grain

Thank you for a very detailed reply. However I don't understand #5: how do I know how much to set this to? Is this like a partition? I have a 2TB ext drive that I'll be using.

regarding me question above: I've ordered an ext hdd from Shopee. I plan to install Mint to this ext hdd and then install and test the various apps, and run Mint from that ext hdd via my Win 10 laptop. My next questions are: can I get a Thai tech to install Mint to my ext hdd for me? Then I bring the ext hdd home and plug it into my Win 10 laptop and boot and use it? Or does Mint have to be installed to the ext hdd while connected to my Win 10 laptop? If possible I want someone with more knowledge than me to set up Mint on the ext hdd. I'm concerned if I do it myself I'll screw up my laptop. I've read it's possible to stuff up my Win 10 installation if not done correctly.

I've been doing these annual retirement extensions for the past 25 years, never has there been any questions about the money coming from abroad. Just as long as I have 800K THB sitting in a Thai bank account for the required period. In my case I just leave that money in the bank year after year. So I've never had any issues or any questions regarding the source of my bank balance.

Cenosillicaphobia is mine. (the fear of having an empty beer glass)

And the useless, homeless, unskilled who go into it because they get a place to live, free food and other gifts, and they shoot up the respect ladder.

Yes, I twigged to that GKW. ????

That a stark contrast to what our good friend MC who lives in Savan has reported, he's sent me photos of massive lines, guess you were very lucky to get a day when there were no visa run crowds. BTW I'm BD from PH3. ????

Is this an immigration retirement ext requirement?

Spot on reply. Also anywhere a neighbor's dog is driving you mad and ruining your life the thing you should never do is complain to the dog owner and officials. Because you won't get anywhere and then if you do resort to the "final solution" they'll know who dunnit. You're really best to deal with it yourself quietly and immediately.

Thanks for the comments guys, I've got a couple of spare usb flash drives and I'll see how I go installing to one of them.

A few pipes of opium before going to bed sounds good to me.

I've tried Mint using a USB flash drive, but I want to investigate further and use Mint and test many apps before deciding if I want to go with Mint or remain with Win. I don't really want to buy another laptop just to try out Mint, so if I bought an ext HDD, can I set that up and install Mint apps and retain all my settings, and just use that plugged into a USB port on my Win 10 machine? If so are there any pitfalls I need watch out for? I don't want to change or screw up anything in the Win 10 settings.

He didn't punch, it was a slap, and a fairly light one at that, it was very wrong and very stupid. BUT BUT BUT....young people have to consider something with old overweight people....they can't take a thumping like a young person can. An old overweight man can very easily die from a serious thumping and a booting. So when fit fast young Thais with some muay thai training get stuck into an old fat farang like we have here, there's a strong possibility of the victim dying. As for your question about bouncers in my country. If that video was taken in Perth, Australia, the bouncers would most certainly be facing charges and may well serve some time behind bars.

Stupid old fat man, half drunk and out of condition to start a fight with young bouncers. Nonetheless, the bouncers should have just pushed him away, let him fall on his fat ass. Jumping on him and kicking the daylights out of him is way over the top. The could easily have killed the old guy. It's not in Thailand's best interests for these vicious beatings to be seeing around the world. Remember the English woman getting booted in the head in Hua Hin a few years ago?

Cheers, I agree. Actually we'll be staying for a few days at a hotel in Songkhla, so I'm not thinking it'll be better if I just park the car at the hotel and take a taxi to HatYai, then the taxi to Penang.

Seems like you're taking the piss? So what's not clear? Let me explain it very slowly for you. We're planning a motoring trip from Korat to HuaHin - Koh Samui - Songkhla, then we drive back home to Korat after a couple of weeks. OK, have you got that so far? While we're at Songkhla/HatYai we think we may like to pop down to Penang for a few days. We've been there many times and enjoy a few days in old Georgetown and having some tasty Indian food. As MarcelV says above, it's not worth all the regulations to take a car from Thailand to Malaysia just for 2-3 days. I used to live in Songkhla and HatYai so I know that already. So if we do decided to pop down to Penang from HatYai, it makes sense to park the car somewhere safely in HatYai and go there by taxi. OK, have you got that? Is it making sense to you now?

For a couple of years now I've been expecting the retirement ext requirements to change. My guess is the 800K will see a 50% jump to 1,2M, perhaps even doubled to 1,6M. Police clearances from our home countries could also become a condition for extensions, plus compulsory health insurance. Anyway, these are just my guesses. If such changes did come in hopefully we'll get grandfathered on the existing regulations. If not it'll be adios Thailand for many of us.

I got a Toshiba 55" from PowerBuy last week, very nice picture, also Android, which I wanted as I use mostly Android apps. Price was 12,400Bt delivered (and we live about 60KM from the nearest store) warranty is for 3 years, and they'll come to us to service if required, which is a very nice bonus is ever needed. I realize op wants a 75" but I'm just giving some recent feedback on Toshiba and PowerBuy.

Cheers, will do.

Yep, that's what I thought too. The 40yo Thai man knows damn well that the sin sot tradition doesn't apply to gay unions, yet he cooks up this BS with his parents: "The minimum amount mentioned by him is Bt1 million." Nice try Somchai.

A farang friend of mine was in there, he said the worse thing was the noise, they have a couple of TVs, and everyone is shouting 24/7.

Another "Jai Yen" Thai man with a deeply philosophical Buddhist attitude to life.

Forget Flybird too, almost just as bad. There's the noise factor to consider too, many of the Thais living in these places work in the entertainment industry, so they're coming home 1am, 2am, 3am talking loud, slamming doors, playing music. I've known a few guys living in both Flybird and Nirun and they only have negative stories to tell. Cops are always milling around too as there are so many dodgy people in both places.

In Thai culture sin sot is paid by the male husband to the parents of the female bride. Sons of Thai families do not get sin sot. This Thai family asking for 1 million THB for their son is absurd, it is just another cunning attempt to get money from a farang. In this situation, a male marrying another male, if the Thai family believe they qualify for a sin sot for their son, then op's family can equally say they want sin sot for their son. So PeeJayEm tell the Thai family that your family respects Thai traditions and wants 22,701.78 pound sterling sin sot from them.

Yes, I did consider that too, but we'd stay in Georgetown and I'd prefer not to drive there, we'd walk around, the car would just be parked somewhere in Georgetown for 2-3 days.