ChrisP24

My first thought at the pic as that he looks like crap. But then I see that he is 80? He looks quite good for 80. Inasmuch as he stole the identity 27 years ago, that would pre-date many of the modern databases, so his info just got loaded in as they were implemented. I doubt the same thing is possible or at least more than extremely rare today from a western country, without paying a lot of money and knowing who to pay it to.

Simon, I thought of one other Philippines candidate, and that is Puerto Galera. Not the tourist areas of Sabang or White Beach (although that's where the piers are so you have to pass through them), but rather Puerto Galera town or especially the areas along the coastal road south of town. PG is on my top list of places to spend more time, and from what I've seen on past trips it might check all of your boxes.

Ditto what others have said about Dumaguete. One of its virtues though are a presence of western retirees, particularly in Valencia, which you say is not a criteria for you. But it's a good place to have on your list to visit and see. Caveat: I have not visited but it has long been on my short list to spend time in, also visiting Dauin just north of the city. But I suspect that the overall area will be too sleepy for my own preference. Also the areas south of Cebu City: Talisay or Minglanilla. I have driven through there several times and they are on my list to spend some time in. A significant advantage there is that you have (relatively) close access to good hospitals in Cebu City should you experience a major health event. There is also Mactan island across a straight with three bridges to Cebu City. You might also visit Moalboal to see how it feels to you. I am giving serious thought to retiring part-time on Boracay. It's reputed to be expensive but I have visited many times and found that if you get lodging even 200 meters inland away from the tourist White Beach, and shop at markets instead of eating out, it does not have to be expensive at all. There is also inexpensive prepared food just a short distance outside of the main tourist area. The downside is that you are far from all but rudimentary health care so there is little rescue from a heart attack or stroke or major motorbike accident etc., but it sounds like you are OK with that.

For those (like me) who have not been to that particular food court, this video shows it and actually has a sampling of quite a few farang patrons, so you can make your own conclusions 😅 Personally I recall being quite impressed with the very large and very clean "street food stall" food court of Terminal 21 in Bangkok, although the sampling I got was of low quality, albeit I did that intentionally figuring that it was a fairly safe and relatively sanitary place to try "street food". But the better eateries were on higher floors away from the food court. I assume the same holds true for Big C Extra, a mall food court is for cheap, fast, lower-quality convenience food for people passing through or stuck there while family or significant other does their shopping. BTW the lady in the youtube thumbnail is nowhere to be seen in the video, maybe having that info will spare some of you some time in clicking and fast-searching in vain.

To add to the earlier comments on the SRRV visa, if you are retired military from a historic ally of the Philippines (such as the U.S.), and are age 50+ with $1,000+ monthoy pension, the deposit requirement is just $1,500. This covers the applicant and up to 2 dependents. I believe that the $1,400 application fee still applies but am not certain of that. Important to note also that the SRRV allows the visa holder to work in the Philippines. The SRRV is a lifetime visa. I believe that there may be a modest renewal fee every 1-3 years (?). Other benefits: Indefinite stay with multiple-entry and exit privileges. Exemption from the Philippine Bureau of Immigration ACR-I Card (Annual Report). Exemption from customs duties and taxes for importing household goods and personal effects worth up to $7,000. Exemption from Student Visa/Study Permit. Your children can study in the Philippines without a visa. Access to the Greet & Assist Program at selected Philippine airports. Free subscription to the PRA Newsletter. Discount privileges from PRA accredited Merchant Partners. Free assistance in transacting with other government agencies. Entitlement to PHILHEALTH benefits & privileges.

So, that delivery was a flop.......

Maybe there is a compromise. If you propose to the owner that he build the house at his expense (but under your supervision), and you will sign a two-year lease at the local equivalent of $400 monthly, with option to renew each year for a certain number of years, perhaps that is a good deal for you both. You get rent stability and a house built to your liking, but with the ability to not renew if your life plans change after two years. He gets an improved property financed by his tenant. Not sure if he can use your signed lease as a basis to get a construction loan, but even if not, the deal could still make sense if he has the capital. You could also pre-pay a chunk of rent to help him with construction costs, but of course not too much, and paid progressively as construction is underway. Unrelated (or maybe not so unrelated), can I ask what the cost of the house would be, and where your capital for this is currently invested? A different way to look at your situation is the degree to which your ongoing return on this capital will serve to offset potential rent increases, so you might be better off leaving it invested instead of using it to build a house. If the reply with the 700,000 baht estimate is close, even a 5% annual return on that is over 2,900 baht per month or approx. $82 per month to cover a potential rent increase. And that is accumulating to widen your cushion every month that your rent stays at $400. Either way it seems better to me to stay liquid and flexible, unless you just really want to own something, which of course might have value to you beyond just the math.

