Top 7 Thai expat myths

By Tim Newton

 

 

If you read the internet, particularly one particular website we won’t name (thaivisa.com)… whoops, then you’d think that Thailand is a dreadful place to visit, filled with hate-filled expats who live in fear and loathing of, well, everything. According to many, the sky is likely to fall in at any moment and everything in Thailand is too expensive, too corrupt, too hot, too cold and too dangerous.

 

Here are a seven popular myths some expats like to keep touting.

 

The TAT (Tourist Authority of Thailand) make up the tourist arrival numbers

 

This has been a popular conspiracy theory for decades. As the numbers of tourists continued to rise, so did the comment “they’re making it up”. With no evidence to back their claims, keyboard warriors, seemingly unhappy that there is a rise in the number of tourists coming to Thailand, claim passionately that the TAT are just inventing numbers to appease their bosses.

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/top-7-thai-expat-myths

 

-- © Copyright The Thaiger 2019-05-25

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That is the biggest bunch of B.S. that I have read in a long time. lol

"The Thaiger has never been contacted by the police, the Army or government officials to discuss or remove anything we’ve published."

Why am I not surprised, The Thaiger is not really know for cutting edge ivestigative journalism.

Who is he ,never heard of him .

S.H said it best ‘…when you have eliminated all which is impossible in Thailand, then whatever remains, however improbable, when it comes to myths, must be the truth...

Rubbish!

It does not matter how many times I read that article I still cannot find the myths that they are talking of.

 

I found a list of five facts, one disputed myth and one myth which is believed about Thai ex-pats but not by Thai ex-pats.

 

Below is the list that I found with my thoughts added on:

 

1. The TAT (Tourist Authority of Thailand) make up the tourist arrival numbers (True, how else would the numbers quoted change from one staff member to the next?)

2. Things are getting too expensive in Thailand (True, you would have to be blinkered (or very rich) not to notice this.) 

3. You have a high chance of dying on Thailand’s roads (True, making comparisons of the road death rate against Eritrea does not make Thai roads safer.)

4. The Thai government don’t want us to stay here (Disputed, there is an element of the ruling classes that don’t want us, why else would they make it so difficult to stay?).

5. All expats sit in bars and date bar girls (False, ex-pats do not believe this at all, people who have never been to Thailand might believe it though.)

6. The Thai government a dictatorship (True, the current Thai government is a Military dictatorships, how else would you describe an unelected government that staged a military coup to seize power?)

7. There’s NO Freedom of Speech in Thailand (Freedom of speech, eh? I’m too scared to answer this one.)

 

 

This is an Op Ed, opinion editorial, opinions are like bottoms...everyone has one...

 

You get paid to write this article?

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

According to many, the sky is likely to fall in at any moment and everything in Thailand is too expensive, too corrupt, too hot, too cold and too dangerous.

 

Usually spouted by people who have lived here, failed, and were forced to return home.

Thai Visa has quite a few of them as members ! All they post is negativity, not about the good times before it went tits up for them. 

Is this an apologia for Thailand? If so, it's somewhat spotty. Comparing Thailand's road toll with some failed states is ludicrous. Claims farangs are welcome are downright stupid, when one looks at the 90 day reporting BS and double pricing. Don't get me started on what it is like to deal with an IO.

The defense seems to be based on gee, it's not so bad, look at this other country over here.

Yep, life is so hard here I am looking forward to the next 29 years

Most of the article does not affect me anyway, as to expensive, go & stay back in your homeland for 4 weeks & your attitude may change.

Yes, the baht is strong, because the International Banking community sees that the 

financials of Thailand are very strong

1 hour ago, natway09 said:

Yep, life is so hard here I am looking forward to the next 29 years

Most of the article does not affect me anyway, as to expensive, go & stay back in your homeland for 4 weeks & your attitude may change.

Yes, the baht is strong, because the International Banking community sees that the 

financials of Thailand are very strong

I was as annoyingly naive as you 15 years ago when I first came to live here. Until something went wrong that is and the reality of how the system works or doesnt work became apparent. Enjoy it. 

