Expat in Nantong

Beijing, China vs Thailand

      Candid comparisons of Beijing & Thailand by a seasoned expat

After more than a decade in Thailand I took a job in Beijing about three years ago. I actually like it better in China. I have written up some of the differences for those who might be curious.

Some Pros and Cons on Living in Beijing

Public Transport

Beijing transport is now top-class, with a subway, bus and taxi system that can rank with any of the best in the world. Bus and subway so cheap they are almost free. Taxis are everywhere, well-regulated and very affordable. Motorcycles are banned from the city. Traffic cameras everywhere, so no one runs red lights.

Traffic is very bad at certain times and places, but nowhere near that of many Thai cities. There is actual enforcement, so tickets are issued and they bite hard enough to really hurt. If you want a car, many affordable options because China makes so many cars (it's actually the largest car market in the world now).

Noise

Beijing is much more quiet. Large dogs are banned, and the one little dog permitted per family is so beloved it is never thrown out onto the street, so there are no packs of feral dogs barking and snarling at night. And while the Chinese are extremely loud people, I have never been disturbed at my home by a neighbor's noise. No two-stroke bikes. They do honk the car horn excessively, unlike Thailand. Construction noise can be a problem, but that too is well-regulated so it doesn't last all night, etc.

Girlfriend

China's one-child policy has resulted a generation of little princesses that are so self-absorbed that studies say many could meet the definition of pathological narcissism; they will freely tell you how cute, lovely, clever, etc. (all at once) they are, when they might be nothing of the sort, but they truly believe it. They have been thoroughly spoiled by two sets of grandparents and their own parents. Until they learn by hard experience, they expect that other people are there to serve them.

I met a girl much younger than me and we began dating, and she didn't seem to realize that there were two people involved. After enough of her selfish behavior, I broke it off. A few months later we started seeing each other again - with me far more wary - and she seems to have changed. Now we have something closer to a normal give-and-take relationship. It's just no one ever set boundaries for her before. The one-child policy has had a huge negative social impact, but maybe there was no choice given the population and relative poverty of the nation, especially when it was enacted.

That said, she is in many ways very reliable and conscientious. After so many years in Thailand I thought she was lying to me about how she spent her time, but when it all played out, I was wrong, but luckily I hadn't really accused her of seeing another guy. I still have a hard time trusting people here after my years in Thailand and all the disappointing experiences I had trying to find trustworthy mates/friends.

Incidentally, she is beautiful, and there indeed are a lot of beautiful women here. As well, they seemed to be better educated and hard-working.

Friends

I also have a couple of Chinese guys who are my friends and I like and respect them. I never came remotely close to having a Thai guy as my true friend.

Cost of living

Beijing is quite a bit more expensive than Thailand, but the pay and quality of life are far superior. On balance, a better deal.

Food

Thailand has it hands down. North Chinese cooking is just loaded with oil - in fact they call it "edible oil" and it is a significant ingredient in many dishes. You see old people hauling five-gallon containers of the stuff home all the time. But Thai food beats about any cuisine.

The fresh vegetables in China are far superior and the beef as good as the U.S. I've basically gone back to a beef diet. Because this is a temperate climate, vegetables and fruit grow more slowly and seem much richer as a result. As well, parts of China have natural black soil as good as Canada, U.S. and the Ukraine.

Housing

My apartment in Beijing has central heating, air conditioning and hot water. Broadband internet is available everywhere. All appliances, etc. work fine and there has never been a power cut.

Weather

The work they did for the Olympics really did improve things greatly. BKK and Chiang Mai are far more polluted in my opinion. We are now going into the autumn season with cool nights and clear skies. In winter it can get damned cold, especially the wind howling in from Mongolia and Siberia, but I have found that I have far more energy and enjoy wearing heavy clothes (at least as the cold weather begins). It can get brutal, however, and one is thankful to see the first buds of spring. On balance, I think I prefer four seasons. In Thailand it's hot, rainy and hot, and killer hot.

Police

No drunk policemen with guns here. In fact, one rarely sees a uniformed policeman, but I understand there are undercover police everywhere. Extremely safe place. Women go about their business at all times without much concern for personal safety.

I'm too old for such nonsense, but I have heard that expat vs Chinese fights do occasionally happen in the Sanlitun area - the only place I've seen here that reminds me of the kind of tourist ghettos one sees in Thailand - between drunks. It seems a similar tale: 10 Chinese guys come to the aid of their friend. Only here, the foreigner is quickly deported and that's the end of the story.

Chinese Government

Visa

Once you receive a visa you do not have to keep checking in. In my case I have a one-year working visa which required a medical check on blood, TB, blood pressure and basic heart EKG. Then you have to register with the police in the city district, then you're done. You can also leave and re-enter without needing a re-entry stamp.

Other

Of course one is well aware of the Big Brother approach to government, but in my life, the only real impact so far is the annoying habit of blocking internet sites. But most users - expat and Chinese - are proficient in using a proxy server and simply go around the firewall. I decided I wouldn't try to tell the Chinese how to run China, so the fact there is no democracy hasn't ruined my life.

You who live in Thailand live with a government dominated by godfathers, the elite and all the rest that I can't go into. Is that better than the Chinese approach? All this red, yellow and whatever shirt stuff started as I was leaving Thailand and I was very ready to bid it farewell.

Asides

Biggest upsides in China - Infrastructure is vastly superior and much more opportunity. More reliable relationships.

Biggest downsides - Far too many people, far too many people who are extremely loud, and a period of very cold weather.