JB300

As another poster pointed out, diet soda is full of sodium and other harmful stuff.  I was addicted to diet colas: "Coke Zero", "Diet Coke", "Pepsi Max", ect. but after heart bypass surgery several months ago, I did some research and dropped diet soda completely.  

Fruit juice and plain soda is OK but the juice can often contain a lot of sugar.  I've been really enjoying ice tea.and find it fills my need for a beverage with flavor.  Thai "Number 1 Tea", in the square red can sold in most markets makes great tea. I usually make it in 2 or 3 liter batches and put it in old soda bottles and refrigerate it.  It will stay fresh for about a week.  

Because standard tea does contain some caffeine, I also buy a variety of herb and fruit teas like apple and strawberry; often mixing them for new and interesting flavors. This really gives a nice variety of beverage choices.

Hey something wrong with the quoting here!!! I certainly drink alcohol but never diet soda (on the rare occasion I have a soda I'll have the full fat variant) :)

Not a fan of iced teas (unless it's part of a large pitcher of Long Island iced tea) but quiet enjoy (hot) green tea, will have to try mixing a few flavours up, Apple & strawberry sounds great [emoji106]

From 2008 to 2012 most of my funds were tied up in a legal dispute back in the US and I lived in Bangkok on just about the amount ($850/mo.) that the OP specified.
I was fortunate to already have a very large and comfortable studio apartment that only cost B5500/mo.  I did cut my cable TV back to the most basic plan but maintained internet service.  The only real sacrifice was using the AC, which was very old and inefficient, only on the hottest nights. Between rent, cable TV, internet, water and electricity, my monthly costs were about B8000. 
I never really felt deprived.  I'd meet friends during happy hours and enjoy a brew or two, eat at good but inexpensive restaurants and cook my own food between times. I was still able to travel around the country by bus when I felt like it.  I also learned to use local city buses to get around Bangkok when I wasn't in a hurry. Often not that much slower than a taxi.
Funny thing was, when I finally won my legal action and the my money was free'd up, my life here really didn't change that much.  I kept the same apartment because I like it. Got my True Gold TV package back and found myself so bored with it's insipid offerings that I went back to basic. Happy hour is still the best time to meet friends and my favorite restaurants haven't changed.  About the only big change is I bought a new AC unit and it runs just about 24/7 whenever I'm home.
Obviously, everybody has different standards of comfort but to say that one can not live with reasonable ease on $850 a month is just not true.
Of course, as somebody pointed out, if you factor in health care and providing for whatever the future holds, then $850 doesn't cut it.  I was fortunate that I stayed healthy during that period.  If I had had some serious health issue or an accident, I would have been in trouble. 
 

My apologies. You are correct but nobody in their right mind would pay 3,000 odd pesos when  2 month extension costs only 4000 odd pesos. The prices do vary up and down depending on how many extensions you got previously and I do believe it possible to get a 6 months extension. I also arrived here without an outbound air ticket which is never supposed to happen.

From the information provided he can't cover the Visa requirements so in the current climate of clamping down on Visas I'd say no.

That's very Pedantic of you. 

Nothing to do with pedantry, there was a price for a 1 month extension which somebody (you) said doesn't exist I pointed out that the first extension is 1 month (ok technically 29 days so 1 month if it's a February in a leap year ) so what's the problem?

On 28/12/2016 at 5:45 PM, lungnorm said:

 

These prices are totally incorrect and the last parts are non existent. Once you obtain your Permanant Residents visa there is only an annual reporting fee of only $8 and a 5 yearly fee for a new ID card of $50. Nothing else to pay. No such thing as a 1 month extension its 2 months this can be done until you have been there 36 months then you need to leave the country for a visa run. So its more convenient to get P.R. which costs no more than 2yrs of 2 monthly extensions.

Technically the 1st extension is for 29 days to take you up to 59, then you can extend in 2 or (in larger towns) 6 month blocks up to a Max 36months

Re PI vs Th, I love the Philippines, have a Filippina gf (7 years) & we own a very nice house in Kapalong (2 hrs. North of Davao City) but when I leave Singapore next year, plan A is Thailand (That's if I can convince her to leave PI, she's happy enough in Singapore but doesn't want to live anywhere but here or Philippines).

