Why I left Thailand

[Confuscious]

 

Living in Thailand was never my first choice, but Thailand was a nice country to live in.
Everything was dirty cheap, unless you wanted to keep eating Western food and have a Western lifestyle.

Eating a full "Pad Grapao lae Kai daew" in a roadside restaurant costed 20 Baht (0.60 Euro).

 

But as I grew older and my Health started to go downhill, life in Thailand became less enjoyable.
Also, the cost of living became very expensive for me.
I needed to go frequently to a doctor visit at the hospital and I was feed a lot of medication.

Daily tasks became a burden to me.

 

What made me decide to leave Thailand?

1. In 2022, I got the message of my doctor at the hospital that my Kidney function was degradating very fast and that I would soon need to start to do a Kidney Dialysis. The cost of this would be a very big junk of my income.

 

2. The level of corruption at Immigration and other departments started to become a burden. At the age of 70, I am not keen to run around for every "requirement on the spot" of the immigration officers. I thought that thai people had more egard for the elderly.

3. The oncoming changes and requirements for foreigners who were staying more than 180 days in Thailand was a "NO" for me. New taxation rules, taxation on my foreign income and a message of my bank in Belgium warning me that they had send the documents about my "Wealth" that were asked by Thailand was the "Final Straw" for me.

4. I was residing in Thailand on a Retirement Visa, type "O". This type of Visa did not require to show a Health Insurance. But Immigration was changing the rules and there were remours that they would require a Health Insurance on this type of Visa as well. Which insurance company would be willing to write a health Insurance for a 70 year old men with a medical history of a Stroke, a Heart failure, a Pacemaker implant, recent surgery for an AAA, and Kidney failure?
Yes, paying a very high Insurance price which at the end would mean nothing as every little thing could be connected to existing diseases.

I went back to Europe.

I chosed Spain because it is my country of birth, the nice weather and benefit the (almost) free healthcare as an EU citizen, Besides healthcare, I have other benefits in Spain by being a 65+ citizen.

I will reside here 179 days in a year, to avoid being taxed and do trips to other countries as long a I can.
As an EU citizen, I am entitled to the EU health insurance which repatriate me in case of an accident.
If I have an accident or need hosptal care, but can not be transported, the EU healthcare will sponsor my hospital bill.

It is maybe not the most perfect choice, but for the moment it is the best option.

[GypsyT]

Thank for telling. Good luck!

PS. I may join you soon. EU have problems but freedom to live in 27 countries with same health insurance benefits is a great asset.

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, Confuscious said:

As an EU citizen, I am entitled to the EU health insurance which repatriate me in case of an accident.

Are you sure about that? I can't recall that when UK was in EU.

 

As soon as someone has serious health conditions which are very expensive makes sense to go home if it's covered there, good luck

[GypsyT]

5 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Are you sure about that? I can't recall that when UK was in EU.

Every country has their own rules re emergency flights. Some has co-pay ceiling like 1500 Euros dep on income.

It used to be free in some countries but maybe non has that now?

 

When you transfer health insurance it cover same as natives get in national hospitals. Privates do not need to honor but many do.

Spain and Portugal have very good policies.

 

[Confuscious]

5 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Are you sure about that? I can't recall that when UK was in EU.

 

As soon as someone has serious health conditions which are very expensive makes sense to go home if it's covered there, good luck

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1580380000365&uri=LEGISSUM:c10521

[Sydebolle]

Without having my family here I would have left with a oneway ticket many, many moons ago - this country is in total overdrive 

[ujayujay]

10 hours ago, Confuscious said:

 

Living in Thailand was never my first choice, but Thailand was a nice country to live in.
Everything was dirty cheap, unless you wanted to keep eating Western food and have a Western lifestyle.

Eating a full "Pad Grapao lae Kai daew" in a roadside restaurant costed 20 Baht (0.60 Euro).

 

But as I grew older and my Health started to go downhill, life in Thailand became less enjoyable.
Also, the cost of living became very expensive for me.
I needed to go frequently to a doctor visit at the hospital and I was feed a lot of medication.

Daily tasks became a burden to me.

 

What made me decide to leave Thailand?

1. In 2022, I got the message of my doctor at the hospital that my Kidney function was degradating very fast and that I would soon need to start to do a Kidney Dialysis. The cost of this would be a very big junk of my income.

