Has The Thai Political Crisis Made You Think About Leaving Thailand?

[Jingthing]

Then you can subtract 1 from the first category for me Jing. The crisis tipped the scale for me but in itself wasn't the sole reason.

Oh, sorry, another flawed poll. Aren't they all?

[RussellHantz]

Sweet jesus, the OP must be bored again.

[Jingthing]

Sweet jesus, the OP must be bored again.

Whatever. I figured I wasn't the only one thinking about leaving for the first time over this protracted mess. I don't want to leave of course, but there are limits.

[Lopburi99]

It was an informative poll nonetheless and thanks for running it. About 17% think the crisis is a major factor in the consideration of leaving, as I read it, and another 20% are expressing concern. That is higher than I expected actually. More than 1 in 3.

Edited April 29, 2010 by Lopburi99

[drdoom6996]

My 15 year old Thai daughter and I have considered leaving Thailand, but will probably stay as her mother lives here. I have sole custody from the Amphor in Banglamung. After living here for 23 years I have seen many changes to the country and the people. The best decision I have made was to get out of the city (Pattaya) and move about 25 kilometers away to Tambon Pong. We still are close enough to shop for items not available in the local community, but far enough away to not have to deal with the get as much as you can as quick as you can attitude (Thai's in the Resorts/Cities) and Farangs that only come for the nightlife and act as though they should have special rights because (I don't know why). Thailand still is and could remain the best place to live as an expat. Now, maybe you just have to look a little harder and in different places. Respectfull submitted As my humble thoughts on the subject.

[sbk]

I'm with villagefarang, been here half of my life (this year marks the halfway point ) and while I certainly have considered moving back to the US it has never been because of this.

[Jingthing]

I voted

I have thought about leaving. Keeping an open mind.

I wouldn't leave due to the crisis until/unless things totally turned to sheit and/or the new rulers kick us out.

Edited May 1, 2010 by Jingthing

[Thakkar]

<snip> I dislike the fact that no matter how long you are here, you are just a guest. <snip>

This has been my biggest peeve about living here.

And insult to injury: the 90 day reporting.

We're staying put for the time being, but have a plan 'B', keeping our options open.

[kratiam]

The crisis is concentrated in Bankok. Once you are out of BKK there is hardly a ripple. I suppose that could change, but so far that's the way it's been. I visited

the railway station in Khonkaen when the army train was "captured"...but there was no sense of crisis at all. Felt more like a carnival than a crisis.

Sounds like a quote from a tourist rather than an expat - how long have you lived here?

What an amazing thing to say. Are you suggesting that the crisis is NOT concentrated in BKK? I am no tourist..I live here, have wife, house, pickup truck et al.

I don't know what the length of time here has to do with it.....I stated what I see, feel and hear around me... no feeling of crisis, no blood in the street, life going on

as usual....ant you think that sounds like a tourist talking....do you prefer the usual exaggerated, hyperventilating BS we get on these threads every day from people who

never leave their air conditioned condos in Bankok and just feed on the hype from each other.? Well it is more exiting I suppose---bad news always sells...lets ramp it up.

Excellent riposte!! Well done.

[PhilHarries]

This has been my biggest peeve about living here.

And insult to injury: the 90 day reporting.

We're staying put for the time being, but have a plan 'B', keeping our options open.

The 90 day reporting has always been the rule, nothing to do with the current troubles.

Obviously people are split into two groups.

1. those that are settled in Thailand with family, home and other committments.

These people will stay until the Siam Rouge start forcing folks back to the rice paddies.

2. those that are semi settled, or planned on settling, in the country.

These people have the luxury of free choice.

I truely feel for the former as they have virtually no choice however bad it gets.

[Xangsamhua]

As one who should by age be retired (I'm not though), being regarded as a guest here is no problem. Observing the strange ways Thais get things done is also no problem. I feel sad that there is so much gullibility and yet so much mistrust also among Thai people, but they have to work that out. However, the current troubles have illuminated for me just how fragile law and order is in Thailand.

I lived for several years in a country that was engaged in civil war (though largely brought about and sustained by foreign intervention), but there wasn't the blatant lawlessness on the streets that we're seeing here. We were never checked at roadblocks by disaffected civilians, and had any tried to occupy public sites they wouldn't have tried it again.

