menorah

From the lazy and misspelt article headline and initial picture caption, this is nothing more than a Troll story designed to provoke 'outraged' reaction.

Generalising expat's as mostly prior tourists with a yearning for an 'easy life' fails to embrace the many thousands who remain in Thailand after completion of work contracts or because they have sound knowledge and experience of the country and have actually chosen to be there having considered their decision with utmost care.

In my personal experience, spanning many years, I never came across any expat' who, having failed at assimilation with the country and culture, then became an activist seeking to 'dismantle the kingdom' in revenge for his / her failure.

There have been many times during my own relationship with Thailand when I've bemoaned my situation, the country's politics,' bad' driving or the food in Big C food hall ! For all of this I still believe Thailand offers great opportunities to anyone with intelligence, imagination, motivation and money.

Life is what you make it and does indeed feel better with 'a hop, skip and a jump' in your daily activities but that's an unsustainable 'Utopian' outlook and for many other reasons expatriated persons fail or succeed at home or abroad.

To all 'the winners', I say well done and good luck, to all the 'losers', I say well done for trying and good luck and for those thinking to embark on the 'adventure' I say, do your 'homework' first, take time out to sample different locations, be bold and of course...Good Luck.

Unlike the unfortunate Sir Thomas More, Prayut is merely a 'Pretender' as opposed to being 'A man for all Seasons'. It should be hoped he avoids angering the real power behind modern Thailand lest he suffers the same fate.

As a frequent visitor, not tourist, to Thailand and a resident for more than 6 years, I've had experience of both the main airports.

Overall I've never found occassion to fault either airport on the service provided or the attention to customer service delivered.

Obviously this is something which genuinely relates to prevailing circumstances at the airport as much as it does to the individual character and expectation of the traveller.

Airports are complex infrastructure with ever changes demands and criteria, that they work 'seamlessly' for the most part is a cause for surprise more than contempt.

In the face of global terrorism, military Junta rule, a multi-national customer base and the sheer volume of daily service needed to maintain the 'machine', I believe the general public actually get value for money.

Often the frustrations encountered by travellers aren't due to failings at the airport but rather unrealistic journey planning by the customer. Few potential passengers arrive 3 hours before international flights and many appear more concerned to shop & eat until the last moment for Check-in or Immigration Control procedures.

As for taxi scammers on the forecourt, if they don't engage the meter then exit the taxi...simple ! It's happened to me twice but each time I told the driver, "start the meter", he did.

No doubt many readers will think I'm either lucky in my experience or I'm a t**t ! But I learnt years ago to 'go with the flow' in airports & the like.

Allow plenty of time, have travel documents ready and accessible, say farewells to loved ones quickly then check in, pass through immigration to the departures lounge, attend to the usual bodily functions, buy some DutyFree or other crap and sit quietly until the gates open.

What an absolute farce.

I took the advice of so many TV posters saying to stop moaning and 'get the right Visa'. So I tried.

Flew back to the UK to visit the Thai embassy and explain my situation, and ask for a 1 year multiple entry visa based on having family and finances in Thailand;

I'm under 50 but have a Thai partner, own a house together, have a baby together but not married yet. Work outside of Thailand and have enough money in a Thai bank account to survive for a few years.

This is what they told me. "You need Tourist Visa". "But I work outside Thailand and leave and enter every 45 days or so, I need a Visa that allows me to do so."

I was told I have no more rights to live in Thailand than a backbacker has, even though I have invested and I spend all of my money there. Apparently I have no legal rights over my child also if I am not married.

Obviously I can apply for the Elite card, but to now I feel like I am being shafted out of 10 grand because I have the wrong passport.

All you posters who have the correct Visa that suits your own needs then well done I am so happy for you. But don't be so frigging patronizing to people who don't have the correct Visa through no fault of their own, but due to the shambolic system that just makes up and changes the rules whenever it suits their own agendas. These decisions are causing families to suffer, tourism numbers to drop and of course giving the impression of an unorganized and very unfair system.

Thanks so much for reeling us in and then booting us out. Mission accomplished I guess.

