Lacessit

John Burdett's books are a good read. Stephen Leather's " Bangkok Bob and the Missing Mormon" is better than Private Dancer, IMO.

Time is not the same priority as it is in Western culture. I only ever specify morning or afternoon, a specific time just won't work in 99% of appointments.

Patience is the key, blowing a fuse will only result in resistance.

5 hours ago, SupermarineS6B said:

 

This is basically licenced xenophobia with the usual hefty spoonful of paranoi..........       

And this is the country you want to retire in ?     

To me, there seems to be just as much paranoia among foreigners about Thai intentions as the Thais themselves.

2 hours ago, mr mr said:

well shoot if you haven't developed any issues yet you are in the clear. here's to hoping your kids have the same good luck over the coming 20 years as the problem persists and gets worse.  

My son lives in a rural environment in Australia. My surrogate Thai grand-kids will just have to deal with it, like everyone else.

It's only one month of the year, at most two. I take defensive action, and I have yet to hear anyone on this thread suggest a better strategy, apart from going somewhere else.

1 hour ago, motdaeng said:

some are lucky, but for sure not everyone ... just think about children, is it fair to them? how can they adapt? you are right, they just need to cope with the toxic air pollution ...

The mean Thai life expectancy is 77 years, for an Australian it's not far off 83. Russians, less than 73. Afghanistan, 65. Sure, life is unfair for many in this world, but what do you expect me to do about it?

I don't know what building costs are now. 6 years ago, my GF and I had a comfortable 2br house built on land in her village left to her by her mother. All up, including aircons, insect screens and furnishings, 750,000 baht.

1 minute ago, mr mr said:

keep telling yourself that whilst developing respiratory disease. 

Is that what you want for me just to prove your point? I've lived in CM and CR for 11 years now without any respiratory problems, my apologies for disappointing you.

1 minute ago, mr mr said:

do you also pull the wool over your eyes ? 

Thailand has its faults, like everywhere else. For me, the positives outweigh the negatives. For others, it's a case of being unable to adapt or cope.

3 minutes ago, jayboy said:

I'm sure you are right about this and everything else on this topic, including the interesting proposition that Thailand's appalling pollution can be dealt with by installing air purifiers in one's condo. Incidentally I know exactly the the type of Brit that emigrated to Thailand to escape immigrants to the UK.

You say my proposition is interesting, works for me. As John Maynard Keynes once said, "what do you do, sir?"

Nothing changes, Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai. I just crank up the air purifiers in my condo, and wait it out.

1 hour ago, jayboy said:

Congratulations.You seem to be exactly the kind of person that flourishes in Thailand's expatriate culture.

I'm not sure how to interpret your comment. Suffice to say IME the expats here that complain the most are also the least adaptable.

3 hours ago, simon43 said:

I previously lived for many years in Thailand (I built 4 small hotels in Phuket).  Now I live in north Laos (Luang Prabang).  My greatest fear would be having to leave due to health reasons.  I do have a $1M medical insurance policy that covers me for life, regardless of claim history.  But a heart attack or major vehicle accident would probably mean a quick ending, since decent hospitals are back in Thailand etc.

Strange as it might sound, living in communist Laos results in far less intrusion into my life than when I lived in Thailand.  Laos is clearly right under China's domination, and the population seems to accept the good (grants/assistance/free Sinovac for all including expats etc), and bad that come with that.  (Actually, I'm hard put to think of anything bad, unless you are a Hmong freedom-fighter...)

My hope is to remain living my tranquil life here in Laos.  I have modest income, but suffice to say, it's quite easy to live a happy life here with only a UK government pension.

I had the same experience in Vietnam, the level of police presence and checkpoints was far less than in Thailand.

9 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

No, it's called planning. You plan for your very old age - and potential old age health need -  the same as you should plan for your retirement. Telling someone not to start planning for retirement at 20 as retirement is 40-50 years ago is a foolish thing. Least in my book. Anyone not planning for old age health requirements and planning to retire in Thailand until death is just storing up potential issues

I don't disagree one needs to plan ahead, although von Moltke did say no plan survives first contact with the enemy.

However, you did say you worried about your health in old age, which is not the same thing. A bit early for that, you could be hit by a bus tomorrow, not that I am wishing you any ill fortune.

18 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I am reasonably ok on the money side and my wife sorts out all the visa stuff.

My biggest worry is health in old age.

I am 57 and retired in Thailand (though stuck outside currently), but I do not want to end my life in Thailand.

 

 

 

 

 

You are 57 and worrying about your health in old age already? IMO you are thinking too much. The mean life expectancy of a UK male is 81 years, you have a long way to go.

The only reason I would have to move back to Australia is in the event of a prolonged and painful progression to death, in which case I would be availing myself of Victoria's enlightened voluntary euthanasia laws. Otherwise, it does not matter to me where I die.

It's only a shakedown if that kind of fee is demanded after all the legal requirements have been met. IMO 15K is a reasonable fee for sorting out the aftermath of neglecting to get the ducks in a row.

As for swimming the Mekong, I have heard of several people who have crossed borders illegally, via the jungle or a river. It doesn't end well when the absence of valid stamps denoting entry or exit is noted when attempting to leave or enter on an airline, a quick trip to the hoosegow.

There is a  reset at one of the small ports, from memory the SPDIF. Using something of the right diameter, if you push into that and hold a count of 15, the unit will reset to the factory default settings.

Not sure if that helps, worked for me.

4 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

How ignorant of some to bad mouth sex.

There are so many positive effects on the body from sex/ejaculation.

Lowers chances of P cancer, better sleep, better general moods, increases immune system, several other positives some studies show it may increase your life span.

It is one of the reasons I am here enjoy it everyday.

 

Every day? I'm jealous, once or twice a week is my usual.

Could not agree more, good healthy exercise.

"Golf and sex are about the only things you can enjoy without being good at it". ( Jimmy Demaret)

I would suggest a re-installation of Linux Mint. This can be done by downloading from the internet to a USB on another computer.

The OP should bear in mind he said "an old HP laptop". SSD hard disks don't last forever.

Most condos have regulations covering noise, the OP would need to consult them prior to taking any action.

Noise is part and parcel of Thailand, I continue to marvel at my GF who can conduct a conversation with her grand-daughter while on the phone to a friend, and the TV is going full blast. I'm surprised most Thais don't have industrial deafness.

If the OP is renting, move.

I don't worry very much about things I can't do anything about.

19 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

........and strokes and motorcycle accidents.......

Taking aspirin and driving carefully helps alleviate the fear.