JB300

Facebook is for girls. No thankyou!
Facebook Zucks!
Today I'm watching Suicide Squad 2016. Hope its entertaining and then I shall watch Little Britain Season 3 on youtube.com.
Facebook, never use it a bit Dorian Gray for my liking.

Feel free to join
I have created a  facebook group Movie & TV Club
A place where you can tell other members what you are watching, recommend Movies and TV Series, But most of all, a place to let you know, What's Hot and what's Not.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/187129735049107/

One of the other things I found a pain with the S4 / Android. I needed to download apps to do just about everything that you'd probably expect to be part of the OS.

Want a 'do not disturb feature' - need an app.

Want to manage the flashing notification light and set colours for different apps - need an app (oh and we forgot to mention, the app isn't compatible with the DND app you just paid for)

Battery management - need an app (oh and changing setting will override your DND notification settings).

Overall I found it too much of a PITA, too much trial and error and too much stuff that killed the battery way to quick.

The other thing is the lack of manufacturer commitment to provide Android updates such as Huawei abandoning the Honor 7 just 16 months into product life. Sure some of the Android updates may not add much. But some do. And if I'm paying anywhere near iPhone prices I wouldn't be taking a gamble on OS updates.


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Agreed! Anyone ever tried getting in to the UK with a Thai partner and a valid visa? Talk about queues - Geese!!

Sorry OT I know, but I'm planning on taking my partner (she's Filipina not Thai) to UK & one of the things she's concerned about is being left on her own in the immigration queue (it's happened a couple of times in Bali & Singapore when I've had to join a different queue).

Do you stay with your partner while she goes through immigration or meet her on the other side?

Petty question I know but honestly my gf is more worried about that than anything else about the trip, though in her defence, if you had to more or less beg immigration every time you wanted to leave your home country you might feel the same.

it is a well known fact that ACs don't consume a lot of electricity when they are no switched on

And all joking aside another example of why trying to compare costs of living across 2 different places for 2 different people is like comparing Apples & Oranges.

I've said it before (& got torn into) but I'm financially (& other) better off living in Singapore than BKK for 2 simple reasons...

1) My salary is 20-30% higher

2) I pay 20-25% less income tax.

Those 2 things dwarf any extra costs in living here which (apart from an additional 40-50k THB pm for my condo) isn't that much anyway.

Tourist visas are for 60 days. I don't think too many families will need anything other than the usual 30-day visa-free entry upon arrival.

 

The point is, will this promotion result in extra tourists through the door? Absolutely not!

Again, this is aimed at countries like China & India who cannot get a 30 day exempt stamp so must apply for a Visa beforehand or apply for a Visa on Arrival (not the same as a 30 day visa exempt stamp).

 

How many families of six are traveling to Thailand for longer than 30 days?  I'm guessing that if 100 families of that size come to Thailand with the intent of staying longer than 30 days, it's been a record year for Thailand.    

 

The Visa in question is for countries like India & China that have to have a Visa (obtained at the Embassy / Consulate before hand or on Arrival at the airport though not to be confused with the 30 day exempt stamp) for a single day's stay so 30 days doesn't come into it.

They're just throwing money away. I doubt they will gain one single extra tourist through this promotion.

 

People would make travel plans based on saving US $30? That's a joke.

What it might do is encourage people who normally get VOA to get a visa from the Embassy/Consulate beforehand to cut queues at the airport, but they should have really left the VOA fee at 2,000THB to encourage this more.

do guys really exist who have bills of only 10k Baht/month?  

Agree about the ease of having everything in the same (Apple) eco-system (all my gear is Apple :)), but the Minix is essentially an Android PC so it's difficult to see how an ATV could do more (especially without jail breaking it).

The "legality" of the content is still being debated, but it's all streamed (no dls) & if I wanted something for my travels I'd do the same with an Amazon Firestick (USB Dongle sized) again running Kodi.

As for getting one in Thailand, there's a couple of posters on here that will sell you one fully loaded (including live TV & sports) & provide ongoing support if you need it.

As you said we've strayed a bit here, be interesting to hear from the OP whether he has / is still considering making the switch and if so, what to.

