Don’t Move to Thailand in 2019

[Undaunted]

Everyone needs for himself to weigh the negatives and positives for themselves! Age is perhaps the most important factor.

That is true. The video tells readers of this board nothing we didn't all know and already knew for a long time. In my opinion that video is nothing but negativity and I don't know why you thought it was a good idea to post it in the first place.

Lol, I neither agree or disagree with everything said in the video and having the money and health insurance needed to renew my retirement visa it is not very relevant to me however, it might be to some and as for everyone already knowing all these things I am sure some don’t. I also do not take it as an affront to my decisions past, present or future.

[RichLB]

I sure disagree with the video. Although I moved to Thailand 20 years ago, I have no regrets and would do so again today. The reasons are many. While the government may be taking steps to clean up immigration policies, the Thai people are welcoming and friendly to farang. This is especially true for older folk - Thais revere age and honor codgers like me. For us gay farangs, such acceptance is particularly important. I've never experienced any raised eyebrows from the general population when walking or dining with a much younger guy. My partner and I are recognized as a couple everywhere we go and have never experienced any negativity.
For those considering retiring to Thailand I urge you to come visit and see for yourself how wonderful the country is.

[Gaybutton]

as for everyone already knowing all these things I am sure some don’t.

Is that why you posted it? To make certain everyone reading this board is aware of the negatives about living in Thailand? How thoughtful. Of course I suppose some people reading this board wouldn't have known without the help of that video.

I don't think anybody needs that video to be aware of the negatives. All anyone would need to do to know negatives is simply read a great many of your posts . . .

[Dodger]

I sure disagree with the video. Although I moved to Thailand 20 years ago, I have no regrets and would do so again today. The reasons are many. While the government may be taking steps to clean up immigration policies, the Thai people are welcoming and friendly to farang. This is especially true for older folk - Thais revere age and honor codgers like me. For us gay farangs, such acceptance is particularly important. I've never experienced any raised eyebrows from the general population when walking or dining with a much younger guy. My partner and I are recognized as a couple everywhere we go and have never experienced any negativity.
For those considering retiring to Thailand I urge you to come visit and see for yourself how wonderful the country is.

Rich,

I couldn't agree more.

[Dodger]

Rarely have I come across a retired farang who is not happy with his decision to live in Thailand. Actually, only one comes to mind, and of course the idiot who made the video attached to this posting. That being said, the overwhelming majority of expats I know are very happy living here, and even the one person I know who's not, seems to prefer Thailand over any other alternatives, otherwise, he would have left a long time ago.

The staff I've have talked to at Jomtien Immigration about these visa changes couldn't have been more courteous and friendly towards me, and that includes the Colonel who runs the operations. This is representative of the courtesy I've been shown by Thais in general over the past 20 years, and never once has there been an indication that they (Thailand) doesn't want us here as stated in the video attached to this post.

I'm not making excuses for Thailand, because the "Systems" here are totally screwed up. Policies are never implemented or enforced consistently, and the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing, as we've all experienced at some level. That being said, I truly believe they have a lion by the tail during their attempts to implement and enforce immigration policies, i.e. visa renewal, TM30 Reporting, etc., and are doing the best they can with the systems they have to accomplish this. Widespread corruption has been a source of sabotage to their very own systems, where they now have to rely on accurate data to support these immigration initiatives which they don't have. The problems we're talking about will require nothing short of cultural transformation which we will never see in our lifetimes.

I tell myself to just be patient...let them solve their own problems,. remember I am a guest here....ignore people who are just depressed and hate everything around them...and continue enjoying life over here to the max.

[fountainhall]

If my memory has not let me down, Undaunted first moved to Bali. Only when he found that Bali did not fulfil his needs did he up sticks and move to Pattaya. (Apologies if I have got that wrong).

