Fore Man

Great information! My wife is from Nan Province and we have always wanted to tour across the border. Two questions please:

1. How/where did you obtain your Lao visa beforehand?

2. Did you need any special preparation to take your car into Laos? How about insurance coverage while there?

Thanks

I routinely use Skype from my outer Chiang Mai home in Mae Rim District and had never had any problems with it. I am using ADSL over a TTT connection (512/256) and it has served me well for 4 years here. I had some early difficulties with the distant end unable to hear me, but this was probably due to my set-up and not the connection itself. I concur that you should have no problems with MICT censorship of normal business-related web access. I have heard rumors that use of a VPN is not permitted but never saw anything conclusive (I now connect to email services via a web-based Outlook server and it is generally flawless unless the home server needs a reboot).

As a US citizen returning for a 3-week business trip, I rented a car from Hertz in June 2008 at 3 different locations. I used my old-style Thai 5-year license (in Thai, no English). I had zero problems at 3 different hertz locations where I rented autos. One gate guard was curious as he had never seen such a license before...but there was no problem. BUT I made sure to place this license on my on-line profile with Hertz so it was already in their system before I arrived in the USA. I am not sure what would happen if I simply showed up and presented that license with no prior notice. I suspect the newer style bilingual license would be fully accepted.

Wow--the ultimate TROLL. Sort of like a prankster who dumps a nasty piece of fecal matter on your doorstep and then waits for you to step into it. NO THANKS.

Whether or not you draw social security benefits has no effect on the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion. Ss benefits are not earned income and are not eligible for the exclusion. You have to be earning something outside the US, for work outside the US, to be able to exclude anything.

Ah yes, this is the root of the issue. I completely understand the definition of earned vs pension income. The FEIE allows me to exclude the majority of my U.S. earned income...the amount of which has a great deal to do with how much I am penalized when accepting SS benefits. Is that earned income amount affecting the SS calculation determined before or after the FEIE is applied?

The FEIE does not affect the ss benefit calculation. However, as mentioned in a couple of prior posts, the earnings limit is applied differently for foreign earnings. Generally, if you work abroad for more than 40 hours a month, you cannot draw ss benefits. If your benefits limits are applied under the regular rules, it is the earnings before the FEIE.

The FEIE is strictly a device for calculating the tax liability for a given income. It has no other purpose and is not related in any way to social security benefits or taxes.

Thanks very much for helping me wade through this issue...I didn't realize the impact on SS by foreign earned income. Looks like I'll need to wait until I retire for good before initiating my benefits. I realize my eventual payments will be higher as a result of deferring my decision, but actuarially it will be a gamble to see if I live long enough to get a bigger cumulative payout.

Whether or not you draw social security benefits has no effect on the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion. Ss benefits are not earned income and are not eligible for the exclusion. You have to be earning something outside the US, for work outside the US, to be able to exclude anything.

Ah yes, this is the root of the issue. I completely understand the definition of earned vs pension income. The FEIE allows me to exclude the majority of my U.S. earned income...the amount of which has a great deal to do with how much I am penalized when accepting SS benefits. Is that earned income amount affecting the SS calculation determined before or after the FEIE is applied?

This certainly doesn't pass the tried and true 'smell' test. Unfortunately, most of the world, when learning of the alledged human trafficking operator, will probably believe that it was true and that poor Thailand has been unfairly hounded by the press in its treatment of the boat people. But those of us who understand the depths of the Thai pysche realize that deflecting the blame to the roti-seller is a sad reflection of Thailand's unwillingness--its near pathological inability--to accept blame in any form...individually or as a nation. This is a wonderful country but it seems that the vast majority of its people simply cannot step up and admit to personal or collective failure. There is always a zealous need to find fault elsewhere and deflect criticism to another party...in this case to a lowlife scammer from one of two nearby countries for which the Thai have a longstanding mistrust.

None of the foregoing has one whit to do with how the Thai military treated these refugees after they landed on their shores...and for this the Thai government will be unable to shift blame elsewhere. The eyes of the world are boring in upon the Thai kingdom now for this maltreatment and cruelty and wondering now how could this gentle Buddhist race do these sort of things to unfortunate souls seeking a better way of life. Yes, the Rohingya have been purported to commit larceny and other crimes once they disperse in Thailand but that is another issue entirely and the far greater problem of human rights abuse needs to be solved first.

