dageurreotype

Of interest to Brits who still believe in that 'DIY' baloney re wills:

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-34462706

Sorry but do not understand what that video clip has to do with DIY wills?

The headline is that more and more wills are being contested - nowhere does it give any detail about people losing out because they have DIY'd it.........or am I missing something?

In the UK, the annual Law Society's Dinner raises a toast to 'The Man Who Made His Own Will'. Draw your own conclusions

Why are you asking here when you should be researching on somewhere like here http://www.expatexchange.com/vietnam/liveinvietnam.html

Which border crossing?

I'm unsure of the name since I went as part of a tour. it's a land crossing.

Now your sounding like a troll.

Get the name of the border crossing. It's not rocket science or crawl back under your rock and stop wasting the time of genuine TVF members who are trying to help you.

This is sounding spookily alike the infamous 'Stuck at airport' thread after the junta's crackdown-that-never-was last year, which ran multiple click bait pages until posters either sussed or got bored and left.

Odd how every time a topic on anything deemed esoteric is raised on here the overwhelming majority just can't seemed to resist repeatedly posting their usually ignorant, views debunking said topic. Anyone would think they really needed to reaffirm their uninformed position/stance. There's no other explanation for their not simply thinking 'oh this topic doesn't interest me' and going on to something else Is there.

There's nothing " esoteric" about astrology.......it's bunkum.

I rest my case.

give me the winning lottery numbers then I'll believe in Astrology ...

as for the planets ... I only know uranus

Fruitcake central now at TV, man didnt walk on the moon but astrology is real.............

Odd how every time a topic on anything deemed esoteric is raised on here the overwhelming majority just can't seemed to resist repeatedly posting their usually ignorant, views debunking said topic. Anyone would think they really needed to reaffirm their uninformed position/stance. There's no other explanation for their not simply thinking 'oh this topic doesn't interest me' and going on to something else Is there.

Just had a visit from another falang and the same thing has happened to him . He had been here for 2 weeks and was merely making a visa enquiry at kap choeng immigration office and was asked why he had not reported on his arrival . He said he was unaware that it was a requirement . After sitting with the officers who completed his registration he had to pay 800 baht for late reporting .

Funny how many times this '800 baht' 'fine', for whatever reason from 'late reporting' to 'not reporting residence' (the onus upon which is the housemaster anyway), all at Kap Cheong, is getting mentioned. The cynical would think that they'd all come up with yet another money making scam scheme during their som tam break. Of course I expect the ingenuous 'they're only doing their jobs/it's always been this way' along shortly

What to do in Kuala Lumpur

Bugger all.

Vietnam has every reason to distrust Americans, but creating a visa on arrival would be more beneficial. The length of visa is not so much the issue, as having to deal with the corrupt Vietnamese visa system.

Absolutely 100% agree. This is one of the reasons I have not gone to Vietnam and first started going to Thailand. Visa on arrival when my job makes planning difficult is the bee's knees.

As you will see from my previous post, a friend had visited as part of a trip of SE Asia and hadn't had any visa difficulties. I'm not saying people haven't experienced any, but I'm certain he and his friend didn't or I wouldn't have heard the end of it

Vietnam is easing its visa policy this year as it tries to boost the tourism.

This is great news...it will put pressure on other SE Asian countries to loosen up on the visa restrictions...

Vietnam is an up and coming tourist destination in my opinion...

Then why this?

Vietnam is easing its visa policy this year as it tries to boost the tourism sector after consecutive declines in arrivals.

I see this 'tourists not returning' to VN everywhere. A friend visited on a whirlwind trip of SE Asia, but hadn't much to say about Vietnam, only that there were many Chinese there too, so seriously, why don't people return? I haven't been there so don't know,the one time I'd tried it was shut (Tet) And my friend and I ended up visiting beautiful Burma instead.

It seems to me that whatever is putting repeat tourists should be fixed before bothering issuing longer visas.

Just more of SAME SAME !

