JB300

One and a half hour waiting with 50% of passport booths empty.  Arab style customs clearance.  I dread arriving here as much as Riyadh or Dharan. I enjoy my life here but I have recommended my friends and family not to visit here.  Just too much hassle, bars closing too early, restaurants in Bangkok closing at 10pm, street markets and vendors including food stall destroyed - over 15000 stalls driven off the streets, pop up bars closed down,-the heart and soul of the cites torn out and cities like CM basically under occupation by hostile forces with bars and nightclubs shutting at 11   or 12. Its just so sad. The authorities do not want Thailand to be Thailand.  They want a Chinese style Singapore model or a robotic North Korean systen and the, 25,million dark-skinned  Thais to be utterly oppressed and disenpowered. 

Lol, from your description, you'd like Thailand to be more like Singapore...

World's #1 Airport (for umpteen years), Immigration a breeze, clubs open till 5-6am, can get food 24x7 the only downside is that comes with an expensive price tag.

Yet even more validation of the anti-farang anti-expat mentality that is making more and more of us leave, and less and less of us come (so to speak). To say it is stupid to make a media story out of a silly old sexpat and will scare off others is irrelevent, because the Thai authorities will continue to go about srewing up their best 'industries'.  What sexpat will not think after seeing this, and all the growing stories about thefts and crimes, that maybe the 'gig is up' in Thailand, and it is time to look for somewhere else next time. Cambodia, Phillipines, Indonesia/Bali, Vietnam are all working at 'allowing' their industry to grow. Thai Govt just cant seem to know when to leave things alone (nor when or how to deal with something now). 

Oak Island is shaping up for an interesting finale next week ( don't those kind of programs always!)

But what's Legion all about? Is it worth watching the 2nd episode?

I use http://www.thelimopattaya.com/ can't quite remember how much it is as last time I used them from/To UTP but it should be on their website

Email address is [email protected] & LineID is thelimopattaya

Small world I live the same building many many years. Your a slow walker! Takes me about 5 mins to Nana bts, bit longer to Asoke . I don't have problems with breathing the air but I do occasionally get a skin rash which I put down to pollution as I never get it in Pattaya where I spend 3 months every year.



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Traffic is something I look down at from the sky train. Whith so many bts why do farang live in remote areas of BKK and expose themselves to the traffic. I guess it's about budget

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No doubt some would like to live in Central Bangkok but their Budget puts them on the outskirts but others (I'll include myself in this category) like to visit large cities but don't enjoy living in the middle of one.

Not a big fan of the BTS as I find it's usually a 10min+ walk either side so tend to use Taxis when I'm there.

But... I don't live there (Live in Singapore) so my experience is from 1 failed Month trial at living there (lasted 2 weeks staying at Trendy in Soi 13 before having to leave as I felt like I couldn't breathe) & around 20 visits of 3-6 days.

Again... I love visiting Bangkok, it's just not my cup of tea living in the Center (Maybe the answer is to try somewhere on the outskirts near a BTS station.

 
 
How many friends do you have living nearby?   

How many times a week do you go out and have fun with your friends?   

Do people get together for dinner parties or BBQ's at each other's houses?
 
From what I've read it seems that most of the people living in the sticks hardly do any socialising.

What is public transport like?   Can you stand at the side of the road and get a meter taxi?   Can you call an uber?   
 
 

Depends upon your needs JB300........first of all though, not 100% sure where you mean by the place names but I would think Kathu, Kata and possibly Kamala and Karon are the places you mean??
 
If you like a few nights out on the town, with some restaurants close at hand (both Thai and European) as well as a beach nearby, then Patong can fit the bill and despite there being the occasional water scare, folks have told me that you can find patches of good sand and clean sea, not that it's something I ever do (anyway if you wanted a day in the sea and on the sand, then you can just pop along to Karon or Kamala both of which have some lovely stretches of sand). And of course you have the shopping and shopping malls ranging from the big Jungceylon to the small numbers, and the occasional Chinese/tent city Mart that sell knickknacks and cheapies which can come in handy.
 
I know of a few expats who have moved out of Patong and gone over the hill to Kamala, but the problem is if they ever want a night out on the town they have to contend with traffic jams and roadblocks, not to mention breathalyser stops, so that has basically put paid to their forays to Bangla and environs.
 
The same applies to Kathu and anyway IMO it's bloody dangerous going over the Patong Hills at night at the best of time.
 
Kata was a place I quite liked when I first arrived here, along with Rawai, however they seem to have quietened down a bit now and it's just too quiet and "rural" for my liking.
 
You mentioned you would like to be closer to the airport and these last two places would be even further away, but from my perspective I wouldn't worry about being any closer to the airport because at any time of the day you can get a taxi here (Patong) which will whisk you to the airport in under an hour and most of the drivers know a few alternative routes if they need to take them.
 
As for budgeting 25,000 baht a month for a nice apartment, well you will certainly get one for that and quite possibly with two bedrooms.
 
As others have said, get here and book into just about anyplace you fancy for a week until you get your bearings and then you can start to look around and ask around and get a feel for the place; that's what I did and you'd be surprised how your view of certain areas change after you've been here a while, for example I looked at a place within walking distance of Bangla Road, until I walked up it one morning at about 3 a.m. and the deafening disco noise would certainly ensure that sleep was hard to come by.
 
