ELVIS123456
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Posts posted by ELVIS123456
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Search posts on TV - there are many covering each of your questions and they all have been answered already.
Visa - get that sorted before you do anything.
Dont buy until you get old and decide to settle someone forever - always rent as that allows you to move easily (many reasons - all in the posts).
Search, Research and Read.
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Lesson learned - dont give any site/business your credit card or paypal details in Thailand (or not in US/UK/Aust).
And even when in the west be very very carefull, as if you pay to join anywhere, some of them will rebill you again (and again if they can) - even if you cancel. Most people dont check their account history closely, and even fewer take the trouble to demand their money back when they do cancel.
Trust no one and verify everyone.
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57 minutes ago, Number 6 said:
Well, I live in Bangkok and I've done four extensions. Even the first did not require police visits or stranger neighbors vouching for our marital bliss. Bangkok ain't got time for this nonsense. I'm sure they might single out suspects but I've just not run into this at all from married here.
I'll get off this visa as soon as I feel like stopping work. It's so bloody complicated that the cops are inconsistent and the offices are inconsistent.
There should just be a precise checklist for everyone. Local IO checks the docs, signs and ships to Bangkok.
Immigration is just a colossal make work program
Thai Immigration is just a colossal
make workmake money program-
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Retirement Visa when I come back for more than 30 days - decision made because of this and other posts.
Ridiculous.
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A correspondent with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) based in Washington, DC, ferreted out a counselor who is treating people for a “collective anxiety” caused by President Donald Trump “volatility.”
“There is a fear of the world ending,” Elisabeth LaMotte, founder of D.C. Counseling and Psychotherapy Center, told CBC. “It’s very disorienting and constantly unsettling.”
CBC reported that “Trump Anxiety Disorder” was coined in a 2017 essay included in a book written by clinical psychologist Jennifer Panning, who said the condition was different from other anxieties because “symptoms were specific to the election of Trump and the resultant unpredictable sociopolitical climate.” “Trump Anxiety Disorder” symptoms allegedly include “feeling a loss of control and helplessness,” “fretting” and spending excessive amounts of time on social media. Panning was part of petition campaign in 2017 calling for Trump to be removed from office because he “manifests a serious mental illness that renders him psychologically incapable of competently discharging the duties of President of the United States.”
“Trump Anxiety Disorder” symptoms allegedly include “feeling a loss of control and helplessness,” “fretting” and spending excessive amounts of time on social media.
In downtown Washington, a lawyer and immigrant from Uganda now working in the Department of Agriculture sat chain-smoking a pack of American Spirit cigarettes. His clinical depression was being "compounded" by a cascade of negative White House-related news, he said. So, he's started to tune it out completely. "I had to get off social media. I had to stop paying for cable. I started only reading fiction," said the federal employee, who only gave the name Kenneth because he was worried speaking publicly might cause problems for him at his job. "Maybe I should be talking to a therapist about this." Asked if he had heard about the president's latest tweet to Iran's leader, he shook his head. "Seriously, man — don't even tell me."
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-anxiety-disorder-mental-health-political-divide-us-1.4762487
What can I say - without offending somone. Probably best just to say that if anyone is feeling like the man from Uganda that they should perhaps follow his lead.
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6 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:
For what country?
He was not prosecuted here in Thailand so there is no banning in place.
He was likely denied entry for having a criminal record under section 12 clause 6 of the immigration act.
Thanks - detail is important.
I should have said "denied entry for life" - until criminal records cleared in both Aust and Thailand - which for that offence is extremely unlikely.
Thinking about it more. I reckon he is lucky - if he was going to try and do the same thing again. They could have followed him and tracked him, and maybe even set him up. He could have been looking at a life sentence or even worse.
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9 hours ago, micks88 said:
yeah, sinus issues
Banned for 10 years minimum. Probably for life.
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23 minutes ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:
If your post could only make sense
I. wrote. it. as. slowly. as. I. could.
Is that better??
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4 hours ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:
Major eye roll and bore you are.
Thai Visa posters are not mostly American and could care less about your anti liberal propaganda.... and I say this as someone who would most likely be anti liberal if I was living in USA.
