Reasons Not To Stay Or Live In Thailand

[fell4thai]

Hi All!

I just visited Thailand a week ago and I am back home - in the grinder. I have read multiple posts here regarding moving to Thailand and the visa issues and the info is invaluable.

Having visited Thailand I now know numerous reasons why one would live in Thailand but would be most curious to inquire about reasons not to live (or leave) there.

Any pointers?

Thx.

[davethailand]

i,ve lived here nearly 3 years now.

i can't honestly give a major reason as to why i would'nt live here. i love it here.

[Basher]

Me too, it only gets better and better.

I have had a few ups and downs here but it wasn't Thailand, just circumstances.

I truely fee at home here

bash

[Thaiquila]

Oh come on, any one who knows anything about Thailand knows there is a negative side. If you can only see the positive, I think you might still be on a rose colored glass "Thai high." On the other hand, I also think being aware of the negative and still wanting to live in Thailand, is a rational decision.

Some negative things:

heat

humidity

traffic

difficult language

almost impossible to assimilate for a westerner (people will always see you as a foreigner)

poisonous snakes

wicked hot and spicy food (a positive for me)

stray dogs, many carry rabies

squat toilets

not able to own land

at the mercy of immigration officers to be allowed to stay

dearth of western oriented cultural events

cultural differences can be annoying (darker side of mai bpen rai)

Well, sure I could think of lots more, but this is getting depressing.

[Phil Conners]

i,ve lived here nearly 3 years now.

i can't honestly give a major reason as to why i would'nt live here. i love it here.

A few days ago you said you hated songkran

[britmaveric]

Pretty much Paradise-find everything you need in LOS.

-Inexpensive

-Warm Climate

-Friendly People

-Great food

-Beach

-Temples

-Wild Life

Could go on forever....as my mates said- basically ruined me going anywhere else in the world- Cheers as he smiled.

[Phil Conners]

I like it here, but that's not to say everything is perfect.

Adding to thaiquila's reasons you might want not to stay:

- public utilities (TV, electricity, telephone) break down regularly, sometimes for hours. When calling (with your cellphone) nobody seems to know there is a problem until suddenly it magically works again.

- the chance that you might be involved in an accident with a Thai, he might die and you might end up spending years in jail - even if you were an innocent bystander (see http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=8429)

[davethailand]

i,ve lived here nearly 3 years now.

i can't honestly give a major reason as to why i would'nt live here. i love it here.

A few days ago you said you hated songkran

maybe after a few days yes, but there's still the rest of the year to enjoy.

[Boon Mee]

Oh come on, any one who knows anything about Thailand knows there is a negative side. If you can only see the positive, I think you might still be on a rose colored glass "Thai high." On the other hand, I also think being aware of the negative and still wanting to live in Thailand, is a rational decision.

Some negative things:

heat

humidity

traffic

difficult language

almost impossible to assimilate for a westerner (people will always see you as a foreigner)

poisonous snakes

wicked hot and spicy food (a positive for me)

stray dogs, many carry rabies

squat toilets

not able to own land

at the mercy of immigration officers to be allowed to stay

dearth of western oriented cultural events

cultural differences can be annoying (darker side of mai bpen rai)

Well, sure I could think of lots more, but this is getting depressing.

Man, you sure know how to Hash that dude's Mello...

Forgot to mention the Islamofachists swarming across the border from Malaysia!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Oh come on, any one who knows anything about Thailand knows there is a negative side. If you can only see the positive, I think you might still be on a rose colored glass "Thai high." On the other hand, I also think being aware of the negative and still wanting to live in Thailand, is a rational decision.

Some negative things:

heat

humidity

traffic

difficult language

almost impossible to assimilate for a westerner (people will always see you as a foreigner)

poisonous snakes

wicked hot and spicy food (a positive for me)

stray dogs, many carry rabies

squat toilets

not able to own land

at the mercy of immigration officers to be allowed to stay

dearth of western oriented cultural events

cultural differences can be annoying (darker side of mai bpen rai)

Well, sure I could think of lots more, but this is getting depressing.

Man, you sure know how to Hash that dude's Mello...

Forgot to mention the Islamofachists swarming across the border from Malaysia!

I guess heat and humidity, as a generality, are a known feature of the tropics. Why did you make the move knowing the problem. ??

[Rhys]

Odd same thoughts.. but I have been here almost 10 years....

I think the anti-western THANG is a bit of a ruffled feather at time..

Then institutional discrimation is another...

After doing your things for so long...you begin to think...it is better to get back in the game .... maybe for a little while...

