Expat exodus under way?

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, JusticeGB said:

A huge number of farangs here were the border bouncers and probably Immigration was targeting them. Good riddance to people who were fiddling the system. 

IMO using a system to your advantage, as long as it is legal, is not fiddling. There are some foreigners in Thailand who, through a combination of coronavirus circumstances and Immigration bloody-mindedness, are being forced out, leaving behind people reliant on the support they gave them.

Unfortunately, I don't think even Bumrungrad Hospital has the equipment for empathy transplants.

 

[ChipButty]

1 hour ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

August 2020 Arrivals.xlsx 475.57 kB · 28 downloads

2 more English leaving next week who I know

[BritManToo]

14 minutes ago, donnacha said:

Most of those on low resources would be inclined to stay put. Unless you're a boozer, living cheaply is easy in Thailand.

As a boozer I can definitely say Thailand is really cheap.

You just have to modify what booze you drink.

Less bottles of wine, More bottles of 'Red Cock' Vodka (Tesco, 150bht/750ml bottle)

You find me a bottle of Vodka in the UK for under 4 quid!

[ChipButty]

49 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Being stuck outside of Thailand it is hard to comment of this, but my wife stuck in Pattaya assures me daily that more houses are going up for rent and sale in our housing estate. Prior to the pandemic, there was usually about 5 or 6 vacant in the 3-400 housing estate, now that number is about 20-25 and increasing. 

I had a drive around a moo baan near me the other day almost every house has a for sale or for rent sign on it 

[GeorgeCross]

2 hours ago, Old Croc said:

The border bouncers have run out of options. 

 

what you talking about? they have their "wet dream" now - pay monthly with no need to leave the country. it's a damn site easier than the monthly 9 hour cambodian border runs i had to endure for the first 4 years here ????

[Rookiescot]

Dont know if there is an exodus. 

Sadly there has always been a high turnover of expats due to our age group. But historically the guys we lost were "replaced" with new people coming in.

In the last four or so years I think the numbers coming in has reduced a lot. I dont think there is a single reason for this but rather a number of contributing factors.

Western economies being squeezed. The strength of the baht. The plethora of bad headlines about Thailand in the western media. Competition from other destinations like Vietnam. You could probably add more yourself.

[Rookiescot]

3 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

As a boozer I can definitely say Thailand is really cheap.

You just have to modify what booze you drink.

Less bottles of wine, More bottles of 'Red Cock' Vodka (Tesco, 150bht/750ml bottle)

You find me a bottle of Vodka in the UK for under 4 quid!

Always suspected you liked a bit of cock ????.

 

Sorry Britman. Couldn't help myself ????

[spidermike007]

Alot of expats have already left, prior to Covid. Immigration here is heinous. Attitudes need to change. There are alternatives. Thailand is NOT COU (the center of the universe). Many more will leave in the months and years ahead. 

 

Thailand takes in from hundreds of billions annually from its expat community. And it reverberates out in countless ways. Even the rural folks benefit. Alot of the nicer houses in the poorer farming areas were built with money from expats. Alot of trucks, cars and income is from expats. Countless business employing many. To say it is insignificant, is a blatant misunderstanding of Thai economics. Thousands of hotels, restaurants, countless airlines and many tour companies, also benefit. From both expats and tourists.

 

This hapless administration needs to develop some courage and initiative. They can't hide from the world forever. Extreme timidity from supposedly tough men is an amusing thing to witness. However, the pain they are inflicting on millions is not. 

[moose7117]

There is a European guesthouse owner in my small little seaside village who has had to close up and go home.

The lack of tourists in town has hurt all of us, 

i would be forced to close if i had not returned to the workforce.

I am sure there are lots leaving and some will have severe difficulty coming back.

[Susco]

28 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Less bottles of wine, More bottles of 'Red Cock' Vodka (Tesco, 150bht/750ml bottle)

You find me a bottle of Vodka in the UK for under 4 quid!

I think it is not called vodka for a reason

[Ventenio]

OMG...I am so happy all those sexpat, broke negative losers are gone!!  they don't learn Thai or respect the 711 culture of not being able to sell beer at 9 a.m.

 

Now, 10-months later, I'm very alone.  

 

OMG... A farang!!!!  I will talk to him for 11 hours about everything

 

now i hate that farang.  omg, i wish he gets kicked out!!!!  i don't care about his money, how does he have 15 million baht and two houses???

 

OMG....I'm at my favorite bar and now nobody can see me!!!! omg, I'm alone again.  

