KIngsofisaan

I think one of the entry requirements to Thailand is you must personally know an unhappy millionaire? I have heard that story many, many times so it must be true? Unfortunately, I do not know any millionaires but I do know a lot of unhappy folks in Isaan. You built a house for 1/10 what it would of cost in Sydney? Pretty sure you could have built one for 1/20th the cost if you chose Africa. Did the cops/government single you out and harass you in Australia? Some folks with money do enjoy their home countries, with their own families and friends, being a grandparent etc. I guess those folks would leave their millions to their own kids though? Why would a Thai wife be frustrated with Australian politics or corruption? Does she even know how the Australian government works? Cucumbers are cheap. Gas and Cars are expensive. Western food in Thailand is even more expensive. I am sure I don't want to have to resort to living on cheap cucumbers. Just eating rice everyday of the year is bad enough. Once again, another person that quotes 2 houses out of the entire Sydney real estate market as gospel. Come on man, be realistic. I paid for 9 rai in Isaan (wife) for a good price at the time. Wife's grandmother died and left her land. Later grandfather died and left her some more land. Father in law signed over his land. Now have 26 rai. Western house. Nothing around. No stores no nothing. Once money is spent in Thailand, I never fret about it. The land and house will serve a greater purpose over time than me. Still have house in US. Can come and go anytime.

Yes more stories like this will surely help the govt achieve their goal of 10,000,000 tourists this year. I can see the headlines in Bangalor, go visit amazing Thailand and experience getting your gold snatched on the pristine beach by a ladyboy!

Do you really think he had it insured?

Mate, you have it all backwards. People that are not here now, but once were, did not fail here. They had the sense and financial wisdom/planning for a return to their own home. I would call that being very smart and didn't burn their bridges. People that HAD to move to Thailand because it is is cheap, failed in their own lives, by not being able to make it in their own countries, including you. Be honest? Did you grow up as a boy dreaming of moving to third world Thailand? Or did you work your entire life, only to figure out when you hit 50+ that you didn't earn or save enough to stay in your own country? Please tell? There is no such thing, as a person that doesn't complain. If you order food in a Thai restaurant and it is served completely burnt, do you wai the server like an idiot or complain your food is completely burnt. Face it, every complains about something. You must think yourself quite righteous to come on a forum and judge haters. Do you know for a fact they are low intelligence? Did you sit down with them and give them an IQ test to verify their low intelligence? Foolish talk is all you have. Foolish talk is a sure sign of low intelligence. People are different, unique and one of a kind. Each has their own life experience, each has their own life story for being in Thailand or going home. No one has failed. Everyone had a choice at one time or another. We all have something to learn from any person we come in contact with, no matter what their life has been or is like. Not everyone is dealt 4 aces in the game of life, not even you. Take a look in the mirror. You are exactly the kind of person you are describing. Looking down on everyone is pretty damn poor behavior. People will be themselves, should be free to be themselves and not judged by others like you. You sir, are no role model, or you would be a big, successful bigshot in your own country. To even write a post you KNEW 2 expats out of 100,000+ and judge the whole expat community on those 2 not speaking Thai is plain ridiculous.

You can also buy wholesale clothes very cheap at the giant market in Aranyaprathet, Thailand, which is quite close to the friendship bridge. My clan was selling retail for only 39 baht and the wholesale price was crazy cheap.

You have a house in Thailand worth exactly what you paid for it. Our western house has appreciated US $400,000 since we bought it. Then again, we could never sell our 26 rai and 4/3 house in Isaan. No one stupid enough to pay that much for it that far out in the boonies and want to farm rice. Then again, I don't compare it to Sydney or Hawaii. How in the world you can compare rural Thailand to Sydney? It is cheap because it is in the third world. I hope you can understand that? Have you been to the opera lately in Isaan? Has Australia purchased any submarines lately with no engines or fake bomb scanners? There is a reason there is the first world and the third world. First world you own things in your own name for instance. You speak you own language. You get the drift. Some folks in the west can afford it and would never think of moving to Thailand because it is cheap. Rural Appalachia in the US is dirt cheap too. Want to go live in a "Deliverance" type of environment because it is cheap? Some folks marry a Thai and live here because of their wives wishes. Some folks move to Africa, don't ask me why? Some folks move to Mexico and South America. Each person has their own choice of where they want to live. Comparing the third world to the first world? Just does not make any sense. Pretty sure if you would afford a waterfront mansion in Sydney, you wouldn't be in rural Thailand. Life all boils down to what a person can or cannot afford. No matter where it is. Has nothing to do with comparisons that make zero sense.

Couple of years ago I designed this cab and built it with my brother in law so my inlaws could have something other than farming to make an income. The whole thing can slide in and out of the pickup, if you don't need to use it. I seem to remember at the time it was about 9,000 baht for the materials. We got a wholesale deal for the drink syrup from a Thai guy that was just starting out. Drinks, soda, bottled water, hot coffee, noodles, chips, cookies, candy, toys and other things. At festivals and events, they could make up to 10,000 baht. locally a few hundred to 2000 baht a day if they set up in the village market The electrics were powered by a gas powered generator and if I remember right, that was another 12K as we also used that around the farm. A small one would be much cheaper.

