Now give the "real" reason why you are leaving.

[smotherb]

22 hours ago, swissie said:

Actually, the OP comment includes basically all the reasons as to why Expats pull up stakes. Not much to add, me thinks.

Cheers.

Although I have seen, heard or thought of what  Charlie says, none of that is what makes me plan on leaving. Just plain and simple--Thailand is no longer as attractive as it was; things are not getting better here and I want a better existence.

[anotheruser]

Just now, smotherb said:

Although I have seen, heard or thought of what  Charlie says, none of that is what makes me plan on leaving. Just plain and simple--Thailand is no longer as attractive as it was; things are not getting better here and I want a better existence.

Agreed. not all of it is simply in our minds or way of thinking. People say things change everywhere and it is normal. However in Thailand the things that change are rarely for the better. This is not my imagination working over time. 

 

I mean this especially in regards to the environment. The state of Thailands natural "wonders" has become a disgrace.

 

 

[smotherb]

2 hours ago, anotheruser said:

 

You got that backwards most come because of a small pension. 

 

I often laugh at the numerous posts asking how much it costs to live here. So many claim they can live well on a pittance. Yeah, a fan room with a shared toilet, one teabag for two or three mornings, stale rice and som tom for dinner, with a bowl of mami noodles once in a while for a treat. Swilling the cheapest alcohol they can find and puffing away on the cheapest fags. Yeah, living well, living well.  

 

 

[little mary sunshine]

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

Seems to me there's other scenarios, person by person.

 

I got posted here over 35 years ago, good job and within 5 years I got an offer to jump to a much higher position, same industry, great job challenges, great company, great work satisfaction. Now in my early seventies.

 

I met the love of my life not long after I arrived here (Thai lady, doctor of medicine, spoke advanced English, wonderful lady full of fun & caring, wrote books, worldly, contributed a lot to the community) and we developed a great relationship. She's since passed away.

 

Today I live with my Thai son (only child) and his wonderful Thai wife (both professors) and their 3 kids. My son and his wife devote most of their time to their kids, family events, family activities together and helping less fortunate folks. And they make sure I'm happy and contented.

 

My son is my best buddy in life. Son, wife and 3 kids all speak Thai (me too) and the kids are learning Chinese and Japanese. Our language at home is 100% English.

I need nothing more, desire nothing more, no reason in the world to think about moving anywhere.

 

Thailand is where my family is, I'm very happy, I'm home.

Really enjoyed your post....You reallly are fortunate.   I too

have a wonderful family and as I age I appreciate all we do

together.   Life is great!!

[JAFO]

2 hours ago, whoareyou said:

Most leave because of poor salary or no money . This isn't a reflection of thailand as a whole like your suggesting but rather a poor choice of struggling couples.

Go back to the west put some serious money together and thailand will become the ultimate playground.. Trust me.. It's always always about the money,

While I am not leaving, I agree money is the huge motivator for the ones that leave.

 

If I had to guess I think most leave for the following "REAL reasons (Which I think are valid reasons)

1. Lack of funds
2. Bored and depressed which has made for an unhealthy life
3. Child education
4. Got burned and taken to the cleaners by their "GF"
5. Feel trapped in their location they live
6. Weather
7. Can't find employment (Albeit I am not sure why they would come to Thailand looking for employment)

 

Excuses that most whinge about because they are just chronic complainers

1.  Its Third world country
2. Thai people scam and don't like me and why dont they speak English like me
3. Food is terrible, unhealthy and unsanitary
4. I want it to be like my home country, why can't it be?
5. Thai people are stupid
6. Corruption
7. Freedom of speech

 

I think a vast majority of the posters are just miserable people and fixate on everything that is bad and feed on it.  They live in forums, have no real hobbies or productive activities to keep them busy. 95% of what I hear people complain about on this site I simply never experience and the ones that I do, I just laugh because its petty nonsense and just part of living anywhere. 

