part time or full time.? ~ LB-69

following on from fatboys thread about his 3 year plan.
it is a common question that crops up between my family and friends.
" why dont you just live there.?"
i struggle to answer this question.
apart from the obvious financial implications.
i do wonder if i would be killing the goose that layed the golden egg.?
now, we all enjoy thailand in small doses, or larger doses for the richer fellas, and the facilities it offers.
but if that was to become the norm.?
then what? .
where would you go then? if you were to get bored with thailand.?

although i feel like i am living an existance in the uk, surounded by overweight breeding machines, or footballer wife wanabees ......
it isnt a bad spot to live, and get the funds to finance some serious fun 2 or 3 times a year.
so, is thailand best to be enjoyed part time? or full time.?

disclaimer.
i am interested to hear other members views on the above subject.
if you are a grumpy old man with an axe to grind, not happy with the subject, think we are schoolkids etc..........
dont reply.! it will only get messy.

Rolling Eyes

I for one would not like to live there full time. The frustrations associated with living in LOS full time would drive me mad. In an ideal world I would enjoy to spend a few weeks a year in LOS. The longest I have stayed was 6 weeks. By the end of the 6 weeks I was certainly ready to go home. Ireland is a fun place to live but no sun unfortunatly. Crying or Very sad

Obviously i still miss the thai food, nights out and of course the ladyboys.

But I have my little bit of thailand here in my home so I have thai food when ever I want. Wink

I think if i lived in thailand full time I am sure I would become an alcoholic, divorced fat git. Crying or Very sad

I find the constant ego massaging and drinking with hookers brings out the worst in me.

The work I do means I may have the option to move to South East Asia in the future. I think that is what I would like. Similar to the way Matchman has it. Close enough to head over at will but not have it constantly in your face. Laughing

Ladyboy Guru Joined: 09 Feb 2006 Posts: 1458 Points: 1285

Nope , i don´t wanna live there fulltime. Maybe i had the urge before my long stay, but now i know. It´s better to go there 2-3 times a year and maybe sometime do a long stay.
But after 6 months the "magic" was almost gone. The rush to walk into Nana or Walking St. wasn´t there in the end.
Not to mention the everyday things dealing with thais that eventually would drive me mad, or the heat all the time.
I want to appreciate the feeling coming back, in the taxi from Suhwanapuhn going to Nana area, knowing what´s ahead of me, or seing the Xmas neon decorations any time of the year at the "Welcome to Pattaya" gate.

I think you hit the nail on the head sev7en. Having to deal with thai's every day would be the pitts. Evil or Very Mad

i wanted it real bad !
but as yet finnacialy not secure to do, also looking around thailand and exp the thai way of life i dont think i could live as they do, it hasnt put me off, just if i were to live there it would have to be in the capital or in a tourist destination where the standard of living is more western and communication isnt limited.
so for now i will continue my trips as often as i can,
steviep

Laptop I did it for 6 months in 2005/2006 went of crazy adventure but had the best time of my life highs and lows after a while u get sick of walking street/the lbs /gg got bored of the sex scene

In the end i hardly used to visit the place but i tell u one thing met lot of good people and lot of lb friends there what ever anyone says about them when u live on same level as they do u see things difrently and they treat u difrently once they know u,
i gave it a years break before i went back and the magic came back walking around waliking street now a year later i going back again this time i not a tourist on a tourist visa if i want i can get work for up to 6 months stay if i choose if i can find decent work ie working

as a chef and i did check i can get workpermit not a problem if i really wanted to im thinking about more and more at moment thats what this trip is about for myself to see if i could live there for a year at a time without the huge debt when u come home and working for a year just to pay it back the plastic cards im going to try something difrent this time Laughing

If I lived there full time I'm pretty sure I'd burn out and hate it - also I'd never be able to make anything like the money I make in London and I'd prefer not to be one of those guys sitting in a bar counting their pennies and worrying if their beers cost 65 Baht or 85 Baht.

I also enjoy my job and there is no way this job even exists in Thailand.

I would like some more time off but 25 days a year at least means Thailand is something to look forward to and enjoy.

Ideal would probably to work in Singapore - but that's not going to happen anytime soon.

Ladyboy Guru Joined: 10 Mar 2007 Posts: 1674 Points: 954

Its something friends are always asking me and I always come to the same conclusion that it would drive me barmy . I have lived longterm with Thai's and they are on a different planet most of the time .

If I was rich enough to retire early I would'nt mind opening a bar but to be honest I dont have a clue about running a business so would be at the mercy of the Thai's .

