Thailand Under Pressure: Is the Land of Smiles Still Worth It?

Once upon a time, Thailand was the Peter Pan playground for broke backpackers and jaded corporate refugees. Cheap food. Easy visas. Gorgeous beaches. Smiles on every corner. Now? There are pockets of that… but things have changed.

Today, Thailand is a mixed bag of beauty and bureaucracy, with just enough military overreach, rising prices, and legal roulette to make you question if that bowl of boat noodles is worth it.
Let’s break down what’s really going on, from coups to cannabis chaos, from kidnapping headlines to cost-of-living spikes. We are going to figure out if Thailand’s current negative headlines have any effect on farang life.

Coup Culture & Political Whiplash

Thailand doesn’t really “do” democracy. Since 1932, the country’s had 13 successful coups. That is more than any other nation on Earth. If One Championship wasn’t getting young muay thai fighters paid, military coups would be the new national sport.

The most recent coup-style shakeup didn’t come with tanks in the street but legal reshuffling behind closed doors. Military cronies still hold key government posts, and “stability” is a polite way of saying “do not speak out or we will politely ruin your life.”

Foreigners feel the ripple. You might have a long-stay visa one day and find out it’s not valid the next because a royal decree changed visa rules over lunch. You might post something
“inappropriate” and get your work permit yanked.

You might, like U.S. academic Paul Chambers, speak on a panel overseas and return to find your visa canceled for “disrespecting the monarchy.”

Bottom line? The rules are fluid. Obey the king, love the military, and keep your opinions on Thai politics to yourself… or risk being told to pack your bags and get out. And fair enough. We love Thailand so this will be the closest thing to criticism you ever get from us.

The Great Cannabis Head-Fake

In 2022, Thailand went from “30 years in jail for a joint” to “weed dispensary next to 7-Eleven” almost overnight. For a minute, it looked like Bangkok was going to become the Amsterdam of Asia.

They decriminalized weed in June and I can still remember being on Khao San Halloween night. Every 2nd vendor had pre-rolls grams. There were smoke shops next to crocodile skewers, and brand new dispensaries that can match anything you find in Canada or California.

But by 2024, the government pulled a full 180. New laws rolled out restricting sales, banning advertising, and threatening licenses for anyone caught selling to tourists. In 2025, cannabis is legal-ish… It is still decriminalized but a lot of dispensaries rubber-stamp medical permits. Every few months, a new regulation drops.

Tourists? Confused. Locals? Frustrated. Police? Selectively enforcing laws depending on the mood and if they like you. Thankfully, for everyone reading this, we are all super cool so there is nothing to worry about, of course.

Bangkok Shakes, Literally

In January 2025, Bangkok had a legit earthquake scare. Tremors from a 7.7-magnitude quake in Myanman sent vibrations through downtown condos. Aside from one building that was under construction, nothing collapsed but the psychological cracks showed.

The city’s built on swamp land, and few buildings are quake-ready. Combined with perennial flooding, unregulated high-rises, and the government’s classic “wait and see” disaster planning model, many residents started asking what else could go wrong.
Spoiler alert: plenty.

Crime Wave or Clickbait?

Let’s talk safety.

Tourists are still getting scammed. Expats are still getting pickpocketed. And yes, there were multiple cases of Chinese tourists being kidnapped in Bangkok and held for ransom by gangs pretending to be Grab drivers. These aren’t rumors. These are real news stories from 2024–2025.

Add to that a new wave of taxi scams, inflated bills at bars, and corrupt cops on scooter patrols stopping foreigners for “license checks” (aka bribe collection), and you start to wonder if the Land of Smiles is grinning a little too hard.

Sure, you’re not likely to get mugged at knifepoint. But you will get fleeced for 500 baht if you don’t know how to argue with a tuk-tuk driver.

Inflation Hits the Street Food

Let’s talk money.

Thailand isn’t “cheap” anymore. It’s just less expensive than the West. That’s a big difference. Street food that used to cost ฿35 now costs ฿70. Rent that was ฿10,000 is now ฿15,000 if you're lucky and triple that if you want to be in Sukhumvit.

Now, a one-bedroom in the city center averages ฿39,000/month. In Chiang Mai, it’s still a relative bargain at ฿10k–฿15k, but even there, the nomad wave has pushed rents up in Nimmanhaemin. Phuket? Forget it, unless you’re cool living in Chalong with the motorbike mechanics.

Groceries are tolerable unless you want cheese, wine, or anything organic. Then you better make a decent amount of bread.

