garyk Posted September 9, 2016 Author Share Posted September 9, 2016 8 hours ago, LPCustom69 said: I go back to the States for about 3 months each year, and enjoy it. It helps keep things in perspective. I have family, and great friends there. Food costs me more, but I eat out a lot. I hit a Thai buffet once a week. And like everyone else, I always bring a suitcase of things I want, and for presents. Same here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 35 minutes ago, jayboy said: If one have no cultural interests, no love for the marvellous landscape, no interest in theatres, art galleries or architecture.If one's interests revolve around football, bargirls, beer and food like fish and chips, I can quite understand why you would never want to visit England.As a more general proposition, the combination of peasant Isaan culture and working class/lower middle class British culture may well sometimes produce a blissful union but one does not imagine it does much to advance the cause of civilisation. Harsh but true! If an expat has a pleasant 600 year old cottage in the Cotswolds there's little reason to be here other than for fun, but if that UK abode is a bedsit in Sunderland chances are that a life in Thailand is hugely attractive - sadly the world revolves around wealth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyk Posted September 9, 2016 Author Share Posted September 9, 2016 (edited) 14 minutes ago, chiang mai said: Harsh but true! If an expat has a pleasant 600 year old cottage in the Cotswolds there's little reason to be here other than for fun, but if that UK abode is a bedsit in Sunderland chances are that a life in Thailand is hugely attractive - sadly the world revolves around wealth. I agree and disagree! I am not wealthy, but do enjoy the country side in my country. I love the well laid out parks. I love the museums. I am from Central Texas, San Antonio, Austin. It is quite an amazing place if I do say so myself. I love my visits! What I am trying to say is you don't have to be rich in America to enjoy yourself. I also love A.E. Asia, Mexico, and am heading to Columbia in the next month. Edited September 9, 2016 by garyk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 2 minutes ago, garyk said: I agree and disagree! I am not wealthy, but do enjoy the country side in my country. I love the well laid out parks. I love the museums. I am from Central Texas, San Antonio, Austin. It is quite an amazing place if I do say so myself. I love my visits! What I am trying to say is you don't have to be rich in America to enjoy yourself. Indeed, and I think all Brits love the Lake District and all the national parks, it's a common love that is not measured by personal wealth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ardokano Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 20 hours ago, AsianExport said: Going back for what ? Meet a stupid family and stupid friends that I don't care to know anymore ? Why do people are just doing things that they think right even if they don't care ? very sorry for you that you are The Count of Monte Cristo, and all around your family "stupid" . you adopted? and friends you must forcibly ordered? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deepinthailand Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 10 hours ago, Don Mega said: You put your toe into your mother's coochie ? ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ardokano Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 (edited) 11 hours ago, isanbirder said: You can't. i NO NEED i LOVE my fatherland. But if as guys who hate homecountry.. what problem? yea its not easy but CAN DO IT!! Edited September 9, 2016 by ardokano Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary A Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 When my parents were still alive, I thought it was my duty to visit every two years. I absolutely hated the crap at the airports and the long flight. Each trip I shortened a little because I just couldn't wait to get back home to Thailand. Since my parents have both passed away, I doubt that I will ever go back. It would be nice to see my brother and sister but they also know where I am at. I no longer know many of my old friends there and many of them have also passed away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicowoodduck Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 I make my escape each year back to the USA visit with my family and friends....always a joy to escape the noise and knobs that call Pattaya their home.....have to say, the food in the US is the shits and so full of grease and fat...? Been doing the skip across the pond for the past 12+ years and with each crossing more of a stuggle to head back to LOS. The constant noise and traffic grind my gears more each year.....will be checking out a few shacks to call home for part of the year soon.....half time in the US And half time in SE Asia....life is good...?