Problems living in Thailand
Problems living in Thailand
Can anyone please tell me, of the problems that they have encounted living in Thailand.I have just been reading the other thread about,how do you handle living here and i am intrested in peoples experiances.I am married to a Thai,and currently living in the U.K but will one day make Hua-Hin our home, I have learnt a lot from my wife but would like to get as much knowledge as possible. I belive that the more things that you know about,will prepare you,and make the big lifestyle change a whole lot more enjoyable and smooth.I would not move to Thailand without doing the research.Some people,seem to moan a lot, is it because they are disappointed anti climax factor,or is it simply lack of research for that big move.I don't understand how you can move to Thailand and then be so critical about everthing and want to change it.
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Korkenzieher
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Kendo, There will be many others who will have more experience than me to share about Thailand specifically, but there is great danger in assuming that *anywhere* is utopia. You will always ultimately be disappointed. I have lived in quite a few countries now, and they all have their idiosyncrasies. It doesn't make any one of them right or wrong, but it *so* easy to start saying 'at home we do this...', and that just makes things worse. I have done it myself, albeit unwittingly, and received the backlash as a consequence.
The first thing I would say is that some people are inherently unsuited to living away from home. They miss their mates, local, the weather, pork pies, relatively un-corrupt public servants - anything, but they miss it enough to make them truly miserable. It is amazing how trivial differences can become major issues once that mindset sets in.
The second thing I would say is that life tends to deliver in direct proportion to what you put into it. That is true in Germany, Thailand, in the UK and anywhere else I've been. Friends of mine in Germany spent 10 years there without getting any further than learning to order a beer. Some go completely native almost immediately. Guess which are the happier with the experience.
What that all boils down to is that different things get under different peoples skins for different reasons, and the only relevant experiences will be your own. That said, forewarned is forearmed, and just being aware of what other issues people have can lessen your own learning curve.
For myself, I have spent about 2 years in Asia since 1993 ish, a large chunk of that in Thailand. I have (just) taken the plunge to make it more permanent. I have signed up for Thai lessons *before I land*. I regard it as important, you may not. But whatever it is that you think might help, the message is to go out and be pro-active about it. Don't expect it to come find you.
The first thing I would say is that some people are inherently unsuited to living away from home. They miss their mates, local, the weather, pork pies, relatively un-corrupt public servants - anything, but they miss it enough to make them truly miserable. It is amazing how trivial differences can become major issues once that mindset sets in.
The second thing I would say is that life tends to deliver in direct proportion to what you put into it. That is true in Germany, Thailand, in the UK and anywhere else I've been. Friends of mine in Germany spent 10 years there without getting any further than learning to order a beer. Some go completely native almost immediately. Guess which are the happier with the experience.
What that all boils down to is that different things get under different peoples skins for different reasons, and the only relevant experiences will be your own. That said, forewarned is forearmed, and just being aware of what other issues people have can lessen your own learning curve.
For myself, I have spent about 2 years in Asia since 1993 ish, a large chunk of that in Thailand. I have (just) taken the plunge to make it more permanent. I have signed up for Thai lessons *before I land*. I regard it as important, you may not. But whatever it is that you think might help, the message is to go out and be pro-active about it. Don't expect it to come find you.
Had enough of the trolls. Going to sleep. I may be some time....
living problems in Th.
I give you here a few thoughts regarding this thread.
Come to Thailand with a clear purpose. I mean you to know that you intend to live and not to work here.
If you wish to settle down here make sure you have enough money to last to the end of your jouney and with that I mean prepare it very carefully and not just food/beverage/clothing/housing/holidaying/hobbies, but also include capital items/insurance policies –health/car/motorbyke-, traveling and also take into account a 10% inflation and set aside money for the unknown.
Make sure your partner is in total agreement where you’re going and what you want from this place.
Make sure you do not have surprises with your wife getting pregnant, as then I would advise you maybe to select another place than HH, such as Phuket. for schooling.
Plan your hobbies carefully. The days are long and the sun is shining more than in your home.
Come here on vacation often and check out the place thouroughly before you settle in.
Once you have decided that HH is the place, rent whatever you want –house/condo/car/motorbyke/etc. Do not buy at the beginning.
