Why do people leave Thailand, why did you ?

[ireland007]

Having spent time in both Thailand and Cambodia,the only thing i miss is the weather,i needed the company of westerns when i was living in Asia and to be honest ,generally they are not poster boys for farangs that i would hope for.As regards the Asians they can be pleasant but you do begin to realize that no matter how long you know an Asian,your relationship is very temporary and they can turn their back on you in an instant ,particulary the women.I think Asia now is starting to get polluted and they are destroying their natural beauty through over development and overcrowding from tourists but what really convinced me that Asia was not for me is when you see past the girls and the booze then there is very little to do!!!!!!!

[wym]

I left Thailand because the Thai wife wanted to come live in Oz.Get job earn big money.She come got job with other Thai girls who then coached her, we dont do things like look after husband anymore.Plus tell her I didn't earn enough money and she could do better than me.Result we are no more I withdrew my sponsership of her the result she has to get her sorry arse out of the country by the end of March.After all her friends told her immagration would not send her home.So if your Thai wife ever want's to go to your homeland forget it or dont let her mix with her own kind.As for Thai's and Thailand I still love the people ,food and the country and cant wait to have my arse sat on the plane going back.Ionly lived there for 3 years and that was way too short.I also think for most of us that would make a living in our homeland in say construction or maybe driving trucks or labouring wont have a chance in hell of getting a job in Thailand as opposed to the I.T. expert or the financial expert teacher or whatever.Which ends up no job no money go home maybe a bit bitter.Opposed to a succesful worker on a decent wage able to live there.once met a bloke up north who had overstayed like 5 years no money nothing living off the generosity of all the ex-pats in the area for food and drink.Not for me I'm afraid. Please excuse my grammer and spelling In advance as someone on here will allways remind me how dumb I am and I can never find the spellchecker.

Yes, Thailand is rarely a good place to EARN your money, but IMO definitely one of the best places to SPEND it slowly.

Good on ya for being able to get her kicked out of Oz, pretty poor research on her part relying on her scammer TG friends for advice, especially since she could easily have got it free from social services.

Just watch out she doesn't claim you beat her, lots of humanitarian exceptions to the immigration rules made on that basis.

And yes definitely FFR with others deciding to take their teeraks home, do keep her away from the Thai girls already there, they're even more poisonous than the farang ladies for polluting her with bad ideas.

Personally I find better to let them have their fun with the young & hansum blokes, as long as they come home for dinner.

I think the question is "WHY DO YOU STAY HERE ?"

If its because of the booze and girls then ok, I can accept that.

I do wonder, however, apart from that, what do you do every day here ? Its hot and sticky and everywhere looks the same. 7/11's, markets, shops, all the same.

I left Thailand because I am English, and that is my country. I understand everything there.

I can own my own properties and it is interesting.

I don't have to go to immigration or spend hours in banks/council offices/lawyers offices.

I have things I can do during the day and am able to go out because there isn't that big, round, hot, yellow thing in the sky all day every day which, especially in April thru June, makes it virtually impossible to be outside.

So, what do you do every day and why do YOU stay here ? Apart from the obvious that is which I already mentioned.

WRT the cultural stuff, for me I find being home, or in any NES country incredibly BORING. Even aside from the girls, I need the stimulation of being immersed in a foreign culture and mindset, always find the positives outweigh the negatives for me.

The weather is wonderful - for me - and I do find upcountry poor Asians absolutely wonderful socially, family, emotionally etc, just not intellectually, but I get that stimulation elsewhere.

[draftvader]

I guess I'm the exception to your rule. I make a very decent amount of money here and thus materially, I couldn't be happier. The reason we'll be packing up and leaving is that I see no future for us (me and my husband) in this country.

We can't buy property or start our own business without going through some shady legal dealings. These to me are signs of protectionism and xenophobia that don't make me feel welcome.

There is little culture that would appeal to me (oh goody! even more Buddha images!). This is not a rant but a statement of fact. I'm not even suggesting that the Thais should somehow 'change' their cultural heritage because I don't like it. It's just incompatibility.

Most of all, though, it's about corruption and the strange disconnect the Thais seem to have about it. After a month of sitting at Asoke because the government is (gasp!) corrupt, the same people are well aware that tea money changes hands on every level of the government and under-the-table-money is a common business practice.

