Living in Thailand? What do you miss?

**Essex boys** · 13th Sep 2018, 21:49

Hi all, just thought I would post this to see what you miss or don't miss from your home country, England etc.....
ok, so let's assume your visa is sorted, you are living in your house that you bought/ built/ or rent and you have time on your hands and have re located to Thailand to retire, what do you miss most from your home country? What do you long for? And I guess the easiest one, what do you not miss.....
i know when I stay in Thailand just for a short period of time, holidays etc, I miss a cool breeze on a hot day, Sunday dinners in the pub and fish and chips from the chippy.....
i look forward to your replys
many thanks
essex boys

**Greg / Pairin** · 13th Sep 2018, 22:11

Originally Posted by Essex boys

i know when I stay in Thailand just for a short period of time, holidays etc, I miss a cool breeze on a hot day, Sunday dinners in the pub and fish and chips from the chippy.....
i look forward to your replys
many thanks
essex boys

Like yourself, I have only been going for holidays for the last 19 years, so I don't really miss much, except for my dogs.

I would say the list would be far greater if it was permanenet, I would miss my family, my mates, going to the local sports teams I have followed for years, including the crack and banter that goes with it. I would also miss my work, believe it or not.

**Sammy Shrimper** · 14th Sep 2018, 00:14

Apart from the long summer evenings, I can't think of much else I miss. I would imagine it depends where about you settle in Thailand. Where I live, well you can get most UK things, including fish and chips and a Sunday roast. With the world becoming a smaller place, missing family is not a problem. I certainly don't miss the UK winters and the cost of living.

**Scot** · 14th Sep 2018, 00:36

Clean drinking water straight from the tap
Snow
Common sense
Indoor lavatories when visiting relatives

**Lonerider** · 14th Sep 2018, 01:06

I miss
A nice proper pint, John's, Tetleys...non of this lager rubbish

My mother
Better driving

I don't miss
Paying through the nose for everything
Feeling like a foreigner in my own country
All my hard earned taxes (not any more) paying for all the lazy ******* who don't want to work and get nearly as much money as those that do
There are more but trying to keep it politically correct

**caller** · 14th Sep 2018, 09:44

I don't miss anything to the extent that it makes me want to move back.

But I will admit to missing the English countryside (and pubs), especially Devon & Cornwall and the long summer evenings were missed at first, but I'm past that now.

Food wise nothing, to be honest. The difference between living in Korat and Hua Hin means that's covered. Especially for roasts, although I usually get fish and chips in Bangkok, rather than Hua Hin, where cheaper fish tends to be used. I mean you can even buy Iceland foods here and via them, Greggs sausage rolls!

But I think it is probably cheaper to shop in the UK supermarkets than over here. But obviously eating out is generally much better value.

I can't drink much now and as a consequence rarely drink Thai gassy beers. A wide range of western beers is available at various outlets here. I tend to drink Rogers Ale, which is from Oz and Brew Dog's Dead Pony Club, which is great. I mainly drink alcohol free beer and there is now a wide selection available, that will hopefully increase here, when the planned TOPS open.

A lot of the things I like are catered for here - football is widely covered, there are some great contemporary artists and galleries in Bangkok and Hua Hin - I have two large paintings by Hua Hin artists and regularly visit galleries in Bangkok. Another hobby of mine - watches - is well catered for and I see many brands here that are very difficult to see in the UK, there was even a recent exhibition by Audemars Piguet, where they bought over 50 time pieces from their Swiss museum, which I really enjoyed.

So, it's a case of, so far, so good!

**livingwithathaigirl** · 14th Sep 2018, 10:27

Things that I miss about the UK while in Thailand

1. Different seasons, different weather, sun setting at different times.
2. Being able to walk properly without being burnt to a crisp, sweating or being caught behind bumbling pedestrians who don't have any sense of anyone wanting to get past them.
3. Being able to walk up escalators
4. Intellectual curiosity
5. Being able to buy alcohol between the hours of 2pm and 5pm if I find myself in the supermarket at that time.
6. Cheaper and wider choice of quality goods and services via the Internet
7. National emergency services
8. People adhering to the law
9. Law being enforced reliably and fairly
10. Considerate, careful, driving
11. Responsibility and consideration
12. Having equal rights
13. Democracy

Things I miss about Thailand while in the UK:
1. Food courts
2. Bourbon Street Tuesday Mexican buffet night.
3. Availability of affordable, spicy food at almost all times, in almost all places.
4. Foodland
5. Almost empty gyms.
6. Mangosteens, Durians, cheap papaya.
7. Being able to just walk into a hospital and dentist and get treated within minutes.
8. Cheap hotels
9. The lack of political correctness
10. Low taxes, low benefits. The majority of the population not believing it's necessary to be part of a huge costly regional bureaucracy that makes you pay for neighbouring poorer countries just to be able to trade with them...
A lot of food ones. If I were still single, I could add more.

**James HKT** · 14th Sep 2018, 13:24

My Ma & Pa, apart from them and good tea, nothing.

**livingwithathaigirl** · 14th Sep 2018, 13:58

Ah, forgot an important one that I miss about the UK while in Thailand:

14. Straight speaking. Being able to say what you mean, no faffing around with 'face', respect for elders and those more rich, etc. Such a waste of time over there, holding the country back.

JamesHKT - you miss tea? Why? Over there, you have a choice of Liptons and... er...

So strange that tea doesn't seem to be more popular over there since most of it actually comes from Asia. It's like English people not liking potatoes or apples!

