Lacessit

You are probably correct for expats with high-end skills. Permit me to doubt an expat retiree would even give those localities a second thought.

It depends on how long the "rest of your life" is. After full extraction, the gums recede over the years. Recession got so bad with my mother that her dentures lost all grip on her gums. For a couple of years until she died, she could not eat any food that required chewing.

Bahrain and Dubai? I'm assuming only Arabs could have conducted the survey, no-one else could possibly come up with such nonsense.

Please, not while I am eating dinner.

IMO it is far more likely the BS stage 3 tax cuts for the wealthy will be scrapped as unsustainable. Plus the tax rorts, which I have posted previously. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-12/inequality-on-steroids-as-rich-take-more-of-the-gains/102200878 You can beat the 183 day drum as much as you want, IMO any budget gains from that are small potatoes in comparison to the political risk of inflaming pensioners who do not even live overseas.

Unless you quote actual figures with a credible link, your post is meaningless in terms of what proportion of 1 million Australians are retirees. Parkinson's law is the observation that public administration, bureaucracy and officialdom expands, regardless of the amount of work to be done. This was attributed mainly to two factors: that officials want subordinates, not rivals, and that officials make work for each other. If you think computers have changed that observation, I have a bridge in Sydney Harbour I'd like to sell you.

Income is fairly meaningless, it depends on how much expenditure is going on, Read David Copperfield. A person is wealthy when their assets exceed what they can possibly spend in their lifetime.

I am still an Australian resident for tax purposes, no gray area about it. Your last sentence reeks of schadenfreude, no surprise there.

Anyone who was not wealthy, or gave a damn about climate change.

Missed my point entirely, as usual. I was asking how much the bureaucratic drones cost who administer the 2 year rule, compared to the benefit to the economy by forcing people into two years in the penal colony.

One option might be to negotiate with the neighbor, either giving up a bit of land, or offering monetary compensation if the wall goes over onto their land. Tell the Land Office the survey is no longer necessary, good luck asking for a refund. Otherwise, welcome to Thailand, where nothing gets done fast without palms being greased.

I would describe myself as meticulous, it came with my training for my former profession. Any time I have bought an appliance, car, or enter into a contract, I read all documents front to back. I check my tyre pressures and battery/radiator/brake fluid/windscreen washer fluids once a week. I turn up early for appointments. I've noticed the people who wing it are usually the ones stranded by the road or at an airline counter, whereas it is smooth sailing for fussbudgets like me.

IMO your blood pressure results are fine, provided your BP monitor is correctly calibrated. I have two machines, wrist and arm, so I can check if they are giving similar results. The last figure, I assume pulse rate, is also good. I have figures similar to yours, and white coat syndrome in spades. I get above 140/80 any time I am in a clinic or hospital. Stress raises blood pressure, and hospitals are places where one may be hurt. Your BP will fluctuate during the day, depending on your activity. I always measure my BP either first thing in the morning, or late afternoon, to achieve consistency. The risks with low BP are dizziness and passing out, which is not likely with the figures you have posted. Take it slowly when getting up from a lying or sitting position. Bear in mind your kidneys are cheering from the sidelines. They hate high blood pressure. Also bear in mind Viagra or Cialis will lower your BP substantially.

Many insurance companies have a department with the specific task of vetting and rejecting claims on the slightest pretext. Some even incentivize their staff to do so, with bonuses. I have self-insured my travel for many years. IIRC, the biggest cost to me was one event where a cancelled flight plus overnight accommodation was about 3000 baht. Trifling compared to what I would have paid over the years in premiums. I do have car and private health insurance, which both work well. IMO the travel insurance and life insurance industries are a different kettle of fish, both scams.

All life is about risk. No-one can anticipate being hit by a bus. Plan B is to be carted off to a provincial Thai hospital. Either I die there, or get stabilized enough to get on a flight.

50% of Americans still believe in angels. The gun addiction is a matter of belief, nothing to do with thinking.

Agree, a great way to go out.

No. They don't care where I live, as long as I pay the premiums. $3000 per year.

I used to go to a laundry in CM for ten years, run by an ex-policeman and his family. Usually 120 baht for a full basket, washed and ironed. Never mislaid or damaged a single item. Plenty of laundries in Chiang Rai, 40 baht per kilo. There is a coin-operated laundry next to my regular massage shop.

There is no way any hospital in Thailand can rack up 1 million baht in 3 days without considerable padding of the bills. I only use the Thai medical profession for minor complaints, or for the initial stages of anything more serious. I go back to Australia, where I can get free treatment with top level private health cover. For example, I have a urologist in Chiang Mai for routine checks. If I needed surgery, my urologist in Australia is far more qualified and experienced.

Thais are not stupid, they have different priorities. I have the education you refer to; however, in terms of Thai street smarts my GF is way ahead of me.

Isaan women have a reputation for being strong-minded and hard-working. Never having been in a relationship with one, I don't know if that is true. I have a joint account with my Thai GF of 200K baht. The rest of my assets in Thailand and Australia are my business only. Any woman who became horrible or started shouting at me would be out the door before she could blink. I put up with a psycho once, never again.

Morrison is fishing around for employment, just as Abbott did after quitting Parliament. Both duds. I understand it was John Howard who changed the parliamentary pension rules to stop politicians of every stripe from reaping very lucrative lump sums. Would that the OAP was as generous, any MP who has served two terms, including backbenchers, gets 50% of their salary. That's a pension of more than $100K, compared to the OAP of about $26K. It's difficult to convince me most have earned it.

I turn 80 next month. I always have something to occupy myself, exercise, golf, swimming, eating out. I have mental exercises as well, such as creating videos, or driving my scooter in Thai traffic. I enjoy life, when it no longer has quality I will check out. I don't have a bucket list. I have been places and participated in events most would only dream of. I suppose I have the mindset it is better to wear out than rust out.

Nothing will change in that respect. I've seen owners of legitimate businesses not connected with the sex trade making payoffs to police. I assume it's a form of protection to ensure the Thai mafia stay away. Gambling breaks Thai law too, pa som sip is the Thai national card game played in all the rural villages.