Stickman
August 18th, 2019

Today, many urban Thais think white guys in Bangkok are poor.

Today Thailand is full of poor foreigners. Where once poor foreigners in Thailand meant those on the backpacker circuit, today it feels like Thailand is home to many broke Westerners.

I frequently hear of foreign retirees living on less than 20,000 baht per month. You just didn’t hear about poor retirees in the past. Poor farang? They were passing through. Poor resident farang? They were few and far between. Oh, there were the rumours and the sniggers about poor farang hiding out in Isaan – but did they really exist? Now poor farang are everywhere – and they’re for real!

These days Thailand feels like it is full of poor farang. Chancers, wasters, retirees on the breadline. Sure, there are lots of expats doing well for themselves, foreigners in business and wealthy retirees….but there’s a hell of a lot who just seem to exist.

And let’s not forget that there are plenty of Thai women who are reluctant to date white guys because they believe many Thailand farang are broke.

Whether Thailand has become more attractive to Westerners of modest means or whether Westerners come to Thailand and lose their mind and their money, I don’t know. Probably a bit of both along with some bad luck and even worse planning. But for sure, white guys are no longer the wealthy guys in town – and locals know it.

full https://www.stickmanbangkok.com/weekly- ... are-broke/

How about Cambodia? Well, ok, we can take it down to 10 years ago since Cambodia has not been a popular destination for as long as Thailand. Were barangs in 2009 very different from today?

There were only a fraction of the number but I don't think they were that different. If you talk about the barangs here in 1999, well they were very different. The place was a lot more shabby then and didn't appeal to everyone.
Many of those who moved here in earnest in the later period have already moved on as the place may not have met their expectations, and there are very few left from the 90s.

The baht has appreciated by about a third over the past ten years so guys that are on a fixed income have less cash. If your single and on a retirement visa you must either show evidence of monthly salaries of at least 65,000 baht transferred to a Thai bank account or balances of at least 800,000 baht in their Thai bank accounts. Married guys need 400,000 baht in the bank. Teachers are paid about 35,000 baht a month so they may struggle a little but still they are paid twice the national average. I hear guys bitch and complain but if you are poor in Thailand you are f@cked in your home country. My house and car are paid for, electric, water, telephones and cable come to under $150 a month. I do not get a pension as I am not old enough yet.

I think most Thais have an unreasonable expectation of farang's wealth, the roads at home aren t paved in gold as they seem to believe, but 65,000 a month is 4 times the average salary and certainly easy to live well on.

The broke ones should be gone. I had to transfer 800,000 Baht from the US into a Thai bank to renew my retirement last June.

Robins wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2019 2:41 am The broke ones should be gone. I had to transfer 800,000 Baht from the US into a Thai bank to renew my retirement last June.

Easy work around, 15-24,000 baht/year to an agent. Of course you need to have that first
But for may easier to get than $26,000
Dont forget u need leave it there for 3 months an than you cant only take 1/2 out.

800,000 baht in a Prasac 1 year account earns over 48,000 baht

It could simply be the case that farang have cottoned on to how dangerous it can be to flaunt their wealth in Thailand. Much safer to play the hard-up foreigner than the wealthy expat. Especially where bar girls etc are involved.

second rate article

that's why people come here, 'cause it's cheap to live

but of course locals only want to rich foreigners to come here and give them money

these are buddhist countries worshiping a man who took a vow to wander as a mendicant

Robins wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2019 2:41 am The broke ones should be gone.....

if they can survive here and they are allowed in, then it shouldn't matter how much money they have

why don't we also say people who come here to work should be gone, because if they weren't working, they would be broke, too

Multipox wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2019 8:29 am

Robins wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2019 2:41 am The broke ones should be gone.....

if they can survive here and they are allowed in, then it shouldn't matter how much money they have

why don't we also say people who come here to work should be gone, because if they weren't working, they would be broke, too

No idea which one your home country is but I am sure the standard of living is higher than say 90% of the world's. So if someone from Ghana or Afghanistan wants to come there and survive, I take it you are down with them getting a visa. I sat with a German and a Swede the other day and listened to them bitch about the price of having a beer and how maybe it was time to go home. Knock yourself out, try finding a $2 beer in a bar in either place. If a guy is too poor for Thailand it is time to go home and live on the dole.