And so the exodus of quality expats begins. This time it's personal

[uttradit]

1 minute ago, Lacessit said:

I look forward to visiting Bangkok like I look forward to a dental appointment for root canal therapy.

Luckily we have different tastes in life.

[swerve]

Phuket is on general downward slide due to overdevelopment. Fancy that? Some expats I know are thinking to move somewhere else. Some things have gotten better and some worse.  The traffic is super bad.  Beaches are mostly trashed. I drive a scooter and the roads require "Bangkok driving" (on sidewalks, running reds, on the wrong side for distances, etc.). 

 

The food situation has improved. There are so many restaurant options that it feels like a large western city. Supermarkets like Villa Market, Tops Central Floresta, etc. have most things any foreigner would want and the rest can be bought on-line.  The airport has good connections.  The health care/ dental services are very good.  

[stoner]

11 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Was there during deepest Covid times and enjoyed it.

Driving along "ghosttown" Chaweng beach road was special.

But I think it will have been my last visit from all I read.

 

 

 

chaweng beach road is samui i thought ? 

[stoner]

1 minute ago, swerve said:

I drive a scooter and the roads require "Bangkok driving" (on sidewalks, running reds, on the wrong side for distances, etc.). 

 

as a new resident of phuket and a former bkk maniac on the roads...i find the traffic here wonderful. even pleasant.

 

did about 120k plus km in bkk alone in 4 years on a scooter.

[stoner]

1 hour ago, Celsius said:

BTW, me and Mrs Celsius also left Thailand in style yesterday....

 

i loved how you topped off your stylish outfit with a raggedy old hat. backwards too. 

 

 

 

 

[JimTripper]

33 minutes ago, stoner said:

i would see a doctor about this. 

I gave up on medical professionals in Pattaya.

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

My dream is based around one single Thai lady and we have been married 24 years this year.

I don't regret a single minute of it.

Me too for 14 years, but I've not 'invested' my future in her, and she's essentially instantly replaceable by another one younger and prettier. Don't get me wrong, I love her, but I could love a different one (if required).

 

33% of the OP pals leaving where "Thai girl done me wrong", never base your life around trusting one woman.

[Doctor Tom]

I'm curious; what constitutes a 'quality expat'?

[JimTripper]

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Me too for 14 years, but I've not 'invested' my future in her, and she's essentially instantly replaceable by another one younger and prettier.

Don't get me wrong, I love her, but I could love a different one (if required).

Sounds like a relationship made in hell.

[Dan O]

2 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I am amazed how many people still go to Phuket, for holiday or to live there.

I was there the first time 30 years ago and at that time it was an obvious rip-off. Did it improve over the years? Obviously not.

I wonder if anybody who decided to live there do any research? 

The confusing thing for me is how many appear to act like Phuket and Pattaya are the only places in Thailand to live. There is such a variety and abundance of locations to chose from that are a much better life style than just those two. 

[uttradit]

5 minutes ago, Dan O said:

The confusing thing for me is how many appear to act like Phuket and Pattaya are the only places in Thailand to live. There is such a variety and abundance of locations to chose from that are a much better life style than just those two. 

2 of the last places I would choose from. All the major cities with an airport or train station provide options.

[save the frogs]

22 minutes ago, Doctor Tom said:

I'm curious; what constitutes a 'quality expat'?

one who has less than 10,000 posts on AseanNow

 

[Bobthegimp]

10 minutes ago, Dan O said:

that are a much better life style than just those two

 

Better for what? 

 

I spent a year in a Thai village one weekend and couldn't wait to escape.  No wonder so many men up there become drunks or get murdered by their neighbours.  Pattaya has a bad reputation for antisocial behaviour, but when measured against the population density it comes out favorably in comparison to the rural areas.  Then there's the incest and perverted teachers and monks up there.  No thanks, I prefer the open degeneracy of Pattaya and Phuket. 

 

[stevenl]

There have always been people moving in and others moving out. I don't see it being any different now.

[Bday Prang]

In what way are these people "quality expats"   they moved  to Phuket ,  didn't like it , and then ran all the way home, There is a lot more to Thailand than tourist ghettos,  They don't sound like quality "anything "  to me    just people who are unable to adapt to living anywhere outside their home country.  

[mikebike]

3 hours ago, Galong said:

My friends are leaving, I'm not. I still have plenty of very good friends here.

There are a lot of things that I like about Phuket. I also live in a nice part of town, so it's not touristy. I'm semi-retired and in the tourism business. Business is doing great. I'll fully retire in a couple of years. If Phuket keeps heading in the direction it's heading, I'll consider moving off the island. Phang Nga Town seems like a good option and it is still within easy striking distance of Phuket.

