abrahamzvi

I want to get my ass and assets out of the USA. Would also like to obtain a new passport and renounce my US citizenship. The US treats non-Americans much better than American citizens. I opened a bank account in Belize last year. Recently I spoke with the rep about their policies. Turns out, they will fully comply with the IRS and all American banking laws. Plus, their fees are higher than US banks - without FDIC insurance up to $250K per account. Instead of a free debit card, they charge $150/year for one. So what's the point?

I want a country that is NOT cooperating with the IRS and the NATO allies. Like China or Russia! Fact is, I have a friend in Taiwan who is stacking silver. I can obtain residency there, with banking privileges. Very safe, can get an RMB account. I also know of a Mongolian bank that pay 15% on a Tingrit account. HK and SG seem like good choices, but I believe SG cooperates with the IRS and it's partners - not good. I suppose the best strategy is to diversity - spread it around.

The best and only decent and safe strategy is to abide by the laws of the country of which you are a citizen, and/or a resident!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A lease is possible but holds little weight . usufruct is also not an option as the home is actually owned by the bank . Your best option and this only protects you if she passes a way is have her will the house to you . As it stands if anything happened the house would go to either a child or family member . I would check out the 30 year lease option with a lawyer I think some banks will allow that .....

The bank will make her take out life insurance which will pay off the loan . That way you would have one year to sell . But as far as protection in other areas your just on your own . If you were married you might have some standing in a divorce but very little ....

I am not sure that the bank will allow it, but having your name inserted on the backside of the Title Deed can safeguard your interest to an extent, in as much as your GF cannot sell the property without your permission. I would check this with the bank if I were you.

Yes,to bad for that,Thailand would be so much more of a "paradise" if we could buy good inexpensive wine here.....I seldom buy wine in CM since I am practically swimming in it on Vancouver Island, I make sure to get my fill of fine reds and then spirit back several bottles........ there is always the outside chance that the Thai-wine industry will have an enlightened-leap forward from vinegar to fruity vine....

Are you certain you have tried all Thai wines. I know of some that are absolutely excellent, even by universal standards. Unfortunately the good ones (for example Chateou de Loi, or Monsoon) are quite expensive.

The Head Teacher is quite right to be concerned, the issue is disruption to the learning speed of the class. Why not tell him/her that you've given your child explicit instruction to learn at half his/her normal speed thus allowing the rest of the class to keep up.

What you are saying is discrimination in the opposite direction!! I have two adult daughters who are Lu Krings, their mother is Thai, both born in Europe, but both commanding the Thai language. They both attended Thai as well as international schools, Thai universities, with post graduate studies in Europe and have never felt any discrimination either here in Thailand or in Europe. Our younger daughter has experienced this when she applied for a job as an English teacher in an reputed international school in Bangkok. She did not get the job and was told off the record that although her qualifications were superb, most Farang parents wish to have an English, English (Farang) teacher. She eventually got a job with another good international school in Bangkok and is now overseas.

Sir, you are discriminated against.

Welcome in the club whose members are discriminated because of race, colour, religion, nationality or whatever.

But keep into account many Thai people are absolutely bananas about light, or preferably sickly white skin colour.

And, no way, will you or I or anybody else, ever be able to change this attitude.

Or, maybe, in a few generations.

By the way, a white teacher with oodles of qualifications, loads of diplomas, years of experience and also fluent in Thai, will be replaced if a Thai wants the job.

No qualifications or whatever will be needed.

Own people first!

i believe you, thank u..its really sad

Although generally I do agree that Thai comes first (Isn't it the same in the UK, or Germany, or France?), it should, and I hope it is, subject to qualifications.

As far as racialism to "Blacks" is concerned, I really do not believe that Thais are racialists. They may be prejudiced, but certainly not racialists. One of my daughters attended an intenational school and one of the most popular teachers there was an American "Black". However, I understood from one of the Board members of the school that some "white" farang parents were not that happy with the popular teacher and they were told by a Thai director, that in spite of the monetary situation of the school, if such parents were not happy they should look for another school. Just goes to show....

Good post Claffey.

I agree the UK is miserable.

Having left the UK about 20 years ago (I am 48 years old), can't say that I don't feel at home when I go back (twice in the last 10 years for two week holidays visiting family).

I certainly see that the grass is greener on the other side.

For quite some time, the UK is going through a cultural exchange. Loads of people have moved in (immigrants), and loads of people have moved out (Brits).

People will say that you get free schools and free health care. This is true - if you don't pay tax - this is the problem. The welfare system has created a monster.

I feel its not for me. I realised this when I was in my mid 20's - got a one way ticket to New Dehli with Aeroflot and haven't looked back since.

Best thing about the UK is the passport and promise of a state pension, and beer, and Sheffield United, and Cider, and Fish and Chips, and .....er....leaving.

Thailand is far from perfect, but it is a better place to be as long as you have money.

I have been living here in Thailand for over ten years now and I am happy to say that I am enjoying living here. Having said and meant this, I still love my own country. I agree that a lot has gone wrong in the UK, but the State Pension that you mention is part of the social revolution that you condemn. I don't think I'll ever return to the UK, apart from annual holidays, but I still say, it's a good country with its problems and home is home, even if one doesn't stay there!!