 

2. The level of corruption at Immigration and other departments started to become a burden. At the age of 70, I am not keen to run around for every "requirement on the spot" of the immigration officers. I thought that thai people had more egard for the elderly.

3. The oncoming changes and requirements for foreigners who were staying more than 180 days in Thailand was a "NO" for me. New taxation rules, taxation on my foreign income and a message of my bank in Belgium warning me that they had send the documents about my "Wealth" that were asked by Thailand was the "Final Straw" for me.

4. I was residing in Thailand on a Retirement Visa, type "O". This type of Visa did not require to show a Health Insurance. But Immigration was changing the rules and there were remours that they would require a Health Insurance on this type of Visa as well. Which insurance company would be willing to write a health Insurance for a 70 year old men with a medical history of a Stroke, a Heart failure, a Pacemaker implant, recent surgery for an AAA, and Kidney failure?
Yes, paying a very high Insurance price which at the end would mean nothing as every little thing could be connected to existing diseases.

I went back to Europe.

I chosed Spain because it is my country of birth, the nice weather and benefit the (almost) free healthcare as an EU citizen, Besides healthcare, I have other benefits in Spain by being a 65+ citizen.

I will reside here 179 days in a year, to avoid being taxed and do trips to other countries as long a I can.
As an EU citizen, I am entitled to the EU health insurance which repatriate me in case of an accident.
If I have an accident or need hosptal care, but can not be transported, the EU healthcare will sponsor my hospital bill.

It is maybe not the most perfect choice, but for the moment it is the best option.

Point 4 is Fake news.....

[Guderian]

10 hours ago, Confuscious said:

I went back to Europe.

I chosed Spain because it is my country of birth, the nice weather

 

Lucky you. A warm, sunny climate is very important to me, but returning home is definitely not an attractive option... lol

 

[Caldera]

Spain seems like a good choice for an EU citizen wishing to return to Europe, best of luck to you there.

[john donson]

spain, what part?  the flooded from in the news?

 

not too much arabs and blacks? being so close to africa?

[Thingamabob]

1 hour ago, ujayujay said:

Point 4 is Fake news.....

Point 3 also.

[Toby1947]

6 hours ago, GypsyT said:

Every country has their own rules re emergency flights. Some has co-pay ceiling like 1500 Euros dep on income.

It used to be free in some countries but maybe non has that now?

 

When you transfer health insurance it cover same as natives get in national hospitals. Privates do not need to honor but many do.

Spain and Portugal have very good policies.

 

 

13 hours ago, Confuscious said:

 

Living in Thailand was never my first choice, but Thailand was a nice country to live in.
Everything was dirty cheap, unless you wanted to keep eating Western food and have a Western lifestyle.

Eating a full "Pad Grapao lae Kai daew" in a roadside restaurant costed 20 Baht (0.60 Euro).

 

But as I grew older and my Health started to go downhill, life in Thailand became less enjoyable.
Also, the cost of living became very expensive for me.
I needed to go frequently to a doctor visit at the hospital and I was feed a lot of medication.

Daily tasks became a burden to me.

 

What made me decide to leave Thailand?

1. In 2022, I got the message of my doctor at the hospital that my Kidney function was degradating very fast and that I would soon need to start to do a Kidney Dialysis. The cost of this would be a very big junk of my income.

 

2. The level of corruption at Immigration and other departments started to become a burden. At the age of 70, I am not keen to run around for every "requirement on the spot" of the immigration officers. I thought that thai people had more egard for the elderly.

3. The oncoming changes and requirements for foreigners who were staying more than 180 days in Thailand was a "NO" for me. New taxation rules, taxation on my foreign income and a message of my bank in Belgium warning me that they had send the documents about my "Wealth" that were asked by Thailand was the "Final Straw" for me.

4. I was residing in Thailand on a Retirement Visa, type "O". This type of Visa did not require to show a Health Insurance. But Immigration was changing the rules and there were remours that they would require a Health Insurance on this type of Visa as well. Which insurance company would be willing to write a health Insurance for a 70 year old men with a medical history of a Stroke, a Heart failure, a Pacemaker implant, recent surgery for an AAA, and Kidney failure?
Yes, paying a very high Insurance price which at the end would mean nothing as every little thing could be connected to existing diseases.