In deference to Tonglen, I'm very happy to apologise to you for what may were perhaps flippant and spiteful commentary. Had you explained fully, as you have here, I would have understood the frustrations behind your post.

So many posts are written on TV without any prior research and by foreign nationals looking for a 'quick fix'...nothing else matters to them.

Your own situation is not unique and there is really no 'security' for you until you reach age 50, place 400K or 800K in a bank and acquire a 'retirement' visa.

Your Thai GF, wife will only ever own the land any property stands upon and in fact can only legally accept funding from you for land, property or material asset while remaining unmarried.

You are legally allowed to set up a Usufruct agreement detailing the right to enjoy access to across land and property thereon for a maximum term of 30 years.

After all is said and done, the best way to obtain a multi entry visa, since being the biological parent to a child in Thailand does not automatically grant any concessions, is to marry your GF legally . I'd advise CM since it's less busy and they offer a 'fast track service for nominal fee.

Once married you can obtain a Multi Entry visa easily. Immigration will also be far more flexible regarding extensions to permissions to stay when the father is married to the mother & produces the child for sight at an immigration check point. I know this from experience.

Finally, it should be remembered that a good relationship between yourself & your 'local' immigration office or check point, goes a long way toward how flexible the immigration staff will be.

The rules relating to immigration, irrespective of what anyone says are in fact government guidelines. The officer dealing with your specific needs has the right of discretion and can be as flexible or inflexible as he/she sees fit and based upon his/her impression of you,whether right or wrong.

Again, I know this from experience with Immigration at Nakhonsawan & Maesot crossing, both very good locations.

Good luck and apologies for my lapse into cyber bullying' as defined by, 'The People's Advocate'.

Rather than pigeonhole my quote as "The Peoples Advocate" why don't you and your parochial ilk define it for what it is: The vox populi.

There are too many here acting as a collective Thai Visa Clotho/Lachesis/Atropos - deciding the ultimate fate of a simple inquiry.

There are many here searching for answers that don't want/need the inane tripe disseminated as posts.

Your resultant post was informative. If it started out that way, I wouldn't have posted my smarmy response.

My apologies if I sounded like a "Community Policeman."

Such a shame that to some people an apology is never enough....I tried my best !

I would have been equally recipient of your apology for smarm had it not been preceded with the 'vox populi' doing its own pigeon-holing of 'me and my ilk' as parochial. Then to 'cap it all' the smarm made another appearance in the shape of Greek Mythology but of course 'vox populi' could not or would not accept parochial commentators held sufficient intelligence or wit to determine the spurious and back handed' insult.

" The Lord giveth & The Lord taketh away'.......thankfullu you're not The Lord !

For my own part I'll terminate further commentary here, since none of it is relevant to baxida's original post.

Hopefully we've learnt something along the way.

For myself...a degree of humility and the fact that on occasion,'vox populi' may also be found with its head stuck firmly where the sun don't shine !

Best of luck with your quest baxida.

What an absolute farce.

I took the advice of so many TV posters saying to stop moaning and 'get the right Visa'. So I tried.

Flew back to the UK to visit the Thai embassy and explain my situation, and ask for a 1 year multiple entry visa based on having family and finances in Thailand;

I'm under 50 but have a Thai partner, own a house together, have a baby together but not married yet. Work outside of Thailand and have enough money in a Thai bank account to survive for a few years.

This is what they told me. "You need Tourist Visa". "But I work outside Thailand and leave and enter every 45 days or so, I need a Visa that allows me to do so."

I was told I have no more rights to live in Thailand than a backbacker has, even though I have invested and I spend all of my money there. Apparently I have no legal rights over my child also if I am not married.

Obviously I can apply for the Elite card, but to now I feel like I am being shafted out of 10 grand because I have the wrong passport.

All you posters who have the correct Visa that suits your own needs then well done I am so happy for you. But don't be so frigging patronizing to people who don't have the correct Visa through no fault of their own, but due to the shambolic system that just makes up and changes the rules whenever it suits their own agendas. These decisions are causing families to suffer, tourism numbers to drop and of course giving the impression of an unorganized and very unfair system.