 

[bannork]

Just now, smotherb said:

 

I often laugh at the numerous posts asking how much it costs to live here. So many claim they can live well on a pittance. Yeah, a fan room with a shared toilet, one teabag for two or three mornings, stale rice and som tom for dinner, with a bowl of mami noodles once in a while for a treat. Swilling the cheapest alcohol they can find and puffing away on the cheapest fags. Yeah, living well, living well.  

 

 

If you have your own house upcountry with your Thai family, as many farangs do, costs are naturally limited.

Rent= zero

Toilet= one or two per house, plenty of time to sit on the throne and contemplate the world.

Teabags and coffee= 5 baht a day maximum

Rice=  fresh sticky or plain rice from the family's rice fields cooked by the missus or daughter first thing in the morning, a lovely smell and taste

somtam=  as above, papaya and tomatoes from the family fields. a chicken -plenty on the farm or around the house,  

fish= frequently caught in the family's rice fields or ponds

dinner= bought from a motorbike travelling the villages or use the village shop, or take the motorbike/pick-up to the nearest local market ( 100 baht will feed 4 people)

alcohol- yes, due to the government's monopoly this is truly the greatest expense, it cannot be denied.

fags- only for losers these days.

 

 

 

[jenifer d]

5 hours ago, anotheruser said:

 

Whatever it may be it seems it applies mostly to Brits and Australians. 

oh really??? just Brits and Aussies?!?!?!?

for extremely odious and increasingly obvious reasons,i wouldn't return to Amerikkka for a million dollars...   (gawd, do NOT let the Universe make me eat those words hahahaha) 

for me, (and anyone with any sense and understanding and basic empathy), the WORST day here in Thailand is better than the BEST day in the USA-

of course, i speak the language, understand and appreciate and observe the culture,

am loved and protected and respected by my neighborhood especially and by the entire

island generally  (the Thais, that is; many of the farangs here are  jealous of me because they DON'T speak the language or understand the culture, and they resent the fact that i am invited and encouraged to hang out with Thais and don't frequent haunts populated by groups of clueless expats)

[anotheruser]

Just now, jenifer d said:

oh really??? just Brits and Aussies?!?!?!?

for extremely odious and increasingly obvious reasons,i wouldn't return to Amerikkka for a million dollars...   (gawd, do NOT let the Universe make me eat those words hahahaha) 

for me, (and anyone with any sense and understanding and basic empathy), the WORST day here in Thailand is better than the BEST day in the USA-

of course, i speak the language, understand and appreciate and observe the culture,

am loved and protected and respected by my neighborhood especially and by the entire

island generally  (the Thais, that is; many of the farangs here are  jealous of me because they DON'T speak the language or understand the culture, and they resent the fact that i am invited and encouraged to hang out with Thais and don't frequent haunts populated by groups of clueless expats)

 

Take a deep breath between your little pantsuit rants and learn the difference between the words "mostly" and "just". 

 

As I plan to return to the USA I am quite happy we most likely won't bump into each other anytime soon. Enjoy Thailand.

[1FinickyOne]

Interesting posting and let me weigh in from one who has not considered leaving. I live in a village in the countryside near a small untouristed city. It is pretty genuine and traditional here and the few changes have been better shopping, so, not so bad... I enjoy learning and speaking Thai and being immersed in the culture. I have a great family here too, as many others who live outside of tourist areas. 

 

All that said, I was first in Pattaya in 1974 when it was a sleepy bunch of bungalows on a quiet beach. The growth and pollution would have chased me out long ago if I had chosen to live there. Same with Samui and Phuket and the other overrun tourist areas. It doesn't effect me at all, though I have lost places that were enjoyable when less built up and now are not. If you came to live here because you fell in love with Phuket circa 1985, it no longer exists and I would expect that if that were the case, you would want to move on. 

 

I do feel bad for the people who are in financial difficulties, often through no cause of their own. But, I would guess many would have run into similar problems no matter where in the world they settled. Many who come here mostly for financial reasons and have little interest in being in another culture are bound to find themselves butting heads with life. 