**caller** · 14th Sep 2018, 14:58

I'm curious about the 'good tea' bit? The choice available here is very good really - what did you have in mind?

I have had PG Tips and decaf, Tesco's finest English Breakfast, Typhoo Tea and decaf, Dilmah (aussie brand, wide range available), Ahmad (from Farnborough lol) Evening decaf tea and English Breakfast, Waitrose Tea, M&S tea and decaf and a favourite of mine, Heladiv Ceylon tea.

There's a huge variety of teas available here, from the usual Twinings range, to fruit teas and of course, Asian teas.

**Lonerider** · 14th Sep 2018, 15:30

Yes, tea for me too, I am a big fan of Yorkshire Tea and I am yet to find it in a shop here, but failing that the Tescos Finest English Breakfast as Caller said is not too bad at all

**marshall** · 14th Sep 2018, 15:49

Originally Posted by livingwithathaigirl

apples!

Most of our orchards have long gone. We now import more than we grow.

Long ago all you got offered was condensed milk for your tea.

Do fruit teas count as real tea? Yuk

**Natty** · 14th Sep 2018, 15:56

If I ever do get to live in Thailand one thing I will not miss from the UK is condensation

**sisaket** · 14th Sep 2018, 21:23

Using my season ticket / Grandkids

**James HKT** · 15th Sep 2018, 00:00

Originally Posted by livingwithathaigirl

JamesHKT - you miss tea? Why? Over there, you have a choice of Liptons and... er...
So strange that tea doesn't seem to be more popular over there since most of it actually comes from Asia. It's like English people not liking potatoes or apples!

The blend is all wrong and it’s very weak.

**caller** · 15th Sep 2018, 06:58

Originally Posted by Lonerider

Yes, tea for me too, I am a big fan of Yorkshire Tea and I am yet to find it in a shop here, but failing that the Tescos Finest English Breakfast as Caller said is not too bad at all

I've seen that in Korat Chef, but the price was prohibitive. From time to time he also had mega sized boxes of PG Tips. I like Yorkshire Tea as well and their decaf tea was the best available in my opinion. I'd like to see that available here as well.

**maokaang** · 15th Sep 2018, 10:56

Originally Posted by caller

Tesco's finest English Breakfast

Also concur with that one. I regularly have friends bring me catering bags of Yorkshire Tea from the UK but, if those run out, I find Tesco finest English Breakfast a reasonable alternative. 95 baht for a box of 50:

Tesco's Finest15092018.jpg

**sisaket** · 15th Sep 2018, 14:52

7/11 is crap for Breakfast Teas (my local one is) it's a panic to misjudge how long the last charbags will last knowing it's very unlikely to get some more at 7/11 , meanwhile the other half has cupboards full of of various Green teas and other flavored poisons to which when she gets some new ones to try out it suddenly turns into " We " must try this new drink and we go through the same old scenario " look I dont want to try your latest herbal poison I like to drink coffee and char what do you not understand " then she gives the alleged health benefits of what ever it is, followed normally by " I dont want to try it " but as per usual she takes no notice and makes it anyway....... I ve never had Tescos , but im certainly going to give it go and do like Yorkshire Tea.
Mrs has an obsession with fairy liquid and people bring it over for her, im like "it's washing up liquid, it washes dishes, can buy washing up liquid for a few baht" why o why people give up part of their luggage allowance to bring over fairy liquid, it's a concept I fail to understand, she drove the other week from Surin to Si Sa Ket to see a lady and her family (lady lives in UK), who when she called me let the cat out of the bag " she brought me over some liquid " then there was a long silence and she knows fine well I know it's fairy liquid... I did nt say anything but was thinking What is the point.
The thing she misses from Thailand if she's in the UK is adult clothing of any type, everything is too big apart from baseball caps.

**prikphet** · 15th Sep 2018, 15:58

Things that I miss about the UK while in Thailand
1. Fish Pie / Jellied Eels
2. Wife acting Normal, it takes about a millisecond to turn her back into a Thai when meeting another Thai.
3. Sane and insane conversation with my mates.
4. Driving in a civilized manner (letting Emergency vehicles through).
5. NHS
6. Laws that Stick and are followed
7. Hopping on a plane and going anywhere in Europe for a long w/end
8. Decent Bands (not so much these days)
9. Beer Gardens / Ploughmans Lunch
10. Cardless Society
11. Family
12. Safe Play Areas / Parks for my kid
13. Proper Tradespeople

Things that I miss about Thailand whilst in UK
1. The heat (I'm just warm blooded I think).
2. Tropical Fruit
3. Noodles Stalls
4. Beaches
5. Cheap Laundry/Iron

**caller** · 15th Sep 2018, 15:59

Originally Posted by maokaang

I find Tesco finest English Breakfast a reasonable alternative. 95 baht for a box of 50

I wonder whether they will price themselves out of the market? When they first introduced this to Tescos in Hua Hin, which I only ever visit to buy their nut muesli, red onion chutney and tea bags, 100 teabags cost 100 baht, then it went to 120, then to 125 and recently a massive hike to 175. That last hike puts it in competition with a couple of other brands at that price point, available elsewhere.

Interesting that the weaker ordinary tea bags aren't sold at Hua Hin, but are in Korat? I wonder who makes these decisions?

On saying what I have about the price, here Liptons costs 69 baht for 25 tea bags, which equates to 276 for 100 bags, why would anyone bother?