Is it All it is cracked up to be?

Many of us think LOS /Pattaya is paradise on earth,compared to our own life's . Some of us have mediocre jobs and lifestyles ,others have different and extravagant lifestyles. But the common denominator is the the fact that we are all Queers. Would you live in Pattaya?.
Supposing you had enough money/ income to live there in PTY ,would you? What would you do everyday, bearing in mind 1 boy a day is enough ( except Latin ooXxxx) for most people. Assuming that is only for sex, how then does one get the all encompassing " love" that every human being craves? It is not just about sex,for FFS it has got to be more than that?

Getting back to the original question,to those that live in PTY,is it what you thought it would be? Or are you trapped?





Sounds corny ,but be honest!

[Neal]

Trapped. I would move to Chaing Mei or Siam Reap in a heartbeat if I could and has nothing to do with money. No Pattaya is not all that I had expected. After the initial fun, frolicking and whoring is over, it is just too hectic for me with a boring beach and too any wash women/two faced.

[Narakmak]

Yeah it's a total hell hole here. Don't do it.
CM is also not a good idea, horrible air pollution for months.

[Neal]

Thanks for the tip but it doe not look like I can do it anyway. The only thing I guess I like about Pattaya is the nice restaurants.

[Narakmak]

For those who want to try living here, do not invest in a business or real estate. That's my advice.

[Beachlover]

I fell in love with the country purely because it was the first place where I felt entirely comfortable and at home with being gay and was able to be myself.

As a tourist, Thailand was just one of many interesting countries to explore so nothing special. Though it was cheaper than the rest.

In terms of having fun, yes it was easy to pick up in Thailand and the guys are so friendly but there's nothing I could do in Thailand that I didn't do in half a dozen other Asian countries almost as easily... I've chatted up and picked up hot guys from gay nightclubs all over Asia. I've gone through the excitement of getting acquainted with a handsome new guy between crisp white sheets in dozens of plush hotel rooms across Asia... those were the days.

Now Thailand is just the home of my second family and a place my partner likes to go back and visit often. I have friends there. I enjoy the beach resorts and the hip new rooftop bars they keep opening in Bangkok... But I kind of prefer spending time elsewhere now.


Would you live in Pattaya?.
Supposing you had enough money/ income to live there in PTY ,would you?
I have enough income to live anywhere I want. I would not choose to live in Pattaya because it has nothing I want.

I probably wouldn't choose to live in Bangkok permanently either. I love Bangkok and enjoy dropping in and out of it but have to admit everything there is still second rate compared to cities like Sydney, Singapore and Hong Kong.


Assuming that is only for sex, how then does one get the all encompassing " love" that every human being craves? It is not just about sex,for FFS it has got to be more than that?
I think the answer is, you settle down, find a compatible partner, fall in love and build a life together.

I know I will cop shit for asking but I honestly don't understand how some of you guys can just keep going and be perpetually satisfied with the one nighters and fucking lots and lots of guys.

In your twenties, you're just exploring and having fun so ok. 30s, maybe I guess you're still transitioning but to keep doing that into your 40s and 50s just seems so meaningless and hollow to me. Don't you have any desire for anything more than random, in the moment sex?

[TravellerDave]

I have two life's. Ones in the familiar cold and rain of England where I've lived for the majority of my 60 odd years and where I've made the money that is required to finance my other life in Thailand (principally Pattaya).
I did holiday when i was younger in other gay resorts such as Playa des Ingles and Ibiza, but I've not been to them for a few years, because of the overwhelming attraction of Thai boys and their availability for rather modest amounts of cash.
I also enjoy the hot weather, exotic atmosphere and good value hotels.

However after about 3 weeks I start to tire of the booze and whores and am not sad to board the London flight and return to normal. Mind you after a week or two I start looking at my diary and checking flight prices. Also this board is for news of the gay community Thailand.
I think if I lived in Pats the magic would fade.

I have two life's. Ones in the familiar cold and rain of England where I've lived for the majority of my 60 odd years and where I've made the money that is required to finance my other life in Thailand (principally Pattaya).
I did holiday when i was younger in other gay resorts such as Playa des Ingles and Ibiza, but I've not been to them for a few years, because of the overwhelming attraction of Thai boys and their availability for rather modest amounts of cash.
I also enjoy the hot weather, exotic atmosphere and good value hotels.

