How Many Thailand Based Expats Plan On Returning Home

[Jingthing]

Planning to stay, hit hard by the meltdown, but you know what they say, the best laid plans of mice and men ...

Edited February 24, 2009 by Jingthing

[PhilHarries]

do you think the planes are full because the airlines cut back the number of flights?as i posted before,someone had remarked that phuket was very busy now.

Not for those routes and certainly not for direct BKK - LHR flights. I can't say if any of the routes running via the middle east or Europe have been cut though.

Interestingly enough while I was in Thailand I booked a couple of flights to Viet Nam for end first week March. BKK to SGN was not a problem but the internal SGN to DAD (Da Nang) was fully booked and I had to reserve a seat in business. Waste of a business class ticket, flight is only an hour and a half barely enough time for a decent G&T.

[Alwaysright]

Well I flew back last week on a Thai Airways flight, fully booked and it was the most expensive flight I have ever taken.

Also the biggest queues I have ever seen at immigration. So it all depends on when you arrive

Tony

Same here, a couple of weeks back flew Seoul - Bangkok - London and back. All the planes were as close to 100% as I could tell and immigration at Suvarnabhumi whilst not the biggest queues I've seen were close.

Currently I am working out of Seoul but due to cutbacks will not be transferring to site as planned so will be out of work come end April. If I get a new contract by then I'll go where ever that work is (but not UK for tax reasons) if not I'll return to Thailand. My money will go a whole lot further there than virtually anyplace else, I am comfortable there, I can still be available for work via the internet and I can fly direct BKK to virtually anyplace I will need to.

do you think the planes are full because the airlines cut back the number of flights?as i posted before,someone had remarked that phuket was very busy now.

I am retired,recession,inflation ,exchange proof, party time.Going no where fast.

[thaimate]

just returned from three weeks holiday ,loved seeing the familly. but go back to live .i would prefere to have hot pokers pushed up my bottom. well my wifes bottom anyway.

[loong]

Life is not looking so good as it was. At 50 Baht to the pound, I'm ok, but if it dropped to something like 35, I'm unlikely to be able to stay here and take care of the family.

Rental income from my property in UK plus my investments used to be ample for a good life here, but now my rental income has dropped by 30% effectively due to the weakness of the pound and a lot of my investments are now almost worthless!

I'm hanging in there at the moment, but if things get worse, then the decision will be made for me. Thailand may be cheap, but is not so much fun without cash.

[neverdie]

Not going anywhere, like it here.

dam_n, I was hoping you would leave Cro and I could of babysat your bikes whilst you were away .

I will be leaving as soon as the US Govt calls me and asks me to come and take control of the world, until then I'll just sit back and watch the sun set

[DC1066]

Can't think of anywhere I'd rather be, so I'm staying until they run me out. Well when I die the wife is going to have me cremated and dump my ashes in the ocean so I can do some more traveling, will leave then.

A great philosophy.

Not that I'm planning on going anywhere soon, but might just have to follow the ocean scattering myself. Just need to remember to tell the wife to check which way the wind is blowing before she opens the lid.

[henryalleman]

Despite the strong Baht, I will move up to retire in Thailand on 23 of April. I will only wait to buy a car till the rate is better, or buying an DMax instead of an MU7.

[girlx]

actually i was planning to move back to new york this month but the bad economy is preventing that (no jobs there currently and apparently everyone is depressed)... so since all my plans have gone down the toilet i am not sure what to do next! i don't like living in bangkok (miss nature/animals/etc.) but have done the islands... so still trying to figure out a place with low cost of living to ride out the recession in, where i can get legal work if i run out of my normal work (freelancing for US companies). not sure if thailand is that place... but will see...

Thailand may be cheap, but is not so much fun without cash.

i do know that i would rather be poor here than poor in the states though!

Edited February 24, 2009 by girlx

[mommysboy]

I will do my best to stick it out in the LOS. What are others planning?

Made the sad decision to leave, economic factors being uppermost, then health, and even beginning to feel a bit unsafe. Not expecting it to be much better economically anywhere else but at lleast there is a safety net in Blighty.

I suspect there are going to be riots soon.

All this wouldn't matter a jot but I'm just not making money and life isn't getting any cheaper that's for sure.

[Maigo6]

Well I for one will be returning home at the end of this contract. That is likely to be either the end of May this year or May 2010.

However as I am working in New Zealand and my family is in Thailand, then that is where I will be heading back to, near Khampaeng Phet and hopefully never to leave again. :D

Good luck Bill, you're of the few posters here that are actually positive about the future, and also enjoy your time in Thailand.

Hope you can retire and have a good few years in the bank mate...

[Maigo6]

Life is not looking so good as it was. At 50 Baht to the pound, I'm ok, but if it dropped to something like 35, I'm unlikely to be able to stay here and take care of the family.

Rental income from my property in UK plus my investments used to be ample for a good life here, but now my rental income has dropped by 30% effectively due to the weakness of the pound and a lot of my investments are now almost worthless!

I'm hanging in there at the moment, but if things get worse, then the decision will be made for me. Thailand may be cheap, but is not so much fun without cash.

