Are Farang coming here full time a thing of the past?

[bkk6060]

Not meant to be a Pats bashing thread.  I still like it here a lot.

But gosh, I sure am not seeing many new fellas.  I get around a lot to different places and it is the same faces in the same places.

A possible confirmation of this has come from a few massage girls I see who work in popular locations.  They say they have not seen any new full time Farang here in quite awhile.  Same comments from several bars. 

Short timers sure, but the full timers seem to be few and far between.

Where are they going?  Cambodia, Vietnam??

[binjalin]

Philippines would be the next choice. Thailand feels like it's going down and down and there is so much uncertainty the new new should be LONS  (land of no smiles).

[InMyShadow]

5 minutes ago, binjalin said:

Philippines would be the next choice. Thailand feels like it's going down and down and there is so much uncertainty the new new should be LONS  (land of no smiles).

Good luck with that.

 

Just had an Australian guy return to our condo complex after packing up and leaving for good to PI

 

3 days in he had a home invasion and a gun pointed at his forehead whilst asleep..what a nightmare but it was real !!!!!

 

PI quickly becoming LOD

 

LAND_OF_DEATH

[champers]

I am quite new here as a full-time retiree. I don't know whether you have noticed me or not; I am not sure if I have noticed you. For the next week only I will walk around town with a copy of the Nation tucked under my left arm. If you spot me I will buy you a pint, but only if you say: "You are Champers and I demand my free pint." Feel free to buy me one back if you like. Good hunting.

[bkk6060]

5 minutes ago, champers said:

I am quite new here as a full-time retiree. I don't know whether you have noticed me or not; I am not sure if I have noticed you. For the next week only I will walk around town with a copy of the Nation tucked under my left arm. If you spot me I will buy you a pint, but only if you say: "You are Champers and I demand my free pint." Feel free to buy me one back if you like. Good hunting.

Welcome great, I will look for you!

[tolsti]

49 minutes ago, champers said:

I am quite new here as a full-time retiree. I don't know whether you have noticed me or not; I am not sure if I have noticed you. For the next week only I will walk around town with a copy of the Nation tucked under my left arm. If you spot me I will buy you a pint, but only if you say: "You are Champers and I demand my free pint." Feel free to buy me one back if you like. Good hunting.

Only if you have a pink carnation in your buttonhole. 

[whitemouse]

It's probably difficult to notice new faces, but you are probably right, less people move here permanently. I know foreigners here who stay all winter, 5-6 months, but leave in spring. 

 

It seems many retirees who moved here sold their property in faranglands, in order to buy here, and they stay here all year. But now many are renting, and keeping property back home, with rents so low, anyone can easily stay here as long as they like (visa difficulties notwithstanding) and go back for Australia, Europe as they please. I always see more tanned foreigners in the winter,  clearly not 2 week tourists, and after Songkran far fewer. Climate refugees basically 

[2008bangkok]

1 hour ago, champers said:

I am quite new here as a full-time retiree. I don't know whether you have noticed me or not; I am not sure if I have noticed you. For the next week only I will walk around town with a copy of the Nation tucked under my left arm. If you spot me I will buy you a pint, but only if you say: "You are Champers and I demand my free pint." Feel free to buy me one back if you like. Good hunting.

Well I tried that and the women who turned round smacked me in the face.

[balo]

The crime rate is higher in PI. More unsafe for foreigners . And more expensive as well. If I had to leave Thailand my next stop in Asia would be Vietnam or Cambodia.

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

On this topic, I had a shock today. Took the morning Sai Tai bus from Pattaya to Bangkok's Sathon Road. I've done this route maybe only a dozen times over a 7-year period and it's always been full, except today. Only 15 passengers, with no westerners except me.

 

I've done the Pattaya/Bangkok Ekamai round-trip bus easily more than 150 times in that period. The last two years I've seen fewer western foreigners. I used to meet people I knew on this bus. Hasn't happened in a couple of years. I am only guessing that there really are fewer long-term western residents and returning climate refugees. 

 

No, this is not Pattaya bashing, because I will be moving back to Pattaya (Darkside) from southern Vietnam after only three months and a full year in Bangkok.  In Vietnam where I was (still am partly), most of the expats there were former expat residents of Thailand.

