mydee

Good luck

But you might strike trouble the local staff in what passes for Australian representation in Bangkok. Be prepared to defend her honour by way of guarantee especially is she isn't a salaried person. 

1 hour ago, Headgame said:

 How did both of you manage to interpret TG as an acronym for Thai Airlines?

Look at their flight numbers

I certainly would explain your issues with the coordinator or principal. There are many language schools around and none of them like losing business. If you are in "private" one to one lessons set out what you want and insist that you get appropriate tuition. In this situation you are in the best seat, these schools love people like you as you are a cash cow for them.

I have been through all this as I read Thai fairly well and wanted to learn it using the Thai alphabet. They were, more or less able to accommodate me.

Stick to your guns!!

The poster you are criticizing imply or state that the victim of the attempted robbery didn't have the right to post here.

Of course the original poster has the right to post about his experience here, it is a helpful warning to be so careful with your valuables, especially in areas such as Silom where large crowds gather. It was also an interesting post in that he was able to describe the way these vermin operate.

It is equally valid to try and gauge how much of a problem something like pick pocketing is in Thailand and you can only do this by applying some benchmark and looking at overseas experience is one legitimate way of doing this. which, in effect the poster who pointed this out is doing. For example in Bangkok assaults against foreigners occasionally happens and are reported here. Apart from a general interest what does this mean to me? If I can work out how big the problem is compared to other countries, such as Switzerland, Columbia or Port Morsby I can decide on what I will do, depending on my risk tolerance.

This is also what those posters who appear to have issues with Thailand do, in an example of that Thailand has an unacceptable level of road trauma and that Thailand isn't doing enough about it,the overseas rates of road death/trauma is always raised, and quit rightly so.

Get ready for an avalanche of apologists explaining

2. That it could happen anywhere.

3. That's it's much worse in Sydney/London/Paris/Seattle, etc.

Pickpocketing does happen all over the World and its certainly a lot worse in some other Countries

So because it is worse somewhere else means that he does not have the right to post about his experience with pickpocketing IN THAILAND on a THAILAND forum?..... How bizarre your mind works.

Yes they do work in teams and Barcelona is renown for the scum. I was on a tour with about 30 people and at least 4 of them were pickpocketed ot had their bags snatched.

In Paris the gypsy teenagers hunt in groups and one method is to have a pack of ten or twenty rush you. I was lucky to see them coming from abour ten or so meters so I adopted a boxing stance and started to jab and weave. It was like a parting of the waves.

You were lucky to smell a rat.

Yes they rarely "work" alone.
I was had 30 years ago on the Ramblas, Barcelona, my own fault.
Next morning I walked the Ramblas early morning to watch life going on.
I saw a man exercising his dog to pickup a wallet and run off, they were a professional team...
Since that day I don't let anyone invading my space, markets or any dense people places.
There was police 10m from where it happened, I withheld the thieving woman but her price was long handed over. I then was advised to complain at the police station where some 10+ people were waiting to register a theft. I saw a bus load of kids with their care takers who told me their bus was parked nearby whilst they had a walk around. It was their last evening and they had bought presents for their parent and friends. Thieves busted the bus and took it all. I gave up registering the theft.
I despise thieves ever since.

The first little rockslide and you have my sympathies

1 No Pickpockets are scungy mongrels

2. Yes but especially in Silom or Bangkok Railway Station

3 Sort of- Worse in Barcelona, Rome or Paris

4 No, unlike you the poster is completely credible

5 No he shouldn't "why be involvedin the idiocy of rural life"

Now I won't hold you to the order of your rankings but 2 out of 5 isn't very good

Get ready for an avalanche of apologists explaining

1. That it was really your fault.

2. That it could happen anywhere.

3. That's it's much worse in Sydney/London/Paris/Seattle, etc.

4. That they don't believe you.

5. That you should move to the countryside where everyone is nice and not "corrupted by farangs."

Probably in that order.

Coming from one of those so called "law abiding" countries I must be the exception then, because on a personal level I have found Thailand and Bangkok in particular to be remarkably free of violence towards foreigners, although from what I read parts of Pattaya and Phucket have become dangerous for foreigners. I wouldn't even dream of walking through Kings Cross or Kings Street In Melbourne late at night or spending any time at all places like Alice Springs but even in different circumstances to my present situation I don't think I would venture near Patong or parts of Pattaya and would be very careful in regard to pickpockets around Hua Lamphong railway station. But even the violence in these places pales in comparison to Rio de Janeiro the area around Marseilles railway station, the ferry terminals in Manila much less failed states like Papua New Guinea and the incidence of pick pocketing in Barcelona, bag snatching in Italy and the wretched gypsy thieves in Paris

