SURVEY: Do you plan on staying in Thailand permanently?

[amvet]

26 minutes ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

Business I'll give you that but you only can own 100% because you are an American, again you are bound by the same ridiculous rules as the rest of us foreigners which are pointless, are set up to facilitate corruption and are ultimately unproductive and frustrating.

 

Visa? There's no 20 year visa, if you are talking about the Elite visa then it is just a glorified Non-Imm which costs a load of money for dumb farangs to buy so they think they have some status here. You don't. You report every 90 days just like the rest of us and you have to renew just like the rest of us, except you spend B2m for the privilege. 

 

You can't have been here long and don't speak Thai if you think they like you better than their own. No more needs to be said on that point long nose.

I have been getting visas for 20 years no problems.  Business no problems.  They like luk khuns better than 100% Thais (turn on the TV).  What does every Thai woman use?  Whitening cream and wishes for bigger nose and chest. They like that better than their own.  No more needs to be said ask any plastic surgeon about how many long noses he does 555.

[Orton Rd]

11 hours ago, funandsuninbangkok said:

Great place / nice people. What's not to like?

Feudalistic hierarchical society where the wealth imbalance is one of the worst in the world, along with the deaths on the roads and their dysfunctional education system. Add to that the political and social oppression along with draconian LM law that sees people given decades in a hellish prison for face book comments, more like what IS there to like here.

[SEEDGER]

When I left Thailand nearly 2 years ago my heart cried. Every morning I wake hoping that it was all a bad dream, and that I will  awake in the small village I was living in. However that has not been the case. One day I hope to return and never have to leave again. Like Donald Battles I have no problem leaving all my friends and family behind. And Donald is right planes travel both ways but it seems most Americans find traveling to Thailand even for a visit to much trouble.  This is their loss!

[SEEDGER]

Hey Orton,

I live in the US. When in Thailand I was pulled of by  the "BIB" many times not once was I afraid of being killed. Here in the US if pulled over by the police you run a 60/40 percent chance of being killed. If not killed then raped and locked up for nothing. The US is a Police State. You should come and see what our Police look like; ever see a Navy Seal or a Delta force member the Local police look just like they do; all black carrying MP9 sub-machine guns Rifles with silencers and night vision. The police no longer look like police. I'll take Thailand any day over the hell hole I've had to return too. 

[shanesox]

I never burn my bridges.Accommodation,Bank accounts etc in home country! In Thailand it could turn nasty and end in a moment

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

 

[funandsuninbangkok]

11 hours ago, meinphuket said:

Just off the boat then ?

11 years here. You?

[Naam]

3 hours ago, Dene16 said:

Are you Australian? i believe their pensions are tax free

Most countries however would normally pay tax on their pensions the UK only on sums above £11,200

i'm a Tchermann from Central Yewrope

[amvet]

30 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

Feudalistic hierarchical society where the wealth imbalance is one of the worst in the world, along with the deaths on the roads and their dysfunctional education system. Add to that the political and social oppression along with draconian LM law that sees people given decades in a hellish prison for face book comments, more like what IS there to like here.

Gini coefficient measures income inequality.  UK 36. Spain 34.  Thailand 39. China 42.   http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/income-gini-coefficient

 

Probably should do some research before you post your wealth imbalance ideas. 

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

If the Thai government change the retirement extension rules I will most likely go elsewhere that is warm. 90 day reports should be dispensed with, only if you move residence should you need to report.

 

It is bad enough now, and none of the new "visa" extension offers are any use unless you have millions of of baht to spare that you can just leave in a Thai bank gathering only money for the bank.

The immigration officials and different offices that make their own rules are also a ludicrous situation.

 

 I will leave, and not shed a tear if they make it any more difficult to stay than it already is.

 

 

 

 

[mogandave]

If the Thai government change the retirement extension rules I will most likely go elsewhere that is warm. 90 day reports should be dispensed with, only if you move residence should you need to report.
 
It is bad enough now, and none of the new "visa" extension offers are any use unless you have millions of of baht to spare that you can just leave in a Thai bank gathering only money for the bank.
The immigration officials and different offices that make their own rules are also a ludicrous situation.
 
 I will leave, and not shed a tear if they make it any more difficult to stay than it already is.
 
 
 
 

Be sure to write...

[bwpage3]

Everyone that comes to Thailand has a master plan.

 

I didn't have a plan at first when I was single. 

 

I also had no clue what would happen 10 years down the road. For all of you fortune tellers out there I say BS!

 

Wife and kid changed everything. Seeing first hand people struggle in Thailand financially and understanding early on I did not want that for my family.

 

Having an advanced education, I knew I could always go back to a better life in the USA.

