Galong

What were the three questions? Obvious answers or tricky wording? ????

Geez, I'm getting old... you meant two sister hotels for The Gun, not a hotel named 2 Sister. ????‍♂️

Cool, thanks for the info! ???? I actually looked at the Gun 8. I'll check out the 2 Sisters.

Yeah, the SS site is a bit messy. First, you have to do it during their office hours. Even then, it often shows errors when I try to log in. I just try it again and it usually works. You'd think they'll have this site perfect since it's so critical for so many people, but alas... I did it without being on a VPN, but if you've got a VPN program, you might try showing that you're in the US.

Yeah, but folks who live there do pass by nice local spots or have friends come and stay in local spots. I've lived here for 29 years and I know a bunch of nice hotels and guesthouses ???? Yeah, the roads are scary for sure. I got nailed from behind last Nov by a motorbike. He readily admitted he was on his phone... geez, scary.

A buddy of mine from Chiang Mai and I (from Phuket) are planning a long cycling trip in Isaan starting mid January. We'll meet in BKK and travel to Korat, Buriram, Surin, Si Sa Ket, and Ubon Ratchathani. I've found several hotels along the way, but I'm looking for local knowledge/suggestions. The main thing we're looking for is quiet. Ideally, we'd like to NOT be on the outskirts of town. Our desired price range is 500 - 800-ish baht per room. So far I've found "The Color Place" in Korat, QOO in Buriram, Klim Hotel in Buriram, Paradise Resort in Buriram, The Gun Hotel in Surin, Tree House Hotel in Si Sa Ket, the Rapeepan Ville Hotel in Ubon (a bit above our desire price range, but looks really nice), and The Bliss in Ubon. Any other suggestions would very welcomed. We'd be grateful for dining suggestions for local food too, please. Much thanks in advance for any assistance. ????

Yep, I've been here just over 29 years and sometimes I get good responses from businesses here and other times crickets. When it's something important, I get more crickets. ???? Oh well, might as well roll with it. Cheers.

Yep, that's what I'm assuming too. I just find it odd that the bank didn't get back to me. The chap in Manila who deals with my account has been very helpful and seemingly on top of things. I guess he'd let me know if something was wrong. Thanks for your reply.

Yeah, I know... just want to know if there is anything I can do ahead of time to make sure the ducks are in a row. Like I said, the head office in Bangkok has not gotten back to me. I tried to contact them to ask, but couldn't get through. The reason I'm concerned is that I have had problems with BKK NOT doing what they said they'd do before.

I'm due to start getting Social Security on (or about) Jan 3rd, 2022. I opened a direct deposit bank account through Bangkok Bank two months ago. That new bank account is showing up on my "My Social Security" website as I informed Manila about the new bank account. The staff at the local BKK Bank branch in Phuket Town told me that they had to send the documentation to the head office in Bangkok and that the head office would get back to me to confirm that everything has been set up. Well, it's been two month. I went to the Phuket branch again and they seemed disinterested in helping me... saying, "the head office will contact you". I was told by another American that he experienced the same thing and that if the new direct deposit account is showing up on the SSA "My Social Security" site, I'm set... nothing else to do. Has anyone else had any experience similar to mine? Maybe I just worry too much, but I can't help it. And, if something goes wrong, I've got a US bank account. If I change to that (after/if something goes wrong), how long would it take to get paid and would the government backpay me for January? I assume they would. Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I can't remember where I read it, but apparently a bunch of people have renewed their 5-year licenses very long after they expired. I think under the circumstances you'll be fine. Bring as much info as you can to support your case, of course. Good luck.

I applied last month. It was dead easy. I have a work permit that I'm planning on giving up soon (going to retire), so I took both copies of my work permit and my Tabian Baan (yellow house registration book) just in case I decided to give up my work permit BEFORE the actual test date. It turns out, at least in Phuket Town, that they weren't overly concerned and they were quite flexible. They used my Tabian Baan by my request. I go back on Jan 12th to take the eye test and the braking test. The rest is done online. You take a test online, but the very nice woman who took all of my info said, "don't worry if you get some answers wrong, you'll still pass." ???? I don't want to assume that it's the same in BKK, but it was incredibly easy here. Also, there weren't any other people in line. I went in and went straight to the counter... nice.

I pay plenty of taxes in Thailand. It's the Thai government's business, not PayPal's business. PayPal is a private business. I don't have any problem with the Thai government asking for details.

They are expensive to use. Thailand isn't putting them out of business... just guiding them towards the door. They can turn if they want. They have competition that is better. They could evolve with the times, but if they don't, so be it. ????

I call them aquatic chainsaws. ????

Yes, when we set up our business account they wanted all sort of things that I considered none of their business, such as income amounts. Docs are one things; financial records are another. Plus, we had a business account for some time and they asked us to do it all again sometime later. It was tedious and, in my opinion, not necessary as nothing had changed.

They might, but I find them a lot easier to deal with and their exchange rate knocks PayPal's out of the water.

The international space station has been working on solar power for 23 years. It's -454.8°F in space. Solar energy works on rays, not warmth.

I closed three PayPal accounts yesterday: my personal account, my wife's personal account, and our business account. Goodbye PayPal hello Wise.

Thanks for letting me know. I'll follow up on this. The lump sum + medical coverage would be wonderful. I've paid into the system for almost 30 years. The lump sum is a substantial amount... at least for me. Cheers.

Alas, you are correct. Best of luck to you, sir.

I definitely wouldn't call it fulfilling by any stretch. It's just nice to speak to someone who is fluent in English sometimes. I'm the only Westerner in the area where I live. My wife is my best friend, but there is only so much we have in common and can talk about at length. I Skype my very old mother twice a day. That is nice for both of us. I video chat with my slightly younger brother a couple of times per week too. That's always really nice.

Will do. My wife went ahead and contacted our accountant and they decided to get me a new SS card. Apparently that's good for only two years, but it's very easy to get. All they needed was a signed copy of the two main pages on my passport... the photo page and the visa page. Now, let's see how long it actually takes to arrive. Cheers and thanks again for your informative post.

I have a couple of restaurants that I cycle to where seasoned expats tend to hang out. I don't like bars, so that limits me quite a bit. I also don't like going out at night. That REALLY limits me. To be frank, I know very few folks my age. I have some friends who are younger, but not many. I have six rescued doggies, so they're my most dependable and loyal friends. ????

Yep, been to a few gyms and left all of them for the same 2 reasons: loud "music" and folks not wiping their sweat off the machines when they leave. I cycle 30 - 45-ish km every day for health and fitness now. It's pretty wild in traffic. It's like a video game with real-life consequences. ????????