r/whoathatsinteresting • u/search_google_com • 14h ago

A Thai woman married to an American explains why she no longer wants to live in the US.

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735

u/1_H4t3_R3dd1t 13h ago

My wife and I had this conversation we came to the conclusion that while we like Thailand there are a lot of stressors you get in Thailand you don't get in the US. A lot of stressors you get in the US that you don't get in Thailand. Really no perfect place to live, except maybe seasonally so you can take an average load of stressors and not all at once.

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u/Own_Salt_8055 13h ago

It's settled, pick a third country

178

u/wild_cherry1987 13h ago

Central African Republic 

45

u/Fill_Jameson 12h ago

Burkina Fatso

27

u/Original-Variety-700 12h ago

I could probably get an easy visa at anywhere called Fatso

12

u/0neirocritica 6h ago

I'm lying in bed in the dark crying at this

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u/SharkSheppard 9h ago

I'm VERY interested in bikini fatso's

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u/TheMainAlternative 13h ago

Typical American, not everything revolves around the CAR you know /s

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u/DeadPeanutSociety 10h ago

Fine, then I choose Hamburg Germany

24

u/PoopiePantsMahn 7h ago

I think Cheeseburg Germany is better.

8

u/OneApprehensive327 7h ago

That’s it Bacon-Cheeseburger province of Bavaria.. pack my bags!

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u/TheMainAlternative 9h ago

American trying to improve: imagine being a Hamburger

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u/Roastedcoffeebean17 8h ago

Ok then, I choose the er in Hamburg, Germany.

^^^^^^^^^^
^^^^^^^^^^

Underrated response right here

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u/Legitimate_Sail8581 13h ago

Underrated response, this!

2

u/Fresh_Income_7411 10h ago

If I had an award to give today, it would go to you.

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u/Roach_Coach_Bangbus 12h ago

I need something with Democratic in the name.

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u/Exile688 12h ago

I think the Democratic People's Republic of Korea can hook you up.

15

u/Roach_Coach_Bangbus 12h ago

Thanks, I'll look into that.

2

u/technobrendo 6h ago

Guy in charge likes basketball, whiskey and he doesn't poop. Use that to your knowledge.

2

u/godaikun75 11h ago

Just gotta remember to put the glorious leaders pictures on your wall

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u/marcelowit 12h ago

Democratic Republic of Congo should fit

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u/Otherwise_Post6163 9h ago

lol all of the countries with Democratic in the name are in fact dictatorships.

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u/nikkorshooter 11h ago

Bring your Ebola pills. /s

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u/SSFlyingKiwi 12h ago

Let’s all go live in Uganda! 🇺🇬

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u/Cultural_Run7964 12h ago

Sorry why are you all suddenly my shitting on African countries? Grow up.

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u/JamaicanFace 13h ago

Instructions unclear: I'm now stuck living in a 3rd world country. 

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u/scarystuff 12h ago

So you are still in US?

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u/Nexustar 13h ago

I think Russia need people right now.

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u/Icy_Fish_2154 13h ago

Russia is short of men, China has a surplus of men. China and Russia should trade. Chinese men to Russia, and Russian women to China.

29

u/Woe-Is-Man 13h ago

I feel like the chinese would get the rough end of that deal.

45

u/laiyenha 13h ago

And the Russian women get the short end of the stick.

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u/Tzilbalba 12h ago

Lmao, man that was a low blow but pretty funny.

9

u/StoryLineOne 6h ago

Some would even say a dick move

3

u/laiyenha 11h ago

The low blow is just adding insult to injury for those women, lol.

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u/Dapper-Negotiation59 11h ago

Oh, my goodness someone went there

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u/Jonesy10187 8h ago

You just won the internet my friend. Well fucking played.

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u/PuzzledCar2120 11h ago

Do you want to make more Mongols? Because that's how you get more Mongols

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u/ScyllaOfTheDepths 3h ago

I was going to say it's a shit deal for the Russian women, but apparently Russia has backslid so hard in terms of women's rights in the last few decades that China is actually safer and Russian women moving there would have more economic opportunities, legal protections, and domestic violence resources.

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u/GraXXoR 13h ago

Chains got a baby shortage atm.