However after about 3 weeks I start to tire of the booze and whores and am not sad to board the London flight and return to normal. Mind you after a week or two I start looking at my diary and checking flight prices. Also this board for news of the gay scene in Pattaya/Thailand. I think if I lived in Pats the magic would fade.

Yes Travellerdave, you pretty much summed it up for me! Basically I am not happy here ,and I am not happy over there (after2 weeks) so is this just me ,or is there something inherently wrong with the Gay lifestyle ? Woe is me!

[Neal]

I don't know if I read the previous post correctly as far as its last line but if I did read it correctly, you believe this forum is for Pattaya Thailand only? No,
this forum is for Thailand. I admit that a lot of input is from Pattaya and that is probably because that is where most of the expats are and that is where most of the gay tourists go but it is a Thailand fourm. If I did read the last line incorrectly, I apologize.

[RichLB]

Pattaya offers plenty of what makes for a fulfilling life. One of the attributes often ignored is that Pattaya is one of the few places where people don't write you off because you've reached "a certain age." It's not a sexual issue, it's a social benefit. Young Thais and older eagerly reach out make friends with us older folk. I don't know of any place else - certainly nowhere that I've tralled to - where age is not a filter for friendship.

As to being happy here, I think that's more a function of who you are rather than where you are. I suspect that those who are unhappy here would be equally unhappy anywhere. Those who are not happy have not discovered that happiness is a function of your relationship with yourself. Looking for external fulfillments is a dead end.

So, for me, yes I would still choose to live in Pattaya if I had to decide again where to retire.

[timmberty]

when you say one boy is enough for one day, then you have a problem straight away, as you are in pattaya for nothing other than sex ...
but is that all its about ? is that all its for ? why travel 11/12 hours for a few weeks cheap sex ? save the air fare and have dearer sex at home, sure it costs more but the money you save on the fare will cover the sex.
i would imagine the people who are happy in pattaya are the ones who have friends, by that i mean real friends, not ones they have to pay to be with.
it would matter not where in the world you were if you only had paid for friends, you would not be happy.
if you lived in pattaya and had real friends like you do at home then i'm guessing things would be totally different.

Pattaya offers plenty of what makes for a fulfilling life. One of the attributes often ignored is that Pattaya is one of the few places where people don't write you off because you've reached "a certain age." It's not a sexual issue, it's a social benefit. Young Thais and older eagerly reach out make friends with us older folk. I don't know of any place else - certainly nowhere that I've tralled to - where age is not a filter for friendship.

As to being happy here, I think that's more a function of who you are rather than where you are. I suspect that those who are unhappy here would be equally unhappy anywhere. Those who are not happy have not discovered that happiness is a function of your relationship with yourself. Looking for external fulfillments is a dead end.

So, for me, yes I would still choose to live in Pattaya if I had to decide again where to retire.

Thanks RichLB, but is the "crux" of your point about locals accepting elderly people,compared to the country where you hail from?
If so... And I might be wrong...that is not my query, rather I am interested in the quality of life gay people have living in Pattaya ?
Of course what you say is a perfectly valid point in the context you described. And no disrespect Sir, but I am an immature 50 something ,meaning there are still a lot boys I have yet to "know", ie acceptance is not enough for me. But it is clear you have made the right choice,most of the "western countries" young people have no respect for God nor Man!

[christianpfc]

I would not choose to live in Pattaya. But going there for holiday every now and then is fine.

when you say one boy is enough for one day, then you have a problem straight away, as you are in pattaya for nothing other than sex ...
but is that all its about ? is that all its for ? why travel 11/12 hours for a few weeks cheap sex ? save the air fare and have dearer sex at home, sure it costs more but the money you save on the fare will cover the sex.
i would imagine the people who are happy in pattaya are the ones who have friends, by that i mean real friends, not ones they have to pay to be with.
it would matter not where in the world you were if you only had paid for friends, you would not be happy.
if you lived in pattaya and had real friends like you do at home then i'm guessing things would be totally different.

Timerty, the only reason I go to LOS is for... What , temples, culture, ??
Throw me a bone ok, I'm there for the Thai boys, nothing else!!! But even I ... Ahemm.... have my limits , ie there are only so many boys one can f**k, and then it becomes ..... .well boring .Admittedly away from Los for 1 day and the cycle begins again i e one cannot stock up on sex!
Sorry maybe you think I live in Pattaya ,no I do not! And by all accounts I am happy I do not! But on my retirement a few pointers would be appreciated. How about you do you live in Pattaya ?