My question is this: is the SS offset penalty applied before or after the effect of the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion? If the FEIE is considered in the SS offset calculation for tax purposes, I would probably be better off starting my SS benefits now rather than waiting until I retire for good from my US employment. True or false? Thanks.

Your question assumes that the offset is the same if you live in Thailand or the US.

It is not.

In the US it is earning s after approx $14160 that reductions begin.

In LOS it is working more than 40 hours per MONTH.

AND if you work for 41 hours, all your beneifts are suspended.

That is how I understand it.

Thanks. I've sent the question to my US-based tax accountant to see how he responds. Even though I live here, I do not generate income in Thailand and do no business within these borders...it is all generated in the USA and paid by my US company directly into my USA bank account. So living in LOS should not make a difference. I am mainly curious to learn what effect if any the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion would have if I began taking SS benefits before I retire from my employment.

what is the current rate that you can make a year before they take taxes from SS ?

If you mean 'offsets,' not taxes, you can have earned income of up to $13560 (in 2008) before your SS payments are offset $1 for every $2 in SS benefits paid. This is if you are collecting SS *before* full retirement age (which is age 66 for those born in '43 and after). No offset if working after full retirement age. And earned income does *NOT* include pensions, annuities, and investment income.

If you really mean actual taxes on SS: Federal taxes on SS begin if your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is at least $25000 single, $32000 married. MAGI is essentially all taxable income plus half SS benefits plus tax exempt income. Amount of SS subject to Fed tax is phased in at these markers, with 85% of SS benefits being the max. (See IRS Form 915)

Since we're on this...as an ex-pat living in Thailand, I work (on a strictly telecommuting basis) for a U.S. corporation. Since this provides me with earned income, I claim the annual Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE)($87,600 for 2008) and this substantially reduces my tax liability for the remaining amount that was left below the line (I earn more than $87,600). I also receive income from several defined pension programs, as well as a US military retirement and a VA disability. I have not considered beginning Social Security benefits yet (I am 63) because of my U.S. employment income and its serious impact on my potential net SS proceeds.

My question is this: is the SS offset penalty applied before or after the effect of the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion? If the FEIE is considered in the SS offset calculation for tax purposes, I would probably be better off starting my SS benefits now rather than waiting until I retire for good from my US employment. True or false? Thanks.

From my vantage point...having devoted several years to living both in Pattaya and Chiang Mai...I've seen more than my fair share of 'angry farangs' who just seem to lose it whenever something goes wrong for them in the LOS. My wife and I were stunned when we witnessed a German chap start shouting and cursing at having to wait in a line of customers at the checkout stand at Carrefour. He just completely went berserk, ranting and raving like a complete madman. He stomped off, abandoning his full cart of groceries for the employees to return to the shelves. What an idiot!

Since that time, we've seen the same kind of behavior over and over again...most recently at our golf club in Chiang Mai, when a 60-ish American 'lost it' when he was enraged by the management's decision not to do something about speeding traffic in front of his (golf course) home. He even took a swing at the golf course manager, received a well-landed jab in the face in return, and then had to suffer the indignity of a police investigation that ensued. He received a stern warning that the next such incident could land him in serious immigration trouble. Before that, he was frequently seen yelling at his caddy and throwing golf clubs in tantrums whenever he made a poor shot or the caddy displeased him. He also happens to be a hypertensive alcoholic. As a previous poster has mentioned, excessive drink seems to be a real causative factor in such mad behavior. As a result, this man's name is mud around here--another "jai rong farang" who has gone way off the reservation and who would be better off returning to where he came from instead of making it hard for the rest of us who choose to live peacefully.

Thailand sure seems to attract a disproportionate number of hotheaded drunks...these people are true losers in every sense of the word who couldn't cut it in their homelands and came to this fair Kingdom where people are a lot more tolerant. The trouble is...when Thailand makes it hard for these clowns to stay here, then it will tighten up for everybody else. We just have to hope that these acts of public shame are seldom in occurrence and not blown out of proportion.

