Is this actually a good place to live?

[mesterm]

Congratulations, you are out of the honeymoon phase. Welcome to the real Thighland. Suggest head back to UK for a dose of reality. It's not pretty.

Yes, the UK really isn't pretty right now. Just saw a bloke urinating right in the phone booth last night. It streamed on down the pavement I was walking towards.

[Dene16]

For many ....it is a place to live but not because they think it is such a good place to live....per say

First Rule:

Try not to compare or criticize and do not let "things" get to you ...Just focus on enjoying what is there to be enjoyed.

Next Rule:

Ignore all the nonsense going on around you.....and do not let it bother you.

Next Rule:

Find your own comfort Zone and do as you please as long as it is not harmful to others.

In the end....just another place to live and spend time living and enjoying life.

So come on over and enjoy the adventure, the fun and the entertainment...Thai style....lol

Cheers

For once there is a lot of genuine and good advice on this topic but each case will have its own set of variables as you will have noticed.

As people have already said you need to stay and live as you would be if working here, if you are still happy then great

I find living in a village in issan very isolated and yearn for the normal things you would find in a big city like Bangkok. Cinemas, bowling etc. and a good social life,, as long as it did not consist of sitting in a bar all day every day.

As noted i have had to learn not to get aggravated by a lot of things here

Learning to speak a good degree of Thai is a must if you really want to get the most from living here ( i presently don't). i like to get involved in the village day to day things but although i get by with limited language skills, its hard. The wonderful people here make it possible.

A youngish freind was happy working as a teacher for 3 years after which he took his wife and child back to his home in Guernsey for a holiday. She loved it so much they stayed and now they just visit here every year

Having spent 11 months out of the last 2 years here i have found that i would prefer to spend the winter here and the summer working part time in the UK.( as certain times of the year here are not comfortable)

However i am lucky in that i can live off my savings for the present.and have no mortgage on my property

it will all depend on your skill set or education.

You are very young to be making big decisions such as this that may affect you life in one way or another

As someone has already stated it may well be in your interests to return to the uk and look for a job/career that will have a posting here this will allow you to have a more informed opinion (easier said than done i know) but i suspect better than teaching English.

I have just had a child and my next decision will be whether to have him educated here rather than in Thailand

So good luck in what ever you choose to do.

[stevenl]

Thailand is only ideal for a holiday, or for older people who wish to relax whilst they enjoy their retirement.

100% correct.

I've lived in LOS on and off for years, but enjoy it less living there than when I visited on holiday.

To really enjoy retirement would take much more money than I have. I'd love to live on the beach, but can't afford that.

Hmm, maybe YOU should answer my language question as well!

I speak bar Thai, which is enough for my lifestyle. I don't work in LOS or have a great deal of interaction with Thais that don't speak English, nor do I want to.

But you're not living here.

I agree with the sentiment, if living in a country at least try to speak the language. That is one of the things we all expect foreigners in our home countries to do, and one of the things we don't like about foreigners in our home countries if they don't.

On the contrary - councils and government departments issue document in dozens of language in the UK. Including the dole office. Wives of ' diverse ' groups have been in the UK for decades without learning English. It is only now becoming an issue as the realisation multiculturalism is a failure. English is the language of the world and relatively to learn -. Thai isn't.

So you agree with me but still feel the need to contradict.

[Berkshire]

Also thank you for your responses. I appreciate all advice, input, and constructive criticism. I'm 23 years old by the way if that helps. I have a girlfriend too, who I've been with for around 3-4 months now, so that's another thing I need to consider, she's Thai.

I love Thailand. But honestly, Thailand is not for you. You don't have the skills to get a job that's going to pay you enough to live decently and save for the future. When I was your age, I was in America working my ass off and building a nestegg. I did that all the way through my most productive years, also paying into the system that will cover me into my twilight years. It seems like you want to squander your most productive years.

Thai visa laws spell out exactly what they want. Of course they want tourists, but for long term expats, they prefer retirees who will not take jobs from their citizens. They also want foreigners with specific skills, or foreigners who are willing to invest and create jobs. They also support foreigners who want to study on an ED visa. Thai visa laws were never meant to accommodate expats who want to be in Thailand to be with their GF, or BF, or pet ferret for that matter.

