It’s official: Expats in Thailand are deliriously happy!

[simon43]

I did a quick check on the number of Thai Visa forum members. It is certainly more than 260,000. So the 844 who were 'hand-picked' to complete the survey seems a very low number to 'iron out' statistical errors.

I have been a member of Thai Visa foir a long, long, time, AND I have had thai visa delivered to my computer on a daily basis since I have been here, pray tell when, where, and how did this so called survey take place? never heard of it!

You're member 72,305. I'm member #174, and I never got wind of this survey either

Still, there is more to a happy life than reading Thai Visa forum

[hawker9000]

This so called survey was a topic of conversation in my local watering hole yesterday and the comments were not only less than complimentary they were unprintable.

General question was does TV have to sink to the level of fraud to provoke conversation and the answer was yes. All the stories of authorised forum trolls stoking controversy pale compared to this rubbish.

Agreed. It's either some oily marketing gimmick, or an outright hoax. But the usual validation-seeking suckers are eating it up. Well, so what? One illusion's as good as another.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

I don't think anyone is claiming the average Thai earns 100k a month. That would be silly.

You are claiming to know most people who earn 100k a month.

You come out insulting legitimate teachers who earl less.

The supposed survey was done in Bangkok and Pattaya,

Please do tell the job titles of expats in Pattaya who earn 100k++

[MissAndry]

The other misleading thing is they are trying to give the 'impression' that 100,000 is the average income and it is just not true. many mini-survey on TV have been done in the past on TV and the average seems around 40,000 and, I can only say, amongst my friends around 50,000 is the norm for retirees. It's just spin and BS and I'm really Shocked TV would get involved with it and I can only assume it's the change in ownership[ of TV.

50k for retiree is not exactly an income

It would more than cover all my costs.

Which are essentially rent, utils, coffee, and a bite to eat at home.

My main extravagance is orange juice.

Edited July 12, 2016 by MissAndry

[MissAndry]

I did a quick check on the number of Thai Visa forum members. It is certainly more than 260,000. So the 844 who were 'hand-picked' to complete the survey seems a very low number to 'iron out' statistical errors.

I have been a member of Thai Visa foir a long, long, time, AND I have had thai visa delivered to my computer on a daily basis since I have been here, pray tell when, where, and how did this so called survey take place? never heard of it!

You're member 72,305. I'm member #174, and I never got wind of this survey either

Still, there is more to a happy life than reading Thai Visa forum

We could do a survey, Are you one of the 844?

[Holy Cinema]

I don't think anyone is claiming the average Thai earns 100k a month. That would be silly.

You are claiming to know most people who earn 100k a month.

You come out insulting legitimate teachers who earl less.

The supposed survey was done in Bangkok and Pattaya,

Please do tell the job titles of expats in Pattaya who earn 100k++

Ignore him, he's one of the many duplicate accounts crowd.

[micmichd]

I did a quick check on the number of Thai Visa forum members. It is certainly more than 260,000. So the 844 who were 'hand-picked' to complete the survey seems a very low number to 'iron out' statistical errors.

I have been a member of Thai Visa foir a long, long, time, AND I have had thai visa delivered to my computer on a daily basis since I have been here, pray tell when, where, and how did this so called survey take place? never heard of it!

You're member 72,305. I'm member #174, and I never got wind of this survey either

Still, there is more to a happy life than reading Thai Visa forum

We could do a survey, Are you one of the 844?

So, here we go:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/931222-expat-survey-was-widely-shared-across-social-media-and-thaivisa-say-company/?utm_source=newsletter-20160712-1357&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

I'm certainly not one of the 844 that tried to qualify for a weekend in Pattaya. I'm a resident in Pattaya, yes, and I'm deliriously happy here

[Dumbastheycome]

I don't live in Pattaya.

But I live very comfortably elswhere.

I have no set income.

My wife gives me money as and when I need it, sometimes even when I don't.

I am very happy.

I have been semi delerious due to dengue fever and influenza but at even such at such times would I believe this survey has much relevance to the majority of longstay non Thai.

Perhaps it is a contrived provocation?

If so it has worked.

[SoiBiker]

I don't think anyone is claiming the average Thai earns 100k a month. That would be silly.

You are claiming to know most people who earn 100k a month.

You come out insulting legitimate teachers who earl less.

The supposed survey was done in Bangkok and Pattaya,

Please do tell the job titles of expats in Pattaya who earn 100k++

Ignore him, he's one of the many duplicate accounts crowd.

I'm sorry, what?

[bentfarang]

I don't think anyone is claiming the average Thai earns 100k a month. That would be silly.

You are claiming to know most people who earn 100k a month.

You come out insulting legitimate teachers who earl less.

