geisha

Not a very nice way of suggesting what happened, but could be very true. Some foreign workers, Cambodian and Burmese especially are very much exploited in Thailand. I’ve seen a few workers living conditions in my time, Kata Beach Phuket opposite the Club med where I took clothes , milk etc. Patong , right behind Junk’Ceylon, and Pattaya . Often no running water or individual electricity and horrible living conditions, and all for earning a pittance ! When I hear stories like the one above it doesn’t surprise me, and no, I don’t condone the persons actions or any type of violence. Foreign workers have absolutely no rights in Thailand as we have seen many times in the past. ( the Fishery slaves, Koh Tao , etc ).

Love the title headline! So cute !

Bangkok is busy , but there’s a reason, lots to do there, great restaurants, fantastic Malls, sky train, and tho people complain I take a lot of taxis when there ( often) and never had a problem. Ok, maybe not always a meter running, but they’re dead cheap compared to Pattaya or Phuket. I always find something new or discover especially over the other side of the river , and often enjoy my evening cocktails top floor of Iconsiam and live music. Christmas and new year is great there. Great choice of food on the basement floors’of Paragon, Central etc too. Cha Am is a bit of a dump if you ask me. Give me Jomtien with a great pool any day given the choice.

I think the Immigration offices will be very happy to get rid of the 30 day extensions clogging up their offices all day long., lots of people are snowbirds, as myself, who come for a few months through the EU winter. The new rules suit me fine , if they ever come into force.

It doesn’t bother me as I don’t get out that much at night. But… I did walk down Soi 6 once by mistake after leaving Pattaya Hospital . I must say it wasn’t a pretty sight. The screeching girls in the most awful get ups, or practically nothing. It just breathes sleeze, which doesn’t bother me either. Walking street I found looking very grubby, and I don’t know Buakhao. I think the whole place needs cleaning up, ( clean as in washed clean / upgraded) and I don’t agree with the young girls walking round in their knickers , but there again, not my country , if the authorities are ok with it , so be it.

I would never advise on selling up all you have at home on a whim. Sure the sun shines longer in Thailand, but you might get fed up of it. In the 80s till 2010 I always thought I’d end up in Thailand permanently.´i got to 60 and decided 4/5 months were enough. I’m happy , and lucky, I never sold up and left.

So, if they have a house in UK and savings ( 20 yrs of saving ) they might have a whole lot more money than you all think. My uncle has just had his house evaluated and it’s 400 000 £ . Doesn’t sound a lot to you, did to me , it’s quite small. I could have moved years ago to Thailand, but I don’t want to. I m happy being a snowbird.

What a load of codswalllop from all you negative readers ! A hard working couple, 20 yrs together, have children , have probably been saving up for their dream for a good while. For goodness sake, be happy for them. To the person who says good luck in building the house with 43000£. Its probably nowhere near the dump you live in ! A Thai friend of mine , a lovely lady of 40 who has worked hard alone all her life , met a very quiet nice man about 4 yrs ago. He married her, they both worked for that time , saved, and have now bought land , house nearly finished, and even built a great fish farm for her parents . The parents and family have their own home, but they all helped with the construction. I’ve seen all the photos. Lots of good Thai people out there, I have lots of Thai friends, and some foreign friends married to Thais. I’m really happy for all of them.

Seeme every murderer / rapist / child abducted claims mental illness. Those lovely young students in the UK on their way home, little children everywhere , victims of incest , all at the mercy of « mentally ill people ».The courts all over the world should wake up, and people with children should act immediately at the first sign of abuse.

This is what I do as I only stay 5 months in Thailand a year. I own nothing in Thailand. I have also suggested that a family member does the same. He’s still very active but was just about deciding to move into a nice retirement / care home in Thailand. Now he’s heard of the tax problem, and he says no way he’s paying tax on top of the rather expensive ( for Thailand) retirement home . (Ps not buying, some of these residences have rooms / studios and bigger on a rental basis or sale . I think this tax may be a very negative message to future retirees. I definitely would not give them a penny of my hard earned already taxed money. Plenty other countries have sunshine in the EU winter time.

