Thaivisa survey: Half of expats have considered leaving Thailand in the last year

[GinBoy2]

1 minute ago, Eligius said:

Have I missed something? I've read through the past 3 pages of comments and no one (unless I missed it - which is possible) seems to be addressing the elephant in the living-room.

 

Nearly every educated Westerner I have spoken to in the last year is deeply uneasy and unhappy about what is happening here, what this place is being turned into - what it already has, in fact, become (which we are not allowed to say - itself a symptom of the times here). Many of us are shocked by how far the plummet into feudalism and mediaevalism has plunged the Thai people, and indeed all of us.

 

As with most of my Western colleagues (some of whom have now left Thailand), I have considered leaving - because I don't like petty, brainless, bullying d - d- - dinosaurs. But the many good qualities of many Thai people, plus my own very long-term relationship and domestic arrangements here, make me remain - for now, at least. 

 

I think many of us worry about what the future may hold here - I know I do  ....

 

 

In my own couched and guarded comments was making the very same point

[Clarinet man]

I was in Chiang Mai  for 3 years  . I left 2 reasons couldn't  handle  the 90 day report and not allowed  to play music  outside.  Who in heaven's name play dixieland  jazz in Thailand  . I would  not be taking any job from any Thai.  There loss 

[simon43]

I left Phuket after 15 years - now working in Myanmar (again!)

[robbobr]

1 hour ago, Mook23 said:

I left and didnt regret. I had great time here for many years. Im back home now working 1/3 of the year. And the rest im enjoying traveling europe. Much Better quality of life but not as cheap as mongerland. But i can say what i want. Read what i want. Like what i want. I can have a chat with many people about something more substantial than food and money. Music. Literature. World politics. Etc. Thailand is too much of an intellectual vacuum for me.

I agree, i left 6 mths ago back to Australia after 3.5 yrs in Thailand, boring conversation even with some expats going over the same topics and saying the same boring things, too much interference by Military, no security in investing, i lost $100k on a condo in Phuket after the coup and ghe Russians departed dumping their properties on the market at ridiculous prices, uncontrolled development of condos on the island and low end tourists. Thailand has lost its appeal.

[Lupatria]

I'll be the next. After 11 years, the Foreign Ministry informed me in flowery words that expat journalists are not welcomed here anymore. Press requests to the PRD and TAT are unanswered. Even if you ask for E-mail contacts of participants  of their own events. But they still keep on sending out invitations to press tours and conferences to promote their "successful" water irrigation and constantly increasing  tourist arrivals. They simply don't get it that the governments in the much hated western countries are far ahead of them when it comes to deliver propaganda to the media, and no one is going to print or broadcast their Thai bubbles. 

[Sparkles]

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Cambodia's visa system is easier but they lack decent medical care. 

I think it's obvious that most foreigners if they left Thailand would move back to their home nations. 

Not many Australians would consider moving back to Australia,the cost of livings now amongst the highest in the world,the lucky country is no more

[impulse]

Regardless of how I feel about the results or the responses here, I believe there's value in having this kind of information in the blogosphere for anyone contemplating a move to Thailand (or any holiday destination) based on a few amazing holiday days or weeks.    

 

A little of equal time for the other side of the discussion is generally a good thing.

 

[gamini]

I worked in Thailand when I was a young lad and I made many wonderful Thai friends. And when I had to leave and work in another country I vowed to come back. I missed my Thai friends and so many things about this country. I saved up enough money and retired to Thailand  some 20 years ago. The friends I made here when I was younger have been very supportive and helpful and I honestly never have a problem here. Their hospitality and friendship is something I never found in other countries.
The problem with many other expats here is they come because it's cheaper, better food, better climate or some other reason. They don't bother to make Thai friends and they have little feeling for the country itself or the people. Many of them criticise every aspect of Thailand and live in tourist ghettos which are very different from other places here . I daily read about all the problems in places like Pattaya, Phuket and Samui and to me they are just not Thailand and completely the opposite of the sort of place my friends would live in this country. Certainly if I had to live in any of these places I would want to leave.

