Swiss1960

Your main problem is your internet requirements. The more "local" and outside heavily populated paths you live, the less choices for internet you will have, both with regards to providers and speed. Also, the more local you live, the less reliable your internet service tends to be, and it might take hours for the local provider to fix it, if i.e. a transformer did blow up in the middle of nowhere. Remember, Thailand is still a country with majority of cables overhead, and falling trees, lightening etc. are main concerns for people who "need" fast and reliable internet. 

Find yourself another passion/hobby outside Internet

11 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I seem to be living a western lifestyle on a pension of 1,000 pounds a month quite easily (family of 5).

It was a little harder when the exchange got me 40kbht and I had a kid at university.

But she finished earlier this yer, got a job, moved out and the exchange rate now gives me 45k/month.

 

At 45k/month I have 5k-10k left I don't need each month.

Western food doesn't cost any more than Thai food, same ingredients, different cooking style.

 

as for,

"live in their reclining chair, unable to go anywhere, do anything, afford anything."

Nowhere to go, nothing much to do for the past 2 years due to COVID, even if I wanted.

You are certainly correct and I congratulate you on your ability to do so. "Western lifestyle" means different things to different people, that is why I wrote at the end of my initial statement “This is purely based on my experience and my expectations, you will need to define for yourself what you expect your life to look like.”

For me, beef is part of my lifestyle and I have yet to find Thai beef that I would want to eat, so I do regular trips to shops with Australian beef products and happily pay the price. Same goes with red wines, mine tend to be from Italy and go well together with Italian pasta and sauces. Or then the cheese… bloody expensive, but (mostly Swiss) cheeses are part of my diet. And my daughter has started to develop the same tastes, expect the wine (still too young).

As I said before, 70% of the time, my wife cooks Thai dishes and I am perfectly comfortable with pork and chicken and any other products from the local fresh market. I am also fully happy with Thai beers, never bought foreign beers in all my time in Thailand. I just like to enjoy both and that does not work with only 50K Baht per month, from which you have to pay rent, water, electricity, insurance and so on.

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

 

What's wrong with living a Thai life style? Millions of Thais do so and have no more complaints than residents of western countries. I don't see many perks from living in a western country unless seriously wealthy. The lower echelon is getting <deleted> these days while the wealthy are living the life of Riley.

I did NOT say that anything is wrong with living a Thai life style. I was simply pointing to the fact, that a western lifestyle with western goods will not be possible. Personally, I live 70% Thai, 30% western (food wise)

14 hours ago, jazzdog32095 said:

Ultimately it is built into the price one way or another. The OP is looking to make his price more competitive and increasing sales. What is strange is the very offensive way the question was stated.

Only woke sissies on a drip of political correctness find my question offensive. All others find it straightforward, honest and businesslike. 

14 hours ago, anthos said:

What you're saying is absolutely true for large companies like Swiss Air or retail chains.
In my case it's not the choice between cash and credit card.
It's a choice between SWIFT bank transfer and credit card.

 

What I wrote is true for EVERY business and EVERY payment option that businesses offer to their customers. You offer services or goods to your customers and your website shows a price for that. As a customer, I will pay that price AND NOT A CENT MORE with a payment method that your website says that you accept. Having to cover YOUR cost for this payment option will drive customers away, plain and simple. If you think that accepting credit card payments costs you too much, then don't offer that payment option, plain and simple. 

18 hours ago, anthos said:

For 30 000 USD it doesn't but for smaller amounts it does.
I have a good amount of invoices around 5-10 thousand USD where my clients would consider paying 2% for credit card transaction instead if SWIFT.

No, I would not consider paying YOUR credit card fees for YOUR business.... And I can tell you from experience in Switzerland, that the roll-over of merchant fees to customer did in fact lead to REDUCED sales. Customers dropped the wares in the shop, because they did not accept that additional fee and did not have enough cash in their pockets.

And the same happened to online-fees, for example with Swiss.com who tried to impose the credit card fees to the customer. Customers went to other travel sites which did NOT have such fees and Swiss airlines lost turnover. 

