Is Thailand still worth it for Aussies?

[totally thaied up]

36 minutes ago, giddyup said:

My Aussie drivers licence has expired for some time, not sure how I'd go getting another one now.

Your licence after expiry is good for five years to get renewed. It can also be used for photo id. 

[Nemises]

 

Anyway..enjoy your evening!

 

It looks like OZ may have another hung parliament....

 

 

Am enjoying evening.

 

But will enjoy it much more if it’s not another hung parliament and the Coalition win[emoji116]

 

 

 

[Nemises]

.

 

[BritManToo]

14 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Agreed.

They were very fair and I was one physically sick puppy,I can assure you!

The next step after that-because I was physically disabled-was signing up for the newish National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)-that took a while-about 3 months.

 

But once they came on board it was all systems go!

Sounds like you had a good result, well done.

[Will27]

16 minutes ago, totally thaied up said:

Your licence after expiry is good for five years to get renewed. It can also be used for photo id. 

It probably differs from state to state, but I'd be staggered if you get a 5 year grace period.

[madmen]

It probably differs from state to state, but I'd be staggered if you get a 5 year grace period.

It's true. I thought about getting my renewed. 5 years grace

[giddyup]

47 minutes ago, totally thaied up said:

Your licence after expiry is good for five years to get renewed. It can also be used for photo id. 

It's been expired a bit longer than 5 years, more like seven.

[madmen]

The dollar will drop (if that's still possible).

LMAO. But it's true. Every month my pension drops another 1k. I expect 2k next month.
Going back to oz where a dollar is worth a dollar.. This death by a thousand lashes is killing me

[Will27]

2 hours ago, madmen said:

2 hours ago, Will27 said:

It probably differs from state to state, but I'd be staggered if you get a 5 year grace period.

It's true. I thought about getting my renewed. 5 years grace

What state are your from?

 

This is from the WA Dept of Transport: 

Once the licence has expired, you are not allowed to drive. You will have up to 6 months to renew your licence.

[madmen]

What state are your from?
 
This is from the WA Dept of Transport: 
Once the licence has expired, you are not allowed to drive. You will have up to 6 months to renew your licence.

Nsw

[GinBoy2]

11 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

Housing affordabilty in the West has deteriorated dramatically in the past 10 years, and many people who would like to return home are forced to contemplate a dramatically lower standard of living or simply can't because of this. For some in this boat, being forced to listen to glowing stories about how wonderfully better things are back home is like mental torture, and sensitivity should be shown.

 

With that said, there's plenty of validity to the argument that a forum primarily dedicated to living in Thailand isn't the proper venue to endlessly trumpet how much better your life is back home than it was in Thailand, especially when that's not always the case. There are plenty of examples of former expats making ridiculous claims about enjoying a lower cost of living back home than they did in Thailand, or making maliciously dispiriting comments towards expats and Thailand simply to feed their egos or sense of superiority. Granted, repatriation is part of the expat life cycle and discussion of repatriation issues have a place on the forum, but people would do well to reflect on their motives for sharing their repatriation experiences.

 

I agree with most of what you say.

 

However there are many of us that now no longer live in Thailand full time, but we spend at least 3 months a year back in our house in Khon Kaen.

 

So I think I'm qualified to judge the pluses and minuses of both.

 

All I have ever tried to do is provide a balanced opinion of cost of living in both places, with side by side comparisons, which I thought might be of interest to others planning to do the dual country existence.

 

As @Odysseus123 pointed out an Aussie did exactly the same as me, and suffered the same trolling

 

I've tried many times to express this, yet no matter what, the apologists will just slam you as anti Thai.

 

How can I be anti Thai, I have a Thai wife, Thai/US son, house in Thailand?

 

That being said, I'm not blind to the flaws and absurdity of the place, which anyone with a brain can see.

 

Read these forums and it's full of critism of laws, politics, police, road deaths, corruption, you name it

 

Yet those of us that, at least part of the year life outside Thailand who mention anything slightly negative or even just try to give a validated comparison get slammed for it

 

Thats what I get pissed off about

[Lacessit]

21 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I can't understand whats going wrong with Australia.

You have endless amounts of empty land, housing should be dirt cheap.

Your country is full of mineral resources covered in cows and sheep, and surrounded by fish, food should be very cheap.

 

Why is you currency becoming worthless?

What's happening?

