Thread: The rewards of life in Asia

Originally Posted by sabang

The West vs Rural Thailand
the suburb, vs the village
chain stores, vs family business
televised celebrations vs actual celebration
the supermarket vs the local market.
malls vs markets
highways, vs local roads.
suburban sterility, vs village shabby.
familiarity vs impersonality

All of these suburban things are within commuting distance, if and so required. I know which I prefer, at least for the quiet life.

For some, these comparative items above will be instinctively absorbed as comfortable bliss - developed and uncomplicated.

Originally Posted by thegent

The day to day stuff can be fine here but ultimately it just doesn't seem to matter very much. i suppose retirement has proved to be a faux pas of a sort in that I underestimated my need for employment. I miss the aggravation and opportunity for conflict and in a way my time frittered away here on the internet is nothing but a poor substitute.

Very honest and great post - will you remain in Thailand? - I will retire soon and your post makes me think about living in Thailand long term

I like that people feel rewarded by the challenges. The fact that Thailand is difficult and different, but they derive something from that in itself. Its quite Nietszchean.

If they were back in their home country they'd miss that stimulation, and risk falling into the same deep rut that their neighbours experience.

Originally Posted by cheekyman

Originally Posted by thegent

The day to day stuff can be fine here but ultimately it just doesn't seem to matter very much. i suppose retirement has proved to be a faux pas of a sort in that I underestimated my need for employment. I miss the aggravation and opportunity for conflict and in a way my time frittered away here on the internet is nothing but a poor substitute.

Very honest and great post - will you remain in Thailand? - I will retire soon and your post makes me think about living in Thailand long term

Work as a consultant. It's what many, many people do. Travel in and out etc.

I like that people feel rewarded by the challenges. The fact that Thailand is difficult and different, but they derive something from that in itself.

Is it challenging living here? I don't think so and I certainly don't live here for that reason - if anything, I'm here for the opposite reason. You can drift through with extreme ease. And that's a good thing.

Its quite Nietszchean.

I'm not sure you'll find much support in Nietzsche for any of this. Except perhaps for some of the endless moaning about Thais, which do remind one of the Eternal Recurrence and bring on all the same teeth-gnashing and cursing of demons.

Originally Posted by thegent

The quest for sanook she now sees as just foolish irresponsibility to be pursued as a means of blotting out the drudgery of their lives which they are powerless to change

Indeed, hedonism as a substitute for actual happiness. The tragic outcome of the system we invented.

the problem with living in Asia is the worshiping of mediocrity, not meritocracy

Asians worship mediocrity, you see it all the time, they don't believe in meritocracy per se

this is an invention of the west, and even though it's not always common there, it still does exist

Originally Posted by Butterfly

the problem with living in Asia is the worshiping of mediocrity, not meritocracy

Asians worship mediocrity, you see it all the time, they don't believe in meritocracy per se

this is an invention of the west, and even though it's not always common there, it still does exist

Butterfly, this is a positive thread. Have you nothing positive to say? (in which case there are 10,000 bespoke negative threads on which to say it).

If there is nothing positive in your life in Thailand, then.....you don't have to be there, you're not in jail, so don't be there.

For sure Europe has some very expensive bolt holes for the mega rich. 99% though are budget concious work rats who are becoming increasingly paranoid of any long term future.

To hear a Thai girl scream with pleasure over the most simplest of things takes some beating.

the most positive aspect of living here is the freedom, for an expat the freedom to get involved or the freedom to remain uninvolved, the freedom to use ones foreigness as an excuse to float around the periphery of life here choosing exactly when and when not to take an active part in anything.

very little is actually expected of us in this society, providing we dont misbehave too much and comply with the demands of immigration, which although demeaning and annoying, are hardly too onerous.

the low cost of things here is also a positive, you dont need to be paying western+ prices for food or clothing, and rents are ridiculously cheap.

of course if you want western facilities, then you will have to pay a premium, but if you want a western lifestyle then there is only one place for that, and thats the west.

thankfully all my big ticket purchases were made when the B was over 70 to the £, if i was arriving now ....... well i wouldnt even consider thailand now at 44 to the £

No me has mentioned the delights of having so much eye candy? The stuff is just everywhere, across all times, places and situations. While my village might have been a bit of a disappointment (Ok, what the F&^%# is wrong with my village?), my moobahn is like the candy isle at tescos.
On the diagonal I have a trolly dolly, opposite is a family with two older daughters and they're always good for bringing friends over and next door is another nice one.

Originally Posted by The Ghost Of The Moog

If there is nothing positive in your life in Thailand, then.....you don't have to be there, you're not in jail, so don't be there.

This is so very true. If you are not happy with your life, you change it. Period. (Not YOU, BF.) You can't be lazy about it. Nothing will change about a culture just because you gripe about it. Get off your duff and make the move to a place where people have a lifestyle you will enjoy. It takes a great amount of effort but beats the hell out of being a miserable and bitter person, living in your own self-made prison.

