A while back I was watching a live stream by an expat who listed his positive and negatives about Thailand. I borrowed some of his points, added my own, organized into categories and present them here (in no particular order) for your entertainment. I suspect the grumpy old men on the forum will enjoy the negatives like crocodiles snapping at red meat. ????
I recognize that one person’s positive can be another person’s negative. For example, weather can be both a positive and a negative (too hot for some), and protectionist laws can be both a negative and a positive (keeps housing affordable). I also recognize that Thais will have a different perspective.
Surely, I missed something, so comment on your own positives and negatives. Enjoy!
Positives:
1. People (manners, values, consideration)
2. Traditional society (male-female roles, family orientation)
3. Overall vibe (hospitable, accommodating, non-confrontational, fun-loving, tolerant)
4. Central location (Asia travel hub)
5. Diverse geography (plains, mountains, jungles, rivers, beaches)
6. Weather
7. Convenience (eating, shopping, transport)
8. Social opportunities (clubs, meeting people, forming relationships)
9. Nightlife (bars, nightclubs, night markets)
10. Food quality, price, and selection (street food, markets, restaurants, foreign foods)
11. Thai fine arts (sculpture, architecture, artwork, music, dance, dress, cuisine, massage, kickboxing)
12. Inexpensive, abundant, and flexible accommodation (hotels, guesthouses, furnished condos, serviced apartments)
13. Inexpensive transportation (air, rail, taxi, ride-hailing, van, bus)
14. Inexpensive labor (tradesmen, mechanics, housekeepers, drivers)
15. Delivery services (food, products, packages)
16. Availability of products and services (supermarkets, pharmacies, specialty stores, online)
17. Adoption of western innovations with precision and beauty (air travel, telecom, electric trains, shopping malls, product display, fashion, music, cinemas, interior design)
18. Low incidence of crime
19. Flexibility in compliance with rules
20. Ability to use money to solve problems
21. Infrastructure (airports, ground transport, power, telecom, medical, banking)
22. Liberalizing drug laws
23. Availability of massage parlors and spas
24. Sports and exercise (gyms, cycling, swimming, running, walking)
25. Personal hygiene (cleanliness, showers, bum guns, public health awareness)
Negatives:
1. Governance (corruption, cronyism, nepotism, ineptness, inconsistency)
2. Bureaucracy (paperwork, red tape, needless complexity, roadblocks, subjective application of laws and regulations)
3. Uncertain future (protests, coups)
4. Road danger (disregard for laws, lack of enforcement)
5. Animal control and welfare
6. Puritanical laws (alcohol, sex)
7. Protectionist laws (import taxes, jobs, business, real estate)
8. Immigration and visas
9. Inflation
10. Strong currency
11. Increasing traffic on roads
12. Aging rail system and lack of high-speed rail
13. Low quality of building materials and construction
14. Electrical and fire hazards
15. Dual pricing (rents, real estate, transport, medical care, entrance fees)
16. Lack of pedestrian amenities (footpaths, crosswalks, green spaces, public seating)
17. Environment (industrial and vehicle pollution, fires, flooding, waste disposal, tap water)
18. Feudal practices (groveling, inwardness, xenophobia, heavy-handed treatment of foreigners, patronage system, nationalism, censorship, bloated civil service and military, profligate spending, protection of elite class, disregard for vulnerable populations)
19. Lack of modernity (intellectual curiosity, innovation, product expertise, city planning, skilled workforce, economic opportunity, rising incomes, transparency, free speech, talented and representative leadership)
20. Severe defamation laws, adjudication, and penalties
21. Familial burdens placed on young women
22. Cultural expectations and misunderstandings (saving face, family obligations, raising children, relationship problems, workplace conflicts, collective vs. individual values)
23. Opportunistic treatment of foreigners (rip-offs, scams, shameless use of cunning and guile, aggressive ladyboys)
24. Fear, suspicion, and avoidance of foreigners
25. Apathy of Thai men towards foreigners
26. Low class of foreign visitors (criminals, drug dealers, cheap charlies, scammers, mentally ill)
27. Foreigners preying on other foreigners and Thais (begging, scamming, cons, negative energy, violent crime)
28. Thai vices (gambling, loan sharking, lottery, consumer debt, corrupt monks)
29. Foreign residents and citizens being mistaken as tourists
30. Language barrier and low prevalence of English
31. Public education system
32. Public nuisances (loud music, parties, advertising trucks, public announcements, cooking fires, chemical sprays)
33. Food hygiene (bacteria, sanitation, pesticides, oils, additives, preservatives)
34. Increased prevalence of artificial, processed, and manufactured foods
35. National emergency response (PM 2.5, Covid-19)
BONUS LIST
I’m leaving Thailand after nearly a year in Phuket as a trial retirement. My reasons for leaving, in descending order of significance.
1. The heat
2. Boredom
3. Distance from North America
4. Miss family back home
5. Hassles traveling within Thailand currently
6. Xenophobia in its various forms
7. Prefer Filipina for relationship
8. Second-hand smoke
9. Temptations of alcohol and drug use
10. Outdoor mask mandate
11. Motorbike lifestyle
12. Want to travel to other countries
13. Untreated tap water
14. Food hygiene
15. Thai bureaucracy