Home Away From Home

I have been living in Thailand for almost four years now, and not once did I feel the urge to flee. I feel blessed to treat every single day as a new one. How could you not see things so positively when the minute you walk out of your apartment, you are greeted and surrounded by smiles and kindness? No rude drunken men on the streets, cars honking endlessly, or snatchers on the loose. Neighbors, who I do not normally talk to (due to my lack of Thai-speaking skills), never fail to greet me with a smile when we pass by each other on the street. I have left my personal stuff a couple of times in many places, and never was anything stolen. People even try to return them, including the simplest things that you could easily throw away. It’s amazing how people carrying bundles of cash, out in the open, manage to stay in line at a money deposit machine, unthreatened. Vendors and other shop owners, big and small, could even leave their stores unattended. Respect for others, in general, is strictly observed. Some people even express their sincerest apologies when you’re actually the one at fault, like in a near-car-hit scenario. Normally, the driver would shout curses at you for being so stupid, right?

There are so many other reasons why I love living in Thailand. Rent and food are cheap. Any expatriate working here can afford their basic necessities plus a bit of luxury – that is if one chooses to settle on a budget that allows saving, otherwise, one can surely lead an extravagant lifestyle. It is also situated in a very strategic location that makes traveling to other countries much easier and more affordable. Their rural areas are highly-prioritized and maintained by the monarchy, and the government, that locals and foreigners tend to go there for the holidays, instead of going some place else.

Of course there are always flaws, but why spoil the image when more than enough good points already stand out?