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The Ever-Present Tortured Expat and the Paradox

By surinfarm, Created on: 27/05/2011, Last updated on: 11/06/2011

» Perhaps someone might enlighten me as to the conditions of contradictory that persist amongst the resident {long-time or short-timers} Westerners in Thailand..... Angst, frustration, and mild hostility seems to be a common thread within a broader and growing extension within the Farang resident community....

• drake commented : eleventh cesspool of chinese fire drill inferno by committees of Thai bureaucrats. But I digressed. Re. the original question "The paradox. Why...?? Why, if they are not happy and comfortable in there chosen country of residence, do they insist to be living in said culture of choice? Wouldn't it be pertinent to one's existence to exist in an atmosphere that you might be comfortable and "at home" in?" This question was actually once raised in another thread It's usually a mix of several factors. - aren't comfortable with themselves, won't be comfortable anywhere. - can't go home, for whatever reason. - didn't fit in at their old home either. - inability to adapt or be assimilated in to the new environment - superiority/god/missionary complex - they like some of the things in their new home but also want the 'good' things they had whence they came - just plain clueless and being the jerks that they are. - can't admit that they are wrong or didn't know any better. - would have been beaten senseless whence they came for same attitude. - taller than most people here but the shortest guy back home. - delusional, thinks they are going to change the Thais....

• surinfarm commented : eleventh cesspool of chinese fire drill inferno by committees of Thai bureaucrats. But I digressed. Re. the original question "The paradox. Why...?? Why, if they are not happy and comfortable in there chosen country of residence, do they insist to be living in said culture of choice? Wouldn't it be pertinent to one's existence to exist in an atmosphere that you might be comfortable and "at home" in?" This question was actually once raised in another thread It's usually a mix of several factors. - aren't comfortable with themselves, won't be comfortable anywhere. - can't go home, for whatever reason. - didn't fit in at their old home either. - inability to adapt or be assimilated in to the new environment - superiority/god/missionary complex - they like some of the things in their new home but also want the 'good' things they had whence they came - just plain clueless and being the jerks that they are. - can't admit that they are wrong or didn't know any better. - would have been beaten senseless whence they came for same attitude. - taller than most people here but the shortest guy back home. - delusional, thinks they are going to change the Thais....[/quote:3r635hia] All these above apply. Yet, I'm quite amused as to the poster above you that suggest Thais yearn to be "Western". Mostly from the deep-end.

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