4MyEgo

Ah the timing of all of this, A-nut-in statin just the other day that he would put his hand up for PM, i.e. if the people want him too, of course.

How rude, the finger pointing that is.....

I would love to see those local boys in brown prosecuted for their part in the negligence, i.e. they obviously knew the establishment was there, and chose to turn a blind eye, thanks to those brown envelopes continuously coming in.

Just get a taxi it's cheap enough and you will be there in no time, all going well, especially after a long flight.

It's the locals that take brown envelopes to turn a blind eye, only when the out of area cops come in, they shut them down, seen this many times before, could be because they aren't getting a slice of the pie. As usual, blind eyes are always turned in Thailand when it comes to money and when people die, nothing to see here, move along, as opposed to sacking those who run the area and putting those who ran the joint illegally in jail, no doubt a friend of a friend of a friend or someone in a powerful positions son, just saying.....

Regardless, if you didn't make a claim, and let's assume something else happened to you, they could refuse to pay for anything as the contract becomes null and void once you have made a false statement. Always disclose your pre-existing conditions, you can still get travel insurance without them covering you for your pre-existing condition, I have done it many times, having a heart condition also.

I can't believe how the cops where handling this, 1st the spent bullets identified on the road by the numbers, all the while a motorcycle riding through, i.e. not tapped off. I remember when a drug dealer was shot dead in a carpark in my street in the old country, no one could leave their home until the investigation was over and the car park was 200 metres down the road, all I wanted to do was walk in the opposite direction to go to work, nope. Then there was the cop cocking the gun, all the while, while he was pointing it at everyone standing there, could you imagine if it went off. Looked like a lot of Captains all giving orders, that said, I hope they put the case together and throw the key away once he is put in the Bangkok Hilton, never to be released. I have learned here to let go when someone (every 5 minutes) does something stupid on the road while I am driving, not worth the hassle of being knifed, shot or rammed, mind you I can handle myself, but like I said, not worth the hassle of dealing with someone suffering from the small d--- syndrome. RIP to the innocent driver.

When I 1st met the wife in Thailand, we clicked, it was as if we knew each other from a past life. After my 2 weeks here, I returned 6 weeks later and took her back to my home country on a 3 month tourist visa. A month before the visa was due to expire, I asked her if she wanted to stay longer and she said famously as Thai's say; "up to you". I rang immigration and enquired and the guy on the phone said, cannot do, she has to return and reapply after I think it was 3 or 6 months, I said W-T-F and he said, can I ask you what your intentions are, I said what do you mean and he said, would you marry her, I said, I haven't thought that far in advance, he said well between you and me, that could be your draw card to keep her here for a little longer, he said if I married her I could apply for a bridging visa which meant she could stay until her application for permanent residency was approved, that would take up to 2 years, I said, ok, thanks for letting me know, I will discuss it with her and he said best of luck. I then explained to the Mrs that for her to stay we would have to get married and that I had to make a call. I then rang the registry office to see when the next available dates were if I wanted to get married and the guy on the phone said Friday week, it was a Monday when I rang and we would have 2 weeks left on the tourist visa to apply for the bridging visa, so I said to the guy, hang on two seconds, and put my hand over the landline phones mouth piece and said to the Mrs, what are you doing Friday week and said shrugged her as if to say, you know, nothing, and I said where getting married and of course she said; "up to you". Yes, as you can see, I am a true romantic, organised 2 witnesses and about 20 close friends to meet at a restaurant after and had a great night, that was that was 15 years ago, not one regret, well just one, i.e. if only I could have met her when I was 18, but then again, she wouldn't have been born yet ???? What negative sides would you be talking about ? My wife signed a prenuptial agreement before the marriage which is recognised by the family courts, meaning what is mine, is mine and what is hers, is hers before the marriage. I am still free as a bird before I was married because that is the person I have always been, i.e. I go where I want, when I want, for how long I want and see who I want, why, because I explained to the Mrs that is me, and I won't change me because of a piece of paper, as I wouldn't want her to change who she is because of a piece of paper, e.g. the contract is what you make of it, and to me it was there to keep us together at that time. She lived me with me in my country for 9 years before I planned my retirement and moved here, living the life 7 years ago. If the marriage ended tomorrow, she gets the house, the car and the kids and I keep the 90% that I didn't invest in the marriage, why, because love and finances should NEVER become part of the marriage (contract) unless your a gambler. When I croak it, she will get the lot as per my last testimony (will), I think if people going into marriages thought with their brains as opposed to their d---s, if things went south, they would walk away unscathed financially, as for emotionally, well that's another thing, love hurts as the song says. Would I do it again, if it was with her, in a heart beat !