A normal “good life” expat budget today?

Chiang Mai: ฿30,000–฿40,000/month
Bangkok: ฿50,000–฿70,000/month
Phuket or Koh Samui: ฿60,000–฿90,000/month (unless you’re hermitting inland)

The Visa Shuffle: Now With More Bureaucracy

Ah, Thai visas. A sacred dance of documents, copies, and contradictory information from three different officials in the same building.

Currently, the visa scene looks like this:

Tourist visas:

Two land entries per year max. If you try to do more, expect to be flagged. “Frequent visitors” are seen as sneaky nomads now, not welcome guests.

Education visas:

Still available through language schools, but there’s more scrutiny. You better know the Thai alphabet if you’re claiming to “study.”

Retirement visas:

Still relatively stable, but the mandatory insurance coverage has gotten steeper. And don’t forget, a foreigner can be denied renewal for being "undesirable". What qualifies as "undesirable"? Nobody knows.

Marriage visas:

Require ฿400k in a Thai bank or ฿40k monthly income. Divorced? You have 30 days to leave.

Elite Visa:

Great if you’ve got ฿900,000 baht lying around and want to skip the stress. But still doesn’t let you legally work.

LTR Visa:

Thailand’s 10-year Long-Term Resident visa was supposed to be the savior for digital nomads. It’s great if you make $80,000/year, work for a big foreign firm, and can prove your health insurance, and taxes… And I know that’s really not asking for a lot but I’ve met many digital nomads so, I know that is asking for a lot. Right now, one in three readers is going to feel attacked. I get it.

DTV Visa (Destination Thailand Visa):

The new kid on the block. Thailand’s latest attempt to lure digital nomads, freelancers, and “slow travelers” without the red tape of the LTR. It gives you up to 180 days, renewable once per year, for about ฿10,000 ($275).

You’ll still need proof of funds (฿500,000), and you can’t technically “work” for Thai clients, but for remote workers earning abroad, it’s a golden middle finger to visa runs. Think of it as the “nomad trial membership.” Cheaper, simpler, and almost like Thailand finally admitted digital nomads exist.

Expat Exodus: The Vietnam Effect

Long-time expats are quietly, or not so quietly leaving Thailand for Vietnam.
Hanoi and Da Nang are scooping up digital nomads and retirees like hotcakes. Why? Lower cost of living. Better long-stay visa options. No lèse-majesté landmines. And you can buy a decent bowl of pho for under a buck.

Even Cambodia and Malaysia are getting more nods from the old guard. Thailand is still beloved, but there’s fatigue. A growing feeling that it’s harder to settle down, riskier to speak up, and more expensive to do nothing wrong.

Is Thailand Still Worth It?

So, here’s the blunt truth:

If you’re coming for two or three weeks on vacation? Absolutely. Cities, markets, temples, beaches, jungles, mountains, monkeys, elephants, food, culture.

If you’re coming to live long-term? Be prepared. Visas are harder, rules are weirder, costs are higher, and the consequences for pissing off the wrong person are real.

Thailand is no longer the “easy expat” country. It’s a complicated, often contradictory place that requires savvy, flexibility, and a thick skin. If you’ve got those? You might thrive. If you don’t? Keep reading and we will have something else for you.

FAQ

Q: Can you still do visa runs in 2025?
A: Technically, yes… but land border entries are limited to two per year. Repeat runs are flagged.

Q: Is weed legal now?
A: Sort of. You can buy it in dispensaries, but enforcement is vague. Don’t light up in public. And definitely don’t try to bring it into/out of the country (Especially looking at you, Canadians).

Q: Are people really getting deported over opinions?
A: Yes. Ask Paul Chambers. Or anyone who forgot that criticizing Thai royalty, even indirectly, is a punishable offense.

Q: Is Thailand still cheap?
A: Compared to New York, yes. Compared to 2017 Chiang Mai? Not anymore. Inflation is real.

Q: Should I move to Thailand?
A: If you’re adaptable, respectful, and financially stable, sure. If you’re a broke edgelord? Probably not.

Final Thoughts

Thailand is still beautiful. Still exciting. Still full of magic.

But it’s also less forgiving, more expensive, and far more politicized than ever. If you’re coming now, you need your eyes open, your visa sorted, and your brain turned on.

Don’t come chasing 2015 Thailand. That place doesn’t exist anymore. Come ready for what Thailand is now. Raw, unpredictable, thrilling, flawed and still totally worth it.