What Would Make You Leave Thailand, Permanently?

[short-Timer]

55 minutes ago, Hummin said:

You prove yourself who you are, no doubt nobody can or want to be with you

Wow, thank you for your emotional outbursts. I'm laughing myself pretty hard. Can you do more please?

[short-Timer]

29 minutes ago, still kicking said:

Well, smoking weed does that.

Walking down Soi Nana and watching the scene there does it too. Just seeing all the train-wrecks, on both sides. It's a hoot. 

[Hummin]

3 minutes ago, short-Timer said:

Wow, thank you for your emotional outbursts. I'm laughing myself pretty hard. Can you do more please?

Oh my, ZZZZ 

[still kicking]

1 minute ago, short-Timer said:

Walking down Soi Nana and watching the scene there does it too. Just seeing all the train-wrecks, on both sides. It's a hoot. 

Why posting on AN if you hate Thailand?

[short-Timer]

Just now, Hummin said:

Oh my, ZZZZ 

short-Timer - laughing - Score: +2

Hummin - furious - Score -2

[short-Timer]

3 minutes ago, still kicking said:

Why posting on AN if you hate Thailand?

Are you pissed? You should check out that Nana scene for yourself. Bring your wife. She'll love it. 

[still kicking]

1 minute ago, short-Timer said:

Are you pissed?

You must be repeating my post

[GinBoy2]

Boredom to be honest

 

I'd retired too early at 55, and after a few years I was bored outta my skull, only so many books you can read, TV to watch and I don't play golf!

 

I tried to volunteer to teach English at the local HS, but of course ran into  the Thai only thing, wasn't looking to get paid, which I think is the definition of 'work'

 

My wife was already piss$$ed off with her job, a women engineer  in Thailand who's smarter than the guys is always a problem

 

So we figured it was time to go

 

Still enjoy our time there, now as tourists couple of times a year

[Harrisfan]

5 hours ago, still kicking said:

I live on the pension in OZ. I pay only 480 AUD per fortnight for a 2-bedroom unit. I lived in Thailand for many years, but moved back some years ago, and had nothing to move back to, but having a ball now.

Having a ball? Story keeps changing.

[daveAustin]

20 hours ago, KhaoHom said:

You are awarded the most retarded, speculative post of the morning.

 

Enjoy your coffee

CCP stooge by the looks. Anyone who sides with them and the orcs has issues.
 

Should think major long-term visa changes would be the clincher for many, but been hearing that since forever. 

[KhunLA]

19 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

CCP stooge by the looks. Anyone who sides with them and the orcs has issues
 

Should think major long-term visa changes would be the clincher for many, but been hearing that since forever. 

The same could be said about those aligning themselves with the USA.  Following them into silly regime changes & wars this century alone that have benefitted nobody but the defense contractors, while killing ~1M, and displacing 10+X more.

 

Agree, heard of the Thai doom & gloom, for past 25 yrs, and absolutely nothing has changed  IMHO   Established rules simply enforced, due to folks taking advantage when they were a bit more lacks.

 

Som nam naa, as we see that now with the weed regulations.

 

Only real change, for the negative, IMHO, is the 4 fold arrivals of tourist, from <10M in 2000, to shy of 40M, 2018 / 2019 & 35+M again in 2024.   That and the rising middle class, and everyone owning cars or trucks.  Making the metro & tourist areas way too congested.

[save the frogs]

16 hours ago, Hummin said:

Marriage the best thing that happened to me in my life, what your reasons for choosing dying alone, can we only speculating about. 

 

Marriage is good in many ways, if you have a good partner.

But can also complicate your life. You can't just pick up and leave. 

Every decision is for both people, or if you have a child, the whole family.

And you can see some people on here who have very complicated lives, with a divorce and then bouncing the child across the planet for a better education ....

Goals have to be aligned ... maybe much simpler for people who stay in their home countries their whole lives. 

 

[Harrisfan]

4 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

 

Marriage is good in many ways, if you have a good partner.

But can also complicate your life. You can't just pick up and leave. 

Every decision is for both people, or if you have a child, the whole family.

And you can see some people on here who have very complicated lives, with a divorce and then bouncing the child across the planet for a better education ....

Goals have to be aligned ... maybe much simpler for people who stay in their home countries their whole lives. 

 

Boring to stay in 1 country. 

[simon43]

19 hours ago, save the frogs said:

paying a nurse here might be cheaper than retirement home in home country. 

It's free in my home country..

[save the frogs]

10 hours ago, Harrisfan said:

Boring to stay in 1 country. 

 

that's why we're all here isn't it? 

 

[save the frogs]

10 hours ago, simon43 said:

It's free in my home country..

 

I might go back too when I'm really old.

Not sure I want to risk bankruptcy with exorbitant medical expenses. 

 

[KhunLA]

7 minutes ago, Harrisfan said:

Boring to stay in 1 country. 

Yes, and 25 adult years in USA was more than enough, especially when one gets O&A quite often.   Even them, I did miss a few things, mainly a couple famous Nat'l Parks.

 

Most Yanks don't have the free time & finances to take advantage of all that the USA offers.  Not necessarily a bad thing, as most live within a few 100 kms of a coastline, so get to experience a diverse local environment.

