# Is moving to Thailand Safe Now



## pasquinel

My wife of 23 years is Thai and she is wanting us to move back to Thailand. I've just recently retired and don't have alot of issues that would cause me to not want to make this move to make her happy. However, I'm extremely concerned about the political situation in Thailand at present. I don't wish to lose life savings
by moving to Thailand and civil war breaks out. What are feelings of expats on this matter. I just read US Embassy has closed due to unrest.


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## Guest

The unrest is in pretty isolated areas at the moment, and there is no anti-foreigner feeling whatsoever. The injuries and deaths have mainly been restricted to the flashpoints in Bangkok.

I wouldn't hesitate to move there right now. It's hard to forecast things in the medium to long term, but so long as you leave most of your assets outside Thailand (if you can), I see no problem. I would invest offshore personally, with only a limited amount in Thailand itself.

If you're worried about buying a house in Thailand, well unless you are buying something very impressive, you can pick up a nice property for only 50,000 $ or so. If that is still something that you cannot afford to lose, well I would be tempted to rent. After all, you can rent a pretty decent property for 250/300$ per month...


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## KhwaamLap

I live here. I would say to you to wait until the unrest is over if you can. There is more and more liklihood of the unrest spreading across Thailand now. The Red Shirts have turned down the government's compromise (which actually gave them what they had originally asked for). Though there was some agreement with some of the Red leaders, there were just as many opposed. With Seh Daeng (ex-Major General) being shot yesterday and still critical (and unlikely to recover) just after denouncing half the Red leaders as unfit to lead and as "doves" instead of "Hawks" (his words) - there is plenty of argument over who is responsible for that. Today there has been much shooting and many skirmishes - though if you watched TV here you would not notice (only big news seemed to be a Muay Thai fight!).

Anyway, long story short, it is possible that the country is heading for major civil unrest and possibly even civil war. Not the time, IMHO, to be considering moving here.

If fighting starts to break out up here in CM (there has already been a grenade attack on the police headquaters and some shootings) then I will seriouisly consider sending my kids to my parent's until things settle down.


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## Guest

My take is that is overly cautious. Whether one is safe depends much on one's attitude, behaviour and location; my wife's family in Bangkok have seen no sign of conflict where they live (the main danger points are Din Daeng, Rama IV/Bon Kai & Ratchaprarop)... and that goes for major parts of the country.

If there is unrest, even if it spreads beyond Bangkok, it is unlikely to affect those parts of Thailand which are not strongholds of the 'redshirts'. If your wife wants to return to say Pattaya, or the coast, then these are areas where the reds are not popular.

One of our regulars has been in Bangkok recently, and despite travelling around the city, hasn't mentioned seeing much of the troubles (he was asked directly, and said he hadn't come across the reds much, but then again, he wasn't going out of his way to find them either).

Of course civil unrest is possible, and the worse case scenario, civil war, has been discussed amongst Thailand pundits. The general feeling, even despite the very latest events, is that the latter is unlikely. More likely is some kind of sporadic civil disobedience, with the occasional outright attack on government institutions.


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## KhwaamLap

While it may be true that "Whether one is safe depends much on one's attitude, behaviour and location", it is also silly IMO to walk into a potential war zone unless you need to - this is why just about every major government is warning against travel to Thailand - in the UK it is at the highest level it has ever been (they are actively phoning people heading for Bagkok to put them off going!).

The Embassy was shut the other day (British, American, Dutch, Chinese) beacuse the Reds took over wireess road and the authorities made it ano-go-zone due to the risk level there. Schools are closed in the area and surrounding areas because kids are too scared to go and schools are too scared to risk their staff or students. 

Use you own common sense, but if it was me, and I wasn't here already, then I would put it off and watch and wait.


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## Guest

Sure, if there's no immediate rush to get to Thailand why bother coming just now, but as family in Bkk says, there's little sign of disruption outside the areas the media is focusing on, and from the latest BBC report, _"about a third of the city is now under emergency rule, but while there are pockets of fighting, life beyond the barricades seems to be going on as normal, correspondents say". _


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## jjk

I just moved here 2 days ago and it is a strange feeling. Sitting at the swimmingpool while at 4km distance there are mothers holding their children behind a shield of burning tires. Why are they there? Why are they putting their children at risk. Is it because they truly believe in "the cause" or is it the daily allowance? I do believe that the foreign media is very biased in their reporting. Bangkok is a big city and the unrest is so far only in a small area. I would not have moved here with my family if I thought their safety was at risk.

Jan


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## JamesFrench

I've just arrived and though I was pretty anxious when I got off the plane, if you keep out of the obvious danger spots life seems to be going on as normal.


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## Dave0

Its not now or likely to ever get worse, of course stranger things have happened but you can go on being scared of this and worried about that and you will while away your years in that .........place just waiting to die.
If you have your head screwed on and in control of your self and not being controlled by your young wife its the best place in the world.
If you like Golf as I do its great, I am happily married to my wife of 43 I am 52 and we have a good business, a nice house etc, I started as I meant to go on with her (very important) I go out with the lads 2 or 3 times a week and all is great.

Do it man before your too old.


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## bhakta

I am here for 26 years. The events recently are by far not the norm in Thailand, and I do not feel there is a real groundswell from the masses of Thai people against the government. A lot of what happened was likely funded by the ex PM Thaksin and his gang members. The government has cut off the flow of funds to these people. Many of the protesters were being paid double or triple what they'd have been earning normally. 

Personally, I, living ten minutes from the center of the city, have yet to see even one "red shirt", and there as definitely been no sign of any trouble in our area.

Ditto for my wife's family's village in the NE province of Yasoton, no problems at all.

Let the dust settle a little longer.


