Is it time to say bye Thailand?

[Sateeb]

Was 10,000 Baht the sin sod?

[Wee Jimmy]

Today Stickman published an email from a chap living in the UK who has tired of Thailand:

"I just returned from a trip to Bangkok and Phuket. Very long queues at Immigration, which made the long flight all the more painful. Through to grab a taxi, got a ticket, jumped in and said meter. He said, no, 800 baht includes toll way. I asked why 800. He said bigger car. No thanks, I jumped out. I notice taxis place towels over the meter. Nana Plaza was so quiet, how any anybody is making money there I don’t know. Next stop Biergarten, empty as well. Walked back up to Gulliver’s. A handful of people playing pool. I sat outside with a beer and it was only me there. I headed to Thermae and finally, somewhere busy! Phuket was next. Went in to Suzy Wong Gogo. Dancer wants 10,000 baht short time. I asked if that includes the flight back to London and a bottle of Bollinger 64. Phuket is very expensive now with 4,000 Baht = £100. Crazy money being asked for beers and lady drinks that only Bill Gates could afford. So back to Bangkok for the long flight home only to find huge queues again to get out. Finally boarded the flight to London which looked like the movie Con Air. I can’t see me going back to Thailand. Seen it done it sort of thing. Still a fun holiday but very expensive. I think I only went back out of sentiment."

If a relationship doesn't tie a farang to Thailand, then other fields beckon.

Mate...You are 100% correct... I've just come back to the UK for a spell of work only to get out of Thailand for a while. Prices and the week Sterling are killing us now.. Been in Thailand 22.5 years and if it wasn't for a marraige I would certainly not be there.

[arjay]

I was reading a report on Pattaya One yesterday informing all Tourists that a Tax will be introduced on Entry to the kingdom. In my view its not about the price which I believe is 100 tbt its more to do squeezing that little bit more of the orange. It seems to me that there must be someone in the Thai government sat thinking how to get money from Tourist and visitors from double pricing, visa regs, now a tourist Tax, and fining you if you bring a vapour or an E cigarette in.
A small beer is now more than in Spain or Greece so after 12-13 years im beginning now to look at other Asian destinations where your at least appreciated and looked after you are constantly reminded your just a falang and a visitor.
What do other members think the way things are going on in Thailand and are you still happy living or visiting here.

An interesting OP. It's a shame that some chose to then jump all over the OP for his negative views, rather than take the opportunity to discuss and analyse alternatives that might be available.

I must admit after 15 years in Thailand I did suffer from some lets call it "frustrations" or got "worn down" by some things, as indeed I do in my home country. What added pressure to me was living farther from the bigger medical facilities and receiving conflicting medical diagnoses when visiting them. Driving 60kms to a hospital in a rain storm and then being told you have high BP didn't help.

I must admit, I see both sides of the coin. I see Thailand as a home almost as much as I do the UK, and when I am in one, I miss the other. I'm not sure if that means I will have to live my life in some sort of limbo.

I have posted topics previously seeking ideas for alternative venues (agreed not so appropriate if one has a Thai wife), but haven't, on paper at least, found anywhere suitable. I hate long flights. The weak £ certainly doesn't help the case for many places.

I think when living in Thailand, costs and exchange rates weren't as evident, significant, or an issue, as when I visit as a tourist. I could relate to the comments in the Stickman email above, which when you are visiting as a tourist, staying in hotels, eating out and drinking in tourist destination bars exposes you to the more expensive side of things. Certainly bar staff in the tourist destinations seem ever more mercenary.

Though, as mentioned above, whilst I can afford things, I just don't like paying what I consider to be over the odds for them! Currently, until Brexit is sorted out and the £ recovers I may be looking at destinations with the weakest currencies and short flight durations, and may thus have to rule out LOS.

I like the challenge of looking.

This was my previous thread seeking alternative destinations:

alternatives-to-thailand-t47898.html

Vlad, let me know if you find any solutions.

[vlad]

Thanks for those comments Arjay I simpley asked if Thailand has shot itself in the foot and carry's on shooting itself. Most of the negative comments are simply expected as they don't see both sides for and against so they will just post what they want to see. You don't have issue's with visa's in the Phillipines and they have some lovely islands that are scam fee at the moment. Vietnam is another destination that is on the up but it's long haul I'm afraid. We all know the tourist visitor numbers have been declining yet TAT refuse to accept this instead of looking as to the reasons people are not visiting now they just think of other ways to bring more revenue in like price hiking and forcing expats to have to leave because they do not qualify to the new visa requirements. Unless you have a good pension and take the hits you will be ok but if not the lifeboat will be fuller leaving the sinking ship.

[Wee Jimmy]

On your last paragraph l agree 100%. Why pay over the odds! However, we sometimes have to. That being said there are other othert negative points to look at especially the "Rip off" medical situation in the hospitals.

. Recanty l took my wife to to a hospital where she was charged 74 baht. We were both unhappy with the service so we went to a private hospital. She was given the same pills but this time the cost was 1174 Baht. For a lesser service..

RIP OFF THAIland

..

[glalt]

Such an easy solution. Put me in the "If you don't like it, leave" group. I certainly wouldn't live somewhere that I hated. Obviously the whining and complaining does absolutely no good. Sure there are warts, but there is nothing you can do about them except leave.

[deankham]

There is a lot of activity on the classifieds. Could it be people are fed up and are leaving???

