SURVEY: What Is the Main Deterrent to Living in Thailand?

[micmichd]

Guess you're not obliged to hide knowledge from your community. Just don't be intrusive.

[lostoday]

to losoday. I have many high risk work licenses for Australia. Are you suggesting that assisting my neighbour to build his fence is high risk. I try to get the workers to wear good footwear, follow basic safety procedures and so on. I am committed to improve safety ethics. Tell me why I should not be allowed to instil/teach some of my skills. I have the tickets, my village wants me to contribute, but my wife says "no can do" because she is worried that I will be deported. You say the same. And I know you follow the Thai legal system. But I can contribute, much more. Ok no more, I will only look after myself and perhaps offer advice - or is that against the law also.

I think it's a good idea and that you could contribute much to your community. I only caution if any thing goes wrong (not your fault) you may be blamed for the fail. Teaching kids - make sure you are never alone with a Thai child. I am referring to that old Aussie in CM or someplace up there who they busted when he was 96 or some other nonsense.

You have nothing to gain and a lot to lose - watch yourself.

Read the thread about the 500,000 dilemma.

[anon4546543]

Thanks lostoday. I don't like your advice, but it makes sense if I have no duty of care legalities to support me. Really sad actually. I wonder if the tens of thousands of imported labour from Cambodia, Myanmar etc have any protection or not either. Anyway, I will look after my house and little bit of land. But my original post was to ask why my experience and my many high risk tickets are not recognised here and to why so many expats who have world class experience, knowledge and ability, are made to sit here complaining and not allowed to contribute. (my wife loves your post, she says "him good man, him say good for you". So thanks

[thehelmsman]

I stay up north and I'm able to do any work I feel like, build fences, help with rice harvest, whatever.

[hhgz]

"A number of petty bickering posts removed."

I was going to post "constant petty bickering", but a mod realized it too.

[rodney earl]

Where do I start. The fact that they do not want guys to stay here long time. Visa frustrations. 90 reporting (what a load of rubbish) Re entry permits at 2000thb a throw, great money spinner. Corrupt cops and officials.

I think I had better stop there if I say too much more I may get into trouble.

[FlorC]

Simple, don't like it leave.

Some have done it already, problem they cannot leave ThaiVisa

Wouldn't it be better if Thai & expat related subjects were blocked for IP addresses outside of Thailand ?

I mean blocked for posting or replying , they may read them.

@ lee b : what if you can't leave , because there is nothing to go back too ?

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The parties you host must be excruciatingly boring, inviting only those who have the exact same opinions as yourself.

There are no people who have the same exact opinions as me. It is not because we actually live in Thailand that we all have the same opinion , far far from it !

[fredob43]

No you can't if one wants to go from the Boonies to say Krabi and a nice sea view . I know, I'm hard. Up now..[emoji474][emoji571]

So Krabi is great is it, when I would like to ask did you last go there.

Good article in the BKK post today, entitled What a load of Krabi rubbish All about Ao Nang beach polluted water being pumped into the sea and the beach full of rubbish. Tourist refusing to go there.

You keep your Krabi I'll stay where I am thank you.

[granuaile]

I find the main drawback is every uneducated Thai you meet thinks as a farang you are stupid, indeed so does the monied class, also every Farang has a money tree.

Really nice genuine Thai people who offer friendship expecting nothing in return ( ie money ) are few and far between. That's my seven years experience.

I've been here for six years, and I have met people like that, but a very small minority. Most of my friends and I end up debating who pays a tab, and my room is full of gifts given to me by Thai friends, many souvenirs from trips they took outside BKK or abroad. My Thai friends are my best friends here... I have a few farang friends, maybe 2 or 3.... Thai friends I can't count on two hands.... I think much depends on one's attitude, and the circles they travel in...

[granuaile]

Discourteous and rude service at the Immigration office in Phuket. Long waiting time and uncomfortable premises. This can be fixed easily if the high ups only knew abut it. But it doesn't look like they know. There is one officer who is very abrupt and rude. Why is Immigration part of the police. It should be separated like in many other countries and provided with attractive uniforms and courtesy training. Places like Phuket owe their prosperity largely to tourists and long term residents and yet the Immigration office with which they have to deal with is so impolite to them. It's very sad. The other deterrent is that the retirees are not allowed to do anything, even social work. Many of them have valuable experience which they can share with Phuket people.

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The other deterrent is that the retirees are not allowed to do anything, even social work. Many of them have valuable experience which they can share with Phuket people.

Generally speaking, Thais don't want to learn anything from outsiders. To demonstrate that you have something to offer, only takes away Face.

I agree with you on point one. Many retirees could contribute a lot if allowed to on a volunteer basis.

The second just isn't true. My experience is very different.

[Nowisee]

When the cost of living here no longer is worth the sacrifice, then I'll move on...

There are a few petty issues I have, but not enough to call a main deterrent to living here.

I don't really care what some thai people or the govt thinks of me, I'm sure the feeling is mutual most of the time.

There are many things F-ed up about this country, but it's there's and I can either accept it or not... for now I'm doing ok, but I am seriously considering reducing my time here from full time retired to 3-4 months as a tourist. Mostly because I want to spend more time in other places and see and do different things...

