Life after Thailand, what is yours like?

**DJ Pat** · 11-02-2010, 11:36 PM

I had 6 and a half great years in Thailand. I drank, got stoned, slept around, swam at beaches, ate seafood, lived a great standard of life, DJ-ed, TEFL-ed, and lived out several fantasies.

In Dec 2008 I returned to the UK. I was exhausted by it all, I needed to get Bangkok's fumes out of my lungs. I needed to catch up with friends and family, properly. I needed to sort my epilepsy out on the NHS.

It sure wasn't the horror terror scary story that many barstool drunk runaway expats in Thailand will have you believe. They are living in their fantasy world, you can't persuade them otherwise. I was the same.

But at some point the honeymoon period comes to an end. For me the added burden of living in Thailand was the gross incompetence of a nation with first world aspirations.

I needn't mention any examples of such incompetence, as anyone whose lived in Thailand will already be aware of them. Most will shrug and say ''T.I.T'' (This is Thailand) and continue drinking their beer. For some they can't handle it, I've seen sane individuals go mad when they haven't been understood in restaurants and shopping malls.

My British life in the last 12 months has seen me do stuff I haven't done for ages.

Building furniture in my mates spacious shed with high quality tools, I have a large well equipped kitchen at home, going shopping at civilised supermarkets without hawkers hassling me with wooden frogs and back scratching things, using the bank without being assumed to be a tourist, using public toilets without getting a massage whilst in mid-piss, having the use of libraries, leisure centres, a great beach with clean sea water, people treating dogs and cats humanely, None of this class and black skin obsession, no street peasants raiding my garbage for plastic bottles and dead sloths, anyway I don't need to bang on about any more comparisons.

I know many of you in Thailand will think I'm wierd for saying this, but I enjoy my life here in Cornwall like I never thought I would. Clean fresh air....The weather is varied but you get used to that. I have managed to undertake four holidays in the last 7 months: Paris, Bangkok, Muenster and Cologne.

London is a luxury train ride away without peasants hanging on to the doors in 3rd class, and they have a safety law whereby the windows of the train must have glass in them. The train has a decent bar and restaurant lounge car and the toilets have flush facilities.

I have intentions of travelling to St. Lucia this summer and next month will see me travel to Hamburg for a week to catch up with a 20 year old ex inter school student I knew in Bangkok, who's half Thai and moved to Hamburg after she finished her studies in Bangkok when her father finished a contract there. Yummy.

I don't miss the vague-ness of Thai girls and all the added bullshit and deciet, and I sure don't miss the bland, miserable looking 'coyote girls' in bars that many of you middle aged expats drool over.

I also don't miss the weather. On my trip to Bangkok back in October, I never went out in the daytime at all in 15 days.

**Muadib** · 11-02-2010, 11:53 PM

But at some point the honeymoon period comes to an end. For me the added burden of living in Thailand was the gross incompetence of a nation with first world aspirations.

Haven't traveled much, have you Pat???

As the saying goes, "where ever you go, there you are" jumps to mind... I have been many places in this old world, some better and many far worse than Thailand... A person's only point of reference is to their homeland and the standard of living in which they were raised... To some, Thailand is a shit hole, while to others it's much better than from wince they came...

It could be worse... You could have been born into a poor family somewhere in deepest, darkest Africa, as apposed to jolly old England...

**Spin** · 11-02-2010, 11:55 PM

Originally Posted by DJ Pat

I know many of you in Thailand will think I'm wierd for saying this, but I enjoy my life here in Cornwall like I never thought I would

Not at all dude, that shit exists only in the mind of morons like Smeg. Sounds like you are enjoying it, good for you.

**daveboy** · 12-02-2010, 12:13 AM

The UK's a great place to live glad you've settled back into the swing of things. I've never lived in Thailand myself and don't intend to either for me its ok in small doses.

**melvbot** · 12-02-2010, 12:27 AM

None of this class and black skin obsession

wouldn't bet on that, different sort of class system here and most people want to look tanned.

Cornwall is a lovely place, memories of childhood holidays and more recently working at Run To The Sun spring to mind

locals talk funny and do weird things to farm animals but nowheres perfect

**ItsRobsLife** · 12-02-2010, 12:37 AM

Life after Thailand, what is yours like?

Apart from needing two pullovers and a thick coat as well as hat and scarf to go outside at the moment... fine, same as it's always been, stay away from the news, enjoy the comedy, get on with life, see friends, look forward to holidays, the usual stuff, I seem to have got Thailand out of my system, or it just so passée, South America next, or maybe somewhere closer to home.

**melvbot** · 12-02-2010, 12:44 AM

Originally Posted by ItsRobsLife

Life after Thailand, what is yours like?

Apart from needing two pullovers and a thick coat as well as hat and scarf to go outside at the moment...

poove, you must be a southerner.

**longway** · 12-02-2010, 01:18 AM

It all depends on the the person. Whats the obsession with who likes what about anyway?

