Why are more & more expats leaving Thailand?

[Sumarianson]

I will be leaving in a year's time. The main problem is the change in the visa rules. Because my money is in the UK the exchange rate has been awful. Along with thatthe Thai IO have made the rules in such a way that because you cannot touch any part of the 800K for 5 months, it means having to transfer another 400K to live on. That equates to 1.2MB That equates to more than £31000 which is way above what a normal individual would earn in the UK a year. It is far too much. The system is rigged so that banks can earn a lot of money from the interest they charge for the money you can't touch and brown envlopes wing their way upward. It is all so crooked. They ousted Shinawatra only to install a regime even more corrupt.

They are tearing families apart and making Thai people more poor into the bargain. It is true that socialising now costs more than the west. My wife was astonished at the low prices in supermarkets in the UK last year and the high earnings of residents. 

Thailand can no longer be seen as the country of smiles but a country bent on runaway greed promoted by a corrupt government and the oligarchs. 

[Bjrda77]

22 hours ago, Hans007 said:

It all depends Where you are in China!!! I was in Shenzhen recently and i found it very very very expensive!!! Mibd you...my gf is chinese....so i know what i am talking about.

 

Btw cudos about leaving Thailand. That country imho is way overrated. Not worth it....

 

Hans

Been to Germany many times. Beautiful country, but what a mess! Too many incomers, too many unemployed youths, many poor pensioners who live on for about 7,000€, constant conflicts btw Neo-Nazis and immigrants (expats?) and probably too many sleeping t.errorists too! ... and so on...

 

Been living in Europe many years, graduated and have a good career. An since I don't believe in the govn't that they could keep their promises on Wealthfare and pension etc. so I'm planing to move back home to Thailand very soon. Europe is not it once used to be either. Many countries have problems with job opportunities, pension reforms and many changes to come since they don't have the money to pay the baby boomers' pension... and no cheap energy either since the US orders them to sanction Russia. And Good luck with your new neighbors in Europe!

Edited January 2, 2020 by Bjrda77

[yogi100]

19 hours ago, RyanWalker said:

Haha.. Yeah mate, there will be a day when bar fines are going to be 6k bht????

They were 4K in some bars in Pattaya on Xmas Eve and NYE.

[CharlieH]

various posts removed. Troll /responses

[allenberg]

3 hours ago, Salerno said:

I just want to know where you get 50 or even 30 friends from ????‍♂️

Other than FaceBook and other <deleted>.

 

I guess some of us are just more likable then others...???? 

[SteveK]

33 minutes ago, Bjrda77 said:

Been to Germany many times. Beautiful country, but what a mess! Too many incomers, too many unemployed youths, many poor pensioners who live on for about 7,000€, constant conflicts btw Neo-Nazis and immigrants (expats?) and probably too many sleeping t.errorists too! ... and so on...

Last time I went to Germany I was gobsmacked to see how many immigrants they host from Turkey/Middle East. Can't help but feel sorry for the locals. Just a matter of time before something kicks off.

Edited January 2, 2020 by SteveK

[khunPer]

23 hours ago, RyanWalker said:

I'd like to hear more opinions on why so many expats are leaving

Make me ask why you, and your about 30 friends, didn't have a proper visa to stay in the Kingdom. It's not really that difficult. But funds – including for example work without a work permit and related visa – might rather be the problem.

[yogi100]

19 hours ago, Bjrda77 said:

Many bar girls could marry a criminal whom just wanted a visa to stay in Thailand as their hiding place, for money. I don't say all the guys who married bar girls are criminals though, it's just an example. Many things need to be doing to stop the"accidents" like jumping from high building of foreigners (mostly criminals) to happen. Many unpaid hospital bills, Many unpaid for sending corpses (of poor retirees with no insurances and family) to their home countries. Many freeloaders who want good infrastructure and services but don't want to pay any income taxes. I'm glad that Thailand's begun the cleansing... Yes, it affects good guys who just want to be with their family and friends and to be treated right, but all these restrictions and reports are still needed to improve the situation. It's just still too risky of not to doing so. Thailand is still a poor country and we don't have money over to pay for these freeloaders.