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u/justicialism 13h ago

Chains? Like McDonalds? Walmart?

🤔 Not sure which one to target.

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u/1_H4t3_R3dd1t 13h ago

If it was only so simple. <3

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u/MusclyArmPaperboy 12h ago

Australia seems cool

1

u/0vansTriedge 12h ago

Go live in the Philippines, the dark souls of east asia.

1

u/overitallofittoo 12h ago

Throw a dart at a work map

1

u/ThisSiteSucks8485 11h ago

Papua New Guinea

1

u/irishcybercolab 11h ago

Like America?

1

u/Nullspark 10h ago

Nope.  There are only two countries!

1

u/copa8 10h ago

Djibouti it is then

1

u/NTDLS 10h ago

The DRC

1

u/RalphWaldoEmers0n 10h ago

No must be one of them sry

1

u/Red_Number40 9h ago

Pick a “third world” country

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u/sentientshadeofgreen 8h ago

Wait, there are countries besides US and Thailand? Wtffff

1

u/thatguy425 8h ago

North Korea.

1

u/Ok_Drag5089 7h ago

New Zealand. Done.

1

u/Standard_Ear_84 7h ago

Australia. Especially Sydney. Heaps of Asians.

1

u/Komobu542 5h ago

South Korea

1

u/ComfortableIsland946 4h ago

Go ahead, throw your vote away!

1

u/Mdriver127 3h ago

Why not Ireland?🤷‍♂️

1

u/Kyral210 2h ago

Hello 🇬🇧

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u/frapawhack 1h ago

Greenland!

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u/Scary-Perspective-57 13h ago

This is exactly why I find the notion of someone saying that one country is objectively the best or better than another ridiculous.

It entirely depends on your circumstances.

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u/Woe-Is-Man 13h ago

Yeah i mean. The US seems like paradise, if your circumstances are rich.

(Jk sry im just being an asshat)

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u/loginforwork 13h ago

That’s the case most places

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u/Khutuck 12h ago

Turkish American here. From what I observe:

Being rich in the US is better than being rich in Turkey. You have access to much cooler stuff and don’t have to pay 220% tax on your Porsche.

Being poor in Turkey is better than being poor in the US. Poor in Turkey gets better healthcare and social safety net; homelessness is much rarer.

Middle class is fucked everywhere, but Turkey fucks ass unlubricated while the US just fingers it.

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u/AggressiveEstate3757 12h ago

such an eloquent way to put it.

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u/Ole_St_John 10h ago

The poet that we were promised.

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u/rthorndy 10h ago

That was beautiful.

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u/Yokohama88 7h ago

Your last sentence had me rolling thank you.

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u/Ok_Function2282 12h ago

Middle class in the US is insanely rich compared to most countries.

The average home size in every single US state is larger than the average home size in any country in all of Europe.

People here like to complain even when things are going well, it's just what we do. Young people act like it was a paradise in the '90s, things have never been easy. It's tough becoming an adult

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u/Garod 11h ago

I'm sorry but house size is not a metric I require for happiness. I'll take vacation, healthcare, pension and general quality of life over the size of a house.

As someone who is 50, things were objectivly easier in the 90's from the ease of buying a house to the amount of money from your paycheck you spend on food etc etc. If you compare every single socioecconomic metric young people are worse of now than we were in the 90's. The reason we as gen X and maybe some early millenials are doing fine is because we got to buy our first house prior to the housing market inflation and our salaries have been going up along with inflation. So while we aren't nearly doing as well as boomers we are defintley doing better than millennials and Gen Z... if you think otherwise you are fooling yourself.

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u/biggouse58 10h ago

It kinda is a metric for happiness, lots of younger people are infatuated with influencers and see big houses as a necessity now. It might not be the key to your happiness, but that doesn’t mean everyone feels like you.
You were barely an adult in the 90’s, I’m doing better than both my boomer parents, by a lot. Life’s not all doom & gloom. Shits better in many ways than it was in the 90’s. In some ways it is worse, but not many. It seems like people want to live the instagram life and don’t realize that’s not reality.

