Editors Pick Majority of expats are happy with their life in Thailand: Survey

[Eric Loh]

By expats, it will mean professionals, skilled workers or independently employed. If the survey was done for retirees, the answers will be different.  

[Andycoops]

21 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Still, an Australian expat shares: “I am impressed  with the way the Thai government has managed issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.”

 

Was he riding a Kangaroo or facing defamation charges at the time ????

No it must have been a Wombat.

[mommysboy]

Well, they would say they're happy wouldn't they?

 

It's the default attitude- true or not.

[rudi49jr]

Of course they are. The majority of expats in Thailand are middle-aged and older white guys who can be in a relationship with a (much) younger Thai woman. What’s not to be happy about? 

[billd766]

16 hours ago, NaamGin said:

Thailand ticks all the boxes for me... Yes, Thailand has some issues, but when compared to other popular expat locations, I'll take Thailand... 

I am quite happy living here in Thailand for the last 20 years full time. I am even more happy that I live in rural Kamphaeng Phet and NOT in popular expat locations, especially here in Thailand. 

 

I have lived and worked in 38 countries in my 50 years of working life. New Zealand I would rate as my second choice and Angola as the last place I would want to live.

[billd766]

6 hours ago, Dialemco said:

Thailand is good if you have money. If no money the suicide rate is very high.

Thailand is no longer a cheap country to live or holiday in. Many things are cheaper in the Europe. 

But many things are a lot more expensive. In the UK there is the local community tax which you HAVE to pay, whether you are living there or elsewhere, Thailand does not. Water and sewage are much cheaper with my monthly water bill of +/- 125 baht. The honey truck costs about 800 baht once or twice a year. ALL my trash is taken away once a week for a huge 30 baht per month. Fuel, cooking gas etc far cheaper.

The down side is poor public transport in the sticks and we are 6km from the nearest in the big village where admittedly I can get a bus to BKK (350 km) 4 or 5 times a day, however to get to Kamphaeng Phet I need to get to the big village ad then take a baht bus 60 km to KPP.

 

[Bradmeister]

Extremely Happy..... until we have to deal with racism and bigotry when it comes to laws or immigration/Visa permits.

 

How many millions of Baht in taxes do non thais have to pay? Why do we need to continue segregation and division? 

 

" Back of the Bus"  mentality needs to be reformed.

 

 

 

 

[Freddy42OZ]

23 hours ago, lupin said:

so ... survey asked a whopping 59 people living in Thailand to come up with this nonsense

 

I don't think InterNations has many members who are retired old blokes on pensions. 

I've been to a few InterNations events in Bangkok as well as ones in Hong Kong and Singapore and the demographic was professionals on expat salaries.  Mostlye mid to late 30's with some mid 40's and a couple of early 50's blokes.  The only noticeable difference in Bangkok was it was all Western men and some Thai women, whereas in other countries it was a good mix of expat men and women with make and female locals that work for international companies. 
 

[sambum]

On 5/20/2021 at 2:19 PM, lupin said:

so ... survey asked a whopping 59 people living in Thailand to come up with this nonsense

 

23 hours ago, pedro01 said:

 

No - go back and have a read - was 12,000 - but you have to wonder where they asked?

 

Like - was it 2am at the entrance of walking street and only asking males over 60 accompanied by 2 teen females?

 

NO, go back and have a read yourself! - the 12,000 you speak about was not just from Thailand:-

 

"The survey, which was carried out between 7 to 31 January 2021, had a total of 12,420 expats participating from 174 nationalities and living in 186 countries or territories."

[Skeptic7]

On 5/20/2021 at 2:58 PM, pedro01 said:

 

Like - was it 2am at the entrance of walking street and only asking males over 60 accompanied by 2 teen females?

They're right....LOVE IT! ????

[1FinickyOne]

4 hours ago, jonclark said:

My wife by contrast is always nagging me to move out of Thailand and go to the UK, so whose wife is right...lol. 

 

not sure about you - but my wife is always right... 

 

'if a man speaks in the forest, and there's no woman there to hear him - is he still wrong?' 

