jaideedave

2 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

This is why we need to hammer this point every single time. Their government let in a bunch of Africans and gave them passports.

You forgot to mention the million or so dot Indians who don't want to go home. Biggest scammers ever...

6 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

I don't know, I guess his passport says he's Canadian, but his name certainly hints at another nationality. Sad candians are being tarnished for this dirt bag's crime

Other common surnames in Canada these days are "Singh and Zhang...

On 3/3/2026 at 7:29 AM, Upnotover said:

Mine are, to Kasikorn, and are identified as such on the printed statement.

I just renewed at Jomtien also. The deposits from my Canadian bank are labeled "TRD"

Trade ----Deposit. The IO knew exactly what that meant and never questioned it.

(Definition: "TRD" usually stands for Trade/Transfer, highlighting the source as an international transaction)

On 3/3/2026 at 5:47 AM, SAFETY FIRST said:

Say hello to Allah for me. 😂

In Malaysia I lived near a mosque (pretty difficult not to), you get a nice loud wake up call every morning.

When I worked in Libya ( Wafa Field) 700kms from Tripoli in the desert they managed the call to prayers every day. Rude wake up I must say. Terrible assignment but salary was ok....

On 3/2/2026 at 10:59 AM, bunnydrops said:

Nearing 80, I think more about how I will handle the ending. I have had high blood pressure and high cholesterol since my 40s. I have never taken anything for them. No philosophy, just chose not to pop pills every day. Family history of heart attacks and strokes. But here I am. Just last week, I moved 5 cubic yards of topsoil around to the back of the house in a wheelbarrow. A massive heart attack would be great, but I worry about cancer. Will I spend my last days in and out of hospitals trying to stall the inevitable or accept my fate?

I like your philosophy. In my opinion its all about quality of life.@ 75 I've given my Dr the "living will" form already. But what will reality bring? Like you say ,maybe in and out of hospital trying to put off our fate? Who knows whats around the corner. In a perfect world one may just go to bed one evening and just not wake up.Time will tell.

On 2/24/2026 at 9:29 AM, Nemises said:

Canadian citizens pay far less than international students at public universities.

Furthermore some grants, subsidies and benefits are restricted to its citizens.

I've seen news reports of dot Indians raiding food banks on certain days and passing along tips on how to game the system. They came over for years to get diploma factory credentials. They've been exposed. Not all Canucks are as welcoming to those type of foreigners any longer.

4 hours ago, wwest5829 said:

Sorry to hear of your challenges. And all should note that requirements vary among the immigration offices and officers. This is the reason I have used an agency for going on 15 years. They know if there is a new requirement, a new boss wanting to change something, who got up on the “wrong side of the bed”. As they work daily with immigration a trusted agency makes our once a year Extension not so difficult.

I've done my 1 yr extension both ways over the years. Last year I utiized the 65k/ month reqiurement. Worked great. Previously I used the agent for the 800k because my retirement pension income did not meet the requirements. I'll keep doing it this way until the Cdn dollar tanks and then back to Soi PO.

I hate entering the immigration offfice mainly because I don't appreciate being spoken to like a dog that pissed on the carpet. I'm always polite but never receive the same in return. Reminds me of the stone faces Imm officers at the airport.

6 hours ago, Terrance8812 said:

This toothpaste was all the rage when I first arrived in Thailand. Hawley & Hazel started that brand in Shanghai in the 1930s, later operated out of Hong Kong and Taiwan, and had factories in the region including Taiwan and Guangdong in China.

But then all my teeth fell out so I haven't really needed any in quite a while. I guess they have a few other toothpaste brands now in Thailand too?

Found a tube early 90;s in Ma Pop shop . My friend bought it. Last one.

Darkie Toothpaste.We actually found a tube in a small Ma & Pa shop in Prachuap in the early 90,s. My friend bought it.

The image won't download...probably just as well. I use original Darlie all the time and sometimes Glister from Amway.

8 hours ago, henryford1958 said:

If you still have to go to the DLT for the tests and photos what's the point of using an agent?

No point at all...

On 2/14/2026 at 4:28 PM, Bday Prang said:

is it necessary to own a car in order to renew a licence? I don't think so , just get yourself down to the nearest DLT office and save the agents fee

Rules have changed , you'll need to watch a video and take a test , so I doubt an agent will be able to help much

I've renewed my dl both ways.With and agent and without.The agent was a waste of money.I googled the requirements and watched the film etc. I brought my Mrs along and and it all went very smoothly . Its not like the old days anymore and much more user friendly.The agent did nothing other then hand over the documents.If you have a Thai to help you it's easy. Just did mine 3 months ago.

I discovered slip on Skechers last year. Good quality and the best for me for walking or most occasions. Very comfortable, I only wish I found out about them years ago.. I only wear flip flops around the house.

