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

[HuskerDo]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Then you would need to define 'the best chance in life'.

And my son will never have his 'best chance' in the tyrannical gynocracy that is the west. 

I want him to be happy, have his own house, an attractive wife that will love him and not divorce rape him, and children.

As such his best chance is in Thailand as a bilingual English/Thai speaker.

There's nobody speaking Thai in my household, so he needs to go to a 100% Thai speaking school.

I've always found the 'big city' Thai government schools to be fairly reasonable, the rural schools are a disaster.

 

As my current daughter is 20 and at university now, I've just agreed to take in a new Thai daughter, 8 years old, she'll be a nice companion for my 7 year old son.

Ya know Britman, for all the questionable "sex" related posts you have put up it appears you are a good man deep down inside. I'm still confused by your unending bashing of Thais, Thailand and their culture but it appears there might be a good side to you as well. Happy to see it.

[tabarin]

On 1/25/2019 at 2:06 PM, zydeco said:

I would really prefer to be in Central or South America.  Even some relatively safe parts of Mexico. I may do it. It is a matter of building up the will, I suppose. I came here for work and then retired. I don't want to bother with packing up and shipping everything across the Pacific Ocean again. But it would be so much easier to navigate around in Spanish. That is a high appeal factor for me.

Couldn't help myself at this part: ''Even some relatively safe parts of Mexico. I may do it. It is a matter of building up the wall, i suppose'' LOL.

[guzzi850m2]

1 hour ago, HuskerDo said:

Guzzi - How is the quality of the steak you buy in Thailand (via NZ and/or Australia)?

Those imported speaks I buy at BigC+ at app 800 baht per kilo are very good I think; juicy and tender.

 

I think they are about the same or even better as when you go to a steak house in Pattaya and pay 800-1000 bath per serving.

 

Love grilling in our garden and you can do it all year but okay in the rainy season have to be ready to move the grill into the carport.

 

 

[Jingthing]

7 minutes ago, tabarin said:

Couldn't help myself at this part: ''Even some relatively safe parts of Mexico. I may do it. It is a matter of building up the wall, i suppose'' LOL.

Well, metal bars on windows are pretty common in Mexico. I did some research on Queretaro, Mexico and it's reportedly very safe with an excellent year round mild climate, known as the Silicon Valley of Mexico, with a wonderful and large central colonial pedestrian district. But as the per capita income there is 20k USD, turns out housing is on the expensive side and rising. 

[HuskerDo]

12 hours ago, Fex Bluse said:

It may surprise you that while I don't care for most Thais I have encountered, I ALWAYS treat them with respect. That is a courtesy they almost universally do not extend to me. But, I offer mine because I am better. 

 

As for stupid, OK, let's use 'ignorant' instead. But, don't judge me for this view. Thais themselves seem to be aware: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/opinion/30341300

No, let's not use "ignorant" either. You just stated you treat them with "respect". It appears you don't. How you "treat" someone includes how you "talk" about them. You state they don't show respect towards you. I'm not at all surprised with your attitude towards them that most likely is very obvious to most folks. 

 

You are "better"? No human is better than another. We were all created equally. Best of luck with your life sir.

[mommysboy]

7 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

Visa rules haven't changed for me in 20 years. 

But they have for many others.

[mommysboy]

6 hours ago, Lacessit said:

It's only a great health package for emergency situations. Unless you have private health cover in Australia, you can expect a wait of 1 to 2 years for something like a hip replacement under Medicare.

It's a heck of a lot better than Thailand- I can assure you of that.  It's the emergencies that see people off.

[mommysboy]

42 minutes ago, yogi100 said:

Skilled Tradesmen, members of the legal profession and junior doctors can no longer expect to be able to afford to buy even a small, modest house in London.

 

I bought my house back in 1979 when I was on roughly the average wage in the UK. You'd need to be earning around 7 times the average wage in the UK to buy the same house today. Impossible.

 

I dunno about every Asian country but there is very little affluence  among the working people of the UK in this day and age.

 

It's probably similar in most other Western countries if the truth was known.

 

We've seen footage of former home owners reduced to living in tents in the USA, said to be the richest country in the world!

True, housing is terribly expensive in the UK.  But apart from the baby boomers nobody really had the right to buy a property in the UK simply by having a reasonable job. You inherited it, or got a hand up, or got lucky. What we're seeing now is a return to the way it's always been.  I agree if you have even modest capital in Thailand it's possible to buy.

[HalfLight]

34 minutes ago, HuskerDo said:

In making that statement we can only assume you were looking in the mirror as you made it. ????