It's this kind of thing that makes me think of leaving, though I doubt it will reach a critical point. I still have faith that "the Thai way" will bring about some resolution and that, over time, governments will realize they have to govern on behalf of all sectors of the population, not just their own backers.

[Thakkar]

Any TV members not yet in country scrapping their plans to move here as a result of these political conflicts and street demonstrations?

[Berkshire]

Not everywhere. Phuket has been over run with farangs for a long time (and some other places too) Far too much farang money thrown around. Far too many of the wrong kind of farangs. After spending time in a few of these places---Phuket, Huahin, Pattaya etc....I was not surprised that many Thais don't like us....many of us don't like us!!

I know lots of guys who live quiet respectable lives and have made friends in the Thai communities they live in. (myself included) They are well accepted and respected because they have earned it. You don't earn respect by showing off how rich you are, treating the locals like village idiots, or loud boorish behavior etc. Certainly some Thai's do not like some of us but I don't think this kind of sweeping generalization is helpful or accurate. I can think of one guy who is extremely well liked by the locals because he has learned to speak Thai quite well, takes good care of his family and is always polite and respectful to everyone.....but he does not have much money...in fact he lives a very frugal life because he is on some kind of disability pension. He has virtually no farang friends because he does not drink, or play golf...so in the ex-pat world that makes you an outcast I guess. The notion that all Thai's just like you for your money is just BS....and it may be part of the problem because that's how we seem to judge people, so many of us seem to assume it's the same for them. The most despised farang I have met drives a BMW and lives in a ridiculous house that he built for the sole purpose of "impressing" everybody...2 people living in a massive ugly, pretentious house....I think the novelty has worn off because now he is trying to sell it and move somewhere else to impress another local population...probably with an even bigger, even uglier house. The locals won't like him any more next time around because he is an arrogant, ignorant asshol_e and people don't like that regardless of where you come from or how much money you spread around. Thailand is not for everyone, and everyone is not suited to life in Thailand---obviously.

This is one of the best, more objective and level-headed comments I've read on these threads. You seem to have a pretty good bead on things.

To the other whining, miserable, malcontents populating these boards--you need to do your job better. What I mean to say is that there are so many unhappy farangs living in Thailand, threatening to leave, predicting this country is going down the toilet, the Titanic analogy and all that--YET, more farangs keep coming. More are coming than leaving. That's the freakin problem! We need more to leave than come. Because there are simply too many farangs in Thailand, and it's getting worse every year. I think the Thai's need to toughen the visa laws, make it more restrictive to own any sort of property, more dual-pricing, yea, that's the ticket. Because all you get with more farangs...is more whining! So please, if you are going to complain, at least do so effectively. At the moment, it's simply not working. No one is listening!

Please note heavy sarcasm.

[chrisll]

Not everywhere. Phuket has been over run with farangs for a long time (and some other places too) Far too much farang money thrown around. Far too many of the wrong kind of farangs. After spending time in a few of these places---Phuket, Huahin, Pattaya etc....I was not surprised that many Thais don't like us....many of us don't like us!!

I know lots of guys who live quiet respectable lives and have made friends in the Thai communities they live in. (myself included) They are well accepted and respected because they have earned it. You don't earn respect by showing off how rich you are, treating the locals like village idiots, or loud boorish behavior etc. Certainly some Thai's do not like some of us but I don't think this kind of sweeping generalization is helpful or accurate. I can think of one guy who is extremely well liked by the locals because he has learned to speak Thai quite well, takes good care of his family and is always polite and respectful to everyone.....but he does not have much money...in fact he lives a very frugal life because he is on some kind of disability pension. He has virtually no farang friends because he does not drink, or play golf...so in the ex-pat world that makes you an outcast I guess. The notion that all Thai's just like you for your money is just BS....and it may be part of the problem because that's how we seem to judge people, so many of us seem to assume it's the same for them. The most despised farang I have met drives a BMW and lives in a ridiculous house that he built for the sole purpose of "impressing" everybody...2 people living in a massive ugly, pretentious house....I think the novelty has worn off because now he is trying to sell it and move somewhere else to impress another local population...probably with an even bigger, even uglier house. The locals won't like him any more next time around because he is an arrogant, ignorant asshol_e and people don't like that regardless of where you come from or how much money you spread around. Thailand is not for everyone, and everyone is not suited to life in Thailand---obviously.

