Why do people come to live in Thailand?

[chassamui]

Other than those who come here for a few years as part of their career path, working on healthy packages for large companies, what makes someone settle down in Thailand?
In my limited experience I have found very few younger settlers in the under 30s group. I am sure there are a few, but not many. The majority seem to be over 30, and I always maintain that anyone over the age of 30 is damaged in some way. It’s all part of life.
It takes a certain amount of bottle, blind faith or maybe even desperation, to leave the west and come here to live full time.
So you are over 30, married/divorced/single and events in your life lead you here. Many will have to find work of some kind, so you can carry your skills and experience and sell them here or maybe take up teaching. This is a tough group.
Bob the builder Pete the plumber and Sam the sparks, all have marketable skills in a developing nation.
Then there is the sales team, smooth smart and used to flogging anything from used cars to life insurance, they are happy to sell time share condos in a warm climate to a transitory audience.
Let’s not forget the self starters, who can set up a business in a flash. All you need is a little muscle and some redundancy money from your firm back home. Maybe your share of the house sale when the marriage broke down?
The self made man who has sold his business in the west will come here, maybe to retire or maybe he will get the itch to start all over again. Other retirees sick of eking out a living on a small company pension, with or without state pension support from back home. The climate and the cost of living also beat the west hands down, no matter what the idiot smeg might tell you.
There you have it except for two other groups, the first of which I will refer to as the hideaways. On the run from the law, debt collectors, an angry ex, former business partner or the foreign legion, some will have money and some will not. Maybe they made their money in a less than legal way, and wish to spend it outside the clutches of the taxman back home?
The last remaining group are those furtive and shady people who have exchanged internet porn for the real thing. They live in social housing in their home country, which they let at extortionate prices to large families of illegal immigrants. Get a mate to sign for their dole/benefit cheque and live here off the proceeds, mongering for all they are worth in the seediest parts of the Thai sex industry.
Whatever the reason I believe there is a common thread here. Almost all these people, like it or not, are here because they failed to fit into the society they came from. Living life on the periphery of normal social interaction, they crave attention, but never managed to put themselves at the centre of anything in their home country. Looking on as others took the credit for their work, too shy or lacking in confidence to push themselves into the limelight, all they can do is hope that one day they might break into that exclusive group of popular winners who they aspire to be like.
Being in Thailand with a subordinate culture, however genuine it may be, gives them what they crave; Confidence, position, importance and let’s face it even the smallest farang is much taller than 90% of locals. In Thailand, the farang is king, and all bow before him. That’s the key attraction for all these misfits from supposedly superior developed countries. Their own country had no time for them and ignored them. Here they are in charge of their life at last, wielding power of those less fortunate people they now surround themselves with here.
It may be i have it all wrong, but this is the over riding impression i have been left with over the last 18 months.
And me, i'm just an insecure, retard with a few scars to remind me of the past damages. I have achieved a contentment of sorts since i gave up the pursuit of happiness, and realised that life is what it is, take it or leave it.
Please feel free to disagree.

[Marmite the Dog]

Bob the builder Pete the plumber and Sam the sparks, all have marketable skills in a developing nation.

Really? Not sure they're willing to work illegally for 200B a day though.

[sabang]

It takes a certain amount of bottle, blind faith or maybe even desperation, to leave the west and come here to live full time.

I don't see why. In my case, I had lived elsewhere in Asia longer than I lived in my country of birth, been to Thailand more times than I can count, and of course my wife is Thai.

And if it hadn't worked out, I could always go elsewhere.


But I think the real reason I am here is the Politics- never a dull moment.
Civilised world politics is boring in comparison.

[the dogcatcher]

Maybe you are right Mr OP.
Sorry to say, really sorry to say, I can't apologies more.......But,

I,m here for the pussy.

[Stinky]

It may be i have it all wrong

Very few of us get it all right and most of the time and most of us get it all wrong A lot of the time.