Thailand does have high rates of violent crimes when compared to selected developed countries, but the incidence is largely confined to Thais themselves, that is domestic disputes between Thais, violent bank robberies and petty crime. The area where there seems to be some violence is between foreigners and Thai women who are in some sort of relationship, particularly those of a commercial nature. So I am not sure that projecting overall national crime rates onto particular discrete groups such as tourists/ expats is very useful. I also suspect in the case of tourists, there would be a higher incidence of violence against violent drunks and drug users, and that drunken British "lager louts", bronzed Aussie heroes, would be over represented as victims and perpetrators of violence but usually occur when because of their loutish behavior, bite off more than they can chew and pay the price. I haven't forgotten the Russians who for other reasons figure prominently in reports of violence, but for different reasons and Russia cannot be considered a law abiding country by any fair measure.

Of course any violence against foreigners is likely to feature prominently on an expat/tourist forum and there have been some horrific crimes against tourists, but no worse than something like the the Charters Tower fires where a no hoper Australian killed a number of backpackers or the murder and rape of a young Japanese tourist in Brisbane. These are just two instances of Aussie violence and, like the Thai situation tend to distort the situation when viewed in isolation.

The reporting of of horrific violent crimes, which of course is essential, distorts perceptions in relation to the dangers posed to the average foreigner, both tourists and longer term stayers, given the huge number of tourists visiting Thailand each year the chance of being a victim of violence is minimal and for expats it is more likely that any violence, such as falling out of tall buildings, is self inflicted.

I often why people on here mention the "crime" situation" so much in Thailand....It like peace and tranquility compared to most Western Cities I have been to....including my own country.....

Well, for most Canadians, and Australians and Nordic Country folks, Thailand is a crime ridden violent society compared to their home countries. I believe Bangkok alone has more murders in any given year than the combined total of the afore mentioned countries. Gun violence is exceptionally high in Thailand. Maybe, folks from the USA don't bat an eye since thailand resembles the USA in that regard, but for those of us who come from law abiding nations, Thailand is a land of violent crime.

In a long list of items I would least like to receive as a prize, a massage chair comes top, slightly above The Compleat Barry Manilow Recordings in crush velvet presentation box.

Don't you mean slightly below Barry Manilow after all a massage only lasts an hour the agony of Manilow lasts forever

Lol. Speaking of the English, they abandoned British-occupied Burma to the Japanese, who in turn slaughtered thousands of unarmed Burmese on their way to the coast. England heroically fought the Germans, yeah, but the Thais would've been slaughtered by the Japanese. Better to make a deal with them in order to survive the war and avoid unnecessary suffering for the population. Speaking of which strategy, isn't that kind of what the French government did in WW II?

(Not putting down the French here; they had a very courageous and effective unofficial armed resistance, as we all know).

don't hesitate in condemning the French in WW11 they had far more collaborators than effective armed resistance fighters - Klaus Barbie says Hi

Excellent example of an STD - sexually trasmitted debt

She sounds like a right scammer tbh...
While it maybe easy to overspend on one credit card, to max out 6 + another one that doesn't even belong to her is a huge red flag imo

I would advise you to walk away from her as you probably have only heard 10% of this story so far..... But I know you won't because , she's different....

Thank you Mojaco

That is a really helpful post. We may be doing our first extension this year and it is nice to no that we will be dealing with professional government officials. Some of the posts here had me fearing the worst.

call me cynical but I suggest, here in Thailand, its all about money(usually farang money coincidentally)

Good cynical like accounts, cynics know the price of everything and the value of nothing

How can they do it because they can and they do it the same way they do in Australia, take a look at chocolates and biscuits, Cadbury reduced the size of its blocks and charged the same.

To quote the old song Its the same the whole world over

Its a shame a bleeding shame

Its the rich what lives in pleasure

and the poor what gets the blame

The biggest problem I've seen with retired "westerners" here is the boredom factor. You need something to occupy your time (and brain) and have enough self control to avoid spending all day, every day, sitting in a bar. For a lot of people, that is (seemingly) their only social outlet and they end up sitting and drinking all day, every day.

Now is an ideal time to take up a hobby, maybe something you've longed to do but never had the time (or inclination) to get around to before. Friend of mine went to an Expat club meeting and ended up signing up for an beginners golf course. Now he loves it. Doesn't do it everyday but enough to keep him active and not going stir crazy sitting in his apartment all the time.

It helps to have a variety of interests as well as sometimes you need a break. Music, sailing, fishing, painting, all can be done fairly easily. (For sailing, they have those wee little boats, I forget the class but they look about the size of a rowboat, that would be ideal for starters.) The great thing is, there is no rush ! Take your time, try a few things, find stuff you like to do and then enjoy !

