HeIsDaffy

wrenches

Tom Jones (Fielding, and his many wenches)

You answered your own question with the last post. Remain in the UK a few years more. Build up your savings, give your kids the benefit of the fundamentals of a good education so that they are able to learn on their own when older. Remember, that you will have less time for your family in Thailand as work hours are longer. Yes, there are some advantages for some people, but for a young family starting out where health care, education and general services are at their peak usage, Thailand isn't the place to be unless one has money.

With the current political situation and the likelihood of a strong market correction in Thailand, your timing is not right. Come visit and wait at least a year. Wait and see what happens with the election and the impact upon the economy. Asian markets haven't been adjusted as they have in the west and soon Asia's turn will come. You don't want to be in Thailand when that happens. I don't think the government is prepared for the adjustment and debt levels are too high. When the adjustment occurs, you may find it easier to move should you and your spouse so choose.

That was a good reply.

Also, we will be living in interesting times here during the next months waiting to see what eventually happens.

What is the percentage of readers here who believe this is an unstable situation which will have significant impact on foreign population?

Bartender

I have spent quite a bit of time stalking the stores around Chiang Mai looking for the best computer stores.

I think IT Banana is the best.

They are very helpful and honest in their treatment of their customers.

If they do not have what you are looking for, I think you might have them special order it. IT Banana is now the ONLY store I really feel comfortable shopping in.

I think their pricing is fairly good too.

I go to the IT Banana store at Robinson's Mall/Center Mall.

I also purchased components to build a computer from J.I.B. This store has a very good selection, and they offer probably the best prices, and they have three or four stores in Chiang Mai.

Their return policy is very tricky, i.e. they will not give you your money back. So make sure you choose what you really want the first time.

Then there is IT City at the Center Mall, where I bought a tablet, simply because it was a new product and no one else carried it.

For a HDD external, try IT Banana first, see if they can special order from BKK.

If not, then go to JIB.

That is what I would do.

There is p poor pricing on things like UPS and power supplies for computers. They mostly sell garbage at inflated prices, compared to what is available in HK, or Taipei, or Japan.

But if you need to shop in Chiang Mai, these two stores should be able to provide about what the others offer, at the best price, or with the better service.

"When you're spending $500 a month or less on rent, you've got lots of flexibility with other, smaller expenses like nights out, new clothes and cable TV packages."

You see?
500 per month for rent.

Then you go from there.

And, if any of you plan to live on beans and bread, then I think you can pretty much give up on the female companionship for 10000 Baht per month.

I don't think you read your own article.

USD500 was for monthly rent.

Then, after that, the article stated that the average person from Australia should have plenty left over to spend on whatever they want, like coffee, massage, dinners out, cable TV packages.

I, though, do not want massages, cable TV, coffee, dinners out, unless it is in nice places up in the mountains,

Coffee is for the birds unless you drink it where it is grown.

USD500 for rent is a reasonable amount, I think, if you require more than one room.

I would like to have just one or two rooms in a traditional wooden Thai house, and save the rest for travel by public trains, bus, rot deng. THere are very many interesting trains to see here in Thailand.

Also, I would not be wasting my money on Golf.

I think I could live retirmentwise, exclusive of healthcare and paid female companion about USD1000 plus the USD500 for rent in Chiang Mai.

Then, I would like to contract for a 22 to 28 year old girl to take care of me on a yearly basis, but I do not yet know how much this will cost because I will begin searching next month or End of March, probably.

All this mistaken looking for love is totally money misspent. You just need to calculate it in to your monthly retirement expenditure.

500 for rent. Then USD1000 for everything else. Plus some number, maybe 10000 Baht for a female companion.

This is far cheaper than Australia and you do not need to give up the perks, as the article said, like coffee out.

Gnome Language?

NewSpeak

gibberish

(Recall: In this landmark Wouk Film, Queeg calls down to the engine room. Captain? On the double, Mister. Get up here to the BRIDGE and explain the missing STRAWBERRIES! It was the Mess Boys, Of COURSE! Sure, it might sound like gibberish but someone got an Oscar for this gibberish, I think. Anyone says Captain, Bridge, then Queeg is what you think of next. Alimentary Holmes.)

Queegberries!

He ain't daffy.

No.......

Strawberries?

Captain?

Captain (Rhet)