For us it was turning 50 and not having to run a biz... Opened up the whole country! 

[Dan O]

1 hour ago, Bobthegimp said:

 

Better for what? 

 

I spent a year in a Thai village one weekend and couldn't wait to escape.  No wonder so many men up there become drunks or get murdered by their neighbours.  Pattaya has a bad reputation for antisocial behaviour, but when measured against the population density it comes out favorably in comparison to the rural areas.  Then there's the incest and perverted teachers and monks up there.  No thanks, I prefer the open degeneracy of Pattaya and Phuket. 

 

Those places seem to fit your attitude and presentation so enjoy them but they are just a drop in the bucket to what Thailand offers. Its not just remote villages but then you'd need to wander about to experience it. 

[mikebike]

3 hours ago, Celsius said:

Bangkok is not Thailand.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[mikebike]

3 hours ago, BangkokHank said:

Well, which is it? Is she single? Or is she married to you? Ha.

Uhm, "single" as in "individual", not "available". Wasn't that obvious? 

[Yellowtail]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Me too for 14 years, but I've not 'invested' my future in her, and she's essentially instantly replaceable by another one younger and prettier. Don't get me wrong, I love her, but I could love a different one (if required).

 

33% of the OP pals leaving where "Thai girl done me wrong", never base your life around trusting one woman.

"There're always more pigs in the sh*t..."

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, Dan O said:

The confusing thing for me is how many appear to act like Phuket and Pattaya are the only places in Thailand to live. There is such a variety and abundance of locations to chose from that are a much better life style than just those two. 

Yes, I agree.

 

Not sure, but maybe one reason is that some (many?) farangs don't want to learn Thai, not even a little. That leaves them only the tourist places where a higher part of Thais speak (some) English. 

[Lemsta69]

5 hours ago, Lacessit said:

It would take a hell of a lot to pry me loose from Chiang Rai, although I suppose Chiang Rai is not high on the riff-raff bucket list of places they can spoil for others.

 

Only the really good places are spoil-worthy, otherwise all the one-horse towns world would have been overrun already 😹

[Celsius]

44 minutes ago, mikebike said:

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

Of course Bangkok is Thailand and so is Pattaya and Phuket....I am not sure what certain posters think the "real Thailand" is.....blue sitting chairs and plastic plates most likely.

 

 

[BangkokHank]

47 minutes ago, mikebike said:

Uhm, "single" as in "individual", not "available". Wasn't that obvious? 

Yes, it was obvious. But I saw it as an opportunity for a bit of wordplay, hence the "ha" at the end. Wasn't that obvious?

[Yellowtail]

17 minutes ago, BangkokHank said:

Yes, it was obvious. But I saw it as an opportunity for a bit of wordplay, hence the "ha" at the end. Wasn't that obvious?

It was

[Bday Prang]

5 hours ago, Celsius said:

Phuket is not Thailand, Pattaya is not Thailand, Bangkok is not Thailand

So tell us "where" is Thailand

[Bday Prang]

4 hours ago, uttradit said:

Bangkok and Chiang Rai aren't Thailand? Who says such nonsense. Bangkok is the most culturally rich city in Thailand.

Does somewhere have to be "culturally rich " to be considered to be the real Thailand?  Is Milton keynes less " English" than   Stonehenge ?  Of course not

 All these people moaning about "not the real Thailand"   what they mean is , where  they ended up did not match their preconceptions, and they couldn't handle it.

 Its all the "real" Thailand

[uttradit]

1 minute ago, Bday Prang said:

Does somewhere have to be "culturally rich " to be considered to be the real Thailand?  Is Milton keynes less " English" than   Stonehenge ?  Of course not

 All these people moaning about "not the real Thailand"   what they mean is , where  they ended up did not match their preconceptions, and they couldn't handle it.

 Its all the "real" Thailand

They mean few foreigners. Easy in the large cities. Not so easy in Phuket.

[Bday Prang]

4 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

I'm curious; what constitutes a 'quality expat'?

Somebody exactly  the same as , or considered to be superior by the tossers who use such phrases

[uttradit]

3 hours ago, Bobthegimp said:

 

Better for what? 

 

I spent a year in a Thai village one weekend and couldn't wait to escape.  No wonder so many men up there become drunks or get murdered by their neighbours.  Pattaya has a bad reputation for antisocial behaviour, but when measured against the population density it comes out favorably in comparison to the rural areas.  Then there's the incest and perverted teachers and monks up there.  No thanks, I prefer the open degeneracy of Pattaya and Phuket. 

 

Thailand has about 80 sizeable cities. Why are you talking about villages?