 

I see enough posts here from people who are upset that this or that is not the same as back home - it puzzles me why they would come to another ocutnry and expect that all rules and regulations would be exactly as home. 

[1FinickyOne]

16 minutes ago, jenifer d said:

oh really??? just Brits and Aussies?!?!?!?

for extremely odious and increasingly obvious reasons,i wouldn't return to Amerikkka for a million dollars...   (gawd, do NOT let the Universe make me eat those words hahahaha) 

for me, (and anyone with any sense and understanding and basic empathy), the WORST day here in Thailand is better than the BEST day in the USA-

of course, i speak the language, understand and appreciate and observe the culture,

am loved and protected and respected by my neighborhood especially and by the entire

island generally  (the Thais, that is; many of the farangs here are  jealous of me because they DON'T speak the language or understand the culture, and they resent the fact that i am invited and encouraged to hang out with Thais and don't frequent haunts populated by groups of clueless expats)

And if there is one common thing that I see in this thread and others... the people who have made the investment of time to understand the culture, to speak the language, at least somewhat, to make friends or participate in a family and community... they have a greater level of satisfaction than those who don't. 

 

And isn't that true in most of life? The people who spend the time to study investments and really work at it are more likely to prosper than ones who don't. Thailand is  unique and what this forum makes clear over and again is that the people who take the time to learn about the people and place have a greater enjoyment. 

[jenifer d]

51 minutes ago, smotherb said:

 

I often laugh at the numerous posts asking how much it costs to live here. So many claim they can live well on a pittance. Yeah, a fan room with a shared toilet, one teabag for two or three mornings, stale rice and som tom for dinner, with a bowl of mami noodles once in a while for a treat. Swilling the cheapest alcohol they can find and puffing away on the cheapest fags. Yeah, living well, living well.  

 

 

really??? 

i pay 4000 baht a month for a good sized 1-bedroom house a one minute walk from the beach shown below (and i don't need a/c, the sea breeze is nice, and a/c gives my sinuses big problems) said home's LIVING room is large enough to hold fully SIX complete studio apartments like i had in LA (and the LA studio apt cost more than twice as much per month, even w/gov't subsidy)-  my neighbors, who run the best coffee house (and even bake their own bread and other treats) on the island, invite me over every morning for a delicious FREE large cup of STRONG, real fresh-ground coffee; the neighborhood curry shop insists i come there daily for lunch, even if short of pocket money (i go if my neighbors haven't invited me to lunch with them);

i drink green tea which costs 39 baht for a box that lasts me for 4 days or so even if i drink 6 cups a day- i seldom feel the need to drink alcohol more than once a week, and when i do, i certainly don't drink the cheapest (unless some Thai friends are getting together and insist i quaff some Hong Thong or lao khao and etc., with them) - as for fags, ciggies are for losers with a death wish and an oral fixation- my main expense is cat food and litter box sand (try as i might, my 3 furry critters refuse to use sand i bring from the beach lol)

oh, almost forgot, here's the beach:

 

[louse1953]

6 hours ago, anotheruser said:

 

Whatever it may be it seems it applies mostly to Brits and Australians. 

You could probably throw some Americans into that mix now and all for different reasons.

[joecoolfrog]

10 hours ago, anotheruser said:

 

The OP is pretty well worded to put most farang into one group. I get what he is saying about how some of it is ourselves that causes us to leave. That is a fair enough point but it doesn't completely absolve Thailand of some things that are driving people out.

 

Maybe I am just getting older but I am not a fan of garbage everywhere, the traffic was always bad but is now at insane levels and it qualifies as a legitimate public health crisis. Not a fan of having my freedom of speech limited or being afraid of what I say. 

 

Maybe it is just me but there is no doubt there has been negative changes. I have enough money and will be leaving before the second year of my TE visa even occurs. So I am not struggling on a pension but feel that Thailand no longer offers a good value for money. The Thailand brand is pretty tarnished at this point.

