Cyprus or Thailand – which is better? Here’s my personal experience living in both countries!

My personal experience of living in Cyprus (Paphos) and in Thailand (Pattaya) gives me the opportunity to more or less objectively compare life in these two countries. I have gathered 30 criteria to rely on when asking the question where to live – in Thailand or in Cyprus.

IMPORTANT! OFTEN I DESCRIBE LIFE IN SPECIFIC SETTLEMENTS, NOT THE WHOLE COUNTRY! SO IF I TALK ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL SITUATION IN PATTAYA – THIS DOES NOT MEAN IT IS THE SAME ALL OVER THAILAND. AND VICE VERSA – IF I WRITE THAT THERE ARE NO TRAFFIC JAMS IN PAPHOS, IT DOES NOT MEAN THERE ARE NONE ACROSS ALL OF CYPRUS. THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING) 

Internet

In Cyprus I paid about 35 euros for home internet, it was quite weak, and when bad weather came it got even worse. Because it was not wired, but somehow transmitted via an antenna, I think. But I must say, the situation was visibly improving, wired internet on Aphrodite’s island was spreading, speeding up and getting cheaper, I just didn’t have time to change providers, I left for Thailand. As for mobile internet, I had a package with calls+SMS and 2GB for about 30 euros, and I had to buy more for 5-10 euros because it was constantly not enough. But again – it was getting cheaper and faster right before my eyes, I remember in the last months of our life on the island, my mobile operator EPIC was already offering 5GB for the same (or even less) cost. Progress! And in general, Cyprus became the first EU member state to reach 100% 5G coverage across its territory, just so you know.

And in Thailand (remember, I’m talking about life in Pattaya?) I share mobile internet for 300 baht a month to my second phone, laptop, and TV, everything is fast, no complaints. AND I SHARE TO BOTH DEVICES AT THE SAME TIME! WHILE THE LAPTOP IS UPLOADING VIDEO TO ONE OF MY CHANNELS, THE TV IS STREAMING MOVIES ON APPLETV+. Definitely faster and cheaper than in Cyprus, yes. Operator DTAC. They say it has good coverage throughout Thailand. So judge for yourself, but remember – in the world of technology everything changes very fast. So while internet is better in Thailand in terms of price+quality, tomorrow everything might change).

Six months after writing the previous paragraph, I needed high-speed home Wi-Fi. How much does it cost?

COST OF HOME INTERNET IN THAILAND – $150 PER YEAR (LAN and WIFI). Plan 600/600 Mbps. You can get faster, of course.

Here I answer the question Which SIM card to get in Thailand.

Ecology

Cyprus is the EU, the Mediterranean Sea and all that. Blue Flag (prestigious international award for beach and water cleanliness) is held by many beaches on the island, one of the best indicators in Europe (in 2023 – the best).

Pattaya cannot boast of this, there is no such cleanliness here. There is also much more litter than in Cyprus, as well as a high level of air pollution (Google AQI – Air Quality Index, compare these figures for Pattaya and Paphos, and for all of Cyprus). However, Thailand has many clean and even pristine islands, so if in Pattaya it is clearly worse than Cyprus in terms of cleanliness, in other places it’s at least not worse. At least.

So, air in Thai cities is more polluted than in Cyprus, more trash on the streets, city beaches don’t have Blue Flags, but this is IN CITIES. On the islands it’s a different story, here’s fresh news – Kradan Island beach in Thailand was recognized as the best in the world.

Prevalence of English

In Cyprus, a former British colony, English is widespread, many locals speak it, with a Greek accent understandable to Russian speakers – “HELLO, MY FRIEND, GOOD WEATHER TODAY, HAVE A GOOD EVENING” and so on.

In Thailand it’s not so common. And even when they do speak it, I have to make an effort to understand the accent, which is totally different from Greek. But it’s not a problem, the main thing is not to be toxic, smile, and kindly ask again.