Another place I quite liked was in a small Soi, but later on in the day seemed to be a meeting place for all of the Soi dogs, and indeed in a place I eventually settled one Soi dog got a little bit too vicious with a young family member and me, and I had to dispatch it to doggy heaven.
 
So what I'm saying is that being mobile early on in the piece is of paramount importance in my opinion.
 

So if I go to Bangkok (from Singapore) for the weekend & stay at my mates Condo who's supposed to do the TM30?

Me? Him or his Landlord?

Thanks, a nice place to live is one of my highest priorities so have budgeted 25,000 PM for rent & would sacrifice a few nights out per month to raise this if needed for the right location/unit.

I've only ever been to Patong, Kuta, Katong, Surin which are obviously all reasonably close to each other in the same part of the Island, are there any other areas worth checking out?

Ideally I'd like to be closer to an airport

Everyone is different depending upon circumstances (family etc) however I think I spend too much, but then again I always was a bit loose with my own funds.
 
I rent a small apt, am single, own a motorbike and a car, drink far too much red wine and spend around 1.2 million baht pa, however this does include about 120k baht I give to my ex gfs daughter by way of supporting her through school and later Uni...........and then I know of a UK expat who gets by on his UK Govt pension and seems to manage ok.
 
Different strokes for different folks.

Out of curiosity what is a typical Budget for a retiree in Phuket?

I have paid NI all my working life until the day I stopped work and retired. Those NI payments pay for many things including the NHS..

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/10078062/why-do-we-pay-national-insurance

I've always believed the statement that NI has nothing to do with NHS except both of them start with the word National, but clearly I've always believed wrongly... https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/income-tax-and-national-insurance#national-insurance

What do National Insurance payments pay for?

Your National Insurance payments go towards state benefits and services, including:

- The NHS

- Unemployment benefits

- Sickness and disability allowances

- The State Pension

Also considering moving to Southern Europe when I retire next year but am wondering what Brexit will do in terms of having the right to live there & access to free health care

Funny that you should say that !! [emoji51]

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Lol, absolutely... last trip back was for my nephews wedding (real reason was he got "Upgraded" [emoji1303])

Man the stories he tells me has me shaking in my boots... talk about claustrophobic [emoji15]

I couldn't get in that tube, knowing there's a mile of ice above your head!

Hi,

 

Im signing up to a condo today or tomorrow on 6 month lease very central location. I know they have other rooms available (I think). I can ask them. They do around 25,000 baht per month in a very nice condo. I'm urgently just looking for a 6 month contract that is nice. These guys will do daily rates too at around 1000-1500 baht. They have leases for all lengths, just the price will defer. When I sign a lease with them, I will let them know about you. (Which should be tomorrow anyway)

 

"Used Airbnb for a 1 month Stay at the Trendy Apartments in SOI 13"

 

LOL, that's because there is a sign in the trendy elevator saying it is illegal to rent out daily or weekly rents i suppose. So much monthly now [emoji6]

Absolutely & the landlady greeted me in the lobby with a big hug & kiss (making it out like I'm a long lost friend).

If the room you're renting is 1k a night, I'd be looking to do them a favour & give them 15k pm for a 6 month contract

Looking forward to the conclusion of Moorside.

When it's based on real life it makes it so much better ( in my opinion) !

Being out of the UK for a long time I don't recognise this case .

I have my suspicions about the outcome !!

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You must remember the Shannon Matthews case, it was all over the news (followed it intently from Singapore via my parents).

If you don't I won't spoil the ending for you

Just a quick note I recently travelled to Singapore with my Thai GF and she was treated very well by the Elite Staff including fast track immgration service...

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1 hour ago, pumpuy said:

Stupid man ... if you make a living from ripping other people off , you better don't drive around in a red Porsche ... a living target .

Think the red Porsche was a tool of the trade, all part of the confidence trick.

 
Of course I am still registered with my GP.
 
 
Only a fool would give up that 'privilege' unless absolutely necessary.
 
I make sure I visit the surgery at lest every 2 years and I occasionally send health reports etc from Thailand.

If I had a problem I would go to a hospital and lay on a stretcher and let them sort it out...

 

It's their job, they don't give a stuff who you are, plus my NI number is tattooed on my forehead....

 

 

Now I know you're telling porkies...

The number plate of your 1st Transam is tattooed on your forehead, your NI number is tattooed on your backside.

[so tempted... but I won't make a comment about how it's easy to mix the 2 up... whoops [emoji14]]

 

I still believe that any ID checks are aimed at obvious 'Non-Brits'.

 

If I were to stroll in I (a) Doubt that I will be challenged and ( Even not having a utility bill would not prevent me qualifying

I agree... but are you still on your GPs waiting list (I haven't been for 25 years so I doubt I am) & if not, do you think they'd want to see proof of ID/home address?

I thought it was obvious but we are talking about non-emergency treatment here (the OP is going back as he has a family history of heart problems), not somebody who's been in an accident or attacked or something.

Do these foreign folk get shown the door with their arm hanging off....?

There are a zillion Eastern Europeans "lost" and working in the UK, many of them for sure get injured doing their thing and end up at A & E.....Do they have a problem...NOOOOO.