Major issue that keeps you from Coming back to Thailand

[Pravda]

I loved living in Thailand and I had a great time.

 

Never a boring day.

 

I can  put up with anything in Thailand. Noise, traffic, bad drivers, <deleted> western food, rude immigration, Visa issues, Money requirements.... Heck I am even ready to buy elite visa, but the major thing that is holding me back is pollution. I just can't live with that.

 

What about you?

[Dnyy]

All of the above.

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, Pravda said:

Heck I am even ready to buy elite visa

Well having money can help you put up with anything.

Phetchabun in the mountains seems to be free of pollution.

[Puchaiyank]

One could live with the noise, traffic, bad drivers, lousy western food, rude immigration, Visa issues, Money requirements...and even pollution...

 

At some point in time you must ask yourself...why in the world am I putting up with this bunk?...and paying Thais to use and abuse me?

 

No wonder they think we have low IQs...and are here in Thailand to be exploited!  ????

[PatOngo]

I can put up with all the above and I don't live in a polluted area, the thing that gets to me is the general mentality of the population. The acceptance of the status quo, the general lack of ambition, the absence of intelligence, the arrogance of the Thai male, the lack of decorum on the roads. Not saying this is across the board but affects the majority in my humble opinion. I find Thai's to be rather shallow. The upside for me is that I've worked here for years and have managed to accumulate some handy money.

[gk10002000]

I am able to retire or semi retire in Thailand and for years my plan was always to do that.  However here are the recent changes that make it so much more un palatable for me.

 

1:  The elimination of the USA Embassy Income Verification letter/affidavit.  I have plenty of passive income in the USA.  I will leave my investments in the USA and would transfer or withdraw whatever I needed whenever I needed it.  The latest income transfers requiring monthly transfers and Thai bank accounts is just terrible.  Doable, but not desirable.  And I have no desire to tie up 800k baht in a Thai bank account when that money could be safe and sound and earning over 5% back in my USA investments.  The income method for me literally was what I geared my investment strategy for as I built up passive income. 

2: The Non IMM OA Health Insurance debacle now being promulgated.   I have plenty of acceptable to me, medical insurance.  But at the moment the Thais expect me to purchase some useless and over priced Thai plan.

3:  The USD to Thai Baht exchange rate really is horrible compared to my first trip in 2004 when it was 44 to 1 versus current 30 to 1.

4:  The 90 day reporting, while in itself not a new requirement, seems to require an inordinate amount of paper work.  Anybody on a one year retirement extension should only have to report once a year.  90 days is just plain silly.

 

Those for me are the biggest issues that make Thailand much less attractive to me than it used to be. Bangkok's Skytrain BTS has gotten to be a real pain with greatly overcrowded train cars, whereas in the past one could sit down, enjoy the ride around the city, looking out the window at things. While some of the local attitudes in Thailand have become less than optimal, and the prices have increased measurably, and so many ladies are so much heavier probably from eating too much western food, too much yapping on smart phones, etc. I write that up as not unique to Thailand and just the way societies have been going.  So those in themselves I don't count as things keeping me away.

 

  On the plus side, the airline tickets from the USA, LAX to BKK have not increased much at all in price.  Thai local transport say the baht bus in Pattaya are still a great attraction as I love walking around a place and not having to wait for transport. Thai AC busses to places like Sukhothai from Mo Chit are still a great buy.  The Thai Elite Visa is becoming more of an option because no health insurance needed, easier immigration, etc.  for 5 or 6 years that is not a horrible price to pay for the ability to come and go to a country as often as one likes.

[Cryingdick]

Thailand was okay when I first got there but I am happier where I am now. I agree on the pollution what a filthy disgusting place. 

[Chongalulu]

17 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

One could live with the noise, traffic, bad drivers, lousy western food, rude immigration, Visa issues, Money requirements...and even pollution...

 

At some point in time you must ask yourself...why in the world am I putting up with this bunk?...and paying Thais to use and abuse me?

 

No wonder they think we have low IQs...and are here in Thailand to be exploited!  ????

An examination of the published list of IQ by country would soon disabuse Thais of that rosy picture of themselves. Then they could look at their position in the PISA educational tables for further corroboration.

[sfokevin]

Who among us came here looking for a high IQ Thai?... 

 

[natway09]

Cheerio & good bye.

On the plus side you will not even be missed.

Please stop blaming Thailand for the strong Baht. It is mostly attributable to the inability 

of our home countries to manage properly & the crazy nanny state social security payouts

 

[Dazinoz]

37 minutes ago, nchuckle said:

An examination of the published list of IQ by country would soon disabuse Thais of that rosy picture of themselves. Then they could look at their position in the PISA educational tables for further corroboration.

I wonder how accurate are the published IQ figures for Thailand. Any IQ test I have done requires some form of reading and writing. As a considerable (???) percentage of Thais can't read nor write how do they fit into these figures? Of course some of those that can not read or write are probably highly intelligent but have never had the opportunity to show it. Whereas others, like my ex gf, have the IQ of room temperature.

[NoshowJones]

39 minutes ago, sfokevin said:

Who among us came here looking for a high IQ Thai?... 

