Is there anything at all in Thailand beneficial for foreigners living there right now?

[VocalNeal]

Sunshine and palm trees.

[lazygourmet]

forum.thaivisa.com ????

[rwill]

I doubt I would ever have a housekeeper in my home country.

[KarenBravo]

20 hours ago, Susco said:

 

None of that where you come from?

 

 

Doesn't affect me. But when I read about how corrupt the governments in the west are, I'm glad I'm not there anymore.

 

 

Baht isn't getting stronger, western currencies are going down the drain, with their money printing to provide stimulus.

 

How much is a one room flat in your home country? Guess it's a multiple from here.

 

 

 

 

Bah! We used to dream of having a one bedroom flat. Instead, we lived in a shoe-box in the middle of the road.

I swear it's true - A Yorkshire-man.

[bkk6060]

Seems like another renamed: Why do you live in Thailand?..thread.

 

If a person cannot figure out the fun, positive, enjoyable, reasonable, beautiful parts of this place as compared to purgatory western countries, then they must be totally clueless.

Edited February 19, 2021 by bkk6060

[Laza 45]

..the standard for griping about Thailand continues to slide downhill......

[J Town]

If you aren't happy here, move. The borders are completely open to leave.

 

I did that about five years ago. Pulled up stakes and moved to Mexico. I was back in six weeks with a renewed appreciation.

 

And if you leave and don't miss it, then you're now better off. Win win.

[Mutt Daeng]

1 hour ago, rwill said:

I doubt I would ever have a housekeeper in my home country.

I guess it depends on what your interpretation of "have" is

Edited February 19, 2021 by Mutt Daeng

[bwpage3]

1 hour ago, bkk6060 said:

Seems like another renamed: Why do you live in Thailand?..thread.

 

If a person cannot figure out the fun, positive, enjoyable, reasonable, beautiful parts of this place as compared to purgatory western countries, then they must be totally clueless.

The post is now for  2021 with COVID and all the other CURRENT Problems. Not why do you live in Thailand. Geez.

[bwpage3]

5 hours ago, Bangkokhatter said:

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.

The OP started the post to see what was different in 2021 after COVID, protests, Air Pollution build up etc.

 

You think time is just standing still?

 

Has nothing to do with good or bad, has to do with telling the truth of the current 2021 situation.

[bwpage3]

4 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

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.

You loved Shang Hai? Have you ever even been there?

[brewsterbudgen]

1 minute ago, bwpage3 said:

The OP started the post to see what was different in 2021 after COVID, protests, Air Pollution build up etc.

 

You think time is just standing still?

 

Has nothing to do with good or bad, has to do with telling the truth of the current 2021 situation.

There have been protests before, with the 2010 riots being far worse than what's been happening recently, and air pollution isn't new, it's just now being monitored and reported.  SARS and bird flu were obviously less serious outbreaks, but the 2004 tsunami killed far more people in Thailand, including tourists, than Covid.  So, 2020/21 isn't really so bad.

[brewsterbudgen]

Just now, bwpage3 said:

You loved Shang Hai? Have you ever even been there?

Sure, I loved it.  I enjoyed LA in the 1980s as well - now that was smoggy.

[connda]

23 hours ago, bwpage3 said:

Before all the long term expats come on bashing this post because they have no where to move to,

No.  I'll bash the post for that leading statement. 

Actually we have plenty of places to move to.  But many of us support families who do not want to expatriate to the West and who want to live out their lives in Thailand.  If my wife died tomorrow I'd be gone within the year (liquidate the house, property, and other hard assets and Hasta La Vista Baby.  There are many places to move to where you're a hell of a lot more welcome than Prathet Xenophobe.

[bwpage3]

9 hours ago, CharlieH said:

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.

 

 

It is 2021, a year of COVID, protests, air quality poor, no tourists, economy flailing

 

A sensible person would asked what's changed.

 

Any that can read the replies can come to the solid conclusion, no matter what happens or changes, Thailand appears to be the best place on earth from people from the UK as that is always their answers.

 

Others moved to Laos and other places and have different answers.

 

The whole idea is to get opinions on how  different Thailand is in 2021 after all it went through in 2020 and the protests and things on the horizon with the economy and lack of tourists

 

For all those starry eyed folks thinking it is still the same as before COVID? and millions of tourists are on the way? It is their right to be starry eyed.

 

I can sort through the starry eyed posts and get to the real truths about the current situation.

 

One only has to read the news to find stories that expats teaching with no work permits is more important than covid, the economy, air pollution, you name it

 

All the issues no one seems to want to be honest and forthright about

 

 

[bwpage3]

2 minutes ago, connda said:

No.  I'll bash the post for that leading statement. 

Actually we have plenty of places to move to.  But many of us support families who do not want to expatriate to the West and who want to live out their lives in Thailand.  If my wife died tomorrow I'd be gone within the year (liquidate the house, property, and other hard assets and Hasta La Vista Baby.  There are many places to move to where you're a hell of a lot more welcome than Prathet Xenophobe.

What are the reasons you would be gone and where would you go?