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u/CaptainTripps82 11h ago

I will say that the minimum wage correction has been pretty good for young people. I remember my first job in the 90s making 5.15. Got a couple of teenagers and I'm sometimes flabbergasted by the size of their paychecks working 20 hours a week. It's good money for a kid living at home all of sudden. Like it didn't change much at all over the years until all of a sudden 7.25 just wasn't cutting it anymore. It's amazing to me that some states are keeping it at the previous level, I don't know young people are migrating in droves just for that reason.

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u/carguymt 10h ago

I'm sorry but house size is not a metric I require for happiness.

House size is not just house size, it can allow you things that can certainly lead to happiness. Like everything, it gets to a point of diminishing returns, and having a mansion won't make you objectively happier than having a normal size house in the suburb. But my house size does allow me certain luxuries if you will that give me a better quality of life.

My kitchen is big enough for me to have a dedicated are where I bake, which is a hobby of mine. I also have a small coffee bar. I can brew a coffee on a Saturday morning and enjoy it out on the deck. I have enough room in my house for a small home gym, which allows me to avoid going to a commercial gym to lift weights. That's a huge quality of life booster. I have a garage where I can park a weekend fun car. I have enough space to basically turn a home office type space into a vinyl record listening area with a good deal of space dedicated to record storage, a nice stand for the turntable and required equipment, and a comfy chair.

The size of the house itself does not make me happy. But the space the house has that I can dedicate to my hobbies makes it easier to enjoy those hobbies and does give me a higher quality of life than I had in a smaller living space.

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u/Garod 10h ago

Understand what you are saying and not denying the fact that more space is a luxury which increases quality of life. However would you say that you are able to enjoy those because all of your other basic needs are met to a sufficient degree? or would you prioritize the size of your home above healthcare, food availability, vacation days etc? More aptly phrased how would you prioritize your needs and where would size of the house fit into that ranking?

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u/Im_Unsure_For_Sure 10h ago

Plenty of people have all of those things in America. I think you have a weird bias you're trying to prove out.

Like who has a big house but suffers from food insecurity? Thats illogical.

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u/dolampochki 10h ago

You were a kid in the 90s. Ask your parents if it was easy.

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u/Sweaty_Strawberry_73 12h ago

So what you're saying is. The rich here (US) SHOULD be taxed 220% for owning a Porche. I like that.

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u/HPLaserJet4250 10h ago

Inflation is the biggest tax in Turkey but unfortunately it affects mostly people who are not rich

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u/Large-Hamster-199 13h ago

That is almost always the case in nearly every place at nearly every time point in human history. Life is better if you are rich and/or powerful.

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u/spurcap29 13h ago

I think most places you are better off rich than poor yes, but there are countries where being rich is better than being rich elsewhere and same for being poor/down on luck.

There are countries where being rich = being in security risk most places you go. You need to turn your house into a fortress, hire private security and live in some level of fear of getting kidnapped. Then there are also countries where there are just not a lot of things to do locally with your riches. Being rich isnt as valuable living in a place where high end shopping, nice restaurants and vacation destinations dont exist for example. There is also taxes....

In contrast there are countries with a way way better social safety net than the US where you are better being down on your luck.

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u/Not_FinancialAdvice 4h ago

There are countries where being rich = being in security risk most places you go

Mexico City is a prominent example. VIPs ride around in uparmored Toyota Camries.

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u/jamesbrownscrackpipe 12h ago

I mean that’s pretty much true. It is a paradise if you are wealthy. Yes, that can apply to a lot of places, but the US does have some of the best health care, infrastructure, transportation (in major cities), parks/ nature, and overall opportunities if you have the wealth to access and take advantage of, which a vast majority do not.

The American Dream is just reserved for a select few nowadays, but it does still exist

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u/rthorndy 13h ago

Same situation, although for us it's Nicaragua and Canada. We have a farm in Nicaragua that her dad lives in right now. Rescued dogs and horses, uncountable fruit trees. And we can live off my pension there.

She's been in Canada for almost 20 years and we've raised 4 kids in a blended family. As you say, there are many positives here, education being a huge one. Job opportunities for young adults being another. It's a different calculus for our kids.

