wwest5829

9 minutes ago, CM Dad said:

One more reason that I started using an agent several years ago after doing everything myself for over twenty-five years.  The less time I have to spend at Immigration, the better.  Now I go once a year and I am usually only there for less than fifteen minutes.  As I have grown older, I don't like dealing with bureaucrats from any country.  My US passport will expire at the beginning of next year.  I have renewed it three times at the US Consulate here in Chiang Mai, but now the only "citizen services" they handle are emergency ones like deaths or arrests, so my agent will handle the renewal for me.  I prefer not to even speak to any government employees from and countries if at all possible.  By the way, I speak Thai quite well, so language is not the issue.

Agree with using an agency. I have from the beginning, over a decade ago. My reasoning was that they deal daily with any regulation, "particularity" due to new bosses or IO interpretations. They know who gives issues so, it is worth it to me to pay a reasonable fee not to have any issues. I am fortunate having the US Consulate here in Chiang Mai, have never had any problems whether renewing my Passport (more of an issue with Thailand as they do not handle US Passport numbers changing on every renewal), getting a certified affidavit or getting US Visas for my significant other.

6 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Oh dear. Big loss of face.

 

One suspects that the coffee shop owner might be becoming acquainted with the inside of a plastic bag in the not too distant future.

I was more inclined to think a defamation charge ….

3 hours ago, problemfarang said:

 

thank you, i checked from websites just as you said. Nothing bad and actually many serious places says its the best.

 

thanks again. i think i will buy the ticket

Never used them for airfares but have used them repeatedly over the years for lodging. Currently staying a month in an apartment booked through them.

1 hour ago, Nicholas Paul KNIGHT said:

Why do people think that we ( expats ) really want to read what a person did or has done. We are all here for a vast majority of reasons and generally we are happy with our lot our choices. Certainly things could have gone better for some adn some have left for equally in many cases private reasons.

Can ASEAN NOW, please restrict the burblings of some to extinction as this man certainly does not in any way reflect the vast majority of English speaking expats, of that I am certain.  

Ah, Sir, you overstep as you do not speak for me as an English speaking Expat in Thailand for over a decade.

1 hour ago, sqwakvfr said:

The US-ASEAN summit is in DC.  Since Thailand is part of ASEAN why would he not be included?  Next time how about holding the summit in an ASEAN nation.  Long way to go to essentially talk about nothing.  The future of ASEAN is to be aligned with China.  Besides military assistance and training what else can the US offer to any ASEAN nation? 

Ha! OK, joking but the US has my one million baht a year income from the USA supporting me in Thai retirement. Don’t tell the US conservatives, some already see me as a deserter and it really infuriates them that I will be voting in the US 2022 elections by Absentee Ballot!

44 minutes ago, Freddy42OZ said:

Some of the place I've seen here in the 100-300 million baht price range are absolutely fantastic.  

 

Like to look at but far out of the price range of the vast majority of the global population. I I could afford the price tad? I'm thinking elsewhere with only occasional visits here.

2 hours ago, sawadee1947 said:

I'm always impressed how rich some people are in so called 3rd world countries. ????

 

I always question who is buying the properties offered for the, for me, high prices. But then, I retired to a lower cost country because I thought I could live better on my $2400 USD monthly budget.

A rather distanced wall story. Indulge my memories. My Father was a welder for decades after serving as an Aviation Metalsmith just following WW II. He (and I on one project) worked for a friend's construction company. A new building's walls went up with the steel superstructure. A storm with high winds blew in and down went the wall. Everyone of Dad's welds held but the mountings snapped the bolts from stress. The company owner said Dad was the only welder whose work he could count on being solid.

31 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Hit the nail on the head, I don't mind admitting I came here with some baggage a succession of mostly nice women here helped me shed. Bless them all.

The erosion of male assets and rights in Western countries has been a process stretching over decades of jurisprudence. Fortunately, Thai law is still behind the PC curve, so that only assets accumulated during a marriage are divided equally, and defacto relationships are not recognized. If they ever become so, I am out of here.

Permit me to doubt a relationship with a woman 23 years younger than me in Australia would ever get past the realm of fantasy. Here, it is commonplace.

 

 

Yep! Been there, done that and the T-<deleted> was a bit unraveled with the divorce. Now, … it is so sad … married to a cute Thai girl 26 years my junior … don’t worry I am ancient, that means she is pushing 50.

9 hours ago, Leaver said:

 

Ok, so there are disaster stories, I think we can all agree on that.

 

How many of the guys in the disaster stories would have said no way is their girl on the scam, because she is different, yet, they got fleeced?

 

How many are reading this thread right now thinking their girl is different, but they are actually being fleeced and don't even know it yet?  Any advice for those guys? 

