Why Some Expats Leave Thailand

A question that I’ve commonly been asked is: would I ever leave Thailand?

And in my 7 years of living here, I’ve had many friends who decided to leave and move back to their home country. It actually happens a lot.

If you’re planning to move to Thailand, you might want to know the reasons why expats tend to leave Thailand. Don’t get me wrong I love living in Thailand and I love this country. This is an absolutely beautiful place.

Let’s get started.

Reason #1: Living as a “Farang” (Outsider)

The first one is just a big difference that exists between Thailand and Western countries. Thailand is an ethnically defined state, and that means that you’ll live here somewhat permanently as an outsider.

Now of course you can join the society, but you’ll be a “farang.” “Farang” means foreigner or Western foreigner in Thai. It’s not a negative term or a derogatory term, but you are simply an outsider because Thai identity is ethnic. If you don’t look Thai, you’re not considered Thai. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

The vast majority of the countries in the world are ethnically defined states. This is a choice that every society can make for itself. And part of that is: this is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. In fact, Bangkok is the most visited city in the world, and you can understand why. Most local Thai people will view you as a tourist if you don’t look Thai.

If you’re in Thailand and you look like me and you’re walking down the street, you could live here for 15 or 20 years and you’ll get treated like a tourist most of the places you go. And this can get annoying for people. Smaller issues start to add up, and this includes seemingly minor things like higher admissions to national parks and museums that simply add to the feeling of being an outsider within the society.

This can be particularly harsh when somebody is married to a Thai citizen, they have a Thai family, they pay Thai income taxes, and yet they are treated exactly the same way as a tourist who just stepped off the plane. And I’ve met quite a few people who ultimately decided to move back to their home country because they wanted to feel more like they are a part of the society.

But it isn’t just appearances. The reality is that you’re also an outsider in legal terms. Laws can change quickly and abruptly and can have a significant effect on foreigners. Recent examples of this are the TM30 and new tax rule changes. And that lack of certainty can definitely be difficult for people living on fixed incomes like pensions, and really anybody who stays here long-term, as you are very susceptible to any changes that the government decides and that might target you as a foreigner.

These relatively minor things do add up over time, and it’s a big reason why some of the expats that I’ve met over the years have decided to leave the country.

Reason #2: Property Ownership Restrictions

Up next, we’ve got property ownership rights, which are very limited for foreigners here in Thailand. And I totally understand the rationale. The Thai government and people want to avoid their country being bought up by foreign money from larger and wealthier countries. You’ve got examples of this in countries like Cambodia that are very nearby, and so the government here has actually done a good job of avoiding that type of situation. And I totally respect the decision.

But as a foreigner who might be interested in entering the property market, investing in the future, buying property here is very unattractive with all the rules and regulations.

In Western countries, property values go up pretty relentlessly due to high rates of immigration, and that’s made housing a very good investment. Thailand has a declining population and has already significantly overbuilt the condo market. There are empty condos all over the city here in Bangkok, and that’s great for renting, but it’s not great for owning.

So when you factor in the lack of rights as a foreigner, the often changing rules and regulations that you face, and a declining population and overbuilt housing supply, this is not a very attractive place to buy property. And many foreigners have decided to leave after living here for many years when they’ve decided that it’s time to invest in the future and they want to buy a home or a condo.

Reason #3: Low Salaries and Career Burnout

And in order to invest in the future, salaries do matter. You have people who simply wanted to live in Thailand and took low-paying ESL jobs and stayed here for many years. They don’t save much money, they don’t have any investments, and they often need to take on extra work or extra teaching hours just to make ends meet.

As they get older over time, they often burn out and need to return home, especially if they have a family.

And that brings me to my next point.

Reason #4: Missing Social Safety Nets

Even if you earn a high salary a Western salary over the long term, it can still be difficult to stay in Thailand. And that’s because you don’t have all the social spending and social safety nets that exist in Western countries: free healthcare, education, childcare, and good pensions.

And one of the biggest is the education system. Thailand has a public education system, but based on international standardized testing, it does not rank very well. PISA testing is the most recognized standardized international test in the world, and it ranks countries based on literacy, math, and science. And the top of the list is dominated by East Asian and Western countries.

You could send your child to an international school here in Thailand. These schools have Western certified teachers and they follow a Western curriculum, but they are very expensive. And this is the most common reason that I’ve encountered among expats who’ve left Thailand to move home and enroll their kids in the public education system in their home country.

But even if you don’t have kids, you also have big differences in social security, old age security, and pensions. In my home country of Canada, once you hit the age of 65, the government guarantees you an income of around $2,000 per month in order to avoid poverty in old age. In order to receive a pension, you normally have to reside in your home country for a specific number of years. If you’re ineligible, you’re going to need to earn a significantly higher income and invest wisely in order to protect yourself in old age.

For me personally, I also factor in health insurance costs. In Canada, we have universal health insurance, and so if you have kids or a family, you’ll get free access to healthcare. This is a big difference, as this will be another cost that you add to your expenses living here in Thailand.

And as you start adding up all these extra expenses of having a family, often people realize that there is a big advantage to going back home: earning a higher salary, investing in property, having the benefits of healthcare, education, and social security.