4 hours ago, Hummin said:

Samsonite man bag crossbody where I got Ipad, passport,credit cards, charger, Bluetooth headphone transmitter for in seat connection while flying, and other necessary items for travelling. Small bag of Wet wipes most likely, reading glasses. Some reserve cash Nok and Baht.

I very rarely wear man bag unless I'm flying somewhere.

I carried one similar when I was working on rota in ME. Contained passport,travel docs,wallet,USD currency, keys and other important items.I was away from home from anywhere from 4 weeks to 2 months at a time. Very useful then. I rarely use it these days (retired) and only when flying abroad. Had a scare once at Tehran airport. I left it in the ex-ray machine by accident for several minutes until I realized it. Very fortunately it was still in the machine at the end of the small conveyor. I can't imagine my problems had I lost it. Lucky day!

15 hours ago, Dave0206 said:

Im ready to retire in a few months time (67) I've been shopping around for health coverage seems around 400 euros per month is not unusual i was hoping people would give what it is costing them but it seems most are on self insured plus crossed fingers

If you can afford 400 E per month that's great.The only caveat here is what can be considered "pre existing" conditions. At 67 there's a good possibility you may not be 100% defect free which will give the insurance co. an excuse to deny a claim. Is there a way to avoid the chance that you'll have paid hefty premiums only to have a claim denied. That would be my main concern. Have you never had one health issue in 67 years?

On 9/27/2025 at 10:58 AM, Bday Prang said:

There are, but i liked the convenience of buying on line and there was money saving possibilities too.  Don't see why shopee or lazada should interfere, papers have never been restricted or illegal

I recently ordered some smoking supplies from Ali Express .All good...shipped directly to Pattaya...

On 1/24/2026 at 4:26 PM, davb said:

I've been growing my own cannabis. It's more difficult than I imagined, and I've only once in two years grown something exceptional, but it's a fun project.

Even if the plant doesn't turn out well, I like watching the reactions of Thais who come by and happen to see one growing in a pot. You can learn a lot about a person in watching how they react. A straight-laced Muslim woman in a hijab seemed very approving and familiar with it, for example.

I went through the painful process of teaching myself to grow it. Tried outdoors 1st but bugs ate everything. Then bought a grow tent and all the gear. Set it up in an unused shower room. Tried organic but overfed and then followed advice synthetic/hydroponic and got results.1 oz per

22 hours ago, emptypockets said:

Why would a retiree desire to be productive? What are they producing?

Being productive or increasing productivity was a term used by the bosses during your working life to make them more money while paying you the same. And most of us fell for it. Sadly.

Productive?? (And most of us fell for it. Sadly.) As did I. I worked at a Pulp Mill and never refused overtime work for 2 decades. I finally saw the light and refused all OT and told them to remove my name from the list. Thing is I never even noticed the difference in my standard of living. It was futile because taxes took half . In hindsight I sacrificed all that free time for nothing. OT at time and a half was a fools game. Only grateful for the extra pension income nowadays.

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visits the site where a construction crane fell onto a passenger train in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has taken decisive action, ordering the termination of two contracts with Italian-Thai Development Plc (ITD) following recent crane collapses that resulted in over 30 fatalities. Speaking at Government House, Anutin made it a priority to address the alarming safety issues, directing the Ministry of Transport to cancel contracts and initiate legal proceedings against the company.

The incidents have raised significant public concern, with the Prime Minister underlining the necessity for quick intervention to restore public confidence and reassure foreign investors. Mr Anutin noted a concerning pattern of accidents linked to ITD, including a notable incident involving the collapse of the State Audit Office building. These repeated accidents have prompted an immediate and robust response from the government.

The Prime Minister, who also leads the Bhumaithai Party, stressed the importance of accountability. He stated the state's responsibility to ensure safety and compensate for losses while seeking damages from negligent contractors. His emphasis was on enhancing safety standards in future projects. This statement echoes his comments concerning a crane accident on a high-speed rail project in Nakhon Ratchasima province, where work was nearly complete.

Following the recent tragedies, including a crane collapse onto a moving train in Sikhio that killed 32 and injured 64, followed by another fatal accident in Samut Sakhon, the Prime Minister confirmed that the contracts would indeed be terminated. A new contractor will be appointed with a focus on ensuring public safety as work continues to finish the high-speed rail project, reported the Bangkok Post.

Key Takeaways:

• Prime Minister orders the termination of ITD contracts due to safety concerns.

• Government acts swiftly to reassure the public and foreign investors.

• A new contractor was appointed for the high-speed rail project in response to accidents.

