Positive information

I, quite simply, love the country and it's people!

I agree Jim! I only had positive experiences, very loving and friendly people!

Hi
As a newbie and not quite moved to Thailand I would love to hear some positives instead of the doom and gloom I read on here.
Having said that I do tend to follow the people that seem to be happier with their new life rather than the moaners.
I visit Thailand for 4 weeks in Feb to finish off some of the house renovations we have been doing for some months now in Korat. I intend to retire in May assuming my Visa goes to plan but I see no reason that it wont really.
My experiences of Thailand are limited but I have spend over a year reading up and visiting various places to gain knowledge and assurances that this is the place for me.
Although I have had no run in with the Police they always smile at me and say hello, I work on the theory that if I'm polite and do nothing wrong I will be treated as such.
I do drive around Korat (Nachon Ratchisima) and also have no issues as just stay alert and remember motorcycles are crazy, If I'm honest I would rather drive in Korat than London but that is just my view (Bangkok is a different story) .
The village I live in (permanently in May) is quite an old fashioned environment and English is limited but I get by with my poor Thai and the English most youngsters like to practise on me. Very polite and friendly people that see me as the Funny Englishman and always smile at me - Perfect.
So yes I have decided to retire to Thailand and blend in as best I can. I have a real warm feeling about this country and have already made a few Farang contacts nearby - Just need to find a Golf buddy now.

Leigh

I agree with you Leigh, stay out of trouble and obey the law and you should be just fine!
Thailand will be my home soon too and I can not wait!

I must confess that i am one of the moaners here and i do emphasise quite a bit the unplesant and unsavoury experiences i have encountered here over the years.  That aside , i keep returning a little older and a little wiser each time .  There are many good points , the weather is far better than my home country , northern ireland, even when its raining in thailand its pleasant.  The diverse range of food also appeals to me and im an avid reader of thai cookery books and although my culinary skills arent great i do give it a go.  Transport is a big plus for me here also, both cost and availability make getting around a lot more easy and enjoyable. Activities such as shooting and fishing are available throughout the kingdom  which i readily enjoy.  There are more positives than negatives most definately.

What I NEVER forget, is, that I am a guest in the Kingdom. I behave myself as such, and as a result , I am welcomed by the Thai people, and treated with great respect.

Except for the love of my wife and perhaps good health, I can't point to any one thing which is a constant positive in my life because Thailand is always changing and I continue to evolve as I get older.

In the beginning it is often the novelty of it all, that sucks people in.  That mythical pursuit of the noble savage and the more primitive aspects of Thai society can be intoxicating for some, along with the availability of affordable companionship.  Everything is so different and the possibilities for reinventing oneself seem limitless.  Of course the novelty does wear off over time and one either moves on or finds expanded meaning to their life in Thailand.  I have followed the lives of many foreigners over the years and find the differences in their relationship with Thailand over time to be very interesting.  The only common thread I have found is that things change and people deal with that change differently.

Personally I have been afforded more and different opportunities, than if I had stayed in my home country and followed a more traditional path.  What keeps me here is very different from newer arrivals.  There is a level of comfort and familiarity after living here so long, even as things continue to evolve.  From the very beginning I have always felt more me, as it were, when I am in Thailand.  It is a hard feeling to explain but it has deep roots.

I understand what you are saying Villagefarang.I do not know what it is and can not describe it, but I feel like myself when in Thailand.I feel like Thailand is my home. One thing I do know is we need to adapt in changing times, no matter what it is. Although it gets more difficult when we get older!

I have mixed feelings about living in Thailand all year, there are a lot of positive reasons to be here, but it always brings me back to the one thing that I miss the most from my state & that one thing is my friends & family, I just have to much fun with all of them. I haven't been lucky enough to make friends in Thailand. I joined a dinner club, a tennis club, a gym & a, golf club, but I haven't been able to find anyone I would want to be friends with. So we split our time between two different countries.  This balance seems to work well for me, but am pretty sure that when I get old I will want to return to Thailand for money & healthcare purposes. In the 4 years I have been gone from my country, the US has become a scary place to return too. I try to take it one day at a time.

