Stevemercer

Normally you would negotiate with the land holder.The preferred solution is a buried pipe under the filled land. If the span is less than 20 metres you would normally just do it and pay for it. You might be able to get this done in less than a day and the lady probably won't care or notice. If it is longer you would hope the neighbour would contribute something. If you get a ditch dug the lady will notice and maybe fill it in. The wet season has just about wound up so, from a Thai perspective, it may no longer have any urgency. You might have to look at the piece of land to work out if there is an alternative way to get the water off.

I sometimes wonder what would happen if a hotel I visited overnight submitted my passport details to Immigration. Anyway, I use my pink ID to, hopefully, avoid this possible problem.

A problem with anti-depressant medications is that you have to start with a low dose (in case there are unexpected side effects) and build up to a full dose over a period of several months. Similarly, you must gradually reduce the dose over a month or two if the drug does not work for you and the doctor wants to try another medication. You cannot just start taking a full dose or stop taking the medication because there will be bad physical and mental side effects. All this means it is a bit hit and miss and will take time to find the best medication that works for you. All major public hospitals in Thailand have mental health doctors and should be able to help for a very modest cost. I use Sertraline (generic brand in Thailand is Zotaline) under the supervision of a doctor at our local public hospital. I am lucky because my wife is an ex-government officers so the visits and medication is free. I started off at 50 mg per day and worked up to 200 mg per day over 2 months. The drug worked for me because I regained my motivation/drive and zest for life. Looking back, I could clearly appreciate that being in a depressed state was not normal and that there was no need to live like that. I am steady at 100 mg per day now which seems the minimum to be effective. I've tried going off it a few times, but the depression always returns. It is a terrible feeling. I expect I will be on it for life. I've tried a few other medications (under supervision), but none seemed to work for me or had side effects. For some reason, the drug also got rid of my crippling social anxieties. For example, public speaking, meetings and conferences etc. used to terrify me. But all those phobias went away and I was able to better realise my potential at work. I certainly no longer had a problem speaking my mind! Sertraline also does away with premature ejaculation. I don't know why. But a lot of players take it just for this reason. But like all psychotic drugs it can be dangerous if taken with alcohol and/or other drugs. Michael Hutchense (former lead singer of INXS) did himself in in this way.

I think that is a good idea. If your wife or relative opens a small cafe, coffee shop or restaurant then you keep your options open. It doesn't have to be capital intensive, but just to establish a presence. The new guy is more likely to reach a compromise with a Thai business next door because it will benefit them both. If he turns out to be an absolute <deleted>, then a small business gives your wife negotiating power with the police and local council to shut him down becasue he is ruining your business. At the very least it gives you more options.

Has the Cafe opened yet? Or is it a Karaoke place? Is it a restaurant? Is it just open for lunch? Is it open all night? Is he going to cater to weddings and special occassions? I think you need more information. If the location sucks, and the guy has sunk a lot of money into the place, then he will go bust eventually. But it might take a year. There is no point in spending money on noise mitigation measures or trying to outdo the bloke. A piggery, or storing wet waste next door, might work if the place is a daytime cafe reliant on passing trade, but such a business is unlikely to play loud music. Lunch customers generally want to talk amongst themselves. An all night karaoke place won't be deterred by any smell or unsightly waste. The customers simply don't care. But I find it hard to believe a new karaoke place would be opening. All the ones in my part of Isan have closed down becasue of Covid. They won't reopen until all Covid restrictions are long gone, if ever. What I'm trying to say is there is nothing you can do except go ahead with your plans. Maybe the worst won't happen. Maybe it will. If it does maybe you can wait him out. He'll go out of business and leave, or finally <deleted> off the wrong person and get shot or something. If worst come to worst maybe you won't be able to live there for a year or so until he is gone.

We have a Hyundai Tucson (now 5 years old with 300,000 km) diesel. It still looks and drives like new. They are not common in Thailand, but are very popular is some western markets like Australia. They are made in South Korea which means parts are more expensive than locally assembled brands. However, they are still priced way below western countries for the Thai market (about 50% for genuine parts). If I was in the market now I would look seriously at the current MG line-up.

