For better or worse? Expats think Thailand is going down the pan, poll

[Dumbastheycome]

3 minutes ago, madmen said:

90% of posters on this thread will still be here at next year's poll saying.. I'm thinking about going to Cambodia

So true !

[onera1961]

39 minutes ago, fruitman said:

Many Thai products cost more in BKK than in the West....in the supermarkets...if you like high quality

Even McDoland costs more. It is like 180 for a bigMac. I pay the same price in Chicago and $7.00 in London. 

[madmen]

My mrs knows we would be off to Vietnam in the blink of an eye if I could sell my property but in this so called booming economy it's going to take 5-10 years for that to happen.3 years ago I sold a house in the uk privately in 10 minutes to the first person I mentioned it to for 4x the price I paid for it.i will be lucky to recover 75% of this one in 8 years from now.

You either paid to much or your pricing is unrealistic.
Meet the market and it's true value and you won't have to wait 10 days let alone 10 years

[Odysseus123]

15 minutes ago, Bullie said:

Portugal, close to Coimbra. Nice freestanding house, 1500 m2 land with fruit trees, vines, some timber and private spring for a little less than 38,000 Euro's. Landtaxes less than 100 Euro's per year, cost of living 20 % lower than Thailand. Pleasant climate, 1 hours drive to the ocean. Excellent seafood and vegetables I am not scared of eating. (I am very careful in Thailand due to the pesticides and poison).

 

Thailand can't beat that.

Coimbra?

 

Lovely town..

 

I lived a bit further north..west of Viana de Castelho on a farm near Ponte de Barca..beautiful area.

[Dmaxdan]

53 minutes ago, webfact said:

One was even more pessimistic: "Five years? There won't be any expats here at this rate!"

Great!! No more queues at my local immigration office. 

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, onera1961 said:

Even McDoland costs more. It is like 180 for a bigMac. I pay the same price in Chicago and $7.00 in London. 

You missed out, last month they were on sale at 54bht.

[fruitman]

23 minutes ago, Aforek said:

Leave Bangkok, Pattaya etc, and go to upcountry: life is nice and not expansive if you have a "thai life " 

I seriously can't....i''m raised by having everything of a high standard, especially the people...

 

Having only a tesco lotus at 1 hour drive from home is not my kind of life. Also i want to have water and electricity nonstop.

[Odysseus123]

4 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

 

you and me. the last two farangs on Soi 6.

 

You start on one end of the soi and I will start on the other end and I will meet you in the middle for a 600 baht beer.

The more they talk about it the less they do..

 

Montgolfier knew a thing or two in regards to hot air..

[Jingthing]

90% of posters on this thread will still be here at next year's poll saying.. I'm thinking about going to Cambodia [emoji16]

Well yeah of course but what does that prove? Moving country can be very hard especially for people invested here.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[BritManToo]

Just now, Odysseus123 said:

The more they talk about it the less they do.

 

I'm too old, talking about it is all I have left.

Luckily I can still drink the beer.

[Old Croc]

Anyone thinking of Cambodia should google Cambodia-China relationships and see if that's really where they want to be in 5 years.

[bkk6060]

 

Wow, what an intimidating threat: I am moving to Cambodia!

I am so jealous...

Tell us a few more details as to where as the places I have been there are total S holes.

Filthy no clean up cities and beaches that smell will make you want to vomit.

And the place is not that much cheaper for overall living and the standards are very very low.

Good luck needing any advanced medical care.

 

But, it is always the low money folks who can no longer afford to live in an actual country that are so desperate to go 3rd world.

Or, I guess the liars from the embassy letters who now must face reality.

Thailand is still rated in the top 10 in many publications as one of the less expensive places to live.

If a person cannot afford to be here that is just very sad but certainly some mirror examining may be in order.

 

 

[neeray]

8 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

Great!! No more queues at my local immigration office. 

They will have closed the office "no more farang come".

Visas for Chinese will be done online.

[BritManToo]

9 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

Anyone thinking of Cambodia should google Cambodia-China relationships and see if that's really where they want to be in 5 years.

I've always avoided Cambodia as lawless, but last week my alcoholic pals convinced me to go to Siam Reap for a drinking marathon. We all really enjoyed it, draught beer at 50c a pint (15bht), cocktails at $1 a shot (30bht). Indian takeaways in every street ($4-$5 for a sitdown meal). Hotel with a decent modern room and swimming pool $10/night.

 

Once I was over the land border (nightmare) there were no problems at all, it was really nice.

It was like Thailand 10 years back, but at a fraction of the price. 

 

@bkk6060, it wasn't any dirtier than Chiang Mai, and if your main purpose in life was to drink beer in bars full of naughty ladies 50c/pint in Siam Reap Vs 80bht/pint in Loi Krow is a significant difference (x5). If you want to include the lady drink prices 50c/pint Siam Reap Vs 150bht/pint in Loi Krow, then you're on significant savings (x10).

Edited January 25, 2019 by BritManToo

[Pattaya46]

28 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

By ThaiVisa?

Where is/was this poll? 

Ok, saw it re-reading the OP :

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Facebook users were asked the simple question in the straw poll: 

Would it be better or worse for an expat to live in Thailand in five years?

@ThaiVisa:

- Why make your poll on Facebook when you have this forum ? 

- You make a pool on Facebook and members are surprised by result being heavily negative ? 

