What do you Like/Dislike most About Your Stay in Thailand?

[Terry]

Totally love it

Just two niggles

1) Corruption - it's endemic from bottom to top to bottom

2) Having first visited in '92 and finally moved here in 2000, the driving - it's got worse. I do around 20 -30,000 Km / year mostly commuting to and from Bangkok, and it still never fails to amaze me of the sheer stupidity that I witness daily.

[GLCQuantum]

...the driving .... never fails to amaze me of the sheer stupidity that I witness daily.

Stupidity? On Thai roads? Not seen it myself.

[HHTel]

Arlo wrote:

"Yeah me to, especially the ones that are black on a black road. I am not sure the law but it sure seem/s like anyone can put a speed bump or two anywhere they please."

Yes there are laws and in my experience, reporting illegal bumps to the local district office (Tessabhan) gets the required action very quickly. i.e. the Tessabhan will destroy them and if they find out the culprit then they are charged for the service.

[hhfarang]

Oh, and I forgot the insects:

48. Flys, Mosquitos, Gnats, Cockroaches, Ticks, Fleas, Spiders, Ants

I'm sure we have those here in N.C., but halfway through summer they are still not evident. We were always at war with armies of them there.

[Ratsima]

I lived on the tiny little island of Saipan for 26 years. It's a beautiful place but it has the sort of multiple problems that drive some people crazy. And, I admit that at times I was more than a little upset about some things. But, I carried on and ended up having a pretty nice life there. (I'd be there today if the prices weren't so high and my pension so small.)

But, there was another guy I knew who took everything personally and created a website called "Saipan Sucks". Of course, he he was able to compile and continually expand a massive list of everything wrong with the place.

But, it really doesn't take much to compile such a list about any place in the world. Depending on your needs and tolerance, some places may suck less than other places. I think it's a highly personal thing. For me and many of my friends, Saipan was and remains paradise on earth. Beautiful beaches, great sailing, wonderful scuba diving, fine people and plenty of activities to keep you busy night and day. But, for Saipan Sucks Guy it was hell on earth. Corruption, crooks everywhere, unreliable water and power, high prices, bad roads, etc.

It's really up to you.

[Troon Expat]

I think that Ratsima has summed things up rather well.
It is always very easy to complain and be critical, and we all like to do it from time to time.
But when all that you ever focus on is the negative, I think that your view becomes distorted.
I have worked with and known quite a few 'the glass is half empty' type people over the years and thankfully now that I am retired I can choose not to spend too much time in the company of these 'joy hoovers'.

I personally think that Hua Hin has very much going for it, and I think 90% of anything you do is down to your attitude.
If want make a go of anything, you can put up with minor irritations from time.

[Big Boy]

I agree. I said there were too many likes to list. When weighed up against a couple of dislikes, its the reason I'm so happy here..

[Name Taken]

Some of these apply more to Hua Hin than Thailand in general and some do apply to the entire country (or even all of S.E. Asia) and several items on the lists are probably only applicable to an American. Both lists are what I could think of at the moment and are by no means exhaustive. As you can see the dislikes list is much bigger that the likes list, hence my misery there and eventual exit back to the homeland.

Dislikes during my "ten year retirement" there or what I don't miss:

