merlen10002

Always had the bill given to me not my wife, same if I am with a group of Thai people, Thais always know the Farang pays not the wife or other Thais, that is what Farangs are for.

I have had a simular problem with the wife. , The wife and i go out to eat together, We both order together. but a few times the waiter has brought my meal before the wife's, I sit there waiting for the wife's meal to be brought but it does not arrive i just sit and sit, waiters come up to the wife and ask is there a problem with the meal, I say yes its cold now because its bad manners to start to eat before your wife, that usually gets a few stupid looks from the Thai waiters and i make them take the meal back because its cold. Is it me .

You must be very new to Thailand, Thai people don't eat one dish each they eat all the dishes that is why the waiter will not give you the two meals together, the waiter is correct and you are wrong, if you were in a western country most people eat Thai food like they eat western food, they eat it wrong but up to them, I had a Thai restaurant in Australia and people always eat one dish each I could not educate them that they missed out on the great part of Thai and Asian food.

I pity all you lot that think playing around on a balcony and having a few drinks is stupid, you must be all dear little mommy boys never did anything stupid in your life when you were young, what a bunch of <deleted> you lot are, if I told you what I did with my mates at that age you lot would be so shocked you would not be able to speak for a month, we all turned out OK,

Have a look at the pic the balcony rail is wood and not so thick, height looks OK.

The observant drunk 24 year old Australian would therefore deduce, '' Hey i can sit on this, shout and yell,run up against it, no problem and if there is well someone else can pay for it, like mum or dad they are used to my stupidity'' At that age i was learning to ski in the Alps, having a drink in the evening with my fellow skiers without getting totally pissed out of my mind, or white water canoeing in groups in Wales camping in the countryside with a few beers...a few. A lot of Australians,Brits,Americans feel that unless they aren't suffering from a hangover every morning they haven't had a good time, some grow out of it, many don't.

I don't drink, don't have to drink to mess around and have fun with your mates, at least we are not boring up your nose better than you types.

I pity all you lot that think playing around on a balcony and having a few drinks is stupid, you must be all dear little mommy boys never did anything stupid in your life when you were young, what a bunch of &lt;deleted&gt; you lot are, if I told you what I did with my mates at that age you lot would be so shocked you would not be able to speak for a month, we all turned out OK,

Have a look at the pic the balcony rail is wood and not so thick, height looks OK.

Report was much like it is for the people and places that were on the show, maybe the people that don't agree just don't like the truth, many Australian living different lives and in different places in Thailand to the one on the TV show.

Thailand is not cheap now.....

Honestly if you are living a good life , it burns the money for sure...

If you think Thailand is not cheap your life style and living expenses must be out of control, you should get some financial help.

(croaky old man voice) Way back in '95, when I was just a young whipper-snapper looking at possibly retiring from the military with a special "buy-out" package, I thought long and hard about where I would like to retire to.

Knowing that my pension would be small, and not wanting to live somewhere where icicles would be hanging from my chin for 8 months of the year, I did 2 things. I made up a list of potential countries I might like to live in (and a check list of things I thought were important at the time) and the other thing I did was visit various Embassy's and Consulates to get first hand information.

My list of potential countries included: Peru, Belize, Costa Rica, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay. I didn't bother with Myanmar, India, any African or M.E. countries, and skipped a few that I wasn't able to (at the time) find any information about (the internet was still pretty sparse back then).

My checklist included things like - Healthcare (good hospitals, quality staff), Climate (year round temperatures, rainfall, extremes), Education systems (as an indicator of the country's progress), Infrastructure (roads/rail, power, airports, phones, etc), Politics (democracy ? dictatorship ?), Cost of living (rent, realty, food, exchange rates).

In the end I think I had about 15 items on the checklist. Using what I could from the internet and visits to the Embassy's/Consulates, I tried to grade the various countries (on a scale of 1-10 I think it was) and then totalled up the scores.

The Philippines looked OK, but at the time there were security issues, weather issues and they wanted something like an investment of 50k+ (USD) for a retirement visa (the investment could be in the form of purchasing a condo though).

Vietnam looked OK as well, except for the communist government and how their relations with China were (and still are).

Some countries were very cheap to live in, but they also had (very) corrupt police/politicians, poor infrastructure and potential difficulties getting in/out and around the country. Some were just down-right nasty - corruption, lack of infrastructure, poor education/healthcare/etc.

In the end, I picked Thailand. It had good weather, good food, good prices, decent infrastructure. From what I could gather, the education and Healthcare seemed OK. (I ended up not retiring as early as expected, made a couple trips between '97-2000 and while working in the 'stan I decided I was going to live there permanently. I'm glad I made the choice then, and I'm still glad now.)