[visatroubles]

I think the clamp down on visa runs and obtaining decent visas (not including retirement visas) has taken its toll aswell as the strong baht means it's just less attractive to stay puts off people coming for the long term

[InMyShadow]

It's probably difficult to notice new faces, but you are probably right, less people move here permanently. I know foreigners here who stay all winter, 5-6 months, but leave in spring. 
 
It seems many retirees who moved here sold their property in faranglands, in order to buy here, and they stay here all year. But now many are renting, and keeping property back home, with rents so low, anyone can easily stay here as long as they like (visa difficulties notwithstanding) and go back for Australia, Europe as they please. I always see more tanned foreigners in the winter,  clearly not 2 week tourists, and after Songkran far fewer. Climate refugees basically 

Rents are cheap because farang take a massive downgrade compared to the quality they lived in back home.
Try renting a 100 sqm condo in lower Sukhumvit.. Good luck with cheap !!

[whitemouse]

23 minutes ago, InMyShadow said:

Rents are cheap because farang take a massive downgrade compared to the quality they lived in back home.
Try renting a 100 sqm condo in lower Sukhumvit.. Good luck with cheap !!

 

Can we stick to Pattaya?

 

Also, why would I want a 100m2 condo on Suk, in Bangkok, in a third world country? You say it's very expensive,  so why rent it? Why make life difficult? It's like moving to Timbuktu, and wanting it to be Kensington. Point of Thailand isn't to live like you live in London.

 

I can easily stay months and months in hotel room, or a small studio condo. Thailand is a jungle, eat local food, live pretty much like locals, and it's far cheaper here than even Eastern Europe.

[strikingsunset]

46 minutes ago, visatroubles said:

I think the clamp down on visa runs and obtaining decent visas (not including retirement visas) has taken its toll aswell as the strong baht means it's just less attractive to stay puts off people coming for the long term

I agree, then the ( not currently transparent) increase in alcohol taxes in September are looming

[Suradit69]

5 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

I get around a lot to different places and it is the same faces in the same places.

Maybe new arrivals have different "interests" than you or are trying to avoid places filled with tired old faces.

 

5 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

A possible confirmation of this has come from a few massage girls I see who work in popular locations.

You still go to "see" massage girls and spend your time checking on how many new people (carefully excluding short term tourists) are passing through a "popular" location that is apparently not that popular?  

 

There must be easier, less desperate strategies to find new (long-term, non-tourist) friends or whatever it is that is causing you such concern. 

 

[HooHaa]

4 hours ago, tolsti said:

Only if you have a pink carnation in your buttonhole. 

 

was buttonhole a typo?

[RichardColeman]

If I could take my wife and baby to the UK, I would do it tomorrow. Alas silly laws on income prevent it. Though with an early pension kicking in in two years I may try it then. I'm only here now paddling water until then. Thailand I think is going down the pan pretty quickly now and it will get worse. Still, I suppose if it gets worse I can get the wife to claim asylum !

[tolsti]

22 minutes ago, HooHaa said:

 

was buttonhole a typo?

It only took 5 hrs..... BBQ anyone?... as long as it is on the Baht bus route.

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

1 hour ago, InMyShadow said:

Rents are cheap because farang take a massive downgrade compared to the quality they lived in back home.
Try renting a 100 sqm condo in lower Sukhumvit.. Good luck with cheap !!

Try to rent a 100 sqm in Manhattan, good luck with cheap ?

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

OP there is a change in the people coming here. There are percentage wise more Chinese and less westerners. There is an increase in Chinese buying properties here as an investment. There is a move away from Patts to other parts of the country. There is less sexpats and more couples and families visiting the country. In HH I see less older foreigners with Thai gf or wives and more foreign couples. But in the end it is subjective. Interesting I see more younger foreigners with Thai gf or wives than before. 

[dotpoom]

6 hours ago, binjalin said:

Philippines would be the next choice. Thailand feels like it's going down and down and there is so much uncertainty the new new should be LONS  (land of no smiles).

Not so sure about their Big Boss and a a few bad guy groups.

  Oh, and a few hurricanes and monsoons to add to the pile.

   Never been though, so don't really know.

[Pdaz]

1 hour ago, whitemouse said:

 

Can we stick to Pattaya?

 

Also, why would I want a 100m2 condo on Suk, in Bangkok, in a third world country? You say it's very expensive,  so why rent it? Why make life difficult? It's like moving to Timbuktu, and wanting it to be Kensington. Point of Thailand isn't to live like you live in London.