By the way, a couple of minor notes about English. In Cyprus, British English is common, for example sparkling water is called “Sparkling Water”, and when asking for the bill, they say “can I have the bill please”. In Thailand, the American version is more common – when I say “sparkling water”, not everyone understands, then they say “ah, soda”. And instead of “the bill”, they say “check”. If people wore sweaters here, it would be called a sweater, while in Cyprus I often heard “jumper”.

Prevalence of Russian

Same as above. In Cyprus, Russian is widespread, many locals know it well (greetings to the Pontic Greeks!).

In Thailand, of course, it’s not as widespread. But! Due to the growing number of arrivals from Russian-speaking countries, I noticed that taxi drivers, sellers, waiters, and other service workers already know quite a few Russian words. Reminds me of Egypt in this regard…)

Locals

Friends. At the time of this post, I have visited more than 30 countries, some very far away, such as Mexico, the USA, Jamaica, India. And in many of them, I have communicated in one way or another with people who were not born there, moved long ago, have lived there for a long time, i.e., immigrants. Or at least I read their reviews of the country. And you know what? When it comes to locals – IT DOESN’T MATTER WHICH COUNTRY – many reviews are absolutely the same. Again – regardless of the country, immigrants’ reviews of locals are ABOUT THE SAME EVERYWHERE:

– Ooh, we have a wonderful country, but if not for the locals – it would be perfect.

– Ooh, the locals are so lazy, don’t like to work, but really love money, always trying to cheat you.

– Ooh, when you are a guest in this country – you are a king, but when you live here – the locals are against you.

And so on. Do you think I didn’t hear negative things about locals in Cyprus? I did. And here, it’s the same. But for my wife and me, in both places, we had no problems with locals. On the contrary – complete mutual respect and friendliness. So the conclusion is – if someone has problems with locals and someone else doesn’t, then – IT’S NOT ABOUT THEM!

So don’t believe negative reviews, keep your head switched on, and rely on your own experience…)

Personal and Public Transport

In Cyprus, public transport is poorly developed, taxis are not suitable for multiple daily trips due to their high cost, and there are no or almost no budget transport options. Especially if we’re not talking about cities, but remote areas. So, owning a car in Cyprus is not a luxury but a necessity. In 2022, a study showed countries in Europe with the highest car ownership per capita and per household. In both rankings, Cyprus ranked highly. Basically, you either buy or rent a car – without it, it’s really difficult. That’s why the car rental market on Aphrodite’s island is very well developed, in 5 years of living in Cyprus I used more than 30 different cars, using the services of about 5–7 rental agencies. The best in terms of price, quality and service was “Phinist” (PHINIST LTD) in Paphos, here are their contacts – https://goo.gl/maps/sie9BgirHZqUqz7A8

In Thailand (except for small islands), public transport is well developed. Mainly it’s local minibuses, actually called songthaew, but most people just call them tuk-tuk. Taxis are also very common, with several price categories from economy to VIP, and there are even moto-taxis, which I often use, paying about 35–60 baht (1–1.5 euros) for a moto ride, and about 100–150 baht (3–4 euros) for an economy or standard car. No urgent need for a personal car. But if you still prefer to drive yourself, or just want to travel by your own wheels, rather than with a tour or on public transport – there are plenty of rental companies, not to mention dealerships. I plan to drive myself later, at least sometimes, luckily both Cyprus and Thailand have left-hand traffic, so it’s familiar to me.

Next – motorcycles. The cost of renting a bike in Pattaya is about 300 baht per day (less than 10 euros). For a term of 3–5–7 or more days (not to mention a month or more), the bike rental will be even cheaper (though it’s hard to imagine how). But that’s in Pattaya. I think in Phuket, Bangkok and some other places, prices vary. Both ways. For example, on Koh Larn island (see photo above) bike rental is only 200 baht a day (long-term surely even cheaper). So something like that.

So. In 5 years of living in Cyprus, I never used public transport. And many live like that on the island. Public transport is poorly developed.
In Thailand I use public transport every day, it is quite well developed.

