Gsxrnz

And I see from comments posted by viewers on his youtube channel that there are a number of people that want to help him out financially.

I guess his plea for help might be paying dividends.

The Blether

What's your thoughts on your own retirement? are you enjoying it?

i liked my job very much but like the 8,315 days of retirement better. if i had to do it again i'd retire at age 42 and not at age 46.

somebody who claims he is not retired because he is running a company abroad but spends months gallavanting in Thailand and hours writing novels in Thaivisa is in my book "quite retired"

Excellent input and thanks to KerryD for his post as those kind of stats do make you sit up and take notice.

@Naam, strange you mention writing novels. All going to plan I'll be taking a year off from my company next year to do exactly that. I'll need to sit down with my directors and make sure they are okay with that.

I'm not so foolish to think that I'll be a best seller but it's a life ambition, and I would like to get the series wrapped up and handed to my Dad in paperback as a 70th birthday present. Knowing him though, he'll announce they are a lot of crap and bin them.

Oh well, they say it's the thought that counts

Blether, good luck with your book. Hopefully your Dad won't bin the book but will have a table with one leg shorter than the others.

One thing I learned a few years ago at a (military) retirement seminar. What things cost today, won't be the same as they'll cost in the future. You may think you are making enough retirement income to live on now, but as inflation grows and prices climb, 10, 15, 20 years in the future you may find it isn't enough.

At the seminar, they gave examples of prices for various items 20 years earlier (i.e. a liter of gas, pound of butter, loaf of bread, pack of cigarettes, etc) and what they cost currently. It was surprising to see just how high prices had gone up. Gas (petrol) alone had gone up something like 300+% over the previous 20 years in some places.

Some examples I pulled from a UK website today:

Item

1993 Price

2013 Price

% Change

1 litre of unleaded petrol

50p

£1.38

+276 %

Loaf of bread

39p

£1.35

+346%

First class stamp

25p

£0.60

+240%

A pint of milk

34p

£0.49

+144%

So keep in mind, 20+ years from now are you going to be making enough to get by on, or are you going to be looking for a new home in an even cheaper part of the word to live in ?

If your income today is barely enough to get by on, guaranteed it won't be enough a few years from now.

That's basic economics. Anybody who thinks they can retire at say 50 on a fixed income and haven't allowed for the obvious inflation factor plus unexpected situations and exchange rate fluctuations hasn't thought it out properly.

I think you'll find that most true Early Retirees have thought through these issues and planned accordingly.

Don't confuse Early Retirees with others who have opted to give up work early with minimal wealth and/or a meagre income and subsist for as long as they can on as little as they can. They are not Retirees.

I've always been a lazy git, so early retirement was a personal ambition from birth.

Been lucky in life and the cards have always fallen my way, so count myself lucky that I'm 98% retired and living the dream in Thailand. It has it's ups and downs as I'm sure it would in any country. Still have business interests but they're well managed by others - however I still have to do a lot of thinking and planning for them which keeps the brain ticking over on the golf course.

Two catch phrases come to mind about retirement, early or otherwise. "Nobody ever went to their grave wishing they'd spent more time at the office." And "I'm so busy in my retirement I don't know how the hell I found the time to ever go to work."

Both those apply to me - getting bored or getting out there and making the most of things is a lifestyle choice. I've generally found that those that choose boredom are miserable buggers and would be bored miserable buggers no matter where they lived.

The thing I don't understand is when the wife and I pull into a servo, on separate bikes, ans want them both filled, they fill hers then reset the bowser then fill mine, then add the two prices. Why not fill hers the, without resetting things, fill mine. Am I paranoid, or is there a technical reason for this?

Maybe they assume you're Dutch.

I always fill up. "dem tank noi kap".

Just wind your rear window down and watch the meter on the pump. Make sure the staff know you are watching it. Make sure the amount of gas you are charged for corresponds to what you expected, and agrees with the meter.

Give them cash as close as possible to the meter reading so you don't get the wrong change (as in change for 1100 baht instead of from 1500 baht).

Everybody is happy.

You have a problem with counting ?

My comprehension of cryptic comments is sadly lacking.

I assume you're trying to make a point of some sort but it got lost in the obscurity of your six worded statement/rhetorical question.

Perhaps you could enlighten me as to the point of your post so that in turn I can enlighten you on the part of my post that you don't seem to understand.

I always fill up. "dem tank noi kap".

Just wind your rear window down and watch the meter on the pump. Make sure the staff know you are watching it. Make sure the amount of gas you are charged for corresponds to what you expected, and agrees with the meter.

Give them cash as close as possible to the meter reading so you don't get the wrong change (as in change for 1100 baht instead of from 1500 baht).

