Lacessit

Hire a group of women, preferably with family connections. They will work a lot harder than the men. Buy earplugs, because they will also talk non-stop.

As an Australian, I have to laugh at the arrant nonsense of the OP.  Clickbait - yes, it worked with me.

At the risk of angering fellow Australians, OAP in Australia and abroad are mostly treated with kid gloves. It's a matter of knowing the hoops you have to jump through. Sure, if we go overseas we lose about $50 a fortnight in pension supplements - big deal. It's the Millennials in Australia who will have to fund their retirement. The Baby Boomers are too big a voting bloc for the pollies to offend.

I've heard it said that to be born British is to win the lottery of life. Not looking so good now, eh? A little bit of schadenfreude, sorry.

20 hours ago, wump said:

Nothing good ever comes from returning excess money to Thais. Happened to me tens of times in 7-11 and now I just don't say anything anymore. They lose their face when admitting to a mistake so I am sure they rather not receive the excess back than losing their face. Also, if the teller has paid the difference from their own money and you come back, the boss might fire them if the story comes out.

Just do nothing and enjoy the money. You won't get locked up. It's not your fault and nobody is forced to count the money they receive from an exchange place. THEY have to do the math, not you. What if the ATM gave you 20,000 too much? You always count your money with ATMs?

Edit: If there was calls involved, he really should answer them and return the money. 

Have to admire your exercise in rationalisation of dishonesty. Have you ever been a used car salesman?

6 hours ago, Gruff said:

I don't think anybody would argue that fruit in season can be cheap and that you can also eat very cheaply in a shopping mall or at a road stall. I like to do that from time to time but having been in Hua Hin for the past couple of months the average cost of a simple dish with rice in a plain restaurant will be about 150 baht. Add to that a beer or wine which are double the price as for example the Philippines and a few Eastern European countries. It is primarily due to the strong baht but Thailand really is not so cheap now. Australia is not a good comparison for prices it is the most expensive country i have ever visited by far.

150 baht for a rice dish? Rimping at Promenada in Chiang Mai runs a three course lunch, e.g. spring rolls, spaghetti meat sauce and ice-cream off a multi choice menu for 120 baht. Or Siripanna has an all you can eat buffet, good food, for 189 baht. My Thai restaurant on Lamphun Road costs 40 baht for a Pad Thai Goong, 60 baht for a spaghetti with crumbed fish. Sounds to me you are in the wrong city.

I've found beer prices vary considerably with the restaurant. No air conditioning, a large bottle of Chang or Leo 60 baht, aircon restaurant such as S&P same bottle is 110 baht.

No argument with the fact Australia is bloody expensive - that's why I live here.

10 hours ago, Monkeyrobot said:

Since when does a money exchange ask for your phone number? And why did he not count the money when receiving it. It’s black and white on the receipt, 300 US dollar = 9000 Baht or there about. When I change money I count it and leave the receipt with the money changer or throw it away. If I did leave my number and someone a few days later called or text demanding 20,000B I’d take it as some type of scam. Something not right here, money changers don’t make mistakes like that they count the cash at least 3 times before they hand it over to you. 

I am always asked for my phone number when I exchange money, nine years now. It's a safeguard against counterfeiting by a customer. The phone number is linked to my passport via the SIM, so I can be traced. Makes sense to me.

The money exchanger I use has never called me. They count the money I give them by hand, then combine machine counting with manual counting for the baht they give me. Can't say I've seen them counting 3 times or more.

3 hours ago, Bob12345 said:

They cut off the head and examine the brain to test for rabies. How the hell they put them back on the street when tested negative?

It's called reincarnation.

41 minutes ago, Skeptic7 said:

Woods is going for the modern day Tiger Slam...and I am cheering for him for the first time ever! If he misses the cut, he will have missed it in the previous 3 other majors he competed in and Augusta will complete the Slam. Go Tigger! 

Nothing quite like kicking a man when he is down.

On 4/2/2018 at 9:22 AM, Brunolem said:

I explained in a subsequent post that there was overbuilding and thus many empty units, the reason for low or stable rents.

Now, if you want to say that prices, save for the rents, have not easily doubled since around 2005, feel free to provide examples...

 

With regards to France, well, civilized or not (less and less in my opinion), the country is bankrupt like any other Western country, especially when it comes to retirement funds.

 

So, the powers that be are playing a game of extend and pretend, with the help of central banks buying hands over fists whatever crap comes on the market in order to show that everything is fine...until it won't be...

Well, I don't seem to see much change in staples such as bread, eggs, milk etc. Although it is fairly academic - prices are so low here I probably wouldn't even notice, compared with Australia.

Fruit and vegetables in Chiang Mai ( like anywhere else ) are cheap in season, and dear or unobtainable off-season.

I just eat what's in season.

Sadly, you are right about retirement funds. The Millennials will basically have to provide for their own retirement, because government pensions will shrink to nothing. Except for the politicians, of course.

Why is it so difficult for some people to be honest? Return the money, problem solved.

There's a saying among confidence tricksters that you can't cheat an honest person. It's greed that gets them every time.

He may be better off selling the truck to the OP,  then leasing it back from him. Use the proceeds to settle the finance company debt. If he doesn't need the vehicle for work for work, walk away. No, run.

