Top 4 Ways To Identify a Struggling Expat

Moving into a country that has a culture that in some respects is in reverse to the cultural attitude and beliefs of your home country can often bring you problems. Another angle to living abroad is not having the usual safety nets that you would have back in your home country. It is a fact of life that the longer you live in Thailand, the more struggling foreigners you will and meet, and after a while you’ll be able to spot them a mile off.

Early Warning Signs
It is true that upon first arrival a large majority of foreigners making the permanent move to Thailand will spend their first month or so partying more than they probably would in their own country. The problem is that there are those that will not stop. This is an early warning sign of foreigners that could potentially struggle because they just don’t slow down.

The Night Owls
Some expats will burn the candle at both ends on a regular basis. They’ll live a party by night and a painful hangover by day lifestyle. Generally these people cannot hold down a job and will end up in the situation below, which is basically getting into debt until they have exhausted all financial option. This is yet another sign of a foreigner struggling in Thailand.

Foreigners Borrowing Money
If you are not in your home country and you are unemployed living in Thailand, there are no safety nets. For example, if you lose your job in the UK, you can claim benefits from the government. However, being a foreigner living in Thailand essentially means that you have given up that privilege.
There are so many foreigners that will ask to borrow a 1,000 baht here and a 1,000 baht there to begin with. It is when they don’t pay you back you’ll have your first sign that they are not coping. The problem is exacerbated when they still seem to be out on the booze! Another thing to look out for is when they also owe others in your circle cash. This is a sign of someone that is heading home any time soon or possibly to prison because they cannot pay other bills.

The Jeering Foreigners
It is surprising to hear and see so many ex-pats that have forgotten that Thailand is a developing country. These foreigners will generally moan constantly about the intelligence of some of the Thais they meet and of course ‘the way things are done around here’. In the end these people are either setting themselves up for a miserable life as they won’t leave the country they appear to despise so much. Most Thais will not like him/her for consistently showing a lack of respect or being miserable. As a result, these people don’t make many friends and generally struggle to get by.
Money, alcohol, attitude, self-control and culture are all part the parcel of the adjustments expats have to make when moving to Thailand. Many do not or cannot adjust and end up in a warp somewhere between home and The Land of Smiles. It is always best to keep an upbeat attitude and to ensure all your personal affairs are in order if you want to survive in Thailand.