Why are so many expats leaving Thailand?

[Just Weird]

3 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

Why are so many expats leaving Thailand?

I fell in love with Thailand when I first visited 20 years ago.

In the last 5 years or so, so many changes have occurred including inflation as well as immigration laws that make it very unattractive to live in the Thailand.

Just the other day I went to top off my Rabbit card at a BTS station and they asked for my passport.

I think immigration's and the government is taking it too far....

As much as I love Thailand I think I will be moving on to greener pastures.

"...as well as immigration laws that make it very unattractive to live in the Thailand".

That explains why Immigration offices are so empty these days, everyone's left because it's so difficult to stay.

[BritManToo]

2 minutes ago, paulbrow said:

As I read many of the posts here on TV, I wonder why, if this is such a bad place to be, why do these folks that are so unhappy remain here?

You've clearly never lived in the UK.

If I were American, I'd still be living there, in an 'open carry' state, with a wardrobe full of semi-auto rifles.

Edited August 8, 2019 by BritManToo

[Gecko123]

12 minutes ago, Puchaiyank said:

Have you checked the price of poon-tang lately?   ????

I've been looking like forever for some. Where did you find yours???

 

 

 

[Handsome Gardener]

30 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

You're wrong. Many on the forum have stated they already left mainly over visa issues.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

'Many' in relation to how many are here is ….?

 

If people are leaving due to currency crashes that's pretty justified, you can't get blood out of a stone. But if people are leaving because of visa issues then they were always on a path to leaving at some point once the previously lax rules got tightened anyway. If tens of thousands have no issue with the visa requirements, no-one else should.

[CNXexpat]

3 hours ago, wgdanson said:

Same as in UK.

Same as everywhere in the world.

[kellersphuket]

5 minutes 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.

I used to frequent a pub when I lived in Hua Hin. I was friends with the owner and his wife for years and we got on like a house on fire.

 

One day I complained that the beer smelt bad and maybe he should check his lines to see if they had been cleaned.

 

I was told by his wife to leave the pub and never come back.

This was after 8 years of friendship.

 

Thais cannot take any form of criticism, they think that we should just take whatever we get and like it (or at least pretend to).

 

That's not how I roll though.

[ianezy0]

Check the following link, Thailand has the lowest inflation rate compared to USA, UK, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Norway etc etc.

 

https://tradingeconomics.com/country-list/inflation-rate

 

 

[brewsterbudgen]

I fell in love with Thailand when I first visited 20 years ago.
In the last 5 years or so, so many changes have occurred including inflation as well as immigration laws that make it very unattractive to live in the Thailand.
Just the other day I went to top off my Rabbit card at a BTS station and they asked for my passport.
I think immigration's and the government is taking it too far....
As much as I love Thailand I think I will be moving on to greener pastures.

The only reason you're leaving is because you have to register a Rabbit card with ID? That seems crazy!

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[gunderhill]

Because its   daily  more and more regulations whereas before it was mai bpen rai.

[CNXexpat]

3 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Booze, namely locally brewed and bottled beer is comparatively expensive here compared with other countries in the region. It's a state-sanctioned monopoly. Wine is ridiculously high priced, they re-jigged the duties on imported alcohol products that has forced a few importers to either throw in the towel or drastically reduce their range. Lao khao and its variants are dirt cheap.

 

Not a cigarette smoker but I bought a packet of L&M menthol at a 7-eleven for a friend the other day and that was 99 baht. What 'pack of smokes' costs 60 Baht?

I am not a wine drinker, so I don´t care. A box of Tiger beer lasts one month, so I don´t care. The price of Camel and Thai brand cigarettes is 60 Baht.

[Matzzon]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

It's not sarcasm, it's fact.

 

You cite your longish term fixed rent stability for office space as some kind of universal. Most hole-in-the-wall restaurants rent commercial shophouse space, not air-conditioned office space. Yes, one should have a business plan in place and a contract that precludes any gouging by opportunist landlords but I am talking about the majority of low-end convenience eating here, not 5-star and definitely not a commercial business office.

It´s also stupid to think that a contract is only needed for 5 stars and commercial office.

