Why are so many expats leaving Thailand?

[White Christmas13]

4 hours ago, totally thaied up said:

Try to persuade me the currency I have lost is not the same amount as my monthly shopping bill.

 

Just spent three months in OZ and my shopping bill was the same as what I spend in Thailand. You just eat what is cheap in either respective country and nothing really changes. Go to Woolies late in the Evenings and the amount of stuff on specials is just surprising. I just shopped around, bought what was on special and my wife and I ate well. Go to wholesale Butchers and the meat was really cheap. The only difference was we had to cook most nights but that is not a problem when your wife is a good cook.

Yes I do my shopping most of the time at Aldies or late at Wollies buy my meat from

the local butcher and I cook every day since I love cooking I buy wine in 4 liter cartons

for about $ 13 my electric bill is just $ 180 for 2 months (1800 baht) don't have gas

and I live on the pension (no other income ) and I pay rent and still have enough money

left end of the month just came back from Thailand and will go again in December

don't have any savings (apart from my holiday money) I don't need to have 800.000 baht

in the bank no TM 30 no 90 day reports and so on. Being a pensioner I have free Medicare

cheap medication discounts on Bus and Rail travel and many other things I am glad

I moved back a few years ago

[observer90210]

why are they leaving ?

TM30 - Taxi cheats - overpriced barstool hookers entertainers - overpriced booze in clubs - dual pricing - 90 day reporting - red tape on visa renewals - re-entry permits - non-ownership of land for foreign house buyers - overrated Thai Bhat exchange rate and much more maybe ? ...

[madmen]

6 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

why are they leaving ?

TM30 - Taxi cheats - overpriced barstool hookers entertainers - overpriced booze in clubs - dual pricing - 90 day reporting - red tape on visa renewals - re-entry permits - non-ownership of land for foreign house buyers - overrated Thai Bhat exchange rate and much more maybe ? ...

nonsense no 800k!!!

 

[observer90210]

4 minutes ago, madmen said:

nonsense no 800k!!!

 

rather a rude comment from your behalf....????

Edited August 8, 2019 by observer90210

[Mikisteel]

11 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I've not noticed much in the way of inflation.

What items do you think have gone up?

 

The room I rented 10 years back at 5k/month is still the same price.

Petrol is now 26bht, it was 32bht.

A kilo of bread flour is 32bht, same as it was back then.

Where you buying flour for 32 baht I'm being stung for 39 baht at present.

[Nemises]

17 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

Sorry, still stuck using 25 baht to dollar exchange rate, so $40 a pack. I was back in oz over xmas and regularly paid $40 a pack B&H from a servo, 7/11 etc. Not sure where your mate is buying at $27 a pack, maybe WA has less tax.

Agree. $40 a pack in Sydney last month.

[Nemises]

2 hours ago, White Christmas13 said:

Yes I do my shopping most of the time at Aldies or late at Wollies buy my meat from

the local butcher and I cook every day since I love cooking I buy wine in 4 liter cartons

for about $ 13 my electric bill is just $ 180 for 2 months (1800 baht) don't have gas

and I live on the pension (no other income ) and I pay rent and still have enough money

 

Sounds good. But WHERE in Aus are you renting?

[BritManToo]

5 hours ago, Mikisteel said:

Where you buying flour for 32 baht I'm being stung for 39 baht at present.

YoK in Chiang mai.

31bht/Kg if you buy 10 bags at a time.

Edited August 9, 2019 by BritManToo

[NoshowJones]

21 hours ago, amykat said:

You guys are forgetting to note that the serving SIZEs were going down over the years to keep the price the same, or keep price increase lower.  Trick you ...oh now you need three noodle soup.  

 

How much is mango and and sticky rice to go?  Used to be 35 baht.  Now I see people trying to sell just bags of sticky rice for that much or more, can’t even get one mango for that price, etc.  Fruit is outrageous ...I can’t figure out what happened.

Greed?

[simon43]

12 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

I do not know of one person who has left.

But, I understand a 10 to 20 b increase in something can be a possible deal breaker.

If you want to go I am hearing Myanmar is good. Developing, cheap and they love expat.

Check it out.

Good luck to all seeking better pastures.

However, there is no long term visa to stay in Myanmar, unless you are working or married to a local.

[NoshowJones]

19 hours ago, mstevens said:

 

There was a time when it never bothered me but eventually I tired of expats in Bangkok equating so much to the hooker industry. Nana this, Cowboy that....who cares about that crap and why is it so important to some expats? I sure as hell don't know anything about hooker bars at home and they never come up in conversation so why do I want to hear about them in Thailand? Too many throwbacks from the sex tourist days still around for my liking. Add that to the list of things that drive me away.

 

 

Spare a thought for the fat, ugly, tattooed brigade, they will have urges like the rest of us, how

else are they supposed to get their leg over? 

[NoshowJones]

19 hours ago, Handsome Gardener said:

Like TVF members and washed up bar stool dwellers do towards Thais ?

 

Its just humans - they're not very nice in any country - however on a personal level I only ever seem to get smiles and genuine welcomes - but then again perhaps because I treat them as equals.

 

I play snooker occasionally with three thai lads - its a laugh. My pool team has 4 westerners, 3 thai girls and a thai guy - always have a laugh. Life's what you make it if you have a positive outlook I guess. However not everyone can be liked by everyone, if you clash with someone it doesn't mean there's something inherently wrong with either of you, you just clash. Move on.

If you get exited about pool, you will get exited about anything, what about darts?????

[transam]

7 hours ago, Caine said:

You actually base the cost of living on the price of a packet of smokes. What a wally. 

If you had read the whole thread Walter, you would have known the ciggy thing was in response to someone complaining about costs of smokes and booze in LOS....????

PS. I don't smoke....

