Too much immigration stress

[jesimps]

7 hours ago, Vacuum said:

I meet the IOs 1-2 hours/year, no stress.  

Me too, but those 1-2 hours a year require weeks of work and running around. Also a lot of arsing around on internet banking to make sure I comply with the changed rules. There's the stress involved as well during those 1-2 hours wondering if all your paperwork and finances are ok to their satisfaction. Then there's the months wait for Bangkok's confirmation and the intrusive house visit. I'm just thankful that I don't need health insurance, but that could change in the future. By the way, your 1-2 hours may be that to you, not to people who have a way to travel to the immigration office, the bank and the town hall. Too many smart-a.r.Se.s on here trying to over-simplify things for whatever reason.

[Bournville]

Me too, but those 1-2 hours a year require weeks of work and running around. Also a lot of arsing around on internet banking to make sure I comply with the changed rules. There's the stress involved as well during those 1-2 hours wondering if all your paperwork and finances are ok to their satisfaction. Then there's the months wait for Bangkok's confirmation and the intrusive house visit. I'm just thankful that I don't need health insurance, but that could change in the future. By the way, your 1-2 hours may be that to you, not to people who have a way to travel to the immigration office, the bank and the town hall. Too many smart-a.r.Se.s on here trying to over-simplify things for whatever reason.

Thank you! Exactly... It's like many refuse to admit the things that are actually involved in staying legally in Thailand.

Imagine what would happen if these same prople didn't keep up with the changes! They would be in a world of hurt I expect!

It's stressful. Period. Many are waiting for the next change... Namely health insurance mandated for everyone!

As a side note...how will checking my insurance... The policy is in English.. Be carried out by the IO at airports and IM offices? They can barely understand my passport! 555

Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk

[malibukid]

7 hours ago, Bournville said:

Load of rubbish. Gosh, so may posters are so full of themselves on TV. You have no idea how my personalty is. Just because I am writing here about miserable twits in Thailand doesn't mean i am the same for gosh sakes!!555. I've been blessed and happy all my life! READ my post.. this is about the stress that IM is causing me. It's not about happiness!!555. One other comment was that they spend 2 hours a year at immigration. Load of rubbish. There is a lot more to living legally in TH than just an annual trip to extend a visa. I am talking about the ever changing rules..financials..embassy rules..different province Im rules, different IO rules, insurance rules and so on!! Like I said..other countries I have been an expat in (I've been an expat from the UK for 44 years) have NO such silly forms and reporting rules and have CONSISTENT RULES throughout the country! 

 

However if you sit on your bum 365 days a year, do not travel domestically or internationally and have a Thai wife to hold your hand for everything...then your life is stress free. And maybe boring as hell 5555

they just don't want us here any longer.  we are no longer useful.  for them to come out and say it would not be the "Thai" way.  hence the turning of the screw and the resuretion of som archaic rules.

[malibukid]

4 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

Its funny, you live in it so long like a boiling frog you dont notice the water temp. 

 

I live up north, and while I love the mountains and wild, also get the pull of the beach, each trip down south to more tourist centric thailand I am shocked by the rudeness, price gouging and general abuse and end up glad to head home, then the desire for a beach break grows and he cycle continues. 

i get my beach fix on Bali.  lovely people.

[MyTHaiMyKe]

Thailand is not retirement friendly! They want to squeeze the life out of you! And for all the smart asses, yes I am leaving and it cannot be soon enough! When my things are sold, it is Bye, bye!!!!

[Letseng]

10 hours ago, holy cow cm said:

Your attitude will become the norm eventually for many. But in all honesty, southern Thai have always been a little rude and the ultimate hot heads, but Krabi you could not pay me to live in. It is a very beautiful place in parts, but AO Nang is a dung hole now and was only beautiful over 20+++ years ago. And the ongoing saga of will immigration pull another one out of their rear end to taunt us is a stress. We have been replaced by the come and go Chinese so no longer needed.

