Discontent with expat life in Thailand

[J.J.B.]

Thank you for the background, Margaret, I can certainly see why those changes would cause discontent among some. Having met forum members at the Fishing Lodge last night, I am happy to report that from what I saw, there are still many expats who fit into the category you describe from when you lived here not so long ago.

Experience has shown me that by-and-large, how you view another person is simply a reflection of how you see yourself. People who are happy with who they are - whether expats living in Thailand or not - generally speaking are the most pleasant you can hope to meet. Quite frankly for me, it's still work in progress but something I am determined to crack!

[Pleng]

Expats didn't need swimming pools, wallpaper or pedigree dogs, and no-one was looked down on for not having - or wanting - those things.

I really think I must have "opted-out" of life in Britain for the last 30 years. I never once met anybody who judged me or my family for not having any of those things. Not that any of us could realistically afford a swimming pool anyway so...

[MrPlum]

Having met forum members at the Fishing Lodge last night, I am happy to report that from what I saw, there are still many expats who fit into the category you describe from when you lived here not so long ago.

I would have enjoyed meeting you but opted out due to a strep throat. The smell of raw garlic would have seen me swiftly ejected. If I think about it, I would estimate 80% of the expats I have met here have been pleasant and agreeable. I don't think any of them have been perfect or 100% content. I know of no human being who, beyond the Saints, have achieved true contentment or happiness. Observing people's frailties and differences is one of the pleasures of people-watching. 'There's nowt so strange as folk', as they say.

Maybe the secret is to just accept and stop working on it?

So the sages say. At least you are asking the question.

If you spend your life trying to be something other than who you are, you may never get there and miss out on the joy you could be experiencing right now. Happiness is often a simple matter of surrender, not struggle. On a personal note, I could abandon all enquiry into world affairs and perhaps be happier but then comes a conflict. Is the search for truth worth the damage to one's spirit? I think it is because the more I learn, the more liberated I feel. This approach is in marked contrast to those whose greatest concern is whether to go to the 'Nag's Head' or 'The Three Ferrets'.

[J.J.B.]

I was looking forward to meeting you too, Mr Plum, and wish you a speedy recovery from the strep throat. We should look to get together when I'm next over for Songkran, if you don't mind a little water!

[johnnyk]

I would advance as a point for discussion an observation that I have made after talking to many resident ex-pats in Hua Hin.
I seem to detect among the ex-pats from Britain a level of discontent higher than in those from other countries. The aggravations of life in Thai, so well documented in the forum, seem to upset them greatly.
If this is true there could be many reasons. British ex-pats seem to retire here earlier in their life than others and those that have been here for several years have seen their frozen pensions diminish from 72b/£ to its present level. A loss of 30% and thats before inflation.
There seems, however, to be another factor—whereas the Europeans, Americans and Commonwealth ex-pats feel that return to their own country is always there as an attractive option, my British friends appear not to like that idea.
One gentleman said something that I thought was telling, he said
“I could happily return to a Britain as it was in the 50s, 60s, 70s or even early 80s, but I do not feel that the Britain of today is a place where I would like to live. My Britain has gone.”
Any comments?

Many Brits are grumblers about everything. Samesame when I lived in France. Lots of them had not moved past "bon joor" after 10 years and all they did was sit and bitch about France and the French, except for when they were pouring booze down their throats. Unless you are very rich and can wall yourself off England is a decaying country infested by yobs.

[MrPlum]

Unless you are very rich and can wall yourself off England is a decaying country infested by yobs.

[bsdk1960]

Unless you are very rich and can wall yourself off England is a decaying country infested by yobs.

\\\


what is a yobs ? i now its slang,try google it but not help.

[richard]

Goggle 'Yob' or 'Yobbo'

[Dannie Boy]

Unless you are very rich and can wall yourself off England is a decaying country infested by yobs.

\\\


what is a yobs ? i now its slang,try google it but not help.

Typically a youngish (teens into 20's) male (but can include females) whose joy in life seems to be making the life of "normal" people intolerable. Committing petty and more serious crimes to get a kick (or feed a habit). Somebody you wouldn't want living next door to you.

[bsdk1960]

what is a yobs ? i now its slang,try google it but not help.

[/quote]

Typically a youngish (teens into 20's) male (but can include females) whose joy in life seems to be making the life of "normal" people intolerable. Committing petty and more serious crimes to get a kick (or feed a habit). Somebody you wouldn't want living next door to you.[/quote]

Thanks,I thougt it was something like that,and these idiots must be everywere in the world i think.

[Dannie Boy]

what is a yobs ? i now its slang,try google it but not help.

Typically a youngish (teens into 20's) male (but can include females) whose joy in life seems to be making the life of "normal" people intolerable. Committing petty and more serious crimes to get a kick (or feed a habit). Somebody you wouldn't want living next door to you.[/quote]

Thanks,I thougt it was something like that,and these idiots must be everywere in the world i think.

[/quote]

Alas you are probably right - if you come from the UK you know doubt think its worse there, but in all truth it's probably just as bad in most of Western Europe (Germany, France and Italy have their fair share). Can't say about the USA but for sure it seems to be a growing worldwide problem.

[STEVE G]

Unless you are very rich and can wall yourself off England is a decaying country infested by yobs.

I sometimes go back for a weekend in the village where I was brought up in Notts. and it hasn't chabges that much from when I was a kid there in the sixties and seventies. Personally I wouldn't want to live there as I find it a bit boring and the climate disagrees with me but it certainly isn't infested with yobs or anything of that nature, to be honest it's actually quite a pleasant and friendly place.

[sargeant]

Mags wrote

The result is what we see now - many of the longer term expats simply moved further out - partly due to increasing prices in the town centre - but also because the whole feeling of the place has changed, and it is no longer the place they chose to live.
There is really little wonder that some are not content with the change.

It is not just the UK that has changed so has HH and that is me in red in spades the changes here were at a breathtaking pace (and mostly not for the better) and from a small fishing town in 1998 to the sprawling traffic infested mess it is now it is unrecognisable to me anymore

as for a uk return nowhere to go and no one left alive to go back for

PS mags i made 65 get my pennies from HR gov 30th never thought i would get there and 25k will do nicely thankyou

[margaretcarnes]

Congratulations Sarge!
Yes the pace of change in HH has been very fast. It's maybe only one of a few reasons for Brit grumpiness there (although i know they don't grump all the time just most of it ) but looking back there are many who have simply given up on the town centre, and I can undertand why.
Good to hear they are still out there and getting on with it though.
Personally I can see why the changes were considered necessary - and a lot of the town is much smarter IMO, despite the increased traffic. I do like the improvements to the Night Market and the fishing pier area, while at the same time bemoaning the loss of most original Thai houses now. Despite that it's mostly been done quite well. (Colonnade excepted of course!)
Maybe what expats should try to understand is that HH has always been a tourist destination. The golf for one thing attracted a lot of them in the first place. And from the moment the back packers were driven out of town I think the course was set.

[MrPlum]

I sometimes go back for a weekend in the village where I was brought up in Notts. and it hasn't chabges that much from when I was a kid there in the sixties and seventies.

Nice to hear it. Notts police had a pretty good reputation when I left. Here's a link to recent crime stats.. http://www.ukcrimestats.com/Police_Forc ... ire_Police



Does Thailand produce similar stats? Might be interesting to compare.

This will get Kendo's juices flowing... http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_m ... h-firearms