wwest5829

Ha! yes, some years ago my Son was on the bike behind me and had no helmet. We knew there was a checkpoint around the corner so I thought I would let my Son off, he could walk past the checkpoint and we would resume after a distance. Policeman stepped around the corner just as I was letting him off the bike. Foiled again!

Yes. A "bridge too far" for me to give up citizenship. I do not know the facts but it appears to me that many of those giving up citizenship do so thinking they can avoid taxation (a large difference with my income). Although as a student of US and European History (generalist) I am quite attuned to wrongs that have taken place (currently watching the PBS Series on, "The U.S. and the Holocaust". So sad to be reflecting on the events and personalities. As to Thai being able to claim welfare benefits? A bit complicated since we are not citizens. On the other hand if one works here then the public health care and retirement benefits are available (such as they are). Guess we would also need to decide what we consider "welfare" ... sorry, I am just reflecting on some in my country defining paid, earned benefits as "welfare".

Only discussing. So ... if I retire to Thailand, I am disenfranchised from voting anywhere? In my case, I do feel very strongly about my ties to the USA. My DNA goes back to forbears before it became a country and what the country does has global implications for Americans and others currently. In addition, my DNA remains in my children and Grandchildren so I am also concerned with domestic policies (including not being allowed to utilize my earned Medicare). No, I definitely want a vote as an American. Just because I am "outpriced" in the USA and have joined millions of other Americans retired to a lower cost country so that I can have a working middle class life, does not equate with my giving up my citizenship.

Can I play, “Devil’s Advocate”? Here I am, American subject to worldwide US Income Tax. I have the right to vote in the last US area where I lived. I own no property in US, thus I am not a resident of any U.S. state (not subject to state income taxes). My income is low enough so that, as an aging retiree, I do not earn enough to be subject to US Income Tax. In that sense … a pretty free ride. PS … don’t tell the “Freedom Caucus” in the US House … they will want to take my citizenship away … or at least, no vote if you don’t pay taxes.

OK … except the rich thingy. You see I taught in the U.S. for 41 years and thus needed to join millions of other retired working middle class folk retired to a lower cost country. Understand the family tree comment … being interested in history my USA roots go back before the country was established.

Thank you. Really enjoyed. Perhaps being American (USAn?) with some German DNA.

I figure I am bilingual as I can read both labor and labour and know the difference between a lorrie and a truck … lift/elevator, etc.

Sorry about that. My motivation is vanity … covers the increasingly balding head. I have thought about adopting a yarmulka or a zucchetto.

Sadly, very funny. As if the economic system does not have unemployment built in. Great thinking, ignore reality … “let them die and reduce the surplus population” … Scrooge.

This I also believe. Far too many are motivated by human emotion supported, ironically, by religious teachings to preserve life at any cost. Foolish ... my decision ... allow me to pass over in peace and not put a burden on others.

Some validity here. Bottom line CSA lost, those who evidenced their frustration/anger !/6/'21 lost.

Because, after all, there are no differences …?

Yes, proven facts from creditable sources. Unfortunately, we seem to have substantial false claims of proven facts.

Yes, and non-creditable arguments dismissed. Not all sides/arguments are equal … “the election was stolen” comes to mind in the U.S. and Brazil. Not all “sides” need to be given equal consideration.

A not unusual result when coming into contact with those who have been educated to question a hypothesis put forward by using the “Socratic Method”. Some would see it as argumentative while others understood it was questioning/testing the various ideas put forward in discussion. My thought was always that one does not sharpen an axe or knife on a sponge. It is through the give and take in Academic argumentation that we hope to gain some understanding of a given issue. I note this appears sadly lacking in today’s political culture.

Agreed. Kept my U.S. credit cards, credit score recently about 825. Borrowing ability on the cards in the tens of thousands of USD. No need for dealing with “credit” through Thai entities.

My Mother shared her thoughts verbally and put it in writing. No viewing, no funeral. As her eldest Son and with my Father hospitalized from the car accident which took my Mother and Godmothers’ lives, I carried out her wishes. She was cremated. My Uncle, her Brother was not happy and said to me that she, “deserved better”. When Dad passed, his wish was to be cremated and his ashes mixed with those of Mom. My Brother and I carried out his wish, both crying and laughing as we got out the Kitchenaid mixer and blended to ashes. Those ashes have been scattered from Kentucky, New Jersey and some sprinkled among the roses at one of their favorite locations in Florida. As to our lives, the publicly available records have documented our lives in the modern era. My genealogy records mark the lives of forbears back to the end on the Medieval period in Europe. The bones and grave markers are mostly long gone.

Thank you for your thoughtful post.

Ah, I can only speak for myself (with a bit of history background). Give it a couple of generations and the reality is most all our forebears lives are forgotten. Might call upon those who reflect to consider the question … what meaning has it ultimately?

There have been others reporting the same in Chiang Mai. Might be good to use an agency as they can do a “work around”. I plan to exit Thailand at the end of March, letting my O-A (US) expire and re-entering on an Evisa then converting to an “O” for reason of Retirement at the end of April. My plan also is to continue using the income qualification of 65K a month as I have done since my arrival in July 2011. Hopefully, you just got an IO who only had the 800K in their mind.

Best to show an official government document rather than a commercial business list. The official documents are difficult enough.

In the US, immigration legislation is needed to be passed by both houses of Congress. That is why nothing meaningful has been addressed. Neither political party has had any idea as to how to address the issue.

I cannot work up much hope as immigration has a way of getting, "kicked down the road" for decades now. Still, the vast majority do seem to recognize a major overhaul is needed to be addressed by Congress. OK, Republican Party, you hold the majority in the US House of Representatives and there is reason to hope that the US Senate recognizes immigration is an area where there is a bi-partisan desire to address the issue. So ... let's see ... oh, I acknowledge the Republican radicals in the House will be looking to make political investigation points rather than proposing legislation. The only hope there is a centralist bi-partisan House coalition to out vote the radicals.

Sorry, can't advise in BKK. Here in Chiang Mai there are several reliable Apple services companies. I have had battery and hard drives upgraded over time.

Conflicting thought with me. End the war ... yes, that would be good. But at any cost? Hmm, fight an invading country but not be allowed the equal ability to attack/defend against the attacking country? Hmm, I cannot support that. Putin will only end the war facing an inevitable defeat and allowed an acceptable way out ... nukes? I don't think so but, ... if the citizens of Russia are willing to end any remnant of an independent Russia? For myself, I personally cannot let my freedom be taken away by a threat of a strong bully. But that is just me ... and as an American for supporting Ukraine. I only had to face one determined bully ... hS. He was determined to fight me ... why? Only because it would be an easy "notch" in his belt. Finally, I said OK, but you are bigger and sure to win so the first thing I am going to do is go for your balls ... he left me alone after that.