William C F Pierce

Only one choice. West Coast of Costa Rica. Reasons The UPSIDE: 1. Weather; slightly wargonemer in cool season and cooler in the hot season than Thailand. The seasons are more balanced. 2. Can get 90 days on arrival before applying for 2 year visa renewable for 1 more year before you then get permanent residency and no signing on at Immigration every 90 days. Freedom! 3. Financial requirements: must have an income of at least $1500 and open a Bank Account in a local bank with at least $60,000 which you can spend on a property if you want. You are not compelled to keep it there like the 800,000 Baht in Thailand. 4. It is possible to buy a piece of land four times the size of a piece of land in Thailand at half the Thai price. No-one is allowed to own the beach or shoreline. Not even locals. A large number of American Real Estate Agents here. 5. After your initial 3 years you also get free medical care if you ever need it. 6. Costa Rica is the only country in the world without an army. It only ever had one military coup and that was to have a referendum to abolish itself, that the people all voted for. ( A lesson for Thailand maybe? ). 7. Because it has no army to fund it spends more on Education than most other countries. 8. Quite a number of US Film Stars and Entertainers have properties in Costa Rica. Which you won't see in Thailand. 9. There are more animals and plant species than in any other country on the planet. 10. Will not have to go into a shop to be spoken to by a Thai using English words with Thai Grammer. The DOWNSIDE: Food costs more. Especially if you want imported American food. Property can cost more if you don't do your research. FOOTNOTE: The Amazement has long gone from Amazing Thailand. Many Americans are gone. Many Europeans are gone. The Chinese have quickly gone. They are now looking to entice the Indians of India who will also soon be gone.

Unknown to the courier Company The customs sent me an official receipt by post for 200 Baht. Which would have been correct for one electrical item. Customs don't charge duty on clothes in a suitcase.

Do you mean to say that their car shot them?

Does the Government forget about Thaksin and start chasing these bigger fish. If they did this they would not have to apply visa taxes on tourist on arrival.

3 years ago I sent a suitcase to my self in Thailand. The contents mostly clothes. The courier company (DHL) insisted on a payment from Thai Customs of 3700 Baht. Two weeks after I received my Suitcase. I received in the post a receipt for 200 Baht from Thai Customs. The courier companies you pay to send it, are charging again to receive it and blame it on the Thai Customs who are blameless. Apparently it is something courier companies and postal services are doing worldwide to double their profits. At one time I use to receive my parcels without any extra charges. I no longer send anything. All the courier companies are corrupt.

Where in CM!!! B*llSh*t Boris closed the CM Consulate years ago when he was Foreign Secretary.

The problem may not be with Wise. It could be your US Bank releasing the funds to Wise. The reason you give for sending the money may or may not give suspicion for money laundering by your own bank. Wise has bank accounts in over 100 countries, because of this; as soon as they receive the money from you. They electronically transfer it in the destination country straight to your chosen account. My own experience is it arrives in a few hours. Even though they say up to 8 hours. My own bank used to take over a week and charge £30 for a slow poor service. Wise charges me less than £3 for an 8000B transfer every month. Wise is the greatest banking innovation since sliced bread.

The self applied ranking of second when the actual data says fifth. The kids in government have been off school for so long. they have forgotten how to count.

He's a C-Nut that was born stupid or he just grew that way.

The UK is too politically ignorant to allow tourists to Thailand now. When there was very few cases or no cases in Thailand last year. At which time I returned to the UK from Thailand. When Covid was still rampant in the UK. I still had to self isolate at home for 2 weeks on my return. The politics in the UK are worse than Thailand. The Government says it gets things done, but the people of the UK "Get Done! Get Done! Get Done!"

Well what else do you expect from a C-Nut?

What on a Pension.

I have money sent regularly to Thailand and it only cost me a couple of pounds using Wise. Wise also gives you a better exchange rate because they do it with funds they already have in Thailand in 2 Thai Banks. Their costs are low because they have bank accounts in over a hundred different countries. They therefore don't have to actually move money between countries.

With many years of reading Thai Visa [Asean Now].I recently came across an article in regard to Retirement Visas in Thailand. The article said you renew your Visa each year. Then after 3 you can get permanent residency. This is the first time I have come across this. Maybe Ubon Joe can enlighten me on this and as to whether you need to still do an annual visa each year.

It would be cheaper and quicker to adapt a Coca Cola can filling machine. Producing 1800 a minute or 70million a month. Thailand's third world production methods even with a Thai robot. Is not the height of industrial efficiency.

Now Thailand with the worst accident rate in the world, has found a way to kill each other faster than Covid. Welcome to Amazing Thailand.

It''s not as long as PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha-Chan-O-Cha-Chan-O-Cha-Chan-O-Cha