Yes, we all do see the disaster stories, depending on what you are reading and who you are listening. While citing the Thai females involved (remember I am in no way denying bad characters here), I am not seeing here any thoughts on the foreign males. They are all pure as the new driven snow or did all of us show up bringing our own baggage. My advice as stated before is “steady as she goes”, keep your wits about you and that includes controlling your own financial stability. That would be the same thought I have based on western male-female relationships. Again, it is only the stories we hear but there seem to be not a small number of western males here divorced from western females who had their economic well-being halved and have sought retirement in a lower cost countries (adding, with poorer, attractive females who might well be attracted to an aging, western male if he has a steady source of income).

Difficult finding information. I am interested in the total number of foreigners retired in Thailand, the stated reasons, breakdown of nationality and income. As a retired American I am currently interested in learning the number of earned US Medicare recipients here, and how many paying Part B premiums. Conversely I would like to compare the numbers with fully retired US military accessing earned Tricare coverage in Thailand to compare with the medicare numbers. Yea, I know, I'm supposed to be retired rather than beginning a study requiring much time.

30 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I've seen so many 'disaster stories' (10-20) in person and only one success story.

No need to read any more to know 'disaster' is the norm.

 

On two separate occasions,

American guy in a bar comes over to me and boasts how his wife is different, faithful, loyal, loving ..... I'd banged her the night before, at the time she was pointing to her phone behind his back.

French guy in a different bar crying into his beer, blubbing about his wife sleeping with other men all the time, showed me her photo ...... yep, I'd had her too.

I felt bad for both those guys.

I understand. The thing is, I realize that my 7th Greatgrandfather was at Valley Forge, What he saw and heard was real, he was not making things up but ... well, he had a limited perspective based on his personal experience. He as not aware of the struggles getting supplies from Congress, certainly did not have access to the British war records. My point being, our experiences might be valid for us but that does not get to the the truth of a matter. Yes, certainly, I too have heard the bar stories and they have been well exposed here. 

8 hours ago, Leaver said:

 

My observations and conversations with people here.

 

What about those that did not keep their wits about them?

 

What percentage are they?  The majority, or minority?  It is these people that I am commenting on.

 

 

Good luck to you.

 

Once again, do you think you are in the majority, or minority? 

What I think about being in the minority or majority means only a guess as we do not know. Reading the disaster stories one is tempted to think they are the majority but that would be a conclusion not based on knowledge of the reality. I suppose that is the only point I make.

Sad to see. Sadder still, my mind reflecting on this Thai social control attempt while in China they are locking down the while city of Shanghai.

11 hours ago, Leaver said:

 

I respect your honesty.

 

How many are living miserable lives in retirement, in Issan, drinking themselves to death, because they were not realistic here?

Without statistical analysis based on factual evidence all are subject to just guessing. Based of what? What stories we read here? What I have gleaned personally from reading here has, in fact, been worthwhile ... keep your wits about you and proceed with caution as it is not my home turf (culture). Knock on wood ... so far so good with my Thai wife and Stepdaughter after 5 years. At age 75 ... happy man.

I am told that, once upon at time, there was an outlawing of the sale of alcohol. No connection? I’m thinking a lesson where laws are made not supported by the populace. A real danger of the law not being followed … well, just my reflection.

5 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

The younger people are developing more western thinking.  They don't want to take care of old people.

I think economics plays heavily into this … not necessarily not wanting take care of parents … but unable as a result of the working middle class squeeze over the past 50+/- years … at least in the US.

2 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

77,272 baht. Sounds reasonable for a two-week holiday.

Yes, that does sound reasonable. I’ll be spending a bit more for this month on Koh Samui but then, .I live here and have a retirement budget to deal with as no earned income helps as it did earlier.

Seriously, someone with far better math skills (it would not require much), please help me understand. 34 billion baht generated by 444,000 tourists. So, each one generated how much?

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

You cannot change non immigrant visa types while in the country.

You can only change the reason for your extension from retirement to marriage. No insurance would be required it you did the change,

Thanks. That was my understanding. He can change reason for extension but cannot change O-A to an O Visa in country.

8 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You can change the reason for your extension of stay from retirement to marriage to a Thai.

You will need 400k baht in the bank for 2 months on the day your apply.

Here is my general list of required documents. Marriage Extension Requirements 2.pdf

I am confused here. He wants to change from an O-A Visa to an O Visa (for reason of marriage). I thought that while he could change the extension of stay to marriage, the Visa remained O-A. Otherwise, I too could change my O-A Visa (retirement) to an O Visa (marriage) without leaving the country?

23 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

We all support EU/NATO/ US but are they doing enough? Putin has time on his side, does Ukraine? So who will help Ukraine rebuild when this is all over? Or will Putin win in the end? Give Ukraine what they need to win this war and maybe Russia will stick it's head in the ground like a ostrich for 100 years.

Not all support the anti Russia unity. As for the war damages, .I am all for war reparations, keeping in mind that they have to be “doable”. I reflect here on war reparations placed on Germany after WW I. In large measure, they created the conditions allowing the rise of a nationalist strongman. Of course, Putin seems to be playing that card already. So, what are you proposing in supplying Ukraine?