1 minute ago, Dagfinnur Traustason said:

Ok, it was? I guess you learn something new every day. ???? Have lived about 20-25 years in Thailand too, but didn´t know that it was worse that long ago.

Maybe we are just fed with a lot of rubbish too, and it ain´t as bad as it leads us to think.

At least on Sukhumvit they had lots of busses with BLACK SMOKE, especially the small green busses. Now it still happens that I see from time to time a vehicle with black smoke. But a lot less than many years ago.

Been here 10 years, no regrets, happy. Sure, there were a few mistakes along the way, but that's life. 

 

I always hear guys complaining about being arbitrarily kicked out of their beloved Thailand.

 

Do you know of anyone that has been kicked out of the country for no reason? If so, I'd be curious to hear the reason. AND can we always believe any poster's version of events? Usually I suspect there is more to the story....

 

If I ever did get kicked out for cause, I would probably not tell anyone, and complain that I was kicked out for no reason!  5555

 

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Thanks for your comment.

But really, how much difference did that "Junta" make to your life up country in Thailand?

 

I live in the middle of Bangkok since 20 years. Two coups, the yellow shirts, the red shirts, and much more. I was here and I saw it all. Mostly life continues as normal all the time. I remember the soldiers on Sukhumvit singing karaoke songs according to the request by tourists. It was fun to watch but few people will believe it happened.

I think the most annoying time for me was when the red-shirts thought they own the city. All those aggressive guys looking for a fight. Luckily Abhisit ended that protest. I heard the guns for a few days and I saw the fires. I just had to look out of my window. Good riddance!

 

Since Prayut is in charge life is back to normal again. 

 

A normal life in Thailand with an unelected Military Academy educated "PM" in charge??

I do understand it from your point of view having a good job and work permit though. but I retired here 15 years ago and the changes since then have been drastic.

In the always unbearable crystal bright light of hindsight, I should not have borrowed a farang friend money to open a restaurant in Thailand...

But apart from that wound, I've been either extremely lucky, or well prepared, as I'm still very happy here after almost 16 years of expat life, plus the commuting years, and probably couldn't have done anything better, than the way I did it...????????

4 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

A normal life in Thailand with an unelected Military Academy educated "PM" in charge??

I do understand it from your point of view having a good job and work permit though. but I retired here 15 years ago and the changes since then have been drastic.

I am not sure if we should cover this here but I don't see any drastic changes.

A few laws are more enforced then years ago when lots of people made visa runs.

And obviously lots of retired people have less money because of the bad exchange rate, etc.

I am not sure if we can/should blame Prayut for any of this. All governments all over the world change laws from time to time. Sometimes there seems to be some logic, sometimes not so much.

22 hours ago, pgrahmm said:

I would have done some things differently back home, prior to the move....

Can't claim to be unhappy at all with life here....

My daughter there that would have benefited from my move and helped oversee & manage things was killed in an automobile accident at 26 a few months before the planned move....

That left me in limbo with what to do with vehicles, family heirlooms, & such....

I am sorry for the loss of your Daughter. I do believe in the saying that no parent should need to face the loss of their child. I too, am happy in retiring to Chiang Mai (nearly a decade ago) but I too was faced with what to do with real property upon retirement. I could have remained on the 18.4 acres in W. Kentucky, taking daily care of the land, utilizing the collected and inherited tools from relatives who had already passed. My Sons did not have their own places and so I sold the property and just about everything therein. Done differently? I should have held an auction to raise more capital, visited other considered locations for retirement. In the end? Very happy here and have met the love I have been looking for, for a very long time. March 22 it will be 4 years and we will register the marriage. Ha! Yes, a Thai girl ... 26 years younger ... Don't roll your eyes ... remember I just clocked 74 years earlier this month!

5 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I am not sure if we should cover this here but I don't see any drastic changes.

A few laws are more enforced then years ago when lots of people made visa runs.

And obviously lots of retired people have less money because of the bad exchange rate, etc.

I am not sure if we can/should blame Prayut for any of this. All governments all over the world change laws from time to time. Sometimes there seems to be some logic, sometimes not so much.