You're not alone. We're here under the same situation. Both British, both happy enough here and our little girl loves it and is loved (born and bred here). However we are tired of the constant limitations placed on us by protectionist laws and would like to have a little more freedom at this point in our lives. Maybe one day we'll return and, anyway, we're not gone yet. 6 years and counting....who knows might be 8 by the time we find the right opportunity...after all, it's not bad, just not all us.

[maccaroni man]

In the late 90's I had to leave Bali after 4 yrs of prosperity and as hard as it was to swallow I had say I failed to make it financially possible for us to stay. When we decided to leave LOS After 12 yrs i explained to my wife it is much different this time because it is a choice and the children have Thai passports, we own land have investments etc. We are not leaving we are expanding and our journey continues.

[swissie]

Next to the 2 year millionaires, that have to leave eventually, there is an other kind of Farang that will turn their back on the land of smiles. Realizing that:

- I will never be part of Thai-Society (with or without language skills).

- My Thai-Wifes loyalties will remain with "the Family", in the end,I will come in second.

- My ATM Card is basically my only life-support system (what else would there be?)

- Whatever property I buy will never be mine ( big crackdown on dodgy RE deals ongoing and increasing in the near future.)

- My kids (if applicable), will be educated in an learning-environment that resembles the times when queen Victoria was in power.

- The political situation is reduced to a burlesque - show, with more entertainment-value than any TV- soap-opera.

- Once 70 years old, what health coverage will I be getting here, and at what price?

And above all: As an European/US/Aussie-Guy, do you really want to live in a place where dishonesty, fake and meaningless smiles, face-saving-rituals are the rule of daily live and override anything else?

How many Farangs, having worked in Thailand for 10 years, can claim they have gained one single Thai-Males true friendship during this time? (money excluded).

The list is by far not complete. It's just to indicate, that there are a few other good reasons to take the exit, short of running out of money.

Cheers.

[kimbathewhitelion]

Having spent time in both Thailand and Cambodia,the only thing i miss is the weather,i needed the company of westerns when i was living in Asia and to be honest ,generally they are not poster boys for farangs that i would hope for.As regards the Asians they can be pleasant but you do begin to realize that no matter how long you know an Asian,your relationship is very temporary and they can turn their back on you in an instant ,particulary the women.I think Asia now is starting to get polluted and they are destroying their natural beauty through over development and overcrowding from tourists but what really convinced me that Asia was not for me is when you see past the girls and the booze then there is very little to do!!!!!!!

Question, Asia is vast so where are you talking about? If thou answer is Thailand, however I'm now so done with the country, visiting the country was never about the girls or booze. If that's the case, maybe time to leave those experiences & experience the land in the South.

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[kimbathewhitelion]

Land that is. Nature...landscapes...all that excludes people. But stay out of the ocean, the Thais have already destroyed (overly polluted) that.

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[thailiketoo]

Next to the 2 year millionaires, that have to leave eventually, there is an other kind of Farang that will turn their back on the land of smiles. Realizing that:

- I will never be part of Thai-Society (with or without language skills).

- My Thai-Wifes loyalties will remain with "the Family", in the end,I will come in second.

- My ATM Card is basically my only life-support system (what else would there be?)

- Whatever property I buy will never be mine ( big crackdown on dodgy RE deals ongoing and increasing in the near future.)

- My kids (if applicable), will be educated in an learning-environment that resembles the times when queen Victoria was in power.

- The political situation is reduced to a burlesque - show, with more entertainment-value than any TV- soap-opera.

- Once 70 years old, what health coverage will I be getting here, and at what price?

And above all: As an European/US/Aussie-Guy, do you really want to live in a place where dishonesty, fake and meaningless smiles, face-saving-rituals are the rule of daily live and override anything else?

How many Farangs, having worked in Thailand for 10 years, can claim they have gained one single Thai-Males true friendship during this time? (money excluded).

The list is by far not complete. It's just to indicate, that there are a few other good reasons to take the exit, short of running out of money.

Cheers.

I think the education when Queen Victoria was in power might be an improvement.

I watched my mother lay in a bed for two years and spend a couple of million dollars. She didn't recognize anyone except me and then she only talked about fairy tales. I don't know if life at the end is worth spending a whole lot of money to prolong.