**dirtydog** · 12-02-2010, 01:24 AM

Originally Posted by melvbot

Cornwall is a lovely place, memories of childhood holidays and doing weird things to farm animals

Cornwall is where I gave up drinking scrumpy, damn what a hangover, never saw any farm animals though.

**melvbot** · 12-02-2010, 02:04 AM

Originally Posted by dirtydog

Originally Posted by melvbot

Cornwall is a lovely place, memories of childhood holidays and doing weird things to farm animals

Cornwall is where I gave up drinking scrumpy, damn what a hangover, never saw any farm animals though.

they've learnt to avoid humans in case they're a local who likes "petting" them.

With Scrumpy being made from apples does it count towards one of your five a day?

**Happyman** · 12-02-2010, 02:04 AM

You lived in Bangkok !
There is a lot more of Thailand outside that shithole !

**Wallalai** · 12-02-2010, 02:34 AM

Good riddance. Enjoy.

**JD Splat** · 12-02-2010, 03:49 AM

Originally Posted by DJ Pat

I had 6 and a half great years in Thailand. I drank, got stoned, slept around, swam at beaches, ate seafood, lived a great standard of life, DJ-ed, TEFL-ed, and lived out several fantasies.

In Dec 2008 I returned to the UK. I was exhausted by it all, I needed to get Bangkok's fumes out of my lungs. I needed to catch up with friends and family, properly. I needed to sort my epilepsy out on the NHS.

It sure wasn't the horror terror scary story that many barstool drunk runaway expats in Thailand will have you believe. They are living in their fantasy world, you can't persuade them otherwise. I was the same.

But at some point the honeymoon period comes to an end. For me the added burden of living in Thailand was the gross incompetence of a nation with first world aspirations.

My British life in the last 12 months has seen me do stuff I haven't done for ages.

I know many of you in Thailand will think I'm wierd for saying this, but I enjoy my life here in Cornwall like I never thought I would

Congratulations on being so strong

There was a conference about this issue recently.

The psychology of Thailand addiction
Robert West, Professor of Health Psychology and Director of Thailand Studies, Addiction Research UK Health Behaviour Research Centre, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, UK

Abstract
Psychology is the study of the behaviour of individuals and explanations in terms of mental processes. Thailand addiction involves powerful motivation to live in Thailand which undermines and overwhelms motivation not to. This presentation argues that there is evidence for multiple mechanisms underlying it. First, being in Thailand sets up a learned association between the act and sensations of living there in the presence of certain cues and the impulse to live there. This leads addicts to feel an automatic urge to live there. Second, lording it over the locals makes Thailand enjoyable. Enjoyment of lording it makes addicts ‘want’ to live in Thailand. Thirdly, chronic intake changes the functioning of the brain to create a kind of ‘Thailand hunger’ and unpleasant mood and physical symptoms when CNS concentrations are depleted. This creates a ‘need’ to live in Thailand. Finally, addicts form beliefs about the benefits of living in Thailand (e.g. for stress relief) and these also generate the ‘want’ and ‘need’ to live there.

Helping addicts to stop involves finding ways of reducing the strength and frequency of as many of these sources of motivation as possible and bolstering resolve not to live in Thailand through every means possible. As abstinence continues, many of the motivations to live in Thailand decrease, and the momentary risk of relapse is reduced. However, the risk is not eliminated, and long-term protection from relapse requires an absolute personal rule that visits to Thailand are not allowed under any circumstances.

About the presenter
Robert West, PhD, is a Professor of Health Psychology and Director of Thailand Studies at the Addictions Research UK Health Behaviour Research Centre of University College London. Professor West
is the Editor-in-Chief of Addiction. He has published more than 250 scientific works and is coauthor of the English and Scottish National Thailand Cessation Guidelines that provided the blueprint for the UK-wide network of NHS Thailand-cessation services.

**baldrick** · 12-02-2010, 04:29 AM

Originally Posted by Muadib

Haven't traveled much, have you Pat???

this is the point with both pat and smeg - all they have done is lived and worked in bangkok , and now they have got the idea that they have some sort of valuable insight.

we have many people on this board who have lived and worked in a variety of countries and cities/countryside throughout asia and the world outside major western centres - and for some reason they don't harp on about things like pat and smeg.

**StrontiumDog** · 12-02-2010, 04:36 AM

Originally Posted by JD Splat

Originally Posted by DJ Pat

I had 6 and a half great years in Thailand. I drank, got stoned, slept around, swam at beaches, ate seafood, lived a great standard of life, DJ-ed, TEFL-ed, and lived out several fantasies.

In Dec 2008 I returned to the UK. I was exhausted by it all, I needed to get Bangkok's fumes out of my lungs. I needed to catch up with friends and family, properly. I needed to sort my epilepsy out on the NHS.

It sure wasn't the horror terror scary story that many barstool drunk runaway expats in Thailand will have you believe. They are living in their fantasy world, you can't persuade them otherwise. I was the same.

But at some point the honeymoon period comes to an end. For me the added burden of living in Thailand was the gross incompetence of a nation with first world aspirations.

