newnative

Blah. Blah. Blah. Stay tuned for a similar announcement several months from now and then periodically after that as far as you can see--as has been the case for years now. What we have is no visible progress.

Basically here as a penniless beggar.

I've never heard of a different charge for condo units on higher floors, all other things being equal. Makes no sense to me. Some of the View Talay condo projects in Pattaya used to charge a flat rate, regardless of the size of the unit. When we lived at View Talay 3 years ago, I believe it was 6000 baht a year for maintenance, whether you were in a 48 sqm studio or one of the larger units. At some point, I don't remember when, that was changed to a sqm charge and I think that is the case now for most if not all of the VTs.

Thai is not a race. Neither is foreigner. You are confusing nationality with race. Prize money is reserved for Thai citizens. I see nothing wrong with that--it's nice they are letting foreigners compete, in my opinion. If it bothers you, don't compete.

Certainly, it's what you are comfortable with and what suits best. My spouse and I like being homeowners and having our own space to do with what we want. For others, renting can be a better option.

As it should.

Guy's walking a fine line. He's way too sick to be in prison. But, he's way too well to be in hospital--once he gets paroled.

Yes, here--but I could certainly do it on my own--and I know a number of single farang who have. I'm married to a Thai and we choose the properties we buy together. If single, I would be making the choice. I'm in charge of transferring the money in with the proper documentation for buying property and securing the bank paperwork. I'm mostly in charge of the selling, which involves taking photos, putting together an email package that contains good photos and a detailed description of the property, and then sending out the email to as many of the agencies as possible. Then checking the agency websites to see if our property got listed, and sometimes sending a follow-up email. Also listing the property on Facebook, Craigslist, etc. We work together showing the property, with me being in charge of staging. We also work together with both the buy and sell contracts but I could do those on my own. Were I here without my spouse, I could certainly search for a property for sale and use a real estate agency to facilitate the buy and assist at the Land Office. Ditto for selling. It's not that different here from the eight or so properties I bought and sold on my own in the US--and far easier with regard to paperwork, inspections, appraisals, mortgage loans, proof of finances, etc. With renovations, I would likely use the services of stores more than we do now, but I have some single farang friends who have used local contractors with house and condo projects.

I suppose a personal preference but I, myself, would not like to carry my garbage out, down 20some floors on the elevator and then to wherever the garbage is collected. Nor would I like to be in a crowded elevator with someone else carrying out their sometimes stinky garbage. Spouse and I ruled out from the get-go one project that did not have a garbage room on each condo floor hallway. In at least a dozen condos where we've owned at, we never had a problem with the garbage room being somewhere on the condo floor. But, as I said, our preference.

Nonsense. See my earlier post.

Who says you need to spend '25 years in the same place'? Spouse and I arrived in Thailand in 2010. Bought one condo in Rayong and then moved to a second one we bought there. Decided we wanted to live in Pattaya and sold the second Rayong condo and moved to a condo we bought on Dongtan beach. From then until around 2020 we moved, if I've counted right, nine different times from one condo we owned and then sold to another condo we bought. We've lived about everywhere from south Jomtien to Wong Amat. It's been fun living in a number of the different neighborhoods of Pattaya. At this same time, we bought a getaway condo in Bangkok, decided after a year it was too small, sold it, and bought a bigger condo down the street closer to the subway. Around 2020, we decided to switch from condo living to living in a house. We are now on our third, on the Darkside, another part of Pattaya, and enjoying both our house and this area. We have never lost a penny on any property we purchased, condo or house, here in Thailand. We have found buyers for each property we put up for sale. Some properties sold quickly, others took longer, but they all sold, at a profit. The notion that if you own a property you lose your mobility is just not true.

Correction. Thaksin to walk free from hospital on Sunday.

As you said in your earlier post, the popular vote likely would not have changed much, with or without the EC. I doubt a change of tactics would have gained Trump 2.5 million more votes in 2016 or 7 million more votes in 2020. 'Best' is subjective but In 2000 and 2016, the voters, themselves, did choose the candidate that they preferred to be president of the choices running, and that preferred candidate did win the popular vote in both of the elections. In both cases, that 'best candidate' was not Bush or Trump.

Absolutely--especially if the GOP nominee is Trump.

Yes, likely a 'non-issue'--for Republicans. George W. Bush and Trump both lost the popular vote. Trump by over 2.5 million in 2016 and 7 million in 2020. If he is the GOP nominee in 2024 he will in all likelyhood lose the popular vote once again, but could win the cursed EC. The voters could, as in 2016 and 2000, once again be denied their choice for president. The Republicans love the cursed EC.

Unfotunately, America does not let 'the voters elect'. If that were the case, Trump would have lost not just the 2020 election but also the 2016 election. He would have never been president and the long nightmare of his presidency would never have happened. The 'voters' in 2016 wanted Clinton by over 2.5 million votes. The cursed Electoral College, however, wanted Trump, and Trump we got.

It started years ago. One of my sister's used to work as an accountant for Hershey. The Hershey company did special orders for Trump from time to time. She told me it was always a huge struggle to get Trump to pay his bill, often taking months and months.and usually with some sort of dispute involved, to boot. Nothing seems to have changed.

