The whiners and the silent majority

[Just1Voice]

You know, you can come on Thai Visa nearly every day and hear the "Thai bashing", and the complaining, crying and whining about things, but seldom do you come on and read of the positive things.  Why?  I believe it is because the majority of expats living here, either on Marriage of Retirement extensions, are pretty much perfectly happy with the life they have here.  I'm retired U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant who, for 20 years, lead a life ruled by regimentation and order.  That's not an easy habit to break under any circumstances.  But when I came to Thailand, retired and married a woman only 10 years younger, I realised that I wasn't a Marine any more.  I was a man who still had quite a few good years in me, and was determined to make the most of them. 

 

Sure, there are plenty of things about Thailand that can, and sometimes do, frustrate the hell out of me, but I don't let them get to me.  I don't dwell on them.  I move on from each little "blip" and keep going.  The old saying of "adapt, improvise and overcome" comes to mind from time to time.  Do I have a perfect life here?  Not by a long shot.  I doubt if anyone does.  But it's a damn good life, and one I enjoy immensely, and have no plans of giving up.  

 

Most of the expats I know living here are not the bar hoppers, and not out looking for "fresh meat".  The overwhelming majority of them, in fact, all of the ones I know, are married, and have a good life.  Yes, I personally know one who couldn't hack it.  A 6'4', 280 lb retired State Trooper who was uses to people being intimidated by his size and his badge, but who found out that the Thai people weren't the least bit intimidated or impressed. He couldn't handle the everyday life here and finally packed it in and went back to the States.  The only other one I know who has gone back is an old vet who was suffering from cancer and had to return for treatment because he didn't have insurance for that here.  

 

I read comments from people such as VillageFarang, and know that I am not alone in my feelings by a long shot.  There are a lot of "VillageFarangs" around, and they are all over the place.  

 

I read comments on here that are pro & con the Junta, but in all honesty, the Junta hasn't had one iota of impact on me or my family, or anyone else I know, farang or Tai.  Most of the Thai I know have the mind set of "it is what it is" and go on about their daily life.  The few times that I have been stopped by the police at checkpoints (3 times in the past 9 months), they seemed to be more interested in my yellowish green & black new CB300f than whether or not I had a license.  Which I do, both bike and car, as well as a pink Thai ID card.  It's actually a little humorous to me.  

 

There's no such place as "Paradise", but overall, Thailand is one hell of a good place to live. 

Edited September 13, 2016 by Just1Voice

[Kwasaki]

Nice write up and glad your happy,    there many other forums on here with good reads and l'm sure you as l know the ones to avoid.

And yeah l just can't bring myself to get a Pink card    my son is funny as well when he visits me he won't ride my wife's pink scooter.

I concur with your last sentence.

[impulse]

Wherever you go, there you are.

 

Explains it pretty well to me...

[pgrahmm]

Agree....

 

Guessing it's the non thinking -rigidly misplaced that have a tough time here.....It's an easy place with genuinely "happy" people to get along with.....

 

For some, coming from pressure packed or strife riddled lives the differences would be WAY beyond them.....Maybe it makes it harder for them to find people to manipulate/use long term when they thrived on it at "home".

 

Personally, I prefer to be around people who are both happy & genuine - easy to be here.....

 

Thanks OP.....

[lovelomsak]

Thailand suits me perfectly I feel I never let other people influence how I lived or what I did with my life. So I wasnot mainstream in many ways. I invested,travelled sailed and kept active doing what pleased me.Because I was single and doing this not many people,were in close association. Most people I met did one of the things I did but not all so were pigeon holed to that interest. So I became a sort of loner with associations.When I retired  in Thailand and moved to the village i live in now it suits me to a T. My neighbours are quiet no problem,,no stress, no noise,no one bothering me and cheap. My bladder quit so travel and sailing are history. So a quiet,easy life in an uncomplicated village is a wonderful way to spend the remaining days. My wife bless her soul will take care of me as I age. Already she is taking extra special care and appears to see it as her role. I could not ask for more.I am not sure but think my wife realises the longer I live the more my net worth grows and as she gets that when I die so keeping me healthy and around just means more for her in the inheritance.a little bit of a cold thought but true to some point.

[transam]

OP, nice post....For me personally it was a case of getting my head in gear to adapt..Thankfully I could do that, but for sure many can't. In fact I can't believe I get on with Thai folk so well when my ol' gray cells refuse to help me speak the lingo, but Thai folk don't care about that at all..

 

I asked Mrs.Trans how come everywhere I go I am accepted....She said....Thai folk are very good at reading your "heart", you will never have a problem, they even like your singing......................