Pattaya and Phuket will always attract the Russians due to the nearby airports. One British Estate agent I’ve known for around 12 years told me they’d made a fortune from Russians arriving with suitcases full of $. I asked if they could buy condos/ houses with cash and he said everything is possible here. I don’t think he was telling porkies or exaggerating, he’s married to a Russian speaking lady which probably helps. She used to work on those stands in Central Festival ground floor. The Russians arrived in Phuket quite a few years back, at least 12 when I was still wintering there. They were literally hated at first , latter welcomed, now it’s back to hating. My last long stay was 2022, only to see my old friends, I left early and went to Bangkok where I breathed a sigh of relief ! Absolutely taken over by some very uncouth people. I’ll stick to Jomtien for the moment with getaways to Bangkok and Koh Chang. The new visa 60:days suits me of course. No more queuing for extensions in soi 5. I can take a week away somewhere and fly back in for another 60. Good for snowbirds as myself.

Thanks, but as I said , he would prefer to sell the house , but he would not bring the money into Thailand as he has a very good bank in the UK that he trusts and where he also has his life savings invested. His plan is/ was transferring around 2500 to 3000 £ a month ( depending on how the care home wants to be paid) to a Thai bank account. ( Of course that’s excluding a visa and health insurance) So, for example , he would receive a total of not more than 36000£ every year into Thailand, how can we find out if he’s going to be taxed on this amount , and by how much. He has traveled extensively all his life so he’s not a naive traveler and the Care home seems great. He’s fed up with the UK weather , and gets bored , he’d be better off in Thailand with a pool and good weather and lots of activities proposed. He could always stay under the 6 months as I proposed and avoid tax. Otherwise we have a lot of family in Australia where he could live very near them . He’d prefer Thailand. its just the missing info on the tax situation . Thanks.

One of my family members is close to deciding on a care home in Thailand. Now he has read that the amount he would need monthly to pay his costs is around 2500£ + with which he is fine, but knowing that he will pay tax on this will probably change his mind. I don’t know how much tax this would be on around 30 000£, ( excluding visa costs and health insurance). Will he cancel his plans, or , as I suggested, stay just under 6 months, but which means keeping his home in the UK. He’s waiting for concrete figures. I know he would not transfer his economies to Thailand as he’s very careful with money. So it would be transferring funds when needed., How can he get an estimate, or is it too soon ? Thanks.

Everyone and anyone commentating are just wasting their breath , or time.

How do you know I dont need my well organized kitchen, my comfortable mattress , my beautiful hand woven carpet, or my smart car ? I like living comfortably and I don’t buy junk. My choice.

I had a huge one who lived behind the mirror in the bathroom , which was the old fashioned kind with the pump , bucket and bowl. He frightened me to death too, so I only used the bathroom when I knew he’d gone up to the roof. That was Kata beach, kok Tanode, only little Thai houses at that time.

Phuket has some nice beaches, as for the rest…. Tourists generally go for the best beaches, not the dirty water of Pattaya Jomtien or the ugly beach of Hua Hin. But there are other much nicer beaches than Phuket, the smaller islands for example. Less tourists as not easy to get to. Good. I’m happy with that.

That must be the most dangerous crossing in Pattaya at least. Nothing is ever done , the lights don’t work properly, they need a traffic cop there. what country can’t even manage one safe crossing.. Put cameras everywhere and fine or confiscate the offenders. Bangkok is much safer, bridges everywhere , mostly with escalators or lifts to make them easier to use, traffic lights that work, and the cars stop.

Siberia ?

Hypocrisy at its best !!! If any country takes the prize for being the top rip off country it’s Thailand. From the « solly , Palace closed today » to the jewelry shops, traditional art , rip off tuc tuc prices, fake watches and anything else fake T shirts, running shoes and even fake meds !!! Then there are fake girls, and fake boys. Enough to make the tourist head spin !

The whole lot remind me of little children with their toys.

Traffic is worse in Phuket , unless you go to the east side . I wouldn’t. I found Phuket suffocating, hot, humid, and generally uncomfortable. Last time I was there was two years ago visiting my Thai friends from when I was young and living there. Last time I was just happy to leave, it was February and early March and rained heavily nearly every day !!!! Next time I go to see them I’ll stay a long weekend.

I’ve been told Allianz is very good ??

Apparently, pre existing illness can have many meanings, like for ex, were you hospitalized, did you have surgery etc. It’s really hard to find out exactly what it means. But you can still get insurance but depending on circumstances they won’t cover your pre existing illness. I’d love someone to explain this to me. For example , I take meds to keep my tension down.Does that mean insurance won’t cover this ? Any info appreciated.

So if I arrive in Bangkok, visit, then fly onto Samui or Phuket, then back to Bangkok, and then home does that mean they count my one holiday as 4 flights out of their numbers?