Wrwest

As usual ... depends. I had Thai Attorney draw up both a will and Prenup (which he said would be attached to the marriage registration). Got to the office to register the marriage and the official said ... No, it is against Thai Marriage Law. Would not budge.

Just a small note as to USA Medicare. Fully retired civilians paying Part B monthly premium = no coverage outside USA territory (I think Guam is the closest). Fully retired military = global healthcare coverage (reimbursed through the Tricare system). Both groups are required to pay the Part B premium. While I fully support the military retirees earned benefit, I will continue to advocate for equal treatment. I'm thinking lower healthcare costs outside the USA. Of course, there are those betting we will not return for Medicare coverage so all premiums are "gravy".

And without question, extend the same to renting a motorbike!

Tongue in cheek ... does that translate into Thai? "Mr. Putin, Russian speakers in Phuket need your protection. The Chinese are working with Thai police to "help" tourists. You need to send such folks to help Russian speakers". Could just cut through the time evolvement and just annex Phuket ...

Quite understandable. I have always used an agency for this reason. while I am perfectly inline with qualifying for the year long extensions ... well, the agencies know of the most recent "interpretation" of the law/regulation, which personalities to avoid, if there is a new boss wanting to make changes, etc. Just worth the agency fee for my peace of mind. As to the 800K baht deposit in a Thai bank? Non-starter for me. My funds are invested in the USA and are earning me about $5,000 use a year. I am not willing to park a portion of those funds.

Look along the bottom. Some hav a lever to push and reset. Others, have to lift the cover and red reset button is pushed.

In this case a citizen Grand Jury decided there was enough evidence to warrant a trial. Next will be a citizen Trial Jury deciding guilt or innocence ... not a judge.

Reminds me of the Japanese saying I learned, "The nail that sticks up, gets hammered down".

Only thing I really miss, thinking of US 7-11s is the clean public bathrooms!

Agree but rather than calling it a "Shinawatra deal" I would call it a rebalancing deal after two separate coup d'etat removing the elected governments. I can only speculate but I am thinking part of the deal is the two Prime Ministers would be allowed to return and, those involved in the coups get immunity from prosecution.

Leaving out the terminology "filthy deal", I agree.

!3 years here in Chiang Mai. I have not studied the broader issue and so I can only relate my own experience having lived in L&H (Maejo), Condo and rental home at 118 & 121 area (Sansai), Phimuk 1 (Sansai Noi) and now Saraphi. Only real damage was observed in 2011 upon first retiring in July 2011. Those who were here will well remember August that year. Chiang Mai flooded with the Mae Ping going over its banks. High electric poles along 121 were brought down. L&H flooded, I had to go to a hotel for a couple of nights. Other than that, I have been pleased and a bit surprised after noting the electric wire "rats nests" throughout Thailand. Oh, my electric has gone off but my experience has been that it is restored in short order. It is, in my experience it is off, usually, the longest one hour. If the electric went off where I lived in the USA, it was serious and would last the better part of a day or longer. But then I lived on the fringe of "tornado alley". Ice storm in 2009 left most ofwestern Kentucky without electric the better part of two weeks.

Hope the guy push to hitting the ground brings charges and that both these guys are deported as persona non grata. Geez, I'm thinking a stomach punch would find one's forearm disappearing in the fat.

I have used the 65K baht transferred from abroad into my Bangkok bank Act. since retiring in Chiang Mai in 2011. As an American no longer able to use a statement from the Embassy. I have never been asked the source of my USA funds (retirement, SS, rent income, etc.).

The song “City of New Orleans”.