Thanks so much for reeling us in and then booting us out. Mission accomplished I guess.

In deference to Tonglen, I'm very happy to apologise to you for what may were perhaps flippant and spiteful commentary. Had you explained fully, as you have here, I would have understood the frustrations behind your post.

So many posts are written on TV without any prior research and by foreign nationals looking for a 'quick fix'...nothing else matters to them.

Your own situation is not unique and there is really no 'security' for you until you reach age 50, place 400K or 800K in a bank and acquire a 'retirement' visa.

Your Thai GF, wife will only ever own the land any property stands upon and in fact can only legally accept funding from you for land, property or material asset while remaining unmarried.

You are legally allowed to set up a Usufruct agreement detailing the right to enjoy access to across land and property thereon for a maximum term of 30 years.

After all is said and done, the best way to obtain a multi entry visa, since being the biological parent to a child in Thailand does not automatically grant any concessions, is to marry your GF legally . I'd advise CM since it's less busy and they offer a 'fast track service for nominal fee.

Once married you can obtain a Multi Entry visa easily. Immigration will also be far more flexible regarding extensions to permissions to stay when the father is married to the mother & produces the child for sight at an immigration check point. I know this from experience.

Finally, it should be remembered that a good relationship between yourself & your 'local' immigration office or check point, goes a long way toward how flexible the immigration staff will be.

The rules relating to immigration, irrespective of what anyone says are in fact government guidelines. The officer dealing with your specific needs has the right of discretion and can be as flexible or inflexible as he/she sees fit and based upon his/her impression of you,whether right or wrong.

Again, I know this from experience with Immigration at Nakhonsawan & Maesot crossing, both very good locations.

Good luck and apologies for my lapse into cyber bullying' as defined by, 'The People's Advocate'.

What happens if you are a tourist but owning a condo and wnat to live in your own accomodation?

You must be kicking yourself hard for posting such a stupid question.

Firstly most tourists do not own foreign property, least of all in Thailand where ownership is invariably leasehold. Only a Thai national can ordinarily own the Freehold of the land the property stands on.

Secondly, assuming you do own leasehold of a property you can indeed live in said property for any number of days, months or years in accordance with the type of Visa in your possession.

Normally expatriate foreign nationals own leasehold on property since by virtue of expatriate status they have ceased to be tourists,....'someone who visits for a holiday of only a few weeks at a time or for one or two years in succession'.

Forgive me but..............didn't it used to be that way before they meddled with it and came up with the 7 day version. Thai mentality will never cease to amaze the intelligent people living on the other 99% of planet Earth!!!

I can tell you a Thai stole it. This is the standard way to steal cash here, take some, not all and leave some behind and hope the owner doesn't notice. If a farang stole it, he/she would have taken all.

Landlord much less likely than Thai b/f in my opinion.

Nah,

Brit bf took it to pay for soapy massages, didn't take all because he thought you wouldn't count it before he put it back, but you discovered the loss and blamed landlord, so no need for him to pay back now. Job done!

AOA is consistently daft whether offering Thai to English (UK) Google translations or be it off-hand disparaging remarks assuming guilt of British BF or presumably any other nationality BF, with the exception of God's own sons...The Americans !

Always best to remain present during any work in your home, ultimately you're responsible for your possessions and valuables.

If there's no other possible way the money could have gone astray then I would exercise my right to find a new place and relocate there. Alternatively, have a strongbox in the wardrobe for security.

What a poisonous bunch of cretins some TV readers are. Seems like honesty isn't enough these days. The reward given was a gesture of gratitude and I suspect was received graciously.

10%, 5% or whatever of the capital, may well spring to mind if the reward were advertised and actively being sought by the Police but it wasn't. In this case the finder chanced along 'at the right time' and did what few others faced with the same situation would do.

As for all the other inane questions and comments about the guys appearance and did the police investigate the origin of the cash etc,.... well, I'm sure after reading any ot the TV posts they'll be 'back on the case' ASAP to 'dot the I's and cross the T's', just in case HQ checks up !

