zierf1

"human trafficking" = code word for the bar girl industry.

Hopeless, We can't do much about it.

Now the exchange rate for Swedish crown in a Thai Bank is round 3,70 baht for each crown.

3,50 is the line for staying there I stay. Have to find a cheaper apartment to stay.

If the SEK goes under 3,00 THB, than there is no hope left to survive here.

But something makes me confused .

When the people empty their Bank Accounts, what do they do with the money ?

Gold price is still going down. That's very confusing.

I don't have money left, but if I had some probably I should have bought some gold.

If the people don't have money left , than WHERE IS THE MONEY LOADED ?

Probably in these 80 rich peoples pockets. They own the World.

But I think WE ARE MORE HAPPY THAN THEM.

I hope we can manage some more years in Thailand and keep being happy to see smiling Thai Women.

Cheers For Everybody

I know a weaker currency is not fun but it's not worth killing yourself over. I have lived on 100 baht per day in Thailand and I didn't die. The dark storms will pass eventually.

"law"? lol. one thing you need to learn is there is no "law" in a country without rule of law. folks do what they can get away with in 3rd world countries.

If you cant live in Thailand there is no way you can live in Canada. I spent most of 2014 working there and it was ridiculously expensive. Even Immigration told me the money changers at Calgary airport rip you off.

But if you think it is cheap then please go back and live there. This topic has been thrashed and abused beyond belief. Lets move on to something else

Well, I can't live in my own country so I have to live in Thailand. I'm forced out basically. Living in my home country is like living in a country full of rich people. I'm definitely not rich. I can afford an apartment for $100/mo or less. Can't find that in america anymore. They want billionaires and millionaires living in america who can pay $1,000++ for rent and $250k plus houses. I can actually live in Thailand whereas in my home country I'm stuck living with my mother.

No wonder Thaland's government wants to tighten visa rules all the time. It's hardly beneficial for Thailabd to be a refuge for economically challenged hobos.

Not economically challenged at all. 20,000 baht/mo in Thailand = middle class.

If you cant live in Thailand there is no way you can live in Canada. I spent most of 2014 working there and it was ridiculously expensive. Even Immigration told me the money changers at Calgary airport rip you off.

But if you think it is cheap then please go back and live there. This topic has been thrashed and abused beyond belief. Lets move on to something else

Well, I can't live in my own country so I have to live in Thailand. I'm forced out basically. Living in my home country is like living in a country full of rich people. I'm definitely not rich. I can afford an apartment for $100/mo or less. Can't find that in america anymore. They want billionaires and millionaires living in america who can pay $1,000++ for rent and $250k plus houses. I can actually live in Thailand whereas in my home country I'm stuck living with my mother.

Over the top salaries. My wife says 7-8k month is normal Thai wages. Only a tiny tiny share of Thais have such elite jobs like the ones listed.

Live in Canada and find a Canadian GF/wife?

If the women there are like the ones in my PC feminist dominated homeland .

As for many expats with Thai wives/ GFs, do you think an attractive young woman in a western country would live with a fat balding old man unless he was really rich, or do you think they have to live with someone that looks like their granny?

I'm not old. I'm not fat. I'm not balding. Why couldn't I find a woman in my own country?

7k/month is what my wife says. No wonder she doesn't work.

Depends on your needs. I'm okay with living like a Thai but I need some luxuries from time to time. Studio rooms are okay with me and I really have no desire for a fancy car. Walking is good for your health.

It's called under the table work for a reason. And it's really nobody's business how you get money in your ATM. Just don't tell anyone and keep it a secret. Those guys in Chiang Mai must have been really stupid and were probably working in the open and telling people what they did.

I'm also blown away by how cheap the US is.

In my neck of the woods (Edinburgh) it's very expensive to live.

Sharing a flat in the city with 2-3 other people would still probably cost $500 per month (excluding bills) if you lived anywhere where the police will go.

Outside the city in a small town my dad rents a small house for over $1000 per month. Crazy.

Yeah but incomes are lower as well. I've never gotten paid more than $13/hr in the US. It's a low wage country.

Kids are a waste of money. Most of them are unwanted anyways.

I mean think of it. You just wanted to get some lovin' and 9 months later you're going nuts with a screaming child. Who wants that?

I know you Euromen are sweating bullets right now. Tough. I was also sweating bullets back in 2008 & 2011 but nobody came to my aid. Those days were grim indeed for USD holders.

Hate to be the messenger of bad news but is it only going to get worse. Fair value is farrrrr below where it is now. Will probably bottom out at 15 baht to the AUD.

Interesting. I've been back in my home country(US) for a while and doing some comparisons. I think most consumer prices are similar. Maybe a hair bit cheaper in the US due to WalMart. Only thing that in cheap in Thailand is the LOW monthly rent for studio apartments and the cheap restaurants. In the US I can't find any apartment for less than about $300 a month(10,000 baht) anywhere. But I can find good studio apartments for less than $150 a month in Thai. You can even find rooms for $50 a month in Thai still. So for me, Thai is still a bargain in the accomodation department. It's actually much for affordable to live in Thai for me. I've been priced out of my own country.

Russians don't seem to have confidence in the Ruble. They're using our money now!

Great weather??? Ever been to San Diego? Thailand is like living on the sun! That said I enjoy visiting but definitely not my vision of paradise. The beautiful green mountains of Central PA and 4 beautiful seasons spent with my beautiful wife and large family is my paradise.

I'm going to stick up for you here. Thailand is a great place to vacation but after a while it gets old for me. It is, at its roots, third world. I also think perhaps some members don't know how much cheaper it is to live in rural USA than it is in Europe or Australia. I said rural; not San Diego.

Someone who hasn't been to Central Pennsylvania or many other more rural parts of the US may not know how beautiful it is or the costs, added to the benefits of a first world environment. Living in the rural US is a lot cheaper than W. Europe or Australia.

The UK is very cold and I can see their point. It's also very expensive giving another good reason. In the US you can choose your climate and your housing costs by where you live. Consumer goods are cheaper than even Thailand.

To me the best of both worlds is to live in the US and make an annual trip to Thailand for a couple of months.

You're better off raising your family in the US also because the culture and schools are so much better for the children.

Enjoy.

I find Thai cheaper due to the low rent(<$150/month). I can not find rent under $350/mo. in the US and that is in a bad neighborhood in the midwest. Besides, in America there is no real culture. You need a car to drive everywhere. Everything is suburban w/ strip malls & such. Healthcare is a giant scam and wildly expensive. Weather is bad unless you live in an expensive state like California where you need a huge income to live middle class. Overall, I'd say Thailand is for me. You can make more money in the US but the US has a very low quality lifestyle. And the women? That's an entire 'nother topic altogether.

Better women. More women. Couldn't even find a girlfriend in my own country. Took me less than 12 months in Thailand to find a wife. Prettier and classier than anything I could have ever found in the US by a long shot.

I'm a #6 Atheist. I guess some people still believe in a "God" and/or spirits in 2015? Seems incredible that anybody could be that dumb. I know that in my home country(US) we have a lot of believer types. I still can't believe most of them are that dumb but I guess you really can't tell how much air is in a person's head until you talk to them.

Long term tourist.

Karma. That's all I'm gonna say. Karma.

27,000 PHP for an apartment? I know there are places for 3 or 4,000 PHP per month over there. 27,000 is way over the top. The cheaper places are very small, crappy rooms with a fan. Don't expect luxury like aircon or a lot of space or you will be paying a fortune like the guy above.