I've seen the rate in the 30's for a UK Pound when it was 25 for a US Dollar, way back when...........

Hope you can get through it Loong, these rates won't last forever, just hang in there...

Edited February 24, 2009 by Maigo6

[yabaaaa]

Not going anywhere, like it here.

Cro what on earth possessed u in 2007 BMW????

[najman]

This reply is not targetted at the OP or anyone in particular. Just at some ideas I see lurking around. So far I see no one leaving.

I don't even understand why some one would want to leave. I'm trying hard to get back there

I went to thailand during all the protests at government house and all this talk about "thailand's not the same" "soon they will kick us out" blah blah blah.

I had the best time when I was in thailand and never felt at any point treatened by what was happening in the politics and world economy. I have thai friends in Bkk and asked them did they see anything in Bkk about the protests and did it affect their lives at all. I knew their answer already "No"

I think people watch too much news and listen to all the . It keeps tourists away needlessly. Thailand is one of the most fun, cheapest and affodable holidays you can possibly have over the whole world. So any drop in visitors is simply a lack of promotion. And too much bad PR generated by the media. They wont be reporting have much fun the majority are having in Thailand... too boring. People will always go on holidays in their own country. It's actually cheaper to have a 2-4 week holiday in thailand than their own country.

There is so much to see and do in thailand and will always be that way for many many years to come. Unless people run out of money all together or lose interested in seeing new places and amazing cultures, thailand will always be a great destination. Even communist countries such as Vietnam have great attractions and are very popular.

The way some people talk about thailand and immigration toughening up makes it sound scary. Truth is how many real tourists were rejected? none that i know of and is so unlikely to ever happen you may as well sit at home and worry about china invading the world, a meteor wiping out most of Earths population or something equally pointless to worry about.

As for the economy, yes it's declining rapidly but doesnt mean it has to affect you too much. There are plenty of other businesses to look into, other ways to invest your money etc. Life is about changing with the times and when you do you have less chance of failing. Even if your money is decreasing and you are doing nothing to change that fact, if there is one country in the world you can live affordably - it's thailand. How many other places can you live comfortably for under $1000 or even $600 a month. You would certainly have a better lifestyle with the same amount of money in thailand as your own country.

All this talk about leaving thailand is over the top. If people want to leave - let them leave. But why let them rant on about how bad Thailand is when so many others don't see it that way at all.

Some people like to complain about all the problems in their life and like to spread how bad everything is. Well from what I see Thailand treats those the way they are treated. If you go around complaining and looking grumpy about everything there's no surprize you would start getting the feeling people around you want you to leave. I never once felt like that when i was there.

I've heard bangkok is getting nastier, yet when i was there I felt the service was great in most places. Better than Australia yet Australia is known as one of the freindliest places in the world. I was giving and receiving plenty of smiles.

If you go around expecting people to treat you badly then thats what you would get. If you go around in a friendly manner expecting people to be nice then the majority will. No matter where you are in the world. I don't like to see people affected by the thoughts and rants of pesimistic people. It;s such a small percentage it's not worth the attention. The country would need to get 10 times worse before I started looking at another destination.

So in summary I know the economy is affecting people and their lifestyle. It's doing that in most countries. You can either go effect of it or make some changes to put yourself in a better position. Afterall it is the hard working people of the world that imporves the conditions we live in and we'll be the ones picking up the pieces the bankers and governments have left behind. There will always be something we can do about it though.

I don't see why there could be any real reason for mass leaving of thailand by expats or anyone else. Perhaps we just like to moan about somthing when times get a little tougher. It would only be tougher somewhere else from what I can see.

[Kan Win]

maybe the mods could add in a poll?

Hi "Boater", your wish has been granted.

Okeydokey, I am a Pole and will stay here forever and ever.

Yours truly,

Kan Win

[jellymeister]

someone said phuket was booming.

So is Kabul.....

[samuibeachcomber]

najman good post,very positive.I think though alot of the people worrying are people who live in thailand and maybe have lived here many years and maybe going through hard times business wise,or older people retired here on a fixed pension.people see problems through different eyes and sometimes age has a lot to do with it.but its nice to read positive thoughts such as the one you posted.

[Newguy70]

Nice post NAJ... I, myself cannot wait to return for good, attempting to sell my home in US (Will take some time : )

I can see as posted prior, if you are running a business how things could start to look a little grimm. However, I think if you had a chance to fatten up during the good times, then you should be able to weather the storm.

[mommysboy]

najman- you're the one ranting surely?

Ok it's good to be positive, but then there is reality to consider!

I guess it's really how much dosh you have, and if you don't have steady funds whether you're ultimately prepared to live the 'Thai way'.

Australia has a good welfare system, thus even in harsh economic times it's easier to retain youthful idylls. Now that's all to the well and good my friend if you are young, and I hope that is the case with you. If you get ill out here it costs big time, then if you are married and have kids, costs escalate like nothing else. So life becomes a struggle, take away the LOS feel good factor due to the strife and economic problems, then there's the pollution which can make you ill. Get the pic chum!! You see this thread is about long term stayers, life is quite different.

