KhunLA

Definitely want to give it another go. Ep 2 was a bit enlightening.

there's also the 'all in one' govt services in some malls. Hard to believe people think 90 day pulse check is a big inconvenience.

I'm both. Now the wife makes things easy. I was also a single parent for ~5 yrs, and damn if didn't have to do everything myself. ... Imm, 3 types, reason visa ... buying car ... selling a house & land via POA (ex wife wasn't even at land office) Agent ... oh please. I don't pay people to do the simplest things for me. I even use to mow my own lawn, 3/4 rai, and wash the car / MB

Yea ... nobody protesting in France or Germany either ...

And yet ... it's still in the top 3 countries with most international tourist visiting ... Go figure. More people visit the USA, than live in TH, and many other countries. Let that sink in 72+ million last year ... wiki Only 19 of 195 countries & territories have more population than USA has international visitors - wiki You people crack me up ... keep it coming

Agree. But I trade those minor 'inconvenience' for things that actually affect my day to day, and make me smile. No real RE taxes. Affordable Solar & BEVs. Puts a lot of extra jingle in the pocket every month that makes me forget any negatives about TH. The ability to live comfy on 20k THB a month is killing me Pleasing the wife, or taking the dog for a walk 2X a day ... hard to decide which is more of a burden on my life 😎 'Use me' - Bill Withers

Young buddy of mine got diagnosed with terminal cancer ... they dropped him, sue us was their response. He did ... as the diagnosis was completely off. Didn't even have cancer. I had to sue insurance companies 6X for them to honor their policy. Won every time. Why I'm in the 'untrusting' crowd. What insurance premiums would have cost me for 50 years of fairly healthy adulthood, compared to my actually cost, is mind boggling amount. Especially after ACA, and what it doesn't cover to begin with. My healthcare has cost less that one oops of deductible in the USA now, and that's not counting the monthly premiums. Most policies don't cover the first $10k+. Some folks paying 30-40-50-60k a month here/TH for health insurance. Then the coverage ends, at an age when you actually might need it 🙄 Don't think I can get that sick. 50 years of no premiums, I'm way ahead on that curve. Only tapped my oops fund once in 50 years. Do the math.

And that's an inconvenience, popping into Imm to do a 90 day pulse check. Not he 3 hours of check in, at both ends, and hours in a sardine can, that is so much fun. It's all relative, and the minor things people that 'chose to be in TH' complain about is truly mind boggling. If that much of an inconvenient, since you endorse the use of agents, just pay one to do it for you.

No complaints from me. Still in TH, still 'Loving It'. What happens in the US doesn't affect my lovely day to day at all. That's what happens when you have a well planned retirement, and never depended on anyone or anything for your livelihood. Independence is Freedom .... you'd think mature adults would have learned that decades ago. Oh well ... Live with your choices

Of course I don't believe, and have stated that many times. But it is a gauge, which inflation is 5-10X more for certain things. Depending on which administration. I think all will agree, Obama & Biden were some of the worst administrations for inflation. Trump, not so much. Official #s didn't show for Obama, but ACA sent healthcare premiums into the unattainable and useless brackets. Biden's inflation was way too obvious, though great for expats, along with exchange rate. Why I preferred Harris to win and continue with the madness 32 / 33 is ball park for the last 19 years. Not as good as 35+, but better than <29. If 10-20% is going to rock your world, you should have probably stayed in the USA. Not that most of the ones complaining are even from the USA. A bit mind boggling in itself. Sort of like me complaining the GBP, AUD, CAD or EUR is down since I arrived in TH

All things you know or should know before deciding to be a 'guest' in TH. You chose TH, and nobody is forcing you to come or stay. Accept and follow the well established rules in place before you arrived. Agree with OP, staying here is extremely simple, and been doing all the paperwork myself. Location depended, but 1 hour +/- once a year at IO isn't going kill me. As stated, as welcome day out, as 100 kms away. 2 visits to the bank, which I need to go there anyway, for 1, so an extra visit to pick up paperwork isn't that stressing. If on lump sum, it's only 1 visit. 2 minutes online doing 90 day pulse checks ... OMG, the inconvenience.

That's a personal choice, and opinionated. Not for me, as never had, or needing in USA, 25 adult years. Also never had or needing in TH, 25 years on. Did have to tap my oops fund in 2022, for routine procedure and not expensive. Any other maintenance cost simply pocket money. I'm in the 'untrusting' crowd, and know from my experience, insurance companies will do everything and anything, not to pay a claim, no matter how just it is. For those interested, wanting, needing health insurance, simply go to your local hospital of choice and 'ask them' what carrier they prefer to deal with. One that actually pays, without question, and also doesn't just reimburse, as defeats the whole purpose of having.

