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Everything posted by Jingthing
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I think a few people have asked for definitions of income levels. I think that's probably impossible to be precise about. First of all, levels for lower cost of living retired expat destinations like Thailand, even lower cost options like Nicaragua, or western countries? For purposes here I would say for a Thailand level country. But there are so many individual factors. For example if a lower income person has a million dollars then they are higher wealth, not lower. Or perhaps they have excellent health insurance. Significant because health crises are the most likely thing to wipe people out here although many would argue misbehaving Thai partners. Then there is real estate. Own or rent? Live in central Bangkok or in the sticks? Overhead? Families to support, etc. So you see the required retirement levels (800k or 65k monthly) really have little to do with what it would actually cost to live here, higher or lower. People under 65k monthly income would need to use 800k in bank or a dodgy agent. I still contend the combo method is mostly not feasible anymore. So given all that I can make a stab at guestimating rough levels. Others would legitimately come up with very different numbers. Monthly income Under 800 USD Be afraid. Be very afraid. LOWER 800 to 1300 USD You're very vulnerable to life events, immigration changes MIDDLE 1300 to 2500 USD Still vulnerable but less so
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So according to your theory the applicants that were actually getting the income were lying under oath to their own embassy or perhaps you think no Americans actually qualify by income. Or lower to use the combo method when it was actually feasible. Utterly ridiculous. Again the US would refuse to even look at proof. If you brought it they would say keep it. That was hardly the fault of expats.
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Restaurants demanding a recent Covid antigen test that is. Have you heard the local expat radio ad saying if they don't ask, you walk? In general I'm in favor of Covid mitigation measures but this I find ridiculous and the ad seriously grating and goody two shoes. What do you think? On a similar note a local restaurant is running an ad claiming they are Covid free. They can't possibly know that. https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/news/pattaya-restaurants-ignoring-health-tests-on-entry-388546 Pattaya “restaurants” ignoring health tests on entry BY BARRY KENYON Thai law is explicit. When you enter an eatery, whether one serving hearty meals or a booze bar offering stale nuts, you should prove you have had an antigen test within the last 72 hours or submit to one at the entrance administered by staff. In the optimistic words of the government-friendly Pattaya radio ad, “If they don’t ask, you walk.”
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You have no idea why that was. The alternatives were: 800 k in bank Monthly transfer 65k difficult for many to set up Attempt combo method, for many months the rules for that were extremely unclear, especially if doing monthly transfers plus dealing with concurrent radical onerous changes to money seasoning rules. I think you are probably implying they were all cheating. In reality there were other good reasons to leave at the time.
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No. That is NOT what happened. It is a complete distortion. What REALLY happened is that Thai immigration decided to make it a problem that the US income letters were done with a sworn affidavit without asking for or even allowing Americans to present proof of the income. So then Thai immigration pressured the US to start demanding proof and to take responsibility the proof was valid. The US responded with a hard no. They wouldn't be bothered with the additional work and responsibility shift So then the US decided if Thai immigration refuses to accept our sworn affidavit policy, fine, no more letters. The US would have never stopped the letters (they were a cash cow) if Thai immigration hadn't made what they considered were unreasonable demands to dramatically change their long standing policy. This was NOT the fault of American expats. They got caught in the cross fire.
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House of Representatives Approves Same-Sex Marriage Bill
Jingthing replied to snoop1130's topic in Thailand News Headlines
My guess if they ever get marriage equality here is that they'll simply exclude foreigners. -
Question for American Expats on Medicare.
Jingthing replied to FarmerJoe's topic in Health and Medicine
I don't plan either frequent travel or repatriation to the US but I decided to enroll in B anyway. Just in case. You never know. The fee while not cheap and its a shame to flush it down the toilet won't really change my quality of life in Thailand.