What does it take for a foreigner to live happily in Thailand?
Answers like, "lots of baht" are not helpful.
Thailand - 7 Answers
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1 :
How about a "bunch of baht" haha. Just kidding. It depends on what you can tolerate. You can rent a room for 2,000-3,000 baht per month, no a/c, maybe your own toilet and shower The following link is to a list of items you will probably need including rent. It seems fairly accurate compared to what my friends have told me and the prices I have seen in the past. http://bangkoktonite.com/tips/cost_in_bangkok.shtml The following site is so you can compare, the guy does not get so much into detail for you. He is an ex-pat from the US who makes a living in Bangkok helping other settle in or make the decision. http://www.thailandguru.com/cost-of-living.html I think I figured it out once and it was around USD1,000 per month if you were frugal and still had fun. Might be a bit higher with the new exchange rate. I hope these help.
2 :
Patience, and a good sense of humor. We westerners are used to things, like schedules, running a certain way, and on time. When they don't we tend to get frustrated. In Thailand many things seems to move at their own pace. For example, the concept of Thai time. Let's say you agree to meet a Thai person and at certain place at a certain time. It wouldn't be to uncommon for the person to be more than a half hour late and not think anything of it. Also, the concept of saving face is very big in Thailand and this can also make things confusing for westerners. Let's say you pitch an idea or product; because they don't want you to lose face they won't come right out and tell you no but they won't tell you yes. Meanwhile you're left trying to guess if they're interested or not. Besides business, there's everyday little things that take getting used to. For example, Thai are not encouraged to think outside the box while on the job. So, if you're asking for something to be done a little different than it normally is, they may seem inflexible even though there's no seemingly good reason they shouldn't be able to accommodate you. When you find yourself confronted with a frustrating situation in Thailand the best thing to do is take a deep breath and smile. If you can find the humor in the situation, even better. Showing your frustrated will get you no where. Raising your voice or getting angry are strongly looked down on. I guess what I'm trying to say is sometimes it seems Thailand operates on different type of logic than we in the west are used to. But the only thing you can do is go with the flow. Otherwise you're in for a tough experience. Of course there's other negatives such as sweltering heat, unpredictable rain, brutal traffic, and oppressive smog. But for me the positive far outweigh the negatives. Thai people are gentle, good humored, polite, humble people. There's tons of things to do and see in the country. There's amazing countryside, mountain town, jungles, and beaches to explore. The food is amazing and if your single there's no better place to meet people. Hope this helps. Good luck.
3 :
A good attitude and a smile.
4 :
Twelve hit it on the head. Thailand ain't burger king and you can't have it your way. I'm still trying to get my head wrapped around that. Like Tesco sells coffee and filters but no drip coffee pots or they sell photo printers but no photo paper. And of course you can ask for weeks where to get a rake and search all over and blow a gasket in frustration over not being able to find one and the minute you finally buy a old rusty one from the neighbor for 100 baht your wife/girlfriend says oh they have lots of those at the market for 60 baht. (she even knows the price). And if you can't find the fun in that, happiness will be just out of your grasp.
5 :
Well, there are some good answers above - the short answer is understand the culture and this takes time. Observe. Do not be quick to judgment or anger. Smile oft and easy. Be kind. Understand that you don't always understand, even if you think you do and that ain't their fault. Guarantees mean little, even though they may say it in English, they mean it Thai style, which is "what the elephant eats, he does not give back" - [ no refunds ] - but mostly happiness must come from within both here and away - good luck - relax and enjoy the differences.
6 :
For me, it was finding the right woman to spend the rest of my life with and living outside the city. Costs of living outside the city are much, much less and the stress is almost zero. Can always jump on the motorcycle and ride around in the countryside which is the source of my happiness. The people are much friendlier and you don't have all the issues foreigners have in the city where the locals constantly try to rip you off. Get away from where all the other foreigners are and life will be the happiness. Not having financial worries is another issue. Means you have to have enough money to live the way you want to live. If you have budget issues then Thailand becomes no different than anywhere else. I have had just as happy times or happier eating together for 50 baht on the side of the road, as I have eating in Bangkok's most expensive restaurants. If you are work, be happy with your job or the stress from being unhappy will kill you. If you do not have to work, find a hobby that you like to do and go for it. Photography, fishing, traveling, motorbike riding, friends.. there are many sources of happiness The real key to happiness is finding the right person, that every minute with them makes you happy no matter what you are doing. I love the life I have here and I will never go back to the USA.
7 :
I guess this question you've gotta ask yourself. If you're at peace with yourself, you'd live happily anywhere.
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