[KhaoHom]

41 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

The same could be said about those aligning themselves with the USA.  Following them into silly regime changes & wars this century alone that have benefitted nobody but the defense contractors, while killing ~1M, and displacing 10+X more.

 

Agree, heard of the Thai doom & gloom, for past 25 yrs, and absolutely nothing has changed  IMHO   Established rules simply enforced, due to folks taking advantage when they were a bit more lacks.

 

Som nam naa, as we see that now with the weed regulations.

 

Only real change, for the negative, IMHO, is the 4 fold arrivals of tourist, from <10M in 2000, to shy of 40M, 2018 / 2019 & 35+M again in 2024.   That and the rising middle class, and everyone owning cars or trucks.  Making the metro & tourist areas way too congested.

 

I think the changes are largely indirect. For instance, the tightening of bank requirements. The scrutiny of immigration at entry points and entry exit rules. Taxes will come into mix just wait and see

 

At CW some good things too... 90 day online, queing system more civilized, seemingly less pickiness from IOs, pu extension w/o showing photocopy of balance, processing is a bit more streamlined. About five years back lots of arbitrariness.

 

The thing I can't get over is why they won't go to multi year extension for family extension at least. Two year for 5+ years, 3 years 10+ and five year for 15+ marriages 👍. I think the concern is they want to check deposits...

 

Thailand doesn't court it's expat community. It's very indifferent at best. That needs to change. The average Thai has no savings and is in debt. Each legal expat is backed by min 400k banked and probably a monthly spend of at least 25k.

 

It all needs to move online as well.

[henryford1958]

The obvious thing is the visa situation. If they raised the 800k to 2 million or brought in compulsory health insurance, then it's hello Cambodia.

 

Or making weed legal, oh wait they have done that already.

[KhaoHom]

8 minutes ago, henryford1958 said:

The obvious thing is the visa situation. If they raised the 800k to 2 million or brought in compulsory health insurance, then it's hello Cambodia

 

That would be absolutely fatal. No one is going to park 2m thb simply to live in this broken country.

 

On 2M/60k USD that's a loss of about 2,500usd per year on simple interest. That's close to the minimum monthly wage of Thailand per month in lost interest. In other words, poor Thais could and do live on the amount that would be lost in simple interest alone.

 

It's also probably a years auto insurance premium and a huge chunk of a private health insurance policy.

 

There would be such a hard exodus that the only people left would be characterized as total losers simply because staying would be characterized as such a stupid move.

 

What's more there would be such acrimony that the only people that might return would be those with family. I don't see any retirees that would want to do a 6/6 after getting the boot. Too much bitterness

[StayinThailand2much]

On 7/16/2025 at 6:21 AM, KhaoHom said:

1 Debanking sure

 

Yes, K-Bank freezing both, my bank account and debit card may very soon force me to leave with all my (stored) belongings and cash for good. (Currently trying to figure out alternative banking options.)

[mstevens]

For me, the reason to leave would be a change of that which made me move to Thailand in the first place. In my case, that was a combination of my own country being rather boring and very expensive while Thailand was much more exciting with more to do and had the advantage of a much lower cost of living. If those things flipped, then I'd look at returning. The odds of that happening though, are highly unlikely!

If the visa rules became so difficult to meet then, obviously, I think many of us would (be forced to) leave. But, again, I don't see that happening.

[KhaoHom]

5 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

Boredom to be honest

 

I'd retired too early at 55, and after a few years I was bored outta my skull, only so many books you can read, TV to watch and I don't play golf!

 

I tried to volunteer to teach English at the local HS, but of course ran into  the Thai only thing, wasn't looking to get paid, which I think is the definition of 'work'

 

My wife was already piss$$ed off with her job, a women engineer  in Thailand who's smarter than the guys is always a problem

 

So we figured it was time to go

 

Still enjoy our time there, now as tourists couple of times a year

 

So you couldn't adjust and you married an equally problematic woman. Perfect

 

Got it

[Grumpy one]

Living next door to malcomb b

[Gottfrid]

On 7/16/2025 at 6:29 AM, SoCal1990 said:

Curious though what others think would be the final straw that sends one packing after deciding to remain in Thailand for the duration.

Reading too many of your useless topics on AN

[Patong2021]

On 7/15/2025 at 10:33 PM, Stocky said:

Why? There are western expats currently living and working in China, not all westerners are fearful of the Sinosphere.

 

Then they are  stupid or blinded by greed.

 

[Stocky]

1 hour ago, Patong2021 said:

 

Then they are  stupid or blinded by greed.

 

Or perhaps just not brainwashed by the "capitalist good, communist bad" propaganda of the west. 

[Photoguy21]

For me it would be if I had to listen to some of the idiotic comments here all day. Fortunately I have an exit switch (called tab close)

[piston broke]

death .....

[Patong2021]

10 hours ago, Stocky said:

Or perhaps just not brainwashed by the "capitalist good, communist bad" propaganda of the west. 

 

No. Some of us have worked in China, or have invested there. Others have family histories. There are many  positive aspects about Chinese culture and China. Unfortunately, the state itself is much like an all consuming parasite that eventually kills its host. Wherever, modern China goes it leaves behind a trail of catastrophic environmental destruction, and has  little regard for the rights or needs of the individual. It is a nation that is corrupt to the core and where position and rank carries  undue influence.