stockmktgenius

Why doesn't he start a GoFundMe campaign for this woman.  Lots of stories like this one, where a homeless man who helped a woman who ran out of gas ended up really changing his life: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5107571/Woman-raises-money-homeless-man-helped-her.html

Best place in Khon Kaen (and one of best places in Thailand!) for some reason isn't well known.

It's a place called Wat Pa Thamma Utthayan and it  was damn amazing! A gigantic statue of a golden baby. Lots of giant Bhuddas in the Thai and Chinese traditions! Enormous granite halls with Bhuddist symbols all around. A huge lake with a metal bridge leading to an island where they serve you lunch...for free! Colored peacocks carved into trees. Monkey statues. Real peacocks running around. Crocodiles and rabbits. Weird statues of Gods and dragons. Here are some pictures, but they don't do justice to how fantastic the place looked seeing it in person: https://www.google.co.th/search?q=wat+p ... 9257539331

It's just north of Khon Kaen. Right side of the road as you drive North. Far as I could tell, sign was only in Thai so bring your girlfriend/wife or you may not find it. (Just past Thai Watsadu, a giant store, though that's on left side of street, this is on right) And if you're ever heading that way, you're a damn fool if you don't stop because it's more interesting than wherever it is you're going!

One thing more, it's free, and they don't even try to sell you anything. We wanted to have some lunch yesterday, and they apologized for having given away all the food they had that day! (Some people do sell drinks next to the entrance parking lot. Don't understand why they don't sell more- we were hungry!)

Hope you like it. If you ever find out what this place is all about, let me know as I haven't a clue, though I loved being there!

Lovely little essay that made me smile.  Thank you!

Take it as a cheap lesson.

i read a study:  Half of relatives repay money they owe.  25% of friends.

Yes, I remember my friend telling me that just his being 65 was regarded as the same as having a disability.

So he probably fit under the second qualification for SSI that reads: "SSI benefits also are payable to people 65 and older without disabilities who meet the financial limits."

I should have added that the law says that if you have served and been honorably discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States and you don't otherwise qualify for pensions equal to $800 a month, the US government will make up the difference.  Who would dream such a law exists?  But for some like my friend it can make all the difference in the world!  So if you or someone you know might qualify, I hope you'll check into this.

A friend worked his whole life as a street performer in S. America, a clown in Mexico, etc.  Never paid taxes, never got his 40 quarters together to qualify for Social Security.  But, when he was 17, he served in the US Navy, and he was honorably discharged.  A few years ago, he was told of an obscure law that qualifies him to receive $800 a month!  Needless to say, this has made a huge difference in his quality of life!  I don't know a thing more than this, so don't bother writing me.  But if you think you qualify, I suggest you google it or contact the US Embassy or your Congressman.  Lots of poor and homeless vets would benefit from using this law if they knew about it.

I have a couple of thoughts.  First, I think it's naïve to think that if you claim early, you will be investing and multiplying that money.  99% of guys will just be spending it.  Nothing wrong with that, except that it won't be around to grow, and if you do live a long time, that's money you won't have.  So waiting to claim is kind of a form of saving.

If you are a smoker, you will live an average 8 years less than non-smokers.  If you have diabetes 2, you will live an average 6 years less.  In these cases, I think it makes perfect sense to claim as early as possible.

One last thought, some of us have wives who are citizens or who otherwise qualify to get our Social Security.  In these cases, the higher the payout the more they will receive- and that should be an important consideration if we care about them.

42 minutes ago, kenk24 said:

I have seen the break even point listed at about 78 or so - I think... but I was wondering if that assumes that you will spend the money immediately. How do the figures skew if you invest the money? Even assuming a modest return? I have one stock account that earned 12.8% last year... 

Good point. And if you invest the money and it goes up, of course that would make a big difference.  My guess is 2% do that, just as only 2% wait until they're 70 to start collecting.  Most falang I know spend everything every month.

I've started the book and the author says if you don't need the money, wait.  You don't know how long you're going to live- and it could be much longer than you suppose.  If you are fortunate enough to live a long time, you'll be glad to have the extra money- $600 a month extra in my example.  My father lived to 93 and if I do the same, I'd be collecting this extra money for (93-78) 15 years!  Let's see...$600 x 12 months x 15 years is... a whole lot of moola!  Now let's suppose I don't live all that long.  I might just break even- or even collect less money.  If I view it as insurance, I won't get upset because I didn't cash in bigtime. (When you have auto insurance, you don't get upset because you didn't have an accident that enabled you to collect.)  Anyway, I'd be dead!