 

To suggest that many people gave reasons other than the "real" reason implies those of us who are leaving are deceiving ourselves or liars. I came to Thailand back when it was still a relatively nice place. If you tell me for example that Phuket hasn't changed that much in twenty years and it is just me getting older that makes it seem like it has become a stinking, hunk of rubble and feces that is laughable.

 

Tell me when the bay turns green that is my imagination and not a biohazard.

 

Sometimes when something is criticized by many for being a big pile of dung it is in fact because that is what it now is. 

 

All that aside, a better question could be for those that bitch and whine incessantly, what is the "real" reason you stay? Most people that are unhappy with Thailand and have two nickels to rub together have or will actually leave. The penniless droves the OP describes are the ones that have to stay and no longer have the option.

 

 

 

 

 

My first reaction was that this thread needed a companion piece , 'Be honest what is the real reason you stay in Thailand '

[louse1953]

9 minutes ago, jenifer d said:

really??? 

i pay 4000 baht a month for a good sized 1-bedroom house a one minute walk from the beach shown below (and i don't need a/c, the sea breeze is nice, and a/c gives my sinuses big problems) said home's LIVING room is large enough to hold fully SIX complete studio apartments like i had in LA (and the LA studio apt cost more than twice as much per month, even w/gov't subsidy)-  my neighbors, who run the best coffee house (and even bake their own bread and other treats) on the island, invite me over every morning for a delicious FREE large cup of STRONG, real fresh-ground coffee; the neighborhood curry shop insists i come there daily for lunch, even if short of pocket money (i go if my neighbors haven't invited me to lunch with them);

i drink green tea which costs 39 baht for a box that lasts me for 4 days or so even if i drink 6 cups a day- i seldom feel the need to drink alcohol more than once a week, and when i do, i certainly don't drink the cheapest (unless some Thai friends are getting together and insist i quaff some Hong Thong or lao khao and etc., with them) - as for fags, ciggies are for losers with a death wish and an oral fixation- my main expense is cat food and litter box sand (try as i might, my 3 furry critters refuse to use sand i bring from the beach lol)

oh, almost forgot, here's the beach:

 

Life's a beach,mate.

[joecoolfrog]

6 hours ago, anotheruser said:

 

From what I have seen the Brits are the least likely to leave unless they absolutely have to. It seems for whatever reason they have nothing but contempt for their home country. Not all of course but the way so many of them talk that is the impression I get. 

I think for many who criticise the ' old country ' , we are seeing a desperate attempt at self justification.

[anotheruser]

Just now, joecoolfrog said:

I think for many who criticise the ' old country ' , we are seeing a desperate attempt at self justification.

I agree with that. They have to make things sound so bad that they can accept their lot in life here. 

 

By some of the reactions to my post you would think the average westerner had a legitimate chance to claim asylum. The weather is so bad. boo hoo. lol

 

Until they start complaining about proper beer and proper chips and proper... you get the idea.

[joecoolfrog]

6 hours ago, whoareyou said:

"Not a fan of having my freedom of speech limited or being afraid of what I say. "

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This cracks me up a bit.

 

You do realize your in open forum owned by one of the biggest newspapers in thailand and for the whole world to read.

 

Yet you claim you don't have freedom of speech.

 

Getting tired of the throw away lines That get repeated non stop until they become "fact"

 

You do realise that here you do not have the freedom to say certain things ?

[louse1953]

4 hours ago, smotherb said:

I am seriously contemplating leaving Thailand—have been resident here for ten years and visited here the 40 years before that. I prefer to live in Southeast Asia—eleven years in the Philippines and four years in Vietnam.  However, I am open to other areas; like Latin America.

 

The entire reason for wanting to leave Thailand is personal. I am simply no longer satisfied here and do not see things getting better in Thailand—and I have the urge to move on while I am still able. At 72, I am domestically, financially and physically sound. I am not returning to some geographic home of my rearing. Home is and always has been where my ass resides.

