I enjoy living in Thailand

[HarryVardon]

I often see articles about all the things that are bad about living in Thailand. Although I agree with a few of these things, I am living in Thailand because I enjoy living here. There are many advantages here when compared to Western Europe. Here are a few in no particular order:
Friendliness of the people
I have been in Thailand for more than 10 years. In that time I can count the number of unfriendly people that I have met on one hand. Man, woman, young or old, friendliness is just second nature to them all. I have even met some friendly immigration officers which nobody expects.
Weather
The weather here is so consistently good that it is not really a topic of conversation. We have two seasons each year, wet and dry. The temperature does not normally drop below 25 degrees at night or get above 35 degrees in the daytime. During the wet season it normally only rains in the afternoon or night time and then only for a short time. Rain has only caused me to miss golf about 3 times in 10 years. Although 35 degrees may seem to hot it is something that everybody gets used to.
Lack of interference from Civil Servants
In most of Europe everybody has their lives run by civil servants. There are rules about everything and permission has to be obtained to do or start anything whether that is opening a shop, building an extension on your own house, etc. In Thailand that is all free. If my wife wishes to open a restaurant in the front garden then she can do that without asking or even telling anyone. If she buys land she can build any type of house she wishes on that land and in any location she wishes.
Safety and Security
Walking around almost any city in Western Europe in the evening can be a dangerous business. House break-ins are common. In Thailand I feel completely safe. I have never had I crime committed against me and I don’t really know anyone else that has. I feel safe and secure here.
Invisibility of the police
I hardly ever see a policeman on patrol or a police car on the roads. This is as to be expected as they are not really needed. In 10 years I have been stopped once for alcohol control but, as I hardly ever drink, that was no problem and very friendly. There are regular controls on the motorways but I am always waved through without stopping.
Live and let live
Thai’s have a very easy going attitude to life. They don’t go around looking for trouble. They would rather ignore something than get into a rage about it. If the government makes a law that the Thai people don’t like then they will just ignore it (and that includes the police). We have had lock-downs here for the last two years but the only thing they have achieved is put a lot of people out of business. General life went on as normal.
Driving
Many drivers here break the rules, I am sure many of them do not even know the rules. But, and this is a big but, they normally break the rules in a sort of safe way. People will drive on the wrong side of the road and drive the wrong way down a motorway but, when they do they will drive slowly with lights flashing. When this happens it is normally caused by bad road design. In general I feel safer driving in Thailand than in Europe mainly because people in Europe are always in a hurry to get from A to B and tend to drive very dangerously and angrily if they can’t go as fast as they wish.
Parking
There is no such thing as a parking warden or a parking meter. I don’t think parking fines even exist. I have never heard of a clamp being used here either. I admit that parking is not easy here as the roads are very narrow and there are scooters parked everywhere but it is many times better than the situation in Western Europe.
Eating
Restaurants here are free and easy. You can always share food or even bring your own food. If you wish to take any leftovers home they are always obliging and have appropriate packaging. Most restaurants serve a wide variety of food so you can always find something for everyone.
Smoking
I am not a smoker and hate the smell of smoke. The laws in Thailand concerning smoking are much stricter than Europe (smoking is not allowed within 50 meters of a public building or restaurant) but they are completely ignored. Most restaurants are smoke free in the indoor section and smoking is only allowed outside. Others allow smoking inside. Nowadays most smokers have the manners not to upset none smokers so everything is OK. If I cannot get away from the smoke in a restaurant or bar then I will just leave instead of complaining about it.
Service
Good service is normal in Thailand. Almost all golf clubs provide a taxi service between the club house and car park. If you need any kind of help whatsoever there is always somebody there to provide it and free of charge.

[Dannie Boy]

I’d agree with nearly everything you’ve said, the only exception being the driving - although there is generally not too many aggressive (road-rage) drivers, the unpredictability can catch you out unless you’re paying 100% attention, 100% of the time. Ok you could say that you should be doing that anyway, I just find that it is more demanding here.