 

[4MyEgo]

50 minutes ago, masuk said:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/prosperity-index-2016-happiest-countries/

 

 

Placed @ 62 out of 149 is not too bad at all IMO

[ScotBkk]

There's a word for it, r*c*st.

Ok, let's rephrase that

We all know that TV members sit awaiting to jump upon your every word delighting in what they conceive to be a racist jibe or anything against their little domain being attacked by other non believers. Thinking we should all abort our Farangship ideals buy a huge amulet to adorn your neck with.

I'm no racist mate I just err on the caution side trusting Westerners more for my good fortune. I suppose I should get ready for the - Go back home shit if I don't like it now !!!'

One problem though. I'm

Not in Thailand at the moment so I'll need to come back before I can go home again lol

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Johnniey]

1 hour ago, Clarinet man said:

I was in Chiang Mai  for 3 years  . I left 2 reasons couldn't  handle  the 90 day report and not allowed  to play music  outside.  Who in heaven's name play dixieland  jazz in Thailand  . I would  not be taking any job from any Thai.  There loss 

What an  ordeal,  every 90  days ! Do other countries allow foreigners to come in and not work or need to speak the language?

[GinBoy2]

8 minutes ago, gamini said:

I worked in Thailand when I was a young lad and I made many wonderful Thai friends. And when I had to leave and work in another country I vowed to come back. I missed my Thai friends and so many things about this country. I saved up enough money and retired to Thailand  some 20 years ago. The friends I made here when I was younger have been very supportive and helpful and I honestly never have a problem here. Their hospitality and friendship is something I never found in other countries.
The problem with many other expats here is they come because it's cheaper, better food, better climate or some other reason. They don't bother to make Thai friends and they have little feeling for the country itself or the people. Many of them criticise every aspect of Thailand and live in tourist ghettos which are very different from other places here . I daily read about all the problems in places like Pattaya, Phuket and Samui and to me they are just not Thailand and completely the opposite of the sort of place my friends would live in this country. Certainly if I had to live in any of these places I would want to leave.

 

Regardless of the sexpat ghetto folk's, I think you are dismissing was is probably quite a sizable part of the expat community.

I don't live in Pattaya, Bangkok or the other hubs. I have many Thai friends, I speak both Thai & Lao, but I still have grave misgivings about this country.

 

The awful truth is so do many Thai's.

 

But we as foreigners have the option to change our situation, for them they are stuck with all the lunacy that goes on.

[Suradit69]

Maybe I missed it, but did they say the total number of expats who were surveyed and if there was any effort to make those surveyed actually representative of the total population of expats.

 

Surveys are wonderful things and if managed (im)properly can be designed to produce whatever results you want.

 

And as has been demonstrated with remarkable clarity recently, even the best designed surveys can produce markedly different/incorrect predictive results re such things as Brexit and determining who the least popular presidential candidate in the US is.

 

There's an entire "science" devoted to designing the perfect survey, free of bias and genuinely representative of the population in focus. Something tells me the margin of error in this survey is fairly close to 90%.

 

 

[12DrinkMore]

4 minutes ago, robbobr said:

I agree, i left 6 mths ago back to Australia after 3.5 yrs in Thailand, boring conversation even with some expats going over the same topics and saying the same boring things, too much interference by Military, no security in investing, i lost $100k on a condo in Phuket after the coup and ghe Russians departed dumping their properties on the market at ridiculous prices, uncontrolled development of condos on the island and low end tourists. Thailand has lost its appeal.

 

The ridiculous prices were before the Russians sold.

 

Otherwise yep, the other reasons are IMO valid.

 

If I did not have fast internet I would not be here, and even with the internet I am looking for somewhere else.

[Johnniey]

8 minutes ago, gamini said:

I worked in Thailand when I was a young lad and I made many wonderful Thai friends. And when I had to leave and work in another country I vowed to come back. I missed my Thai friends and so many things about this country. I saved up enough money and retired to Thailand  some 20 years ago. The friends I made here when I was younger have been very supportive and helpful and I honestly never have a problem here. Their hospitality and friendship is something I never found in other countries.
The problem with many other expats here is they come because it's cheaper, better food, better climate or some other reason. They don't bother to make Thai friends and they have little feeling for the country itself or the people. Many of them criticise every aspect of Thailand and live in tourist ghettos which are very different from other places here . I daily read about all the problems in places like Pattaya, Phuket and Samui and to me they are just not Thailand and completely the opposite of the sort of place my friends would live in this country. Certainly if I had to live in any of these places I would want to leave.

