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

[Craig krup]

36 minutes ago, billd766 said:

 

Plus of course the cost of getting there, buying or renting a house, and keeping one going here in Thailand. Not to mention the cost and problems of getting a UK visa for your wife.

 

Great way to save £36k.

Read what he said. He's looking to go anyway, so - if he needn't work - somewhere cheap in Caledonia (i.e. a rough bit of Doonhamer-land) has its advantages. 

[JLCrab]

3 hours ago, JAZZDOG said:

Plus who would take care of your dog?

(With apologies, I missed this one.)

 

From the movie "Wall Street" --

Gordon Gekko: If you need a friend, get a dog.

 

Except in Thailand I don't need a friend -- more problems than they are worth which eliminates the need for a dog as well. 

 

 

[JAZZDOG]

2 hours ago, JLCrab said:

As the esteemed late US Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan once said:

Everyone is entitled to his own opinion but not his own facts.

US President Donald Trump said," Not only am I entitled to my own facts, I can alter facts and declare facts as fake facts.

'

[JLCrab]

Well Mr. Trump's ability to fabricate facts may soon be waning:

 

Mueller Has List of Questions for Trump

 

Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel investigating Russia’s election interference, has at least four dozen questions on an exhaustive array of subjects he wants to ask President Trump.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/30/us/politics/robert-mueller-questions-trump.html

 

[JAZZDOG]

2 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

Well Mr. Trump's ability to fabricate facts may soon be waning:

 

Mueller Has List of Questions for Trump

 

Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel investigating Russia’s election interference, has at least four dozen questions on an exhaustive array of subjects he wants to ask President Trump.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/30/us/politics/robert-mueller-questions-trump.html

 

Trump has announced an all-night tweeter bonanza to address those fake questions. Every answer will be the same, THERE WAS NO COLLUSION, 48 TIMES. 

' 

[billd766]

1 hour ago, Craig krup said:

Read what he said. He's looking to go anyway, so - if he needn't work - somewhere cheap in Caledonia (i.e. a rough bit of Doonhamer-land) has its advantages. 

 

I missed that bit.  I don't think I could stand the cold and damp at my age.

[Craig krup]

8 minutes ago, billd766 said:

 

I missed that bit.  I don't think I could stand the cold and damp at my age.

There are folk who travel to Queen of the South away games who could be broken by a hard February in a rough bit of Dumfries. 

[JLCrab]

Well before this goes too off-topic I will presume that an attorney of Mr. Mueller's caliber will follow the maxim:

 

Never ask a question that you don't already know the answer.

[StreetCowboy]

2 hours ago, Craig krup said:

There are folk who travel to Queen of the South away games who could be broken by a hard February in a rough bit of Dumfries. 

Vis a vis drawbacks of Thailand, not getting Queen of the South games on television must make Thailand as bad as Scotland.

 

 At least in Thailand you don’t feel any obligation to make the effort to attend in person, and a quick check on the interwibble every few weeks feeels sufficient to fulfil your commitments as a supporter

[Craig krup]

22 minutes ago, StreetCowboy said:

Vis a vis drawbacks of Thailand, not getting Queen of the South games on television must make Thailand as bad as Scotland.

 

 At least in Thailand you don’t feel any obligation to make the effort to attend in person, and a quick check on the interwibble every few weeks feeels sufficient to fulfil your commitments as a supporter

I don't know why I'm daring to rip the pish out of Dumfries. I'm originally from Stranraer. Dumfries to me is like Venice*.

 

 

 

[*Come to think of it, recently they've had similar level of flooding].  

[StreetCowboy]

2 minutes ago, Craig krup said:

I don't know why I'm daring to rip the pish out of Dumfries. I'm originally from Stranraer. Dumfries to me is like Venice*.

 

 

 

[*Come to think of it, recently they've had similar level of flooding].  

I know what you mean; I’ve never been to Dumfries either, but at least I’ve seen Venice on TV.

[StreetCowboy]

Other: Cannot get Queen of the South games on TV

 

edit: I’m slightly surprised this was not one of the original categories

Edited May 1, 2018 by StreetCowboy

[Ahab]

19 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

 

Many people insist on only buying food form expensive farang oriented supermarkets too.. they would never consider buying anything.. be in vegetables, eggs, or meat, form a local Thai market.

