Lacessit

Quite true, although there are exceptions. I know a guy who is going back to America due to a heart ailment who has just sold his 1 yo Honda Jazz at a 100,000 baht discount to RRP, with only 8000 km on the odometer. IMO it's rare that anyone does more than 20,000 km a year here, so a 2 yo car with 30,000 on the odometer is a reasonable proposition, more so if it has the reputation of being reliable and therefore harder to damage by neglecting maintenance. Simple economics says a car is a depreciating asset, and the bulk of that depreciation occurs in the first 3 years of its life. I bought a Toyota Vios from a Brit 8 years ago, 2006 model. 83,000 km on the odometer, although as you say, no way of knowing if that was genuine. Has not missed a beat, my Thai mechanic loves it because it is so simple to service. Now 174,000 km, I've been all over northern Thailand with it. I paid him 230,000 baht for it, I would probably get 80 - 100,000 baht for it now. I won't sell it until something major needs fixing. The Vios 1.5 engine and torque converter gearbox are pretty bulletproof if they are looked after. By my reckoning, the car has cost me a bit under 20,000 baht/year in depreciation. To me, that's cheap motoring.

I used to regularly declare changes in assets to Centrelink, only at an office. I don't trust their online system to get it right. Since the pandemic started, I have not notified them of any asset changes. It would not matter anyway, my asset base is eroding by about 5% a year. In 2 years, they've said nothing, so neither will I.

Join hundreds of thousands of part-pensioners who are similarly annoyed.

Centrelink AFAIK does not have access to Thai bank accounts. However, such assets are counted by Centrelink, and if you fail to declare them, you will be in a world of doo-doo IF they find out. I play it straight and declare mine.

I have not heard of any Blue Book equivalent in Thailand. It is quite clear the market is rigged, new cars built here cost significantly more locally than the equivalent models that are exported. Low km used cars have low depreciation compared to other countries, and winding back odometers is a national pastime. The only advice I can give is to look at websites such as ThaiVisa, bahtsold and one2car for the model and year you are seeking, and compare prices. Having been burnt once, I would never buy a vehicle previously owned by an Asian again. Some skimp on routine maintenance to save money, whereas Westerners are aware regular servicing is important.

If you have assets in Australia such as shares, or a Thai bank account in baht, Centrelink will periodically adjust the pension to reflect current values. If the capital value of your shares goes up, your pension will be adjusted down accordingly. I'm not sure how often they do it, I think it is every 3 or 6 months. I'm assuming you have a part pension, it should not be happening with a full pension.

I do break that rule. Partly. I have three bank accounts in my name only. The fourth is a joint bank account which contains enough money to maintain my GF until probate is granted on my Thai will, after I snuff it. I keep the bank book, she knows the money is there and what it is for.

Are you even in Thailand? You obviously don't know the condition of many rural Thai roads. On ignore now, I've had enough. Goodbye.

I can think of more comfortable places to have sex than a golf course. Golf is better than sex anyway, it usually lasts 4 hours.

Depends on your nationality.

I don't know where you play golf, IME 99% of caddies in Chiang Rai are women, about 20% are easy on the eye. The weird thing is, I have yet to meet a caddie who thought she was beautiful, even when she was.

Toilet and bathroom facing away from the kitchen, please. A ceiling fan above the king size bed. I prefer tile floors to wood, cooler and easier to keep clean. Personally, I restrict the kitchen to just boiling, steaming or microwaving. If I want to do frying, grilling or roasting, I do it on the balcony so the smell does not get into everything. I'm a a minimalist. Those bookshelves would be used for storing non-perishable foodstuffs instead.

I try to break my age every time I play. As I was a caddie myself once, I talk with them. I am not hard work, they very rarely have to look for my ball. And hand me the club I ask for. I tip more than the average. I am not averse to having a pretty caddie, but that's as far as it goes.

Fair enough, we like different things. I would be bereft if I could not play golf, swim, pick up a takeaway from one of my favorite restaurants, or visit my GF's village. OTOH, I haven't been to a night market or bar for many years, so I don't miss those.

True enough in the cities, suburbs, and regional hubs. Get out into the backblocks, you'll still find some real Aussies. And not many rules, except perhaps closing a station gate behind you if it was closed when you arrived.

The best solution IMO is to have a false vented window in a pitched roof, like the one in the photo. You're right, vents in the soffits are not particularly effective, but they are better than nothing. I'm a bit nervous about whirlybirds, if they stop whirling with a Thai downpour the results might not be good.

I've only ever had oil massages once or twice. I don't like them, felt like I was greased and wanted a shower immediately. I have traditional legitimate Thai massages 3 or 4 times a week, half to one hour. My regular masseuse is 60 yo, she knows the level for me which stays below discomfort. I used to have a masseuse in the village, but she would not back off when I told her it hurt. Some listen, some don't.

I am puzzled by this comment, since the pandemic started there was one period in 2020 in Chiang Rai of about 3 months that a lockdown occurred. Golf courses, swimming pools and massage shops were closed, but it was relatively easy to find options outside the city. Since that time, I consider I have had complete freedom of movement in the province, with the occasional excursion to Chiang Mai. If you want to see real loss of enjoyment, try Australia. It is still a mess of red tape and pandemic-related regulation. Thailand is a breeze in comparison.

Earthquakes are a good reason in Chiang Rai.

Selling my home in Australia was a considered decision, it was an illiquid asset which required a lot of catch-up maintenance every time I went back there. My son is happy to provide me with accommodation as and when I go back. As he should, I still have a financial interest in the large house he owns. He has no mortgage to worry about, few of his generation can say that. 70% of my assets are still in Australia, now mostly cash, precious metals and peer-to-peer lending. So I guess I am not a complete idiot. I see my life ending here, I have no interest in returning to Australia. If you read up on what happens in aged care homes there, you'll understand why.

I haven't had a blowout here; however, I have had quite a few flats. Almost invariably, it's from the tire picking up a nail or screw on the road. Shows up as a slow leak. I can't recall seeing a streetsweeper here, perhaps that's why.

Apparently non-sexual massages, with the intimacy involved, are mentally beneficial for mood, quite apart from any physical benefits. Having said that, there are some people who get nothing positive out of a massage, and find them painful. Happily, I am not one of them.

Good advice. I used to drive 1000 km in a day in Australia, and I'd pull over for a 20 minute nap if I had the symptoms you describe. I still do in Thailand, for shorter distances. A dangerous time to be driving is just after a heavy meal, because the body is taking away blood from the brain, and directing it to the digestive system. Even more if the meal includes alcohol, which is a depressant.

I would say if the credit card provider did not know you have Thai bank accounts, they would not be able to come after the cash. If you are paying off monthly, unless you are racking up large amounts, they would probably just write the balance off as a bad debt.

You have the good fortune of having homes to call your own in the US, many here don't. Good luck with your life choices, safe travels.