SURVEY: Do you regret moving to Thailand?

[marcusarelus]

9 minutes ago, ballpoint said:

I really couldn't be bothered going on any other country's expat forum, other than the one I live in, and would never come back and start preaching on Thai Visa, like a maddened evangelical who has "seen the light" and wants to save us Thailand living sinners, should I decide to move from here.

I agree with you and am in constant wonder at the volume of posts from the UK, USA and Australia here on Thai Visa. 

[BritManToo]

59 minutes ago, ballpoint said:

The Vietnamese government quickly shuts down anything that's in the least way critical of themselves.

Where some Thailand forums are so scared of someone speaking out-of-turn they lock their own news posts to comments.

[dick dasterdly]

13 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I'm thinking a place with at least 3 cats for some reason.

You're very wrong.

 

But to be fair, if you replace "cats" with dogs, and so living in a relatively remote area next to the beach - perfect for myself and my dogs - you'd be right.....

[hanuman2543]

On 2/10/2019 at 9:47 PM, FritsSikkink said:

"living in Thailand means you will never have rights of citizenship."

Not true. 

Please elaborate if you don't mind

[Hummin]

On 2/11/2019 at 3:47 AM, FritsSikkink said:

"living in Thailand means you will never have rights of citizenship."

Not true. 

Yes, you can gain citizenship, but if you ar not capable to even get a proper visa, you will never ever see a citienship. For most people it is har to get. I would never bother, since I do not need it. 

[FritsSikkink]

26 minutes ago, hanuman2543 said:

Please elaborate if you don't mind

If you qualify you can get permanent citizenship.

[ballpoint]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Where some Thailand forums are so scared of someone speaking out-of-turn they lock their own news posts to comments.

The royal family is off topic, but you are free to criticise the immigration policy, poke fun of Prayuth, point out corruption and generalise about the Thai people.  Try doing the equivalent in Vietnam. (Or Malaysia or Singapore too, for that matter).

Edited February 12, 2019 by ballpoint

[BritManToo]

52 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Yes, you can gain citizenship, but if you ar not capable to even get a proper visa, you will never ever see a citienship. For most people it is har to get. I would never bother, since I do not need it. 

For most men it is hard to get, if you're female all you need to do is marry a Thai guy with a job.

[Hummin]

22 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

For most men it is hard to get, if you're female all you need to do is marry a Thai guy with a job.

Everything is easy for women, as long they are willing to open their legs. Huh, and we have to struggle and struggle and struggle, unfair 

 

 

[AlexRich]

20 hours ago, GalaxyMan said:

Yeah, but who wants to live in a shiithole like Phnom Penh? Disgusting place.

They have one decent shopping mall and a few decent restaurants and cafes ... but you’ll soon tire of that and people pissing in the street. Cebu City might be a decent option for those that want to escape Thailand.

[hanuman2543]

2 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

If you qualify you can get permanent citizenship.

Are you talking about permanent residency or citizenship? I know how to qualify for permanent residency but you talked about getting citizenship which, if you are male, is nearly impossible to achieve. So explain again and with more info otherwise I assume that your post was only hot air.

[Neeranam]

7 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

20 years lived here continuously.  Worked here 8 years.  Other stuff personal. How about you?  If you expect me to answer you should do the same. 

Fair enough. I don't see why it is personal, anyway this is an anonymous forum.

One lived and worked here for 25 years. Came on extended holiday before that.

Regarding they other question I've applied and in the process of naturalization.

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, hanuman2543 said:

Are you talking about permanent residency or citizenship? I know how to qualify for permanent residency but you talked about getting citizenship which, if you are male, is nearly impossible to achieve. So explain again and with more info otherwise I assume that your post was only hot air.

Permanent residency.

[Neeranam]

1 hour ago, hanuman2543 said:

I know how to qualify for permanent residency but you talked about getting citizenship which, if you are male, is nearly impossible to achieve. 

A common myth. Citizenship is just the next step after getting PR. If married to a Thai, like me, it's easy, and only 5,000 baht. No need to get PR first, just work permit for 3 years, and a few other things. Don't even need to speak Thai, if you get points in other areas like qualifications, salary, age etc.