As a guy who was in the Army in South East Asia I think Thailand is as honest as America. Maybe more so. I remember sitting in Laos with Thai and American soldiers reading the Bangkok Post (front page) that the US and Thai governments guaranteed there there were no Thai or American troops in Laos. And that was one of the little white lies. The big ones were 100 times worse. I would suggest that anyone thinking governments are honest in the West has been in a dark soundproof room for the last 100 years.

I've never worried to much about friends. My Thai dog is my friend. And a good friend she is. When I die she will miss me.

Different strokes of course. However if you want a Thai friend get a dog. Or a Swiss (we will never give up your banking information) friend. Or a ........

Edited March 4, 2014 by thailiketoo

[HardenedSoul]

Next to the 2 year millionaires, that have to leave eventually, there is an other kind of Farang that will turn their back on the land of smiles. Realizing that:

- I will never be part of Thai-Society (with or without language skills).

- My Thai-Wifes loyalties will remain with "the Family", in the end,I will come in second.

- My ATM Card is basically my only life-support system (what else would there be?)

- Whatever property I buy will never be mine ( big crackdown on dodgy RE deals ongoing and increasing in the near future.)

- My kids (if applicable), will be educated in an learning-environment that resembles the times when queen Victoria was in power.

- The political situation is reduced to a burlesque - show, with more entertainment-value than any TV- soap-opera.

- Once 70 years old, what health coverage will I be getting here, and at what price?

And above all: As an European/US/Aussie-Guy, do you really want to live in a place where dishonesty, fake and meaningless smiles, face-saving-rituals are the rule of daily live and override anything else?

How many Farangs, having worked in Thailand for 10 years, can claim they have gained one single Thai-Males true friendship during this time? (money excluded).

The list is by far not complete. It's just to indicate, that there are a few other good reasons to take the exit, short of running out of money.

Cheers.

Another bash-the-country thread

- I will never be part of Thai-Society (with or without language skills). - If you really want that, there is a way. It's called citizenship

- My Thai-Wifes loyalties will remain with "the Family", in the end,I will come in second. - Men should choose their wives more carefully

- My ATM Card is basically my only life-support system (what else would there be?) - Insurance is freely available or with citizenship, you can access the 30 baht scheme

- Whatever property I buy will never be mine ( big crackdown on dodgy RE deals ongoing and increasing in the near future.) - Buy a condo or - again - citizenship

- My kids (if applicable), will be educated in an learning-environment that resembles the times when queen Victoria was in power. - Tough. Send them to private school

- The political situation is reduced to a burlesque - show, with more entertainment-value than any TV- soap-opera. - Get citizenship, then you can vote (not that it matters)

- Once 70 years old, what health coverage will I be getting here, and at what price? - Just go when it's your time or pay. You do have a choice

Alternatively, piss off home

Edited March 4, 2014 by HardenedSoul

[bkkgriz]

I haven't left yet, but will be gone in 19 days. I'm just moving on to greener ( I hope ) pastures in Japan. I've had 8 great years here and I just want to try out a new country for some time. I have a feeling that I will be back in Thailand one day. I hope the political situation calms down by the time I come back. I think that is one reason that is pushing me away. Maybe it is me, but I feel Thailand has changed a lot in the last few years and not for the better. People just seem to be more on edge and too intolerant of others ideas and opinions. But I digress. Overall, Thailand has been very good to me and I hope I can retire here when the time comes to hang up the cleats.

[Tafia]

All these posts by people who have left Thailand for their variety of anti Thai reasons yet are reading and contributing to Thai Visa.... seems you just cant let go...the mind boggles

[kimbathewhitelion]

I haven't left yet, but will be gone in 19 days. I'm just moving on to greener ( I hope ) pastures in Japan. I've had 8 great years here and I just want to try out a new country for some time. I have a feeling that I will be back in Thailand one day. I hope the political situation calms down by the time I come back. I think that is one reason that is pushing me away. Maybe it is me, but I feel Thailand has changed a lot in the last few years and not for the better. People just seem to be more on edge and too intolerant of others ideas and opinions. But I digress. Overall, Thailand has been very good to me and I hope I can retire here when the time comes to hang up the cleats.

