Ronuk

9 hours ago, Scotwight said:

 

35sqm and on the ground floor. My walk in wardrobes are bigger. Then, to really put the icing on the cake....it's under Thai quota and in a company name. Go figure why he can't sell it.

Try in MBK. There are lots of places in there that deal with mobiles and repairs.

It is what is here.That's the crux of it. Because you don't like it or agree with it, makes no difference.You either live with the rules or go some where where the rules suit. There is a freedom of choice and nobody forces anybody to stay here. As for cheaper to live here than in Florida, I don't agree at all. I can live a much cheaper and better life in Florida than I ever could here. Depends how you define your lifestyle I suppose. How I like to live, like for like, Florida is much cheaper. The 6 month rule puts a stop it though so I cannot do it.
In another post you say it costs you 30-40,000 baht a year to live here (  Not legally according to immigration rules) by staying continually on Tourist visas. Am I missing something when you then consider the TE option exorbitant for £200 more a year? Just because it needs to be paid up front doesn't make it exorbitant.
Just because this country or that country decides to do it a different way and to be honest, it's immaterial, that's not the worry of Thailand to make our stay a lot easier.
You say you have been here a year or so and already expect the system to change to suit you? You could be disapointed!

1 minute ago, Scotwight said:

So there is no way you can comment one way or the other on how much a person would need to retire here. I agree with you. 

A westerner certainly would be in trouble trying to live on 165 baht for food a day. Lets hope he would have good medical cover because he would eventually need it. We know Thai's can do it but someone arriving from the UK and going straight on that diet will be end up with malnutrition inside 6 months.
Anybody suggesting an expat can survive on 5000 baht in food a month is wrong.

4 minutes ago, Scotwight said:

Start here.  How much should a retiree spend on food a month?

Impossible to answer for another person. It depends on his lifestyle, where and what he wants to eat. If I sat down and worked it out, I suppose I could tell you what I spent last month but would have no idea what I may spend next month or the month after. Do people really organise there life around these things?
My food bill is what it is, like the electric and water bill. I don't really drink Alcohol unless socially when a friend comes down from Bangkok so that isn't anything of a cost to me. I do drink Coke zero so I suppose 6 bottles day at 18bht or whatever it is a 500ml bottle so I know I may spend 500 to 600bht a month on that, Probably more. My condo is paid for as is my truck. I pay the management fees up front once a year and my health insurance is paid in one lump sum in the UK once a year.That at £2800 a year is my biggest cost. I don't like monthly bills.
Other than that, I couldn't tell you what my expenses are liable to be.

AXA PPA is one of the best out there but I doubt you will want to pay the price. As other's have said, First class Health insurance isn't cheap if you want to be fully covered. At 58 yrs old and no health problems, mine runs at around £2800 a year which is around £1200 a year more than I was paying with them in the UK as they are UK based. You do get worldwide cover except the USA, repatriation to the UK and full cover up to £5million for absolutely everything, use the best hospitals in Bangkok etc and no need to pay up front for treatment. At the end of the day, it is peace of mind but at a cost.

5000 Baht of food a month? Yes, see it now and cannot wait to try his 165 baht a day diet. I'm so spoilt for choice I just don't know where to start.

7 hours ago, romeijoe said:

thanks ronuk looks good will try that for sure, hotel right on the beach too. and  prob dosent have 1000s of  farangs by the look .

 

Very few Farangs romeijoe. Infact, I have never seen any lol The beach area in the Military base is just a small part. Outside you have more beaches and quiet restaurant and Bar areas. A deck chair is 50 baht and 2 can eat a good meal with the beach vendors at 300 Baht. You will love it there.

5 minutes ago, Scotwight said:

What happens if a few over the limit Thai people sell to Farangs?  Or are they prevented from selling to Farangs?

You can only sell to a Farang if there is Foreign quota available.

4 minutes ago, manarak said:

 

no... the call to the lawyer would not be made with the goal of making a legal case, but having a professional lawyer talk to the officers, possibly reminding them about the exact regulations and directives how to handle travelers, possibly refering the officers to a more competent senior officer.

This might resolve the issue on the spot, I have seen this happen before.

Possibly but by far the best way to avoid the problem in the first place is to have a visa and not continual visa exempts with no onward flight or a flight which is outside of the 30 day exemption. I did post the other week about what I see 2 and 3 times a week flying in and out of Bangkok. They are continually referring people to the immigration office for interview and questioning for the same old thing. They obviously appear to be stopping it.

