SURVEY: What is the greatest drawback to living in Thailand?

[anotheruser]

Right now for me it would be the lack of clean beach destinations or places that have much charm left. No stone has been left unturned unless of course very unpleasant smelly things are underneath it. I find myself having to look further afield for nice holiday places and that takes more time and money. So for me the unpleasant state of the environment has become the biggest draw back.

[NumbNut]

The noise levels are the only thing that gets me down.

Why do Thai's love noise?

Move somewhere quiet.

In Thailand? Good luck mate, let me know if you find somewhere 'quiet'

Plenty of quiet places to live.

Lots of TV members live in quiet compounds or gated communities Fine if you're waiting to die but, if you've got even a tiny spark of life in you, you'll want to avoid these like ebola

Me, I love the buzz of the big city; the cars, horns, BTS roaring by, chattering office girls at the food carts - F......ing love Bangkok

I'm not talking about the normal hustle and bustle of a vibrant city; I'm talking about the fact that every sound system if it's on MUST ALWAYS be turned up to eleven. The bass is breaking up and the distortion hurts your ears! You haven't experienced this? Most other folks around the world usually turn their music to a comfortable listening level to suit their sound equipment but not Thailand. Flat out all the way!

If it's not distorting it's no good!

You don't notice it so much when you're in a city and the ambieant background noise it quite loud anyways I suppose.

Edited June 8, 2016 by NumbNut

[ev1lchris]

The heat.

Not too many competent Thais here. Most things are poorly run.

[atpeace]

The biggest drawback are the delusional Farangs. Still a great place to retire but difficult to avoid the lethargic slow moving masses of idiotic foreigners that somehow believe they are superior to the locals. Some great ex-pats here but the vast majority are fools. Why can't they just accept they have always been losers and leave everybody else alone.

[Eclipse]

The noise levels are the only thing that gets me down.

Why do Thai's love noise?

Move somewhere quiet.

In Thailand?

No place exists.

[Scotwight]

The noise levels are the only thing that gets me down.

Why do Thai's love noise?

Move somewhere quiet.

In Thailand?

No place exists.

I lived three different places in Chiang Mai all were quiet. 4 different places around Pattaya that were quiet. Many places in Thailand are quiet. Even the dogs around my house are quiet and respectful and only bark if threatened.

[Agent Sumo]

The noise levels are the only thing that gets me down.

Why do Thai's love noise?

Move somewhere quiet.

In Thailand?

No place exists.

Sure they do - if you're prepared to pay.

This is what cracks me up - every time there's a thread about the cost of living in Thailand, certain people pop up and take the piss out of guys paying 30, 40, 50k a month or more for a condo.

But on threads about noise pollution or badly-behaved neighbors, you'll find the exact same people carping on about the feral kids high on yaba nicking their stuff to sell, drunks pissing on their fence and, yes, Somchai blasting the shit out of his sound system.

They're all like "WHY ME?"

Hello?? It's because you're cheap and you live in a shit area alongside the Thai equivalent of chavs.

There are shit places to live in every country in the world. Thailand is no different.

If you want quiet, open your wallet move to a better class of area.

Edited June 8, 2016 by Agent Sumo

[manarak]

I voted government regulations, but I would put at number one on this list the difficulty of getting constant excellent service quality, for example in construction or car repairs.

I would rank that number one, even before all the visa difficulties and restrictions on foreigners.

[SoiBiker]

Right now for me it would be the lack of clean beach destinations or places that have much charm left. No stone has been left unturned unless of course very unpleasant smelly things are underneath it. I find myself having to look further afield for nice holiday places and that takes more time and money. So for me the unpleasant state of the environment has become the biggest draw back.

Still plenty of clean beaches left. Plenty of charm, and plenty of peace and quiet too. You just have to look a little further.

[Aussie69]

Move somewhere quiet.

In Thailand? Good luck mate, let me know if you find somewhere 'quiet'

I think there are quiet places to live, one of those loudspeaker trucks drove by blurting out something about new homes in quiet neighbourhood, but the volume was so high i has to cover my ears for protection, so didn't hear where.

[slipperylobster]

Communication/language and music

I don't think I will ever be fluent enough in Thai to enjoy a discussion about my hobbies.

Songs I grew up with have no meaning to anyone here, which is also a barrier.

I do try to learn Thai, and try to speak some phrases...but having studied French, Japanese and Tagalog, I find the language difficult for me to remember.

Not sure what I would talk about anyways....probably food and bad driving.

[Naam]

The noise levels are the only thing that gets me down.

Why do Thai's love noise?

Move somewhere quiet.