I'd like to add that aspirin is a nephrotoxic drug and its long-term use can definitely cause irreversible harm to the kidneys. There are many cases of aspirin users--mostly chronic migraine sufferers--who have had to begin dialysis at relatively early ages because of the damage done by the drug. My own physician in the USA told me that taking a maintenance dosage of 82.5-mg daily (equivalent to a single 'baby' aspirin tablet) is probably not harmful unless there is already evidence of renal insufficiency. He also recommended using enteric baby aspirin so as to minimize stomach lining irritation.

Following many problems during the last year or so with getting visa extensions processed at Jomtien Immigration, many long time xpat friends have been using the Bangkok immigration HQ to process their visa application and extension paperwork. Reports about BKK immigration admin have been very good, with processing and documentation requests exactly 'as published' and everything straight forward.

Tell me that what we are seeing here is simply the equivalent of a drug dealing 'turf war' - where an immigration office in a region where officials buy their jobs and routinely extract lucrative bribes to process applicants paperwork are trying to ensure that all punters 'on their turf' have to deal with them alone, and can't escape to the sanity of an alternative immigration center

I have been through 4 annual extensions for retirement reaons and have never paid a bribe. I think you are overstating things when you use the term 'routinely'...unless it applies to a single office somewhere in this Kingdom...but I doubt that it applies across the board.

It comes to my mind that perhaps all these men claiming to have earned advanced degrees on the dating website...may be exaggerating their credentials just a tad to attract the lass of their dreams. Heck, ladies lie about their age and weight; why not men lying about their education. It's a known fact that many resumes contain false statements about diplomas and awards.

To respond to your poll, I have two masters degrees: an M.Ed. and an M.S. Never used either in my lengthy military career :-). But as someone else in this thread mentioned, it was almost considered a 'must have' in order to get promoted to field grade ranks. The U.S. military's officer corps, and to some extent its non-commissioned officer corps, has evolved into a highly competitve system, where it's 'up' or 'out'. We eat our young. Having a discriminator over the next guy is vital. All things being equal, if I have that M.S. and you don't...well, good luck in civilian life.

I did the same thing at the Chedi Sam Ong crossing a few years ago...pay minor tea money and they hand you an exit visa. Your passport doesn't get stamped.

Malathion is very similar in effects as highly lethal nerve agents formulated by the military. I used to be a crop duster in Florida many years ago. We sprayed malathion to control infestation in the citrus orchards there. Malathion is so potent that pilots typically taped three atropine syrettes to the panel in case of a crash or accidental tank rupture. This the same injectable drug used by the military services to neutralize the effects of nerve agents deployed by an enemy in wartime. As an agricultural pilot--and later as a soldier--I was taught to remove the protective cap and then press it into my thigh muscle to quickly infuse the atropine into our system. We even had glucose-loaded versions for pilot practice. The very early versions of these devices were simple squeeze bulbs connected to a hypodermic needle.

Malathion and a related chemical, methyl-parathion are indeed insidious pesticides and need to be taken seriously if used in local mosquito eradication programs. I pulled the following data off the web today: "If you are exposed to these toxic pesticides, you may have headache, nausea, dizziness, anxiety, chest tightness, blurred vision, and restlessness. Symptoms that might mean an exposed person's condition is getting worse include muscle twitching, weakness, tremor, lack of coordination, excess sweating, abdominal cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea. Severe exposure can lead to convulsions, unconsciousness, cardiac arrest, and death. People who are exposed to significant amounts over time may have a persistent lack of appetite, weakness, and malaise. Swallowing, inhaling, and having skin contact with [such chemicals] are all ways in which people can be exposed. Children, the elderly, and people with certain health problems are especially at risk".

If you routinely have your yard sprayed by a bug service, it would be a very good idea to stay indoors and close the windows for several hours during and after the application is completed...or simply lock up and depart the area and go shopping. Malathion and similar agents are bad stuff. Bug sprays purchased at the supermarket typically contain methyl-parathion or a similar class active ingredient. Many of Vietnam-era GIs took in too much of the stuff while trying to control the cockroaches in our 'hooches'. Be careful when applying these sprays indoors, especially in the vicinity of kids and pets.

