Brer Fox

37 minutes ago, lungnorm said:

Sorry but you do qualify for an Australian age pension irrigardless of weather you live in Australia or overseas.

 

50 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Yes, quite a few Aussies were residing in Thailand prior to turning 65, totally unaware that they had to return to Australia for 2 years to qualify for the pension. It was quite a blow.

Quite correct. Many comments here from people who are not familiar with the new rules.

2 hours ago, Aussie69 said:

 

Yes you need to apply for a portable pension, which I believe is hard to attain/justify.

 

If you are living in Australia now and apply for the pension you should be OK. If you have been living in Thailand or some such place for some length of time and return to Australia to apply for the pension you will find it difficult to get without certain qualifications.

45 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Wrong! What's a limited time? Because I've been here collecting the pension for nearly 8 years, am I about to run out of time?

Aussie69 is not wrong. if you read his comments correctly. Many Australians living in Thailand who reach pension age and then return to Australia to apply for the pension will usually get bad news. Aussie69 is not referring to those like yourself who has already had their pension approved and now living overseas.

7 hours ago, Jackie66 said:

While good news i wonder does this actually stimulate tourism? Is the 25USD for the visa really a decision maker if you will fly half around the world on a 2 week holiday considering the other costs associated with it?

Tourist don't even get to keep the US$25 to spend on whatever they choose. Before when this visa discount was announced the Hotels Association immediately recommended to their members they put their prices up 10%.  No doubt some other grasping tourist retail/food outlets likewise jacked their prices to snatch (I love that word) that money back out of their hands.

I have shared my time over the past 10 years between Thailand and Vietnam (mostly Vietnam) . You can get now a 12 month multiple entry visa for Vietnam through a travel agent; very simple and for around US$500 (possibly cheaper for certain countries). No strings like proof of money and all the Thai nonsense they have there.

Also Vietnam is about half the cost to live compared to Thailand which is now relatively expensive by comparison. People tell me English teaching jobs in Vietnam pay a lot more than Thailand although the hours are not so convenient.

Vietnam marriage visa is 5 years multiple entry with 1 year stamp renewal - again no BS proof of money strings like Thailand and no pestering with visits and photos as proof of marriage. For a marriage visa in Vietnam all you have to do is present your marriage certificate and certificate of residency in company of your wife. All done!

In Vietnam if you stay there to retire or work you should register where you live; nothing more. You go to the local police station with a copy of your lease and they fill in a certificate which they stamp which they give you and that's it. I have never had any problems with police or immigration. They are always helpful and co-operative. In Thailand I paid 25,000 baht for a "under the counter" Retirement Visa which was always frowned at when going through immigration. My trips to Thailand now are of the visa exempt variety.

I hope that helps.

4 hours ago, The Dark Lord said:

Can't see there would be much difference. Presumably Pus*y would be high on the menu so no change there except as a female you would have a bit more of a clue what the f***k makes them dance.

 

then you have all the hassle of the 30 day reporting to Dr Tampax and all the psychosis that that event creates.

 

then later on you have  the menaupause which will really cook your goose

 

and all of that whilst earning less than a man.

 

not for me thanks

Thank you for your detailed analysis. Your wisdom regarding femininity is profound. Perhaps the Dark Lord is going through male menopause himself and thus his negativity emerges. 

In my next adult life I would like to come back as a Thai Tom and 40kgs lighter. Many new doors to open and opportunities to explore.

 

4 hours ago, Estrada said:

Yes. The FDA (Food & Drug Administration) and Ministry of Public Health. In Bangkok, the BMA has occasional clean food campaigns but I don't see much action since the days when Samak was Bangkok Governor. Policing the supermarkets seems to be non-existent in Thailand. Our local Tesco at Seacon often has all manner of insects running around especially cockroaches and occasional rat. Chilled food is often not stored at sufficiently low a temperature. Although the majority of customers uses tongs to handle meat from the open trays, there are still too many who use their dirty hands to pick up meat and toss it around before leaving their germs on the meat for another customer.

 

As for restaurants, I was amazed to see rats running around in the poolside kitchen at the British Club the last time I visited there to do an equipment survey. You never know what the conditions are behind the scenes as the regulations are poorly enforced.