 

Edited February 12, 2019 by Neeranam

[GarryP]

1 hour ago, hanuman2543 said:

Are you talking about permanent residency or citizenship? I know how to qualify for permanent residency but you talked about getting citizenship which, if you are male, is nearly impossible to achieve. So explain again and with more info otherwise I assume that your post was only hot air.

I am now a Thai citizen. I did not have Permanent Residency. The law changed in 2008 to allow for males to apply for citizenship based on marriage. Obviously, you need to meet the minimum requirements but it is possible without PR. 

[Neeranam]

12 hours ago, GarryP said:

I am now a Thai citizen. I did not have Permanent Residency. The law changed in 2008 to allow for males to apply for citizenship based on marriage. Obviously, you need to meet the minimum requirements but it is possible without PR. 

Like I said, it is a barstool myth that becoming Thai is not possible, or extremely hard.

[mania]

2 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Like I said, it is a barstool myth that becoming Thai is not possible, or extremely hard.

Well yes of course it is not impossible...for some & it is not hard...for some ????

 

But again that is not 100% true is it?

 

Is it possible at all for anyone on a retirement visa? ( which is quite a few on this forum) NO it is not

possible as you need to be working & paying XX amount of Thai tax yes?

 

Is it extremely hard? Of course not..seasoned expats are use to countless forms & hoop jumping so no it is not ????

 

[Neeranam]

16 minutes ago, mania said:

Well yes of course it is not impossible...for some & it is not hard...for some ????

 

But again that is not 100% true is it?

 

Is it possible at all for anyone on a retirement visa? ( which is quite a few on this forum) NO it is not

possible as you need to be working & paying XX amount of Thai tax yes?

 

Is it extremely hard? Of course not..seasoned expats are use to countless forms & hoop jumping so no it is not ????

 

Lets just say it's much easier for me to get Thai citizenship than say, Australian or USA.

 

Of course I'm not talking about retirees. Name me one country that makes it easy for a retiree to go there and get citizenship easily.

 

However, it is possible for a retiree to start a business and then get citizenship, there is no age limit.

[mania]

58 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Lets just say it's much easier for me to get Thai citizenship than say, Australian or USA.

 

Of course I'm not talking about retirees. Name me one country that makes it easy for a retiree to go there and get citizenship easily.

 

However, it is possible for a retiree to start a business and then get citizenship, there is no age limit.

While we are drifting off topic...

That is something I did not know

Your saying a retiree can work/own a business on a retirement visa?

 

Australia citizenship I have no idea about  but...

 

As for easier than a Thai getting citizenship in the USA?

I would say no way harder & much easier in the USA retired or young

 

My wife came to the USA as a single woman...On a 6 month visa

Immediately got a work permit & a SS# to pay taxes

 

Then converted 6 month visa to 2 year temp residence green card

At end of 2 year green card got a 10 year permanent residence green card

One year into that took & passed the citizenship test ..So 3 years 6 months total time in the USA & granted a citizenship

 

Never was it based on taxes paid or a limit per year of how many citizens were allowed etc etc

 

All that aside I never wanted nor sought Thai citizenship

What all this talk  started from was my simple statement that "most" long term expats should realize they will never have rights of citizenship in Thailand ????

Edited February 13, 2019 by mania

[Neeranam]

23 minutes ago, mania said:

While we are drifting off topic...

That is something I did not know

Your saying a retiree can work/own a business on a retirement visa?

 

Australia citizenship I have no idea about  but...

 

As for easier than a Thai getting citizenship in the USA?

I would say no way harder & much easier in the USA retired or young

 

My wife came to the USA as a single woman...On a 6 month visa

Immediately got a work permit & a SS# to pay taxes

 

Then converted 6 month visa to 2 year temp residence green card

At end of 2 year green card got a 10 year permanent residence green card

One year into that took & passed the citizenship test ..So 3 years 6 months total time in the USA & granted a citizenship

 

Never was it based on taxes paid or a limit per year of how many citizens were allowed etc etc

 

All that aside I never wanted nor sought Thai citizenship

What all this talk  started from was my simple statement that "most" long term expats should realize they will never have rights of citizenship in Thailand ????