I went back to Europe.

I chosed Spain because it is my country of birth, the nice weather and benefit the (almost) free healthcare as an EU citizen, Besides healthcare, I have other benefits in Spain by being a 65+ citizen.

I will reside here 179 days in a year, to avoid being taxed and do trips to other countries as long a I can.
As an EU citizen, I am entitled to the EU health insurance which repatriate me in case of an accident.
If I have an accident or need hosptal care, but can not be transported, the EU healthcare will sponsor my hospital bill.

It is maybe not the most perfect choice, but for the moment it is the best option.

Another sponger going home, Thailand is full of them 

[FruitPudding]

10 minutes ago, Toby1947 said:

 

Another sponger going home, Thailand is full of them 

 

How is he a sponger?

 

It isn't even possible to sponge in Thailand,  lol.

[FlorC]

14 hours ago, Confuscious said:

3. The oncoming changes and requirements for foreigners who were staying more than 180 days in Thailand was a "NO" for me. New taxation rules, taxation on my foreign income and a message of my bank in Belgium warning me that they had send the documents about my "Wealth" that were asked by Thailand was the "Final Straw" for me.

How do they know about your bank in belgium ? From sending money though them to thailand ?

You can have several banks in belgium or else where. 1 bank is not going to know your wealth, just what is on your account there. 

Did your bank give them all the information or just your income deposited at their bank ? Which belgian bank ?

[FruitPudding]

Good luck in Spain!

 

To be honest, if I were your age and in your situation, I'd be in Europe too, maybe Spain, Greece, or France.

 

What's LOS got for you? Thailand's golden age is over. It's just downhill from here.

 

You can now enjoy good food, wine, clean beaches and genuinely nice human beings.

[saakura]

Thailand has come a long way from 30-40 years ago when it was a heaven for westerners. With the growing affluence of Asian countries and the decline in the Western economies, the tables have turned. Pensioners and economic refugees from Western nations can no longer feel like royalty as before. It was inevitable.

[edwardflory]

Living in Thailand is what you make of it, what your lifestyle is, and your LOCATION.

 

Been here 12 years, ( I'm 80 ) as a "virgin" I made many mistakes, mostly finding a place to live in comfort. I have, in the past, lived in a furnished room @ 5000bt monthly, a furnished condo 7000bt monthly, a hotel ( very clean, but small room ) 5000bt monthly, paying extra for all utilities in each location.. I now have a 2BR house with fenced yard and veggie garden in gated community.( unfurnished -10,000bt spent on furniture at move in, added furniture and household goods as desired - oven, pots, pans,  big refrigerator , 2 TV's microwave and etc. ) 4500bt monthly.

Location is great, 4 major stores 10 minutes, Immigration 15 minutes, 7-11 10 minutes, 3 mom & pop stores 5 to 10 minutes, fishing lake 3 minutes from the front door.  I pay the utilities. 3 years no rental increase - landlord 2 minutes away - the 2 problems I had, landlord fixed same day reported.

[save the frogs]

Irish vlogger, has been in Thailand 12 years, married and has a son in Thailand. He's getting tired of the visa bureaucracy. And sounds like if he had known he would have gone to Spain instead. If I had an EU passport, I would also prefer southern Europe. 

 

 

 

[still kicking]

6 hours ago, Guderian said:

 

Lucky you. A warm, sunny climate is very important to me, but returning home is definitely not an attractive option... lol

 

Verry funny I don't live in Thailand our average temp is about 32

[Confuscious]

50 minutes ago, FruitPudding said:

Good luck in Spain!

 

To be honest, if I were your age and in your situation, I'd be in Europe too, maybe Spain, Greece, or France.

 

What's LOS got for you? Thailand's golden age is over. It's just downhill from here.

 

You can now enjoy good food, wine, clean beaches and genuinely nice human beings.

Yes, I regret not having left Thailand before.

Spain is great.

[Confuscious]

2 hours ago, FlorC said:

How do they know about your bank in belgium ? From sending money though them to thailand ?

You can have several banks in belgium or else where. 1 bank is not going to know your wealth, just what is on your account there. 

Did your bank give them all the information or just your income deposited at their bank ? Which belgian bank ?

This was discussed in a previous thread.
No need to go trough everything again (which is irrelevant to this thread).