 

I have lived here over a year now. I do occasionally chop at the Tops/Big C, and Macro in Buriram when we visit the city (90 minute drive one way). But normally only to buy edible beef for BBQ, or spices and condiments that are not available in my village. For fruits, herbs, and vegetables as well as chicken and pork the local afternoon markets provides all we normally eat and is extremely fresh and mostly extremely inexpensive. We also buy eggs fresh from the market (although I do wash them after we get home). Never had an issue, with the exception that pork and chicken do not seem to keep very long in the refrigerator, but that is fixed by not buying more than we need for a day or freezing it if we have too much to eat in a day (or two).

[poanoi]

food in the local talat nat & open resturants are subject to flies:

a fly will fly to the nearest dog corpse and rub on some shit and bacteria,

then it flies to the dead dogs shit to rub on some more shit and bacteria,

then it flies to talat nat & open resturants and take a dump on the food,

then rub off some extra shit and bacteria, -and then you go and eat it

and saved yourself 50 baht

Edited May 2, 2018 by poanoi

[jak2002003]

2 hours ago, poanoi said:

food in the local talat nat & open resturants are subject to flies:

a fly will fly to the nearest dog corpse and rub on some shit and bacteria,

then it flies to the dead dogs shit to rub on some more shit and bacteria,

then it flies to talat nat & open resturants and take a dump on the food,

then rub off some extra shit and bacteria, -and then you go and eat it

and saved yourself 50 baht

I have never got a disease of been sick from buying raw meat from the local markets.

 

I have a close friend who works in one of the big supermarkets.  She told me how on the shelves the meat all looks lovely in the packets and plastic film.. but she told me I should never buy meat from there... because she used to work in the area behind the scenes... and what she described was shocking... flies would be the least of your worries... just think rats, dirty, unhygienic, different meats all mixed up, filthy floor and utensils, and often meat is dropped on the dirty floor to be picked back up and sold.

 

I used to work in a chicken processing factory as a teenager for a summer job.  This meat was often kept in dirty conditions.. often spilt on the floor or contaminated.. but it still all went off to the expensive restaurants and supermarkets!!!!

 

The meat in these places is also often older and closers to expiration date than on the markets, as it been shipped, processed, packaged, shelved, bought, stored in your home... etc.  

 

Only once in 10 years did I get food poisoning in Thailand.  And that was from a farang owned Italian restaurant.. what was expensive!

 

 

 

 

[wgdanson]

2 hours ago, poanoi said:

food in the local talat nat & open resturants are subject to flies:

a fly will fly to the nearest dog corpse and rub on some shit and bacteria,

then it flies to the dead dogs shit to rub on some more shit and bacteria,

then it flies to talat nat & open resturants and take a dump on the food,

then rub off some extra shit and bacteria, -and then you go and eat it

and saved yourself 50 baht

And all that bacteria, naturally occuring or picked up, will be killed off with good cooking.

[balo]

We all know there are more bacteria to worry about here than back home, but any fresh meat you buy here , even with flies and other insects around will be perfectly fine when  you cook it , as long as you do not prefer raw meat. 

[tso310]

The price of wine should have been a voting choice.

[billd766]

I filled in the form from the UK Embassy requesting a letter confirming my pension income for my next extension on 23rd August.

 

I sent off all the required paperwork plus a bank draft for 2,400 thb by EMS on Wednesday 22nd July and received the letter yesterday 21st July also by EMS.

 

No fuss and no hassle.

 

A thank you to the staff for good work as the website states up to 15 working days. My letter was sent back on the 7th working day.

[youreavinalaff]

 

8 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Wednesday 22nd July and received the letter yesterday 21st July

That is quick. You got it back the day before you sent it. !!!!

Edited July 22, 2018 by youreavinalaff

[worgeordie]

How can visa issues be such a big problem ?

1 day at most spent at immigration,4 x 90 days

done by post,or even online .