[NCC1701A]

any expats want to unload their 007 In Like Flint condo in Pattaya for 20 cents on the dollar let me know.

 

 

 

[Dumbastheycome]

1 minute ago, fruitman said:

I seriously can't....i''m raised by having everything of a high standard, especially the people...

 

Having only a tesco lotus at 1 hour drive from home is not my kind of life. Also i want to have water and electricity nonstop.

That's  quite funny.

I live in the boonies but have water and electricity nonstop..well ok,  95% of the time for electricity. And  within 15 kilometres I have the choice of several Tescos, 7/11, 3 supermarkets. 

Not at all sure what you mean by high standards. The  majority of people are  nice and you  can look  each other in the eye.

What I don't have is the polluted  air, the street aggression, the noise levels of  any  "big smoke" places.

If I want or need  that I can go temporarily to it as opposed to escaping it.

 

[Odysseus123]

2 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

Ok, saw it re-reading the OP :

@ThaiVisa:

- Why make your poll on Facebook when you have this forum ? 

- You make a pool on Facebook and members are surprised by result being heavily negative ? 

Nope-not a single member here is surprised-unless they are Thai shills.

 

Why would anyone be surprised?

[xylophone]

34 minutes ago, Bullie said:

Portugal, close to Coimbra. Nice freestanding house, 1500 m2 land with fruit trees, vines, some timber and private spring for a little less than 38,000 Euro's. Landtaxes less than 100 Euro's per year, cost of living 20 % lower than Thailand. Pleasant climate, 1 hours drive to the ocean. Excellent seafood and vegetables I am not scared of eating. (I am very careful in Thailand due to the pesticides and poison).

 

Thailand can't beat that.

Sounds idyllic Bullie..............got room for an old but active handyman??

 

PS. Do you buy the house and actually own it for that money??

[BritManToo]

5 minutes ago, xylophone said:

Sounds idyllic Bullie..............got room for an old but active handyman??

 

PS. Do you buy the house and actually own it for that money??

Are you OK with the 30% tax on your global assets/investments/pension/rental income, including property and pensions derived in other countries?

https://www.expatica.com/pt/finance/taxes/guide-to-taxes-in-portugal-105742/

Edited January 25, 2019 by BritManToo

[happy chappie]

19 minutes ago, madmen said:

90% of posters on this thread will still be here at next year's poll saying.. I'm thinking about going to Cambodia

90% of posters will still be stuck here with a property trying to make ends meet dreaming of getting out.ive got a friend who's currently trying to sell his house for 1/2 price with very little interest.

[puchooay]

Judging by this thread, I would say that Thailand will be a much better place to live. All the doomers and gloomers will be gone and will be whinging about there lives somewhere else.

[Odysseus123]

3 minutes ago, happy chappie said:

90% of posters will still be stuck here with a property trying to make ends meet dreaming of getting out.ive got a friend who's currently trying to sell his house for 1/2 price with very little interest.

I don't think so-60% of Westerners in my area departed from 2014-2018.

 

Admittedly this was for a number of reasons.

 

They went quietly and without fanfare..

 

However,in one respect you are quite correct-NONE were able to sell their houses prior to departure.Foreign tombstones I call them.

 

They cut their losses and went.

[Odysseus123]

Just now, puchooay said:

Judging by this thread, I would say that Thailand will be a much better place to live. All the doomers and gloomers will be gone and will be whinging about there lives somewhere else.

Employed by TAT?

 

Are you Thai?

[puchooay]

1 minute ago, Odysseus123 said:

Employed by TAT?

 

Are you Thai?

Not Thai, no. I have been here 20 years and still love my life here and will continue to live here until my days on this planet are over.

 

 

[SheungWan]

1 hour ago, dyertribe said:

I'm seriously looking at Cambodia as an option for my retirement where, up until now, it has always been Thailand.

 

1 hour ago, Eligius said:

I am surprised that no one who is quoted from the poll seems to regard the political situation here as concerning (to put it mildly).

Oh yes. The political situation in Cambodia is so much better.

[moutamine]

Bangkok is now in the one hundred most expansive cities to live in list.  After my 5 years contract, I'm out of here and there is no way in hell that would consider retiring in Thailand (pollution, politics, corruption, crazy hot & humid weather) no thanks!  Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Tunisia are all better and cheaper options!

Edited January 25, 2019 by moutamine

[Odysseus123]

4 minutes ago, puchooay said:

Not Thai, no. I have been here 20 years and still love my life here and will continue to live here until my days on this planet are over.

 

 

Good-best of luck to you.

 

One word of advice-do not criticize those who may choose differently to you.

 

Bad karma.

[madmen]

90% of posters will still be stuck here with a property trying to make ends meet dreaming of getting out.ive got a friend who's currently trying to sell his house for 1/2 price with very little interest.

I have a friend in my condo block A 2 minute walk from Asoke bts sell 3 studio rooms to one person for a very tidy profit.

Problem with expats here is they buy the cheapest available room in Chang Mai or the dark side Pattaya in terrible locations

Here is a tip

LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION!!

[puchooay]

Just now, Odysseus123 said:

Good-best of luck to you.

 

One word of advice-do not criticize those who may choose differently to you.

 

Bad karma.

I didn't criticise anyone. Just putting my point across. I think you'll find it's the majority on here that are doing the criticising.