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

[SheungWan]

5 minutes ago, moutamine said:

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!

Morocco and Tunisia? Righteo. ????

[FritsSikkink]

Looks like most people can't afford to live here anymore.

[xylophone]

14 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.

 

7 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

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

Yes, so many for sale and still being built despite some remaining empty (houses and condos) and I don't know anyone in my so-called booming seaside town who has made a sale for anything like what they paid for it, and has been said, some have dropped their price quite markedly, but no buyers.

 

One friend sold his apt for 1.55m baht.........62 sq m, 1 bedroom with en-suite. He wanted to get his money out of Thailand, so someone got a bargain (or did they).

 

At least if you rent you have an easy option when/if you want to move, and for me at least, flexibility/options are of paramount importance.

 

 

[Misterwhisper]

1 hour ago, PatOngo said:

I'll make that decision after the next coup d'etat!

Which means next month or so, right?

[Odysseus123]

1 minute ago, FritsSikkink said:

Looks like most people can't afford to live here anymore.

I could.I don't.Get a life..

 

"I'm stuck in a rut..

I can't get out.."

[SheungWan]

Just now, FritsSikkink said:

Looks like most people can't afford to live here anymore.

Downsize or move is the usual solution in most places.

[ChipButty]

Im going nowhere Im grounded just lock up shop for a couple of months have a holiday somewhere different I was thinking this year Turkey

[moutamine]

3 minutes ago, SheungWan said:

Morocco and Tunisia? Righteo. ????

Don't tell me you are afraid of terrorism because there is more bombs exploding in Thailand than in Morroco and Tunisia combined friend!  Then maybe you are here for the cheap pussies! 

[Thaidream]

Thailand is simply not as appealing as it once was to expats looking to relocate or long term expats and some of the reasons are-

-  Rising Baht and rising prices-  Products from the USA/Europe/Australia are 5 x the cost of the home country while Thai products sold abroad are sold at lower prices.  Not everyone can eat Thai food every day.

 

-While rents are low compared to home country- prices of Condominiums with space and land prices in the major urban areas have risen tremendously.  

 

-The quality of most Thai products are poor and the Chinese imports are worse- to get a good quality product one has to purchase Korean/Japanese or Western at much higher prices.

 

=The Immigration conundrum- After 40 years married to a Thai- I still have to get together all my yearly paperwork and head to Immigration in the hopes they will let me stay one more year.  My wife's US Permanent Residency took less than 60 days to obtain; gave her unlimited access to the US forever and no 90 day reporting.  No such reciprocity in Thailand. I can't even apply for PR in Thailand due to not working in Thailand for at least a decade and no current tax payments.

 

-The weather in Thailand is no longer appealing- it has gotten much hotter over the decades and with the increase in traffic- the pollution has made  many of the Thai cities unlivable and there is no plan to do anything about it.   Most of the beaches are filthy and the water unhealthy to swim in.

 

-The Police- completely untrustworthy and an industry in themselves-  

 

-Wealth disparity-  a situation that is  so serious that IMHO it is a national emergency- it is true the rich are getting vastly richer and the poor are remaining vastly poorer.  Many have lost hope- turning to  alcohol and drugs to relieve the pain. Working as a clerk in 7 or the big box producers for 9-10K a month is going to work much longer.

 

Yet- with all of the above stated- I am still going to remain because of family  and the fact that the majority of Thai people that I interact with are still polite; still resourceful and still basically honest. The majority of them live day by day toiling to stay alive and provide for their families. It is their country and only they can change it...

 

-

[madmen]

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

 

I doubt all 90% are married home owners or on business visas.

 

THE overwhelming number of posts on TV all say they don't own anything here and have a suitcase [emoji161] by the door ready to bolt. Problem is bolt where? All of Asia is tightening visa rules

 

You know very well that most are just having a bitch.

 

[MaxYakov]

When asked: Why are you in Thailand? I would answer: "It beats the alternatives.". Maybe not so nowadays and in the future. I'm looking Colombia, South America. I know some Spanish and don't even want to learn any Southeast Asian languages or live in another SEA country.