 

After the flood of 2011, we decided to do just that. Now try to understand it was a family decision that my and wife son were 100% on board with.

 

Our son was educated in a very expensive international school. When we returned to the USA he was in 7th grade. He was so far behind academically it was shocking, however with all the extra educational help and resources, now as a junior in high school, he has a 3.9 GPA.

 

One of the first things my wife said when she came to the USA was "I never realized how dumb people in my country are until I came here". Trust me, there are plenty of dumb Thai people here in the USA still living like it's Isaan. She at least knew the difference and wanted to better herself through education here.

 

So, did I foresee events 10 years later, after I had moved to Thailand? No I did not.

 

After being back in the USA, all I can say is for my family, they don't even want to visit Thailand anymore.

 

My memories of Thailand, single and wild, were amazing.

 

But then reality sets in and if you are a good family man and husband, you try to provide the best for your family.

 

For us their best opportunities will be here in the USA.

 

In another 2 years our son will be off to Uni, anywhere he wants to attend. He will get a first class education and be able to support himself; unlike anything with a Thai education.

 

Add English, Thai and now Spanish to his repertoire and he will be well prepared for the future.

 

No one can say forever, because we do not know what is just around the next corner.

 

Each and every person has their own decisions to make, what is best for their situation. Some can go back easy and start over, some are trapped forever and they can make the best of it as well.

 

Some things I miss from not being in Thailand but I am now the ant and therefore was the grasshopper.

 

For my family, I could never be selfish and want to work to give them the education and skills they will need in life long after I am gone.

 

No one can predict the future, but we all have a choice and only we know what choice is best for us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Credo]

I spent 20+ years living in Thailand, and longer counting the time I spent in Asia and traveled to Thailand frequently.   I love the country, I love the people.   I dislike working for Thai employers; by and large they are a nightmare.   I am mortified of the driving and very tired of seeing the horrible wrecks and dead and injured on the roads (I traveled a lot for work).   I find it a difficult country to get things done; the laws are unclear, capricious and discriminatory.   

 

I will return to my home country.   

[csabo]

14 hours ago, DonaldBattles said:

After being here for 34 years and working and living in 9 provinces I can never go back to the USA. I have been back 2 times, once when my mother died and the second when my now wife and I went to Hawaii and the mainland to get married. I said good by to all my old NASA friends and relatives and reminded them that the plane flies both ways. No NASA friends or family members have chosen to come.

Presumably you were involved in the Thai Space Program with your experience.  Were you on site for this launch of the Thai Space Station?

 

[cyberfarang]

11 hours ago, connda said:

I have that same issue.  Friends and family don't seem to grasp that it's significantly cheaper for them to come to Thailand than it is for me to go back the other way.  So basically, I just drop friends and family.  I've returned once - now, quid pro quo.  But in 9 years - not one person has.  
So much for familial and bonds of friendship.  You find out what 'true friends' and 'true family' really are!  

I`m in exactly the same situation as you.

 

After I packed up completely in the UK and moved to Thailand, family members kept contacting me and basically calling me an a*sehole for not wanting to return and visit them. I explained that I`m now retired, the set income and savings I have now is it for life, whatever I spend visiting the UK I have no means of retrieving back. I also explained that Chiang Mai is a wonderful tourist destination and why don`t they visit me here? Then they made their pathetic excuses; too busy, money is tight, Thailand too far to travel they don`t like flying, too hot, can`t get time off of work, hate insects, it`s dangerous, you name it they had an excuse for it. The general attitude was; they are all working hard, stuck in a rut and miserable there, and I`m living it up with a paradise lifestyle in Thailand. How dare I escape and leave them all entrenched in their own misery and suffering in the UK, as if I should feel guilty about coming here. After that I rarely heard from them again, even from my own siblings and cousins. In fact 2 of my nephews visited Chiang Mai 4 years ago, never even knew they were here until I saw their photos on facebook.

 

True, you really do discover who are your true friends and loving family. It seems out of sight, out of mind, but really, who gives a toss.

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

5 hours ago, mogandave said:

 

Be sure to write...

Pleased you will miss me when (if) I'm gone...

Don't forget to wind up the Clockwork  (or more likely a chocolate) Orange...

 

Edited September 10, 2017 by George FmplesdaCosteedback

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

4 hours ago, bwpage3 said:

Everyone that comes to Thailand has a master plan.

 

I didn't have a plan at first when I was single. 

 

I also had no clue what would happen 10 years down the road. For all of you fortune tellers out there I say BS!

 

Wife and kid changed everything. Seeing first hand people struggle in Thailand financially and understanding early on I did not want that for my family.

 

Having an advanced education, I knew I could always go back to a better life in the USA.

