Fat is a type of crazy

Sounds like you have an interesting and challenging life in the states. Your posts are amusing too. Why not have a thread about life in America while away from Thailand. Could be fun and better than many of the daily trivial topics on this site.

In my case I book and pay in Australian dollars and if I pay there and then I'll pay the same amount in AUD. If I choose the pay later option they convert the amount due into a different currency e.g. USD at time of booking. When the date for payment comes they charge me by converting the USD amount back to AUD at the exchange rate at that time. So I am still charged in AUD but the amount can differ if the exchange rate to USD has changed. That's all fine. The part I don't like is they add 5 per cent to that without making it clear at the time of booking.

There is one slight rip off with Agoda. If you pay now you'll pay the exact price as expected. But if you choose pay later they will charge you in a currency that they choose to use, sometimes USD some times Yuan or whatever, AND add 5 per cent. I don't mind the currency fluctuation, but the additional 5 per cent is not made clear and hidden somewhere deep in the terms and conditions which, forgive me for not reading top to bottom.

Used to be a fan of hotels.com because you got one night free for 10 booked and they price match so you can get cheap price and a further 1/11th off price. But Agoda is now consistently significantly cheaper and never have add ons to price at final stage. Tip I have given before is start with a comparison site and then Agoda have a cheaper price rather than going direct.

Canada isn't it. Cold one day. Freezing the next. Nice country but maybe you'll end up here half the time like I plan to do with Australia .. 180 days is enough in either country

On the rudeness on public transport totally agree but since lockdowns, and people including me mainly working from home, 3 days a week, trains are rarely full on the other 2 to be a concern. On plane issue I am tall and I had a guy in front of me putting his seat back as far as possible recently and seemingly purposefully pushing back and moving in his seat to the detriment of my knees. I politely made him aware but he gave zero <deleted> so forgive me if I did knee his back a couple of times not on purpose or maybe on purpose. He said he had a bad back and I said sure but I am tall and you having your seat back makes it impossible for my knees not to go in your back a bit. Made me think if the seats with space are booked I might upgrade on longer flights as not fun.

Not like you to have a whinge. One reason they might care a bit about money is that for many this is a first or second generation of having money. They work hard and they want to show something for it. My ex wifes father was dirt poor as a child and he bought a small rubber tree farm and built it up .. kids bought up simply but all doing well but not without really hard work. On the other hand, myself, and possibly many other posters, had it a bit easy growing up, and though we may work hard, we haven't known that struggle to move from child hood poverty to grown up success. So they want to show it with some nice wine, jewelry, etc and are more aware and conscious of it than we may be. Fair enough I say.

It is a big one. Near night market. Big pool. Nice gym. Not far from beach or baht bus it seems. I like. Maybe locals know a possible down side. That's why I think Pattaya could potentially be ok even if you are normal.

I'm sure you agree that providing an obscure Aussie such sensitive information is an extremely serious matter. I think the sane ones are the ones reminding people of what he has done. It might be terrible, but kind of make sense, if he did it for personal gain, but the fact that he is such a loose cannon that he tells states secrets probably to show off that he knows stuff, is pretty wild.

I agree there are specific situations where the rights of a particular subset of people get out of hand. Often where they have had real difficulties and unfairness in the past but the pendulum swings a bit far. But I think it naturally swings back. Internet posters or news outlets though can scour world news to find one example in a little town somewhere that fits their agenda and they can sell to the world and suggest that is the new norm and we all need to be worried. Call me old fashioned, but for such issues to make one irredeemably lose faith in humanity, as compared to horrible massacres or a tyrant attempting to bully a particular nation into submission, is a bit crazy.

Does it really though or is it just something you read about on the internet. From a purely selfish point of view wars probably have an actual affect in increased prices and such. Increased security and affect on tourism etc.

I find it bizarre that with the horrible things going on in the world the part that makes you happy to leave this mortal coil is people caring about climate change or some bloke somewhere saying he feels like he's a woman.

Biden still maybe has a small window of opportunity to be the hero after winning in 2020 and doing an ok job and announce he will not run and let the party find a successor or to attempt to anoint someone who he likes. The electorate has no appetite for 4 more years. Hopefully he can see the writing on the wall and do what he needs to do.

If you are suggesting by taking a few words out of my post that I have advocated a wall then that is not correct thanks.

