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

[zzzzz]

18 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I would have to say with all sincerity that Patong is one of the worst places I've ever been on this planet. I hope and I pray that I never end up back there again. There are some very beautiful areas of Phuket, but for me the Russian infiltration is a huge issue. I'm just not fond of them, at all. 

wow; I dont like patong, BUT to label it the worst place on this planet, i can only assume u do not travel much
5555555

[thaibeachlovers]

On 2/9/2024 at 11:20 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

It would take a hell of a lot to convince me to visit Chiang Rai, even for a day. 😉 

The White Temple is worth it, definitely. Just go before the Chinese hordes return as it's horrible when they descend on it.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 2/10/2024 at 12:34 AM, JimTripper said:

Bad vibes

Not as I've seen it used.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 2/9/2024 at 11:18 PM, 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? 

We might have passed each other then! I thought it was OK, but the taxi rip off was a big problem till I discovered the bus.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 2/10/2024 at 2:04 AM, 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.

I only left because I couldn't get pension in LOS, but that undoubtedly brought the divorce on. I can still see her face when I told her we'd have to "economise".

 

I'd have stayed there even if I could never afford another shag, but I couldn't afford the medical insurance.

[BritManToo]

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I only left because I couldn't get pension in LOS, but that undoubtedly brought the divorce on. I can still see her face when I told her we'd have to "economise".

 

I'd have stayed there even if I could never afford another shag, but I couldn't afford the medical insurance.

I would view 'another shag' as a more important expense than health insurance.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 2/10/2024 at 4:48 AM, Lemsta69 said:

 

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

That certainly applied to all the decent beaches in LOS. They went from paradise to concrete hell this century. Even the little gem of Haad Khom had started building the flash packer palaces, which was always the beginning of the end for a beach.

[Jonathan Swift]

On 2/9/2024 at 4:52 PM, Galong said:

Six of my very good friends have had enough of Phuket and all six are leaving because of traffic. Another friend and his family of four just bought a house a relocated here from the UK. After just a few months, they are already looking for ways to leave. 

How many of you have lost friends due to the 'progress' going on in Phuket?

Sounds to me like your friends simply are not cut out for life in Thailand. Not everyone is. If they are leaving Phuket because of "traffic" and are not even going to explore other places here I doubt that they even knew what they were doing in the first place. I go to Patong (Phuket) every year and that is hardly a place where traffic is as heavy as cities like Bangkok where I live. I have lived in Thailand 10 years. 

[Jonathan Swift]

Sounds like a lot of people in this forum can't handle change and maybe just don't belong here, or should never have come here in the first place. I'm quite happy anywhere I go, I've been here 10 years. The expats I run into along the way are also quite happy here. I think these forums attract a disproportionate amount of complainers who really just ought to leave and stop complaining. Everything changes, everywhere. Why would you not expect Thailand to change? 

[spidermike007]

4 hours ago, zzzzz said:

wow; I dont like patong, BUT to label it the worst place on this planet, i can only assume u do not travel much
5555555

I travel alot. Though, thankfully I have not been to Russia, or Chechnya. Nor Somalia, or the South Sudan. I would imagine those places might be worse that Patong. But, I see nothing in Patong that even remotely resembles anything appealing. Except the restaurant Napoli. That was excellent Italian food.

[FritsSikkink]

On 2/10/2024 at 12:21 PM, billd766 said:

Compared to the whole of Thailand, Bangkok is small and not particularly significant.

And where you live is?

[Eloquent pilgrim]

On 2/9/2024 at 10:19 AM, 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.

Visited Chiang Rai once with my wife for a few days and we both thought it was really nice. 

However, that was in a December, so not sure about smoke pollution throughout the year .... any thoughts on that if you are there permanently .... thanks 

[thaibeachlovers]

15 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I travel alot. Though, thankfully I have not been to Russia, or Chechnya. Nor Somalia, or the South Sudan. I would imagine those places might be worse that Patong. But, I see nothing in Patong that even remotely resembles anything appealing. Except the restaurant Napoli. That was excellent Italian food.

Have all the ladies left Patong then, or do you not sully yourself with such vile past times?

Patong was never that great, even 30 or more years ago, but it wasn't that bad either. The main problem was the taxi rip offs, and the beach was very average. I only stayed there on my way to Phi Phi, and it was better than the very boring Phuket town. Once Phi Phi got ruined I had no reason to visit Phuket anyway.

[zzzzz]

"....Patong was never that great, even 30 or more years ago, "
it was indeed great back in the 80's!!!!
i moved out in 96 

[cranki]

On 2/9/2024 at 6:43 PM, Celsius said:

Phuket is not Thailand, Pattaya is not Thailand, Bangkok is not Thailand. I have never seen such massive delusions on any other forum. You all paint Thailand as the place that is some kind of last oasis left on this planet and nothing can be further from the truth.

 

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

 

 

 

30 minutes after landing she was on her way out with permanent residence and all the information on how to apply for assistance and a health card.

Permanent residence in Taipei or was that just a stopover??

[Sandboxer]

Poo-crap.

[eezergood]

On 2/9/2024 at 5:24 PM, mfd101 said:

I have never been to Phuket and probably will never visit there. In any case, it is not Thailand ...

and we weep a silent tear for your absence....... 

[stevenl]

2 hours ago, eezergood said:

and we weep a silent tear for your absence....... 

Exactly.