 

But yes, we do get very negative folk join the forum at times that are just nasty, jealous, been burned etc people.

 

BUT, those who are making a go of it can... at that sort of negativity....

[NickJ]

I love it here. Sure, I shake my head alot. But just going outdoors and being here still evokes both excitement and entertainment.  I like to joke about the small bothers. What I can't get over are the people that get so upset over how certain things are done here or allowed to continue.  Especially if there things that were done and allowed before they decided to move here. I call them terraformers.  I for one would hate to see Thailand become more like Singapore or the West. 

[SgtRock]

I wish I could give you a million likes for this post.

 

It sums up my own feeling exactly.

 

Ooooh Rah Gunny Ooooh Rah.

[Kwasaki]

5 hours ago, NickJ said:

I love it here. Sure, I shake my head alot. But just going outdoors and being here still evokes both excitement and entertainment.  I like to joke about the small bothers. What I can't get over are the people that get so upset over how certain things are done here or allowed to continue.  Especially if there things that were done and allowed before they decided to move here. I call them terraformers.  I for one would hate to see Thailand become more like Singapore or the West. 

 Yeah totally agree I hope I never see westernization in Thailand and hope they never really join this Asean set up and distance themselves from it. 

Isn't terraformers taken from Japanese  ? 

[chiang mai]

Agree 100%, make sure you keep that attitude and don't let the dregs and trolls bring you down.

[weegee]

Good Topic.....Glad to see there are others here with the same attitude to living in Thailand...

Sure at times we all like to rant a bit....But it's those sometimes funny comments that keeps us all level headed and cotent with what we chose.....

[oxo1947]

Yer I love it here---& my village  population never seems to change-----Every time a girl gets pregnant, a guy leaves ....................

[berybert]

5 hours ago, oxo1947 said:

Yer I love it here---& my village  population never seems to change-----Every time a girl gets pregnant, a guy leaves ....................

Never had twins born in your village ?

 

[anotheruser]

Welcome to the vocal minority.

[chiang mai]

I can think immediately of a one poster, a fellow Brit, who lives in the UK and he posts almost daily after he's been to the pub in the evening. Sadly he hates Thailand with a passion and clearly had a bad experience when he was staying here, he has nothing good to say about the country and actively advises people to leave, Cambodia being his current favourite country in the region. Exactly why people like that are allowed to post is beyond me and he's clearly not alone, unfortunately newer posters don't always realize where he's coming from and why hence a lot of people who otherwise might genuinely enjoy the country are put off.

[geronimo]

I agree with your post and I think the reason we hear from the negative ones, is that the happy guys don't need to tell anyone.

[meatboy]

20yrs.a us.marine.wow.

got a pink id.card.well well.

cb.300f.and a car. never.

me 20yrs down a welsh pit.you know.

got a great wife. oh ye.

got a great beloved dog.my life.

happy as a pig in shit. no kidding.

oh i do like your avatar.

[villagefarang]

I would like to thank the OP for recognizing me as one of the happy, well adjusted foreigners living in Thailand and posting on ThaiVisa.  I feel that if one is happy and able to navigate Thailand without help then there is no real need to post much on TV.  There is nothing on ThaiVisa I can’t find elsewhere but I feel the site needs some positive posters to balance out all the negative stuff. 

 

On balance I have received a lot of positive feedback over the years but there are times when I wonder if it is worth the aggravation that comes with posting here at times.  I seem to be in one of those lulls at the moment where I am questioning why I bother to post at all.

[dotpoom]

William Butler Yeats (poet)......once said .....  "This is no country for old men"..... (as far as I can remember her was referring to the USA).......About Thailand, I would myself say....."This is a great country for old men".

[ksamuiguy]

40+ years never had a problem!

[Retiredandhappyhere]

As I have posted before on another thread, I have had some really bad financial experiences in Thailand, losing millions of bahts, but at 75 years of age, I have a lovely, vivacious, caring, (mature) wife, and we can get by quite comfortably on what money I have left.   I have no regrets whatsoever about moving here 13 years ago, am enjoying my relaxed life here  and I have no intention of ever returning to the UK, so I agree wholeheartedly with the OP.   We Westerners are educated and also trained at work to think for ourselves and be critical, so it is quite natural for us to comment, sometimes very critically, on certain events in Thailand, but it is quite wrong for other posters to judge this as "Thai bashing".  If we were against Thais and Thailand in general, we would not be living here, so any criticisms we make should be kept in context. This would be an extremely boring forum were every poster to be a blatant sycophant.

[johnnybgood]

Do the 'silent majority' even live here?

Many positive posts by erudite expat members never see the light of day due to censorship.

