khunPer

So with approximately 500 kilometers from Suvarnabhumi to Samui this makes Bangkok Airways' ticket price almost cheap; i.e., 500 x 13.0 baht = 6,500 baht...

Wow, a "two-year warranty" – and I got five years warranty on my modest roof from SCG...

Some are VVIP and therefore more equal than others...

I had exactly same instant thoughts; however, you were faster than I with the comment – keep up the good work...????

Not a very good idea to stay in Thailand as tourists without an insurance, which after all is fairly affordable. Go Fund Me can be a lot more difficult and might not always work, if something unforeseen happens...

There is a blue house book for all homes. However, only Thai citizens and foreigners with permanent residency can be registered in a blue house book. A registration in a house book is just an official registration of address; i.e. where you live. Foreigners can however be registered in a yellow house book for aliens. Obtaining registration in a yellow house book can be difficult in some provinces and easy in others. When registered the foreigner can also apply for a pink ID-card for aliens. Yellow house book registration and pink ID-card can normally be used most places as proof of address, which can save many a trip to an immigration office – and eventual fee – for a letter with proof of address; at some places you might even be eligible to entry on the Thai citizen fee instead of tourist fee...

No.

Back when Yingluck had her election campaign, she showed an iPad and stated that all school children should have a tablet. After she got elected the tablets slowly arrived to the school children, but not iPads; no, cheap Chinese tablets. My daughter got one in her school, but it never ever came in use, as there were no software/apps available for that type of tablet. It ended useless up in a drawer for some years, I presume it's been given to recycle by now; at least it's gone. Tablets can be great replacement for a more expensive laptop, but if the product quality is not in place, it's worthless. During the Covid lockdown the schoolkids where I live in Thailand, used their Android and Apple smartphones and online apps for education in virtual classrooms.

Not a good idea, when one has monthly payments. They tried that system other places and ended up with that the employer need to withdraw money from the half-monthly salary to pay the monthly bills...

He borrowed money that he had to pay back; furthermore, a dispute about education and scholarship...

Yes, I know, but it's 100 million baht and modest 5%, so not relevant for normal folks. That kind of wealthy people consult their lawyer rather than a forum.

The officially requested 65,000baht a month is an average fair amount. However, depending of life-style you can survive for (much) less... –or have a really fun retirement for much more...???? My suggestion is always to have some cash available in a "rainy day"-account, at least enough for emergency and/or a ticket back to one's home country. If you don't have a reasonable health insurance, or any health insurance, the amount needs to be higher, and high enough to cover at least some health issues. If without insurance the earlier recommended insurance amount of around 440,000 baht might be a good suggestion for a "rainy day" self insurance-savings account.

The "mafia pricing" is not inflated or too high, they are the normal price on Samui...

The photo is from outside the departure terminal, not where passenger are arriving and waiting for transport to their destination on the island. Taxis are not allowed inside the arrival area in Samui Airport; re. the latter part of the article in The Thaiger. To my knowledge the area outside the departure terminal is not allocated to minibusses – at least I've not noticed any signs – everyone seems to be allowed to let passenger off there. I always stop there so my family or friends can get out with their luggage and have a short distance to the check in counters. If I need to get into the departure terminal, I can turn in the roundabout and park in the short-time parking booths.

I don't understand this sentence...????

Don't forget that in Western countries the brides father needs to pay to get rid of his daughter – perhaps the farang was just disappointed about the opposite tradition in Thailand, now he met a middle class lady with well off parents...

Bangkok Bank is excellent for foreign transfers – I believe they even still have an US branch that might be able to help you. Most Europeans use instead transfer by Wise – I don't know if that works for US – where government pensions and other payouts are deposited in a home country bank account and you transfer to a Thai bank account via Wise, which is cheap and fairly to very fast; or by Internet banking. In that case you don't need to open a Thai bank account from abroad, but just keep your home country bank account and open a Thai bank account when you are here.

Didn't work for me, but things might have changed since mum and daughter were sent home again some years ago.

Both father and mother needs to be present to renew a minor's passport, remember IDs. For a surcharge (around 1,000 baht) you can (at least some places) get a same day service; otherwise the passport will be sent by EPS (Express Mail Service) within a few days or within a week.

All year summer and barefoot Xmas... – anything below 20 centigrade is...????

It's still south-western monsoon time, so it rains off in south-west, with the little rain the clouds bring, before it hits north-east; my few plants up here on the northen cost are still unhappy with the performance of the weather gods...

You need to discuss that with your landlord – wish you good luck...

Dont forget that khun Thaksin is VVIP...

400 baht is about around 15% increase of the minimum wage. Prices will increase when labour costs increase more than just slightly more than "consumer price index". Soon after, the people with minimum wage salaries won't be able to buy more for the higher salary than before; that was what happened last time a Thaksin-government forced a high minimum pay rise from around 200 baht per day to 300 baht per day. The consumer price index is 108.41 (August 2023). 2022 index is just under 108 (107.7 in September 2022) – when minimum salary last time was adjusted to 331-355 baht per day, depending of province and local living costs – one year increase is 0.66%. If compared with the consumer price index during the Covid-period, the increase is about 8%; i.e. from index 100 to index 108.

The suggestion – "increase the current 30-day stay to 60-90 days" – makes good sense for Samui...????