Not forgetting the klong rat that was spotted a few months back enjoying the donuts at a Tops Supermarket. At least that rat had discerning taste as Tops would have to be the most expensive supermarket chain in Thailand.

My advice to you would not be helpful. So I will refrain from saying get out while you can before you lose the lot.

10 hours ago, charliebadenhop said:

dotpoom-

 

I am wondering...

If you hear of a price of (for example) B19,500

Do you convert that into the currency of the country you came from, in order to make full sense of the price, or do you simply see the price in Baht and have no need to convert?

 

For me, with most prices I need to convert into US$.

 

Please let me know.

Stick with what you want to do and say. Leave the professional grumblers to their own. There is not much left for them to do to keep their hearts beating.

17 hours ago, Incobart said:

 

That's exactly my point, if the embassy is in Bangkok,  you can not pay with usd and for sure taxi and hotel not.. so thats why I think it must be Hanoi, as for some reason they still use ..

if it IS bkk why you use your currency and let the majority start to use exchange calculator to be able to understand your post. If everyone do, use south african rand or india ruble ..   everybody that live here should understand Thai bath so please stick to it Thank you

charliebadenhop tells a very worthwhile story and the best you can do is whinge about no currency conversions. Vietnam has two currencies. The Vietnam dong and the US dollar. The story is predominantly about Vietnam not Europe so what has Euros or Thai baht got to do with it. You do the conversion if you want to be bothered. 

A few tips.

1. Listen rather than talk and always try and remember what she says and weave it back into the conversation later. She will be impressed with your memory.

2. Be aware that while you are talking she is not listening. Instead her mind will be occupied with what she is going to say when you have finished. It will usually have nothing to do with what you have just said so be prepared for a new conversation thread.

3. Sex is a bodily function like other necessities of life. It has nothing to do with romance.

4. Never forget her birthday and the Thai year in which she was born.

5. Food is more important than anything else. Even more important than you.

6. Food must be eaten at specific times of the day. If that cannot happen all hell will break loose.

 

Rat, have had several just like that one in our ceilings. Rat poison works but then you will have dead, decaying rat which really stinks up the house. Best to get up there and use glue pads (available in Tesco, big-C, maybe HomePro). Use those per instructions, which is really just unpeel the cover, drop some snackies (peanuts, cheese) on it and set them out in probable rat routes in the ceiling. Monitor the stickies and remove with the attached rat, put in plastic bag and bin it. Then reload because where there is one there will be others.

Rat poisons these day have something in them which makes the rat desperate to drink water. So he/she rat rushes outside to get a drink and the reaction of the water and the tasty poison causes a lethal toxic mix. Rat dies outside never to return to the comfort of you home.

I have taken this trip many times as I live in Hanoi, the last time about 5 years ago. I have even done it with a motorbike in the guard's van (this costs extra and you have to submit the motorbike at a particular time so they can crate it up).

Recommendations: don't travel at a busy time as the best seating will be already sold out. Always buy the most expensive seats/beds and buy in advance - yes, you can travel at night and sleep but if you want a mattress and a small amount of space you need the most expensive ticket.

The journey took forever - cannot remember exactly how long and I think there were many delays - perhaps up to 24 hours. The train generally moved very slowly over certain stretches of track especially in Hanoi.

You should have no problem getting a taxi at the Hanoi train station.

Food and beer was provided by a guy in the corridor. I don't remember there being any dining car.

No dining car and if you take a sleeper carriage don't take a heavy duty sleeping tablet. You may wake up finding you no longer own anything.

I was going to comment on this but decided it could not benefit my health, enough said. .

You must live near Thonglor.

They caught the Erawan Shrine bomber. No points for that?

But the police gave themselves a handsome reward that the same police themselves had offered for the capture of the suspects. Suspects should not to be confused with people who are not as yet proven guilty. Up to a point!

I have been coming and going on visa exempts now for about 9 years. Trips are always Hanoi/Bangkok/Hanoi and are about six weeks apart for a duration of three weeks. Never been queried or "beeped".