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[HHTel]

I agree with your general outlook but some of the items are actually illegal. Yeh I know TIT.

Lack of interference from Civil Servants
In most of Europe everybody has their lives run by civil servants. There are rules about everything and permission has to be obtained to do or start anything whether that is opening a shop, building an extension on your own house, etc. In Thailand that is all free. If my wife wishes to open a restaurant in the front garden then she can do that without asking or even telling anyone. If she buys land she can build any type of house she wishes on that land and in any location she wishes.

To build a house you first need 'permission to build' followed by a building licence and plans approved by the Tessabahn. When complete it needs a basic inspection. In BKK and once that I know of in HH, buildings have been bulldozed because they were built illegally.
Opening a shop or restaurant has rules. For one, you need a licence, something that is checked regularly. The rules are laid out in the Thai Commercial Act.

There is no such thing as a parking warden or a parking meter. I don’t think parking fines even exist. I have never heard of a clamp being used here either. I admit that parking is not easy here as the roads are very narrow and there are scooters parked everywhere but it is many times better than the situation in Western Europe.

Parking fines do exist. I've been fined, just once, for parking with my car facing oncoming traffic, i.e. the wrong way. Clamps do get used regularly in BKK and cars have been towed on occasion, even in HH.

Walking around almost any city in Western Europe in the evening can be a dangerous business. House break-ins are common. In Thailand I feel completely safe. I have never had I crime committed against me and I don’t really know anyone else that has. I feel safe and secure here.

I've been here 20+ years and, apart from stolen helmets and one stolen m/bike, I've had one break-in. Money and jewelry was taken whilst everyone in the house was asleep in bed!
Over the years I've known several people who have fallen foul of criminal activity including one murder - in HH.

As I said, I agree with your sentiment and because TIT you can get away with a lot but much of what you say does have rules.

One of my pet gripes along with most people are the hoops you have to jump through to be allowed to stay here. Not least of all, the 90 day reporting which is akin to being on parole.

[KhunLA]

I often see articles about all the things that are bad about living in Thailand. Although I agree with a few of these things, I am living in Thailand because I enjoy living here.

I must like also, still here, 22 yrs.

First couple lines sums it up, didn't bother with rest ...

[HHTel]

I often see articles about all the things that are bad about living in Thailand. Although I agree with a few of these things, I am living in Thailand because I enjoy living here.

I must like also, still here, 22 yrs.

First couple lines sums it up, didn't bother with rest ...

Despite my previous post, I'm with you. I'm here because I want to be.

[centermid7]

Enjoy it - yes. Love it - no

[handdrummer]

Re weather. Some, not all people, get used to it.

[STEVE G]

Re weather. Some, not all people, get used to it.

It's a big plus for me, I'm sat in the garden in Hua Hin now and it's beautifully comfortable in a tee shirt and shorts.
About 10 days ago I was working outside in Europe in sleet and freezing rain, in April!

[handdrummer]

Re weather. Some, not all people, get used to it.

It's a big plus for me, I'm sat in the garden in Hua Hin now and it's beautifully comfortable in a tee shirt and shorts.
About 10 days ago I was working outside in Europe in sleet and freezing rain, in April!

It doesn't work for me, I'm not suited to the climate. I can't take the humidity and this time of year triggers allergies that I've never had. I'm tired of living in the house 24/7 except when we go out to buy food; then it's an air-conditioned house to an air-conditioned car to an air-conditioned store and wearing a mask to keep out the pollen.

[HHTel]

Asthma/hay fever is strange. My daughter suffers very badly. She's never without her inhaler in Europe. She's collapsed a few times when she was younger and finished up in hospital. However when she's here, not only is her breathing better but she never needs to use her inhaler. She does buy a few to take back as they're a lot cheaper here.

My wife when she lived in the UK, had severe allergic type reactions. When we consulted a doctor, he said, having looked at it, was that she was allergic to the sun! "Don't talk wet", I said, "She's from Bangkok".
"Different sun" he replied. "Very common when Asians come to the UK".