When here, compare your property dreams with the positives/negatives/price comparison/location/etc., as well as your hobbies, such as for example golf – membership – without it, it could get expensive.
Check your budget and act accordingly.
Come and live here peacefully. Leave your past behind and look forward to the challenges ahead. Do not involve yourself in politics. Take a back seat and let your partner (Thai) do the dealings/whealings. Pay your dues when they are due. Keep out of trouble. Be patient and have a positive attitude to the change in your life and surrounding.
HH is a terrific place and this forum can be of immense value especially to newcomers. Pick out the threads which are of interest to you and contribute.
There is so much more to say, maybe I’ll be online again. Just need a break as I’d loved to watch ManU against Aresenal.
Good Luck.
Come to Thailand with a clear purpose. I mean you to know that you intend to live and not to work here.
If you wish to settle down here make sure you have enough money to last to the end of your jouney and with that I mean prepare it very carefully and not just food/beverage/clothing/housing/holidaying/hobbies, but also include capital items/insurance policies –health/car/motorbyke-, traveling and also take into account a 10% inflation and set aside money for the unknown.
Make sure your partner is in total agreement where you’re going and what you want from this place.
Make sure you do not have surprises with your wife getting pregnant, as then I would advise you maybe to select another place than HH, such as Phuket. for schooling.
Plan your hobbies carefully. The days are long and the sun is shining more than in your home.
Come here on vacation often and check out the place thouroughly before you settle in.
Once you have decided that HH is the place, rent whatever you want –house/condo/car/motorbyke/etc. Do not buy at the beginning.
When here, compare your property dreams with the positives/negatives/price comparison/location/etc., as well as your hobbies, such as for example golf – membership – without it, it could get expensive.
Check your budget and act accordingly.
Come and live here peacefully. Leave your past behind and look forward to the challenges ahead. Do not involve yourself in politics. Take a back seat and let your partner (Thai) do the dealings/whealings. Pay your dues when they are due. Keep out of trouble. Be patient and have a positive attitude to the change in your life and surrounding.
HH is a terrific place and this forum can be of immense value especially to newcomers. Pick out the threads which are of interest to you and contribute.
There is so much more to say, maybe I’ll be online again. Just need a break as I’d loved to watch ManU against Aresenal.
Good Luck.
Heres my top 10 gripes I have about living here. I may have missed something obvious, but I should say there are more positive reasons for living here than there are negative things about living here. Perhaps we need another thread of "Why I love living here" or something like that.
1. Difficult to learn the language.
2. Know it all, ignorant rude thick twat expat Ferangs. (We get more than the average fair share than elsewhere). - People who couldn't fit into society back home and can't really do so over here either.
3. Two faced property people who go on and on telling you its OK to buy a house and land using a fraudulent company who are friendly before you hand over money, then turn into rouge bstrds once they have your money.
4. Terrible driving, highway code ignored. loads of accidents
5. Visa problems - there is a huge website dedicated to all the problems.
6. Many Thais resent Ferangs living here and the numbers are growing. Could be something to do with point 2!
7. Constant red tape to do anything. I think I've photo copied my passport way over 1000 times since I got here.
8. Difficult for a foreigner to work, needs work permit and not easy to get and foreigners are not allowed to perform music or entertain without work permit (although there are occasions)
9. Difficult to integrate into Thai culture and contribute, even if you can talk Thai. You will always be considered an 'outsider'
10. Foreign restaurants sub standard (or at best very inconsistent). Probably because foreigners not allowed to cook in a restaurant without work permit.
1. Difficult to learn the language.
2. Know it all, ignorant rude thick twat expat Ferangs. (We get more than the average fair share than elsewhere). - People who couldn't fit into society back home and can't really do so over here either.
3. Two faced property people who go on and on telling you its OK to buy a house and land using a fraudulent company who are friendly before you hand over money, then turn into rouge bstrds once they have your money.