Assume what you like friend, I was expressing an opinion, as I am entitled to do. If you don't like it, say so, but don't use that dislike to make assumptions. I'm not even go to say the classic line about assumptions, but really, don't vent your spleen about stuff on TV, it isn't useful and you won't get any points for it.

 

 

 

[HalfLight]

47 minutes ago, HuskerDo said:

Maybe "Light" and "Wit" can be used interchangeably in your case sir.

There you go again. Calm down, you aren't as witty as you think you are.

 

 

 

[HuskerDo]

Just now, HalfLight said:

Assume what you like friend, I was expressing an opinion, as I am entitled to do. If you don't like it, say so, but don't use that dislike to make assumptions. I'm not even go to say the classic line about assumptions, but really, don't vent your spleen about stuff on TV, it isn't useful and you won't get any points for it.

 

 

 

OK, I DON'T LIKE IT. Happy? :-) I wasn't making assumptions sir. 

 

Please read the last sentence you typed above, then go back and read your posts and see what you new thoughts are. Thanks!!

[HuskerDo]

4 minutes ago, HalfLight said:

There you go again. Calm down, you aren't as witty as you think you are.

 

 

 

Have a great day HL. I'm out.

[Jiggo]

On ‎1‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 12:37 PM, bowerboy said:

No but the quality is dreadful... the vegetables here (from Tesco etc) have literally no taste whatsoever

 

I dread to think what goes in some the foods here in terms of pesticides etc

Worst Bananas in the world as well, all the ones the EU won't have.

[HuskerDo]

2 minutes ago, Jiggo said:

Worst Bananas in the world as well, all the ones the EU won't have.

For a moment there Jiggo I thought you might be referring to all the angry ex-pats. :-)

[HalfLight]

2 hours ago, HalfLight said:

Bye bye... Hurry back now y'hear?

 

*yawn*

 

 

Honestly friend, I don't mean to criticise you for anything, though it wouldn't be so hard to do. I apologise for being dismissive in response to your comments.

 

I know that TV isn't always the natural home of wit and wisdom. I appreciate the B&P Brigade can be tiresome, I agree that the management is and always has been, a bit 'different'. I accept all of this. 

 

But. If you don't like it then change it if you can, or go somewhere else. If you believe (as you seem to believe) that the level of conversation is not up to your own standards, then find somewhere that is, and good luck with that. Or lowere your expectations of others.

 

There really isn't any point in you trying to insult me, I am not insult-able. Get your mates to knock it off as well, they aren't helping you, they're just proving that birds of a feather flock together.

 

I'm not a spokesman for TV, nor would I wish to be in a hundred years, but personally I think that anyone with a brain has a contribution to make. There are a good few on here who've got good brains, but in common with the population as a whole, a high percentage of the population here are pretty hopeless. You can't buck nature. Hey, it is what it is, fulminating about what I say isn't going to change that. If you have a high IQ, and that's possible despite what you say to suggest that you don't, then add your voice of reason to the discussions. Don't be the ugly parent at the kids football match, you won't advance the conversation my making a fool of yourself in front of everyone. Your disagreeing with something doesn't make it wrong, and there's room for all opinions in any sensible discussion.

 

It's all a game anyway, don't take it so seriously.

 

 

 

Edited January 26, 2019 by HalfLight

[HalfLight]

16 minutes ago, Jiggo said:

Worst Bananas in the world as well, all the ones the EU won't have.

That's true. The 'Lady fingers' bananas Thais seems to love are just awful, though it has to be said that 7/11 has been pioneering decent bananas. Expensive certainly but more like those you get in Europe.

 

 

 

[HalfLight]

18 minutes ago, HuskerDo said:

Have a great day HL. I'm out.

Good idea.

 

 

 

[HalfLight]

21 minutes ago, HuskerDo said:

OK, I DON'T LIKE IT. Happy? ???? I wasn't making assumptions sir. 

 

Please read the last sentence you typed above, then go back and read your posts and see what you new thoughts are. Thanks!!

No, I don't think I will. I know who I am and what I think and why.

[overherebc]

37 minutes ago, mommysboy said:

True, housing is terribly expensive in the UK.  But apart from the baby boomers nobody really had the right to buy a property in the UK simply by having a reasonable job. You inherited it, or got a hand up, or got lucky. What we're seeing now is a return to the way it's always been.  I agree if you have even modest capital in Thailand it's possible to buy.

Yes, possible to buy but not to own in your own right. Unless it's a condo and that's just an upmarket flat where you probably have to deal with noisy or smelly neighbours, any country. Even a condo you can't leave to your son or daughter, you have to do the money shuffle to sell it to them.