I took my rental van across the Chedi Sam Ong border crossing several years ago without a hitch. We did this semi-illegally; using a (probably) worthless 'exit visa' document while the Thai side retained my passport. It was good for 8 hours and we visited the famous temple complex and a sprawling town market about 10-km into the Union. The only problem I had was that my long-time Thai driver was not pleased at all about driving on the wrong side of the roadway. I have since heard that a 7-8 year old Camry can be sold for US$100,000 in the Burmese gray auto market. Even if you could barter your way across the border post now, I would be very careful as any enterprising thug or soldier could kill you, take your vehicle and sell it for a fortune. Best not to even try.

We drive this route all the time. Takes me 4 hours to Nan from Chiang Mai and it takes my wife 5; she drives slower and probably more carefully. We always use the Lamapng-Denchai-Wiang Sa routing. The high mountain road from Phayao is very scenic but can get dicey in places depending on the state of road repairs.

I believe that a man coming from West LA and used to life in that area would be hard-pressed to make ends meet on US$20K annually in LOS. Some things are double their prices in America...all durable, quality imported goods for example. As one poster said, your expenses and preferences for travel, golf and eating out will be a major factor. Golf (including caddy tips, beers, balls) can easily run THB 10,000 a month if you like to play regularly. I doubt anyone living in a decent home in Thailand would want to depend on a motorcycle for long...it gets too wet here and how do you carry your purchases back from the supermarket? But a reasonably-priced pickup can be had for under $20K; the large Vigos will run more. Bear in mind that medical bills may not be a problem now but could be a factor later on in life...even in low-cost Thailand. We have found that our expenses are roughly 65% of what we spent in San Diego, not including our SD home mortgage. Stuff just adds up here--first class car insurance, gardener fees, ISP charges, cable TV...etc etc. One thing you don't want to do is move over here and find that your income requires you to live like a pauper. Think it through.

I'd like to stress what another poster has advised...that ibuprofin, Motrin, Alleve, Advil and related NSAIDs are indeed nephrotoxic...they can and will cause permanent damage to the kidneys over time. There are documented cases of life-long migraine sufferers who took Excedrin and similar aspirin formulations to relieve their pain. And then in their early 50s these unfortunates were diagnosed with End State Renal Disease (ESRD) and eventually had to begin dialysis. ESRD has a high mortality rate and it is usually a one-way trip to an early demise unless a transplant can be arranged. Please do not rely too long on anti-inflammatories.

The pharmaceutical companies don't portray these risks adequately IMHO...we simply pop a 200-mg pill when we ache and think nothing of it and that's what they want you to do.

As a few posters have suggested, the real cure is to stop doing what caused the problem in the first place and then find some other way to handle the same action that takes stress off the elbow.

I have the symptoms of tennis elbow and I have been taking Ibuprofin 600mg twice a day for a month. Will this cure the problem or just take the pain away temporarily? Can I exercise or ride a bike now? The pain is much less since I stopped using the mouse with my right hand. When I take a walk the elbow gets stiff unless I keep moving it around. THANKS.

I'm no physician but had a bad case of epicondylitis (same thing you have) last year. Motrin helped alleviate the pain but in the end what took care of it for good was one cortisone (mixed with novocaine) shot downtown at an orthopedic clinic in Chiang Mai. I was just about to give up golf for good and this turned the whole thing around. The doctor pinpointed the pain and made a small injection ino the site. I was skeptical as I have always heard that cortisone can damage the tissue that is being treated. He advised me to take 2 weeks off from golf and I was as good as new again. Good luck.

I concur with Mobi above in that paying a tax for our property is worthwhile. While we farangs don't have to pay tax now, our Thai wives who own property we live in are now eligible for taxation, and would of course continue to be eligible under the provisions of the new legislation. My question is definition of 'general properties' versus 'non-commercial properties". Which category would a private dwelling and its land fall into? There is a difference of 0.4% involved. For say, a THB 10M valuation, the annual tax would be either THB 50K (0.5%) or THB 10,000 (0.1%). That's a big difference. And the disparity grows with higher-valued properties. Would a home located outside a municipality have a lowered assessment or would the rate be the same regardless of location? Lots of issues to be understood here.

