KIngsofisaan

4 hours ago, Iamfalang said:

No, No, NO, Impossible!!!!!

 

You have to remember, the average expat has nothing.  They have been financially destroyed, bitter, hateful and living off about nothing.

 

Therefore, they must talk about how buying is horrible, marriage is the worst, dating girls your own age is evil, money is fake, and everything they want is actually really bad so they won't feel as bad.

 

I wouldn't even engage in such discussions, unless with comedy.

 

Tell them they are right!!!  Tell them renting is the way, and that it's true 40,000,000 baht can't buy happiness.  

 

yea, you got trapped by the financial machine and you are stuck in the trap!!!!   lol.

 

Reminds me of a falang I drank with like 10 years ago and he said money was evil, blah, blah blah and then asked me for 200 baht.  I said NO, of course.   Crazy people here....

I live in Isaan out in the boonies.

All the things have been bought and paid.

Nothing to really spend any money on. 

No complaints, have a good wife, best buddie!

I can travel, so that breaks up the monotony.

But the good thing is, I have a lot of family support from a large clan, no one really ever messes with me.

I never understand why people make their own choices in life, then bitch about everything?

I think there are 2 types of foreigners here, a few that tell the whole truth and the majority who never do.

I think if you could factually break it down, those that don't tell the truth probably slugged their way through life in some kind of educated meanial job?

1 hour ago, Adumbration said:

In the 18 or so months since I have owned my Thai house it has gone up at least 50% in value I reckon.  It is now worth 405K thai baht...Rivers of gold...

 

I could sell it and move back to Australia and pay the rent on a small one room studio for about one year.

I bet in this economy in Thailand it hasn't gone up at all.

Keep dreaming.

Thai properties depreciate, not appreciate

And no Thai wants to buy a second hand house.

9 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

What is there for you to joke about, not being retired says a lot to me, what are you chasing ?

 

It all depends what your looking for in life, for me personally, moving here 12 years earlier than the standard retirement age, i.e. to receive the pension which you wouldn't be able to survive on back in farang land, has proven to me to be the right decision.

 

Weighing up whether to work 14-16 hour days, 6/7ths of what life I had left in me under their false work slogan of (work/home/life balance) wasn't hard for me to see that I was going nowhere except to my grave early.

 

Stress, cost of living rising, never enough time for oneself let alone family, just didn't work for me.

 

Here 7 years, live in huge comfortable house that I couldn't afford to own in farang land unless I wanted the mortgage trap to go with it, just to show off to my friends, you know, keep up with the Smith's & Jones, not me, no thanks, came from a small 3 bedder to a big 6 bedder at 1/10th the cost to build it in farang land, not to mention the land would costs the same, so am miles ahead, and yes it's the wife's she earned it looking after me almost 2 decades on.

 

If you want to keep working, that means you need to, or you enjoy it, but as long as you have a life and aren't caught up in the slave trade, kudos to you, that said, some of us are woke, I can hear my mates back in farang land all having said that they have had enough, their getting older, things are getting tougher and more expensive, and are now asking what is the meaning of all of this, where are we all heading, well for me, I made it on the other side, am content and have been truly enjoying my new life of the past 7 years living here, have enough to keep me going till 101, and still travel back to farang land for a couple of weeks every couple of years to enjoy some of it's beauty, but living there would mean my quality of life would drop 90% and you can't put a figure on that, as life is really short so I will keep enjoying the quality of life I enjoy here till I croak it.

 

How can you enjoy farang land without being born with a silver spoon in your mouth, give us a break will you.

Mortgage trap?

 It is called appreciation.

I could sell our house in the US for $700,000 now. Was bought for $200,000. 2400 square feet, 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 3 car garage on 1 acre.

All paid for.

US $700,000 at 38 baht to the dollar = 26,600,000 baht

Now if you spent 65,000 baht a month in Thailand, that money would last you ~34 years

How is that for a mortgage trap?

At 65,000 baht a month, that mortage trap would last you 34 years living in Thailand 

 We could get 95,000 - 114,000 baht a month to rent it but we dont

9 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

What is there for you to joke about, not being retired says a lot to me, what are you chasing ?

 

It all depends what your looking for in life, for me personally, moving here 12 years earlier than the standard retirement age, i.e. to receive the pension which you wouldn't be able to survive on back in farang land, has proven to me to be the right decision.

 

Weighing up whether to work 14-16 hour days, 6/7ths of what life I had left in me under their false work slogan of (work/home/life balance) wasn't hard for me to see that I was going nowhere except to my grave early.

 

Stress, cost of living rising, never enough time for oneself let alone family, just didn't work for me.

 

Here 7 years, live in huge comfortable house that I couldn't afford to own in farang land unless I wanted the mortgage trap to go with it, just to show off to my friends, you know, keep up with the Smith's & Jones, not me, no thanks, came from a small 3 bedder to a big 6 bedder at 1/10th the cost to build it in farang land, not to mention the land would costs the same, so am miles ahead, and yes it's the wife's she earned it looking after me almost 2 decades on.