You've predictably followed the basic expat stages, which is honeymoon, culture shock, adaptation, and acceptance. You're in the culture shock stage, a place where many expats never leave. You may just end up being stuck there. The only thing worse than being an old, bitter expat is being an old, bitter and poor expat. I'd hate to see you end up there. You're better off to go home.

[SoiBiker]

"Don't enjoy your life. Spend it working like we did."

[Berkshire]

"Don't enjoy your life. Spend it working like we did."

I get it. But we can only give advice from our own personal experiences. The young lad is going to do whatever he wants regardless.

[catman20]

your a 100% right I've lived here 16 years luv it, but im retired, I keep myself to myself, best way, don't do the bar seen to many idiots. if I had to make a living here I would go back home.

[tuonsai]

Whether Thailand is a good place to live really depends on what you are doing there. When the honeymoon phase is over it's all about

how you spend your life, i.e. work, family, etc.

In general Thailand is not a good place to live for Westerners. There are many problems with it that even the smartest long term expats can never get beyond.

Some of these include the terrible heat, the fact that the country is hugely corrupt, and does not allow foreigners to have the

same economic rights as locals (i.e. ownership, etc.), the fact that it's practically impossible to ever become a citizen,

the fact that Thais (unlike filipinos) don't really want foreigners to integrate with them,

the more often than not thai-farang romantic relationships going sour, often with the

farang taking massive losses,

the increasing hostility towards foreigners over the past decade or so,

the completely different culture which Westerners fail to understand

and so on...

if you can figure out a way to live in you own little world where these things don't affect you, then it could be okay.

[bazza40]

It's a great place to live IF you follow certain rules, some of which are cultural and some of which relate to financial security.

All the horror stories appearing on TV arise because those rules were ignored or disobeyed.

As a retiree, my situation is different to the OP. However, there is one golden rule for Thailand which you ignore at your peril:

NEVER PUT MORE MONEY INTO THAILAND THAN YOU CAN AFFORD TO LOSE.

Nonsense. The 'financial security' rules only apply if you deliberately seek the company of people who want to take your money. Plenty of people come here with no such worries.

As I've said before on another thread, not everyone has your omniscience. And there are plenty of people here who worry about running out of money. Fortunately I'm not one of them; however, I can sympathise with them.

"Deliberately seek the company of people who want to take your money?" Who does that deliberately? From memory, it was actually a Brit who defrauded quite a few homebuyers on Koh Samui. Not all the scammers are homegrown.

It may be true people come here with no such worries. It's what can happen after they are here which is the problem.

Do you have all your assets in Thailand? If not, why?

[GuestHouse]

"Don't enjoy your life. Spend it working like we did."

I get it. But we can only give advice from our own personal experiences. The young lad is going to do whatever he wants regardless.

And so he should.

One of the flaws if giving advice based on our older experience is the world has changed.

When I was the OPs age the whole financial system was set up to reward work, provide long term financial security for those that did work and importantly provide the means and support from government and employers to build substantial and secure pension savings.

The training I and many my age had received by the age of the OP is another example of the 'help' we had.

Non of this is available to young people today.

I doubt any of us over the age of 35 have any idea of the challenges the OP faces or what he himself brings to the challenge.

We do perhaps understand that opportunity is far more restricted here than in the UK, that despite the removal of the support we enjoyed he still has far more options in the UK than in Thailand.

[SoiBiker]

It's a great place to live IF you follow certain rules, some of which are cultural and some of which relate to financial security.

All the horror stories appearing on TV arise because those rules were ignored or disobeyed.

As a retiree, my situation is different to the OP. However, there is one golden rule for Thailand which you ignore at your peril:

NEVER PUT MORE MONEY INTO THAILAND THAN YOU CAN AFFORD TO LOSE.

Nonsense. The 'financial security' rules only apply if you deliberately seek the company of people who want to take your money. Plenty of people come here with no such worries.

As I've said before on another thread, not everyone has your omniscience. And there are plenty of people here who worry about running out of money. Fortunately I'm not one of them; however, I can sympathise with them.

"Deliberately seek the company of people who want to take your money?" Who does that deliberately? From memory, it was actually a Brit who defrauded quite a few homebuyers on Koh Samui. Not all the scammers are homegrown.

It may be true people come here with no such worries. It's what can happen after they are here which is the problem.

Do you have all your assets in Thailand? If not, why?

Who does that deliberately? Everyone who associates with 'bar girls'.

[tomyumchai]

Thailand is only ideal for a holiday, or for older people who wish to relax whilst they enjoy their retirement.

