SURVEY: What are your plans for the long term?

[BE88]

Just now, Mac Mickmanus said:

No, what made you leave Italy in the first place ?

Because is my first choice, someone will choose Alaska or Norway, it's their choice

[BritManToo]

Lucky me, as an old sick guy I don't have to worry about any 'long term'.

 

[BritManToo]

16 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Agree with everything you said...as for Immigration, even doing my retirement extension in a new province this year, Phuket, was a piece of delicious cake.

Agree,

VISA extensions have never been so easy, now there's no tourists clogging up immigration offices.

[connda]

38 minutes ago, wolf81 said:

I don’t worry at all for Covid and I don’t plan on taking a vaccine. It seems Europe has gone crazy and wants to force vaccines on people (see France, Portugal, more to follow soon I’m sure).

Once Thailand has 60% of the population vaccinated or have excess vaccines on hand - you'll be forced to take one.  That I have no doubt.   Thailand is maybe 12 to 15 months behind "France, Portugal, more to follow soon I’m sure"  Now, they may not be able to forcefully vaccinate the Thai population, but they'll implement vaccine passports and make life Hell if a Thai doesn't have two vaccines, boosters, and vax-pass. 
But farang?  <laughs>  2022 - Two shots or no visa extension.  2023 - 3rd and 4th boosters or no visa extension - forever.  And by that time you'll probably be expected to pay inflated prices for the shots as you are a dirty non-Thai.

So don't get too comfortable. 

Edited July 25, 2021 by connda

[Johnny Mac]

Sadly I'm stuck here, would go back to the UK tomorrow if I had the means and start living again. Instead, looks like I will just wait and die here and do nowt with my life.

[BritManToo]

12 minutes ago, connda said:

Once Thailand has 60% of the population vaccinated or have excess vaccines on hand - you'll be forced to take one.  That I have no doubt.   Thailand is maybe 12 to 15 months behind "France, Portugal, more to follow soon I’m sure"  Now, they may not be able to forcefully vaccinate the Thai population, but they'll implement vaccine passports and make life Hell if a Thai doesn't have two vaccines, boosters, and vax-pass. 
But farang?  <laughs>  2022 - Two shots or no visa extension.  2023 - 3rd and 4th boosters or no visa extension - forever.  And by that time you'll probably be expected to pay inflated prices for the shots as you are a dirty non-Thai.

So don't get too comfortable. 

Thought they had only managed to vaccinate 5% (that's in 18 months).

Extrapolating forward, I have another 14-18 years before they reach 60% vaccinated. (Let's hope those already  vaccinated don't need boosters every year)

 

Unless you believe the Thai government will suddenly become more efficient?

Edited July 25, 2021 by BritManToo

[mfd101]

58 minutes ago, connda said:

What's your long term plans when China reunifies Taiwan and SE Asia becomes a Chinese occupied territory? 

When the balloon goes up over Taiwan, it might just be safer here than in Canberra ...

[connda]

7 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Agree,

VISA extensions have never been so easy, now there's no tourists clogging up immigration offices.

It will get interesting when it's "Get your jabs or no extension for you!"
"I have natural immunity!"
Nater-L im-moo-what?  No kaowjai farang.  Shots!!! Two Shots!!! Or no extension for you!

Then what to do, what to do.  No special visa agents in CM.   Maybe can find a special doctor or not.  Just say ****-it and head to Mexico.  Yep, what to do?

[CANSIAM]

2 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

sex.

I've read lockdowns / curfews create more pregnancies and or divorce..... maybe thats just the West.......

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, connda said:

Then what to do, what to do.  No special visa agents in CM.   Maybe can find a special doctor or not.  Just say ****-it and head to Mexico.  Yep, what to do?

Did you mean special nurse?

I don't think many doctors waste their time with vaccinations.

Sure, I'd try to bribe the person holding the needle, but it's probably not the end of my world if they stick it in my arm.

Edited July 25, 2021 by BritManToo

[connda]

5 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Thought they had only managed to vaccinate 5% (that's in 18 months).

Extrapolating forward, I have another 14-18 years before they reach 60% vaccinated.

(Let's hope those already  vaccinated don't need boosters every year)

Unless you believe the Thai government will suddenly become more efficient?

Thank you.  I find your optimism - refreshing!  I'm just shooting to get through my next extension without having to start to make difficult choices.

[connda]

7 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Let's hope those already vaccinated don't need boosters every year

Well, if the vaccinated Thais need boosters every year, non-vaccinated farangs will keep being pushed to the back of the line so Thais can have the limited supplies.  That works too.

[Speedhump]

An utterly, ridiculously, unignorably negative 'survey'. Every selectable answer assumed that Thailand will 'get worse'. No idea worse at what. 

 

My answer is that my wife and I are still very happy in Thailand in all respects, despite the pathetic COVID response (which actually destroys the lives of poor Thais far worse than it inconveniences me). 

 

Why is there no choice to check this option? ????????

[connda]

7 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

When the balloon goes up over Taiwan, it might just be safer here than in Canberra ...

Perhaps.  But read up on how the Japanese occupation forces handled Allied civilians during WWII when the Japanese didn't conquer Thailand (so Thai history asserts).
It will be interesting if it all goes pear-shaped.  It would be a toss up whether you get a Chinese bullet to the back of the head or else killed in a US airstrike.  Or maybe you're just allowed to live out your life if you've got Thai family here.  Who knows.  Just saying.  It's a possibility with a relatively high probability of occurring.  But I'd say it's only on the radar of a handful of expats.  More likely those who are ex-military.