 

After the flood of 2011, we decided to do just that. Now try to understand it was a family decision that my and wife son were 100% on board with.

 

Our son was educated in a very expensive international school. When we returned to the USA he was in 7th grade. He was so far behind academically it was shocking, however with all the extra educational help and resources, now as a junior in high school, he has a 3.9 GPA.

 

One of the first things my wife said when she came to the USA was "I never realized how dumb people in my country are until I came here". Trust me, there are plenty of dumb Thai people here in the USA still living like it's Isaan. She at least knew the difference and wanted to better herself through education here.

 

So, did I foresee events 10 years later, after I had moved to Thailand? No I did not.

 

After being back in the USA, all I can say is for my family, they don't even want to visit Thailand anymore.

 

My memories of Thailand, single and wild, were amazing.

 

But then reality sets in and if you are a good family man and husband, you try to provide the best for your family.

 

For us their best opportunities will be here in the USA.

 

In another 2 years our son will be off to Uni, anywhere he wants to attend. He will get a first class education and be able to support himself; unlike anything with a Thai education.

 

Add English, Thai and now Spanish to his repertoire and he will be well prepared for the future.

 

No one can say forever, because we do not know what is just around the next corner.

 

Each and every person has their own decisions to make, what is best for their situation. Some can go back easy and start over, some are trapped forever and they can make the best of it as well.

 

Some things I miss from not being in Thailand but I am now the ant and therefore was the grasshopper.

 

For my family, I could never be selfish and want to work to give them the education and skills they will need in life long after I am gone.

 

No one can predict the future, but we all have a choice and only we know what choice is best for us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did that too, much the same with International Schools and after working here for many years I decided he would need better education so I went back.

My son now has a good job and a family in the UK.

Since I retired and want to live in a warm country so I came back to Thailand.

I said earlier, I will leave if necessary, but I will wait and see.

I have no big roots to dig up so can move with little problem if things change (something I did for that very reason).

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JLCrab]

So for all those who say that they had to bring their (LK?) kids back to their respective countries for a good education, this is a photo from their Facebook page of the 'Thai Students at MIT'.

[john_bkk919]

What program are they in?

 

Admissions standards are generally more lax for foreign students.  We had a lot of Thai students at my uni back home but they were there for M.A. type programs.  Seats were set aside for them and the normal entry requirements didn't apply.  They also weren't graded against the native students.  Most classes they took were pass/fail (for them).

 

They also benefited from inflated undegrad GPAs (acquired in Thailand) about which they were given the benefit of the doubt.

 

If they wanted to stay for a 3 or 4 year degree (even undergrad) then they had to score competitively on certain tests and put together a more compelling application, which most could not.

 

Out of a country of 60 or 70 million people (similar to the UK) I believe there must be a few Thais who could meet the standard requirements for admission to MIT (the same requirements that an American would face).  But your post doesn't prove that to be the case.  In any event they would have achieved this in spite of the educational system in Thailand, not because of it.

[hawker9000]

16 hours ago, Naam said:

bingo! the majority of your assets should be neither in your home country nor in Thailand but in a clear cut jurisdiction where the taxman doesn't bother you.

Not an option for Americans.  The taxman can and does follow everywhere.  You can try & conceal assets abroad, but in the digital age that just gets more difficult by the minute and getting caught you'll have the privilege of turning a nice chunk of that retirement nest egg over to him, and maybe even owing after that depending on how long you played the game.  Socialism and big govt do have their price.

 

 

[mogandave]

What program are they in?
 
Admissions standards are generally more lax for foreign students.  We had a lot of Thai students at my uni back home but they were there for M.A. type programs.  Seats were set aside for them and the normal entry requirements didn't apply.  They also weren't graded against the native students.  Most classes they took were pass/fail (for them).
 
They also benefited from inflated undegrad GPAs (acquired in Thailand) about which they were given the benefit of the doubt.
 
If they wanted to stay for a 3 or 4 year degree (even undergrad) then they had to score competitively on certain tests and put together a more compelling application, which most could not.
 
Out of a country of 60 or 70 million people (similar to the UK) I believe there must be a few Thais who could meet the standard requirements for admission to MIT (the same requirements that an American would face).  But your post doesn't prove that to be the case.  In any event they would have achieved this in spite of the educational system in Thailand, not because of it.

When I went to Engineering school at Cal Poly there were a number of Thai students and while they struggled some with the language, they received no special treatment and they seemed to do well. Of course that was 25 years ago, perhaps the Thai educational has deteriorated significantly since then.

I graduated high school in Southern California in 1975 and I know with absolute certainty that the education my boy is receiving in Thailand is far superior to the K-12 education I received in California.