I do find it absolutely amusing to see so many people that have also decided to live in Thailand, but have nothing but bad things to say about it. If everything is so horrible, why are they still here ? There are obviously many other, much nicer, places in the world they could be living in, yet they don't move there. Curiouser and Curiouser.

I'm also astounded that the thought of having to report your residence ONCE every 90 days is such a hard ship ! The horror, the HORROR ! Four times a year (FOUR !) they have to get off their <snip> and prove that they are still living (wherever) and aren't (dead/gone home for good/living in a dumpster by the beach).

Such incredible hardship to endure just to stay here year after year ! I can't imagine how they manage !

How dare Thailand (or any other country) actually try to keep track of all the foreigners within it's borders ! Who do they think they are ?!?!?

How dare they try to prevent foreigners from buying up the choicest land (at local prices) and then reselling it to other foreigners at prices 3-4+ times higher ! (Yes, I've talked to foreign realtors who do exactly that through their "nominee" companies. One Belgian I spoke to a couple years ago told me how he'd buy properties at local prices, quadruple the price and then re-sell them to other Belgians who thought they were getting a bargain - compared to prices in Belgium at the time I guess. )

How dare they try to prevent hordes of penniless bums from other countries from flooding in and filling up the streets and beaches with filthy beggars and thieves ! Can you imagine how great Thailand would be if they just let any and everyone into the country, and didn't care what they did or where they did it ? I'm sure that there wouldn't be crowds of broke, unwashed foreign beggars puking, crapping, panhandling, swindling and thieving all over the country (and you thought the lady-boys on Beach Road were bad).

One does not have to read many of the threads in the Visa forum to realize, quite quickly, that a very large number of the foreigners in Thailand are not that wealthy, and therefore are not contributing that much to the local economy, despite their protestations to the latter.

One estimate (from 2013) put the total number of expats living in Thailand at 3-400,000. That includes the Nigerians, Algerians, Indians, Chinese, Students, Dependants, Over-stayers, Diplomats and sundry others. That equals roughly about .6% of the total population of Thailand.

If we use the high side figure of 400,000 foreign "residents" and assume they each were single and were spending the entire 800,000 baht every year that the government seems to think single people need to, that would represent, at most, 2.8% of the Gross Domestic Product for 2012. Tell me again how your 2 Changs a week is all that is keeping the Thai economy floating ?

I would suspect that if you could get economic data regarding just the expats living in Thailand, it would probably mirror the stats in most developed countries. In other words, you would have a small percentage that have a lots of cash (lets call them the "rich"). You would have a larger group that aren't rich, but are comfortable (call them the middle class). Finally, you would have the largest group at the bottom (also known as the poor huddled masses). (In other words, a very large percentage of those 3-400,000 foreigners probably don't have a lot of money.)

Chances are that the "foreign residents" in Thailand are not spending anywhere near an average of 800,000 baht per year per person. I think there are a whole lot of people that are maybe spending a quarter of the that sum (like 15-20,000 a month perhaps).

Think of all those threads over the years, full of stories about people who've overstayed their visas (and have no money, etc, etc). The threads from the people who can't meet the financial requirements for a visa and are trying to find loopholes or scam ways around those requirements. The threads about all the "balloon chasers", foreign beggars, foreign homeless and so on and so on.

Now think about how most of those are just about Euro and English speaking foreigners and imagine how many foreigners from other "demographics" are probably as bad, or even worse.

Long story short - the foreign residents in Thailand are nowhere near the economic force some like to think they are. Thailand makes considerably more money from tourists than (foreign) residents. Even if all 400,000(ish) foreign residents were spending 800,000 baht/year (highly unlikely), tourism revenues are approx 7 1/2 times that amount. In reality, it is probably more in the region of 15-20 times (or more) that amount as again, all those foreign residents are not likely spending anywhere near 800k/year/person.

Finally, there is one matter I'm not sure on, but will try to find out. It seems so many foreigners are being held here against their will that it should be a major international crisis ! How is it possible that Thailand is able to force all these obviously disgruntled foreigners to remain ? On one hand they are seemingly clamping down on foreigners, making it more difficult for them to stay, yet on the other hand the teeming masses of unhappy expats seem unable to leave !

Actually, I think the answer is pretty obvious as I'm sure the few that have actually read this far down are aware. (Really ? You're still reading this ? GET A LIFE !)

(Bah - I now know way more about the Thai economy, Gross Domestic Product and Thai Demographics that I ever expected to. Damn internet. Now I have to try and remember what I've probably forgotten due to learning too much new UFI. Be much easier if I knew where my pants were. Or what pants are. Or where the "white" goes when snow melts. And what is up with the number 42 ? )

Great post and spot on, but don't tell the knockers that.