Quite probably, the finder went straight to the Wat and made a donation of the reward.....no doubt many would have something to say about that too!

As 'The Yanks' say...."if you don't like it, suck it up"

....Oh, and "Have a nice day Y'all"

To all the 'World weary' expat' experts with 'inside knowledge & insight into anything & everything concerning Thailand, I would say rather than fantasise the hardships within Thai jails or any other jail, consider first the unlawful death of someone who was supposedly in their care.

Taking 8 months before initiating any reasonable investigation of events sends a clear message regarding the lack of professionalism within criminal institutions in Thailand and the total absence of respect for families of anyone unfortunate enough to get ' on the wrong side of Thai law.

Stealing a moped, whether intentionally or in alcohol fuelled 'high spirits , as may have been the case, doesn't automatically mean the subject deserves to be murdered while 'banged up' !

Try growing up and for once in your pathetic lives think about the victims family, friends & other who may have loved or cared about him. You're all so quick to 'stick the knife in' and free with your bad mouthing. I wonder if you really have balls or just like to 'sound off' from the safety of your bar stool.

R.I.P the victim and condolences to his family.

I took my first chance when I was 50...it didn't work out but I had another go at 53 and I'm still here.

I did have some cash from a property sale & modest savings, which my GF & I have used to renovate and develop property on her land. We're a long way from 'breaking even' or reasonable profit on return and I may need to return to UK for a year or two for work !

I don't have the benefit of a degree in teaching or any other subject but if I did, I know from experience, I could easily get good work across Thailand teaching at some very good schools.

Salaries in BKK & CM can average B50K pm and provincially about B28-35K pm. Some of the international schools offer far better salaries and a host of benefits but competition is fierce!

Your GF sounds sensible and if I were in your situation I would borrow the cash from your dad, if he were willing.

In spite of what 'The High Rollers' spend each day in Thailand, 2 people can eat well on as little as 200 baht per day, so budget for at least a year....B72,000 for food plus the same again for miscellaneous expenses and a very, very frugal life style until things settle into momentum !

B150,000 equates to roughly $4600 airfare extra.

I also lived near the coast in UK, but unlike NJ, getting state benefits for 7 months of the year was not an option and faced with this scenario you really have no choice if you're to 'have a life' at all !

I've worked harder in the last 4 years in Thailand than any time previously, my friends think I'm living 'the high life', far from it but there's a chance I'll come through in the end. Call it hope, ambition or delusion but whatever it is I won't regret having taken the chance when 'my time' finally comes.

Good luck.

Terrible story, the poor little boy. I guess he and his father lived a quite life and pretty much kept to themselves. I hope English relatives come forward and offer the little guy a real chance in life.

Must have missed it somewhere! Where did it say the father was English? Racism is a funny thing: it's much closer to home than you think!

My apologies, British not English.

To all those offended by what appears as an extremely racist post, my apologies. In no way did racism enter my mind when I wrote it and it was never intended to appear racist. Again my very sincere apologies to all those offended.

May I suggest that the Mods remove my post. I am very sorry.

No apologies needed from this British / English expat living in LOS ! Obviously some gossamer thin skinned TV members 'looking for ghosts that don't exist'.

The focus should be the dead father & kid not 'imagined' racism.

Easy to make assumptions regarding the absent mother, however, as a father 4 times already, I know I & my wife rarely, if ever, left our kids for a single day.....

Most certainly, in the event the wife proves complicit in the fathers death, the UK relatives will not fail the child and hopefully some justice will be metered out in Thailand

.

Alternatively, the couple may have been estranged and the whole thing is just a terrible sudden death with no foul play. Whatever the circumstances, it's best to allow investigation and the facts be gathered before 'pointing fingers' at possible 'suspects'.

R.I.P the father and sincerest wishes to the child for a 'safe passage' through such a traumatic experience.