No, you can't blame Prayuth for the so-called German reunification,  you can't blame Prayuth for the unelected EU with their so-called "competence cabinets", and you can't blame Prayuth for their Asset Backed Securities programme of the ECB in 2014. Nor can anyone blame Prayuth for the devaluation of Western currencies (incl. the US Dollar) back in 1971 during the Vietnam War. 

Pattaya (where I live) can be glad that the current government established an Eastern Economic Corridor in Chonburi so to take some burden off slightly drowning Bangkok. 

17 hours ago, connda said:

I am truly sorry to hear about your daughter.  My daughter too was killed in a car accident at 18.   It changes you forever.  I doubt anyone can understand the devastation if they have not experienced it.  Empathize?  Yeah.  Understand?  No.  You understand. 

So you and others should understand why I find it to be literally sickening to be under the constant threat of expulsion and being administratively separated from my new family (wife and son) on the whim of Thai Immigration.  I was broken by my daughter's death.  I don't want to go through similar forced separation with my current family.  But?  Every year?  There is always a chance that you'll be booted for some absolutely asinine reason.
Thai Immigration is a bureaucratic car-wreak laying in wait to administratively kill your family and destroy your life.

 

I "clicked" on sad but have to agree. In July, I will have been retired in the Kingdom of Thailand. I recall the scare I got a couple of years back that I might not qualify to remain as a result of the treat of a change of immigration rules. I made clear to my Thai, "Significant Other" that, if I had o leave her and her Daughter it would be because Thailand rejected my staying. I was both saddened and angry. Thailand was chosen by me as my only residence in retirement. A good person, no issues spending over 1 million baht in Thailand every year. Seems to me to be mutually beneficial but ... the Kingdom of Thailand does not offer me security in my retirement years. 

23 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

Yes, a Thai girl ... 26 years younger ... Don't roll your eyes ... remember I just clocked 74 years earlier this month!

 

"26 years" sounds good ???? 

15 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I am not sure if we should cover this here but I don't see any drastic changes.

A few laws are more enforced then years ago when lots of people made visa runs.

And obviously lots of retired people have less money because of the bad exchange rate, etc.

I am not sure if we can/should blame Prayut for any of this. All governments all over the world change laws from time to time. Sometimes there seems to be some logic, sometimes not so much.

I blame the unelected "PM" he bullied his way into power and ousted a democratically elected government. He said there would be no coup, the guy can't open his mouth without lying. I know what I would like to see happening to him, but it is better if I don't say.

As you correctly say all governments all over the world change laws from time to time, but this country has only changed laws to the detriment of the western tourists and expats, who were moving away from Thailand in their droves before the pandemic even started.

About the only westerners coming here after the pandemic is over will be the two week millionaire sex tourists.

10 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

I "clicked" on sad but have to agree. In July, I will have been retired in the Kingdom of Thailand. I recall the scare I got a couple of years back that I might not qualify to remain as a result of the treat of a change of immigration rules. I made clear to my Thai, "Significant Other" that, if I had o leave her and her Daughter it would be because Thailand rejected my staying. I was both saddened and angry. Thailand was chosen by me as my only residence in retirement. A good person, no issues spending over 1 million baht in Thailand every year. Seems to me to be mutually beneficial but ... the Kingdom of Thailand does not offer me security in my retirement years. 

What do you worry about? It seems you have enough money to legally retire and stay here. As long as you continue to be a good person nothing should change your status.

6 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

15 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

A normal life in Thailand with an unelected Military Academy educated "PM" in charge??

I do understand it from your point of view having a good job and work permit though. but I retired here 15 years ago and the changes since then have been drastic.

I am not sure if we should cover this here but I don't see any drastic changes.

A few laws are more enforced then years ago when lots of people made visa runs.

And obviously lots of retired people have less money because of the bad exchange rate, etc.

I am not sure if we can/should blame Prayut for any of this. All governments all over the world change laws from time to time. Sometimes there seems to be some logic, sometimes not so much.

Agree, I've been here during two coup d'etat, and neither have changed much of daily life. A few weeks with curfew is to overcome, the democratic periods with everlasting mass demonstrations were, and I'm sorry to say it, worse.

 

The relative strong baht-currency is due to the state has a good economy, otherwise it would have been devalued. On the other hand imported products became a little bit cheaper. The inflation rate has been about the same, or even slightly lower, that in my home country during the 16-year period I've been living as expat here. In general all changes has been to the better in the area of Thailand, where I live, looked from a long-stayer's point of view.

