happydreamer

You need to hit up them country roads where Walmart is a destination. TN and MS? I'm really surprised

I retired at 40 off of investing into the scam and came to live in this lovely place. I guess when you can't change the game you just learn to play by the games rules.

Good write up.

Unfortunately this represents a large part of the US if you're not from one of the big 3 cities. And LA is questionable at that.

You forgot our massive stock market and how it drives the global economy

Definitely agree with this. It carries on back home too depending on where you're from.

And to be honest, he didn't do himself any favors by saying he wasn't a regular drinker. If so then 1 or 2 glasses will put you over your abilities really quickly. <deleted>in smooth brain dip<deleted>

It is tho...because it paints a picture of the types of idiots who think they can get away with anything because they have the financial ability to buy favors in a third world country. It's atrocious actually.

Does anyone have good experiences with life insurance agents here in Bangkok. I want to set something up but want to make sure its legit and not full of loopholes that they can use to avoid paying out when the time comes

Cigna is one of the best. They direct pay with all the major hospitals here. No hassles.

Using an agent, you're rolling the dice and the odds as of late are not as favorable as the days of olde

My wife has warned me against moving us to homes that are not in gated or secured communities for this reason. Sucks to be this dude. I would definitely have apprehensions though about leaving my home(s) vacant for more than a night or two in this place. Even hiring security is still a roll of the dice if your possessions are worth more than their meager salaries.

Excellent points and as a visitor (tourist) you shouldn't have to worry about it. However if you do wind up staying here long enough you'll eventually deal with corruption in one way or another and to the scale and magnitude of the life / lifestyle you keep here. I've had it go both ways for me. I've willingly paid the piper and have had no choice but to pay the piper. It's part of life here and as you mentioned if you just keep your life relatively trouble free, follow the rules, stay away from dodgey situations and don't attract attention to yourself your run-ins with those set to extort you should be minimal and relatively easy to deal with. Life here is still way better than winters and crime in Chicago. In a western world we just have softer ways of masking corruption through taxes and fines. Here it's just out in the open

Nothing like a good ol fashioned "sorry i almost killed you" wai

I took early retirement as well, kinda. Tuned out of corporate life at age 40 back in 2015 to pursue personal interests abroad and had been traveling back and forth here since 2012. It's a different place for sure since the first time I came. I remember arriving the first time and having sensory overload from the heat, the smells, and the sheer number of people queued at airport customs at midnight on a weekday. I think alot of the warmth and kindness we experienced in those days was related to the administration (for lack of a better word) The people here really loved the man in charge and it came through in their interactions with outsiders and each other for that matter. I know it sure had an effect on me. I noticed a shift in 2017 after everything changed. Officials became more stern and jaded. The smiles waned. No more lollipops. The last time I arrived to Suvarnabhumi was Jan 2022 and I was threatened to be deported on the spot because my visa was no longer valid. Definitely not the Thailand of olde.

70thb to a pound? Wow man. You're talking the glory days. You've been here a bit. The recent run up to mid 38 to a dollar was the best I'd had

All I know is my quality of life is much better here than it was in LA and Chicago. My metrics for measure.. Physical and mental health improvement. Healthcare options have improved. Convenience of services / cost ratio drastically improved. Availability of conveniences much improved. Much improved financial situation. LT savings, preservation, etc. Money just stretches further here. When I first came here and started looking for a partner I found the women much closer to what I was looking for in terms of appearance, demeanor, and willingness to try / take a chance on someone new. Overall attitudes of thai people regardless of their cultural prejudices, antiquated thinking and / or upbringing are much more palettable than the self entitled, self-important, woke culture back home. There's quite a few things I find annoying but in the end...all these things I've listed make waking up everyday a hell of a lot better than grinding out week after week through cold winters

Is Ms.Ae a local? Was it an inside job? The purse and smartphone knabbed from her make her look like a victim but if she's getting it back plus some the perhaps a clever ruse.

Good one dude. ????

Ya ok dude. You argue like a teenage girl

So what did you interpret that last statement to mean Captain Positive? If you've lived here any amount of time you know tat RTP looks for loopholes to extort money out of you at every turn.

"And watch out for how the RTP interpret the law. " = Be prepared to be extorted if caught

They chain smoke em because they roll em with tobacco brainchild

Must be true if you've never seen it

K dude...you win