There's something wrong with this post ! It reads like a contrived letter to an Agony Aunt in a cheap magazine. There also seem to be changes in the poor writing style between the 1st & 2nd paragraphs.

Stating French as a first language maybe isn't a 'give away', since half of Morocco now resides in Southern France but the meandering story about Japan leaves us guessing as to how sane the individual really is !!!

In the unlikely event the adolescent, pubescent teenager does actually exist then the advice he requested is simple .....DON'T.

Don't pursue a relationship with a Thai girl while only age 18, Older & wiser individuals have attempted to do so & failed convincingly. For any chance of success in any relationship it requires an element of maturity, not least of all since the ability to take care of yourself financially will take up a vast amount of your available life span.

There also appears to be a undue involvement between the respective parents and the Thai girl's mother even took her to France to meet the possible in-laws ! Who would have thought the daughter of such a Hi-So family would be trawling the internet for a prospect.

Still, at 18 with hormones firing off, like a 1930 mobster's machine gun, there's little chance any negative advice on TV will be heeded and with luck Casanova will emerge at the other end of this relationship with experience, new gained maturity, a healthy cynicism and be physically & mentally in tact.

À chaque fou plaît sa marotte.

Like many others living here in Thailand and for many years, I too hadn't heard 'slope' was in any way a derogatory term to Asians.

However, only a few weeks back there was an article reporting a similar 'offence' to Asian sensibilities, when apparently a billboard advert displayed a female pulling the side of her eye to form an oriental appearance, which apparently offended the Chinese.

Quite honestly, 'Brits' are 'Limeys', Americans are 'Yanks', Italians. 'Wops' etc etc and so on in a never ending.... ever changing list, which in most parts of the civilised world is taken without much consideration or offence.

Living in Thailand foreigners are forever being pointed at, shouted to or spoken about as 'farang' with no regard to how much or how little they speak & understand Thai language. Quite possibly, Thais see nothing wrong in treating all foreigners in a way which 'marks them out' as something different, unusual or alien !

None of this ultimately matters as it really only offends those who are overly sensitive and are constantly looking for a surrogate tit to fill the empty space left where there mothers used to be !

Jeremy C is who he is and doesn't try to fool you otherwise. Love him or loathe him he really is the least of Asia's problems and conversely his show, Top Gear, does a lot to promote foreign travel throughout Asia.

Not answering your question I know, but why not just use the asset method rather than income?

If I read you correctly I think that you are asking why I do not simply deposit funds into a Thai bank - and only use this as my method.

Forgive me if I am getting your question wrong and not reading you correctly......

However assuming I got this right - Then this suggests means giving up on a choice that has been made available.

Since it has been offered as a choice it should remain exactly that..

I hear what you are saying and I am assuming that you are interested and have some curiosity for what is the source of needing this choice - so just to answer this - The bottom line is my desire is to retain choice to maximise optimum currency rates for when and how funds are converted - Wishing to make this choice based upon the market opportunity and not the demands of immigration .

However really the main issue is that because I have been given a choice - I wish to use it.

You seem to be analysing things to the 'enth degree' !

You talk about...... choice, to maximise currency rates for when & how funds are converted. However, there's precious little choice to take funds from a 5 year bond !!

Your 'argument' not to deposit the 800K in a Thai bank is unfounded, especially since you can choose to deposit the money into a 4 month, 6 month or 15 month high interest fixed rate bond at just over 3% less tax. that's far better than a UK bank is currently offering.

Choice is an 'overworked' term theses days and one particularly liked by politicians.......many of whom talk a great deal but achieve very little !

Given a choice between all the unnecessary 'maneuvering' with Thai immigration, or a simple, logical and straightforward deposit in a fixed rate bank account, I know which choice makes most sense.

Sometimes it's better not to 'over think' things.

Foot Note:

Further to your original Post and subsequent Posts, I foresee changes to Thai immigration's financial capability requirements coming any day soon.

Quite frankly, when an individual seeks to 'baffle and bamboozle what essentially 'boils down' to 2 options, either a lump sum deposit in a Thai bank or a 'normal pension income, the authorities then feel compelled to 'cross the T's & dot the I's, with the result the vast majority of responsible ex patriots suffer at your expense ! Don't say you haven't been warned.