In Thailand?

No place exists.

little do you know

[Naam]

The noise levels are the only thing that gets me down.

Why do Thai's love noise?

Move somewhere quiet.

In Thailand?

No place exists.

Sure they do - if you're prepared to pay.

This is what cracks me up - every time there's a thread about the cost of living in Thailand, certain people pop up and take the piss out of guys paying 30, 40, 50k a month or more for a condo.

But on threads about noise pollution or badly-behaved neighbors, you'll find the exact same people carping on about the feral kids high on yaba nicking their stuff to sell, drunks pissing on their fence and, yes, Somchai blasting the shit out of his sound system.

They're all like "WHY ME?"

Hello?? It's because you're cheap and you live in a shit area alongside the Thai equivalent of chavs.

There are shit places to live in every country in the world. Thailand is no different.

If you want quiet, open your wallet move to a better class of area.

[NumbNut]

The noise levels are the only thing that gets me down.

Why do Thai's love noise?

Move somewhere quiet.

In Thailand?

No place exists.

Sure they do - if you're prepared to pay.

This is what cracks me up - every time there's a thread about the cost of living in Thailand, certain people pop up and take the piss out of guys paying 30, 40, 50k a month or more for a condo.

But on threads about noise pollution or badly-behaved neighbors, you'll find the exact same people carping on about the feral kids high on yaba nicking their stuff to sell, drunks pissing on their fence and, yes, Somchai blasting the shit out of his sound system.

They're all like "WHY ME?"

Hello?? It's because you're cheap and you live in a shit area alongside the Thai equivalent of chavs.

There are shit places to live in every country in the world. Thailand is no different.

If you want quiet, open your wallet move to a better class of area.

But this is not a thread about the coast of living is it, this is a thread about what some folks perceive is the greatest drawback to living in Thailand.

Noise has been mentioned by a few folks including myself, and I reckon with good reason. I myself am currently living in a very comfortable condo in Bangers just off Sukhumvit with all the modern conveniences close to hand that affords living in a modern city. Apart from a building site up the road this is a very peaceable, quiet existence, for a major city that Bangkok undoubtedly is.

Maybe this is why the noise for the sheer sake of it I have experienced in my several jaunts about the country were so noticeable. I'm talking about the loud speakers on the pickups advertising AT THE TOP OF THEIR VOICE whatever they're selling; I'm talking about the louts parked in a National Park carpark having lunch and listening to their music at top volume and bugger everyone else.

I experienced this down at Cha-am one afternoon too where a family pulled up, set their dinner out and had lunch, all the while with the car stereo BLARING. Truly, you haven't come across this in your travels around Thailand?

This has got nothing to do with where you live, if you travel around Thailand noise will come to YOU!

[anotheruser]

Right now for me it would be the lack of clean beach destinations or places that have much charm left. No stone has been left unturned unless of course very unpleasant smelly things are underneath it. I find myself having to look further afield for nice holiday places and that takes more time and money. So for me the unpleasant state of the environment has become the biggest draw back.

Still plenty of clean beaches left. Plenty of charm, and plenty of peace and quiet too. You just have to look a little further.

Further than say, Koh Phayam?

[Agent Sumo]

Move somewhere quiet.

In Thailand?

No place exists.

Sure they do - if you're prepared to pay.

This is what cracks me up - every time there's a thread about the cost of living in Thailand, certain people pop up and take the piss out of guys paying 30, 40, 50k a month or more for a condo.

But on threads about noise pollution or badly-behaved neighbors, you'll find the exact same people carping on about the feral kids high on yaba nicking their stuff to sell, drunks pissing on their fence and, yes, Somchai blasting the shit out of his sound system.

They're all like "WHY ME?"

Hello?? It's because you're cheap and you live in a shit area alongside the Thai equivalent of chavs.

There are shit places to live in every country in the world. Thailand is no different.

If you want quiet, open your wallet move to a better class of area.

But this is not a thread about the coast of living is it, this is a thread about what some folks perceive is the greatest drawback to living in Thailand.

Noise has been mentioned by a few folks including myself, and I reckon with good reason. I myself am currently living in a very comfortable condo in Bangers just off Sukhumvit with all the modern conveniences close to hand that affords living in a modern city. Apart from a building site up the road this is a very peaceable, quiet existence, for a major city that Bangkok undoubtedly is.

Maybe this is why the noise for the sheer sake of it I have experienced in my several jaunts about the country were so noticeable. I'm talking about the loud speakers on the pickups advertising AT THE TOP OF THEIR VOICE whatever they're selling; I'm talking about the louts parked in a National Park carpark having lunch and listening to their music at top volume and bugger everyone else.