4. Terrible driving, highway code ignored. loads of accidents
5. Visa problems - there is a huge website dedicated to all the problems.
6. Many Thais resent Ferangs living here and the numbers are growing. Could be something to do with point 2!
7. Constant red tape to do anything. I think I've photo copied my passport way over 1000 times since I got here.
8. Difficult for a foreigner to work, needs work permit and not easy to get and foreigners are not allowed to perform music or entertain without work permit (although there are occasions)
9. Difficult to integrate into Thai culture and contribute, even if you can talk Thai. You will always be considered an 'outsider'
10. Foreign restaurants sub standard (or at best very inconsistent). Probably because foreigners not allowed to cook in a restaurant without work permit.
Lomuamart i do know a fair bit about Thai culture, but would like to know from an expats prospective, of any problems that they have encounterd settling in Hua hin.Saying "that you are sick of threads like this" is a little unreasonable, i come on to HHAD to learn as much as possible, i think it is fantastic web site and enjoy reading other peoples storys and points of view.You may not like this topic but lets just see how many reply.
My point was that you gave no information. You're reply at least gives a little bit more. So:kendo wrote:Lomuamart i do know a fair bit about Thai culture, but would like to know from an expats prospective, of any problems that they have encounterd settling in Hua hin.Saying "that you are sick of threads like this" is a little unreasonable, i come on to HHAD to learn as much as possible, i think it is fantastic web site and enjoy reading other peoples storys and points of view.You may not like this topic but lets just see how many reply.
How old are you?
How long have you been married?
Does your Thai wife live in the UK or over here?
How many times have you visited Thailand?
On your visits to Thailand, about how long have you stayed here?
Etc etc.
There's nothing wrong with your general question, other than the fact that it is.
Everyone has to overcome difficulties when relocating, but for you to benefit from any real advice, we need to know a bit more more about your situation.
Hope that clarifies matters.
hi kendo
if you already like thailand, presumably you do, the positives far outweigh the negatives
you can have a good life here if you plan it right and be careful, obviously unforseen disasters can strike anyone
im sure you know all the positives, but heres negatives to look out for:
the driving is dreadful (you want a car not a m/bike), bitter and twisted farangs (theres loads of decent people here mind), being over-charged by locals (usually peanuts but can be annoying), being riped off regarding a property purchase (you can avoid this if careful), healthcare (here in hua hin is low standard, but bangkok is excellent and cheap), infrastructure is lacking (ie: water goes off, pot-holed roads, floods in certain areas during storms)
as Korkenzieher rightly said, you get out of life what you put in, if you allow the minor things to get to you, such as thais over-charging, farangs s**t stirring, bad driving and the like, it will get you down
a key thing is to have enough money behind you to suit whatever lifestyle you plan (plus spare for emergencies). it is cheap here but you can also get through a lot. if you get your calculations wrong you wont enjoy it
if you intend to work, read the foreign business act to see what you can and cant do. getting a work permit is easy for the right type of business though
also your marriage, people come over here and get 'carried away', this could lead to big problems. or if it just goes wrong through other reasons, farangs have problems in this department
on the wife front, do not underestimate how many family members / relatives want to be your best friend. its easy to say i'll put my foot down on that one, but its another thing pulling it off
rightly or wrongly you and your wife may be put under a lot of pressure to assist them, may not be a lot of dosh, may not even happen, but worth preparing for. its different kettle of fish from when you last visited them in the village when on holiday. this does not apply to all families i must add
good luck mate
if you already like thailand, presumably you do, the positives far outweigh the negatives
you can have a good life here if you plan it right and be careful, obviously unforseen disasters can strike anyone
im sure you know all the positives, but heres negatives to look out for:
the driving is dreadful (you want a car not a m/bike), bitter and twisted farangs (theres loads of decent people here mind), being over-charged by locals (usually peanuts but can be annoying), being riped off regarding a property purchase (you can avoid this if careful), healthcare (here in hua hin is low standard, but bangkok is excellent and cheap), infrastructure is lacking (ie: water goes off, pot-holed roads, floods in certain areas during storms)
as Korkenzieher rightly said, you get out of life what you put in, if you allow the minor things to get to you, such as thais over-charging, farangs s**t stirring, bad driving and the like, it will get you down
a key thing is to have enough money behind you to suit whatever lifestyle you plan (plus spare for emergencies). it is cheap here but you can also get through a lot. if you get your calculations wrong you wont enjoy it
if you intend to work, read the foreign business act to see what you can and cant do. getting a work permit is easy for the right type of business though
also your marriage, people come over here and get 'carried away', this could lead to big problems. or if it just goes wrong through other reasons, farangs have problems in this department
on the wife front, do not underestimate how many family members / relatives want to be your best friend. its easy to say i'll put my foot down on that one, but its another thing pulling it off
rightly or wrongly you and your wife may be put under a lot of pressure to assist them, may not be a lot of dosh, may not even happen, but worth preparing for. its different kettle of fish from when you last visited them in the village when on holiday. this does not apply to all families i must add
good luck mate
Last edited by Super Joe on Mon Apr 14, 2008 12:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
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redzonerocker
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topics
i can understand lomu's response.
