Flutterby

I suggest ThaiCupid. While there are a few who are obviously bargirls and many who might be, I would estimate that most of them are looking for a serious relationship. I met my GF there (I'm 69, she's 42) and we've been together for two years and I expect to spend the rest of my days with her.

Some things I learned during my search:

1. Read their profile completely and actually think about what they like and don't like.
2. Use Google Translate to translate the original Thai, the ThaiCupid translation is worthless.
3. Look at their photos with more than an eye for how hot they are. Even if body style/shape is important to you, give yourself some latitude to stretch a bit.
4. Decide which characteristics are important for you and skip profiles where they are not in your comfort zone on those important things. For me, smoking, even a little, was an immediate deal breaker.
5. If they are younger than about 40 (my lower limit was 35), see not only if they have children and what ages but also if they want children or more children. Maybe you are okay with little ones, I am not.
6. You will get a lot of "interests" and some messages that consist of only one or two words such as "Hello" or "Hi there". Consider whether you think those women are serious.
7. Reply to everyone who writes more than a couple of words. It's only polite.
8. When you find someone interesting, and after spending time analyzing her profile, write to her. It doesn't have to be a long letter but a little about you and a couple of questions about her.
9. I found that what I wrote in my profile made little or no difference, I tried changing things to see and it didn't affect the number of women who reached out to me, even when I put in a sizable income figure.
10. Most of the women who contact you will not really read your profile and what you write about yourself and what you are seeking.
11. Pay attention to when they were last active. If they haven't been on the site for months, they are not likely to respond to anything you write.
12. Sending "interests" is worthless.
13. Your profile photos should be of you and not with another women. They should include at least one clear view of your face and a full body shot (clothed, of course). Shots from a bar might not get the kind of response you want.

I'm sure others might have some other tips but these are the ones that came to mind right now.

I began visiting Thailand 17 years ago and I have been living full time in the Kingdom now for almost two and a half years plus another year as a "trial run." To all who would listen (sorry if I have been a bore on the subject), I have been very positive about the country and encouraged people to visit and even to join me in retiring here. But now I have serious doubts, at least about living here.

It was either in 2017 or 2018 that the Thai government started requiring retirees to maintain a Thai bank account balance of 800,000 baht (about $26,000 in US dollars) in order to get the yearly visa extension. It could drop a bit during the year but had to be at that minimum for 3 months prior to the visa extension and 2 months afterward. I've recently heard that it's not enough to just put that money in the account and leave it there, you have to show that the account is actively getting money from abroad. There is supposedly a provision to show that you have at least that yearly total amount as regular transfers from abroad, but I've heard that some folks have had problems with that. As for me, I meet the qualifications all around so it's not a big issue.

In 2019, the Thai government has instituted a couple of new policies that are making it untenable or at least undesirable to continue to live in Thailand. The first of those policies is that foreigners living here have to report to immigration (form TM30) every time they return from a trip of more than 24 hours outside the province where they live, whether it's inside or outside Thailand. When we stay in a hotel or other accommodation in Thailand, the management makes a copy of our passport and reports our stay to immigration which, stupidly, assumes that the hotel is our new residence. On returning home, we have 24 hours to report that we are again living where we never stopped living. When we leave the country and return, we make a report with our address on it (form TM6) to immigration on arrival and physically hand it to them. They still require a TM30 within 24 hours. Here's at least part of the annoyance. The law states that it is the landlord who is supposed to file the TM30, not the resident, but it is the resident foreigner who has to pay the 800 baht fine (about $26 USD) if the form was not promptly filed on our behalf. Landlords have balked and many have refused to file the form. What do they care, they don't have to pay the fine.

The government has a web site where one can do the TM30 reporting but it has big problems. First, you have to register. I tried but after two and a half months was told my registration was rejected. Some people have been able to register and it's good for them. Even my landlord (an Australian fellow) was unable to register. Supposedly, a smartphone app will be coming someday to make the process simple. Well, this is Thailand, so I don't expect it to ever happen.

Lots of people and organizations have complained to the government about this regulation but nothing happens. I will have to go and spend the better part of a day at the huge immigration center here in Bangkok at the end of January so it will be "interesting" to see what happens.

The second new regulation that was thrust on us in 2019 is a requirement that we have an approved health insurance plan and that they won't extend the visa without it. In other words, get the plan or get out. My friend here is 79 years old and is self-insured. Here in Thailand, you cannot buy a health insurance plan if you are over 75 so I don't know what he is going to do when his visa expires at the same time as mine.

The government's stated reason for requiring ex-pats to have health insurance is that some visitors to the Kingdom have come here, had medical treatment, and left the country without paying their bill. I ask, who is more likely to do something like that, someone on a short-term visa (i.e. a tourist) or a retiree who lives here? The tourists don't have the health insurance requirement, at least not yet, just the retirees. Frankly, the government's explanation is BS. I think the health insurance companies paid off some in the government to institute such a requirement and are now starting to reap big benefits.

It is clear to me that the Thai government doesn't want us here but are too chicken<deleted> to say it. Either that or they are just too stupid to see that these policies will end up hurting Thailand economically. Already, many of the ex-pats living here have decided to no longer travel within Thailand because of the onerous reporting requirements. Hotels, restaurants, etc. are losing the money that would have been spent without the TM30 requirement.

Yeah, they don't want us here so I am considering leaving and I would discourage anyone from coming to live in Thailand.

I got my retirement (non-immigrant O-A) visa extension today (January 22, 2019) at Chaeng Wattana in Bangkok. Here are some thoughts.

1. Based on everything I have read here and other places, your experience may be different.
2. I arrived at about 9:45am and got number 108 and they were at 30. They were taking about 20 numbers per hour. I estimated my number to come up around 3:00pm. I went to lunch at 11:00 and came back at 1:30 and they were already at 121 so I had to get a new number (182) and start the wait again. My fault but I don't know why they had skipped so many numbers. Maybe people decided not to wait. My number was called at about 3:30pm so not long after I had originally predicted.
3. I had a letter from Bangkok Bank from the day before stating that I had more than the required balance to get a visa. Nonetheless, I was told my passbook had to be updated TODAY! I had to go downstairs, pay 100 Baht and get it updated. I could have accomplished this as well by either depositing or withdrawing 1000 Baht (or whatever) and avoid paying a stupid 100 Baht fee because the transaction would have caused them to update my bank book.
4. A friend I met by chance at immigration said that they asked him for a TM30 for the first time and he has lived in Bangkok for 20 years. They didn't ask me for this form or even for my lease agreement.
5. I had photocopies of my passport including the photo page, my last Visa page (issued in the USA), the last page with stamps, and a short visa extension (until February 2, 2019) issued at the airport due to a misunderstanding about expirations when I left on my last trip out of the country. What I didn't have was a photocopy of my departure card stub. Fortunately, the immigration agent made the copy for me right there.
6. I tried to give him the TM08 form to get a multi-entry visa but he waved it away. I learned at the end that I got only the single-entry visa. A friend told me I had to go to another window and another line to get the multi-entry visa. I am still not clear about that.
7. I was pretty anxious about the whole process but he granted the visa extension without a problem. It took about 25 minutes with the agent then had to wait for someone to bring me my passport.
8. I think it would have been harder if I had not had my Thai girlfriend with me. The immigration agent pretty much talked only to her and she told me what to do at each step.
9. We walked out at about 4:45pm.

What I still need to know is how do I get a re-entry permit when I fly out of the country. If anyone can tell me, I would appreciate it.