As for accommodations, well, that is a personal choice obviously. You could start out renting a house/apartment, or maybe buy a condo. I prefer to buy myself as I hope to at least get my money back some time down the road when (if) I sell the place. If I'd put the money I spent on renting apartments/houses over the last 11 years into buying a place I would probably have paid it off by now and then, even if I had to sell it at a discount, I'd still be ahead of the game. Plenty of options whatever you decide (and whatever your budget is).

One thing to keep in mind is your finances of course. Partially due to the requirements of whatever Visa/Extension you'll be on. If you can afford it, I'd recommend put the money needed to meet your requirement into a fixed term account and leaving it. The interest rates aren't great but unless you are a financial guru and can play the markets and such, you're probably not going to get that much better anywhere else and would have to spend a lot more time and effort doing it. I keep the 800k I need in a Fixed Term Account and the interest gets deposited into my savings account. As long as I remember to renew the term a little over 3 months prior to the date I need to renew my Extension, I'm golden. One advantage with that is if for some reason I ever needed a large amount of cash in a hurry, it is available (and the interest I'd forfeit won't make me lose any sleep).

Health insurance should be considered as well. Like many places, once you hit 65 it's hard to get anyone to insure you, but if you have a policy already, they (as far as I know) will continue it past that age. There are enough hazards here on a day-to-day basis that health insurance is probably a good idea. Having money in the bank is one thing, but doesn't do a lot of good if you are unconscious and can't access it, whereas having a BUPA (or other insurance) card in you wallet could mean the difference between waking up in a government hospital or a nicer one like Bangkok-Pattaya hospital.

A rule of thumb to live by here (and I mean "live") - never be worth more dead than you are alive ! In other words, if you are financially stable and have nice Life Insurance policies and such, don't be lording it over everyone. Don't be "flashing the bling" and bragging about how many zeros there are in your bank balance or you may find yourself waking up in the morgue much sooner than you'd hoped.

Also, if you are perhaps thinking of opening some kind of business (as a hobby or for income), in addition to following all the rules regarding foreigners and businesses (and working) remember one thing. If you want to make a small fortune in Thailand, start with a large one. (Then hopefully by the time you realize just how screwed you are, you may be able to escape before losing everything !)

Oh yeah, and just because someone is a fellow "expat" and maybe even from your home country, don't think, for a single microsecond, that he/she/they have your best interests at heart. There are plenty of foreigners that prey on fellow expats because they know they are more likely to be a "soft touch". A lot of expats get lonely for the sound of a familiar voice and are prone to letting their guard down because they don't think a fellow (insert nationality here) would ever screw them over in a foreign country ! Not all are like that of course, but you only need to get burned once to ruin the rest of your life.

If you wouldn't do it back home, don't do it here ! Whether it's lend money to a complete stranger (or trust them with anything valuable) or engaging in some dicey activity, use your head and think twice.

If it's something you would do back home, check to make sure it's allowed here first. Thailand (and other S.E.A./M.E. countries) really frown on drug use, even "recreational" drugs. People often whine that "back home" they would barely get a warning for something that could land you in prison for years if you did it here. Thailand is NOT your home country and, contrary to the way many expats here seem to believe, the locals do not see you as some royal figure worthy of worshipping because of your skin colour and (perceived) wealth.

Thailand can be a great place to live. It can also be hell on earth. Mostly it comes down to how well you use your brain. Too many people leave theirs in the waste bin at the airport when they arrive then wonder why they can't seem to function here. Others come with the "colonial attitude" and can't seem to understand why the Thais aren't grovelling at their feet and changing their ways (and language) to suit the expats (even as the expats themselves are counting their pennies to see if they can afford a small glass of warm beer today or if they have to wait until their next pension cheque arrives).

Adapt to the environment you are in, don't expect the environment to adapt to you.

Minor point - ThaiVisa is an excellent source of expertise on pretty much everything to do with living here. It's hard to imagine a question that hasn't already been asked (and answered) dozens of times (thousands of times when it comes to things like "overstay" and visas). The search function is a great way to see if a question has been asked already, but for some things the answers could be "dated" (very old).

(We actually had a thread running years ago where the question was asked if every possible question had already been asked.)

TV members can also be very helpful, and very opinionated and tend not to suffer fools very well. If you ask a stupid question, expect stupid answers, but rest easy in the knowledge that even the stupid answers will be moderated.

(Oh and either live in a ground floor dwelling or install safety netting on the balcony if you are living in a high-rise condo.)

