1 hour ago, PatOngo said:

accumulated spare Baht

????????????????????....GF has already 'hoovered' it up

11 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Where in the west can I spend my weekends like this?

 

You could probably make a place like this somewhere in the West if you really wanted to. But it's easier to find places like this in the developing world.

Just a few things I can think of...

• No idiot 2 week millionaires
• Quieter roads
• Reduced living costs
• Great weather
• No hoardes of tourists following the flag carrier
• Delicious food
• Cheap rent
• Deserted beaches
• Beautiful mountains
• Friendly people
• Personal safety through lack of petty crime
• Low coronavirus infection numbers

Tuesday lunch club! - Na Jomtien 1pm-6pm

1 hour ago, Peterw42 said:

Maybe I live in an alternate Thailand, for me, nothing has drastically changed..

All the things I found "beneficial" are the same as they have always been, "right now" is pretty much the same as 5-10 years ago.

 

I read the OPs list of grievances, and most of it appears to be things that were always part of living in Thailand (Asia in general).

 

Threads like this always appear to me as "buy a house next to the airport" then spend the rest of your life complaining about the planes.

 

For me, I loved living here when I arrived 8 years ago and love living here now. My home country exchange rate is up 15-20% from were is was, all the big ticket items are still way cheaper than home country. 

"Right now", without a constant stream of 2 week millionaires, lots of prices are back to reasonable levels, less crowds, less traffic, less pollution. Its a better place to live than its ever been.

 

 

What news are you reading reporting less pollution as Bangkok was just listed as the 8th polluted city in the world?

6 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

What news are you reading reporting less pollution as Bangkok was just listed as the 8th polluted city in the world?

Bangkok has its moments, but most places in Thailand have bad pollution during the year, as do most cities in the world.

With a post like this, you can always predict the answers from most.

 

People that moved to Thailand from the UK will always say it is the best place on earth, regardless of all the issues.

 

Many we can read, deny the issues altogether????????

 

Your read about cheap rent? It never bothers these renters that they don't even own their own place? Have to ask did they rent their whole lives in the UK?

 

Eating in a hut outdoors over a dirty lake is heaven??????????????? Have you ever been to a real beach?

 

Claiming things are the same as they were 5 to 10 years ago? Sure maybe in Isaan away from civilization.

 

You cannot gleam anything from the answers as the people that live in Thailand and have stuck themselves there will always tell themselves there are NO problems, exchange rate is great, best place on earth.

 

I think a few others are more realistic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Bangkok has its moments, but most places in Thailand have bad pollution during the year, as do most cities in the world.

Growing pollution to the levels in Bangkok is not having it's moments. 

 

Ever been to Shanghai China?

 

Started the same way as Bangkok is today.

 

 

2 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

With a post like this, you can always predict the answers from most.

 

People that moved to Thailand from the UK will always say it is the best place on earth, regardless of all the issues.

 

Many we can read, deny the issues altogether????????

 

Your read about cheap rent? It never bothers these renters that they don't even own their own place? Have to ask did they rent their whole lives in the UK?

 

Eating in a hut outdoors over a dirty lake is heaven??????????????? Have you ever been to a real beach?

 

Claiming things are the same as they were 5 to 10 years ago? Sure maybe in Isaan away from civilization.

 

You cannot gleam anything from the answers as the people that live in Thailand and have stuck themselves there will always tell themselves there are NO problems, exchange rate is great, best place on earth.

 

I think a few others are more realistic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well if thats your view as a USA based/living person, why even bother starting the topic? Apparently you already know and have already made up your mind as you dont live here.

 

 

Living upcountry, ampoe 8000 inhabitants , 4 kms from my house, everything available 25 kms around, 700 meters of rice fields and numerous birds in front of my balcony, no pollution, nice people, food, weather, internet with fiber, I have everything I want here

I know that TV is full of Thai bashers, but I am not one of them 

 

problems ? yes, I don't like that immigration has 76 different ways of working 

28 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

With a post like this, you can always predict the answers from most.

 

People that moved to Thailand from the UK will always say it is the best place on earth, regardless of all the issues.