What you've discribed is nothing more than the human condition, we're all scratching about trying to make the best hand outta what ever shite life throws at us.
Like farting in the wind, we all do it even though we know it's coming straight back at us, but it is nicer to fart in a warmer climate don't you think.

[Clogiron]

chassamui.

You overlooked one Group "CONTRACTORS"

Majority of Expats I consider as "Close Friends" in Thailand work in Contract Engineering the same as I do and dependent on contract location up to 50% of the year is R'n'R. Angola, Kazakhstan and Nigeria are 28-28 rotation, thats 28 days / 12 hours per day work then 28 days off, Libya is 6 and 3, 6x10 hour days for 6 weeks and 3 weeks off and so on. Where to spend time off, UK (in mu case) or SE Asia, its a no brainer especialy with the changes to UK tax laws.

On the contract I have just finished in Qatar in the Bar of the construction Camp there were 8 Brits 2 Americans and a Canadian resident in Thailand plus a Kiwi and a 2 Brit in Malaysia.

SE Asia is conveniently located for the work, be it either the Middle East or the Stans to the West or China and Korea to the East and since many Contractors have come to Thailand on R'n'R previously, or in many cases each R'n'R is spent here the progression from staying in Hotels to renting an apartment as a home base to stash your shite to eventually buying into property here soon creeps up on most.

I first came to Thailand on R'n'R when I was 24 was fortunate enough to land a contracting job in Rayong when I was 27 and by the time that contract had expired decided that Thailand would be my home base no matter where I worked in the world. I am now closer to 50 than I am to 40 and I have no regrets with the life decisions I have made.

[Nawty]

My 9 month old child moved here...so I helped him carry his luggage.

[Loy Toy]

Why do people come to live in Thailand?

To make random sized plastic buckets and wear them around the sub-sois.

Is there another reason?

[ossierob]

I feel I have succeeded within my 32 year employment with a very large mining company in Australia. Being now financially independent with a house in Thailand and one in Australia. Wife and I comute and share two cultures. Neither of us fit into those catagories you describe I dont believe......dream on mate

[Gerbil]

I'm here for the temples.

[Nawty]

^they have temples ?

[Attilla the Hen]

chassamui.

You overlooked one Group "CONTRACTORS"

Majority of Expats I consider as "Close Friends" in Thailand work in Contract Engineering the same as I do and dependent on contract location up to 50% of the year is R'n'R. Angola, Kazakhstan and Nigeria are 28-28 rotation, thats 28 days / 12 hours per day work then 28 days off, Libya is 6 and 3, 6x10 hour days for 6 weeks and 3 weeks off and so on. Where to spend time off, UK (in mu case) or SE Asia, its a no brainer especialy with the changes to UK tax laws.

On the contract I have just finished in Qatar in the Bar of the construction Camp there were 8 Brits 2 Americans and a Canadian resident in Thailand plus a Kiwi and a 2 Brit in Malaysia.

SE Asia is conveniently located for the work, be it either the Middle East or the Stans to the West or China and Korea to the East and since many Contractors have come to Thailand on R'n'R previously, or in many cases each R'n'R is spent here the progression from staying in Hotels to renting an apartment as a home base to stash your shite to eventually buying into property here soon creeps up on most.

I first came to Thailand on R'n'R when I was 24 was fortunate enough to land a contracting job in Rayong when I was 27 and by the time that contract had expired decided that Thailand would be my home base no matter where I worked in the world. I am now closer to 50 than I am to 40 and I have no regrets with the life decisions I have made.

Ditto, but in the O&G business. There are loads of them in Phuket and Pattaya.

[jandajoy]

I just met someone.

They need to be here.

I like it here too.

Happy happy.

[Camel Toe]

You can smoke without asking permission.
You can throw plastic bags and beer cans on the ground.
The girls are lovable.
LM see fas are delicious.
People are interested in you.
I like learning new languages.
Everyone drives motorcycles.

[Clogiron]

Ditto, but in the O&G business. There are loads of them in Phuket and Pattaya.