[LivinLOS]

23 hours ago, transam said:

Booze and smokes still cost peanuts here, have a look in farangland at the cost of a pack of smokes, UK is around 10 quid whereas here 60bht...

Dont smoke but agree those are cheap... 

 

Booze ?? Your kidding right ?? Anything of any drinkable quality is insane price here.. 300 - 400b a pint on IPAs.. bottle of single malt thats 20 - 25 quid in the uk.. 5000b from a discount wholesaler 11000 baht in a retail store in bangkok.. 

 

Outside of the hong tong gutter drunk trash for locals any booze worth touching is massively expensive. 

[transam]

20 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

Dont smoke but agree those are cheap... 

 

Booze ?? Your kidding right ?? Anything of any drinkable quality is insane price here.. 300 - 400b a pint on IPAs.. bottle of single malt thats 20 - 25 quid in the uk.. 5000b from a discount wholesaler 11000 baht in a retail store in bangkok.. 

 

Outside of the hong tong gutter drunk trash for locals any booze worth touching is massively expensive. 

My taste buds have now become acclimatised to LOS beer, so at 50bht a pint I cannot complain. Yes the exchange rate has made beer more expensive but that could all change...????

[NoshowJones]

39 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

If you get exited about pool, you will get exited about anything, what about darts?????

Pool and darts are games mostly for the beer swilling big belly brigade who are too unfit to take up a sport.????

[EVENKEEL]

Just now, possum1931 said:

Pool and darts are games mostly for the beer swilling big belly brigade who are too unfit to take up a sport.????

What's wrong....fish not biting today

[pgrahmm]

41 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

If you get exited about pool, you will get exited about anything, what about darts?????

Darts is a fun, friendly competition.....When I had to travel about the states for work I carried my darts.....Many a fun time with good passerby camaraderie.....

Unlike pool where I once had a group of guys block the exits because I'd bested the alpha male there in pool.....Not to mention the 44 magnum incident over a pool table at another place.....

Darts is friendlier + doesn't have the lag time for trouble to brew....

[transam]

5 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Pool and darts are games mostly for the beer swilling big belly brigade who are too unfit to take up a sport.????

Hey Poss, that is a little unfair.... I mean, would archery, small arms/rifle target shooting come into your bracket....?

[NoshowJones]

1 minute ago, pgrahmm said:

Darts is a fun, friendly competition.....When I had to travel about the states for work I carried my darts.....Many a fun time with good passerby camaraderie.....

Unlike pool where I once had a group of guys block the exits because I'd bested the alpha male there in pool.....Not to mention the 44 magnum incident over a pool table at another place.....

Darts is friendlier + doesn't have the lag time for trouble to brew....

Yes. each to their own, it's just that these games are mostly played in places where alcohol is always flowing. In saying that, nothing against social drinkers though.

[EVENKEEL]

I'm still in the learning phase.

prprocess.

Edited August 9, 2019 by EVENKEEL

[NoshowJones]

1 minute ago, transam said:

Hey Poss, that is a little unfair.... I mean, would archery, small arms/rifle target shooting come into your bracket....?

No Trans, pool and darts are mostly played where alcohol is served, and a lot of the players are getting drunk, archery etc, is not, you won't normally see people who take part in target shooting with a glass of beer nearby.

[looplaw]

21 hours ago, Farangwithaplan said:

They sure do.

 

I went to my local market yesterday and bought the following and it came to 120 baht.

1 big bunch of dill

1 big bunch of mint,

1 big combo bunch of spring onion and cilantr

A tom yum bunch

1 big bunch of basil

A large chunk of pumpkin

4 medium potatos

4 limes

one big head of broccoli

one big bunch of kale

one head of cos lettuce

 

That is very fair value in my eyes.

 

 

 

All covered in pesticides '

[White Christmas13]

5 hours ago, Nemises said:

Sounds good. But WHERE in Aus are you renting?

I live in Perth about 6 km from the city and my rent is

$240 per week including water

[Joe Mcseismic]

37 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

What's wrong....fish not biting today

Because he's not presenting the bait in a more natural way.......

[White Christmas13]

5 hours ago, Nemises said:

Agree. $40 a pack in Sydney last month.

if you buy at the servo you get ripped off any way

[Joe Mcseismic]

Most smokers in Australia smoke rolling tobacco now.

I used to buy five packets of Drum rolling tobacco at Changi duty free and it was cheaper than the cost of one packet in Australia.

Edited August 9, 2019 by Joe Mcseismic

[White Christmas13]

30 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

No Trans, pool and darts are mostly played where alcohol is served, and a lot of the players are getting drunk, archery etc, is not, you won't normally see people who take part in target shooting with a glass of beer nearby.

Rubbish serious pool players compete in world championships they don't drink

while they play darts get your facts right

[Farangwithaplan]

17 minutes ago, looplaw said:

All covered in pesticides '

I'm aware that can be the case. And I wash accordingly. Whether that removes all residue, I'm not too sure. The kale often has tell tale signs of caterpillars or other insects that have chomped on the leaves. That must be a good sign.

 

But buying at Tops or Villa or Foodland can't give you the promise it is pesticide free, can it? Can we be sure western countries are pesticide free? How do western farmers stop pests and weeds. Monsanto's Roundup is still sold freely in many western countries. Where is all that being sprayed?

 

Where do you buy your vegetables? How can you be sure restaurants are using pesticide free vegetables. It would be good for you to expand on your statement. You advice may be useful to us all.

 

 

 

[NoshowJones]

33 minutes ago, White Christmas13 said:

Rubbish serious pool players compete in world championships they don't drink

while they play darts get your facts right

Well how come pools tables and dart boards are almost always placed in licensed premises, note I said almost. Nothing against social drinkers.

I wonder how many non drinkers and non smokers play pool and darts.