If you can afford it, you will love Japan & not look back. Cheers, wish I could go back.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[crazydrummerpauly]

Well - it;s just another generalisation about guys leaving when they are skint - i will be leaving because i am NOT skint !!! And therefore never will be. The more interesting question to me by far is why the hell all you long-timers STAY ! As i don't buy 'cheap meat'; or attempt to drink my weight in beer every week; or like the food; or the climate; or the landscape...hell, i just don't get the long-term appeal of the so-called LoS (which it is manifestly NOT). It's fine for a short mad bash - and even for a whole series of them as annual breaks from the norm back home - but sell up back home to spend everything here ? INSANE !!!!!

[kimbathewhitelion]

Well - it;s just another generalisation about guys leaving when they are skint - i will be leaving because i am NOT skint !!! And therefore never will be. The more interesting question to me by far is why the hell all you long-timers STAY ! As i don't buy 'cheap meat'; or attempt to drink my weight in beer every week; or like the food; or the climate; or the landscape...hell, i just don't get the long-term appeal of the so-called LoS (which it is manifestly NOT). It's fine for a short mad bash - and even for a whole series of them as annual breaks from the norm back home - but sell up back home to spend everything here ? INSANE !!!!!

please! What is "Skint"? Annoying I can build a computer from a puzzle of random components but don't understand all this computer slang.

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[roger long]

Similar to OPs

Retired out there for two years. About three years ago. Mostly in Pattaya

I had a nice time while I was there mostly. The reasons I came back were partly I had had a g/f that thought I was loaded. (I tried to explain I wasn't) Also the exchange rates went up enough to cause me to worry about things like paying rent.. Having to have 18000 Bht in the bank for visa reasons didn't help..

Also at times had a bit of violence from g/f. Police were called by me . Maybe it was all my fault though. Policeman seemed to think so..

The usual being ripped off all the time niggled. But I sorta expected that anyway.

Never quite got used to the heat. Mosquito's a plenty..Had to drench myself in deet, but they still seemed to find me tasty. Got fed up with having to shower every time I went out and then re apply deet.

If I went to breakfast in hotel in soy Arunothai. I also had to use tiger balm on my eyebrows to prevent those little bloody black flies that tend to hang around swimming pools getting in my eyes.

It was nice to watch the bats come out a dusk and fly up the soy to eat them though.. While I watched with beer in hand of course (Leo).

ATM machines swallowed my card up several times which meant a worrying wait before I got the new one through.

That was a quick version . There were a lot more good things and a lot more bad as well.

[speedtripler]

Well - it;s just another generalisation about guys leaving when they are skint - i will be leaving because i am NOT skint !!! And therefore never will be. The more interesting question to me by far is why the hell all you long-timers STAY ! As i don't buy 'cheap meat'; or attempt to drink my weight in beer every week; or like the food; or the climate; or the landscape...hell, i just don't get the long-term appeal of the so-called LoS (which it is manifestly NOT). It's fine for a short mad bash - and even for a whole series of them as annual breaks from the norm back home - but sell up back home to spend everything here ? INSANE !!!!!

please! What is "Skint"? Annoying I can build a computer from a puzzle of random components but don't understand all this computer slang.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

skint is uk lingo for broke,invented long before comptr spk

[kimbathewhitelion]

Well - it;s just another generalisation about guys leaving when they are skint - i will be leaving because i am NOT skint !!! And therefore never will be. The more interesting question to me by far is why the hell all you long-timers STAY ! As i don't buy 'cheap meat'; or attempt to drink my weight in beer every week; or like the food; or the climate; or the landscape...hell, i just don't get the long-term appeal of the so-called LoS (which it is manifestly NOT). It's fine for a short mad bash - and even for a whole series of them as annual breaks from the norm back home - but sell up back home to spend everything here ? INSANE !!!!!

please! What is "Skint"? Annoying I can build a computer from a puzzle of random components but don't understand all this computer slang.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

skint is uk lingo for broke,invented long before comptr spk

Imagine that would be the same when the last Brit I hanged out with told me to f-off when I offered to pay the bill. Christ, I get the why English Cinema is so hilarious but is there a dictionary for the rest of us.

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[NeverSure]

Well - it;s just another generalisation about guys leaving when they are skint - i will be leaving because i am NOT skint !!! And therefore never will be. The more interesting question to me by far is why the hell all you long-timers STAY ! As i don't buy 'cheap meat'; or attempt to drink my weight in beer every week; or like the food; or the climate; or the landscape...hell, i just don't get the long-term appeal of the so-called LoS (which it is manifestly NOT). It's fine for a short mad bash - and even for a whole series of them as annual breaks from the norm back home - but sell up back home to spend everything here ? INSANE !!!!!

please! What is "Skint"? Annoying I can build a computer from a puzzle of random components but don't understand all this computer slang.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Well, as an American that word was new to me too. I've learned that it means "impecunious."

