55Jay

3 hours ago, Ronuk said:

Because even though we qualify, we much prefer no messing around with immigration. 5, 10 or 20 years of freedom of movement and a 12 month stamp in our passport each and every time we enter the country. Arrive today 12 month stamp, leave next week come back next day, 12 month stamp etc etc.No questions at the airport or land crossings. Just stamped straight back into the country with a smile. No need for re-entry permits, come and go as we please. Just the 90 day reports to do and the Elite people even do them for us if we are in Pattaya, Changmai, Phuket or Bangkok. I would never go back to any other visa to be here all the time it is possible to get a PE Visa.

Yes, I know all that already and I'm not one of the PE Bashers.   But, because of how IMAFARANG referred to his finances, was interested in why he would save up 500k then blow it all on a 5 year visa when he's on an economical program now.  I appreciate the ease of PE but quite frankly, retirement extensions aren't THAT big a burden.

On 8/21/2016 at 2:49 PM, IMA_FARANG said:

Not everone can aqulify for a volunteer visa.....which although I may be wrong I believe is an Australian thing only.

i am a U.S.  retiree with a government pension paid monthly.

I have a rented apartment in Bangkok with a 3 month contract (not a yearly contract) but i pay my rent each month.

My pension from the U.S. is enough for mr to pay my rent and other momthly living expenses leaving  approximately 60K baht left over each month....the exact amount depends on thr dollar/Baht exchange rateschange rate each month.

Whatever that amount is each month goes into my bank account in Thailand.

At present there is a reasonable chance that i should be able to meet the 500K needed for the Thai elite card by October of 2016...which as I said depends on the exchange rate....which i can not control can I.

Oviously, I am over 50 or i wouldn't be getting a U.S. retirement pension which you need to be 65 years old to apply for.

 

It is posssible.....and I do hope to reach the goal of at least the 500K for the Thai elite card by the end of 2016, (or with some luck in October).

In the meantime, I am not hurting and doing reasonably well where I am right now, and in my present circumstances.

What more can a simple  man ask for, anyhow these crazy days in this crazy world.

Why are you considering the Elite program if you are already on/qualify for retirement extensions?

1 hour ago, monkey4u said:

What made this so called educated man think he needed to carry a gun

Did he feel he needed to be one of the many who cant leave home without one 

Lawyer was riding one of these.  Add in a woman and Fortuner envy....he just snapped!

18 hours ago, Pinot said:

46% of Republicans were found to be low-info racists? Probably a low figure. Can't trust polls. 

47.349% of Democrats are found to be scuzzy looking millennial douche bags with beards, tattoos and pierced noses. 

BiB seem pretty relaxed having a chat with a guy who just blew another guy away.  Interesting the Thairath reporter went out of his/her way to mention the victim was driving a Fortuner. 

If 10s of thousands of people brave drug cartel gun battles to get the ubiquitous photo with a "Zonkey" in Tijuana, then Thailand will be alright.

Getting caught inside is no fun and even worse in a rip where you can't go against it and running parallel just keeps getting you pounded.  Water is often aerated and churned up, and can be really scary.

It's counter-intuitive for inexperienced swimmers, but the best thing is first recognize and accept you're in a rip, swim with it and duck dive under the waves.  You'll soon be outside the break and usually not much further, the rip will dissipate.  

And then the JAWS theme music starts playing in your head.

The article right above this one on the Hua Hin new column says everything is back to normal, which was also the status announced 48 hours after the blasts. 

12 hours ago, Bender said:

The killers are walking free, like in koh tao case. We farang are just seen as low life in this country. He will never get justice here.

They can kill, rape, assault, once again  mai pen rai.

Now start to think about all the suicide cases, that we read on a daily basis. Do you really believe all these foreigners committed suicide. OR maybe just the police dont bother to investigate when the victim is a farang...

 

The police may be afraid of the mafia and motocy gang boys, so they cooperate or try to avoid "seeing" what they are up to in order to avoid confrontation and not piss in anyone's rice bowl.  They don't get paid enough (salary) to take any risks.   

Last year, at the winter street fair held on the main highway in my town, the moto morons gathered at the top of my soi on the main road, and were physically stopping cars to see who was inside - I suppose looking for rival members trying to slip in or through town.  The local numpties in brown were 100 yards further up with their blinky lights helping pedestrians across the road, pretending they weren't aware of what was taking place in plain view. 

16 minutes ago, Falconator said:

 

Welcome to the club!

Old news.  Have seen changes at Makro since CP acquired it.  The most obvious and uncomfortable one at the Makro we use is not more air conditioning.

47 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

You see, that quote turns up in lots of places. Only some of them are honest enough to quote it in full.

Again, it was a page of one-liner quotes from Barkley.   IMO, the quote is right on the money.  The fuller context ain't bad either, and pretty much sums things up.

1 hour ago, ilostmypassword said:

And you didn't link to the source.  Sounds like a pretty unreliable one based on this.

I'm sure you can find it the same way I did.  Up to you.

1 hour ago, attrayant said:

 

Is there any particular reason you omitted the very next thing he said?

Here's the whole paragraph (emphasis mine):

 

 

I didn't omit anything.  It was a page of Barkley quotes.  

6 hours ago, MJP said:

Trump or Clinton?  Where the hell is Ron Paul?

I recall seeing him on an infomercial talking about buying gold and silver, and the end of civilization.

"Poor people have been voting for Democrats for the last fifty years... and they are still poor."

~ Charles Barkley

Saw these "tiny homes" on the internet some time ago.   I looked around at small plots of land in and around San Diego County last time I was back there.  Remember being a bit surprised at irregular plots for what I considered a reasonable price - like $60,000 USD.   Not sure how these tiny homes are categorized, maybe as mobile homes(?).  

Imagine the shock and horror of a new American girl friend under the correct impression I own my own land and house, then we pull up the driveway the first night and my headlights pan across the tiny house mansion. 

Taxi ! 

12 hours ago, Buzzz said:

 

Sad how misinformed the right wing conspiracy types are. 

 

You do know that last February, Trump bragged that "as part of 'his' deal, I would have secured the return of the American prisoners that were being held in Iran."

 

Now you know, it was Trump willing to negotiate with terrorists.

I remember seeing a video clip of him talking about this.  To my recollection, Trump said he would of required the Iranians to release the prisoners/hostages BEFORE any negotiating.  Release them, then we can talk. 

Low level cops busting the occasional low level dealer, knowing that their bosses at the top are ensuing a consistent supply.  Job security. 

Just now, manfredtillmann said:

she is surprised to see how giganticly big donald's penis is - compared to the one of her boyfriend?

While that may be true, her camera appears to be focused a bit higher.

6 hours ago, keemapoot said:

  What's next naked Hilary statues in response by the Trump campaign. Never imagine such a circus for a Presidential campaign.

 

http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/18/12538672/nude-donald-trump-statues-union-square-los-angeles-indecline

Check out the Asian girl getting close to zoom in on.... the hands?

Everything is back to normal. 

10 youths hanging around Dolphin Roundabout at midnight, "doing nothing much".

Shooting one by one is an inferior, less efficient way to cull the herd. 

Crashing motorbike without a helmet on, is still Numba 1. 

If the fund received a total of 7.2 million before the scammers bailed out, how do the complainants reckon losses are around 20 million? 

Oh dear, a "shoe sweeping" incident.

When we get a load of family visitors up from BKK during holidays, they walk right out of their sandals up onto the patio.  I let them know to simply shift the shoes to the right or left a bit to leave a path.  It's like talking to a brick wall. 

By day 2, I just kick all the shoes out of way into a heap a few times a day.