3 minutes ago, Scotwight said:

73% of the problems reported by Western men in Thailand according to my experience were involved with trying to buy or buying land/property in Thailand.  Many countries the world make it difficult for a foreigner to buy land.  For example Thailand, Greece, Mexico and Vietnam.  http://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/1011/4-difficult-places-for-foreigners-to-buy-real-estate.aspx

 

In Thailand, foreigners cannot own land. The only way for a foreigner to own land is by forming a corporation that is 51% owned by Thai nationals. Otherwise, foreigners are generally restricted to leasing land, which has very weak property rights, or to buying condos or apartments, as long as foreign ownership does not exceed 40% of the building's units. Many types of title deeds in Thailand do not convey clear ownership. Foreigners cannot get mortgages from Thai banks, and a specific process must be followed when moving money into the country to purchase real estate.

 

Yes yes yes. We all know how it works........And it's actually 49% of Foreign quota ownership in Condo buildings.

Just now, dick dasterdly said:

Only when the land can be bought legally.

 

But its irrelevant as I know people that have found a way round the laws and have no problem.

 

The OP is about someone with a substantial sum, and whether this is enough to retire to Thailand.

 

If they can find a house/condo costing a couple of million bht in which they'd be happy to spend the rest of their life - then yes, its the cheapest option.  But they need to be VERY sure that this is the case, as if they try to sell (in most areas) they're going to lose money nowadays.

You have posted exactly what I said about 3 pages back lol

13 minutes ago, Scotwight said:

I suggest making a list of things that would lead to a good relationship with a partner and then going out to search for that person.  How do you suggest finding a partner?  It is a good question and one of the most important decisions a single retired guy faces when he decides to retire in Thailand.   

 I have a good relationship. We happen to of met on Facebook at first and then moved on from there. She has a nice little business about 3 hours from me. We get together as and when we can but video chat for 10 minutes everyday if we are not together. We don't live in each others pockets and both have our own income streams. I actually enjoy my own space and wouldn't want to be with somebody 24/7.

1 minute ago, dick dasterdly said:

OK - this pretty much sums up your 'argument'.....

Not quite but I have no argument with anybody. People can do what they choose. If there is an argument, it's the fact that renting is dead money. That's a fact the world over.

15 minutes ago, Scotwight said:

What you got here is some rich people from Bangkok, Pattaya and Chiang Mai who think they know something about all of Thailand based on their living experiences in Western enclaves in those three cities.  Some of those rich people have even gone so far as to say what makes up an acceptable standard of living for all the rest of us who actually do know something about Thailand.  

 

A guy coming here to retire with limited funds should 1. Learn Thai.  (invaluable)  2.  Find a decent partner.  (it might take 3 or 4 tries but you don't want to have a stroke or heart attack alone).  3.  Find a nice place to live outside of Bangkok, Pattaya or Chiang Mai (its a lot cheaper and since you speak Thai no problem).  4.  Find a partner who owns a nice house and pay the partner rent. (that way you have paid for the house if you live long enough).  5.  If you can't find a partner who has a house or who can buy a house find another partner who can.  

 

This was not some kind of dream for me - it was an action plan 10 years ago and it works.

What you really shouldn't do is assume who posts on these boards about what they know or what they do because quite honestly,  I could easily assume that you should still be living at home with your parents.
Find a wife that has this, find a GF that has that. You sound like a right catch!

11 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

The idea when you move to Thailand is to have a better life and standard of living than from where you came from.

Rubbish. I came for the women .

 

Anybody that can come and live a life of a good an better standard of living in Thailand on less than 30,000-40,000 baht a month after paying accommodation expenses is kidding themselves and others around them.

5555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555

When I lived in London I was paying some astronomical amount ( in essential subsidised worker accomodation ) to rent a room as big as my mother's bathroom ( don't even think I could afford to buy ).

I pay far less than that for everything in LOS and have a way higher standard of living. Have you ever had to go to the dentist in London? People come to Thailand for dental treatment because they can afford a holiday here as well for the same price as a single crown in the west.

Just going to the movies here is waaaaaaay cheaper than back home. I can buy enough food that I like to live on for a month for no more than 5,000. I can't even imagine that anyone NEEDS 40,000 a month to live on, unless they are getting takeaways from Superbaby.

 

All i can say is that anyone, unless they came from the Sudan that can live happily on 15,000 baht a month all in, must of come from some shocking place to begin with

Welcome to the real world. I can't imagine what sort of life you live that you think everyone has your income. Most people in the world DO come from shocking places.

 

but lets not encourage it and fantasize that it's a great existence. It isn't.

In YOUR opinion. You are denigrating most of the population of Thailand, most of which earn about or under 15,000 a month and work far harder than you probably ever did in your life. FYI people in Thailand grow up, get married raise families and mostly enjoy their lives, all for what you consider to be an insignificant amount of money.

