Life in Thailand - Test Results

[christianpfc]

After 18 months here, I see that it is fairly easy to make Thai friends but very difficult to make farang friends who have common interests.

We might have a different idea what constitutes as "friend", but I have few to no Thai friends, but many Farang friends. Most of them gay, but many not on the forums. I have just too little shared interests with Thais to go beyond fun and fringe activities.

[bkkmfj2648]

We might have a different idea what constitutes as "friend", but I have few to no Thai friends, but many Farang friends. Most of them gay, but many not on the forums. I have just too little shared interests with Thais to go beyond fun and fringe activities.

Then we are definitely living opposite lives. With my Thai friends, I have gone to:

Koh Larn x 4,
Koh Samet x 2,
Koh Chang,
Phitsanulok,
Sukhothai

Thanks to my Thai friends I have been able to participate in the volleyball events at Dongtan beach (near the Sea Rescue facility). The Thai guys that I met here were the primary reasons why I was able to travel with them to the above list of places. Furthermore, thanks to these friends I have been exposed to the Thai-on-Thai network of masseurs and escorts - which are different than the ones that we mainly see in Grindr.

Then there is my small group of Thai friends who work within the walls of Supertown - and this has been a very eye opening experience as I get to see how the Thais see us farangs who frequent the Jomtien Complex. When these guys organize small house parties - often I am the only farang in attendance.

Alternatively, my experiences with fellow farangs is almost nil as I often don't have much in common with what they want to do - in that I get bored with the "farang sit - farang drink" modus operandi.

There is so much more to do in Thailand....

[Dodger]

Comparing tourists with retired expats is like comparing apples with oranges. I think it makes more sense to compare the differences between farang who retire in their home country versus choosing to retire in Thailand - because that's really where the tire meets the road.

I think any expat that lives in Thailand would agree wholeheartedly that life in Thailand beats the alternative, but what does that really mean? It's better...great...but then why do so many expats seem so bored, bitter, and depressed?

I really hate saying this because there's certainly a lot of very friendly positive - thinking expats over here - but about half of them act like they they have a piece of barbed-wire stuck up their ass. Always complaining...never a smile...pontificating...everything's wrong...they're constantly being inconvenienced by the world around them...the music's too loud...the price of eggs went up two baht...the boy who showed up at their door had a slight mustache that wasn't visible in his picture on Grindr.,,Oh My God! Why don't they just shut up once in a while and give everybody a break.

So, I guess the question is; Will you automatically have an amazing life filled with joy and happiness when you retire in Thailand? Based on everything I've seen so far you have about a 50/50 chance.

[maump]

why do so many expats seem so bored, bitter, and depressed?

I really hate saying this because there's certainly a lot of very friendly positive - thinking expats over here - but about half of them act like they they have a piece of barbed-wire stuck up their ass. Always complaining...never a smile...pontificating...everything's wrong...they're constantly being inconvenienced by the world around them...the music's too loud...the price of eggs went up two baht...the boy who showed up at their door had a slight mustache that wasn't visible in his picture on Grindr.,,Oh My God! Why don't they just shut up once in a while and give everybody a break.

So, I guess the question is; Will you automatically have an amazing life filled with joy and happiness when you retire in Thailand? Based on everything I've seen so far you have about a 50/50 chance.

There are a many many people who are generally unhappy by nature. Glass Half-full people. I know myself to be one of those and struggle against it.

I grew up in with critical parents who expected more from us kids than we delivered. I went into a career that valued critical people who found problems and fixed them, striving for "excellenc...." a condition that could never be reached. the result... me - highly critical, everything can be better.

But I have learned not to voice my opinion and to look to surround myself with happy people to keep me on the high side. I struggle the most when people ask for my opinion... how was your meal? how was the accommodation?

Retired at home - I'm bored, seeking projects to do. on vacation, I bury myself in sexual activities. what do I love about thailand (short list)? the people, the food, the accommodations.... a lot of other things are lacking (the weather). Colombia - the people/men, the weather.... Philippines the people...

where to retire? sigh, I need to keep looking and trying. did 3 months in colombia. want to try 3 months in thailand and 3 months in PH.