We import more than we export. We have policies which push up the price of housing and electricity. We export LNG under contracts written years ago for peanuts. We have multinational companies here using tax loopholes which reduces the 30% business tax rate to zero.

Why don't we do something about it? The majority of Australians are sheep, as we proved again yesterday.

[ThaiBunny]

10 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

The majority of Australians are sheep

In that context can I recommend the Adult Sheep Finder site?

[Odysseus123]

5 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

In that context can I recommend the Adult Sheep Finder site?

Do they have the pretty ones?

Will they ask you for a monthly stipend to look after mama Ewe?

Will they line you up for a thorough fleecing at the right time of the season...and what about shearing work permits and visas..and so forth and so on..?

[Peterw42]

43 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

We import more than we export. We have policies which push up the price of housing and electricity. We export LNG under contracts written years ago for peanuts. We have multinational companies here using tax loopholes which reduces the 30% business tax rate to zero.

Why don't we do something about it? The majority of Australians are sheep, as we proved again yesterday.

Australia has been in trade surplus for the last 12 months.

 

[ThaiBunny]

1 minute ago, Peterw42 said:

Australia has been in trade surplus for the last 12 months.

Please don't confuse people with evidence

[Odysseus123]

2 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

I agree with most of what you say.

 

However there are many of us that now no longer live in Thailand full time, but we spend at least 3 months a year back in our house in Khon Kaen.

 

So I think I'm qualified to judge the pluses and minuses of both.

 

All I have ever tried to do is provide a balanced opinion of cost of living in both places, with side by side comparisons, which I thought might be of interest to others planning to do the dual country existence.

 

As @Odysseus123 pointed out an Aussie did exactly the same as me, and suffered the same trolling

 

I've tried many times to express this, yet no matter what, the apologists will just slam you as anti Thai.

 

How can I be anti Thai, I have a Thai wife, Thai/US son, house in Thailand?

 

That being said, I'm not blind to the flaws and absurdity of the place, which anyone with a brain can see.

 

Read these forums and it's full of critism of laws, politics, police, road deaths, corruption, you name it

 

Yet those of us that, at least part of the year life outside Thailand who mention anything slightly negative or even just try to give a validated comparison get slammed for it

 

Thats what I get pissed off about

Yes.

Very strange dualistic behaviour,is it not?

 

As if the rest of the world-and its experiences-cannot be allowed to exist.

 

Just sitting in the bottom of the well looking up, endlessly repeating "If they are not for us-they are against us!"

 

A strange take on Jean Paul Sartre's "No Exit".

[Gecko123]

@Odysseus123:

The average Gold Coast house costs $655,000. You keep posting pictures of what appears to be super upscale suburban neighborhoods and pristine vistas as if they were taken from your back porch. Those neighborhoods would be out of reach for the vast majority of Australians, let alone a retired Australian expat returning from a long stint in Thailand. My question is: what's the point, how is that helping anyone?

@GinBoy2 :

if I understand it correctly you live in Wyoming, USA which shows up on lists of "most affordable" states to retire in. Got my interest, and started looking around. But what I haven't heard from you is much about the hellish winters, the flooding, the mining pollution, the lack of racial diversity, the poor airline connections, the remoteness, the cultural wasteland, or how your Thai wife is treated as a non-white person or being in an inter-racial relationship. I'm just saying if you're going to compare other places to Thailand, you need to be objective and present a realistic and balanced portrait, not just make it a self-congratulatory puff-piece about where you've chosen to move to.

@madmen :

You've been one of the most outspoken posters on this forum about how the condo market is going great guns, and how all the visa changes and possible medical insurance requirements are much to-do about nothing, and now you tell us that in truth, you're planning on repatriating to Australia in the near future? Dag! That's all I've got to say: Dag!

 

Have I stirred things up enough this on this glorious sunny Sunday morning, gentlemen?

 

[BritManToo]

3 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

Have I stirred things up enough this on this glorious sunny Sunday morning, gentlemen?

You've made some good points.

I'd also point out, pussy is a big draw, and moving back home with your purchase is cheating IMHO.

Not to mention foolish, because if she doesn't think you will die quickly, she'll almost certainly go for an upgrade.

[Odysseus123]

18 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

@Odysseus123:

The average Gold Coast house costs $655,000. You keep posting pictures of what appears to be super upscale suburban neighborhoods and pristine vistas as if they were taken from your back porch. Those neighborhoods would be out of reach for the vast majority of Australians, let alone an Australian expat returning from a 20 year stint in Thailand. My question is: what's the point, how is that helping anyone?

