Kenny202

I heard its not so easy to get on general out of work benefits anymore, even at an older age. Used to be once you hit 50yo you didn't even have to look for a job.

You think they would give you the OAP at 65? Apparently they are quite flexible even heard of people getting exceptions to the 2 year rule for portability. I have a 6yo son so may be able to play that up. Like all govt departments wont know until you try and depends on who you get. What happens if you have a Thai wife here (I don't) who has never been to Australia and not a citizen etc? I am pretty sure she would be ineligible to get anything from the Aus govt. Do you still have your pension reduced as a married man even though your wife may have no income at all? I am pretty sure a guy I knew told me that was the case and he was sorry he got married here as he lost quite a few hundred dollars a month

Just wanted to get one thing clear....to get portability do you... 1) need to live in Australia for 2 years prior? or 2) be on the OAP for 2 years prior? For eg: My pension age is 67.... What if I travelled back to Australia when I was 65yo, got a job and applied for the pension when I was 67, after the 2 years? Would it mean the OAP would be immediately portable?

So a single man living in Thailand after portability period would get 936 a fortnight right? That's 40k THB / month and quite a livable amount here. Or 936 + applic allowances living in Australia I have a young child 6yo Australian citizen, wonder if I would get something for him living in Thailand? I would guess not So what about a guy who marries a Thai woman. She wouldn't be eligible to get anything I am guessing, and he still gets the reduced married amount? I remember a friend of mine living here telling me he was sorry he got married as it effected his pension negatively.

But I think even if you have been living overseas and are an Australian citizen and return with a fixed address you can get the pension straight away right? Only need to wait the 2 years for portability? What's the deal with Medicare? I been out of Australia, no residence or anything there. If I went back to live in Australia full time and got on the pension would I automatically get Medicare or is there a waiting period?

Post some more photos of them mate

Or maybe they were just like you, thinking they were in control until they realized they weren't. With your $350k US dollar home in her name you really think you are in the drivers seat? lol. Even if she doesn't have those ideas herself she will have plenty advising her otherwise. You are also deluding yourself on the age thing. It makes no difference here at all, and will rinse you just as quickly as an old guy....in fact I dare say most would prefer an old guy as the big pay day when old George kicks the tin is a lot closer. Also do not delude yourself she wouldn't leave the father of her child in a heart beat for any reason. It just doesn't come into their thinking. Anyway, keep hoping for the best, Espousing your manly qualities and dominance over your wife when you are just a sitting duck. Don't you know that's the game? And you yourself have walked right into the trap lol

Their is a lot of truth to that, for better or for worse

Have seen some very successfully make the transition and take advantage of the opportunities for sure....but in my experience....and only in my experience and my circle...... was definitely a small percentage

Have witnessed that myself in Oz. Even if she is a decent woman, usually they fall in with the wrong crowd of Thais...and 80% I estimate are ex bar girl types. One of them got a job doing mobile cleaning..Boss Thai lady used to ferry them around to different jobs. The job was mobile / in home but what they were doing in these homes wasn't cleaning. Another one ended up down the Casino with a group of Thai friends every day, go AWOL for days. Another mates girl went back to Thailand for 3 weeks to see her family. Other mate of ours walking past her old bar in Pattaya and guess who was inside working. Another mate took his Thai wife and kids back for a holiday to Thailand. Woke up one morning she was gone....as was his credit / bank cards and she had cleaned out all the bank accounts and did a runner. As well as that if the girl is hot she will have every bloke hitting on her thinking every Asian woman is up for sale. And even if you can get past that very few can settle down to life in another country. They miss their food, friends, family and Thailand generally. I wouldn't put myself in that position that's for sure.

And you are so much better? Why are you here then? You got a lot to learn Junior. Everyone respects you, master of your own domain etc hahahaha. You think we haven't all been through that phase? Thailand is wonderful at grooming people to get what she wants...just before the fall. Give you a simple test....see how much your wife is really in awe of your young handsome self lol. Tell her you have been offered a much better paid job back home, but you will only be able to return every 6 month or so to see her and spend time with the family. But you will send her regular monthly payments. I reckon she will be in packing your bags before you get the last words out. Obviously your posts are troll type attention seeking bait ups, and normally wouldn't even attempt a battle of wits with someone clearly fighting unarmed, but you are in for a harder fall than most I would say....because you clearly can't see it coming. Good luck my friend!

