I can't speak for everyone, but myself and many of my friends in Thailand came here a long time ago and felt at home from the first.. It does not happen to everyone though. One of the things I like here is that the Thai don't interfere in the lives of people they don't know nearly as much as people in the west seem to do.
I can also understand some of the people you have talked to. Many people come here and can't stand it, yet others like myself liked it from my first day over 40 years ago, but can't exactly explain why. The place just strikes people in different ways.
I have lived abroad most of my life, and there were places in SEA and elsewhere I did not like. So the only advice I can offer is to come visit and see how you like it, and keep in mind that each country in Asia is very different from its neighbors and other Asian countries in terms of language, customs and culture.

Many people are unable to adjust to a new country because they think that every place has to be like their place of origin. Unfortunately that kind of thinking is not conducive to living in countries where it is not like "home", and if you can't adapt, you will not like any place else.
Making a decision might be easier if you make a list of the things you could not stand about some other places you have been, and then it might be possible to start comparing.

Post a Reply

00abuse

Choosing an expat health insurance provider is an important decision. Get a quote from our trusted expat health insurance partner, CIGNA. With Cigna Global Health Options, you can create an international health insurance plan that's perfectly tailored for the needs of you and your family.

Learn More Get a Quote

Cool, thanks for the advice. Yeah, "To each his/her own, come see if you like living in Thailand" is probably the best answer here, of course. You're right.

The one common line I've heard in the SE Asia versus Latin America debates is that the language barrier can really make or break the decision. Personally, I've been dabbling in Spanish since high school, periodically studying it, so I have some confidence in my ability to get at least conversational and competent in Spanish. *Some* confidence. It would still be a long struggle to get my Spanish anywhere near native speaker levels. Now, learning Thai? I've never spoken more than a word of Thai; I'm sadly not at all confident that I'd be able to break down the language barrier there.

But I guess this all depends on how bad one wants it, indeed. If one were to fall so deeply in love with Thailand that living there was a must, I guess it could be "Sign up for Thai language lessons year-round, and stick at it until you're decent." But yes, it seems to me as though it would be best if one were to learn the local language, wherever that is

Post a Reply

00abuse

I've known many that never seemed to learn anything but a few words of Thai and it never seemed to spoil their enjoyment of the place.
I've found it useful to know how to read, write and speak enough to get by, because it can be a fun language, because the Thai like to have fun. When the Thai I know return from a business trip, they are usually asked by their staffs, "Was it fun", rather than was it productive, etc.
Thai is a tonal language with a very different alphabet and the thinking here is often very different from what westerners are used to. If you PM me and provide an email address I will send you my extensive list of do's and don'ts for Thailand, which will give you some idea of the differences. If you are worried about spam, use a one time email address or similar.

Post a Reply

00abuse