manjara

I’m going through a divorce now, but my wife doesn’t want to give me the papers until a few years from now (our youngest daughter is 17). I don’t really care about when I get the certificate, but I would like to get the agreement done now. I will pay her money until the youngest is finished school. I’m giving her everything in Thailand so long as she gives me everything outside Thailand. So we don’t need to itemize things? 
She can still have the marriage paper for now, but I don’t want her making claims on my worldwide assets. There’s plenty in Thailand, with the value being approximately equal.

Does anyone know if you can do the agreement ahead of time, and then visit the registry office say a year or 2 later?

None of the kitchen-related ones apply to my wife as she rarely ventures in there except to eat!

She does intercept me on the way to the washing machine in order to wash my stuff by hand! The machine doesn't do it properly! 

Eating every 2 hours sounds familiar, but she never watches TV or does the other things most associated with Thai wives. She is completely mad, however! I sometimes wonder if I married a Thai at all!

1 hour ago, JaiLai said:

Interesting thread, here’s what I’ve spent this month ( so far ), pretty normal month

Road trip for 4 days - approx 25k
Petrol for 2 cars and 2 bikes - 10-12k ( drive 3-4000km each month)
Electric bill - 6-7k
Car # 1 service - 3.5k
Car # 2 service - 2.5k
Dog food - 5k ( 5 big dogs )
Vet bills -3k ( unfortunately 1 of them got blood parasites from ticks - he’s on the mend though )
Gardeners and handy man for a few off jobs - 12k
Groceries- 15k
Socialising - 20k ( ish )
Currently away for a few days - 15-20k

I’m mid 40s, not really a big drinker & don’t smoke, this is a normal month for me, oh and I’m married, no kids ( thank god! )

I don’t think it’s an extravagant lifestyle and that’s what it costs.

Could save a few baht I guess by not going away but I think would get a bit bored at the house all the time.

have a great day




Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

Seems to be about the same as my wife spends, though perhaps on slightly different things. Less roadtrips, more staff doing jobs. We also have 5 dogs, but we have 3 kids as well, which adds considerably!

It also doesn't include the 80k a month that I pay for school (for 2 of them).

My wife is always telling me it's not an extravagant lifestyle and that she doesn't spend on herself, but it still irks me that whenever there's an unusual expenditure (roof needs fixed or pool needs a new pump) she comes back for more!

I also have a dormant company that I HAVE been filing all the appropriate returns for, but it's costing me a fortune because the accountants don't have a 'plan' for how to deal with a dormant company (more money for them!)

I worked out that it would be cheaper to file once per year and pay the penalties, instead of every month, but the accountants refused to do that, and insist on charging me a prep fee every month and a travel fee to lodge the return (zero every month). Even when I stopped paying, in order to catch up they insisted on charging me as though i had filed every month!!

Does anyone know of an accountant that can do the minimal paperwork for a dormant company (I somehow feel that companies used to buy property must have a simpler approach?). 

My costs at the moment are around 120k each year to keep everything up to date, but it shouldn't be that high! (about 50k of that is maintaining an address).

Given that there seem to be a few of us with these dormant companies, there could be a business opportunity in dealing with them!  (I wouldn't have the time to start that at the moment)

P.S. Anyone guess who my current accountants are! (their catchphrase is 'Mai dai!')  ????

8 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

 

I'm sorry this is the thread about lying Thai girls right? you weren't one of the three guys at the table were you? 

Probably..... ? (I live in Hua Hin)

There's a Lifestyle Index report which is quite interesting. Here's an excerpt:

"Hong Kong is the most expensive city in Asia to have a fine dining experience at a cost of USD 287, followed by Singapore (USD 283) and Shanghai (USD 280). On the other hand, the best priced degustation dinner can be found in Mumbai (USD 113). On aggregate, the price of fine dining in Asia as measured by our Index has risen by 1.2% y/y in US dollar terms with the most significant movements in Bangkok (+17.3%) and Manila (-7.0%)."

The link is here:  https://www.juliusbaer.com/fileadmin/user_upload/2017-10-17_JuliusBaer_WealthReportAsia2017_Report_EN.pdf

On 8/10/2018 at 9:49 AM, ezzra said:

Whatever you do, don't try to shag a drunk thai girl, you will not hear the end of it... ever...

From your wife?...... ? 

6 hours ago, Naam said:

a good question! nearly all our food is cooked at home, our entertainment comes over the internet and our dogs, we don't frequent bars, restaurants, coffee shops and we don't eat street food. i will ask my wife why we spend nearly 3 million Baht per annum.