 

I did not come to Thailand under the circumstances so commonly seen—in search of utopia, a Thai woman, or some exotic existence.  I have neither stayed here because of a relationship with Thai woman nor have I buried myself here with property and businesses I cannot own and will have trouble selling for anything but a loss.

 

My wife of 38 years is an American of Filipino ancestry and she would go with me, always has. We have lived together all over the world; including the States, the Middle East, Europe, and the PI. So, I believe we will check-out Vietnam again next—my previous existence there was under different circumstances.

I rekon you might get stuck there for a while,just got to find the right place.

[BsBs]

39 minutes ago, jenifer d said:

really??? 

i pay 4000 baht a month for a good sized 1-bedroom house a one minute walk from the beach shown below (and i don't need a/c, the sea breeze is nice, and a/c gives my sinuses big problems) said home's LIVING room is large enough to hold fully SIX complete studio apartments like i had in LA (and the LA studio apt cost more than twice as much per month, even w/gov't subsidy)-  my neighbors, who run the best coffee house (and even bake their own bread and other treats) on the island, invite me over every morning for a delicious FREE large cup of STRONG, real fresh-ground coffee; the neighborhood curry shop insists i come there daily for lunch, even if short of pocket money (i go if my neighbors haven't invited me to lunch with them);

i drink green tea which costs 39 baht for a box that lasts me for 4 days or so even if i drink 6 cups a day- i seldom feel the need to drink alcohol more than once a week, and when i do, i certainly don't drink the cheapest (unless some Thai friends are getting together and insist i quaff some Hong Thong or lao khao and etc., with them) - as for fags, ciggies are for losers with a death wish and an oral fixation- my main expense is cat food and litter box sand (try as i might, my 3 furry critters refuse to use sand i bring from the beach lol)

oh, almost forgot, here's the beach:

 

 

 

I would never live on a island without owning a boat.

 

And of course Koh lanta is cheap, who, with choice, really wants to live there ?

 

 

 

 

[smotherb]

2 hours ago, bannork said:

If you have your own house upcountry with your Thai family, as many farangs do, costs are naturally limited.

Rent= zero

Toilet= one or two per house, plenty of time to sit on the throne and contemplate the world.

Teabags and coffee= 5 baht a day maximum

Rice=  fresh sticky or plain rice from the family's rice fields cooked by the missus or daughter first thing in the morning, a lovely smell and taste

somtam=  as above, papaya and tomatoes from the family fields. a chicken -plenty on the farm or around the house,  

fish= frequently caught in the family's rice fields or ponds

dinner= bought from a motorbike travelling the villages or use the village shop, or take the motorbike/pick-up to the nearest local market ( 100 baht will feed 4 people)

alcohol- yes, due to the government's monopoly this is truly the greatest expense, it cannot be denied.

fags- only for losers these days.

 

 

 

Yeah, living well. Not for me.

 

I like a steak, a bottle of wine and a good cognac;  I like to ride my Harley and enjoy some good times with my bros; I like to travel and visit friends; I like to buy my grandson toys and clothes and take him wherever he wants; that is living well for me.

 

By the way, I have a farm in the country, I had to buy it, So even though I do not pay rent, it was not free and I would not want to stay there to live.

[smotherb]

1 hour ago, jenifer d said:

really??? 

