Living in Thailand is a whole other ballgame than just visiting as a tourist.
Tourist are enamored with the touristy locations, island, crowds, traffic, etc. They have a fist full of money to stay in resorts, fancy restaurants and clubs.
The same you can do all over the world in other tourist locations.
Tourists that engage in these behaviors, really miss out on the real Thai experience.
But local Thai’s are well content where they live and content to see and do things outside of all the over-priced tourist attractions.
Same as me, I like to see nature and natural attractions.
I don’t need to see 100 speedboats crowding one island just to take selfies to brag to everyone on social media that I have been there.
It is a shame most tourists never get off the beaten tourists paths and get to see/enjoy the real Thailand.
There is so much natural beauty in Thailand, far outside of all the tourist attractions.
Waterfalls, rivers, mountains, hiking, camping, local cultures and food; there is a whole other world of Thailand that remains unspoiled by mass tourism.
Many expats need to surround themselves with other expats, western foods, nightlife in places like Bangkok, Pattaya, Jomtien Beach, Chiang Mai and Phuket.
Good for them.
The people that want to see the real Thailand are often amazed when they venture off the beaten tourists paths to see the natural beauty of Thailand.
When you live in Thailand away from the cities and tourist areas, you can get very unique, normal style of life. Not only does it cost much less, it is very peaceful and stress-free.
The people that live in Thailand understand this and enjoy a nice life.
If you want to understand the real wonders of Thailand, ask the people that live there everyday. It is not the same as getting advice from a tourist.