pimmmm

Full of eastern promise

How do you cope with the toxic pollution for all that time? How's your cardiovascular and respiratory health, if you don't mind me asking? (hopefully great but I would worry personally) Maybe the air wasn't so bad years back? Genuine question, would likely move there if it wasn't for the poisonous air for a third of the year. Countryside is great in that area, a nice-sized city, decent mix of people

I really like Chiang Mai, see why it's rated, Just if you live there long enough your heart is gonna be ruined from the pollution, and you'll go retarded from all the pm 2.5 in your brain. If it weren't for that I'd move there.

Great example, meaningful activities that are also social. You'll be less bored if you have more meaning in your life. Boredom is a state of mind too; others are right. I used to be big into meditation, did short retreats with the monks, since then, never gotten bored anymore. Does the OP have friends or close people you do stuff with? Most people are dissatisfied when they don't have at least one or two like-minded people to chat and do stuff with.

Anyone know where I can get my old Duke 200 serviced in Pattaya? also fix an intermittent indicator switch failure. Think I need a proper service place with the KTM diagnostic systems, does Mityon have a place that does this? I know there's there service center on South Pattaya rd? or they have another bike service center? Can't see the KTM store on South Pattaya rd, went looking today? someone said it's closed on their google page. Thanks

This is good advice. It's helpful to focus on the most important areas to you too, like content about your work, or daily life stuff, whatever. I was recently shopping for a car so I watched and read lots of Thai car content. you see the same words repeated so it helps you remember them. Nowadays, there are a lot of subtitles on YouTube too, so you can look up words you don't know easily. I like the Language Reactor Chrome extension, it lets you auto-pause after each subtitled line, and replay. You can hide and show the subs too, so you can practice listening and/or reading alone. It has an included dictionary feature as well think it's based on Google Translate so far from perfect but it can help.

For you, try advanced beginner or early intermediate material like the comprehensible thai channel, pickup Thai podcast, self-study- thai.com, maybe คำนี้ดี podcast, it teaches English to Thai people, so it is easier to understand. This can build your vocabulary, improve your reading fluency and listening comprehension, and assume you know how to read; this is a priority. Learn to read properly, too, so you can accurately pronounce the written words (tone rules). Do a class with a good teacher who will correct your pronunciation, and avoid the "it's ok, I can understand you" thing you need some correction. Of course, keep using it in day-to-day life, read everything you see in the world around you, ask Thai friends/partner to explain words, etc.. If you want to cram vocabulary like someone suggested, spaced repetition software like Anki is the most efficient, but a bit of a boring slog.

Yeah, that all makes sense. I've lived here for few years too, just not into the Thai small town life so much, but I see the appeal to some. The few Thais I know well tend to be a bit westernised, well-educated or have done their education abroad. It's easier to relate. Wife is great no complaints. But not sure I could get a sense of community and acceptance like I had in my small town UK life before, because of being a foreigner here, but who knows. Not enough experience to tell right.

You're making progress if you're practicing, but progress from the intermediate to advanced levels takes ages in languages, especially Thai. Reflect on progress every 200 hours or so of practice. If you've not done it yet, improve your pronunciation through good teaching and serious practice. When in doubt, read and listen a lot to build your vocabulary.

People mostly don't care . They might gossip behind your back about some stuff, certain % of people love to gossip everywhere Thais no exception, I speak thai and hear it all the time. But farang-thai age gap marriage by itself is common and not that interesting, unless you're both sleeping around or something. Bigger question is whether farang generally are "accepted" or not? most people are fine with your, nice people are nice, bad people are unfriendly. But genuine acceptance into the community? Not sure? Not enough experience. I'm 48, wife 27 from the outskirts of a smaller city. Never had a problem in plenty of time I've spent up there, but wouldn't want to live there permanently myself.

Yes, good point, they track these things, don't they. Thing is, I don't have a relative I can use; I am using a friend who is fine with it at the moment, but it's not really ideal. I do use mail forwarding for receiving any mail on redirect for me from my friends house. I didn't think of switching my bank to the mail forwarding address, as not sure if they'd flag that, no idea, it's a street address.

Yeah, it's a tricky one with investments and the like. I have Vanguard and Trading212, still linked to the UK at the moment. I know their policy is to maintain accounts for expats but freeze further investing when you're officially non-resident, thinking about using IBKR for investments going forward, as they are very expat-friendly. Still need UK banking though really, because I need more fairly liquid savings just in case, and I'm planning on buying a car soon, etc. Don't want to keep millions of baht in Thailand sitting around, as you never know here. Will have a look into Standard Bank, be nice to have an account that just accepts we are living abroad for an period, but want to bank savings in Sterling.