[Joe Mcseismic]

1 hour ago, kellersphuket said:

I speak thai and I regularly hear thai people being degrading towards foreigners.

 

whats your point?

That many people don't have the same experience as you. Maybe it's where you live?

[peter48]

There is no such thing as a perfect country - just look at the extremes of poverty, drugs, crime, violence in USA, Central America like Mexico or Columbia or South America like Brazil or Venezuela.

In Europe we have predictability and legal stability but life is getting tougher too for low income groups especially stuck on benefits or poor social housing areas with higher crime rates, gangs etc., or those working on low wages

In the UK the income gap is especially getting worse after 10 yrs of Tory austerity where benefits have been cut even for disabled and children and local services have been shredded. 

The UK is now suffering as it readies for Brexit and the reality hits the lower income  voters in the regions, crashing pound, higher shop prices, tariffs on imports soon, companies leaving for EU which has seamless borders/no tariffs, retail sales crashing, less EU grants, less tax revenues soon, less public spending, funds falling, pension pots down and UK property prices dropping this summer. Higher transport costs , higher energy costs...

 

Thailand does have warm weather, sun shine, pretty sun tanned brown eyed girls, a more relaxed approach to life, plenty of good healthy food everywhere, compare that to 6 months of winter weather, dark nights, cold bitter days, isolated people in endless suburbs, - it just makes you feel older living in that. Sunshine surely helps all of us. 

Edited August 8, 2019 by peter48

[Matzzon]

22 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

You've clearly never lived in the UK.

If I were American, I'd still be living there, in an 'open carry' state, with a wardrobe full of semi-auto rifles.

Yep, now the excuse is that UK is more bad, and if you were american you would still stay there. The americans staying here and complain probably twist the story to their side.

However, the main point is, if one are unhappy in their home country, why go to another place and still complain when it´s better? Why not be happy with that or move on to a place that is perfect?

[Jane Dough]

I have long since realized I am far, far better off at home. 

 

That's why I live in Thailand.

 

Rooster

[kellersphuket]

5 minutes ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

That many people don't have the same experience as you. Maybe it's where you live?

but they do though..

 

I see them complaining on here everyday and I fully understand their frustrations!

[rumak]

4 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

As much as I love Thailand I think I will be moving on to greener pastures.

Its pretty darn green where I live here in rural Chiangmai.  And if anything, i live better and maybe even cheaper than 10 years ago.  But I don't eat at the Dukes.   Good home cooked meals with chicken or pork that says it has no antibiotics or hormones .  This from Betagrow and was not available till recently.

Organic eggs also very reasonable.   AND, the folks around here still relaxed and smiling.

Like another here..... would like to know where greener is for you

Edited August 8, 2019 by rumak

[RichardColeman]

I cannot say I know anyone that has 'actually' left as yet, but many I know - Aussie, Uk and europeans - are borderline 'having' to leave as they are borderline requirements now with immigration and baht strength. It's not a case of 'wanting' to leave - and leave their families - it's a case of being 'forced' to leave

[Joe Mcseismic]

4 minutes ago, kellersphuket said:

but they do though..

 

I see them complaining on here everyday and I fully understand their frustrations!

....and yet I see people posting on here that disagree with you.

I presume you live in Phuket by your name. Maybe you live on the west coast where most of the Thais from other provinces go to work. I'm on the east coast and Thai friendliness hasn't changed at all. As I mentioned previously, after experiencing the Russians and Chinese and now Indians and middle-easterners, they, have anything, become even more friendly to westerners, especially if you speak Thai at a conversational level..

Edited August 8, 2019 by Joe Mcseismic

[poohy]

55 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Milk hasn't gone up either, it's price controlled by the government, (91.75bht for years).

The problem many people seem to have is laziness and an inability to move with the times.

You just need to shop with a bit of thought about where and what you are buying.

Then there's practically no difference between cost of living today, and ten years back.

My wifes a ex restaurateur and a complete miser she complains food prices are rising monthly this is across the board at all her haunts  Market Macro and Tesco (i only accompany her to macro for my goodies)

[aqua4]

4 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

I fell in love with Thailand when I first visited 20 years ago.I

 

Thats a long time back in Thailand. The people were more friendly and you saw more smiles. Today people frown more but then again I have never seen so many court orders for repossessions as well as foreclosures in middle class Bangkok in my neck of Bangkok.