 

That would be very, very hard.

[Dazinoz]

41 minutes ago, sfokevin said:

Who among us came here looking for a high IQ Thai?... 

 

I didn't come here looking for a high IQ Thai, not even in my thoughts. But I have to admit I did not expect such a lack of it.

[sirineou]

Another "let's find things to complain about Thailand" thread that appears almost daily  on TVF with the predictable replies. 

[Dazinoz]

2 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Another "let's find things to complain about Thailand" thread that appears almost daily  on TVF with the predictable replies. 

Including yours.

 

[sirineou]

2 minutes ago, Dazinoz said:

Including yours.

 

I don't have a Thread

Edited November 13, 2019 by sirineou

[Dazinoz]

1 minute ago, sirineou said:

I don't have a Thread

I mean predictable replies.

 

People complain and people complain about the complainers.

[Tagged]

7 minutes ago, Dazinoz said:

I didn't come here looking for a high IQ Thai, not even in my thoughts. But I have to admit I did not expect such a lack of it.

I did not come to USA looking for ignorance, but I did not expect such a proof of it, I did not go to France looking for rudiness, but, I did not go to England ...... ...... ...... spain, Dubai, all over the world you would find this in some way or other, 

 

It is not hard to understand thai, and how this have evolved due to their cultural education system and culture. Every place you go, there is a indoctrination system that form you and the masses of people. The indoctrination is massive and effectfull. 

 

 

Edited November 13, 2019 by Tagged

[transam]

Pollution is not only confined to LOS is it. But, there are many places in LOS where pollution is not really noticeable, including where I live...????

[sirineou]

1 minute ago, Dazinoz said:

I mean predictable replies.

 

People complain and people complain about the complainers.

I am not complaining about the complainers I am complaining about predictable threads.

Anyway.I shouldn't had said anything, I guess I am a bit cranky today. 

[SheungWan]

Just now, sirineou said:

I am not complaining about the complainers I am complaining about predictable threads.

Anyway.I shouldn't had said anything, I guess I am a bit cranky today. 

I would like to complain about those who complain about the complainers.

[MaksimMislavsky]

Lack of funds for buying the sweet dream Elite Visa.

[sirineou]

1 minute ago, SheungWan said:

I would like to complain about those who complain about the complainers.

No complain there

[transam]

3 minutes ago, sirineou said:

I am not complaining about the complainers I am complaining about predictable threads.

Anyway.I shouldn't had said anything, I guess I am a bit cranky today. 

Me too, I'm going up the pub....????

[sirineou]

4 minutes ago, transam said:

Me too, I'm going up the pub....????

Me too, I heard there is a guy there who need help finding a normal girlfriend in Bangkok

[Lacessit]

28 minutes ago, Dazinoz said:

I wonder how accurate are the published IQ figures for Thailand. Any IQ test I have done requires some form of reading and writing. As a considerable (???) percentage of Thais can't read nor write how do they fit into these figures? Of course some of those that can not read or write are probably highly intelligent but have never had the opportunity to show it. Whereas others, like my ex gf, have the IQ of room temperature.

Every Thai I have ever met can read Thai script on my smartphone translate function. I use it when I am stuck for a complex word.

I guess most Thais might think our IQ's are not all that hot, when most foreigners can't read their language either.

IMO in terms of emotional intelligence, Thais are at the top of the tree.

[Why Me]

I live here and love it. But made a tidy amount working in the US safely invested there before moving here.

 

The country where I am from originally, not the US, is <deleted>ty. I visit but it's barely livable. And you couldn't pay me to go back to the US either. One half of the country is at the other's throats and the oppressive PC pollution is as bad as PM2.5. If you don't suck it up voluntarily if shall forced down your throat.

 

They'll have to drag me kicking and screaming from this place. But they won't. Because I can easily afford the Elite which I will buy when I quit my job.

 

 

[Chongalulu]

45 minutes ago, Dazinoz said:

I wonder how accurate are the published IQ figures for Thailand. Any IQ test I have done requires some form of reading and writing. As a considerable (???) percentage of Thais can't read nor write how do they fit into these figures? Of course some of those that can not read or write are probably highly intelligent but have never had the opportunity to show it. Whereas others, like my ex gf, have the IQ of room temperature.

Your point would have value if large swathes of the country were illiterate . Even the rural poor are mostly literate in their own language in which the IQ tests are conducted and they are based on reason and logic rather than requiring a high standard of education. 

[sfokevin]

44 minutes ago, sirineou said:

I am not complaining about the complainers I am complaining about predictable threads.

Anyway.I shouldn't had said anything, I guess I am a bit cranky today. 

Mi Ben Rai... 

[wwest5829]

1 hour ago, natway09 said:

Cheerio & good bye.

On the plus side you will not even be missed.

Please stop blaming Thailand for the strong Baht. It is mostly attributable to the inability 

of our home countries to manage properly & the crazy nanny state social security payouts

 

I collect US Social Security which I figure you are excluding from your statement as I paid and my employers paid into over my working life. As to currency exchange rates, above my pay grade as my education is in the field of history.