Nope, I think the OP was pretty clear. Let's keep uneducated masses on the road for the sake of kids being kids and anyone who points out the obvious - that Thais are absolute animals on roads will be proclaimed to be a Thai basher.
Actually, this sort of statement sounds something that would come out of the antifa/liberal cheerleader himself.
Clearly you do care - but it wasnt propaganda. Like Starky I dislike the Thai bashers like you.
In your own words: your statement sounds something that would come out of the antifa cheerleader herself (Mad Max).
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On 7/14/2018 at 2:30 AM, seajae said:
yep I sure do, every morning when I turn on my computer and see your mutts face on your posts. You want to give an opinion and then when people disagree with you, you get p*ssed, I really feel sorry for you, must not be easy lacking a decent education and having the ability to think rationally but dont worry I am sure you will grow up one day. Let me know if you need another dummy to spit, have a good one
14 hours ago, starky said:Your the one dummy spitting goose and hoping I see my children dead in a morgue and as for the rest I won't comment as you know zero about me.
Love your work Starkey ??
Notice how 'they' always demean others by doubting their education and morals, when in fact it is always 'them' that lack intelligence and morals.
There is a common thread amongst them all - a liberal/biased education that results in dogmatic thinking and a lack of common sense.
There is an old school phrase that sums them up : "cant see the forest for the trees".
There is also a new school one too: "has the vision and mental focus of a goldfish".
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13 minutes ago, starky said:
Good eh ?
Leave the pigeons alone ?
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3 minutes ago, JAZZDOG said:
Actually most leases lock in the rent for the first three years and even spell out how much it can increase in years 4 and 7. In my case that was 10%or 3% per year which was ok. After the first three years though you are correct, the landlord can throw you under the bus. Problem with buying most shops is they are crazy overpriced and if you want to leave not easy to sell. Rents would yield maybe 3% so not a good deal at all as long term asset. The best way to make money is buy right a business from a distressed owner, get it up and showing a good profit and flip it. I have been offered 50% more than I paid but intend to list it in October when there are more fish in the water. Paying to much rent and especially yearly key money payments are business killers. I was fortunate in that the business I bought the price was considerably less than the guy I bought from paid to get the work done 6 months earlier. As so often happens he had to pull a runner once he figured out his beautiful 18 year old gf was lazy as hell with zero personality to match. He had done a good job of setting up the hosting sites and hand many reservations and reviews. The café also had many return customers. The guy did everything right except picking his date, Lol.
Agree about buying out a failed 'farang' operation and then making it good and then selling it - smart thinking as a farang is only likely to be able to sell it to another farang.
All wife's family have shops and all but one have bought their current place because rents went up - I guess it depends on who and where, but they had 6 months and 12 months deals - none had a 3 year deal - and wife has never heard of that long a deal. Bangkok, Roi Et, and Chiang Mai. But that doesnt mean it doesnt happen in some markets.
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10 hours ago, Rhys said:
what about bimola? reliable?
They have ECE 22.05 / TIS standard and that is good.
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One of the first pieces of advice given is the most important - dont, but if you must - dont rent. If somehow you are successful, that 10,000 baht will quickly increase to 15,000 or 20,000. If you buy a townhouse with sleeping/family rooms upstairs and the restaurant below, then you have a chance long term. And if food doesnt work out, maybe try hairdressing or somemthing else in high demand. Thai landlords see a successful business as reason to increase rent - and they will do without a second thought. Many many stories to prove this - including several of my wife's family - yes they do it to Thais as well. Some close after 6 months because the rent has been doubled.
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42 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:
You will apply for an extension of stay based upon marriage instead of retirement using a TM7 form.
The 400k baht will need to be in the bank for 2 months on the date your apply.
This is my general list of the required documents to apply for the extension. Marriage Extension Requirements 2.pdf
Quick question if I may, as I dont recall this being covered before.
Does the 400K have to be only in bank accounts in my name, or can the 400K include bank accounts in the wife's name?
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You cannot. Not a chance as a returning tourist/resident. Huge fines and maybe even gaol if caught trying to hide it/them.
