The Jaded Expats of Thailand

I am quite certain that this demographic exists in every country but it is extremely evident here: A segment of the people who seem to hate almost everything about this country, yet still insist on living in it.

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_{I don't know this guy... it's from an article entitled "why are there so many loser expats in Thailand.. haha}

If you go to almost any part of this country you are going to find a great amount of natural beauty, cheap prices and an easy going way of life. I'm not saying it is perfect because it certainly isn't that, nowhere is perfect. However, life certainly is at least economically very easy here but you will not have to look very far to find someone complaining about everything in it.

It gets boring really: Any time I go anywhere and talk to anyone that lives here these topics are very come up.

• How awful the conditions on the roads are
• How difficult it is to get anything done on time
• Visas

Now, I know that I have talked about visas on this very website multiple times, but I like to believe that I don't have a "go-to" in any conversation that I absolutely must talk about. It's not like I'm a vegan.

Typically, the people involved in these conversations tend to be older individuals and most of them have lived here for many years. This conversation almost always takes place at bars and never somewhere like a national park or someplace beautiful that we all have access to for damn near free on a daily basis.

Now, onto what I witnessed in my neighborhood yesterday. This jaded attitude hit a boiling point with 2 gentlemen in my part of town. My "moo-baan" is about 10% foreigner and many of us have dogs. I am in my 40's and am significantly younger than most of the people here. 2 men started yelling and swearing and acting like fools in the middle of the park and dog walk area. They were LOUD, and this went on and on and everyone just kind of kept their distance, including me.

I was worried that they were gonna have a fistfight and it would likely have been about as amusing at those Youtube videos where two really old dudes fight at a retirement home. However, they were next to a canal, so it could have gotten ugly and I'm glad they didn't fight.

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The point of the story is I have seen both of these guys at the local pub, they are almost always drunk when I arrive and they complain constantly - they don't really seem to enjoy life here and they are both retired. Therefore, I can't really imagine why they stay. It's not like Thailand is the only affordable country around here. It is actually becoming one of the more expensive ones in the region surpassing, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

I know it is a tired expression but "if you don't like it, get out!" seems like it would be a mutually beneficial situation.

I still like it is here. Do certain things about life piss me off in this country? Of course! But this would be true anywhere.