 

 

 

Edited January 25, 2019 by MaxYakov

[SheungWan]

Just now, moutamine said:

Don't tell me you are afraid of terrorism because there is more bombs exploding in Thailand than in Morroco and Tunisia combined friend!  Then maybe you are here for the cheap pussies! 

Great reason to go there.

[moutamine]

3 minutes ago, xylophone said:

 

Yes, so many for sale and still being built despite some remaining empty (houses and condos) and I don't know anyone in my so-called booming seaside town who has made a sale for anything like what they paid for it, and has been said, some have dropped their price quite markedly, but no buyers.

 

One friend sold his apt for 1.55m baht.........62 sq m, 1 bedroom with en-suite. He wanted to get his money out of Thailand, so someone got a bargain (or did they).

 

At least if you rent you have an easy option when/if you want to move, and for me at least, flexibility/options are of paramount importance.

 

 

I'm with you on this. Rent is the better option. At first I thought: Maybe I should consider buying a condo for my 5 years stay.  Then I realized the market is crap and most owners can't even find renters...  It's a renters market and we have the upper hand in negociating rent.  Plus, if this place goes to shit, I can just pack up and leave...

[SheungWan]

4 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Im going nowhere Im grounded just lock up shop for a couple of months have a holiday somewhere different I was thinking this year Turkey

Going for the politics?

[stevenl]

Nice to see that as usual the average TV reader is optimistic and happy.

[Mavideol]

1 hour 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.

been to Coimbra couple times, nice city with lots of historical buildings/universities, food fantastic, lay back life, 1 hour drive to Porto 2 hours to Lisbon and 1 hour to ocean at Figueira da Foz, I do envy you, lots of UK expats there, have a safe trip

[Jingthing]

Just now, MaxYakov said:

When asked: Why are out in Thailand? I would answer: "It beats the alternatives". Maybe not so nowadays and in the future. I'm looking Colombia, South America. I know some Spanish and don't even want to learn any Southeast Asian languages or live in another SEA country.

Colombia has recently made some attractive changes in their retirement visa program. The income requirements are very low, pretty much all Americans can qualify on a low social security check. The U.S. embassy in Bogota will officialize social security benefits letters, no problema A downside is that the visa is good for only 3 years, then you need apply again, but at 5 years can apply for permanent residence. 

[NCC1701A]

i hear the Green Zone in Iraq is nice this time of year.

[puchooay]

4 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

Not everyone can eat Thai food every day.

 

So.....is pork, chicken, fruit, vegetables, dairy products and fish, for example, more expensive if you are going to make western food than it is if you are cooking Thai food?

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, puchooay said:

So.....is pork, chicken, fruit, vegetables, dairy products and fish, for example, more expensive if you are going to make western food than it is if you are cooking Thai food?

I totally agree, most food ingredients are far cheaper in Thailand than in the western countries, I would suggest the people claiming western food is expensive either eat out all the time, can't cook, or are being scammed by their nearest and dearest.

[Mavideol]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

I don't believe that, and income taxes are significantly higher after the first couple of years there.

he's correct, cost of living is lower if you have your own back yard, plants some vegies, grow some chickens (not the ones you are thinking about LOL), fresh fish is from the Atlantic, medical and no taxes or very low for retired people and not raised after first couple years, it's worth checking the benefits

[pattayadgw]

I've lived/been based here over 20 years with my first visit here at 21 years of age in 1976.  What we were promised when the junta took the reins has turned out very different but not surprisingly so, as we all know.  Corruption hasn't changed, they've just added more hats to the crew of collectors. The prices of items have risen considerably in all areas of the country, but particularly so in the tourist areas.  It's a different world here to what it was but at the same time its not so different. For us old hands that have made it our home for so long now and with us not getting any younger, it makes any move elsewhere a huge event in our lives and one that most of us don't want to face.  If BJ could lay out a reasonable new set of visa rules / regs, 98% of expats will follow these as most of us have done all along. BJ has to think about the many of us who have spent the best part of our lives here and poured cash into the system as well.  MANY OF US ARE NOT THE "RICH" farangs, we're workers and savers of our hard earned cash outside of the Kingdom and should be given some consideration when any new visa rules come about. WE ARE NOT GANGSTERS, WE ARE NO SCAMPSTERS we just normal people who want a quiet simple life with no headaches.  Give us a break... PLEASE!!! 