Corruption & SCAMS @ Thailand Immigration.

Yes, isn't it great. In other countries, with stricter enforcement of the rules, the OP would have been turned away for not having adequate funds. That could have cost him a lot more than the 200 baht tea money.

Are those countries developed? That is to say, not third world? Where there may be a chance some visitors may take advantage of their generous social welfare systems? If not, name them.

The latter. Next

It's whinging time

God I hate these kinds of posts. This is an expat forum where people from a diametrically opposed cultures can vent their frustrations in anonymity, if it displeases you there are a plethora of fora from quantum mechanics to philately elsewhere. Perhaps you would prefer one of those?

Soy? That's silly.

It's all about the money. What can you make as a ladyboy vs. what you can make not being a ladyboy. And it's easy, pleasurable work, for some. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Yes soy is silly and so is the money and easy and pleasurable.................are there really that many dopie guys TV?

Yes.

Deodorant.... Does the trick for me, expensive in Thailand, but cheap as chips in the UK...,

Which is one of the reasons I use som san, the same as the Thais. It's dirt cheap and actually works. Deodorises anything. Ask at a hardware/dry goods store. It looks like very large rock salt crystals.

I think; that's a very good idea.

Dear God, just when I think the bar couldn't possibly be set lower on this forum ..

When you realise there is no value on your life it gets a bit annoying.

Why would you expect them to value you?

It makes me laugh how sensitive some expats are that they get all bothered about whether the locals like them.

I think he meant, that in Thailand so many deaths on the Road, and no one seems to bother, whereas anywhere else, we would all be shocked...... That's my interpretation....

Roads weren't my first interpretation, Thais are equally careless of other Thais safety on the roads. My first thought was 'hit men'

Winning the first prize in Thai lottery?

Who is your friend, a daughter of a big officer?

I think it's 60 days from draw, if I'm not mistaken ...

Four.Million.Baht. Poof!

Is there one? A friend has a forgotten about ticket winning first prize, but was purchased 'long time ago'. Anyone?

Not needing to hire an expensive Court translator

Amusing thread. There is no right or wrong answer. Foreign relocation works for some people and doesn't for others. An obvious statement right? The outcome selected should be appropriate for the person's income, tax status, employability, social and health demographic.

I used to wonder how some of the pensioners or 20 somethings survived. What was their secret I wondered?

Well, there was no secret. The young ones leave after the money runs out, or they get burnt in love, or become bored. They move on in life. The old pensioners leave Thailand, either in a box, or in some smoke, or on a sad flight to their countries long before they wanted to go.

Look around. How many very old farangs do you see? I offer that the number aged 80 years and older are a distinct minority. The heat, the lifestyle, the lack of specialized geriatric care, the high salt/high saturated/trans fat food, all kills the older people off. Far fewer older pensioners here than one sees in their home countries. Those that do survive, have established families, with a physical and emotional support network, and the money to pay for good health care. Remember, that once you reach 70 years, one of the largest expenses in Thailand will be medical.

Two subjects that have not been well understood in TVF are;

1. The number of 70+ farangs who do not have comprehensive health insurance. Some who are retired civil servants need not worry. However, for most from the private sector, there is nothing. The health insurance available typically excludes pre-existing conditions or ends after a claim or is too expensive. Have a heart attack on a street corner in Brighton, or Perth or Munich or Abilene and you will be in a hospital cath lab within the hour and a survivor. Do that on a street corner in Thailand and your destination will most likely be the morgue. Develop cancer in Thailand and unless wealthy, your survival rate will be significantly less than what it would be if you required treatment in the UK or France etc.

2. The number of farangs with pre-existing chronic conditions is significant. Diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disease are all much harder to live with in Thailand. The climate makes it very difficult for some, especially those with heart failure. Adding to that; are medications may not be of the same quality as those available in the developed world, limited medical expertise (despite all the promotions for Thailand as a medical hub), and the difficulty in following a healthy lifestyle in the land of fried high sodium foods.

