This blog has been provided by Dan About Thailand BLOG for Inspire.

It is well documented that for many foreigners whom come to live in Thailand that it ends up going horribly wrong. An expats life in Thailand needs some good initial discipline and awareness. Failed relationships with Thai partners, losing all their money, horrible accidents (such as on a motorbike) and/or becoming alcoholics.

Now I am writing this just as debate, rhetoric and general interest; just one mans observations on what could be going on here, and I wondered if applying Maslows hierarchy of needs to this could shed some light on why it goes so horribly wrong for some expats.

If we look at the basic needs, then it is quite straight forward – finding a place to rent or buy to live in Thailand, just as you would anywhere else in the world.

I think where it all starts to go wrong is in our psychological needs. It is very easy to get in with the wrong crowd, you know the type, the ones that do nothing more than drink beer everyday or the guys that are always skint. Maybe you start lending some money here and there, it will never end well in most cases. The need to feel like you belong is perhaps more stronger when you are outside of your domestic country too. It would be easy to argue people try far to hard to fit in and fit in with whomever will allow them when in Thailand. People who would never be your friends in your own country can become friends too easily when in Thailand.

I discussed the subject of friendship with many expats in Pattaya and most freely accepted they do not consider their friends here close friends like they had back home. They said making friends was actually quite difficult and more over the in order to make friends they would need to drink in a bar. This of course means drinking, and if not careful, a daily habit forms in order to have friends.

Read more at https://danaboutthailand.com/2018/02/21/using-maslows-hierarchy-needs-ascertain-expats-succeed-others-fail/

This blog was written for inspire https://danaboutthailand.com/2018/02/21/using-maslows-hierarchy-needs-ascertain-expats-succeed-others-fail/