SURVEY: What is the biggest drawback to living in Thailand?

[poanoi]

4 minutes ago, billd766 said:

 

Retirement visas are not the only visas available in Thailand.-

 

But you can get a marriage extension if you are married, you can get the Elite visa if you wish valid for 4 or 5 years I think. If you are a teacher you can get a visa, if you work in Thailand you can get a visa.

 

Duh

IO refused extend my marry visa on grounds she felt ATM slips wasnt good enough proof i brought money from abroad, the same can be expected now that i'm 50 and apply for retirement visa.

elite visa is 500k every 3 years.

i'm retired so work is out of question.

Edited April 29, 2018 by poanoi

[billd766]

2 minutes ago, poanoi said:

yes, if i'm up to the task i too can and do more tasty food,

but its not something i would want to do more than once a week,

and can you even buy a gorgonzola or creme fresh in the jungle ?

even pattaya dont have a nice bearnaise

 

But I don't eat gorgonzola or creme fresh in the jungle or a nice bearnaise.

 

So why would I worry about it?

 

I get plenty of fresh fruit, pork, beef and chicken though I do miss lamb though I can frozen Aussie stuff from Makro.

 

In the rainy season I can even get fresh frogs from the fishpond,  but I don't eat them either.

 

I eat what I like and have little need to buy expensive western food. That would be like trying to buy fresh Thai food in the UK. Yes you can but at what cost.

[billd766]

5 minutes ago, poanoi said:

IO refused extend my marry visa on grounds she felt ATM slips wasnt good enough proof i brought money from abroad, the same can be expected now that i'm 50 and apply for retirement visa.

elite visa is 500k every 3 years.

i'm retired so work is out of question.

 

Then do what I and many other people do.

 

Get confirmation of your income from your provider, get a letter from the embassy confirming that you earn more than 65,000 thb every month and the retirement visa is easy as you are 50 years old.

[poanoi]

4 minutes ago, billd766 said:

 

Then do what I and many other people do.

 

Get confirmation of your income from your provider, get a letter from the embassy confirming that you earn more than 65,000 thb every month and the retirement visa is easy as you are 50 years old.

it goes without saying i qualified on all written requirements,

that's why she began inventing her own requirements not backed up by

visa rules, like in this instance demanding proof i brought money from abroad,

and when i to her surprise did that, she went on to say the ATM slips wasnt good enough, -all to deny visa. and i fully expect that to repeat itself if i apply for retirement visa, hence i'm stuck paying 20 times extra in extortion fee for as long as i'm stuck in thailand

 

Edited April 29, 2018 by poanoi

[johng]

Have you tried your local Makro yet? 

The Makro in Pattaya has quite a lot of cheese so does Tops in Central festival the beach and "Friendship" etc etc

[JLCrab]

Thanks for the survey K. Scott otherwise I wouldn't know that there are so many big drawbacks to living in Thailand.

[lovelomsak]

I went with none of the above. For me the biggest draw back is being Thai illiterate. Not being able to read or write Thai and speak the language is by far the biggest draw back.  If I could do that it would be a breeze here.

[tryasimight]

4 hours ago, uffe123 said:

Pollution, 50 to 100% over WHO limits, horrible traffic, dirty filthy beaches/sewer water, vegetable pesticide poisoning, ridiculous immigration policies, rising cost of food overall, now almost comparable to my home country, gasoline absurdly high. $4 buck a liter, home country $2 bucks. Did I miss anything? Oh almost forgot, land confiscation, just ask the Isan farmers about this.

Pity the poor Thais who cant leave

Same old drivel.....you don't like the place....you have left Thailand.....stop your nonsense.

[smotherb]

8 hours ago, DoctorG said:

You needed an "all of the above" box.

Exactly; all of the above. However, I just finished a trip by car this afternoon, so traffic and accidents was foremost in my mind. Never let it be said that bad driving and accidents are the only stupidity. I spent an hour in a bumper to bumper two way traffic jam on a 4 lane major city street from a highway exit to police checkpoint; maybe 3-4km. Because of the checkpoint, traffic was backed up to the highway exit, cars and trucks there were blocking the oncoming traffic; so both directions were blocked.  Thais as you know will make three or four lanes out of a traffic-jammed two lane and the police checkpoint had cut those three or four lanes into one lane. Of course, there were no police checking anyone; they were all huddled inside away from the rain. I can't imagine how long the traffic jam would have been if they were stopping cars.

Edited April 29, 2018 by smotherb

[youreavinalaff]

6 hours ago, masuk said:

1)  The constant pollution in Chiang Mai province.  Every flat surface in my condo has a layer of dust/ash on it each morning. This is what we're breathing, 24 / 7.

 

2)  The high costs of prescription medicine.  Something to be taken into account for those planning to retire in Thailand is that there is no NHS for non-Thais.  This includes visits to the GP, Pathology tests, prescribed medicine.  

 

Point 2 is incorrect. It is possible to visit a doctor and get medicine free of charge.