[timmberty]

so you go to a place to fuck as much as you can for 2 or 3 weeks then its gets boring, and you go home ?
so i dont get the question .. why ask if its all its cracked up to be ? you use it for what you want.
if i told you it was fantastic, theres loads to do, pretty much just like youre home town !!
and unlike my home town london there is also a beach ..
you dont go for the temples or bird watching, so does it matter if people tell you its great for that sort of stuff ?
its a major town in a pretty hot country with an amazing capitol city just 2 hours away ..
i may well be living in pattaya before the end of this year, depending if i get a job in bangkok, if i get the job ill work for a few years there, if not im in pattaya for as long as i want to be there, so i will have a different take on it ..
i wont be out shagging every night, i will have to find things to do with my time etc etc.
for me it matters not where i am in the world, you can be happy anywhere or miserable anywhere !!
as they say ... upto you.

If i had a choice...even tho i like Pattaya as a fun place. ..i dont think i would like to live there....The Place i see as a 2nd home is the village ive stayed many times in Nong bua Lampoo got many friends there and love the countryside around there and the climate is much kinder to us Farlangs than the south of the country which i find too humid

[francois]

... But I kind of prefer spending time elsewhere now.

Don't you have any desire for anything more than random, in the moment sex?

BL, since you live such a wonderful life just why do you spend your precious time on this forum; surely you have better things to do them slum here.

[joe552]

francois, surely nobody believes Beachlover's posts are in any way true - just take them for the fantasies they obviously are.

As for the topic, I would happily retire in Pattaya if I had the money to cover such things as medical expenses, but since I won't have that at retirement age, I'll have to settle for Tenerife.

[TravellerDave]

I have thought about living in Pattaya for a longer period than my normal 3 or 4 week holidays. I'm only semi retired and that would mean severing my contact with work from which I still derive money and satisfaction.
Also I know I would have to adopt a different lifestyle to the holiday one. I'm not a big drinker but consuming every night would surely have a big effect on my health. I have a couple of conditions which I seem to keep in check by a healthy lifestyle back home. I would have to find some sort of positive activity. Many farangs play golf for example and I've tried it over the years with conspicuous failure, so I don't know what that activity could be. I don't think I could go into a steady relationship.
I don't have any friends in Pattaya but I can always find people to chat to, although this can be difficult because of my poor hearing and the deafening noise that pervades Pats.
No on reflection I think I have found the ideal relationship with Pattaya, which principally involves fucking and being fucked by boys.

[francois]

francois, surely nobody believes Beachlover's posts are in any way true - just take them for the fantasies they obviously are..

Agreed joe; the only one that believes BL's post is BL himself.

[Beachlover]

is there something inherently wrong with the Gay lifestyle ?
How would you define the "gay lifestyle"?


Pattaya and that is probably because that is where most of the expats are and that is where most of the gay tourists go.
Actually I reckon (but have no data) there would be more expats living in Bangkok. But Bangkok would have more employed working expats (though there are plenty of retired ones too) than Pattaya. Pattaya tends to mostly attract the retired expats.

I think the OP was mainly asking about Pattaya though.


One of the attributes often ignored is that Pattaya is one of the few places where people don't write you off because you've reached "a certain age." It's not a sexual issue, it's a social benefit. Young Thais and older eagerly reach out make friends with us older folk. I don't know of any place else - certainly nowhere that I've tralled to - where age is not a filter for friendship.
I have to ask the same question as Zebedee... What country are you comparing this to?

I think you're making a very flawed assumption and I wonder what you base this on... I know tonnes of older gay guys in Sydney and other cities around the world who have circles of friends and social lives with older and younger people. I have plenty of older friends myself, some directly and some I got to know when they became partners of my friends. Pattaya's definitely not the only place where older guys can make friends.

The other question I would ask is if you're making friends with younger people in Pattaya, are any of them from a similar socio-economic and cultural background to you?

If not then consider the possibility that they're just making friends because the look up to you as being of higher status, not because you are compatible in any way as a friend. This doesn't happen much in the West but is common amongst Asians. Nothing wrong with that in itself but it might link back to the reason why you think older guys can only make younger friends in Pattaya and not elsewhere...

