Why Did You Come To Thailand?

[Randy Cornhole]

I came to Thailand as part of a world travel trip. I originally came for 2 weeks and ended up staying nearly 4 years.

The best 4 yeas of my life. Bar none.

I would now like to personally thank all those that I met in that 4 years (you know who you are) You made my life the colorful tapestry it now is. Cheers guys...

[Takiap]

Came for a 14 day holiday.........................that was 11 years ago Let's just say, I never for a minute believed, that that short break would change my life so much. Married for ten years, 3 kids, a home.......none of this was mentioned in the brochure.

And, unlike some, I love it just as much now as I did the day I first arrived.

[E-Dork]

none of this was mentioned in the brochure.

I wonder if we'll get the .... "I was released on bail awaiting trial for murder so I had to jump ship" on here.

On a serious note, it's nice reading your reasons for the move.

[richard]

Part of a world trip.

Divorced and retired I decided to spend a month seeing a friend in Thailand. Then a month in Sydney to visit yet another friend. Then a month in Capetown to see more friends.

Well that was the plan but this is what happened:

1 month in Thailand. BK, Phuket and HH. Decided I was going to live here. Couldn't change my ticket so BK to Sydney. 5 hours in the airport. Sydney to Capetown. 1 week in Capetown and home to the UK to put the house up for rent and fly back to Thailand to settle in HH and eventually Isaan. Now firmly rooted to HH but who knows?

I've given up making plans. Go with the flow and follow your heart not your head

[armycw4ret]

European Wife that screwed around and did me a favor. Hope the social system takes care of her because I won't. Locked in for a late august arrival and wish it was tomorrow but have to clear up the visa this week.

Now I can come to beaches and warm weather like back home in California were I cannot afford to live on a pretty good pension.

Pretty thai women that actually smile at you when you admire them. I know that most of the time it is because we have some cash but I do not care.

Wish I moved here ten years ago. Could have but my ex would not move anywhere from the cold place we lived in.

I love the food.

Great Golf everywhere that is really not that expensive, when compared to everywhere else in the world.

I guess that are enough reasons for now but more to come.

[m_right]

1 The women
2 The food
3 The cost of living
4 The weather
5 The women

[VincentD]

I think part of the underlying tone of the question is, 'what has kept you in Thailand so far' as well.

To recap:
My Thai wife got me here. It was my decision, not hers. Something I have never regretted.

Why am I still here?
A variety of reasons.

* My family keeps me here.

* I have been accepted by her circle of friends. Not close, but accepted. I am happy with that as I value my own space at times and find it irritating if you have a constant stream of people asking you out.

* I have made my own (Thai) friends, a few very close.

* Her family accept me as one of their own. Likewise my family abroad, they treat all her family as members of ours.

* Language? Hehheh. I speak reasonably fluent Thai, read within reason but am lazy to write. The wife and kids know enough English to hold their own, as do most members of her family. This fluency gives rise to...

* Genuine respect from the community. Most of the people in my village know me, as I know them, from the vegetable seller in the market to.. well practically everyone around. I attend enough temple ceremonies and weddings and funerals within the different circles and am known within them. I guess this (respect) comes from showing respect for their customs and culture in the first place. Knowing the language is very helpful here.

* The women are easy on the eye. But the occasional foray into the likes of Soi Cowboy or Nana (typically with friends who want to see these places) serves to remind me why I don't frequent places like these. Good for a laugh or two, though, before they cotton on to the fact that you understand too much.

* The variety of places you can drive to, check in without a reservation, and have a good meal without breaking the bank.

* A decent road/ highway system, coupled with efficient public transport.

* My mobile phone works everywhere and doesn't cost a bomb to run (when used within reason).

-----
Yes, there are many negative aspects to staying here as well. But I find the positive more than outweighs the negative so I don't see myself going anywhere just yet. Twenty-three years on, and still counting...

[hhfarang]

I think part of the underlying tone of the question is, 'what has kept you in Thailand so far' as well.

Financially embedded, no way to leave!

[Spitfire]

I ended up staying after visiting a mate that lived down south and after traveling around the country a bit, deciding it had more potential than the humdrum life waiting for me back in the UK and the UK was fast doing a nose-dive about then, in many ways.

I suppose, when it comes to why you stay, it's that you just end up over 5-10 years, or more, investing too much time/emotion/money/effort and other things in making stuff work that you kind of just stay as we all have to be somewhere and here is a pretty good option compared to most places, despite it's fustrations and other difficulties.......nowhere is perfect.

It's about quality of life and it's still easy to afford a better quality of life here, but there is the dark side for some people insomuch that it is also easy to self-destruct here too for the unwary/unhappy.

I guess the other reason I stay is because my wife is happy with the way things are.

[Randy Cornhole]

I suppose, when it comes to why you stay, it's that you just end up over 5-10 years, or more, investing too much time/emotion/money/effort and other things in making stuff work that you kind of just stay as we all have to be somewhere and here is a pretty good option compared to most places, despite it's fustrations and other difficulties.......nowhere is perfect.