I, long ago, made peace with the transient nature of friendship in Thailand.  I have never had lifelong relationships due to moving at 3, 13 and 23, so maybe I have found it a little easier than most to deal with that loneliness you speak of.  People leave or die or simply drift off down a different path if you stay here long enough and it is hard to find much in common with the new guys. 

Though I know a lot of people, my only true friend at this point, is my wife.  With my wife being much younger and very active these days I find it easier to just piggyback off of her relationships which is an interesting role reversal from our early years together.

Over time you may find yourself tiring of the back and forth, making it necessary to choose but you won't know until it happens.  We went back and forth for six years early on in our marriage but things evolved and we chose Chiang Rai for something new and different when the time came.

I'm not moved in yet, but I can say that overall, this forum is a lot more positive than certain other Thai expat forums.
I love Thailand, and any true love involves taking the bad with the good. If you're asking for perfection, maybe it isn't true love after all.

Well i am early retirement because bad health, And back problem.
After many years not able to do much back in Denmark because of the pain and the pain killers, My Doctor told to go travle to Asia as he havde other patient come back from Asia saying how good it was for them.

As i have family that go to Thailand 1-2 times every year for like 20 years now, It was Thailand i go to.

Inside the first 24 hours in Thailand i fell my pain level start to go down, And right there and then i say, I want to move to Thailand IF is was possibly for me to stay here legal year after year.
And after some weeks i didn't need to take painkillers every day, And that for me was so great.

I was in Thailand for 86-88 days (can´t remember today) and when i return home.
My Doctor send me to hospital to check my blood numbers.
They come back *Normal* and both the hospital and Doctor was sure it was a mistake, As before i go Thailand, All my blood numbers was over the limit.
So we redo the test, And same answer, All numbers *Normal*

My blood pressure that was very high even with medicine before i go Thailand, Was on the low side when i return home, And we have to change my medicine to a lower doze.

So 2 month after i return home, I was back on the plane to start my live in Thailand !!
My Thai wife (GF at the time) got me to try military hospital for pain treatment.
And even so Denmark have told my pain i all ways have, Nothing can be done, Well the Thai  military hospital say there is a 80% chance they can help me.
After nearly 3 years find the right treatment for me, I now get treatment every 8 month in my back and spine so my brain don´t get the signal that i have pain in my back and spine, And therefor my pain level have drop to nearly 0-5%.
And i can do "normal" things every day with no pain. :-)

That means i have a more "normal" live here in Thailand then back in Denmark, I can walk, bicycle, swim and be aktive, Sure i have to be care not to overdo it, Or the pain start to come back, So it is a fine balance to try and keep.

After nearly 8 years in Denmark inside my apartment not able to do much, This is like start all over for me, Get my live back !!!!

This alone is more then enough for me to be happy and positive all the time.

(Sorry for the long intro)

I do love Thailand and Thai people, I meet so many kind people, welcome people, open mind, open heart people as the Thai people are.

I love the way things are here in Thailand, For me it is part of Thailand charm that Thailand is NOT like Denmark.

And i do think that for a second or third  world country like Thailand, Things are running more the okay here in Thailand.

My wife is perfekt for me, She don´t mind that i am sick in my body and i am pretty limit in what i can do (more so before she got me to get help for my back pain).
Still remember what she say about it.
Don´t matter if i am sick, all that matter for her, Is that i have a good heart and are kind to others.

My wife family is all so great, Have no problem with them.
Even so we all have to learn to adjust in the beginning.

I dont have close foreigner friends, I don´t fit in.
I dont drink, i dont like to be with people that smoke.
I never going to spend my time sitting  at a bar, little drinking place.
I dont run after other women.
I am never going to spend time with foreigner that bad talk Thailand and Thai people the whole time.

And nearly 7 years here in Thailand i only meet a few that dont do 1 or more of the things.

But we have more then enough Thai friends and i prefer Thai over foreigner every time.
Thai friends is about enjoy live, Have a great and fun time together.

Nearly 7 years in Thailand and not one single BAD experience with Thai people.
I think I am good at judging people, or am I just lucky.

