Thread: Did Thailand lose its value advantage ?

I like to play Golf every week, and I realized recently that the green fee is almost the same as those charged in France for a course with a beautiful castle on it ?

Went to try a new French restaurant, the food was very average and twice as much as you would get in a nice French restaurant in a nice location in Paris ?

Drinks in nice clubs are at par with those you would find in NY, Paris or even Tokyo.

Gas here is still cheap I suppose, and if you want to live like a local Thai, there is still a value advantage, but other than that, what has Thailand to offer in terms of lifestyle ? can't you get the same deal anywhere else in better terms ?

maybe Smeg is right after all, you have to be desperate for wanting to stay here as an expat, unless you own a successful business or are retired, I don't see the point of Thailand as a living base.

there are expats staying in nepal...
there is NOTHING...

no shopping (really nothing), no food, no streets, no nothing...

why did they stay there?
i have no clue, they liked it...

Originally Posted by Butterfly

Gas here is still cheap I suppose, and if you want to live like a local Thai, there is still a value advantage

You hit it right on the head

no shopping (really nothing), no food, no streets, no nothing...

Yes. There are no shops, streets or food in Nepal. Fuck knows how those little Gurkha bastards keep going but I guess that's what makes them so tough, eh.

I think western things have always been expensive here. But why try to live a western life in Asia?
Though, you are probably in the wrong area for cheap anything.
Green fee at the Airforce course in Au Manou is 80 baht

Butterfly you seem to be undergoing Thailand fatigue. Perhaps it's time to relocate to Europe to fully appreciate the differences.

Putting direct taxation aside, although the Froggies could be forgiven for concluding that would be impossible given their new communist regime, Europe is still not a value for money venue.

Pootling down your autoroute to a weekend by the sea, sharing a few drinks alfresco in some bar or other and eating a plat du jour of langoustine and staying in a 3-4 star hotel is going to cost a bomb for you and your piece of fluff. Doing the same practically anywhere here simply doesn't compare price wise.

Certainly, the last time I spent a day in London, one taxi ride, the odd coffee, having a few drinks with friends and sharing an average meal of no great style in a typical ethnic restaurant and then returning home some 40 miles away by rail cost me £150 and we remained sober to boot. Had we stayed in a modest hotel and taken in a show it would have been nigh on £400.

To live modestly in the UK, excluding London, costs on average £30,000 gross per year and on that budget you ain't going out much except maybe to the cinema and for a pint in your local. Ordinary working folk simply don't socialise outside the home anymore.

Thailand is cheap in comparison although if you insist on quaffing Ch.Lafite, gorging on foie gras, languishing in a bogus spa hotel refuge rubbing shoulders with the great and not so good and procuring the services of a lissom goddess from St.Petersburg then I grant you it might make you walk with a limp afterwards.

I was down in Pattaya for a weekend break recently, taking the distaff for an airing, and having spent a leisurely afternoon on the beach with assorted drinks we repaired to our en suite hotel room, 35 sq.m in size, plasma TV, coffee facilities etc including full breakfast,before ambling down to the Tavern by the Sea at the Amari there for sundowner drinks and thence to Gullivers for a varied selection of Thai dishes and more beer. The whole day including accommodation cost a mere 3,800 bt.

I rather think you are still trying to live your former glory days. Perhaps time to settle down with your favoured whoopsie and count your blessings.

OP is dead wrong about drink prices comparing to Tokyo or NYC, but I suppose a lot of men live here for...

wait for it...

...

...

...

...pussy.

what has Thailand to offer in terms of lifestyle ?

the convenience of being able to do most things in a relaxed and easy going way, without being bothered by or constrained too much by the stifling interference of the state.

there is always decent cheap food and transportation available, a shop open, someone around to fix the electrics or the car.

in europe, or at least the uk, transportation is not cheap, zoning ensures long journeys to a 7/11 type store and plumbing and electrical work entails major expense, as does food, insurance and utility bills.

compliance with the ever increasing rafts of legislation governing every aspect of ones life and the strict enforcement and draconian financial penalties for transgressing make life difficult there.

freedoms, including most importantly,freedoms of thought and speech are disappearing gradually.

life here, although far from perfect is for the time being at least, preferable to life there. i can easily live without golf, night clubs or gourmet european food, but the lack of any kind of intellectual stimulation, and im not talking about philosophical discussions about nietzche here, but the bovine stupidity of the locals whom one encounters whilst out and about mostly seem to be devoid of any opinions on anything other than food.


the difficulty of meaningful interaction and ready assimilation with locals is frustrating to me and our status as foreigners will nearly always be second class.

my expenses here are about 50% of what they would be if i was living in rural england, ideally i would like to divide my time between the two countries, i do suffer thailand fatigue at times, but my offshore status and the financial benefits i gain from that arrangement precludes me from spending more than 90 days a year there, for at least another couple of years.

when i am in the uk i miss thailand, and when i am here i miss the uk.