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayboy Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 (edited) 35 minutes ago, chicowoodduck said: I make my escape each year back to the USA visit with my family and friends....always a joy to escape the noise and knobs that call Pattaya their home.....have to say, the food in the US is the shits and so full of grease and fat...? Been doing the skip across the pond for the past 12+ years and with each crossing more of a stuggle to head back to LOS. The constant noise and traffic grind my gears more each year.....will be checking out a few shacks to call home for part of the year soon.....half time in the US And half time in SE Asia....life is good...?? The food in the US is no doubt grease and fat if you patronise the junk outlets widely prevalent in the 'fly over' mid west.I have rarely encountered such incredibly good and health conscious restaurants as in NYC or California.If you eat like a pig (and end up looking like one) in the US you have only yourself to blame. Edited September 9, 2016 by jayboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsianExport Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 3 hours ago, Gary A said: When my parents were still alive, I thought it was my duty to visit every two years. I absolutely hated the crap at the airports and the long flight. Each trip I shortened a little because I just couldn't wait to get back home to Thailand. Since my parents have both passed away, I doubt that I will ever go back. It would be nice to see my brother and sister but they also know where I am at. I no longer know many of my old friends there and many of them have also passed away. Exactly, and parents also know where we are, so if they feel like meeting us, they just fly ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wigan Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 Although it's part of all Asian life we have to accept, there acceptance of grubbiness, dirty habits, and complete disregard for environmental cleanliness is still disappointing. Do appreciate the clean, fresh streets and beach areas of Australia, just wish the Thais would love their country enough to respect its environment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smo Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 6 hours ago, garyk said: I agree and disagree! I am not wealthy, but do enjoy the country side in my country. I love the well laid out parks. I love the museums. I am from Central Texas, San Antonio, Austin. It is quite an amazing place if I do say so myself. I love my visits! What I am trying to say is you don't have to be rich in America to enjoy yourself. Allow me to complete the picture:" ...BUT, a big BUT, you cannot be poor to live there (in America) to begin with." My total living expenses (room and board) in Thailand take half of my retirement check. In the US, to live in a decent urban area, the whole check would disappear into rent alone. I don't fancy living in the Appalachians (especially after seeing "Winter Bones" starring a very determined Jennifer Lawrence) or somewhere along a Texan desert highway. I love my So Cal hometown, 10 minutes drive from sand and surf. I can spend the whole day on the beach with very little money. On the way home I can swing by Costco for a jumbo dog and a smoothie total under 5 bucks still. However at the end of the day I still need a roof over my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
returnofthailand Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 all countries are crap anyway. I feel home nowhere. I m under 50 and I need to get out of Thailand every 3 months. USA suck big deal with their tax based on citizenship (I m not American by chance, no fbar and never paid or reported tax , the only thing I like in the USA is their red Baron pizza and be tazed by cops. yeah nothing better than a 10000 volts through your body, they say it s good against balls cancer lol Europe is a crappy hole filled with technocrats of politicians who want control everything . they only thing I like to do in Europe is to sleep and dream that I m in Thailand. what I miss from Thailand the most is the accent of my Thai gf, the thai food and their relax attitude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanLaew Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 5 hours ago, Gary A said: When my parents were still alive, I thought it was my duty to visit every two years. I absolutely hated the crap at the airports and the long flight. Each trip I shortened a little because I just couldn't wait to get back home to Thailand. Since my parents have both passed away, I doubt that I will ever go back. It would be nice to see my brother and sister but they also know where I am at. I no longer know many of my old friends there and many of them have also passed away. Since my parents passed away, I only wish I had given them more of my time. I never begrudged them the welcome return of their 'prodigal son' up to 3 times a year after I made the mistake of not going home to see them for about 12 years while I was 'living the life' in my 20's and 30's. My homeland has and always will be my 'Plan A'. This lark in Thailand is merely 'Plan B, C, C (version 2), D, E (with kids), etc.. like myself, merely a work in progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSJPC Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 I used to spend 6 months a year in US, winters here in Thailand, now retired here permanently...difficult to explain life in Thailand to most Americans...they are so ignorant about life anywhere outside the good old US and A (to quote Borat!)