KhunLA

Pretty much what I did 23 yrs ago, as I didn't do any real research before coming. Came in 1999, just for the hell of it, as had timeshare weeks to burn, and last minute got a trade approved. Worked for an airlines, so that was easy & cheap. Had a very nice long week, diving from Phuket, and a bit of a recon for retirement location. But no real research, or even visa requirement, Ignorance is Bliss, would be perfect description. Came back a year later, and decided to stay. Think I made all the classic mistakes, within first year, BUT, escaped unscathed financially and no loss there. Really is too much info out there now, for others to repeat the same mistakes myself and so many have made. I had protective paperwork (that false sense of security), but it all worked: lease, usufruct, POA. Even made a profit. Best advise to give, is don't live in Hua Hin or north of. Simply to avoid the half year of air pollution. Relationship advice, married 4 X, w/ 2 live in GFs, so I don't think you want my advice. But I would avoid meeting someone from a bar or internet that is obvious P4P, and moving to their village and setting up residence. Now the long winded, take or leave it thoughts: Be independent of that silliness, rent somewhere and set yourself up to lead a normal lifestyle, THEN meet a partner in normal settings as you would in home country. Many P4P relationships that I know of, have lasted, but more have failed, and guessing higher % than just 'normal' relationships failing. It's simply a bad start for most. One really does need to live here for at least one year, if not 2 or 3, and in different areas, before even thinking about 'buying in'. RENT until you are sure TH is for you. The weather alone is enough of a change. Hot is nice during a holiday, but 24/7 for 9 months can wear on some people. TH is not for everyone. Don't burn you bridges in home country, till 100% sure, you're not returning. Condo in your name is the only safe way to own. Depends a lot on your age & finances if that is the best option. Renting is inexpressive, and leaves all options open. Unless you have extensive RE experience or very deep pockets, I would avoid buying in other than just a condo. RE was my thing back in USA, and I never invested here anything I couldn't walk away from. After I sold the first house here, it pretty much wasn't my money anyway, moving forward with 2nd & 3rd house build. That did take an intelligent and trusted partner, and I couldn't have done it on my own. So there's that, or I would have taken the condo route or probably simply rented, as not really a neighbor friendly person. I've never lived in any house I've owned or rented, in USA for more than 3 years at a time, so buying in a foreign country on my own, just wouldn't have been the smart thing to do, considering I get bored of an area fast, and like being mobile. Look at your past experience, and apply them here. Just common sense. You might think you'll change, but you won't, and don't expect to. ENJOY what's left of your journey. Do what you want, (not revolve around someone else) remember, we're all on borrowed time by this point. Especially if getting here at normal retirement age, 60+ or 66/67 for you Yanks.

Asked & answered: All info provided, if you don't read it, I'm not wasting my time with you. Try clicking on the links above:

I think you're going to need a roof over it, and no sun exposure, if possible.. Ours (Udon Thani) had a roof over it, and didn't get any sun in 'hot' season, and was nice & refreshing most of the year, except couple months in cool season. Way too cold to swim be in. It was also 2+ meters deep when full (one half) and 1M deep, the other half.

Well that's reassuring, as there aren't that many stupid, financially challenged folks here. For the same or spring for a little extra, and you can have the Neta V, and save money every time you drive past the local petrol station. And avoid all those oil changes & tune ups

Just how do you plan on bringing over (assuming) large sum of money, in a few weeks, and showing it is coming from either SS or VA. As they are distributed monthly, from fed reserve. SS anyway, not sure where VA bennies are distributed from, also monthly.

I guess very few, in the grand scheme of things. I think your definition of many and mine, may be different. We have guard rails, because people bid to get contracts to get paid to put them in place, whether needed on not. It's called corruption & politics. You & your friends, family & peers must drive differently than mine, as I don't think I know, or have ever met someone, that needed a guard rail to keep them on the road. YMMV

I'm retired, so yea, pretty much leisure driving. And since everything is within walking/bicycle or ebike distance from the house, my daily ride to the park or surf is even quite unnecessary. We don't even need a car, or mc. Just for convenience and O&A (out & about) 20k kms; 10k O&A - require hotel & CS (charging stations) 10k 'local' of which more than half, were 50-125 kms away from the house E-MC - average about 2500 kms a year. Strange questions, but here you go: Our system, our MG ZS, our MC, My E-bike:

Retirement destination, 23+ years now. First visit Sept 1999, then stayed on 2nd visit / Sept 2000. Don't need blinkers when you carry a firearm.

I have, to more than a few countries. I just stay clear of bad areas, outside the USA. Never an issue inside the USA.

50 years of driving, haven't hit a guard rail yet. Never say never, but worrying about guard rails stopping me, isn't one of them. Drive the speed limit, and you usually stay on the road. That's why they have speed limits. In my youth, can't say I did that, and still never needed a guard rail to keep me on the road. Actually that's kind of amazing, as had a very heavy foot, till I came here / TH.

Since not too safe to go out at night ... got to do something. I hope he's there for work, as don't know I'd choose to go anywhere that I didn't feel safe to go out at night.

Don't know what your point was. We dine in house, most meals, by choice, simply because we are good cooks. Better than most restaurants, so much easier, and less hassle. Cook is own of my joys in life. I only go to restaurants to get out of the house, or for the rare items, I can't or won't make at home. I would never order prepared meals online, to eat at home. Rarely do we even order 'fresh made' delivery at hotels, when away from home. We're not in 'local delivery area' for local vendors, and would never order out of Amphur or out of province prepared foods.