Honesty what did you expect moving all the way to Thailand and having to work in their education system? Thailand is one place for me, I would never live if I had to work for those exact reasons you mention and 100 more!

no one's does!

It is better for you because that is all you can afford. I am pretty sure if you could afford a $50 million dollar ocean front mansion on the Riviera, you would be there or anywhere else that fit your budget. Women are only cheap because they are desparately poor, more so than yourself.

People have a right to complain and never forget that they do not. When all of our home countries allow Thai's to move in, buy land, houses, businesses, etc. and Thailand will not reciprocate with the same kindness, then every single person has a right to complain. 90 day reports like a criminal and filling out the same laundry basket of paperwork each and every year is ridiculous. You would think the goverment would be smart enough to electronically file your documents and then simply ask you each visit, has anything changed in the past year? But no, they cannot seem to figure that out. I would think a person that accepts ALL that happens in Thailand with never complaining, has lost their "bolos" or have lost themselves in a bottle. Complaining is healthy, it helps you to keep your sanity when you see Thai's shooting squirt guns in the air as a method to combat air pollution. I respect the fact, to each his own, each person has their own individual right to call it as they see it. If they complain, it is their reason and right. If you don't respect their right to complain, move along.

That's a shame since like others have said, what they like, you might absolutely hate. I like Nong Kai, I can't remember the hotel I stayed in all the time, but the room had it's own lighted jacuzzi and it was cheap. Nice small town vibe and easy to get around. From Nong Kai you can easily get in to Vientienne Laos, which does have great river bars and massages right on the Mekong. Not sure what the Laos Visa cost these days (Maybe US $40)? Khon Kaen these days is just to big and congested. Mukdahan too boring Udon Thani, I think many expats live there, but it is not for me. Sukhothai main place to see all the temples, ruins, etc. The fact is, there is really nothing that stands out in any of these locations. It is all what you make of them. A lot of places on your list are one and done type of places. Once you visit, cross them off the list type of places.

Many countries can come to Thailand for 30 days on a visa exempt stamp, so, no, you do not need a tourist visa.

Good to see senior members calling out others on their misleading comments!

You hit the nail right on the head. You have one group of folks that come here and try to replicate their full western life on a pension and complain all the time about cost. Then you have the country folk smart enough to garden and raise lots of their own food and vegetables. Not only that, there are lots of folks just too poor in Isaan (not the cities) to afford much of anything materialistic so one one cares about brand names or anything else. These folks feel lucky to have anything. I know because I have a boatload of them in my extended family I save so much money living in Isaan, I don't know what to do. Massive 401K that I saved and then rolled over into a Roth IRA. I save at least another 70% of a huge corporate pension added with social security each month. Everything paid for, no debt what so ever. Have a western house, 26 rai, car and trucks, farm vehicles all paid. No drinking, although I seem to buy a lot of the local Isaan rot gut for the relatives, don't smoke, etc. No bars, no hookers to blow money on. Buy clothes local market, all clones. No one cares. For all I know, this could be out the boonies in Nebraska. Just the way it is, don't need to impress anyone. Therefore can save a ton. Everyone has a choice on the way they choose to live in Thailand. One man's trash is another man's treasure. Isaan Life, not as bad as people think. If you have a wonderful family, a roof over your head and food in your belly, what else do you need? Some people grow up, some never do it seems...

This is the stupidest kind of comment on Thai Visa.

According to Thai math, 84,000 is pretty close to 10,000,000

Ok thanks

What happened to the several million?

So, the US wrote a law just to verify people receiving social security and living in Thailand are still alive? What is the law? References?

Do you understand how Thailand works? Money and power are NEVER held accountable for anything.

100% sure you cannot use them in Thailand. Keep a place in the US and have a valid VA card for free medical, but only in the US at the VA hospital.

You presume wrong. Very, very wrong.

In Isaan, I have less than 10,000 baht a month in bills, including utilities and insurance. More during the planting month. Everything is paid for. Have food expense and gas for the car, truck and farm vehicles. It is about 38km to the nearest civilization with restaurants and such. Get some western food from Tesco, nothing really crazy expensive. Eat a lot of noodles or local food which is dirt cheap this far out in Isaan. I would be hard pressed to ever spend 50,000 a month if I just live normally. However, we are fortunate we are not limited to what we can spend. We can come and go anywhere at any time. No bars here, no massage, non drinker or smoker. This life would be extremely boring for 99% of you. All my time is spent with large extended family, which is great with me. 26 rai, all rice. No profits, feed extended family, enough left over so they can have some money in their pockets (They work the farm, not me) For me, never feel bored. I guess because when I do, we all pile in the vehicles and go somewhere. A normal day for me is to wake up, have some toast and eggs, shower and get cleaned up. Check with the missus if she has any plans for the day. Maybe once a week into the town for food and to eat out. If no one has any plans, I always suggest to go somewhere we haven't seen or maybe back to places we really like. (Weather permitting) In the house before dark, streets roll up at dark and unless family is over, nothing going on. Maybe watch a movie, off to bed, up early every day. No stress for me, nothing to cause me any heartache. Not longing or missing anything really. My main concern is the extreme poverty of my extended family and to make sure we do what we can to keep everyone with the basic necessities.

It seems you have never been to a military golf course in Thailand, where the generals hog all the 18 year olds