The supposed survey was done in Bangkok and Pattaya,

Please do tell the job titles of expats in Pattaya who earn 100k++

Apparently all the teachers he knows earn 100k plus... I think around 50k is average for foreign teachers, but a handful from international schools do get more than 100k.

[SoiBiker]

I don't think anyone is claiming the average Thai earns 100k a month. That would be silly.

You are claiming to know most people who earn 100k a month.

You come out insulting legitimate teachers who earl less.

The supposed survey was done in Bangkok and Pattaya,

Please do tell the job titles of expats in Pattaya who earn 100k++

Apparently all the teachers he knows earn 100k plus... I think around 50k is average for foreign teachers, but a handful from international schools do get more than 100k.

To be fair, the teachers I know are well qualified, experienced educators working at decent schools, rather than sexpats who developed a sudden enthusiasm for education when it became apparent they'd need some basis upon which to remain in Thailand long term.

[mankondang]

Say what? It's not April 1st! Oh well, you know what they say about statistics.

So you and your lot are the ones who don't live in Thailand.

[Holy Cinema]

I don't think anyone is claiming the average Thai earns 100k a month. That would be silly.

You are claiming to know most people who earn 100k a month.

You come out insulting legitimate teachers who earl less.

The supposed survey was done in Bangkok and Pattaya,

Please do tell the job titles of expats in Pattaya who earn 100k++

Ignore him, he's one of the many duplicate accounts crowd.

I'm sorry, what?

Have one of your many very well qualified 100,000 baht a month teacher friends explain it to you

[SoiBiker]

Ignore him, he's one of the many duplicate accounts crowd.

I'm sorry, what?

Have one of your many very well qualified 100,000 baht a month teacher friends explain it to you

What makes you think I have multiple accounts?

I've no need to - I've managed to keep the same account active without getting banned for several years now.

How about you?

[Bender]

Bill O'Reilly would be very proud of Thaivisa

[micmichd]

This turns out to become a big misunderstanding again.

Here's an overview about the salaries Thais get in Thailand:

http://www.worldsalaries.org/thailand.shtml

Farangs that want to settle down in Thailand permanently should take statistics like this as a guideline and keep in mind the Thai labour market is protected from too many Farangs (whatever "too many" means)

Expats that get hired abroad and then sent to Thailand are a different issue. They need to qualify in their home countries, eg the UK, and occasionally compete there in the European labour market first. Making career in the West is stressful, and life is expensive there, please keep that in your mind. A dual life where one takes the lifestyle advantages of a Farang tourist in Thailand and want it financed through Western salary standards is simply not realistic. Sorry to say, but it turns out to be this way.

[cockatoowho]

It is funny and sad at same time to see so many posts here written with grumpy old men or incompetent people with bad manners which spit all around good!!!

People which have difficulties here can blame themselves and way of life they have!

Most of us have nice life here without conflict!We are happy in Bkk,Pattaya,Chiang Mai,Phuket and no need to go to small village in Issan to be happy(I accept that some people like country life style better)!

I am really happy with my life here ,same as most foreigners I know!!!

It is funny and sad at the same time that people like yourself can speak for other people they don't even know and spew forth unproven rot to make their claims.The repetitive bullshit of grumpy old men just highlights your ignorance and disrespect. Newsflash Sony, you are going to get old yourself one day or will the pressure be too much for you and you neck yourself. Your happy, good for you, go tell somebody who really cares.

[micmichd]

It is funny and sad at same time to see so many posts here written with grumpy old men or incompetent people with bad manners which spit all around good!!!

People which have difficulties here can blame themselves and way of life they have!

Most of us have nice life here without conflict!We are happy in Bkk,Pattaya,Chiang Mai,Phuket and no need to go to small village in Issan to be happy(I accept that some people like country life style better)!

I am really happy with my life here ,same as most foreigners I know!!!

It is funny and sad at the same time that people like yourself can speak for other people they don't even know and spew forth unproven rot to make their claims.The repetitive bullshit of grumpy old men just highlights your ignorance and disrespect. Newsflash Sony, you are going to get old yourself one day or will the pressure be too much for you and you neck yourself. Your happy, good for you, go tell somebody who really cares.

They're only in it for the money. And now their claims go down the gutter.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Why is your name vukovar? Where do you come from?

[sangtip2]

I kinda doubt it

[LannaGuy]

easy answer to all those expats and TVF members who say they never saw the survey: do it again! put it on the front page and advertise it as 99% of us never saw it AND 884 out of 100,000+ members is hardly representative but if we get the chance to fill it in I think there will be 10,000s of members responding

[Winniedapu]

easy answer to all those expats and TVF members who say they never saw the survey: do it again! put it on the front page and advertise it as 99% of us never saw it AND 884 out of 100,000+ members is hardly representative but if we get the chance to fill it in I think there will be 10,000s of members responding

I would dearly love to see:

1. How many of the 100,000+ members are still active, or indeed, have been active at any time in the past five years.

2. How many of the 100,000+ members have actually been banned, on one pretext or another and would probably not look at TV advertising for as long as their bottom points to the ground.