 

4 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

In the last 5 years or so, so many changes have occurred including inflation as well as immigration laws that make it very unattractive to live in the Thailand.

 

Yes, I started to notice for the first time that shrinkflation was occurring at the local 711. The package remained the same size, the price stayed the same, but the amount of sausages where less in the package. Just one of those things you notice that the price of food is going up compared to what Thai people are earning.

 

As for immigration I dont think so much that it is the rules but the inconsistency that starts to annoy you. Add on the new rules they now want to add (retirement visa issues) as well as this media frenzy of making foreigners look bad with the Operation XRay which to me shows xenophobia more than anything else. Many times these crackdowns dont even include Westerners. The TM30 was scratched out of hell knows where and for what purpose as the only national security issues have always been Southern Thailand and that being Thai people themselves. Thailand has become unwelcoming, so you start to find the country unattractive. 

 

4 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

Just the other day I went to top off my Rabbit card at a BTS station and they asked for my passport.

Its as if a certain level of paranoia and sudden distrust arrived 5 years ago which is something new. Then again when the media paints Westerners as some sort of foreign evil I can understand why this is growing. 

 

4 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

I think immigration's and the government is taking it too far....

I think they are taking it where they want to take it. You cant just tell people to leave but you can make it more difficult as well as more unwelcoming and achieve the very same thing. The welcome mat has been pulled out and even if you are not one of those in the margins, your turn will come as well in the end. A friend of mine sold his one house and moved the money back to the UK and even at his age started to put his foot back into his own home country. This was 2 years ago and they now live 6 months here and 6 months there. So last year I also started to put my foot back into my own home country as well. 

 

4 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

As much as I love Thailand I think I will be moving on to greener pastures.

Greener pastures means different things to different people. For me it is what is less annoying. So i will also have to start next year with 6 months here and 6 months at home. What Thailand has to offer is not worth the annoyance and it will only get worst. 

 

[kellersphuket]

10 minutes ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

....and yet I see people posting on here that disagree with you.

I presume you live in Phuket by your name. Maybe you live on the west coast where most of the Thais from other provinces go to work. I'm on the east coast and Thai friendliness hasn't changed at all. As I mentioned previously, after experiencing the Russians and Chinese and now Indians and middle-easterners, they, have anything, become even more friendly to westerners, especially if you speak Thai at a conversational level..

Not everyone can agree on everything. 

 

But I think it is fair to say that the general mood is now firmly shifting to the conclusion that we are unwanted in this country.

 

TM 30, 90 Day reports, cannot own land, cannot own gun, cannot secure finance, cannot vote. And lets not forget the difficulty in acquiring PR or citizenship for married men with children.

 

Do you really feel welcomed here???

Edited August 8, 2019 by kellersphuket

[Farangwithaplan]

9 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

I cannot say I know anyone that has 'actually' left as yet, but many I know - Aussie, Uk and europeans - are borderline 'having' to leave as they are borderline requirements now with immigration and baht strength. It's not a case of 'wanting' to leave - and leave their families - it's a case of being 'forced' to leave

That really is an unfortunate situation to be in and would be heart breaking I am sure. But these people you speak of made conscious decisions to call Thailand home or get involved with a local and start a family.

 

I can't imagine making a life decision like that without doing some thorough due diligence. To some extent, UK people could not have seen Brexit coming. But for countries like the US and Australia and Canada, this is nothing new and history shows massive fluctuations. When I was working in Australia the conversion rate to US was at nearly 2 to 1. Don't people consider this sort of thing before they pack up their life to another country?

 

Didn't they plan an exit strategy in case the excrement hits the air conditioning?

[Genmai]

6 minutes ago, rumak said:

Its pretty darn green where I live here in rural Chiangmai.  And if anything, i live better and maybe even cheaper than 10 years ago.  But I don't eat at the Dukes.   Good home cooked meals with chicken or pork that says it has no antibiotics or hormones .  This from Betagrow and was not available till recently.