I love going back for a holiday and discovering some new joy but what happens when its just the same shit everyday ? I enjoy my friends and sport etc at home so would really miss that life .

So for me its a great place for fun but I would'nt live there.

Full time in thailand, no way!
Been there to much, so far 12 long trips (3-4 months) since the early ninthees. Mostly live in my girlfriends house up north, close to Chiang mai. It`s ok, in the middle of a town with mountains surronding the city and a river running throw it. Have a gym inside the house and loads of books. I usually manage 2-3 weeks in a row at her hometown and then have to go on small trips, mostly with my girlfriend. Her family has always been good to me and treats me like one of their own, they even hug me...
I get bored because it`s an everyday life when you stay for long time. Ok you don`t need to work, but where ever you choose to live/stay for long time becomes a regular life.

As for this winter i`m free! My girlfriend is saving up for the big bucks (she will bay yet another house) and will stay in scandinavia this eyar. So i`m heading for California and Mexico this winter, man i can`t wait...

Siam... Kingdom of illusions.

Well, ive been here now almost 2 years and i LOVE it. There`s no way i`m going back to the overcrowded, over-taxed, over-competitive (i could rant on and on) UK. I live 200 yds rom a beautiful beach, something i`ve done in my life. It takes me 2 minutes to get to work on my scooter and the drive home at 3 am is along the beachfront. As the cool(ish) night air blows through whats left of my hair i ask myself "does it get any better than this?" Yes, dealing with Thais is the ultimate test of patience, their attitudes never cease to amaze me. Their habits, stupidity, and laziness will keep them in the "developing nation" status for ever - they will never join the wealthy league.
But i`ve made some good friends here, and just as i`m starting to get flabby with too many nights sat in the bar "entertaining" customers, i`m now trying to play some golf again. Ok, only 9 holes the other day, to get acclimatised, after all i`m used to playing in 5 degrees, in a howling gale, wrapped up in waterproofs. But a full 18 is booked next week. And i swim daily in the clean sea - yes its clean here, you Pattaya addicts should note!
And do i ever tire of being surrounded by ladyboys? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING?

*Last edited by zokk on Fri Jul 04, 2008 3:24 pm; edited 1 time in total*

In an ideal world I would love to be able to travel to LOS 2 to 3 times a year for a month at a time , but for me its not an ideal world at the moment so I'll just have to take my 2 or 3 weeks once a year and get the rest of my thai fixes by forums like this.

Im strictly part-time visiting Exclamation

I get bored shitless very easily, 2-3weeks in los is enough for me, but i do like at least 2visits per year to endulge in heavy sex, with numerous partners Razz

Ladyboy Guru Joined: 10 Mar 2007 Posts: 1674 Points: 954

I've not been to Phuket yet so Jim may be able to change my mind about living in Thailand . Phuket would probobly be one of the better places to live and work in . Sounds like paradise to me , roll on November. Very Happy

I'm with Jimbo. I've lived here almost 4 years now and I can't imagine going back to the USA. There were lots of good points made earlier, like you wouldn't want to be one of those guys worrying about whether a beer cost 65 or 85 baht... If you have no money, it's not gonna be so much fun. Forget all the barfines and lady drinks.

No matter where you are - Phuket, Pattaya or BKK, things can get old unless you have something to do besides sex and hitting the bars. I think that's true anywhere. Having a job is not a bad thing.

My biggest issue is that being married to a Thai, it's very difficult to get away for anything other than daytime ST and even that isn't always easy. Worse yet, before we were married we lived on Suk Soi 4 in BKK and we still know LOTS of people there, many of whom immediately call her if they see me. Shocked

That pretty much cuts into my ability to hit Guess or the Nana bars. Sad

When I came alone for short trips, it WAS exciting. The sex was plentiful and it was easy to go LT or multiple STs and I always had plenty of cash. Living here with a wife in tow whether Thai or not won't be the same as visiting by yourself, that much I can attest to.

The longer you live here, the more you can adopt the 'mai pen rai' attitude and can keep 'jai yen yen' - that is the 'no worries' attitude and the 'cool heart' when things aren't what you expect them to be.

The people who get grumpy are typically the 'prisoners of their own country' who expect everything to be precisely the way it is 'at home'. Always having to eat the food they ate at home, always having to watch their home team's games, surrounding themselves with only friends from their home country and only frequenting pubs and bars oriented to their home. Those are the guys that really don't make it here. Nothing wrong with following your home team and eating your home food sometimes, but you just can't build your life here around your previous home.

If you're only here for the GGs and LBs, you're better off visiting a couple of times per year I think. Just my opinion... Wink