 

A retiree can own a business but obviously not on a retirement visa.

 

Your getting a bit mixed up here.

 

I never mentioned a Thai getting citizenship in the US. I was talking about myself.

 

There is no visa for a retiree in the US. One needs to invest 16 million baht++ in a US company. 

 

There is no limit to the number of naturalized citizens in Thailand per year.

 

 

 

[dick dasterdly]

20 hours ago, BritManToo said:

For most men it is hard to get, if you're female all you need to do is marry a Thai guy with a job.

Is this true?

 

If so perhaps I should be looking for a Thai guy with a job, to marry?

 

Only joking.  Was married for decades, and have no intention of doing the same again.....

[Mitkof Island]

Been here eighteen years. Still happy. My only concern too many foreigners that are pouring into the country ruining it. Over development !!! And the expats that won,t leave but continue to bitch and moan non stop 24/7 .My best advice LEAVE  !!!!

[Neeranam]

15 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said:

My only concern too many foreigners that are pouring into the country ruining it.

I remember saying that 18 years ago

[kannot]

wheres  the i dont wanna  vote  grumpy bastard box?

[JayBird]

If you could do it all again, would you choose living in Thailand?
 

Yup. Still better than alternative venues.

[JayBird]

take the bar girls out of the equation and 99 % of farang would not be here except of course the ones that married theirs [emoji3]

Yes, finally, I'm in the 1% group :)

[BritManToo]

On 2/13/2019 at 11:49 AM, Neeranam said:

Of course I'm not talking about retirees. Name me one country that makes it easy for a retiree to go there and get citizenship easily.

Yingluck and Thaksin didn't seem to have a problem after they retired from the government.

Edited February 16, 2019 by BritManToo

[GalaxyMan]

57 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Yingluck and Thaksin didn't seem to have a problem after they retired from the government.

Nobody with money has trouble with such things. Get real.

[Puwa]

I first came as a university student in 1990 for a half-year stay, living with a Thai family, learning the language, and seeing different aspects of the country. A few years later, in 1993, I came back, found work, and stayed until 2000. I didn't make much money, but amassed some great life experience, becoming proficient in Thai and appreciating Thai people and culture. I met my wife through work. We're the same age, similar background and education. We moved back to the US, had a child and worked for several years. Then I had the chance to come back, keeping my job and American salary paid in dollars in the US, but working remotely from Chiang Mai. Annual marriage extensions were no problem. My wife's childhood friend was the head of Chiang Mai immigration, so we always got good service. That was a super easy life for many years: plenty of income, virtually no income tax, son in a good private school, wife working happily in a great part-time job. My Thai became pretty fluent. I traveled frequently and extensively during those years, and no matter where I went was always happy to return to Chiang Mai. Did a couple of years in Singapore on a 20 day SG/10 day CM schedule. A few years ago we made the difficult decision to interrupt our comfortable life to return to the US for education purposes. I just felt that even the private schools aren't that good, and anyway my son wanted to attend high school in the US. We own a lovely home north of the city, and I get back about 4 times per year, usually connected to some work-related travel. I plan to work here for a few more years before resettling.

 

I can't really say I have regrets, since I was blessed with good luck in many areas: great family, good job, a low price on a beloved home, no terrible scams, no real hardships or mishaps. But back in the US, in touch with old friends, I definitely see some things I've missed, such as enjoying cities, concerts, museums, a clean environment, and legal weed. I'm glad, however, to have spent so many of my best, younger years in Thailand. When I return I'll be resuming a familiar and comfortable life, rather than starting afresh in an unknown place. Generally, I would say I am grateful, not regretful.

Edited February 16, 2019 by Puwa

[Yellowtail]

I would bet a week's pay that 90% of the people going on about how difficult it is to get permanent residence or citizenship have actually tried.

 

Can't really blame them though. If they don't have the wherewithal to get a visa, they're not likely to get PR or citizenship regardless of how easy or difficult it is.