Is this just happening in Thailand, or is it world-wide? If it is just Thailand then it is hard to believe the banks' media to the effect that it is not their fault.

The current MG SUV is well specked and a best seller in countries like Australia. I was reading today that MG sells more cars in Australia than Honda. However, Honda has recently moved to a fixed price policy (cannot negotiate a discount at dealerships) and their sales have more than halved since then.

Assuming you fully meet the requirements for a marriage extension then you could try an agent. It might be dealt with by another office and slip right through. Put in your application as early as you can in case there are problems. The other option is to go in with your wife with your application. If the officer wants 20,000, your wife would offer 5,000 as a sign of good faith. Assuming your application is ok, I think the officer would accept the lesser amount. Reduce it to 3000 the next year and then 1000 in subsequent years.

Well, I have to admit I can't make heads or tails of this and can't even guess what might have happened. However, I think the police investigation will be able to sort it out. I hope we hear the full story in due course.

I live in the country. There are about two or three dozen farang living in the locality. About half I have met so I will say hello and talk a bit if I run into them. We don't get many tourists so I'll introduce myself to any new farang I see in case they are a local. Even now, after 5 or 6 years, I'm still surprised to meet farang who live within 5 km of our town and who say they have been living here for 20 years or more. I guess some people don't get out much. My view is that there are not so many of us out here and we should be available to offer support if really needed. Of course, some farang just ignore me. I guess there are one or two who don't like me. Some gentleman are very insecure and jealous and get <deleted> off if I smile at their wives/girlfriends. A few are not confident in English or are just not of a hospitable nature to strangers. For example, people my age from East Germany grew up with Russian as their second language and may get on better with their countrymen.

I agree. Only use genuine, certified fluids from Mr Honda.

There is no set amount, but there seems to be a rule of thumb of about 20,000 per month. I was a bit surprised that they didn't check that money in the bank was seasoned, but that was the case last year. A Bangkok agent I have worked with was just arranging transfers to their applicant's bank accounts for one day, printing out the account and including with visa applications. It was never queried. One applicant was knocked back on the grounds of insufficient funds to support her stay in Australia. She reapplied with money in the bank (for one day) and got her 12 month tourist visa. It had no conditions attached and she applied for her partner visa in Australia. Obviously it is better to seed the money for three months before application, but not all applicants can do this.

While you can apply for a partnership visa on the basis of a de facto relationship, I can't remember if the time together is one or two years. No doubt the application form and accompanying guide has this information.. It would be best to be divorced before making an application. You can engage a reputable agent (Thai) in Australia to put together all the basic paperwork. You will need evidence that you and your girlfriend have lived together as man and wife for whatever period you are together in Thailand. At least 4 months before you go to Australia you should help your wife apply for a 12 month tourist visa. I am not sure how Covid complicates this process. It would obviously be better to wait until next year when things may be normal. Most tourist visas issued to Thais nowadays are for a total of 12 months (with a maximum stay in Australia at any one time of 3 months). Obviously if you and your wife can travel together to Australia you can log up at least another 3 months living together as man and wife. You will have a better chance if you can log 2 years living together as a de facto couple. You girlfriend's Australian tourist visa may have a condition to the effect that she cannot apply for partnership status while in Australia. In which case she will have to make her application in Thailand. However, if the visa does not have this condition, she may be able to while she is in Australia. I know of one case where this happened last year. The thing is, the day her partner application is accepted (and she has paid the fee), her tourist visa will change to a bridging visa with the same terms as a partner visa, until a decision is made on her partner application. This means she will be free to stay in Australia with you, get Medicare, legally work etc. It might take a year for a decision to be made, but that doesn't matter. The trick is get her to Australia. It is much easier to stay if she can make her application in Australia. Of course you will continue living with her so, by the time decision time comes around, you should have been living together for several years and can easily prove your relationship. On her tourist visa application it is ok to say that you will help and support her while she is in Australia. But you cannot say (and it is irrelevant for a tourist visa) that you intend to live together and get married etc. etc. You need to work out a little itinerary for her to visit your family, visit holiday destinations etc. The purpose of the visit is for her to see something of your home country and to take a break and holiday together. Any possibility of marriage is a long way down the track. She needs to meet the tourist visa criteria on her own (essentially that she will return to Australia after her tourist visit). She will need at least 75,000 Baht in the bank, and/or evidence of family, employment or some other factors why she will need to return to Thailand. A Thai agent can advise on this. Money in her bank account is very important. They don't check how long the money is in her account these days. It just needs to be parked for a day. Don't be discourage if her first tourist visa application is knocked back. There will be a statement as to why it was knocked back. Just address/fix up the problem and make another application.

