w11guy

I'm planning to move to BKK in June and was wondering if they have any stores selling organic fruit and vegetables. Also are there any health food stores selling goodies such as quinoa?

I don't agree that some election poll has anything to do with this. I would imagine it is entwined with the Prudential/AIG/TATA deal.

Something which has Mandelsons's ratty little paw prints all over it. Presumably sold an awful lot of GBP to purchase AIG and maybe while cheap you will see TATA reinvest some of that money into the UK at an enormous gain.

This is what the BBC news said last night. The Prudential has had to or will have to buy a huge amount of $US and the amount is so huge that it has driven the pound down.

There is also no reason to think that a coalition goverment won't be able to cut spending. I think it will be easier for a coalition because no particular party will be stuck with the blame. All parties agree that it needs to be done, so what's the problem?

G_D Bless America....and The Tiger.

Looks like PM Blair didn't impress many people he wanted to go on the dole with. Can you imagine what living in England must be like? It's no better in the USA. The government must be supporting 60% of the people.

"I'm staying.

There's nowhere else I can see that offers similar quality of life as Thailand, let alone any place better.

Yes, problems on the horizon -- not to be discussed here -- but there are problems everywhere.

I've assessed the risks and will take my chances in Thailand.?

He has a very good point.

This is complete nonsense. I live in England and while we have a recession things aren't nearly as bad as the news would have you believe. I don't know anyone personally who has lost their jobs. Most people I know have mortgages and interest rates have dropped substantially. I know lots whose mortgages have dropped from £1200 to £700/month. So there are lots of people in this situation. They still have jobs but are £500/month better off. Some are obviously feeling the effect, but if you didn't read the papers or watch the news you wouldn't know there was a recession. Property prices in many parts of London are near, at or above peak values seen in 2007.

The government isn't supporting anywhere near 60% of the population.

Many people on these forums are reading things in the newspapers that are just plain wrong. They aren't fact, they are just scare stories to sell newspapers.

Yes, the UK is in a bit of a state and there will be some tough times ahead. But millions of people would jump at the chance of living in England if they could. It's still one of the most prosperous countries in the world. Why else are so many people coming to live here. Immigration is a hot topic here because so many people are flooding into the country. They are coming because it is great here.

By the way, I'm planning to move to Thailand in May/June, so I'm not just trying to be patriotic. There are things about England that I don't like, but please don't make out that it is all over. It is far from it.

Anyone who doesn't think that Sterling is collapsing clearly has no understanding of whats happening. This is not just a short term blip - this is the foreseeable future. There is nothing in the way of Sterling's fall. It will keep on falling because there is nothing that can arrest the fall. Eventually (maybe next year) when GBP/USD is down to 1.20 and the Thai baht is sub 30 Sterling will look cheap and traders will start to buy Sterling instead of selling it.

The return to current levels (50 baht to the pound) could take years, possibly decades. 70 baht to the pound is already a dim and distant memory. In 12 months time its likely that anyone wanting to retire in Thailand (800,000 in a Thai bank) will need about £25,000.

I hope I'm wrong but I fear the worst.

Sounds like you are believing the hype on the news and in the papers. Look back over history and you will see that there is no reason whatsoever for the pound to take decades to recover. Last year people were prdicting $1.20, but pound rallied to $1.70.

It is also incorrect to say that there is nothing that can arrest the fall. If it was that easy we'd all be currency traders. Would you bet your house on it? Of course there is something to arrest the fall. For one, there is the Tories winning the next election. A poll in the next few days showing the Tories with a bigger lead and the pound is bound to bounce. This is mostly uncertainty ahead of an election. Pound has already dropped quite a lot so why should it continue to fall? I'm not saying it won't, but I am saying it's not obvious. Once something has fallen like this, most people just project the fall a bit further as if it is inevitable.

The $US and € could just as easily collapse, which wouldn't make the pound seem too bad.

No-one knows is the answer. It's not obvious at all. Don't beleive the press, they almost always get it wrong.

The last couple of pages of this thread tells the story:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Pound-Starti...64#entry3379764

If you've got money in Pounds it's probably a very good time to sell it and buy US Dollars, that's what everyone else in the world is doing.

The good time to sell was ayear ago when you could get over $2 to the £. It's not a good time to buy the $US after the collapse has taken place. The £GBP may fall further but most of the fall has already taken place. Already down for $2.10 to $1.50ish.

And don't forget that in Jan 2009 the Daily Mail was predicting the £ would got to $1.20 by the summer of 2009. In fact, the £ rose to close to $1.70.