[Hummin]

19 minutes ago, lovelomsak said:

I went with none of the above. For me the biggest draw back is being Thai illiterate. Not being able to read or write Thai and speak the language is by far the biggest draw back.  If I could do that it would be a breeze here.

Well, I understand a bit, but the more I understand, the more I got aware of what keeps thai busy in the daily life, so I quit. There is nothing interesting to listen, talk or read about in Thai. Im sure they have som poets that would be nice to know about, but, to complete earnest with you, it is a pain in the ass start listening to what goes around you. Better to close the ears, and keep yourselves busy in your own mind, or find someoen who speaks english to talk to. 

[tryasimight]

54 minutes ago, poanoi said:

it goes without saying i qualified on all written requirements,

that's why she began inventing her own requirements not backed up by

visa rules, like in this instance demanding proof i brought money from abroad,

and when i to her surprise did that, she went on to say the ATM slips wasnt good enough, -all to deny visa. and i fully expect that to repeat itself if i apply for retirement visa, hence i'm stuck paying 20 times extra in extortion fee for as long as i'm stuck in thailand

 

It sounds like Thailand is not the place for you. There is a big world out there...

[tryasimight]

Biggest drawback in Thailand......MY foreskin!!

 

 

Kidding.....I'm circumcised.....but still awesome according to the girls on Soi 4!!!!

[madusa]

7 hours ago, nss70 said:

For me I would rather buy a property and own it 100%. Without that I refuse to buy even with my Thai wife of 20+ years.

Otherwise just the long haul flights if I need to go back to my birth country but that was my choice.

I must say you are doing the right thing. What you paid is yours and they try to pull a fast one on you with all the vaginas hanging out there to lure you, didn't work on you erh? I paid for a house and land for my vagina is it worth that much i wonder.

[Laza 45]

21 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

For all you guys who keep insisting that Thailand's cost of living isn't any lower than back home, take it up with Numbeo.

 

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/comparison.jsp

 

 

The comparisons between Khon Kaen and Adelaide are pretty accurate.  I just got back from a 3 month visit to Adelaide.. Certainly much cheaper living here in Thailand.. The only thing that is really cheaper in Australia are cars.. especially 2nd hand ones..  The few western food items that I buy here are more or less the same here as in Australia.. cheese, peanut butter, frozen salmon, coffee (real coffee not instant).. ...  wine is far cheaper in Oz but beer is much more expensive there.. The big differences for anyone living on a pension are rent and utilities.. It is very hard to find a 1 bedroom apartment under $250 a week in Adelaide.. and electricity is very expensive as well..  Between those 2 major expenses (if you are renting) you would be spending over half of a full single person pension of around $2,000 a month.. 

[Lacessit]

The only drawback to living in Thailand I've encountered is not being able to have a decent eye fillet steak ( medium ) with a full-bodied shiraz. I make up for that every time I go back to Australia.

All the whingers on this thread. Get a life.

[Hummin]

7 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

The only drawback to living in Thailand I've encountered is not being able to have a decent eye fillet steak ( medium ) with a full-bodied shiraz. I make up for that every time I go back to Australia.

All the whingers on this thread. Get a life.

It is possible to get good fileet steak, but you have to pay for it. 

[Searat7]

5 hours ago, casmeri said:

The biggest issue for me is the Third-World mail system.  I have received packages six months after arriving in Thailand but most are never received.  The issue of some things being unavailable, low quality or too expensive could easily be overcome these days if there was a competent mail system that one could depend on.

 

The mail problem has gotten worse in the past 2 years. I suspect increased volume has overwhelmed their antiquated system and needs to be updated.

[Lacessit]

1 minute ago, Hummin said:

It is possible to get good fileet steak, but you have to pay for it. 

They also have to know how to cook it, which IMHO they don't.

[Hummin]

7 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

They also have to know how to cook it, which IMHO they don't.

??

Then you cook it yourselves, if you can not find å restaurant close enough, or good enough for you. My two cent

[Searat7]

For me the biggest drawback is air pollution. I choose to live in Bangkok and have worn a carbon mask for years when I go out but that is no longer enough as the problem has gotten much worse in the last 6 months. I get bad cough and sinus problems which continued for one month after returning to USA for annual visit. I just stocked up on N-95 face masks but Year 15 might be my last because of this problem. I fully realize I could live elsewhere in Thailand but access to many goods and services would not be the same.

[Lacessit]

4 minutes ago, Hummin said:

??

Then you cook it yourselves, if you can not find å restaurant close enough, or good enough for you. My two cent

A bit difficult when you are in an apartment without a griller, and you would stink the place out with the smell anyway. Although I suppose if I wanted to pay 3000 baht at Le Coq D'Or for a chateaubriand, it might get close.

You're right - the advice is worth two cents.

[Ahab]

The lack of decent beef and drinkable wine at a reasonable price!!!

 

[BEVUP]

2 hours ago, poanoi said:

IO refused extend my marry visa on grounds she felt ATM slips wasnt good enough proof i brought money from abroad, the same can be expected now that i'm 50 and apply for retirement visa.

elite visa is 500k every 3 years.

i'm retired so work is out of question.

