Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher born in 544 b.c. said, "No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man."
Substitute Bangkok for river and it applies equally. I had spent the last 9 years living mostly in Bangkok and travelling home to Canada for a month each summer to look after business. I have just come back from six months in Canada with my family and have found my taste for Bangkok has diminished.
My six months in Canada strengthened my appreciation for what Canada offers citizens. For the most part, it just works and everyone is treated equally and no one needs go hungry. The rules of the road and society itself are mostly followed.
The climate is temperate for 8 months of the year and Winter has an uniqueness that adds an extra dimension to the Canadian experience. The air is clean and fresh and you can really enjoy outdoor activities, even a simple walk.
Contrast Canada with Thailand, with complex visa requirements that are arduous such as 90 day reporting, T30's to fill out whenever you stay overnight away from your residence of record, etc.
Simple things like opening a bank account, buying a car with no job, but a secure healthy pension, or buying land becomes too complex or even impossible..
Try to explain the concept of a public transportation bus in Canada , that bends down to provide a step up, or a wheel chair access ramp to a country where the sidewalks have no taper to the road.
My favorite is the concept that 'pedestrians are more important than vehicles' is completely missing in Thai culture.
Just recently, the government announced that hospitals can charge tourists twice the amount as Thais for identical services. They already charge twice the amount for admission to historical sites.
The Thai baht has also increased dramatically against most currencies except for the US dollar which makes Thailand much more expensive to visit or live in.
Factor in temperatures of 32 degrees in winter and upper 30's with humidity in the summer and walking outside becomes an exercise of dripping sweat within 5 minutes.
Many expats are choosing to leave Thailand for the Philippines or Cambodia because of the reasons listed above.
We have family here in Thailand that Thavorn will always need to visit but I see us reducing are time in Thailand, from six months to three if not two months in years to come.
I was a child in a candy shop, but after awhile you lose your taste for sweetness and start to appreciate other parts of the world for what they offer.
TTYL