I experienced this down at Cha-am one afternoon too where a family pulled up, set their dinner out and had lunch, all the while with the car stereo BLARING. Truly, you haven't come across this in your travels around Thailand?

This has got nothing to do with where you live, if you travel around Thailand noise will come to YOU!

My post was in response to the guy who said no such (quiet) place exists. Clearly he's wrong.

Sure I've encountered it but it's never really bothered me. Never bothered me in London either. Plenty of people driving around with loud stereos there too.

I've lived in Bangkok since I got here nearly a decade ago so no Isaan backwater crap hole or Pattaya dive next to skank knocking shops for me.

I've always lived in condos in buildings where you don't get the kind of Thais who blast music at full volume so, no, the noise will not come to me

[anotheruser]

Right now for me it would be the lack of clean beach destinations or places that have much charm left. No stone has been left unturned unless of course very unpleasant smelly things are underneath it. I find myself having to look further afield for nice holiday places and that takes more time and money. So for me the unpleasant state of the environment has become the biggest draw back.

Still plenty of clean beaches left. Plenty of charm, and plenty of peace and quiet too. You just have to look a little further.

Further than say, Koh Phayam?

It also seems like even you agree that they are now the exception to the rule. It is like saying to like behind the dumpster to find the place nobody can manage to throw trash.

[AbeSurd]

Tedious boring sexpats who feel the need to share their backwards opinions of feminism, immigration and 'what's gone wrong with the west' while being magnificently unaware of the irony that surrounds their situation. I had one guy (fat, bad breath, twice divorced, disgusting sandals) tell me that all women were basically whores and wanted paying for it- at least here it's honest- so I commiserated with him over the fact his mother was a prostitute and he lost his temper quite badly. Don't know why, he was the one who said all women.

Disgusting sandals? More details would be great. Any photos?

[Ace of Pop]

[NumbNut]

ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1465518867.250710.jpg

Lol good one

[JAFO]

In Thailand?

No place exists.

Sure they do - if you're prepared to pay.

This is what cracks me up - every time there's a thread about the cost of living in Thailand, certain people pop up and take the piss out of guys paying 30, 40, 50k a month or more for a condo.

But on threads about noise pollution or badly-behaved neighbors, you'll find the exact same people carping on about the feral kids high on yaba nicking their stuff to sell, drunks pissing on their fence and, yes, Somchai blasting the shit out of his sound system.

They're all like "WHY ME?"

Hello?? It's because you're cheap and you live in a shit area alongside the Thai equivalent of chavs.

There are shit places to live in every country in the world. Thailand is no different.

If you want quiet, open your wallet move to a better class of area.

But this is not a thread about the coast of living is it, this is a thread about what some folks perceive is the greatest drawback to living in Thailand.

Noise has been mentioned by a few folks including myself, and I reckon with good reason. I myself am currently living in a very comfortable condo in Bangers just off Sukhumvit with all the modern conveniences close to hand that affords living in a modern city. Apart from a building site up the road this is a very peaceable, quiet existence, for a major city that Bangkok undoubtedly is.

Maybe this is why the noise for the sheer sake of it I have experienced in my several jaunts about the country were so noticeable. I'm talking about the loud speakers on the pickups advertising AT THE TOP OF THEIR VOICE whatever they're selling; I'm talking about the louts parked in a National Park carpark having lunch and listening to their music at top volume and bugger everyone else.

I experienced this down at Cha-am one afternoon too where a family pulled up, set their dinner out and had lunch, all the while with the car stereo BLARING. Truly, you haven't come across this in your travels around Thailand?

This has got nothing to do with where you live, if you travel around Thailand noise will come to YOU!

While I always respect others opinions as this is an open forum, I do need to say many of you come across like grumpy old complainers. You know the type. You hated them when you were a kid. Like the little old lady down the street that called the police when the music was too loud or you modified your car and the exhaust was too loud. What did you do when you were younger? Did you never go to a party? Concert? The perceived noise here in Thailand is no different then anywhere else some have become super hyper sensitive to it. Product of little else to do but fixate on trivial things? I occasionally see the truck with the billboard sign blaring on a PA but Come on...REALLY? that's like once every 2 months or so and last 15 seconds? That is really a drawback?

As for the kids at the beach with the blaring music, again.....what were you doing at their age? Funny how it all goes full circle. Loved it when you were younger, bi tch about it now that you are older

[Ace of Pop]

And you come across as someone who thinks all kids were Yobs,and now they are older have no right to peace.

