bazza40

It depends on the situation. It's ridiculous to return a wai from a child or a shop assistant. On the other hand, it's polite to return a wai from someone of higher status, such as an elderly person. My method is to only return a wai, not initiate it. Or acknowledge with a smile or a nod. I don't think Thais get to upset if we don't wai, because they are not expecting us to.

You don't have any Thai friends.

You may have some Thais waiting for their opportunity to make some cash out of you.

I've only been here two months, and I know that, guess you're a slow learner.

Glad it worked out OK in the end for you. Enjoy your new home.

I have Thai friends who've never asked for any cash.

Possibly you have nothing to offer but cash.

I have no Thai friends, but as I have never met one that I had anything in common with that's not really any surprise. Nor do I think it's any loss. But perhaps when you say "friends" you really mean "acquaintances"? I have a few of those, but I would not rely on them for anything in the way that people can rely on me.

The OP's long and sad tale can be boiled down into a few short and not-so-sweet phrases. Trust no one, always assume that you are being lied to, and always check everything yourself. If at all possible always do everything yourself. That way you wont have many disappointments here.

It would appear you are a glass half empty person.

I have several Thai friends who have helped me from time to time. And there are Thais that are competent at what they do.

I had a problem with a fuel leak and smell in my car and took it to a mechanic in Chiang Rai who had been recommended on the internet by several falangs. Not something I could do myself. He crawled all over the car for more than an hour, eventually taking the boot lining to pieces. Found the leak in the filler pipe and fixed it. 300 baht. Since then he's done a couple of routine services for me, prices very reasonable, car has not missed a beat..

Fair enough to check and shop around. However, I've found most of the Thais I deal with are honest. Sometimes they are incompetent, but that's hindsight.

There's something to be said for a minimalist approach to housing. I could probably pack up all my property ( here and in Australia ) into two large suitcases. Appliances such as laptops and Kindles have been a godsend.

I am very fortunate in having a landlord ( Brit ) who maintains my apartment very well through an agent for 8 years now. No contract, just a gentleman's agreement. I'd be quite concerned if I had to move, with some of the horror stories that appear on TV.

It's only dangerous here if you behave like an idiot.

This is where the defamation laws in Thailand need reform.

If the agent issuing the fake visa is named, they can sue for defamation, even though the allegation is true. Thailand is never going to make life tougher for the scammers with the status quo.

A Scot would just make out a check to the dead guy and drop it in the coffin.

And write a book about it..........

I understand copper wire was invented by two Scots arguing over a penny.

...a determined rat....

...they have been known to chew through toilet seats....

...and even cement or concrete....???

And the wiring of motor vehicles.....

Don't seem to have any problem with the daily markets or the larger Wararot market in Chiang Mai. You can see the fruit and vegetables coming in from outlying farms on pickups every day.

It's great Thai Visa has an "Unfollow this topic" button.

Service charges in Thai establishments? For what? I'm paying for the service in the price already. Tipping for service should be the

choice of the customer, not the supplier.

I'll tip a modest amount, depending on my knowledge of what the person who serves me is earning. I usually don't go back to places that hit me with a service charge.

Ah Yes on tipping here in LOS.These local people in the service industry have an income of very little and most depend on tips to make a difference. Usually if you are American or Canadian German,Scandinavian and several other Europeans a tip of 10 to 20 % is made .The Japanese about 5 to 10 % ,English and Chinese it is ZERO and if a Scotsman you might ask for a reduction in the bin.

ln all my travels around this world(been to every continent except Antarctica & South America), l have NEVER met a mean Scotsman.

l guess you were kidding & its accepted that Scots are like their stereotype, we & some Scots even joke about it.

l have met good & bad Scots, but none that l remember as mean.

Maybe they try harder as they know what people think.

Some of the meanest s.o.bs are my fellow Ozzies.

(Mr)

Never met a mean Scot !!!!!! Never been to Scotland then LOL. Only people I know who can make an Arbroath smokie last a family of 5 for a week.?

Legend has it copper wire was invented by two Aberdonians arguing over a penny.

Making a will has nothing to do with you visa / lenght of stay.

You can name who you want and specifically exclude "normal" heirs like kids from previous marriages. The question then is whether or not that will is legally enforceable by your wife in the countries where your assets are.

I.e. I can give all my Thai assets to my wife, therefore exclude my kids from the will, but this would NOT be possible for my Swiss assets, there my kids have the right for the legal minimum.

That is why many people with assets and legal heirs in different countries have more than one will.

Make sure the Thai will is in both Thai and your national language, and have the Thai version translated again independently.

My wills provide for the disposal of my assets in Thailand, and those in Australia. One will in Thailand, one will in Australia.

Paying for sex is hardly rocket science.

When you take into account the considerable levels of self-delusion that those involved often seem to exhibit, I think an outsider's perspective is actually likely to be more realistic in some respects.

I think we've wandered some way from the point here, though.

I'm just wondering if there's a topic on Thai Visa which IS rocket science to you. What's the word I'm looking for? Ah yes - know-it-all. An Aussie expression which suits you admirably.

Of course not. However, let me point out if you have never played golf, your comments are of much less value than a low marker who has played the game for sixty years.

I'm not fixated on any subject in particular, as I'm sure anyone who reads my posts would realise. But the sex industry does tend to rather dominate discussion on these forums, so obviously I'm going to end up talking about it from time to time.

No, I wasn't drawing a government wage - I've never worked for the government on any capacity.

Interesting that you're keeping track of my relationship status and imagining my work history. Perhaps you're the one with the fixation?

