If you couldn’t live in Thailand where would you live?

[RangsitRiot]

Seeing as I find my home country a bit of a chore, I don’t think I could ever go back to living in the UK forever. It’s just changed so much and most of the locals seem angry and unhappy. I would move to Budapest. Just got back from my 12th trip there. Bloody love the place: great summers, good food, cheap booze and those thermal baths are just as good as they sound. Cheap place,too.

[david44]

laos is too short real answer is 11th century bc

[BaitongBoy]

^Time warp?...

[thaimeme]

Cambodia
Japan
Ecuador
New Zealand

[sabang]

Nicaragua
Laos
Barbados
Sri Lanka
maybe even Oz

[pseudolus]

I'd be tempted by s Korea

[gungchang]

I'd be tempted by s Korea

I'm very much at home there. They can be a bit anal retentive, though.

. I would move to Budapest.

The women certainly dress provocatively.
I would probably opt for Malaysia. English speaking, KL is clean and safe and has mass transit, sin is available, food is cheap and good, and it's not as tight-assed as Singapore.

[rickschoppers]

Since I have a 4 year old son from a Thai national, I don't think I would ever really have to move. If I did, I would have to choose Laos since it is only about 46km from where my wife and son live now.

Hypothetically, if I was not married and did not have a young son, I would think about some Central American countries like Ecuador or Panama and possibly Belize.

[FailSafe]

I was pretty happy in San Diego- I could live there again. If it wasn't for the brutal winters, it would be NYC.

If the planets align I'll be splitting my time between LOS and one of those cities.

[Mr Earl]

^San Diego too many people!
I would go to Peru. Tarapoto, Iquitos, Pucalpa,Tingo Maria somewhere in that area.

[Fondles]

Gold Coast, Australia.

[Sumocakewalk]

Shangri-La

[VocalNeal]

Sumatra
Brazil
Laos

[MANICHAEAN1]

Is that the Shangri La hotel in Bangkok or Manila?
Better than a suite at Claridges.

[armstrong]

Hawaii appeals. but i've only ever seen it on the tele.

[rickschoppers]

Way too expensive and anyone not born on the island is discriminated against to the highest degree. You might gain their trust if you wind up marrying a local and become part of their family, otherwise forget it.

I used to think it was paradise, but then I discovered Thailand.

[MANICHAEAN1]

Good thread though. I think in order of priority:

Jamaica. (rum, good food, reggae, sunshine and hot women with great bums.)

Nigeria 20 years ago. Had a great time up north. Twenty niara ( about 2p now) got one a skin full of beer, a restaurant meal and a lay for the night.

[Bettyboo]

So many good places.

If it wasn't for the wife and family, I'd leave the house, car and stuff in Thailand and never return...

England is great (as can be seen from some lovely threads on here) in parts. Many many amazing places in Europe. Kiwiland has attractions (not the women). I like Korea, China and Japan. I've been to less than 50 countries, but reckon a third of them are places I'd be happy to live in and travel around; Italy, Spain, France. Many places in Scandoland are very nice (Bergen for example). Yankland has some very nice places too. You could have a nice life in Singapore, holidaying to local regional places. The list goes on.

I really feel that Thailand has had its day... I certainly would not want to be in Thailand in my 50s or 60s...

[Necron99]

If I had the money, Japan, maybe Okinowa would be my first choice.
On a budget, Cambo and Laos don't offer the same options as LOS, Burma or the Flippa Isles maybe. Indo and Malasia too many Muzzies.
Pacific Islands not enough to do for full time living.
Next choice would probably be Mexico, on a beach somewhere away from the cartels.

[Sumocakewalk]

Is that the Shangri La hotel in Bangkok or Manila?
Better than a suite at Claridges.

The one I had in mind initially was the make believe one:

Shangri-La - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Now that you've mentioned the hotels, I wouldn't mind doing a world tour with lengthy stays at all the Shangri-La locations, if I could only find a sponsor to foot the bill. Wiki shows they have dozens of locations.

[Lancelot]

Since I have a 4 year old son from a Thai national, I don't think I would ever really have to move. If I did, I would have to choose Laos since it is only about 46km from where my wife and son live now.

Hypothetically, if I was not married and did not have a young son, I would think about some Central American countries like Ecuador or Panama and possibly Belize.

Yep I like Central/South America as well. But I'm thinking about returning to the US and splitting my time- I prefer the chow in Latin America

[nigelandjan]

Probably be retiring to the Canary Islands , so I,m gonna say Lanzarote .

Nice and warm all year round , clean air , fresh breeze , not too hot , people who have some respect for others ( very little of that in Thailand I am afraid ) plenty of lovely coastal places for me to paint , nice local markets for the missus to wander round and possibly flog a few bits in .

Also the ability to do a little cash work quite legally to top up the pension .

Fantastic healthcare as we are both under the EHIC system as opposed to the possible huge bills in Thailand , a mate of mine has lived there for 12 years now and his wife has had no end of first class hospital treatment , better than she would have got in the UK .

Cost of living is gonna be dearer for sure that Thailand , but with a fairly simple lifestyle thats manageable ,, huge healthcare bills ( in my case ) are not .

[Iceman123]

Sounds good Nig - any reason for Lanzarote in preference to Tenerife or Gran Canaria

[S Landreth]

If you couldn’t live in Thailand where would you live?

Couldn’t live in Thailand? I’d rather just holiday here when the girlfriend wanted to visit friends and family.

If it wasn’t for the girlfriend not being able to spend more than six months a year in the US, we would split time between Manhattan (for her) and South Florida (for me), then travel to other destinations maybe 3 to 5 months a year.

[nigelandjan]

any reason for Lanzarote in preference to Tenerife or Gran Canaria

Well TBH I have been to all the Islands many times , and IMHO Lanzarote has the best bits all rolled in together , Tenerife has the orrible black sand , Gran Canaria is overrun by nine bob notes Fuerteventura now has nearly all the beach areas fenced off / land banked by German hoteliers