52% of Chiang Mai’s expats thinking of leaving - survey

[jko]

Air pollution the main reason.

 

https://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/citynews/general/52-of-chiang-mais-expats-thinking-of-leaving-says-survey/

Survey results here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bBSURP5P4KRgmT8I8bl2Er9mquk5oltL/view?fbclid=IwAR3UZvgel81xJXaJyQgU4CuFPinZAB2VRKOWeqtF3-t0JWtGSL-oXZAp_gY

 

Let us hope the authorities wake up.

 

 

[BritManToo]

Not me, I'm not thinking of leaving.

 

"This figure increases to almost 65% among the 15-45 years’ age group; this group is a major contributor to the local economy, most being businesspeople and heads of families."

 

Odd though, these people seen as 'major contributors' don't bring any money into the country, they're working here, probably taking jobs that Thais could be doing. As usual the retired people with pensions who just bring money into the country and spend here, are considered worthless.

 

 

[onebir]

9 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Odd though, these people seen as 'major contributors' don't bring any money into the country, they're working here, probably taking jobs that Thais could be doing.

Given that that's illegal, probably not?

[steven100]

 " 52% of Chiang Mai’s expats thinking of leaving "

 

oh goody  !   clear out the miserable gits and make way for those who appreciate Thailand for what it is. 

[BritManToo]

3 minutes ago, onebir said:

Given that that's illegal, probably not?

You're joking right, you find a friendly company, get a work permit as an 'office manager' then sell insurance/real estate, or do whatever other dodgy business you want. Open a bar, or a restaurant, etc.

[onebir]

9 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

You're joking right, you find a friendly company, get a work permit as an 'office manager' then sell insurance/real estate, or do whatever other dodgy business you want. Open a bar, or a restaurant, etc.

No, just clueless! ????

[Trujillo]

"Let us hope the authorities wake up."

 

The authorities don't give a flying one about us -- and I mean regarding air pollution during the burning -- both Thais and foreigners. 

 

These polls are meaningless. What a person "thinks" of doing? I'm thinking of buying a sports car, but will I? Probably not. Does that tell you anything at all? 

[ChakaKhan]

5 hours ago, Trujillo said:

"Let us hope the authorities wake up."

 

The authorities don't give a flying one about us -- and I mean regarding air pollution during the burning -- both Thais and foreigners. 

 

These polls are meaningless. What a person "thinks" of doing? I'm thinking of buying a sports car, but will I? Probably not. Does that tell you anything at all? 

Im thinking about how to get back in--so can get a soapie-and clean up this dirty farang image  ????

[ChakaKhan]

9 hours ago, steven100 said:

 " 52% of Chiang Mai’s expats thinking of leaving "

 

oh goody  !   clear out the miserable gits and make way for those who appreciate Thailand for what it is. 

Get! You Gits! Kiss my Grits! ????

[Don Chance]

Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, India same problem. A disaster really. Pollution is really unhealthy: dementia, cancer, stroke, heart attack, lung problem etc. Those micro particle don't come out, they get stuck in your lungs for ever!

Better off in South Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia outside of the monsoon.

Real question is what will it be like in 20 years?  Will it keep on getting worse and worse?

[orang37]

I wonder what % of Thai women married to farangs 20~30 years older think about leaving.

 

I wonder what % of everyone doesn't think about leaving fill-in-the-blank (multiple entries accepted).

 

100% of me is trying, and failing, not to wonder about leaving this body. The Orang mind-soul I cohabit with in this meat-suit says that's immaterial.

 

~o:37;

[meechai]

3 hours ago, orang37 said:

100% of me is trying, and failing, not to wonder about leaving this body. The Orang mind-soul I cohabit with in this meat-suit says that's immaterial.

 

Silly dragons ????  But glad you have someone to play with ...mentally

[actonion]

5 hours ago, ChakaKhan said:

Get! You Gits! Kiss my Grits! ????

Appreciate Thailand for what it is?......do tell , what is it??