But what is the average price per sqm in Singapore?

Varies massively from area to area but averages for Asia countries are here :-

http://www.globalpropertyguide.com/Asia/Singapore/square-meter-prices

Also rental yields http://www.globalpropertyguide.com/Asia/Singapore/rent-yields

@Tech Doctor Captures of tracerts attached - (Eclipse is my UK ISP)

Strange you're routing through PCCW which is a Hong Kong telco (from Singapore it doesn't).

Nb. Just because a Tracert/PathPing etc... Requests time out doesn't necessarily mean that "Normal" traffic isn't flowing freely as it's quite common to block certain ports/protocols whilst allowing to stuff you want to flow through (also did 30 years in Software development from Developer to Enterprise Architect but always hated troubleshooting network problems)

Sorry you had such a bad experience & I have had similar in AC, Manila & a little bit in parts of Cebu so do know what you mean.

In my gf's defense, she wants us to stay in Singapore so by saying no to Thailand thinks we'll do that but when she understands that's not an option she'll come around, can't blame her really, we're not married so she wouldn't have any security if I was to pick up with somebody else.

Asianscouser eh? I'm a Warrington lad myself :)

By Philippines do you mean Manila/AC or the "Real" Philippines (Davao, Bohol, Boracay, Palawan, even parts of Cebu are completely different).

Nb I'm not disagreeing with you, I've always preferred the Filipinas but my gf of 7 years has no desire to move to Thailand so we already have a house in Kapalong (2 hrs north of Davao) & I'm looking for something in Thailand so we can split our time (or split up, love the Philippines but not living there full time) when I leave Singapore in March 2018.

They never asked me for a visa, even when arriving on a one way ticket. I've been coming back to Thailand on a regular basis since 2010, mostly from Bali and the EU. In Singapore they once asked me for an onward ticket when flying to Jakarta but that's because Jakarta immigration tends to ask for it but I can't really imagine the same happening when flying to Bangkok. Next month will be my first SIN-BKK flight so I guess I'll find out.

As lots of people have commented, it depends on where & what kind of lifestyle you live...

My planned Budget (which I make sure is less than my available spends) is roughly:-
- Rent/utilities/mobile/internet etc... 25,000
- Groceries 15,000
- Misc Expenses (local travel, laundry, haircut, stuff) 1,000
- Health Insurance 5,000
- Entertainment/Eating out etc... 20,000
- Hobbies (mine is Travelling) 30,000
Add in 4,000 for Visa expenses (cheaper if using retirement extension of stay but not far off a 1million TE over 20 years) & you get to 100,000.

My Budget was based around £2,000 pm but this only buys 88,000THB at the moment, fortunately I have assets in Singapore so switched to a Budget of s$4,000 per month, but this does highlight how FX changes can hurt you (original £2k was giving me 110k THB at 55:1 so a 22k pm drop).

Other thing to watch out for is inflation, you're 52 at 3% inflation you'll need approx £1,850 to maintain £1,500 purchasing power when you're 59, approx £2,300 when you're 66

I am confused about when needed/how to file TM28 & TM30.
Background: Non-imm O-A issued 8 Feb, 2016
Entered: 17 Mar 2016
Did 90-day report on 10 Jun 2016 in Samui with only TM47
Left: 14 Jul 2016
Will re-enter: 21 Jan 2017
We will be staying in Bkk condo for 2 weeks rented through HomeAway before driving to North & staying in hotels.
 
Can I claim to be House-master to fill out TM30 in Bkk?
Will I need a TM28 also? Have never filed one. Only TM47 for 90 day report.
If I stay at hotel, do I need to file TM28/30?
 
Thank you for setting me straight. Happy New Year to all.

Ok. That's was my question. I am on Non O 1 year multi entry (based on Thai child). I am working in neighbor country and then in / out of Thailand very of often ( mostly every weekend and few weeks during vacations).
About 2 years ago, while I needed a certificate of residence (for banking purpose), the immigration office asked to get my address register first: owner to fill a form, copy tabien baan, ID... it was easy as my son is the owner of my house. They stappled a paper "notification of alien..." in my passport and asked me to keep it always. That's it. Since, i have been in and out of the country multiple times, got new passport and new non O multi entry but never been to report my address again to immigration office again. My address in Thailand has always been the same for the last 15 years and I might stay in hotel only when I am in Bangkok some weekend or travelling within Thailand while on vacation.
Am I missing something or should I have something else to do?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You have to show proof of new address when changing, so TM28's cannot be mailed.
 