... But I kind of prefer spending time elsewhere now.

Don't you have any desire for anything more than random, in the moment sex?

BL, since you live such a wonderful life just why do you spend your precious time on this forum; surely you have better things to do them slum here.S'estime heureux Francois.

[Neal]

Per the rules and guidelines, please use English so posts may be monitored.

[loke]

Its not that great to live in Pattaya most of the year . If its only boys and sex you're after , you will love it in the beginning but to live here is a different story.

If you have a bf and want to live a better life , you can choose other places in Asia. I love Asia and will not move away from the culture, the people , the food , and the boys.

Cambodia has become more friendly to foreigners in many ways , if you can live a life without gogo bars, but enjoy the natural beauty of Khmer people go for it.

[a447]

ravellerdave wrote:
I think I have found the ideal relationship with Pattaya, which principally involves fucking and being fucked by boys.

Yep. That just about sums it up. Except the "being fucked" part!

The good thing about any place is that you are free to leave when you've had enough. And return when you feel the itch.

And a medical emergency in a third world country doesn't bear thinking about, so I would find it difficult to retire in Pattaya.

From a very senior long-time off-and-on resident/sexpat who keeps coming back even though he knows what itтАЩs like here in Pattaya: Living in Pattaya cannot be considered тАЬnormalтАЭ in any sense of the word.

Put it this way: Do you know many/any straight (both farang) couples who are long-time Pattaya residents? Probably not. There is nothing to attract them to settle here or to remain here for more than a few months.

Those of us, gay or straight, who are here for promiscuous sex will often admit that life is not as satisfying as we thought it would be in Pattaya. Aside from the sex, there is so much one has to put up with in day to day life: tropical maladies, an enigmatic culture far removed from anything we are accustomed to, language barriers, pervasive corruption, the high cost of maintaining an international standard of living. Those are some of the hidden costs when purchasing cheap sex.

In an LTR with a Thai guy? Yes, a couple of them are known to have worked out well for both parties, perhaps the best ones being those where the farang has relocated to the bfтАЩs hometown (which brings financial demands from extended family, but thatтАЩs another topic). Not many LTRтАЩs do well in Pattaya. Too many temptations for the farang to find extra comfort with another boy, and too many temptations for the Thai guy to fall into the clutches of outrageous hairdressers, sweet tongued mobile phone vendors, cut-rate orthodontists, and the worst, the yaabaa culture.

This morning I drove from Baan Souy Resort up to the Big C on Pattaya Klang. Traffic gets worse year by year. Developers impinge on what will never again be a tranquil seaside resort. There is almost nowhere in town to escape the ugliness, crowding, visual and audio pollution.

But where else can you find stunning young guys who sell their bodies at such reasonable prices? ThatтАЩs it. ThatтАЩs the reason for living in Pattaya, and as other posters have noted, that simply is not an enduring draw. Holidays here? Fine. Full time in Pattaya? Takes a certain kind of person to enjoy that.

[Manforallseasons]

I've lived in Pattaya for ten years and it been grand, the thought of retiring in the west in Florida or Spain for me would be a horror. I Pity those stuck at the age of retirement in such places.

Then you are certainly luckier than I and many others have been. I applaud your success and wish you many more years of contentment here.

[Oliver]

It amazes me that, ten years ago, I was seriously considering relocating to Pattaya. Thank heavens I didn't....for many reasons, not just financial.
One thing I didn't consider at that time was the effect of finding a boyfriend. In those days I was content to trawl the bars for three months of the year; little did I think that , one day, that would lose its appeal. Nor indeed that I'd meet someone in Pattaya and, well, come to love him.
This nine-year relationship doesn't make me regret that I didn't relocate; far from it. I find that the long distance relationship, despite many and obvious disadvantages, ensures that we do not grow tired of each other, that we can enjoy things separately which we cannot share and that our time together is always fresh rather than routine.
And as for Pattaya, we spend time there because that's where we met, where we both have friends, where there is a hotel that always delights, decent (and still inexpensive ) restaurants. The fact that there are so many cute guys around is icing on the cake. Nevertheless, over the past few years, more and more of our time together is spent in other parts of Thailand and now I find Pattaya a fun-place to be...for a few days.