 

[1FinickyOne]

16 hours ago, BritManToo said:

people with pensions who just bring money into the country and spend here, are considered worthless.

I bet your wife and kids don't consider you worthless... and really, that is all you can hope for... 

[colinneil]

15 hours ago, steven100 said:

 " 52% of Chiang Mai’s expats thinking of leaving "

 

oh goody  !   clear out the miserable gits and make way for those who appreciate Thailand for what it is. 

Oh Steven, i despair sometimes, if they cleared out all of us ( in your words ) miserable gits, who would be left for you to have a go at?

[cardinalblue]

Air pollution will decrease future expats of re-locating to CM...

Most of the current aging expats especially on a fixed pension have really very limited options of escaping the AP...they have family and/or lack of funds  or both to uproot full or even part time...

 

Many financially viable expats seem to opt from 1-3 months (feb - May) to other desired places whether inside or outside of Thailand...

 

10 years from now, there will be very few expats remaining during the increasing AP season (the combination of moving here less, re-location during AP, dying off due to natural causes and those whose deaths were premature due to AP exposure)...

 

Most expats (not the apologists) are smart enough to understand the devastating effects of AP on the respiratory system - acute and chronic...

[Berkshire]

16 hours ago, jko said:

Air pollution the main reason.

 

https://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/citynews/general/52-of-chiang-mais-expats-thinking-of-leaving-says-survey/

Survey results here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bBSURP5P4KRgmT8I8bl2Er9mquk5oltL/view?fbclid=IwAR3UZvgel81xJXaJyQgU4CuFPinZAB2VRKOWeqtF3-t0JWtGSL-oXZAp_gY

 

Let us hope the authorities wake up.

 

While I personally don't care much whether other expats decide to stay or leave, I think it's great that this pollution problem is being brought to the highest levels of Chiang Mai government.  I was wondering whether tourists and the economy was brought up and it was (below excerpt).  Let's hope this spurs the government to do "something" as this March/April air pollution disaster every year really s*cks.  

 

[We highlighted the fact that a major proportion of the international community, including long stayers, tourists and foreign investors were seriously considering leaving Chiang Mai due to the worsening smoke haze and that this would have a serious detrimental effect on the local economy. We further asked, and the governor kindly agreed, that the international community be provided with more advice, news and updates about air quality in Chiang Mai.”]

 

 

[Pravda]

16 hours ago, BritManToo said:

You're joking right, you find a friendly company, get a work permit as an 'office manager' then sell insurance/real estate, or do whatever other dodgy business you want. Open a bar, or a restaurant, etc.

You are greatly mistaken. 

 

Illegal activities bring more money into Thai coffers than pensioners. 

[BritManToo]

3 minutes ago, Pravda said:

You are greatly mistaken. 

Illegal activities bring more money into Thai coffers than pensioners. 

I agree, but it has to be external money, not recirculated Thai money.

Chinese 'tourists' bring suitcases full of foreign currency to launder in with them ...... which is why the Thai government is so keen to let them back in as their visitors of choice.

 

I sincerely doubt there's any white 'business' guys aged 20-45 in Chiang Mai worth having here.

[XGM]

46 minutes ago, cardinalblue said:

Air pollution will decrease future expats of re-locating to CM...

Most of the current aging expats especially on a fixed pension have really very limited options of escaping the AP...they have family and/or lack of funds  or both to uproot full or even part time...

 

Many financially viable expats seem to opt from 1-3 months (feb - May) to other desired places whether inside or outside of Thailand...

 

10 years from now, there will be very few expats remaining during the increasing AP season (the combination of moving here less, re-location during AP, dying off due to natural causes and those whose deaths were premature due to AP exposure)...

 

Most expats (not the apologists) are smart enough to understand the devastating effects of AP on the respiratory system - acute and chronic...

 

Agree with that. Ignoring air pollution is really living in denial. Solutions:

- Skipping the North during Feb-May as mentioned above.

- Leaving altogether.