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## Guest

bhakta said:


> I am here for 26 years. The events recently are by far not the norm in Thailand, and I do not feel there is a real groundswell from the masses of Thai people against the government. A lot of what happened was likely funded by the ex PM Thaksin and his gang members. The government has cut off the flow of funds to these people. Many of the protesters were being paid double or triple what they'd have been earning normally.
> 
> Personally, I, living ten minutes from the center of the city, have yet to see even one "red shirt", and there as definitely been no sign of any trouble in our area.
> 
> Ditto for my wife's family's village in the NE province of Yasoton, no problems at all.
> 
> Let the dust settle a little longer.


There's more to it than Thaksin - I spent many hours at redshirt rallies in the north interviewing demonstrators, and it was soon apparent how Thaksin had been overshadowed by their main political aim, ie a fairer society.

Hordes of locals were dropping by the Chiang Mai HQ to hand over bundles of baht, so a fair amount of funding comes from the general public.

As for Yasothon, my wife's home town too, it's a pretty quiet and small place anyway. Sympathies lie mainly with the protest movement, all the same.


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## intrepix

Personally, I wouldn't hesitate to go now as the open conflict has ceased, curfews have been eliminated, so travel in and out of Bangkok is not an issue that I'd be too concerned about now.
You never mentioned were or what your intentions were once you arrive in Thailand as most areas of Thailand outside of Bangkok have no issues going on at all. If I were going to any of the Islands like Koh Samui, they never had anything going on from the beginning so I definitely wouldn't hesitate going to any of them. I haven't heard much about what might or might not be going on as far as Thailand's southern border area with Malaysia but last I heard things have been very quiet in that area. If you're thinking of going, just go as this skirmish was limited to specific areas and they have ended.


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## baldrick_1961

Hi all, 
I am thinking over moving across to Phuket (Patong Beach) maybe at the end of Sept this year...................does the same apply to this area or is this safer IYO's.

Gary.


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## intrepix

baldrick_1961 said:


> Hi all,
> I am thinking over moving across to Phuket (Patong Beach) maybe at the end of Sept this year...................does the same apply to this area or is this safer IYO's.
> 
> Gary.


Great time to go as this is off season so lower rates will be in effect until the end of October. Monsoon season will also be on the tail end and in so far as trouble there won't be anything to really worry about aside from weather and whatever other normal tourist issues that you might experience. Oddly enough, I'm planning on going at the end of September myself as it's a good time to avoid the crowds you'll find during Christmas holidays. Thailand is a great place to go, especially south Thailand with all it's islands, trains, planes, ferries, beaches and nightlife. Keep your wallet in your front pants pockets and carry no more than what you'll spend in one day. Happy holidays


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## baldrick_1961

intrepix said:


> Great time to go as this is off season so lower rates will be in effect until the end of October. Monsoon season will also be on the tail end and in so far as trouble there won't be anything to really worry about aside from weather and whatever other normal tourist issues that you might experience. Oddly enough, I'm planning on going at the end of September myself as it's a good time to avoid the crowds you'll find during Christmas holidays. Thailand is a great place to go, especially south Thailand with all it's islands, trains, planes, ferries, beaches and nightlife. Keep your wallet in your front pants pockets and carry no more than what you'll spend in one day. Happy holidays


Hi,
Thanks for that, i am actually going to move out to Phuket full time or that is the plan so it's not just a holiday.
I am a telecomms contrector and will be renting a 2 bed fully furnished house long term in patong and after 2011 I will be applying for a retirement visa.

I am going in Sept just to check I will like the place as I am going to retire somewhere other and Atrincham England


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## Merrill

*It's safe!*

Hey There,

Come on back! Things are fine for the msot part. It's always possible that that things will boil over, but the governement now seems to have their act together better. We live in Bangkok on the way to the airport. Our building is 99.9% Thai and other than the pesky curfew in May, not much going on. At least with the curfew the noise from the resturant entertainers were quieted. 

There may be problems when the elections come up, with noone happy with the outcome. Red Shirts, Yellow Shirts, multi-colored shirts???? Life goes on. I was at lunch with friends on Tuesday in the center of the protest in May and yes Central World was burned to a crisp, but the streets were clean, buisiness open and life was normal. 

Mai Penh Rai is a perfect mindset and life goes on. So come to Thailand, enjoy, but then again you are not in Kansas or Liverpool. I think you wife will be so happy to come back to her family, relax and get on with life. Just think about the rest of the world. Greece and street riots, Chicago and street killings, France and the crime in the slums, and with the decline of the Euro, and changes to the social welfare systems in Europe, expect violence. 

Enjoy life, be smart, be prepared, and above all have a beer at the end of the day!:clap2:



pasquinel said:


> My wife of 23 years is Thai and she is wanting us to move back to Thailand. I've just recently retired and don't have alot of issues that would cause me to not want to make this move to make her happy. However, I'm extremely concerned about the political situation in Thailand at present. I don't wish to lose life savings
> by moving to Thailand and civil war breaks out. What are feelings of expats on this matter. I just read US Embassy has closed due to unrest.


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## UniReb

pasquinel said:


> My wife of 23 years is Thai and she is wanting us to move back to Thailand. I've just recently retired and don't have alot of issues that would cause me to not want to make this move to make her happy. However, I'm extremely concerned about the political situation in Thailand at present. I don't wish to lose life savings
> by moving to Thailand and civil war breaks out. What are feelings of expats on this matter. I just read US Embassy has closed due to unrest.


Don't worry, civil war will not or never break out in Thailand. Thai politics is very unique in the world, because just because of sporadic mass protesting on a consistent basis in Thailand, does not mean the country is in danger, at least in Thailand anyways. Moreover, Westerners are still relatively safe, no matter what happens in the country. You will not lose your life savings. Don't worry about that. You and your wife will be just fine!


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