This is one of the best, more objective and level-headed comments I've read on these threads. You seem to have a pretty good bead on things.

To the other whining, miserable, malcontents populating these boards--you need to do your job better. What I mean to say is that there are so many unhappy farangs living in Thailand, threatening to leave, predicting this country is going down the toilet, the Titanic analogy and all that--YET, more farangs keep coming. More are coming than leaving. That's the freakin problem! We need more to leave than come. Because there are simply too many farangs in Thailand, and it's getting worse every year. I think the Thai's need to toughen the visa laws, make it more restrictive to own any sort of property, more dual-pricing, yea, that's the ticket. Because all you get with more farangs...is more whining! So please, if you are going to complain, at least do so effectively. At the moment, it's simply not working. No one is listening!

Please note heavy sarcasm.

nothing to do with the political crisis,its to do with the pan head farangs i meet out here and the thais aswell.looking at farangs who have been here a long time i just dont want to turn out like them ,thats why i want leave,

[Jim's_a_Thai_Fox]

I live in the north of Thailand, Lampang, and have not been affected in the slightest by this event or any others since (or before) the coup in '06. If my wife didn't watch the news and I didn't log on here, I would be none the wiser.... I suppose the same could be said for the same anywhere in the world - just how much does a change in government really affect you day to day?

I have just come back from Prachuap Kiri Khan, a trip of about 1900km and wasn't once inconvenienced by the red shirts.

Final point, those expats who have only ever lived in tourist areas get a pretty skewed version of Thailand and how it's populace thinks of you. I still find 99.9% of the people perfectly warm, friendly and agreeable. It is only when visited the toursity coastal towns, bangkok or chiang mai that I ever encounter Thai people whom I would call 'annoying'... and those people must be saturated with equally annoying farang visitors :-) (so, honours even in my book)

[ShreddedWheat]

Crisis, what crisis?

No its not made me think of leaving. I live in Chaiyaphum province and in the last 6 weeks have visited Nakon Sawan, Nong Khai, Udon Thani, Khon Kaen, Korat, Pattaya, & Ubon. Its been a busy few weeks with a lot of driving. Bangers is one of the places I've not visited in that period although I've passed the new airport while on my travels.

The only sign of any trouble has been the news reports. But clearly stuff has been going on because some people have lost their lives over this dispute.

But to my eyes there is nothing to indicate a country on the brink of civil war. Just a bit of "secondary picketing" like the UK had when the miners strike was on. Except the authorities are using guns instead of truncheons.

Edited May 4, 2010 by ShreddedWheat

[jayjay0]

The crisis is concentrated in Bankok. Once you are out of BKK there is hardly a ripple. I suppose that could change, but so far that's the way it's been. I visited

the railway station in Khonkaen when the army train was "captured"...but there was no sense of crisis at all. Felt more like a carnival than a crisis.

Even in BKK it is only seriously affecting certain areas. Where I live everything is normal. No matter what I would not have considered leaving over this... Grace

Well said

I live in Chiang Mai and have no fear what so ever. We in the west are raised in a over protected society and many of us have lost the ability to put things like this in proper perspective.

One of the reasons I like living here is I am allowed to live. Back in North America it is illegal to live you might hurt yourself so just exist.

[jayjay0]

Not everywhere. Phuket has been over run with farangs for a long time (and some other places too) Far too much farang money thrown around. Far too many of the wrong kind of farangs. After spending time in a few of these places---Phuket, Huahin, Pattaya etc....I was not surprised that many Thais don't like us....many of us don't like us!!