The first time, maybe 4-7 days to make sure that I like a place. Then on subsequent visits, I stay up to two weeks. That gives me enough time to settle into a place and learn what it feels like. But beyond that I've learned that I need to jump to some different scenery, even if it's just to another accommodation in the same general area. I've had some lovely trips to Koh Samui and Chiang Mai that were right at nine days each. Then a 21-day trip to Phuket in 2021 barely post-covid under the sandbox program that was also a great trip, but I changed condos about halfway into it. Then just this past year I stayed for 21 days in Jomtien, all at the same condo, and must confess that was enough time to get bored. In hindsight I should have broken up the trip into two stints. Going forward I seem to do well scheduling the leg, but keeping an open itinerary to either move within the same area or go someplace completely different.

Yes, there are cultural differences, sometimes extreme ones. It's good to always keep in mind that we are visitors. I was a longtime subscriber to Graham's youtube channel and was sad to learn of his passing a few years back. He was so upbeat and happy, always excited at sharing the various projects he and his Thai wife had going out on their several rai of land. I recall that Pie kept the channel going for a while afterward, but it no longer shows up in my feed so I'm not sure if it's still active. My wife is from the Philippines, and tells me that growing up in the province, it was common practice for the deceased to be displayed in a coffin in the family home for several days up to a week, while friends and extended family rotated in and out to hold vigil. During the vigil, there was food, drinking, gambling, gossiping, and probably even some karaoke, a bit like a party - - more somber of course but not entirely unfestive either. Seems like a good way to say farewell and help the family through the grieving process.

Holding physical cash is......well.....a poor use of cash. At the moment I have the equivalent of 6k baht. And it is well-hidden away from the prying eyes of wife, family, governments, and the odd TV member who may want to know how much cash I have. In Thailand I generally keep enough for between a few days up to a full week of anticipated expenses.

During my stay in Jomtien last year I found Food Mart on Thappraya Road a few minutes north of Rompho to be the most accessible true grocery. The baht bus that runs along Jomtien beach road takes a turn right before Dongtan Beach and continues northward right past that Food Mart, so you can make a grocery run for 20 baht round trip.

OK. That converts to just over 24,000 baht per month. If your city is 2.3 million then that's really only comparable to BKK or one of its districts. I don't know what rents are there or what sort of property you're in in OZ. 240 AUD per week sounds like quite a find so maybe the comparison doesn't apply to your situation. I'm only trying to offer OP some small perspective that might make them feel just a little bit better about the 10k baht visa fine, and it's fair to say that in general, housing costs in Thailand are far less expensive than in the west.

My New Year's resolution is to give up abstinence. I've made that same resolution in prior years and have been able to stick with it fairly well.

Look at your monthly rent or housing cost. Then look at what it would be for a comparable property in a warm and sunny location in your home country. Subtract 10k baht. The difference is almost certainly still a positive number and you've already pocketed the difference. I like the post that said it's a social cost.

Years ago I read an article about commodities that I think was quoting Warren Buffet, where he compared owning gold with owning a company like Exxon Mobil. If you melted all of the gold that has ever been mined in the history of the world into one giant cube, the cube would measure 68 feet per side and would easily fit into a football stadium. That gold (at the time) would be worth about the same as a billion acres of U.S. farmland plus 7 times what Exxon Mobil was worth. Now if you had enough money, which would you rather buy for the long term - - that giant cube of gold, that generally holds its value in terms of purchasing power over time, and that with good timing or good luck you might be able to sell pieces of it to people during a price upswing so maybe gain a bit of purchasing power? Or would you rather own a billion acres of U.S. farmland plus 7 companies like Exxon Mobil, making a profit every day, passing part of that profit on to shareholders every quarter as steadily increasing dividends, and reinvesting the rest into growing the business, making the business more profitable and its shares more valuable, quarter after quarter, year after year? I recall that for the same reason, Warren Buffet was generally disinterested in mining companies. Although they typically pay dividends, the profit that they instead keep and reinvest in the company ultimately is going to become just a worthless hole in the ground that no longer produces anything, and in fact will be an environmental liability.