 

It's only a problem if you don't have supporting

paperwork,not enough money or are trying to

live here doing visa runs.

regards worgeordie

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

On 4/28/2018 at 11:14 PM, Cranky said:

The positives outweighed the negatives for years. Not any more.  Having kids tips the balance as it is simply not a place I'd want to raise them being such a lawless out of control feral environment full of scumbags - Pattaya.  Not to mention the ridiculous cost of a decent (maybe) education and very few options once that is completed unless overseas university is achievable and affordable.  Or a Thai university - to what end for them in that case ?  Some crap job paying next to nothing.

 

Planning the escape to Blighty.

Why not just send the kids to Boarding school in "Blighty" or Switzerland?  I would.

• Racist pricing schemes (avoidable except for medical and some transport issues)
• Rabbed wild/soi Dogs (can't walk or take a bike ride early morning, a pity)
• Public smoking. Probably the worst thing about Thailand should be 100 percent banned. Can't go/eat out anywhere without encountering some Thai or Foreigners goddamn stinking cloud of noxious cigarette.

[Hummin]

11 minutes ago, ChiangMaiLightning2143 said:

Why not just send the kids to Boarding school in "Blighty" or Switzerland?  I would.

• Racist pricing schemes (avoidable except for medical and some transport issues)
• Rabbed wild/soi Dogs (can't walk or take a bike ride early morning, a pity)
• Public smoking. Probably the worst thing about Thailand should be 100 percent banned. Can't go/eat out anywhere without encountering some Thai or Foreigners goddamn stinking cloud of noxious cigarette.

You see how Kim Jong Un doing after being schooled in Switzerland? 

 

 

 

 

[Seligne2]

The absence of good public libraries.

[Bung]

Visa issues. Living in Thailand 23 years off and on now, still working to support family, home etc. Get a visa that says "permission to visit family".... 3 month stay. Impossible to get a multiple entry anywhere except home country and even then it takes weeks. Yet Thais in my home country can get permanent residency after just 5 years. Oh well, after all these years you just go with the flow. 

[sirineou]

3 minutes ago, Bung said:

Visa issues. Living in Thailand 23 years off and on now, still working to support family, home etc. Get a visa that says "permission to visit family".... 3 month stay. Impossible to get a multiple entry anywhere except home country and even then it takes weeks. Yet Thais in my home country can get permanent residency after just 5 years. Oh well, after all these years you just go with the flow. 

  I totally agree, same

wife is already a US citizen after being there for five years. I have being coming to Thailand for Twenty years now, married to my wife for 13 years we own two houses in Thailand . My long term interests and involvement in Thailand is fully documented , yet I have to jump through visa hoops. 

I am sure there must be an easier way for all involved, including the Thai government who has to  also deal with all these unnecessary visa  applications and processing.

 Next time some kids get trapped in cave  I will be the first one on line with my scuba gear LOL

 

[Naam]

for me the biggest drawbacks are (not listed according to priorities):

 

-lack of income tax on foreign income. my favourite three days every year were when i was busy preparing my annual tax return in my home country.

 

-the Thai winters changing from summer to winter tires and vice versa according to season.

-clearing the snow from the boardwalk in front of our home especially after a blizzard.

 

-watering lawn, plants, bushes and trees with water from our own well without paying some fancy fictitious sewage fees to the communal authorities who checked the meter on my well once a year.

 

-paying one third of fuel and energy prices.

 

-Mrs. bothering me too often for sex because she has too much free time as work is done by maid and cook.  what happened to the good ol' times when "keep her barefoot and pregnant working in the kitchen, doing the laundry or mowing the lawn" applied?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[retiredusn]

bitching expats

[Naam]

On 4/30/2018 at 2:09 PM, StreetCowboy said:

On 4/30/2018 at 12:21 PM, grollies said:

The effin flies.

If there was no effin' flies it would be unbelievable

in nearly 14 years living in Thailand i haven't seen more than half a dozen flies in our home. and that goes for mosquitoes too.

[billd766]

3 hours ago, youreavinalaff said:

 

That is quick. You got it back the day before you sent it. !!!!

That is how fast they work.

 

Today is of course the 22nd and I meant to have said that I sent it on the 11th of July.

 

 

You stupid boy, Pike.

Edited July 22, 2018 by billd766
added extra text