[Ace of Pop]

P.S.. Thinking back to School Days ,did we not All average about 4 Yobs in every grade we are in,so not much has changed today.

[JAFO]

And you come across as someone who thinks all kids were Yobs,and now they are older have no right to peace.

Had to look that Brit slang word up.

Yob is a slang word used in the United Kingdom. The term denotes a loutish, uncultured person, and is published in dictionaries in the United Kingdom.

So you are saying young kids growing up that listen to misic, go to parties and dances are uncultured...Hmmmm.

Unless you were living in a basement or grew up a snob going to boarding school(and actually those type were the loudest as they lashed out more frequently) most young kids I knew were always out having fun(me included) and that included concerts, parties, dances, clubs etc etc. So maybe all the foreigners that moved here were stay at home book worms and never had GF's? LOL!!!

As I said, I think foreigners come here with little to nothing to do and fixate on trivial issues and make it a bigger issue then it really is. I sat and thought about when I was in the states a few months ago, I laughed as I came to a traffic light and there were 4 young kids in a car with blasting music. They were laughing having a good time. Not once did I think..."What a drawback to living in the US....." Of course I was busy with things to do........ See my point?

[geriatrickid]

Sexpats.

People who run down everything Thai.

There is nothing to rundown. The truth is the truth, even if you wish to live in denial.

I always seem to end up with the normal centrist distribution when I vote on these things. I too selected the reporting requirements and the visa regulations.

[NumbNut]

In Thailand?

No place exists.

Sure they do - if you're prepared to pay.

This is what cracks me up - every time there's a thread about the cost of living in Thailand, certain people pop up and take the piss out of guys paying 30, 40, 50k a month or more for a condo.

But on threads about noise pollution or badly-behaved neighbors, you'll find the exact same people carping on about the feral kids high on yaba nicking their stuff to sell, drunks pissing on their fence and, yes, Somchai blasting the shit out of his sound system.

They're all like "WHY ME?"

Hello?? It's because you're cheap and you live in a shit area alongside the Thai equivalent of chavs.

There are shit places to live in every country in the world. Thailand is no different.

If you want quiet, open your wallet move to a better class of area.

But this is not a thread about the coast of living is it, this is a thread about what some folks perceive is the greatest drawback to living in Thailand.

Noise has been mentioned by a few folks including myself, and I reckon with good reason. I myself am currently living in a very comfortable condo in Bangers just off Sukhumvit with all the modern conveniences close to hand that affords living in a modern city. Apart from a building site up the road this is a very peaceable, quiet existence, for a major city that Bangkok undoubtedly is.

Maybe this is why the noise for the sheer sake of it I have experienced in my several jaunts about the country were so noticeable. I'm talking about the loud speakers on the pickups advertising AT THE TOP OF THEIR VOICE whatever they're selling; I'm talking about the louts parked in a National Park carpark having lunch and listening to their music at top volume and bugger everyone else.

I experienced this down at Cha-am one afternoon too where a family pulled up, set their dinner out and had lunch, all the while with the car stereo BLARING. Truly, you haven't come across this in your travels around Thailand?

This has got nothing to do with where you live, if you travel around Thailand noise will come to YOU!

While I always respect others opinions as this is an open forum, I do need to say many of you come across like grumpy old complainers. You know the type. You hated them when you were a kid. Like the little old lady down the street that called the police when the music was too loud or you modified your car and the exhaust was too loud. What did you do when you were younger? Did you never go to a party? Concert? The perceived noise here in Thailand is no different then anywhere else some have become super hyper sensitive to it. Product of little else to do but fixate on trivial things? I occasionally see the truck with the billboard sign blaring on a PA but Come on...REALLY? that's like once every 2 months or so and last 15 seconds? That is really a drawback?

As for the kids at the beach with the blaring music, again.....what were you doing at their age? Funny how it all goes full circle. Loved it when you were younger, bi tch about it now that you are older

On second read I did sound a bit grumpy in that post which was not my intention. I was trying to make an observation to another post, that's all. There's many things in Thailand I consider more important then the perceived loudness of the locals eh! Earlier in this thread I said how happy I was here, and that remains true, and I've said the same in other threads on TV with similar topics. Happy as a pig in shit mate! And I'm an old muso too, I love my tunes loud, so loudness itself is not a drama for me.