[from the home of CC]

4 hours ago, nchuckle said:

By standard logic those that felt that way would be there (and the vast majority are,aren’t they?) and wouldn’t be included in the survey. Constructive criticism about a military junta,appalling road deaths,poor environmental issues makes them childlike and whining does it…or are you completely happy with the aspects i identified ?

no, constructive criticisms purpose is to improve a situation. No foreigner on this site is going to change anything, hell half of em' have to bribe immigration just to be allowed to stay here lol.. 

[DBath]

On 5/20/2021 at 3:12 PM, Randell jones said:

No matter what, your worse day here Is always going to surpass any day you had in your  mother country. 

Are you sure you wanna post that? You must have had a rather sad existence. Even I grew up in a poor socioeconomic household, but I could never imagine saying that. 

[DBath]

On 5/20/2021 at 4:14 PM, from the home of CC said:

if peoples home countries were so great, they'd be there. The others just love the sound of their own whines, makes em' feel childlike again and important for a minute..

There are countries that are way better than here, IMO where western people get treated like kings (even queens).

 

I’d love to tell you which countries those are, but I’ll be leaving for one of them soon and I’d prefer not to run into any of you there.

[Randell jones]

13 minutes ago, DBath said:

Are you sure you wanna post that? You must have had a rather sad existence. Even I grew up in a poor socioeconomic household, but I could never imagine saying that. 

Your right times were hard, one time my mother sent me next door with a button to ask the lady to sow a shirt on it. 

[Randell jones]

On 5/20/2021 at 4:33 PM, Meat Pie 47 said:

take your rose glasses off

You carry on eating your pie dinners fella, il stick to the pad krapao muu krawp and a Tom yung kung... 

[Randell jones]

On 5/20/2021 at 3:18 PM, Moonlover said:

Speak for yourself! I've had many fabulous days in my mother country and many other countries too.

Yet here you are, in the land of smiles.... Enjoy brother. 

[Freigeist365]

My wild guess is that the outcome might have been drastically different if questions like these were included in the survey:

1) How happy are you with Thai visa requirements and visa rules in general?
2) Does it affect you personally in any negative way when Thai officials openly, on media call you  "Farang", who are dirty and smelly with a very bad body hygiene?
3) Do you feel safe when you drive, bicycle and walk on Thai roads?
4) Does the fact bother you, that you are unable to fully, legally own the business that you have invested all your life savings in?
5) Same as 4 but referring to land and house instead of a business.
6) Do you enjoy the fact that you will have to pay 10 times the Thai entry fee at most national parks in Thailand?
7) How much do you enjoy the very fact that your whole existence here is a tight rope walk that can have you expedited for up to 10 years for even the slightest ever "felony", like jamming with your musical instrument in a local pub or bar?
8 ) Does add to your happiness the fact that you are so very welcome here if you have plenty of cash to spend, but the very opposite if you ever find yourself in a tight spot, financially?
9) Is it adding immensely to your daily wellbeing when openly in public children point at you, shouting "Farang, Farang!" with their parents having a broad smile on their face instead of scolding them, basically sending out a silent approval?
10) Would you say that it would elevate your happiness level if - let's just hypothetically imagine - a boat captain throws back the trash he disposed of into the Andaman Sea, but that had been collected by you while diving, shouting at you that "This is my country and I can make it as dirty as I want!"... 

... and I would have a whole calatogue of so many more questions I'd like to add to that survey, but let's just pretend that everyone is so very happy here, given the staggering amount of foreigners filling in that survey...

[DBath]

17 minutes ago, Randell jones said:

Your right times were hard, one time my mother sent me next door with a button to ask the lady to sow a shirt on it. 

At least you had a button. 

[Randell jones]

8 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

 

Well we don't all live in the D. R. of the Congo.

 

 

Your from Tocky arnt ya lad? 

[Brian Hull]

I wasn't asked for my opinion but I'll give it anyway. Apart from what the survey has accurately identified, I would like to add the following negatives >

 

1.  Dangerous roads, due to a near total absence of any police activity, resulting in one of the 2 or 3 highest road fatality rates in the world.

2. Bureaucrats and government officials who do not perform the responsibilities for which they are paid (by the people), and are seemingly unaccountable to anybody. 

3. Lack of public transport, resulting in an avalanche of dangerous, noisy, polluting, uncontrolled motor bikes in cities like Chiang Mai, where the effects are more apparent than in cities like Saigon.