Most police stations allow you to pay 500 Baht a month to check your property at least once a night. They usually install a little red police box and leave a book inside in which to record their visits. The red police box may act as a bit of a deterrent. If a neigbour is harrasing you (including by blocking access) then you (your wife) can call the police and ask for help. Normally the police will at least talk to the neighbour. After all, the police are now on your payroll. If escalation is a possibility then, yes, install a discrete security camera and recorder.

Sale, installation and monitoring of security cameras, and associated security systems. Home improvement warehouses are currently trendy ad big business. The next big thing, in my opinion, will be superstores focused on all things 'Outdoor Living'.

For many people on this forum English is a second language. So nuanced sarcasm can be difficult to understand unless one is a native speaker. There are also people from all over the world. What is sarcastic to an English person might be offensive to an American and vice versa. Finally, many people take life and themselves very seriously indeed. Frivolity, sarcasm and irony have no place in a serious world. Try your sarcasm in China or Russia and see how you go.

That's what most Government's have decided in setting non-licensing limits for e-bikes.

The performance of e-motorbikes is fantastic, but the range and the cost (compared to a petrol driven version) is not competitive at the moment.

As other posters have said, there is plenty of choice. None of these things can be registered (or insured) of course. But that is fine if you keep below 30 km/he and use locally (e.g. the police won't bother you).

If you are fully immunised, it may not be in your interests to take a Covid test. This is because, if you test positive, your symptoms are likely to be mild, but you could end up being forced to quarantine in a field hospital or somewhere else at you expense. As Thailand head towards 80% vaccination, it needs a clear policy about what happens if you test positive. Probably most countries need to be thinking about this. Even 100% vaccination will not stop Covid. But it would be ridiculous to force vaccinated people into 14 day quarantines. Or to lock down cities and countries. We just have to live with it. People who have been vaccinated will, on average, have lower viral loads and will be less infectious. Hopefully the rates of infection will correspondingly be reduced. I doubt it is possible to eliminate Covid (except perhaps in North Korea).

As a very rough guide, you will need about 50% of your working income to maintain a similar lifestyle (to what you had in Australia) here in Thailand. So if you do your sums, and can manage it, go for it. If you can only manage 35% or less, it will be a big drop and you might need to keep working. While it would be prudent to keep your apartment in Australia, you might need to sell it if you're stretched. An Allocated Pension is a good retirement option in Australia as the income generated is tax free. You can also withdraw the capital any time you want (tax free). I have a few sources of income. For example, I started with an Allocated Pension of $400,000 when I retired in 2014. I have withdrawn $1,000 a month since then. I also typically withdraw an extra $5,000 - $10,000 each year. Despite this, the capital has still expanded and is now just under $500,000. All the money is tax free (assuming the Allocated Pension is funded from Super Money).

There doesn't seem to be any investigative journalism in Thailand at all. I'm not sure what the journalists all do. Imagine if someone started up a local version of 60 Minutes, 4 Corners or other investigative programming.

I'm used to surf and rough conditions where you can get a good work out just trying to get beyond the beach break into calmer and deeper waters. So the waters of the Thailand Gulf feel a bit like lying in a tepid bath. Having said that, I go swimming every time I go to Pattaya or any coastal area with a bit of a beach. No problems so far, but I do miss a decent 2 metre wave. At Pattaya of Jomtien you can swim in those large enclosures surrounded by the big floats. You can swim out to the far edge and hang/sit on the ropes and watch the world go by.

Hmm. I have 4 pet tortoises born about 7 years ago. The average tortoise life span is 80 years and I am 62.