Quote

But when you factor in that 74% of those deaths are people on motorcycles, often also drunk and not wearing a helmet, it’s not as bad as the numbers suggest, if you’re not in the high-risk categories.

Not a myth, it fits perfectly to many, if not a majority, of young, or younger, foreigners driving motorbikes where I live...

  I agree with the first 5--especially the cost of living myth.  Just had a yahoo on another thread claim prices have gone up 30% or more the past 2 or 3 years.  

Much of what the writer said seemed perfectly reasonable. The posters here who are dismissing it out of hand are rather falling into the trap of behaving just like the people he criticizes. 

 

Comparing Thailand's accident stats to Eritrea is a bit daft but there is a lot of truth in the analysis about motorcycles though it is still a scandal for that. There is quite a robust media in Thailand and with some notable exceptions there is a strong freedom of the press especially for a country essentially run by a military that seized power. In 35 years in Thailand I have never felt anything but welcome. When I see people who complain and rail so much I am hardly surprised that they feel unwelcome. If you were going on like that in my house I'd show you the door. 

 

Rooster

The writer was doing fine until he got to the last 2. And on those I'd rather not say.

The TAT (Tourist Authority of Thailand) make up the tourist arrival numbers

Who you gonna believe? TAT or your lyin' eyes?

 

Things are getting too expensive in Thailand

It may be true that inflation has been fairly moderate - until you factor in currency exchange rates. From the standpoint of home currency purchasing power, for many nationals, prices have gone through the roof. Pointing out that prices are higher in tourist areas than in rural areas? Little condescending to readers to think this needs pointing out.

 

You have a high chance of dying on Thailand’s roads

Thailand has atrocious driver training, vehicle inspection, licensing, corrective lense, road safety and impaired driving enforcement. Downplaying this risk is irresponsible and ignores the reality that many tourists and expats travel by motorcycle. Acting like 'your chances of dying are minimal as long as you're tooling around in a Toyota Fortuna SUV' reeks of 'I'm OK, Jack-ism.'

 

The Thai government don’t want us to stay here

Comparing Thailand's long-term residency requirements to one's home country requirements may help put things in perspective, but underweights the relatively higher economic benefits which Thailand reaps from expat capital transfers, investments, and consumption than Western countries realize from immigration from Thailand.

 

The article makes no mention of the highly overlaping 90 day report and TM-30 requirements, that procedures vary widely from one immigration office to the next, and that under Big Joke the government paraded overstay detentions on the news day after day which has made many long-stay expats feel stigmatized as a potentially criminal and undesirable element. The writer not only seems to again be indulging in 'I'm OK Jack-ism.' Because immigration changes maybe didn't effect him, due to the type of visa or travel pattern he has, or the immigration office he has to deal with doesn't fully enforce the new regulations, maybe it's not a big deal, but if he was being told that every time you stay overnight in another province you have to refile a TM-30 report at your home residence, I can guarantee he'd be more understanding about why people question if Thailand still wants them there.

 

All expats sit in bars and date bar girls

Maybe people who have never been to Thailand think this, but no expats think this.

 

The Thai government is a dictatorship

You are on extremely thin ice, political science wise. Basically you are saying military governments are common in third world countries, so nothing to get worked up about, huh? Disappointing coming from the English language press.

 

There’s NO Freedom of Speech in Thailand

The fact that earlier in the article when discussing whether Thailand was a dictatorship you had to qualify your remarks with "I'd better tread carefully" kind of undercuts your claim. There's a cloud of frustration that the government doesn't reflect their interests and if you complain you could end up getting in trouble. Everyone senses this. Freedom of speech, assembly, protest, ability to form political parties have all been repressed. Again, an English-language journalist downplaying this is very disappointing.

 

Post removed and subsequent responses quoting it also removed.

 

 

Who makes stories like that? Does Tim Newton think he will make money with this? Or does he think he will educate all the people who don't know what's going on. Maybe he should open a YouTube channel and become an influencer or something like that. Good luck!

12 hours ago, Bert got kinky said:

It does not matter how many times I read that article I still cannot find the myths that they are talking of.

