Expat Poll: Would you consider leaving Thailand?

[buksida]

With all the uncertainty, additional reporting requirements, visa hassles for non-retirees, and general negativity towards expats from the regime recently, I thought I'd start a poll to gauge sentiment on actually leaving Thailand.

It is for those that live here for more than half the year and have settled here in some way. Naturally the answer will depend on how long you have already lived in Thailand, age, financial status, and general perception on what is going on in the Kingdom right now.

Feel free to discuss also, interested to get feedback. No trolling or abusive remarks please.

[pharvey]

Obviously I'm not based in Thailand, but speaking to a friend living in Hua Hin, there certainly seems to have been a significant exodus already(?). Reports of numerous (expat) properties for sale/lease and expats heading back to their home countries/out of Thailand. Financial requirements set by the Thai government to remain in Thailand, strength of the Baht, weakness of the GBP (UK expats) - all factors.

The LHG and I actually have a property in HH (near Black Mountain) which has been leased/rented, but we have for some time been looking to sell. This will now be difficult for obvious reasons - expats not looking to invest (as per above), excessive amount of properties available. I wonder how many expats spending say 6 months per year in HH/Thailand find themselves in a similar position?

[NOKYAI]

I retired just over a month ago and have been coming to HH for 25 years and had a house here for the last 10. I always thought I would make a permanent move as I have not many ties in the U.K.
But it has all unsettled me a bit, so I have bought a big camper van to keep a base ( be it mobile) in the UK /Europe
I still intend spending most of my time here, but don’t fancy investing in a long term and now expensive visa at the moment.

[centermid7]

I'm leaving in a month. Fourteen years I've been here.

There are a number of reasons but #1 of those is that I am unwilling to jump through the hoops now in front of us. Money is not the issue as I have been a lucky man but I'm just not going to bring into this country the amounts now required. I live simply and peacefully, am fluent in Thai language and, one might think, would be the kind of expat that they might like but they have run me off.

My choice, no problems. It's a big world out there and Thailand is just one of the places to live- not the only place.

[HarryVardon]

There are two major problems living in Thailand (neither a problem if you have enough money!). The first is the rising exchange rate of the Baht. There seems no end to this. The second is sickness insurance for older people. For people under 70 this is not a real problem. For people between 70 & 80 it can be extremely expensive. For people over 80 it is just about impossible to get insurance. If the government ever insists that expats must have sickness insurance then there will be a mass exodus. I will be staying in Thailand for now but it is difficult to know how things will change in the future.

[Dannie Boy]

There will be a host of reasons why an expat decided to come, stay or repatriate from Thailand, and although the red tape might be the straw that breaks the Camels back for some, I would imagine that the biggest single factor will be the depreciation of their home currency against the Baht.

I can live with most of the “crazy” demands that Immigration insist on, but if say the £ dropped to around the 30 Baht level, I’d have to consider leaving - in fact I’m already considering spending the UK summer months back there and only the winter months here.

[caller]

I'm not going anywhere for now, but neither am I, 'Thailand till I die'. So there isn't really a category for me. So I haven't answered the poll.

Like everyone else, it would make a big difference to me if the exchange rate improved and that will happen at some stage. The new visa rules haven't really affected me, as I brought a minimum of 65k over each month anyway. Apart from the hassle at the bank, the process at immigration was very straightforward and at the time I was there, there were plenty renewing their 'one year visas' - there weren't any empty seats and some were standing.

There was an article a month or so back in the BP where it mentioned the number of Scandinavians (I think) renewing either their work permits or long term visas had dropped, so the authorities will be aware if this is part of a larger pattern and only they can decide if this is something they want to address.

I think there is a bit of expat hysteria in the air at the moment and I certainly think the TM30 thing is a bit of a farce, but I don't have any great faith in Thai bureaucracy that enables me to suggest it has been introduced to deliberately make life more complicated, or whether it is just complete and utter incompetence. I'm minded to the latter because of the way it has been introduced and is being applied. I don't believe it is beyond the wit of the most incompetent immigration official in the land to tweak the system to make it more user friendly, but time will tell and I suspect it will go the way of many such rules that just fade away in time.

[pharvey]

- in fact I’m already considering spending the UK summer months back there and only the winter months here.

Certainly a few I know have done this for some time. Like you however, I would think a fair few more are considering the same.

[laphanphon]

and had a house here for the last 10. I always thought I would make a permanent move as I have not many ties in the U.K.

I have bought a big camper van to keep a base ( be it mobile) in the UK /Europe

but don’t fancy investing in a long term and now expensive visa at the moment.

Guessing the house was a rental, yes ?

Love the camper van idea, and if ever I left..........I'd get one, till bored. Since a Yank, don't think that would happen in the Americas.

Expensive..........B1900 baht....

Voted..........never leaving, unless something life changing happened ... premature death of younger wife, as I'm only good for another 10-15 yrs.

Nothing has really changed, except the crap value of expat's home currencies.