[JLCrab]

So I will agree that the Thai students who received their education in Thailand and then attend MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, or elsewhere in the USA are the exceptional students.

But I guess what some are saying on here is that their kid isn't.

[mogandave]

I think it safe to assume that only a small minority of rich Thais would ever have a chance to go to any school outside Thailand, so unless one believes the rich are smarter than everyone else there are plenty of other Thais that would qualify if they had the dough.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[bkk6060]

What is smart definition?

Not to be demeaning at all but I generally equate Thai's being smart to the dogs here.

I see the dogs here as being extremely smart with lots of street and survival sense. 

Watch many of them cross the street and they actually look both ways.

Many other "smart" things they do to survive.

 

So, if you asked me who I would rather be in some type of physical/environmental situation with a Thai or a guy like Trump?

I would pick the Thai in a second.

 

Another thing many people bad mouth Thai's as being stupid when in fact they just don't understand your language.

That by no means makes them stupid.

 

 

[Naam]

1 hour ago, hawker9000 said:

18 hours ago, Naam said:

bingo! the majority of your assets should be neither in your home country nor in Thailand but in a clear cut jurisdiction where the taxman doesn't bother you.

Not an option for Americans.  The taxman can and does follow everywhere.  You can try & conceal assets abroad, but in the digital age that just gets more difficult by the minute and getting caught you'll have the privilege of turning a nice chunk of that retirement nest egg over to him, and maybe even owing after that depending on how long you played the game.  Socialism and big govt do have their price.

i am of course aware that this is not a tax saving option for Americans as i was for a few years an income tax liable U.S. person. but even if i were a U.S. citizen i'd keep my assets in a jurisdiction where the IRS requires a court order to freeze my assets, accounts and credit cards. in the U.S. the IRS is initially judge, jury and executioner.

[LannaGuy]

40 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

What is smart definition?

Not to be demeaning at all but I generally equate Thai's being smart to the dogs here.

I see the dogs here as being extremely smart with lots of street and survival sense. 

Watch many of them cross the street and they actually look both ways.

Many other "smart" things they do to survive.

 

So, if you asked me who I would rather be in some type of physical/environmental situation with a Thai or a guy like Trump?

I would pick the Thai in a second.

 

Another thing many people bad mouth Thai's as being stupid when in fact they just don't understand your language.

That by no means makes them stupid.

 

 

No it doesn't make them stupid but Filipinos, generally, speak English at all levels of society.  Thais are not stupid just underdeveloped and treat them as around 12 years old, not the educated ones, and that helps a lot. This has been designed to keep Thais 'in their place'.

[Luckysilk]

4 hours ago, JLCrab said:

So for all those who say that they had to bring their (LK?) kids back to their respective countries for a good education, this is a photo from their Facebook page of the 'Thai Students at MIT'.

They are a cut above the local,  not one making the goofy peace sign :)

[mania]

We did not really plan to return to our home country even though we kept our home rented there

But after 5 years in Thailand it felt like the right time to do so.

So I checked option #2

 

It was a nice 5 years & we would not change that but we did decide to leave & sold our business, cars,motorbikes  & home

in Thailand because as it stands we thought it unlikely we will move back except to vacation & visit family we still have there.

Also we sensed a large drop coming in prices of real estate there so thought if we should decide to re-buy a Thai vacation

spot  it will likely be cheaper anyway.

 

So far that notion has proven to be correct as real estate prices have dropped considerably from when we left in 2016

 

But to be honest when we first left we felt quite sad about. You do get use to Thailand after years & miss things.

But, after a year of being back in our home here we look back on Thailand like a mirage & wonder what things other than family

we really liked about it. Even now I am hard pressed to come up with anything real.

 

I enjoyed the challenge of learning to read,write & speak Thai which I still practice when talking to Thai family members

over the internet. But other than that as I said it seems a mirage now looking back in comparison to where

we are now.

 

Where ever everyone ends up I hope it is comfortable for them too. We are all here for a short time so we should not waste it.

Be happy

 

 

Edited September 11, 2017 by mania

[newatthis]

5 hours ago, JLCrab said:

So for all those who say that they had to bring their (LK?) kids back to their respective countries for a good education, this is a photo from their Facebook page of the 'Thai Students at MIT'.

What sort of an education is that?? No uniforms! No statues to prostrate in front of!

[GarryP]

Nowhere to go to so I reckon I will stay here, after all I call the place home anyway. Continue working and saving for my retirement. Only a few years to go. At least I don't need to faff around with visas anymore, so one less thing to worry about. 

[over it]

The first thought that came to mind when I read the title was; haa haa haa you must be f'n jokin'!