100% correct.

I've lived in LOS on and off for years, but enjoy it less living there than when I visited on holiday.

To really enjoy retirement would take much more money than I have. I'd love to live on the beach, but can't afford that.

Hmm, maybe YOU should answer my language question as well!

OP said hes been here 6 months. very few people will learn enough thai to truely understand who bad they talk about us in that time.

[tomwct]

Congratulations, you are out of the honeymoon phase. Welcome to the real Thighland. Suggest head back to UK for a dose of reality. It's not pretty.

Time for you to head home and go to work! Come back when your 65!

[kannot]

Those that are happy here will tell you it is, those that arent will tell you it aint, ill tell you its "ok" with faults, some serious that you'd need to be aware of, of course whats bad for me may not bother you at all.

[tomyumchai]

Congratulations, you are out of the honeymoon phase. Welcome to the real Thighland. Suggest head back to UK for a dose of reality. It's not pretty.

Yes, the UK really isn't pretty right now. Just saw a bloke urinating right in the phone booth last night. It streamed on down the pavement I was walking towards.

im fairly sure they have been doing that since phone boxes were invented.

[kannot]

Also thank you for your responses. I appreciate all advice, input, and constructive criticism. I'm 23 years old by the way if that helps. I have a girlfriend too, who I've been with for around 3-4 months now, so that's another thing I need to consider, she's Thai.

I love Thailand. But honestly, Thailand is not for you. You don't have the skills to get a job that's going to pay you enough to live decently and save for the future. When I was your age, I was in America working my ass off and building a nestegg. I did that all the way through my most productive years, also paying into the system that will cover me into my twilight years. It seems like you want to squander your most productive years.

Thai visa laws spell out exactly what they want. Of course they want tourists, but for long term expats, they prefer retirees who will not take jobs from their citizens. They also want foreigners with specific skills, or foreigners who are willing to invest and create jobs. They also support foreigners who want to study on an ED visa. Thai visa laws were never meant to accommodate expats who want to be in Thailand to be with their GF, or BF, or pet ferret for that matter.

You've predictably followed the basic expat stages, which is honeymoon, culture shock, adaptation, and acceptance. You're in the culture shock stage, a place where many expats never leave. You may just end up being stuck there. The only thing worse than being an old, bitter expat is being an old, bitter and poor expat. I'd hate to see you end up there. You're better off to go home.

"ferretist".............They are making it more difficult as well, last time I went to renew my extension of stay she didnt like me "supporting Thai Wife" option she kept pushing me to change it to retirement. Smiled nicely and ignored, she grunted it was more "hi-so" I couldnt stop laughing inside.

So op will have to expect things to maybe even get tighter in the visa dept as time goes on.

[mcfish]

There are many places to live within Thailand. You did not say where you tried and for how long.

Apart from Bangkok, there is the North (Chiang Mai), North-East from Korat all the way to Laos border and everything in between.

Then everything between Chiang Mai and Phuket with countless coastal places. Such as Pranburi, Chumpon, etc..

Find out what kind of life you prefer, and try a few places that suit that style. As in, there are multiple Urban/Rural/Coastal communities.

So judging based on a single experience might be too early to tell whether the Country overall is a good place to live/fit for you.

So my advice is to try a few more areas that suit your style, and hope you find what your looking for. That goes for Thailand, or any other Country you choose.

All the best.

I like to be near everything, I don't like having to travel far to get things such as shopping, food, pharmacies, etc. I like to be in the sun as much as possible, Bangkok seems to lack sunlight for some reason lol, maybe it's the tall buildings and the smog in the air. I love the beach, but a visit to the beach is only two hours away from Bangkok so that's not an issue.

Thats me. Living in lower Sukhumvit gives me anything I want within a few minutes walk and in fact I could survive comfortably without ever leaving my massive condo complex that has several bars , restaurants, 7,11 , coffee shops etc . I love the place ,its so vibrant and I still get a kick going for a midnight stroll to see the freak show.

Regarding the traffic , its easily avoided by living next to a BTS .A repetitive theme here are people saying that Thais are not as friendly as they used to be and the smiles have faded , well thats just natural. Take for example the OP who is a bit jaded now but when he first got hear he was probably walking around with a silly grin and surprise...people smiled back

[mesterm]

Congratulations, you are out of the honeymoon phase. Welcome to the real Thighland. Suggest head back to UK for a dose of reality. It's not pretty.

