Presnock

Basically the same for a long time - oatmeal, blueberries, cranberries, pro-biotic yogurt, kiwi, pineapple, apple, mango, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, dash of tumeric, walunts, almonds and cashews, two cups of black coffee, one cup of green tea with ginger all unsweetened. Some days the fruit varies with what is available Somedays includes strawberries, some days cherries and walnut milk for he oatmeal/fruit mix. 1 small square of 99% chocolate. Has enabled me to maintain my weight within 1 kilo for years even though I exercise about 2 hours a day total. ALways have plenty of energy and never constipated.

Same in the grocery stores and others that sell bagged (chips), canned sodas, less in bags the same size, canned sodas 10 0z insted of 12 oz etc. John q. public of course NEVER notices...wrong on that. We knew that the bags were mostly air in the first place. In the US all consumers are complaining that while he govt says inflation has been tamed somewhat, the stores have kept all the jacked up prices. Maybe after November things will get better. No way, see doom all the way.

IN Feb, I had a 90-day report due, so went to the airport immigration office - they just told me to walk to the drive-in 90-day report window which I did - 1 minute wait for stamping! too easy or just drive through.

I may have been in error but I read from another that he was happier about 500K as opposed tgo 800K and that his (I think military) pension would cover the 66K income requirement - I withdrawal my original comment here about the 66K requirement unless I can find it again, Sorry for that.

They do require a 66000 per month income or 500K deposit plus cost 10K for the visa

I wonder if this might have somethinig to do with the new tax interpretations...

couldn't agree more - I'm 77 now...understand your worries...my brother in law now 78, lost all the male members of his family 38-43 (father/3 brothers) and he opted to exercise extra his whole life and is still with us, now though he as extra stress as wife(sister) suffering from dementia onset and niece just had a stroke in her 50's - food science making great discoveries today about health issues and how lifestyle can affect diet and health. Causes of all the major killers (from health issues) are now being traced to diets. Beware sugar, red meat and ultra processed foods. Just saying, not advising anyone to change their life, but do advise folks to read up on the latest health issues that affect all of us and our families. As I mentioned, best of luck to you and yours!

When immiration said we had to have an account solely for me, I had a shared acct made with my p/p and wife, I opened an acct with BB with my p/p AND had to also provide my SS number. Maybe htat iw what Social Security will need for your new acct.

Absolutely, lost 2 family members to cancer...always best from everything thing doctors have advised and everything that I have read on most cancers, the sooner they know it is there the better. Nowadays with these new researchers (many from Harvard) have done wonders with diets defeating cancers and helping to prevent them too..suggest reading Dr. Willam Li's two best sellers (avalabe at a big book store in the Siam Square area...if you need the name of the store I can also provide that - have to check with my daughter. My wife an I follow his suggestions based on actual studies. You Tube also carrying many doctors and researches studies now based on health issues and foods. Good luch with your physical and insurance issues. Best to be safe with less stress.

Will they be required to pay Thai taxes on that lottery win whenever they remit the funds into Thailand? Just wondering.

Yeah and even stranger, the shooter has been identified and they claim he was a Republican!

Yeah, I can remember ack in the day, changing a 20 USD bill and getting two pockets full of Kip. That Kip went a long way too. Only place I have seen worse is Angola - the homeless burned the paper money for heat on the sidewalks and for cooking whatever they could find to eat. One could find paper money scattered along the sidewalks. Never used he local currency there.

Agree somewhat, but a lot of the things that need to be done include offices not within the TRD and that means a lot more work for those other offices and while we complain of extra paperwork yoou could bank on the other offices not enjoying extra complaints about the extra work one would have to do for another office and not get anything for it. After all TIT.

If people did not understand how frustrating everyday life could be, then even if one has only lived in Thailand for the last 6 months, they now must fully understand why they keep seeing "TIT" whenever someone gives an opinion of something here. Best to chill and go with whatever may come... or leave. I lived here in the early and mid 1970's - political-wise, nothing has changed except names. A lot of wannabee's who think they have the solution(s). I wish all the best of luck whenever anything gets settled here, after all, TIT and as the weather changes constantly so does life here.

Available for reading within the TRD are the exemptions by royal decree of taxes. In reading about the LTR, it specifically says near the end, that the director of the TRD can remove the exemption of those taxes on remitted funds from overseas. Just saying, yes, the possibility does exist though we figured that anyway as TIT and anything could or will not happen. We just need to wait.

those missiles are guided, that is why so many hospitals have been hit, along with power providers, water plants, all kinds of infrastructure and especially civilian targets including markets and apartment bldgs. What hospitals in Russia have been targetted? But, yes war is horrible to say the least - been there done that, just survive is the key word and protect your fellow soldiers land homeland.

BTW: during my life I have lived in Japan, VN, Burma, Indonesia, PI, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Malta, Angola, Zambia, Guatemala, California, Maryland, Texas so have not been restricted to any one type of life nor language having studied more than 10 of those.

