nuakmuaynina Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 If its racism you are concerned about, the UK is getting a lot worse....I think that is a worldwide problem. Its strange that now the world is more connected than ever, making it easier for us to learn about each other, that people are becoming xenophobic.. maybe familiarity breeds contempt... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roiethome Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 I have been here for more than twenty years now, and certainly do not feel under any more pressure than when I landed here, It is still easy to get a long term visa if you are legit; the whingers are mainly those trying to buck the system. Only been back to UK 4 times in 20 years for a total of 17 days, and nothing would drag me back to live in the over regulated politically correct, nanny state that the UK has become. Thank goodness for places like Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 Interesting that many Brits are heading back home, many having now made a profit on their Baht assets as a result of Brexit. Have to wonder what their original objective was, a cheap lifestyle perhaps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisF Posted August 23, 2016 Author Share Posted August 23, 2016 (edited) 3 hours ago, Berkshire said: Agree, that always seems to be the case. Either they got burned by a Thai woman, or some financial dealing(s) gone bad. The OP can't put it all on the Thai government, those of us who actually live here know better. The gov has about zero impact on our daily lives. But I suppose it's a more grandiose excuse, like taking a stand against government overreach...or something along those lines. Sure sounds better than "I got taken by some gold-digger for my life savings!" What a ridiculous assumption. I have had Thai gfs and spent enormous amounts of cash and never regreted 1 baht. Thats because I am grown up. I dont have to make excuses about this bunch of uneducated no hope and no idea cretins who dish out daily verbal diarrhea. I also see the effect it has on my Thai friends, both small business owners and ministry employees of a high level. This administration has adversely affected the whole of the Thai population, apart from their friends. So YES that affects me directly as I see people I care about suffer. Clear? Edited August 23, 2016 by DennisF keyboard cant spell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDfella Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 Having been here for 20+years, yes I have seen changes, perhaps the most dangerous one being the amount of traffic on the roads now compared to then. I have always been treated well by immigration officers who, no doubt, are under pressure from different quarters. My 18 year marriage ended in divorce but I have never wanted to go back to my own country. I must admit a couple of times I have wondered if new requirements /laws would force me to leave and perhaps that is where the OP point is. I don't know just how the present government views expats and perhaps what they have said sometimes is actually true, 'good ones in, bad ones out'. It might be the 'uncertainty' of any new rules that is really the OP's problem. But I would like to remind the OP that political problems are just about everywhere and changing country will only change the problems. I think most Thais have their hope pinned on the next election in the hope that a more stable nation will emerge so why not wait until then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alofthailand Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 6 hours ago, Scotwight said: Bets, that nothing negative has happened to you as a result of the new government. I could be wrong and you are not just another whinging pom. I'm interested really since nothing negative has happened to me outside of reading Thai Visa in the past two years. Since it takes many straws to break a camels back it should be easy for you to list ten things the new government has done to you on a daily basis that made life untenable for you. Er I think you mean whining Ossie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisF Posted August 23, 2016 Author Share Posted August 23, 2016 14 minutes ago, chiang mai said: Interesting that many Brits are heading back home, many having now made a profit on their Baht assets as a result of Brexit. Have to wonder what their original objective was, a cheap lifestyle perhaps. Another assumption that is way off. My assets are in Europe, not here and I have never been a cheapskate, even when I was skint., Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent Sumo Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 2 hours ago, DrTuner said: Thailand has changed quite a bit in a decade. Got more western with consumerism, mobile phone zombies, etc. Not many special things left. Having a base somewhere else and visiting for holidays makes more sense now than being an expat. For you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazza40 Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 Perhaps the OP reads the constant whinges on Thai Visa and takes them to heart. I have been here eight years, and feel none of the pressures the OP alludes to. Having visited Vietnam, I may well have settled there too. For a communist country, there seems to be far less police and army presence compared to Thailand. Having said that, they don't concern themselves with me. So I'm still happy here. Thais have a unique capacity to exasperate me, and simultaneously gladden me. If the OP found Australians and Australia to be a pain in the butt, I can guarantee Aussies thought he was the classic whinging Pom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 5 minutes ago, DennisF said: Another assumption that is way off. My assets are in Europe, not here and I have never been a cheapskate, even when I was skint., Too defensive by far, my post was a generalization and not aimed at you personally, your response however now gives me cause to wonder! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Gold Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 Feel your pain. Thailand was to be my dream retirement country. My expectations and dreams ran headlong into reality. The world IS changing, not for the betterment of mankind in my personal opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1FinickyOne Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 Hi Dennis - I arrive late to the discussion, and have not read all posts. The one thing that stands out which might not have been addressed is the "where" of it all. I live happily with my wife and family in the countryside, YMCA, you know, village people and all that goes with that, but we have a great family. I have read about some of the changes but none of it even comes close to having any effect on my life... will it in the future? I don't know... However, on rare visits to tourist places, like Pattaya and Phuket etc... it seems so drunkenly unpleasant that it would not surprise me in the least that Thai hold resentments and that can color things. If just only 10% get drunk and act like insensitive a$$e$.. I am sure that breeds a lot of distrust and dislike amongst Thai living and working there... Not sure if this helps any, but my Thailand never even resembles the Thailand of tourist areas that I read about. But maybe, that is combining w/other things to make you uncomfortable... but not one rule change has even come close to making any kind of problem or inconvenience for me... and I would guess that is true for those of us who are here legitimately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisF Posted August 23, 2016 Author Share Posted August 23, 2016 6 minutes ago, bazza40 said: Perhaps the OP reads the constant whinges on Thai Visa and takes them to heart. I have been here eight years, and feel none of the pressures the OP alludes to. Having visited Vietnam, I may well have settled there too. For a communist country, there seems to be far less police and army presence compared to Thailand. Having said that, they don't concern themselves with me. So I'm still happy here. Thais have a unique capacity to exasperate me, and simultaneously gladden me. If the OP found Australians and Australia to be a pain in the butt, I can guarantee Aussies thought he was the classic whinging Pom. It as the whinging poms that were a pain in the butt, not the Aussies whose humour and love of life and fun I will miss always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogeroc Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 I am surprised when people say that the political situation is not affecting them. I have been coming to Chiang Mai for 10 years now and more regularly since retirement. The place used to buzz but not now. Restricted drinking hours seem pointless, virtually every bar pulls its shutters at midnight and if you want a drink you are enclosed and not enjoying the warm night air as before. 10 years ago the sight of a Policeman in Chiang Mai was rare, now they are on every street corner and do they make you feel an ounce safer?? The Army move on mass to tourist spots to check on passports and intimidate. The traffic is worse, the pollution from burning lasts 3 months a year, you cannot now walk near the moat without seeing dozens of rats. I rarely even get called a 'hansum man' anymore but i suppose i am 10 years older. Now compare for example with London where the policies have reduced traffic problems in the centre and where low polluting vehicles and lots of bicycles are the norm. The Government has relaxed and not tightened licensing laws, guidance on random stop and search by Police on Londons streets has been tightened to prevent accusations of discrimination. Spend a few days in London and then a few in Chiang Mai and just look and observe how dirty and rubbish ridden Chiang Mai is in comparison. Even the walking path through the jungle to Doi Suthep is spolit by the littering. London is slowly moving forward whilst Chiang Mai is regressing. Greece is a favourite travel destination for me, i spent 6 weeks in 4 different islands last Autumn and don't recall seeing a single Police Officer and i could get a drink when i wanted to. Not a lot more expensive either, In summary the appeal of Thailand is lessening month by month and a lot of that is surely as a result of policy. I cannot comment on other places in Thailand but i can accept that those in a more rural Thailand may have seen limited change and been unaffected. But can anybody who knows Chiang Mai contradict my observations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisF Posted August 23, 2016 Author Share Posted August 23, 2016 4 minutes ago, chiang mai said: Too defensive by far, my post was a generalization and not aimed at you personally, your response however now gives me cause to wonder! It was aimed at me, I am the OP. Wonder as much as you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazza40 Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 2 minutes ago, rogeroc said: I am surprised when people say that the political situation is not affecting them. I have been coming to Chiang Mai for 10 years now and more regularly since retirement. The place used to buzz but not now. Restricted drinking hours seem pointless, virtually every bar pulls its shutters at midnight and if you want a drink you are enclosed and not enjoying the warm night air as before. 10 years ago the sight of a Policeman in Chiang Mai was rare, now they are on every street corner and do they make you feel an ounce safer?? The Army move on mass to tourist spots to check on passports and intimidate. The traffic is worse, the pollution from burning lasts 3 months a year, you cannot now walk near the moat without seeing dozens of rats. I rarely even get called a 'hansum man' anymore but i suppose i am 10 years older. Now compare for example with London where the policies have reduced traffic problems in the centre and where low polluting vehicles and lots of bicycles are the norm. The Government has relaxed and not tightened licensing laws, guidance on random stop and search by Police on Londons streets has been tightened to prevent accusations of discrimination. Spend a few days in London and then a few in Chiang Mai and just look and observe how dirty and rubbish ridden Chiang Mai is in comparison. Even the walking path through the jungle to Doi Suthep is spolit by the littering. London is slowly moving forward whilst Chiang Mai is regressing. Greece is a favourite travel destination for me, i spent 6 weeks in 4 different islands last Autumn and don't recall seeing a single Police Officer and i could get a drink when i wanted to. Not a lot more expensive either, In summary the appeal of Thailand is lessening month by month and a lot of that is surely as a result of policy. I cannot comment on other places in Thailand but i can accept that those in a more rural Thailand may have seen limited change and been unaffected. But can anybody who knows Chiang Mai contradict my observations? If you need a drink after midnight, I'd suggest you are an alcoholic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevemercer Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 'I am most certainly not a whinging pom!! Having lived in Aussie land for a few years, I too found them a pain in the butt!' I'm not sure