As my wife says, this is Thailand, straight in the bin, time wasted but up to you.

You have to weigh up if your time is worth it, to me, as I get older, I just drop the ball and move on, that said in my younger days, I would being lighting fires and leaving trails........

In all fairness, the photo shows him their while the medics are attending to her. He more than likely went to the airport after they took her to the hospital and his driver went back to check on her. Why they were allowed to carry on travelling in the vehicle without the police doing their investigation bothers me more, i.e. unless they did their due diligence, which I doubt very much, MP......VIP.....probably even gave him an escort to the airport. Life's cheap her in the LOS

If your buying here, best to rent IMO. Seek out other investment tools to earn you money which will pay for your rent and provide your with an income.

It's ok if it doesn't make sense, believe what you like, I don't have to prove anything to anyone, that said, why should I pay more for anything, regardless if they are cucumbers, or items that I can purchase for less than in Oz. Throw your money away if you like, I wasn't born rich, but I am a lot richer here than I would be in Oz, even so I treat my money with respect and seek value when and were I can, the wife is even more fugle which suites me fine, on average we spend 100k a month here, for some that's excessive, for others it's nothing, fact of the matter is, we have had the toys and some finer things in life, but realised that they are just a waste. We can get enjoyment from the simple things in life, others prefer the materialistic things for so, each to their own, nothing to prove, don't drive a black car, don't wear gold, did I mention I don't work, that is the best part for me, no more the slave to the slave trade.

Before moving here, I spent a decade making the plan, a lot of research and it worked out to a T, i.e. I live here, earning an income from investments and pay zero tax (non-resident) of Australia for tax purposes. Yes, thanks aware of that, I go back every 2-3 years to visit my adult daughter and friends for about 10 days, see the Dr, get a years worth of meds, vitamins and stock on some stuff that is costly here. I do renew my Medicare card every 5 years and have a m8's address for that and banks because some will cancel your account if you have an overseas address. I'm aware that I would have to return and stay for two years to make it portable, if I qualify because I am pretty sure when deeming is calculated, the pension will be reduced drastically, suffice to say I would have to look at it very closely when the time approaches, that said, the cost to live in Oz for two years to get the pension would take at least double those years to recoup the outlay so might not be feasible. What do you mean when you say don't go on the international register ?

Why such negativity, even as a millionaire I am content living here and I know many farangs living here who are basic pensions who are happy living here, i.e. you don't have to be a millionaire to live here. Simple, because I fell in love with Thailand when I first came here, and that was before I met my wife, it's a mirror image of Australia to me, just different looking people, same sky, greenery, roads, drive on the same side of the road as back in Australia, big shopping centres, grocery stores, never been to Africa. If you've ever been to Australia which I doubt, then you would know that yes, cops harass you, whether it's in person or not, they are on the hunt for revenue and promotions, red light cameras, speed cameras, mobile cameras, radars, you are literally petrified of driving on the roads because they will pick you up for the slightest flaw, no seat belt, cracked tail light, and so on, I know this because my job was always driving to get to appointments, all day at times. Here there is a clear difference, you don't see the cops and if your unlucky to get booked, it's a minimum 1/10th the fine as it is back in Oz, and you don't lose points from your license, which reminds me, I just renewed mine her for 5 years, $12 vs $190 in Oz. Agree, but for me it's different, no family apart from an adult daughter and a a hand full of close rich friends that I see when I return who complain about life in Sydney. No doubt they enjoy it as they have family and friends there, but also have to work like slaves to maintain their respective lifestyles and yes their kids will get it all, off the sweat off of their parents backs. Was referring to politics here. Yes cucumbers and vegetables/fruits are cheap here, western food is more expensive, but you eat what you like if you can afford it. We don't live on cheap cucumbers, we eat very well, never skimp on quality, as for rice, only Basmati and rarely over 100 grams a serve, got to watch those carbs. Clean food only with a balance of carbs, proteins and healthy fats here. One could say we are a little more educated than most, e.g. when it comes to what we consume as opposed to giving in to the unhealthy choices that the majors want society to eat. I have been in the Sydney property market since 1988, having invested in it for decades, it has always been a passion of mine and those 2 that I quoted you as mentioned was from the area I lived only, that said, I know the market as I watch it weekly, 78% auction clearance rates in February, 51% as of Saturday, you see my adult daughter has a fair few properties in the south of Sydney that she acquired over time so to speak, let's just say it reduces any tax burden by far. Sounds fair and not overly committed. Unfortunately the Australian government doesn't allow "foreign residents" for tax purposes that luxury, as mentioned they slap you 42% capital gains tax when you sell, besides I have used that money as mentioned to invest in tax free investments which provide me with a good quality life here, which is what I want. All of the above said, best we move on as the topic was on something else.