Replaced by Chinese who spent money and who don't haggle over a few satang.

[Letseng]

2 minutes ago, MyTHaiMyKe said:

Thailand is not retirement friendly! They want to squeeze the life out of you! And for all the smart asses, yes I am leaving and it cannot be soon enough! When my things are sold, it is Bye, bye!!!!

Best to go back home then✈

[thecyclist]

5 minutes ago, Letseng said:

Replaced by Chinese who spent money and who don't haggle over a few satang.

Also replaced by Indians who do spend minutes and longer to haggle over a few satang. 

[rumak]

Changed since 2015    hahaha   that's funny.

 

Many of us that have been here since before the turn of the century might say that Thailand that we found when we came here has not changed that much.  Still lots of smiles and innocence.   It is the multitude of

"visitors" that came here later...creating such disasters as Pattaya and Phuket and Samuii   etc.

There the service with a smile certainly is a lot harder to find.  But don't call that Thailand.  

For anyone serious about finding the magic again,,,, here is a hint.  I am no longer worried that my area will be over-run with Farangs.   Because really,  the ""old Thailand"  is just not for them.       ( I am the guy with long hair )     ????

 

Edited October 25, 2019 by rumak

[Skeptic7]

This "baditude" has been on the rise and prevalent for at least the past decade. I agree 100% with your post, but it's not only in the south...it's Kingdomwide. My home is here...wife here...been here 25 years and recently carved out our little niche in "Nakhon Nowhere" in West-Central part. Love it, but if was only coming here recently and didn't have such commitments...highly doubtful I'd be setting up and staying. Greener pastures out there nowadays.

 

It's not the same place...people are not the same. Many changes and most of them bad. Genuine wais and smiles are gone. Respect a distant memory. Do yourself a favor and don't get sucked back in. 

 

Best wishes and Happy Kamping! 

Edited October 25, 2019 by Skeptic7

[LivinLOS]

1 hour ago, malibukid said:

i get my beach fix on Bali.  lovely people.

hard to take the dogs with me.. Hate leaving them. 

[holy cow cm]

1 hour ago, Letseng said:

Replaced by Chinese who spent money and who don't haggle over a few satang.

BS. It is about little output but larger numbers of them in groups. They are naturally less spending.  Or being duped as it is sacrilegious or need d for good health and spirit. They don't kick out. it is the numbers of them only.  . So BS on that remark... My monthly outpour of money way supersedes theirs. 

Edited October 25, 2019 by holy cow cm

[wtfracing]

2 hours ago, Fex Bluse said:

Many of you guys are so callous.

 

Because you don't encounter issues in your own lives, you simply dismiss the many tens of thousands of farang expats who do have issues. 

 

Totally selfish philosophy. 

 

Some Thais leverage our callousness against our community in many ways. 

 

I totally agree with you I thought this was a forum to help expats express their opinions and observations, not to get criticized or ridiculed when they have something to say because long term members dont like it

[Suradit69]

12 hours ago, 1happykamper said:

But it should be a 2-way deal! I'm a "guest" bringing lots of gifts.. Money to add to dozens or hundreds of small businesses!

So in your country whenever you spot foreigners shopping for things  or eating/drinking in restaurants you couldn't afford, you shout hallelujah and rush up to them, curtsy and flash them with your pearly whites because you're so thrilled that foreign customers are spending in dozens or hundreds of small shops that have nothing to do with you? 

 

Or maybe in the midst of a twelve hour shift of a 30 day a month work schedule, when some foreigner comes into your employer's shop you jump for joy because a silly fantasy about hundreds of small businesses benefiting so grandly from foreigners is coming true before your very eyes.

 

In most places I shop I find most of the employees to be quite friendly, especially if I'm a repeat customer. but I don't expect their behavior to reflect some nonsense about me propping up small businesses from Chiang Mai to Hat Yai.

 

Seriously get over yourself. How people treat you has more to do with your attitude and your friendliness than your minuscule contribution to the economy.  I doubt any of the people in small business regard you as a guest or see anything about you that fits the definition of a guest. 

