Do you really like living in Thailand?

[henry15]

How longer I live in Bangkok the more I love the town and his inhabitants. Great town, great people. First visit in 1976 and live here since my retirement in 2009. I'm 70 now. 

[MaeJoMTB]

12 hours ago, Matptg said:

Now, the big deal here is indeed the society. I can no longer stand it.

Thailand like, weather, prices, availability of women. dislike government, people

UK like, cannabis, meat pies. dislike weather prices, lack of women, government, people

 

Society can be avoided, I can make my own meat pies, I can live without cannabis..

Verdict: Thailand wins.

[faraday]

12 hours ago, jakethepeg said:

Not rocket science. If you like big cities ,new York, London, Sydney , Paris etc you will love Bangkok .

 

If you like this then go up country Isaan way ?

 

 

I live in Issan, & as yet, have never had to " grunt like a pig"

 

Yet.....

[torrzent]

I wonder what all the people you are judging think of you when you are judging them.

 

BTW, where did you meet the girl?  There always seems to be one behind every story of angst?

[uffe123]

Not any more. Cost of living is now par, or more expensive than my home country. all the veges are poisoned/laced with paraquat,

1, gas is now about 4 bucks a gallon. $60.00 to fill up my truck, Wow that hurts.

2. traffic is horrible

3, Roads feel like you are driving on 13th century cobblestone. Hit a pothole driving at night, blew my tire and bent the rim.

The nice military have raised the taxes on vine 50%, cant even get the vine I used to drink because no one will buy it any more. Not imported.

4. The pollution in Bangkok is 50% above the WHO limits on a daily basis. Buy you oxygen tank now, stay here long enough you will need it.

5. Not worth going to the beaches any more, thrash all over, and stinky sewer water. Went to Bangsan, wasted trip

Have I missed anything? O yes, land confiscation, go ask any isan farmer about this.

Good thing I'am leaving tomorrow.

 

[MaeJoMTB]

2 minutes ago, torrzent said:

I wonder what all the people you are judging think of you when you are judging them.

They don't tink too mutt.

[torrzent]

8 hours ago, Matptg said:

Hi.

we have talked about this leader thing already at the very beginning of the relationship and agree that I am not going to be that kind of leader. This is another aspect that I don't like of this country. Women relying too much on their men and the families of the women expecting the men to be carry everything on.

Here doesn't matter how hard you work, they just want to be sure you can provide for everything and families want money too to "be sure you can give a good life to her daughter" ( so stupid this one to me)

In other words, you would rather sponge off others than have them sponge off you , or have I misread this.

[MaeJoMTB]

Just now, uffe123 said:

Not any more. Cost of living is now par, or more expensive than my home country.

When people write this I think, 'you ain't been home lately'.

Mortgage repayments on my wife's 3 bed (2Mbht) house = $300/month, and no property tax.

Nothing else really matters, but that's all cheaper as well (except for blue cheese).

[AsiaHand]

29 minutes ago, chrisinth said:

There is the majority of your problem, leaving yourself too much time to think.

 

Thailand, along with every country, will seem alien to most when they first arrive and start living here. Don't let the hi-so get to you if they don't affect your life. Thais are used to it, it is their problem, not on you. Again, social media is not Thais alone, this is a global thing with idiots everywhere posting crap to be one up on everyone else. Mellow out and enjoy........................?

And remember this one word "ASIA".When you choose to live or work in any of many countries in Asia for a length of time ,you MUST first learn the language of that country that you are in to a degree that you can live along side of locals being able to shop and mix in with them.Second is one of the most important item you MUST learn (And to a degree practice) the customs of the people so as not to step on toes or alienate your self to them. Learn the history of the country BUT do not argue the facts that you know against the FACTS that the locals may have been taught.I believe that, all over the world they are 90 % good people ,8% bad and 2% Axxholes. Try to be one of the 90%.

[MaeJoMTB]

8 hours ago, Matptg said:

Hi.

we have talked about this leader thing already at the very beginning of the relationship and agree that I am not going to be that kind of leader. This is another aspect that I don't like of this country. Women relying too much on their men and the families of the women expecting the men to be carry everything on.

Here doesn't matter how hard you work, they just want to be sure you can provide for everything and families want money too to "be sure you can give a good life to her daughter" ( so stupid this one to me)

I guessing you never lived with a woman in your home country.

If the man isn't paying for most of everything, they tend not to stick around for long, and often take your home when they leave.