As an aside if my IPhone 6 died (& I didn't have my IPhone 5s to fall back on) I'd look Long & hard at switching as "upgrading" to an IPhone 7 feels like I'm spending a lot of money (Buy my handsets Sim free) for the same thing.

^^^ True but (fortunately) it's only on gains from April 2016 if it was your primary residence which is why CM should move to UK Tax resident straightaway as he's only just inherited the property

Just interested in why others would be a mug not change the ATV for a Minix Neo 8? One of my main uses for the ATV is watching Netflix. AFAIK the ATV is capable of HD display for Netflix whereas the Neo 8 isn't. So in my case I'd be a mug TO switch to the Neo 8.

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"Mug" was a bit strong (few too many glasses of vino I think) but the Minix X8 can display ultra HD content (http://minix.com.hk/en/products/neo-x8-h-plus) & using Kodi this is free Vs ATV which you either have to pay for a subscription or pay on demand.

So up to you if you want less choice & pay for the privilege but if I just wanted to watch Netflix, i wouldn't use a box at all, I'd just use the app that's already on my Smart TV (https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23877) or directly from my SingTel set-top box.

Don't get me wrong, I thought my ATV was great when I 1st bought it (so cool being able to throw something on the TV from your Iphone/IPad) & certainly got my monies worth from it, but it's not really moved on (I think I have one of the 1st Gen2 boxes) whereas other options have.

IIRC, I paid a little under s$200 for my Minix X8-H & probably got my monies worth in the 1st couple of weeks watching series like Suits, Billions, Lucifer, Night Of, Gold Rush, Mr Robot, Goliath, Strange Things, Dark Matter, Designated Survivor & countless others all completely free & 90+% of the time in HD/1080

I am considering going back to the USA but to a smaller market city. My take on it is you can live as cheaply in a small town or small city as anywhere I would want to live in Thailand.
 
I spend around 150,000 Baht on a normal month. Probably more like 250,000 on a month 
if I go on a short vacation. I don't need lectures on how to do it cheaper I know you can. My point is for some people a place like the USA works out reasonable. Not everybody is holed up in Thailand because it is cheaper.
 
The food I eat i way cheaper in the USA I probably spend around 9,000 a week at Villa and another 5,000 from Passiondelivery. Yes, it includes a couple of bottles of wine. The price for the quality of which is atrocious. 
 
Weekend trips about the same. Probably cheaper in the states as higher end resorts are not much different in price in either place. 
 
In the USA I would  buy a house so yeah it is a bit different but I can own it there so hard to put a price on that. 
 
So I like drinking wine, eating nice meals mostly at home. The occasional trip maybe every 2 or 3 months for a long weekend. A holiday once a year that is more major. So for me I can live the same at home as I can here without altering my life. 
 
Though the quality of many things would be much higher back home. For Villa prices back home you are shopping at a higher end supermarket. The stuff in Villa is considered junk back home. Even the bottom end American supermarkets have Villa out gunned by a country mile. 
 
The 50K a month on a decent condo in Bangkok would pay all of my basic expenses in the USA. If I own a house it does anyway. So that would leave around 3,333 Baht a day for eating out and recreation etc. The types of recreation I enjoy may change but it is plenty. 
 
I would probably save money in the USA actually.
 
 
 
 
 
 

It's a balance / judgement call we all have to make but he does make a fair point about working till you drop dead & not getting to enjoy what you've been working so hard for.

Don't have any stats to back it up but it feels like an extraordinary number of people drop dead within a few years of retiring from a full time / stressful job & don't get to enjoy their "Sunset Years".

No doubt the Government thinks this is  a great scheme and the figures are bound to show its a winner, but, I have yet to meet anyone who is going to take up the new offer. I guess that the producers of the great new idea are not old enough to have experience of trying to get health insurance once you hit 60 at a realistic figure, a figure that rockets upward at an ever steeper rate with time.

I'll be taking it up if...

1) Singapore will grant me one (highly unlikely as they currently won't grant me a Non-O on the basis of being over 50 never mind a Non-OA).

2) I can use my salary in Singapore (or money in the bank here) to meet the financial requirements.