@GinBoy2 :

if I understand it correctly you live in Wyoming, USA which shows up on lists of "most affordable" states to retire in. Got my interest, and started looking around. But what I haven't heard from you is much about the hellish winters, the flooding, the redneck environment, the poor airline connections, the remoteness, the cultural wasteland, or how your Thai wife is treated as a non-white person or being in an inter-racial relationship. I'm just saying if you're going to compare other places to Thailand, you need to be objective and present a realistic and balanced portrait, not just make it a self-congratulatory puff-piece about where you've chosen to move to.

@madmen :

You've been one of the most outspoken posters on this forum about how the condo market is going great guns, and how all the visa changes and possible medical insurance requirements are much to-do about nothing, and now you tell us that in truth, you're planning on repatriating to Australia in the near future? Dag! That's all I've got to say: Dag!

 

Have I stirred things up enough this on this glorious sunny Sunday morning, gentlemen?

Actually this is the view from over the fence...if it looks clean and pristine it is because it is what it is..a first world country.

Actually you have stirred up nothing-you are par for the course in the land of the great garbage tip.

 

Merely a legend in your own lunchtime..????

 

 

[giddyup]

7 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Actually this is the view from over the fence...if it looks clean and pristine it is because it is what it is..a first world country.

Actually you have stirred up nothing-you are par for the course in the land of the great garbage tip.

 

I'm sure I could find some less than attractive picks of the US as well, like Detroit maybe. Conversely I could show some pristine wilderness in Thailand.

[totally thaied up]

4 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

How can I be anti Thai, I have a Thai wife, Thai/US son, house in Thailand?

Same with me. I have a Thai wife, Thai property, live much the time in Thailand (practically joined at the hip) but I also am aloud to have opposing views of both worlds. Thailand is not the be all and end all and neither is Australia. I have explained that.

 

50 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

You've made some good points.

I'd also point out, pussy is a big draw, and moving back home with your purchase is cheating IMHO.

Not to mention foolish, because if she doesn't think you will die quickly, she'll almost certainly go for an upgrade.

Am I cheating because I met someone compatible? Could be any girl from any part of the world.

 

Just about all the Thais my wife have met here at a local temple have been married for on average 15 years. Once the girls get to their mid-thirties or fourties see they have a steady life here and seem very happy.

 

Gold Coast prices start from 389,000 for a Condo/town house. Houses start at 489,000 upwards. We are in a better neighborhood, so yes the prices are higher but that is normal. We don't get hellish winters, don't get typhoons or earthquakes. Just normal town living. My wife is treated with accord as we are a very multicultural people. We just had a election that was decided in six hours peacefully (great win by the way).

 

There is nothing wrong in either place and as this being a forum discussing just this particular subject on ”is Thailand still worth it for Aussies”, and opposing posts are both warranted on both sides to make a informed decision.

 

[madmen]

[mention=259633]Odysseus123[/mention]:

The average Gold Coast house costs $655,000. You keep posting pictures of what appears to be super upscale suburban neighborhoods and pristine vistas as if they were taken from your back porch. Those neighborhoods would be out of reach for the vast majority of Australians, let alone a retired Australian expat returning from a long stint in Thailand. My question is: what's the point, how is that helping anyone?

[mention=97442]GinBoy2[/mention] :

if I understand it correctly you live in Wyoming, USA which shows up on lists of "most affordable" states to retire in. Got my interest, and started looking around. But what I haven't heard from you is much about the hellish winters, the flooding, the redneck environment, the poor airline connections, the remoteness, the cultural wasteland, or how your Thai wife is treated as a non-white person or being in an inter-racial relationship. I'm just saying if you're going to compare other places to Thailand, you need to be objective and present a realistic and balanced portrait, not just make it a self-congratulatory puff-piece about where you've chosen to move to.

[mention=297438]madmen[/mention] :

You've been one of the most outspoken posters on this forum about how the condo market is going great guns, and how all the visa changes and possible medical insurance requirements are much to-do about nothing, and now you tell us that in truth, you're planning on repatriating to Australia in the near future? Dag! That's all I've got to say: Dag!

 

Have I stirred things up enough this on this glorious sunny Sunday morning, gentlemen? [emoji3]

 

Place is rented not for sale. I was right the 800k and 65 k has barley changed but the rip off insurance if it is indeed mandatory is another beast altogether . I need to go back for medical reasons only and will come back and the 40k a month converted to oz dollars plus pension will make it super easy so yeah condo is frigging great cash cow.  