My British life in the last 12 months has seen me do stuff I haven't done for ages.

I know many of you in Thailand will think I'm wierd for saying this, but I enjoy my life here in Cornwall like I never thought I would

Congratulations on being so strong

There was a conference about this issue recently.

The psychology of Thailand addiction
Robert West, Professor of Health Psychology and Director of Thailand Studies, Addiction Research UK Health Behaviour Research Centre, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, UK

Abstract
Psychology is the study of the behaviour of individuals and explanations in terms of mental processes. Thailand addiction involves powerful motivation to live in Thailand which undermines and overwhelms motivation not to. This presentation argues that there is evidence for multiple mechanisms underlying it. First, being in Thailand sets up a learned association between the act and sensations of living there in the presence of certain cues and the impulse to live there. This leads addicts to feel an automatic urge to live there. Second, lording it over the locals makes Thailand enjoyable. Enjoyment of lording it makes addicts ‘want’ to live in Thailand. Thirdly, chronic intake changes the functioning of the brain to create a kind of ‘Thailand hunger’ and unpleasant mood and physical symptoms when CNS concentrations are depleted. This creates a ‘need’ to live in Thailand. Finally, addicts form beliefs about the benefits of living in Thailand (e.g. for stress relief) and these also generate the ‘want’ and ‘need’ to live there.

Helping addicts to stop involves finding ways of reducing the strength and frequency of as many of these sources of motivation as possible and bolstering resolve not to live in Thailand through every means possible. As abstinence continues, many of the motivations to live in Thailand decrease, and the momentary risk of relapse is reduced. However, the risk is not eliminated, and long-term protection from relapse requires an absolute personal rule that visits to Thailand are not allowed under any circumstances.

About the presenter
Robert West, PhD, is a Professor of Health Psychology and Director of Thailand Studies at the Addictions Research UK Health Behaviour Research Centre of University College London. Professor West
is the Editor-in-Chief of Addiction. He has published more than 250 scientific works and is coauthor of the English and Scottish National Thailand Cessation Guidelines that provided the blueprint for the UK-wide network of NHS Thailand-cessation services.

Very funny.

**dirtydog** · 12-02-2010, 04:43 AM

^Do you really need to quote the whole post to reply with 9 letters when ^^ would have done?

**StrontiumDog** · 12-02-2010, 04:47 AM

Yes, I'm having a full quote moment.

It will stop after this bottle of black decides to leave my dietary tract....but not before.

Ok boss?

**Boon Mee** · 12-02-2010, 05:18 AM

Originally Posted by baldrick

we have many people on this board who have lived and worked in a variety of countries and cities/countryside throughout asia and the world outside major western centres - and for some reason they don't harp on about things like pat and smeg.

I have lived for extended periods of time in Spain, Singapore, Egypt, Brazil, US and now permanently Thailand. Concur Smeg and Pat have some deep-seated grievance with the place but it suits me. Can't stand cold, wet, nasty weather - worked out of Aberdeen too long and Cornwall reminds me of Skeggie. To each his own...

**mrsquirrel** · 12-02-2010, 05:47 AM

Originally Posted by DJ Pat

My British life in the last 12 months has seen me do stuff I haven't done for ages.

true. First 6 months back were shite, last six have been good.

Originally Posted by DJ Pat

None of this class and black skin obsession

Are we in the same UK?

**kingwilly** · 12-02-2010, 06:17 AM

Prolly not q, smeg and prat's UK is a perfect utopia, in fact I'd say that they are fully fleged Britophiles!

**Belepheron** · 12-02-2010, 09:35 AM

Originally Posted by melvbot

With Scrumpy being made from apples does it count towards one of your five a day?

If you have five of the buggers you're done for the day.........literally.

To the OP I can qiote this that I think just about sums it up:

“When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable”
Clifton Fadiman

**chassamui** · 12-02-2010, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by Belepheron

Originally Posted by melvbot

With Scrumpy being made from apples does it count towards one of your five a day?

If you have five of the buggers you're done for the day.........literally.

To the OP I can qiote this that I think just about sums it up:

“When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable”
Clifton Fadiman

Then why, oh why do i feel so uncomfortable in my own country?

**The Fresh Prince** · 12-02-2010, 11:39 AM

I'm happy where ever I am Pat. You and Smeg just over think things way too much.

**Belepheron** · 12-02-2010, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by chassamui

Then why, oh why do i feel so uncomfortable in my own country?

Only you can answer that question I'm afraid. I enjoy going back to the UK, everyone should have a reality check once in a while it helps you focus on what's good about your current place of abode. But then I look around at the people doing the same things, drinking in the same pubs, watching the same crap on TV that they have for the past ten years. Then I think of where I have been and what I have done in the same period and, even with it's downs, I know where I'd rather be but I'm just not sure i've found it yet.

Another of my favourites:

“One’s destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things”
Henry Miller

**MeMock** · 12-02-2010, 11:58 AM

I find out in the next few hours from the immigration department if I do need to move 'home' so will let you know later on, ok Patrice?

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