 

A breath of fresh air.  sadly people like you leave this forum because of all the ones you describe.

Emigrating To a country and not wanting to integrate with the locals is appalling if you ask me.

[12DrinkMore]

3 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

Regardless of the sexpat ghetto folk's, I think you are dismissing was is probably quite a sizable part of the expat community.

I don't live in Pattaya, Bangkok or the other hubs. I have many Thai friends, I speak both Thai & Lao, but I still have grave misgivings about this country.

 

The awful truth is so do many Thai's.

 

But we as foreigners have the option to change our situation, for them they are stuck with all the lunacy that goes on.

 

The even worse truth is that they cannot speak openly about the future of their country.

 

[trogers]

10 minutes ago, gamini said:

I worked in Thailand when I was a young lad and I made many wonderful Thai friends. And when I had to leave and work in another country I vowed to come back. I missed my Thai friends and so many things about this country. I saved up enough money and retired to Thailand  some 20 years ago. The friends I made here when I was younger have been very supportive and helpful and I honestly never have a problem here. Their hospitality and friendship is something I never found in other countries.
The problem with many other expats here is they come because it's cheaper, better food, better climate or some other reason. They don't bother to make Thai friends and they have little feeling for the country itself or the people. Many of them criticise every aspect of Thailand and live in tourist ghettos which are very different from other places here . I daily read about all the problems in places like Pattaya, Phuket and Samui and to me they are just not Thailand and completely the opposite of the sort of place my friends would live in this country. Certainly if I had to live in any of these places I would want to leave.

 

 

Correct. Many in the past decades came as tourists and landed themselves in the tourist areas...and then got disappointed when the bubble burst.

[getreal]

2 hours ago, mercman24 said:

its the jumping through hoops thing that sticks up my craw, they like to take my money, i bet my monthy spends are  more 12 of your average thai,(probably more) if we all decided to up sticks one day (ok it aint gonna happen) this place would be bancrupt overnight,

Trust me, the thais will cope without you. I think you are grossly overesrimating your importance.

 

If you go back home then your monthly spends will be higher and you will recieve less.You will be the biggest loser, not the thais.

[ScotBkk]

Happiness is over-rated.

I agree
Life is not for everyone !!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[free123]

1 hour ago, Smarter Than You said:

Probably countries with functioning democracies!

try turkey for a change.or maybe the nice and korrupt greece sun....if u like democracy so much check out brussel headquarter of the EU nightmare....or jump the waggon at the trump rally....putins Moscow another hot tip for learning about how to apply democracy...conclude there are a lot meaner places to learn about that joke of worlds history...

[Peterw42]

Thaivisa survey:

 

Half of expats have considered leaving Thailand in the last year

 

OR

 

Half of expats considered leaving, but will stay. The other half are happy to stay.

 

Glass half empty !!!

[Eligius]

3 minutes ago, 12DrinkMore said:

 

The even worse truth is that they cannot speak openly about the future of their country.

 

Yes, and this is an utterly disgraceful, appalling, monstrous (you add your own adjective) SCANDAL. 

 

Anyone with an ounce of compassion (isn't that what Buddhism is all about - or much of it, anyway?) can scarcely bear to see the browbeating, bullying and domination of the totally weak and powerless by the conscienceless, powerful, armed-to-the-teeth tiny minority. 

 

But of course, that never happens in Thailand.  I was, you understand, speaking of another country - light years away from here. Of course.

[dick dasterdly]

18 minutes ago, trogers said:

 

What kind of long term stayers? Not those who had to do visa runs...?

 

I see no treatment change to those with authentic visas...

Really?

