Saltire

1 hour ago, sfokevin said:

I would have thought this impossible!...

It's true lol. ANd 2.5 hours to the closest BigC/KFC!

I am 1 hour from the nearest 7-11, that's how remote I am.

In Kanchanaburi village 3BB said 'no problem' but when the surveyed it became a 'not yet' so I went for the only other alternative, TOT. 30Mb fibre, bit flaky sometimes but not bad. This was 2 years ago and the other competitors are available now and frequently send thir mobile sales teams so the village.

Main issue in the rural areas is you may not have so much choice as in an urban area.

I would die of boredom without the internet ????

15 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

What I find interesting in many of these threads is that people talk about leaving Thailand because this and that is bad.

But it seems many of the people who leave somehow think that in all new destinations all will be better.

Maybe it's easier to get a long term visa or residency in country x y or z. But how about all the rest?

 

How about the language? Would you i.e. move to Cambodia without knowing the language? Sure, it's possible to learn it. But that takes time. And I am sure there are lots of things different over there. Or do you think English is good enough to communicate with the locals?

And similar in other countries. It's easy to say: I will move to somewhere else. But how easy is it to live happy in another country which some of those people who want to move possibly never visited before?

 

I know, Thailand is not perfect. But I am irritated when lots of people seem to thing all will be so much nicer in this new country - which they basically don't know.

 

Or how many of you have detailed knowledge, experience, and possibly contacts in your new destination? 

Some good points. I lived hapily in Cambodia for 5 years before I came here 3 years ago. I am happy here too but am wary about 'what's next'. At 64 and 9 months I am on the cusp of having a future insurance issue. I have a good UK policy but also have 2 or 3 pre-existing conditions, so Thai companies may refuse me if the requirement suddenly applies to Non O extensions. 

My plan B is back to Siem Reap, but i'd need to figure out an appropriate long-stay visa for my Thai wife.

My brother in law who lives with us was a monk for 15 years and left the Wat about 3 years ago. We are in a small village and he was smart enough to see that the locals who hired out the equipment for weddings, funerals, new monk celebrations etc were a bit thin on the ground, so he invested in 2 sets of sound systems. One he calls big and one he calls small. Believe me the small is loud enough for any event, and the big is way too big. He has 4 speakers that take 4 people to load onto the pickup.  He is quite considerate and always starts off any music at an acceptable level, but tells me withing a minute or 2 the customer turns it up full blast. Fortunately there are only 3 potential customers within earshot of our house, so we never really hear him.

He also spends a fair bit of time maintaining his kit and I have to say the sound is good, not bass-heavy and minimal distortion. About once a month he checks everything in our yard but not at ridiculous hours of the day or night. Actually as a 70's rock fan, sometimes I plug in my phone just for fun, and give our neighbours a brief introduction to Motorhead and Black Sabbath. I don't think they like it much ????

Just now, grego49 said:

Kanchanaburi only require you to report if you leave the country,traveling within thailand they dont worry.

Be careful. I am in Kanchanaburi and the last time I asked it was both abroad and out of province. I had to do a new TM30 after a trip to Bangkok in August. It depends who you ask I reckon.

A few years ago I had very similar symptoms to you. I had an MRI at the RAM in Chiang Mai, consultant found nothing spinal, the discs all  looked ok. 6 months later I was the same as you, couldn't walk more than 50 yards, often hed to sit down on the kerb to get to my destination. Went to Bumrungrad in Bangkok for a second MRI. I wasn't impressed with the consultant. He also could see nothing definitive on the MRI but still suggested a bone fusion procedure that was to cost me $20,000+ USD. I declined. It was never diagnosed but I am pretty sure it was sciatica.

Grasping at straws I visitied a Swiss acupuncturist working where I was living in Siem Reap, Cambodia at the time. I was very skeptical but had nothing to lose. 7 sessions and pain free and that was 5 years ago. I still have minor aches on my lower back but I just walk regularly for exercise and don't do any lifting.

I should say my pain was excruciating, and so your 'numbness' may not be exactly the same. Just my contribution, hope you get this sorted.

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

For who is it mandatory? A subset who do not look at the alternatives? 

Those already on an OA visa. A subset who now have to look for alternatives.

I think it is more a case of not really caring where they stamp, not their problem. They are not going to waste time optimising your passport space. I need to go to VFS in a few months for a new UK passport as I am down to 2 empty pages so it's time. However there are also about 10 pages with just enough space for one more entry/exit stamp, but most times they would opt not to use them, just use a nice clean page!

On 11/20/2019 at 10:48 AM, fforest1 said:

No one is immune to the rising tide of visa problems.....The rising tide should concern all even those on dry ground... 

Sadly I now agree with this.

A year or two ago I wouldn't have, but the mandatory Thai insurance backs this up in my mind. I feel for those who are now too old to even buy this insurance, as no one will sell them it.

In another thread someone speculated that the O visa will be completely dropped with the only retirement based long stay visa being the OA, enforcing everyone down the the insurance requirement. Not only that it would mean i'd have to go home every 2 years!

Edit: I tried to watch it but found him just too boring after a few minutes.

For the record I received a similar bank book check card to show the 800k is intact after 3 months from my immigration office in Kanchanaburi about 4 weeks ago on my renewal of extension to stay.