It's about quality of life and it's still easy to afford a better quality of life here, but there is the dark side for some people insomuch that it is also easy to self-destruct here too for the unwary/unhappy.

I guess the other reason I stay is because my wife is happy with the way things are.

Good post and wise words Mr Spitfire.

[dtaai-maai]

Good post indeed from Spitfire, and describes exactly why I've stayed here - couldn't put it better myself.
But that's nothing whatsoever to do with why I came here in the first place! Two completely different topics.

[usual suspect]

Went to Bali on way back from Perth, after 2 wks there I loved the Orient..hated the Balinese hawkers, next trip was to Thailand was in '99..primarily to ride Trail-bikes up above Chaing Rai in the hills. Did that (still was riding up there...up to my car-smash 2yrs ago), needed to rest the body after a week of punishment on the bike, did train ride all the way from C.Mai, relaxed here (in HH) met girl in bar, later married her, been happy ever since.
(DO think if I'd have been young+stoopid it would have been a different story here...??)

[TypicallyTropical]

1 The women
2 The food
3 The cost of living
4 The weather
5 The women

I think you forgot to mention the women!

[richard]

I think part of the underlying tone of the question is, 'what has kept you in Thailand so far' as well.

To recap:
My Thai wife got me here. It was my decision, not hers. Something I have never regretted.

Why am I still here?
A variety of reasons.

* My family keeps me here.

* I have been accepted by her circle of friends. Not close, but accepted. I am happy with that as I value my own space at times and find it irritating if you have a constant stream of people asking you out.

* I have made my own (Thai) friends, a few very close.

* Her family accept me as one of their own. Likewise my family abroad, they treat all her family as members of ours.

* Language? Hehheh. I speak reasonably fluent Thai, read within reason but am lazy to write. The wife and kids know enough English to hold their own, as do most members of her family. This fluency gives rise to...

* Genuine respect from the community. Most of the people in my village know me, as I know them, from the vegetable seller in the market to.. well practically everyone around. I attend enough temple ceremonies and weddings and funerals within the different circles and am known within them. I guess this (respect) comes from showing respect for their customs and culture in the first place. Knowing the language is very helpful here.

* The women are easy on the eye. But the occasional foray into the likes of Soi Cowboy or Nana (typically with friends who want to see these places) serves to remind me why I don't frequent places like these. Good for a laugh or two, though, before they cotton on to the fact that you understand too much.

* The variety of places you can drive to, check in without a reservation, and have a good meal without breaking the bank.

* A decent road/ highway system, coupled with efficient public transport.

* My mobile phone works everywhere and doesn't cost a bomb to run (when used within reason).

-----
Yes, there are many negative aspects to staying here as well. But I find the positive more than outweighs the negative so I don't see myself going anywhere just yet. Twenty-three years on, and still counting...

I can empathise with most of that. No language skills but the rest I get

[Super Joe]

I think part of the underlying tone of the question is, 'what has kept you in Thailand so far' as well.
To recap: My Thai wife got me here. It was my decision, not hers. Something I have never regretted.
Why am I still here? A variety of reasons.

I can empathise with most of that. No language skills but the rest I get

Yes +1, excellent post and points Vincent although we may differ in the Cowboy department a tad

+ Spitfire's last post, particularly about those of us with Thai partners and them being happy here. I think generally speaking most farang's that would prefer to be in their home country/a.n.other country still adapt and are happy'ish here and can call it home, whereas I've never really known a single Thai lady who was 'at home' in the UK, they were all there 'temporary' counting the days until they 'went home'. After living here rather than holidaying and properly seeing how 'family/close-friends-from-the-village' orientated they are, I appreciate it. How dull it must have seemed for the wife in her 4 years living near Heathrow when you had to drive to a pub to see mates inbetween once or twice weekly visits to the house by someone for a few hours, compared to now with a constant stream of family/friends walking in and out the house without having to knock all day long. Literally 6-12 visits a day by Buriram people from within a half mile radius. It did used to annoy me in maybe the first year but now I actually enjoy it and it adds to the day, probably helps that 90% of them are females under 35 , and there's no scrounging to be seen they all seem to take turns in churning out bucketloads of unedible food and doing the hosting. These people can not eat unless there's a minimum half a dozen of them sitting in a circle on the floor screaming at each other, the racket can be a downer if I'm trying to do something important/watch Tom & Jerry, I used to spend my days on construction sites so I'm just not conditioned to this level of noise

Probably the main reasons I wanted to come here was the nightlife, and I don't mean just the bargirl scene but generally how the place is alive and buzzing (even HH which isn't exactly the party capital of Thailand), Thais just seem to be up for it every night. It's a massive plus for me and mates I socialise with being able to jump on the bike at midnight/1am knowing there'll be loads going on 5 minutes away and I'm not just talking about the bargirl areas, but I get the impression that the majority of the outgoing type of Thai youngsters in the town all go out around 10pm-midnight... every night of the week. There's always something going on in the usual spots and it's all welcoming and trouble free, if I've seen 3 incidences a year I can't recall them now... well excluding Ally


SJ