I enjoy living in Thailand

[STEVE G]

Yes, France is still affordable, I really like Luxembourg but buying property there is absolutely ridiculous, it pretty much starts at a million euros upwards!

[pharvey]

Yes, France is still affordable, I really like Luxembourg but buying property there is absolutely ridiculous, it pretty much starts at a million euros upwards!

Off topic I know, but visited Luxembourg a few years back - really enjoyed the place, but certainly not the cheapest! Can believe the property prices.

[handdrummer]

I've managed to think of a few reasons to like living in Thailand: I can go shopping without being shot at, my wife isn't attacked for being Asian, and I can afford to live here. None of which is true in the US.

[pharvey]

I've managed to think of a few reasons to like living in Thailand: I can go shopping without being shot at, my wife isn't attacked for being Asian, and I can afford to live here. None of which is true in the US.

Shouldn't that be in the "I don't want to live in the US" thread....

[handdrummer]

I've managed to think of a few reasons to like living in Thailand: I can go shopping without being shot at, my wife isn't attacked for being Asian, and I can afford to live here. None of which is true in the US.

Shouldn't that be in the "I don't want to live in the US" thread....

Anywhere at all will do.

Actually, I would prefer to live in the US if the conditions were different.

[KhunLA]

Anywhere at all will do.

Actually, I would prefer to live in the US if the conditions were different.

Anywhere works. Even the USA, and actually a preference, though I think I'd need a lot more money to enjoy it. Probably get bored after a couple years though or checking out the nature. Only real reason to go anywhere.

Since I can't really go first class, to everywhere, anywhere, I think I'll just keep slumming it here.

[handdrummer]

Anywhere at all will do.

Actually, I would prefer to live in the US if the conditions were different.

Anywhere works. Even the USA, and actually a preference, though I think I'd need a lot more money to enjoy it. Probably get bored after a couple years though or checking out the nature. Only real reason to go anywhere.

Since I can't really go first class, to everywhere, anywhere, I think I'll just keep slumming it here.

Definitely a lot more money. Enter any city, anywhere in the world, into Numbeo and you can see the cost of living and you can compare it to anywhere else. Also there are sights where you can search for, as an example, places in the US where I can live on ---(enter number of dollars). A single person could live comfortably on $2000 a month on the outskirts of Hard Times Mississippi.

[Ratsima]

Thailand is, by far, the loneliest place I've ever lived. Before I retired and moved here in 2005 I lived on Saipan for 26 years. There I was awash with friends and always had people to talk to and things to do. Never a lonely moment.

I've lived here 17 years and do not have one close friend. I spend all my weekdays totally alone with no one to talk to.

At this point I'm resigned to that state of being and wouldn't know what to do if I actually had a friend. I've become sort of a misanthropic loner; so much so that I prefer it.

Other than that, Thailand is a wonderful place to live.

[ahandpatsy]

Ratsima

You say week days. What do you do at weekends

Btw I completely sympathise with you. Any country can throw up the same set of circumstances. If your not a bar fly how do you meet people. Same everywhere.

When you first came HH did you seek out friends just let whatever will be will be

Ahandpatsy

[Jack_Batty]

Thailand is, by far, the loneliest place I've ever lived. Before I retired and moved here in 2005 I lived on Saipan for 26 years. There I was awash with friends and always had people to talk to and things to do. Never a lonely moment.

I've lived here 17 years and do not have one close friend. I spend all my weekdays totally alone with no one to talk to.

At this point I'm resigned to that state of being and wouldn't know what to do if I actually had a friend. I've become sort of a misanthropic loner; so much so that I prefer it.

Other than that, Thailand is a wonderful place to live.

I don’t think this has anything to do with Thailand. You can face this situation wherever you are. I’m not the most sociable fella around, but when I do get out, now and then, I am always meeting new people, who seem very friendly and enthusiastic to make, at the least, very casual friendships. Case in point, I went to that trivia night at Surf & Sand last month and met loads of new people. Very nice crowd. A lot of them had just moved back after being gone for a long time because of the pandemic.

[Ratsima]

Ratsima

You say week days. What do you do at weekends

Btw I completely sympathise with you. Any country can throw up the same set of circumstances. If your not a bar fly how do you meet people. Same everywhere.

When you first came HH did you seek out friends just let whatever will be will be

Ahandpatsy

On weekdays my wife works (she has a one person law office). So, I'm alone. On the weekends she's home so we can do stuff together and I have another human being with whom I can converse.

We actually live in Korat. We've owned a condo in Cha Am for the past six or seven years. We spend 5 or 6 days a month there. Since I don't live permanently in Cha Am I haven't attempted to make friends there.

I go out for coffee every day in Korat and we have restaurant meals five or six times a week. We almost never see other foreigners either in coffee shops or restaurants.

On the other hand, when in Cha Am we frequently see foreigners out and about: dining, shopping, having coffee, etc.

[Ratsima]

I don’t think this has anything to do with Thailand. You can face this situation wherever you are. I’m not the most sociable fella around, but when I do get out, now and then, I am always meeting new people, who seem very friendly and enthusiastic to make, at the least, very casual friendships. Case in point, I went to that trivia night at Surf & Sand last month and met loads of new people. Very nice crowd. A lot of them had just moved back after being gone for a long time because of the pandemic.

When I lived on Saipan there were a zillion activities in which one could partake and meet people: sailing, running, cycling, scuba diving, the Hash (House Harriers), endless parties thrown by expats and locals alike.

Nothing like that exists in the part of Thailand where I find myself. I helped found a Korat Hash, but it died a lonely death. I also helped found the Hash on Saipan in 1984. It is still going strong.

I find there to be a huge difference between the sort of expats who live on Saipan and those who live in Korat. Beyond that I'll silence my keyboard.

[PeteC]

....I find there to be a huge difference between the sort of expats who live on Saipan and those who live in Korat. Beyond that I'll silence my keyboard.

I think you did a big Saipan write up many moons ago. I'll look for it later on. Aren't they mostly working in tourism or military there? Perhaps some retired US military as well, similar to Guam.

Here, in Korat, I suspect you won't find many foreigners working at all, and most of retirement age.

[Ratsima]

I suspect you won't find many foreigners working at all, and most of retirement age.

I would suspect that the non-retired expat community in Korat consists mostly of teachers and people who have their own business or company. And, there are many, many retired expats. (They seem to provide my wife with lots of legal work.)

I have no idea where any of them hang out. Perhaps nowhere.

I live in a small moo baan that has 46 houses. Originally, there were five expats, including me. One was a retired Welshman. He liked to talk (but not listen) and his accent was a challenge, but we did chat now and then. He passed away a couple of months ago. There was also a Danish guy, about half my age who is on a disability retirement. Very nice guy, but he had his Danish "big bike" buddies, so we didn't see each other often. He recently moved to Pattaya.

Then there is a retired Irish guy. We have lived in the same neighborhood for nearly 15 years. I have never laid eyes on him except for once or twice at The Mall. I ride by his home several times a day, but never see him. I have no idea what he does, except golf.

Then there is an American guy who is a teacher. In 15 years I have seen him exactly twice. Once when he was mowing his lawn and once when his wife gave birth and they paraded the newborn around the block in a pram.

This baffles me and is one of the reasons I think that Korat expats are a bit "different".