As to whether Thailand is suitable for you or not depends on your personal circumstances and desires. Some of the pet peeves as well as upsides (in no particular order) of some residents / retirees here:

Downsides

Lazy and corrupt police - a nuisance when you have not done anything wrong but a blessing when caught speeding or breaking other traffic laws.

Can't own land - I'm retired, what the hell do I want to own such an asset for? I would prefer to just rent, whether it be a condo or a house

Double pricing - not an issue for me as I have Thal DL so I pay Thai price

No rights - what rights? As a retiree, who gives a sh*t about rights. Stay under the radar, don't do something that you shouldn't and you should be fine

90 day reporting - I would have thought that it might be good for retired people to get out and about every 90 days or so. After all, you're retired, you have all the time in the world

Lousy food - not to me. Food's not as good as say in Malaysia but I can quite easily live with Thai food. You just need to be adventurous and try other local stuff and restaurants

Respect - treat others with respect and they will reciprocate accordingly. In my apartment, the guards sawasdee me and other residents every time we go in and out. Reception staff are always smiling

Walking ATM - if you're a walking ATM here, you will be a walking ATM anywhere in the world (and it would be a helluva lot more expensive in other Asian countries like Hong Kong and Singapore)

800,000 bht or 65k per month - everyone needs money to survive so what's the big deal?

Not foreigner friendly - (most of) France, especially Paris, parts of Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Russia is less foreigner friendly

Not as cheap as 10 or 20 years ago - but still cheaper than most other countries

Corrupt to the core - so? Does not affect me as a retiree. Bribe money only ever paid to cops but still cheaper than the official fine

Upsides

Cheap booze and girls - who in their right minds will complain about this? If you don't like it, then don't indulge

Cheap massages - where I live in downtown Asoke, foot massage for 100b per hours, oil massage for 250b per hour, extras for 500 up. Not even in Malaysia is it this cheap

7-11 - every 50-100 metres, extremely convenient. No where else in the world (not even Hkg) can compare with this convenienceSubservient wives / gf - if I told my ex English wife to get me a beer, she would just say get it yourself

There are of course better places to live but in terms of value for money, I still think that Thailand comes up top - for now.

I agree,

Being a old bloke I think Thailand would be a dud place to retire if you had a Farang wife the same age as yourself, I think anywhere would be dud to retire if I had a Farang wife the same age as me, and I don't think that is just me.

Would all the knockers tell me a better country than Thailand to retire for old blokes, because that is what most retirees in Thailand are, that is cheaper, more friendly, better weather, a better country for ugly old blokes like me to get very accommodating beautiful young women, a country with more easy and cheaper immigration rules for retirement, cheaper accommodation, and for the blokes that drink alcohol that is more easy to get and cheaper to buy and you can drink it anywhere, even on the days you are not allowed to.

A country that is better that Thailand with all the above not just one or two things, I would really like to know because I can not find one, if there is one I going there.

Wow! One of those 'quality expats' they're always banging on about

Just a little about me, don't drink Alcohol or Smoke, don't go to bars, very happily married to a very beautiful 51 year old hard working Thai lady for 4 years, live a very quite life, my wife and I keep to ourselves, play a little golf and travel a bit around Thailand, The facts are that most retirees are men and are in Thailand because it is cheap and the ladies are easy to be with even if they are old and ugly like me the men I mean, and most like to drink and go to bars, I may not be perfect like you. I just get very pissed off about all negative things on TV about Thailand written by people that are here for the ladies and the cheap living and easy way of life.

"It was so quick and easy I don't understand why some people pay Visa agents to do this for them, it would take more time to get to the Visa agent and then pay ฿20,000 as I see here on TV, I think, just crazy."

Because each of our situations is different. I pay an agent 20,000+ to get the visa/wp in the first place. Me filling out forms wouldn't be sufficient - an agent that has relationships with relevant people at relevant agencies is necessary for those of us in certain situations. The agent then does my 90 day reporting at no extra cost - indeed I'm currently having a coffee before taking my dogs for a walk, knowing that my agent did my report earlier today while I was probably still in bed.

Post was about 90 day report only not WP and 90 day report, very different

I answered your question which was 'why do people pay 20k baht to have their 90 day reports done for them?'.

I was trying to clarify for you that people don't pay 20k baht for 90 day reports - they pay it for a combination of services.

By the way, the extension of stay is the main part of that - wp much easier.

I had in my post,, I think,, I was wrong, it is ฿1,000.00 a year , always put my hand up when wrong,. but still would not use a visa agent, most are just rip off merchants and I don't mind going to immigration. but as you say some may have to use a agent.

<snip>

Do you mean that 6 months ago you were asked for copy of passport and rent contract at Jomtien?