 

And most of the people you encounter will never holiday for weeks or months here or abroad nor are they looking forward to years of retirement in the sort of comfort most foreigners seem to experience.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 25, 2019 by Suradit69

[bwpage3]

I think it is true Thai attitudes are changing.

 

Many are struggling with crippling financial debt and the sight of farang's spending money probably makes them jealous or even mad.

 

Thailand is become more expensive due to the currency exchange.

 

Thai people themselves are seeing in increase in the cost of their daily staples.

 

Each political shift of the winds brings about some new rules and regulations that do not seem to be aimed at helping foreigners. Just the opposite.

 

Maybe whereas the Chinese come and spend their money and go home, this is exactly what the Thai govt wants.

 

Not white males marrying Thai women and educating them against corruption and all the other scams?

 

Anyone that moved to Thailand and didn't expect it to change over the past 20 to 30 years was just caught up in the excitement and not thinking carefully.

 

Ask anyone that has been around that long if they thought Thailand would change to the point it is now?

 

The currency one of the strongest in the world yet they manufacture no world class products or industries???????????

 

Old age, healthcare and insurance should be a key in retiring anywhere.

 

And now it seems Thailand has caught on with that idea.

 

By 2014, after 10+ years, we had enough of Thailand. Even my Thai wife.

 

I always knew at the time I moved to Thailand, it was NOT the final destination, so I had a plan and the finances to return to the USA.

 

We landed in Florida which is similar in climate, lots of Thai people, Thai groceries, restaurants, you name it.

 

Every once in a while I will go to the local Thai Temple here and marvel at the way these elderly Thai women have migrated to the USA and still live completely like they are in Thailand?

 

Same Thai language, same Thai clothes, same greed and love of money, still trying to gain "Face" by one upping the next Thai.

 

The temple is used more as a marketplace as Thai's come every weekend to sell food, or whatever they can to make money and rip each other and all the customers off. 

 

Thai Food court in the Temple asks for donations, however, when you show up at the checkout with your bowl of noodles, the cost is US $7.00. Every single item has a fixed price that is more than the local restaurant prices.

 

You don't see but a few old  farang husbands, just a huge smathering of Thai ladies, behaving exactly as if they were still in Thailand.

 

So the question arises? What is different from their life in Thailand to here, and why exactly do people want to move to Thailand when they can get close to the same exact eperience here?

 

So, many single men move to Thailand for the easy women, gogo's etc.

 

However, and it might be a month or 10 years, you either get married, or get over it.

 

Then what? Marry an Issan lady and live in a village where you hardly have a clue what anyone is speaking while you putter around your property doing menial tasks?

 

Worse yet, go teach school because you need the cash?

 

Thai's that move to the USA are farangs in their own sense. Move here with no education, do not understand how things work in the first world, cannot communicate and even worse, yet find themselves puttering around in their own culture and circles the same exact way as they do in Thailand.

 

So, for those that are fed up with Thailand and getting old and need insurance?

 

Fear not, you can have the same exact Thai experience in your home country, letting the govt insurance take care of you.

 

Then you can putter around the temple getting all the Thai language, food, culture, etc. you will tell yourselves you are missing out on.

 

You will be surrounded by your wife's Thai friends all speaking their own language and you won't have a clue what is going on?

 

You can putter around your OWN house that is ACTUALLY in your own name, much like you would be doing in Thailand.

 

You can probably hand out with some other duffers you meet at the temple and go play bingo or have a beer.

 

Need a Thai massage? Sure but the happy ending will probably cost you 5 times more. 

 

You don't need to live in Thailand if you are getting any benefit from it and the old age/medical needs to be addressed on a regular basis.

 

And?

 

Just like Thailand, yes, yes and yes, you can find some extremely cheap places to live, if you want to compare your same conditions in Isaan or a one room flat in Bangkok.