Shopping

In Cyprus things are improving, and maybe one day it will resemble Thailand. Here (Thailand) shopping is well developed, but since I’m no expert in this, let me just show the scale: here’s Terminal 21 mall in Pattaya, admire its decoration and scale.

And here’s another short video about this mall with my comments – https://youtube.com/shorts/VeGQMojXO0w?feature=share

Food

In Thailand, they cook everything, from anything, everywhere. Also sell everywhere (even high tech helps them, in the form of Google Translate). They eat everywhere, too. Real street food culture. People eat literally on every square meter, and especially on the beach I regularly see whole families eating something tasty, usually taken from nearby stalls or “makashnits” (mobile fast food, usually on motorcycles). For example, here’s the lady making delicious roti pancakes (we call her “Auntie Roti”):

Personally, we miss vegetarian food and restaurants in Pattaya, but overall we’re fine. In Cyprus, Lebanese and Syrian places saved us, here Indian restaurants help (there are even fully vegan restaurants, can you imagine?)

In Cyprus it’s different. They don’t cook from everything, not always, not everywhere. They don’t eat on every square meter, it’s a different culture, I’d call it table culture. In coastal areas seafood rules, in the mountains – meat. Although not just meat))) For example, in the Cypriot village of Spilia, I was lucky to be present at a Guinness Record – frying mushrooms in a huge frying pan. It was so tasty…))

By the way, so as not to get up twice, let me also boast about another Guinness Record event I attended – making the world’s largest Greek salad (Moscow, Red Square).

Street Animals

I wouldn’t have included such an exotic point in my ranking, but this difference is really noticeable:

• Cyprus is the island of cats, they’re everywhere. This is their land, basically. Thanks to Queen Helena (in Russian sources she is called tsaritsa, but I choose the more internationally recognizable “queen”) who brought many cats from Egypt to Aphrodite’s island centuries ago. You know why? To fight snakes. And it seems they solved that problem, but another arose – cats multiplied all over Cyprus. That’s how they live. There are really many, to notice this you don’t even need to volunteer at a local animal shelter, just step outside.
• In Pattaya there are many dogs. Not pets, like in Barcelona, but street dogs. Don’t know why. They usually behave calmly, have collars.

Just an ethnographic observation.

Rainy Season

There is one in both countries, but at different times of year. Thailand – roughly April to October. Cyprus – in winter, especially February. The difference is that in Thailand it’s still warm, but on Aphrodite’s island it gets co-o-o-o-old… 🥶 Yes, in coastal areas the temperature stays above zero, but believe me – it’s cold. More here – Review of life in Cyprus.

In general, the rainy season in Thailand is much more comfortable and easier than in Cyprus. And yes, I KNOW not everyone gets what the problem could be. I tried to explain it to people who haven’t been to many places and don’t know much about this, and the paradigm “But we have –30°C frosts, and you always have plus temperatures in Cyprus, nothing difficult, so what…” – it’s unbreakable. People don’t get that when they have –30°C frosts, they have central heating blasting at +30°C, but in Cyprus there’s nothing like that, heating a house is a complex and sometimes costly task, so people often go outside to warm up.

By the way! 👇

• In Cyprus people mainly use umbrellas
• In Thailand raincoats (raincoat) are used more often, which cost about 35 baht (about 1 USD) and are sold almost everywhere

Warm clothes, shoes, heaters

• Cyprus: in winter months – often yes. I even saw people wearing proper autumn shoes (not for Siberian –40°C, of course, but standard boots and shoes). So on Aphrodite’s island you sometimes have to wear warm closed shoes (unless you’re a British tourist, because they can always walk around in flip-flops, shorts and T-shirts. Explained the reason above, about heating.)