But then.. as always.. one begins to dream and wish about the life in T-land... and doing ...

a 2-3 years stint in T-land will provide enough time... Just do it mate.

[Thaiquila]

"

I guess heat and humidity, as a generality, are a known feature of the tropics. Why did you make the move knowing the problem. ?? "

Dr Pat Pong

Most esteemed and honorable Dr Pong:

I could also list lots of positive things about Thailand, but reasons to not move to Thailand were requested. I think its best to look at Thailand or anywhere with a clear mind and consider the good and bad points. Heat and humidity can be underrated as a negative. Its one thing being on a holiday and enjoying the novelty; its another thing living with it all year. Good idea to have enough money for air conditioning.

[maxpower]

My negatives

1. My house getting robbed 4 times in 3 years.

2. My mobile phones seem to grow legs and walk off.

3. UBC goes off when it rains

4. The mosquitoes

5. The humidity

6. Lying cheating Thai girls

7. Weekend traffic and pollution

8. Big holes and bumps in roads

9. Crazy drivers

When I think of the UK all of the above just melts away.

[mrmnp]

fell4thai: I like your thinking. I have allways maintained that getting along with a mate is not a question about what you like about them but what are their faults and if you can live with them.

Thailand is no exception to that approach. Most of the negatives so far in this thread are negatives found in most big ciities of the world. If you intend to live in Bangkok or Chiang Mai ,as opposed the countryside or the beach, it will make a big difference in your own list of negatives once you get here. Your age and what you do with your time will also be a big factor.

Having visited here, you probably have experienced many of the negatives posted so far.

My list in order of priority are:

1. Heat and humidiity.

2. Corruption

3. Foreign foodstuffs at reasonable prices.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, in true response to your question, these are not "reasons not to stay or live in Thailand", or I wouldn't be here.

4. Non-sensical regulations, behavior and the lack of law enforcement.

As I review my list, I can see that they are negatives that are found in far less quantitities in western countries.

[ChiangMaiThai]

Here's a way to look at it. In the Bay Area I had the ammenities and infrastructure of comfort and convenience. 80 channels with real HBO, sports, movies etc. Real DSL 1.5Mbps unlimited $40 a month. Amazing varieties of high quality food including things you take for granted like a good burrito. I drove on roads where the majority of people knew how to drive. I had access to toll free customer service numbers should I have a problem with anything I had bought. Everyone spoke English. I could buy a house or open a business without wondering what the laws were and how to find the loop holes. I could fly to Vegas and a number of other cities for $100 or less.

BUT, there were some drawbacks.

The general atmosphere of strress and paranoia (Fox News says the terror alert is elevated. Oh My.) The complete lack of a genuine smile. The mad rush that most people are in, not even knowing where they are going. The danger of being in the wrong place late at night. The fact that even to meet up with my friends, I had to call in advance to make an appointment. The fact the police are ready to arrest you and give you a very expensive ticket at the drop of a hat (illegal left turn- what was I thinking?). And the list continues.

At the end of the day, things aren't perfect in Thailand, but absolutley, i prefer to be here.

[sonthaya]

I think that Phuket must be Paradise on earth, great people, good food, nice beaches, low prices and a nice and warm climate, not like Denmark

[unbiasbob]

Paradise in Phuket? Let's not lose ourselves here. Denmark might be the pits but that does not make Phuket paradise

[sbk]

After 15 years of living in Thailand I probably don't have to worry about looking through rose-colored glasses anymore. So. Negatives for me:

• awful drivers
  
• lack of western foods (bagels and cream cheese!)
  
• discrimination, institutionalized or not
  
• visa/residency hassles
  
• "borrowing" by the neighbors
  
• bureaucratic hassles, either with a company or govt.
  
• lack of standardized rules, either govt or company
  
• and the constant "hello where you go" when I've lived here for 15 years
  
• double pricing (guess this goes with discrimination tho)
  
• difficulty finding clothes I like that fit properly (I'm a bit more voluptuous than your average thai girl)
  
• lack of feminine products (only applicable to girls! but I suppose you guys could come up with similar sorts of things)
  
• the attitude that a farang without a local contact is fair game in any business/housing/land deal
  
• can't buy my own land, can't inherit from my husband
  
• officialdom often being unaware of their job descriptions
  
• queue jumping!!!
  

I like the heat and humidity, hate snow, so thats not a minus for me. I'd have to say that I live here because my husband is from here not because I chose Thailand first. But, I have to say the postitives outweigh the negatives.