 

I can easily stay months and months in hotel room, or a small studio condo. Thailand is a jungle, eat local food, live pretty much like locals, and it's far cheaper here than even Eastern Europe.

Yes, but that isn't really 'living' it's eeking out an existence at a third World level. If you just want to live a cheap low quality life why not move to a council estate and get on the social ?

[inThailand]

I agree, it's seems few new full-time expats are coming to replace the ones moving or dying off.

 

Has TV experienced less followers or posters over the last few years?

[dogpatch55]

26 minutes ago, Pdaz said:

Yes, but that isn't really 'living' it's eeking out an existence at a third World level. If you just want to live a cheap low quality life why not move to a council estate and get on the social ?

Nothing wrong with someone wanting to  live more like a local, might be a better place if more did so!  And they would be living a better life than stuck on a council estate in the UK.

[Destiny1990]

7 hours ago, binjalin said:

Philippines would be the next choice. Thailand feels like it's going down and down and there is so much uncertainty the new new should be LONS  (land of no smiles).

2 days ago phillipines cebu talisay scotsman shot in the chest for not giving his wallet to 3 robbers.Then i prefer have my chain snatched at beachroad.

[Straight8]

2 hours ago, HooHaa said:

 

was buttonhole a typo?

haha, i thought that too...

[Dene16]

46 minutes ago, Pdaz said:

I can easily stay months and months in hotel room, or a small studio condo. Thailand is a jungle, eat local food, live pretty much like locals, and it's far cheaper here than even Eastern Europe.

Great if you are happy with that but i for one and i'm sure many others, would eventually tire of that existence

For many expats Thailand is no longer the cheap place is was 8 years ago (exchange rate) and really must struggle on their  declining government pension (uk) which would, then, of given them a very healthy living.

For some ( as already mentioned by someone) that existence is still better then they would have in their own country

I will be one of the 6 month stayers.Maybe longer later but consider myself very lucky to, always, be able to do that

Expats from the UK are no longer able to retire to Thailand on a present  government pension. Only those with an additional good works pension or other means of financial support

For what it's worth there are few Thai dishes i like and always fill my suitcase with the tastes of home

 

[pauleddy]

When I came here in 2004, there were shedloads of teachers around, incl. backpackers and the time-served. Last week I was phoned by a Head who sounded desperate for 2-3 farang staff.

 

Also, there are condos going up everywhere, but I am told that "the Chinese will buy".

 

I agree about the top-end in Sukh. That is a mystical world like Hampstead in London. BUT, condos and houses in Rachada and lad Prao can now be had for 14,000 or less. I saw one deluxe place in Aree for 18,000b. Ten years ago it was 24,000b. Pattaya I don't know at all, although someone said Russians are drifting back, but not the the levels of five years ago.

 

The rationales are simple. The baht is 43=1 gbp. I remember it at 75. The great financial crisis of 2008 also. Westerners are changing their habits anyway. Too many alleged murders on islands, and fights... to be comfortable with. The friendliness of the Thais, also, has hardened up a bit. The freewheeling politics are no more (privately, strike me down, but I agree that enforcing the law about some things is good and overdue, if only the schisms and paranoia would reduce).

 

Despite TV ads and the stated aims of having 50% more visitors 'soon', I don't believe the hogwash. The best time here was to be had in the early 80s, financially and in every way, (although the Asia Crash did help later).

 

Thailand is now a spent force. People still come for the "name", but I would bet money that the stable farang population is dropping. I often fly into DM, and everybody in the line is mainland Chinese (so easy to hear and to spot!). Recently, I was in Hanoi: it was safe, cheap and pretty good.

 

Eddy

[champers]

1 hour ago, dogpatch55 said:

Nothing wrong with someone wanting to  live more like a local, might be a better place if more did so!  And they would be living a better life than stuck on a council estate in the UK.

Waiting lists rule out living on a council estate and I think most people prefer to live under their own steam rather than rely on government handouts. Add in the weather, the ladies and the pace of life. For me it was a no brainer to come here.

[bberrythailand]

9 hours ago, binjalin said:

Philippines would be the next choice. Thailand feels like it's going down and down and there is so much uncertainty the new new should be LONS  (land of no smiles).

 

Philippines for hopeless people yes.

 

But of course Cambodia is better for many things, and the most important is that it takes only 1 hour to go WITHOUT flying above the ocean.

PI has no future and will never improve, but Cambodia will improve quickly.