frantick

6 hours ago, DefaultName said:

The sense of entitlement some US citizens have never ceases to amaze me.

Thank you for saying 'some'. 

17 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I thought you were implying that the begging was more specific to Americans in Thailand. 

Frankly most long term expats in Thailand probably saw sticking it out in Thailand as the probably better bet. 

Of course either choice was a gamble.

We couldn't have predicted the specific future developments in either country.

Such as that the USA was one of the hardest hit countries in the world largely because mitigation measures were politicized. Nor could we have predicted the historical speed of multiple vaccines being developed or the rapid progress vaccinating people in the US.

So really choosing either to stay or to go were both entirely defensible decisions.

True, but he chose to stay so shouldn't be whining about a vaccine that, had he gone back, he would already have.

9 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I didn't notice any such begging from the US government back then. Sounds like revisionist history. 

Is NPR an 'approved' media site?

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/03/23/820278369/state-department-urges-americans-to-return-home-or-stay-away-for-undetermined-ti

For those of you with fixed accounts, in all provinces, do/did you supply a 3 or 12 month statement?

Too much noise in this thread, so I'll just throw this out there. May help or may be unrelated. 

I couldn't update my laptop successfully until I found an article about incompatible sound card drivers. I disabled the sound card, deleted the drivers, and install succeeded.

Good luck whatever your issue.

12 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

In USA now we have reached the predicted vaccine glut.  Well represented by republicans in you guessed it Tennessee, Alabama, Wyoming etc those who will "never" take a covid vaccine make make  herd immunity  impossible.

 

Biden need to take immediate action to start issuing export licenses to give supplies  to any country that needs them.  

 

https://theweek.com/articles/978159/americas-vaccine-glut-here-time-share

BS. They'll all catch covid, and those that survive will be as protected as ANY that have been vaccinated. And before you post a link stating otherwise, read it where it will say vaccinated people "should be, may be, probably are" more protected than people recovered from covid. Very scientific terms, eh?

So herd immunity will come, it'll just take longer and the herd will be smaller.

I just went through this in December last year. Retired from my job the last day of 2019 at 64 years old. Moved here late Jan, 2020, yeah, right when covid showed up. First SS check in February. Kept my US address; mostly for banking.

Turned 65 in December last year and received the Medicare card a couple months before. Part B was automatic. I assume because of my US address. I don't do drugs or visit doctors so I didn't look into advantage plans. I decided to take part B, after much thought, because it's only about $150 and I didn't want the 10% penalty for each year knowing that I'll probably be forced back to the USA some day due to old age illnesses. What's ฿4000 a month, right?

Because I made good money in 2019, they were taking double or more for the part B even though my post-retirement 2020 income was much less. Once I filed my 2020 taxes, this Feb, and got my refunds, I sent the info to SS/Medicare to get the premium reduced, which they've done and already refunded my over payments.

As Medicare is NOT applicable in Thailand, ie they won't pay, I see no reason that they would be concerned that you have a US address, but living in Thailand. I'm not talking about advantage plans that may have travel options.

It's not like the UK where you have to reestablish residency and start paying taxes again to get healthcare. But, I could be wrong and would like to see something official if it exists.

I'd have no problem changing my address on file with SS, other than those dead letters having to send every year. (Mail here sucks.) I could still maintain a US address for my banks I suppose.

Also, in my part B premium reduction packet, I did tell them I was living in Thailand until this covid situation is over.

Anyway, that's my experience so far.

C

I play guitar too, so couldn't live happily without music. You can take my TG but not my guitar.

Given that, when I'm not playing, I like quiet. Well as quiet as it can be given the constant ringing in my ears.

15 minutes ago, newnative said:

Can you tell me what website you are using?  I am using:  immigration.go.th   Thanks.  

He's pulling your leg. Online reporting has been down to everyone for 55 days.

On 4/12/2021 at 8:06 AM, Antonymous said:

 

Interesting comment.

 

Deaths per million population (Worldometer):

 

Brazil 1,644

USA 1,731

UK 1,864

Don't know about Brazil, but the USA normally has about 8,000/million total deaths per year, so given there have been practically 0 flu deaths, that 1,731 doesn't appear to me that the sky is falling.