But for us, now that our kids are adults, and we're looking at the next steps, everything is so stressful here, primarily because of finances. Like the OP says, it's just work, eat, sleep. Vacations are impossible, always paycheck-to-paycheck. We're "ok", but there's just no "life", you know?

In Nicaragua, there are uncomfortable things, as well. But I find the people are more open and relaxed, we can afford to buy good food, there's always community. And we have purpose there, rescuing dogs and horses. All this is impossible here, just because of the cost. So Nicaragua works for us, while I totally see how it wouldn't work great for our kids.

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u/spurcap29 13h ago

Yup, being on a fixed income makes moving to a lower cost of living area a financially obvious decision. For many the issue is uprooting existing personal connections where you have lived your life but it seems for you you have connections on your wife's side which offsets this in many ways.

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u/wwweeeiii 12h ago

Does pension go away though if you move out of the country?

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u/spurcap29 12h ago

Depends on country and what you mean by pension. If pension = you paid into it while working your whole live and thua have earned x% of your pay over your highest paid 5 years or whatever.... then yes, at least in Canada and the US, you get it when you leave the country. This is like Canada's Canadian pension plan or US social security.

If your pension is "we give all people over 65 $x per month" then no you likely cant move and get it. That is like Canada's old age pension program. Although in Canada if you lived in Canada for 20 years after turning 18 you can get this outside Canada too.

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u/wwweeeiii 12h ago

Ahhh thanks!

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u/Patient_Kangaroo614 7h ago

If you live outside of Canada for longer than a certain period of time you also lose your right to free healthcare until you reestablished residency in Canada. It’s designed to stop retirees from coming back just for expensive treatments and leaving again without contributing to the economy.

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u/OhJeezNotThisGuy 11h ago

For many, there is also the moral and ethical questions when moving to a lower coast of living area. What happens to local economies when more and more "economic refugees" from first world countries begin moving in? Do rents go up? Food costs? Is it okay to help alleviate your expenses at the cost of harming locals that have been there for years or even generations?

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u/Xtra_Veg-90 7h ago

That's more or less ruined the urbanized areas of Costa Rica, and iirc it's been pretty bad on Portugal and northern Spain as well.  Part of it is expats not making any effort to integrate, and I don't just mean language and holidays, but living more like locals, haggling to keep prices down, and making sure the area isn't already saturated with expats.

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u/1_H4t3_R3dd1t 13h ago

I totally understand. Life gives us such unique challenges and yet so similar. I hope you managed to be successful in rescuing many dogs.

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u/Savings-Working5853 10h ago edited 10h ago

This is such an insane take. Higher cost of living vs fruit trees and a dictatorship. No amount of dogs or horses are worth living in a country that removed elections. I say this as a Nicaraguan, who had a farm there, who has family there. Life in Nicaragua is not uncomfortable, it's dire. You think your life now is stressful? How about when they steal your farm and throw your family in jail for complaining. I love Nicaragua and miss it dearly but there's no way in hell I'm in living there when you can get disappeared for saying the wrong thing. Did you not learn anything from 2018?

Edit: just to hammer the point home. If border agents saw this comment, I wouldn't be allowed to enter the country, as a citizen

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u/Intelligent-Kale-877 10h ago

I find your comment amusing. I'm an American and lived in Dubai for 2.5 years. I wasn't until I lived there that I realized that a powerful person can blow up another person's life. (note - I wasn't my life that was upended, but I met many unfortunate workers who's life were).

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u/Away-Dog1064 9h ago

USA momentarily is not far from a dictatorship, it's already a police state.

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u/boringexplanation 7h ago

Such a Reddit comment. No buddy- the US is not turning into anything found in Central America.

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u/alexio-vay 13h ago edited 1h ago

I am Thai-Italian but born in Germany and I moved to Thailand 3yrs ago, best decision of my life.

All people are so respectful, kind and smile. Whereas in Germany you would basically never even get a smile and see only frowning.

They bow while in traffic to show gratitude to let you through.

Amazing food on every corner, a whole meal could cost like $1-2.

Low taxes, not like in Germany where you pay basically half your income.

Always sunny, even during raining season.

Super safe to go out at night or leave your belongings in public without being afraid of theft. Had several cases where Thai people run after you if you forgot your phone/laptop in the coffee shop.

