Thailand is a popular location for expats
After China and Singapore, Thailand is the third most favored country in Asia for expats to settle and the seventh worldwide. Switzerland is number 1, the Netherlands is in 27th place and England and Egypt dangle at the very bottom.
This is evident from the Expat Explorer Survey 2014, an annual survey commissioned by HSBC Bank. The figures are based on the opinions of 9.300 people between the ages of 35 and 54 in 100 countries. They answered questions about their financial situation, the quality of life in their new 'homeland' and educational opportunities for children.
The number of respondents in Thailand was 140. Of these, 38 percent came from England, 14 percent from the US and 9 percent from Canada. A quarter work in education and a quarter in marketing, media, hospitality, travel and tourism. The respondents were on the old side: 30 percent were 55 years or older, 44 percent were in the age group 35 to 54 years. Two-thirds were men.
Thailand's strengths are its relatively low cost of living (utilities, housing, public transport, groceries) and high quality of life. In the field of child care, Thailand even ranks first worldwide.
Thailand's weaknesses are learning the language, making friends and feeling welcome at work.
The entire study can be consulted at https://www.expatexplorer.hsbc.com/
(Source: Bangkok Post, October 23, 2014)
This survey is conducted annually by this HSBC bank. It provides insight into the appreciation of countries among expats who work. Not among all migrants. Retired migrants are not involved in the study. Research among pensioners only shows a different picture.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2014/01/06/the-15-best-countries-to-retire-to-in-2014/.
Totally agree with Chris. Traffic is a danger to your life here, as chaotic as it can be.
Immigration treats you like a criminal.
Even after years of marriage, you are still a foreigner. Only Thai food is cheap.
It's always very warm. Cloudy for 3/4 years
They always make us foreigners pay more everywhere.
Houses are almost impossible to sell. Because Thais buy a new one.
What high quality of life?
After 65 they kick you out of health insurance.
Cars are more expensive here than in the Netherlands. Yes, only not the pickups, but those are rubbish.
And a Thai is not interested in a farang at all.
Yes if he smells money.
If you want to go to the Netherlands, you must first pay if you want to leave the country, also to other countries.
It is incomprehensible that Thailand is so glorified.
Buying food from a market entails a great risk, something that many do not realize.
And let's not even talk about air pollution.
They burn everything.
Yes ok it's reasonable to live here, but not great.
It is the land of the females.
And many come here for that.
And many are completely stripped naked. Own fault, but ok. It happens
But if it were a bit warmer in the Netherlands and especially in the winter
And the women don't have such high demands..lol..not many farangs came here.
Because beyond that, the country has little or nothing to offer
Ok only the islands are beautiful.
But the big cities are 1 big chaos and very dirty.
And if you have seen 1 temple, you have seen them all
And that is not exactly a tourist attraction
So Chris you are absolutely right.
Monte, I've re-read Chris' 3 lines of text about five times, but I can't find any of the long list of drawbacks of Thailand in your response - or should I really start to doubt my reading ability?
It is incomprehensible to me that China is in first place. Terribly unhealthy country with smog everywhere. Singapore is my favorite destination, but very expensive, and Thailand remains number one when it comes to the pluses and minuses, and the quality of life and the temperature. Everywhere and nowhere perfect and stay here, with great pleasure.
And where is Belgium? we are also interested, after all, you have many Belgian subscribers!
And yes, how does China get that first place ??? Dirty, unfriendly and corrupt!
@ gerard van heyste The posting contains the following link to the research: https://www.expatexplorer.hsbc.com/ Belgium is not mentioned.
Monte, I don't know you, but despite the fact that I live a wonderful life here, you have my support and 100% right in everything you mention, I have exactly the same feeling and experience after 14 years of Thailand. Gr Jos
I don't understand the negative comments. I suspect that the negative or positive assessment of Thailand is related to how well you feel. And that has everything to do with your living and living environment.
I have the impression that many of the negatives have made wrong choices there.
Sorry, Belgium is in place 20!
