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

[marcusarelus]

7 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I understand your point and probably you are right.

But is this because Thailand has changed or because Europe has changed (makes it easier to live in the sun)?

Personally I don't think Thailand changed so much, at least for farangs who work here with a proper work permit.

Corruption is about the same, weather is about the same, drinks are more expensive, but I guess that happens all over the world.

I am sure in one way Thailand is still very different from Europe: Here the average age is still young. Just walking through the streets in Thailand you see lots of young people. The last time I was in Europe I saw lots of old people. That was a night a day difference. And even while I myself get older I don't really want to see so many old people like in Europe.

First time I got here I met a German guy from a tanker in Klong Toy.  He told me the Mosquito bar had better looking girls last year - last year being 1967. 

 

I don't think Thailand has changed much but the people writing about it have changed.  Their money has gone down the tubes and they are unhappy with a capital UNHAPPY. 

[roo860]

My pals were sinking 10 pints a day, so 800bht in a Thai girly bar Vs 150bht in a Cambodian freelancer bar.
Add on a couple of drinks for the girls on your lap Thailand 300bht Vs Cambodia 30bht.
 
That adds up to a 1,100bht ($40) night out Vs a 180bht ($6) night out which is a big difference.

I hope you were doing better than mates, 10 pints a day, they were slacking, 10 pints is a night out.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Mavideol]

56 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Ah..yes..the fella from fantasyland...

 

"Twas brillig and the slythy  toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe.."

 

You were the person who thought that the Thai should do nothing about the Chinese nationals being slaughtered thru' incompetence and lack of health and safety measures in Thailand,right?

 

You are such an embarrassment.

nope, you must be confused with your own assertions, me? I just had a different opinion than yours but did told you to respect mine as I respected yours!!!!

[baansgr]

2 hours ago, PatOngo said:

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

About April 2019 then

[DrTuner]

Yes, steady decline into a 4th world dump. Has been since 2014 and will continue.

[Vacuum]

2 hours ago, 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.

And those who stay put, will be whining about the lack of farangs.....

[ratcatcher]

2 hours 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.

I think Coimbra would seriously be considered western Europe, in fact about as far west as you can get. Nice looking city surrounded by hills and a great climate, all the wine you can drink and great food.  Boa sorte.

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

 

Of course there will but only the one's who really like it here. Not the one's who came because they thought it was cheap and the perception of wall-to-wall pussy.

Perception? It's reality. I'm old and as ugly as a hatful of bums, and I still get the odd proposition.

[roo860]

It doesn't need to be true to affect a place badly. As for my opinions getting me in trouble, I don't think so and I don't really mind how thin the ice is. Thailand has plenty of track record for paedophiles and sex tourists - does the name Gary Glitter ring any bells? We both know that Thais are by far the worst paedophiles but hey, short of hanging a sign over the door...

Glitter wasn't allowed to enter Thailand after his release from a Vietnamese prison. He arrived in Bangkok and was kept airside, immigration refused to allow him into the country. He then left Thailand on another flight.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[HalfLight]

25 minutes ago, moutamine said:

I didn't know that but thanks for confirming that we made the right choice.  I would also assume that the so called fresh Thai veggies are generously sprayed with pesticides by farmers as if it was Songkran everyday.

It took me about 3 weeks in TL before I realised that food isn't the same in TL as it is in the UK. Watching my wife wash everything in baking soda seemed odd until I asked. I (naively) thought the government in TL would not allow heavy use of persticdes and fertiliser. I know better now. The truth appears to be the government(s) in TL are so all-encompassingly incompetent they wouldn't know where to start enforcing the law, and naively think that passing a law is all you need to do to ensure compliance.

 

The recent fisheries debacle was the same. EU thought that passing a law and enforcing a law are the same thing. That plus the heavily rumoured 'inducements' were enough to withdraw the yellow card despite there having been a modest improvement at best in their bones of contention.

 

 

[DrTuner]

2 hours 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.

Nice. Only worry about Portugal I'd have are the cold atlantic winds in the winter. Enjoy. I might be following although I'm eyeing Brisbane at the moment.

[VocalNeal]

3 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

I think Coimbra would seriously be considered western Europe, in fact about as far west as you can get. Nice looking city surrounded by hills and a great climate, all the wine you can drink and great food.  Boa sorte.

I like Portugal but only been there once, to Lisbon. I still have my souvenir fez ! ????

[Lacessit]

IMHO a lot of expats are going to find the rules on income a lot harder to meet, now that some nationalities can't falsify income declarations with their embassy/consulates. Provided the Thai Government does not change requirements such as introducing health insurance, or increasing the amount of funds required to be on deposit, others will be OK. Although I'm forecasting a developing business in three month loans.

I haven't really noticed a dramatic increase in the cost of living in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. If anything, rents are getting cheaper due to oversupply.

[transam]

The complainers had a bird ploblem.....????

[worgeordie]

Just been to Chiang Mai Immigration to do tourist extension for my cousin,

while there I thought I would ask the officer on the desk about retirement

extension which for me is due in April,"do I need to come in middle of the

night to get a number, ? " No not so many Farangs getting retirement extensions

now,so no need to come early,he said, if only TAT could be so honest,tourists 

may or may not be increasing every month, but Retiree's are definitely down.

regards worgeordie

[Odysseus123]

2 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

I like Portugal but only been there once, to Lisbon. I still have my souvenir fez ! ????

