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Kaoboi Bebobp
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Posts posted by Kaoboi Bebobp
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3 hours ago, Father Fintan Stack said:
Totally agree and in the time frame you specify it is entirely possible.
I stated similar on another thread and was shouted down with a couple of the usual 'defenders of the realm' posting up current GDP figures while totally ignoring the important stats of economic growth. In this regard Vietnam is far ahead.
Vietnam is stable and more and more manufacturing and tourism is heading their way.
Yup, this month, Vietnam was named among the world's top 15 countries expected to improve GDP growth in 2019 (ranked 9th at 6.6%). Cambodia was ranked 6th (at 6.7%) in forecasts for improved growth this year, along with Myanmar and Laos (both 6.7% GDP growth). Thailand is not on the list.
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Drug stores tend to be cheaper in Bangkok. When I lived in Pattaya, I went to Bangkok frequently, fitting in a visit to SC Drugs on Rama 4, just west past Crown Plaza Hotel. I got a tip about this shop from an old thread in the Pattaya sub-forum. It has considerable stock. My purchases were considerably cheaper than any medication I could buy in Pattaya, and overall cost was still less, even with the return bus fare thrown in.
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Deleted. Pointless statement of the obvious.
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1 hour ago, DingDongLing said:
Yes I am surprised my thread blew up so fast. Happy to have this discussion. I am still trying to read everything.
My question is, you said in Viet, they treat you like an ATM similar to thailand but not in cambodia at those levels.????
I am sick of the constant games some thais play trying to get money from me by lying or manipulation. (I only made 40 baht tip today,,,,,need 500 for taxi. loL)
Ha! "Need money taxi" is a popular one. I gave up on the girls in TH and VN. As for Cambodia, to be honest, I'm out of touch the last few years really as I spent more time in VN. As for the regular Khmer girls, that will require more current experience.
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I walk 3-4 steps away from the counter and plunge into my passport. I've caught a shortened permission-to-stay date and no stamp on the departure card, which is needed of course for when I leave, showing I had entered legally.
Always always check the entry and exit stamps and departure card within a few metres of the IO counter.
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This has been a wickedly good thread. Thanks to all who presented great, informative, detailed information on Cambodia.
I agree with a lot of the posts. I lived in PP in 2011-12 and visited many many times since 2004. I still have a soft spot for PP. I'm in Vietnam now due to two of my best friends who moved here from, you guessed it, Bangkok. But am still considering moving back to Cambodia. Will visit again in June or July.
Thailand is out. [Insert colourful language here.]
As for Vietnam, if you're thinking about it, try it. I'm not here to push my views on anyone. But, in no particular order, I'm not a big fan of Viet girls who are as hardcore as they come. The variety and quality of supermarket foods in VN is not on par with Thailand (or Phnom Penh). I really don't like it when Viet apartment hotels close the shutters at 10 or 11 pm. I've never felt more in harm's way than when I step into a Viet street with hundreds of motorcycles trying to kill me. And last but not least, the usual statement: I am nothing more than an ATM to the Viets of every age. Yadda yadda [more colourful language].
Off topic: phuketrichard wrote:
Quotemoving back [to Cambodia] next year, fed up with Thailand after 32 years>>>
I never thought I see you write this. Anyway, good luck.
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Years ago, I snared a couple of long-term companions in separate forays while riding a baht bus. Rolling along Buakhao, I'd spot a temptress, jump off and the rest is history.
I just spent a week in Pattaya. I'd stare out from the baht bus just to see if it were true about the sad state of affairs, ahem. It was worse than I could imagine in bar after bar. I hung out with acquaintances and friends where I usually stay behind Big C Extra for the entire week and never partook.
I decided not to go through the hassle of moving my extension to my new passport as I have no motivation to renew the extension this summer either. I will remain in Vietnam.
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I've been back in Canada for almost a week. Morning temps of 4-7C and afternoons of 10C+ have been a great relief after spending a week in Pattaya/Bangkok prior to returning here. That was stinking hot like I've never experienced there -- 15 years of visiting and living there. It was the same in Vietnam where I live.
