DonniePeverley

Currently in Bangkok, but my partner over the past few months has been offered jobs in Chiang Mai and Pattaya. We went to Chiang Mai, and whilst i enjoyed it, my partner didn't feel it was rite for her. So she has been offered a job, with increased salary in Pattaya. So obviously, when you think Pattaya you conjure up images of a city that is a full on brothel. And my first instinct was how on earth can i take my family there. We went there and i had some surprises .... some of the housing stock was pretty good. And the schools we saw for our kids was first class (on the surface at least with first impressions). Has anyone made the move between Bangkok and Pattaya ? What are your thoughts? My previous few times i went there i have of course done the lads things. But as a family we enjoyed it. Some decent 5 star hotels there too. Pollution was infinintley miles better than Bangkok, especially vehicle smog. There is some shopping around too like Terminal 21. Driving around was pretty decent (even though many people complain, the traffic is nothing like Bangkok). However, of course you cannot get past the sex industry. We did walk around the beaches, over into Jomtiem. My children were thrown into visuals of many men (mainly Indian) propositioning women openly into giving there group a discounts for sex. It was stark and in your face from what i recall in the past. I had never seen open solicitation without shame like that before. It's going to be hard to remove my children from this crap. I do love the nightlife, not a heavy drinker, but i can appreciate it in small doses. Walking around beaches seems a nice way to live (even if the beaches aren't the best). That of course brings me to the point it is very much a tourist ghetto isn't it? The vast majority of tourists seemed Indians, and some downrite awful looking tourists around. Some were the absolute pits of bad behaviour too, violence, etc With Bangkok, i really do enjoy the visuals of the city at times. The sky scrapers can look thrilling when you have a skytrain crossing them. I love the culture and raw energy of the city (that has finally been allowed to breath after ears of the previous regime banning everything). I can go to different areas away from tourists and get a full on culture Thai experience. I love that. Can you get some culture in Pattaya? Some of the tourists you see in Pattaya are ghastly, and walking around at times honestly feels like the end of the world in a hell hole dump with what you see. My condo in Bangkok is in the heart, so i can be up around 2am and still walk out my condo and be in a full on city. In Pattaya we would 15-20 minutes away by car to the city and signs of life. My partners main concerns with a family, is she wants a house. And we have seen some lovely homes in Pattaya. She hates the hussle bussle, pollution, and is getting bored of the city, and condo life. She suggested we not say we live in Pattaya, and will tell people we live in Chon Buri - which made me laugh. But i do worry she will have the same problems settling in Chon Buri as she did in Bangkok. Anyone made that move, thoughts? Obviously if you are a guy, who loves the sex party life, you are going to have a different perspective to someone who has a family to also look out for. Sorry for rambling on.

But now you can have council estate Benidorm Brits get it.

It will pick up in a few weeks with summer holidays. Then it's peak season. Still loads of indians around. Most of Sukhumvit is ladyboys.

If they have run out of money before arriving, then how exactly are they going to support themselves whilst in Thailand? This visa is for digital nomads who have work abroad and income verified - not those on a long holiday. This is why i am saying this visa is just being abused. It's been put out there deliberately to flood the country.

This visa is a disgrace, and should never have been introduced. It's a magnet for criminals. With my own eyes i'm seeing bad eye visitors staying here for a long time, who just simply set about on rampant crime here in Thailand, anti social behaviour, drug dealers, all are on this visa. It's been slyly slipped in there with factions who wants to push in as many immigrants as they can, without anyone catching on. The backdoor open door immigration policy - done by the same people who gave visa free to most of the world. The disgraceful non balance of checks to get this is ridiculously easy. One of the questions that should have been requested was a criminal record check (even countries like India have relevent checks for this), which is not requested, especially when you are essentially allowing someone to move here. No wonder the country has seen a raft of criminality. Vietnam request this on all long term visas. Then you have people openly saying on social media how they can bend the rules to get it. It's a mockery of any visa system. An absolute travesty. I blame this visa for the troubles we are getting. Most on this visa are then illegally trying to fund and work in Thailand. Go look at those selling tours illegally, they're all on this visa. If you want to stay in Thailand, these cheapos then try and work here. If they want this kind of visa, it needs to be more stringent, more stronger to stop abuse. It's not attracting digital nomads - it's attracting criminals. Who on earth wants digital nomads anyways ? A digital nomad is just a backpacker with a laptop. Let's be honest none of these

Nope, his account was closed.

Who gave them visas to stay a long time ?

Cheap mass tourism is wrecking it. The decision to allow Indians (and other nationalities with extreme low GDP per person) without any forms of checks and balances with a a visa has to be the most wreckless decision made in Thailand's history. It's turned away quality tourism.

WHen you have children who want to use a university you will realise how lucky uou are to be in the UK. Thai's dream of sending their children to the UK or USA to study, and the expense for them is horrendous - enough to buy a big house. We beech moaners in the UK pay next to nothing, as it's subsidised from taxation and foreign students. Yet we still moan. A degree from the UK carries weight. A degree from Thailand might as well be bought from Khao San road.

The UK offers dual citizenship for the racist pensioners in Pattaya. Realise Thailand and many countries would not offer this as soon as you leave their shores. 10 of the best universities in the world are in the UK, and 18 in the top 50, with very little to pay for UK citizens. Compare that to Americans paying up to $60,000 a year to study ! See what Thais have to pay. Free health care through taxation. These racist pensioners in Thailand know full well they have the security of returning home. Compare that to Americans who require insurance and lose everything if they leave. It's the income in the UK and generous Benefits that allows you to live a life of calm in Thailand. And you know who is picking up the tab in the UK to do the hours you don't want to do - it's migrants. Now go away.

What a load of nonsense. Get yourself of to a racist forum.

Wouldn't say no.

I'm confused. What hub now ?

You say an awful lot. Can you expand?

Full demand that Ukraine asks that Russians leave Thailand so we can get Phuket back.

What's the interior minister in charge off ?

Welcome news. Last thing Thailand is cheap pensioners.

Quality tourist

Yawn. What we all want to know when will this war end so Russian draft dodgets can get the hell out of Thailand.

How does the digital card stop crime ? Genuinaly interested.

That's devastating to hear, as whilst reading up on homes etc we really began to like it. April isn't too bad as we can leave, but February, March is awful. And some are rite, how can you live in indoors like that ? What would be the point in actively going into that type of zone. Still trying to work it out.

Partner been offered a job in a school there. Just exploring options.

So it seems March and April are an absolute disaster in Chiang Mai. With January and February being bad too, but similar to Bangkok.

Can you do a comparison for Bangkok and Phuket ?

To get into the UK from India you need to go through a torturous visa process, meaning you tend to get a better quality of visitor. Thailand lets anyone in.