3. Soi dogs
4. Trash
5. Noise, i.e., near constant barking dogs, neighbors yelling, chickens cackling, loud bikes and tuk tuks, advertising trucks blaring over loud speakers, advertising over loud speakers in stores, outdoor music venues being so loud as to be heard for miles but too loud to listen to if at the event, etc.
6. Cost of things like new cars, cameras, gas, cheese, wine, etc.
7. Inability to conveniently shop for stuff on the internet.
8. Import duty, if you do find an internet site that will ship to Thailand.
9. Dishonest expats preying on other expats (I encountered this mainly in the real estate trade there).
10. Not feeling welcome or feeling like I belong there, i.e., immigration hoops to stay long term, inability to own property, dual pricing, etc.
11. Rats
12. Snakes
13. Dangerous highways
16. Not being able to buy decent clothes in a size that fits or a style that I want to wear.
19. Murkiness and general lack of safe sea waters to swim in.
21. Motorbikes i.e., the shear number and the way they are driven against traffic, on sidewalks, weaving through traffic, speeding by cars between lanes or near the curb in slow traffic.
22. Corrupt cops
23. Lack of simple logic on the part of Thais
24. Cost of maintaining property, i.e., even though labor is cheap, quality is poor.
25. Cost of travel to a location outside S.E. Asia
27. Thai acquaintances asking for loans or help all the time.
28. The insane way the majority of people drive.
29. The lack of decent public transport in the city, i.e., no taxies except tuk tuks or Songteaws.
30. Potholed or unpaved roads in and around the city.
31. Not being able to own a firearm
33. Shortages of municipal water
34. Having to have/maintain a water storage tank/home water pump because of low municipal water pressure.
35. Municipal water quality
36. Single room air conditioners
37. Lack of variety of climate and landscape throughout the country
38. Smokers, i.e., going to a nice restaurant only to have to breathe so much smoke that it affects the taste of your meal.
39. Narrow aisles in supermarkets
40. Restocking of shelves in those narrow aisles during peak shopping hours
41. Cost of western food items in stores, i.e., general high cost of places where I liked the imported selection (Villa Market). In contrast, the Asian market here where my wife can buy all the same stuff she cooked with in Thailand is just as cheap as the American market chains.
42. No Costco
43. No Walmart
43. No Walgreens (mainly for over the counter meds not available in Thailand)
44. No Trader Joes
45. Inconvenience, i.e., here I can literally get anything I want within ten minutes of where I live or over the internet without leaving my home. There I had to search the city, go to Bangkok, beg friends to bring things back from overseas with them, or beg friends/family to send things from the U.S.
46. Inability to sell real estate in a reasonable time frame.

and
(Sorry, but the red highlighted dislikes were funny)

The things I do like about Thailand are: (and these are just my personal opinion)
1.Hookers
2.Warm Weather year-round
3.Cheap cost of living(rent, food, gas etc.)

[Homer]

As you can see the dislikes list is much bigger that the likes list, hence my misery there and eventual exit back to the homeland.

Anything on that list one couldn't learn from visiting, reading sites of first person accounts of life in Thailand (that aren't supported by real estate advertising), and, if desperate, expat forums?

[heartofmidlothian]

My goodness ! 48 dislikes ! Well I have lived in Hua Hin for 21 years and love it. I suppose I compare Thailand to the UK and nearly everything is better in Thailand. Property is so cheap, food is so cheap, petrol is so cheap. Golf courses are great and the locals are friendly. If Thailand does not suit you, then just go live somewhere else and don't waste your time harping on about how terrible Thailand is.

[hhfarang]

As you can see the dislikes list is much bigger that the likes list, hence my misery there and eventual exit back to the homeland.

Anything on that list one couldn't learn from visiting, reading sites of first person accounts of life in Thailand (that aren't supported by real estate advertising), and, if desperate, expat forums?

When I made the decision in 2003 there was very little online information about Hua Hin or even living in Thailand, and yes I visited before moving, but you don't realize how all those things affect you until you have lived with them for a few years i.e., after two years there my list of dislikes would have probably been less than a dozen while my list of likes would probably have been bigger, but the longer I stayed the more numerous my dislikes became.

[Takiap]

There have certainly been a few interesting replies, and also a few strange things mentioned, namely a few "dislikes" mentioned by HHF.

One example would the comment about not be able to shop freely on the internet. As far as I'm aware, there is nothing in Thailand to prevent you from doing online shopping. Sure, there are online vendors in various countries that won't ship internationally, but that's a Thailand specif problem. I've bought stuff online several times during my time here and I've never had a problem, and neither have I ever been asking to pay any import fees or etc.

Vast sums of money to cool your home? I've not spent anything other than the cost of running a few fans. I kicked the aircon habit more than ten years ago and now I don't miss it at all.

Rats and snakes? To the best of my knowledge these creatures exist all over the world.

Thais asking for loans? It's never happened to me once in the last 18 years.