Why should criminals be more likely to jump from high buildings that anyone else?

 

And when I've been in hospital I had to pay up front. The same with friends of mine. They want your credit card details first.

 

Unless the family pay the corpses don't get sent home. They are cremated.

 

People located in Northern Europe (as it says that's where you are in your name title) don't have to pay for freeloaders in Thailand but only for for the freeloaders in their own Northern European country.

 

As more and more Westerners quit the LOS many of the Thai people will only become poorer but then there will be more Indians, Chinese and Russians to bail them out.

 

Many Thai people employed in the tourism and entertainment business are getting rather worried and will become more worried when the high season punters start going home over the next few weeks. 

 

Edit.

Oh I just read your latest post, it seems you may be Thai.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 2, 2020 by yogi100

[yogi100]

19 minutes ago, SteveK said:

Last time I went to Germany I was gobsmacked to see how many immigrants they host from Turkey/Middle East. Can't help but feel sorry for the locals. Just a matter of time before something kicks off.

Don't go to London then. You'll have a heart attack!

[Moo 2]

It's a military government trying to control a civil society and that will never work.

[farangkinok]

19 hours ago, oldhippy said:

I believe I heard the word "dude" sometime long ago in a movie.

 

 

[Kadilo]

20 hours ago, sanemax said:

Although there are various reasons why people are leaving .

(BTW, I told you that she hinted that she would  be leaving, didnt I ? Last night after the POTY victory, she sated that she would be leaving for a while )

Yeah you also said that NCC was a cheat hence him not posting. 
 

Anyway, back on subject. 

[Tounge Thaied]

6 minutes ago, Tounge Thaied said:

The plan is to have one global race... and the people in charge are making it happen. 

I know you Brits think David Icke is a kook, but the guy has been pretty spot on. 

[Max69xl]

On 1/1/2020 at 4:27 PM, RyanWalker said:

Yeah mate, not what it was before. I am stunned to see how cheap China is if I compare it to Thailand. It's very much different.

And how fun is it living in China compared to Thailand? Be honest when you answer. 

[RyanWalker]

8 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

And how fun is it living in China compared to Thailand? Be honest when you answer. 

Mate, I had a great almost 8 years living in Thailand. Going to islands, had a Thai gf for almost 5 years. She is a doctor at Bumrungrad. Well educated lady. I had probably the best time of me life in Thailand, and for the expats who get money from abroad, or those who are well off, enjoy it. It's great and a huge emotional adventure.. But I have to get back to reality at some point. Took me 8 years though. In Thailand I got paid very little money for my line of work. In China, the market is big for me so I make much more. The cost of living is cheap. Very cheap. I have a luxurious lifestyle here and the Yuan got value here. Immigration is not full of it here. They told me to come in. Gavs my docs and, here you go. Two year visa. See you after 2 years when you renew it. 

And also don't forget that China is huge with many exotic places with locals and not many foreigners. Travelling here is amazing. China is beautiful! People are very friendly.

[RyanWalker]

1 hour ago, yogi100 said:

They were 4K in some bars in Pattaya on Xmas Eve and NYE.

Crazy

[RyanWalker]

3 hours ago, gamesgplayemail said:

 

I stop reading after this. A champion who lives in BKK and then marry a Chinese to move to China can only be an olympic one ❤️

 

Anyway, please keep leaving guys, the less we are here the more Thai will understand our value ❤️

 

 

 

You will wake up eventually. You still in dreamland

[yogi100]

2 hours ago, The Deerhunter said:

I had enough monthly money to show my embassy until the baht went silly.  Then, when the embassy writes "from rents and investments" Immigration asks to see 80k in the bank, as well as the letter -  ON, not FROM 01/April/19.  i.e every month from April 2018 and the law was only changed in late 2018.   Also, a real hot 2019 in my 6th year plus getting bored with the road toll and Uncle Dtu.  And nerves after so many bad medical experiences here even in the best hospitals made me go home 5 months ago.  My Thai wife followed me here as soon as she could clear up some business & property matters.  We are both happy to be back home in a different form of Paradise.  Many would like to go home but are trapped here by circumstances, family, or lack of economic future if they go home. 