Related Stories:

Multiple Deaths After Crane Collapses Onto Passenger Train

Construction Crane Collapses on Rama 2, at least 1 Dead

  

Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2026-01-16

 

 

Guess who the Ital-Thai CEO is...non other the bloke who blew the brains out of the black panther a few years ago so he could eat the penis..Did some time in the monkey house to boot. His son is now at the reigns.Mega rich already so not a whole lot will change....Enforcing safety does not make you rich..I suppose.

5 hours ago, AlexRRR said:

Throw a snake in the pool....

555 believe me I've already thought about that. Firstly I'm scared of snakes and where would I source one? With my luck and with so many cameras around I'd get caught. Thanks...

On 1/6/2026 at 12:29 PM, Eff1n2ret said:

Depending on your circumstances, a usufrucht agreement could be worthwhile, but I would add one caveat; do it through a lawyer who knows the ins and outs of the local amphur and can fix things. This is my experience:

I met and married my wife in England and we decided to live in the land of her birth after I retired. We came on holiday and had a house built on a development in Banchang. I thought it would be preferable to protect the considerable chunk of my life savings with a usufrucht, so on the next holiday we went to a lawyer in Pattaya, selected from a list recommended by the US Embassy. This guy (English) drew up what seemed to be the standard arrangement, 30 years lease from my wife, renewable, with a nominal monthly rent. A young lady from the office accompanied us to the amphur in Banchang, where a sour-faced old trout declined to register the agreement on the grounds that when the property was purchased I had allegedly signed something confirming that my financing the deal placed no obligations on my wife, I was seeking to circumvent normal property rights - or something to that effect, it wasn't properly explained to me. The young lady just gave a blank stare.

It occurred to me that the trout was angling for tea money, but I didn't have the confidence to try and negotiate that, it could have landed me in trouble. Back at the office the guy said he'd never experienced anything like that before, and he also alleged that my wife had expressed some reservation about the arrangement, although she never said anything to me. He said it was nevertheless a legal agreement which we had both signed, but I doubt it would ever be enforceable without the imprimatur of the amphur. In the end I just wrote the whole thing down to experience.

That was 20 years ago, and we've been retired here for 16 years. The memsahib has never shown the slightest signs of wanting to throw me out, or gambling the property away (which has been the fate of a couple of neighbours). Whatever my original worries, I have none now. I still believe, however, that if I had found a lawyer in Banchang the outcome would have been different.

I also me with major resistance in the local land office when I attempted to register a legal 30 year lease with my Thai gf sister in 2007. Bitch at land office waved me away rudely. I tried a couple more times with different windows and finally hired a local lawyer (30k) to facilitate everything. My name is on the chanote a lessee and registered. Almost 20 years later and all is good. It would never have happened without the lawyer.

As a side note, a good friend of mine also lost his house I Burriram to a gambling spouse. He never saw a chanote and was lied to for many many years.

On 10/22/2025 at 7:35 PM, CallumWK said:

Just to give one example.

Every year I have to send the "are you still alive document" to my pension fund.

I go to my local orbotor, and the document get completed and signed by the mayor right away.

This year there is a new mayor.

Staff at the info desk has changed, and refuse to speak English. Previous staff wasn't perfect in English, but they tried or they would get someone who spoke English.

Current staff just pretend to be deaf and dumb.

At the end got someone who wanted to speak, and answer was, we don't provide this service

I don't think a mayor or equivalent status is necessary for a "proof of life" document. These papers are probably given to the lowest ranking staff available who in my opinion aren't equipped to follow up on exactly who signed it as long as 'someone" did.

1 hour ago, Furioso said:

It's always a great idea to rent here for at least a year before buying. I've lived here a few years I've been to a lot of houses/condos. I guess if you feel you must live here and you must buy here then it's probably way more affordable than other countries.

I think we have a lot more leverage in the rental market here. One of my friends was looking to rent a house they wanted 28,000 I suggested he offer 25,000 for two years he ended up getting it 23,000 for a 3 year lease.

Its all about the neighbors in my opinion.We lived happily for 17 years in the same house/mooban. One day they knocked down the house next door. 6 month later a 5 br pool villa was standing in its place. For rent short term on Booking.com.Our lives changed forever. Now about twice a week a mini van drops off a group of mostly single men. Around 2 or 3 am the pool parties start with the ladies they've picked up at the bar.I've had early morning shouting matches with drungs...The poolside wall faces our master bedroom. The new Chinese owners live in town and don't answer the phone when my wife calls to complain. They own via proxy arrangement with moo ban manager. Our complaints to city hall are met with total indifference. I've explored every option and the only solution is to move away.

1 hour ago, NoshowJones said:

Where do you buy Peppermint Essential Oil? I could do with some for the kitchen.

Lazada/Shopee

Burberry Hero, aka panty remover