Everybody is happy.

At the end of the month when salaries are due just tell the staff the money was stolen, Im sure they'll understand.[/quote

Yesterday we talked to her again and she wants to repay like 3000 b a month and that's gonna take like 6 years for her to pay back. But some thinks she should be removed

Why did she offer to pay it back at all?

Looks like she's got a pretty cheap (interest free) loan of 200k for 6 years if you ask me. Assuming she remains for 6 years months days that is.

Good habits. Thais are always above board in their personal and business dealings. Their word is their bond. Charitable giving by the Thai rich is massive and publicly known. Thais take so much responsibility for their actions and behavior it makes others feel inferior. Thais never expect anything special or to be treated differently. Thai respect for law and rules of the road is amazing. Thais work very diligently , always deliver on promise, and know and understand the concept of achievement. Thais respect others in every endeavor especially the poor and foreign persons. Thais are extremely knowledgable and well read. Thais hold personal character and morality in very high esteem and would never sell out.

Great satirical post and I agree with your general reverse sentiment.

But honestly, I look at my country and I see exactly the same shortcomings. I look at other countries in the west and I also see the same shortcomings.

Your post is similar to the Aussie v Kiwi joke, or the English v Wales joke where the punch line can be altered to deride either nationality depending upon the teller of the joke.

The western world has largely gone to hell in a handcart and ethics and morals died in the 60's and 70's.

Read Noitom's post again and insert YOUR COUNTRY'S name - see if you really think we are any better in the west, or are we really that smug that we think our own societies are utopia compared to Thai society.

It's your FIL's fault. He put you in charge and you have virtually admitted that you would have trouble managing a piss-up in this proverbial brewery (not having a clue about business processes).

Luckily, it's his money so he has only himself to blame.

I suggest he fires you and employs somebody with the savvy to recognise that the week's takings of 200k Baht should not be left in the care of an underling without ensuring their trustworthiness, and getting them to guarantee their honesty by giving a cash surety and all the other usual "honesty and integrity guarantees" that is SOP in Thailand.

Sorry Buddy, but unless you get on the fast track to learning about business process control in general, and the dangers of doing business in Thailand in particular, you're ripe to be raped, plucked, picked again.

I have sent 40 kilos home a few times.

But her parents keep sending her back.

(Just kidding, sweetie, couldn't resist.)

My 40 kilos climbed into my suitcase last week as I was packing to go home for a holiday........I was tempted!!

Just remembered - I think there's one on the corner of Tai and Sai 3, and I know for a fact there's one on the corner of Soi zero at Jomtien 2nd Road.

But equally as sure there's half a dozen along Pattaya Sai 3

I had no problem getting my deposit but that was about 8 1/2 years ago when I moved out of the condo I was in

sounds like your mission to cause the workers a bit of grief worked, they have responded in kind

you should have gone with the flow, bided your time, followed the instructions, and then, if not refunded, arc up. You have done things in reverse,

Yep - he's using the "Ready, FIRE, Aim" methodology.

There's a floating market not far from the Siam Country Club, just off 36 and next to the Bira race track. It's called the Lake View Floating Market. It's 4 or 5 klms off route 7 - maybe you saw a sign from route 7? If you did, it gives the impression of being well north of Pats, but it's actually directly east of Na Klua. I think it's also signposted in Na Klua somewhere near the turn off to the crocodile farm.

Best way to get there without getting lost is take Route 7 at Na Klua (the road to BKK), drive about 12 klm and then turn right on route 36. Travel 5 klm to the Bira track and turn right there. It's 1 klm down that road.

Or............google it and take the dodgy roads all over the darkside to get lost.

Cheers

Bleteher - I've ben travelling so only just caught up on your situation. Best of luck Mate and hope you make a speedy and full recovery.

Don't forget that the only way to catch dengue is to get bitten by a mossie that has previously bitten somebody infected with dengue. The moral being that those close to you have a higher risk of catching it from a mossie that bites you while you're infected.

Avoid mossie bites while you're infected at all costs to reduce the chances of your friends or family contracting it from you (well, actually the mossie that bites you, but you know what I mean).

Keep your chin up Blether.

You probably want a Notary Public. There are quite a few all over Pats and Jomtien as I've seen signs for them, but can't recall a specific address. I do recall that there are some on 3rd Road between Tai and Klang. Just take a ride and watch out for the signs "Notary" or "Notary Public"

I'd guess you would also need a signed statement from the Notary stating that he has sighted the originals and can verify and attest that the copies he is stamping are verified copies of the originals.

You'll need your passport to verify your identity.