Don't think they have a problem.

My wife is a Uni Graduate. Her eldest daughter is also a Uni Graduate and married to an American, living happily in the USA.

As others have suggested, depends on the Farang....if he is a grotty, tattooed, beer swilling, flip-flop wearer then I doubt any self respecting Thai Girl, Uni Graduate or not, is going to want to be seen with him.

Nor would a Caucasian lady......

Even with a work permit it's almost impossible to get a credit card from a Thai bank. You should be able to get a debit card but you must have secured funds in the bank account.

I don't know what you mean by "secured funds", but I have several debit cards and getting them was simple.

I don't have a Thai credit card, but I asked about getting one in UOB a few weeks ago. I don't have a work permit. They could give me one, but, in order to get it, I would be required to lodge one million Baht in a six month, fixed account.

I haven't asked in other banks.

If you have a Thai bank Account with steady funds coming in (overseas pensions) I am sure you can get a CC, but you'll have to deposit with the bank an amount equal to the CC Limit, in a saving or a fixed deposit account.

I am speaking from my own experience.

I use a tailor who comes to my home now. He split from the main shop because he thought they were being too greedy and overcharging. Now, he has his own selection of fabrics and offers better quality and better service than the shop where I met him. He doesn't have a shop currently, so his overhead costs are low. He charges me around 1,000 baht a shirt and 1,500 for trousers which I think is a pretty good deal.

For a brick and mortar type of operation, I suggest Tailor on Ten. They are great, and they won't be using any so-called "hard-sale" tactics. Their website is as follows: http://www.tailoronten.com/

For lower prices and pretty good quality, a lot of friends go to a tailor at the end of On Nut on Sukhumvit Road. I think it's called Suitsara or something along those lines. They aim for the Thai market, and their prices reflect it. They do excellent work without all of the bells and whistles of the lower Sukhumvit shops.

Good Luck!

Although I don't live in Bangkok I am often there and would be grateful for a contact address (phone #) of the tailor mentioned by you.

For some years I have been a client of a tailor shop in Sukuhmvit, but as of recently I am not too pleased withtheir work.

I know I'm going to get a lot of "You've fallen for the trap.... You are careless comments...." But this will not help my situation. I have a problem and I'm trying to talk about it with others in an open forum rather then keep it to myself. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

It is very honourable of you to make sure that both your GF and her (your??) child are being taken care of. Obviously, if it appears to you it is your child after the ultrasound examination, you have to decide how to proceed. What looks to me as a most sensible way is to start with, is to ask yourself if you really love the young lady and if you think you can spend the rest of your life with her. If you do, marvellous, go ahead and take her to Australia if you can. However, if the answer to both questions are not in the affirmative, it would be a mistake. What I would suggest then is to leave her in Thailand and SUPPORT her financially. I don't really know your financial situation, but even an amount of BHT10K is not a fortune in Australia. Such a solution would be fair and good for all 3 of you. A child can't really grow up in a positive way if the parents can't really get along. This applies worldwide, irrespective of cultures and races.

A very lucky man. But who carries 500k about with them. No mention if a reward given.

Indeed he is a lucky man., but also somewhat careless to carry BHT500k in cash. Has he declared it to customs on his entry to Thailand? By law one is required to declare to customs any amount exceeding $10k or equivalent.

I love the new shopping malls in Chiang Mai. Lots of places to shop and eat. It's also spreading out the traffic in the city. Now people don't just go to airport plaza, they go to Promenada, Central Festival or one of the new shopping or entertainment destinations in the city. I think the variety spread out in the city actually reduces traffic in one area and increasing it in others. However, it's more evenly distributed instead of one side being empty and another being totally swamped. While I hated Promenada when it first opened, It's very pleasurable to go there for specific items such as eat at Dukes, shop at Chi Chang Computer, see a movie or go to Toys Are Us.

New international standard moo bahns means the houses you buy in Chiang Mai now are just as good, if not better than houses in the west. True, it's not cheap, but it is nice. I have everything here now that I had in the west without the graffiti and gangs. Satellite TV, high speed internet, roaming security guards, and a cleaning service that goes around cleaning the neighborhood are some of the benefits to the new moo bahns.

International education options seem to be increasing. Various schools in Chiang Mai are adding international programs to their curriculum. Varee has a beautiful new annex to their school teaching IGCSE and A-levels. Other schools are considering programs such as Yuppart.

I do agree about the traffic growing excessively large. I hope find a solution for that soon. I don't even go to the CMU side of town because of it. I refer to this area as the black hole of Chiang Mai.

Other than that, I love living in Chiang Mai. It's a great city to live in.

I fully and entirely agree. I have been living in CM for some 5 years now and I think it can favourably compete wit most cities in the West. The quality of life here is unbeatable

I really want to know why western men get caught up with the nightmare of being with a Thai woman. When are they going to learn it's all about the money. I read so often about men committing suicide and it is unbelievable. I moved to Phuket with my husband after buying a restaurant. Within 3 months he was cheating with a Thai woman. Go figure.