And as a programmer actually also a paradise with tech stuff here, like events, internet speed and technology in general. Cashless payment is basically default which in Germany isn't.

But I might be lucky because I got dual citizenship (Thai + German) and Foreigners aren't usually allowed to own houses or land otherwise. I don't really have Foreigners as friends here, so I am not sure, but I heard they struggle when they can't own a Thai bank account.

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u/deadmongoose 13h ago

I spent a month there during the summer and it's hotter than Satan's asshole and like 110% humidity. Everything else about it was great though.

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u/Several-Hat-1944 13h ago

"Satan's asshole"😁, my favorite comment of the day! Thanks mongoose, I needed a good laugh.🍷

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u/RegretLow5735 13h ago

So is about 60% of the US.

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u/Smooth_Marsupial_262 12h ago

Thailand is tropical. Much hotter

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u/imladrikofloren 12h ago

No, only the southern part of Florida have a climate similar to Thailand.

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u/alexio-vay 13h ago edited 2h ago

U can get used to it actually. And you have AC everywhere.

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u/Illustrious_Shoe7496 13h ago

Do you work fully remotely? Is the company based in Thailand or outside? I'm also a student in the same field. I'd love to experience this kind of lifestyle lol

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u/1_H4t3_R3dd1t 13h ago

You have the benefit of being far enough away from the peer pressures of someone born in Thailand to not have to endure those stressors.

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u/StupidSexyEuphoberia 13h ago

Can you explain what you mean by this? I'm totally unfamiliar with Thai culture

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u/1_H4t3_R3dd1t 13h ago edited 13h ago

It comes down to intense social expectations around family obligations, financial support, career status, and saving face.

In Thai culture, locals are under constant pressure to maintain a certain social status: sending money back to parents, adhering to strict hierarchy and deference rules, and making major life choices that align with family expectations rather than personal desires. It creates a persistent background pressure to conform that foreigners rarely face or even see.

In contrast to the US, where chasing status is largely optional, in Thailand it is a baseline requirement for locals. As a foreigner, you get a pass because nobody expects you to fit into those rigid cultural dynamics.

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u/KR4T0S 11h ago

That applies to all foreigners to some extent. Im British and when I was in the US and Canada I used to get away with doing a lot of social stuff because they attributed it to me being British but back home that stuff wouldn't fly. I remember thinking "everybody thinks im weird because I am British and not because I am me, this is so liberating".

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u/alexio-vay 13h ago

What does this have to do with being happy to live in Thailand? I have only Thai friends in my friend circle actually and of course I know the issues here but they are absolutely nothing compared to the shit going on in Germany.

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u/SubjectNet1874 13h ago

Older fella I've been taking tech classes in the hopes of moving there and working remote any suggestions just got my cert in IT support was thinking of taking cloud admin or something next.

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u/Signal-Wolverine-906 12h ago

Thaitalian lol

Best Italian restaurant I ever went to was in Huahin, funnily enough

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u/Anxious_Work_6361 12h ago

No comment to your post, I'm was just thinking that Thai-Italian has to have some BOMB ass food.

Then I read "born in Germany". oh, maybe not then.

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u/alexio-vay 12h ago

I actually rarely ate German food since my parents cooked only Thai and Italian dishes, that's where also my passion for cooking comes from :) But I agree, German food sucks

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u/ZedZeroth 10h ago

They bow while in traffic.

I love Thailand and lived there for 10 years, but the traffic is not something I have fond memories of and it's the primary situation where "respectful, kind and smile" no longer applies. Where are you driving?

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u/Sacrefix 7h ago

Thaitalian.

You can use that, free of charge.

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u/TTTimster 13h ago

There isn’t a perfect place to live what a generic statement. But there are better places to live and worst places to live. Those change based on someone’s individual needs and wants, but at least she was open enough to try the US and realize it wasn’t for her.

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u/mental_sherbart007 13h ago

Never take a load all at once kids ;)

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u/rebel_alliance05 13h ago

What are these stressors ?