[Nam Kao]

>>>"borrowing" by the neighbors

You mean "polite stealing" right

[sbk]

>>>"borrowing" by the neighbors

You mean "polite stealing" right

Well, "borrowing", as in "May I borrow your screwdriver" and then never remembering to return it. I doubt it is intentional, just you never see your stuff again!

[Cowboyshoe]

I think it's interesting nobody mentioned "Islamic extremists' as a con. I figured it might be in the back of some people's minds so I thought I'd chime in.

Maybe as an American I'm more paranoid about 'terrorism' than some others and it was very much on my mind as I made my second trip to LOS this December. After living in the south on a predominantly Muslim island for two and a half months - keeping a close eye on the violence in Yala, Naratiwat and Patanni - I'm totally committed to returning this fall and making a home there.

As I see it (and this may surely change) the 'extremists' are in opposition to government institutions they see as oppressive, not some international war of religion and culture for which an innocent farang might be held accountable. The Thai Muslims I lived and worked with seemed just as pleasant and hospitable as any other non-Muslim Thais I'd met (in most cases more so.)

This isn't to say the Muslims I met were ignorant to, or naive about the current international situation, they just seemed to regard farang visitors in what I've found to be a typically Thai fashion; caring about whether you were a good person, with a good heart primarily, leaving all other classifications (such as nationality) a far second.

This is not to say I didn't have awkward moments. Twice, when I was asked the unavoidable question 'Where are you from?" I received momentarily disturbing replies.

The first was a Thai teen who had been eyeing me suspiciously. Upon learning I was American his immediate frowning response was "My teacher - Bin Laden." Five weeks, two full moon parties, and innumerable drunken nights later he was haranguing me to bring him back from the land of the Great Satan good running shoes and my surfboard.

The second encounter was with a jolly Thai businesswoman who announced "Me family Bin Laden!" before wrapping me in a bear hug. She then asked me if I had a Thai girlfriend, and arched her eyebrows toward her teen daughter who skittered away giggling shyly.

I'm curious to hear about other people's experiences along these lines. Worried? Not? Why?

[mbkudu]

I lived continously in Bangkok and the North East for 9 years, 1990-99, the only

reason I left was because I couldn't apply for a bank loan to start the business I wanted to start. So it was back to America to work. I think enough positives and negatives have been listed above. I think the greatest difference between the two

countries is the people. Thai people are warmer hearted and less stressed out. They have their problems like everybody but they express themselves in a more

decent tactful manner than westerners. The food, weather and women are great, but I don't miss the thick polluted air in the city. I now go three times a year to get my fix and in another two or three years I'll be back for good. One can only stay away so long.

[Darknight]

awful drivers

lack of western foods (bagels and cream cheese!)

discrimination, institutionalized or not

visa/residency hassles

"borrowing" by the neighbors

bureaucratic hassles, either with a company or govt.

lack of standardized rules, either govt or company

and the constant "hello where you go" when I've lived here for 15 years

double pricing (guess this goes with discrimination tho)

difficulty finding clothes I like that fit properly (I'm a bit more voluptuous than your average thai girl)

lack of feminine products (only applicable to girls! but I suppose you guys could come up with similar sorts of things)

the attitude that a farang without a local contact is fair game in any business/housing/land deal

can't buy my own land, can't inherit from my husband

officialdom often being unaware of their job descriptions

queue jumping!!!

lett me add

NO legal recourse at all, you will pay everything cause your face is white.

Friendly but Stupid people all around.

NO possibility for intelectual conversation even if you speak thai.

no polite rules education.

ect...

[davethailand]

thats a bit strong is'nt it, darknight

[slim]

ants

[sbk]

ants

large flying beetles -- big beetle season is here, god I hate those things. I can handle snakes, spiders, tookays, but I hate those big beetles!

[Phil Conners]

[...] NO possibility for intelectual conversation[...]

Am I the only one who find this funny?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

[...] NO possibility for intelectual conversation[...]

Am I the only one who find this funny?

I think that you are the only one.

[Bluecat]

[...] NO possibility for intelectual conversation[...]

Am I the only one who find this funny?

I think that you are the only one.

I find it funny, very funny actually. Could we define intellectual?

[Limbo]

For citizens of the USA visiting Southern Thailand:

A fig leaf for the shame and a maple leaf for safety.

Like in the time of the Vietnam war, also in the Middle East even the bravest citizens of the USA are hiding behind the Canadian maple leaf again. On their laptops, their clothes, their bags: Heroes in disguise!

The fig leaf you can wear under your clothes. So nobody can see.

And please, stay out of the internal affairs of Thailand!