I simply can't handle...
* being an alien.
* the fact that I could be kicked out of the country at the whim of an ignorant xenophobic.
* working for 'precious' people who can't handle criticism.
* the dirt, rubbish and pollution.
* the increasing level of street dogs once again in Hua Hin.
* blah blah blah etc etc.
I'm moving from the place of the mysterious 'jumping off balcony farangs' to the 'happiest place in the UK', Harrogate. I'm used to switching between each polar extreme so this suits me to a tee.
So...
What to expect after 12 years away?
Well done that man.
After 12 years in Thailand we also moved back to the UK, for pretty much the same reasons. We have a nice condo in Hua Hin that we shall keep and use for 4 or 5 months in the winter, but during the spring, summer and autumn we will be spent in the UK, North Yorkshire to be exact. My wife, who is Thai and had previously lived there for 15 years prefers the UK with its easier climate, better value, countryside that you can actually walk around in, and people with a more grounded view of life and not obsessed with the prices and appearances
For me I find I am much more engaged with life whilst in the UK, I know where I stand, goalposts are not constantly on the move and I know I will never be illegally shaken down for money by the authorities. Thailand is fine for a holiday, even an extended one, but after 12 years we were just too bored with our lives there, as another poster said, Market Village started become the highlight of the day, and when that happens you know something is wrong.
It is not easy, in fact I would say it is impossible to fully integrate into Thai society in any meaningful way, and even though I can speak and read Thai to a high standard, it is very difficult to engage a Thai in any meaningful conversation other than about food, the superficialities of life or where to get something at a cheaper price.
The only Thais that seem able to hold a logical opinion, are open to new ideas and are able to argue their case are those educated abroad and then the conversation is in English. Sure Thais are friendly and smile a lot but its hard to go deeper than that and the general lack of ethics, refusal to accept responsibility, the constant brushing under the carpet of truthfulness in order to preserve face, and their childish enslavement to mammon and status got harder and harder to live with.
Thailand is a fun place, but ultimately it is no more than a scruffy and disorganised cul de sac on ones journey through life.
Good luck in Harrogate, I know it well and it is a fine town.