I am surptised by my previous post that you didn't realise I was referring to Oil and Gas, having lived in Pattaya 91-98 amd more recentley havinng a "Midweek Apartment" in Pattaya for 3 years 05-08 whilst working for a MNC on the ESB I am pretty sure I know all the players over there, and the ones I don't know sure know of me.

[dirtydog]

I only moved here to wait out the recession, think it finished about 15 years ago though

[HollyGoodhead]

They fall in love

[Michael]

You're right, I wouldn't have been able to afford to live here in my early thirties.

Holidays no problem.

Now late 40's, no ties in UK, Thailand's idyllic.

Easy to avoid the deviants, just avoid their habitats.

When money (or sex with strangers) is no longer your main drive in life Thailand is a nice place to live.

I teach because I like it and I want to. I don't get paid much, but that is irrelevant. I do know that I am paid 5x more than my colleagues, which encourages me to work harder.

Now, I like work. Honest and decent work, like gardening, teaching and fixing things.

These are far more rewarding than the career I had before in finance and oil.

M x

[the dogcatcher]

It is a wonderfull place to live.
The food, the language, the culture, the stunning countryside and beaches, the warm welcome by the peasants, the cheap living, the wildlife, but most of all..........THE PUSSY.

[Norton]

I only moved here to wait out the recession, think it finished about 15 years ago though

Much worse one now. Guess you're here for another 15 years.

[the dogcatcher]

Actually i should be in Europe now working.
But working is not a word that you can associate with Europe anymore.

[khang]

Whatever the reason I believe there is a common thread here. Almost all these people, like it or not, are here because they failed to fit into the society they came from. Living life on the periphery of normal social interaction, they crave attention, but never managed to put themselves at the centre of anything in their home country. Looking on as others took the credit for their work, too shy or lacking in confidence to push themselves into the limelight, all they can do is hope that one day they might break into that exclusive group of popular winners who they aspire to be like.

I don't believe that "almost all" of those that move to Thailand are the losers you describe. Many that live here have been highly successful both professionally and socially in their native lands, but simply enjoy Thailand more, or choose not to tolerate the politics of their home countries.

And for those individuals that have not achieved the success they wanted in their native counties, I applaud them for having the backbone to up and move to a foreign place. For some, it can be a daunting task. Living here is not like coming on a 2-week vacation and staying drunk and horny the whole time. And these folks have more on the ball than the shining success-of-a-man that has his house, 2.4 kids, nice car, nice job that he hates, a fat wife that he more or less tolerates, and tells the world that he is divinely happy, if only because the government tells him that he is living the dream so it must be so.

And then there are those that that are brutally honest about it all, and admit that they live here because of the pussy. They have realized that the average Western woman is like the average Western car: overpriced and of dubious quality. And these men are not losers, just discerning consumers.

[the dogcatcher]

Oh, I'm a consumer.

[Michael]

I like the family thing here, I had a small family in UK. One brother. Then I moved away for work.

Step-daughter just called from University, says she had a great week and is looking forward to coming home tomorrow. She's studying Biological Sciences, same as me. We will talk about what she has studied this week.

Cousin of hers just arrived from Canada for the school holidays. Full of life!

Wife just came up and hugged me and said she loved me. Gave me some steamed vegetables.

Am in the garden on the wireless network, frogs singing, a cricket, the waterfall. Now not hot, and mosquito repellent works.

A cold beer, music in the background. Stuff the football. Customers can watch it with the Thai commentary.

There are people chatting amiably nearby. Oh, and my cat just jumped into my lap.

I am smiling. A soft smile.

Mx

[Boon Mee]

In my limited experience I have found very few younger settlers in the under 30s group. I am sure there are a few, but not many. The majority seem to be over 30, and I always maintain that anyone over the age of 30 is damaged in some way. It’s all part of life.

Please feel free to disagree.

Operative phrase here is: "In my limited experience" - says it all.

"damaged in some way"