The question answers itself for the older foreigners who are in Thailand. They either cannot remain or the decision is made for them when they become ill. IMO, foreigners die at a significantly younger age in Thailand than if they had they remained in their home countries. The foreign retirees who do the best are those who live in Thailand during the cold weather periods of their homelands, and return to their homelands for 6+ months of the year. Those who have functional families also have longer life spans,

You've obviously never been to Phuket. A sea of grey

I guess I would swallow my pride, find a nice village in the west country, and go head-to-head with the Albanian refugees in stacking shelves at Tesco.

Welcome to the forum Bob

Events have moved on a bit since I posted the OP

My thoughts have certainly changed a bit, maybe I am a little more positive about what is happening around me personally and the way that I am affected by the lives of other people who I have come to love and respect.

A few days ago we got a phone call from one of Wans aged Aunts telling us that her Dad is in hospital in KK with a serious problem.

Wan and I are the only younger people left within the close family who are available to help ( We are on the outskirts of pattaya) we were contacted because Wans sister and brother are all in Oz being married to Ozzies.

So dutifully and worried we went off to the small village north of KK to do what we could do.

Wans family are a lovely group of people, Papa ex Bangkok Thai Chinese and Mama an Issan lady, they have never ever took one penny off me in nearly ten years of marriage to Wan and are amongst those I consider to be my closest family and I love them very much, needless to say Wan feels the same way but much more so.

In essence this visit, where we were needed but not asked to go other than by another Aunty was the chance that I could do more with Wans mama and Papa then I did with my own Mam and dad when they were getting old and infirm.

We are at this time taking care of them in the village.

Papa is getting over a very bad infection in his "gout" twisted feet and the emergency was a severe and toxic infection and massive swelling that burst a few days ago causing him to be admitted to hospital for emergency treatment.

Yesterday morning we brought him home on the proviso to the Doctor that we could look after him and change his dressings until He can get about again himself

It was and is typical that He didn't ask for any help.

Anyway back to the topic.

Having the chance to be of some good use this last few days seems to have improved not only my depression but also maybe my self esteem.

I seem to have fallen into a trap living in Pattaya and surrounded by so many similar people as me who are totally self centered and self obsessed.

Papa will soon be back to his old self, I know that from his demeanor when I am changing his dressings and so we will be back to sin city soon but this time I hope that the current or should I say previous thought processes that instigated this thread will no longer stay with me and maybe I will be able to find a niche in pattaya where my presence will help maybe those who need some practical help instead of passing the hours away either on my bike or in front of the TV keyboard.

I hope that I can maintain this positive attitude long enough to find somewhere in Pattaya that I can both help myself and others at the same time.

I always found that work was and is the best therapy, its time to find some.

Very nice for you and glad you've cheered up. However, not all of us have nor need a bunch of Thais to take care of to make us feel good about ourselves.

Pattaya isnt Thailand to me, I have never lived in Pattaya although visited the place a few times, I don't like it all... I wouldn't really call it 'proper Thailand'

Seems to me your friends need to experience Thailand for real and not just some scummy seedy area sat on a bar stool supping beer with bar girls, that's not a dig by the way. How about trying somewhere else out in Thailand away from the tourist zones?

I have lived in Thailand for 3 years and since moving up NE Thailand I am much more happy and relaxed with my wife and son, I don't think I could stay in Pattaya etc for more than a week, I also hate the seedy places in BKK. Up here I have met so many proper friends Thai and non Thai who are genuine.

Cheers

Just to say, not all of us living in 'tourist areas' are sitting on bar stools all day. I'm getting tired of the assumption that all of us are. And to reiterate robertthebruce's post, I too would go out of my head with the boredom, at least after a week. Even Bangkok becomes boring after a while, at least on Phuket everything you'd need is just around the corner and you don't need an hour's taxi drive to buy a second hand book on the sole outlet on Sukumvit!