I don't care, I didn't buy the land and build the house to have a mortgage or for capital appreciation, I bought the land and built the house knowing that it could be done for 1/10th of the price vs doing it in Sydney and having a mortgage for the rest of my life, and if I did that, I would be like everyone else, i.e. trapped and working for the rest of my life to pay it off vs retiring at the age of 55, 7 years ago and investing the money from the sale proceeds from my property which provide me with an income here which is tax free living in Thailand, i.e. It has cost me nothing to live here in all of that time, regardless of property value increases in Sydney. If I chose to stay, sure I would have made say 20% on any increase, that is adjusted after the 20% falls in property prices since the beginning of the year, but what life would I have had in this 1st world country with it's cost of living, where would the money come from for us to survive, I would have to work, no thanks, that is not my objective, I am living the life I want her in this 3rd world country, exactly what we planned for a decade before coming here, knowing exactly what we were getting into. Besides, if I hung onto the property, I would be taxed 42% when sold, for what, for choosing to LIVE in another country that is more affordable by miles. Congratulations, real estate and shares are a good long term investment, however of late with the increases in interest rates they have both come back, I trust your $400,000 increase is still that today, that said, I know of two properties in the same area 15km out of Sydney where I used to live recently going to auction a week apart, one was appraised for $1.5m, it sold for $1.2m, the other was appraised for between $1.5-$1.6, it sold on Saturday for $1.250m. You can do the math on the fall back in prices, oh, I forgot to mention, both were 2 bedroom dwellings that needed to be knocked down and the land sizes were around 600 square metres with a 12.29 frontage, one with a sewer easement running through it's rear yard, so no swimming pool allowed to be build, or garages on or around that area. Why would anyone buy so much land in Thailand, that was a bad investment, you should have known that from the beginning. I am comparing the value in life that it provides me, that said, what life does one have in Sydney, I hear all of my friends constantly complaining of the cost of living, the house prices, the hours they are working, the taxes, etc etc, so I saw the value here a long time ago, so do others. It is cheap because it's cheap, Opera....lol, good one. Last I heard they dropped out of a huge (billions of $'s) contract with the French and signed up elsewhere, but you can Google that. Obviously, and 3rd world suites me, I am free as a bird, and not constantly harassed by cops or other government departments. I don't care about owning property in my name, the wife can have the house and the land, she deserves it, I even put the new car in her name, although I could have put in mine (yellow book), that said, I only invest what I am prepared to lose. A lot of folks in the west know no better and believe that they can take it all with them, yet life goes by them in a flash, each to their own, that said, I know millionaires, yet they are so unhappy, but yet have so much in assets that they keep pushing themselves, for what, to enjoy the remaining few years that they have seeing that what they have worked for will be pi$$ed up against the wall by their kids who haven't worked a day in their lives. Not in this case, wife lived with me for 9 years in Sydney as we planned the move, sure sometimes she would want to go back when she gets frustrated with the politics and corruption here, but she knows, that would mean that I would have to go to work vs earning a good tax free income sitting here doing nothing, and enjoying life and she wouldn't want that for me, maybe when I croak it she might move there, but I doubt it. For some it doesn't, for me it does, i.e. if you have the $'s and are content to try a different life. That is obvious, subject to me not having to work to pay for all of the land taxes and upkeep. That's a given. Makes all the sense in the world to me, each to their own. 5 bags of cucumbers here (5) in the bag $4.00 vs 2 cucumbers in Sydney for $.4.18c, like I said, cost of living here is great. I see the value.

Yeh well I guess it's kind of hard when you have others supplying your neighbour with extra weapons and getting involved from behind the lines when they say they aren't.

When your home country gives you middle finger after you have seen that the grass is greener on the other side. You can longer vote. You cannot renew your drivers license from abroad. You cannot claim on Medicare anymore unless you return for 6 months. You will be charge 42% capital gains tax on the sale of your residence, calculated from the very 1st day you purchased it, yes 42% from the very 1st day you purchased it. 32% tax on rents payable with no tax threshold. No deductibles on properties, such as repairs, loans, costs of any kind. Foreign land tax payable annually. When you reach the old age pension age you must return to make your application and when approved remain in country for 2 years for it to be made portable for you to receive it in Thailand. Middle finger back to them ????