 

Many we can read, deny the issues altogether????????

 

Your read about cheap rent? It never bothers these renters that they don't even own their own place? Have to ask did they rent their whole lives in the UK?

 

Eating in a hut outdoors over a dirty lake is heaven??????????????? Have you ever been to a real beach?

 

Claiming things are the same as they were 5 to 10 years ago? Sure maybe in Isaan away from civilization.

 

You cannot gleam anything from the answers as the people that live in Thailand and have stuck themselves there will always tell themselves there are NO problems, exchange rate is great, best place on earth.

 

I think a few others are more realistic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I left my home country 8 years ago. Some responses for you.

 

My choice is not the best place on earth but i enjoy it more than my home country, if not, then i would leave.

 

I do have issues deciding where to go out but thats it.

 

Yes rent is cheap. No it doesnt bother me that i dont own it. No i never owned a home in my old country. Hence my lifestyle is better now.

 

I like the hut thing, looks nice, can chose a beach if that takes your fancy. Nothing stopping you.

 

I dont care about exchange rate, im paid in local currency.

 

im not stuck anywhere, i am where i chose to be and hope i never have to return ‘home’. If you have such a dire view of things you will never be happy anywhere.

 

???? Hello darkness, my old friend ????

 

I have to say, bwpage3, with all the turmoil and upheaval in America these days, you've got some kind of chutzpah ragging on Thailand. I'll bet you're kicking yourself in the butt every day that you ever left Thailand. Come on, admit it, bw, you're among friends here, you can tell us.

 

Just in case you might be interested, the roads in rural Thailand are still quieter than they were before the pandemic hit. People seem to be in less of a hurry, with fewer 'bat-out-of-hell' type drivers on the road. I really notice this while out riding my bicycle. A 'kinder gentler' driving style seems to be taking hold.

 

Also, a while back a Japanese road safety commission recommended a bunch of ways to improve road safety in Thailand and there's been a lot of infrastructure changes to reduce accidents: more passing lanes, U-turn safety pylons, textured road surfaces to make people slow down in congested areas, etc. They've also eliminated the lifetime driver's license, and I just read that a medical certificate will be required to renew driver's licenses. No question there's still huge room for improvement, but some progress is being made.

 

They've also started using a new sugar cane harvester which chops up the sugarcane into foot long pieces and shreds the left-over debris into a ground cover which can be tilled under, thus eliminating the need to burn the fields before or after harvesting. It's just starting to catch on, but it has resulted in a noticeable improvement in air quality.

 

So there are a few glimmers of hope.

 

Personally, I don't think you can beat rural Thailand as a place to ride out the pandemic. Some people may recall that in late 2019 I was talking about possibly repatriating back to the US. I said I was waiting to see what happened with the 2020 election, and what the economy and housing market looked like. And then the pandemic hit which added another huge layer of uncertainty, and put everything on hold.

 

But, boy, let me tell you, a day doesn't go by without me thanking my lucky stars that I didn't move back to the US in late 2019 - early 2020. Not just the pandemic, but the political situation, the housing market, and the economic outlook in the US have all caused me to hit the pause button big time.

 

Here in Thailand the spread of the Covid virus seems to have been reasonably well contained. For all I know, maybe everyone has it, and we're all asymptomatic, but at least people aren't dropping like flies and hospitals aren't overflowing with cases like they are in America.

 

Social distancing is actually quite easy in rural Thailand. All things considered, life has been quite good the last year: year-round vegetable and fruit gardening, early morning bicycle rides while it's still cool out, and very pleasing progress with my French study.

 

1 hour ago, bwpage3 said:

What news are you reading reporting less pollution as Bangkok was just listed as the 8th polluted city in the world?

Let's see a happy picture of you having lunch outside with friends, surrounded by lakes, forest, fields, beaches or mountains.

How good is your life?

 

1 hour ago, bwpage3 said:

Your read about cheap rent? It never bothers these renters that they don't even own their own place? Have to ask did they rent their whole lives in the UK?

 

Eating in a hut outdoors over a dirty lake is heaven??????????????? Have you ever been to a real beach?