the reason being, because it's such an open subject & the responses are only a vague guideline from somebody else's experiences.
people have totally different tolerance levels & expectations which can be applied to just about every part of daily life.
the only real answer to your question is to go rent somewhere & live there for a period of time & see for yourself.
the reason being, because it's such an open subject & the responses are only a vague guideline from somebody else's experiences.
people have totally different tolerance levels & expectations which can be applied to just about every part of daily life.
the only real answer to your question is to go rent somewhere & live there for a period of time & see for yourself.
Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Thanks Super Joe i am not genralizing if anyone has a good story to tell about a problem or difficulty and by posting it i can learn from it,thats all i am asking.Me and my Thai wife live in Britain we are regular visitors to Thailand normaly to Surin.I have a fairly good understanding of Thai life e.t.c its the expats prospective i am intrested in especially around Hua Hin as thats were i want to live eventually.
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edwinadanish
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advice
Kendo, for what it's worth I agree totally with Jockey's post.
You will have noticed that I started the last post you referred to. I was heavily criticised by some for my open observations on the Thai experience.
The post was a genuine enquiry from me to try to deal with soem things that do really get to you here and luckily a few replies understood that.
You will have already noiced that your enquiry has generated a rude reply and that is fairly typical of the attitudes of many of the foreigners here as Jockey observes.
At the end of the day nowhere is perfect and I have been here for three years and had great times but struggle with many things. FOr me it all comes down to what you are looking for and more importantly hoe deeply you think about things.
The Thais rarely think too deeply about anything and 'sanuk' is the answer to everything. Froeeigners who like living ehre have the same attitude.
In a nutshell...
You will love living here if you do not expect too much from life, you like the simple pleasures, you are happy sitting around not doing too much and you can grin and laugh at any trivial thing. You might also appreciate cheap booze, cigarettes and sex if you are so inclined but of course not gambling.
You will hate living here if you like culture, deep thinking, intelligent coversation, good TV, morals, honesty, being treated as an equal, feeling safe at home or on the roads. You might also struggle with the corruption, cheapness of life and the total hypocrisy in nearly every aspect of life.
Thailand (in my opinion only before some boorish person replies that I am generalising or worng) is a great place to come for a holiday, retiure of you are older and looking for a simple way of life with few challenges or simply want to leave your brain or problems behind you.
And in all I say, like other posters you will note on this forum mention, I am not reserving my opinions on the locals - those that have settled here are the same or they would not have settled here.
Having a holiday here or having a holiday home here are dramatically different to living here full time and then you cross another dimension again when you try to work here - that must be the toughest thing I have done.
A final thought. This forum is, as I have found out and you can see for yourself by reading the other threads, a place where you will only find answers to some things because of the type of people who write here. The best place to eat Sunday roast, where to buy a high powered water gun, can you get a massage for any cheaper and especially who's going to win the next football match are the burning issues....
My advice is ask yourself whether they are your burning issues! For me I'm a little more concerned with the fact that the Prime Minister of this country is actively supporting China and looking foreard to attending the Olympic ceremony whilst others are taking a moral stance to at least soem degree. But then going back to my earlier point about morals, there are very few here, whereas thoughts of personal financial gain pervade every moment of life...
I'm not sure whether I'm off to another country - time will tell - but I'm certainly off to anoher forum!
You will have noticed that I started the last post you referred to. I was heavily criticised by some for my open observations on the Thai experience.
The post was a genuine enquiry from me to try to deal with soem things that do really get to you here and luckily a few replies understood that.