• The Baht/GBP has fluctuated by over 20% in 12 months
• Not sure how 'trying to bamboozle' fits - Rather this is trying to understand.
• Sorry that you feel - Choice is a bad thing.

....and almost 30% in the last 3 years.

bamboozle, as in the Thai officials must be wondering exactly what you're trying to ascertain. They have a set of guidelines upon which the financial requirements are based and these simple guidelines are easily negotiated by the majority of foreigners seeking to stay in The Kingdom.

I don't feel choice is a bad thing....but you're taking 2 basic choices, dissecting each choice semantically.

As for saying a dowry is valid, I can assure you most 'modern & emancipated' Thais, view the old dowry as distasteful, not least of all because it directly echoes the past when Thailand was barely more than a feudal Kingdom and the people truly submissive.

Absolute <deleted>, still very much a part of local tradition & culture, you're just imposing you own cultural programming making it into a moral issue.

I'm sure you DEFINE "modern & emancipated" this way, but in fact in my experience only poor rural Thais are willing to go along with such crazy foreign notions because they know they'll more than make up for the loss down the road.

Having attended the morning wedding ceremonies of a number of Thai - Thai weddings from village weddings upwards in the past couple of years I've seen money on show at all the weddings.

It's usually a bowl with gold and a fan of money. Whether it's returned or not I haven't asked. I'm informed it's impolite to ask.

Last year at the wedding of a member of the legal profession to a dentist I couldn't help but notice the brides new SLK mercedes on display.

I'm happy to accept there are still a large number of Thais,at all levels of Thai society, who continue to hold on to the old ways. ive not attended a wedding for several years and on the occasions when I did there was no display of a large dowry but there was a Greek style of money pinned to the brides gown.

Troll post. Similar topics have been posted so many times of late. The OP is a Troll so don't waste your time replying, to this <deleted>.

For sure...

Her parents concern is valid. The dowry is valid. Your girl friend sounds like a honest and independent woman, and from a good family. If you will meet her family is because you are serious and in love, and you will have to show that to her parents. More of that, you are showing your interest in getting married with her. If you get married probably you will change your visa to marriage visa to stay in the country, and will need to show monthly income or money in the bank to immigration. If you have steady income coming from your country of more than 45000THB/month you also may need a statement from your Embassy translated to Thai. If you get that now and show it to your GF, she will pass the information to her parents and relatives and that will be enough for them. Many Thai teachers and professionals make that kind the money here and is an OK income.....With that information and telling them that you will look for business opportunities or investments here, or even a job in the future, probably her parents will feel more confident in your ability in be a provider for their daughter. My best wishes for you!

45000 baht per month is a salary realised ONLY by a Professor or Education Senior. I guarantee no ordinary Thai TEACHER has ever earnt 45K.

As an example of higher management salary, I have a Thai friend who works as a senior in a local health center connected with the local hospital and she earns 30K pm at age 40.

Business opportunities and investments...prey tell where the average ;'Farang' can enjoy the benefit of 'ownership' of such things here in Thailand and without 'jumping through hoops' to do so.

As for saying a dowry is valid, I can assure you most 'modern & emancipated' Thais, view the old dowry as distasteful, not least of all because it directly echoes the past when Thailand was barely more than a feudal Kingdom and the people truly submissive.

Your's is a text book account of how to procure an economically viable relationship but has absolutely nothing to do with the real emotions and feeling behind real love.

If the OP isn't put off enough already, let him not forget the old adage..... BUYER BEWARE !

Just make sure you walk away from the surgery with handfuls of antibiotics and pain killers. No point in suffering unnecessarily. And don't expect to be able to work (or even think straight) for at least a week.

I had 4 impacted wisdom teeth.

They'd given me problems for years.. Sore throats and flu like symptoms, due to the impaction making my gums swollen and inflamed, continued for years until, age 21 the dentist referred me for hospital extraction of all 4 teeth.