Jomtien immigration required (for a 90 day Report) the following documents

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/715339-90-day-reporting-for-marriage-extension-what-do-i-need/#entry7632542

I always give them the following and never had a problem

• Filled in Tm.47 90 Day Report Form
• Copy of Face Page passport
• Copy of Non-O Visa
• Copy of Tm Card
• Copy of last permission to stay stamp
• Copy of a recentToT bill (Could be electricity bill or something else) just to prove that I am still staying at the same address.

That is what I gave the Officer and she gave it back to me did not look at the copies.

Did my 90 day report in Phuket this morning. To all the 17 people who pushed past me to get inside as the doors openned at 08:30, I hope you spent the whole day there, due to your bad manners. From parking my car, to getting my photostat copies of the nessessary pages, to being called up and stamped, then back in my car..... 3 minutes. Before any of the rude people where even helped. Amazing what a smile and a friendly greeting can do, even in Immigration. Thanks folks at immigration.

The real point of the post is no need for any copies of passport or rent contract, the copies I gave to the Officer was handed back to me and told ,,no need,,. this never happen before in 6 years.

Do you mean that 6 months ago you were asked for copy of passport and rent contract at Jomtien?

Yes 6 months ago & again 3 months ago had to have all passport and rent copies at Jomtiem & every time before that, now told no need for copies.

Did my 90 day report in Phuket this morning. To all the 17 people who pushed past me to get inside as the doors openned at 08:30, I hope you spent the whole day there, due to your bad manners. From parking my car, to getting my photostat copies of the nessessary pages, to being called up and stamped, then back in my car..... 3 minutes. Before any of the rude people where even helped. Amazing what a smile and a friendly greeting can do, even in Immigration. Thanks folks at immigration.

The real point of the post is no need for any copies of passport or rent contract, the copies I gave to the Officer was handed back to me and told ,,no need,,. this never happen before in 6 years.

"It was so quick and easy I don't understand why some people pay Visa agents to do this for them, it would take more time to get to the Visa agent and then pay ฿20,000 as I see here on TV, I think, just crazy."

Because each of our situations is different. I pay an agent 20,000+ to get the visa/wp in the first place. Me filling out forms wouldn't be sufficient - an agent that has relationships with relevant people at relevant agencies is necessary for those of us in certain situations. The agent then does my 90 day reporting at no extra cost - indeed I'm currently having a coffee before taking my dogs for a walk, knowing that my agent did my report earlier today while I was probably still in bed.

Post was about 90 day report only not WP and 90 day report, very different

Did my 90 day report at Jomtien yesterday, had all the Paperwork, copies of Passport pages, house rent contract etc, arrived at 2.09 pm got ticket at front counter my number was showing as I got the ticket, went to the Officer and gave her my paperwork and Passport she put my Passport number in her computer and printer out a form told me to sign it when I came in November and that all I had to do, gave me back all my paperwork said "not need" She also told me that in November she would put my 90 day report and my renewal for extension of stay on the same day. I said that was very easy and thank her, she said we make easy for good Farang. out the door at 2.11pm.

The form she stapled into my Passport was a full page not a quarter page like before with all my details on it, just need to sign it to get the 90 day done in November, I think what she meant was they make things easy for long term real retirement people and other real visa people and extensions of stay (marriage) so maybe getting rid of all the rift raft and dodgy visa run lot has made it better for the real Farangs , don't know but maybe.

It was so quick and easy I don't understand why some people pay Visa agents to do this for them, it would take more time to get to the Visa agent and then pay ฿20,000 as I see here on TV, I think, just crazy.

And she has stolen my heart. Woof!

Your easy got

More than one Thai lady told me lying was OK for Thai people if it makes their life better, ???

I put the PCX mirrors on my Click - only a couple of hundred Baht but easy direct swap

Thanks, good to see you understood what I meant.

? Your question is a bit vague to give feedback on.

 

What part of the mirror are you extending?

The threaded area, the end of the mirrored glass, or something to stick in between the post and plastic housing?

What is your ultimate goal; more width or height?

Pictures speak well too.

 

It might be easier and cheaper to buy mirrors for a different bike. 

I was putting Fino mirrors on my dirtbike because they were cheap to replace.

 

Thanks for your reply,

Any one know where to get extensions for rear view mirrors Honda Click, thanks

I don't like the chance of your business being successful if your asking about that on this Forum, would have thought the Government of each country would be the best to ask.

Did not see PokerFace post, OP can not really be that naïve and gullible surely

Run very fast and don't look back, you have the wrong lady.

It is not the first case I hear about BMW cars. In Europe it is a common occurrence of BMW cars catching fire all of a sudden.

Bit jealous of BMW owners are we ?