Thailand Out, New World in

[Jackin1960]

I think the OP is on the money. I left Thailand with my Thai wife and our two daughters for a number of reasons, the first being a good education for our girls and the general feeling that I as a foreigner was not very welcome add to that the ever changing rules at immigration to complete the picture. I made the decision to return to the UK (very strange after 27 years living abroad) and we are happily settled in the South East of England. The wife loves it here and has ILR now and the girls are doing very well in school one at Grammar and the younger one will I am sure follow her sister to the Grammar school. 

We love to travel during the school holidays and have to say we feel relaxed in the knowledge that we wont wake up one day to find we have to make any big changes to our lives. 

Yes I do miss some things in Thailand just as I miss some things in Spain and many other places we have lived and visited but all in all it's a good life. 

Edited May 10, 2019 by Jackin1960
Take out a g on the end of Spain

[jakethemuss]

im outta here too bro. Just booked my ticket this morning,, thailand is a shadow of it's former self, plenty better places to be for westerners where we get treated with respect and dignity.

 

happy trails dude.

[CH1961]

23 minutes ago, Jackin1960 said:

The wife loves it here 

Sure ????

[CH1961]

5 minutes ago, jakethemuss said:

im outta here too bro. Just booked my ticket this morning,, thailand is a shadow of it's former self, plenty better places to be for westerners where we get treated with respect and dignity.

 

happy trails dude.

One posting on TV ... how long you was in Thailand ... two weeks, or three ????

[sanemax]

23 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

It's the worst I've seen in 10 years by a factor of 3 or more.

Before it was only noticeable for a month, now 3 months and still ongoing.

I've never felt I had to leave in previous years, but at Songkran I was happy to escape for a week in Saigon and a week in Phnom Penh.

I would say that its worse than a  x factor 3 .

I judge the pollution levels by looking out my window and seeing whether I can see Doi Suthep or not .

   Previous years , there were just a few days , maybe a week when I couldn't see Doi Surhep because of the smog .

  In the past two months or so , I have only been able to see Doi Suthep on a few different days

[atyclb]

18 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

Should be an opposing viewpoint. 

 

I've been here 20 years.  Nothing has changed for me.  Maybe it will.  Maybe it won't.  Things have changed in America and I've done better here with my cash as I moved it to baht 20 years ago and locked in my expenses.  I like governments less and less and America is no exception.  I'm a semi recluse.  I only talk to dogs, hookers and taxi drivers.  They don't seem to have changed much.  Motorcycle taxi rates have stayed the same for 20 years.  Song Tau rates have stayed the same for 20 years.  My doctor went from 500 baht to 600 baht a quarter. 

 

I put 16k USD in a Thai bank 20 years ago and withdraw the interest each year and give immigration 1900 baht.  A taxi driver does my 90 day reports.  My pension has increased so I've a bit more to spend.  My wife's house will be paid off in 2 years and that will be a big raise for me. 

 

I keep some money in gold and fixed deposits and regular savings accounts.  Wife has a good job with contracts for the next couple of years. 

 

My grandfather died at 90.  Spent a couple of days in the hospital and died.  That'll be OK for me too. 

 

"I only talk to dogs, hookers and taxi drivers."     

"My wife's house will be paid off in 2 years and that will be a big raise for me."

 

is deductive reasoning applicable?

 

[DJ54]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

They don't seem to realise that in most countries. Six months is the limit for tourist.

“Most” it’s a fairly accurate statement. All of the options 

have trade offs it really depends what works for you. Article attached talks about Cambodia visas and tightening down 2019.

States Retirement visas are favorable. 

 

Been to Cambodia a couple of times. Son and family (Cambodian wife) live in Phnom Penh she and her family own several

successful restaurants PP and Siam Reap so difficult to make

a fair assessment of all of Cambodia.

 

I live in the Thailand NE Countryside and I like it 

air quality is ok and at my age I think the clock will

run out before air quality does me in. 

 

 

 

 

[BritManToo]

21 minutes ago, DJ54 said:

“Most” it’s a fairly accurate statement. All of the options 

have trade offs it really depends what works for you. Article attached talks about Cambodia visas and tightening down 2019.

States Retirement visas are favorable. 

If it's a fairly accurate statement, how come as someone over 55 I can live in Cambodia, Vietnam or the Philippines with no financial checks, all year round (maybe the odd night elsewhere) just by paying the VISA fees?