Edited January 26, 2019 by overherebc

[Jiggo]

6 minutes ago, HalfLight said:

That's true. The 'Lady fingers' bananas Thais seems to love are just awful, though it has to be said that 7/11 has been pioneering decent bananas. Expensive certainly but more like those you get in Europe.

 

 

 

7-11 Hit and miss had to bin one again yesterday (black)...certainly not to  (EC) No. 2257/94 of 16 September 1994....☹️

[HalfLight]

5 minutes ago, Jiggo said:

7-11 Hit and miss had to bin one again yesterday (black)...certainly not to  (EC) No. 2257/94 of 16 September 1994....☹️

 

Understand. Thakiland is a 3rd-world country, and quickly going backwards in it's development when compared with its ASEAN neighbours. Are you sure you aren't asking a bit much for them to be like Europe in respect of its bananas? Thailand isn't perfect and they manage to sod up pretty much whatever they touch, I'd be inclined to cut them a break or two, but it's an individual thing.

 

One of the major challenges of living in Thailand (for me) lies in the absence of many of the things we take for granted in civilisd countries. Thailand is not civilised in comparison to European, American or Australasian countries. I live upcountry in TL, so it's even worse than BKK.

 

 

 

[madmen]

@halfllight

 

Thailands 3rd world? Errrm no

 

In what way are they going backwards compared to neighbour's?

 

My guess is your speaking out your backside but Im happy to be proven wrong based on your detailed analysis forthcoming [emoji16]

 

 

[GinBoy2]

11 hours ago, Naam said:

how many imbeciles do you expect to believe your fairy tales? 

These kind of comments are always intriguing to me what motivates abject denial of fact.

 

Many us now do the two location thing, winter in Thailand, Summer in (insert farangland of choice).

 

So we tend see both sides in real time every year.

 

So it's strange to me why there is always such denial. 

 

Then again to paraphrase George Smiley..."the fanatic is always harboring a secret doubt"

[Huckenfell]

On 1/25/2019 at 1:25 PM, fruitman said:

We're also going to move out....enough is enough.

 

Many Thai products cost more in BKK than in the West....in the supermarkets...if you like high quality products (like most westerners do) thailand is 2-5 times as expensive as the West....so it's a no brainer for me...leave!

I think that a lot of this has to do with "thai greed" we all know that they will just keep adding to any price as long as they are selling the product.

 

[Huckenfell]

On 1/25/2019 at 1:36 PM, Bullie said:

As a European, Thailand has now effectively lost its attractiveness to me, partly because it has become quite expensive (granted, mainly due to the downturn the Euro has taken), but also it has become hotter every year. Add to that the corruption and the difficulties concerning visa, the cost of proper health insurance plus the fact that we are effectively second-rate visitors with little freedom of enterprise.

 

Me and my family are leaving Thailand behind us and are off to southern Europe next month, with affordable healthcare, less corruption, better food, pleasant temperatures, lower cost of living than Thailand and all the freedom one could wish for as a European citizen.

And after a while the 'shine' will wear off and you will be moving again. Good luck.

[Huckenfell]

On 1/25/2019 at 1:47 PM, Odysseus123 said:

The usual ghormless response...accusatory.abusive and bereft of any form of intelligence whatsoever.Your day (and those like you) is done.

 

It is good to get away from the slithy toves..

Never the less . So true .

 

[jabis]

15 hours ago, stud858 said:

Discussed with friends about cha am the other day and how it makes you feel your in Pattaya 20 years ago. I recommend a visit their to refresh.

Never seen so many gray haired people on a sunset strip - hopefully pattaya will never turn into gray fox ghetto like that ????

[Spidey]

10 minutes ago, jabis said:

Never seen so many gray haired people on a sunset strip - hopefully pattaya will never turn into gray fox ghetto like that ????

No chance. Farangs in Pattaya don't have hair.

[steven100]

On 1/25/2019 at 10:12 AM, webfact said:

Others were more positive about the future with one stating about Thailand: "It's only as good as you make it". 

 

Inevitably one of the people who seemed to see more optimism said: "If you're so unhappy why don't you just leave!" 

' Truer words have never been spoken '

We've heard it all before !  .....  farang have been saying thailand is going down the drain for the past 10 years or more .....    but the funny thing is it just keeps moving ahead. 

[HuskerDo]

51 minutes ago, Huckenfell said:

I think that a lot of this has to do with "thai greed" we all know that they will just keep adding to any price as long as they are selling the product.

 

Tell me a smart vendor that doesn't do the same. It's call supply and demand. You can also call it greed on the buyers part for insisting things should be cheap in Thailand forever.