Where out of interest is 'home'?

[RyanWalker]

4 hours ago, Tofer said:

That's as maybe, but they're still working illegally and manipulating the immigration laws.

 

I don't make the laws, but they do exist, and should be respected.

 

Don't like it, off you go then.

 

Then when Thailand disappears of the face of the earth due to the loss of your input, you can come back and tell us 'I told you so'....

I worked for 8 years online in Thailand and I have always had a TV. So if theyballow me to do it then thanks????

[Sheryl]

Racist posts and replies to them have been removed.

[RyanWalker]

6 hours ago, Dustdevil said:

I love Chinese women but having visited several times, and knowing the government, I'd never live there. Overcrowded, gov't surveillance, polluted, bad food (trips to the bathroom every time), noisy and everything is heavily censored. Have to play a lot of anti-Great Firewall games just to read my NY Times. I'd settle for a gf in the Philippines or Chiang Mai (and disappear every burn season). Probably the latter, because the internet in the Philippines is a joke. I had a serious gf in Saigon too--Vietnam might be the best bet and also with the most beautiful women.

Yeah I guess it depwnds where you go mate. I always heard about the gov in China this and that but we live our lives here 100% normal. I have a VPN and pay $10 a month for it. I can use the internet like in Thailand or the UK. The pollution is better in Beijing than in Bangkok. (Check that out yourselfand you will be surprised) The food is actually great here. However if you always on pizza and burgers then I get your point. Also the woman here are really classy.

[RyanWalker]

6 hours ago, mrmicbkktxl said:

I came to Thailand 21 years ago.At that time Thailand was a <deleted>hole,but a cheap <deleted>hole.Police and immigration didn't care to much about foreigner and Thai people in general were friendly.The first 2 years I had to go out every 29 days(Aranyaprathet),it was a pain in the ...,but manageable.Health wasn't an issue at that time.It was cheap to buy food at big c,tesco and carrefour(except foreign stuff like cheese or wine)

Now it is 2020 and Thailand is still a <deleted>hole,but an expensive <deleted>hole,and Thai people are not that friendly anymore.Police and immigration hunting for foreigner,and extending my Non O visa is getting every year a bit more difficult,still manageable,but the overall feeling changed.It seems like they want foreigner from western countries out.Everytime I go to immigration I feel like a criminal.Last December I had to change from retirement to marriage extension.The whole process took 4 weeks and tons of documents and copies.On top immigration came to our house,I had to ask both of my neighbors to take a day off so immigration could interview them.I felt very embarrassed to bother them and more embarrassed immigration police came to our village and house.What will be next?In October I was a few days in Brisbane Australia and I loved it over there.People are super friendly,they say thank you,they say good morning,they open doors for you and waiting until u in or outside.It was clean allover the city.Cheese,wine and all other stuff what a foreigner needs for a standard life is 50% cheaper.Goldcoast beaches are clean,no plastic sh..,no dogs,etc.

Those last 3-4 months made me thinking it's time to leave Thailand.Where to go?Cambodia is in Chinese hands and not that clean and Hun Sen.Laos has no beach,Phili,I didn't feel safe there,besides that they have Duterte,Malaysia and Indonesia are muslim countries.Vietnam maybe ok for now, but the Chinese coming,nothing much left in Southeast Asia.Bulgaria to cold in Winter and to much mafia,Croatia to cold in winter,Turkey has Erdogan,Greece is full of Immigrants,Cyprus is to expensive,south Italy maybe ok,Spain and Portugal probably best for an EU citizen.So maybe it will be Spain,but Thai wife has a good job here and family,and getting a long term visa for a Thai is also not that easy.Then my daughter,she still study here

Even if I want to leave it's not that easy

Reasons to leave are 

1.Uncertainty about visa rules,health insurance requirements, and Thai government(Army)