The papers only pile in AFTER the event and add a bit more on to frighten people. They have no idea what is happening. If it's obvious that the £ is going to $1.20 then become a currency trader and you will make millions in a very short time.

It's not that easy. The £ could just as easily strengthen.

A lot of yesterday's drop was to do with Prudential buying AIA. They have to pay in $US, so need to sell lots of £s.

The £ will bounce back.

No. You will not be asked. But ThaiVisa is your friend.

Ah. I have a new friend. .

Thanks again.

Thanks for that. Everything is much clearer now. One small point though. Do I actually have to say who friends are? I don't have any there.

I've now found the visa application for for Hull consulate. It all seems straightforward apart from this part...

Evidence substantiating purpose of visit:

Extra evidence, as detailed below, is required only for Non-Immigrant Visas Categories “B” and “ED”:-

Category “B” = Letter from sponsor or copy of company documents or valid work permit

Category “ED” = Sponsor letter from educational establishment

Category “O” = Copy of Marriage Cert (if married to Thai national) or Pension Book or Sponsor Letter

I will be applying for an O visa, but don't have any of the proofs required. Any advice?

1. No. But you can obtain in Hull for visiting friends or checking on retirement options.

2. Para one - most Consulates do not issue for visiting friends.

3. Yes.

4. O visa - not retirement - Hull can not issue retirement OA visa and that would require financial paperwork in any case.

5. One is a visa that few Consulates will issue and requires exit every 90 days. The other allows you to remain in Thailand and never leave if you meet the conditions each year.

So how do I apply? Do I call the consulate in Hull or can I get the form online? What should I say to them? That I'm considering retiring in Thailand but need a year to explore my options?

Thanks for the replies, but I'm now even more confused.

1. Is an O visa a retirement visa?

2. If it's a retirement visa, I've read that I need proof of income, but you say that I can get this visa from Hull without proof of income. What's so special about Hull?

3. Are you saying I can get this in Hull but not in London.

4. Just to make sure I understand you both correctly, you are saying I can apply for an O visa (retirement visa) in Hull, UK and I will get a 12-month visa that will allow multiply entry. I will also need to leave the country every 90 days (not a problem for me).

5. Why is there the proof of income requirment if I can do it without it? Or is the difference that if I have proof of income, I don't need to leave the country?

Thanks for you help.

I am a 50 year old male and currently dating a Thai woman who lives in London, as I do. Her visa to stay in the UK expires in May, so I wish to move to Thailand with her. I have read that I can get a retirement visa but need proof of income. The income I intend to use to live there will be from my property in London that I currently live in. Will this rent be acceptable as my income? I can get rental estimates from a few estate agents, but won't actually get any of the rent until I leave the UK. Will this be a problem.

Also, I'm a bit confused about all the visa types. While in Thailand, I would like to travel a fair bit, so need to leave the country and return quite often - I will probably visit Vietnam, Laos, China, Japan, Korea, Australia, etc. Maybe not all in the first year, but I'd like to be fairly free to come and go.

Another option may be to come on a tourist visa and then get a retirement visa later.

What suggestions do you have for my situation? And am I best applying myself or using an agency. I don't mind paying if it makes the whole process easier.

Finally, how far in advance do I need to apply.

cat5, your question doesn't make much sense, since the internet is global.

Nothing prevents you from running a Norvegian site from within Thailand.

Regarding Adsense Performance of Thai traffic: if I was a global advertiser, I would exclude Thailand from the target market for the ads, since many clients from Thailand will have trouble to pay their order by credit card.

I think you have misunderstood what cat5 is asking. It seems to me he's asking how much money you can make from adsense if the clicks originate in Thailand compared to if they originate elsewhere. For example, someone in the US may click on your ad and you may get paid 10c. If someone in Thailand clicked on the same ad you'd probably get paid much less - maybe only 1-2c.

I also don't think you realise what adsense is. If you are making money from adsense, you want as many people as possible to see your ads. The people who click them aren't buying from you, they're buying from the people who placed the ads. You make your money by having the ads displayed on your website.

The whole key as you mentioned is a popular website

To get a website popular enough to earn a decent second income with google adsense is like trying to win the lottery

You are obviously just one of life's failures. If you even made a bit of effort to learn how to build a popular website you would realise that it's very easy. I have built 100s and I know of lots of other people with very little experience who have done the same. Do your keyword research and taget niches that are popular but not too competitive and you will easily have 1000s of people coming to your site.

So quit making pathetic remarks without any evidence to back them up.

Just because you can't do it doesn't mean it's difficult. It just means that you can't do it.