Organic eggs also very reasonable.   AND, the folks around here still relaxed and smiling.

Like another here..... would like to know where greener is for you

Will you be weathering another 4 months of toxic air next year too?

 

No idea about smokes, booze or girly prices. People who have low standards, solid finances and don't complain about anything probably find this a great place to live. When you're surrounded by people who value a dog's life higher than a foreigner's and can't be reasoned with about the simplest things because of a cultural overemphasis on non-confrontation - that's a massive cost that outweighs everything else. For me that's a huge price to pay for living here and after travelling around neighboring countries I realized I'm wasting time playing a game that's not worth the candle. Time to go.

[Mavideol]

4 hours ago, KittenKong said:

Anything involving alcohol or tobacco.

Most restaurant prices.

Almost all imported individual items, with the exception of commodities which have an internationally fixed price.

that's why I don't smoke nor drink

[Joe Mcseismic]

2 minutes ago, kellersphuket said:

Not everyone can agree on everything. 

 

But I think it is fair to say that the general mood is now firmly shifting to the conclusion that we are unwanted in this country.

 

TM 30, 90 Day reports, cannot own land, cannot own gun, cannot secure finance, cannot vote.

 

Do you really feel welcomed here???

Cannot own land has been in force for decades.

I'm very glad that we're not allowed to own guns.

Why would we be able to get a loan as a non-citizen without land as collatreral?

Can't vote? We live in a country where we are foreigners...which I have no problem with. When I lived here as a "tourist" when it was easy, I didn't have to pay tax. I still don't as a retiree, even though I still work overseas.

TM30 and TM90 are so easy to do online. If you don't do it online, Phuket immigration has made it super easy with the drive through.

The Americans have a great saying which I live by and that is "Don't sweat the small sh1t".

[Isaanbiker]

I fell in love with Thailand when I first visited 20 years ago.

In the last 5 years or so, so many changes have occurred including inflation as well as immigration laws that make it very unattractive to live in the Thailand.

 

I was here a bit earlier and loved it all. The bar girls who stayed with you 24/7 for only 500 baht, the cheap gasoline, Diesel, the cheap food. All was so easy IO were friendly and happy to see you!......

 

But now you've got to pay almost 500 baht for the bar and the often ugly looking prostitutes who do not exist, are asking for a lot of cash that even tops prostitutes in more developed countries.

 

  Who in their right mind would pay up to 3,000 baht for short time staying with a grandmother? i don't. 

 

  

[moontang]

a long overdue calling out of the liar letters for what they are, rubbish, and lately a few currencies in a downward skislope.  Bread prices were back down to 20 for the half lost of wheat, also seen big whole smoked chickens for 120..pork is problematic now, so best to eat chicken, fish, eggs...beer is expensive, wine is a ripoff..Philippine cigars are 900% more at sia m paragon than online.

[kellersphuket]

2 minutes ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

Cannot own land has been in force for decades.

I'm very glad that we're not allowed to own guns.

Why would we be able to get a loan as a non-citizen without land as collatreral?

Can't vote? We live in a country where we are foreigners...which I have no problem with. When I lived here as a "tourist" when it was easy, I didn't have to pay tax. I still don't as a retiree, even though I still work overseas.

TM30 and TM90 are so easy to do online. If you don't do it online, Phuket immigration has made it super easy with the drive through.

The Americans have a great saying which I live by and that is "Don't sweat the small sh1t".

Do is it all make you feel welcomed though?

 

Like red carpet, welcoming with open arms and a cold glass of champagne welcome?

[Ron jeremy]

36 minutes ago, rumak said:

Its pretty darn green where I live here in rural Chiangmai.  And if anything, i live better and maybe even cheaper than 10 years ago.  But I don't eat at the Dukes.   Good home cooked meals with chicken or pork that says it has no antibiotics or hormones .  This from Betagrow and was not available till recently.

Organic eggs also very reasonable.   AND, the folks around here still relaxed and smiling.

Like another here..... would like to know where greener is for you

Yes , Chang Mai, I got sick f breathing smoke for months at a time. 

And another guy saying nothing has risen in ten years.

i think he's been smoking the green grass!