That says it all, after living here in the village in rural Thailand for the past 7 years in our 6 bed 3 bathroom house which cost me 2.5 mil baht, which is about 10% of what it would cost me to build the same house in Sydney, now add another 45,000,000 baht for the land in Sydney which cost me 120,000 baht here on 1,000 square metres with a 20 metre frontage and no side, rear or opposite the road neighbours, it perfect for us, although close enough to neighbours 100 metres either side of us and the village 200 metres up the road. Do I need to go on, ok, m8 sent me a receipt the other day, 2 Lebanese cucumbers $4.18, we purchased 5 bags with 5 cucumbers in each for 20 baht each which works out to $4.00, and on that receipt a single lime $1.29, we purchased a kilo of lime here for $1.60, plus I think we all know about the $12 (300 baht) iceberg lettuce and the $13 (325 baht) cabbage. You failed to mention what your condo would cost you in Sydney or your reno's would cost to do in Sydney if you could actually find someone as there is a major shortage of tradies and they will take both your arms in the process. It appears you don't have any connections in Thailand of skilled workers hence the reason things turned out the way they did. Just had 6 power points added and two recessed lights replaced 500 baht for labour, changed two roofs coverings of metal sheeting, 3.2 metres x 1.2 metres each x 15 sheets, 2,600 baht labour, all materials supplied by me. Prior to leaving Sydney, I had some tiling done which I could have done myself but was too busy making the bacon and getting ready to leave the place to come and live here, a small area on both sides of the kitchen walls and around the window, very little cutting, tiles were 600 x 200 an easy 2 hour job, $400 or 10,000 baht, and he was the 3rd guy I called, the other 2 were a no show. Thailand is not perfect, but neither is Sydney, but I can tell you one thing for sure, I will survive here in Thailand longer than I would in Sydney and that's without working, rents here are cheap, properties are cheap, labour is cheap, you have everything here that you have in Sydney, $12 drivers license, vs $190 drivers license and the list can go on. Life's more relaxed here, but then again, it's not for everyone and if you think buying a condo in Pattaya is going to work out for you, well it's not, i.e. unless your prepared to accept Thailand for what it is, like I said, it's not perfect, but to me, it's far better than Sydney if your wanting a far less stressful (controlled) life and great weather all year round. Each to their own ????

From my understanding, the booster increases your antibody levels within your immune system, e.g. after your antibodies have waned after say 4-5 months to around 55% from any previous injection, less the longer you go without a booster. The above said, the booster can increase the antibody levels up to say 80%. Personally, I have had 3 shots of Pfizer and also had Omicron which was like a mild head cold, so I would suggest that the 1st booster worked well in protecting me, I am in my 60's and have an underlying condition. I suppose one could say that even after contracting the virus, that it is equal to a 2nd booster shot as it also provides me with immunity, ok, but will I get an actual 2nd dose of Pfizer against this BA.5 variant and the 2.75 variant that is following the 2.75, even though they are still using the original vaccines, well that is like saying, do I want the full monte or a mild head cold if I am unfortunate to get it again, and at the rate the BA.5 is spreading overseas, I dare say I don't have many choices until they get an updated vaccine to the current strains, so long of the short is, I will be looking to get the 2nd Pfizer dose here as it won't be long before the BA.5 Is out of control here as well, suffice to say, it's like saying will I put on a rubber or take my chances, or as the saying goes, it's not over till the fat lady sings. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/20/covid-vaccine-booster-shots-can-fight-bapoint5but-millions-arent-boosted.html

Yes have to agree with you there, that said, this particular chap just looked at the trolley and probably looked for the big ticket item as noticed one box instead of two boxes of beer, fortunately for me. Never ever had anyone sift through the trolley, just the usual half asleep looking as if they give a rats a$$.

I always watch the screen while they are scanning, that or the wife is, that said, we have been overcharged on many occasions, when we double check the receipt before leaving. My Mrs will take the item to the counter and ask for a refund, which she gets, i.e. we won't pay more for an item that s advertised for a different amount. The biggest one for me was 900 baht, they charged me for two boxes of beer, and I was by myself and didn't notice, the guy who checks your receipt and trolley picked it up and sent me to the counter where they refunded me the 900 baht as I only had one box and they charged me for two, I shook the guys hand on the way out and slipped him 100 baht, he was trying to give it back, but I was adamant he keep it and just waved him off, after all, he saved me 800 baht so to speak and noticing it when I got home an hour later would be hard to convince Makro that I only received one box. I check every receipt before I leave stores, Lotus is another, they always overcharge, no big laws here to deter them, back in my home country they would have to refund you te money and give you the product as well.

As Frank once sang, "and now, the end is near, the final curtain"

At the rate these clowns are getting caught extorting people, we might just see an end of corruption within Thai immigration and the police force. That's the joke of the day ????

Sounds like a classy hotel to take the kids to.