Add me to the possibly saved by, or at least able to enjoy life much better, due to Thai healthcare. 2006, 2008 & 2022, at a pittance of the price I would have had to pay in USA. Oops fund comes in handy, and for me, much cheaper than 25 yrs or monthly health insurance premiums.

Down 10%, so what. Trump ran on a weaker dollar, as good for US exports. $1 is still $1 in the USA. Buy USA and avoid tariffs, build manufacturing & jobs. What is so hard to understand ? Add to that, and the Consumer Price Index rose at an annual rate of 2.4%, less than economists expected.

Wife use to get a cert of marriage every year when doing marriage ext. That from PKK, even though married at Udon. So they are computerized and a divorce would show up. Or they wouldn't ask for one.

Don't know if anyone posted yet ...

Eye of the needle ... from front porch, through and over to the Greenhouse ...

As a waiting for the final bbq, 24/7/365 days retired visitor, I'm not interested at all in Thai govt or politics, as can't vote or influence anything. Simply follow the laws I have to, and ignore the ones myself or anyone else cares about. Why stress over things you have absolutely NO control over. No different than when I lived in the USA. Only followed the news there, for investing trends. Anything else was irrelevant to my existence there.

"Mrs. Kotchakorn explained that her husband began deteriorating rapidly after collapsing earlier this year." Should have been on a plane, 4 months ago, to Greece as soon as able to, instead waiting 4 months here and spending all their money. Oh well .... Live (or die) with your choices 😎

Spot on, and sadly, some are doing, and even getting away with FGM. Beat the linked case below, got recharged under fed law, and even that got dismissed on appeal. Poor gals, mutilated for life... and just the cases that made to light. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/04/14/523917425/michigan-doctor-charged-with-performing-female-genital-mutilation-on-girls https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/04/14/523917425/michigan-doctor-charged-with-performing-female-genital-mutilation-on-girls https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/judge-dismisses-charges-tied-michigan-female-genital-mutilation-case-n1280350

There is a 'Dearborn Sharia Council' that officially has no legal right to dictate any 'sharia law'. But I'm willing to guess, that the Muslims that live in the community do follow Sharia Law, and it is enforced. It's been shown to be a 'no go' area for Christian protester (trouble makers), and local PoPo have been caught on video, telling them not to go there, or protest, and if they do, they are on their own. Even to the point of ignoring violence against the idiots that do participate. Use to be more than a few YT vid showing the lax protection, (possibly scrubbed now) as local popo and officials cower to the Muslim community ... IMHO.

You fit my earlier post above, someone TH's economy has benefitted from, and unfortunately fall between the thin cracks of officially meeting the retirement financials, unless going the married route, then you have enough (40k a month). Strange you don't use that visa & ext, to save the yearly agent fee.

USA USA ... well, unlike others, I only comment and what I know and have personal experience of. That would be USA & TH, as only 2 countries I have ever lived in. Can't comment honestly for knowledge of the other 10 or 15 countries, that I simply visited, not matter how many times, as living in and visiting experience and knowledge is completely different. Your examples, not much difference USA & TH, and I suspect plenty of countries. Selective enforcement, prosecution, to ignored obeying & enforcing laws. Only difference I find on AN, is the bias against, from the haters of all things Thai. Love it or Leave it. Or worse, the trolls than never have, left and or don't even visit anymore, with all their negativity. I accept, actually welcome the lax enforcement, minimal presence of PoPo, for minor infraction. They're busy arresting real criminals, or so I read in the news. On topic ... as stated, alcohol laws are simply control and cash cow, especially for corrupt officials. Only negative, when things become legal, where will they direct their attention next, to compensate for loss funds.

I came to TH, 25 yrs ago, and did the same as you the first 5 ish years, 90 day bounce, till I turned 50 yrs old, then did the extension of retirement or marriage. Still here, and Imm rules/laws haven't changed one bit that I noticed. Though do to scammers, continually caught & publicized, laws now simply enforced and scrutinizing of applicants a bit more, due entirely to the scammers of the system. Laws are there for a reason, to protect the Thai job market, and make sure visitors can actually afford to live here. Especially if an oops is thrown their way. Too many can not, and hospitals get stuck with the bills, when it does happen. If someone has the finances, health insurance and or oops fund, and won't be a burden on Thai system, then OK, fine to use an agent, though I'd prefer them not to. But every retiree certainly doesn't need 65k a month / 800k a year to live here. Married is a bit different, and you really do need 40k or 400k to exist here. Those that can't meet the financials, and live month to month, with no safety net, then those are the ones I have not respect for, and happy for the enforcement of the laws. Sadly, too many here in the state.