3) I can use my corporate health insurance (this one is optional, don't mind paying for extra cover as long as it replaces the travel insurance I buy every trip).

Chances are that #1 ain't gonna happen & applying in the UK or Thailand won't allow me to do #2 so I guess I won't be taking it up [emoji17]

Seems to me that spending 1Million on a hassle free 20 year Thai Elite visa means that I #only# have to make 2.5% more (after tax) on 2Million vested to break even on leaving 3Million in the bank.

Ok so it's only 3Million year 1, 1.5Million years 2-5, 3Million year 5, 1.5 Million years 6-10 which equates to 18Million over 10 years so I need to make approx 4.15% over what I would earn in interest in a Thai bank to break even but with the restrictions on what you can spend the other 1.5Million on, it's probably worth taking a reasonable hit (add in VIP immigration queue at the airport a dozen times a year & definitely so).

Edit: just realised I'm comparing the new 10 year Visa with the 1Million for 20 years TE when I should be comparing it to the 800k for 10 years, but if you're going to spend 800k, you might as well go the whole hog & go for the 20 year option

You actually quoted my post which implied (stated) that it was me that was spreading misinformation but apology accepted...

How can it be false economy? The market sets the price, but don't go spreading misinformation since you just took a wild guess.

Nana BTS

250 meters

1-2-3

Bedrooms

28k-130k

Price range

2014

Year Built

The HYDE Sukhumvit 13 is a luxury condominium located in Sukhumvit Soi 13 between the Nana and Asoke BTS stations. The building opened its doors in 2014; there are two towers, tower A with 20 floors and tower B with 40 floors. In the building you can find studios, one bedrooms, two bedrooms, three bedrooms and junior penthouses. The rental prices for the studios start around 28,000 THB, the one bedrooms from 35,000 THb, two bedrooms from 65,000 THB and 3 bedrooms from 80,000 THB.

Around the HYDE Sukhumvit 13 you will find many restaurants and shops. There is a Villa Market Supermarket next door; it is about a 5 minute walk to the Nana BTS station and about 8 minutes to the Asoke BTS station where you can also find the Terminal 21 Shopping M

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Please reread my reply & you'll see that #to me# staying in a 30SQM studio is false economy because I feel like I'm being driven out of the place every night (15+ years of living out of hotels tends to do that for you).

So say that's an extra 2 nights a week at 2,000THB I go out(will be more like 4 as I'm happy to go out every other night if I'm happy with where I live), that's an extra 16,000 THB a month to spend on rent.

Ok, let's say I spend 500 THB on staying in so we'll call it an extra 12,000 THB to spend on rent.

Can you see now how (#to me#) it's a false economy living in a 30SQM studio?

Either ways (above 2 posts) in my book I divide the monthly rent by cost of purchase & 1:200 or less looks good, 1:200 above not so good [emoji4]

Wow... average of > 200k per sqm & cheapest unit I can see is 5,400,000 for 30 sqm (smaller than a lot of hotel rooms!!!).

Having said that the same size unit is on for rent at 30,000 so assuming they get that it's a 1:180 return which is good (by way of comparison my house in the UK gets 1:300 & the condo I rent in Singapore is 1:500).

Anything under 1:200 is good in my books, though my (GFs) property in Davao gets 1:100.

 

That's kinda the way I read it also and since I can't monetise the usufruct it surely can't be seen as an asset. But there again we're talking Revenue mindsets, who knows how they think.

Do you want to remain a Non UK resident for Tax purposes?

Your UK pension will be taxed the same either way, as will your US pension (Double Taxation Agreement between US & UK) so only benefit I can see is if you have some other overseas income not being taxed (by a DTA country) or you earn enough in dividend income to take you into the higher tax bracket.

Advantage of becoming UK Resident for Tax is that there will be no CGT to pay on your Primary UK property as you'll be resident there.

http://www.iol.co.za/travel/world/thailand-to-issue-10-year-visa-for-senior-tourists-2093987
Thailand to issue 10-year visa for senior tourists
Quote:-
“We want to ensure their good quality of life and that they will not become a burden to our country,” Sansern said describing the unusual policy as aimed at drawing more tourists into the country and boosting the economy.


