How many of you guys moved to Thailand and regretted it?

[sakik2024]

How many of you guys moved to Thailand and regretted it?

My Thai life started in 2003 and lasted 14 years, most of it as an expat. My first long stay was in a hotel near Secrets for several months of Walking St. 24/7!!

As the months turned to years, I felt I had painted myself into a corner because I knew I wanted to leave, but didn't know where to go. I was living on a quiet, dead-end street near the Naklua fish market. My life and living were both dead ends 

I only knew Angeles City in the Philippines, but didn't like it. Now, three years in the heart of Manila, and I'm very happy.

 

[Captain_B]

Bought my house in South Pattaya in 1997. Met agogo girl then and lived together until married in 2010. Still together today in same house. 

Had many great holidays in Philippines since 1990. Its different now, as is Thailand.

Thenkfully l am also older now at 64yrs and times and myself have changed. However, went for an oil massage this morning and life is fun and good! 

Long may it continue.

[Lemondropkid]

Been living here a year and half, really enjoying it.Plan to try living in a few towns in Thailand but life in Bangkok.suits me well.

Happy enough to stop at least another year.

Don't think I could live in the Philippines, dreadful food, the poverty and dire customer service. Manilla has to be the least appealing big city I've visited, Palawan is beautiful, Subic had a great expat community but not enough to think about living there.

Singapore and HK too expensive, Malaysia doesn't do much for me. Love Cambodia, food is better than the Philippines, lovely people but couldn't live there I think. 

Need to have a look at Vietnam but at the moment Thailand feels like the best option for me.

Cost of living is great compared to the West, great infrastructure,people, the food is wonderful and loads to do

 

[richy65]

30 minutes ago, Lemondropkid said:

Been living here a year and half, really enjoying it.Plan to try living in a few towns in Thailand but life in Bangkok.suits me well.

Happy enough to stop at least another year.

Don't think I could live in the Philippines, dreadful food, the poverty and dire customer service. Manilla has to be the least appealing big city I've visited, Palawan is beautiful, Subic had a great expat community but not enough to think about living there.

Singapore and HK too expensive, Malaysia doesn't do much for me. Love Cambodia, food is better than the Philippines, lovely people but couldn't live there I think. 

Need to have a look at Vietnam but at the moment Thailand feels like the best option for me.

Cost of living is great compared to the West, great infrastructure,people, the food is wonderful and loads to do

 

Interesting post, thanks. I spent a week in Saigon but didn’t like it at all.

I’ll visit Cambodia in the near future but I don’t think I’ll change my mind about retiring to Bangkok, been visiting as a tourist for 10 years now and still love it

[Lemondropkid]

39 minutes ago, richy65 said:

Interesting post, thanks. I spent a week in Saigon but didn’t like it at all.

I’ll visit Cambodia in the near future but I don’t think I’ll change my mind about retiring to Bangkok, been visiting as a tourist for 10 years now and still love it

Thanks I've only visited Hanoi 15 years back. Horrible pollution, unfriendly, scary bike traffic and the night life I saw left me cold. Have heard positive reports about so many other parts of the country so want to give it a second chance.

I lived on Soi 33 in Bangkok for 2 months, not for me day in day out. Am a bit more out now in a leafy suburb but close to the sky train. If I want Nana I'm 30 minutes away.

Live in a mostly Thai area, huge range of restaurants, coffee shops and street food. I've a convenient journey on the Skytrain/ARL to BKK, easy taxi ride to DMK.

There's so much to Bangkok outside the traditional farang areas.

If you go to Cambodia, try to spend a little time in Siem Reap- the temples are stunning. I love Phnom Penh, but it's not for everyone.

[coxyhog]

Never lived in Thailand but it's been our goal for a long time.

We have a nice house in Korat where we've been staying for longer lately due to my mother being in a care home in England.

With over 34 years of marriage and being an old fucker I think the only bar to me living there will be health related....but who knows what the future may bring.

Always look on the bright side of....

[Horizondave]

My only regret is 'leaving' Thailand. Life was far more fun in Thailand.

[Glasseye]

I have had a smile on my face ever since I got off the plane. I live in a very quiet, peaceful, clean, comfortable place. Yet, I can acess anything I need within 15 min, 1 hour, or 2 hours depending on where I go. The cost of rent is a mere fraction of what it would be in the States.

The only thing I have trouble with is the humidity and flies, but I have learned how to adjust to those.

[Yessongs]

i'm Ok with living here, having a nice wife, who is not a "nag"  who has made my transition here incredibly smooth is a god send. Having a nice home with no mortgage payments, property taxes and no car payments certainly is good too at my age. Will be 70 soon....and very important to have good health and access to good Hospitals is a god send. 

Like alot of you, there are some things living here that  I just despise though. The year around humidity and poor air quality is a concern for me....yeah I know, I knew all of this before coming here....just getting tougher for me to accept the fact that at some point, I am going to have to spend more time inside the house, which is NOT my DNA. 

Went to Benjakitti Park last week with wifey to take some pics etc....we lasted about an hour out there, before having to leave cause it was so blistering hot and miserable. 

Talks have taken place that perhaps at some point, we will move back to Calif to spend time there and want my Grand Daughter to know who I am you know? But for now, will still enjoy Bangkok and continue to have fun here for sure...

[Trip]

On 6/15/2025 at 6:50 PM, sakik2024 said:

How many of you guys moved to Thailand and regretted it?

My Thai life started in 2003 and lasted 14 years, most of it as an expat. My first long stay was in a hotel near Secrets for several months of Walking St. 24/7!!

As the months turned to years, I felt I had painted myself into a corner because I knew I wanted to leave, but didn't know where to go. I was living on a quiet, dead-end street near the Naklua fish market. My life and living were both dead ends 

I only knew Angeles City in the Philippines, but didn't like it. Now, three years in the heart of Manila, and I'm very happy.

 

Interesting perspective. I resonate with your experience and also came to a similar fork in the road vis-a-vi trying to live in Pattaya. But after about 5 years for me whereas you zigged, I zagged and found a better place for me up in Issan, Udon Thani in particular.

My view is that all places change over time, but the pace of changes in the sticks is far slower and I've found that as my time on the rock circling the sun continues, I'm liking it slower.

Still venture out to Pattaya and Bangkok every month or so but just grow bored with what both have become; Bangkok getting as paeng as the US and Pattaya savaged by package tourism from 'quality tourists' from india and china.

[john1000]

On 6/15/2025 at 7:44 PM, Horizondave said:

My only regret is 'leaving' Thailand. Life was far more fun in Thailand.

I think, we do have a tendency to look back at snapshots in times past,  when we were happiest.

Brain is good at deception.

[Horizondave]

6 hours ago, john1000 said:

I think, we do have a tendency to look back at snapshots in times past,  when we were happiest.

Brain is good at deception.

There are reasons why I regret leaving Thailand, but presently I can not talk about them on this forum. I was my happiest back living in Thailand before I came back to the UK with my family.