• Thailand – year-round you can wear flip-flops, shorts, T-shirt. It’s the country where you WANT to wear closed shoes because you’ve missed them. I’m writing this in July, wearing sneakers, and thinking – sometimes it’s a pleasure🙂

Greenery

People who moved from the CIS to Thailand won’t notice much difference. But this post is about the difference between Thailand and Cyprus, where I lived for 5 years. So:

Cyprus is close to Africa. This is felt both in the climate and in the sandstorms from the Sahara, which sometimes cover Aphrodite’s island with reddish dust. On the coast of Cyprus, there’s little greenery, I really missed it. In the island’s interior it’s better, there’s more grass and trees, of course. In January it’s all emerald green (see photo below). But I lived in the coastal city of Paphos, most of the year I felt a lack of shade.

And Thailand is a green paradise. Lots of grass and bushes. You can walk 10 km in the heat, stepping under the crowns of palm trees and other trees, it looks like this. And that’s on the coast, along the beach. Further away – even more greenery, thicker and lusher.

Dairy products

In Thailand, locals hardly eat dairy, so almost all of it is imported. And not from neighboring countries, where there’s also little demand for dairy, but from Europe, Australia, New Zealand. That’s why it’s not found in every store, and where it is – IT’S VERY EXPENSIVE (compared to Europe). So dairy products in Thailand and some other Asian countries are kind of like “elite” food, sold not everywhere and targeted at the upper class (or whatever the class above middle is called?). The same butter or cheese products in Europe and Thailand have different prices, but unlike the usual level – IN THAILAND IT’S MORE EXPENSIVE, not cheaper.

In Cyprus, everything is simple. Europe, cheese (local halloumi, kefalotyri – highly recommended, anari I didn’t understand), milk, sour cream, butter, kefir, condensed milk etc – basic products, available everywhere and cheap.

Again, I remind you, I have a special Twitter thread comparing life in Cyprus and Thailand https://twitter.com/TheWebliner/status/1646061575550259200

Territory and Population

Source for population data – World Bank, Google shows it ABOVE the search results). Example https://datacommons.org/place/country/CYP/?utm_medium=explore&mprop=count&popt=Person&hl=ru

🌍CYPRUS:

• Population 1.244 million (2021)
• Area 9,251 km²

🌍THAILAND:

• Population 71.6 million (2021)
• Area 513,120 km²

Reminder: there is an alternative – crispbreads (which in Thailand, again, are not everywhere, only in big supermarkets), a good thing.

And here is the great and legendary Cypriot halloumi cheese on the shelves of Thai supermarkets. Hello, old friend!🙂

The next 3 items are about adult topics.

Light dr🐈😺😸😹😻😼

🔘 Cyprus. Not legalized.
🔘 Thailand. A couple of years after the pandemic they legalized it (maybe to revive the economy, let people earn, I don’t know). There are a lot of relevant shops.

LGBT

🔘 Cyprus. Europe. I haven’t heard of persecution of minorities, didn’t see it in the news. There was even apparently some kind of parade in Nicosia. But visually – nothing.
🔘 Thailand. Rainbow flags everywhere, even on playgrounds. Prides, parades, beaches, neighborhoods.

Prostitution

🔘 Cyprus. Illegal.
🔘 Thailand. Officially also banned, but… google Pattaya Walking Street, for example, and you’ll understand everything. Besides women, there are many third-gender people in this business. They say this profession is not condemned by society here (it’s a poor country).

Messengers

🔘 Cyprus: Whatsapp, Viber, Telegram.
🔘 Thailand: LINE, then everything else.

Freshwater bodies

Cyprus is poor in this (maybe due to proximity to Africa), there are no ponds, rivers (flowing year-round), or lakes. Instead, there are streams (brooks), e.g., in Platres or Kakopetria (in the photo), and reservoirs.

But Thailand is less arid, its humid climate allows for more bodies of water. Rivers, lakes, all that. You just walk down the street, bam – a pond (photo 1). Cool!

Second photo – Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, view from ICONSIAM mall.

Let me clarify about the climate in the season (roughly October to March). In Pattaya, for me personally, it is almost perfect – no heat, the air is sometimes cool, the sun doesn’t bake all day, often cloudy, light rains. In 70 seconds I explain and show Pattaya in September in this video.