I'm not an 'armchair expert' but I did read a recent news report that may help connect the dots between Thailand moving to clean energy and coal import increasing. A US company, I think Chevron, is looking to sell it's stake in offshore gas exploration in Thailand. Obviously it wouldn't sell if prospects were good. The report noted that Thailand only has around 6-9 years of natural gas supplies left before it has to increase imports from places like Malaysia. The government is trying to shift towards renewable energy to plug the gap but is having to rely on fossil fuels such as coal to make up the difference. There are many stories about woes in the oil sector being published all the time, just today there's an article about hotel demand in Rayong plummeting due to companies related to oil refining cutting their budgets.

I have also heard similar. Gf says her daughter who has a Thai engineer boyfriend working for some sort of gas/oil rig outfit says they are dismissing staff all the time. Seems like the curtain is coming down on Thailand. Someone ring the bell!

The truth is never where you think you find it in Thailand. It is always somewhere else hiding under a rock.

NO...... Under whatever circumstances.

Better infrastructure, much better hospitals, transportation links to the rest of the world, more cosmopolitan, more things to do, not too "third world". Despite the change in government, it seems that other governments (Lao, Vietnam, Myanmar) are more xenophobic and place more limitations on where foreigners can go, what they can do and even seek to regulate things differently compared to locals where you don't have this in Thailand (different colored licence plates for vehicles in Laos compared to locals). Lack of transparency when things go wrong in those countries - more transparency in Thailand.

What a heap of steaming bullsheet. I have lived in Vietnam for 10 years and there is absolutely no limitations on where I go and what I do. I expect your remarks about "cosmopolitan" and "more things to do" = sit at beer bars and chat to the girlies and eat in food halls? "Better infrastructure" like traffic jams, rail link breakdowns, inadequate airports. Same applies to your stupid remarks about "transportation" (read road deaths). "links to the rest of the world" - what do you think these people outside Thailand do to communicate - send up smoke signals. Xenophobic you say? A crass comment at best! Thailand has it's own xenophobia in abundance and it is certainly no less than neighbouring countries. Vietnam is half the cost of living compared to Thailand and a much safer place to live and that's a good start. The people do not constantly carry around a chip on their shoulder like those (read males) in the land of smiles. I enjoy being around the Thai people but I find the Vietnamese more friendly and sociable and cultured. I spent 70% of my time in Vietnam and 30% in Thailand for business reasons and I am able to compare, unlike you I suspect. I can't begin to contemplate what a boring cosmopolitan life you must lead.

In that context what does Victory Monument in BKK represent. Does anybody know what Thailand victories are represented by that monument.

I fly in and out of Thailand about every 6 weeks for the last 8 years and have never been asked by immigration to see a return ticket. If they did ask I could always show them one.

@jacksam ........................

your post made me remember

I live in Udon Thani and 4 days ago the family ( myself , gf, gf's daughter and , gf's mother) did a trip to Nong Khai to visit a temple there.

Just south of nong Khai there is a police checkpoint....................on the way up it was not manned( BUT could have been) ,but when we were returning to Udon Thani , it was manned.

WE were stopped ( as car has very tinted windows), the daughter opened her window, officer looked inside, saw family group and we were waved on .

But there were about 5 cars pulled over and occupants being " checked" ..........................for what I dont know.

So maybe ......to clear an overstay it is better ,as you say ,to fly out from Swampy or Don Mueang.

Similarly I was on a minibus going from Nong Khai to Udon T and the bus was pulled over at that same place (military) for ID inspection. I produced my passport but they seemed only vaguely interested in making sure who I was rather that looking for possible overstayers. I was told they are mainly looking for illegals out of Laos.

Compared to Thailand Vietnamese tourist or business visas are easy to get. Just depends how long you want to stay. One month or three months? Both are easily obtainable at your local Vietnamese Embassy. Vietnam makes you feel welcome. I have resisted getting married so I cannot get a Marriage Visa which is the ultimate. I am resident in Vietnam for and 10 years and I just come and go to and from BKK to renew my 3 month multiple visa. Many expats work as teachers and can get a work visa organised by their employer.

Check out this link

http://www.thanhniennews.com/society/life-in-vietnam-a-lark-say-expats-58934.html