- Staying indoors throughout most of the day with a good purifier during this period if this kind of experience is agreeable with you.

[orchis]

52% have probably left already.

[Natai Beach]

It won’t change, it will only get worse. 
You will die earlier if you stay there, your kids lungs will be damaged worse than a smokers, you will be angry and depressed, you will cough a lot and some days your eyes will sting. Your car, house, clothes and stuff will be constantly covered in a film of filth.  Exercise and sport is actually bad for your health sucking in millions of small particles everyday.
Chiang Mai isn’t fit for human habitation for six months of the year, that is the reality. 
 

Natai Beach in southern Phangnga this morning is in the green as always. Air pollution sitting on a minuscule 5 currently. The air here is so clean deep breaths actually clean and detox your lungs. The ocean has clear water. The tetsabaan is the best in Thailand.
 

Only the trees complain down here, because there isn’t enough carbon dioxide for them, the air being so clean. 
 

Even if the northern Thais stopped burning completely, which won’t happen, there will still be high pollution levels blowing over from Myanmar and Laos. 

 

[cardinalblue]

Two things I didn’t stress in my opinion

 

- should have said western ex pats...

 

- the misconception that the AP season is March and April...This needs to be corrected...the last 3 years indicate AP as early as mid December lasting through May or until the first rains come

 

this culture relies on Mother Nature to clean up a human caused problem. It has to be bothersome that the local and national gov just refuses to change their ways of not managing the problem - the definition of pure incompetency...yet, every year’s response is the same...create a task force, throw a few signs around and monitor the readings w/o the necessary corrective action plan needed... 

 

I can understand not listening to foreigners whine but why are there not protests by the native local population? Why so zombie-like response? It’s a maddening human rights violation!

[BritManToo]

7 minutes ago, cardinalblue said:

I can understand not listening to foreigners whine but why are there not protests by the native local population? Why so zombie-like response? It’s a maddening human rights violation!

The local population just don't care.

I live in a middle class gated community surrounded by open fields.

Many of the residents just throw plastic bags full of rubbish and builders rubble over the wall into the fields.

They don't care what they do or who they affect, not my place to tell them how to behave.

[holy cow cm]

They can leave all they want, but just don't replace them with Chinese as life in CM is happy without the oodles of them crawling and gawking about everywhere. For me CM is my home until the government kicks me out of I pass away.

[andy85]

I love Chiang Mai, I lived there for many years, but I left 3 months ago for the south. There's only so many burning seasons I could get through before asking myself "what the hell am I doing to my health?". It's not worth it. I should have moved sooner to be honest, but glad to be away from it now.

 

But if you can live with it, more power to you!

[NoshowJones]

On 10/29/2020 at 5:05 PM, onebir said:

Given that that's illegal, probably not?

Just because a certain thing is made illegal because certain people we don't even know sit around a table and make some decision, does not mean to say we have to go along with it.

If you go through life going out of your way to obey rules that are unreasonable and stupid, then what is the point of living at all? There are usually ways around laws, though not always, if you don't like them.

The golden rule is, never do anything to the detriment of decent, ordinary people. Genuine common sense is a wonderful thing.

[shackleton]

I would say a lot of us expats retired and married  with family

Have already invested most of our money in a house  ect

So could proberly not afford to move out the country

A few expats will no doubt have amoan about wanting to relocate when in fact its mostly talk

[johnnysunshine]

Finally, the traffic might open up on Huay Kaew, Suthep. and Canal Roads!    Excuse my harshness!    I love Chiang Mai!

[Traubert]

15 hours ago, Don Chance said:

Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, India same problem. A disaster really. Pollution is really unhealthy: dementia, cancer, stroke, heart attack, lung problem etc. Those micro particle don't come out, they get stuck in your lungs for ever!

Better off in South Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia outside of the monsoon.

Real question is what will it be like in 20 years?  Will it keep on getting worse and worse?

Indonesia? The country that fills up the region with smoke every year for four months?

 

Not for me.