jaideedave

43 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

It's possible a lot of them could have Diplomatic Passports. Canada and the UAE had a minor tiff years ago when we were in Afghanistan. We used to get a 90 day "visa exemption" stamp every time we entered Dubai.
But the UAE wanted Canada to provide Diplomatic Passports to members of their royal family.

3,000 members of their royal family in fact. As every nephew, cousin and third cousin twice removed is apparently a member of the royal family.

Canada said no and for a short period the UAE restricted our travel (until "someone" talked to "someone" and suddenly they relented and allowed normal travel again). 
But they only gave us 30 Day exemption stamps after that. No big deal for most of us as we usually didn't stay more than a day anyways.

So if certain Arab countries did the same thing with Thailand, then yeah, there could be dozens/hundreds of youths in the country on Diplomatic Passports.

We also have "satellite" families in Canada where rich Chinese, mostly from Hong Kong, arrange Permanent Residence or even Citizenship in Canada (about as easy these days as opening a bank account is for most people).
Once they get a Canadian passport, they can pretty much bring their entire families over, who all get Canadian citizenship as well it seems. Then the parents go back to Hong Kong to continue making money while leaving the safe in Canada.

So we end up with a bunch of filthy rich Asians (like the TV show but not as fake) racing around like it's Hong Kong Drift - and that was years before the first Fast & Furious movie came out.

Reading the news about them street racing in Richmond and other places was pretty much as common as reading the news here about the Arab scooter gangs recently.

When I worked in the ME I had to spend time in Dubai and was getting visa on arrival and like you say it suddenly stopped.It caused a lot of logistical issues for the people arranging my flights etc.

I'm a Canuck also and from what I see online Canada is quickly turning into a 3rd world sh__ hole.

I thank my lucky stars I relocated to LOS several years ago.

18 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

My current understanding is that expats can legally retire in France for under the Thailand financial requirement levels.

Of course you'd need a lot of money to live well in Paris but there are many provincial areas that are quite affordable and I think retired expats can get on their health system, even non EU people.

Maybe so, I was referring to the kind that arrive in rubber boats with their hands out. Quite unlike us old gits who pay our way.

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

Cut all down, put thick plastic sheet wall to wall,  lay large concrete paving slabs.

We did similiar but a smaller area.Cleared everything, sprinkled coarse industrial salt down (cheap) then layed heavy plastic and covered the whole area with decorative rock that we had. Pea gravel would work to.Maybe slabs would be less expensive. No sign of weeds so far.

3 hours ago, Reginald Prewster said:

Nail studios. You forgot the nail studios. That equipment is already 10-15 years old and get handed around as needed.

Every time when a new Farang is willing to invest in a business to get the whore out of her misery.. 

yes..turn key revolving door 555

On 8/4/2023 at 3:39 PM, JBChiangRai said:

Shifty? In Pattaya? Shirley not!

stop calling me Shirley

1 hour ago, Henryford said:

Except that when it rains you can't use the 800k, without losing your visa.

HF..very good point...many consider the 800k an emergency fund.However as you say, the moment they use it they've effectively nullified their visa.

They may find themselves ill,broke and in a country with only a 30 day permit to stay. yikes

19 hours ago, bignok said:

Crime ridden cease pit outside the beaches.

Back in the day we cut our 2 week vacay short by 1 week exactly for that reason.LOS is multiple times better IMHO.

On 8/3/2023 at 9:32 AM, BritManToo said:

It's essentially the same game in a different country.

For me it's not more fun, but it is as much fun, same as Cambodia and Vietnam.

 

BUT, if you're one of those guys that wants to talk with his bed partners the Filipino ladies are well ahead in the game. They talk our language, watch our movies, listen to our music and understand our humour and culture.The people are generally more friendly than Thais, and it's easy to make pals with guys or girls (something impossible in Thailand), and they do actually appear to like foreigners.

 

Not to mention it's really easy for a foreigner to live in the Philippines compared to Thailand. No income or savings required.

Hi BMT, yes I visited  there briefly in the past but its not 1st on my list.With all the rumbling about the IO rules possibly changing I'm undecided if I'd go to Cambo or PP. I'm not deeply in love with either place. I did like Battambang though. As long as there is good farang food available.

On 8/3/2023 at 9:12 AM, ezzra said:

The Philippines, as Thailand, used to be a mongering haven back 20 or so years ago, not so much now where mafia type are controlling the bar/girly scenes and prices are up there far cray from days of yore.

Agree, my 1st and last vacay there was in early 90,s.

The companion fee was "up to you" The only reason Myself and pals never went back was because of the male species..making a Mexican thief look like a choirboy. Plus shotgun toting security guards everywhere.  

28 minutes ago, B0nkers said:

Just got back from a few weeks in Cambodia and brought my excess Cambodian money with me to Thailand, thinking I could exchange it. Went to the one of those yellow exchange booths and was told they don't accept it. Anyone know where I can?

Now you own it.I've been over there several times over the years and the last thing one does is change ALL local currency to usd for example. A couple months ago they even ahad a bonafide currency exchange in the waiting area upstairs at PP airport.

Same rule applies for the Laos (kip) script. I jokingly asked for 1 kilo once at a money changer. 10k in Thai baht would fill an overnight bag.

1 hour ago, zyphodb said:

IMO The Immigration give us white foreigners such a hard time because they want us all using agents. More cash for them... 

I've been saying that for years.It's easy money for them and they don't have to deal with us foreign devils.I check the signature on my Visa every time and its exactly the same person. I'm told the agents only receive a fraction of the fee.

14 minutes ago, bignok said:

He probably wear safety glasses

face shield maybe

43 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

I hope so i started practicing 58 yrs ago, practice makes perfect, can't stop now have some unfinished business to attend to. 

Careful...you can go blind that way..

Just do it until you have to wear glasses..

11 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Most warning signs in Thailand are also in english and Indian are well versed in the english language.

I read somewhere that India had the largest number of English speakers in the world?

2 hours ago, Lucky Bones said:

I don't think the agent gets to keep too much of that, but agents do serve a purpose for many.????????

One told me several years ago they only get 1 k + unless its changed.

It depends if you are a non resident status or not.I'm a declared non resident retired in Thailand.

I'm only familiar with form NR5. I filed under that and was granted a tax reduction for a period of 5 years.Otherwise all Canadian income is subject to the 25% withholding tax.

Non resident is the key. I left Canada in 2004.

51 minutes ago, Olmate said:

Cant find bagels, right forum no chance! 

I order mine from this BKK shop and they deliver to Pattaya.Good product and price IMHO.

mismyle_kitchen ..Instagram

2 hours ago, smedly said:

confiscate the bikes, the renters will soon stop renting to them

Correct Smedly...problem is that most likely some cops may own some of the rental shops

20 minutes ago, poobear said:

I have tiled over glossy floor tiles with the Gold Crocodile Cement made for that purpose. I did not use any sort of primer and never had one problem or issues.

Ditto,I hired a local tiler and I didn't actually get too deep into it but he did an excellent job and I get many compliments on the work. Over 10 years ago zero issues.

On 7/29/2023 at 6:19 AM, ikke1959 said:

Normal in Thailand.. not wearing seatbelt, no drivers education, and no police enforcement on anything, holidays or not.... Sorry for their lives but as long as nothing change it wil be common 

So sad so true. Nothing will change in the foreseeable future. My experience with police enforcement was a cop hiding in some bushes near Prachinburi jumping out and telling us we were speeding and seeing the farang driver asked my wife for 200 baht for coffee or we would have to report to the station in Thai. She turned to me and said..give me 100 baht please for the police..555 we still laugh about that one.