It's total rubbish which is why I can only manage max 3 months for my wife's sake. Corrupt,too hot, dangerous roads , bad air, polluted seas, and sexpats and sex tourists and forums of angry old men bitter at being marooned there. Rubbish masquearding as Kultur - hand me a gun !

Edited to say rubbish - again.

Edited May 6May 6 by beautifulthailand99
It's rubbish

President Donald J. Trump ✅ @realDonaldTrump

I look at these people—the "expats" on the ASEAN Now forums—and it’s very sad. Truly pathetic. These are losers, folks. Total losers! They couldn’t make it in America, so they run away to a place where the exchange rate makes them feel rich. But they aren't rich. They’re living in 30-meter "studios" with a hot plate. Disgusting!

I’ve seen the forums. "ThaiVisa," whatever they call it now. A bunch of low-IQ individuals crying about the price of a mango. "Oh, the immigration office was mean to me today!" Guess what? If you weren't a loser, you’d be here in the Greatest Country on Earth, not begging for a retirement visa in a place that treats you like a second-class citizen!

And let’s talk about the HUGE debt they owe us. We spent billions, trillions, in that part of the world during the Vietnam War. We built the roads, we built the bases—we basically built the whole country! And now they want to charge our people "Farang prices"? No way! I want a full refund for the Vietnam War plus interest. We’re going to put a 100% tariff on every Singha beer until the debt is paid in full!

You see these guys sitting in the bars at 10 A.M. with their little tank tops and their "motorcycle" girlfriends. It’s a mess. A total disaster. They’re losers who forgot how to win. I like people who didn't get stuck in a Jomtien traffic jam for thirty years.

We’re building the Wall, we’re keeping our money, and we’re staying in Florida. You can keep the spicy food and the 90-day reports. America First! The losers can stay in Pattaya! 🇺🇸 🦅 #AmericaFirst #NoMoreLosers #VietnamRefund

6 hours ago, Hummin said:

I feel the pristine beach experience, with clear azure-blue and green water, is mostly a thing of the past. If you are lucky enough to find it in Thailand, it often comes with add-ons you neither need nor want.

The cheapest nice places are often crowded with people you do not really want to hang around: people smoking, partying all night until early morning, and treating the place like their private playground.

Then you have the so-called environmentalists, who talk about saving the planet, eat vegetables, smoke weed, and use other chemicals, while leaving noise, waste, and chaos behind them.

The mainland has quiet nice beaches. Miles and miles of them.

1 hour ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

President Donald J. Trump ✅ @realDonaldTrump

I look at these people—the "expats" on the ASEAN Now forums—and it’s very sad. Truly pathetic. These are losers, folks. Total losers! They couldn’t make it in America, so they run away to a place where the exchange rate makes them feel rich. But they aren't rich. They’re living in 30-meter "studios" with a hot plate. Disgusting!

I’ve seen the forums. "ThaiVisa," whatever they call it now. A bunch of low-IQ individuals crying about the price of a mango. "Oh, the immigration office was mean to me today!" Guess what? If you weren't a loser, you’d be here in the Greatest Country on Earth, not begging for a retirement visa in a place that treats you like a second-class citizen!

And let’s talk about the HUGE debt they owe us. We spent billions, trillions, in that part of the world during the Vietnam War. We built the roads, we built the bases—we basically built the whole country! And now they want to charge our people "Farang prices"? No way! I want a full refund for the Vietnam War plus interest. We’re going to put a 100% tariff on every Singha beer until the debt is paid in full!

You see these guys sitting in the bars at 10 A.M. with their little tank tops and their "motorcycle" girlfriends. It’s a mess. A total disaster. They’re losers who forgot how to win. I like people who didn't get stuck in a Jomtien traffic jam for thirty years.

We’re building the Wall, we’re keeping our money, and we’re staying in Florida. You can keep the spicy food and the 90-day reports. America First! The losers can stay in Pattaya! 🇺🇸 🦅 #AmericaFirst #NoMoreLosers #VietnamRefund

Fantastic give us more Trump

7 hours ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

There are many quiet beaches in Phuket.

It has 95 kms of accessible beaches so it shows you have not been to any of the many quiet ones as is the case for many tourists who visit the island.

It ⅓ the size of Greater London, in other words it is huge but for some reason many tourists stick to only some parts of the island thus a false impression is created.

Which are the quiet beaches?

1 hour ago, save the frogs said:

The water is blue enough for me.

What other aspect of your life is "pristine" and "perfect"?

Look at Mick Jagger's face. It's not perfect. It's rough and twisted.

That's how life is, man. Rough and twisted.

Pure nature is pristine. When you feel it, you know it.

Most people can see that it is nice, beautiful, even impressive. But I am not sure everyone truly feels it.

To feel it is something else. It is not just looking at a view and saying, “That is beautiful.

16 hours ago, Presnock said:

well, of course in those days, we were a lot younger too with different attitude about life! IMHO anyway.

For sure, however I still feel Thailand was a very different place then compared to today.

1 hour ago, Thingamabob said:

For sure, however I still feel Thailand was a very different place then compared to today.

like I mentioned too, most places are very different today that even a decade ago and more so the longer ago we may have been there. In any case, as I too mentioned, I still think Thailand is a paradise.

On 5/4/2026 at 1:46 AM, Rockyroad said:

Malaysian would be more expensive but visas are better. I find Thailand very cheap. Japan is expensive.

The baht has been weaker this year. The visas are the issue.

Never been to Philippines but AI says this

• Philippines: Allows 30 days visa-free, but it is exceptionally easy to extend this repeatedly at immigration offices for up to 36 months without leaving the country.

3 years easy peasy sounds amazing.

Yeah, you should try that.

I've been coming to Thailand for years and I can see elements of truth in both perspectives.

I don't think Thailand has suddenly become a bad place to live, far from it. The quality of life, convenience, food, healthcare and overall day-to-day enjoyment are still major positives compared with many countries.

For me, the biggest factor isn't whether Thailand is better or worse than it was 10 or 20 years ago. It's whether your personal situation matches what Thailand is today. Someone with a stable visa, adequate income and realistic expectations will probably have a very different experience from someone relying on loopholes or constantly trying to minimise costs.

I also think many long-term expats naturally compare Thailand not only to other countries, but to their own memories. Sometimes the country changes, sometimes we change, and often it's a bit of both.

I'd be interested to hear from people who moved here in the last 2–3 years rather than 20 years ago. Do they see the same issues, or do they view Thailand very differently?

On a related note, has anyone here spent time doing one of the fitness or wellness focused stays in Phuket? With the growth of fitness camps, Muay Thai training, and health retreats, I'm curious whether they're attracting a different type of long-term visitor compared with the traditional retiree or expat crowd.