The worst hurt for me has not been currency rates, even that it was great when I got 25 percent more baht for my home country's money when it had it's best exchange rate. However, currency exchange rates have been lower than now during the years I've been commuting between my home country and Thailand, and when I first visited Land-of-Smiles in '87, and thought it could be a place I could live, the exchange rate was also lower than now. My really financial hurt was the change on interest, where I originally planned with 5-6 percent a year on secured long-term bonds, which today pays between 1 and 2 percent, if you're lucky; and that has nothing to do with Thai governments...????

 

(–And I changed from bonds to something else, so I'm Okay...????)

Just now, OneMoreFarang said:

What do you worry about? It seems you have enough money to legally retire and stay here. As long as you continue to be a good person nothing should change your status.

Currently, I pay 11,400 baht for non-usable health insurance. Hate the waste of that money (old, pre-existing conditions, 200K deductible). Yes, I look at it as additional tax to stay. I had 411,000 hospital bill in 2015 from heart attack. I paid without issue. If today? Same deal but while paying for required insurance (O-A approved through Royal That Consulate ... police, health, income requirements met) I cannot use. Travel clears and the plan is ... exit, entry, apply for O Visa. After a decade here, I would have wished to have more immigration security?

2 minutes ago, khunPer said:

Agree, I've been here during two coup d'etat, and neither have changed much of daily life. A few weeks with curfew is to overcome, the democratic periods with everlasting mass demonstrations were, and I'm sorry to say it, worse.

 

The relative strong baht-currency is due to the state has a good economy, otherwise it would have been devalued. On the other hand imported products became a little bit cheaper. The inflation rate has been about the same, or even slightly lower, that in my home country during the 16-year period I've been living as expat here. In general all changes has been to the better in the area of Thailand, where I live, looked from a long-stayer's point of view.

The worst hurt for me has not been currency rates, even that it was great when I got 25 percent more baht for my home country's money when it had it's best exchange rate. However, currency exchange rates have been lower than now during the years I've been commuting between my home country and Thailand, and when I first visited Land-of-Smiles in '87, and thought it could be a place I could live, the exchange rate was also lower than now. My really financial hurt was the change on interest, where I originally planned with 5-6 percent a year on secured long-term bonds, which today pays between 1 and 2 percent, if you're lucky; and that has nothing to do with Thai governments...????

 

(–And I changed from bonds to something else, so I'm Okay...????)

I am not a financial wizard, but I do believe the government have kept the Thai baht strong for their own financial gain. In 2014 when the unelected "PM" and his soldiers, bullied their way into power, the Thai Bt was around 50 to the UK pound, what is it now, about 42? and that is only because the UK pound has got stronger.

This is derailing ! And may soon be closed if you do not stay on topic.

Thailand in many ways is dreadful, it's  good  sides are  if you earn money in Thailand it's  still pretty  cheap, my Wife's  pretty  good, the weather is way better than the UK, that's  about it for me .

I chose "I left Thailand already. I am a lot happier in my new place.'  But that doesn't mean that I didn't like living in Thailand (I moved from the UK to live full-time in Thailand in 2002).  Rather, I found a better place to live (Luang Prabang in north Laos), which better-suits my lifestyle.  I found Thailand to be intrusive (nosy neighbours, nosey family, nosy officials etc).

 

Here in Luang Prabang, my neighbours are friendly, but respect my privacy.  I no longer have to worry about family members ????  The police, government officials etc never even cross my path.  I can enjoy my quiet life, with daily walks to the French cafe in LP for breakfast and a chat with other expats and local Lao people.  No-one has tried to rip me off in any way, everyone is polite and helpful, no-one calls me 'falang', and in the village where I live on the banks of the Mekong, the only sounds that I hear right now are roosters at a distance, kids playing (at a distance) and the sound of water dripping from my little pond waterfall ????

i think Thailand is better when your older.  if i had come over sooner i would have been bored to death.

13 minutes ago, simon43 said:

I found Thailand to be intrusive (nosy neighbours, nosey family, nosy officials etc).

