Why Do You Live in Thailand?
It’s a question I often find myself contemplating when interacting with other foreigners. True, it is mostly none of my damn business, but I still can’t help wondering what brings such a varied and diverse group of intrepid individuals to the very different land that is Thailand.
My guess is that the answers to this question are probably as varied and numerous as the number of foreigners living in Thailand. And yet I can’t help but feel that even through the differences there are some common themes or threads that tie many of us together, in our ideas and ideals at any rate. Some inner traits or yearnings that we all have and which cause us to venture out into the world, leaving friends and family behind, in search of filling some (often indefinable) need or desire.
I can tell you that for me there are several reasons that I live in Thailand:
- Because life here is less controlled than in my home country
- Most of the year I enjoy the weather
- I want my daughter to experience and internalize at least some aspects of Thai culture
- The foods are mostly delicious (I still can’t get used to organs or those little meatballs though)
- Inexpensive cost of living
- It is still a bit of an adventure
Needless to say, there are also very good reasons NOT to live in Thailand, but I’ll save that for another post where you can all tell me to stop whining and to leave Thailand if things are so bad here. Life in Thailand can be good, as can life anywhere because for the most part your life is what you make of it. For the time being though, Thailand suits me and my family quite well and I can say I am pleased (usually) with our decision to move here.
More importantly though, what are YOUR reasons for living in Thailand? I would love to hear them in the comments below.
I want so much to retire in Thailand,
the way of life is so simple so uncomplicated…the people I have met are lovely and again uncomplicated.
I have found a lovely lady..not interested in money just me…
I wish you luck in your wish to retire in Thailand, but beware that the people are not all that uncomplicated. Also, the language and cultural barriers mean that what you sometimes take for a lack of complication is just a lack of full understanding on your part.
Thank you for your good wishes…please tell what cultural barriers have you come across…I have only visited, being told I may have a lack of understanding sounds harsh! do you think I have lived in a gingerbread house and not any experience of what life is about?
I didn’t mean to be harsh Ken. What I mean is that the Thai culture seems uncomplicated on the surface, however it is actually very deep (as is any culture). Just visiting is not enough to learn about or see all the layers of a culture, especially if you don’t speak the language…again this is true for any culture. This is where the lack of understanding comes in…not because I think you live in a gingerbread house (that would be a stupid assumption on my part since I don’t know you or your experiences). In short, it is impossible to know all the nuances of a culture if you haven’t grown up in the culture and don’t speak the language.
Hell, I grew up in America and I guarantee you there are ways I could get caught out culturally in various areas of the country.
What a load of twoddle you talk….every country has its own culture..if you choose to live in that country and live that life, you adapt to that culture not gripe about it…embrace whats there and enjoy…
Sorry but you have a typical American attitude all brash and bullshit….
Where do you see me griping about living here Ken? Typical Brit response to attack without reading or thinking. If you would like to take the time to go back and read my comment, what you will find is this: “In short, it is impossible to know all the nuances of a culture if you haven’t grown up in the culture and don’t speak the language.”
Furthermore, people have the right to gripe whenever and about wherever they like, especially if they live there. I guarantee you that Thais gripe about Thailand, I’ve heard them doing so…same for Brits and the UK, Aussies and Australia and even us brash and bullshit Americans about America. No place is perfect.
I would also like you to reflect on the fact that choosing to live in a certain country does not equate to a desire to mimic or assimilate into a culture. Nor does it necessarily require an adaptation in all cases. I’ve seen plenty of immigrants to other countries that have not made an attempt to adapt to anything…that isn’t why they immigrated.
!.You wonder evry day about the challenges you get, in you life
2. Very good brain gymnatics to try to find out why logic is not invented her.
3. You can buy your selves out out any kind of troubles.
4. Corruption is a big advantage if you have money.
5. The weather is nice.
6. The superficial niceness of the thai, so you never get involved.
7. The big challenge to find a girl, who dont care about you money but like you as person.
8. Daily challenge of catching all the lies, and lie better that the locals.
9. Daily challenge of not getting cheated to much, and try to cheat the thais.
10. All together the a daily life where you have to use your brain, keeps you alert and young.
Challenges is a good part of the reason many of us are here I think. Life was just too boring and not challenging back in our home countries.
Even if Im am not living here full time, home government rules.
Evrything you can do, you social skills evry thing you have learned have to be rewriten, as the rules of life is so different. I have a doctor freind who told me, if all I have learned about hygiene in the university was true and applied to thailand, evrybody here would be dead. Again it makes me wonder what is the right way to live, east or west? Or is it like thruth in thailand different shades of grey not white or black.
Just one thing bothers me the gender gap, but on the other hand——
My husband found work here almost 4 years ago now.
We fell in love with it instantly…
Lived in chonburi first and now bangkok…in all honesty I preferred chonburi as I felt it was “more thai” if you get what I mean. Bangkok seems like any big city, expensive, unfriendly and fast paced.
Reasons we’ve stayed here:
1) Love the friendliness of everyone
2) Love the relaxed attitude to life
3) Financial improvements…definitely easier to save money here
4) Better way of life for our daughter, she attends an international school and has friends from around 20 different countries!
5) Better weather than in ther uk (us brits love a hot country)
Am hoping we will get to stay here for a very long time
Compared with the rest of the country Bangkok is as far from traditional Thai as you can get. In some ways it is almost like living in its own separate country. I have to agree with all of your reasons though. Glad you love it here and hope you get to stay as long as you like!
Joke krap
Also joke khrap
Always fun to live in foreign countries, Thailand being the most fun and interesting
Feel younger here, maybe because age not such a big thing and/or thais being so relaxed about life
One of the best eating cities in the,world
Great beaches just a few hours away
Despite huge price increases over the last decade prices still cheap
Finally a place where an older fat bald guy like memcan still date many attractive nice women (psssst please keep this last one a secret)
Somehow I don’t think the last one is much of a secret anymore