Funny, I have a storage locker in Bangkok too. I don't have a lot of stuff, but enough that I need a place to put it when I go traveling. I mostly live in Bangk

Funny, I have a storage locker in Bangkok too. I don't have a lot of stuff, but enough that I need a place to put it when I go traveling. I mostly live in Bangkok but sometimes my wife and I leave for months at a time. I was just talking to an expat friend about how many expats/immigrants we know in Thailand who seem to do nothing but complain about Thailand and Thai people. I wonder why they stay here. I can see the same problems they do -- crowded, loud, dirty, bad traffic, polluted -- but I don't react to those problems the same way. I grew up in Los Angeles, a city that seems dirtier than Bangkok, but doesn't have great public transportation like Bangkok does, and I certainly don't feel safe walking around in LA. I try to focus on the things I love about Thailand and not get stressed over the things I don't like. We all bring our own preferences and perspectives with us. I think the successful travelers and expats adapt and learn tolerance and acceptance. The people I talk to who seem most unhappy always compare where they live with where they came from, focusing on the things they miss, and the things they haven't adapted to. I met an American guy a while back who complained that he couldn't get Pop-Tarts in Bangkok. When I told him about Villa Market and Tops (he had somehow not discovered those after over a year in Bangkok) he got visibly happier -- major life stressor fixed for him.