These are the rules to import plants.
http://www.agriculture.gov.au/import/goods/plant-products/how-to-import-plants
If you want specific orchid/s for some reason, your best bet is to try and find a Thai company that is an approved exporter of Orchids to Australia, and buy/risk it at this end.
Buying them in Australia is very very expensive.
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There is a movie that covered this issue very well - The Circle (Tom Hanks)
Staying away from the broader/bigger issues raised by the OP and the movie mentionmed above, and sticking to Expats in Thailand, my advice is that it would be very wise not to 'cross the line' here, assuming that because you have a made up account, that the Thai authorities could not track you down (should they ever want to). As pointed out, every post you make using your mobile phone network can be 'traced' to you, and if you use a PC at home, without a VPN, then every post on that can also be traced to your IP address (your home).
Why they would ever want to do that is not the issue raised, the issue is that they can.
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We always remove and clean the ac filters in every hotel we stay at - Thailand and elsewhere - but in general Thailand is the worst. I also spray the ac with a disinfectant and run it on low without the filters for a minute, and then once the filters are back in, I spray again with disinfectant (heaps) and turn it up full blast - we leave the room for 5-10 minutes. If the ac has not cooled the room down by the time we come back, or the room stinks, we ask for another room. Plus - we will take a small portable air-filter with us when we are in the Rural/Regional areas of Thailand. I dont see why anyone would balk at a few minutes work/trouble to ensure the air they breath while sleeping is not putrid. Being an older ex-smoker it is a routine that is well worth the trouble for me. And to the next few visitors in the room - no whucking furries.
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On 1/20/2018 at 11:13 AM, Mario666 said:
Elvis is ALIVE!
"Say Hello To My Little Friend"
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4 minutes ago, Benroon said:
You’re not wrong - walk through any shopping centre and you won’t see a smile - its all 100 miles an hour to get back to the car before one of hundreds of UK fines gets you, it’s a nation of stealth taxes now, you can go to prison for not having a piece of paper to say you can turn on a TV, police hiding in bushes to catch you doing 34mph in a 30 zone (another fine coming) you’re conditioned to work very long hours to get a house you don’t need, getting up in the freezing dark to go to work coming home in the dark and the prospect of an absolute loon Jeremy Corbyn could be the UK’s next prime minister with Diane Abbott his No 2 (the one who struggles with the 3x table) - anyone want to go back ?
Until you said Jeremy Corbyn I thought you were also an Aussie. I am back here in Aust with the Thai wife waiting for the pension to be approved so I can go back to LOS, and everything you have said is exactly the way it is here. I was in Thailand for almost 4 years and now I am back I cant believe that the Nanny State has actually gotten worse and is getting worse every day. I got a ticket for 61kph in a 60km zone !!
I hate living here - good to see the family members and some old friends now and then, but Xmas and New Year was a pain.
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In answer to the Post : Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes and Yes.
And I agree with most of the other Posters - it is a fantastic place to retire (cant wait to get back).
If I may say to the Poster - next time you go to Thailand, get a Visa stay for a lot longer stay and see how everything goes. Dont make the mistake of some and sell up and chuck it all in and come to Thailand based on that 'holiday feel'. There are so many great reasons why to retire in Thailand - but there are hurdles and potholes when you are actually living here - get over them and learn how to avoid/ignore them, and then you will find out if this is the place for you. Some take 3 months, some take 6 months, some take a year, and some never do 'adjust'.
And as many others have said, and IMO too, the key to living genuinely and happily in Thailand is to find the right Thai person to share your life with. You can just chase bar girls for a long time if you want, but after a while (for me a very short while) they and the whole scene will start to bore you. And dont think that as a retiree (60+) that a 20/30 something Thai girl is seriously in love with you (unlikely). There are some lucky retirees - but IMO finding a good Thai lady closer to your own age (40up) is more likely to result in a long and lasting relationship. And be smart when looking for the 'right' one - there are many ex-bar girls and ex-Expat girls looking for their next 2-3 year 'provider' - but there are a lot more good ones (lots more) who are ready and willing to commit for the long run - just be smart and ask lots of questions and observe closely.
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There are plenty of lovely Thai girls with a kid, that will not do the wrong thing - we know a few. But it seems those without kids may be less of a 'flight risk' if you take them home with you.
