swissie

There was a time I found GG posts challenging and inspiring. But now he needs help. Urgently. Someone tearing him away from his computer. Urgently! No need to await a message from a "mod" claiming that a cherished member of AN "has peacefully left us".

At your age, time is no more on your side. Make sure you have established your wife as beneficiary. Deposit your last will legally in Thailand as well as in your home country. If not, some "home country vultures" will emerge. Keep living frugually, as you have no time left to take advantage of "long term market trends".

After having joined AN shortly after the American Revolution and having read 1.3 million threads, I started to wonder if one could distill all this information into one thread. Including everything except visa matters. (Too volatile). Still, some main concerns seem to take shape and bubbling to the surface for western seniors, contemplating to "relocate". a) In the mean time, every "western" country has some kind of "safety-net" for senior citizens (yes, even the USA). b) No exotic country known, that offers (free or low cost) access for Western Seniors to any national Social Security Safety Net, just by taking residence there. c) To substitute the lack of any "social security net" in the new country by marriage is a 2 sided sword and highly speculative at best. As I gather, those points mentioned above have become part of any relocation plans for western seniors with access to internet. Diminishing their "re-location" urge dramatically. Especially as the price for a stable female companionship has increased to 15 K per month in Thailand. ------------------------ - This was mainly about financial concerns affecting western seniors, contemplating relocation. Next time we will preferrably talk about sex, drugs and rock and roll still available to western seniors. Wherever that may be. Cheers.

In my view, this is such an accurate description of human nature that I think this analisys should be accessible to more readers than only readers of ASEAN Now. For further distribution: Do you want/have copyrights concerning this post? Any objections concerning "further distribution" of this post?

That sums it up nicely. The veneer of civilisation is more fragile than a spiders web.

Since Covid, Police is more leniant concerning Thais sleeping on the beach. This goes for Thais only. You wanting to pitch a tent on the beach as a Farang? Better look for a very secluded beach with no Police and no 7/11. Alternative: Thailand has many inland-lakes with beaches. Nobody cares who sleeps there with or without tent. Just buy a couple of fish from the early morning Thai fisherman and you will be fine. With or without tent.

In Europe, yes. Recently. BEFORE: I wish I had copied a study by some UK University. This study came to the conclusion that since 200 A.D. until 1900 there were merely 43 years in total when there was no war in Europe. Big or small. The study covered Europe only. From England in the west all the way to Russia in the east. Conclusion: Since the beginning of recorded history, we love to settle arguments with brute force. It must be in our genes. OR: We just love extended barroom brawls. Don't we?

Correction: Chat Pa Way is in a North Westernly direction. Originating from Ratchabury. Sorry. If you should get there keep me posted. PM would be OK.

I have a place in "Chat Pa Way". Abot 30 Km from Ratchabury in a north easterly direction. Haven't been there for over 5 years. Nice quiet place. Never anything happening. This is the world standing still. Great place for Farangs having lost their "bearings". Because: Nothing new ever happens. Time stands still.

Also up to debate. Considering the fact that I never had to pay for an expensive divorce, I had an extremely cheap sex life. My visits to Pattaya resemble more like "Family Gatherings", involving 2 generations. Both generations thrilled with my stamp collection.

Open to debate. I prefer women that know what to do. Not needing any "training courses". I don't bother with "apprentices". The women I refer to are still 20 to 30 years younger than me. Some have 25 year old daughters. I share my stamp collection with them with the approval of their mothers.

This confirms my post above. A complete chaos in the making. Not possible for a Farang to sort it out without the help of well connected Thai "Legal-Eagles" . Well connected to the Thai Tax Authorities, this time around. A new income source has just been created for a good number of Thai "Legal Eagles".

Just back from my Pattaya holiday. As usual I stayed at Soi Post Office/Soi Yamato. Was surprised how many businesses have survived Corona. Yes, some garage sized bars have closed, replaced by Canabis-Shops without any customers. Otherwise nothing much has changed in the area, much to my surprise. September is not high season, but still, after 10 PM the "Garage Bars" were bare of customers. Disgrunteled female bar employees staring at their i-phones or into space. Places with live music faring a bit better but not much. Places with a seating capacity of 50 or more were considered "busy" when 10 customres remained until midnight. Well, it was "off-season" but it got me thinking............ Coulden't find any of my "Pattaya Pals" of yesteryear. As I gather, half of them went back to their home country, the other half just died over the last 4 years. Still I had a good time, mainly because I maintained e-mail contact with certain females that I have known for years. Not sure, but my recent visit to Pattaya may finally turn out as something like a "farewell-tour". I ask myself, is a 12 hour flight worth it to obsereve the unstoppable "shrinkage" of a former mens paradise? This coming from a guy, that visited Pattaya at least 2 times a year since 1995 until Corona hit. Not sure, time will tell.

