What’s So Great About Thailand Anyway?
Thailand is home to between 3-4 million foreigners.
And it’s been my home as well for the last 6+ years.
Although the majority of foreigners here come from neighboring countries like Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos, you see people from all over the world who come to live in Thailand.
For example, there are also an estimated 41,000 British people living here.
So why do so many foreigners decide to make Thailand their home? What’s so special about Thailand?
Here are 10 reasons why I and so many other foreigners have made the choice to live in Thailand:
1. Great Weather
Warm and sunny year round, what’s not to love? Sure it can get hot in the middle of the day, but it beats cold and snowy in my book! Just avoid the sun in the peak hours and stay hydrated and you’ll be fine.
2. Exotic Wildlife
Just yesterday I saw a random monkey sitting on the street, just chilling. It’s always cool to see. Coming from America, we have a lot of wildlife, but you certainly wouldn’t see random monkeys or elephants roaming like you can here (depending on the place of course). Plus many of the jungles are home to my personal favorite animal, the gibbon.
3. Low Cost of Living
Thailand is significantly cheaper than most western countries, while offering a great quality of life. Here are the 9 cheapest things in Thailand.
Since moving from America, I spend far less here but feel my quality of life has gone up.
Plus Thailand is a great mix of modern and developing. If you want air conditioned malls and fancy restaurants, Thailand’s got it. If you want a rural farming village away from modernity that lives a traditional lifestyle, Thailand’s got that, too.
4. Friendly People
Although you will find good and bad people no matter where you go, I’ve found Thai people on the whole to be quite friendly and welcoming to foreigners. And embedded in their culture is a non confrontational attitude, so interacting with Thais tends to be easygoing and not stressful.
Many Thai people are playful and always have a smile on their face.
Also, Thai culture is generally a ‘live and let live’ kind of culture. As long as you aren’t bothering people, you are generally free to practice any religion you’d like or follow any lifestyle you’d like.
5. Rich Culture
Although Thailand continues to modernize like the rest of the world, they haven’t forgotten their roots. Thai culture has so many beautiful facets and it’s a pleasure to witness it everyday. The dance, the food, the language, the music, the holidays. There’s a richness to this culture that I don’t find back home in America.
6. Amazing Food That’s So Cheap
Thai cuisine has got to be one of the most delicious on the planet. The mix of sour, spicy, salty, and sweet never leaves your palate bored. Here are my top 5 personal favorites. And if you live in Thailand, you have the benefit of getting that authentic food for an insanely low price. You can eat some of the most tasty food possible from a non descript food cart on the side of the street food for like 60 baht ($1.70).
7. Lots of Things to Do
From the multitude of beautiful islands, to exciting nightlife, to the bustling street markets, to ancient temples, there’s just so much to see and do in Thailand. It’s hard to be bored here. Plus, it’s quite easy to get around with motorcycle taxis, tuk tuks, grab/bolt, buses, trains, etc.
8. Finding a Partner/Dating
Especially for men, one of the reasons they often stay is because they fall in love with a Thai woman here. There are plenty of Thai women who are open to dating people from other countries. Thai women are known for being caring partners and often have a feminine beauty not seen in other places.
But I’ve known foreign women as well who’ve found a Thai partner here too. Although it is less frequent than the foreign male-Thai woman couple.
9. Ease of traveling to other places in Asia
Thailand’s location makes it somewhat of a central hub to travel to the rest of Asia. From Bangkok, it’s quite easy to make a trip to one of the many bordering or near countries. Since moving to Thailand, I’ve been able to travel to other nearby countries quite easily.
10. Opportunities to Experience Other Cultures
Although Thailand is a quite homogenous country with a very prominent sense of identity and culture, there still are many multicultural places where you can experience other cultures.
Bangkok has its famous Chinatown called Yaowarat for example. And there are plenty of other cultures represented all over Thailand. If you want authentic Indian or middle eastern food (cooked and served completely by people from those places), you have that option in places like Pattaya.
If you want to experience Japanese culture or the food, you have places like SriRacha, which is a coastal city with around 10,000 Japanese people living there.
Besides the people that live here, there are so many tourists from all over the world who come to travel. You’ll certainly meet people from a different background than you.
So I find Thailand an interesting place that can expose you to many different kinds of peoples and cultures.
P.S.
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