Well i better stop now, a long respond, Sorry for that.

Kindly.

All great stories! Thank you all!
I think reading all this on the Forum gives future expats more hope!

I for one was tired of reading on all the other forums how bad Thailand is. I have Thai friends in Thailand and in South Africa and I will always love them. Thai people are my people and Thailand is my home country.

I think in any country there are some difficulties for expats, it is how you deal with it that matters.

Me for one will always love Thailand because I tend to concentrate more on the positive than the negative.

Never Done That, can I ask what kind of injury you have with your back?  I too have a back injury that keeps me from living a normal life. I have 3 vertebrae's that don't have any cushioning left so they rub bone to bone. I get very painful muscle spasms, where I cannot stand up. The best thing that seems to help is to keep my weight off, I lost 40 lbs after coming to Thailand. Unlike most Thai people I eat Healthy and it allows me a better life. My  Thai wife is also very forgiving, just wants me to be Happy. Patrick

I have 3 broken disk in my back, where the spine bone rub against the nervers.
I have some ekstra damage around the spine from manual lifting heavy item from my work time.
And some joint pain on top of it.

If remember correct it is call "Lumbar Radiofrequency Neurotomy "
And all so "Medial Branch Block"

A radiofrequency neurotomy is a type of injection procedure used to treat facet joint pain.

Facet joints are pairs of small joints between the vertebrae in the back of the spine. The facet joints support the spine while also allowing motion in terms of bending, flexing and twisting. Each facet joint is connected to two small medial branch nerves that carry pain signals from the facet joints to the brain.

A number of spinal conditions can lead to facet joint pain, such as osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis, or from a trauma to the back, such as a car accident.

A radiofrequency neurotomy - also called radiofrequency ablation - begins with the patient laying face down on a table. The skin and tissue over the procedure site is numbed with an injection of local anesthetic.

Next, the physician uses x-ray guidance, called fluoroscopy, to direct a special radiofrequency needle alongside the medial nerves.

Often, a small amount of electrical current is carefully passed through the needle to assure it is next to the target nerve and a safe distance from other nerves. This current should briefly recreate the usual pain and cause a muscle twitch in the back.The targeted nerves will then be numbed with a local anesthetic to minimize pain.

The radiofrequency waves are introduced to heat the tip of the needle and a heat lesion is created on the nerve to disrupt the nerve's ability to send pain signals to the brain.

As with many spinal injection procedures, radiofrequency neurotomy works better for some patients than for others. It is often helpful in reducing a patient's pain enough to participate in a rehabilitation program.

I put 2 link here about it, Not sure if it is allow ?
If not i can PM you them.

Medial Branch Block

Medial Branch Nerve Blocks

Kindly.

Thank You so much for explaining it to me. I am glad you found pain relief, it is awful to have to live with pain. Good Luck to you, & Happy New Year To you.  Patrick

Villagefarang, you are right about the going back and forth, I will have to make a decision one day about what country to stay in. Also my country has changed in the last 4 years, to the point that I might get tired of the mess it has got itself into. So it's nice to have a back door. Thanks for your insight. Patrick

Well that is what this Forum should be about! Helping each other!
Thank you Guys and Girls!

I like hiking in the mountains near where I live in Chiang Rai.

I like the flowering trees and the tea plantations.

I like walking to our local reservoir with my wife.

I like watching the sunset as I walk the dog each evening.

I like the festivals and grand events which take place here in Chiang Rai each year.

I like rainbows over rice fields during the rainy season.

Villagefarang, those oursome Great pictures. I would love to find out more about the area you live, is it a house or a condo?  I hate insects, that is the reason for the condo for us, but I love the lizards, enjoy watching them, very afraid of snakes, and kind. Would love to a another dog one day. Who knows maybe I will come back sooner from crazy California. I know I don't like living in the city, but as I get older I realize that it is probably a good idea not to be far from a hospital. I've been to Hua Hin, but not crazy about dirty beaches, and weekend traffic. We have future in laws in Chiang Rai so they would be available if we needed them. We were up there for a day to meet my wife's nephews new wife's mother. We went to a huge plantation where they were growing herbs for a drug company. Would love to talk more privately. Patrick

Some of your questions can be covered in the open forum.  After living in apartments and condos for 30 years in Bangkok we built a house 10 years ago in the countryside 55 kilometers outside of Chiang Rai.  We have lots of lizards, big and small, the occasional snake, dogs and birds but with that one does have to deal with swarming insects part of the year.  Good screens are necessary to keep the bugs outside where they belong.