TM30's can be mailed if your office will accept them.
The notification of residence of foreign nationals is made by the manager of licensed hotels according to the hotel act, owners of guesthouses, mansions, apartments and rented houses using the form TM. 30.
The notification of residence of foreign nationals within 24 hours can be made in a number of ways to make the notification as convenient as possible:
 

• In person at the respective office, or
• Through an authorised person at the respective office, or
• By registered mail, or
• Via internet.

http://immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php?page=alienstay

 
 
Are budget carrier passengers barred from the fast track lane?

Hi
 
its a new year  and I would like to work on lowering my blood pressure
 
My blood pressure was around 130 and the last check was 155/80 , ( not sure if thats a rogue number)
 
so i would like to lower it back to around 130 or less , but would rather not take drugs ,
 
I am about 10  pounds overweight ( all in the gut) , walk a few KM 3-4 times a week  , longer walks when I am in BKK, ( like an hour or 2 exploring the city)
 
I do not drink alcohol  , but do drink a lot of Diet soda , 
do not add salt or sugar to anything
and do not smoke
 
Looking at http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20046974
Consider boosting potassium. Potassium can lessen the effects of sodium on blood pressure. The best source of potassium is food, such as fruits and vegetables, rather than supplements
 
So are there any foods I need to stay away from ?
foods I need to eat more of ?
Or things like fish oil that would help
 
Thanks for your ideas ,  there are so many "studies" which conflict with each other that it gets confusing  :)
 

I usually always bought the new model, not so when i7 came out




Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

JB300:

 

one thing... a Thai retirement visa doesn't mean no Thai wife(s). most of us do have wives... ooops. at least one.

but just like with many things, but especially immigration stuff.... there's no one simple thing to it at all....

Singapore sounds right for you.... but it has nothing to do work permits or Thai retail bank accounts...... or money itself.  

I think I know what you're getting at you probably think I'm making a mountain out of a molehill and I can see how if you're settled in Thailand & rarely leave it's not even that.

Bit different when you travel a lot & after getting back from a 10+ hour slog to visit the gf in Kapalong (2 hrs north of Davao) having to traipse to immigration to tell them you're back at the place you told them you would be on the TM6, that's going to get old really fast.

As ive said, I love Singapore but wouldn't live here unless I was working (honestly don't think I could trust myself not to work if I was living here).

You have made some crazy assumptions on your own regarding report to the immigration, re entry etc. If you are more happy elsewhere then you better do that and come to Thailand with large money and spend it here.

Care to share which assumptions I've made that are "Crazy"?

AFAIK, (technically) a TM30 needs to be filed each time you re-enter the Kingdom... Not an assumption, it's a fact.

Whether it's filed by you, your wife, the landlord or not at all doesn't detract from the fact that (technically) it needs to be filed.

Thanks to some great advise on here, I'm feeling much more comfortable with that requirement than when I 1st (in a somewhat drunken state) started this thread.

Happy 2017 guys, may your beer be cold & your partner hot :)

 
Because I am not selfish enough to demand that she move away from her family that live a few kilometres from us. And that is what pisses me off when people come out with 'If you don't like it here go back to your own country'. Isn't as simple as that. I have a far better house than I'd be able to afford back home. Even more English Premier League football than would be available back there, come to that. I'm not saying it's all bad, but there is so much in Thailand that is off the scale stupid. Sometimes to have to count to 10. Or 100.

I guess that's an example of "you get what you pay for"

Some people find it easy,some can't handle the paperwork and call it a hassle.I find it easy and no probs at all,but a guess i am a glass half full type of bloke.Sure beats working for a living.

No problem with the paperwork, it's the physically needing to go into the office (possibly after 17-24 hours travelling) that I call a hassle

Again, this isn't about living in Thailand (if I was happy to never leave it's a doddle) this is about using it as a base to travel from.

You just walk straight into the Fast Track area. I've never been stopped. No queues and through in 10 minutes or less

Why pay all that money when you don't have to.100k baht compared to about 5k.