 

Cambodia got way easier when they introduced the 1 year ES VISA in 2017 and you no longer needed to pretend to work. You give your passport and $280 to an agent, fill in a form, and about 4 days later you collect your new 1 year VISA, how is that more complicated?

Philippines you can arrive with no VISA and stay for 3 years, then you need to leave for 1 night.

Vietnam currently only sells 6 month VISAs, but you can extend another 6 months indefinitely (1 year will be back soon).

 

I don't know of any SEA country that insists on checks of your bank accounts, place of residence, and 90 day reporting, except Thailand. It's a total shithole of a country in every way at the moment. The only people loving it, are those too elderly to leave their homes, or too poor or too sick or trapped by property purchases and families to leave.

 

If I my son lived in Cambodia in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap, I'd be living there tomorrow (assuming he didn't hate me).

Edited May 10, 2019 by BritManToo

[eddysmit]

17 hours ago, Lacessit said:

True and false in the OP's statements. Certainly it is true air quality in CM currently is as bad as I have seen it in ten years.

On the other hand, landlords are falling over one another to get decent tenants in CM. My rental cost has gone down. There are hundreds of even cheaper options if I wanted to move.

Other costs seem to be quite stable. Fruit and vegetables in season are always cheap. I'm paying the same for basics such as bread and beer as 10 years ago.

There are always options. Foul air can be beaten with aircon and an air purifier. A bit more on the electricity bill.

I guess everyone's tolerance for government BS varies from person to person. I pay people to absorb the stress of dealing with a###holes for me.

The only dealbreaker for me here is if health insurance is made compulsory, because I would not be considered by any insurance company.

I can certainly agree with you, I do have back up cash in my birth country and the 800 thousand is to cover emergency treatments, that could be replaced if need be, I have some gold put back as an insurance, along with a legal declaration for not keeping me alive with intensive care treatment, but, if the compulsory yearly payments insurance thing came in it would drive me away as well,not that I want to go,but would have to,no insurance company has viable premiums for 'oldies',and no way would I pay what they ask.

[seasia]

Just now, nickmondo said:

makes me laugh when i read posts like this.

90 day you can do by post or online

TM30, the landlord does it online or in person

Extension to Retirement Visa, straightforward if you have the savings or income, and takes 30 minutes a year.

Rent, absolutely cheaper here than in UK or Spain (my 2 other countries of residence)

Food, costs a fraction of Eu prices here.

Pollution, move to the coast like I have and visit the north during the non smoking season

Yes this place sucks at times, but way better than UK or Spain.

 

Food costs a fraction of the EU ?

 

Let us see.

 

Pasta is half the price in Italy compared to Thailand.

 

Drinking water, despite it being safe to drink the tap water in Italy is actually cheaper there.

 

Quality ham cheaper in Italy.

Quality cheese  cheaper in Italy.

 

Beer about 30 % cheaper.

 

Wine a quarter of the price.

 

Pizza cheaper and better.

 

Olives cheaper.

Salami cheaper.

 

Tomatoes taste of tomatoes not the tasteless Thai rubbish.

 

Chocolate  is  cheaper.

 

Bread is better and cheaper.

Chicken is more expensive though.

 

To balance, transport is way more expensive.

Getting someone to do a manual task is also way more expensive.

 

Roads are better, motorists obey and respect pedestrian crossings, they stop, unlike in Thailand.

 

Service better.

 

Health standards are higher.

 

No place is perfect.

 

All depends on what your priorities in life are.

 

[Destiny1990]

6 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

Like where?

Vietnam, Spain, Phillipines, Panama, Malta, Portugal, Canary Islands etc etc

[madmen]

2 minutes ago, seasia said:

Food costs a fraction of the EU ?

 

Let us see.

 

Pasta is half the price in Italy compared to Thailand.

 

Drinking water, despite it being safe to drink the tap water in Italy is actually cheaper there.

 

Quality ham cheaper in Italy.

Quality cheese  cheaper in Italy.

 

Beer about 30 % cheaper.

 

Wine a quarter of the price.

 

Pizza cheaper and better.

 

Olives cheaper.

Salami cheaper.

 

Tomatoes taste of tomatoes not the tasteless Thai rubbish.

 

Chocolate  is  cheaper.

 

Bread is better and cheaper.

Chicken is more expensive though.

 

To balance, transport is way more expensive.

Getting someone to do a manual task is also way more expensive.

 

Roads are better, motorists obey and respect pedestrian crossings, they stop, unlike in Thailand.