Yes, the UK really isn't pretty right now. Just saw a bloke urinating right in the phone booth last night. It streamed on down the pavement I was walking towards.

im fairly sure they have been doing that since phone boxes were invented.

Yup. Many parts of London really filthy right now.

[Roadman]

Whether Thailand is a good place to live really depends on what you are doing there. When the honeymoon phase is over it's all about

how you spend your life, i.e. work, family, etc.

In general Thailand is not a good place to live for Westerners. There are many problems with it that even the smartest long term expats can never get beyond.

Some of these include the terrible heat, the fact that the country is hugely corrupt, and does not allow foreigners to have the

same economic rights as locals (i.e. ownership, etc.), the fact that it's practically impossible to ever become a citizen,

the fact that Thais (unlike filipinos) don't really want foreigners to integrate with them,

the more often than not thai-farang romantic relationships going sour, often with the

farang taking massive losses,

the increasing hostility towards foreigners over the past decade or so,

the completely different culture which Westerners fail to understand

and so on...

if you can figure out a way to live in you own little world where these things don't affect you, then it could be okay.

Agree...and also with that being in your own little world has to have either that you are adaptable to what is acceptable in Thailand that is not in the culture you come from, or you can insulate yourself from it which is not to my way of thinking a full and satisfying life. Which leaves the first that you have to be adaptable and tolerant to all the garbage you pointed out. And that at times can be folding to allow corrupt and ignorant thai's to save their face...that when you value equality for all, is where I fail big time and can never live there.

Would take that further for the OP especially when younger to thinking beyond the you, and even the you and your girlfriend to if you want family. We have two daughters (thai) both relocated a few years apart here into Kiwiland when they were at the start of their teens. With the oldest especially being involved in their and their thai friends (some on student visas so raw Thai product) growth through their teen years here in NZ and experiencing the huge culture difference there is no way I would want my daughters being raised in Thailand. If I had gained teen thai sons there would have been some real head banging and arse kicking for immediate attitude adjustment ... from that perspective I can see why the Junta has the issues to try and resolve that it does.

All of my family unit and our thai friends once fully settled here in NZ see Thailand as I do from my intolerant view of thai corruption from all quarters, inequality and especially from a fathers view towards females, patronage, ongoing political failure, ignorance to others....the list is ongoing, ...a great place to holiday and camp out at our thai family home to catch up with family and friends versus the wide base of opportunity here in a fair, just and morally and politically correct environment.

There are two base rules that were pointed out to me twenty years ago when I first started going to Thailand that are still relevant today if you are seeking long term stability and relationships....for the women think with the head on your shoulders and not the one in your pants, and take your time and do not commit anything to Thailand that you are not willing to walk from at the drop of your hat. Follow those with an application of intelligence and you will find the path for you. That you are seeing the different Thailand after six months and questioning it shows that you are doing that. And also consider this...most thai girls that I know when taken to a western environment and provided with a committed equal partnership thrive with the opportunity on all fronts...and that is a huge win win for any guy short term and for long term considerations of building a financial and family base faster and giving you options across two countries.

Edited May 28, 2016 by Roadman

[Aussie69]

I speak bar Thai, which is enough for my lifestyle. I don't work in LOS or have a great deal of interaction with Thais that don't speak English, nor do I want to.

Is bar Thai "chiang dadda chiang chiang" ?

[quandow]

I lived in Thailand for nine years. Got sick of it, whinged, whined, bitched and moaned. Moved to Mexico. After six weeks of Mexico, I couldn't get my happy @ss back to Thailand fast enough with a renewed appreciation.

[tuonsai]

I lived in Thailand for nine years. Got sick of it, whinged, whined, bitched and moaned. Moved to Mexico. After six weeks of Mexico, I couldn't get my happy @ss back to Thailand fast enough with a renewed appreciation.

Sorry if it's a bit off topic but this is really interesting, could you elaborate why you didn't like Mexico versus Thailand? There's actually a few people I met who were thinking about leaving Asia and going to Mexico,

including myself (I've never been there, only in Peru). I had a friend who got sick of Cambodia and moved to Mexico, did not hear from him since. Mexico seems to be coming up a lot these days as an alternative to SEA.

[bazza40]

As I've said before on another thread, not everyone has your omniscience. And there are plenty of people here who worry about running out of money. Fortunately I'm not one of them; however, I can sympathise with them.