4. No provision whatsoever for parking areas for motorbikes, resulting in them parking on footpaths/sidewalks, amongst unauthorised street vendors, making navigation by pedestrians extremely difficult. It is usually safer to walk on the roads than on the footpaths, and there is no way a wheelchair or a baby's stroller could transit most streets in Chiang Mai, including in the up-market areas.

5. Immigration regulations that are confusing, inconsistent, time wasting, and lacking any economic logic, either for expats and for tourists. This predates COVID.

[sanuk711]

25 minutes ago, DBath said:

I’d love to tell you which countries those are, but I’ll be leaving for one of them soon and I’d prefer not to run into any of you there.

How many times do we have to hear that nonsense---"I'm ganna go -yer ganna go soon honest really soon....cant tell you all where, its a secrete place ...but its so much better then here--just cant tell you where........LOL............

[Moonlover]

8 minutes ago, Randell jones said:

On 5/20/2021 at 3:18 PM, Moonlover said:

Speak for yourself! I've had many fabulous days in my mother country and many other countries too.

 

8 minutes ago, Randell jones said:

Yet here you are, in the land of smiles.... Enjoy brother. 

That's primarily because I am able settle and enjoy anywhere that I find myself at the time. An ability forged of a very wayward, but mostly enjoyable life.

 

Enjoy your life too.

[DBath]

13 minutes ago, sanuk711 said:

How many times do we have to hear that nonsense---"I'm ganna go -yer ganna go soon honest really soon....cant tell you all where, its a secrete place ...but its so much better then here--just cant tell you where........LOL............

You sound like a bitter cheap Charlie who has no way out of here. I’ve already been many places better than here. That said, there are things I like here and things I don’t, like anywhere else.  
 

Barring my residency application to another country is not accepted, which is highly unlikely given my financial  means and bank stmts provided with my application. There’s also the FBI certificate and Hong Kong marriage license I had to get apostilled, which were done to the satisfaction of the Embassy where I applied (again, not telling). These along with all the other boxes have been checked off, leaving no stone unturned. 
 

So please, tell me again what a crock my claims of leaving the Kingdom are, as you look forward to living the rest of your miserable life here. 

[Randell jones]

5 minutes ago, DBath said:

You sound like a bitter cheap Charlie who has no way out of here. Barring my residency application is not accepted, which is highly unlikely given my financial  means and bank stmts provided with my application. There’s also the FBI certificate and Hong Kong marriage license I had to get apostilled, which were done to the satisfaction of the Embassy where I applied (again, not telling). These along with all the other boxes have been checked off, leaving no stone unturned. 
 

So please, tell me again what a crock my claims of leaving the Kingdom are, as you look forward to the rest of your miserable life here. 

DBath, I'd like to share a nice bottle of chateauneuf- du-pape with you, sound like a very interesting man. 

[DBath]

On 5/20/2021 at 4:34 PM, from the home of CC said:

some of these folks couldn't make it work in the country they were born in -  alcohol addictions, bad marriages, inabilities to keep a job or trouble with the authorities all play in the decisions of many to leave their home and come here.

More often than not, those troubles continue to follow them here and they just end up addicted, divorced, broke and/or in jail all over again. 
 

You can’t change a person simply by relocating them to another country. 

[Suradit69]

Quote

Majority of expats are happy with their life in Thailand: Survey

So a majority of expats don’t contribute to the endless whining drivel filling the pages of Thai Visa. That’s comforting.

[The Cipher]

1 hour ago, DBath said:

 

Barring my residency application to another country is not accepted, which is highly unlikely given my financial  means and bank stmts provided with my application. There’s also the FBI certificate and Hong Kong marriage license I had to get apostilled, which were done to the satisfaction of the Embassy where I applied (again, not telling). These along with all the other boxes have been checked off, leaving no stone unturned. 

 

 Damn, son. U a gangsta.

[joecoolfrog]

On 5/20/2021 at 9:12 AM, Randell jones said:

No matter what, your worse day here Is always going to surpass any day you had in your  mother country. 

Nominated for silliest post ever !

[ExpatOilWorker]

I am happy here.

Could I be happier?

Sure, but I am not sure the wife's younger sister will agree with that idea, nor the wife now that I think about it.