 

Service better.

 

Health standards are higher.

 

No place is perfect.

 

All depends on what your priorities in life are.

 

All of the east European countries are also cheaper than Thailand except perhaps in their Thai restaurants.

[LomSak27]

7 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

19 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Jesu another one, bya.

Got that right. 

Who needs these Nattering Nabobs of Negativism anyhow? 

 

Says the 'effete corps of impudent snobs who characterize themselves as intellectuals'

 

Spiro kicks hiney even from that big souvalaki shop in the sky.  

 

 

Edited May 10, 2019 by LomSak27

[Destiny1990]

56 minutes ago, sanemax said:

I would say that its worse than a  x factor 3 .

I judge the pollution levels by looking out my window and seeing whether I can see Doi Suthep or not .

   Previous years , there were just a few days , maybe a week when I couldn't see Doi Surhep because of the smog .

  In the past two months or so , I have only been able to see Doi Suthep on a few different days

Sir No alarm evacuation bells ringing yet inside ur brain?

[Rimmer]

A flame/troll post aimed at another member has been removed:

 

7) You will respect fellow members and post in a civil manner. No personal attacks, hateful or insulting towards other members, (flaming) Stalking of members on either the forum or via PM will not be allowed.
 

[NoshowJones]

Everything the OP has said is spot on, both the Thai government and their immigration are run by uncaring people who only care for themselves, and for all you Thaivisa members, you know who you are, that keep saying that if you don't like it then leave, it is not always possible for the expats who have roots here with bought houses and Thai families who we love, so we are stuck here.

[Kwasaki]

42 minutes ago, LomSak27 said:

 

Says the 'effete corps of impudent snobs who characterize themselves as intellectuals'

 

Spiro kicks hiney even from that big souvalaki shop in the sky.  

 

So whens your flight. ????

[NoshowJones]

8 hours ago, dotpoom said:

"unless you have endless patience, lots of funds and are prepared to pay agents to handle all your Immigration paper work."

    I really don't get it. I can't imagine why a person would want to come to retire in a country where the only way they can do it would be "under the counter" (agents/illegally) because they do not have enough funds to do it the right way.....and then complain when those "doors/ loopholes" start to get closed through the tightening up of the laws.

   I have been doing it the same way for the last 19 years.... money seasoned in the bank (my pension is not big enough). I get a letter from the same bank one time every year and bring it to Soi 5...no big deal.

If for some reason I cannot continue/or afford, to do it this way I shall have to return home (where I would be a "homeless" person. I do not ..for the life of me.. see how this scenario ...is a reason for complaint about... Thailand ???

 "(agents/illegally)"  There is nothing illegal about using agents, I do not use the money in the bank system, I do not trust Thailands banks, and I do not use agents, but I can see the need for them, I do not see how they can be illegal when there are so many of them, and they always seem to be busy.

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, possum1931 said:

 "(agents/illegally)"  There is nothing illegal about using agents, I do not use the money in the bank system, I do not trust Thailands banks, and I do not use agents, but I can see the need for them, I do not see how they can be illegal when there are so many of them, and they always seem to be busy.

....... and they don't have to queue at immigration like the rest of us.

[Pilotman]

2 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

 "(agents/illegally)"  There is nothing illegal about using agents, I do not use the money in the bank system, I do not trust Thailands banks, and I do not use agents, but I can see the need for them, I do not see how they can be illegal when there are so many of them, and they always seem to be busy.

The act of using an agent is not in itself illegal, the illegality comes if you use an agent to circumvent the immigration financial requirements, for example, by using the agents money, or by the agent doing illegal deals with the Immigration people to 'smooth the way' for those farangs who do not have the required funds.  

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

 "(agents/illegally)"  There is nothing illegal about using agents, I do not use the money in the bank system, I do not trust Thailands banks, and I do not use agents, but I can see the need for them, I do not see how they can be illegal when there are so many of them, and they always seem to be busy.

The agents thing is a can of worms.

If you're using an agent only to handle clerical stuff, etc. then of course it's not illegal.

If you're using an agent to "qualify" for financial requirements that you're not really qualified for, at the very least that is participation in corruption.

Is there any blowback risk from doing that? I think there is. It may not be high, but it isn't nothing either. 

[VocalNeal]

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

More BS,

In Chiang Mai I can get a retirement extension through a lawyer for 20k + immigration fees, no questions asked.