I know lots of guys who live quiet respectable lives and have made friends in the Thai communities they live in. (myself included) They are well accepted and respected because they have earned it. You don't earn respect by showing off how rich you are, treating the locals like village idiots, or loud boorish behavior etc. Certainly some Thai's do not like some of us but I don't think this kind of sweeping generalization is helpful or accurate. I can think of one guy who is extremely well liked by the locals because he has learned to speak Thai quite well, takes good care of his family and is always polite and respectful to everyone.....but he does not have much money...in fact he lives a very frugal life because he is on some kind of disability pension. He has virtually no farang friends because he does not drink, or play golf...so in the ex-pat world that makes you an outcast I guess. The notion that all Thai's just like you for your money is just BS....and it may be part of the problem because that's how we seem to judge people, so many of us seem to assume it's the same for them. The most despised farang I have met drives a BMW and lives in a ridiculous house that he built for the sole purpose of "impressing" everybody...2 people living in a massive ugly, pretentious house....I think the novelty has worn off because now he is trying to sell it and move somewhere else to impress another local population...probably with an even bigger, even uglier house. The locals won't like him any more next time around because he is an arrogant, ignorant asshol_e and people don't like that regardless of where you come from or how much money you spread around. Thailand is not for everyone, and everyone is not suited to life in Thailand---obviously.

This is one of the best, more objective and level-headed comments I've read on these threads. You seem to have a pretty good bead on things.

To the other whining, miserable, malcontents populating these boards--you need to do your job better. What I mean to say is that there are so many unhappy farangs living in Thailand, threatening to leave, predicting this country is going down the toilet, the Titanic analogy and all that--YET, more farangs keep coming. More are coming than leaving. That's the freakin problem! We need more to leave than come. Because there are simply too many farangs in Thailand, and it's getting worse every year. I think the Thai's need to toughen the visa laws, make it more restrictive to own any sort of property, more dual-pricing, yea, that's the ticket. Because all you get with more farangs...is more whining! So please, if you are going to complain, at least do so effectively. At the moment, it's simply not working. No one is listening!

Please note heavy sarcasm.

Both statements well said. I get so fed up with the whining farongs who just want to live here and not adapt. They are forever finding things that are wrong. In actuality it is just different to what they grew up with. Maybe they should live in South Africa. I try to stay away from those type of people. Not to many of them are acceptable back where they come from and Thailand welcomes them. Proof of that is they are still here.

[brahmburgers]

Well have you seen the typical farang in Phuket, Pattaya, Bangkok- loud and/or drunk and/or loutish and/or freaks?? Frankly, i totally understand why the thai's in those places would despise farangs and rightly so.

Interesting. Though I have met the occasional Thai who hate farang, by far the biggest farang haters are other farang. I would say 'fellow farang' but there's no fellowship about it. It has to do with the psychology of seeing one's reflection (yikes), and it's easier to like/love brown skinned people who are so different than what we've become.

As for the poll. Good one. I'm invested here with properties and fruit orchards that I'm developing, so it would be difficult for me to move elsewhere. No family though, here or overseas, so that's not a constriction. If I moved, it would be to another SE Asian country.

As for Thailand. There's good and bad everywhere. I visit Burma often and must admit, am a bit sad every time I leave there and return to Thailand, because Thailand is so monotypic and blah, and Burma is varied in comparison (its people, activities). It's like the difference between stout Catholics and gypsies. All Thais are monolithic in their knowledge of correct/proper way to do/say/act on each thing, whereas gypsies are carefree and innovative in their thinking.

As for Bangkok. I'm thankfully far enough away, so most of Bkk's problems don't affect me. It always makes me grin when I think of how Bkk property prices are the highest in Thailand, yet it's far from being the most desirable place to reside. Every week, the Letter to Editor column has letters from irate farang who went and bought ridiculously high priced condos in Bangkok, and then realize later they're stuck in a quagmire of noise and filth.

Edited May 5, 2010 by brahmburgers

[Thules]

I have been unaffected by Thailand's current political crisis, thus, like near 50% of poll respondents, haven't considered moving. Frankly, it would take the crisis to get 10x times worse before I would even consider re-locating to quietier spots in Thailand. Some of this is because I have weathered far rougher places for most of my working career. I am also fortunate enough not to be additionally hassled by overly burdonsome visa regulations, financial/emotional investments, and forced falang/thai interactions.

However, I do empathize with those who have inadvertantly been caught up in the political crisis to the extent that they must now leave or endure significant extra hardship as a result.

[zorro1]

Saw a few red shirts in a ute in soi 11 once but they were passing through. I rely more on reports from my friends n family