"Deliberately seek the company of people who want to take your money?" Who does that deliberately? From memory, it was actually a Brit who defrauded quite a few homebuyers on Koh Samui. Not all the scammers are homegrown.

It may be true people come here with no such worries. It's what can happen after they are here which is the problem.

Do you have all your assets in Thailand? If not, why?

Who does that deliberately? Everyone who associates with 'bar girls'.

I suppose you have a point, although the more intelligent falangs who associate with bar girls are simply negotiating for services without the intent of being financially undermined by said girls. It's interesting how you seem to be fixated on the topic of bar girls, even though by your own account you are happily married to a Western woman and hence presumably have no direct experience of dealing with them.

Noted you did not answer my question re assets. I'm guessing you were drawing a government wage in the UK - it's very much a public service trait to ignore direct or inconvenient questions. Nigel Hawthorne would be proud of you.

Yes,none of my business. However, I maintain it's wise to avoid over-committing assets to Thailand -too many possibilities for things to go pear-shaped.

[SoiBiker]

I'm not fixated on any subject in particular, as I'm sure anyone who reads my posts would realise. But the sex industry does tend to rather dominate discussion on these forums, so obviously I'm going to end up talking about it from time to time.

No, I wasn't drawing a government wage - I've never worked for the government on any capacity.

Interesting that you're keeping track of my relationship status and imagining my work history. Perhaps you're the one with the fixation?

[manfredtillmann]

How much Thai have you learned? A solid command of Thai language very much changes (and enriches) your experience living there. Imagine someone coming from another country to live in yours, without a good command of the language, and what kind of perceptions/experiences they might have. Just something to think about.

there are hundreds of thousands of people living in australia who do not speak more than 300 words of english. italians, macedonians, serbians... you name it. never stood in their way to make big money from hard work, enjoy life with compatriots and others, build grand homes, travel, party, have children.

command of language is totally over - rated. all it does is open you up to the bickering of jet another culture. expose you to petty problems, discussions of nothingness.

lingual ignorance is a shield. it is like an artificial deafness. it lets you enjoy your own thoughts without having unwanted input taint them.

they who need to converse are truly lonely. (manfred tillmann, 2016)

[bazza40]

I'm not fixated on any subject in particular, as I'm sure anyone who reads my posts would realise. But the sex industry does tend to rather dominate discussion on these forums, so obviously I'm going to end up talking about it from time to time.

No, I wasn't drawing a government wage - I've never worked for the government on any capacity.

Interesting that you're keeping track of my relationship status and imagining my work history. Perhaps you're the one with the fixation?

My mistake - I thought from your previous posts you had had a long career in academia, which I assumed in the UK is mainly supported by government funding. To me, that's the same as a government wage, although academics would not necessarily view it that way.

Just making the point you discuss the Thai sex industry without any direct experience ( according to you ) in that field.

Fixated? No. Many other things to do with my day. Although I am interested in your protean ability to shift the goalposts of a discussion.

[SoiBiker]

No, I've never worked in academia. I'm not sure what might have given you that impression.

Are we only allowed to discuss things we have direct experience of? I didn't realise that was one of the forum rules.

[joeyg]

Arrived here first time in U-Tapao 1971 courtesy of USN on route to Vietnam. Short version kept coming back.

Left California to retire here at 62 a couple of years ago. I live near the beach in Naklua. Money is not an issue. Love the food, especially the fruits, which make up 80% of my diet. 2 years in still seeming like an excellent choice...

[bazza40]

Of course not. However, let me point out if you have never played golf, your comments are of much less value than a low marker who has played the game for sixty years.

[cyberfarang]

Also thank you for your responses. I appreciate all advice, input, and constructive criticism. I'm 23 years old by the way if that helps. I have a girlfriend too, who I've been with for around 3-4 months now, so that's another thing I need to consider, she's Thai.

If you are only 23 years old, then you are living the impossible dream. You`re never make it here in Thailand up to the time you retire, the odds are way way against you.

What you should be doing is treating your stay in Thailand as a temporary phase in your life, just stay as long you can make money or as long as your money lasts. In the meantime you should be making plans and setting things up for when you return back to where you came from. And if you have a Thai girlfriend and it`s a serious relationship then you should be setting yourself up in your country so when you go back you can take your girlfriend back with you, may be as a fiancee or your wife.

You know it makes sense.