[wym]

Can't it also mean mean (=US "cheapskate") ?

"broke" doesn't have that connotation in the US.

When I'm called kee neeow by Thais, I say no just broke, there is a difference.

[a99az]

I left Thailand for a number of reasons, the first so that I could put my two girls one of 4 and one of 6 into a British school. Having taught in Thai schools I knew that if they remained in Thailand they would never reach there full potential. Despite having funds, my own house, farm land (wife's) and shop in Thailand still trading along with the obligatory 4X4 . I moved back to wet old England put the kids in school and am now making more money in a new enterprise here then I thought possible. I do miss Thailand, but I have to be honest I sleep better knowing that I do have real rights here and I don't have to cow tow to thugs at immigration who enjoy watching us all jump through hoops every 90 days. I will be making visits back with the family every year, if it's safe.

So I guess not every one leaves because they are skint.

[Yahooka]

I first visited Thailand 20 years ago and since then I`ve been visiting the country 50-60 times,been living here before and Im still living here in the winter.

Must admit that even if I love it here I tend to spend more and more time in my native country,and such will never move here permantely even if my work allows me to do.

Found out last year that I started to get drained and tired of everything here and it`s by such good to get home before I end up like some of the bitter Thai bashers I`ve met plenty of over the years.

[honcho]

i left because my son needs a decent education.... i nsent him to a international school (60,000) baht per term, he went to school with perfect english grammer and came home speaking tinglish... school was only interested in making a profit. here new zealand he gets much better for free and the govt give me $100.00 per week because im on a low income.

i do miss thailand tho and will return when my son is older.

[Scottythai]

I leave every month for a month because I don't want to be broke. Work is the root of all evil but it pays the bills!

[speedtripler]

I leave every month for a month because I don't want to be broke. Work is the root of all evil but it pays the bills!

you should become a rastafarian,youve already got the correct beliefs .......

[tartempion]

I leave 2x year because I get fed up with Thainess.

Someday I will not come back, not because I am broke.

[SantiSuk]

A more interesting question (well ... for me anyway!) would be:

If your relationship fell apart badly and you were bruised, would you leave Thailand?

[For me - no way!]

[longballlarry]

After 10 years I left Thailand for

My childrens education and social skills.

The worry that my girls would grow up thinking that men were in some way above them.

Corruption and safety.

We've been back in the UK for about a year and a half and it's much better than I could have hoped for. I loved my time in Thailand but for us the UK is more stable family way of life.

An exact ditto of above for me.

[speedtripler]

Can't it also mean mean (=US "cheapskate") ?

"broke" doesn't have that connotation in the US.

skint originally comes from having nothing, ie skinned to the bone etc

dates back to the 1930's ,didnt know it was that old but i have heard it used

way before people had computers

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/skint

[longballlarry]

Well - it;s just another generalisation about guys leaving when they are skint - i will be leaving because i am NOT skint !!! And therefore never will be. The more interesting question to me by far is why the hell all you long-timers STAY ! As i don't buy 'cheap meat'; or attempt to drink my weight in beer every week; or like the food; or the climate; or the landscape...hell, i just don't get the long-term appeal of the so-called LoS (which it is manifestly NOT). It's fine for a short mad bash - and even for a whole series of them as annual breaks from the norm back home - but sell up back home to spend everything here ? INSANE !!!!!

please! What is "Skint"? Annoying I can build a computer from a puzzle of random components but don't understand all this computer slang.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Mr Gates, when you've finished building your computer , go online, stick the word 'skint' in your search engine and press enter.

[IMA_FARANG]

I first came to Thailand in 1977.

I haven't lived here on a long term basis until I retired in 2010 and started receiving my pension (Social Security, as we "yanks" call it).

So why didn't I "live" here then?

Well frankly, because in my career field I couldn't find a job here in Thailand.

So, until I retired with a pension, I had to leave Thailand regularly to earn money in order to return to Thailand to live.

Not an unusual answer, many people are and were in the same boat.