Tax, why on earth you cling to the silly notion the locals are worth bothering with beats me.

It seems fairly evident to me that what you miss is the opportunity to get together with some like minded chums for an evening of free ranging, spirited conversation, rooted in intelligent whimsy and sprinkled with a bit of good natured personal abuse. For that you need to get out of Hua Hin, which is simply a tropical Bognor, and get to the capital. Why not take a pied a terre here in Bangkok and split your time between the two?

Perhaps you could establish a Thai Last of the Summer Wine scenario with the role of Nora Batty taken by Noi Porntit and her pole chums?

Originally Posted by thegent

It seems fairly evident to me that what you miss is the opportunity to get together with some like minded chums for an evening of free ranging, spirited conversation, rooted in intelligent whimsy and sprinkled with a bit of good natured personal abuse. For that you need to get out of Hua Hin, which is simply a tropical Bognor, and get to the capital. ?

Perhaps he might, but then what if you had one of your diarrhoea moments?

I was in Huahin last week on holiday. I quite liked it.

To be fair, I too don't mind the odd jaunt there but to live?

Not sure I get your drift re the squitters.

For that you need to get out of Hua Hin,

mostly i detest bkk, we spend maybe one week in every five at my parents in laws place in bkk, its between sukhumvit and rama4, some would say a dream location, 5 minute walk to the pubs, restaurants, cowboy and emporium and 5 minutes by car to the expressway out of town.

i love it for the first couple of days, bright lights big city and all that but im always glad to get back to the peace and the quiet and the clean air and the big sky at hua hin.

Originally Posted by Butterfly

I like to play Golf every week, and I realized recently that the green fee is almost the same as those charged in France for a course with a beautiful castle on it ?

Went to try a new French restaurant, the food was very average and twice as much as you would get in a nice French restaurant in a nice location in Paris ?

Drinks in nice clubs are at par with those you would find in NY, Paris or even Tokyo.

Gas here is still cheap I suppose, and if you want to live like a local Thai, there is still a value advantage, but other than that, what has Thailand to offer in terms of lifestyle ? can't you get the same deal anywhere else in better terms ?

maybe Smeg is right after all, you have to be desperate for wanting to stay here as an expat, unless you own a successful business or are retired, I don't see the point of Thailand as a living base.

Sorry to hear you are struggling making ends meet. Was that you I saw panhandling at Suk Soit 10 last night? If you are lacking in funds to sustain any sort of life here, then try to get your embassy to assist you in getting back home so you can cash in on the socialist dole handout system they have. All the best!

^

as usual Chitown you missed the point, but you are American, so no surprise here

the issue is if it's the costs are the same as in farang land, wouldn't it make more sense to do those things over there, with a better environment and a better crowd ?

Don't spoil it for me i'm moving to thailand next month.

Originally Posted by thegent

Butterfly you seem to be undergoing Thailand fatigue.

I have had it for quite a while to be honest, more than 4 years ago, and I have been looking for excuses to stay, professionally or emotionally, every year since. I am running out of excuses,

Originally Posted by thegent

Perhaps it's time to relocate to Europe to fully appreciate the differences.

I will eventually, a much better environment to be honest. Living here permanently is not something I would feel comfortable with in the long run. I understand many don't have the option, but I do, so I will take that opportunity eventually.

Originally Posted by thegent

Certainly, the last time I spent a day in London, one taxi ride, the odd coffee, having a few drinks with friends and sharing an average meal of no great style in a typical ethnic restaurant and then returning home some 40 miles away by rail cost me £150 and we remained sober to boot. Had we stayed in a modest hotel and taken in a show it would have been nigh on £400.

To live modestly in the UK, excluding London, costs on average £30,000 gross per year and on that budget you ain't going out much except maybe to the cinema and for a pint in your local. Ordinary working folk simply don't socialise outside the home anymore.