I have very little in my co-op account, actually might try moving that to this address as a test.

I read a couple of old threads on what people are doing with their UK accounts and money while living here. I'm living here, not fully retired, and don't want to move all my money here. I have accounts in the UK, Halifax, Nationwide, Co-op, and Starling, all registered to my friend's address. It's okay, but far from ideal, no other options there. I have an expat mailbox and forward letters from my friends house to there. I looked at the expat accounts like HSBC and Lloyds, but they no longer accept new accounts from Thailand. What are people doing or using? I haven't tried to change any of my UK accounts to my Thai address, because I'm concerned that if they then refuse and try to close my accounts, what will I do with my savings in there. I read some people on here have their UK bank registered to their Thai address? Any advice welcome, thanks.

USA prefers to let them be born then shoot them while they're at school.

How are people finding the MGs generally? I'm in the market for a new car, EV maybe or Hybrid. MG have great features for the price, but many seem to complain about reliability? See this all over the net. With BYD seems to be less complaints?

Note that it's a discount for Londoners, not for British citizens who live in London. People have a problem with the race based discount/increased charge.

Thanks it looks like a decent option, though looking for some modifications to lights too

Wondered if anyone knows a good place to get some upgrades done to my adv 160? somewhere with a fair price and good workmanship? I know there's that place on Soi Buakhow, I've bought some gear from their shop and seemed ok, though the google reviews are mixed on upgrades. Any tips appreciated thanks

No, not for me anymore. I stopped a long time ago when I started dating my now wife, it can be a big expense yeah, We do think about leaving pattaya area sometimes as dont need the nightlife, but it's ok here know people and like to be by the sea, don't want to move to hua hin, or and tourist southern place, so where else?

I live in Jomtien for about 40k a month, well kind of, as I have plenty of backup savings, for emergencies. First off I'm married and she's decent, in that she doesn't ask me for money to send to family or any nonsense like that. In fact she works online (10-20k a month typically) and sometimes pays for meals out and trips to the cinema. She keeps the rest of to save and help her sister on occasion, I pay rent, bills, food. We go out once a week, to restaurant, cinema etc, some times more to a local mookata or something. We drink very little generally but sometimes we'll go to a bar, maybe once a month, we like Wizard beer. We have no debts, or bad habits like gambling. We live in a pretty nice 50sq mtr rented condo, run the air con but not excessively, shopping from Makro, we both can cook. We have a big TV and netflix, 2 bikes, I go to a local gym. We've travelled a lot in the past so now not so much just in Thailand, go by bus and stay in cheap hotels. Lifestyle is very nice really. Without backup savings and investments it's an issue though. I know I'm covered if I really want to buy something, have an emergency, or go on a special holiday.

Yeah tried it on holiday in Bali recently and liked it on the front, noticed it was a bit uncomfortable on the back but put it down to the bad road surfaces there. I have only myself to blame, for not buying the uglier but functional Nmax. Never know from reviews yes, wife hates the click style, I looked at the Aerrox but same hatred and high pillion seat. Definitely thinking bout changing seat I'm 5'4, wonder if that would affect the warranty? Will check tire pressure yeah, maybe can go down a bit.

I wanted an upgrade for our only bike our wife's aging Scoopy, especially wanted the better safer abs brakes, and a bit more acceleration. Anyway bought one of these adv 160 which many people recommended, don't like it. Rode as the pillion today, miserable ride, bumpy, uncomfortable, constantly want to shuffle, painful to sit on, well unhappy. It's ok for me just riding it alone, but nothing that special just typical uninspiring scooter ride, a bit better than Scoopy of course with acceleration, but ofc not fun to ride like a forza or motorbike. Honestly did kind of buy it as it looks better than most scoots, and a few people recommended. I massively regret not buying the Nmax as that's nice as a pillion, rented it before, or even filano as probably comfy like the scoopy ,but with abs. My fault, guess I'm sadly stuck with it now, would obviously waste money, if I sold it straight away. Wonder if there's any aftermarket changes? any tips for making the pillion ride better, change the seat maybe, wonder if the seat angle is part of the discomfort, wider flatter seat is nicer. Or maybe sell it after a year get some use out of it first. Any thoughts welcome

Yes it's a trade deficit thing but still easily solved, Cambodia for example has this big tariff imposed for it's trade deficit, so Cambodian consumers need to buy more US stuff simple. If their families started buying model Ys for example it would help and it's a great car, and big Cambodian tech companies could start buying Nvdia GPUs, anmd their govt could purchase a load of F35s, defence boosted and problem solved, easy.