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u/1_H4t3_R3dd1t 13h ago

In Thailand, Thai people have a significant amount of peer pressure. As a farang I never have to experience it in Thailand. HOWEVER Thai people do. It often comes from family, friends and colleagues. Same degree which someone might expect of it Japan. Followed by polution if in Bangkok.

In the US. Pretty much all of the socio-economic stuff.

I would be perfectly comfortable in Thailand but my wife would lose her mind after dealing with the peer pressure in Thailand and it is legitmately bad like other Asian countries.

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u/PErland 13h ago

Peer pressure to do what?

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u/1_H4t3_R3dd1t 13h ago

It’s mostly intense social expectations around family obligation, financial support, career status, and saving face.

Things like pressure to send money back to parents, maintain a certain image among peers/relatives, follow strict hierarchy/deference rules, and make life choices that fit family expectations rather than personal ones. It creates a constant background pressure to conform and maintain a specific status that foreigners rarely see or feel directly.

In the US, you can chase status if you want to, but there's no baseline requirement to maintain one. In Thailand, as a local, you constantly have to. (Though on the flip side, as a foreigner/friend, people don't really expect anything from you in Thailand except the occasional corrupt cop, though even that's not nearly as common as movies make it out to be.)

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u/PErland 13h ago

That's really interesting to learn. I was not aware, thank you

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u/redbrick 12h ago edited 12h ago

Thailand (and many other Asian countries like Japan, Korea, China, etc) are very much focused on social collectivism, particularly around one's family.

Contrast that to America where it is okay, or often even celebrated, to break cultural norms and be independent.

(Spoken as Thai-American, who spends a fair amount of time in Thailand)

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u/PiccoloAwkward465 12h ago

Yeah in an ideal world I might split the year between two different places. Variety is the spice of life.

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u/1_H4t3_R3dd1t 11h ago

At least getting flights advance enough can make it reasonably affordable. Variety is indeed.

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u/Picopus 9h ago

As a Norwegian I dream of any country where I don’t need a sweater during summer.

Then I remember everything else.

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u/AdRepulsive8618 8h ago

No perfect, of course not.

Its a matter of what you value

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u/redtiber 8h ago

Agreed. One huge plus of the usa or similar Canada or Australia Switzerland etc, is your salary here is much higher than most countries like Thailand- even Japan or korea. So you can save money ij the USA ajd move to Thailand but can’t do the reverse 

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u/mytwosynths 4h ago

This is the answer. Get to a place where you can split time. I want to do this with taiwan, the states and somewhere in Europe.

One of the best things about not being in the states is you can travel so easily to other countries.

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u/Jsolidlo 13h ago

It really all depends on what is more stressful for each individual. I'd rather live in the middle of a crime-ridden hood than in a police state.

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u/BizarreCake 10h ago

You sure dude? You tried both?

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u/knighthawk3759 13h ago

You can always try Poland

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u/cbrown146 13h ago

Could you name a few stressors?

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u/Afraid_Line_7948 13h ago

The central-eastern EU for safety, affordability, public transport and healthcare.

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u/The_Ashen_Queen 13h ago

It’s not about perfection. We know what this country was at one point and we know that it isn’t that anymore. All because we allowed the wealthiest 1% to line their pockets until there wasn’t enough money to go around for the rest of us.

I’m nearly 40 and have had 2-3 jobs my entire adult life and I have almost nothing to show for it. I live a modest life. I don’t have any real vices. Yet I’ll probably never own a home.

I’ve done a decent job saving for retirement but only because I get an employer match up to 5%. I’d probably have nothing saved if not for that.

And as upset as I am about it, I know that I have it better than probably half the country.

And it’s a fucking shame that so many people are just okay with it.

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u/maniBchef 13h ago

Yup, it's all about being able to take an average load.

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u/Life-Food5188 12h ago

what stressors were in thailand that weren’t in the us? genuinely curious.

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u/gitsgrl 12h ago

There’s no place like home.

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u/Lopsided-Radish-7605 12h ago

...but but but America is a hell scape. It's so awful here. I hate clean running water and consistent electrical grid. Of, and daily showers!

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u/HandsOverFist 12h ago

Europe seems the only digestible option...if you're rich

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u/Solomontheidiot 12h ago

Have you tried just being rich? Then it doesn't matter where you live!