Opening a bank account

For obvious reasons, in Cyprus (as in the entire EU), it’s very hard to do today. I mean, for Russians.

In Thailand, it was much easier, compared to the EU – just lightning fast. Surely, without a student visa it’s harder, but still – no extra questions. No questions at all, just a passport and a language school document, that’s it. Wow…) And again, I’m not criticizing anyone, just comparing, ok?🙂

Update 2024! But now even in Thailand it’s not so easy, look for up-to-date information!

Events, variety of leisure

🟢 Thailand. In just one week (just in Pattaya): Jazz festival, several food festivals, International Fireworks Festival (photo 1), Coffee Festival, the crazy colorful Loy Krathong festival (photo 2).

🟢 Cyprus is quieter, calmer, less diverse. And it’s not just about the size of the countries, but also because Cyprus is chill and relaxation, like at your grandma’s cozy village. Cyprus doesn’t need so much spectacle and action, it’s good as it is, that’s why it’s great for retirement living.

Variety and availability of fruit

On a 5-point scale:

• Cyprus – solid 5!
• Thailand – 10! (yes, ten out of five). The abundance is overwhelming, sold everywhere, very cheap. Many different, little-known ones. For example (guess what this is):

Document hassle (immigration)

A lot depends on your passport, you understand. In Europe, with a Russian passport, it was hard, especially in recent years. In Thailand, there’s more bureaucracy, you have to visit immigration more often, fill out forms (use helpers, they are right there), pay, renew, etc. Plus you have to leave and return to the country to stay here. Video about visa run to Laos – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Muwz7AUd6D8

Corruption

As of 2023, Cyprus is ranked 49th in the Corruption Perceptions Index, Thailand – 109th. When considering Cyprus or Thailand, keep this in mind. Official stats link – https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2023

Sockets

In both countries, sockets are not the typical “European” ones, both have flat-pin plugs. But:

• In Cyprus – British sockets, type G. In most cases, European plugs fit them (unless they are thick, like on irons), but you need to know the trick. So, here’s a lifehack, how to insert a European plug into a British socket – you have to push the vertical pin with something, watch:

via GIPHY

• In Thailand, sockets are American type A. Usual European plugs fit them with no problem, adapters are usually not needed. However, in thematic posts you often see warnings about grounding, possible issues with europlugs, and recommendations to use a power strip or adapter. From my experience, in Thailand, europlug chargers sometimes get very hot. Just my experience.

Bloggers

• In 5 years in Cyprus I didn’t meet many bloggers. Frankly – few. I think one reason is the calm and leisurely (to put it mildly) lifestyle, there’s not much drive to film, talk, walk or travel. Personally, I rarely wanted to develop social networks, a personal brand, etc. (maybe once a year tried something). It just… wasn’t that fashionable. Blogging… Not much desire for creativity either, but still wanted a bit – I played electric guitar, went to a tutor, developed my skills.
• In Thailand there are lots of bloggers. In addition to locals, there are people from our countries, and a lot of CHINESE. And everyone’s filming, talking to camera, dancing on the beach (often), streaming, riding, recording, etc. A really high percentage. And there’s infrastructure for it – you can go to a studio, everything is ready for podcasts, you just sit and record on pro equipment. And I also got the urge, so besides developing this blog (where you’re reading this), I’m also developing my personal YouTube channel, as well as others, and not only on YouTube, well, you get it…

Obeying traffic rules and driving culture

• Cyprus as a calm small European country handles this better, people drive more carefully, try to follow the rules.

• Thailand is Asia, so here’s the usual chaotic traffic, ignoring rules, lights, road markings, etc. But it doesn’t lead to a huge increase in accidents, because everyone understands everything, tries to drive CAREFULLY and SMOOTHLY (otherwise you won’t get far).