The reason I am here is that you cannot apply for the Aust age pension from overseas - you must be living in Aust when you apply. And you must have been living in Aust for a minimum of 2 years prior to the age qualification, otherwise you cannot then get paid the pension if you then go overseas.
And, the wife will soon get a permanent residency Visa which will allow her to come and go far easier in the future - as well as a lot of other benefits in the future. As I said, we plan to reside in Aust and holiday a lot in Thailand a lot, once the pension is approved and I can get the pension paid when I go overseas. Some blokes call it 'doing penance' in order to then live (mainly) in Thailand, and all think it is wrong this has to be done.
Some blokes come back when they qualify and then stay at least 2 years here, before then moving back to Thailand. But the Govt is getting harder on that and I would not be surprised to see the 'qualification period' increase above 2 years soon - maybe event to 4 or 5 years as a resident. So I decided to get back first - both in case it is increased and also so the wife can get a permanent residency Visa and maybe even get citizenship (after 4 years here).
https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/163135-australian-aged-pension/
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I forgot to add something (getting old). Today I caught up with a mate from Melbourne and he told me some stories about the violent gangs - and it is worse than what is being said in the papers and has been an ever growing problem for years. Having lived in Sydney I can tell you that the Nanny State is skilled at covering up what it doesnt want people to talk about. When it comes to violence and all that, LOS may have its issues, but so does Aust. And I have some friends in Sweden and Holland - they reckon it is worse in most of Europe than what is happening in Melb.
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On 3/17/2017 at 5:20 PM, ELVIS123456 said:Hi all - we arrived safe and are living in Aust - and still together
I scanned through the replies - thanks to all those who wished us well and gave their support.
I will send an update in a year - it will be good to check our outcomes versus expectations.
Just for clarity about our situation - I am close to 60 and the wife is close to 50.
We have no kids and we both cant (vasectomy for me).
Wife's family all own their homes/farms/shops - they have never asked me for a baht.
My points about 'rights' and things like the pension and passport and the 90 days, were said to show how much better Thai immigrants are treated in Aust, than Aust Expats in Thailand. I like Thailand and the people (young pampered aggressive males aside).
It has been almost a year now since we left Thailand, and we have had our first XMas and New Year together, so I thought I would send an update on how things have been back here in Aust.
The fist thing I will say in answer to a few posts is that my Thai wife will definitely be eligible for the Aust Pension when she is old enough (67 is the current qualification age). And if she lives here for 10 years in total she will be able to take part of that pension with her if/when she goes back to Thailand (either before or after I am gone). The amount/part she will be paid overseas is calculated on a pro-rata basis - for 35+ years it is 100% of the overseas rate, for 10 years it is 10/35 of the overseas rate, for 15 years it is 15/35 of the overseas rate, etc etc.
Secondly - has the wife started to go 'feral' yet - no. We are going very well and having a great time together - but of course nothing is guaranteed in life (except death and taxes). There are Aussies here with lovely Thai wives that have been for many years, and there are a few whose Thai wife took what they could get and left. But it does seem to be more of the good ones than 'bad' ones in my circle. And one other thing I have noticed - those I hear about who took the money and ran all had a kid/s - and all the Thai wives with no kid are still married and still here. We know several who have kids and are still married after 5-10+ years, but there is something in that factor of kids vs no kids when it comes to a Thai lady deciding if to cut and run back to LOS.
So moving onto to myself - how have I found Aust? I do not like it much. As they say you dont really know what you have got until it is gone. My complaints about how the Thai immigration bureaucracy and their procedures being a pain, pale into insignificance when compared to the daily never ending khrapp you have to deal with here. Trust me - dealing with the 90 day reporting and the extensions etc is nothing compared to so many things you have to put up with here. Just opening a local bank account here was an absolute pain - they have clamped down so much on things and I was not aware until I had to start again and get a new account for myself and the wife. And dealing with CLink/DHS is an absolute nightmare of confusing requirements and massive delays and waiting - both in person and over the phone. I had to get an auto-dialer and one day it took almost 30 mins just to join the queue and over an hour later I was speaking to someone - who didnt know and I was transferred and had to wait another 20 minutes. And there are so many other things that are just so 'difficult' here - and not many 'official' things are easy.