Similar, but I include School fees in that. I only have about 500k unaccounted for! 

On 7/22/2017 at 6:05 PM, roo860 said:

 

I suppose in Scotland blokes wearing skirts are halfway there.

 

 

I'd still need some boobs and the snip, but I suppose I am quite attractive.... ? 

I suspect the Thai ladyboys are significantly more receptive to propositions by drunk guys though! 

On 8/7/2018 at 5:00 AM, cmsally said:

The problem is that "the nice shops with taxis waiting" can be found anywhere else, including the many useless and energy wasting malls.

People come to see and experience things unique but many people don't seem to realise this. Thailand used to have many places and people that were totally unique. Most of these have become diluted or disappeared completely, consequently tourists will disappear also.

Of course, people come to see the things that Thailand is known for around the world, so the authorities need to work out how to replace these things. 

Thailand has to modernize and get away from some of the reputations it has had in the past, but if you want tourists, then you have to provide the things they are looking for! 

I had an idea for a bar (actually that big one near the JW Marriott on Suk) to bring the street vendors inside the bar and make it a bit nicer than a pavement area. That way the girls wouldn't have to go outside to get their Som tam and if you get the best food vendors, you will be popular!

The authorities could do this on a larger scale with Khao San road and other areas, e.g. Soi Cowboy in a style a bit more like Amsterdam. 

i.e. accept it is needed, embrace it and 'disney-fi' it. 

I just don't think Thais have the capability to do Grand Schemes. They are more a 'patch it up with string and duct tape' kind of nation!

11 hours ago, David Walden said:

Most men who come to Thailand and are nice to Thai Ladies will find that you can find a nice happy lady rather quickly. You don't want to be shy.  To many examples are available to list here.  A few not so good? What's different in the West.   It could be a bar girl who is getting on a bit who would like to get out of the business, has 2/3 kids, husband a butterfly (Gone with the wind) plenty of them in Thailand.  Many are there because that's the best job they can get.  They are mostly just nice people who do not have a regular male partner.  These ladies are not just bar girls they can be working in a 7/11, big  "C", Tesco, Makro or anywhere, like the lady along the Cha-am beach road I often buy fruit from who is concerned that I go walking each morning on my own and no lady.  She assures me she can fix that for me in a day and make me happy.  Much BS and laughter on the subject, she even tells me she'll sell the side car on her fruit motor bike and she''ll make me happy "if you like"   I think she means it?  Sometimes from 50 metre away when I'm walking past a flash restaurant  she'll call out "you got girlfriend yet" speaks quite good english,  " I fix "she says.  all the people in the street front hotel flash dinning room their ears prick up...but it's all fun.

    Manjara... with an income of Bt 80/100 you can live in Thailand very comfortable and even be quite generous.  Bt 10.000 will get you a nice 2b/r town house with a Thai lady partner , especially in my town of Cha-am...I am sort of breaking the unwritten rules among us farangs/expats in Cha-am about telling people how good it is...psss "don't tell anyone" Prachurup, Ranong , Ban Pae, Chiang Mai, Nong Khai all very good also "try them".  Please keep it a secret about how good Cha-am is.  Beautiful beach, Mon to Fri quite. Sat and Sun traffic crazy.  Makro here soon, magic market every Wed night 500 stalls etc...don't tell anyone.

Thanks for the words of encouragement! My wife and I know Cha-am very well and usually go there when we go to the beach! My wife still manages to spend at least 5k on a day out in Cha-am!  Couple of kilos of roast pork, chickens, prawns, hoi of different types, many dishes, wine, beer, banana boats, deck chairs, shirts, toys, shoes, sun cream, etc for about 8 people usually! 

We also know about places like Lampang, Koh Phayam, Sam roi Yot

I realise I only have myself to blame here, but there is not one big expense, it's just the sheer volume of 'good value' transactions! 

MIL = mother in law, by the way!

On 7/31/2018 at 12:44 PM, sanemax said:

OK, the OP is about there are not as many European tourists coming to Thailand this year , although there has been an increase in European tourists coming this year , it isnt as big as expected

Perhaps there is an increase in AIRPORT arrivals, but the question is, where are they going! Suvarnabhumi is a hub for the ASEAN region and a lot of people travel on to Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. In fact almost everyone I know who arrived in BKK in the last couple of years did that!  So increase in BKK arrivals does not translate into an increase in tourists in Koh Samui, Chang Mai, Pattaya or Hua Hin etc. The real picture should be Hotel occupancy or similar. I don't have statistics, but anecdotally, the picture is not good! Given all the other restrictions, I don't see the picture changing soon!