So, in sum: If you need the money to live here- or there- and that's important to you, start collecting now.  But if you don't, consider waiting, think of it as insurance, and start collecting at 70 or at least at your full retirement age of 66.

Not to rain on your parade, but if you don't really need the money, you might consider waiting.  Each year you wait before 66, you get an extra 7 or so percent per year.  And each year after 66, you get an extra 8% - all for life!  Plus if you have a wife who'll collect in the future, she'll get extra too. 

So, for example, if you  were going to draw $1000 and you wait the 4 years to 66, you'd get $1280 per month for life.  Now, if you wait to 70, the latest you can wait, another $320 a year for life- around $1600.  That's a big difference, but then you didn't draw checks all those other years.  There's a book I'm reading on the subject that you might like called Get What's Yours: https://www.amazon.com/Get-Whats-Yours-Revised-Security/dp/1501144766/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485336519&sr=8-1&keywords=get+what's+yours+the+secrets+to+maxing+out+your+social+security

Good luck!

Seems like people here just write anything about anything. ISIS doesn't do animal testing.

Find a better apartment or house. Peace of mind and your health are worth everything.

Heroes are the world's best earplugs. They'll cut noises 99%. At Amazon.com.

Yes, I showed up at the Lao border with my passport photo, passport and $35 in US cash and was let in with no problem. It was coming back into Thailand that was a problem.

Incidentally, bring US cash, even if you're European. If you try to pay in Thai baht- I didn't check today, but it's long been true that they want the equivalent of $50 if you pay in Thai money.

Right so let me get this right.

3 months ago you showed up at Suvarnabhumi with a Single Entry Tourist Visa which allowed you in for 60 days and you extended another 30 days at local immigration, and now you went to NongKhai and tried to come back in on a visa exempt 30 days?

Or you had a double entry tourist visa and you used your first entry as detailed above and now you tried to activate your second entry?

You say the problem was when you tried to come back to Thailand, can you provide more information in regards to exactly what the problem was? Did you get asked additional questions or asked for additional proof?

And most importantly, where are you now? Back in Thailand?

PS: Sorry, I've just re-read some of the above posts, so my understanding is you tried a visa exempt after a Single Entry Tourist Visa issued by an Embassy that allowed you 60 days in Thailand that you further extended for 30 days. Is my understanding correct? And did you eventually get back into Thailand or not on the visa exempt?

This will be my last post as it's bedtime. Plus when I've clicked to post, it hasn't been clear to me that I did post, so I've ended up posting the same info about using USD 3 or 4 times and looking like an idiot!

I entered at Suvarnabhumi with NO VISA. Just showed up at the Thai airport immigration with my passport. Got the usual 30 day visa. Since I'm married to a Thai woman, we went to Immigration 30 days later and got another 2 months (I think it cost me 1900 baht) stamped in my passport. Those two months were up today, but I need another 2 weeks here as I don't fly out until later this month. So I did a border run thinking I'd get another 30 days.

Sorry, I don't understand some of the terms you used, so can't reply directly. But I think my story is pretty clear. I'm now back at our home in Thailand. Wish I could say "All's well that ends well" but it was a LOT of trouble. In the future I'll get a Non-Immigrant "O" Visa with multiple entries allowed of 90 days. I don't want a married visa as then I'd need to have 400,000 baht in a Thai bank. And I hear they want photos of your bed, and come asking neighbors about you. Don't want a Retirement Visa, as then I think I'd need to have 800,000 baht in a Thai bank (not sure on that, since I'm married might just be 400,000). Anyway, I hope my story helped someone.

Yes, I showed up at the Lao border with my passport photo, passport and $35 in US cash and was let in with no problem. It was coming back into Thailand that was a problem.

Incidentally, bring US cash, even if you're European. If you try to pay in Thai baht- I didn't check today, but it's long been true that they want the equivalent of $50 if you pay in Thai money.

No, I had no prearranged visa. Just showed up 3 months ago at Suvarnabhumi and today at Nong Khai.

I just showed up with myself and my passport 3 months ago at Suvarnabhumi and again today at Nong Khai. Hadn't arranged a visa beforehand.