[joeyg]

I have lived 3 years at a clip in Brazil, Japan and Puerto Rico. I taught part time at the universities there and practiced medicine. I have traveled quite extensively over the years.

Everywhere has it's problems. All different "flavors."

It's the nature of the world after all isn't it.

What was Buddha's first teaching? 'Life is suffering."

Second? "There is a way to stop it"

[dragonfly94]

What was Buddha's first teaching? 'Life is suffering."

Second? "There is a way to stop it"

get drunk is the only way, nervarna is a fairly tale for fools and sheep.

[kiwi151]

None of the above - LOS - just the same difficulties as the remainder of this world.

Same same !

[VIPinthailand]

problem is the Thai language.

I could learn any Latin language but Thai has nothing in common with what I know . even German or Swedish is easier.

[ev1lchris]

The availability of alcohol and prostitutes.

[daveAustin]

Why can't one see polls on the app?

[Colabamumbai]

Your life has no value here.

[micmichd]

My life has a value here.

[Naam]

Your life has no value here.

speak for yourself

[soalbundy]

They mostly seem to be scrawny and ugly here. But clearly that does it for a lot of guys.

If you're talking about the ones many farangs tend to hook up with, fine but no way are most Thai women scrawny and ugly. No way

Really nice genuine Thai people who offer friendship expecting nothing in return ( ie money ) are few and far between. That's my seven years experience.

Strange, then, that my 7 years experience has left me with a completely different impression. Where have you been hanging out?

I used to think like you. I have what i thought were very nice neighbours, the two daughters well educated teachers,the father hard working and humerous, i used to lend them large sums of money interest free each year for various purchases or to tide them over between harvests which they always paid back, This year i found myself in financial difficulties myself so i had to refuse a request for a loan after explaining the reasons, they now don't even greet me let alone speak with me and have been bad mouthing me in the village.

[RT555]

1) Rude Expats

2) Clueless Government

3) Lazy Thais

4) Rude Thais

5) Poor living standards, quality foods, services, bad drivers, no real selection of affordable organic foods.

6) Money hungry new generatio-----------> They don't want to work for it

7) All the Nigerian/African drug dealers

8) All the Nigerian Prostitutes

9) Lazy Rude Arabs

10) Mafia Russians

11) Jet Ski Scammers

12) Maninland Chinese

..........................etc....etc....

[piersbeckett]

Is this survey really necessary?

And does it have any purpose?

Maybe like anything else in life, it's what you put in.

Putting in a lot and getting very little out, maybe?

[micmichd]

The availability of alcohol and prostitutes.

ev1lchris,

you must be a woman.

Why is the availability of "prostitutes" a problem for you?

Are Thai woman too beautiful for you? Maybe more beautiful than you, so they ruin your value in your national sex market? Or maybe yoo cheap, so they ruin the prices in your national sex market? Or are you upset because they have children while you sacrificed everything to your career?

BTW: Western countries like Germany have more prostitutes per capita than Thailand.

[SoiBiker]

Maybe he doesn't like the people that the availability of alcohol and prostitutes attracts?

[empireboy]

None of the above categories. I moved out of tourist areas several years ago.

My life since then has been fantastic.

Cost of housing try 1 mil: bht for a 5 double bedroom 6 wet room place was 6 bedroom but have changed one to a western style kitchen.

Other cost are Thai prices not the over inflated ones some have to fork out.

Xenophobia and the likes doesn't exist here, in fact on the contrary the locals go out of their way to welcome you in.

Driving on roads where I live are a doddle not to much traffic well only on holiday weekends.

Regards the Visa if you have the right amount of monies and requirements all is easy.

A trip once a year to the office how simple can that be.

People make their own problems go with the flow Thai fashion get away from tourists areas and you will find your life will improve 500%

Off now have just had my BKK Post delivered.

Nice to hear positive comment against all the negativity. Thanx!

[micmichd]

Colabamumbai,

are you maybe biased by India?

You don't have a caste system here like Hindus have. All the big religions that came to India after Hinduism can be regarded as spiritual revolutions against the caste system, Buddhism being the first of them.

In my humble opinion, life is the highest value of all in Thailand.

[micmichd]

Maybe he doesn't like the people that the availability of alcohol and prostitutes attracts?

I don't know. You can never be really sure who hides behind these nicknames and avatars, might be a couple, a family or an organization as well.

The disgust of alcohol and prostitutes sounds typical female to me. Women don't like drunken men so much, and they usually don't like their men to mess around with other women. Which of course doesn't keep them from looking for other men in countries like Kenya.

[soalbundy]

Your life has no value here.

My bank manager thinks it has,at least until i pay back the credit.

[SoiBiker]

Maybe he doesn't like the people that the availability of alcohol and prostitutes attracts?

I don't know. You can never be really sure who hides behind these nicknames and avatars, might be a couple, a family or an organization as well.

The disgust of alcohol and prostitutes sounds typical female to me. Women don't like drunken men so much, and they usually don't like their men to mess around with other women. Which of course doesn't keep them from looking for other men in countries like Kenya.

You really think you can lump half the world's population into one group and say what they do and don't like?

Women are people too, dude. They have different opinions.