 

Image waking up to everything Thai in your own country with no immigration hassles or VISA runs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[villagefarang]

I don't live like that in Thailand so why would I want to do it in Florida?

[Bournville]

Changed since 2015    hahaha   that's funny.

 
I don't find any humour in your remark. 2014.. Military government.. 37 baht to the usd. 2017....death of the Father of Thailand and IMHO.. the decline of hope and happiness with Thai people. Very sad. 2019... Democracy almost gone. 2019.. 30 baht to a USD. Increased cost of goods and rent.

You don't notice these changes? Seriously... Wake up! Get your head out 8f the sand.

Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk

[rumak]

7 minutes ago, Bournville said:

 

 
I don't find any humour in your remark. 2014.. Military government.. 37 baht to the usd. 2017....death of the Father of Thailand and IMHO.. the decline of hope and happiness with Thai people. Very sad. 2019... Democracy almost gone. 2019.. 30 baht to a USD. Increased cost of goods and rent.

You don't notice these changes? Seriously... Wake up! Get your head out 8f the sand.

Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk
 

you must be the life of the party.

[TSF]

8 hours ago, crazykopite said:

If you think Krabi is bad visit Koh Samui or Koh Phangan it’s even worse.

How times have changed. Back in the 1980s-1990s I worked as a photojournalist for several Thai and International tourism publications...back then those spots were tropical paradises and we were the luckiest SOBs to be there.

[villagefarang]

The baht was around 20 to the dollar when I first arrived and there have been many military governments over the years.  Everything is relative and the only constant is change.????

[Matzzon]

14 hours ago, 1happykamper said:

Thailand has seen its day. It's a sad place that's changed drastically since my arrival here in 2015. Even tourists I meet call this area a dirty s**t hole with rude people .. and they are only here 2 weeks! 555

Seems to me, you meet all the wrong people. However, happy moving! Thanks for staying. 

[persimmon]

Maybe the reception you get from Immigration depends on who you are and what you look like.Last time exiting at Suwan, the female officer in the booth seemed very friendly and smiling when dealing with the young farang woman in front, When it was my turn , her expression changed to a scowl - she made it obvious that I was not welcome.

 

I am 55 yr old white male.

[mamypoko]

16 hours ago, 1happykamper said:

I keep coming back to my abuser..

sounds like battered T'wife syndrome 

 

These days, I got me a bit of that, too

[alex8912]

3 hours ago, bwpage3 said:

I think it is true Thai attitudes are changing.

 

Many are struggling with crippling financial debt and the sight of farang's spending money probably makes them jealous or even mad.

 

Thailand is become more expensive due to the currency exchange.

 

Thai people themselves are seeing in increase in the cost of their daily staples.

 

Each political shift of the winds brings about some new rules and regulations that do not seem to be aimed at helping foreigners. Just the opposite.

 

Maybe whereas the Chinese come and spend their money and go home, this is exactly what the Thai govt wants.

 

Not white males marrying Thai women and educating them against corruption and all the other scams?

 

Anyone that moved to Thailand and didn't expect it to change over the past 20 to 30 years was just caught up in the excitement and not thinking carefully.

 

Ask anyone that has been around that long if they thought Thailand would change to the point it is now?

 

The currency one of the strongest in the world yet they manufacture no world class products or industries???????????

 

Old age, healthcare and insurance should be a key in retiring anywhere.

 

And now it seems Thailand has caught on with that idea.

 

By 2014, after 10+ years, we had enough of Thailand. Even my Thai wife.

 

I always knew at the time I moved to Thailand, it was NOT the final destination, so I had a plan and the finances to return to the USA.

 

We landed in Florida which is similar in climate, lots of Thai people, Thai groceries, restaurants, you name it.

 

Every once in a while I will go to the local Thai Temple here and marvel at the way these elderly Thai women have migrated to the USA and still live completely like they are in Thailand?

 

Same Thai language, same Thai clothes, same greed and love of money, still trying to gain "Face" by one upping the next Thai.