2. Overall feeling in Thailand

3. Pollution and dirty beaches

4. As older I get as more I hate the hot and humid weather

5. I start to hate that loosing face culture and Thai behavior  in general

6.Many more small things

You said it. I agree. I went home 3 months ago for a short trip. I was surprised at how friendly the people were back home. Or maybe I just forgot that people can be friendly after 10 years. I have sat down and thought abt exactly the same thing. Where could I go to next.. I found that if you look too deep into it, you will talk yourself out of it easily. There will always be challenges. Also you have to go explore yourself to get the feeling of the place. I am in China, I am studying Chinese and travelling around here. I desperately needed a change

[Number 6]

Americans seem to leave out of the hassle of visas, extensions. Fewer than British but more wealth. America is an ok place to live with money.

 

British seem to have really been put out when the fake affidavit dried up. Struggle cobbling together 800k or income stream. Reliant heavily upon fixers. UK is not an especially great place to live without a great deal of money. Weather is miserable.

 

Both nations taking a bashing against the THB.

 

The TM30 is stupid, redundant and something I'd expect in Africa, police state or both. ESPECIALLY for internal, domestic travel.

 

Police state

Air pollution

Immigration bureaucracy

Ground pollution

Exchange rates

Escalating prices domestically

Mandatory bogus insurance policies are coming.

Absolutely stupid prices condo

Inability to own land and home

 

Edited January 2, 2020 by Number 6

[Thingamabob]

Many reasons, but the main one is that for many the cost of living in Thailand is now too high. For myself, although Thailand has changed a lot, it is as good a place to be as it was 40 years ago. 

[bander]

I have often been thinking about leaving this ungrateful country who main priority is to make it as difficult they can for retired and expats to enjoy and spend all their money here. What more do they expect from us?

[xtrnuno41]

On 1/1/2020 at 10:54 AM, RyanWalker said:

Exactly what my 70 year old friend said who moved to Vietnam a week ago.

Why? as i red this about Vietnam: 

 

Hello,

Here are a few recent news I would want to share with you :

Those last months, new restrictions were voted to regulate immigration, you should keep an eyes on it :

Prevent foreigners from leaving the country if they do not pay their taxes (check the article here). With this new law, many foreigners (young workers, self-employed, retired) considered as residents (if they spend more than 183 days per year in Vietnam) are eligible to taxes on their worldwide income. It was common for expats not to pay any taxes but now they may get a fine.

Long term visa allowing most expats to stay from 6 months up to 1 year in Vietnam has been stopped few months ago. Now, as a foreigner, you must stay up to 3 months with tourist or business visas. Owning a residence card (through a working contract, opening a business or if you have are parents, spouse or children of Vietnamese living permanently in Vietnam) can be a good alternative to the visa-run trick.

I am currently exploring all the possible choices to live in Vietnam and what is does imply : business creation, taxation and investment. If you are interested in these topics, let me know and I will be able to digest some of those informations with you.

Regards,

Guillaume - MoveToAsia.com

[4MyEgo]

23 hours ago, oldhippy said:

1 year ago my wife (Thai) had a similar problem during a holiday in Thailand - waiting list 6 months - or jump the queue for 7.000 euro (yes, euro, the extortionist knew she was married to a farang).

What happened since, did she get treated overseas, who paid for it and what was the cost when compared to Thailand ? 

[sanemax]

1 hour ago, Kadilo said:

Yeah you also said that NCC was a cheat hence him not posting. 
 

Anyway, back on subject. 

No I didnt , stop lying 

[cyril sneer]

2 hours ago, SteveK said:

Last time I went to Germany I was gobsmacked to see how many immigrants they host from Turkey/Middle East. Can't help but feel sorry for the locals. Just a matter of time before something kicks off.

hopefully

 

the place has become a hellhole thanks to Merkel 

[RJRS1301]

2 minutes ago, cyril sneer said:

hopefully

 

the place has become a hellhole thanks to Merkel 

It is due to conflicts around the world, not one politician and their decisions.