how this makes the OP not a 'whinging pom', but each to their own. Anyway, a change is as good as a holiday and perhaps the OP just needs a change of environment for 6 months or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franky Bear Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 2 minutes ago, bazza40 said: If you need a drink after midnight, I'd suggest you are an alcoholic. What if we prefer to go out after midnight. I don't like day time drinking personally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisF Posted August 23, 2016 Author Share Posted August 23, 2016 1 minute ago, Stevemercer said: 'I am most certainly not a whinging pom!! Having lived in Aussie land for a few years, I too found them a pain in the butt!' I'm not sure how this makes the OP not a 'whinging pom', but each to their own. Anyway, a change is as good as a holiday and perhaps the OP just needs a change of environment for 6 months or so. It was the whinging poms I objected to, not the Aussies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevemercer Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 Sorry, sorry, I misread you as talking about Aussies (I am/was one myself), but I realise now you are talking about the English. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connda Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 I look at my 'country of origin', I look at Thailand, I take all the pro and cons I can think of from each and toss them on my 'scales of subjectivity.' Thailand comes up the winner hands-down year after year. Yeah, I complain and moan about the real abject stupidity you can find here, but I can find real abject stupidity in my 'country of origin' too, in fact, much much more than here in the Land of Smiles. Anyway, my Thai wife and Thai family would prefer if I stay. Best of luck on your new adventures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mosan Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 Well considering your language skills, what have you heard said about foreigners that the locals will not say to our faces? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisF Posted August 23, 2016 Author Share Posted August 23, 2016 1 minute ago, Stevemercer said: Sorry, sorry, I misread you as talking about Aussies (I am/was one myself), but I realise now you are talking about the English. No worries mate, IK had a fantastic time in Aus. Love the humour and love of life, including the Aussie attitude of not giving a sh1t Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisF Posted August 23, 2016 Author Share Posted August 23, 2016 2 minutes ago, connda said: I look at my 'country of origin', I look at Thailand, I take all the pro and cons I can think of from each and toss them on my 'scales of subjectivity.' Thailand comes up the winner hands-down year after year. Yeah, I complain and moan about the real abject stupidity you can find here, but I can find real abject stupidity in my 'country of origin' too, in fact, much much more than here in the Land of Smiles. Anyway, my Thai wife and Thai family would prefer if I stay. Best of luck on your new adventures. Thank you. Having a family would possibly have made a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogeroc Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 5 minutes ago, Franky Bear said: 8 minutes ago, bazza40 said: If you need a drink after midnight, I'd suggest you are an alcoholic. What a ridiculous and offensive comment. As Franky Bear said i don't like drinking in the day and i rarely venture out until after 10 in the evening. I am a night person i like to go out and enjoy the cooler night air. That does not make me an alcoholic ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazza40 Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 8 minutes ago, Franky Bear said: What if we prefer to go out after midnight. I don't like day time drinking personally. 1 minute ago, rogeroc said: What a ridiculous and offensive comment. As Franky Bear said i don't like drinking in the day and i rarely venture out until after 10 in the evening. I am a night person i like to go out and enjoy the cooler night air. That does not make me an alcoholic ! So move to somewhere so you can drink to your heart's content in the wee small hours. Possibly most of us don't find Thailand's bar hours overly restrictive. OK, you're not an alcoholic. Are you an insomniac? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franky Bear Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 2 minutes ago, bazza40 said: So move to somewhere so you can drink to your heart's content in the wee small hours. Possibly most of us don't find Thailand's bar hours overly restrictive. OK, you're not an alcoholic. Are you an insomniac? No, i'm not, i prefer to drink at night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexRich Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 I've enjoyed my stay in Thailand over the last three years but will be moving to a sunny part of Europe at the end of next month before the door closes and I'm planning to spend at least a year there. I will come back here at some point as there are other areas of south east Asia I would like to explore. Although I like Thailand I would not like to settle permanently here ... I just would not have the same rights as I have in my home country, and in many respects we are all second class citizens here. So if someone decides to leave for whatever reason I wish them good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazza40 Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 9 minutes ago, Franky Bear said: No, i'm not, i prefer to drink at night. Excuse me if I don't understand. You are located in Hong Kong, and are complaining about drinking hours in Thailand? There is a difference between drinking between 8 pm and midnight, and drinking from midnight to 4 pm. I find it difficult to imagine why anyone would want to do that; however,each to their own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franky Bear Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 2 minutes ago, bazza40 said: Excuse me if I don't understand. You are located in Hong Kong, and are complaining about drinking hours in Thailand? There is a difference between drinking between 8 pm and midnight, and drinking from midnight to 4 pm. I find it difficult to imagine why anyone would want to do that; however,each to their own. I'm still in Thailand. I move soon. It;s the kind of nightlife i like. I love my nightlcubs and all that goes with that. They don't really kick off till 1/2/3 in the morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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