Movers & Shakers

[monk213]

So this thread is to discuss the notion of moving away from the oh so amazing Thailand and those who have this notion albeit great or small. Anybody who wants to make snidy or troll comments feel free, but don't expect much recognition from me at least. Not here for sympathy or to bash Thailand, this is a community and as a community we should be able to come together to discuss our current situations and lives.

I myself have been here half a decade and every minute of that has been legit, first with the visa runs and then moving to an ED visa, which I have excelled in. As I have mentioned before in another thread I do not even speak English anymore as I don't have any farang friends here, they are all Thai, and my girlfriend cannot speak English.

Even though I am above board and legit, I can feel the new clampdowns and reinforced laws, sme people will say you are legal no worries but that is a matter of opinion. The sheer incompetence of immigration officers and Thai officials in general is a topic all by itself to venture into, but to summarize they barely know what to do at the moment and are probably stressed to their wits end. The teachers at language schools also, they must be going insane, those I feel sorry for as I know the staff and teachers at my school are good, helping people.

Then there is the matter of irratic testing, sure test me, go right ahead my Thai friend, but why not make the test at least in accordance to your level of learning and how long you have been studying. Some people simply learn slower than others, maybe this has not registered to the bigwigs yet.

Moving on to having to leave every year, I understand why but there are better solutions to keeping tabs on people than this. We all know how dangerous the Thai roads are and it is one long journey to make, so I will (if I stay) fly from BKK. People die daily in bus, car and motorbike accidents here that is nothing new, but it is a reality and a high risk. Now it is something every student will have to face on an annual basis.

Going back to how things have been set into place recently, just as things often happen here it has been very haphazard and dysfunctional, if it wasn't the case there would not be teachers, immigration officials, schools and students all with different ideas and understanding of what the hell is going on. 

After my lengthy stay here of course I have woken up long ago to the fact most Thais especially the authorities not seeing a human being when they see us farang, but baht signs rise up within their eyeballs. Now that could not be more true. It seems Thailand wants all long term stayers to leave or at least make it expensive and difficult to stay, and to keep the influx of tourism. Well sorry Thailand, you have shot yourself in the foot here, do you know how much money comes from people who work online from home, not taking away work from Thais and then disposing of their income into the economy? Why not make a visa rule for these types of freelancers? Do you realise that you will see a further drop in tourism as this place seems more and more like a police state under the new Junta? Bar girls will have to return home North further lessening the economy. There be trouble ahead so I hope you are prepared amazing Thailand.

Personally I have to report to immigration at the end of October for my first 90 extension stamp on a new year of education, my school still thinks I do not need to go to Laos until 2015 but I am 95% certain that is not the case. I have some serious thinking to do, Thailand is a small country in a small world, with each week I feel less and less welcome here as a farang and there will be a tipping point where I simply say ok, screw you goes I'm off. I am sure I am not the only one who is thinking this and also who is legal. feel free to share you opinions and situations as we are the farang, we are the community, we are what is keeping this country afloat, they seem to forget that.
Have a good day

[Harold G]

 

I do not even speak English anymore as I don't have any farang friends here, they are all Thai, and my girlfriend cannot speak English.

 

The above is the problem, get a grip and have a few beers and laughs with your own kind. It will be better than any medicine any doctor could prescribe you.

[monk213]

 

 

I do not even speak English anymore as I don't have any farang friends here, they are all Thai, and my girlfriend cannot speak English.

 

The above is the problem, get a grip and have a few beers and laughs with your own kind. It will be better than any medicine any doctor could prescribe you.

 

 

I had many farang friends but over time I grew to not gravitate towards to them or they went home or relocated, the Thai friends I do have I enjoy spending time with, the Thai population isn't the problem, it is the layers above that

[96tehtarp]

Don't panic. Take the advice given in post #2.

 

The ED visa has been abused. That's undeniable. Keeping one is now more difficult. 

 

Don't forget to leave Thailand once in a while it will help you decide if you want to leave or settle here for the long term. It'll do you good.

Edited August 14, 2014 by 96tehtarp

[samuibeachcomber]

would it be any different in Laos,cambodia, or vietnam?I dont know,just asking.Its very easy to be happy here and its also easy to become unhappy.

Think of all the immigrants that may live in the UK,Australia,USA etc.Immigration depts. from all countries never make anything really easy.

 

I believe its important to have a good circle of expat friends so as to discuss all these things too.

 

There will always be hiccups here along the way..............nothing ever stays the same and its easy to become discouraged,bitter even.

And you do seem to be somewhat disgruntled!

 

IF its so bad for you then perhaps a change of scene would be a good idea

[JLCrab]

From post #1  do you know how much money comes from people who work online from home, not taking away work from Thais and then disposing of their income into the economy?  My Guess? -- yes they do.

 

Does OP realize that Thais are mostly interested in adding computer-related jobs for Thai people and bolstering the online services capabilities for Thailand of which working by yourself in your room does little or nothing? It seems maybe not.