@ gerard van heyste You are absolutely right. Sorry, looked with my nose, my mother would say.
life is certainly not bad in Thailand, but it is not cheap.
if you want to eat the things you were used to in the Netherlands, you have to spend a little more than in the Netherlands.
the language at work is also often a problem, they always say they understand you, but do everything a little differently (so wrong)
He or she who made this report does not know too much about Thailand. Very strange, viz., that ex. residents of the UK, the US and Canada estimate the standard of living in Thailand to be so high. Canada has one of the highest standards of living in the world on the ranking and Thailand, on the other hand, is much lower.
Even stranger, that childcare is asked of expats who are over 50 years old and who actually no longer have small children. Another study that is of no use to anyone.
dear rebel
I do not agree with you. This is a survey of working migrants, most of them from Western countries. When these migrants (usually managers) come to live in Thailand, a large number of things are paid for them (house with swimming pool, insurance, school/university for the children, domestic workers, car, night watchman, driver; go for fun look in a neighborhood near the International School Bangkok) and in addition one receives a monthly salary of at least 100.000 Baht. I know managers who do their work here for 250.000 Baht a month. With that money you can buy more in Thailand than with the same amount (say 2500 Euro) in a Western country.
I think you are wrong dear Chris?. The survey was conducted among 9300 people and not just managers. The report talks about -their new homeland- and not about a temporary stay, which is usually the case with managers. The HSBC speaks clearly about -expats- in the report.
For a salary of 250.000 Bht (what you call) I wouldn't want to be a manager in Thailand. That is approx. 6500,- /month and not € 2500 that you mention. Then I would earn less than half of my last salary and that net. No thanks. For that salary, I'd rather drive my own car.
Henry..isn't it so then..? Yes, the temperature makes up for a lot. But what do big cities have to offer now except temples and shopping malls? Where I live you have 1 swimming pool and 1 large shopping center and 1 fitness center and it is a big city. And I have never seen such bad roads.
Big big wells everywhere. And it takes years to do anything about it
And as soon as they see that you are a farang, the price goes up.
And I'm fine in my skin.
I swim 1 km and cycle 10 km every day. And I have a very nice house.. I can go on holiday a few times a year.. But I also see the less good things about Thailand.. And I know many expats who also think the same way. And I have absolutely not made a wrong choice. Know many nice restaurants
If you pay the same taxes as for sewage and waste, etc., and you add normal food. Mix Thai and European food then you will be more expensive here.
For medical expenses I pay more than in the Netherlands, everything is paid, except outpatient.
Purely seen without extra costs, 1 kWh costs more here. But in the Netherlands people pay transport costs, etc. And that makes it so expensive in the Netherlands.
But it remains amazing Thailand, even though I like living there.
So that explorer survay doesn't make any sense.
Well if I read it like this then there are still some hooks and eyes to stay or to live and live in paradise as I often read on this blog, I disagree with many readers that it is so terribly cheap because we forget that the bath is very low the last few years when I came here 9 years ago 52 was just for a euro but now the euro has become quicksand and is sinking further and further away, so in short life has become expensive I hear nothing about the Tesco where prices are getting higher every week, and also see that fewer and fewer Thais do their shopping there because what is in the cart for 1000 bath is nothing anymore, but the weather is at least better than at home for the old people among us, just think of the proverb complainers have no note, and enjoy while you can because life is short.
Everyone must have (had) his, her and/or their personal reasons that (at one time or another) led him, her or them to seek refuge elsewhere than in their familiar home.
And it seems only logical to me that in many cases those reasons lose(s) importance over time, simply because an independent intellectually functioning human being is constantly evolving, both physically and psychologically.
In addition to this strictly individually determined evolution, the environmental framework (both where intimate relationships and functional relationships are concerned) is also constantly evolving.
So it is also completely normal that some people will complain about their decision at some point. There is nothing shameful or anything like that involved. Our whole life is one chain of decisions and it is only logical that we regularly make estimates that turn out to be wrong, or at least less fortunate, after a short or longer period of time.
Because it concerns a chain, it is possible that one or more links fail, making the entire chain uncontrollable.
But whether it is wise to accept that (murmuring and frustrated) and to spit your bile about everything and everyone who ever made the same decision, I highly doubt.
In that case it seems to me much more sensible that you consolidate your mistake (and all possible consequences thereof), and that you then move to where it (at that time) seems to be better for you.
I wish everyone who is genuinely happy here a very long stay in Thailand.
And I wish everyone else inner peace, inner peace and, above all, enough courage to turn their situation around.
Kito