bazza40

Forty years ago my passport always stayed in my crotch in a plastic bag while travelling Thailand and Laos.

Times have changed but a plastic bag is always good advice.

Too much information.Hope you used a good deodorant.

I am baffled where the OP is going with this thread. If Thailand had a perfect transport system, no corruption, and a decent minimum wage, very few of us falangs could afford to live here.

Get a visa assistance service that can smooth your path, not create obstacles.

Spend the money on electricity for the aircon. These units only work with high temperatures and low humidity.

I think they are.

I'm not so sure about you.

Given you are married to a Western woman, and have never had a relationship with a Thai woman,how would you know?

So when is the heat wave going to end? I thought last years went on forever

It's only just starting. Of course, the global warming deniers will dispute that.

thats me then

If that's the case,I admire your flexibility. Not too many people can have their foot in their mouth and their head up their ***e simultaneously.

So when is the heat wave going to end? I thought last years went on forever

It's only just starting. Of course, the global warming deniers will dispute that.

Sweating is normal. It would be more of a concern if you were not sweating. Thais sweat, it's just not as profuse and hence visible.

Go for the lightest, loosest cotton fabrics you can buy.

Only use the aircon to aid sleeping. Switch to fans at every opportunity.

Blood is thicker in temperate and cold climates. It takes your body about six months for the blood to thin out to tropical levels.

No Blood isnt thicker or thinner in cold hot its a myth, altitude does have an effect though

http://www.islandpacket.com/news/health-care/professional-opinion-column/article33554922.html

Your point. I suffered terribly from the cold when I came back to Melbourne after 6 years in NW Australia. I remember my body weight was 85 kg there, have never been south of 90 kg since.

Try to walk as slowly as the locals. You'll stay cooler.

I tried that, but I got annoyed with the weeds growing around my ankles.

Must be some interesting plant hybrids that grow that fast in Bangkok bitumen.

Sweating is normal. It would be more of a concern if you were not sweating. Thais sweat, it's just not as profuse and hence visible.

Go for the lightest, loosest cotton fabrics you can buy.

Only use the aircon to aid sleeping. Switch to fans at every opportunity.

Blood is thicker in temperate and cold climates. It takes your body about six months for the blood to thin out to tropical levels.

I'll most probably die here ( 80% ) or in Australia.

Just about to turn 73, and I'll keep on doing what I'm doing. If bits fall off me, I'll either adjust or buy more mechanical or pharmaceutical wonders.

I'm fairly confident my Thai GF will look after me. It's in her interest to keep me alive, and she's not young enough to be promiscuous.

Provided the quality of life is there, getting old beats the s**t out of the alternative.

Didn't think much of Saigon, a s**thole. First time I've seen rats sitting outside drains in a major city. District 1 a major turnoff.

Food in Hanoi interesting, technicolour spring rolls. Loved the breakfasts with fresh baguettes. Very cute water puppet show.

My pick of places are Danang and Dalat. Didn't get to see Nha Trang or Hue.

Laws that are not enforced only make the law makers look silly. They need to enforce these laws

Laws are often not enforced in general and only enforced at the discretion of authorities... you have to look no farther back than the old loitering laws that if you were "loitering" but was dressed reasonably.... you would not be bothered... but it you looked like a beggar.... you would find yourself warned or charged.... (the good old days when you were not constantly harassed by professional beggars in major western cities).

You should not be able to pick and chose which laws you want to enforce. All laws should be enforced. In your home country do you adopt the same attitude? I doubt it so you shouldn't adopt it here

There is good law and bad law. Laws are made by politicians. Judges and prosecutors often choose to turn a blind eye to bad law.

Go for it - and ignore the childish comments about your wife. Some people have a chip on their shoulder about western women.

Some people have a chip on their shoulder about people who have a chip on their shoulder about western women.

290,000 baht/month means you can live just about anywhere on the planet. I would recommend 3 - 6 months in Thailand, and 3-6 months in Vietnam. Danang and Dalat both good in their own ways - Danang for beaches, Dalat for climate. Better infrastructure in Thailand.