I had delayed my return this year to the end of the end of April because of last year's miserably cold and wet spring weather. After this year's wilting tropical heat and humidity, I'll go back to early April returns and take the freezing drizzle, ice pellets, snow and cold wind and rains, thank you. At least you can bear the outdoor weather with proper clothing.
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If you read the Bloomberg story, you will see tourist numbers fell TO (not by) 3.5 million, a 0.7% drop.
QuoteThe number of visitors fell 0.7 percent from a year ago to 3.5 million, official figures out Friday and data compiled by Bloomberg show. Foreign tourism receipts slid 1.3 percent to 184.5 billion baht ($5.8 billion).
From the Nation story:
QuoteAccording to official data compiled by Bloomberg, the number of foreign tourists visiting Thailand fell by 3.5 million in March, a decline of 0.7 percent from one year ago.
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The biggest collection of former military servicemen used to hang out in Washington Square. Alas, we know what happened to that place. As mentioned above, Justmag, according to many ex-military friends, is one such location for meet-ups.
I cannot link to it here on TV but look up on FB, Brothers in Arms - Thailand. It's a closed group but send a message to an Admin. They should be able to help you.
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I was at Jomtien immigration on Tuesday this week. Got a sense of a more relaxed, helpful staff.
Chatted with a guy whose wife accidentally washed his passport, rubbing out the Permitted to Stay date on his re-entry permit. He was worried as he needed to get a Certificate of Residence. The young lad who does the application vetting at the Extension desk, took his passport and came back with a fresh red ink stamp of his stay date. Smiles all round.
I was there to transfer my extension due to a new passport. Did not know about the requirement for an embassy stamp or letter saying this old passport and new passport are for the same person. The same young lad went off a couple of minutes and brought a sample of an embassy stamp of a fellow Canadian.
Well done.
I did notice though that extensions are taking longer due to vetting of bank statements and the like.
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55 minutes ago, KittenKong said:
My retirement extension in Thailand costs me 2000B per year, all-in. It takes me under one hour to obtain at an office that is a 10 minute walk from my condo (which I own outright with no limitations) and requires no special paperwork of any type. If I like I can stay here indefinitely without ever leaving, or if I prefer I can leave as often as I like for a total extra cost of 3900B.
Someone please let me know when any other SE Asian country even comes close to that.
Yep. The Thai visa/extension system is a lot cheaper. I have the Thai retirement extension. Viet immigration is getting very greedy. Yet, as someone else points out above, foreigners can set up and own their own businesses and work in their own businesses without much trouble. Of course, things could change, as they do in VN.
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1 hour ago, 5633572526 said:
My 1 year multi entry visa was only $125.00 usd but I think the number of countries this is available to is limited. You can get a visa on line for Vietnam maybe check your options there. This is my second consecutive visa and the only contact with immigration officials is entering and exiting at the airport. No tm30 or tm28, no 90 day reports. I couldn’t even tell you where an immigration office is located.
That tourist visa, with mandatory 90-day departures, is only available to Americans due to a bilateral reciprocity treaty between VN and the US. But yeah, lack of paperwork/reports in VN is a plus.
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I live in Vietnam. Longer term Vietnam visas are getting harder to get and are becoming more expensive. There no retirement visas or extensions. My current 6-month multi-entry Business cost $350US/11,000 baht. Had a one-year Business visa before that that also cost me $350. In effect, it doubled in price. The 2-year Temporary Residence Card has gone through the roof at $1600US/50,000 baht late last year. Was half that in mid-2018 and half of that again in 2017.
Most people run on 3-month single entry visas, doing border runs to Cambodia. Yes, with the right agents, some can get longer visas and extensions. But then a month later, you find out the price has increased hugely or they remain unavailable for a period of time. Availability also depends on what immigration district you live in. You just never know.
I was just quoted $160US/5,000 baht for a 3-month multi-entry. I'm reconsidering my future in VN for visa and other reasons. I don't want to keep having to do visa runs every three months. And I want to travel on my own initiative.