That of course stopped completely once the Swiss courts ruled it unconstitutional to have dual pricing for accepted payment options. Specifically, the Swiss courts also found, that cash handling for merchants is also an expensive solution and there is no "cash handling fee" imposed on sales. 

Another lunatic who wants to play God and Health minister at the same time without ANY scientific data for his claim... just out for 5 minutes of fame... 

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

If they do not develop symptoms, I would expect less coughing and sneezing. In that context I expect they would be less transmissible. Perhaps that is made up by other factors though.....large groups, close contact etc.  

Yes, the main factor... they are kids... they run around, laugh, kiss, hug, have fun, work in groups at one desk... and generally forget all precautions when they have fun. 

Friend of mine received a cross-vaccination in his home-country and has a certificate of vaccination. He is trying to find out, whether this sort of vaccination is accepted in Thailand. Is there a website somewhere that outlines, which vaccines / vaccine combinations Thailand will accept as "being vaccinated" and from which country and therefore being able to enter the country without quarantine? 

4 hours ago, champers said:

You could try Pattaya City Hospital. They have been taking appointments and jabbing in pretty quick order. Sinovac first, AZ 3 weeks later. Good luck.

Pattaya City is the Government hospital, might be difficult for foreigners without Thai help. Memorial is at the end of Bhuakao and would therefore match the OPs distance requirements

Just one question when you write "At the moment the rates offered by my bank (Krungsri) are around 3.5% " and mention that this "is not feasible for my clients"

Do you REALLY expect that you customers will bear YOUR cost of doing/expanding business??? What kind of a very, very strange business mind do you have?

If I see a shop asking me to pay fees for using the credit card to pay for their goods/services, this shop will not see me again, plain and simple. You will LOSE customers, not win any. 

On 9/27/2021 at 1:53 PM, Neeranam said:

China also banned other technologies, including Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc so as they can copy them and invent their own. They banned crypto so they can develop the Digital Yuan which enables them to monitor their citizens. 

Of course, all these technological companies were a great investment at the time, as BTC and crypto is now; it is early day in this new asset class. 

If you would open your eyes and mind and do some research about the cost of cryptocurrency to the worlds energy consumption, you would stop using them immediately. But obviously, short term profit thinking overwrites responsible thinking... these problems need to be addressed and solved, before any crypto can be considered for worldwide use and replacement of "standard" currencies. 

New or renew? New licenses with test etc. should be done, renewals are suspended until end of year, see the end of this post

It took me 5 seconds in Google to find this link to a reliable agency with the requirements for Thai residence certificate. 

Of course, we will have our daughter vaccinated, specially now that the government promised Pfizer for all kids 12-18 in the dark red zones. 

We need the schools to reopen and the kids back in the class room. First, the Thai school system is mediocre at it's best, but online schooling is worse than anything I have ever experienced in my life. Most of the times, teachers don't show up, and if they show up, they have no idea what to do with a bunch of Zoomers. And second, kids need social personal interaction with kids, parents can not replace this interaction, no matter how hard we try. And third... parents need some time for themselves after more than a year of lockdown...

The "normal" 40K/400K Thai-insurance is ONLY needed for the 1-year Non-Imm O-A Visa. The 90d Non-Imm O Visa does NOT require a "normal" health insurance.

No, the 40K/400K (Baht) insurance does NOT meet the requirements for Covid-19. The Covid-19 health insurance must meet 100K USD and you need a letter from the insurance that explicitly states this coverage for Covid-related issues. The Covid insurance can be from any company, also international, as long as you have the supporting document for the 100K coverage.

As the 40K/400K insurance is for the 1y O-A Visa, of course no insurance company will issue it for 90 days, since you need the insurance for the full year of your Visa (and renewed annually thereafter). Only Covid-related insurances are issued in line with the duration of your stay. So if you come with a 90d O-Visa, you would need an insurance covering these 90 days. After that, when you get your annual extension, nobody will require you to have an insurance.