 

If you want to keep working, that means you need to, or you enjoy it, but as long as you have a life and aren't caught up in the slave trade, kudos to you, that said, some of us are woke, I can hear my mates back in farang land all having said that they have had enough, their getting older, things are getting tougher and more expensive, and are now asking what is the meaning of all of this, where are we all heading, well for me, I made it on the other side, am content and have been truly enjoying my new life of the past 7 years living here, have enough to keep me going till 101, and still travel back to farang land for a couple of weeks every couple of years to enjoy some of it's beauty, but living there would mean my quality of life would drop 90% and you can't put a figure on that, as life is really short so I will keep enjoying the quality of life I enjoy here till I croak it.

 

How can you enjoy farang land without being born with a silver spoon in your mouth, give us a break will you.

Mortgage trap?

 It is called appreciation.

I could sell our house in the US for $700,000 now. Was bought for $200,000. 2400 square feet, 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 3 car garage on 1 acre.

All paid for.

US $700,000 at 38 baht to the dollar = 26,600,000 baht

Now if you spent 65,000 baht a month in Thailand, that money would last you ~34 years

How is that for a mortgage trap?

At 65,000 baht a month, that mortage trap would last you 34 years living in Thailand 

 We could get 95,000 - 114,000 baht a month to rent it but we dont

32 minutes ago, aussienam said:

Overall Thailand is not a bad place to live as a retired expat.  

Wealthy expats of course can still live like 'kings'.  

 

Many of us cannot live like kings, but still can have a better quality life (Cannot stand those bragging expats that feel the need to let others know how well off they are and what they can buy, what women they can have, etc).

 

Just as long as we aren't struck with a permanent medical condition that won't be covered on the next insurance policy renewal (preexisting condition exclusion clause).  Hospital costs for serious matters can be financially ruinous for most if you need to self insure.  

 

Those of us on lower budgeting living, generally avoid Thai women relationships where women don't have steady normal jobs, careers.  Avoid those with baggage (kids, sick parents etc) that will empty your bank accounts. Staying single here is the most affordable way.  Many expats have lost their way from women here.  

 

There is no doubt over the last 20 years, I have noticed Thailand is no longer the same 'cheap' country.  Not saying it's bad if Thai people's quality of life has improved.  Thailand is still reasonably inexpensive on the whole - some things like street food are cheap, other goods and services are not so cheap, like specific medications, imported items can be very very expensive.  I'd guess over time Thailand will price out a lot of expats as no longer an affordable destination and need to find a new place to settle instead.  

Anyone that has earned a high dollar retirement probably did something their entire lives to earn it.

Just saying.

10 hours ago, Makoshark said:

After living in a gorgeous condo on the 33rd fl of Lebua, I returned to the USA 1 year ago for my daughter's wedding. 

 

15 months later, I can't wait to get the Hell out of here, and get back to BKK. I miss the culture, the smiles, and my 3 hour massages 4x a week.

 

My quality of life is so far superior in Thailand than living in the USA, it's not funny. 

 

The smiles are priceless.  As I sold everything I had years ago and arrived with 1 suitcase, I can do it again ! ! ! 

 

Arriving in February ! ! ! 

How do like the air pollution and massive traffic?

11 hours ago, Billy Bloggs said:

I dont usually get involved in others conversation, but where did they insult young people they pointed out that they were signing up for life times to buy over priced properties and given large loans when interest rates were low and many struggle as they rise.

There are places in the US where houses have appreciated US $300,000+ in the past couple years.

That appreciation would pay for ~15 years in Thailand at 65,000 baht a month

How much has your Thai house appreciated?

11 hours ago, Klonko said:

The degree of criticism of the living conditions in Thailand seems to correlate with the financial inability to freely choose domicile.

100% spot on though the majority will never admit it.

11 hours ago, SiamAndy said:

My electric bill just went up 62% in the west.

Does it make a difference if you can afford it?

Yes it will and T-Mobile has free international texting.

How do they know they were brand name clothes and not counterfeits?

1. work out an agreement with the lawyer in writing for the total amount to be paid off.

2. Ensure the house and land is worth the amount owed.

3. Assess if/when if the house/land is taken, would they be able to turn it quick for cash, would they have to hold on to it, or would they rather have his house and land versus a cash payment?

Tough situation but I assume those holding the note want to get paid

It will all come down to your negotiating skills should you agree to settle for him.

If you believe the interest rate is above the legal limit, threaten the lawyer to go to the police with that evidence and force him to settle.

Putin can hide him in the front lines somewhere

Coins. Definitely bags of coins.

Just saw a story where a Thai guy bought a brand new PCX with coins.

Staff seemed to enjoy counting all the coins!

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

I honestly cannot see a new coup in the near future.......well, not unless they get voted out and their pre-appointed lot cannot save them. Then I'd give it about 2-6 weeks

The fact the PM has just been accused of massive amounts of corruption, for the first time in 8 years, could mean he feels he is on his way out and needs to fund his retirement?

Must be a real expert if they can diagnose a car problem over the forum with the only description being is judders?

Take the mechanic out for a ride and actually show them what it is doing.

It could be a  100 different things and short of running a full diagnostic test, all these forum typewriter mechanics are just guessing

The male ego bravado, Look at Me!

Extremely low class.

On 9/23/2022 at 6:12 AM, Bangkok Barry said:

What is the point of the photo? It shows nothing, so why use it?

New Thai digital law you cannot video their face without consent