I spent two years trying to decide where I would put down roots for retirement. I was lucky. I had worked in Asia for over 16 years when I started that process. During that time I had visited many Asian countries often on a very regular basis for both business and vacations. In the first half of the 1980s, in the course of two visits to Bali each year, I was so enamoured of the island, its people and its culture, I seriously considered purchasing a small plot of land which then would have cost peanuts. When I returned with my boyfriend in 2005, I was delighted I had not. I felt mass tourism had totally spoiled it. Long before then, though, I knew where I was comfortable and where friends had also retired. I knew the ups and downs of living in several countries. Eventually I settled on Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur.

The indisputable fact is that since I moved (earlier than I had planned) in 2001, Kuala Lumpur has changed a lot more than Bangkok. In the last few years, I have visited three times. I am so delighted I did not settle there. I know that after a few years I would have found it stifling, despite some of its obvious charms.

The point is that anyone planning for retirement must expect change. Retirement can last 20 and more years. Anyone who had retired here in 1996 would have been buffeted within the first ten years by so many changes his decision might have seemed foolhardy. So the only concrete thought I have is that even if the country of your choice seems ideal, be ready and prepared to move if that ideal sours.

I am as pissed off with the new regulations as everyone. For a time I seriously considered moving to Taiwan. The people are lovely, the country is clean and it all ‘works’, I adore the food and the growing gay scene is especially attractive. There is no retirement visa yet, but citizens of most western countries get 90 days on arrival. After one or two days away, you get another 90 days. Taiwan’s medical infrastructure is excellent, the cost of living not much higher than in Thailand and if you live on the outskirts of Taipei or in another part of the country, apartments are no more expensive to rent. If you marry a Taiwan guy, you immediately become eligible for the country’s Inexpensive medical scheme.

On the other hand, you have to put up with reasonably regular typhoons over the summer and much cooler weather in winter. I just prefer the heat! So for the time being, I plan to stay put - but it will not take much more bureaucratic interference in the way I live my life to persuade me to move.

[Undaunted]

If my memory has not let me down, Undaunted first moved to Bali. Only when he found that Bali did not fulfil his needs did he up sticks and move to Pattaya. (Apologies if I have got that wrong).

My work had me traveling for months at a time and upon returning home one day I took account of everything and decided work was no longer fun so that was that.
I owned a house in a suburb of Wash.DC and a condo which I lived in. I did very little planning and on the spur of the moment went to Bali stayed till I needed to leave and renew my Indo visa which was good for 9O days, a German friend who was living in Bali suggested I go with him to BKK where I could go to the Indo embassy. He often went to BKK he knew the best gay spots. Every night was an adventure, I was hooked. I went back to Bali got my things together and went back to BKK where I rented a lovely serviced apartment in back of Robinson’s on Sukumvit Soi 19. During this time I visited Pattaya and I really couldn’t believe the goings on and enjoyed BKK more. Now it was decision time so I returned to the U.S. to sell my 2 properties did so and returned to BKK. I gave Pattaya another chance, quickly made some friends and took full advantage of what Pattaya had to offer, I wasn’t there for the food!
The pace of life in Pattaya for me was better than BKK as it was relatively laid back. Thailand felt free and simple things were amazing like going for a haircut at 11 in the evening. The visa situation was a no brainer and you felt like a welcomed quest. Nothing stays the same forever but perhaps change has come just a bit too fast in Thailand.

[ISAC69]

Yes I agree the pace of life in Pattaya is more laid back better than hectic BKK. Furthermore you have the beaches and plenty of boys to choose from at reasonable prices. Are you still living in Pattaya ?

[Jun]

So for the time being, I plan to stay put - but it will not take much more bureaucratic interference in the way I live my life to persuade me to move.

Out of interest, how much time do you spend on complying with all the Thai bureaucracy ? If this averages out at (say), less than 5 hours per month, I would think that alone would be insufficient to justify emigrating ?

[fountainhall]

If this averages out at (say), less than 5 hours per month, I would think that alone would be insufficient to justify emigrating ?

I am certain it avergaes out at a lot less than 5 hours a month. Maybe only an hour or two a month or less, even for those living in Bangkok who have to traipse to the outkirts of the city to get to the ghastly Immigration offices where getting business done can easily eat up five hours in one day. But then we all like to bitch about it and that probably tips the balance to over 5 hours