They were talking about this on Bill Maher today. I have always felt that the approach to immigration by democrats is a bit strange and too liberal. Definitely out of step with most people's thoughts and it hurts their chances of success in 2024. I don't think it's cruel by definition to have decent borders but it is complicated. As an aside I am wondering how other posters feel about the writer's strike being over. I have kept out of politics for a while but watching Kimmel, Colbert, and Maher along with actual news programs has got be a bit interested. But sometimes I think best not to bother, losing 30 minutes or more out of my day, and let politics do it's thing.

Harry Potter has passed me by. To me he'll always be The Singing Detective.

Stayed at KC Grande trip before and probably has a better breakfast than the three others. Walked past in first week of September had had lots of renovations including gutted breakfast room so might be a bit noisy and best to stay elsewhere unless they've finished it by now.

Stayed Koh Chang August and September. Similar recommendations as above. Stayed at Santhiya Tree, Sylvan, and Kacha. First and second had the best breakfast but Kacha had a decent breakfast and staying there at the time on the beach side with sea outlook was half the price of Santhiya Tree. Breakfast at the first 2 may improve further as they get more guests approaching high season. Santhiya Tree has these cool rooms in a 4 or 5 storey building with everything wood with a nice pool on each balcony. Nice for your partner who will love it. Sylvan is spectacular in the forest with beautiful outlook. Kacha is a half a star less and it shows a bit with crappy towels and less maintenance but it is on the best beach in my opinion and good to be in town.

Your insights into living in Thailand are no doubt valuable for a potential new expat. Keep an open mind though that someone who is in a somewhat similar boat in terms of considering a move, who has spent a lot of time there with a thai girlfriend but loves life in his home country, may have something to offer. He will not only want to know if something is simply possible but whether it is worth travelling half way around the world for. When push comes to shove he may read these posts and wonder if in fact it is wise not to keep a base in his home country, to go without health insurance, and he may have a network of friends and family at home and be quite happy, and realise building networks of friends and developing new romance, will come with certain costs - emotional and in terms of dollars. He may not have thought through what it actually would be like to live in a small affordable apartment if he has spent 20 years in a house. His home country may be more expensive, but holidays in his car camping or going to the local beach where the water is clean, western food he likes, may in fact be cheaper than Thailand. Lots of things to consider. The fact that someone moves to Thailand later in life may not be a sign of weakness or of pathetic fantasising, but be due to actually having a good happy life in his home country, so a new life in Thailand has to be special, and not simply possible, to be bothered to do it. Being special might require a higher budget.

It's a pity you have to be rude all the time. I have experience in Thailand and know the lifestyle I intend to live in Thailand will cost more and it is worthwhile to work a little bit longer. Accommodation. Food. Travel. Other things mentioned. Not hi so. Not low so. Somewhere in between. You think otherwise. Have other priorities. The key point is he is outside Thailand and is asking what people think.

There may be factors that aren't relevant or important to you - maintaining a presence in the home country as I may be half half in each country , health insurance and yes $ on supporting and having fun with my lady. It's not about emulating the western life, Thailand life though is pretty capitalist too despite the Buddhist charade for a lot of people, but more about feeling you can be yourself and relax and breathe freely. Possible to do that on all sorts of incomes but having someone suggesting working for a higher income, may lead to better outcomes, is a reasonable proposition in my opinion.

Horses for courses. Fair enough. I'll leave it there.

Horses for courses as they say. I feel you are mixing two issues. The first issue is comparing having the same income in say the UK and Thailand whereby Thailand could come out on top. The second is for a potential retiree deciding how much they need for a comfortable happy free retirement and whether to, say, retire a bit early, and accept a lower income, or work a bit longer, and have a higher income with increased freedoms but be a bit older. Not shocking, or a debate that is nonsense, or absolute nonsense. If you feel on 60000 you can do everything you want to do then bully for you. But let's be honest that 60000 a month in a city, as against out in the sticks where it is a different thing, is definitely doable but can come with some significant limitations.

Have to disagree. Find your posts go from common sense to argumentative for arguments sake. He makes a fair point that living on that amount will mean living an ok life but somewhat of a limited lifestyle by western standards in a city. Not saying you can't have a good or happy life but if you want to have a life with open choices and a degree of freedom e.g. holidays etc then you simply might need more. Reasonable advice for those thinking of retiring. Saying that a westerner should feel happy as people from a different culture and circumstance consider him well off is a bit trite and somewhat irrelevant. Saying his comments are nonsense or illustrating his failings is strange and overly combative as a fair proportion of your posts tend to be.

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