Edited September 14, 2016 by johnnybgood
censored

[chiang mai]

5 minutes ago, johnnybgood said:

Do the 'silent majority' even live here?

Many positive posts by erudite expat members never see the light of day due to censorship.

 

What are you talking about, I've never seen one post of mine be edited out that was Thailand positive and I'm in the top ten percent in that respect. What gets censored out is troll posts that are Thailand negative, not because they are Thailand negative but because they are usually written by trolls, we need far more of these types of posts to simply go away.

[gamini]

29 minutes ago, Retiredandhappyhere said:

As I have posted before on another thread, I have had some really bad financial experiences in Thailand, losing millions of bahts, but at 75 years of age, I have a lovely, vivacious, caring, (mature) wife, and we can get by quite comfortably on what money I have left.   I have no regrets whatsoever about moving here 13 years ago, am enjoying my relaxed life here  and I have no intention of ever returning to the UK, so I agree wholeheartedly with the OP.   We Westerners are educated and also trained at work to think for ourselves and be critical, so it is quite natural for us to comment, sometimes very critically, on certain events in Thailand, but it is quite wrong for other posters to judge this as "Thai bashing".  If we were against Thais and Thailand in general, we would not be living here, so any criticisms we make should be kept in context. This would be an extremely boring forum were every poster to be a blatant sycophant.

I would not agree. Most of the Thai bashing on this forum is childish, crude and insulting written by obviously poorly educated people with an axe to grind. They twist and turn every thing good or bad. They post ridiculous accusations against all sorts of people. And they also seem to be always the same people who make a habit of it

[meatboy]

1 hour ago, villagefarang said:

I would like to thank the OP for recognizing me as one of the happy, well adjusted foreigners living in Thailand and posting on ThaiVisa.  I feel that if one is happy and able to navigate Thailand without help then there is no real need to post much on TV.  There is nothing on ThaiVisa I can’t find elsewhere but I feel the site needs some positive posters to balance out all the negative stuff. 

 

On balance I have received a lot of positive feedback over the years but there are times when I wonder if it is worth the aggravation that comes with posting here at times.  I seem to be in one of those lulls at the moment where I am questioning why I bother to post at all.

come on VF whats life on thai visa without a WHINGE now and then.

[gamini]

The thing I love most about Thailand is the Thai people. They are generous, amusing and they make good friends. I am very fortunate to have a lot of wonderful Thai friends who are always ready to help me if I have any problems.  I love their easy-going attitude towards life in general, and the way they smile is very uplifting. I am fortunate to live in a nice small village by the sea where the locals are very friendly and the expats also have lots of Thai friends and love the country too.
I have lived in Thailand about 40 years in all and I've never had a problem and I wouldn't live anywhere else. I am now 85 and I am looked after in a way that I could never find anywhere else. By my wife, my daughter and a caregiver.
I could go on and on about the good life in Thailand.

[villagefarang]

6 minutes ago, meatboy said:

come on VF whats life on thai visa without a WHINGE now and then.

That may well be the majority view but I believe that whinging and negativity only reinforces that kind of thinking and behavior.  I very seldom encounter any stress in my life and I find physical exercise (hiking and biking) helps maintain emotional stability.  Getting upset about things and lashing out at others only makes things worse in my opinion.

[Mansell]

Thanks OP for the great post. Having only been here 21 months I love this country, even the organized chaos. Lol. I have a great life, and a great wife. Thai people are gracious and kind to me. My plan is to live out my days here enjoying everything around me. I first came to S.E. Asia in the Royal Navy in 1963, and loved the beauty all around me, and I have wanted to get back here ever since. The living is relaxed and easy, with beautiful faces all around. No stress....retired like a lot of us.....smiles every day.....great weather.....no cold stuff......good food......no shoes.....no shirt.....no  money.....Joking. Love my wife. Love my life.

[1FinickyOne]

Seems to me that one of the things that skews the perceptions of negativity is that the negative posters might post 5-10x or more on one topic and the positive people just have their say once. 

 

But I too am tired of listening to people who expect the world to be as it was back home. 

 

I have a long history here and am still learning & loving my environment - would be nice if there were more sharing of insight into language and culture.

[louse1953]

2 hours ago, gamini said:

I would not agree. Most of the Thai bashing on this forum is childish, crude and insulting written by obviously poorly educated people with an axe to grind. They twist and turn every thing good or bad. They post ridiculous accusations against all sorts of people. And they also seem to be always the same people who make a habit of it

To true.It is easy to pick them and have a laugh and be thankful that i am not like them.They are either trolls or very sad,deluded people.Still that's what makes the pub,we all have an opinion.