It's late, I'm going to sleep. All I can hear from the balcony is a random mototaxi carting home a young mother knowing she's unemployed again and won't have much money for the family this month.

Inside, I hear nothing.

(That's a parable I think)

I was faced with a similar issue recently. I like convenience but also rate taste and price highly. Considered the Nepresso machines, but those pod prices are crazy. Considered the moka pot, but as slow as my condo burners are to come up to heat and cleaning the thing everyday wouldn't be convenient to me.

So I just went with a fairly inexpensive, 10,000฿ espresso machine for my 2 daily black Americanos. Best coffee ever, IMO.

21 hours ago, Susco said:

 

You have insight in their accounting?

 

Because it is still open doesn't mean it's doing just fine.

 

I have seen quite a few 7/11's and other brands shut down in Pattaya, which mean they were definitely not doing just fine

 

A business model based upon people unwilling to cross the street or walk 50m is not a sustainable one. Sure the multitudes of 7/11's and Family Marts were surviving pre covid, but obviously not making enough to survive hard times. There are at least 10, maybe 20, still open within 1km of me.

Regardless, as this thread is about bars and restaurants, assuming 7/11 is your bar/restaurant of choice, you only have to walk an additional 50m to enjoy your favorite food/drink.

On 4/2/2021 at 10:03 PM, kingofthemountain said:

lol a nice one !

 

On a more serious note the 7\11 just in front of the night market on soi bukkaho

(Near the r-con residence. opposite the amazon cafe) has just closed his doors this week

obviously they haven't been impressioned by the anouncment of the quarantine reduction

 

The previous months Soi bukkaho was the ''heart'' of the Pattaya usual trade (booze and girls)

since the ''death'' of beach road, second road and all the perpendiculars streets

With the end of the european winter, a lot of foreigners seem to have fly back home

and so far they haven't been replaced

The next months will be decisives for a lot of the venues, with more difficult decisions to take

Not to mention that there's an even bigger 7/11 kitty corner to that one at the entrance to the market that is doing just fine.

Tried multifocal contacts for one month, but never saw distance or close 100% clearly. It bugged the c..p out of me so I'll opt for fixed distance lenses when my time comes. The only thing I'll miss is being able to remove one contact to read when I don't have readers handy.

I faced this issue last year when I retired here in January; yes right before anyone knew covid was on the loose. I had no family physician for the physical, didn't want to mess with the background check <deleted> (no, I don't have a record), and the <deleted> insurance for an O-A was what lead me to the O visa route. It wasn't available in the States at the time.

I chose the TR visa to come here and use an agent for everything. Bank accounts, O visa, retirement extension, and driver's licenses. The only problem I had with any of those, was explaining to the airline desk clerk that the date on a 60 day tourist visa was the enter by date, not the date I had to exit Thailand. She almost wouldn't let me get on the plane!

Once I got here, everything with the agent went smoothly. My only issue was it took me 2 transactions to send my 800k over and the agent had already started the process so I paid extra and let the agent deposit the 800k 3 days before my money arrived. (The agent was unaware I was in the process of transferring money)

To me, if you're planning on staying here for more than 2 years, I'd do the same as I've done, or do some or all of it yourself. 2 years or less, O-A would make more sense.

This is my experience in Pattaya, Chonburi, other areas of Thailand may be more problematic, or have fewer agents, etc..

Now I do my 90 day reporting online, when it's up, and will do my own extension this time as my money will have been in the bank for well over a year now in June.

Good luck with your retirement; enjoying mine.

On 2/27/2021 at 2:07 PM, BritManToo said:

Project 'unvaccinated fear' starts.

I'm with you @BritManToo.

Waiting for the fear mongers to explain why an unvaccinated person is less safe to the general population's health than a vaccinated person, since they both, as is currently believed, can still carry and transmit the virus.

Not anti-vax myself, just waiting for a couple more years of mass human trialing before putting that ... in my body. Guessing I'll be forced to have it for my next flight; whatever...

Fear really brings out the hive mind.

13 minutes ago, cdemundo said:

 

Cutesy plays well in a 12 year old girl.

In a grown ass man... not so much.

 

Let's wait a few years and see how this plays out. Then maybe we can have a grown-up conversation.