 

I found a list of five facts, one disputed myth and one myth which is believed about Thai ex-pats but not by Thai ex-pats.

 

Below is the list that I found with my thoughts added on:

 

1. The TAT (Tourist Authority of Thailand) make up the tourist arrival numbers (True, how else would the numbers quoted change from one staff member to the next?)

2. Things are getting too expensive in Thailand (True, you would have to be blinkered (or very rich) not to notice this.) 

3. You have a high chance of dying on Thailand’s roads (True, making comparisons of the road death rate against Eritrea does not make Thai roads safer.)

4. The Thai government don’t want us to stay here (Disputed, there is an element of the ruling classes that don’t want us, why else would they make it so difficult to stay?).

5. All expats sit in bars and date bar girls (False, ex-pats do not believe this at all, people who have never been to Thailand might believe it though.)

6. The Thai government a dictatorship (True, the current Thai government is a Military dictatorships, how else would you describe an unelected government that staged a military coup to seize power?)

7. There’s NO Freedom of Speech in Thailand (Freedom of speech, eh? I’m too scared to answer this one.)

 

 

And yet you just did

6 hours ago, Nip said:

I was as annoyingly naive as you 15 years ago when I first came to live here. Until something went wrong that is and the reality of how the system works or doesnt work became apparent. Enjoy it. 

What went wrong?

Thailand? 

I've never found anything different in Thailand different from other liberal countries. Sure the never to be spoken subject isn't discussed publicly but believe me the recent changes have got the tongues wagging. And not in a good way. Not a bad thing in the connected world.  Dinosaurs will be relegated. 

22 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Usually spouted by people who have lived here, failed, and were forced to return home.

Thai Visa has quite a few of them as members ! All they post is negativity, not about the good times before it went tits up for them. 

100 percent agree with you. Except I would add the groups (1) that cannot afford to leave Thailand; (2) the groups that do not know any Thai people, (3) the groups that would be miserable regardless of where they live, 4) the groups that overestimate their “importance” on this planet. - a nice way of saying the arrogant self promoter type and (5) the groups that have never driven Thailand and experienced different parts of Thailand. Yet they are an authority and expert on every topic on this forum. 

baht is strong because there is demand for it.  (800k, 400k, farangs coming ect)

 

Without demand, it would inflate FAST

"..since the absolute monarchy was abolished back in 1932".

so why the "crime of lèse-majesté" is still in place 87 years later?

note: i have no intention to criticize, i just want to understand

“Bottomline, if you think it’s difficult to live, work and stay in Thailand, just check how difficult it is for a Thai citizen to move to your country.”

If a Thai is married to an EU/EEA citizen he/she gets all that, FoC.
The inverse way you get nothing, unless you are a woman.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

16 hours ago, CLS said:

“Bottomline, if you think it’s difficult to live, work and stay in Thailand, just check how difficult it is for a Thai citizen to move to your country.”

If a Thai is married to an EU/EEA citizen he/she gets all that, FoC.
The inverse way you get nothing, unless you are a woman.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

Errrr...its not quite that simple is it? Certainly not in the UK, anyway with it's 'hostile environment.'

Errrr...its not quite that simple is it? Certainly not in the UK, anyway with it's 'hostile environment.'

Schengen-EU/EEA, UK has different rules

On 5/26/2019 at 10:57 PM, DingDongLing said:

baht is strong because there is demand for it.  (800k, 400k, farangs coming ect)

 

Without demand, it would inflate FAST

The baht is strong because of retirees and foreigners on Type O visa?....,???? Oh dear...  & retirees & expats prop up the Thai economy, right? Nothing to to with trade, manufacturing, tourism? Right????... it’s retirees... !!! 

Oh dear again !!! Face palm !

 

On 5/24/2019 at 9:23 PM, Puchaiyank said:

This is an Op Ed, opinion editorial, opinions are like bottoms...everyone has one...

 

You get paid to write this article?

The guy head is so deep down the anal canal he can't see the sunshine because he is happy to have a job.