If you are an American who is looking for a place to live away from "the homeland", you will find nowhere on earth where there is more appreciation for the idiosyncrasies of a foreigner who wants to adapt and fit into their host culture. This isn't to say that the Thai people are without faults - there are those who can be critical, rude, deceitful, even hostile to those who they call 'Farang", but they can also be that way with their fellow Thais who come from another part of the country, or who are without money or social position, or who just rub them the wrong way. Thailand is not paradise - just the closest to it that anyone not from Thailand is likely to find when searching for near-perfection.Farang have been coming to Thailand for centuries, and have provided an endless source of amusement and refreshment for the Thai people. In return, the Farang have been offered greater access to the homes and hearts of the Thai people than in any other country in Asia. Perhaps it is the self-confidence that comes of having been an independent people throughout their history - occasionally invaded, never conquered - that gives the Thais this extraordinary poise and self-assurance. For whatever reason the Thais are the open, friendly, warm-hearted people that they are, it is a privilege to live among them and share their sensual, mystical, emotional world, as I along with so many others from the West have done over the years. If you are planning to visit or live in Thailand for the first time all I can ultimately say to you is that you are a most fortunate person. Relax, take your time, learn to speak Thai, and you will find that their world is as open to you as if you had been born among them.

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