No doubt in my mind Thailand has become a more difficult place to stay in, I mean just look at the visa rules now.

But I agree it surely still retains top place for value for money if you even just have a few thousand dollars.

As to your points about positive attitude, again that only cuts so far, of course confidence is important, but again you write from a very young perspective surely devoid of reality save for a few blissful teenage years.

[debbiev]

I'm actually trying to GET to Thailand. I live in Los Angeles and work in the film industry. I was just told the other day that I (along with about 80 out of 100) was laid off. Prior to that, for four weeks we had been strung along with no work (therefore no pay). All the while I've been trying to find a way to get back to Thailand to live. I've been there twice (one of the times was during the latest airport protests).

I keep wondering if I'm preparing to jump from the frying pan into the fire, but if there's no work in LA and I have to live on savings, it would go a heck of a lot farther in Thailand and I wouldn't have to deal with road rage every day. Not to mention, I could be spending time with my bf there.

So, my answer is...I'm not leaving, I'm coming!

[khunandy]

Got to be honest (not smug) ..I havent felt any adverse effects from any global downturn as yet. I will be staying in LOS and hopefully will never have to consider anything different, I love my life here and hope it all stays as it is.

I work offshore, always have and I imagine I will until I retire.

I pity anyone in Thailand or Oz (my country) who has gone out on a limb to borrow more than they should have.

[gunnyd]

Next month will be GONE. I am so over LOS... After a while back in the states will most likely retire to Cebu. Nice to live somewhere a foriegner is appreciated not just for his cash. No B.S. with visas owning property etc. etc.

Not to mention that if a person was sane with his/her money they are not in financial difficulty e.g. my house never re-financed, no credit card debt, money saved, health insurance, own car outright, then like me they can be comfortable in the US.

I have had enough Thailand for 100 lifetimes...

Flame Away

Daddy just needs to get home with the wifey and 2 beautiful babies.

Edited February 24, 2009 by gunnyd

[henryalleman]

I keep wondering if I'm preparing to jump from the frying pan into the fire, but if there's no work in LA and I have to live on savings, it would go a heck of a lot farther in Thailand and I wouldn't have to deal with road rage every day. Not to mention, I could be spending time with my bf there.

So, my answer is...I'm not leaving, I'm coming!

You are a woman with a great sense of humour, I wonder where you spend your holiday. Not in Bangkok, Chiang-Mai or Khon-khaen I presume.

[a99az]

Can't think of anywhere I'd rather be, so I'm staying until they run me out. Well when I die the wife is going to have me cremated and dump my ashes in the ocean so I can do some more traveling, will leave then.

A great philosophy.

Not that I'm planning on going anywhere soon, but might just have to follow the ocean scattering myself. Just need to remember to tell the wife to check which way the wind is blowing before she opens the lid.

That reminds me of a time we got a lady out on trip boat with the ashes of her late husband, she asked us to put them into the sea, we did and the wind took a turn and sent the ashes back over 80 people. oops Had to wash down the boat when we got back.

[a99az]

As for me and the family, wife and 1.5 kids (yes new baby due June) we have a home in C/M but we are in Spain working and trying to save some money. But want to come home to Thailand at the end of the year, just need to fine a job to keep things ticking over or I will have to go back to Spain to work sadly. GOT A JOB?

[BillyBobThai]

I will be here when the grim reaper comes looking.

[Ulysses G.]

Next month will be GONE. I am so over LOS... After a while back in the states will most likely retire to Cebu.

I can not believe that you prefer the Philipines to Thailand. Bring a BIG GUN!

[PattayaParent]

Next month will be GONE. I am so over LOS... After a while back in the states will most likely retire to Cebu. Nice to live somewhere a foriegner is appreciated not just for his cash. No B.S. with visas owning property etc. etc.

Not to mention that if a person was sane with his/her money they are not in financial difficulty e.g. my house never re-financed, no credit card debt, money saved, health insurance, own car outright, then like me they can be comfortable in the US.

I have had enough Thailand for 100 lifetimes...

Flame Away

Daddy just needs to get home with the wifey and 2 beautiful babies.

So they must have changed the law recently then as the property laws were teh same as Thailand when I lived there, and visas were slightly more lax than LOS.

But I couldn't go back to living in a third world country after the last 14 years in Thailand.

[billd766]

Well I for one will be returning home at the end of this contract. That is likely to be either the end of May this year or May 2010.

However as I am working in New Zealand and my family is in Thailand, then that is where I will be heading back to, near Khampaeng Phet and hopefully never to leave again. :D

Good luck Bill, you're of the few posters here that are actually positive about the future, and also enjoy your time in Thailand.

Hope you can retire and have a good few years in the bank mate...

Thanks Maigo

I try most of the time but there are times when my rose tinted glasses get covered in some of the brown stuff that comes off a few posts.

Then I look at my wife and son (only photos while I am in NZ) and realise how lucky I really am.

I will be back in June or July for either 3 weeks holiday or permanently if it goes pearshaped, but either way I will be happy.

:jerk:

[mark5335]

Staying so long as my work permit keeps getting renewed. Then if not, will probably continue to maintain my home here and look for work elsewhere in the region.