...some still call this"Thigh Land" and many wouldn't know the difference between Thailand and Taiwan if their lives depended on it...these same people will probably elect Hillary Clinton our next President and wonder why the US has gone to hell...I am sooooooooo fortunate to be retired here and live in this wonderful country! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanLaew Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 35 minutes ago, DSJPC said: I used to spend 6 months a year in US, winters here in Thailand, now retired here permanently...difficult to explain life in Thailand to most Americans...they are so ignorant about life anywhere outside the good old US and A (to quote Borat!)...some still call this"Thigh Land" and many wouldn't know the difference between Thailand and Taiwan if their lives depended on it...these same people will probably elect Hillary Clinton our next President and wonder why the US has gone to hell...I am sooooooooo fortunate to be retired here and live in this wonderful country! I can relate with that. After about 10 years based in Thailand, a friend of mine has gone back to Alaska to get work since the oil patch is flat and he is lamenting that the place is "full of idiots talking sh!t." It's a common complaint that people back home appear myopic but I don't get stressed if they can't tell Thailand from Taiwan or like the guy who posted earlier, their ignorance and small-mindedness allows them to pigeon hole you as either a sexpat or a pedophile. Getting away from the puerile US (and UK) politics is a welcome aspect of life in Thailand. I have a giggle at the forum members who get all riled up and involved in discussing Thai politics. It's all well and good having family or other vested interests here but honestly, there's really no point in trying to debate things one cannot change. I think that frequent trips to one's homeland or even a third country, keeps the realities of life in LOS totally in check. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary A Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 During my last trip to the good old USA, I went to a supermarket and bought some steaks and other things for a family BBQ. It emptied my wallet. I had to stop at an ATM to have enough money for a pack of smokes and a beer at the local tavern. At the tavern, a pack of smokes and a beer took most of a ten dollar bill. The steaks were excellent but expensive. The family get togethers were great but a two week visit was really too long. I love good steak and hamburgers but I probably have a healthier diet here. Thai beef is really poor. We eat lean pork, chicken and fish rather than beef here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevemercer Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 Americans may call Thailand 'Thigh Land' (#76), but Australians pronounce it 'Toyland'. Off we go to toyland to check out some new toys... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaibeachlovers Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 Your heading is erroneous. If the OP wants to know about RETURNING to Thailand after going home he should say so. If I answer the TITLE, I would say I hate it. Full of toffee nosed trendies that care only about money and can't drive properly. If I answer the OP, I can't wait to get back to LOS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boon Mee Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 On 9/9/2016 at 9:11 AM, Deepinthailand said: Easy answer I am home here would never put even a toe back into my birth hole. Home is where your head hits the pillow and this is very much home for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaibeachlovers Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 PS I am zillions % more free in LOS than in the over regulated, expensive, crime ridden, gang infested place I call my homeland, not to mention the excessive PC that has brainwashed the citizens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odysseus123 Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 On 9/9/2016 at 4:43 PM, Jeffkp said: Moved here 3 years ago and have not been back or plan to. Have no family or property there. I've found the friends I had have drifted away. Email or phone calls are not enough and we no longer share any common interests. There are foods I miss (none of them healthy!) , but not enough for a 23 hour flight. Thailand is home for me now and I guess will be for the rest of my life. No regrets! Yes,I can certainly relate to your post. I went back in 2014 and discovered very quickly that the concerns of my friends no longer related to me or mine to theirs and I do not have any family in my home country anyway. I used to send Emails and photos but I gradually stopped doing so as the responses dwindled over time. The other thing that I noticed that there was still quite a strong anti-Asian bias amongst my friends and former work colleagues and although this appeared to be more covert than overt it was still there if you cared to pick up on the messages that were being given out. And...I did miss the smiles and the eye contacts,so I was quite happy to fly out of Melbourne and wing my way "home". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gillyflower Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 (edited) I live in Thailand 4 months of the year. I enjoy my time, but I would never want to live there. I am frank, if I had more money, there are so many countries where I would prefer to spend my 4 or so months. I am always pleased to go home to be in my home, surrounded by my books and so on. I appreciate my superior health scheme, the quality of the products (above all meat) for eating, better shopping in fact just about most things. But I like to be out of an European winter, so Thailand isn't so bad. I get along with the people and I enjoy meeting other foreigners and being able to speak my mother tongue. Edited September 10, 2016 by Gillyflower Just want to ad something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gillyflower Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 I live in Thailand 4 months of the year. I enjoy my time, but I would never want to live there. I am frank, if I had more money, there are so many countries where I would prefer to spend my 4 or so months. I am always pleased to go home to be in my home, surrounded by my books and so on. I appreciate my superior health scheme, the quality of the products (above all meat) for eating, better shopping in fact just about most things. But I like to be out of an European winter, so Thailand isn't so bad. I get along with the people and I enjoy meeting other foreigners and being able to speak my mother tongue. I have just read some of the posts previous to mine. When I go home, no one asks me about my trip, no one is interested.......ah, you're back! But I don't find the majority of foreigners (expats) that I meet in LOS any more interesting. Of course there are the exceptions, but very few. They are mostly as uninteresting as the ones I leave behind every year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercman24 Posted September 11, 2016 Share Posted September 11, 2016 was going to go back to the Uk two years running now, (like my motorbikes) to see old mates and take in a British Super Bike race, but costing it out. flights,- two week car rental- digs for two weeks, ? nah, i had three dam good holidays here instead . and thinking on, my mates were fkin boring. ha ha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Mega Posted September 11, 2016 Share Posted September 11, 2016 On 9/8/2016 at 9:40 PM, ardokano said: where is you home? in hell? With the price of everything skyrocketing and the thousands of rude chinese tourists it sure felt like hell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_smith237 Posted September 11, 2016 Share Posted September 11, 2016 It seems to me that there are two definite 'camps'.... those who enjoy returning and those who hate it... there is very little middle ground. Based on what I have read of this thread, those who enjoy returning are those with close friends and family, with somewhere to stay. Those who don't enjoy returning or who no longer return are those who have not maintained contact with friends or family (for whatever reason) and tend not to have anywhere to stay other than hotels etc. Thus: Could it be that one of the primary reasons for enjoying a return visit or not is cost ? For those who it will cost a lot to return tend not to enjoy a visit or boycott their country of origin completely... But for those who's costs are less or who can readily afford a visit back to their country of origin tend to have greater enjoyment...... Of course, I'm not suggesting this is the case for everyone - but as a generalisation it seems to fit many of the responses I've read thus far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Mega Posted September 11, 2016 Share Posted September 11, 2016 Ive plenty of a family and friends to visit but it is cheaper for me to pay their air tickets and come here to visit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soalbundy Posted September 11, 2016 Share Posted September 11, 2016 27 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said: It seems to me that there are two definite 'camps'.... those who enjoy returning and those who hate it... there is very little middle ground. Based on what I have read of this thread, those who enjoy returning are those with close friends and family, with somewhere to stay. Those who don't enjoy returning or who no longer return are those who have not maintained contact with friends or family (for whatever reason) and tend not to have anywhere to stay other than hotels etc. Thus: Could it be that one of the primary reasons for enjoying a return visit or not is cost ? For those who it will cost a lot to return tend not to enjoy a visit or boycott their country of origin completely... But for those who's costs are less or who can readily afford a visit back to their country of origin tend to have greater enjoyment...... Of course, I'm not suggesting this is the case for everyone - but as a generalisation it seems to fit many of the responses I've read thus far. Having been away from the UK for over 40 years i no longer identify with the country, i speak English and have a British passport these are the only two things that connect me with the UK, it's an island North of somewhere. If anywhere then i identify with Germany where i spent most of my working life but Brexit has mucked that up.It makes no difference, i shall die here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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