I still don't understand but so far it's proved true. Why my daughter is able to breathe here without her inhaler as a backup is quite beyond my comprehension.

[Bamboo Grove]

Asthma/hay fever is strange. My daughter suffers very badly. She's never without her inhaler in Europe. She's collapsed a few times when she was younger and finished up in hospital. However when she's here, not only is her breathing better but she never needs to use her inhaler. She does buy a few to take back as they're a lot cheaper here.

In my opinion, it's the humidity. I had a strong hay fever when I was young. It got better as years went by but when I lived in Thailand, there was no sign of it. My couple of summer visits to Pommyland were bad, there's so much grass there. I warned my bro when he went there, he didn't believe me but should have. With the humidity in Thailand, the pollens don't fly.

[handdrummer]

Asthma/hay fever is strange. My daughter suffers very badly. She's never without her inhaler in Europe. She's collapsed a few times when she was younger and finished up in hospital. However when she's here, not only is her breathing better but she never needs to use her inhaler. She does buy a few to take back as they're a lot cheaper here.

In my opinion, it's the humidity. I had a strong hay fever when I was young. It got better as years went by but when I lived in Thailand, there was no sign of it. My couple of summer visits to Pommyland were bad, there's so much grass there. I warned my bro when he went there, he didn't believe me but should have. With the humidity in Thailand, the pollens don't fly.

The pollens blow from the trees with the wind. I never had allergies till I moved to Hua Hin. In Bangkok, there are hardly any trees and I wasn't bothered. I grew up, mostly, in L.A. so I was used to the smog. In Florida, I lived near the Gulf and there weren't many flowering trees so I had no problems there.

[STEVE G]

Yes, that can't be much fun. I'm the opposite, I come outside at about 06:30 to walk the dogs, I breakfast on the terrace, do stuff in the garden, go walking on the beach, cycle etc. and I'm still often sat out on the terrace until midnight. I don't even have a couch inside the house anymore, I gave it to the step son because we never used it.

[Chazz14]

(Sorry - still on pollen, but maybe I can help)

I suffered from bad seasonal hay fever in England and was reliant on pills to make working bearable.

My reflexologist suggested I drink much more plain water. This would then inhibit the body's production of histamine.

It worked! Later I found my pills and threw them away (about 10 years ago))...

[Big Boy]

For me, having the occasional moan makes me happy, and there is plenty to moan about here

Seriously, I love my life here. The weather certainly helps. I am sat on my front porch 5 nights a week until 22:00.

I'm not a big drinker, but we have the new bar central (Soi 94) at the end of my Soi. When I lived in Plymouth, Union Street was famous because it had 14 pubs in one street. Here, they are building bar complexes like they are going out of fashion. I counted 27 new bars in the Maldives complex alone.

Restaurants, we have everything you could possibly want.

Driving - as somebody said it's the way Thais drive - get used to it. It's the Farang visitors you have to be wary of. They try to mimic the way Thais drive, and they are not good enough. OK, you get the occasional idiot, but you get them everywhere, not just Thailand.

People are generally very friendly. Yes, you get the occasional obnoxious git, but again, they are everywhere. I love the multi-cultural aspect of living in a holiday town. My circle of close acquaintances come from at least 23 countries. This would not have been the case if I was living in the UK. Additionally, you never know who you are talking to. Living here I've met several people who would have celebrity status in the UK, but here they are just another acquaintance. I really think it's fantastic.

The Government - yes, they can be annoying, and seem to go out of their way to create hoops to jump through. Just play the game - it's not normally too arduous. Many rules are written here, but IF enforced, usually forgotten 2 weeks later.

It is relatively cheap to live here also. I know people moan a lot about the price of this, or the price of that. Pound for pound, things are much cheaper here. OK, buy everything here that you bought in your home country and it will be expensive. Buy sensibly, and it will be cheaper.

I would certainly rate moving to Thailand as one of the best things I've done.