I woke later in post op' room and had absolutely no pain. Even after the anesthetic cleared I was still pain free. What I did have though, was a head swollen in size and bruising which extended to my groin.

Later the dental surgeon explained none of the teeth was a routine extraction and bleeding was a problem due to proximity of blood vessels. However, my cognitive reasoning wasn't impaired and I was able to function normally from the following day, when I was allowed home.

If the OP is at all worried about dental surgery and needs more than a single extraction,then I would recommend having general anesthetic since wisdom teeth are among the largest in the jaw and have long deep roots. Hence the likelihood of bruising when a surgeon, quite literally does brace himself against the patients chest !

From my personal experience having them all removed was the best thing that could have happened, since I no longer suffered recurring throat infections and eating was much more pleasurable.

Not answering your question I know, but why not just use the asset method rather than income?

If I read you correctly I think that you are asking why I do not simply deposit funds into a Thai bank - and only use this as my method.

Forgive me if I am getting your question wrong and not reading you correctly......

However assuming I got this right - Then this suggests means giving up on a choice that has been made available.

Since it has been offered as a choice it should remain exactly that..

I hear what you are saying and I am assuming that you are interested and have some curiosity for what is the source of needing this choice - so just to answer this - The bottom line is my desire is to retain choice to maximise optimum currency rates for when and how funds are converted - Wishing to make this choice based upon the market opportunity and not the demands of immigration .

However really the main issue is that because I have been given a choice - I wish to use it.

You seem to be analysing things to the 'enth degree' !

You talk about...... choice, to maximise currency rates for when & how funds are converted. However, there's precious little choice to take funds from a 5 year bond !!

Your 'argument' not to deposit the 800K in a Thai bank is unfounded, especially since you can choose to deposit the money into a 4 month, 6 month or 15 month high interest fixed rate bond at just over 3% less tax. that's far better than a UK bank is currently offering.

Choice is an 'overworked' term theses days and one particularly liked by politicians.......many of whom talk a great deal but achieve very little !

Given a choice between all the unnecessary 'maneuvering' with Thai immigration, or a simple, logical and straightforward deposit in a fixed rate bank account, I know which choice makes most sense.

Sometimes it's better not to 'over think' things.

Foot Note:

Further to your original Post and subsequent Posts, I foresee changes to Thai immigration's financial capability requirements coming any day soon.

Quite frankly, when an individual seeks to 'baffle and bamboozle what essentially 'boils down' to 2 options, either a lump sum deposit in a Thai bank or a 'normal pension income, the authorities then feel compelled to 'cross the T's & dot the I's, with the result the vast majority of responsible ex patriots suffer at your expense ! Don't say you haven't been warned.

Feel sorry for the Volvo...........

Must have a heck of a lot of air in those tires to sit that high in 10 meters of water, or perhaps it is floating.

The 10 meter water depth must be a mistake. If that narrow klong were 10m deep the sides would be sheer and prone to continually collapsing, unless re-enforced with steel or timber shoring!

No doubt a local resident 'guestimating' for the newspaper.

As for the car tyres, they're probably inflated to 45 PSI minimum, or whatever pressure gives the appropriate sound when the treads are bashed with a stick....Thai style !

If the appliance isn't double shielded then first check your electrical system has a decent quality RCD Breaker box with the correct size Earth or Ground cable fitted to an Earth rod of at least 1m length and set well into the substrate outside the dwelling.

Secondly, check your household wiring is 3 core.

I'm guessing if you didn't specify the electrics yourself then the entire house will be 2 core wiring. in the event you do have 2 core you have the option to make an Earthing point to which you can attach any Earth from the appliance.

Earthing with screws, even 100 mm in length is unlikely to be successful considering the construction method in Thailand. 100 mm would barely get you through the ceramic tile floor and its 20 - 30 mm cement adhesive layer on top of the initial floor screed and a possible 50 mm concrete beam floor. Worse, you may have a ring beam construction raised at least 70 cm above ground level and in-filled with sand.

No chance of Earthing if so !