Why didn't you just say you enjoy living like a Thai and saved yourself a whole load of typing? I have stayed enough times in villages for enough periods of time to know exactly how it works and what it's like. Fact is, the vast majority of westerners cannot hack it and those that do, build the big monty western style house to live in. I happen like most, to enjoy living in Thailand but with the western style experience. Nobody but nobody would choose to live a 15,000 baht lifestyle in Thailand if they never had to. Anybody that chooses to leave a comfortable Western country to live like that, really does need looking at. It isn't a life, it's an existence and a pretty poor one at that, no matter how people try to dress it up. That 15,000 baht by the way, is not far off the mark alone for a proper Health care package from the likes of AXA PPA. Yes, we all know there are cheapo packages available. They all sound good until you actually come to using them. What then and in the worst case scenario of having no cover at all. Who picks the Tab up? Have you not scene the news where the expats continually fail to have cover and it's all the fault of Thailand for not taking care of them?

12 hours ago, Sojuncoke said:

 

 

thanks. KL for me it is then 

If you intend to do KL on a Friday afternoon or a holiday weekend, give yourself lots of time to clear immigration. They finger print and photograph absolutely everybody and the line up can be easily 2 hours to get through at times. f you haven't been before, take some time out in the city. It's a great place with some great eating, shopping and much cheaper and cleaner than Bangkok. Hotel Royal Kualar Lumpar is a pretty decent hotel, not expensive and in a good area to explore around for a couple of days.

6 minutes ago, manarak said:

I wonder if a call to lawyer experienced in immigration issues could have solved that situation ?

 

Or does immigration have a hotline in English?

Good luck with the English hotline 
As for wanting to involve a Lawyer to look at your case, unless you have lots of money to throw at it and don't mind being in a Detention center for who knows how many days while an appeal is launched, then the best case scenario would be to accept it and enjoy the ride back to Singapore. Too many visa exempt entries close together are always going to be a problem now. The system is gradually being tightened to make people get the correct visas for multiple and longer stays.
Where and when it ends up who knows?

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Why SHOULD he buy a condo? Buying is well known to be a potential disaster, and this forum is full of farangs bemoaning their decision to do so.

 

Who in their right mind thinks having a Thai wife makes life cheaper?

He needs an asset that he can draw on in later life should he need to. Rent is dead money. You have absolutely nothing to cash in should and when you need too. The forum is full of Farangs bemoaning about buying into shocking schemes and buying the wrong property because it seemed a good idea at the time and no thought was ever put in to it.
The idea when you move to Thailand is to have a better life and standard of living than from where you came from. Anybody that can come and live a life of a good an better standard of living in Thailand on less than 30,000-40,000 baht a month after paying accommodation expenses is kidding themselves and others around them.
All i can say is that anyone, unless they came from the Sudan that can live happily on 15,000 baht a month all in, must of come from some shocking place to begin with. The exact same people have mostly no hope of ever being able to return to where they came from because they couldn't afford it. Good luck to them if that's what they want but lets not encourage it and fantasize that it's a great existence. It isn't.

55 minutes ago, ScotBkk said:

Buying property in Thailand 

 

Cant see the benefits myself with all the worries how the country tends to be so volatile compared to purchases in the UK. Better returns on rents & profits from

sales. 

 

Better to to rent in Thailand it's cheap and can do without any unforeseen hassles. All that, give your missus family a house, car and allowances and same for you and her had me heading for the hills to get the hell outta here!!

 

just saying .... 

Renting isn't cheap in an area and in a house/apartment you would actually want to live in unless you consider 40000-80,000 baht a month cheap. I happen to like a nice place to live. I know exactly what you get for 6000 baht a month. The girls pay that for a room alone and share between 4 or 5 of them.

12 minutes ago, Jk2005 said:

 

Passports and immigration are definitely connected. If you get a new passport, immigration can definitely look at all of your past activity.

 

What people are saying is the fact that the people in the embassy/consulate where you are applying for a visa don't have direct access to the immigration system.

Apologies. I miss read the post regarding Embassy's and Consulates.

I don't believe what people say about passports and stamps not being connected to the Immigration system. In these days of International Terrorism and heightened security, that there no electronic link and only a paper trail for cross border checking not to have it wouldn't be acceptable to other countries accepting passengers and planes in there air space.
There is a whole host of passport scanning, typing and facial photographing these days arriving and departing Thailand. KL for instance, fingerprint both index fingers, even small children in pushchairs, Facial photographing both on arrival and departure.
People like to imagine these countries are behind the rest of the world. Personally, I think they couldn't be more wrong.

It is also highly likely you will be questioned when you arrive in Thailand regarding why you have no onward or return ticket. I see it frequently although I have no idea what the final outcome is likely to be in that scenario.

Ao Manao is beautiful. There is also a very nice hotel inside the Military base as well as stunning beaches.

https://www.google.de/search?q=Ao+Manao+Thailand&safe=active&espv=2&biw=1600&bih=799&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjE4MGA6M7OAhVGPxoKHc3_AOoQ_AUIBSgA&dpr=1