 

The temple is used more as a marketplace as Thai's come every weekend to sell food, or whatever they can to make money and rip each other and all the customers off. 

 

Thai Food court in the Temple asks for donations, however, when you show up at the checkout with your bowl of noodles, the cost is US $7.00. Every single item has a fixed price that is more than the local restaurant prices.

 

You don't see but a few old  farang husbands, just a huge smathering of Thai ladies, behaving exactly as if they were still in Thailand.

 

So the question arises? What is different from their life in Thailand to here, and why exactly do people want to move to Thailand when they can get close to the same exact eperience here?

 

So, many single men move to Thailand for the easy women, gogo's etc.

 

However, and it might be a month or 10 years, you either get married, or get over it.

 

Then what? Marry an Issan lady and live in a village where you hardly have a clue what anyone is speaking while you putter around your property doing menial tasks?

 

Worse yet, go teach school because you need the cash?

 

Thai's that move to the USA are farangs in their own sense. Move here with no education, do not understand how things work in the first world, cannot communicate and even worse, yet find themselves puttering around in their own culture and circles the same exact way as they do in Thailand.

 

So, for those that are fed up with Thailand and getting old and need insurance?

 

Fear not, you can have the same exact Thai experience in your home country, letting the govt insurance take care of you.

 

Then you can putter around the temple getting all the Thai language, food, culture, etc. you will tell yourselves you are missing out on.

 

You will be surrounded by your wife's Thai friends all speaking their own language and you won't have a clue what is going on?

 

You can putter around your OWN house that is ACTUALLY in your own name, much like you would be doing in Thailand.

 

You can probably hand out with some other duffers you meet at the temple and go play bingo or have a beer.

 

Need a Thai massage? Sure but the happy ending will probably cost you 5 times more. 

 

You don't need to live in Thailand if you are getting any benefit from it and the old age/medical needs to be addressed on a regular basis.

 

And?

 

Just like Thailand, yes, yes and yes, you can find some extremely cheap places to live, if you want to compare your same conditions in Isaan or a one room flat in Bangkok.

 

Image waking up to everything Thai in your own country with no immigration hassles or VISA runs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think the main problem on TVF is there isn’t a Florida or California in England. If there was I bet your scenario would be extremely true! Let’s face it. Who wants 9 months of bad weather. 

[bwpage3]

3 hours ago, villagefarang said:

I don't live like that in Thailand so why would I want to do it in Florida?

Well please tell us how exactly it is you do live in Thailand and what you plan to do about health insurance long into your late 70's and 80's?

[ChakaKhan]

4 hours ago, bwpage3 said:

I think it is true Thai attitudes are changing.

 

Many are struggling with crippling financial debt and the sight of farang's spending money probably makes them jealous or even mad.

 

Thailand is become more expensive due to the currency exchange.

 

Thai people themselves are seeing in increase in the cost of their daily staples.

 

Each political shift of the winds brings about some new rules and regulations that do not seem to be aimed at helping foreigners. Just the opposite.

 

Maybe whereas the Chinese come and spend their money and go home, this is exactly what the Thai govt wants.

 

Not white males marrying Thai women and educating them against corruption and all the other scams?

 

Anyone that moved to Thailand and didn't expect it to change over the past 20 to 30 years was just caught up in the excitement and not thinking carefully.

 

Ask anyone that has been around that long if they thought Thailand would change to the point it is now?

 

The currency one of the strongest in the world yet they manufacture no world class products or industries???????????

 

Old age, healthcare and insurance should be a key in retiring anywhere.

 

And now it seems Thailand has caught on with that idea.

 

By 2014, after 10+ years, we had enough of Thailand. Even my Thai wife.

 

I always knew at the time I moved to Thailand, it was NOT the final destination, so I had a plan and the finances to return to the USA.

 

We landed in Florida which is similar in climate, lots of Thai people, Thai groceries, restaurants, you name it.

 

Every once in a while I will go to the local Thai Temple here and marvel at the way these elderly Thai women have migrated to the USA and still live completely like they are in Thailand?