Nope, never felt that Thai people are aggresive towards me or anyone with me.

Some Drunk Farangs yes, Thai people, No.

Are you sure they were not miserable aggressive Farangs disguised as Thai people ?

Same for me but they`re not always drunk.

The only rudeness I have experienced up here in Chiang Mai is from other Farangs, more so ex-pats rather than tourists.

Wow...you hit the nail on the head with this final sentence...what is it about other ex-pats that makes them so unfriendly to their fellows?

I would be asking the same questions as Fore Man, plus regular middle class Thai folk will doubly check out farang/thai wife and child groups to judge their suitability and class. If the lady looks respectable, looks fairly attractive in Thai eyes, similar aged to the husband and all look happy and smiling then you have no need to feel paranoid.

There have been times when I've also thought that a lady or two were giving my son or me dirty looks, only to be corrected when as my son leaves the BTS or wherever it is and the stoney-faced lady suddenly smiles and waves at him. Don't be too hasty to judge facial expressions. I occasionally have a feeling that the long hard stare the lady is giving my son is not because of her dislike for children, but maybe due to the fact she isn't married but wants a child/can't have a child/child living away from home etc. etc. - there could be many reasons, and don't discount envy if your child is particularly cute and nice looking. Give people a smile first to test their attitude and it will soon give you the answer.

Bangkok is so child-friendly and appreciative that I get stressed just thinking about the little annoyances that happen back in the West where no pre-20 girl would so much as glance at a youngster, no schoolchild would dream of playing with him/her on the bus and restaurant staff and customers would get irate if he's running around or making a noise. Bangkok may not have many things, but it's making my son a happier more personable child.

That's a pretty decent response CarlBKK and one the best ones I've seen...it's very refreshing to see a decent, responsive post instead of the usual flaming and surly remarks made by many.

While I agree with most of the OP's guidelines, I have to take issue with speaking only English...and driving with lights on during daylight hours. During my early driving days in Thailand, I have been stopped by Thai policemen...in the same speed trap mentioned along the Lampang-Tak highway...and talked my way out of a ticket by being friendly and speaking Thai to the officer. He realized I was a 'different' class of farang and let me off. They can figure this out as soon as you open your mouth. As for driving with lights on...this can get you stopped and cited in some locales. Drive smart, safe and defensively...because unfortunately the majority of local drivers aren't. After violating it myself back then, I totally agree with the OPs admonishment not to speed. I see too many Fortuners and Camry's driven at breakneck speed by Farang drivers, impatient in their pell-mell race to get to their destination...be it across town or across the countryside. Relax and take it easy out there.

This post fascinated me...and disturbed me as well. There almost had to be a catalyst for these very atypical reactions to occur among typical Thai denizens. Is there anything 'different' or striking (in an unattractive way) about your manner of dress or appearance as well as that of your wife? Was your child making a racket and not being controlled? Where you wearing appropriate clothing in that setting? I visit BKK periodically on business and pleasure, and have never observed this. Some people are cooler than others, and I take issue with the poster who asked if you were either fat or old. I know a lot of fat, or old, or fat and old farangs who take pains to dress up and look and act decent. Look and act like a slob and you will get what you deserve amongst the Thai people. We see all kinds of 'weird farangs' up here in CM. The one that tops the 'don't do it' list is the visitor who comes here and strolls around the city--one littered with temples everywhere--wearing next to nothing--today we saw a 40-ish guy, looking every inch like a bum from the backpacker scene, wearing shorts, sandals, tons of ugly tattoos and no shirt...out in broad daylight at least 600 miles from the nearest beach! This is disrespectful to most Thais and immediately earns their scorn. My (Thai) wife's family and close friends are appalled at how the vast majority of foreign tourists dress when they come to the Kingdom, and it is from these unsavory visages that they begin to suspect that everybody back in the West dresses and acts likewise.

I have never seen the kind of reaction you mention from Thai people--unless you did something to provoke them first. Very interesting, and very disappointing if true and unqualified.