[torrzent]

4 minutes ago, AsiaHand said:

And remember this one word "ASIA".When you choose to live or work in any of many countries in Asia for a length of time ,you MUST first learn the language of that country that you are in to a degree

This is nonsense.  How many expats who work in Japan or Korea, master the local language during their 2-3 year stint.  Close to zero I think.  Imagine an expat with 3-4 posting in different countries......you expect them to keep learning and forgetting new languages?

[holy cow cm]

22 minutes ago, AsiaHand said:

And your kids are minus the education they will need in life unless you have paid over $500,000.00 USD in " Proper School" fees or they are happy with the Thai life.

Depends. Ivy League Education doesn't make a guarantee someone will be well off in life. It is the person and how they approach life. BTW. What is the definition of Thai life? Many of my Thai friends are very wealthy but they don't look like it. . 

[holy cow cm]

Depends. An Ivy League education doesn't guarantee you will be successful in the area you majored or minored. Especially doesn't guarantee you happiness. What do you mean by Thai life? I personally have many rich Thai friends whom you would never think had money in the millions USD and living in Thailand being Thai. 

[MaeJoMTB]

4 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

Depends. Ivy League Education doesn't make a guarantee someone will be well off in life. It is the person and how they approach life. BTW. What is the definition of Thai life? Many of my Thai friends are very wealthy but they don't look like it. . 

Sadly, I don't have 1 Thai friend, but I do have 100s of Thai family and they're mainly dirt poor.

(dirt poor = plenty of farmland but no cash)

[brewsterbudgen]

This is nonsense.  How many expats who work in Japan or Korea, master the local language during their 2-3 year stint.  Close to zero I think.  Imagine an expat with 3-4 posting in different countries......you expect them to keep learning and forgetting new languages?

Agreed. If you're living in Bangkok, learning Thai is unnecessary...as long as you can speak English.

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[holy cow cm]

10 minutes ago, MaeJoMTB said:

Sadly, I don't have 1 Thai friend, but I do have 100s of Thai family and they're mainly dirt poor.

(dirt poor = plenty of farmland but no cash)

hahahahaha. Yeah, just because they are your Thai family doesn't make them your friend(s). Friends on any level are hard to find whether Thai or foreigners. My kids are probably my closest. 

[Laza 45]

12 hours ago, jakethepeg said:

Not rocket science. If you like big cities ,new York, London, Sydney , Paris etc you will love Bangkok .

 

If you like this then go up country Isaan way ?

 

 

Brilliant reply!      ...'talk about genetic deficiency.."  ! Ha!     Isaan is the place..  but I don'think the OP would fit in here either...

 

[RichardColeman]

I do not plan on staying in Thailand for good. To hot, too dangerous and too mad to bring up my 2 year old

I have a reasonably valued house in the south east and a pension at 55 (next year) so will stay here until she is school age and then probably zoom off back to good old blighty.

 

That said, if I was single and well off, I'd still spend 8-9 months a year here - for other satifsying reasons !!!!

 

 

[chicowoodduck]

Yup, know the feeling....sort of grinds your gears after awhile.....just a still down along the beach and a look at all the fat guys with poneytails and wearing no shirt is just the start of the circus.....lol.....just counting my days until lift off back to the safe and sane world as I know it.....????

[toddsaed]

don't react to externals, keep your peace , it is a cultural problem, but the worst air there,

Suratthani, Chiang Mai,  Nakorn check other places, learn the language,love

[smutcakes]

For what its worth i love Bangkok. Some of the things the OP mentions sometimes grate a little bit but i believe in time you get used to them to a point where they barely register. I find more and more Thais are saying Thank you etc when doors are held open for them, then again it does not bother me if they dont.

 

Personally i believe if you are living in Bangkok (or anywhere really) you need to keep busy, whether that be working full time, having numerous hobbies, a big group of friends anything to keep busy. Sitting around around stewing alone in some suburban moo baan is enough to make anyone frustrated and prone to being a little bit irritable.

 

Without knowing the finer details the OP's outlook seems a bit grisly. Here since October, bird up the duff already, disliking BKK, thinking of moving the lady back to Europe. Lots of sleepless nights and arguing coming up i think.