A souvenir fez?

 

Never saw a fez in Lisbon.

 

Lisbon is a great city but I preferred further up the Tagus..Tomar,Santarem....and then a swing north to Coimbra and Oporto-now that is a great city.

 

Further north still and you strike the beauty of Galicia and on to

La Corunna and Bilbao.Wonderful country.

 

Across the Pyrenees and you are into the 'vasty fields of France'.I once spent a wonderful holiday in Foix. 

 

 

[Chippy151]

3 hours ago, Chippy151 said:

I'm not sure when we're leaving.

I think it's 34 days and 21 hours. That's just approximately though.

34 days and 18 hours.

[yogi100]

36 minutes ago, HalfLight said:

 

And why it's going down the pan, pretty much as the person you reply to posted.

 

 

 

 

But it has been that way since the mid 1970s when mainly the Germans and other European visitors put Pattaya among other Thai resorts on the map. They liked it so much that those who could do so decided to stay.

 

When I first came to Bangkok and Pattaya in 1984 I was amazed at the high percentage of middle aged and elderly Western men who had settled there; All of whom were hitched up with young Thai women or were chasing them round the bars like their successors are now in 2019.

 

They only came to the LOS for the main attraction which was cheap and attentive young women. There are beautiful beaches, places of cultural interest and pleasant climates to be found a lot closer to home in Europe, the US and the Antipodes. Why else would they flock to Thailand. There is only one answer to that question and well know what it is.

 

Most fellows who I know who are regular visitors the the LOS never holiday anywhere else apart from occasional trips to the PI.

[Thomas J]

3 hours ago, 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!

You are correct.  Certain things that are labor related like haircuts, gardeners are inexpensive.  However, anything in the supermarkets is easily 2 to 5 times more expensive than USA.   I saw a jar of black olives in Makro for $599 baht.  That is just ridiculous. 

 

[Odysseus123]

1 minute ago, yogi100 said:

 

But it has been that way since the mid 1970s when mainly the Germans and other European visitors put Pattaya among other Thai resorts on the map. They liked it so much that those who could do so decided to stay.

 

When I first came to Bangkok and Pattaya in 1984 I was amazed at the high percentage of middle aged and elderly Western men who had settled there; All of whom were hitched up with young Thai women or were chasing them round the bars like their successors are now in 2019.

 

They only came to the LOS for the main attraction which was cheap and attentive young women. There are beautiful beaches, places of cultural interest and pleasant climates to be found a lot closer to home in Europe, the US and the Antipodes. Why else would they flock to Thailand. There is only one answer to that question and well know what it is.

 

Most fellows who I know who are regular visitors the the LOS never holiday anywhere else apart from occasional trips to the PI.

An excellent post.

That is the crux of the matter.

Still,it is hard to  perform like Hercules when you are coughing your guts out in Bangkok.

[abrahamzvi]

3 hours ago, dyertribe said:

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

Why Do you think that life in Cambodia is more pleasant, or cheaper?

[zydeco]

2 hours ago, MaxYakov said:

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.

 

 

 

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.

[BritManToo]

6 minutes ago, abrahamzvi said:

Why Do you think that life in Cambodia is more pleasant, or cheaper?

Almost certainly cheaper, but who can say if more pleasant? that depends on you and what you want.

A pal who lives in Pattaya/Siam Reap says he spends $45/day in Pattaya and $25/day in Siam Reap.

Lives the same life in both towns, Hotel/Indian curry/beer.

Edited January 25, 2019 by BritManToo

[graeme64]

3 hours ago, 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!

Bye bye

[Lacessit]

15 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

You are correct.  Certain things that are labor related like haircuts, gardeners are inexpensive.  However, anything in the supermarkets is easily 2 to 5 times more expensive than USA.   I saw a jar of black olives in Makro for $599 baht.  That is just ridiculous. 

 

It depends on the brand. I buy jars of 354 gm green olives at Rimping for 79 baht. They are next to other brands at 2 or 3 times the price.

Jams are usually anywhere between 100 and 200 baht a jar. I buy the sachet packs, 8 servings for 25 baht.

May I gently suggest using one's eyes can cut the grocery bills. Why buy imported Scotch for 600 baht a bottle, when another brand of imported Scotch is 325 baht?

 

Edited January 25, 2019 by Lacessit

[Jingthing]

There are pros and cons of many kinds to any destination choice. I think for mere mortals that aren't wealthy, the cons are usually magnified (fewer choices). For example I'm considering a smaller city in Colombia. If I move there I can say goodbye to decent Asian food. For some people, that would be nothing, so the pros and cons are quite personalized as well. 

[ice4351]

I love living here.  It does get frustrating at times, but life is great in general, I love the climate, and at least we don't have Donald Trump here!!!!!

[BritManToo]

4 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Jams are usually anywhere between 100 and 200 baht a jar.

About 30bht/jar to make yourself.

[ebean001]

The health care is becoming a serious issue. Most, if not all, foreign friendly hospitals have at least doubled in price at the last few years...and I fear a lot more than double. Also, I would agree many items at the large dept stores are on par with USA prices. In fact, Walmart prices are very competitive.

[ice4351]

16 minutes ago, abrahamzvi said:

Why Do you think that life in Cambodia is more pleasant, or cheaper?

I have been to Cambodia twice.  I really liked Phnom Pehn.  However, it is much more costly to live there!