Photo Trip Report: England and Scotland

[Dannie Boy]

Whilst the UK is considerably more of a cashless society than Thailand, most of the outlets will still take cash, so it’s as much as the preference of the buyer as the seller - I’ve just checked my bank account and in the 5 months I was in the UK, I withdrew £2,550 in cash from my bank because I’m happy to buy things that way.

[STEVE G]

I did go in a couple of pubs in the UK that were completely cashless which surprised me.

[buksida]

Serenity and cleanliness abound
I was amazed at how clean and tidy everything was, especially the natural places. Beaches with no plastic or styrofoam, no feral animals roaming about, bins and free public toilets everywhere, no piles of trash on the roadside, and no smoldering fires belching toxic fumes. None of the same can be said for Thailand which is essentially an open tip in terms of trash.

Furthermore, Thailand is an excessively noisy country and you notice this when travelling to a country with normal ambient sound levels! It was very quiet in the UK with no unnecessary noise from loud vehicles, karaoke parties and boom-boom music, screeching roosters, howling dogs, wah-wah kites, chainsaws, angle grinders used for absolutely everything, construction, election trucks with massive speakers, TVs at full volume, and people generally shouting at each other from 2 feet away. Thais love noise, Brits don’t!

The weather was fantastic 80% of the time which was a surprise for so late in the year. It seems that seasons are changing with the UK getting longer summers and Thailand getting longer wet seasons (unless the past 2-3 years have been freaks).

We didn’t visit many cities but every one had its own character and places of historical interest. In Thailand, every city is pretty much the same making it hard to distinguish them from each other, it is a very homogenous country.

[STEVE G]

On the weather front, it has been exceptionally good in Northern Europe this year, it wasn't anything like this last year. In fact we had massive floods in July 2021 which caused a lot of damage.

[buksida]

Final thoughts
The grass is always greener is the saying (well, wetter in Thailand’s case), and I know we were on holiday over there without the daily grind of working, paying bills, dealing with anal state departments and govt staff, and the rest of the bullshit that comes with living somewhere permanently. However, with all that said, I could see myself living in Scotland for 4 months or so per year during the summer from about June to September.

Some may have noticed that I’ve grown somewhat tarnished with Thailand over the years. It seems to be in a constant state of reverse most of the time as it slowly morphs into China (and the weather patterns and seasons are getting worse.)

Thanks for reading - Sláinte!

[Dannie Boy]

Like you are thinking Buks, I took the decision to split my time between Thailand and the UK on something like a 7/5 month basis, although somewhat south of Scotland on the Kent/London borders!!. The only issue with that, is that it makes the move back to Thailand more difficult than I had anticipated - hopefully I’ll readjust but I’ll admit that after 3.1/2 weeks I’m finding it quite a challenge!!

[Big Boy]

I am probably the worst one to even consider the pros and cons of UK/Thailand because I never intend returning to the UK. However, I've had a regular stream of visitors since August, and they're all singing off the same hymn sheet. Yes, they're all on holiday, and we know the grass is always greener. I just don't believe 100% of visitors could be wrong.

The biggest gripe from everybody is the NHS. It takes 4 to 6 weeks to see a doctor if you're ill. I had one friend yesterday moaning that he'd phoned the same surgery that I used to use for an appointment. He was told everything was fully booked, and to phone back in a month. Of course, you were both quite young and fit, and medical needs were probably off the bottom of your list. You aren't getting any younger though.

They all gripe about inflation, and the price of basics. I don't disagree when an English product you were buying in England cost a lot less than buying it in Thailand. However, for the average man in the street these prices have risen sharply across the board, and they are struggling to make ends meet. In a video call with my brother yesterday, he was listing all of the debts he was really struggling to pay. You would have budgeted for the holiday, and hopefully had enough cash to live a decent lifestyle for a couple of months. If you had to live there for 50% of the rest of your lives, would you still have the same freeflow cash available to you?

The cost of flights is a consideration - we've had 2 groups of visitors cancel between now and the end of the year because costs are becoming astronomical. One of those groups wasn't from the UK, but Germany, so it isn't just UK suffering.

Don't get me wrong, if you are wealthy enough to live a 50/50 or 60/40 existence for the rest of your lives, then I'm a little jealous. The reason I'm living in Thailand is that I'm living on a pension, with no other income. I would hate to have to return to the UK and have to get a job 6 months a year to live the same life I live here, Yes, I get enough to survive in the UK, but here, I know I have a much better standard of living.

[buksida]

People that come here on holiday will gripe about their own country in the same way we gripe about Thailand when we go elsewhere, its human nature (the grass is always greener).

Re. your points:

I hadn't even considered healthcare and am aware that the NHS is a mess, but it is free. To get decent healthcare in Thailand you need a hefty insurance policy (which may be made compulsory soon). Either way, both have their drawbacks.