I think its dangerous for a western wife to live in Thailand with her husband. I would almost guarantee he will wander, in most cases secretly. You can't compete with the looks of a Thai, unless you are very attractive and slim.

But, I agree its all about the money,as long as the money flows it will be OK.

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Utter nonsense!!! There are some very attractive European ladies, and some awful looking ones, the same as Thais, Japanese etc. Secondly, not all Thai women are after money only!! I have been married to one for 26 years and although we are well off now, we have had tough times together and we are still very happily married with two adult daughters. Just goes to show how wrong you are!!!!!

Hong Dong here - good service from 3bbb for over a year. 590 b a month plus tax. Can't beat it.

Join the club! I live in a suburb of Chiang Mai and although once or twice I have had some problems which were fixed pretty promptly, I can say, the system works satisfactorily for a reasonable price.

I suggest you get your ln laws to get the officially stamped copies and then have them translated into English and have the legal translation certified by the US Consulate/Embassy. That should suffice for any purposes in the US

I don't understand why they want to get married at all. It is easy to fool around with young and attractive women on a regular basis, no matter how revolting one is. Why buy the cow?

What a disgraceful reply!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stay by the river is nice. Try the club rooms on the top floors at the Shangri-la hotel.

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Or at the Sheraton Royal Orchid by the river. It's as nice and somewhat more reasonable (I don't like using the word "cheap") than the Shangri-La

Yes, we received the rebate (it is not a yearly amount for five years, but a total sum. If one sells the car during the five years period, the whole rebate has to be repaid), some months ago.

Can adopted children not join their parents in the UK, even on a permanent basis??? This is simply inhuman!!!!

This is an obvious scam. I have traveled extensively writing about travel and tourism, and I have never heard of any country collecting such a fee. Neither have any tourists coming here, so a lot of people will be offended and go elsewhere. Besides, I don't know of anyone who comes to LOS expecting free medical care!

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I think you should be exempt on production of a valid insurance document on entry.

I can see it having a small impact especially on budget travelers, but mostly on regional travelers from the ASEAN countries. 500 baht may well piss them off enough to make alternative arrangements.

They could possibly end up losing well over 10 billion a year.

The Thai Revenue Dept target for 2013 is around 2 trillion baht, so even if 1% of tourists were to fall away, then that could see a drop of 20 billion.

I don't think the title should say 'scare off tourists' but it would certainly 'piss off tourists'.

Thailand needs to get it's head out of its arse on tourism. I have traveled far and wide all my life, and I have seen enough major tourist destinations going from boom town to ghost town in a relatively short time.

10 years from now, I expect Thailand to be declining. Most have been there and done it, plenty of new places opening up all the time, fashions change. Thailand needs to start thinking about improving the tourist industry here instead of letting it slide into a seedy cesspit of scams and corruption.

You don't know what you have got until it has gone. Thailand would be cast back into the dark ages without its tourist revenue.

Don't take the piss Thailand.

I am not taking sides. The scheme, as most things, has its advantages and the contrary. However, I totally disagree that Thailand would be the only country to impose a fee. If Thais apply for a Schenegen visa, they are required to supply proof of medical insurance . This, in most cases temporary cover, costs far more than BHT500 per month!

But yet no talk on how they would exempt those of us from the fee that already have travel insurance or insurance IN Thailand? Why on earth would I pay THB500 to enter the country when I already pay THB20000 a year for my Thai policy??

This regulation will apply to TOURISTS ONLY. I assume that if you have a medical insurance in Thailand you reside here and are NOT a tourist!

Chiang Mai Ram!!!!!!!!

No, the Denmark I love is above that. It is, was a compassionate place

Yes, Thailand can be a pain...but why does Denmark....of ALL places, have to be so mean-spirited? Denmark? Wow...

sorry for that kid but rules are rules , we have the same rules in Thailand when you are foreigners ... even worse , after so many years here working you still need to renew the visa every year ...

Thailand is worse so maybe if Thailand treat foreigners better then maybe other countries would aswell..

Unfortunately the whole of Europe is going this way,PRBKK. The compassionate Denmark has become a right wing bastion, liberal countries like the Netherlands are going the same way and even Norway, the left leaning, liberal example of humanitarian attitudes, has a right wing government now. Unfortunately, it's a fact of life and we can only hope that things will eventually improve.

Saying Thailand is worse, or insinuating that it's Thailand's fault, is simply stupid and inhuman!

As a friend I wouldn't stay out of it. I believe in the saying "A friend in need is a friend indeed". However, I would do it in a diplomatic way, not hurting his feelings too much and not making him

lose face too much. Why not tell him that you feel like going to that area for a weekend and although you know the resort is full, you are going to phone and see maybe she has a place. I am sure he won't say don't waste your time and you can then raise his suspicions by telling him she has a vacancy for you. If he does not take the "hint" then, he is a fool and you can't really help him. You surely know the story about people that say it is raining when you spit at them.....