Excellent post As a recent retiree to Thailand ( Bangkok) I might add that I have found it wonderful to be away from the tourist ghettos. Our apartment complex is close to Silom on the river and is largely Thai with a few farangs here. My wife is Thai and I get by with the occasional stumble but I have been overwhelmed by the kindness of some of our fellow residents who have made our transition here so much easier. Here it is a different world - No trouble with taxis, thieves but close to department stores and supermarkets you must make an effort to learn Thai or at least learn the basic civilities like thank you and excuse me.

I would also like to expand on the idea that you must develop interests We kept up our interest in bridge here and play regularly and we also joined the National Museum group which is an excellent way of learning about Thai history and culture as well as meeting more expats

OP were you married in Thailand or Australia as that can make a difference.

Could you please elaborate. We were married and registered in Australia.

Thanks!

Would I find anyone in those churches that speaks English or should I bring a Thai speaker?

Ring MR Bomm 0897562879 He runs a guest house soi one Moon muang.

He has a Tuk Tuk , have known him for years he and his wife are lovely and extremely trusworthy.

He can take you to these places , Burmese church as he knows everywhere in Chiang Mai.

He can speak not to bad english as well, all my friends over the years swear by him.

Just when ThaiVisa was really starting to piss me off with so many threads being ruined by the cynics, would be comedians sleuths andthe anto Thai brigade you have restored my faith in its usefulness- Thanks kiwikeith

I agree with this advice. Firstly get the initial visa from the Thai Embassy in you own country. Next when you arrive use the Bangkok Bank, the Cetral Rama 111 branch helped us. The person was a more mature Thai woman who knew exactly what we wanted. By way of contrast the Thai Farmers Bank refused us, in fact were quite rude, even though my wife and her sister have had accounts there for some years. After some correspondence their head office conceded that we could open an account. But I felt that atabranch level there was more eye candy than competence

Detail of what is required to open an account with the Bangkok bank in the link. Better to go to one of the larger branches.

http://www.bangkokbank.com/BangkokBank/PersonalBanking/SpecialServices/ForeignCustomers/Pages/Openinganaccountnew.aspx

If problems are encountered ask to see a supervisor.

Was smoking Pot worth it? Worth prison and losing your family?

There are lots of people that think the law does not apply to them, until they get caught years later.

I would think a wife and kids would be enough deterrent to follow the law but for you I guess not

How about cutting him a bit of slack. You are very judgmental. He has served his sentence for a relatively minor crime.

There is no middle class here in Thailand, So the rich get richer by exploiting the poor. probably the same in any Country, But there is little protection in thailand for workers,

Absolute nonsense, Thailand has a large middle class. The continued emergence of Thai middle class has been highlighted in a number of studies, for example UNDP reports and on an empirical comparative basis in Stanford University studies on income distribution.

Thank you for all your helpful responses

Thank you for that response, obviously I don't want to transfer about AUD$35,000 from profitable investments into a Thai savings account. My wife is an Australian citizen but Thai by birth with a Thai ID card but we would prefer not to fall back on her citizenship as we are travelling on Australian passports

My wife and I are holders of Australian passports and are staying in Thailand on Non-Immigration O-A M (Multiple Entry) visas. We wish to renew this visa which expires next April. I have a pension from my employer which meets the threshold for eligibility, however my wife although retired, has not yet received a pension.

Could anyone please explain the requirements in terms of minimum bank deposit require for her to extend under these circumstances? Does the full amount apply? Does the amount alter given that we are married?

The other issue is that my passport will expire before the required eighteen month validity period. I realize I can get a new one at the Australian Embassy in Bangkok (at an exorbitant price) but my concerns are just how is the present visa handled in the new passport for travel away from Thailand until the new visa is issued and even for the dreaded 90 day reporting.

Thank you for any assistance

And bureacracies, at least in most countries, don't make these assumptions without good satistical evidence

Your lack of planning doesn't create am emergency for immigration.

And the same would apply when dealing with Thai immigrations. Some people can't even be bothered to learn the terms and conditions of their stay in Thailand but post heated rants when Thai immigrations doesn't cater to their ignorance.

As Lopburi said, it should have been fairly obvious that the reason some nationalities have difficulty getting tourist visas to the US and that they have to demonstrate a compelling reason for them to return to their home countries is because the unfortunate assumption is that they will attempt to remain in the US, as vast numbers of undocumented aliens have done.

I think catching rodents can be a waste of time. Instead, make your place uninviting. No food available. No water available. And plug up access to your attic if you have one. Don't have stuff around that they can sleep in. They will move out in a hurry.

Try steel wool, scourer to block up any small access points.- water and gas/electricity pipes