Government spokesperson Sansern Kamkamnerd said.

 
No the apartment is not rented out, it's inherited and I wont get full ownership for a couple more weeks yet.
 
The only part of the residency rules that might apply to me is:
 

1. your only home is in the UK for more than 90 days during the tax year and you occupy that home for at least 30 days
   

So even after living in the UK apt for more than 30 days  I don't meet that test since I have a home in Thailand that I also use (The Revenue defines "home" quite broadly" and doesn't have to mean a property I own, it just needs to be the same place of residence that is used repeatedly). None of the other ties apply since Mrs CM will always remain a visitor to the UK hence the family rule doesn't apply.
 
But "my" house in Thailand is in my (unmarried) Thai partners name, the only connection I have with it is the usufruct (which I can happily remove if needs be) so it doesn't form part of my estate and I can't see how it might generate a tax burden.
 
My assets in Thailand are willed to my Thai partner, my UK assets are also willed to her, the gifting of assets thus far (money to buy the house plus other) means I am under the IHT threshold.
 
NOTE TO ALL: many thanks for the queries/questions and challenges on this topic, it's been really helpful thinking them through to see where I stand.

It has nothing to do with affordability, I use an IPhone purely because I like the way it feels when holding it, I hate plastic phones so rejected many Androids after running through most of the high end offerings (though bought the gf an S7 Edge for Christmas because she liked it), & the Nokia / Blackberrys because the OS was dead.

My Sony IPod equivalent cost me much more than the IPod but got binned in favour of a Nano + Touch after upgrading to a new Sony device & finding I needed to rebuild my PC (ok, so I just hacked the registry) due to their DRM software thinking I was bootleging because there was already a version on there.

My last Windows laptop (Alienware) also cost more than my Macbook Pro & this is the one piece of Apple equipment I own that I will be binning as soon as I have an excuse to... Again, awesome bit of kit & the product "feels" amazing, but the keyboard is aimed at people who spend more time clicking than typing & I like to use shortcuts keys & not lift my fingers from the keyboard, so it's painful when I don't have the external keyboard connected... And if that's the case, it's not really a laptop.

Oh... & what is it with right clicking using the touch pad in Excel!!!

[before commenting I should be using OSX, I have to remote into my corporate VM so even using OSX/Safari, the VM is still Windows based & so is MS Office]

Regrettably  you have not been keeping up to date with changes to UK tax legislation regarding residence. The 183 day rule has gone and there are a series of tests which take into account other property ownership, ties to the UK regularity of visits etc - look on the HMRC website under Manuals for guidance on the new residence rules.

Also UK property is now subject to CGT on sales by non residents so you had better look at this as well

So everything has changed for the worse.

 

Agreed, things have changed quite a bit over the past few years...

You’re automatically resident if either:

you spent 183 or more days in the UK in the tax year

your only home was in the UK - you must have owned, rented or lived in it for at least 91 days in total - and you spent at least 30 days there in the tax year

You’re automatically non-resident if either:

you spent fewer than 16 days in the UK (or 46 days if you haven’t been classed as UK resident for the 3 previous tax years)

you work abroad full-time (averaging at least 35 hours a week) and spent fewer than 91 days in the UK, of which no more than 30 were spent working

Sounds like CM doesn't fall into either camp so should check his likely residence status at http://tools.hmrc.gov.uk/rift/screen/SRT+-+Combined/en-GB/summary?user=guest

My money is he'll find himself UK Tax resident (not a big deal if his income comes from the UK by way of pensions as these will be Taxed in the UK anyways)

Edit: if the above link doesn't work, you can find it at this link https://www.gov.uk/tax-foreign-income/residence

Well, for current O-A visas and retirement extensions work in Thailand is forbidden but working outside of Thailand is perfectly OK. I don't recall any wording with this new HALF BAKED thing about restricting paid work in Thailand. I guessed it would be forbidden just like current O-A and retirement extensions. Also there was some language that volunteer work is ALLOWED in Thailand with this new visa (whatever it's called) which is definitely different than for current O-A and retirement extensions. Perhaps that's another "perk" for some people.