Many open questions. But one thing we already know. Next to the visa situation, one more worry for Farang residents has been created. - It will turn out to be a complicated nightmare, that the individual Farang can not sort out without the help of Thai Tax experts, specialising in this new field. - Next to existing "Visa Agencies", a new branch of legal services will mushroom into existance. Agencies specialising in "International Taxation for foreighn residents in Thailand". A new branch within the Thai legal system was just created. Needless to say, the Farang will have to pay for those sevices.

Like to sit on a street corner in Pattaya? People watching, traffic watching? During 1 afternoon session you will probably have inhaled toxic traffic exhaust equalling smoking 2 packs of cigatettes. Non smokers should avoid this place like the devil is avoiding "holy water".

With a bit of fantasy, one can go by way of "Travel-Insurance". As far as "emergency med evacuation" to home country is concerned, there is usually the paragraph that says that as long as a "medical-event" can be treated in "the foreighn country", no one will be flown back to the home country. Therefore, Thailand with it's excellent Private Hospitals would indicate that they will fly nobody back to the home country.

I certainly hope so, as I will be staying there 2 days from now.

With regard to what the OP was asking for: best post so far.

Truly rich Farangs I have not met in Thailand. Not old money, not nuveau riche. They don't retire in Thailand. But I met a lot of Farangs that worked hard all their lives. Having accumulated some "wealth". But most of them relying on some sort of pensions, coming from the home country. Most get by nicely in Thailand. I have not yet met a Farang that made his fortune in Thailand. Of course, due to favorable exchange rates and generally lower cost of living, Farangs may easily feel "rich". Inevitably some arrive with a million and leave with a thousand. Those cases are almost always "woman related" in one way or the other. Such situations are usually explained as "a series of bad decisions", or even better "acts of God". Fortunately rather the exception than the rule. I'd say that most Farangs are doing OK, without "old money" or being "nuveau riche". PS: The authors posts are full of twists and turns. It's his trade mark. But bringing refrigerators and airlines into a context within the headline of "Old Money and Nuveau Riche", the direct linkage is hard to establish. Unless the message is: With "old money", I was able to buy a refrigerator in Asia, some 500 years ago. Embedded in many twists and turns, I suppose, this was the message of this post. - Well understood, I woulden't want to go without the daily postings of the OP. It is recommended that old folks shoud do crossword puzzles to stay mentally fit. Not me! I try to figure out, what the OP is trying to tell me today instead. All is well.

Finally, I came to the conclusion, that I would only go with a Health Insurance Company that is legally based in Europe. "AA World" based in India? Might as well be based in Panama or Timbuktu.

1 million US$ coverage for less than 500$ month, even in an age bracket over 85 years? Who would insure a person at this age to begin with? I am shaking in my boots. If that were the case, every private health insurer would have gone bankrupt by now. How much is 1 Million US$ in Thai baht? It would cover 77 haeart bypass surgeries in a Thai Hospital. Something like that can't be. You know it. You may want to read the "fine-print" once more. You mentioned AA. I was insured by AA while staying in Thailand. I will try again. Back then I found them expensive. All in THB, not US$. But, according to your recommendation I will suck up to AA once more. If your quotes shoud be correct, I may re-locate to Thailand. Squandering my unexpected savings (a windfall profit) on womwn of ill repute. Or giving elderly women 20 Bht, them sweepintg the sidewalks of beach road occasionally. Around 6 AM. Me awaiting the sunrise while reading yesterdays newspaper. Tempting outlook, me thinks.

Sometimes we should try to limit our brains capacity to "think too much". There is a reason why Psychiatrists in the US are commonly known as "shrinks". If old Sigmund Freud would be living in our time, he would have come to the conclusion that: "Happyness is not a warm gun mama". Much rather: "As long as you can pay for a decent BJ after breakfast, after lunch and after dinner, this is the utmost form of happyness you should aspire to". The rest is twisting your brain. He would also have arrived at the conclusion that "love" is nothing else than hormones going wild and electro magnetic storms racing within our brains, giving the strict command: REPRODUCE NOW! Even he would find something like his "Oedipus-Complex" rather amusing today. Among other things.

YOU are exaggerating I find. It's just that I think that too many Farangs, upon re-locating to Thailand packed some "rose coloured glasses", when they should have packed a magnifying glass instead. That way, much grief could have been avoided.

Of course, I meant "price quote" not quota. Other than that, the Enigma is solved. With a coverage of only 1 Million, you are underinsured. Any serious hospitlalisation will cost way more these days. Today, coverage should be 5 million. Given that, one quickly gets near a monthly premium of $ 500.

Hardly. Insurane companies featuring such (low) quatas have their domicile in Panama. Hard to file any claims agaist a P.O. BOX in Panama. Wake up Sheryl. Unless you want to give me a similar quote originating from a established European Insurer. I would jump at it. Surely, your effots will be in vain.