Thais don't really understand the difference between good debt and bad debt, and banks/finance companies are quite happy for that state of affairs to continue. "Face" also means most don't understand there's more to life than trying to impress friends and neighbours.

The shelf life of most beers is around 3 months. This assumes the beer is handled correctly every step of the way to the consumer, and not left to sit on a dock somewhere in the sun. I think it's safe to assume Thai beer has a much less arduous path to beer drinkers than bottles or cans from the EU or USA. Not that America knows how to make beer to start with.

IMHO the OP would find it much simpler to buy the beer here. Rimping in Chiang Mai has at least 50 imported brands.

The component which gives a silver or chromium plate appearance in paint is usually aluminium flake. Appearance varies according to how many accountants were involved in specifying the formulation.

The professional way to get the best appearance is to take the part to a chromium plating shop. Google is your friend.

The Assets Test requires reporting of all bank accounts in Australia and overseas. Some people presumably under-report by not declaring their overseas accounts. That increases their pension, if it's a part pension.

While it's a moot point whether Centrelink can acquire information from sources other than the pension recipient, I prefer not to take the risk. Because if Centrelink does find out you have concealed assessable assets from them, the sky will fall.

5 hours ago, mbamber said:

Had KFC tonight went down great 

How's the lining on your arteries going?

2 hours ago, alanratch said:

The car is nearly 5 years old so a new one would be better than a load of Gold.

New cars depreciate. Gold doesn't.

A five year old car is barely run in, unless you are doing 40,000 km a year.

On the Chiang Mai-Chiang Rai Highway 118, there are a few illuminated speed displays. Green if below the speed limit, red if above. AFAIK no-one has ever been fined for speeding through these displays, don't even know if there are speed cameras attached. Frequently turned off.

What's the point of having equipment to detect speeding vehicles if it's not used?

12 hours ago, smotherb said:

I thought it was axle grease.

 

No, that's what's used at KFC and McDonald's.

IMHO the OP is stressing too much about statistically insignificant differences. For example, his BP readings are within the error levels of most instruments - most of the time they are not calibrated for years here. There's also the consideration of white coat syndrome.

As far as the prostate readings go, my first reaction was BULLSHIT. No really professional pathology laboratory would quote a PSA level to three significant figures at those levels - the correct figures are 4.6 and 5.5. Otherwise, the laboratory is implying it can determine PSA to an accuracy of one part in 457 - yeah right. I'd agree it is something to keep an eye on - the time to really get worried is when it is approaching 10. PSA levels do normally increase with age; however, not all men with prostate cancer have high PSA levels.

1 hour ago, sfokevin said:

Given the huge oversupply of both condos and houses in all parts of Chiang Mai if I were presented with any agreement that had a rent increase built in I would grin and walk away...

 

And if my present landlord suggested a rent increase after my lease in up I would agree and give them 90 days notice and move nearby to an even cheaper and newer house... 

Unfortunately, some Thais are so afflicted by greed they have no concept of future consequences.

I know of a business in one popular tourist area that was doing well, so the landlord hiked the rent by 50%. The business moved out about a year ago, and the shop has been empty ever since.

The need to stock up in cities such as Chiang Mai, Pattaya etc. is dictated by the idiots who infest Songkhran. I stay in my condo while it's on. The occasional polite wetting or spray is ok; however, when you are on a scooter and get water plus chunks of ice hurled at you by thoughtless morons, it's damn dangerous. Then when it's over, everyone wonders why the road toll is so high.

 There's a glut of apartments and houses for rent in Chiang Mai. My condo rent has not increased for 5 years, and was reduced before that. The OP should focus on keeping good tenants, as once lost the benefit of a rent increase is swallowed up by prolonged vacancy periods.

The Nissan Sunny seems to have a motor that keeps going and going. I've seen a couple with 350,000 km on the odometer. Or a Toyota Vios, because most mechanics know how to service them.

For 80,000 baht, however, the OP is scraping the bottom of the barrel. Most cars in that price range will be completely clapped out.

20 hours ago, Brunolem said:

Rule number one when making a case: do not assume that your personal situation can be taken as a standard!

I am not going to get into examples of prices increases in Thailand because it would take pages...but they do exist, besides the rent of your condo...

As for your 70% pension increase over 5 years, I can guarantee you that my French mother didn't get that...she was lucky if she got 7% during these years.

Finally, about 15 years ago in Pattaya (in a famous go-go on second road), you could get the bar fine, the short time room with jacuzzi upstairs, and the lady...for 1,200 baht.

As far as I know, these days such an amount may cover the bar fine...

 

Rule number one: Don't assume my personal situation is an isolated example. AFAIK there are many expats in Chiang Mai that find the same living costs as I do. There is a glut of apartments and houses here, and landlords are desperate for good tenants. Plenty of day markets and roadside stalls with fresh vegetables and fruit, reasonably priced.

I think everyone knows prices in Pattaya and Phuket reflect the dubious cachet those cities have. And Bangkok is significantly more than the living cost in CM.

Somewhat ironic that the French, who regard themselves as the pinnacle of civilisation, should be somewhat parsimonious with their pensioners.