[connda]

22 hours ago, BritManToo said:

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

Mexico.  Which is where I'm probably headed if I outlive the Mrs.  I like the food and culture better (after a decade of comparing and contrasting) and I can actually get permanent residency there. 
However, I do understand where you're coming from personally.  But 14 years of this nonsense,  13 years of it married, and I'll be headed to immigration next week with my photos of me and the Mrs on our bed, and in the kitchen, and in front of the house with the house address clearly viable - and hand-drawn maps - and with a stack of paperwork - for the umteenth time - just to prove that I'm worthy of temporarily remaining in Worderland as a glorified temporary tourist, temporarily supporting my wife and family as a temporary undesirable.  And of course, to kill more trees and add the to packing box worth of paperwork they have on me in some storage loft with. pictures, and hand-drawn maps of the same place I've been living for over a decade.  Again!  And again!  And again!

What's there not to love about this place? 

¿Hablas español?  It's a heck of a lot easier than speaking Thai.

[elliss]

22 hours ago, foreverlomsak said:

Not if your a UK national, as far as I can work out you get no support of any kind for at least 6 months, unless you can prove that you've returned to stay permanently, and the only way I know do do that is to die in the airport.

 

    Dead on Arrival , comes to mind . Get the timing correct . 

    Social Security , pay for my Funeral .. Perfect ..

   All my money , i have left to a younger Issan lady .. Perfect more ..

 

[elliss]

22 hours ago, foreverlomsak said:

The rain tends to be sudden and hard here, occasionally you get rain that last all day, in the UK it's often days at a time, I much prefer the sudden 1 hours sheer hell rain than the 3/4 days of miserable drizzle.

 

    Surely , there must be something positive about the UK .?

     Take time to think about it ..

[connda]

20 minutes ago, connda said:

Mexico.  Which is where I'm probably headed if I outlive the Mrs.

Or if Thai Immigration or the Thai Parliament creates additional laws to make it virtually impossible to live here.
Will the wife kick first or will Thailand hang out the Unwelcome sign to most male expats married to their female citizens first?  My money is bet on the latter.  So Plan B will probably be in sunny Mexico as the shine has simply worn off of all things Asean imho.

[swissie]

Most Expats feel just fine in Thailand. Rightly so.

 

But surprisingly, one minor detail has not been mentioned in this thread. Once you have reached 70, your private Thai health insurance will probably have thrown you out. In this case, make shure you have some spare change on the side to cover future medical issues. (3 million Bht minimum). Note: 60% of people die in a hospital.

 

Just to think that the "Golden Retirement Years" in Thailand could be shortened because Mister Farang can not pay for a triple bypass is a bit disturbing, I find.

[swissie]

1 hour ago, connda said:

Or if Thai Immigration or the Thai Parliament creates additional laws to make it virtually impossible to live here.
Will the wife kick first or will Thailand hang out the Unwelcome sign to most male expats married to their female citizens first?  My money is bet on the latter.  So Plan B will probably be in sunny Mexico as the shine has simply worn off of all things Asean imho.

As long as this Covid thing is around, I don't think there will be any further "visa-thightenings" for expats. But once Tourism is back with a vengeance, there will be another round of "tightening" for expats.
Why? It's just not the kind of foreighner they want on their holy Thai soil. Period!
Thingking of how easy it was to stay long-term in Thailand 20 years ago, compared to today!
The "trend" is clear and in place. And will not be reversed by the current nor any future Thai government.

[StreetCowboy]

3 hours ago, Laza 45 said:

..the standard for griping about Thailand continues to slide downhill......

Nostalgia is not what it used to be.

[foreverlomsak]

59 minutes ago, elliss said:

 

    Surely , there must be something positive about the UK .?

     Take time to think about it ..

The flight out to sunnier climes, and I still get my pension, albeit no annual increases to allow for inflation, and despite a number of peoples comments to the contrary, the cost of living in Thailand is growing.

[foreverlomsak]

30 minutes ago, swissie said:

Most Expats feel just fine in Thailand. Rightly so.

 

But surprisingly, one minor detail has not been mentioned in this thread. Once you have reached 70, your private Thai health insurance will probably have thrown you out. In this case, make shure you have some spare change on the side to cover future medical issues. (3 million Bht minimum). Note: 60% of people die in a hospital.

 

Just to think that the "Golden Retirement Years" in Thailand could be shortened because Mister Farang can not pay for a triple bypass is a bit disturbing, I find.

Most schemes I have looked at allow you to join until your 70 or 75, but once your in they don't kick you out until 99.

[kingofthemountain]

16 minutes ago, foreverlomsak said:

Most schemes I have looked at allow you to join until your 70 or 75, but once your in they don't kick you out until 99.

They don't kick you out immediatly

they just don't renew your contract when it comes at the annual date

(Particularly if you cost to them more than you are paying)

and it's perfectly legal for them to do that, in fact it's in the contract

Edited February 19, 2021 by kingofthemountain

[CharlieH]

Off topic potentially derailing posts into Mexico and Health insurance have been removed.

[Leaver]

3 hours ago, connda said:

Mexico.  Which is where I'm probably headed if I outlive the Mrs.

 

If she won't go with you, then you should go alone.  

[mruniverse]

On 2/18/2021 at 8:31 PM, bwpage3 said:

Before all the long term expats come on bashing this post because they have no where to move to, is there anything at all beneficial living in Thailand currently?

 

...

 

Hmmm you may be right about all this.  I strongly recommend you do not come to Thailand - yes definitely go somewhere else.

[Leaver]

Beneficial, or not, now, or in the future, EVERY expat should have a Plan B destination.  

 

The goal posts to remain living here can change at any time, or, Thailand may simply become an undesirable place to live in for a retired expat in the future.  

 

Edited February 19, 2021 by Leaver