persimmon

The Grace Hotel on Suk 3 used to be a major meeting place for these types of people . I remember walking past there on my way home when I was approached by a dodgy looking character who said something like " Hey mister , I make business with dollars , you interested , do you have a mobile number " . I politely declined his offer .

Taking out life insurance with the wife as beneficiary .

Last time I had a return flight to come back to the UK after 5 months . Thai Airways never asked any questions . I had a SETV. Do you think if I did the same but without visa they might demand a flight out within 60 days ?

Maybe the locals could club together and hire some private security guys . Suitably armed with BB bats they would soon discourage these low lifes who plague Patts . I remember a few years ago at a concert there was a scruffy old Thai guy harassing 2 members of the audience . The security soon dealt with him by ripping his shirt off and giving him a kicking with their large boots . Instant justice . Shame things like this aren`t allowed in the Liberal West anymore .

Food prices are a rip-off compared to non tourist areas . No complaints about the quality of the stuff at my favourite veg . restaurant ( been going there for nearly 20 yrs and the food is exactly the same every time ) , but the prices are now at western ( UK ) levels - 110 bt for rice ! By comparison , same thing in Udon would be a quarter of the price . Now I prefer to make my own , all the ingredients are available , so why not ?

I think a Thai can open an account with Interactive Brokers . Then , it`s just a matter of choosing investments that throw off a 5 % dividend - there`s lots of options such as REITS or high yield bonds or ETFs comprised of a selection of higher dividend yielding global shares . Currency conversion losses might be an issue , ie. Baht ---> $ , then back to Baht again . Also accounting problems for tax purposes .

re. places to stay , why bother booking in advance - there are loads of cheap resort places every few miles .

Same here , such a relief not to have to go through that arcane procedure of applying for the TV online . Let`s hope this new rule is here to stay .

£ 14 k / month is scandalous ! Better to spend everything in Thailand and go back to the UK penniless and get everything for free , or throw away your pp and arrive in a small boat and claim asylum and get luxury accomodation and priority healthcare .

Life in Issarn can be interesting . There are lots of places to visit and sights to see , but ...you really need a Thai GF / wife with a car because many of the most interesting spots are off the beaten track and not well publicised . Without this you are stuck in the major towns and reliant on buses which really limits things . One thing I like about Issarn towns - they feel like real places , not like Patts which feels like a stage set populated by hoards of tourists .

The problem might be the anxiety and hassel caused by having to submit many documents that are hard to get hold of . Another potential issue for UK residents is income from ISA which is tax free in the UK but may not be in Th .

If the new 60 day VEE comes in it should make life easier ie. 60 + extension ( 30 ) = 90 , leave the country and re-enter gives another 90 , total 180 .

Yes , same here , just sign a couple of papers and it`s all done . Takes 20 mins

Taken at face value , this sounds quite good for those who like to spend the Winter months in Thailand ( 5 years visa free access )and should be cheaper than the alternative ( ie. 5 x TV and visa runs etc ) . Like many things though , if it sounds too good to be true then ....

AFAIK money in a pension is not part of one`s estate and so not liable to IHT . How much tax the recipient ends up paying if the pension is withdrawn depends on various factors and is more complicated if the beneficiary is Thai ( will they pay tax on an inheritance ? ).