Hello poanoi

 

Simple solution ( but you may have reasons )

 

I know you have a major back problem, hence why you have to pay an agent in conjunction with Immigration & can't get to the Embassy 

 

Now that you are 50 & have no problem paying out 40,000 a mth, why don't you just put 800,000 in an Thai account.

 

That would equate to you not losing 800,000 over a 20 yr period 

 

 

 

 

[anon537687643]

and a society where violence is only held in check by the thinnest veneer of social customs, and when that veneer cracks, what emerges is ugly, vile, and dangerous

The one that sums up the country !


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Sapporillo]

4 hours ago, maxx58 said:

As a person who sweats easily, the high humidity is one of the few things that get to me living here. 

I hate it!

I would never be able to live here without a/c.

 

It’s beyond my comprehension that someone would move into a country where it’s too hot for him, I just don’t get it. I specifically came here because it’s too cold for me in Europe, otherwise there are places like Dalat in Vietnam where it’s considerably cooler (too cold for me), just to name one nearby. If you can choose where you want to live, why not go somewhere where you’re comfortable? 

[PocoLoco]

After 8 years i had enough and left, it's a dangerous place.
 

This is my top 11 but i could name way more.
 

1a. Injustice, a cop killer gets away and an importer of toy waterguns faces 10 years imprisonment. The justice system is a farce and the biggest reason why i left Thailand.
 b. Inhumane conditions for prisoners. Rotten food, beatings, 50+ in 1 cell, no medical support - and that for many years even if the offence was just minor.
 

2. Visa problems. The inability to ever obtain residence even as a married man. You're just a tourist ATM machine in their eyes and always will be.
 

3. Inability to buy land. I'm at the age now where i have a strong urge to build something, a foundation for later like buying a piece of land an building a house.
That's impossible to do if i want to have it all on my name.
 

4. Corruption, everything can be corrupted in Thailand and that can bring you into serious trouble, see point 1.
 

5. Traffic accidents. Many Thais just buy their license without having undergone any formal training. The tr aining that exists is a bloody joke, a few laps on a circuit,some multiple choice questions and that's it. Here's your license Somchai, now kill a few people on the road.
 

6. Air pollution. I have lung disease and staying in BKK for a longer period of time really messed me up.
 

7. Pesticides and herbicides in food. Thai food is NOT healthy!!! It's loaded with chemicals which are banned in the EU. I get sick from eating too many vegetables in Thailand.
 

8. Lack of competent health care. Forget government hospitals, students can't fail in uni, even the lowest performing ones become a doctor. There's a serious overabundance ofincompetent doctors in Thailand, even in private hospitals.
 

9. Characteristics; Childish and the inability to take any responsibility for mistakes made. MUST save face no matter the consequences.
   Average person has a low IQ.
 

10. Junta rule, i've seen the country going downhill fast, everything has become harsher.
 

11. Seriously bad education system, like it's designed to keep the population dumb and uninformed.

The only positive thing i can think about Thailand? My wife. That's it.

[JLCrab]

7 minutes ago, PocoLoco said:

After 8 years i had enough and left, it's a dangerous place.

<snip>
The only positive thing i can think about Thailand? My wife. That's it.

... who isn't I guess poorly educated, dumb, uninformed, childish, low IQ, poor driver,  or corrupt.

[PocoLoco]

Just now, JLCrab said:

... who isn't I guess poorly educated, dumb, uninformed, childish, low IQ, poor driver,  or corrupt.

My wife is not a mirror of the average Thai population.

[billd766]

4 hours ago, poanoi said:

i can read from this that you have not lived here as younger than 50,

because if you had, your entire outlook on visa hassle would be entirely different,

...and yes, it has changed pretty much every year for the past 16 years,

just to ensure no long term planning is appropriate

 

I first arrived here in 1993 for work when I was 49 for 3 months.

 

I came back in 1994 for 3 months that turned out as 3 1/2 years for business.

 

Between 1997 and 2001 I came back on holidays and to be with my Thai wife  who I married in 2000 in the UK.

 

Back in 2001 on a contract and to live here full time and that lasted until Feb 2003.

 

I worked for a Thai company for the rest of 2003 and was a FIFO from then until 2009 when I finally retired.

 

So your reading of me is totally incorrect. Sorry about that.

 

Nice try but no cigar.

 

Certainly in may case little has changed since 2009 other than sometimes Immigration will ask for an extra document that I have with me or I can get in a couple of days.

 

Wehn I came back in the early days it was 200,000 baht for a marriage extension and 400,000 baht for a retirement extension and the people who were on the old rate were "grandfathered' though I am not sure for how long.

 

I have been a mamber of TVF since November 2003 and for Immigration Issues that I have no idea about I always ask UbonJoe whose advice has never let me down yet.

 

You may have a problem but many other people don't.

 

My extension is due in late August but I check with the Immigration office at KPP at least 6 weeks before in case the rules have changed and I need something else.