I'm 72, living in Chiang Mai for 7 years now. Wish I had come earlier.

In Vietnam

1. there is a very limited expat scene. In Dalat there is the backpacker street , in Danang about three foreign aimed bars, which were boring and empty when I visited .

2. you will go insane with the continuous noise of vehicle horns.

3. food is cr4p.

4. nobody speaks any English.

5. opening bank accounts, buying vehicles is all way more tedious than Thailand.

6. they are always cheating on prices to the point that it simply becomes a constant chore going out to eat and buying stuff.

Your experience was different to mine, perhaps that was because of different priorities.

1. As a two week tourist, I wasn't interested in the expat or bar scene.

2. Vehicle horns depend on where you stay. Granted they are excessive; however, in the quieter areas usually gone by 10 pm.

3. Quite liked the food, especially the breakfasts. Although I'll admit Pho Bo is a bit boring.

4. I was pleasantly surprised by how many Vietnamese spoke English. Ran into several who wanted to practise with me.

5. Used the ATM's. Taxis are so cheap it's not worth buying a car even for someone there long-term.

6. Never felt cheated on prices, always fun to haggle.

I was quite surprised by the limited police/military presence. For a Communist country, I thought it was far less visible than in Thailand.

290,000 baht/month means you can live just about anywhere on the planet. I would recommend 3 - 6 months in Thailand, and 3-6 months in Vietnam. Danang and Dalat both good in their own ways - Danang for beaches, Dalat for climate. Better infrastructure in Thailand.

I'm 72, living in Chiang Mai for 7 years now. Wish I had come earlier.

37 baht per unit I believe, end up paying about 450/month in my condo, which I think is way too much.

I'd agree. I'm never more than 60 baht/month in a Chiang Mai condo, or a village about 20 km outside Chiang Rai.

Much more watchful on the electricity, about 1500 baht/month.

Whatever you do guys don't give them your TV username you will all be nicked for defamation

So you are saying that if you give your TV user name to the Immigration people, or any business or authority, and

they want to find you they can do so by knowing your TV user name?

So some TV member uses defamation of character, the person who was defamed gets in touch with Thaivisa, who

then gives that person the members email address, then the person gets the TV members real name and address, from

their email address, then the police come knocking? Absolute cobblers.

More likely they ask for the IP address of the poster. From there they trace the address.

If that's the case, then I will have to watch what I say in future, my postcount is going to rise a lot slower now.

That's great, I'm sure quality is preferable to quantity.

My form of defence would be to open a bank account with 100 baht and provide that as the information. I'd be very wary of giving out details where substantial balances are involved.

I hear it has gotten so bad that the girls are not showering between short times, nor are they insisting customers shower.

Too much information

Your wife will need you or some motorized translated document from you saying it's OK for the child to be issued a passport. Normally, both parents have to front up at the passport office for them to issue a passport to the kids

I was going to ask what a motorized translated document was, then realised notarised was the intended adjective.

Storage tanks are not all that expensive at Thai Watsadu. Up to you - either catch rainwater as a backup supply, or just bitch about it.

So you've no idea about the context of the situation, but you're assuming she's the one at fault?

Says more about you than them, really.

Just wondering what a statistical analysis of your posts would show in terms of % judgmental.

While I have my retirement visa in Chiang Mai, I think there are some places in Vietnam which are definitely attractive. Danang's beaches are superb. As far as climate goes, Dalat (1500 m above sea level ) offers one of the best year-round climates in Asia. Vietnamese food and coffee is pretty good too.

For me, the interesting thing about Vietnam is that while it is a Communist country, it doesn't feel like one. Far more military and police presence in Thailand.

If the Vietnamese decide to liberalise their visa systems to allow retirement there, I think Thailand would be the loser.

Interesting comment from an English-speaking taxi driver in Hanoi. Amid the cacophony of horns, I said I didn't hear them often in Thailand. He said that's because in Vietnam, it simply means watch out, I'm coming. In Thailand, it means f##k you.

Is this a new requirement? I got my Retirement Visa two years ago and there was never any mention of a police report from Australia being a required document in the process.