Inflation is everywhere at the moment - our monthly bills here are horrific and we don't pay rent or a mortgage. Granted, the utility bills over there would be horrific, but I would hopefully be staying with a pal and sharing costs for a few months rather than getting my own place. Prices are swings and roundabouts.

The cost of flights are insane at the moment, but it is mostly fallout from the pandemic and the war so I reckon things will calm down in a year or two.

I just can't see things in Thailand improving for foreigners in the longer term so do not want to plan my retirement here (or be stuck here having burnt the bridges or have to worry about exchange rates every day). 24 years have been more than enough.

[Big Boy]

I hadn't even considered healthcare and am aware that the NHS is a mess, but it is free. To get decent healthcare in Thailand you need a hefty insurance policy (which may be made compulsory soon). Either way, both have their drawbacks.

It most certainly isn't free. OK, if you have a serious condition and don't die in the back of an ambulance waiting to get into A&E it might work out cheaper, but it most certainly isn't free, unless you arrive on a boat at Calais. I've used medical services ever since coming to Thailand, and apart from the hospital that shall not be named, I've found treatments and costs to be very reasonable. Compared to my NI payments and prescription charges, Thailand is cheap.

Inflation is everywhere at the moment - our monthly bills here are horrific and we don't pay rent or a mortgage. Granted, the utility bills over there would be horrific, but I would hopefully be staying with a pal and sharing costs for a few months rather than getting my own place. Prices are swings and roundabouts.

Yes, we all knew inflation would follow the pandemic, but the government arguing about whether the price of noodles should raise 1 or 2 Baht sums up Thai inflation. Anything from overseas is really suffering from BIG inflation though. The price of fuel is a big factor. OK diesel went up a little, but even now the price per litre is only 3 Baht more than it was 10 years ago. One of my friends in the UK is complaining a tank of diesel costs him £90 a time. He's a painter and decorator, and a pot of paint costs £125. He is forever crying down the phone, and wants to get away from the crazy inflation. OK, he doesn't help himself & he's the one who paid £39.60 for 4 pints and £8.50 for a pukka pie. Maybe he could help himself more.

The cost of flights are insane at the moment, but it is mostly fallout from the pandemic and the war so I reckon things will calm down in a year or two.

IMHO this is a chicken and egg situation. To become competitive, more airlines need to fly, but while prices are too high, people will not fly. It will need somebody with deep pockets to run his planes at a loss to force prices down, and encourage bums on seats. I'm not sure there is the willingness to do this any more in an industry that has suffered so badly during the pandemic.

[buksida]

I was always under the impression that A&E or major surgery/operations on the NHS were free. Maybe I've been misinformed all these years but have never used it so can't confirm or deny. Thailand is cheap if you want to go to the govt hospitals and take your chances. Anything serious will need serious money - I know people that have lost their houses here over medical bills.

Builders/tradesmen can't complain about fuel costs because they just pass them on to the customer. I've just had a quote for window replacements in a property over there, and yes, its horrific. I've also just paid an insurance bill for our truck here, and it was similar to what it would cost in the UK ... don't get me started on schools.

If you want to pay 10 quid for a pint that's a matter of choice - a stupid one but still a choice, beer is cheap in England.

Agree on the flights, but the more people that travel again, the more routes will open which means more competition and lower prices (eventually).

Swings and roundabouts mate.

[buksida]

Defo gone from the topic now.

The bottom line for me is that the NHS is not a consideration for choosing to spend more time in one country and less in another.

[dtaai-maai]

Without harping on about the NHS (which is worth a thread of its own) but with regard to the Scotland decision, I think it's worth pointing out that, while I don't know the details, I believe there are many areas in which the Scottish parliament is more generous with its welfare/benefits system than Westminster.

[Big Boy]

The bottom line for me is that the NHS is not a consideration for choosing to spend more time in one country and less in another.

I agree, and as I said I was the last person to be doing a comparison. NHS was just one of 2 examples I gave. Family and friends are very unhappy with the situation, and would love to get out. I was just pointing out the grass isn't always greener.

[Dannie Boy]

As with so many things in life, it’s swings and roundabouts - some things better some things worse. Utopia doesn’t exist for most of us so it’s a case of finding what best suits your individual circumstances and making the most of it.

[buksida]

As with so many things in life, it’s swings and roundabouts - some things better some things worse. Utopia doesn’t exist for most of us so it’s a case of finding what best suits your individual circumstances and making the most of it.

Precisely, that is the point I've been trying to make all along. Thailand isn't the utopia some make it out to be (or many that live elsewhere think it is) but I can see how the two-week-wonders will see everything rose-tinted.

NHS discussion moved here: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=41082