1 hour ago, balo said:

Actually I hope Manjara is joking with us , but if it's true what a lucky Thai family / relatives etc. They hit the jackpot. 

 

If I take out the loan repayment, then they are spending about 100k a month, which is definitely excessive, but not completely ridiculous. I'd like to get it down to 80k or lower, so that I'll have some money for travel when I retire. 

The problem is being able to afford the good things in life when you go below that level. Wine, cheese, massage, gik, etc.

12 hours ago, dallen52 said:

I'm not normally one to comment, but...

 

I'm trying to get by on the average expat farang pension funding the monthly for myself and my partner. 60,000 is the current costs.

Plus the odd excursion into savings of recent. 

 

This as posted above is obviously going to attract the questions..

 

Where is the location?

 

And, why ?

If you dont live there.

 

That's a lot of dosh in any currency. 

Especially if you dont know where its actually going..

 

Good for your wife, kids, maid, the local food industry, bank, and private schools whose fees are extra you say...

 

1.68 million baht. 

Plus school fees on top..

Plus what she earns.

 

And she says it's not enough..

 

Thank you for the contributions to the economy...

I travel back about 9 or 10 times a year, and to be honest, I can easily see how she could spend 10k a week on food so it's not completely unreasonable. A pizza meal from Pizza company will cost close to 1000 baht, and if you go out for dinner (with 6 people) then you will spend more. 

Perhaps I'm being naive (braces for the flood of agreement!), but I wonder how some of the people can survive on 20k a month, which I know many people do.

Obviously, when I retire, I will not be able to sustain this level of expenditure, but I don't see my wife spending money on gambling or plastic surgery or a bunch of Thai gik, so I'm wondering where my savings are going to come from! 

I'm damn sure I can live in the UK on a lot less than we spend in Thailand, so perhaps that's the answer (see thread on leaving thailand after 13 years). 

I expect to have about 80-100k a month in retirement, so that's my target, but it may require a change of wife to reach it! ? 

1 hour ago, Polaky said:

If your not there then who drinks all the Alcohol?.....the maid?

The wife! She has people round quite a bit, but she gets through a fair bit! The maid has some too!

On 7/29/2018 at 5:09 AM, jimmyyy said:

I do Drink, and dip snuss I have 3 kids and a wife, house paid for, we go through 160000 a month including insurances and school fees.  I don't think we live high on the hog, however, i don't feel like we are suffering at all. 

I'm not actually in Thailand, but I send money back each month. As far as I know, the costs are as follows (same as above, wife, 3 kids etc)

 - Maid :  9000

 - Electric : 8000 (Aircon in 4-5 bedrooms all night!)

 - Loan repayment : 35000  (Wife built an extension)

 - Petrol  : 8000  

 - kids  :  6000  (pocket money)

 - Alcohol  : 10000

 - MIL : 10000

As I send back about 140,000 a month, I presume the rest, about 55,000, is spent on food and house maintenance!  (wow, those kids are hungry!)

I also pay school fees directly, on top of that.

My wife claims she has income as well, that she spends all of!  ( as she is always saying I don't send enough)

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

... but I might hire 20-year-old hookers more often.

The soi next to where I live has some decent apartments (bedroom/living room/kitchen/balcony) for 4k/month and is surrounded by Thai uni girls accommodation, sitting outside that room with a beer in an evening wouldn't be a bad life.

I would move the 'more' to just after 'hire'! 

Not sure that sitting around looking at Thai Uni girls would be an adequate retirement for me, I would need some kind of project that would keep my mind occupied. Perhaps 'trying to work out what the hell kind of business @LivinLOS is doing, that needs 600 employees in Europe!' ? 

Not as an individual, but my Thai company got on the Tax dept radar and I had to spend some serious tea-money to make it go away. I couldn't even put that on the company books so it came out of my pocket. It's not easy to have expenses on a Thai company, even legitimate ones! (and forget overseas expenses!)

21 hours ago, Mattd said:

If you are inferring that I am envious and jealous (aren't they the same thing) then you are really quite wrong, there is no way on this earth that I would want to be like Mr. Musk, no thank you!

So why do you have such hostility towards him then? You don't like people who accuse others of being pedos? Or you disliked him before that? For electric cars? Reusable rockets? Boring machines? PayPal? What did he do to upset you?

Thai women (perhaps women in general!) always go where the grass is greener! 

They're quite happy having their fun, playing cards, flirting etc, but heaven forbid if you behave the same way! lol

Western guys allow them to have their cake, and eat it too! What's not to like!