People from “our countries”

People from “our countries” in Cyprus and in Thailand are very different. Very. Obvious. People are different. Both outwardly and inwardly. In Thailand – it’s people from the regions, mainly. Not big cities. Surprising how different they sometimes can be from the “Cyprus” ones. Those are more European, well educated, with money, many travels, at least one foreign language, European residence permit/PR, and often their own property. And these are different. Less emotion, fewer smiles, less politeness, more so-called “simplicity”. In years living in Europe I got used to strangers exchanging polite smiles and nods when meeting. Moving to Thailand, I see this among locals (Thailand’s nickname is “The Land of a Thousand Smiles”) and “Western” tourists. But ours don’t have this reflex, so when I smile at them, I rarely get something similar back. At first, I was embarrassed, especially when they looked at me with incomprehension. Okay, then I got used to it, and started figuring out who to smile at and who not. What else? They swear much more, often loudly in front of women and children, which is strange for me. Not judging, just fact. Weird to walk down the street and hear loud Russian swearing in front of women and kids (and they don’t even get “what’s wrong with that?”). So I say – you feel the difference. If “European” “ours” are people from big cities in European Russia (and not only), in Thailand it’s people from Siberia, the Far East, Zabaykalsky Krai, small CIS towns (in chats they regularly discuss Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, etc)… Again, I repeat, I’m not judging or criticizing anyone, just comparing, people are different.

Foreigners’ attitude to the country

• Cyprus is part of a huge (and wonderful) European family, so not every foreigner on the island can be fully called a foreigner. Agree, if a resident of Rhodes (Greece) flies to Cyprus in an hour… You get it. And residents of other European countries are not that different from Cypriots (mentally, first of all), so it’s hard to notice any special attitude to Aphrodite’s island. Usually, I heard tourists express sympathy and small complaints about boredom. Non-natives – comfort, but sometimes dissatisfaction with slowness. As for non-European tourists, from what I’ve seen, they’re generally happy with beaches, hotels, wonderful Cypriot villages (I totally get it). Negative reviews – rare complaints about lack of full all-inclusive (no comment). Not even complaints, more like sighs. And sometimes surprise at local prices (probably the same “all-inclusive lovers”). But overall – positive, respect, gratitude.

• Thailand, unlike the Mediterranean island democratic European country Cyprus, is a KINGDOM in Southeast Asia. Here it’s a different vibe. Many foreigners are surprised by local traditions, food, etc. More than once, I’ve met foreigners who sincerely dislike this country… BUT! FRIENDS, I’VE BEEN TO 30+ COUNTRIES, AND I’VE NEVER SEEN SO MANY FOREIGNERS IN LOVE WITH THE COUNTRY THEY LIVE IN. Among tourists and non-natives I often hear words of sympathy and even love for Thailand. Europeans, Americans and Australians retire here (there’s a special retirement visa), I personally know such people. Some have sold their homes and moved here. They love the climate, prices, local hospitality (both generally and “18+”). On Instagram I regularly see popular videos by foreigners in love with Thailand, as they travel, relax, and once back home – miss Thailand terribly. Some actually move here. Never seen such mass love of foreigners for a country, honestly. Cool.

Electricity cost

• Cyprus – expensive, and keeps getting more expensive.

• Thailand – cheap, and SOMETIMES GETS CHEAPER. Official price reductions are sometimes announced.

That’s all. Thread comparing life in Cyprus and Thailand is over. To sum up – I am not criticizing, I have deep sympathy and respect for both countries. I just compared life in them. It’s different, but beautiful in its own way in both places.

The biggest difference between Cyprus and Thailand for me personally turned out to be my compatriots from “our” countries. I didn’t expect people to be so different. Both tourists and immigrants.

In the photo – Pattaya near Bali Hai pier

p.s. One more thing about the geography of “our” people. In local chats:

• Cyprus. “Hi! I’m flying to Moscow/St. Petersburg in a few days, can bring documents”…
• Thailand. “Hi! I’m flying to Vladivostok/Khabarovsk/Yekaterinburg/Chelyabinsk/Irkutsk/Novosibirsk, can bring documents”…