[Caldera]

3 hours ago, Old Croc said:

The border bouncers have run out of options. 

Not at all. I used to be a "border bouncer" of sorts before COVID-19. Due to the situation, I had to switch to a long-term "visa". Plenty of options for these. Over the course of a year, I will actually save money.

[rumak]

28 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Less bottles of wine, More bottles of 'Red Cock' Vodka (Tesco, 150bht/750ml bottle)

You find me a bottle of Vodka in the UK for under 4 quid!

I don't know about the Vodka.............. but i bet their are a lot of red cocks from guys waiting

to get back to their teeraks or  internet lovers 

[trucking]

14 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

 IMO I think most of big spenders will hunker down and avoid travelling altogether. It's those who had to border bounce to keep their visa active due to not having money in the first place that will end up out of here or fined/jailed/deported for overstay..

 

You are forgetting that a lot of people on Non O multi visa had no money problems at all but used that visa because although based here , they work overseas a lot and fly in and out of the country regularly.

Had they gone onto an extension this would have been inconvenient. Not everyone with a multi Non O is a penniless tefler.. In fact , it is actually cheaper to be on an extension than it is to leave frequently. Hotels, flights and taxis etc are not free.

[rumak]

13 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Thailand takes in from hundreds of billions annually from its expat community. And it reverberates out in countless ways. Even the rural folks benefit. Alot of the nicer houses in the poorer farming areas were built with money from expats. Alot of trucks, cars and income is from expats. Countless business employing many. To say it is insignificant, is a blatant misunderstanding of Thai economics. Thousands of hotels, restaurants, countless airlines and many tour companies, also benefit. From both expats and tourists.

 

This hapless administration needs to develop some courage and initiative. They can't hide from the world forever. Extreme timidity from supposedly tough men is an amusing thing to witness.

I agree with the first paragraph ,  though I don't pretend to know the exact figures.  Tourist hot spots are of course hurt big time.   Other large cities or rural areas not so much,  though they are affected.     A few businesses here in CM  that are not Farang centric did tell me that business is down around 30 % .  So these measures being taken do curtail business,  as one would expect.   And forget about the property market.... sales and rentals big hit !

 

I just can never get my head around your posts calling the PTB  (powers that be) timid or lacking initiative.   Any time I think about government the only thought that comes into my mind is "self serving blank blank blanks" .     If anyone knows of a country on earth where that is not the case.........   PM me .   haha   no, please don't.    Just post it

 

[baansgr]

3 hours ago, JusticeGB said:

A huge number of farangs here were the border bouncers and probably Immigration was targeting them. Good riddance to people who were fiddling the system. 

Yep only one thing worse than an illegal scrounging asylum seeker...that's a cashed up border bouncer...good riddance huh

[Jack Hna]

Border bouncers are an absolute godsend and have kept thailand arrival numbers high for many years. 

 

This idea that a border bouncers is bad for Thailand is a myth created by agents.

 

I enjoyed my every 5 month trips but onto bigger and better and no more trips for me for a good while. 

 

 

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

1 hour ago, donnacha said:

 
Most of those on low resources would be inclined to stay put. Unless you're a boozer, living cheaply is easy in Thailand. Upping sticks to another country and going through all the rigamarole of staying in a hotel while finding a new place to live, all of that is expensive. So, while some of them may HAVE to leave for various other reasons, the cost of living here would not be the reason.

Meanwhile, people with lots of money find it far easier and more fun to make the jump to other countries. I reckon the big spenders will be the ones leaving more than any other group.

 

 

 

Met a couple of Frenchmen a couple of weeks ago who work for a major worldwide (non-French) moving company. They were in a happy mood after work. Business is booming. Outbound. 

[from the home of CC]

16 minutes ago, trucking said:

 

You are forgetting that a lot of people on Non O multi visa had no money problems at all but used that visa because although based here , they work overseas a lot and fly in and out of the country regularly.

Had they gone onto an extension this would have been inconvenient. Not everyone with a multi Non O is a penniless tefler.. In fact , it is actually cheaper to be on an extension than it is to leave frequently. Hotels, flights and taxis etc are not free.

worked 3 years month in month out in a neighboring country but always obtained a re entry permit for my extension based on marriage to a Thai national - to each their own but I'm happy I did it the way I did...

[Zikomat]

 Even with the amnesty in force many foreigners preferred to leave Thailand during the last 6 months. Now, when the amnesty was finished - even more will leave. If this is what Thailand's rulers want (less foreigners) - then they definitely succeed at it. And ,after reading TV and this thread in particular, it looks like the Exodus also makes happy many old misanthropic farangs who are still in Thailand. 

