khunPer

There are some great benefits being a single...

Australia is far from Africa and Middle East, most European countries suffer at the moment under a migrant-burden, due to they were too kind to so-called refugees in the past...

Might be depending of which areas you mingle in – I presume we don't mingle in the same neighborhoods – I would rather think it's the Chinese that are colonizing Thailand...

That's what I've heard that bar-girls are saying, because a foreigner, who can speak Thai, know too much – "no good" – a "blue-eyed" first time single tourist is preferred...

As an American citizen you have the benefit to own a business in Thailand, there is shared a link to Wikipedia in an above post, and there is a link to lawyer's site about it HERE. As foreigner, you cannot work as a self-employed consultant in Thailand, you need to be employed. As US-citizen you can own a company, which requires a registered capital of 2 million baht. The company can hire you and you can apply for a work permit; however, there are restrictions for a work permit for a foreigner. In general a registered capital of 2 million baht is needed for the first foreigner's work permit plus 4 Thai employees; however, check with BOI if there are exceptions for specialist work. If you are married to a Thai and obtains extension of stay based on marriage, you can apply for a work permit. Otherwise you need a non-immigrant type-B (business) visa. The get extension of stay based on work (permit), the immigration needs documentation for minimum salary, which for US-citizens is 50,000 baht per month.

Update on the night boat that sank underway to Koh Tao here... Other news reports say that there 102 souls on board and that all are safe, including the passengers' luggage.

There might be huge differences between the provinces in what is custom. 1. Appraised land value where I live has been under-estimated for the 19 years I've had land here. The estimated value represented about 1/10th of the sales value 19 years ago, and even that sales prices for land have around doubled most places doubled since then, the appraised value remained unchanged. However, this year it was halfed to help the burden of the new land tax that should be paid 100% from 2023; i.e. appraised land value (without buildings) represents about 1/20th of actual sales price. But up on Isaan the land office I've been dealing with, demanded the appraised land price adjusted to actual sales price when transferred and proof of sales agreement with price. This actually makes good sense for an appraised land value. That's why I wrote about appraised land price: "...but often the appraised value do not reflect a sales value." 2. It's custom in my home country that an appraised land price shall reflect the land without any constructions on top – so it makes good sense if it's the same here – while a property estimate includes land and the usage of the land; i.e., building or plantage etc. Therefore a value of a property with buildings shopuld normally be higher than the land value alone. OP's question was about "land value", not a property with buildings; i.e. land & house.

There is today an official appraised value of land, used for land taxation, but often the appraised value do not reflect a sales value. Land is worth as much as it can be sold for; so, the only way to estimate a real value is to search for what similar land has been sold for. In my view 5 million baht per rai is an overvalue value based on your description, perhaps half if it's an attractive area. It could even be down to a few hundred thousand baht per rai. Smaller land plots however, are often priced little higher than the division of the rai-price; i.e., if 1 rai is worth 3 million baht, then 1/3 rai might perhaps be worth 1.5 million baht.

My experience is the opposite from where I stay in Thailand, the tourist destination Samui. More families and children are coming, while the traditional bar-nightlife has been suffering over a number of years with many closing. A number of former bars changed to places that sells food. Also the many-stars hotel are more booked than the traditional cheap bungalows – most of the backpacker style of that kind has long been gone – so this Thai destination seems to have more so-called "quality tourists" that cares less about alcohol prices and opening hours in the nightlife.

There seems to be karaoke bars all over – kbnown both from places I've been and from reading the news stories – only place I know of with perhaps some more action is Surin town. However, that is because I'm not familiar with hanky panky up at Isaan. However, be prepared that if you don't speak any Thai, you might have communication difficulties.

There are numerous of small electronic repair shops. I've seen a few on the Ring Road in Bang Por and also used on of them. You will typically find them off major tourist areas – rent on a main road there too high – but perhaps in some the sois.

There is a new online system since September this year – link HERE – the old system don't work anymore, and no data has been transferred, so your landlord needs to register again.