 

Same Thai language, same Thai clothes, same greed and love of money, still trying to gain "Face" by one upping the next Thai.

 

The temple is used more as a marketplace as Thai's come every weekend to sell food, or whatever they can to make money and rip each other and all the customers off. 

 

Thai Food court in the Temple asks for donations, however, when you show up at the checkout with your bowl of noodles, the cost is US $7.00. Every single item has a fixed price that is more than the local restaurant prices.

 

You don't see but a few old  farang husbands, just a huge smathering of Thai ladies, behaving exactly as if they were still in Thailand.

 

So the question arises? What is different from their life in Thailand to here, and why exactly do people want to move to Thailand when they can get close to the same exact eperience here?

 

So, many single men move to Thailand for the easy women, gogo's etc.

 

However, and it might be a month or 10 years, you either get married, or get over it.

 

Then what? Marry an Issan lady and live in a village where you hardly have a clue what anyone is speaking while you putter around your property doing menial tasks?

 

Worse yet, go teach school because you need the cash?

 

Thai's that move to the USA are farangs in their own sense. Move here with no education, do not understand how things work in the first world, cannot communicate and even worse, yet find themselves puttering around in their own culture and circles the same exact way as they do in Thailand.

 

So, for those that are fed up with Thailand and getting old and need insurance?

 

Fear not, you can have the same exact Thai experience in your home country, letting the govt insurance take care of you.

 

Then you can putter around the temple getting all the Thai language, food, culture, etc. you will tell yourselves you are missing out on.

 

You will be surrounded by your wife's Thai friends all speaking their own language and you won't have a clue what is going on?

 

You can putter around your OWN house that is ACTUALLY in your own name, much like you would be doing in Thailand.

 

You can probably hand out with some other duffers you meet at the temple and go play bingo or have a beer.

 

Need a Thai massage? Sure but the happy ending will probably cost you 5 times more. 

 

You don't need to live in Thailand if you are getting any benefit from it and the old age/medical needs to be addressed on a regular basis.

 

And?

 

Just like Thailand, yes, yes and yes, you can find some extremely cheap places to live, if you want to compare your same conditions in Isaan or a one room flat in Bangkok.

 

Image waking up to everything Thai in your own country with no immigration hassles or VISA runs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perfect! lol  made me chuckle....and I'm curious as to what part of florida, as I would like to exp the "thai" parts now and then just without a 24 hr flight and visa hassles...can do the happy happy myself for free ????

[ChakaKhan]

3 hours ago, persimmon said:

Maybe the reception you get from Immigration depends on who you are and what you look like.Last time exiting at Suwan, the female officer in the booth seemed very friendly and smiling when dealing with the young farang woman in front, When it was my turn , her expression changed to a scowl - she made it obvious that I was not welcome.

 

I am 55 yr old white male.

Yikes! I will be flying into bkk in 3 weeks as a 52 yr old white male, but Hansum!.....? Maybe can charm her

[Trolleen]

Games thai smile. Thais smile to European before because of European had money. Now with everything went upp in Thailand , European have not  same amount of money as beforewell that's why no point to smile.

Why are you sad about the country. Is it because it easy for you to get a thai woman ? Nobody wants you in Europe. I can tell there many beutful Vietnamese woman. They look same thai or even better and more cheap.

Why not try to go to panama Costa Rica. Beautiful nature, more cheap thanthan Thailand and beautiful women.

Pity some man can not do itit on these forum because of age issuers and probably not good health.

Anyway Vietnamese women waiting for the people with money to come. With a thousands nice smiles

[rumak]

2 hours ago, bwpage3 said:

Well please tell us how exactly it is you do live in Thailand and what you plan to do about health insurance long into your late 70's and 80's?

oh god ........ you want to hear his story AGAIN ?    

Edited October 25, 2019 by rumak

[madmen]

Another pathetic loser who is falling apart because total strangers are not giving him bear hugs !