What is the point of these posts. It's a topic about expats leaving Phuket, why post 'never been there' or 'been there 20 years ago but didn't enjoy it'.

Let's say I have never been to Pattaya, why would I contribute about a Pattaya topic.

[kevozman1]

On 2/11/2024 at 5:24 AM, zhounan said:

Let's be serious, the thought of settling in Thailand in those who are truly rich does not pass for a second. 

 

The nexus Quality expat-Thailand is a myth.

If I were rich I would live in Sardinia, Spain, Greece, certainly not Thailand.

 

I would say more like Monaco or Switzerland if you're talking really rich. Or an exclusive Island somewhere. Thailand is still a nice spot. Not that many tropical areas that are relatively safe and I have known quite a lot of expats that have done very well for themselves. Maybe not Swiss villa looking onto the alps type of guys, but still. 

[heybuz]

On 2/9/2024 at 8:20 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

It would take a hell of a lot to convince me to visit Chiang Rai, even for a day. 😉 

that was lacessits point, it keeps the riff raff away.

[heybuz]

On 2/9/2024 at 8:20 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

It would take a hell of a lot to convince me to visit Chiang Rai, even for a day. 😉 

that was lacessits point, it keeps the riff raff away.

[oldcpu]

On 2/11/2024 at 6:13 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

The OP doesn't mention just where on Phuket Island they live, though I suspect it's Patong, however, I believe there are some nice places on Phuket island on quieter beaches. Probably nicer because farangs don't want to live on them.

 

I totally agree there are more places than Patong in Phuket.  Yes there are areas of Phuket where the traffic maham and tourist masses would drive me to depart those Phuket areas. 

 

But there are other Phuket areas (such as where I live in the far south) that I like a lot and here it does not have such issues.

 

Phuket is not for everyone.  A good friend I know is leaving Phuket, because she can't find a good French language school that is close to where she prefers to live in Phuket. She did find one in Jometien (close to Pattaya).

 

I lived in Phuket from 1997-to-1999 (close to Chalong circle) when it was far far less crowded, and now I am retired here in Khao Khad/AoYon area since summer 2019.  Retiring here was one of the best decisions I have made.

 

I don't have the taxation concerns some have, as most of my pension income is covered by Double Tax Agreements and further, I also have an LTR visa.

 

Each person needs to find their own best location. For some its Phuket. For some Phuket is the last place.  For some living in some other place than Phuket (but still in Thailand) is ideal, and for some, it can't possibly be anywhere in Thailand.  

 

If everyone wanted to retire where I live now, the place where I live would not be as nice as it is.

.

[ChasingTheSun]

Can you kindly share with us the shangri-la where the “exodus of quality expats” are now fleeing to due to apparent “personal” matters?

 

 

[DonniePeverley]

Phuket has just become so over developed. It's no longer some idylic island type paradise. 

 

The constant development is outrageous and just wrong, especially when the whole point of the place is the mass tourism it brings. It's been wrecked. 

 

It's basically now turning into a metropolis city with a beach. And with the leaders keen on pushing even more and more cheap mass tourism to the island i am seeing more and more moving. It's soul destroying in the evenings trying to get somewhere. 

 

Same with other areas of Thailand. Same old mass tourism being pushed. 

 

Most of my mates this year usually come to Thailand for their winter breaks, but all heading to the Caribbean, eg Barbados, Aruba, type islands. Every single one of them could not deal with the mass tourism they faced. There was simply no need to open up to literally the world without any limits. 

 

I doubt anyone in Thailand cares or has any long term vision - they only barometer that is looked upon is the number of visitors, not the quality of tourist spend. So you end up turning away 'quality tourists' and then you commence talk of the ecological damage that mass tourism brings. 

[shdmn]

 

On 5/22/2024 at 4:01 PM, ChasingTheSun said:

Can you kindly share with us the shangri-la where the “exodus of quality expats” are now fleeing to due to apparent “personal” matters?

 

 

It's the same story over and over again year after year, the reasons just keep changing.  Most of these serial whiners aren't going anywhere.  Like when everyone was claiming that Sihanoukville was the new hotness and Pattaya was dead.  Of the few who actually made the move they all eventually came back. 🤡  These people will never be happy anywhere are always looking for someone, something, or somewhere to blame for it.

[save the frogs]

23 minutes ago, DonniePeverley said:

Phuket has just become so over developed. It's no longer some idylic island type paradise. 

Maybe it's not as good as it used to be, but it's still a lot better than most of the crapholes we come from. 

 

[DonniePeverley]

Mass protests today in Barcelona over mass tourism. 

 

Joins Japan, Italy, Southern France, Some UK cities, Portugal, and Spanish islands pushing back against wreckless mass tourism. 

 

Firmly believe we will see this kind of anger amongst Thai's in the coming years. 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c0dm9w2ey7po

 

[steven100]

yes,   many countries are getting fed up with over-tourism ....  but Thailand is far more dependent on Tourists than most other countries as it supports millions of jobs. 

[zakalwe]

No such thing as a quality expat. The decent ones are employed. The bad ones would be homeless if they were back home.

[fredwiggy]

32 minutes ago, zakalwe said:

No such thing as a quality expat. The decent ones are employed. The bad ones would be homeless if they were back home.

You forgot the majority. Those who are retired, worked all of their lives, and moved here, spending most if not all of their money in Thai economy, supporting wives, girlfriends and children, and staying out of trouble.