A video of a Thai woman shared on Reddit's r/whoathatsinteresting community shows her explaining why she no longer wants to live in the United States. As a result, Reddit users are weighing in on whether the "American Dream" still exists and how life in the U.S. compares with Thailand.
The post had drawn more than 14,000 upvotes as of publication. In the video, a man introduces the topic by saying his wife moved to the U.S. three years ago but now wants to return to Thailand.
The woman then says, "I came here three years ago because of the American Dream. It's not like what I thought at all. I feel like the American Dream is dead. It's not like 20 or 30 years ago anymore."
She goes on to talk about the rising living costs, long workdays, car and limited public transportation as drawbacks. "Everything is getting more and more expensive, and it's impossible to afford anything at all. Every day feels like a rat race. I go into work, I get out of work, and then I go home, and the next day I go into work again," she says.
The woman also compared life in Thailand to life in the U.S. and adds, "In Thailand, the lifestyle is more relaxing. It's more enjoyable to live there. People are nice. There are a lot of food options everywhere. Healthcare is more affordable. Overall, I feel happier in Thailand."
One Reddit user wrote, "My wife and I had this conversation… Really no perfect place to live, except maybe seasonally so you can take an average load of stressors and not all at once."
Another person said, "When my parents immigrated to the US (...) from France in [the] 80s, they were amazed by the lifestyle that they could afford here (…) Now they've moved back to France because the US is too expensive."
Others commented on the woman's comparison between present-day America and decades past. "A woman that has been here 3 years is comparing it to 30 years ago? Ok," one commented. Another added, "How does she know what it was like 20 or 30 years ago?"
Some commenters also argued that opinions among Thai immigrants are far from universal. "My Thai wife thinks the complete opposite lol," one Redditor wrote. Another replied that views in the Thai community where they live are mixed and that one's financial circumstances often influence whether families choose to stay in the U.S. or return to Thailand.
This article is based on a video shared in r/whoathatsinteresting on Reddit. The Daily Dot could not independently verify the identities of those shown, the video's original source, or the specific details of the woman's immigration experience.