[Beachlover]

There is almost nowhere in town to escape the ugliness, crowding, visual and audio pollution.
Interesting and a good observation... I felt the same way the last three times I visited. The only places I felt peaceful and comfortable were high up in my hotel room or lounging in the Hilton's rooftop pool. Everywhere else at ground level was just ugly and crowded.


Living in Pattaya cannot be considered тАЬnormalтАЭ in any sense of the word.
This I agree with.


Do you know many/any straight (both farang) couples who are long-time Pattaya residents? Probably not. There is nothing to attract them to settle here or to remain here
Again... true. I'm sure they exist but are pretty rare.

[cdnmatt]

I'd never live in Pattaya, because as mentioned above, it's great for a few days or a week to relieve some stress, but that's about it.

Thailand on the other hand has become my home over the years, and I have no desire to go back to the Western world for a multitude of reasons. The only way I can see myself going back West is if, a) my parents got sick and needed help caring for themselves, or b) I become a millionaire who can afford to build a luxury house in the Rocky Mountains, or on a nice lake somewhere, etc. Going back to live in a Western metropolis just really isn't on my list of desires though.

There's many differences between Thai and Western society that I'd no longer want to go without though. The gentle shyness of Thai people, their non-confrontational and non-judgemental nature, the fact karma plays into many of their day-to-day decisions, respect is something to still be valued in society, kids are better behaved, there isn't anywhere near as many egotistical jerk-offs around, it's extremely safe, you good get bang for your buck in terms of cost of living, and many other things.

Not to mention, Western economies have been on a downward trend for the past decade or so, and it doesn't appear there's an end in sight. Whereas SE Asia economies are experiencing huge booms right now, and no end in sight of that either. I'd much prefer living in a society that's experiencing an economic boom versus a recession.

[kjun12]

Trapped. I would move to Chaing Mei or Siam Reap in a heartbeat if I could and has nothing to do with money. No Pattaya is not all that I had expected. After the initial fun, frolicking and whoring is over, it is just too hectic for me with a boring beach and too any wash women/two faced.
Amen and hallelujah. This is not a cut against Pattaya because I live in Bangkok but I sure as hell would like to get away from here. Just sick of the Bangkok traffic, heat and nasty drivers.

[Beachlover]

Matt, if you don't mind a bit more stress and want to get yourself more established in Thailand you could look at starting a programming house of some sort in Bangkok or Chiang Mai or something. I noticed quite a few of these operating out of Thailand, some employing well educated locals, some employing expats (lots of those living there). You'd be selling Western standards of expertise and work quality at a third of the price local developers here or in Europe/Nth America charge.

Also, it would give you more of a local connection and sense of purpose for being there. That's one thing about spending time in Thailand for me is other than catching up with friends and my partner's family, I've got no reason to physically be there... any work I do, I'm doing it remotely, which as fun as that is, gets me feeling a bit disconnected after a while.


The gentle shyness of Thai people, their non-confrontational and non-judgemental nature...
Not sure (can't remember) if you're still with Kim... But have you ever had to deal with something for him just because he didn't have the ability to deal with level of confrontation himself?

This trait makes them very charming and warm at first but it can also be quite dysfunctional and annoying when they're unable to confront things, which need to be dealt with.

A common weakness of a lot of Thais I've used as managers is not being able to give constructive feedback and correct poor performance. They either do it in a very indirect/sideways anger way (which does not help) or they just let it slide... for example when staff are turning up late or forgetting about assigned tasks. I've had to spend a lot of time coaching them through how to give constructive feedback and have difficult conversations... They are REALLY out of their comfort zone doing this until they've done it successfully a few times and then they really see the value of it.


Not to mention, Western economies have been on a downward trend for the past decade or so, and it doesn't appear there's an end in sight. Whereas SE Asia economies are experiencing huge booms right now, and no end in sight of that either. I'd much prefer living in a society that's experiencing an economic boom versus a recession.
I know that's the case with most Western economies but the Aussie one is still booming... Life is easy here!

I don't think you're going to benefit from your local economy in Thailand booming unless you're running a business that derives income locally (i.e. servicing clients in Thailand) or you buy property/assets there.

[Impulse]

I don't think you're going to benefit from your local economy in Thailand booming unless you're running a business that derives income locally (i.e. servicing clients in Thailand) or you buy property/assets there.