Yes discovering that all in a hurry at the moment. Got the kids in a really nice new school, great environment and they love it but just not putting in or making an effort. And looks like the teacher has a bit of an "up to them" attitude. One thing I do like is rather than do their homework by putting answers straight in a text book, the teacher gets them to write out all the questions, problems, charts themself last half hour or so before leaving school of an afternoon. Great idea. Problem is they are coming home without it completed or done really half a$$ meaning we need to spend an hour or more doing what they should have done in class, before we even get to answering the questions / maths etc. My wife called the teacher on Friday to ask why the kids aren't completing the prelim work they should be doing at school? Do they have enough time? They are giving us all sorts of excuses. The teacher said some kids are using this time to muck around, play etc like it wasn't her problem and many kids are doing the same. Now I don't expect special one on one attention for our kids but maybe some discipline in the classroom? We have already let her know don't spare the rod etc just because Dad farang etc. (She on first meeting told my wife she was scared to talk with me as she has never spoken with foreigners) So life atm a nightmare. 1-2 hours every afternoon just getting the preliminary work done of which is a battle to get them to do in any sort of reasonable fashion....then another hour doing the actual homework. have tried all sorts of positive stuff, rewards systems etc. Even telling them how things will be for the future if they do poorly at school....looking for a decent well paying interesting job vs working in a cane field or on a truck in the sun lugging boxes... but not having a lot of luck atm

It's quite clear to me the whole education system is designed around this. As is cheap booze and cigarettes....now a free for all on weed. What more does a bloke need to be happy 5555

Oh dear lol. Ok, whatever. Good luck to you

Well let me first start by saying I don't give a rats what you understand, nor probably does anyone else. Where do you get off stating someone is way older and uglier than another? I see you are only a new member so I am guessing you have already been banned before and came back under a new alias. Do you even live here? I see your other ridiculous comment about....why don't you just open a learning center......how about 2? What a ridiculous, impractical, ill conceived off the cuff remark. As are most of your comments just trying to provoke arguments. If you lived her or have ever lived with a Thai you would understand this nearly hourly presents 180 degree different views on most things. Not to say all are necessarily wrong on either side.... just different. As far as schools, you complain to any Thai about the vendors outside the schools, or teachers selling junk food in the classroom....or people swerving around kids on crossings and they will probably smile at you. They tolerate stuff like this as they have grown up with it and it is the norm. If I had my time over again would I start a relationship with a Thai and have kids? As much as I adore my son quite possibly not knowing what I know now. But a bit late now eh. Maybe I will peel off 10 million baht and buy a learning center ????

I remember we had German and English teachers in high school only EVER spoke in their native tongue. Only once in two year did I hear a female German teacher speak in (fluent) English when she was so exasperated with a kid.... she said "do you really not know" or may have been "are you really that stupid"....things were different then

I hope the goal was not to demonstrate a fluency in English and grammar 5555

Seems to be the norm on Asean now.....narcy unhelpful throw away one liners or someone trying to be a comedian. One thing I will say for the Thais is they show a lot more camradarie, support and respect amongst themselves than Westerners do.

It seems clear to me the guy has good intentions but swimming against the tide. To many Thai's we are viewed as a different entity to Thai people. I was talking to a highly educated Doctor I lived with once. She was trying to explain to me why it was ok for the Thai women across the road to live with a Thai guy when her English "husband" left to go back to work in the UK every few months. She said when the Farang comes to stay, the Thai man goes away and she love only Farang. I said what do the other people in the village think about it? She said they think she is smart. She take care her mum really good. I said what if a Thai woman did it to her Thai husband if he went away to work? "Oh! Noooo good!" I said you work really long hours....What if I get a girlfriend in the day when you are at work, but when you come home from work I love only you? Nooooooo! She sort of got it in the end, and didn't realize I was baiting her but this does seem to be the attitude of many, that we are to be treated different. As far as the situation in the school goes trying to control the kids, it is as hopeless as two parents sending their child different messages or have different values. Kids pick up on it and exploit it immediately. Not sure how many private schools here put the kids welfare over dollars but would seem your only choice is to put up with it or try and find a school where they are actually concerned with the kids welfare, learning and discipline. Best of luck

Heard the same thing from many teachers I know here. Most either quit or go with the flow and basically turn up every day. Zero job satisfaction, other Thai teachers jealous and undermining and admin will rip you off or short change you at any given opportunity. Mate of mine told me only 2 weeks ago he was told at a job interview 3 months trial and future employment after that based on students assessment of the teacher. Hard to believe but a story I have heard over and over again.

We pulled our kids out of there a few weeks ago and found a wonderful little private school near home. No vendors, no candy or soda's.....and 10000% better environment. I notice the private schools seem to have much younger and more motivated staff than the govt schools who's older entitled teachers seem to think they are some sort of divine entity. This would be because obviously these younger teachers don't have the tea money to pass the government teacher test to get in a higher paying government school, therefore they work a lot cheaper and it would appear more diligently. How ironic?

And don't forget pluggers or double pluggers ????

A lot of the charcoal you buy seems to already have a "chemical / fuel" type odor. Seem to remember someone telling me some sellers add deisel to the charcoal

A good no smell one couple of paper towels dipped in veg oil and scrunched up. Works a treat

Inner tubes cut up into small strips / pieces are excellent, particularly for charcoal as are old thongs. Most of the tyre shops, motor bike shops will give u an old one