Insisting I go in person too. Thankfully I can do my 90 day online as my round trip is 320 Km.

Left the UK in 2003 after being made redundant twice in 2002 from 2 good, well-paid jobs with better than good severance packages. Wanted to work in Japan to explore the culture but ended up in Wuhan, China for 2 years. I felt at home and relished the everyday challenges from getting money out of the bank in less than 3 hours to having a decent haircut! I knew then I'd retire somewhere in Asia, and in a warmer climate..

I married a Chinese lady and we returned to Scotland for 5 years but she (and I if I am honest) could not settle there. When we divorced amicably she returned to China and I worked my a@@e off managing to retire about 8 years ago. Volunteered 5 years in Cambodia and started to holiday in Thailand several times a year. I still miss Cambodia but am now very happily married and enjoying the quieter village lifestyle. My health has also benefited enormously from the move. No plans to leave unless I can't eventually comply with immigration. Plan B is back to Cambodia.

1 hour ago, GarryP said:

But if you divorced your first wife earlier, your life would have been different and you would not be with the woman you are now with at this happiest time of your life (I assume she is part of the reason for you being so happy). Sometimes you have got to just accept the past, rather than looking back and brooding on what you should and should not have done in years gone by, and just accept the present.

 

I too have been married for nearly three years now (second time around) and am the happiest ever. But without the <deleted> in my past I would not be where I am now. Not sure if that makes sense, but you get the idea.     

Yep, get the idea 100%. I wasn't moaning but it really is the ONLY regret I have, staying married for so long to a nightmare. And yes I really have found a wonderful, loving caring girl and never really look back much at all.

I agree with those putting forward MSG, I have stopped eating most of my wife's cooking now as I can't seem to get her to stop using the stuff.

Another possible culprit in Thai food is sugar in extreme amounts. As a diet controlled type 2 diabetic I have taken glucose readings before and after I eat many times to see what I tolerate and what I don't. The worst reading after a meal on my meter ever was 240, my morning fasting reading is around 100 which is not too bad. After a meal it should be about 140. This one portion of Pad Thai holds the record so far (closely followed by deep fried bananas in batter).

Also after 5 years of pretty much permanent diarrhea in Cambodia, I have now had 3 years of normality so i agree many things are country-dependant. We buy water from the osmosis machine and use it for everything other than washing the dishes and boiling eggs.

Hope you get to the bottom of it.

5 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I could have done anything not requiring a degree when I left school. I chose farming because I was mad about horses, but it just didn't pay enough to make the life worthwhile.

After I saw the light I joined up and travelled the world, then I went nursing and travelled the world. Three completely different occupations and without any qualifications, or even relevant school subjects. That was because the population was low enough. Now it must be awful being at school and having to decide, so one can do the right subjects. I can't imagine being locked into an occupation while still at school. I also can't imagine having to go to uni, as I never wanted to go there.

Can't be a nurse now without a degree- stupidity, IMO.

I did want to go to Uni and after high school I applied for 6 different universities and different courses and got unconditional acceptances for all of them. Not having a real clue about a career I chose Mathematics. Success there meant a long, unbroken, career in IT but in hindsight I always regret turning down medicine, but at 17 you know nothing. Happy to not end up an accountant or a lawyer though! ANd I got 5 years of student grants while at uni, no student loan required back then, all free AND they gave me money ????

I am very happy to have been born in '55. I would not want to be born now or even 20 years ago.

I don't have kids despite being on my third (and LAST) wife. I used to regret not having kids but now I feel it's lucky. I feel sorry for most average kids. It seems to me they will find it very hard to do what I am doing, and have been for 8 years, i.e. whatever I want. I doubt many will accrue adequate savings, pensions or property.

There doesn't appear to have been be any periods of real prosperity in recent years for ordinary working people, thanks to all the greedy people in control of the world's economies. The wealthy have got wealthier thanks to the hedge fund, banking criminals and others.

At one job in the 80's I received, without asking and without any real merit, 5 salary increases in one year. I also agree with some other posters about the impact of Artificial Intelligence. It will go some way to make the existence of Homo Sapiens redundant.

I agree don't go for the 'haolgen', not needed, a convection model is fine. I have had my OTTO for 2 years, couldn't live without it now. It is currently baking my salmon fillet. I think cost me about 1500 Baht. Great for ribs too.

1 minute ago, giddyup said:

Not sure if It's actually necessary to report in person, even though I will, it's only to hand in copies of your passport and bankbook.

I asked and they insisted I need to go in person, and yes its just to see the passbook which again you have to update on the same day day. It's the 320K round trip that gets me. I am not in Pattaya so here we go again with different offices requirements.

I got a similar card last week on my renewal. I have to attend in person on the January date stamped on the card. I am wondering if I will then get another one to go back and check it's not dropped below 400k? Defeats the purpose of the online 90 day reporting. C'est la vie.

If this extends in the future to include Non Imm O and subsequent extensions, I plan to keep my UK insurance going (cover for about 13 million Baht, no outpatient) and source the absolutely cheapest, rock bottom priced Thai cover from the list (but at 65 prob still not as cheap as i'd like).

I assume if you have to make a claim and have 2 policies, you can only claim on one of them per incident? So if it was minor, claim on the Thai one, and major, claim on the UK one.