I think it's a fair description of what to expect, but that's ok actually, I don't see what's wrong with that scenario above. London is a beautiful city but again, England is also a miserable place to live, so it's nor surprising to see hordes of British relocating in Spain or SEA to escape the harsh reality of life there. It also explains how so many English teachers are so desperate to stay here, or even some more educated or professional brits moving to HK as an alternative to living back in England.

France is quite different in that regard, it's a great place to live in.

Originally Posted by gaysexbyproxy

OP is dead wrong about drink prices comparing to Tokyo or NYC, but I suppose a lot of men live here for...

wait for it...

...

...

...

...pussy.

that's actually a fair assessment, the easy girls, from office to bar girls is also the main advantage of this place.

Originally Posted by Butterfly

think it's a fair description of what to expect, but that's ok actually, I don't see what's wrong with that scenario above. London is a beautiful city but again, England is also a miserable place to live, so it's nor surprising to see hordes of British relocating in Spain or SEA to escape the harsh reality of life there. It also explains how so many English teachers are so desperate to stay here, or even some more educated or professional brits moving to HK as an alternative to living back in England. France is quite different in that regard, it's a great place to live in.

Depends which part of either country you are talking about living in, tbh. Some real beautiful places and shitholes in both.

Some good points made above, but your usual anti-Brit bias surfaces again.

Perhaps you should try Brighton, just South of London. Bet you'd like it there.

Originally Posted by bobo746

Don't spoil it for me i'm moving to thailand next month.

Don't worry Bobo. It is only rough on girlie men like Butterhole that have a daily need to gnaw on cheese, suck down wine and also suck....oh never mind!

I haven't actually spoken to a Western Anglo Saxon in several months. How many months I can't guess. TD is perhaps my escape to the English language world.

In the real world when Westerners try to converse with you here I find it mostly annoying rants or personal inquiries. Having Western friends and associates has been a loss that I seem to enjoy.

I grow tired of Thailand's ignorance, but that also is its charm. No laws to speak of and less enforcement of laws. I do as I please. Nobody invades my privacy openly and for the most I enjoy the weather, the lifestyle and the opportunity to see new sights and experience new places.

I haven't been out of country in over 7 years. If there was a different place offering more than what I have found here in Thailand I would be interested, but not enough to transition. Thailand is my home now.

Most of us ex-pats have seen the world and experienced what it has to offer. Lots of very decent places and lifestyles to follow. At some point I had enough of all the attractions and decided to simplify my life. Thailand was the choice and I do not regret it. I understand your point of view Butterfly and wish you the very best in your decisions. As with many here Thailand is just another "Roadside Attraction."

If you can secure good employment and that is how you feel then you must go where your instincts lead you. No point in hanging around, particularly if you have no commitments which I assume you don't.

The UK may well be a bore in many respects but I think of all the western folk the Brits tend to be a bit more open to change and welcoming to others from other spheres of life whereas the French can be so insufferably provincial and up their own arses.

I think London may be the best bet for your next move and with the latest migration from the old country I should imagine it'll be a home from home. Plenty of Thai whoopsies there too should you get the odd pang of nostalgia.

Originally Posted by kmart

but your usual anti-Brit bias surfaces again.

hardly, I think it's a well established fact that England is a miserable place to live in and a reason why there is a huge British expat community, they are all fleeing their own country for a number of reasons.

Originally Posted by thegent

It seems fairly evident to me that what you miss is the opportunity to get together with some like minded chums for an evening of free ranging, spirited conversation, rooted in intelligent whimsy and sprinkled with a bit of good natured personal abuse.

yes and no, spirited conversation is available here, but it makes more sense to have them in your home country, here it feels like the usual rants you would expect from jaded expats

Originally Posted by thegent

The UK may well be a bore in many respects but I think of all the western folk the Brits tend to be a bit more open to change and welcoming to others from other spheres of life whereas the French can be so insufferably provincial and up their own arses.

I disagree, Brits tend to show a bit more openness but actually they aren't, they just pretend, they remain Brits to their bones and it always show one way or another.

The French might be less open and less friendly than Brits, definitely true, but if you show a certain intellectual honesty (a trait often lacking in Brits), that unfriendly attitude will disappear. The problem is that the majority of European hates you guys for your deviant ways and unclear motives