I lived that life for many years. I lived between Thailand and Europe for 13 years, China for 2 years, and many others for work as a visitor.

Your article is very accurate, but I would still live there rather than in the UK at present.

It is the general ambience and attitude of sabai sabai plus the food that I love. Like anywhere, if you know where to go to buy the food, if you become a part of the culture, as much as you can as a westerner, you'll roll with the downsides.

The only thing at present for Thailand at least, is the strength of their currency compared to when I bought my first house there. In those days it was 76Baht to 1UK£ now it is around 43 Thai Baht. The Philippines is much better now at about 66Pesos to 1 UK£.

The Philippines is better for communication in English but in so many ways similar to Thailand, but after so many years in Thailand I can speak it reasobly well to get by.

My aim has always been to get to Burma though, since reading Orwell many years ago. But those people are realising that they have to fight to kick out the army in power.

Much the same as I sympathised with the red shirts in Thailand compared with coming from a working class UK background, against the "High So'" Thais.

I still love Isaan but find it too harsh to stay too long in the Jungle villages, I just prefer to take a dump in a sit down toilet. But those are very small things.

It is just so much better than the hustle of here, if only the car horns could be silenced in China I'd even live there and get a good night's sleep on those hard mattresses!

Thanks for the article though, especially if it keeps those right wing westerners back home.