[moutamine]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

I totally agree, most food ingredients are far cheaper in Thailand than in the western countries, I would suggest the people claiming western food is expensive either eat out all the time, can't cook, or are being scammed by their nearest and dearest.

You are in the wrong.  Have you tried buying avocados lately.  30 Baht a piece... I can get 3 for 1$ CAD in Montreal.  Kiwis are 25 Baht a piece here, I get 6 for 1$ CAD.  

[Thaidream]

2 minutes ago, puchooay said:

So.....is pork, chicken, fruit, vegetables, dairy products and fish, for example, more expensive if you are going to make western food than it is if you are cooking Thai food?

Yes- many expats purchase  their meats and pork and even vegetables from places like Villa Market or other chains which import meat and other staples from the West.  While I can live nicely eating Thai food every day- others cannot and for them the price of quality is now much higher. Many do not know how to shop in a wet Thai market nor how to determine the quality of what they are purchasing so they don't shop there.

[puchooay]

Just now, moutamine said:

You are in the wrong.  Have you tried buying avocados lately.  30 Baht a piece... I can get 3 for 1$ CAD in Montreal.  Kiwis are 25 Baht a piece here, I get 6 for 1$ CAD.  

You are fighting a losing battle. 

 

For every item that you list that is more expensive here I could probably list 10 that are cheaper.

[Odysseus123]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

I totally agree, most food ingredients are far cheaper in Thailand than in the western countries, I would suggest the people claiming western food is expensive either eat out all the time, can't cook, or are being scammed by their nearest and dearest.

That is incorrect.

 

In fact my food bill for fresh meat and vegetables is less in Australia.

 

My electricity costs are just the same.

 

Prices for cheeses and dairy products  are much lower.

 

Average cost of shopping for the month (western food) if you cook at home is $200 lower.

 

The quality is much higher.

 

Plus you don't have to spew your lungs out breathing in all that Thai fresh air.

[BritManToo]

6 minutes ago, moutamine said:

You are in the wrong.  Have you tried buying avocados lately.  30 Baht a piece... I can get 3 for 1$ CAD in Montreal.  Kiwis are 25 Baht a piece here, I get 6 for 1$ CAD.  

and @Odyysseus

Avocados are very cheap in the local markets when in season, I would suggest you stop doing all your shopping in tourist supermarkets Rimping/Friendship/Tops/Villa and buy in the more local shopping areas.

Although avocados and kiwi fruit are not part of my British/Euro diet so I'm not an expert on them and wouldn't include them in my 'western food' list.

Edited January 25, 2019 by BritManToo

[moutamine]

1 minute ago, Thaidream said:

Yes- many expats purchase  their meats and pork and even vegetables from places like Villa Market or other chains which import meat and other staples from the West.  While I can live nicely eating Thai food every day- others cannot and for them the price of quality is now much higher. Many do not know how to shop in a wet Thai market nor how to determine the quality of what they are purchasing so they don't shop there.

Khlong Toei's wet market is pretty disgusting. My wife went twice but just can't anymore because of the smell.  From now on, it's Villa Market even though it's 3-5 times more expansive.  Our health is worth it.

[puchooay]

3 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

Yes- many expats purchase  their meats and pork and even vegetables from places like Villa Market or other chains which import meat and other staples from the West.  While I can live nicely eating Thai food every day- others cannot and for them the price of quality is now much higher. Many do not know how to shop in a wet Thai market nor how to determine the quality of what they are purchasing so they don't shop there.

More fool them. 

[NCC1701A]

Please. do you know how much it costs to get two 25 year old Asia American girls dressed as French maids to clean your house in Malibu, California?

 

I do. Thailand is 75% cheaper. That is why I gave up avocados.