back for my retirement.

I think that he forgot to list a serious issue, though, that may become critical: the worrying future ahead, with a real risk of seeing this country fall into complete chaos due to the deeper and deeper political divide. It still holds together today only because of a reason that will probably vanish in the near future...

Edited March 23, 2016 by Lannig

[pokerkid]

Ridiculous visa runs and checks every 90 days

I haven't done a visa run since 2008, perhaps if you were eligible for a proper long stay visa you'd have been alright.

Maniacal drivers with death wishes

If you drive defensively, I find the roads very safe.

Chinese tourists for a bunch of reasons

They get a bad press, but every Chinese person I've met in person has been polite and friendly. And their skirts are to die for......

Black smoke billowing out of MANY vehicles

Very few cars have this problem in recent years.

Songtaews and tuk tuks for a hundred reasons

Occasionally I pay 18B for a Songtaew that takes me 25km. I find this service very helpful. Otherwise I don't interact with them, but I can't see why there would be a problem.

Paying " farang" prices

Speak Thai, it doesn't happen.

Did I mention the garlic wreaking money hungry Thai women ( and the hookers are worse )

Maybe its because I stink of garlic, but I have to say I haven't noticed the women smelling particularly bad. In fact, they smell lovely. And money hungry? Maybe its because you had nothing else to offer?

Having to whisper when discussing the ROYAL FAMILY

I don't talk about the Royal Family. They have no impact on my life, so why should I? Just like England.

Censors and the junta shit

Censors - Zenmate. Junta? No impact on my life since coming to power.

The ransom prices of western food

??? I can eat western food here for far less than I can back in England.

The slowness of the Internet

??? I get 13MB download in country, and sufficient to stream HD internationally. This isn't slow as far as I am aware.

A country with at least 5 genders

The open minded people are one of the many things that make this country great.

The wonderment of the burning season

You've missed it this year, AQI has barely crept above 100.

Paying overvalued amounts for ALL vehicles both new and used

My truck in the UK, around 1,000,000B. Here I bought new at 618,000B. Maintenance, fuel and insurance all substantially cheaper here.

Ordering 5 things in a restaurant and arriving 5 different times

And your problem? People order and eat together. The soup arrives, we eat soup, some veg arrive, we eat veg, the curry arrives, we eat curry, but there's still some soup and veg, so we eat that, the yam arrives, we're ordering more beer. Dining here is a fantastic social experience - you wanting Thailand to be like home is your problem.

One should never live in a country where you can't drink the tap water

That rules out nearly the entire world.

The lack of English spoken and the lack of desire to learn

Why should they? This is Thailand. Do you learn the language of the foreigners who visit (that's what you were doing with your visa that required border runs) your country?

xenophobic, status conscience, selfish population

Pot, meet kettle.

Loudspeaker trucks

You got me.

Hot than hell MOST of the time

Benefit.

Shopping malls where most Thai people can't afford to buy anything

Where most Thais don't visit, because most Thais don't live within 50km of one.

Having to support a family that EXPECTS me to do it

Again, this is probably because you had nothing else to offer.

Corrupt police ( all of them )

This comes with benefits.

And my personal favorite.......SAVING FACE

And why are you back here again?

This made my day. Best reply ever , Mods can close this topic now.

[mcfish]

Ridiculous visa runs and checks every 90 days

I haven't done a visa run since 2008, perhaps if you were eligible for a proper long stay visa you'd have been alright.

Maniacal drivers with death wishes

If you drive defensively, I find the roads very safe.

Chinese tourists for a bunch of reasons

They get a bad press, but every Chinese person I've met in person has been polite and friendly. And their skirts are to die for......

Black smoke billowing out of MANY vehicles

Very few cars have this problem in recent years.

Songtaews and tuk tuks for a hundred reasons

Occasionally I pay 18B for a Songtaew that takes me 25km. I find this service very helpful. Otherwise I don't interact with them, but I can't see why there would be a problem.

Paying " farang" prices

Speak Thai, it doesn't happen.

Did I mention the garlic wreaking money hungry Thai women ( and the hookers are worse )

Maybe its because I stink of garlic, but I have to say I haven't noticed the women smelling particularly bad. In fact, they smell lovely. And money hungry? Maybe its because you had nothing else to offer?

Having to whisper when discussing the ROYAL FAMILY

I don't talk about the Royal Family. They have no impact on my life, so why should I? Just like England.

Censors and the junta shit

Censors - Zenmate. Junta? No impact on my life since coming to power.

The ransom prices of western food

??? I can eat western food here for far less than I can back in England.

The slowness of the Internet

??? I get 13MB download in country, and sufficient to stream HD internationally. This isn't slow as far as I am aware.

A country with at least 5 genders

The open minded people are one of the many things that make this country great.

The wonderment of the burning season

You've missed it this year, AQI has barely crept above 100.

Paying overvalued amounts for ALL vehicles both new and used

My truck in the UK, around 1,000,000B. Here I bought new at 618,000B. Maintenance, fuel and insurance all substantially cheaper here.

Ordering 5 things in a restaurant and arriving 5 different times

And your problem? People order and eat together. The soup arrives, we eat soup, some veg arrive, we eat veg, the curry arrives, we eat curry, but there's still some soup and veg, so we eat that, the yam arrives, we're ordering more beer. Dining here is a fantastic social experience - you wanting Thailand to be like home is your problem.

One should never live in a country where you can't drink the tap water

That rules out nearly the entire world.

The lack of English spoken and the lack of desire to learn

Why should they? This is Thailand. Do you learn the language of the foreigners who visit (that's what you were doing with your visa that required border runs) your country?

xenophobic, status conscience, selfish population

Pot, meet kettle.

Loudspeaker trucks

You got me.

Hot than hell MOST of the time

Benefit.

Shopping malls where most Thai people can't afford to buy anything

Where most Thais don't visit, because most Thais don't live within 50km of one.

Having to support a family that EXPECTS me to do it

Again, this is probably because you had nothing else to offer.

Corrupt police ( all of them )

This comes with benefits.

And my personal favorite.......SAVING FACE

And why are you back here again?

This made my day. Best reply ever , Mods can close this topic now.

Agreed a great post except one bit "Chinese skirts are to die for" understandly poster could be a be a woman or x dresser with bad fashion sense or could be a male confusing them for Japanese ladies or even thais but Chinese.. To die for??

[dcnx]

You can make a list about almost any place. Though, clean air and safer roads would be nice.

[true blue]

15 years here and I still love the place, Wished I had been born here.

[JHolmesJr]

You have to be particularly thick skinned to love it here.

Me...i just come to scratch an itch...3 weeks max...the ole in out.