Originally Posted by misskit

Originally Posted by The Ghost Of The Moog

If there is nothing positive in your life in Thailand, then.....you don't have to be there, you're not in jail, so don't be there.

This is so very true. If you are not happy with your life, you change it. Period. (Not YOU, BF.) You can't be lazy about it. Nothing will change about a culture just because you gripe about it. Get off your duff and make the move to a place where people have a lifestyle you will enjoy. It takes a great amount of effort but beats the hell out of being a miserable and bitter person, living in your own self-made prison.

On forums, people often say that the response 'if you don't like it, get out', is somewhat unfair as a debating gambit - which is true, if it is a replacement for addressing the point.

However, OTK, it is a perfectly reasonable assumption, assuming one is free to move on.

The probability is that the majority of times, one simply exports one's Thai problems. Eg: being middle aged and trying to get a job in Europe/America is just as hard as trying to get one in Thailand. That was the situation I found myself in while in Thailand and Indonesia.

Originally Posted by Butterfly

Originally Posted by The Ghost Of The Moog

Butterfly, this is a positive thread. Have you nothing positive to say?

I did, see my previous posts above. It used to offer adventure and economic superiority, not any more. It's not only the poor value these days, it's simply become another developed place without charms. London is a far better environment that HK or Bangkok or Singapore could offer IMO.

Originally Posted by The Ghost Of The Moog

If there is nothing positive in your life in Thailand, then.....you don't have to be there, you're not in jail, so don't be there.

absolutely, nobody is forcing me to be here. I didn't say Thailand didn't offer anything positive, obviously it does. I was simply observing that mediocrity was overwhelming here, something that also attracts a lot of farangs to Thailand for that matter.

I don't think you've really grasped the idea behind 'positive'.

On forums, people often say that the response 'if you don't like it, get out', is somewhat unfair as a debating gambit - which is true, if it is a replacement for addressing the point.

For a lot of people (more so on Thaivisa than here but they are around), the point is only ever that they don't like Thais and/or Thailand. For them, if you bother responding at all, saying "Well, fuck off then" seems petty fair.

Originally Posted by Zooheekock

I don't think you've really grasped the idea behind 'positive'.

I think the positives have been covered about 1000 times already, nobody came here for the temple or the nice weather or the nice beach. It's all about the pussy (including post-op) and the cocks, period. Why would you want to come here in the first place ?

You seem to have problems with everybody and nobody as well. These two aren't synonyms for the first person (in positive and negative forms respectively), you know.

In my case it was about neither- although the nightlife was a selling point of living near Pattaya, and that comes back to the pussy.

I was invited here because of a scheme set up and funded by the Thai and Australian governments.

Paid for my airfare, accommodation and everything else.

Had no idea about the pussy and hated Bangkok during my first time here.

What drew me back was the business opportunities that I found and those opportunities that have supported me here for the last 27 years.

If the place was one big brothel with nothing else to offer I would have stayed home.

Or bought a brothel.

Originally Posted by The Ghost Of The Moog

The probability is that the majority of times, one simply exports one's Thai problems. Eg: being middle aged and trying to get a job in Europe/America is just as hard as trying to get one in Thailand. That was the situation I found myself in while in Thailand and Indonesia.

Not having gainful employment is a very good reason to leave Thailand if one doesn't have other resources to afford staying on. There isn't a lot of choice there.

If I were to go back to the States now, I would find employment at a fraction of what I was making before as well as having to work like a donkey. (I tried it just before the economy went belly up.) There is no way I can live in the US with the income I have now and I still be able to live as well as I do in Thailand.

That doesn't mean I can't leave Thailand; I'm not trapped, just that life is easier and more enjoyable here. I'm free to go back and work for peanuts just to live in America, gaining nothing in the long run, anytime I get sick of Thailand.

There are still many other places to live and work, you found one in HK.

By the way, I wouldn't live in Bangkok or Jakarta as I don't like big grubby city life other than a visit. HK is great though, you lucky man.

Live in Bangsaen and self employed.

Bought my own house 3 years ago and live a very comfortable life with everything I need on my doorstep at reasonable prices (if you don't included imports and electrical/IT goods.)

I, too, like the fact that I can live well without having to work 12hr days and can live comfortably by working only few hours a day 3 or 4 days a week.

The people I come into contact through in a professional capacity are decent and friendly/respectful. Those I rub shoulders with in the course of the day (especially on the roads) aren't anything to write home about (I've long seen through the false Thai smile)

Without a doubt Thailand is following the West down the road of consumption and is beginning to pay the same heavy price but life outside of dense population can still be layed back, if you wish to get away from the 21st Century.

I like the blend of old subsistance village life and modern ammenities the country offers - I can pick and mix the blend to my own mood.

Without a doubt, business opportunities are out there but most will be built on shifting sands and need a significant Thai presence (which is always risky in any endeavor beyond cooking).

I'm here for the forseeable but wouldn't mind giving South America a crack at some point in life

Originally Posted by sabang

Or bought a brothel.

If you can't beat em, join em.