Everything else is exactly the same for long stayer. Financials haven't changed, still 800k / 400k for Ret. / Married. Not seeing anything Thailand is doing, to make expats leave, except being bit more honest in the financial reporting. Obviously many have not been, aside from their home countries financial problems.

Nothing else has changed. Hopefully they better plan their next retirement location's choice.

Don't follow the classified, for fire sales, and the few expats I know that have left, weren't here on ret / marriage visa, and the tightening of the abuse of tourist visa and back to back visa runs in combo with exempt stamp, finally took their toll on their staying.

[buksida]

Interesting results after 24 hours and far higher than I expected - over 60% have left, are planning to, or would do if things deteriorate here - which is highly probable under the current regime. Only a quarter of respondents are totally happy with their lives in Thailand.

From the replies though, it does seem that currency exchanges rather than bureaucratic hurdles are a bigger issue for the majority.

[Big Boy]

Only a quarter of respondents are totally happy with their lives in Thailand.

I am one of those, but I wouldn't say 'totally happy'. Of course I am not happy with everything that is going on. On my happiness scale, which is counted by number of days grief I have as a result of the Ministry of Silly Ideas I would guesstimate in the last 12 months, I have had 10 to 15 bad days, In the beginning, that was <5. So my happiness scale is around 95%

The rest of the time, I can put my head in the sand, and pretend it isn't happening. Maybe I'm fortunate in that I'm living here with 3 generations of my family and we regularly entertain friends from home (yes, the UK is still my home).

I wonder how many days grief I'd be having in the UK with all the crap that is going on there at the moment. I don't think I'd be any better off, and not much chance of things improving there anytime soon.

At least Thailand has the weather, which is a great distraction.

[NOKYAI]

and had a house here for the last 10. I always thought I would make a permanent move as I have not many ties in the U.K.

I have bought a big camper van to keep a base ( be it mobile) in the UK /Europe

but don’t fancy investing in a long term and now expensive visa at the moment.

Guessing the house was a rental, yes ?

Love the camper van idea, and if ever I left..........I'd get one, till bored. Since a Yank, don't think that would happen in the Americas.

Expensive..........B1900 baht....

Voted..........never leaving, unless something life changing happened ... premature death of younger wife, as I'm only good for another 10-15 yrs.

Nothing has really changed, except the crap value of expat's home currencies.

Everything else is exactly the same for long stayer. Financials haven't changed, still 800k / 400k for Ret. / Married. Not seeing anything Thailand is doing, to make expats leave, except being bit more honest in the financial reporting. Obviously many have not been, aside from their home countries financial problems.

Nothing else has changed. Hopefully they better plan their next retirement location's choice.

Don't follow the classified, for fire sales, and the few expats I know that have left, weren't here on ret / marriage visa, and the tightening of the abuse of tourist visa and back to back visa runs in combo with exempt stamp, finally took their toll on their staying.

No I have owned my house here for 10 years and am investing more in upgrades! That is one of the positive factors with bills around B4000 per month it’s cheap living compared to the U.K.

Bringing B800000 over now would be a potential loss of £3-4000 pounds If the Baht dropped and/or the pound recovered.. That’s why I’m saying it’s an expensive option at the moment, so I’m looking of ways of delaying this.

[stretch]

To bring money from the uk to Thailand would be crazy. myself I bring in enough to last my stay Thailand is getting way to expensive the bubble has to burst soon only the rich get richer the real thais are suffering but as usual the rich could not give a dam.

[oakdale160]

There is a natural ebb and flow of ex-pats. I have friends going back to the UK, not angry, not a financial problem, just feel they want to be closer to the NHS and they are missing their grandchildren. But one wonders, will they be replaced. Any people looking at Thai as a potential retirement destination must be less eager to choose Thai and the numbers may slowly fall.
It is also interesting that there is HUGE discomfort in the British community retired in Europe, esp Spain, their potential loss of free Health care is causing a panic and the net flow to Spain is reversing, more returning to the UK than leaving.

[T.O.M.]

Interesting results after 24 hours and far higher than I expected - over 60% have left, are planning to, or would do if things deteriorate here - which is highly probable under the current regime. Only a quarter of respondents are totally happy with their lives in Thailand.

From the replies though, it does seem that currency exchanges rather than bureaucratic hurdles are a bigger issue for the majority.

I read the replies in a completely different way.....no surprise here
6 has left already (did they live here full time?)
8 are looking for alternatives (priced out?)
23 are staying put if status quo is maintained.....(mainly if their home countries currencies don't drop any further)

As for "The strong baht"....It is not the baht getting stronger, but the western currencies getting weaker thanks to decades of 'Quantitative Easing" aka money printing....so what you see is a dilution of the western currencies. You can hardly blame Thailand for that....The irony is, if Thailand did the same (printed money) they would be accused of currency manipulation.
I see a few posters reluctance to transfer money here at the moment....."I will get better".....Been listening to that for years, while the Pound has continued its fall.
A no-deal Brexit followed by a new Scottish independence referendum with Scotland leaving the UK...Where will that leave the value of the GDP...?