[Declan MacPherson]

Such an easy solution. Put me in the "If you don't like it, leave" group. I certainly wouldn't live somewhere that I hated. Obviously the whining and complaining does absolutely no good. Sure there are warts, but there is nothing you can do about them except leave.

My view too. 15 years and counting.

[choi choi]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxnIFrR ... ture=share

[choi choi]

He says "if expat been in Thailand "two Decades" will only need 200,000 baht in Thai bank.
OR 20,000 baht a month income.
But did see somewhere have to have retire visa's consecutively over that period!
Also, how does one prove been in Thailand over twenty years, if old passports not avilable!

[parrot]

He says "if expat been in Thailand "two Decades" will only need 200,000 baht in Thai bank.
OR 20,000 baht a month income.
But did see somewhere have to have retire visa's consecutively over that period!
Also, how does one prove been in Thailand over twenty years, if old passports not avilable!

We've been here 23 years. On the first page of our since-renewed passports is an immigration stamp showing the date/number of the initial visa. The rest of the passport pages would show extensions since the date of the passport.

[Sateeb]

You don't have issue's with visa's in the Phillipines and they have some lovely islands that are scam fee at the moment.

You tell me your experience of there and I'll tell you mine.

[RLTrader]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxnIFrR ... ture=share

Sounding more & more like "The Hotel California"

[kopkei]

i have been here now 18 years , and i have adapted well to the lifestyle here , been at peace with almost all the pro's and con's this country has , married for 22 years , and was hoping to spend many years more with the wife and family , been first on a non O visa extended 12 years based on marriage,the last years on retirement based extension , because it was more easy as all the crap you needed for marriage extension ,now they are supposedly going to be difficult again , and i will have to go back to marriage based extension crap as i do not not want to be taken hostage by the Thais government telling me what i can do or not with my own money , regarding forcing you to leave 400.000 baht of the 800.000 baht untouched for ever , this will also go for the future enforcement (?) to get health insurance,this all should be our own decision and not an enforced requirement ..., when it will come to this i am not sure what must happen as i do not want to spend money on expensive health care insurance , as the choice for this should be mine an no one else ...
it would be very sad if i would not be able to stay , i have considered this my home country now and surely do not want to return to my poisoned country of origin where i totally not feel at home anymore ...
so i will wait and see what the future will bring....,

[choi choi]

Yep! Thanks for that! Been here 23 years also. Dug out last two Passports and yes stamped 1998. I must look for my old Black passport Got two years on that! Not that it matters anyway.

[RLTrader]

i have been here now 18 years , and i have adapted well to the lifestyle here , been at peace with almost all the pro's and con's this country has , married for 22 years , and was hoping to spend many years more with the wife and family , been first on a non O visa extended 12 years based on marriage,the last years on retirement based extension , because it was more easy as all the crap you needed for marriage extension ,now they are supposedly going to be difficult again , and i will have to go back to marriage based extension crap as i do not not want to be taken hostage by the Thais government telling me what i can do or not with my own money , regarding forcing you to leave 400.000 baht of the 800.000 baht untouched for ever , this will also go for the future enforcement (?) to get health insurance,this all should be our own decision and not an enforced requirement ..., when it will come to this i am not sure what must happen as i do not want to spend money on expensive health care insurance , as the choice for this should be mine an no one else ...
i will wait and see what the future will bring....

like I said
Sounding more & more like "The Hotel California"
Your money can check out, anytime, but it can never leave!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaFkrfySqZs

[AlexO]

RL I have posted this on another thread. But renewed my Retirement extension less than 2 weeks ago the IO gave me my 90 day reporting date . I asked what do I bring? passport and bankbook. Reply was "only passport, no other checks needed" Seems as if the keeping in bank after the issue date is no longer a requirement. Would like anyone with a different experience to join in this discussion.

[Raoul Duke]

There is a lot of activity on the classifieds. Could it be people are fed up and are leaving???

Is so where are they going?
Things are looking rather bleak for a lot of people.
Or is it all fake news?

[choi choi]

i have been here now 18 years , and i have adapted well to the lifestyle here , been at peace with almost all the pro's and con's this country has , married for 22 years , and was hoping to spend many years more with the wife and family , been first on a non O visa extended 12 years based on marriage,the last years on retirement based extension , because it was more easy as all the crap you needed for marriage extension ,now they are supposedly going to be difficult again , and i will have to go back to marriage based extension crap as i do not not want to be taken hostage by the Thais government telling me what i can do or not with my own money , regarding forcing you to leave 400.000 baht of the 800.000 baht untouched for ever , this will also go for the future enforcement (?) to get health insurance,this all should be our own decision and not an enforced requirement ..., when it will come to this i am not sure what must happen as i do not want to spend money on expensive health care insurance , as the choice for this should be mine an no one else ...
i will wait and see what the future will bring....

Hmm.... Should say YOU! can check out anytime,But YOU! can never leave! In you 'kin dreams!

like I said
Sounding more & more like "The Hotel California"
Your money can check out, anytime, but it can never leave!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaFkrfySqZs

[vlad]

Raoul don't think it's fake news expats can see what's happening and will take the steps even if it means packing and leaving. Some English must have seen there pensions dropping by a few hundred pounds per month with the weak pound also. Have the Thai Government done anything to stop the decline in Tourism ??