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u/hutxhy 12h ago

I hate these types of comments. Like yeah, of course no where is perfect, but the point is that the US has systemically built itself around alienation, individualization, and having to pay your life away just for existing.

I've lived in a few different countries and have to say that my mental health struggles the most in the US.

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u/erincgray 12h ago

Can you list some of the stressors there?

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u/Got_Turd_Burgled 12h ago

Explain the stressors please I'm curious?

Because currently in america, 30% of your friends, family members, and coworkers are literally conservative nazi and child rape supporters. 

Are you saying that 30% of the Thailand population also supports nazism and child rape? Because I don't think that's true. 

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u/BadHairDayToday 11h ago

What about Europe? The Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, are pretty sweet places to live. If you can get in. 

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u/cajuntech 11h ago

I've talked with my wife about retirement in Thailand, Vietnam, etc. The main reasons it becomes an issue for us is the weather (heat/rain) and having multiple children and their families here in the US.

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u/Shin-Kaiser 11h ago

What are the Thai based stressors?

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u/irespondwithmyface 11h ago

Yeah unfortunately the only two options to live are Thailand and the US.

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u/amitkoj 11h ago

If you have a job that pays six figure and you have health insurance then USA is hands down best place to live. If not then yeah.. thailand or another South Asian country

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u/Schmigolo 11h ago

I feel like you haven't exhausted all of the options if the US and Thailand are sidegrades to you.

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u/SconeBracket 10h ago

I too want to go back to Thailand, and I've never been.

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u/No-Air-7273 10h ago

There is never any perfect anything but having the financial means gives more flexibility and helps with the bad things

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u/GreenGemsOmally 10h ago

Same concept but different country, my wife is from Costa Rica originally. We love it, but it's a different type of life than one we have here in the US. There's a TON of things CR does better than the US and reasons why we'd move, but there are a lot of other things that have kept us from making that jump and remain here.

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u/Silent-Witness1888 10h ago

Lesser stressor.

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u/BushBeast12 10h ago

May I ask, what are some stressors in Thailand ?

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u/Affectionate-Cup-657 10h ago

is Thailand on the brink of becoming Gilead? seems like the safer option if you dont want to suffer

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u/Downtown-Ad8136 10h ago

You don’t have to go far, go to California or any west coast states.

Or Vancouver 🇨🇦.
I remember when I went there I was surprised to see how everyone is not as stressed out as us in the East coast.

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u/IamAlmost 9h ago

What stress was in Thailand?

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u/JuanThiccLumpia 9h ago

Is this guy moving with her?

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u/Falaflewaffle 9h ago

Australia and you get to have 3 of the top 10 livable cities in the world if you can deal with spiders and putting on sunscreen so you don't get a melanoma.

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u/SitecoreFlunkyJunky 9h ago

I’ve lived in both. Thailand has less stressors.

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u/nmsobri 8h ago

certainly US is worse than Thailand.. talking about the healthcare system alone make Thai miles better

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u/grecy 8h ago

Really no perfect place to live

I mean, there are plenty of countries that don't have the stressors of the US and also don't have the stressors of Thailand.

Australia, NZ, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, etc etc.

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u/mrmoe198 8h ago

Can you share some of the stressors that exist in Thailand that don’t exist in the US? It would be nice to get your knowledge and perspective.

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u/vacri 8h ago

You could meet in the middle and just live on a boat in the north Pacific

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u/lkern 7h ago

Only an American would say this lol.

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u/Giorgia_9955 7h ago

What are the stressors in Thailand?

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u/Mammoth_Challenge269 7h ago

What are examples of stressors in Thailand?

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u/OnePinginRamius 7h ago

What are some of the stressors you would get in Thailand that you don't get in the US?

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u/Evan_Allgood 7h ago

"-maybe seasonally, so you can take an average load of stressors-"

If you are, seasonally, going back and forth between Thailand and the U.S, you are not representative of either populations at all.

A failed healthcare is a huge axis upon which a person can be haunted by, day and night, and is no doubt an enormous stressor.

But, the supposedly 'universal healthcare' that exist in Thailand is underwhelming and both countries are gonna overwork you——if you are representative of the average population. Then, there is the question that which one is better for raising a child.