[my friend you]

5 hours ago, a3tsw said:

yes , there is definitely a thinning out happening here in Phuket as there is no people coming in to replace all those leaving , and I refer to expats only and this can only lead to a knock-on effect which in all likelihood will lead further numbers leaving , such as those expats in businesses whose clientele consists mainy of foreigners.. 

Same in Samui. Almost all Expats have left.

[recom273]

Depends on the definition of expat, I don’t notice any difference - I wouldn’t be going anywhere anyway. Going to a restaurant is a bit of a non-event these days, going shopping a pain in butt but on the whole what has changed for holders of long stay visas. 
 

It may be unpopular, but I think some good things may come from the virus, perhaps some border bouncers should go home, some thieving taxi drivers will be forced to sell their tuktuk - let’s face it, do we really need 20 mostly empty Thai restaurants on one street or would a couple of good and full restaurants suffice. 

[sandyf]

26 minutes ago, Zikomat said:

 Even with the amnesty in force many foreigners preferred to leave Thailand during the last 6 months. Now, when the amnesty was finished - even more will leave. If this is what Thailand's rulers want (less foreigners) - then they definitely succeed at it. And ,after reading TV and this thread in particular, it looks like the Exodus also makes happy many old misanthropic farangs who are still in Thailand. 

Never been many foreigners around here so can't see what "Exodus" you are referring to.

Went to an old Germans funeral a couple of weeks ago, died of a brain hemorrhage

[peterrabbit]

The Exodus started well before Covid.

Visa rule changes, high value of the baht the emergence of better locations in SEA etc have all contributed to the constant drain of Expats living in LOS. Covid has just speeded up what was already happening.

[Zikomat]

12 minutes ago, recom273 said:

Depends on the definition of expat, I don’t notice any difference - I wouldn’t be going anywhere anyway. Going to a restaurant is a bit of a non-event these days, going shopping a pain in butt but on the whole what has changed for holders of long stay visas. 
 

It may be unpopular, but I think some good things may come from the virus, perhaps some border bouncers should go home, some thieving taxi drivers will be forced to sell their tuktuk - let’s face it, do we really need 20 mostly empty Thai restaurants on one street or would a couple of good and full restaurants suffice. 

Now, with the 'border bouncers' gone - your life will sparkle with many new colors. Definitely a good thing!

[adammike]

1 hour ago, Boomer6969 said:

Guess the Americans were refugees, but can't see why Aussies would come to Thailand these days? 

It's probably for work, essential personnel and management.

[spidermike007]

52 minutes ago, rumak said:

I agree with the first paragraph ,  though I don't pretend to know the exact figures.  Tourist hot spots are of course hurt big time.   Other large cities or rural areas not so much,  though they are affected.     A few businesses here in CM  that are not Farang centric did tell me that business is down around 30 % .  So these measures being taken do curtail business,  as one would expect.   And forget about the property market.... sales and rentals big hit !

 

I just can never get my head around your posts calling the PTB  (powers that be) timid or lacking initiative.   Any time I think about government the only thought that comes into my mind is "self serving blank blank blanks" .     If anyone knows of a country on earth where that is not the case.........   PM me .   haha   no, please don't.    Just post it

 

The imposition of so many hurdles for long term tourists and returning expats seems a bit much. From a scientific point of view, a covid free letter and a two week quarantine eliminates 99% of the risk. At some point, leaders need to do something. Therein lies my definition of timidity and cowardice. Step up. Your people are counting on you. 

 

As I said before The $100 billion (yes, about 3.3 trillion baht!) Thailand takes in from tourism annually reverberates out in countless ways. Even the rural folks benefit. 

[adammike]

54 minutes ago, baansgr said:

Yep only one thing worse than an illegal scrounging asylum seeker...that's a cashed up border bouncer...good riddance huh

JusticeGB! That handle probably says all you need to know about him.

[Thingamabob]

The fact is that to a live in a country other than your own you need to have adequate funds, to follow the law, to be well mannered and reasonably turned out. Best not to stick around if you are unable or unwilling to meet these criteria.

[BritManToo]

Just now, Thingamabob said:

The fact is that to a live in a country other than your own you need to have adequate funds, to follow the law, to be well mannered and reasonably turned out. Best not to stick around if you are unable or unwilling to meet these criteria.

Tell that to the Somalis and Syrians that just crossed the channel to the UK.

...... and the Mexicans and Venezuelans that creep into the USA. 

Edited September 25, 2020 by BritManToo