Just heard a rumour today from a long-time expat that a retirement visa is in the works. I will bet that it's going to be way more expensive than Thailand's or Cambodia's. It think that's because Vietnam is the new destination for refugee expats from the surrounding nations.
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Well, you do seem bent on visiting S'ville. So go. But I will tell you about a friend of mine who loved the place, learned Khmer to a level he can speak and write it. Has many Khmer friends. He left last year. In fact, he has moved to Pattaya. Very sad about it but S'ville has been sacked by the Chinese.
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Destiny1990, your views are about 10 years out of date. S'ville, which I had pinpointed as a retirement destination, has been destroyed. No exaggeration. Check a couple of expat forums, such as Cambodian Expats Online and read the long-running thread. It would make you cry. Expats have abandoned the place and moved to Phnom Penh and Kampot, and many have fled to Vietnam.
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5 hours ago, moontang said:Just like my hometown of DC, a 20 Km trip at 8am takes 90 minutes, but if you simply wait until 10am, it only takes 25 minutes.....so the 8-5ers are the ones who pay the price for commuter hell...simple enough to plan around it, when you dont work here...same with the rain...not an excuse to be late for work, but simple enough to wait out the 20-30 minutes it will last. I would say just chill and have another beer, but this holiday period seems to bring out the AA priests.
What the heck is DC?
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It's funny how 10 nations and two international organizations decided independently to send observers to this police farce. OK, maybe a few diplomatic phone calls were made to see what everyone was doing that morning after coffee.
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If it's true he spun "several times," he was not going at "low speed." At low speed, you might spin a quarter turn. And the damages look too great for a leisurely spin. Try again, Ohm Boy.
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Seasia,
Got two friends moved separately into Naklua the last few months while I have been away. Haven't talked to them yet about their experiences. But I will take a look up that way after I arrive later this month. Will send you a message at the time. Cheers
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Been thinking about returning to Pattaya but back to the Darkside.
Used to stay at Baan Klang Noen/Sophon 19, near the PT Gas station, for a few years. Lady manager is great but front desk and kitchen staff were getting distinctly grumpy and unhelpful.
1. Looking for studio apartment with small kitchen (or bigger). Anything new over there? Preference is to stay between Railway Bypass Road and Sukhumvit. But will keep an open mind.
2. Is Lucky Time Bar (Soi Noen Plub Wan) and Murphy's Irish Pub (Soi Khao Noi) still operating?
3. Is Noen Plub Wan still a noisy motorcycle race track at night?
4. Are the farang oriented grocery suppliers Prime Meats and Siambury's still out that way.
I will be back for a visit last week of April to have a look around.
Thanks for any input.
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5 hours ago, scorecard said:Both Reuters and AP have been critized many times for news articles re Thailand and in many other countries.
Both AP and Reuters news reports of Thailand are written by Thailand-born reporters. In the past, too often foreign reporters were helicoptered in and dropped in the middle of a culture they did not understand. That has changed a lot in the last 10 years. However, the Thai reporters and their editors know they have to tread a very thin line because truth is not a defence in Thailand, unlike civilized democratic nations.
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19 minutes ago, bowerboy said:These are just syndicated news releases....free stocking fillers that require no effort and are spread around for anyone to pick up an publish as they see fit. These are meaningless.
What? The Reuters stories? Syndicated news releases? You're grasping at straws. You don't have a clue. The question is why? Maybe you ought to ask your minders to let you out of your room and go play in the flower bed this afternoon, because your drugs are not working.
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How about stimulating the economy by stopping the manipulation of the Thai baht?
PS Posted before reading Cadbury's on-point comment.
My re entry permit was not moved from old passport to new
in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits
Posted · Edited by Kaoboi Bebobp
Related question: I got a new passport. Is it mandatory to have my soon-to-expire retirement extension transferred to my new passport? Or can I continue using two passports until I get a new extension, which would occur in August? I have entered once on the new passport. My IO is Chonburi.