An interesting point about house ownership and renting.

Times have changed and over the past 30 years in the UK, house prices have increased from 3x your yearly wage to 20x your yearly wage. When I was young everyone could afford to buy within 2-3 years of starting work. Now it's almost impossible for normal working people to buy their own home. Oddly enough in Thailand most people can afford to buy their own home on a 7-11 staff wage. Not sure what it's like in the USA. My 4 kids in the UK are either still living with mom in the house I purchased (and lost in divorce) or renting a room in a shared house despite earning decent money.

 

Not sure eating in a hut over a lake was heaven, but the lap I was using as a pillow after was as close as possible on this earth.

 

 

15 hours ago, phetphet said:

Hot and sunny, clean air, no traffic jams, far less crowded since COVID. But I am on Samui, not in Bangkok.

 

On the downside, the electricity supply could be better. It's better than it  was,  but  still goes out or drops a phase too much for my liking.

One upside is 1Gb internet for Bht 749 a month.

1 hour ago, Aforek said:

Living upcountry, ampoe 8000 inhabitants , 4 kms from my house, everything available 25 kms around, 700 meters of rice fields and numerous birds in front of my balcony, no pollution, nice people, food, weather, internet with fiber, I have everything I want here

I know that TV is full of Thai bashers, but I am not one of them 

 

problems ? yes, I don't like that immigration has 76 different ways of working 

I have no problem with 76 Immigrations, I only go to one! In and out for my 90 days this week.....3 minutes.

15 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

An interesting point about house ownership and renting.

Times have changed and over the past 30 years in the UK, house prices have increased from 3x your yearly wage to 20x your yearly wage. When I was young everyone could afford to buy within 2-3 years of starting work. Now it's almost impossible for normal working people to buy their own home. Oddly enough in Thailand most people can afford to buy their own home on a 7-11 staff wage. Not sure what it's like in the USA. My 4 kids in the UK are either still living with mom in the house I purchased (and lost in divorce) or renting a room in a shared house despite earning decent money.

 

Not sure eating in a hut over a lake was heaven, but the lap I was using as a pillow after was as close as possible on this earth.

 

 

I'm sure I know her from.............................no must be mistaken. LOL

 

15 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Warm and sunny here beats wet and cold in the UK, and cold and snowy in Canada.

I'm having a better time here, than my pals living there.

 

I don't much like the governments in either of those 3 countries.

Didn't vote in the UK, can't vote here = same IMHO.

 

I have a very nice m/c, traffic doesn't bother me, plenty of spaces for me to slip through.

 

Air pollution in CM is not so bad this year, the last 2 months were way better than last year.

Currency fluctuations don't bother me that much, pound is on the way up at the moment.

 

My 4 kids in the UK are unhappy and struggling.

My 2 kids here are happy and content.

I'm also way happier here than I ever was in the UK.

 

Where in the west can I spend my weekends like this?

With those ugly toes??? I think places might ban you if you come in sandals in the west....

 

That's why G-d invented socks... 

 

Otherwise I totally agree, but you are responding to a very unhappy troll... 

We live just outside Pattaya ,lovely big detached house in large garden in a gated street,no tourists when we go to town ,weather very nice ,car tax and mot charges low as are repairs ,no council tax ,bins emptyd twice a week ,no tv licence fee , 

now let me think ,here or the UK .

6 hours ago, tonray said:

But you could have "bangers and mash" every Thursday for breakfast..

I do that here, every other day!   LOL The other days it is bacon butties.

5 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Im fine this beats Manchester even on a good day, for those of you who want to leave dont forget to close the door on your way out, Oh and turn the lights out,

Unless you were standing at the Etihad !    LOL

Seems the OP posted this topic in the hope of finding like minded people who have nothing good to say about living in Thailand.

 

Instead it's mostly full of replies stating the opposite, but obviously we are all wrong.

3 hours ago, bwpage3 said:

Your read about cheap rent? It never bothers these renters that they don't even own their own place? Have to ask did they rent their whole lives in the UK?