Lack of public decent public transport? I can only speak for myself, but I find public transport in Thailand to be better than I have experience anywhere else where I have lived.


Anyway, I don't want HHF to think I'm having a dig so I'll try and list a few of my own likes and dislikes...

LIKES:
1. Laid back attitude of the Thai and the genuine friendliness of most of them
2. Plenty of tasty cheap food available anywhere and everywhere
3. Public transport - a ride/lift is never far away and you rarely have to wait for more than a few minutes
4. Nice weather and hardly ever having to wear a jacket
5. Stunningly beautiful women everywhere you look, and of course, most are friendly as well
6. The fact that if city life gets to me, I can be on a beautiful tropical island within just a few hours and it'll cost me next to nothing
7. Low cost of repairs and etc - having a puncture repaired costs twenty baht for example
8. The level of freedom that one has here in Thailand (my biggest like by far)

I could think of plenty more but I'll move on.......

DISLIKES
1. Immigration loops to constantly deal with even after you been living here for years; have a family here and etc.
2. Vehicles spewing smoke out - bikes, cars, buses and trucks
3. Plastic, plastic, plastic and more damn plastic.
4. Litter everywhere and the casual attitude with which so many Thais will toss their wrappers and other rubbish wherever they wish.
5. Soi dogs (and owned dogs) that bite and are allowed to continue living. Sorry, but if it bites, kill it.
6. The brainwashing of children (not strictly a Thailand only problem).
7. The darker side of Thailand - forced begging, human trafficking, etc, etc
8. Not being able to by mutton at the markets or supermarkets.


Okay, I'll take a break and see if I can come up with any other dislikes.



PS: Ignore typos and/or spelling, I can't be arsed reading through everything right now.

[Arlo]

Takiap, I saw this article the other day, http://themindunleashed.org/2015/07/the ... astic.html
Maybe all at plastic could be used for this. I have to agree that plastic is everywhere and very ugly.

[Ratsima]

The online shopping bit sort of puzzled me as well. I've been doing online shopping here for years; everything from audio equipment to computers to to clothing to bike gear, etc., etc. I'm smiling now because I just received two cases of imported beer which I ordered online from WishBeer.

[JamesWest]

I decided to give up my very high standard of living for constant sex, chaos, anarchy, adventure and the illusion of more freedom. That is what I like about living here.

I knew all about the downside to living here. 99% of Americans should not come here for retirement. They have too many options at home.

You need to very adventurous to live here. Yes it can be depressing with all the filth everywhere, flies crawling on your food, starving animals, slave camps and dead elephants.

I sold everything that owned me in the USA. The only time I feel frustration is when I try to make Thailand like the USA. Yes buying a computer or anything here (imported) is no fun and and horribly expensive compared to the USA. For me, I just have to remember that living on the cheap near the beach is more important now than being able to almost instantly buy anything I want on the internet. Of course I sometimes miss Amazon.com with free instant shipping. And I do sometimes want to go to the market without risking my life. But now I buy far less crap. I had a house full of crap in the USA. It would show up in a UPS box the next day.

I knew that most of my USA hobbies are illegal in Thailand so I bought a high powered motorcycle and go on long trips. Yes Mad Max. Just remember they are trying to kill you and you should be fine.

I am a single American living in HH. If you are a older American I would think twice about living in Thailand. And if you are married to a Farang woman and older than say 70 I would not consider living here at all. An exception would be if you speak fluent Thai.

If you are completely broke, have no health insurance and living on SS then maybe it makes sense. You would be much better off in your very old age in the USA if you have health insurance, SS, no mortgage and some savings.

Americans should remember that comparing the UK to Thailand and the USA to Thailand is like apple and oranges. Completely different standard of living, costs of living and range of climates. Far more options in the USA. That is why so many UK/EU people love Thailand and see it as a step up in some cases. Coming from California I see the climate here as a big step down.

For younger Americans who may now never own a house and will only know a much lower standard of living than I had and can live on $1000 USD a month income, I say go for it.

As for the gun issue, I just bought a three foot semi automatic sword… hard to stash in my scooter.

the more you try to make Thailand like the USA, the harder and way more expensive it will be to live here.