I've always used an agent. Beats all the queuing at Chaengwattana. Yes lots of papers to sign but I do that at home.  

[AlexRich]

2 hours ago, sanemax said:

I was/am one of those posters who stated that the pollution wasnt too bad , that was because the pollution wasnt too bad in the previous five or so years , it had improved alot and did indeed only have a few bad days .

   That wasnt "nonsense", that was the reality .

The pollution is horrendous this year , been bad for months now and that is the reason why none of the "apologists" have recently stated that the pollution isnt too bad this year .

   You didnt really think your reply through, did you ?

 This year is very different to the previous years , pollutionwise 

I wouldn’t change anything that I said, as it was legitimate comment. When you were on here telling everyone it wasn’t that bad ... it was. I’ve visited that region plenty of times during the last five years, and only the periods past June has it been at an acceptable level. The “only a few weeks” brigade were not being honest ... and that’s pretty unhelpful to fellow travellers, like me.

[BritManToo]

10 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

If you're using an agent to "qualify" for financial requirements that you're not really qualified for, at the very least that is participation in corruption.

Is there any blowback risk from doing that? I think there is. It may not be high, but it isn't nothing either. 

Depends upon your agent's contact man.

If it's a junior immigration officer, maybe.

If it's the boss of the immigration office, unlikely.

[BritManToo]

2 minutes ago, AlexRich said:

I wouldn’t change anything that I said, as it was legitimate comment. When you were on here telling everyone it wasn’t that bad ... it was. I’ve visited that region plenty of times during the last five years, and only the periods past June has it been at an acceptable level. The “only a few weeks” brigade were not being honest ... and that’s pretty unhelpful to fellow travellers, like me.

You're forgetting we're acclimatised.

I was shocked how bad it was when I arrived in Saigon.

Then I was shocked again when I returned from Phnom Penh.

 

The last 3 months have been far worse than anything I've previously experienced for 2-3 weeks.

Edited May 10, 2019 by BritManToo

[davidst01]

20 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

I only talk to dogs, hookers and taxi drivers

Can this comment be nominated for 'comment of the year'?

[holy cow cm]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

If it's a fairly accurate statement, how come as someone over 55 I can live in Cambodia, Vietnam or the Philippines with no financial checks, all year round (maybe the odd night elsewhere) just by paying the VISA fees?

 

Cambodia got way easier when they introduced the 1 year ES VISA in 2017 and you no longer needed to pretend to work. You give your passport and $280 to an agent, fill in a form, and about 4 days later you collect your new 1 year VISA, how is that more complicated?

Philippines you can arrive with no VISA and stay for 3 years, then you need to leave for 1 night.

Vietnam currently only sells 6 month VISAs, but you can extend another 6 months indefinitely (1 year will be back soon).

 

I don't know of any SEA country that insists on checks of your bank accounts, place of residence, and 90 day reporting, except Thailand. It's a total shithole of a country in every way at the moment. The only people loving it, are those too elderly to leave their homes, or too poor or too sick or trapped by property purchases and families to leave.

 

If I my son lived in Cambodia in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap, I'd be living there tomorrow (assuming he didn't hate me).

You can still get a 1yr VN visa. Just ask them in email and if is the right agent they can do it no problem. 

[davidst01]

A year ago I thought the marriage visa thing was a pain with all the docs required. I just repeated it last week and found it really easy to be honest. I spent an hour or 2 photocopying shit but that was it. I dont know what OP is complaining about. My wife rocked up 30min after me at immigration. She was there 10 to 15min max and off she goes back to work. A day is not needed if you turn up at 230pm to 3pm

[totally thaied up]

12 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

You're forgetting we're acclimatised.

I was shocked how bad it was when I arrived in Saigon.

Then I was shocked again when I returned from Phnom Penh.

I was super acclimatised to it all. I got to my hometown to days like this and then proceeded to kick myself hard for not seeing it for what it was. I was sucking in all that shit and I had no sane reason too.

Edited May 10, 2019 by totally thaied up

[AlexRich]

1 hour ago, Destiny1990 said:

Vietnam, Spain, Phillipines, Panama, Malta, Portugal, Canary Islands etc etc

I’m living in Cyprus currently, and my living and day to day costs are lower than Thailand. Having said that I was paying 20,000 Baht per month for accommodation, so if you pay much less then it will be closer. I was also hit by the GBP/Baht rate post-Brexit vote. But I’d still spend less here in Cyprus. Back in Thailand 2020 if all goes to plan.