Why Are So Many Expats Leaving Thailand?

0:00 hey I'm Scott and I am an American who's been living in Thailand for the past 30 years now Thailand has long been a top destination for expats retirees digital Nomads everybody loves Thailand right uh people come here for the warm weather the great food the relatively low cost of living although it's rising but lately something has changed more and more expats are packing up and leaving so why is this happening is Thailand becoming less attractive for foreigners or are people just looking for something better they're looking for the grass on the other side today I'm going to break

0:46 down the biggest reasons why so many expats say goodbye to the land of smiles now please do me a favor hit the like button if you like this video subscribe if you have not done so already ready and hit the notification Bell look down in the description there's a host of ways that you can help support me and if you want to send me a dear Scott letter or you need a consultation please email me at an American in Bangkok atgmailcom so let's just get into it here number one rising cost of living it's rising everywhere but Thailand is still more affordable than many many places Thailand was once one of the most affordable places to live and it's still

1:31 kind of close but that's not really the case uh it is more expensive now rent food utilities Transportation everything's gone up just like everywhere else however if you're used to paying 500,000 bucks to stay here and most people can't do that um now it might be a little bit more it might be $1,500 if you want to maintain the same quality of life you had 5 or 10 years years ago you're going to need more money uh basic street food is cheap it's still pretty cheap but back in my day it was 15 20 bot now it is 50 60 bot and if you want Western food or imported food or a nice meal out you're paying more

2:17 than ever and in some cases I mean you go out for a burger it might be $10 might be $15 for a burger and something on the side and a drink okay uh for retirees on a fixed income this is becoming a serious issue number two visa and immigration issues Thailand's Visa policies have always been a little bit complicated sometimes people just don't understand them but they've become even more difficult in the in recent years the rules keep changing uh the paperwork is a hassle and many expats find it difficult to stay long term uh the retirement Visa requires a large amount of money but it's it's not all that much comparatively speaking uh but you need

3:03 the money in a bank or you need proof of a steady income and uh short-term visas require constant renewals which is no fun believe me uh if you're not on a long-term Visa you might find yourself making border runs if you can get away with it now or dealing with inconsistent enforcement or immigration laws and for many the uncertainty and bureaucracy are enough to make them Le leave the country uh for a place with easier Visa options now number three traffic and infrastructure problems I mean I think the infrastructure in Bangkok is pretty good however bangkok's traffic is Infamous the only place I've seen with worse traffic is Manila if you live

3:50 outside the BTS or MRT or say the canal boat taxi routes getting around can be a nightmare and even in small smaller cities like changai and paa and now huin they're all seeing more congestion maybe because there's a lot more tourists than there used to be 30 years ago just under 7 million tourists 2019 and probably 2025 you're looking at about 3940 million tourists so that's a big difference uh public transportation outside of Bangkok is unreliable and taxis and ride hailing apps can they can start to uh eat into the budget um they can be a little bit expensive some xats just get tired of wasting hours in

4:37 traffic or struggling uh with the transportation options I do think the BTS and MRT are a great addition when I first got here there was no BTS was no MRT and it's a lot better now uh okay number four pollution and overdevelopment air pollution is a major issue especially in Bangkok and changai especially during the uh Burning Season and sometimes the air is downright dangerous to breathe in Bangkok smog is a constant Pro problem uh overdevelopment is also making cities more crowded and less livable high-rise condos are going up everywhere uh but the infrastructure is not really

5:23 improving at the same pace and many people are leaving because they don't want to deal with the noise the pollution and the overcrowding and it's not just air pollution it's also water pollution ground pollution they got to get it together all right number five foreigners are always guessed no matter how long you live in Thailand and I've been here like I said for 30 years you're always going to be a guest foreigners cannot own land they cannot outright own land let's just get that straight you can't own it you can lease it you can have a company do that for you you can but you cannot own it uh and the laws can change overnight you don't have the same rights as the locals and if the government decides to change the Visa policies or some business regulations there is nothing

6:10 you can do about it uh and some expats accept this uh reality rather easily and others decide they'd rather live somewhere else where there's more stability and long-term security uh the number six the changing expat Community which I am not really into all that much be honest because my community is my family but the exper scene is Shifting many long-term Western expats are leaving and new groups like the Chinese the Indians the Russians the Israelis they're moving in some long-term residents don't feel as connected to the new community and expats who used to enjoy a Titan it Community are now finding it harder to

6:55 relate to the new arrivals and for some that's a reason to move on com especially combined with everything else all right number seven political and economic uncertainty Thailand has a history of political instability protests coups and sudden government changes make the future unpredictable hey I hope there are none of these things in the near future or even in the just in the far off future I hope there are none of these things I hope everything keeps going smoothly but you never know and that uncertainty makes some expats nervous especially those who are investing uh in business or property uh the economy has struggled since covid-19 and many businesses that relied

7:40 on expats have closed there a lot of businesses that have closed and I've seen a few that I really liked and guess what they're nowhere to be found fewer job opportunities combined with the rising cost of living make Thailand less attractive than it used to be a recent survey from the Thai Examiner reveals that 55% of foreign exp Patriots in Thailand plan to leave in the year 2024 due to supposed new tax liabilities that's what their poll showed many hesitate to file tax returns uh by March 31st of this year 2025 by the deadline and this raises concerns about potential revenue shortfalls for the government

8:27 they want that money all although I think it's doubtful that for going to have to pay and I think if you're leaving because of that when you really don't know what the deal is you might think you know but guess what it might only be for certain people you might not be in that group you might not have to pay anything and you might just be oh I've got to leave well I would say check with a professional and I'm not a professional all right number eight better options elsewhere we already know this there are many many options uh you can get more for your money in a place like Vietnam Cambodia even the Philippines they have lower cost or close to lower cost some of the costs are just about what they are in Thailand but they have easier Visa options some

9:13 are moving to Mexico Portugal Ecuador where they can own property and get long-term residency or enjoy uh heal really good health care Ecuador has great health care uh Portugal does too I don't really know about Mex me but Thailand is still a great place but for some it is no longer their best option so it's changing and for some it's just not the paradise they once thought it was or they thought it was and the rising cost the Visa headaches the pollution the traffic the uncertainty pushes them to look for better Alternatives so there you go now what do you think I'd like to know what you think I think Thailand is still a great

10:00 place for xats there are some problems that need to be taken care of here but there are problems everywhere and I think you're jumping from one frying pan to the next although maybe that other frying pan is quite good I don't really know I know I've been to a lot of places that are good options and I wouldn't mind moving there but right now I live here that's this is my home and I'm very comfortable here so let me know in the comments uh remember to smash the like button hit subscribe hit the notification Bell if you have not done so already I appreciate it but that is all I have until next time I'm Scott I'm An American in Bangkok choke KN Jer and my which is good luck and see you again so take care