3. How many of the 100,000+ email addresses are in fact duplicates.

4. The results of an email address check on the 100,000+ addresses TV claims to represent the viewing audience of current members when flogging advertising.

On balance however, I probably won't be holding my breath. Any numbers which we are likely to see are likely to bear the same relationship to reality as any other statistics you're likely to see in Thailand (TAT tourism numbers for example).

Winnie

Edited July 14, 2016 by Winniedapu

[SoiBiker]

Unless you're paying for advertising on the site, I can't really see why you would care.

[Winniedapu]

Unless you're paying for advertising on the site, I can't really see why you would care.

A reasonable comment, to which I will attempt a reasonable reply.

I am an honest man and a professional man, and I don't like cheating.

It's a balancing act, honesty in Thailand is scarce enough, but there I don't think we should stop looking for it on the basis that there 's not much of it around. You might observe that if I don't like it I could always leave, and of course you'd be quite right, but there are benefits in being able to talk sensibly to those members who are able to talk sensibly, and that has value for me. Like many people, I seek out intelligent company. That must be balanced against what one is seen to be associating with. There are other forums, one or two of which I've dabbled in, none of which I've been impressed by, and at least one of which seems to be populated exclusively by young laddish boys and sex addicts. Call me picky, but I just can't be comfortable in that environment, or indeed in any environment where one's testicles have a larger influence over one's behaviour than does one's brain.

The history of TV has been somewhat chequered, this much is common knowledge - there's plenty of history to be found on the web. I will speak frankly and say that were it not for the new management, I would not be here, which is the consequence, essentially, of my dislike of cheating and sharp practice and I'm convinced, that I'm very far from being alone in this respect. I believe that the new management, as I observed in a different thread has and had an opportunity to set aside any legacy in that regard, and establish some standards of honesty and professionalism. I do understand that TV is dependent upon advertising, and has an interest in maximising their claimed membership (and consequently the exposure of advertising), however blatant misrepresentation needs to be be avoided in my opinion because it's a short-term approach and an advertiser lost because of dishonesty will generally not come back any time soon. In my view, some of the former behaviour by management and unpaid staff (whose behaviour will always follow what they consider to be the lead provided by management) should be set aside in favour of making TV less 'entrepreneur-ish', and more professional. I acknowledge that in Thailand 'professionalism' is a somewhat hazy concept and greatly outweighed by money-grabbing--ism, but I firmly believe 80% or perhaps even 90% of people would prefer honesty and professionalism, given the choice.

Apologies for being a bit wind-baggy, but you invited a response, since a response was invited I consider it my obligation to provide an honest one. There will be some who don't agree, and still others who prefer an 'entrepreneurish' atmosphere. I wish those people well but I'm not one of them.

Have a great day.

Winnie

Edited July 14, 2016 by Winniedapu

[4MyEgo]

I think we all know that everyone is of the opinion that the survey was rigged, having said, in my humble opinion, Thailand has a lot to offer if you have:

1) Good health (including a good health insurance policy)

2) Your still in love with your Thai partner or multiply partners, for the butterfly, (all jokes aside)

3) Personality, your either a happy chappy or your not, if your not, doesn't matter where you live, you will always be an unhappy chappy.

4) Money, the more you have, the better the quality of life you will have here.

Personally I think Thailand is a beautiful country which has a lot to offer, its people are simple and easy going, but don't go poking a stick at them or you will be beaten with it.

Once you accept that you chose to live in a 3rd world country for all the right reasons, and you left a 1st world country for all of the reasons that made you set up shop here, you accept how lucky you really are, if you can't then you should really go back to where you came from.

As you can see I am here for the long haul, and I accept that Thailand is not perfect, if there ever there is a perfect country, that said, just enjoy and accept that life here is far better than it is back in your home country, that or something is really out of wack with your original estimate.

Keep smiling

[SoiBiker]

A Thai partner isn't essential for happiness here, though.

[MissAndry]

A Thai partner isn't essential for happiness here, though.

You can't run a business here without one.

[SoiBiker]

A Thai partner isn't essential for happiness here, though.

You can't run a business here without one.

Running a business isn't essential for happiness here, though.

Surely a foreigner can part own a business in any case - the only difference is whether you're married to your business partner?

[Chapelroad]

A Thai partner isn't essential for happiness here, though.

You can't run a business here without one.

I'm afraid you can.

[Hammock]

I am very happy living in this land of smiles, friendly people, wonderful climate etc etc. Can't wait to make my retirement visa and stay here until WWW3 starts