I first came to Thailand in 1972 - worked for a year mostly in NKP, then came back with my family in 1976-1979 living on Soi Thong lor in a rented house. In those days there were no fast food restaurants of the west. If one wanted to buy any western foods, Villamaket on soi 33 Sukumvit was the only store with anything from the west. Of course there were no milk or icecream from the west. TV was black and white, andy any programs from the west one had to have a radio to tune to the station that carried the sound track for that program. During Xmas time, there was no XMAS carols being played in any of the shopping areas (i.e. Central Dept store), there were no XMAS decorations nor fir trees fake or real available. Bangkok flooded big time every rainy season with small boats even at certain intersections to ferry people across the streets. Traffic was bad even then on Sukumvit and throughout the city. There were no trains moving folks around the way of today. Even 10 years ago, there were very few of the train routes available. I personally grew bored of fighting traffic so moved to CM 10 years ago - when daughter began college in BKK, we rented a house here and am amazed at how quickly we can get from zone to zone in the city today! Much cheaper than wasting all the fuel in the road traffic and much more timely today. Travelling outside BKK was easy in the "old" days, many times we would drive early morning to HuaHin, be the only people literally on the entire beach, enjoy the day there, giant prawns 1 dollar each and the size of lobsters truly, then drive back to BKK in the late afternoon. Would go play golf in neighboring provinces early morning, sometimes two rounds, cost of 5 USD per round, enjoy lunch between rounds and then drive back to BKK before nightfall - total cost less than 30 dollars for all day including meals, gas and golf and caddie fee. Even world famous golf courses i.e. Navatanee built in 1973 for the 1975 World Cup was available and very cheap. Khao Yai had a golf course (now closed) that needed armed guards due to tigers, had rope bridges across deep canyons to some par 3's - caddies would not go into rough for wayward shots due to dangers, my group lost 80 balls on the first 9 holes! but even though 3 of us had never played golf before, it was so much fun we bought clubs the following week a lot due to the Khao Yai course - even though monkeys stole a couple of those balls. In those days, it was almost impossible to see a fat Thai person, most were shorter than those of today, sorta like if you go to Myanmar (when not fighting) you would note how short most of the locals were. But, while Thailand has changed, especially the major cities, there are still an abundance of countryside that is totally undeveloped and great for trekking and just wondering around in nature. Beaches are much more crowded today with too many foreigners. However, the waters off most beaches are not crystal clear except along the Andaman Sea. Even in the old days, we were warned about pollution in some of the waters in popular beaches. But, Thailand is still my choice for retirement. I am a lot older, and enjoy the greater comforts of today versus the old days. But younger folks may feel different. TYhe political scene remains the same - military still want to control as much as possible. There were problems in the old days and still come up here occasionally in the same way. There used to be no cellphones at all but that has changed the world and not in such a positive way totally in my opinion. Smart phones remind me of just what a dinosaur I am but technology zooms more verticle all the time so AI I am sure will rule the world in the not-too-distant future. I still love life here and can't imagine having to depart...all depends on the changing immigration/tax/political leanings affecting life here and since my career moved me from country to country many many times, I could leave if necessary. I do wish the best of all for everyone here - I realize it is not the paradise it once may have been for some just like it is today - "for some".

Being able to speak the local language in a non-ENGLISH speaking country to me is essential if one wants to take advantage of all that country has and to avoid upsetting the locals too much.

Plus, after June 2023 the reports say that it was the warmest on record that makes it 13 straight months of record warmth in the world. Seeing the current HEAT reports around the world, and for extended periods plus early in the summer months in some countries, this year will most likely be the warmest on record...means more and heavier rains so more flooding. Best of luck to all.

Yes it is the calendar year, but the 180 days can be spread anywhere within that calendar year.

I retired here in 2003...married a Thai lady and we now have a 20-year old daughter in college. I worked here several times in the past and while I lived in many countries around the world, Thailand was at the top of the list. The PI was 2nd place - both have no cold weather nor snow! But Thailand definitely won out on local food. Both countries' citizens welcomed western foreigners. I speak both languages, and like the people of both countries. I don't drink alcohol, use any drugs not even aspirin, nor did I run the bars. I played a lot of golf early on over the years but slowed down a lot. Now at 77, I still walk 6 km every day, lift weight every third day and do core exercises for an hour every day that I do not lift weights. Fortunately, Thailand has an abundance of fruit and veggies so I eat healthy, avoid fast foods and red meats and ultra processed foods. I have not even had a cold since retiring here though I did catch the COVID (sore throat for 2 dayas only). I now have given up driving myself and use one of the call-ups for any transportation needed. I enjoy watching Korean drama series and movies but keep the amount screen time to a minimum. I do read novels daily and check out this forum evey day for an hour or two depending on anything new. For new folks, avoid the bars, lots of great places to visit that are totally undeveloped in this country. Try to be patient and chill every day as life can go smoothly if one practices this ALL the time. As for any new folks, we still have no real idea when and if the tax situation will get worse or not. The new govt continues to argue on the pros and cons I think in the impementation of the opportunities they feel are available from the expats since we have no say in the yea or nay of anything locally. Our only recourse is to re-locate to another ASEAN nation that recognizes what the expats can bring with them. BTW I got rid of everything prior to coming here, and realized that I would enjoy life here until I died - I still feel that way, now have an LTR and with the DTA and the LTR am not concerned with the current tax situation - we'll see how that develops over time I guess. Life here can be great depending on what one can put up with. Always chill...good luck to all

I always did enjoy watcing those guys push the last folks in...Japanese accepted it and didn't fight it as folks always in a rush and not enough trains.

yeah obviously as we never had enough workers as when ever oversight was done, they always promised more money and more workers and it turned out the opposite result every time!

Well having worked in organizations within the govt, one is given a buget amount for a period of time based on needs. I one tries to expand the number the workers in order to do more, then the govt usually does not provide any extra funds for the extra workers - what happens is normally either work is not done or workers are fuloughed. This is especially true if the govt has no funds to start with so they normally tell the organizations to do more with less. Heard it many times over the years I was working for the govt and doing budgets while being given increased tasking every year. Just sayiing