A bit of perhaps useful trivia for anyone entering Laos: I didn't check today, but it's been true for years that if you're from the U.S. or some European countries, they charge you $30- $35 cash to enter Laos. But if you want to pay in Thai money, it's been the equivalent of $50 in baht! (Plus today it was an extra $1 as it was Sunday.) So bring U.S. cash.

I tried a visa run in Nong Khai today. At first my visa was approved and stamped. Then the officer looks at me and says, "You cannot come back into Thailand"!!! He cancels my visa and gives me back the passport. Tells me to go to a room behind me and to the side.

Some details: I entered Thailand at Suvarnabhumi three months ago. Got a 30 day tourist visa on entry. Then went to Immigration and got a 2 month extension as I am married to a Thai. After getting turned down today, I phoned my wife who came and talked with the officers in the back room. The guy was speaking Thai but sounded like he was going on and on about how you can no longer just go back and forth across the border and instead you have to get a visa before entering.

We are leaving the country later this month, and scheduled to return in December. An Immigration officer we know tells my wife they'll let me in again at Suvarnabhumi, but I'm worried- if they stopped me at Nong Khai, probably they'll stop me at the airport. And it would be really a bummer! So while I'm in America, I'm going to apply for a Non-Immigrant "O" Visa (Family Visa) $200 for multiple entries for one year. A lot of money, but don't want to go through this again.

I would get the hell out. The family's no good- and the girl's no good either if she lets this happen.

Plenty of good girls in Issan- I married one. Find a girl who works for the government- not for a bar. How do you find her? Go on the Internet- in Issan go to megafriends.com. All the Issan girls go there, but few falang know about it, so no competition! I met the most wonderful girl- been married 9 years so far...

Good luck!

Seems like SILENCE has no rights in Thai culture. Only NOISE has rights. If your neighbor wants to get roosters who crow at 4 am he has the right to do that. If you want to sleep in silence at 4 am, you have no right to silence.

I had a house I loved- 3 bedrooms, on a cull de sac, beautiful, $266 a month. And I lived there happily for years. But little by little, neighbors started buying dogs who would bark at all hours. And then one neighbor bought roosters, who would crow starting at 4:30 am or so. And they wouldn't just crow to announce the morning, they'd crow all day long! Well, I found myself going crazy, getting little sleep, being anxious all the time. My wife wasn't happy but said there was nothing we could do, so she didn't even complain. And finally we moved. I hated leaving that wonderful house and I still miss it, but it was just impossible. Just glad I was a renter and not an owner- If I were an owner I'd really have been in trouble.

When I talk to Thais about this, I find they're not happy either, but say they can't do anything about it- it's Thai culture and they're expected to put up with it. I wonder how Thai culture can change- really not fair for one person with roosters to wake everyone up. Not fair for one person to have the right to make noise while others have no right to silence.

My wife and I flew that route- Madrid to Bangkok- this past November. Cost us around $600 each. But the month before the price had been something like $1800! I personally love flying Thai and so was happy to do so when the price became affordable.

As an aside, when we got back and tried to see that we got credit for our flights, the totals looked about right, but their website wouldn't allow us to see that any individual flight was credited. Never called as can't bother trying to correct every <deleted> up thing I encounter here.

The problem I've got with this article is that it assumes jet ski operators are fair actors in this drama. They are not, they are scammers. They cheap people and they intimidate people. The boats were already damaged, with tape hiding the damage, when they were rented out. Then they scare farangs into paying huge sums to "compensate" them for their phony damages.

The army should ban all jet skis or make them have mandatory insurance with no additional charges allowed if there are "damages." I hate those people!

Five or so years ago, several people tried to turn me on to the amazing potential of raising rubber trees. I thought, "Wow! If everyone's doing it, I better run like hell! In 5 years when all these trees come online, the market's gonna crash!" And sure enough...

Go see my dentist to get it fixed. He's amazing and I've had nothing but good experiences with him. Dr. Chanin at Dentaland, 41 Sukhumvit, phone 02-2600022.

I heard there is an existing law that is now going to be enforced regarding dual citizen wives (say American and Thai) of foreigners who enter Thailand on a Thai passport.  When they leave to fly back to America, they have no visa for America on their Thai passports, so they show their American passports as well. I'm told that in the future, when they do this, Thailand will cancel their Thai citizenship!  If true, this would be a big problem for those of us whose wives own land in Thailand, as only Thais are allowed to own land. Is this true and can you give us the exact language of the law?