It is, and I do, and never need to use the grid, unless away from home. 20k kms a year, if all things equal is only 7kWh a day for our EV. ~1 hr on a wall charger @ 7.4kWh, if your system can handle it, or ~3 hrs on a granny charge @ 2.3kWh. I could do that overnight on my ESS/battery, not that I would. I think you need new batteries in your calculator, so you can do the math. Since owning a few, I know how much an EV consumes. You obviously don't own one. I charged up today, ~19% / ~8.8kWh, and didn't even plug into till almost noon, and it was topped up. No problem. Come back when you have real facts, or some more 'what if' scenarios.

Do you plan on driving into a lot of guardrails. Supposedly bad in snow ... and you know this how ? AWD, can't be that bad. Another silly, no facts, what if, anti EV post. You forgot to mention you can drive through a gang banger shoot out, as will stop or slow down bullets penetrating the truck Good for driving through the next BLM riots 👍

Well, they have plenty of warning it was going to go into effect. Anyone wanting, should have already killed their baby. Those considering sex, should have started being responsible and using contraceptives. Options abound. Preservation of life prevails, always a good thing. Guessing the number of reported rapes will jump even higher than before. Along with a black market for 'morning after pills Be responsible, or move ...

As stated by 'B', you haven't a clue. Our system is only 8kW inverter, provides enough to be off grid, using up to 1000kWh a month so far, and 50kWh a day when needed, and includes charging the EVs for 20k kms +/- a year. I'm sure it would provide more if needed, as that's all we've used, needed so far. We yet to max out production, as only needed 50kWh on our highest use day. All things being equal, would amount to 1500kWh a month, and that's not even maxed out potential production. Peeks & valleys means it was a cloudy and or overcast day, and never maxed out at 8.8kWh of production. A couple late afternoon hours, just producing enough for consumption.

I didn't see this post, or I would have ignored your later post, as obvious you're just trolling

Haven't followed in a while, but there is always 3 constants: ... Defence ... oil ... healthcare I made a sh!tload of money in 2, as I don't do defense contractor stocks. Too moral, though some of the best profits to be had. There will always be conflicts, as simply too profitable not to have. And they will always drive up oil prices.

I hope he gets deported ... Never understood how people choose to live in a country, then bad mouth the place. Is TH perfect, of course not. Does it have some major issues ... of course. No different than the rest of the countries, some better, some not so. I'm here by choice (plenty of other options), and not going anywhere. Though able to live in any country, that would let me in. Not here by necessity, here by choice.

With USD Thai billionaires living here, and more than a few millionaires. Who do you think is driving all those 3-5-5M baht cars ? It's not the expats waiting for the pension to be deposited or sitting on the barstools. 2022 Ranking of USD millionaires by country - wiki Who do you think is buying all these ? HINT: it's not the lowly farangs I haven't seen a farang in a BEV yet, locally or while O&A. Either too stupid, or too poor. "Topping the EV chart in Thailand for 2023 is BYD, which sold 30,650 EVs last year, followed by Neta in second place with 12,777 EVs and MG in third with 12,764 EVs. Fourth in the list of top-selling EV brands in Thailand last year is Tesla with 8,206 cars, with Ora of Great Wall Motor rounding up the top five with 6,746 electric cars sold."

I don't know what that means. Didn't know what OSINT was, or there's a list ? Google search probably would bring that up, or if follow me enough on AN, I've posted maps to/from the house enough times. Think I even posted a vid, driving from house to the surf, if needing a visual aid My life is an open book, nothing to hide. Only trolls, liars & criminals do that. I've had people threaten me on other forums, and gave them directions to the house and told them to stop over anytime Just get your affairs in order before showing up No takers

Always read your labels, if in Thai, use translator ... This is too funny ... wait for it https://www.facebook.com/reel/796794169047478

That's awesome, too bad it wasn't available in EV. 100 years of Brit Dynamics .... how can you go wrong

POA ... Power of Attorney, although that would be hard to use if 'wanting permission' from someone who is mentally not right. Usufruct for you, and land office shouldn't transfer property without you signing off. Or if for 'use & modify', any buyer wouldn't be able to use it, as still under your control. Add a 3rd party lease to it, and it's even more powerful.

They can and they could if they managed their finances better, Thais & expats, and were practical in the purchases & lifestyle. I've lived a poor & meager life almost my whole life, in the USA, with some exceptions, compared to my peers. OK, I splurged a lot, but always with pocket money, not borrowed. Only owned ! new vehicle. Never lived in a stand alone house, by myself or with GF/wife. Had a 4 bedroom detached house, but made it a triplex. That and other houses (row houses) in crap neighborhoods, were investments. Where friends and family would never live, as they need to impress their friends and family, by barely living within their means. Got to have that new car (financed), every 3 years. I bought 1, and it was a work truck, and entry level at that. Any and all extra funds, went into investing into my future, not spending on the present. Didn't want for anything, but didn't waste money trying to impress people. Got to retire at 45, and impressed myself. Now here, I still play the long game. Don't rent, wasted money. Our solar & EVs save us over 85k a year in electric & petrol costs. Having solar & EV is money well spent. How many expats here have a new big ol' truck or 4X4,or SUV they don't need. Or drink 6 large beers every night. What's that, knocking on 70-80 baht a bottle X 6 = 400-500 baht. Times 30 day, hmm, sounds like the cost of an entry solar system if saved for a year. Assuming in house, and not from the barstool. I've never needed a car while living in TH, and a scooter would have sufficed. That's 10k baht a month, for the privilege of owning a new car. Daughter just bought, and 20 or 30% down and payment will still be 15k a month/4 years. But she needs, along with <2% interest, almost free money rate as inflation is higher. Wise use of other peoples money. People need to learn, "if you can't pay cash, you can't afford it". You don't borrow money for things that depreciate. "The percentage you're paying is too high priced While you're living beyond all your means And the man in the suit has just bought a new car From the profit he's made on your dreams"