i pay 4000 baht a month for a good sized 1-bedroom house a one minute walk from the beach shown below (and i don't need a/c, the sea breeze is nice, and a/c gives my sinuses big problems) said home's LIVING room is large enough to hold fully SIX complete studio apartments like i had in LA (and the LA studio apt cost more than twice as much per month, even w/gov't subsidy)-  my neighbors, who run the best coffee house (and even bake their own bread and other treats) on the island, invite me over every morning for a delicious FREE large cup of STRONG, real fresh-ground coffee; the neighborhood curry shop insists i come there daily for lunch, even if short of pocket money (i go if my neighbors haven't invited me to lunch with them);

i drink green tea which costs 39 baht for a box that lasts me for 4 days or so even if i drink 6 cups a day- i seldom feel the need to drink alcohol more than once a week, and when i do, i certainly don't drink the cheapest (unless some Thai friends are getting together and insist i quaff some Hong Thong or lao khao and etc., with them) - as for fags, ciggies are for losers with a death wish and an oral fixation- my main expense is cat food and litter box sand (try as i might, my 3 furry critters refuse to use sand i bring from the beach lol)

oh, almost forgot, here's the beach:

 

I do hope you enjoy it.  I drink Japanese coffee, imported grapefruit juice, Jack Daniels whisky. I do not like or want to depend upon others. No thanks, what you describe is not living well to me. 

[anotheruser]

Just now, smotherb said:

I do hope you enjoy it.  I drink Japanese coffee, imported grapefruit juice, Jack Daniels whisky. I do not like or want to depend upon others. No thanks, what you describe is not living well to me. 

Live however you want to. The trick is conning Thai people into paying for it. lol

 

Notice every other word she mentions how she is invited or doesn't pay herself? 

[smotherb]

37 minutes ago, louse1953 said:

I rekon you might get stuck there for a while,just got to find the right place.

Yes, I know my way around Vietnam, I speak the language quite well and my ex-wife is there doing quite well--we all get along, unlike most exes.

[smotherb]

3 minutes ago, anotheruser said:

Live however you want to. The trick is conning Thai people into paying for it. lol

 

Notice every other word she mentions how she is invited or doesn't pay herself? 

Yeah, a real mooch. Not my style.

[Rc2702]

1 hour ago, smotherb said:

Yeah, a real mooch. Not my style.

Irrelevant providing she is happy. 

[Rc2702]

1 hour ago, anotheruser said:

Live however you want to. The trick is conning Thai people into paying for it. lol

 

Notice every other word she mentions how she is invited or doesn't pay herself? 

Most women can get by on that basis nothing new here.

[Goldbear]

1. Some people talk about how Thailand has changed. They compare Thailand of today with their home countries of many years ago. Well everywhere has changed and a lot of it is not for the better. 

 

2.  I sometimes think that people who don't like their particular circumstances in Thailand and have their primary alternative as going back to their "home country" might be falling for a cognitive bias.The human mind likes to simplify complex information into either a few variables or even just binary options (e.g., yes vs no, like vs not-like).  What about changing neighborhoods, towns, or regions within Thailand? There are a lot of options in this world--more than a person could ever take advantage of in a single lifetime. 

 

 

 

[Destiny1990]

Aging...

Edited March 30, 2017 by Destiny1990

[pbeieio]

"Thailand has many things positive" 

Should read "had" not "has"!!!!!!

[alex8912]

4 hours ago, jenifer d said:

oh really??? just Brits and Aussies?!?!?!?

for extremely odious and increasingly obvious reasons,i wouldn't return to Amerikkka for a million dollars...   (gawd, do NOT let the Universe make me eat those words hahahaha) 

for me, (and anyone with any sense and understanding and basic empathy), the WORST day here in Thailand is better than the BEST day in the USA-

of course, i speak the language, understand and appreciate and observe the culture,

am loved and protected and respected by my neighborhood especially and by the entire

island generally  (the Thais, that is; many of the farangs here are  jealous of me because they DON'T speak the language or understand the culture, and they resent the fact that i am invited and encouraged to hang out with Thais and don't frequent haunts populated by groups of clueless expats)

I think it just depends on where you live in the USA. The country is just too huge to label it as basically as you do. You seemed to have trouble there but most people don't. There are huge amounts of happy retired people there  and many are from Great Britain, Canada and many other countries. If  your worst day here is better than your best day in the USA then good for you but you must have had a miserable life in the USA. I've never been to Detroit.