That's why I'm pro real estate here, even if we are forming a bubble now, 10 or 20 years from now your money should be worth more. Going from a weak currency to a stronger one. And the eventual China reserve currency of the world. This trend will last a very long time IMHO.

[netrix]

I've been living in Pattaya for a little over a year, and I like it here but I'm ready for a change.
I moved here last year to accept a job offer. Now I'm working full time for myself and planning
to move to Phuket in a few weeks. Everything I love about Thailand can be found in places
besides Pattaya, so there's no real reason for me to want to stay here. I can visit anytime,
but I'm not old enough to retire and my work is a big part of my life -- so I may be a bit
different from some of the retired expats or tourists here.... in that I'm not just looking for
a daily "shag."

I like Pattaya but I like everywhere I've ever lived for different reasons. I've told friends that
the only thing I'm not crazy about in Pattaya is the general attitude and behavior of a lot of the
expats - mostly straight tourists. Pattaya seems to attract some of the bottom of the barrel.
But Phuket has a bit more diverse crowd, not just retirees and not just sex tourists. A community
of marketers network down there making my solopreneur lifestyle a little more social. And it's
closer to Singapore, Bali, KL and other places I fly frequently.

[christianpfc]

S'estime heureux Francois.


please use English ...

Especially, if French is not your mother tongue. The sentence above sounds very strange to me (I'm not a native speaker, but have an advanced level in French).

[Khor tose]

Yeah it's a total hell hole here. Don't do it.
CM is also not a good idea, horrible air pollution for months.

In 3 1/2 years of full time living in Chiang Mai I have only seen two months out of the year that are bad for air pollution--March and April, and they are not always that bad both months. We also have three months where it is positively cool to cold here. All in all I would say we have much better weather here then Bangkok, less heat then Pattaya, and a far better class of ex-pats. Especially when I am counted. :happy7:

[francois]

S'estime heureux Francois.


please use English ...

Especially, if French is not your mother tongue. The sentence above sounds very strange to me (I'm not a native speaker, but have an advanced level in French).


Francois feels happy. Google translate!

S'estime heureux Francois.
please use English ...Especially, if French is not your mother tongue. The sentence above sounds very strange to me (I'm not a native speaker, but have an advanced level in French).I do so agree. Will you be extending the same principle to posters who argue endlessly on the board about that other foreign language -Thai - and whether, say, lemon and lime are the same word in that foreign language?

[timmberty]

Francois feels happy.
lets hope snow white never finds out ... dirty francois !!!!

[dab69]

Have been "sitting on the fence" about moving to Thailand since my first visit in '97.
Since that time I have visited a total of 12 times for a cumulative bill of about $50,000.
Haven't made up my mind quite yet, but enjoy checking it out and gathering further data.
Every time I renew a cell phone/cable contract I kick myself in the ass - what if I want to move
next year/? Te preceding winter months here have been devastating here in the cold USA,
but each spring I seem to forget all about it.

Have delayed visiting a couple years now thinking I could use the money should I move.
Fantastic way of saving money - delaying gratification and also staying on the safe side of doing nothing.
Now upon checking out retirement age in TH, I would have precious little time employed there,
since the retirement age is 60. No problem, I would make very little
there as a teacher anyway.

But not difficult to imagine cashing in too early and having difficulty later.
Perhaps with a bank, brokerage, or identity theft from wi-fi or internet shop and my accounts.

Nice episode on "house hunters" last night. Cute young female teacher was checking out apartments
in Bangkok for $475/month. All had access to pools. However, I am accustomed to not making payments for
quite a long time.

Probably 10 years from now- I'll still be "sitting on the fence". Maybe visit once in a while but stay there longer in the winter.

[Sooty]

Probably 10 years from now- I'll still be "sitting on the fence". Maybe visit once in a while but stay there longer in the winter.I'm totally with you dab69 - the Land of Scams is okay for a visit but I'm not sure I want to live there. If I did I would organise my affairs so as I could catch the next flight out given the way politics has played out over the past few years and how it could evolve over the next five. The burning of buildings in central Bangkok a couple of years ago could be seen as a walk in the park compared to what may come in the next few years.