Edited August 14, 2014 by JLCrab

[monk213]

Don't panic. Take the advice given in post #2.

 

The ED visa has been abused. That's undeniable. Keeping one is now more difficult. 

 

Don't forget to leave Thailand once in a while it will help you decide if you want to leave or settle here for the long term. It'll do you good.

 

I am not worried about keeping my ED visa because I know that I can due to my Thai language skills and financial situation, it is just the extra hoops to jump through, the more money needed, more hassle etc. It starts to make the scales tip in the other direction. If 4 hours goes to 8 then surely teachers and staff will need a payrise, which means tuition fees will rise also. One starts to think is it really worth it when there is an entire world out there, when Cambodia hands out work permits at the drop of a hat.

[Franky Bear]

One thing i have learned since joining TV is there's a lot of rich people in Thailand making a fortune from "online" businesses.

Where did the rest of us go wrong? 

[96tehtarp]

 

Don't panic. Take the advice given in post #2.

 

The ED visa has been abused. That's undeniable. Keeping one is now more difficult. 

 

Don't forget to leave Thailand once in a while it will help you decide if you want to leave or settle here for the long term. It'll do you good.

 

I am not worried about keeping my ED visa because I know that I can due to my Thai language skills and financial situation, it is just the extra hoops to jump through, the more money needed, more hassle etc. It starts to make the scales tip in the other direction. If 4 hours goes to 8 then surely teachers and staff will need a payrise, which means tuition fees will rise also. One starts to think is it really worth it when there is an entire world out there, when Cambodia hands out work permits at the drop of a hat.

 

There is no doubt about it, there is another world out there and it's worth looking at. Every expat needs an exit strategy regardless of their marital, visa, work, or age status.

 

At the moment Thailand is going through an extremely inward looking period and this makes it more difficult for outsiders, particularly for those in your situation. 

 

I'd like to think that if you have integrated so well here that you can find a way to go with the flow of changes and make it work. If that's what you want.

 

Don't panic, and at the same time explore other countries in SEA.

[monk213]

 

 

Don't panic. Take the advice given in post #2.

 

The ED visa has been abused. That's undeniable. Keeping one is now more difficult. 

 

Don't forget to leave Thailand once in a while it will help you decide if you want to leave or settle here for the long term. It'll do you good.

 

I am not worried about keeping my ED visa because I know that I can due to my Thai language skills and financial situation, it is just the extra hoops to jump through, the more money needed, more hassle etc. It starts to make the scales tip in the other direction. If 4 hours goes to 8 then surely teachers and staff will need a payrise, which means tuition fees will rise also. One starts to think is it really worth it when there is an entire world out there, when Cambodia hands out work permits at the drop of a hat.

 

There is no doubt about it, there is another world out there and it's worth looking at. Every expat needs an exit strategy regardless of their marital, visa, work, or age status.

 

At the moment Thailand is going through an extremely inward looking period and this makes it more difficult for outsiders, particularly for those in your situation. 

 

I'd like to think that if you have integrated so well here that you can find a way to go with the flow of changes and make it work. If that's what you want.

 

Don't panic, and at the same time explore other countries in SEA.

 

 

I left England at age 21 without ever visiting SE Asia and I have not returned since, I have always felt more at home here but the past few months have given me a really unwelcome, cold and sinister feeling to the place, one I have never felt before. I would like to maybe try Laos more so than Cambodia because I hear that Cambodia is really quite backwards still but it has the advantage of getting as WP easily. Laos however seems like a more genuine place than Thailand from what I have read, plus the language is very similar
 

[96tehtarp]

 

I left England at age 21 without ever visiting SE Asia and I have not returned since, I have always felt more at home here but the past few months have given me a really unwelcome, cold and sinister feeling to the place, one I have never felt before. I would like to maybe try Laos more so than Cambodia because I hear that Cambodia is really quite backwards still but it has the advantage of getting as WP easily. Laos however seems like a more genuine place than Thailand from what I have read, plus the language is very similar

 

You need to explore your options. Everyone does.

 

I like Laos as well. It's more Thai than Cambodia. I feel safer there too.

 

One advantage of being a real nomad is that if you choose to spend some portion of your year in one of Thailand's neighboring countries you can then visit Thailand as often as you wish and be a tourist. There has been no crackdown on multiple entry tourist visas.

 

Don't let the "sinister" mood get you down. We have recently had a lot of political turmoil and a military coup here.

Edited August 14, 2014 by 96tehtarp

[monk213]

We have recently had a lot of political turmoil and a military coup here

haha that happens every 4-6 years anyway, but yes I get your point. What I meant by Lao being similar to Thai was the language, I should have said Laotian.I have never been to Cambodia or Laos, only Burma and Malaysia. 

But you are right, thinking needs to be done and I have until the end of October anyway, hopefully by the I and we all will have a clearer picture of what the hell is going on here because it is still a right old mess at the moment.