'Move forward stands at the brink of dissolution' . . . to be reborn, if that happens, just as Future Forward was. They'll find they can't kill a movement.

Indeed. Here he is, writing his spy thrilers, and then, out of the blue, comes Pillars. Quite the change of pace! I've enjoyed all the books in the series.

Retirement in Thailand has been wonderful. I won't say I'm never bored but it's rare. There's always plenty to do and I like to keep busy. Two days a week we have a morning at a gym in town. Evenings, it's usually Netflix and reading when we are at home, after an evening swim in our pool and a walk. I like a project to work on and my spouse and I are in the beginnings of another house build, which should keep us busy and entertained for at least the first half of this year. Life is good.

Another day, another tourist suffering a devastating injury in a motorcycle accident. Another preventable tragedy, simply by banning tourists from renting motorcycles.

Thank you! And, a bit of good news to pass along. Spouse found 5 baht under one of the sofa cushions so we're now up to 17,500 baht saved for the rental nut! Nice round figure after being stuck at 17,495 for what seemed like forever. Onward! Something to share at today's PBA meeting. (What I won't share is I sneaked a peek at a seaview condo I noticed for sale on Facebook this morning. In a good project, just needs a little work. Tempting. My bad. Well, two steps forward and one step back, as they say.)

You absolutely nailed it! '...those who buy just can't afford to rent.' Were truer words ever spoken since man learned to talk? I think not. Bravo, you. Eight golden words that say it all--and certainly hit home in a painful way, with me. Maybe more on that later. Gosh, I've lost count of the number of 'simple folk' I've met who have 3MB or 5MB or 10MB to buy a property but they just can't crack what I call the 'rental nut' and get themselves into a nice rental. Just. Can't. Crack. It. No way, Jose. The rental nut, for the uninitiated, is the vast sum that is required to initially rent a property. You have the first month's rent, sometimes the last month's rent, and often not one but two month's rent for the security deposit. On a monthly rental of 20,000 baht, one could end up having to come up with as much as 80,000 baht all at once. 'All at once' is really the key to the whole, awful conundrum. Who has that kind of money just lying around eating bon bons and watching Netflix? For so many, that huge rental nut required is, 'simply', a bridge too far. Sad, innit? So, unable to crack the rental nut, they make, as you say, the 'simple decision' and just buy a property instead. Not only 'simple' but taking the easy way out, really, when you think about it. Instead of buckling down and forcing themselves to save the money for the rental nut, off they merrily go to plunk down their 3MB, 5MB, or whatever, and buy a property without even breaking a sweat. How hard is that, I ask you? Where's the mighty struggle, day after day, that will make that first rental so, so satisfying when you finally get it, knowing that you did it! Yes, I can save 80,000 baht, all at once! Yes, I can crack the rental nut! Sometimes, I almost believe it's better that these 'simple folk' be satisfied with their lot in life and remain 'simple' property owners, rather than striving to enter the world of renters, which, perhaps, they really don't belong in, harsh as that may sound. And, let's be honest, for way too many, it can only end badly. Very badly. Think about it. If they can't manage to save 80,000 baht for the rental nut, how in the world are they ever going to come up with 20,000 baht in rent, month after month after month? Seriously, it could be years we are talking about! Boggles the mind. Much better for these 'simple folk' to only have utilities and maintenance fees each month--many, surprisingly, are able to manage these small fees. If it ain't broke . . . And now, as alluded to earlier, a reluctant confession. I, too, am one of the 'simple folk'. There, I've said it. Phew! A bit of a relief, I must say. Just put it out there, come what may. It started in the US and has continued here in Thailand. Buy a property, sell it, make some money, and then buy another. Over and over, never learning my lesson. Why in the world couldn't I have, at some point, managed to save that 80,000 baht and cracked the rental nut--which could have landed me what might have been the rental of my dreams? Why, indeed. What is it they say about making the same mistake over and over again and expecting a different outcome--that's me, with a lot of help from my spouse, who is not blameless in this whole sorry mess, let me tell you. Being a glass half-full guy, I'd like to end this sad lament on a positve note, if I may. I'm happy to report that my spouse and I have joined the local chapter of Property Buyers Anonymous, or PBA, for short. We've been faithfully attending meetings for about a year now and, not to toot our horn too loudly, we are making what I would call mostly steady progress. Although we did have that one time when we fell off the wagon and bought the house on the Darkside. BUT, that one small, teeny tiny lapse aside, we have really put our noses to the grindstone and, as of today, we have 17, 495 baht saved up towards a Pattaya rental! One baht at a time and we are on track to earn our first 20,000 baht PBA chip sometime this year! Yaa us! And a big pat on the back! Good job! (PBA encourages you to give yourself frequent praise, as it is such a difficult struggle, cracking that rental nut.) For those 'simple' Pattaya property buyers who might be interested in kicking the filthy habit of buying rather than renting, PBA meetings are held weekly at a different property enticingly available for rent in Pattaya. Brilliant, I think, to give PBA attendees a weekly dose of encouragement in cracking the rental nut. Next week's meeting, a lovely unit in Nirun!

Still waiting for the 'shocking' part.

I'm betting the 'confused' emoji is from bokningar.