edwardflory

Living in Thailand is what you make of it, what your lifestyle is, and your LOCATION. Been here 12 years, ( I'm 80 ) as a "virgin" I made many mistakes, mostly finding a place to live in comfort. I have, in the past, lived in a furnished room @ 5000bt monthly, a furnished condo 7000bt monthly, a hotel ( very clean, but small room ) 5000bt monthly, paying extra for all utilities in each location.. I now have a 2BR house with fenced yard and veggie garden in gated community.( unfurnished -10,000bt spent on furniture at move in, added furniture and household goods as desired - oven, pots, pans, big refrigerator , 2 TV's microwave and etc. ) 4500bt monthly. Location is great, 4 major stores 10 minutes, Immigration 15 minutes, 7-11 10 minutes, 3 mom & pop stores 5 to 10 minutes, fishing lake 3 minutes from the front door. I pay the utilities. 3 years no rental increase - landlord 2 minutes away - the 2 problems I had, landlord fixed same day reported.

It amazes me! If a person is worried about their BP, why they won't buy their own machine so they can self test - depending on the machine readings results, you can determine IF you need a medical professional to check / confirm your results. I self tested for 20+ years because of high pressure and meds were adjusted when my testing was confirmed by a doctor. Why screw with your health when a BP CUFF is so inexpensive ( under 500bt ) and "can" give you peace of mind as well as a warning if a problem MIGHT exist. Traveling to and fro a FREE testing site ( several times ??? ) wastes TIME - is your life worth 500bt? NOTE: There are several wrist watches that can also give you a idea of BP, PULSE and more around / under 1000bt.

Never been to Aussie Land, I am compairing the US expenses to Thai expenses. As I said, my COST for RENTING a 1BR APARTMENT ALONE was about 60% MORE than ALL my MONTHLY housing ( including condo ) food, utility and ECT exepences here.

Why would I leave????? I live a upper (American type) middle class lifestyle with a wife ( Thai ) in a 2BR house with fenced yard and a garden ( wife's). in a gated community 20 minutes from center city.( also have condo just outside BKK area ). 4 major stores within 5 minutes away, Immigration 10 minutes away. My TOTAL LIVING EXPENSES are 40% LESS than just the COST of my large 1BR apartment in a complex, in a medium size USA city when I was single.

Have lived in Pattaya 2 years, Have lived in BKK 3 years, Lived in Korat for 6 years now, I compair the living here, ( Korat ) people, price and lifestyle to my home town in USA....EXCEPT friendler, safer and less expensive for a quality life, and LESS stress.

Have NEVER had a work permit in. 12 years here, I have 2 bank accounts With a Retirement """Visa""" actually a extension of stay, you are forbidden to work, BUT you are REQUIRED to have a Bank Account - I used this regulation to open a account, OR proof of income. ( A Yellow House book also helps ) MANY bank people / Service Desk people do NOT know THESE regulation,

Idiot... If had 2-3 notes he MIGHT have gotten away playing dumb.

Many foreigners do not know that they can use a Thai Military Hospital - slightly more expensive than govt civilian hospitals, way way way less than private hospitals. You must register and get a Hospital ID Card ( free ). Many doctors are US or UK trained - English spoken. You pay the same as Thai civilians using the military hospital. I do NOT know if private insurance accepted or if children can use.

CREDIT CARD fees ARE costly. US DEBIT CARDS from my US BANK are very reasonable. On $1000US transfered to my THAI BANK I pay $1.50 TOTAL FEES using my US DEBIT CARD. ( Transfer made at the TELLER,...NOT..the service desk ) My protection is that my US Bank will ONLY process 2 transactions - 2 different vendors, my Thai Bank ( any branch via merchant NAME ) and my US storage UNLESS I call them on my US PHONE NUMBER, I use a VOIP provider APK for inbound / outbound US phone service in Thailand - my number comes up on caller ID and I give a special password, and can advise them I am using the card for one particular Travel Agency in the US.

Use a blanket, wear a sweater or long sleeves

My Yellow Book was no cost and done in about 30 minutes, I was connected to my GF's house book 6 months before we married. TM-30 & 47 were HER address.

And proper visa!!

Tourist Police yes - usually retirement. I also taught English under a program developed his late Royal Majesty Rama nine

The only volunteer that does not need a work permit is with a THAI GOVERNMENT PROGRAM - Royal or local. A ID Card is issued by the govt agency and good ONLY doing the assigned "work'at a assigned location. I was required to have a long stay. Visa / Extension, in my case retirement

I am American. BEFORE I was married, my GIRLFRIEND ( 6 months before we married ) went to amphor with me and I was able to get a Yellow House Book. EVERY AMPHOR IS DIFFERENT IN ..THEIR.. REQUIREMENTS REQUIRED; HER House Book, HER ID Card, MY passport - all STAMPS and PAPERWORK up to date, My TM-30 &TM-47 were at HER address, they checked to see IF I had the paperwork <<-- not checked with immigration that I am aware of. You MUST Ask your LOCAL AMPHOR what THEY require. Some will put you thru hoops to get, mine time before issue was reasonably quick. ALSO...Go for the PINK ID Card at the same time

Expensive???? I think the AVERAGE inflation for the past 12 years is around 1% yearly compared to 25% to 30% for the last 4 years in the USA. It ALL depends WHERE you live and WHERE you shop. I have a UNFURNISHED 2BR, 2 Bath, LR, DR, Indoor kitchen, yard and etc in a gated community paying rent of $135USD a month 20 minutes from center city Korat. ( housing only ) I have a friend in Phuket Area - 30+ minutes from the beach, paying $780USD rent a month for their 2BR ( basically same as mine with NO yard ) in gated community. So explain to me, if living here is SO expensive, how the average Thai family can live on $270USD to $360USD a month, housing and food????

My wife's village is out in BFE, I have found AIS to be the best mobile data provider out there. ( She had another provider when we met, but dropped them ) The family ( brothers, sisters, etc ) in BFE also use AIS for mobile and home WiFi NOTE: BFE = the nearest town of any size is 1+ hour away @70+kph

That's called, at the least, fraud, possibility forgery, and a reason to stop your pension payments. You risk YOUR pension cause you don't want to spend a couple hundred bt?

AMERICANS ..NEED.. a clearance letter from the US Embassy that you are "free to marry". Costs $50USD, it's a sworn document before a embassy officer. Then it must be translated to THAI ( by a certified translator )

What visa / extension is he on? If you can't afford a 1000bt purchase - time to go home. The exchange rate is affecting all expats, I would think most of us have a "piggy bank (aka stashed cash)" to raid if needed.

$50 is the usual "SWIFT" transfer flat fee MOST banks charge ( from USA at least ), AND, you normally get a lousy exchange rate. Did you transfer via SWIFT

If you need a USA number, a APK is available and I use it for US banking. The APK, calls and service are FREE. ( On some phones and tablets it will not work ) You MUST USE the service or you LOOSE the service. www.textnow.com

PINK ID CARD, and a YELOW HOUSE BOOK, make life MUCH easier in Thailand. They help to open bank accounts, travel, and other things by showing you are a """resident""" A driver license is not that powerful but is very useful.

NAVY HOSPITAL in BKK, Google it

Name brand drugs, ( imports ), as well as generic drugs not available in general, are usually available at THAI MILITARY HOSPITALS. To use a MILITARY hospital you MUST get a hospital ID Card. ( free) 1st. You pay the same cost as Thai civilians using the military hospital.