When do you start to feel sad about leaving Thailand?

[joe552]

Marsilius, I don't think you're the odd one out. Like yourself, I no longer think about how great it would be to live in Pattaya (or Thailand) full time (well, not every day). And maybe that's what the OP was asking, since he seems to spend a longer time in Thailand than us 2 or 3 weeks tourists. But I am generally sad to leave and always feel I could stay for longer, if finances and circumstances would allow.

[mysteryman]

Howdy!

I usually only visit once a year, and then for 30 days, with one exception in 2010, when I visited twice. Ok...to the question: My worst days of my life usually are when entering the car to the airport, but the feeling is coming slowly already 3-4 days earlier. However, it has gotten a bit easier during the years, but the tears are still not far away... Hoping this will change now during this summer, as me and my bf from the LOS are going to registrate our relationship here in my country. He will be arriving in a fortnight, he might then have the chance to stay here longer than the usual 90 days...

I like Pattaya ..phuket...pi pi islands....chaig mai..koh samui..but the place i like most and miss is Isaan and could live there no problem....the people are the nicest i've got to know in Thailand and the farmland and lakes are beautifull

[anonone]

My visits to Thailand are short, usually 5 days in Thailand (not counting travel time). A couple of times I managed to get 8 days, but it is hard to be away from work for longer periods.

I visit 5-6 times a year...and yes from the USA, that means I am on planes A LOT !

I go full blast during my visits. I typically have early morning flights out of BKK to head home, so the last night we are up all night, hitting the bars with breaks in between for time in our room.
The sadness hits hard when we are back in the room for the last time, with BF helping me throw clothes into the suitcase and waiting for my taxi. It just kills me every time. :crybaby:
I try to plan the next trip right away so I know when I will be back. That does seem to help.

I would really like to try staying in Thailand for much longer periods of time, but it is not easy to figure out how to make that happen (far away from retirement age :glasses7: )
The many businesses for sale are tempting, but not sure it would be the smartest move to make now. Can someone convince me otherwise??

[Dick]

Interesting but morbid post jellybean.
It made me wonder whether you regard yourself as a resident of Thailand or a resident of UK.

As currently a UK resident I tend to visit LOS two or three times a year for periods of between one and four weeks, depending on opportunity. When the time comes to leave I don't like it, but I don't dwell on it. No point brooding about it in advance. But I always ensure I have full travel insurance to cover my stay. You can get policies to cover for 30, 45, and 60 days whilst out of the UK without too much trouble, but I've not seen any insurer offering cover for longer than 60 days. I got the impression from your post that you tend to stay for longer periods. If so what do you do for insurance?

You begin feeling sad 3 weeks before your departure? Perhaps understandable if you've spent 6+ months in LOS, but quite morbid if you arrived only a week before. Why put a downer on your time that should be enjoyed?

[newalaan]

1. How long do you normally spend in Thailand each year?
10-12 weeks. (3 or 4 trips per year of around 3 weeks duration each trip)

2. How often do you visit Thailand?
3 or 4 times per year.

3. And at what point in your holiday/vacation do you start to feel sad about having to return home?
After 3 weeks+ i'm quite ready to get back home after re-charging the batteries. There is so much to do and look forward to at home I don't really get that sad nowadays when leaving. Also I know I'll be back to Thailand within 3 months or so. I always book my next trip during the first week I get back to UK, so I have my next guaranteed trip to plan and look forward to. If you are prone to feeling sad and miserable at leaving Thailand, the next best thing you can do is book another visit as quickly as possible when you get home

Can't really envisage myself staying in Thailand permanently at any stage of my life, what I may do as I near retirement is stay longer on each visit. The breaks between visits keep my appetite for all things Thai keen. I enjoy every second I spend on my Thailand trips, but don't stay long enough in Thailand or long enough in one place in Thailand to get in a rut or for any kind of boredom to set in. Our one week partying in Pattaya is the longest I stay in one place in Thailand. I enjoy having two completely different aspects of life, Western and Thai. But I still really look forward to my visits to Thailand just as much as I did a dozen years ago when i first visited.

[gerefan2]

Question 1...3 months stay
Question 2...Once a year
Question 3...I dont feel sad to be leaving, 3 months is quite enough!

but I've not seen any insurer offering cover for longer than 60 days

Try American Express, valid 1 year, with any one trip of 90 days... you dont have to be American we have it in England!

[travelerjim]

IF you are currently on a so called retirement Visa...
Why not go to Immigration NOW - before you leave and renew your visa for another year?

Just let them know you will be back..but have surgery set in the UK and not sure what date back in TH.
They will understand and issue you another 365 days extension..the retirement visa.

Be sure to get a re-entry permit..single or multiple...if you do this...that way your visa is good when you re-enter.

If you are on a retirement visa and it expires...YES, you can enter Thailand
on a tourist 30 day visa...then you will need to start the whole paperwork process over again...
convert the tourist visa to a Non-Immigrant "O" vias and then converted to the retirement "extension of visa 365 days".

It costs more than 2,000 THB...it is not a late fee issue.

Good luck...

tj

[Wesley]

On the way to the airport especially if the guy rides with you to get one last tip for crying all the way there.

[Wesley]

tj, he Philippines lets you stay and makes you Pay every two months that way they get the money not the other country you go to. But its not a lot like 20 bucks.