[ballpoint]

As this, and every other thread on the same topic, shows, everyone has their own tastes and experiences.  You may as well start one asking what your favourite colour is.  Quite frankly, I couldn't care less about what other people think of Thailand, and what they think of me for living here.  Through most of my working life I was fortunate enough to be able to live anywhere in the world I chose, and paid enough to be able to do so comfortably.  I have worked on every inhabited continent, chose to live in Thailand, and continue to choose to do so.  I have many reasons for this choice, (admittedly, in my early '20s, "nightlife" was one of them, but no longer is, showing how these reasons will evolve with time), and I realise that what is now a tick in the plus box for me may not be for others, or even for myself in another 10 - 20 years, so what's the point of arguing over it?  If I ever get to the stage where I'm no longer happy living here I will move elsewhere.  I won't ask a bunch of strangers on an anonymous forum for permission to do so, it will be a decision I make based on my own reasons.  (And, if I ever get to the stage where I am bitter about Thailand for any reason, I certainly won't be coming back to this forum to preach on the evils of Thailand like a demented evangelist, as so many seem to do).

 

Therefore, to the OP: If you're not happy, and think that you will be elsewhere, then go.  It's entirely your, and your partner's choice.  But beware the "grass is greener" syndrome".  And the same applies to all the those on here who bash the country, bash those who choose to live in Bangkok / Pattaya / Isaan / Phuket / Chiang Mai or where ever else they do, and apparently live here in abject misery.  Just go.

[tokyohillbilly]

This sounds like a classic case of culture shock. It usually hits about 6-12 months after arriving in country. It is not the people but your response to them. All your cultural norms are challenged.
It happened to me when I first arrived in Japan. Could not stand slurping when people ate, constantly people staring at me, the rudeness when riding the trains. It was terrible. Then I spent six weeks in Taiwan. Stayed in the International House with a lot of US grad students. They were having the same complaints I was having about the Japanese! Suddenly, a light bulb went on and I realized it was not the Japanese or the Taiwanese but me and my reaction to the culture.

To succeed in living in Asia you must learn to have a blind eye to many of the things that irritate the dickens out of you. Live your life with your own dignity and emphasize those things in the culture you do like. If you do not, culture shock will literally tear you apart. Good luck!


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[AsiaHand]

1 hour ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Agreed. If you're living in Bangkok, learning Thai is unnecessary...as long as you can speak English.

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It sounds like you are a bit lazy and will never learn or understand anything outside of your own little pathetic world.

[Justfine]

People are rude in every large city. Spoilt rich people are common in every city as well.

 

 

[AsiaHand]

1 hour ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Agreed. If you're living in Bangkok, learning Thai is unnecessary...as long as you can speak English.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Sounds like that you are a bit lazy and also will never learn anything outside of your own little pathetic world.

[tokyohillbilly]

This is nonsense.  How many expats who work in Japan or Korea, master the local language during their 2-3 year stint.  Close to zero I think.  Imagine an expat with 3-4 posting in different countries......you expect them to keep learning and forgetting new languages?

Many more than you think. Both in Japan and Korea “expats” come in their twenties and study. Often they come back as businesswomen/man. Same thing is happening in China.


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[Minnehaha]

Everybody has gone through what you describe.... multiple times and to one degree or another. To be a reasonably happy farang in a country half way around the world one needs to make peace with the differences and adapt. Learn things. Lotsa things. Or risk being miserable. 

 

Having said that I know a guy who likes to travel once a year because he loves coming home to his lovely house and pool. 

 

I have taken the path less traveled and become an expat. Many here have done the same and we are telling you it is possible to be very happy here but not without work and self awareness.

[Tchooptip]

13 hours ago, Matptg said:

You're not wrong actually. But I am afraid this goes all over the country. Any advice?

 

To answer your question, I live in a condo that costs me 23000 baht, I go out every night and I drink only Lagavulin whiskey and tequila, unlike you I suppose. What beer do you drink when you go out? Chaang or singha??

Not to mention that I got a car here. As a farang I have no access to loan therefore I had to pay the whole car to get it. It's a ford everest, I leave to you the pleasure to check its price.

Ah one more thing, do you really think a rich thai girl would even think to stay with a person not at her level?

I apologie to the readers for being arrogant, but I had to answer this gentleman

 

No need to apologize for your arrogance this is a daily practice on Thai visa.

On the other hand, I will give you my opinion on your op you are not arrogant but totally pedantic, what you confirm here with the comparison of your drinking Laguvalin whiskey while asking someone else if he drinks Chang or Singh beer.

On top of it boasting about owning a Ford Everest adding the phrase  "I leave to you the pleasure to check its price." price that everyone knows by the way,

yes pedantic is the right word. Unpleasantly pedantic to be more precise?

[Aussieroaming]

I tolerate BKK, but far from love it here. I would live elsewhere if i could convince my wife that BKK isnt half as good as she thinks.