Please let the children's carousel owner in the local shopping mall aware of that "Jingle Bells" is a Xmas-tune, and not something to be player all year round, while "Brother Jones, Are You Sleeping" is not the right choice for Xmas. It seems like the turning device only has that two tunes stored in the music-library. In December Jingle Bells would however be the right choice, in my modest opinion... The pan-flute souvenir-seller walking on the beach in front of my house also plays the first part of Jingle Bells, unfortunately he doesn't seem to know other songs for pan flute... As you say, OP, it's a country were Xmas has no tradition the farang-way, so hard to know what is music especially for that season. I presume that we foreigners have the same problem with seasonal Thai music...

In my Scandinavian home country it's a bit the other way round. Before common Internet the young nude girls that appeared in the tabloid newspapers, gossip magazines and men's magazines were from just 15 years old; now you won't see any under 18, more likely they are up in their 20'ies. The law is tighter now, were nude images on anybody under 18 years of age might be considered child pornography. A tabloid newspaper even recently withdraw their files on the Internet with old-time pages of – in today's view too young – nude girls. Before social media and online dating, there were other ways for young girls to meet men in exchange of money. The "new normal" seems to it's online – and more easy to attend – however, just like before, where you has to buy a magazine or visit certain places, you need to browse certain online media or pages with that potential type of content...

When reading the various news stories about free insurance for tourist, longer nightlife opening hours and now lower alcohol tax, it seems like the tourist target has change from the previous so-called "quality tourists" – who in my understanding were able to afford travel insurance, not especially aiming for late nightlife and didn't mind if alcohol were a few baht cheaper or not per drink when signing the bill in a many star hotel – to budget level...

Yes, they spray inside for both mosquitos and termites. If you have seen what termites can eat inside, you'll understand; and you might not notice before the whole inside of a delicious gourmet wood-structure has be digested like my cupboard...

I always look at the locals, when predicting about winter... And YES, I'm afraid it's going to be an utterly cold winter, the locals on Koh Samui have collected a huge number of logs for firewood for their central steam-heater…

Little hard to see that saving 4% on the freight rate might not be that interesting.

Probably not the same people as most of those in need for borrowing money from loan sharks. Interest rate of 0.75% per month equals 9% p.a. More if interest is actually added per month, but that – interest per month or just "0.75 baht" – is normally the way to express interest rate in Thailand; it might however be calculated quarterly of semi-annually.

Please read gain: OP has an extension till June/July and wish to renew his passport before applying for next extension of stay.

You cannot. You need to keep the 800k in the bank until three month after your extension of stay has been granted, and you furthermore need to upgrade the deposit again to 800k bah two month before you next time apply for an extension of stay. By that time you can apply for extension based on marriage and withdraw 400k baht. The reason is, that the present extension of stay has been granted on basis of retirement with a deposit in a Thai bank. If you default on that, you default your extension of stay and shall in principle leave the country. You cannot extend you stay, if the previous extension is breached. However, go and talk to your local immigration office, if they will permit you to change method before your present extension of stay ends.

It's depending on the local immigration office, how the 90-days are counted. Some places continously counts from last entry date, others – like where I live – resets the count by each extension of stay.

It's possible with a bit of training, a lion is excellent to jump and can easily jump into the back seat of a convertible Maserati. The trick is to learn the lion that the back seat is the lion's safe place. You need to buy the convertible Maserati before the lion, otherwise the lion cannot learn that it's the back seat of the Maserati, which is the safe place. If you wish you learn more about lion-training, I'll recommend you to George Keller's book...

I wai often – following the local tradition and wai people I know, or wai back when they wai me first. There is a kind of status, who shall wai first, which might be little complicated for a foreigner. But good friends, I gladly wai as first, and people I know of higher status, including elder people. Otherwise I return wai, when someone I know wai to me – I'm considered of high enough local status to be a person, who some shall wai first – but of course I don't wai back to shop attendants and like, where you are not supposed to wai back, but I can thank for their politeness with a little nod. Polite respectful wai to elders in the community has over time given me lots of benefits.

How do you know... Many thanks for the kind offer, but I don't wish your life-style, and especially not after 10 pints; I hate beer and therefore never drinks it... PS: I already have a marvelous life...