Owned my own place in the US for 21 years and loved it, but it's a lot of responsibility too for upkeep and maintenance. It's also restrictive, as I liked to leave for 6-8 months at a time and had to find someone to take care of it while I was traveling. Retirement for me means as little responsibility and as much freedom as possible. I also enjoy not owning a car and all the expenses and responsibilities that come with that, and parking hassles. Why assume people are bothered by not owning?

When my Elite visa came up for renewal 2 years ago, I decided that the future of Thailand for living long-term as an expat was looking more and more unsure.  So I upped and moved to Luang Prabang in north Laos.  I can honestly say that the 2 years here has been perfect!  Not a single interaction with an immigration official or police officer of other government official (other than a cheery 'sabai dee' greeting in the street).

 

Of course, things can change.  But the communist government of little Laos seems a lot more stable than the Thai military guys.  Sure, there's corruption no doubt.  But I've been totally unaffected by any corruption, lies, cheating etc from people in Laos.  (The same went for Myanmar when I lived there - only when I lived in Thailand did corruption directly affect me).

Great weather, beautiful scenery, not too far to drive anywhere (not like Australia ) on the whole more smiles than I would get in Aussie, and the very best thing is you are accepted for what you are.

5 hours ago, TooBigToFit said:

 

You could probably make a place like this somewhere in the West if you really wanted to. But it's easier to find places like this in the developing world.

Is that one of those restaurants on the lake outside Chiang Mai?

4 hours ago, bwpage3 said:

Growing pollution to the levels in Bangkok is not having it's moments. 

 

Ever been to Shanghai China?

 

Started the same way as Bangkok is today.

 

 

I loved Shanghai, but much prefer living in Bangkok.  The air quality today is not so bad, and far better than some other parts of Thailand.  It was much worse a couple of weeks ago.

I live and work in siam square

my company pays for my condo

I have a great income as a single guy

plenty of cute/hot office girls to meet and date

and Thaifriendly has a massive amount of girls to meet for more causal encounters...

Good Western style food is cheap in comparison

awesome seafood buffets at a very reasonable price

the BTS/MRT takes me where I want to go, then a short taxi drive in a no traffic area if needed

its a 70 minute flight to go to phuket, I like kata beach...

 

the covid situation here is great compared with the USA...my friends almost dont believe the numbers of cases/deaths here...but I am not enthusiastic about the media/government has terrified the population into thinking getting infected is a death sentence

 

my life here is multi-fold superior to what  I would be living in the US

 

being affected by the state of the government, or how it impacts the Thais isnt something I ever think about

because it is so totally beyond my control, as is the weather

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

An interesting point about house ownership and renting.

Times have changed and over the past 30 years in the UK, house prices have increased from 3x your yearly wage to 20x your yearly wage. When I was young everyone could afford to buy within 2-3 years of starting work. Now it's almost impossible for normal working people to buy their own home. Oddly enough in Thailand most people can afford to buy their own home on a 7-11 staff wage. Not sure what it's like in the USA. My 4 kids in the UK are either still living with mom in the house I purchased (and lost in divorce) or renting a room in a shared house despite earning decent money.

 

Not sure eating in a hut over a lake was heaven, but the lap I was using as a pillow after was as close as possible on this earth.

 

 

Shouldnt that pic be of the back of your head?. ????

5 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

Just a few things I can think of...

• No idiot 2 week millionaires
• Quieter roads
• Reduced living costs
• Great weather
• No hoardes of tourists following the flag carrier
• Delicious food
• Cheap rent
• Deserted beaches
• Beautiful mountains
• Friendly people
• Personal safety through lack of petty crime
• Low coronavirus infection numbers

Tuesday lunch club! - Na Jomtien 1pm-6pm

Now thats my style. 5 hour lunch may be a hill too high to climb, but i would give it a shot.

Just about everything I want is here, as I get older I do use this availability less but great to know it's there.

Rules & regulations in Thailand, your kidding me right, must have been a while since you last went "home". Still a lot cheaper here, the climate suits my old bones & even if moving back to a "nanny" state the pension could never make up for my lifestyle here.

If I am careful with my money should see me out.