[Mac Mickmanus]

2 minutes ago, connda said:

It would be a toss up whether you get a Chinese bullet to the back of the head or else killed in a US airstrike. 

Are there any more options ?

[bert bloggs]

I have been married to my wonderful wife for 25 years, sheand our son took wonderful care of me when i was ill ,for years we lived in the Uk,but the nice working class town i had moved to over 40 yrs ago is now a foreign country ,,a stabbing last week and a murder outside our sons old school last month , both commited by immigrants,we left when they had to have the police standing at the gates to his school 16 yrs ago, now they would need the army.

This is my home ,i have never ever worried walking around ,either in Bkk when i had business there or living here in Pattaya ,the food,the weather and everything else is so much cheaper here, if i wanted to go back to the UK we would have a place to live ,but as i dont get 18600 pounds a year my wife could not return with me ,mind you i suppose we could just get a dinghey and row over, free hotel ,free tv ,free wi fi ,free heating ,free food.makes you think

 

[cyril sneer]

Staying here

 

Muslims taking over back home 

[KannikaP]

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

but at 67 and UK pension kick in I should be able to move us all back quite easily.

A full year's State Pension should just about get your flights paid.

[bert bloggs]

1 minute ago, cyril sneer said:

Staying here

 

Muslims taking over back home 

You mean taken over

[Mac Mickmanus]

Just now, bert bloggs said:

You mean taken over

Where have "Muslims taken over" ?

[BusyB]

2 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

Thankyou for your comment and one of the main reasons I also departed Thailand, after almost 20 years, across the border to "hassle free" Cambodia where I have been happily living (without any ties) in Siem Reap for 1.5 years. As a former volunteer with the Thai Tourist Police, I could see the way practices were becoming very much pro military and anti true democracy - medieval in fact!!

And Cambodia is not?

[gk10012001]

3 hours ago, Hornell said:

Thailand is not the relatively easy retirement country it was 20 years ago and if i was considering retiring here now I would reject the idea.  Having said that,OP is right, many of us have a wife/partner, assets, etc here and have maybe burned most of our bridges at home, so regardless of the political or Covid situation here - both of which are pretty dire - I suspect most of us will stay put, simply because it is too difficult to do otherwise.

After my first visit there in 2004, I started planning my retirement to there.  I saved and invested and got well over the 65,000 baht monthly income and also the 800k baht if I chose that method.  Literally every year the country got more challenging to retire there.  Health insurance, more coups, picky immigration, USA embassy stopping income letters, etc. All those things are not show stoppers and I was just about to book for ASQ and all that stuff.  But the recent lockdowns, closing the hotel pool is the nail in the coffin.  I can wait out 14 days in quarantine, I can live with the curfews and so many entertainment places closed.  But swimming on warm days is huge joy for me.   15 trips since 2004 and miss it much having skipped the last two years due to COVID stuff.  Fingers crossed I can at least do two 60 day SETVs, with a 30 day extension each time for 90 plus 90 or 180 days each year soon.  

[Kinnock]

I've not seen any Government cover themselves in glory with the way they managed the pandemic, so Thailand is no worse than most.

 

 Maybe New Zealand, but they have a unique geographical situation and their vaccination program is very slow.  China does the draconian approach well, but who knows what's really happening there, UK were quick with vaccination, but now all the Boomers have been vaccinated they are prematurely exposing the youngsters to risks, and that leaves Thailand and the rest of the world in the same boat ..... so why move?

[gk10012001]

36 minutes ago, connda said:

Well, if the vaccinated Thais need boosters every year, non-vaccinated farangs will keep being pushed to the back of the line so Thais can have the limited supplies.  That works too.

Sadly most Thais will probably never be vaccinated.  By the time large scale vaccines arrive, I suspect mutations and variants will provide enough fodder for people to not bother with the currently produced vaccines.  The future and long term is TBD

[Grecian]

19 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Where have "Muslims taken over" ?

Rotherham for a start. Pakistani grooming gangs were known about but NOBODY, including the police, social services etc would say for fear of negative consequences.

It was the BNP who tried to bring it to light and we all know what thanks they got.

[connda]

28 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Are there any more options ?

Yeah.  The one you failed to add to your quote of my post.  Here, let's quote the whole paragraph.
 

Quote

It will be interesting if it all goes pear-shaped.  It would be a toss up whether you get a Chinese bullet to the back of the head or else killed in a US airstrike.  Or maybe you're just allowed to live out your life if you've got Thai family here.  Who knows. 

 

[Mac Mickmanus]

1 minute ago, connda said:

Yeah.  The one you failed to add to your quote of my post.  Here, let's quote the whole paragraph.
 

 

I dont have Thai family here , so the 3 rd option doesn't apply to me 

[Mac Mickmanus]

4 minutes ago, Grecian said:

Rotherham for a start. Pakistani grooming gangs were known about but NOBODY, including the police, social services etc would say for fear of negative consequences.

It was the BNP who tried to bring it to light and we all know what thanks they got.

That was 15 -20 years ago .

The authorities have since clamped down, investigated and persecuted the perpetrators .

   There have been numerous Court cases all across the U.K where the perpetrators have been jailed . 

[Speedhump]

37 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

A full year's State Pension should just about get your flights paid.

Don't you think they're talking about a works pension? We all know you can't life in the UK on a, grand a year... 

[Rampant Rabbit]

Death