Kenny202

And by the way I assume a child extension of O/A visa is still money in the bank 2 months before the stay until date? And do you have right up until the stay until date.....I mean as close as the day before to go in and renew your extension or do you have to do it a certain time before? Is there any leeway after the stay until date?

Won't be doing my next Parent / child extension until August next year (just completed one). Will be cutting it a bit fine on ready cash (400k in the bank) around then. Should be collecting my Superannuation in May so if that goes without a hitch I should be fine but just wondering...should I get caught short and need to use an agent (can you use an agent to do a child extension of an old O/A visa?) Just wondering how late you can leave it to get someone to do it? Right up until the stay until date or do you have to get the ball rolling a week or month etc before? It would be a last resort and don't really want to do it through an agent but if worst comes to worst maybe not have a choice.

I plan to get to my super, hopefully without penalties or tax early next year when I turn 60. I have no plans to go back and certainly hope I don't have to go to Australia to sort it out. Already made some enquiries before and made sure they have verified copies of my ID (had to get everything signed and witnessed by notary public here at 2000-1000 baht a page). So everything should be in place and I believe you just send them the withdrawal application and wait around 2 weeks. I think you may even be able to do it through secure mail on their site Has anyone done this while living here? (Without returning to Australia) Was it fairly simple? My Super company Colonial First state are pretty awful in every respect. Remind me of a 70's insurance company where they like taking the premiums but not paying out when due and are difficult to contact, avoidance tactics etc. I did try to change early this year but doing it from Thailand was just too much of a hassle. Communication with these people are awful...I am guessing they are loathe to put anything in writing and would be very difficult unless you can walk in their office and eyeball them. Even then I doubt you would get any service. I may not draw all of it out at once. Is that also possible? you can just leave it there and draw down on it as needed? Not sure if they have any minimum amount you need to withdraw every time but that is no problem. If you make a small first draw does that mean you will be taxed on any interest earned on the balance after that? I had people before suggesting using it like a pension but was warned off saying there can be tax implications...I don't know the details but as far as I know Super is untaxed providing you are at maturity age....and you have to make sure you don't change it to something that can be taxable if that makes sense. And the problem for me is I have been out of the country over 2 years (8 years actually) and don't own property so I am a "non resident for tax purposes"....which means any tax I need to pay is at the full rate...as if I were a foreigner. I have been assured though should I wait until 60yo there will be no tax. I was born in Australia and am still a citizen. I hope this is true. And all that going well not really sure what to do with the money or even if I should leave it in there. We're not talking sheep stations or millions of dollars here by the way. Performance over the last 8 years has been atrocious but have had it in a very safe non risky fund so returns in line with that. Then there was Covid, then there was Ukraine. Funnily enough just seems to have bounced back to where it was 5 years ago. I was hoping in the 8 years I have been here it would have nearly doubled but financial bad luck and bad timing has been the story of my life. I have no knowledge of the stock market and from what I hear going to a financial adviser is risky at best....To be honest the state of the world at the moment I would imagine unless you had a crystal ball no one can really predict what wuld be a safe earning investment. So at the least hoping someone can help me re their experience drawing down on their money. And any other advice, comments etc on the rest of it. Will be appreciated.. Feel free to PM directly if you wish

No, not at all. My mum had lovebirds...always had one. Need a lot of attention though, but not as much as Conures 5555

That's gold hahaha, nearly fell on me chair laughing lol. Reminds me of my first missus here. Saying no was like a red rag to a bull. I remember after two years her saying..."so when you say no, you mean no right?" like she had just understood the concept. They all seem to be a little (or a lot) contrary. Sometimes seem to go out of their way to do the wrong or illogical thing. By the way you can't just give them seed but they are pretty hardy and easy to look after. Sweet little guys too. Can buy a special seed mix and pet shop....and as well as that fruit and veg....they are a tropical bird so anything fruit / sweet like mango, longan, corn, broccoli, Cauli, ....try them on most things you'll soon know what they like. Other than that clean freshwater every day and try nd keep their cage nice and clean.

Problem is most of the lawyers here will lead you up the garden path. First task get a recommendation for a lawyer

They look like lovebirds (peach faces) to me, and theyre not native to Thailand. They also look to developed to be nesting. Are you sure they fell out of a nest? Looks like someones pets escaped

My wife's camera has an SD card. She only uses a phone / tablet and both only have micro USB port for charging. I see there are card readers that have a micro USB port, in fact I have one. I use the other USB end to copy photos from my SD card to my computer. When I plug it into the wife's micro USB charger socket on the phone or tablet the devices don't seem to recognize the card, or not that I can see anyway. I have gone into file explorer on the phone, can't see anything. Am I doing something wrong or does the phone / tablet not have this ability? The phone is an Oppo A31

Mine was going really well even a year / year and a half into covid but last 6 months real decline. Down perhaps 50%. Since this Ukraine thing just awful. She has a smallish Western style food restaurant in the city that was previously doing well. There are other restaurants around her and they also seem to be in the same boat. So many businesses here have shut up shop. Anyone else seeing the same thing?

Started driving the kids to school morning rush time. Absolute brainless lunatics on the road so I think a dashcam is required. I don't really want to mess around hard wiring one in and local shops her quoting 2500+ for installation and an extra 1500 for rear camera. I don't believe you always have to spend top dollar to get a decent product either. I got a couple of stand alone IP CCTV cameras have had for over 3 years now cost me 400 baht each. Neve failed. Full remote rotation, movement activation, alarm and auto push warnings. Outside undercover with all the bugs etc too. I see a lot of dashcams under 1000 baht on Lazada and many have 100's of positive reviews. Looks like most you can just plug into your cigarette lighter or USB. One in particular looks like a rear view mirror that clips onto your review mirror. Anyone have any insight? Is there any benefit to hardwiring? Like for eg cigarette lighter power wont be active unless ignition on. Any advice appreciated

Got the kids enrolled at a (supposedly) better, larger city government school (At an entrance price / joiner fee I might add) 2 x 6 year old boys. First shock was the shet fight just getting them to school. Foot paths all around the main entrance full of vendors trying to extract the kids lunch money for toys and candy. What is worse it is impossible to walk on the foot paths with the sellers so kids wandering all over the road. The actual main gate into the school is unsupervised as is the crossing. You can't walk from across the road as the main entrance is choka blok with motor bikes. There is no entrance clear way from the street. What has really got me riled though is the kids have come home with candy last two days. We don't give them money as there is no shop in the school, only the vendors outside and they are not allowed out. Kids told me today, and their teacher confirmed one of the teachers (on the 6 year old kids level) has a tray set up in the classroom to sell kids candy! Its real sugar rush stuff rubbish too...bubble gum etc. I know the culture is different here but is this for real?

Paying anywhere between 190 - 250 baht for these. Just wondering if anyone has found better option? Maybe buying online or from a hospital? Any help appreciated

Ok guys. Off to KK with the missus tomorrow. Anyone know a good clean budget hotel in central KK? Also somewhere for a nice steak and a good farang breakfast. Anything else worth seeing their? Hear there's a good market.