My mistake - I thought from your previous posts you had had a long career in academia, which I assumed in the UK is mainly supported by government funding. To me, that's the same as a government wage, although academics would not necessarily view it that way.

Just making the point you discuss the Thai sex industry without any direct experience ( according to you ) in that field.

Fixated? No. Many other things to do with my day. Although I am interested in your protean ability to shift the goalposts of a discussion.

As I've said before on another thread, not everyone has your omniscience. And there are plenty of people here who worry about running out of money. Fortunately I'm not one of them; however, I can sympathise with them.

"Deliberately seek the company of people who want to take your money?" Who does that deliberately? From memory, it was actually a Brit who defrauded quite a few homebuyers on Koh Samui. Not all the scammers are homegrown.

It may be true people come here with no such worries. It's what can happen after they are here which is the problem.

Do you have all your assets in Thailand? If not, why?

Who does that deliberately? Everyone who associates with 'bar girls'.

I suppose you have a point, although the more intelligent falangs who associate with bar girls are simply negotiating for services without the intent of being financially undermined by said girls. It's interesting how you seem to be fixated on the topic of bar girls, even though by your own account you are happily married to a Western woman and hence presumably have no direct experience of dealing with them.

Noted you did not answer my question re assets. I'm guessing you were drawing a government wage in the UK - it's very much a public service trait to ignore direct or inconvenient questions. Nigel Hawthorne would be proud of you.

Yes,none of my business. However, I maintain it's wise to avoid over-committing assets to Thailand -too many possibilities for things to go pear-shaped.

It's a great place to live IF you follow certain rules, some of which are cultural and some of which relate to financial security.

All the horror stories appearing on TV arise because those rules were ignored or disobeyed.

As a retiree, my situation is different to the OP. However, there is one golden rule for Thailand which you ignore at your peril:

NEVER PUT MORE MONEY INTO THAILAND THAN YOU CAN AFFORD TO LOSE.

Nonsense. The 'financial security' rules only apply if you deliberately seek the company of people who want to take your money. Plenty of people come here with no such worries.

As I've said before on another thread, not everyone has your omniscience. And there are plenty of people here who worry about running out of money. Fortunately I'm not one of them; however, I can sympathise with them.

"Deliberately seek the company of people who want to take your money?" Who does that deliberately? From memory, it was actually a Brit who defrauded quite a few homebuyers on Koh Samui. Not all the scammers are homegrown.

It may be true people come here with no such worries. It's what can happen after they are here which is the problem.

Do you have all your assets in Thailand? If not, why?

It's a great place to live IF you follow certain rules, some of which are cultural and some of which relate to financial security.

All the horror stories appearing on TV arise because those rules were ignored or disobeyed.

As a retiree, my situation is different to the OP. However, there is one golden rule for Thailand which you ignore at your peril:

NEVER PUT MORE MONEY INTO THAILAND THAN YOU CAN AFFORD TO LOSE.

Impressive when they are operating in an air conditioned store.

Other than that absolute waste of anyone's hard earned money.

Will do nothing but pump warm air round your room.

Do not waste your money,you have been warned.

You have no idea what you`re talking about and seems you are confused between what is a regular fan and a water cooled unit.

These coolers come in many different sizes and power amps. Larger the room requires the correct size unit. The 2 medium size models I bought with 18in fans were brilliant during the extreme hot temperatures, as far as I`m concerned they saved the day. They do not recycle warm air around a room, the air and water is cooled by the chiller unit inside and the air and cold water is expelled by the fan, they are not influenced by room temperatures. The medium size units use less than 1 amp of power so they are at least 25 times cheaper to run then a conventional air conditioner, although they will not cool a room as efficiently but they are a good second best.

The only cons is that the water runs down fairly quickly and has to be filled several times a day and they intend to be on the noisy side.

Utter garbage. These units will only produce a temperature drop if the ambient humidity is 10-20 % RH, which only happens in arid climates such as central Australia. Thailand is not noted for low humidity. So you just sit there sweating without any meaningful cooling effect - all that is achieved is 100% humidity.

Let me suggest you are the person on this thread who has no idea what he is talking about.

Employ an agent and time becomes irrelevant.

MOISTURE is a problem here.....What I'm wondering is is I got some rock salt and put it in an old sock or small cloth bag would it work against moisture like the small bags of silica found in vitamin bottles & such....

You can get silica in quantities, possibly camera stores. Or look around at cat litter, some will be 100% silica.

Not much point in getting silica gel for drying if you don't know how much water it has absorbed. The small sachets are for once only use.

Silica gel infused with a cobalt salt will be blue in good condition, and pink when exhausted. It can be regenerated by heating in a low oven, then turning the oven off and allowing it to get back to room temperature while still in the oven. Silica gel is sold by chemical supply houses.

No, rock salt won't work - not hygroscopic. The cat litter may, but you won't know when it's exhausted.

As soon as you set up a Thai Bank savings account if you don't already have one wire as much money as you can for the future into Thailand.

Many Thai banks now require a work visa to open an account, but not all.

Kasikorn Bank Mgr. in Nana told me if I close any account I can't reopen another without a work visa even with my retirement visa extension. I've been a customer for 9 years.

I would also move to Thailand ASAP.

I really don't understand why anyone in their right mind would want to wire as much money as they can into Thailand. I wire yearly living expenses, and keep the 800,000 baht on deposit to satisfy the financial requirements of a retirement visa/extension.

The majority ( 85% ) of my funds are in Australia. The stability of Thai politics and policies towards falangs is questionable. Personally, I think one should never bring more money into Thailand than one is prepared to lose.