But that is not the main reason I dont like it back here, and not the reason why I left in the first place. This is just not a happy place - the people are just not happy. Dont get me wrong, there is laughter and most people are trying to enjoy their life - but happiness is not prevalent - everyone is stressed out and most are miserable/grumpy. People will smile at each other - but their normal state of being is 'oppressed' - and they are so intense and aggressive when things go wrong. Here in the Nanny State everyone is 'controlled' in just about everything they do, and when you raise any related issue with them, like all the unnecessary speed cameras on certain roads, or how stressed out everyone is, they just shrug and say 'what can you do' and they accept it. When I go shopping with the wife I still cant believe how miserable most people look, and how so many people are grossly overweight. It seems everyone tries to do something on the weekends to make themselves feel better about their lives (and eating/drinking too much for sure) - and they are always planning on a holiday to 'get away' from their normal daily lives. I play a lot of golf and most of the blokes I play with are miserable/grumpy and they play golf to 'get away' (work, family, etc.). It is all just so 'unbalanced' here and to me it is definitely a 'rat's race' and I now fully understand why I wanted to leave it before. I miss the LOS and all the happy people - many Expats aside. I dont care that many things are 'wrong' in LOS - I miss it big time.
I certainly dont miss the wild traffic when travelling in LOS, but when compared to the totally oppressed and controlled nature of things here, then I prefer the wild west excitement. I got a speeding fine equivalent to a months house rent in Thailand for going 3km over the speed limit. I cannot turn left on a red light, even if there is no one there, even if the lights take 5 mins to change at 6am, or I risk a fine of 3-4 months rent and maybe losing my licence. There are 19 speed cameras between the airport and city central in the nearest big City. They all know it is all about the fines and road safety is just an excuse - but they just 'comply' - driving here is a constant state of checking what the speed limit is and making sure you are under it.
And I miss how cheap things are back in LOS. In some regards it has improved here in Aust, but in so many others it has gotten worse - much worse. The wife still cannot understand why electricity, gas and water costs so much here - we pay about the same each month here as what it cost for 6 months in Thailand - and we used the aircons a lot more in LOS. But Aldi has had a good impact on the shopping, and now the groceries are only 3-4 times more expensive than in LOS. It seems that anything that involves the use of people here costs a fortune - restaurants all seem to be so expensive now. How they can charge the equivalent of 600 baht for a plain Pad Thai is ridiculous. And the price of meats have gone up a lot - they say it is because exports get more money so domestic prices have gone up. Wine is cheap though - good and cheap. When I explained to the wife that Aust has a full-time minimum wage of about $20 per hour which equates to about $36K PA (about 900K Baht PA) she was astounded. When I added that the employer also has to give them 4 weeks fully paid annual holiday, and some have to pay an additional leave loading of 17.5%. And that all employers also have to pay a minimum of 9% of their salary into a Super fund, and they all must also pay for workers compensation and liability insurances, and most States also charge an additional payroll tax to most business of 5.5%, she started to understand why everything is so expensive here.
However, the medical system here is very good and is free for most things serious - and in a few years time I will get the age pension and be able to get it paid when we are back in Thailand. And golf is far cheaper here - and is much better organised. So for the time being I will be staying here and Aust will always be our place of residence - but in the future we will be spending a lot of holiday time in Thailand - a lot
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If you didn't live in Thailand, had a high income then were else would you live in Asia?
in Pattaya
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Winner!! Singapore by a mile. Japan is great, but there is very little 'farang' options and the culture is very 'singular' - best place to visit, but not best to live without a Japanese wife/GF.
There aint no better option in Asia when it comes to a high standard of living, law and order, banking system, medical system, food (being OK to eat), restaurants, transport (including the roads and airports themselves), entertainment, building construction, weather, legal rights, land and property ownership is similar to Thailand but you can get residency in a few years and citizenship is possible (dual citizenship allowed), and I could go on and on.
English is the official language of Singapore. Plus, it is a genuine 'hub' for airline transport and from there you can go anywhere in asia in a short time.