There are some good cheap books in the Kindle section of Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=retirement+thailand&rh=n%3A133140011%2Ck%3Aretirement+thailand). I've read a few of them. Some are good, some of them so full of inaccuracies you wonder what sort of a grasp the author has on reality. A couple I found interesting - both by the same guy - are How to retire to SE Asia and How to survive retirement in SE Asia. I've just started Moving to Thailand - some reasons to do it, some reasons not to do it, which is more a personal memoir than a How To book. His summary is interesting and IMHO true:
If you only visit Thailand for a short time, it can be easy to underestimate how different Thais and Thai culture are from what you find in America or Europe. If you live here for a while, how those differences eventually come to effect you will depend on your personality and how open you are to changing your behavior. Thais will not immediately expect you to act like they do in all ways. On the other hand, if you live in Thailand for a while, they will expect you to modify your behaviors somewhat to fit in with their cultural expectations.

Personally, I have found living in Thailand for the last three plus years to be a very pleasant and satisfying experience. As I describe in my Kindle book, Nine Reasons Why An Old American Man Should Move to Thailand, part of the reason I've been able to make the transition from living in America so easily is that my Thai wife of two years has a good understanding of Thai culture and has been willing to share her knowledge with me. Members of her large family have also contributed to my insight into Thai culture.

In spite of all of Thailand's attractive aspects, living here is not a good fit for everyone. It's easy to find unhappy expatriates here. Many are unhappy and have a long list of things they find objectionable тАж but many can't seem to move back to their home country or on to another place that might suit them better.

[Khor tose]

I'm totally with you dab69 - the Land of Scams is okay for a visit but I'm not sure I want to live there. If I did I would organise my affairs so as I could catch the next flight out given the way politics has played out over the past few years and how it could evolve over the next five. The burning of buildings in central Bangkok a couple of years ago could be seen as a walk in the park compared to what may come in the next few years.

I quite agree. I started coming to Thailand in 2002 with one goal in mind, mainly to find a younger boyfriend. I discovered that short visits and hasty selections just plain did not work. Nor did the bar scene or massage scene seem to be the place where I could find someone I could be happy with. Do not take the last sentence wrongly. I have have met people who have been lucky to find their boyfriend that way. That way just did not work for me. Four years ago I moved here and found someone who I could live with, and as soon as a stupid law changes in my home country, we are returning to the USA. This country seems to please a lot of people for a lot of good reasons, but in America I get better health care, feel safer and more secure, and America will definitely offer my Thai BF greater opportunities for his future then Thailand ever will.
Had I been able to find a younger BF in America, I would never have left in the first place.

[francois]

Had I been able to find a younger BF in America, I would never have left in the first place.

Had I been able to find a younger BF at home I would prefer that . But could never bring my Thai BF to home; he would wilt like "an untimely frost upon the sweetest flower of all the field". However better a life with him in Thailand than no life at home.

[Sooty]

I'm totally with you dab69 - the Land of Scams is okay for a visit but I'm not sure I want to live there. If I did I would organise my affairs so as I could catch the next flight out given the way politics has played out over the past few years and how it could evolve over the next five. The burning of buildings in central Bangkok a couple of years ago could be seen as a walk in the park compared to what may come in the next few years.

I quite agree. I started coming to Thailand in 2002 with one goal in mind, mainly to find a younger boyfriend. I discovered that short visits and hasty selections just plain did not work. Nor did the bar scene or massage scene seem to be the place where I could find someone I could be happy with. Do not take the last sentence wrongly. I have have met people who have been lucky to find their boyfriend that way. That way just did not work for me. Four years ago I moved here and found someone who I could live with, and as soon as a stupid law changes in my home country, we are returning to the USA. This country seems to please a lot of people for a lot of good reasons, but in America I get better health care, feel safer and more secure, and America will definitely offer my Thai BF greater opportunities for his future then Thailand ever will.
Had I been able to find a younger BF in America, I would never have left in the first place.Despite your earlier post on the virtues of Chiang Mai's less polluted atmosphere, I wonder how much of your dissatisfaction about, say, health care is because you are living in the provinces and not in the capital? I would never live outside Bangkok for that reason alone.

I've read speculation by the way that the Supreme Court will throw out the DOMA cases on a technicality - they don't want to make a decision. I've never understood why America places such a store by marriage - the rest of the world bases its immigration rules on the quality of the relationship, not its legal standing.