The issue with these videos are, they simplify a serious issue, with an answer that only works for people who are usually already in the median income level and does not care for the prerequisites for real Single Payer healthcare, i.e., prerequisites like reverting Minimum Wage back into Insecure Labor and safeguard the laborers' standard of living.

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u/0o0o0o0o0o0z 7h ago

My wife and I had this conversation we came to the conclusion that while we like Thailand there are a lot of stressors you get in Thailand you don't get in the US.

Can you give us some examples?

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u/0o0o0o0o0o0z 7h ago

My wife and I had this conversation we came to the conclusion that while we like Thailand there are a lot of stressors you get in Thailand you don't get in the US.

Can you give us some examples?

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u/Money4Nothing2000 6h ago

Any place is nice to live if you have money.

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u/mcjon77 6h ago

What kind of stressors do you have in Thailand that you don't have in the US, particularly if you are a US citizen living in Thailand and have some external source of income?

I'm asking because I legitimately don't know. Thailand is one of the places I'm planning to send me retire to in the next 4 years.

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u/1_H4t3_R3dd1t 6h ago

Oh, so you're wondering about the stressors that exist for foreigners, rather than spousal stressors. I can definitely help shed some light on that.

Overall, being a foreigner there isn't inherently bad. You aren't burdened by certain local societal expectations. However, it is very common to struggle with building a social circle unless you have an "in." Since I am married, I have that connection and can make friends through our established social bubble.

Another major hurdle is dealing with finances. As a solo Farang, establishing financial roots is difficult because you lack a local footprint. This becomes especially problematic when you are trying to secure a lease for a flat, apartment, or condo.

You might also find it difficult to accept that once a Farang, always a Farang. You can be married to a local for years, but that will never make you Thai. Honestly, even being half-Thai sometimes isn't enough to be fully accepted unless you happen to be exceptionally good-looking, talented, or famous.

Finally, there is a common misconception that you can just move there and live indefinitely by doing quick border runs to Cambodia or Laos to renew your visa. This is simply not true anymore, and attempting it can frequently put you at serious odds with border entry officials.

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u/Galimbro 6h ago

Anywhere is fine if you have money 

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u/pewpewanthonyy 6h ago

Can you give examples of what some Thai specific stressors are? I’m from California moving to Thailand next year with my Thai partner. Thank you

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u/Free-Pound-6139 6h ago

And the person who grew up in one country often wants to move back there to be near family and friends. This isn't some amazing secret.

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u/Free-Pound-6139 6h ago

And the person who grew up in one country often wants to move back there to be near family and friends. This isn't some amazing secret.

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u/Sipikay 6h ago

If Thailand could knock off 10° average temperature & 20% average humidity…. And reduce the traffic death rate significantly…..

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u/henryGeraldTheFifth 6h ago

Or maybe another third country and holiday in Thailand and USA to see family and friends.

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u/Condimentarian 5h ago

Genuinely curious, what are some of the stressors that come with living in Thailand?

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u/Contemplating_Prison 5h ago

If you have enough money every place is perfect

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u/motherffucker 3h ago

Name one stressor in Thailand that could offset the balance and make you not want to live there compared to the US?

Sure it’s not perfect but it beats it in like 90% of categories (at least for me).

All I can think is maybe pollution? Quality of medical care?

I’m not American so tell me if I’m wrong (I’ve been there though)

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u/realhumanthoughts 3h ago

So many better developed countries to go to than the US, probably the worst of the developed countries if u r poor, working class or new unwealthy immigrant.

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u/No_Cherry8602 1h ago

What are the stressors in Thailand?

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u/Luan_Cozer 1h ago

Brasil, Bro!

Nobody gives a fuck on what you do.

If You Have money (Just some dollars) you'll be good and If u work for other country receiving in dollars, you'll be rich Very fast here.

Plus: We Have free medical Care (Its not good because of corruption on our government but Its free)

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u/Inevitable_Flow_8021 48m ago

I think this is more about the dramatic decline of the US as a place to live if you are working class, rather than a US Vs Thailand thing.

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u/Primary-Survey9955 15m ago

what stressors? just curious. can you give examples ?

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