But I still think for some folks the loudness of the locals could be an issue. Just want to share another loudness experience I've had here in Thailand. I'd been here for a few months and I was ready to buy a car. I was interested in an SUV so myself and a mate drove to his local Mitsu dealer so I could have a look at a new Pajero Sport. Soon as we got out of his car at the saleyard the music hit me. We had to shout to each other to make ourselves heard. We were walking around the car trying to talk about it but it just became impossible. And all this time a couple of sales guys were inside the show room watching us, waiting for us to walk inside. This carry on was at a business! We just gave up and drove off, they lost a potential sale because I couldn't talk to my mate about the pros and cons of a Pajero Sport.

Again, no skin off my nose. I ended up with a Mazda CX-5, and it's a great car too, very happy with it.

Don't you think that's a weird way to run a business though?

[NumbNut]

Sexpats.

People who run down everything Thai.

There is nothing to rundown. The truth is the truth, even if you wish to live in denial.

I always seem to end up with the normal centrist distribution when I vote on these things. I too selected the reporting requirements and the visa regulations.

Agree, wise words. Love your icon Geri, classic!

[Kwasaki]

Frozen UK state pension.

[dick dasterdly]

Different things annoy different people, and the things that I consider drawbacks have all been mentioned in this thread.

Namely, lack of quality and affordable health insurance, the heat, the high import tax on imported items, the impossibility of trying to get anything done properly, Immigration 'hoops' (depending on the officer concerned) and the pointless 90 day reporting.

Most other things are short-lived irritations - to me anyway.

[Agent Sumo]

In Thailand?

No place exists.

Sure they do - if you're prepared to pay.

This is what cracks me up - every time there's a thread about the cost of living in Thailand, certain people pop up and take the piss out of guys paying 30, 40, 50k a month or more for a condo.

But on threads about noise pollution or badly-behaved neighbors, you'll find the exact same people carping on about the feral kids high on yaba nicking their stuff to sell, drunks pissing on their fence and, yes, Somchai blasting the shit out of his sound system.

They're all like "WHY ME?"

Hello?? It's because you're cheap and you live in a shit area alongside the Thai equivalent of chavs.

There are shit places to live in every country in the world. Thailand is no different.

If you want quiet, open your wallet move to a better class of area.

But this is not a thread about the coast of living is it, this is a thread about what some folks perceive is the greatest drawback to living in Thailand.

Noise has been mentioned by a few folks including myself, and I reckon with good reason. I myself am currently living in a very comfortable condo in Bangers just off Sukhumvit with all the modern conveniences close to hand that affords living in a modern city. Apart from a building site up the road this is a very peaceable, quiet existence, for a major city that Bangkok undoubtedly is.

Maybe this is why the noise for the sheer sake of it I have experienced in my several jaunts about the country were so noticeable. I'm talking about the loud speakers on the pickups advertising AT THE TOP OF THEIR VOICE whatever they're selling; I'm talking about the louts parked in a National Park carpark having lunch and listening to their music at top volume and bugger everyone else.

I experienced this down at Cha-am one afternoon too where a family pulled up, set their dinner out and had lunch, all the while with the car stereo BLARING. Truly, you haven't come across this in your travels around Thailand?

This has got nothing to do with where you live, if you travel around Thailand noise will come to YOU!

While I always respect others opinions as this is an open forum, I do need to say many of you come across like grumpy old complainers. You know the type. You hated them when you were a kid. Like the little old lady down the street that called the police when the music was too loud or you modified your car and the exhaust was too loud. What did you do when you were younger? Did you never go to a party? Concert? The perceived noise here in Thailand is no different then anywhere else some have become super hyper sensitive to it. Product of little else to do but fixate on trivial things? I occasionally see the truck with the billboard sign blaring on a PA but Come on...REALLY? that's like once every 2 months or so and last 15 seconds? That is really a drawback?

As for the kids at the beach with the blaring music, again.....what were you doing at their age? Funny how it all goes full circle. Loved it when you were younger, bi tch about it now that you are older

I think a lot of the complainers are retired

Perhaps they thought Thailand was a retirement home on a national scale where they could come to stretch a pound/dollar/euro a lot further with elderly care administered by an attractive piece of Isaan Brown Ass.

Perhaps they thought that the visa nestling in their passport entitled them to reside in a charmed, fairy tale nexus that defied the laws of economics that apply to every other country in the world by boasting both low cost and high quality.

However, Somchai with the megawatt car stereo wasn't a signatory to the contract they think they signed with Thailand

Quite rightly, Somchai doesn't give a flying f*** about their retirement. This is his country and he can do whatever the hell he likes.

That said, as I mentioned earlier, there are plenty of options for avoiding the throbbing sub-bass of a monster sound system.

Move to a classier neighbourhood where people into that sort of thing can't afford to live

It's not unreasonable to want peace and quiet but they'll have to pay for it.