 

I use a visa agent as its cheaper (not to mention less stressful!) than paying for taxis to Immigration dept. every 90 days - so the 'additional requirements' don't bother me too much nowadays, but they did when suddenly it was necessary to provide copy of rental contract/copy of landlord's ID/landlord's proof of ownership (or something) - bearing in mind my landlord lives in Bangkok whereas I rent his house in Phuket.

 

We eventually got this sorted out, and since then they've come up with the new 'forms' requiring all the information repeated again (plus social media use etc.) and a 'photo of me outside the house showing the number etc.

 

The 'rules' have been increasing for a while now, which is why I'm getting more nervous as to whether we will be used as scapegoats if things go wrong.

[4MyEgo]

48 minutes ago, gandalf12 said:

There is no paradise so if you are looking for it give up now.

 

Paradise is under your nose, but because its that big, you can't see it, badda bing, badda bang, badda boooooooom

[trogers]

2 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

Really?

 

I use a visa agent as its cheaper (not to mention less stressful!) than paying for taxis to Immigration dept. every 90 days - so the 'additional requirements' don't bother me too much nowadays, but they did when suddenly it was necessary to provide copy of rental contract/copy of landlord's ID/landlord's proof of ownership (or something) - bearing in mind my landlord lives in Bangkok whereas I rent his house in Phuket.

 

We eventually got this sorted out, and since then they've come up with the new 'forms' requiring all the information repeated again (plus social media use etc.) and a 'photo of me outside the house showing the number etc.

 

The 'rules' have been increasing for a while now, which is why I'm getting more nervous as to whether we will be used as scapegoats if things go wrong.

 

I would have thought a copy of your passport and a copy of the landlord's ID card are to be attached in your rental contract as standard.

[Peterw42]

3 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

Really?

 

I use a visa agent as its cheaper (not to mention less stressful!) than paying for taxis to Immigration dept. every 90 days - so the 'additional requirements' don't bother me too much nowadays, but they did when suddenly it was necessary to provide copy of rental contract/copy of landlord's ID/landlord's proof of ownership (or something) - bearing in mind my landlord lives in Bangkok whereas I rent his house in Phuket.

 

We eventually got this sorted out, and since then they've come up with the new 'forms' requiring all the information repeated again (plus social media use etc.) and a 'photo of me outside the house showing the number etc.

 

The 'rules' have been increasing for a while now, which is why I'm getting more nervous as to whether we will be used as scapegoats if things go wrong.

 

Have you looked into reporting online ?

[dick dasterdly]

28 minutes ago, simon43 said:

I left Phuket after 15 years - now working in Myanmar (again!)

I'm sorry to hear that as IIRC you were doing a good job as a genuine volunteer (i.e. not police wanabee) helping tourists .

[4MyEgo]

47 minutes ago, roadrunner32 said:

Ok but this survey don't explain the reasons of this displeased, so I try to take a  gamble. Probably most expats are unhappy due to the thai authorities behavior against them, specially against the long term stayers 

 

Am I missing something, what is the authorities behaviour against the long term stayers, fair question ?

[Gimino]

It might serve a useful purpose to know the reasons for any dissatisfaction. For example, living at the same address for years, yet

required to do a 90 day report to show you have not moved. In other words, you must lodge a report when you have nothing to report.

The government could easily fix that. Require reporting only when you move. Another irritant is paying to enter parks and various places

of interest as a farang when the Thai pays but little or nothing at all. Such discrimination is insulting. Those are but two irritants

that could and should be remedied straight away. The expat has chosen to live here. He is, with rare exception law abiding and even if

not a business owner, makes a contribution to the community. Imagine if all the expats suddenly left. That would surely put a dent in

the Thai economy. 

[oldrunner]

Came to LOS 82 for short vacation, recent widower, quit job, bought bar, made friends and reasonable money, which I promptly spent  on the ladies and booze, interim work in  Sudan, Saudi and Nigeria. After Sudan met and kept present wife. Great medical care (being retired Military helped) no longer able to run to road limp around on crutches, sometimes wheelchair, have great step-family, children, plan to be put in ground here when the man call's "times up". Lucky, good life, feel sorry for those not happy or alone.