You will have already noiced that your enquiry has generated a rude reply and that is fairly typical of the attitudes of many of the foreigners here as Jockey observes.
At the end of the day nowhere is perfect and I have been here for three years and had great times but struggle with many things. FOr me it all comes down to what you are looking for and more importantly hoe deeply you think about things.
The Thais rarely think too deeply about anything and 'sanuk' is the answer to everything. Froeeigners who like living ehre have the same attitude.
In a nutshell...
You will love living here if you do not expect too much from life, you like the simple pleasures, you are happy sitting around not doing too much and you can grin and laugh at any trivial thing. You might also appreciate cheap booze, cigarettes and sex if you are so inclined but of course not gambling.
You will hate living here if you like culture, deep thinking, intelligent coversation, good TV, morals, honesty, being treated as an equal, feeling safe at home or on the roads. You might also struggle with the corruption, cheapness of life and the total hypocrisy in nearly every aspect of life.
Thailand (in my opinion only before some boorish person replies that I am generalising or worng) is a great place to come for a holiday, retiure of you are older and looking for a simple way of life with few challenges or simply want to leave your brain or problems behind you.
And in all I say, like other posters you will note on this forum mention, I am not reserving my opinions on the locals - those that have settled here are the same or they would not have settled here.
Having a holiday here or having a holiday home here are dramatically different to living here full time and then you cross another dimension again when you try to work here - that must be the toughest thing I have done.
A final thought. This forum is, as I have found out and you can see for yourself by reading the other threads, a place where you will only find answers to some things because of the type of people who write here. The best place to eat Sunday roast, where to buy a high powered water gun, can you get a massage for any cheaper and especially who's going to win the next football match are the burning issues....
My advice is ask yourself whether they are your burning issues! For me I'm a little more concerned with the fact that the Prime Minister of this country is actively supporting China and looking foreard to attending the Olympic ceremony whilst others are taking a moral stance to at least soem degree. But then going back to my earlier point about morals, there are very few here, whereas thoughts of personal financial gain pervade every moment of life...
I'm not sure whether I'm off to another country - time will tell - but I'm certainly off to anoher forum!
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redzonerocker
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- Location: England
Re: advice
are you talking about europe or thailand here??edwinadanish wrote:
You will hate living here if you like culture, deep thinking, intelligent coversation, good TV, morals, honesty, being treated as an equal, feeling safe at home or on the roads. You might also struggle with the corruption, cheapness of life and the total hypocrisy in nearly every aspect of life.
edwinadanish, you will be sorely missedI'm not sure whether I'm off to another country - time will tell - but I'm certainly off to anoher forum!
Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
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margaretcarnes
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Problems living in Thailand
Kendos question was a reasonable one. Lomus reply I can understand - and Edwinas response sadly just supports Lomus view.
For anyone to suggest that Thailand is for people who (may) want to leave their brain behind is downright insulting.
Yes - there ARE a lot of threads on here about eateries, bars etc. There are also a lot on the more basic needs like visa runs, work permits, and (not surprisingly) where to buy household items, find a dentist etc.
Surely thats what its all about? Sharing information and opinions, good or bad.
IMO what people tend to forget is that these common topics apply wherever you live. I think that Edwina is just venting a general feeling of frustration and inability to cope in LOS, and it's starting to impact on other threads.
Kendo - you've had some good advice. Mine would be to ignore the clearly bitter and twisted responses. Go with your heart, do some financial planning, and try to tackle the language
For anyone to suggest that Thailand is for people who (may) want to leave their brain behind is downright insulting.
Yes - there ARE a lot of threads on here about eateries, bars etc. There are also a lot on the more basic needs like visa runs, work permits, and (not surprisingly) where to buy household items, find a dentist etc.
Surely thats what its all about? Sharing information and opinions, good or bad.
IMO what people tend to forget is that these common topics apply wherever you live. I think that Edwina is just venting a general feeling of frustration and inability to cope in LOS, and it's starting to impact on other threads.
Kendo - you've had some good advice. Mine would be to ignore the clearly bitter and twisted responses. Go with your heart, do some financial planning, and try to tackle the language
A sprout is for life - not just for Christmas.