desertrat

I think that this this tale has so much count and counterpoint and is SO funny AND pathetic, that no-one can be so dumb, that the whole saga and postings is a put up job by trolls and sock puppets.

Some of the posts are exquisite, We even have someone believing that ethics are the province of only the religious.I'll bet he's never read Dawkins. Harris or Hitchens.

That compassion was the main theme of the Inquisitions and Witch Hunts is of course well known.

Please NEVER close this topic.

Thanks for all of the above everyone. I personally will not be contributing any more to this post, though feel free to do so if you wish.

Adios amigos!

Ah, he did get the message..vamoosed.

IF you haven't taken the best advice from the short 3 letter post yet....get going, if you do pay, you'll be paying again soon.

Clearly you are guilty of (DWF) Driving While Farang

Flying spaghetti monster..the latest in the estimated 2500 gods so far

Are there enough terrabytes on this server ??

having had in and out patient treatment in private and government hospitals (gov insurance scheme), my opinion is that the in EVERY respect the government hospitals are better. Even the waiting arrangements are VIP (Queen Sirikit Satthahip)

But don't choose a private hospital which is part of the govenment scheme, it seem's they don't want you.

I was given skin cream for skin cancer and I have had a history of skin cancer, and my GP's request for a biopsy was ignored, and told to come back when I had symptons from my glaucoma after being refused the pressure test. The only symptom is blindness.

Many opinions are offered on the state of the property market. May I add some facts?

I cycle very frequently within a 60 km sector centred on Pattaya, landwards.

All I see and have been seeing for the last three years, are a majority of semi completed projects,

seemingly abandoned, and FOR SALE signs, the incidence of well occupied, well maintained estates are

few and far between.

Yet no developer seems discouraged, any minimal plot will inevitably sprout whatever will fit.

As they will be using borrowed money and deposits I guess they won't lose out.

The builders trucks and concrete trucks continue to destroy the roads, and it is surprising to cycle 100m

without encountering piles of trash.

Am I in the appropriate forum ?

Perhaps the forlorn "Sails" skeleton portrays the situation as well as anything.

NO sales = No Sails.

Some interesting reading, I believe that we expats are always treading on eggshells in everything we do or aspire to, Someone here said very wisely "If you can't afford to lose it, don't".

I have an expensive push bike, worth three new motosai's.

It does not surprise me that insurers here will not insure it ON The ROAD.

However, as I keep it (and 2 others) in my apartment, and it's the most valuable possesion I have,

I requested to insure it as an "article" against fire/theft IN THE APARTMENT, and pay a handsome premium.

Cannot. Why ? No explanation forthcoming.

Having been savaged on other forums, even as innocuous as vegetarian diets, and offered violence

for knocking a nail into a tree on another, it is refreshing to see the polite way in which this forum is conducted.

I must confess though a high level of schadenfreude to see the disasters which are visited upon some of

us.

Thanks for the replies, gents.

As dotcom says, option 2 is indeed the safest, lowest cost, lowest risk route, and that's the one I should take really. I'm still tempted by option 3, though The real downside is that while it might work this year, and maybe even next, there's no way of knowing how long they will continue with this (apparently unique to Pattaya) rule?

Again, thanks to all for the insights and info, I'll have to think this one over. I'm somewhere between taking the "safe" option 2 route, and simply being contrarian and trying out option 3.

Earlier this week I put all my money on deposit, HSBC, about 3.5% The staff assured me that a depost

a/c was OK for retirement.

I am due to retire having had a work permit for last 14 years

1. According to the rules I only need 200,000 baht on deposit, having had unbroken stay here prior

to 1998.

2. According to the rules I must show that my deposit came from abroad.

I just retired after having had a work permit for 17 years

.....................

This is a bit off-topic, but did you retire voluntarily or were you forced to retire by the company ?

If it was involuntary, did you get any severence pay ?

Thanks to all for the info (should have seen it myself)

Ref the retirement, I have been mulling this ref the severance pay.

I have never had a contract, but have been treated so well it has never been a problem.

My work permit has ben renewed annually, actually I'm WELL over retirement age, and have been for a

number of years.

I guess that eventually they will not just renew my wp, I would feel a bit churlish asking for severance pay, as I'm not boracic....but.......????

I am due to retire having had a work permit for last 14 years

1. According to the rules I only need 200,000 baht on deposit, having had unbroken stay here prior

to 1998.

2. According to the rules I must show that my deposit came from abroad. I have always been paid here

by my local employer,

Others have noted that even the well known rules are sometimes contested, i.e. Deposit plus Income.

I have in excess of the deposit plus a retirement income, (and 2 condos), but don't like the idea of tying up 800,000 as I have no will.

I feel like going to the "pros" but their web pages show little more understanding of the issues than the "man in the forum"

Advice/comments appreciated thanks.