If one has health issues and visits hospitals regularly, ours would not be an optimal location, since we live outside the golden hour range to get to a decent hospital.

Below are pictures of house and view.  To be fair I have included a shot from the worst time of year, when smoke engulfs the north of Thailand.

Villagefarang, the smog is no different than the Bangkok smog, minus the traffic& noise. I have good health, take no medications. But need massage for my back problem sometime.is it safe living out there?  Do you know your neighbors?  Might be to much work for us.. but I like the idea. Thanks again for the pictures.  Patrick

I have read through most of your earlier posts and feel relatively certain that our lifestyle here in the countryside might be too much work for you and not well suited to your social and lifestyle needs. 

While we do know our neighbors, and what is left of my wife's family live here, we don't have much in common with people nearby and either import our friends or go visit them.  Regardless of where one lives there will always people we can give to but I find it harder as I get older to find people, especially my own age, who are able to contribute anything to my life.  Fortunately my wife is much younger and I am still able to keep up.  Language and fitness play a major part in that.

Nice pictures. I love natur and it look super nice.

Look like a place we can live for a few years.
Need a little lake that have a few fish so i can relax there, Trying to catch a few. :-)

And there fish in the water ?
Do you fish at all ?

But "sadly" i cant live whiteout the Sea (Ocean) as i grow up 150 meter from the Sea.
And that have made is mark on me.
It is like i NEED it, Yea i know, Sound crazy, But cant explain it.

We do have fish in the pond and on occasion we let relatives catch a few but they are mainly pets for our Golden Retriever to swim with once each week, like today.

I have always enjoyed variety.  I have lived in the desert of Arizona, on the beach in Hawaii, in Bangkok and now in a valley with easy access to rivers, waterfalls and mountains.

From a Thai expat blog!

What Expats Would Miss About Thailand:
1.7-Eleven – open 24 hours, on every street corner.
2.Hot climate.
3.Great beach getaways on your doorstep.
4.Cheap food, and good restaurants – when you need them.
5.Beautiful women everywhere.
6.Smiley, positive people with a zest for life.
7.Great, affordable private health care.
8.Awesome cinemas.
9.Great malls and market shopping.
10.Fantastic public transport (Bangkok).
11.The rural simplicities of day to day life (for those living upcountry).
12.Rich, diverse culture (temples and regional traditions, etc).
13.The low cost of living.
14.Not being taxed to death.
15.Never getting a cold.
16.Having a nanny.
17.The constant availability of fresh fruit and vegetables.
18.No speed cameras, traffic wardens or parking charges.
19.The “you do your thing and I'll do my thing and we'll both be OK” attitude.
20.The ability  to walk almost anywhere, safely, 24 hours a day.
21.Affordable massages.

So True.

We bagged a new Phu (peak) yesterday called Phu Chee Duan.  Depending on your point of view, my wife is either trying to keep me fit and healthy for the long haul or she is trying to get rid of me and make it look like an accident.  I know what I think.

I think you're in good hands, villagefarang.

Village farang, I think you are lucky in Love, same as me, my Thai wife forces me out of the easy chair every morning for a run on the treadmill for a hour. She retired as a ICU Nurse in the US. I pretty sure she wants me to stay healthy, both of us are in good health, don't take any medications of any kind. Only vitamins. Am 66 years old this month, my wife will be 70 in August. Still enjoying all that life has to offer.  Thanks Again for all the pictures, I will keep them to look at. Patrick

Just returned from another positive day in the mountains.  It was cold and foggy with visibility down to a couple of car lengths much of the time, which made for a very exciting day.

Beautiful!