 

Correct, they just  can't  keep their beaks  out  of what the F'lang is  doing, can't  find  anything then they just make it  up, and always the first to say its the Fl'angs  fault as  well.

4 hours ago, Billpro785 said:

Correct,  they could live anywhere and have everything and still would be in misery. Seems they are misfits, you see them everyday at the local expat bars, looking like they have not had a bowel movement in 2 weeks, or on here bashing everything  about Thailand. 

We carry our emotional baggage with us wherever we travel.

18 minutes ago, gunderhill said:

Correct, they just  can't  keep their beaks  out  of what the F'lang is  doing, can't  find  anything then they just make it  up, and always the first to say its the Fl'angs  fault as  well.

Never ever see my neighbors. Perhaps you experience reflects country life and thus a universal phenomenon not a Thai issue at all. In my experience except to be helpful thais neighbors keep a low profile. No idea who mine are.

I wish I had done it sooner.......

regards Worgeordie

I would definitely do it again, and with only minor changes.

 

I've been retired here for 10 years now, still happy with my life here, I may have done a few things slightly differently but not by much, life is what you make it & as I'm easily pleased that's not likely to change anytime soon.

 

If I may digress just slightly, I was visiting Thailand twice a year for about 6 years prior to retiring here, I never read newspapers or watched much TV, so what happened around the kingdom on a daily basis passed me by, I was far too busy drinking, bonkin and having a good time, now I read the English language newspapers, obviously hear and read about scams, killings, crazy drivers, xenophobia, etc etc on here, I watch the local TMN daily news channel, all of a sudden the whole of Thailand, warts and all, are on view, as a tourist I never ever saw that side of the Thai psyche, so yes I understand why some people become jaded and disappointed with a Thailand that they have never seen before.

 

After 10 years I am used to it, I think...........

 

Sorry mods, back on topic, I'm glad I never bought land or built a house, renting has made life simpler and I can leave the dosh to the Mrs to do with as she pleases. ????

1 hour ago, Nout said:

Never ever see my neighbors. Perhaps you experience reflects country life and thus a universal phenomenon not a Thai issue at all. In my experience except to be helpful thais neighbors keep a low profile. No idea who mine are.

My Experience  differs and creates  my perception of Thais in general.

2 hours ago, possum1931 said:

I am not a financial wizard, but I do believe the government have kept the Thai baht strong for their own financial gain. In 2014 when the unelected "PM" and his soldiers, bullied their way into power, the Thai Bt was around 50 to the UK pound, what is it now, about 42? and that is only because the UK pound has got stronger.

You shall look at a country's currency reserves, Thailand has a strong economy.

21 minutes ago, khunPer said:

You shall look at a country's currency reserves, Thailand has a strong economy.

Not sure how you would know how much currency reserve Thailand has ........ the government lies frequently.

I'm thinking they may not have anything at all.

Been here 17 years.

If I came in my Drinkin' and Druggin' days I would be dead.

Happy to be here. Would I move - sure. If I had a better offer.

Will I get a better offer ? In'Shallah

As said above - Life is all about Attitude.

2 hours ago, Golden Triangle said:

If I may digress just slightly, I was visiting Thailand twice a year for about 6 years prior to retiring here, I never read newspapers or watched much TV, so what happened around the kingdom on a daily basis passed me by, I was far too busy drinking, bonkin and having a good time, now I read the English language newspapers, obviously hear and read about scams, killings, crazy drivers, xenophobia, etc etc on here, I watch the local TMN daily news channel, all of a sudden the whole of Thailand, warts and all, are on view, as a tourist I never ever saw that side of the Thai psyche, so yes I understand why some people become jaded and disappointed with a Thailand that they have never seen before.

I guess that is not only a Thai thing.

 

I don't know when I started, since at least a couple of years I read all the time the latest news, mainly from English speaking countries like the UK, USA, Australia. And reading those news I really wouldn't want to live in the UK or USA. But I know some people who live there and like it. So maybe the news is more of a problem than the people or the countries. ???? 

 

6 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I was lucky enough to experience a few Brazil girls back home. Yeah great. They know how to have fun and party. When I was young I could handle that. I guess if I would have continued with Brazil girls I would have had a few heart attacks by now.

Brazil has obviously another advantage:

 

No Mojo without Mojito ????better than viagra