 

 

[Odysseus123]

3 minutes ago, giddyup said:

I'm sure I could find some less than attractive picks of the US as well, like Detroit maybe. Conversely I could show some pristine wilderness in Thailand.

Duh!

 

I am not deliberately selecting pristine photos..that's what I see.

 

Neither am I going to spend the rest of my life adhering to the views of blinkered expats who demand that everyone confines themselves to 'housing' issues when discussing repatriation due to the decline in value of the Aussie dollar vis-a-vis the Baht.Which is what this topic is about,nu?

[Don Mega]

3 minutes ago, madmen said:

Place is rented not for sale. I was right the 800k and 65 k has barley changed but the rip off insurance is another beast altogether . I need to go back for medical reasons and the 40k a month converted to oz dollars plus pension will make it super easy so yeah condo is frigging great cash cow.

 

What rip off insurance ?

[giddyup]

10 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Duh!

 

I am not deliberately selecting pristine photos..that's what I see.

 

Neither am I going to spend the rest of my life adhering to the views of blinkered expats who demand that everyone confines themselves to 'housing' issues when discussing repatriation due to the decline in value of the Aussie dollar vis-a-vis the Baht.Which is what this topic is about,nu?

Then why are you showing pics of "over the fence"? Not sure what the relevance is. I had uninterrupted views of rolling hills and valleys where I lived in Australia, but still decided to move to Thailand. There's more to life than a view.

[Odysseus123]

13 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Then why are you showing pics of "over the fence"? Not sure what the relevance is. I had uninterrupted views of rolling hills and valleys where I lived in Australia, but still decided to move to Thailand. There's more to life than a view.

Well..if you had bothered to read the posts I was pointing out that if I had stayed in Thailand,I would be dead.

So far this thread has looked at sundry issues-not just housing-and covered them well..except for the taddies that think that their particular puddle is under threat..

1.Meeting visa requirements with the decline of the dollar..

2.Health care and insurance.

3.Housing

4.Basic costs..food,rent etc..

5.Quality of life.

 

One notes (yet again) that it is the Thai apologists and trolls that seek to control the venue.

 

Addit-try reading the posts sequentially and who I responded to.

[giddyup]

13 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Well..if you had bothered to read the posts I was pointing out that if I had stayed in Thailand,I would be dead.

So far this thread has looked at sundry issues-not just housing-and covered them well..except for the taddies that think that their particular puddle is under threat..

1.Meeting visa requirements with the decline of the dollar..

2.Health care and insurance.

3.Housing

4.Basic costs..food,rent etc..

5.Quality of life.

 

One notes (yet again) that it is the Thai apologists and trolls that seek to control the venue.

No, I see Thailand warts and all, but I still prefer it to the slow death I was living in Australia. It's not as attractive as it was when I first arrived, but then Australia is now less attractive than when I left. There are both Thai apologists and Thai haters giving opinions here, I'm neither.

[BritManToo]

18 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

1.Meeting visa requirements with the decline of the dollar..

2.Health care and insurance.

3.Housing

4.Basic costs..food,rent etc..

5.Quality of life.

In Thailand I have a nice 3 bed house overlooking fields and mountains.

1. Not a problem, no financials, I'm OK with 90 days at a time.

2. None, except the the 3,000bht in treatment and meds last month (first in 7 years).

3. 11k/month for my home loan repayments. (Utils inc moobaan and 100/100 fible add 3Kbht/month)

4. All really cheap, doubt if I spend 200bht/day

5. Great when I'm not ill, very low if I'm ill (but that would be the same anywhere)

 

Taken from my bedroom balcony (before the smog).

[Odysseus123]

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

In Thailand

1. Not a problem, I'm OK with 90 days at a time.

2. None, except the the 3,000bht in treatment last month.

3. 11k/month for my home loan repayments.

4. All really cheap, doubt if I spend 300bht/day (Utils inc 100/100 fible 2,500bht/month)

5. Great when I'm not ill, very low if I'm ill (but that would be the same anywhere)

That's for now..and you are welcome to the cheapness-for now.

 

I am actually listening to these points made in real time from a Dutch friend...who is so stuck that he can't get his head around the fact that if he stays he will probably lose his leg and,quite possibly,his life unless he gets home.

 

Must be something in the water over there..lead piping,perhaps?