louse1953

On 05/04/2017 at 5:37 PM, Miaow said:

Exactly, there is such a fine line bewteen freedom/democracy and chaos/ anarchy.....My question is WHO gets to decide where it should be drawn....

You can't really force your friend to buckle up, although you can strongly advise against....

 

Buckle up or walk,your choice.Never fails.

14 minutes ago, Miaow said:

My wife isnt weak in giving in our daughters demands, quite the opposite actually. Its just what i refer to as one amongst many " cultural differences' when it involves seatbelts and riding in back of pick up trucks, or wearing helmets etc... Completely different mentality.. It wont change overnight. However, education can slowly make its way and change for the best their approach on road safety. Believe me, been working hard at it...


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

The mentality is different because of lack education.I afraid your wife and you are weak,allowing an 11 year old on a bike.Many parents want to be friends with children and will not confront them,big mistake.Parents must set boundaries and expect to wear the flak.It will help the kids in latter life.Kids play parents off each other and you have been played by an 11 year old.

On 05/04/2017 at 4:11 PM, brain150 said:

So, you don't want to be free because you can not see others to be free.

You cannot be responsible because you will not grant it to others.

 

You want to be a slave to keep your moral high-ground and at the same time you have to enslave yourself.

 

You are just stupidly repeating Government Propaganda without ever thinking about it.

Who gave you or others like you the authority to rise above others by telling them what's good for them ?

 

You have to expect that there are people that think the same about you ... and they will use the same argument you use against you !!!

Ba careful what you wish for.

It's called common sense,sadly not that common.

On 05/04/2017 at 10:12 PM, Miaow said:

Exactly, my daughter was allowed by her Thai mother to ride a motorcycle at 11 years old. I  was totally opposed to this idea, however, the only way i could have stopped it was to physically interfere with both of them...Sometimes you have to choose your battles, this one i wasnt gonna win. But i can garantee you my wife loves our daughter as much as i do,  and she is not stupid, actually very well educated..

Many parents in my village wish they weren't so weak in giving in to their sons demands.Too late when they're dead.

On 05/04/2017 at 10:36 AM, brain150 said:

Just a simple question:

What if I don't want to be safe in my own car ?

I don't harm anybody, I don't do anything to anybody else, there is no damage to anybody else.

Can I not simply decide for myself what is good for me ?

 

Wearing a seat belt doesn't make traffic any safer ... [just like wearing a helmet or not]

 

Eating broccoli is also good for me ... when does this law come ?

Exercising is also good ... where is the law ?

Sleeping early is also good for me ... where is the law ?

 

PS:

I doubt that most people even understand the whole point of this question.

When you go through a windscreen brain,and are laying in hospital braindead,hopefully you have insurance.When that runs out,you are a burdon on the taxpayers of Thailand,plus your family or whoever wipes your arse everyday.All because you didn't want to be safe in your own car.Very selfish thinking.

On 07/04/2017 at 8:49 AM, richard_smith237 said:

Agreed... sometimes its quite safe to 'pick them off' one by one... that is until some idiot decides that you were not there first so have no right to try and over take until those in front of you have. Unfortunately, some are so hesitant they never overtake....

.... It seems that a healthy balance is never found in these situations - we always see some crazy pulling off an impossible manoeuvre or someone who's overdosed on their 'Jai-yen pills', is in no rush to get anywhere but remains in the way. 

 

In the interests of balance an fairness - while I do see daily selfishness - driving in Thailand is not so awful. I've been driving here for 15 years (in and around Bangkok) and feel fairly relaxed behind the wheel.

What about the lunatics that come from 10 cars back,uphill and coming up to a corner?Then want to push in when a car suddenly appears and there is no where to go.

41 minutes ago, FredNL said:

Explain your comment !!!

I've lived in Thailand a long time and i haven't seen a monkey driving yet.Get it!

On 08/04/2017 at 4:15 AM, wakeupplease said:

60k to live here for ? the situation changes from week to week, so you may be ok for a week then be told to leave. But 60k to be told you are just a guest and to have to suffer the racialist double triple and up to 10x charges that are levied on farangs from entry to the national parks or buying food at the local takeaway. When will this lot learn to respect their so called guests and not fear them? Moving here is not an option for anyone who has half a brain, you cannot even own your own house here and even if you buy a condo on a 51 Thai/49% Farang split it could end up in others hands and you loose the lot with many of the so called lawyers hiding in the shadows waiting to pounce. There are some stupid Brits around and perverts which you can have with pleasure, but those who worked all their life to get security in there old age will steer clear of here if they have any sense.

You can own your house and if you get ripped off on simple takeaway means you are not aware of your surroundings and what's going on.

On 07/04/2017 at 11:20 PM, AmericanSafety said:

One of the good things about being an American expat in Thailand is we do not have to show income for a retirement visa. We just have to go to the embassy and "swear or attest" that we have enough income to support ourselves for a year at a time.

That's ok if you live in Bangkok.I could do the same with my embassy,but the less they know about me the better.800k in fixed deposit and that's my safety net.

On 07/04/2017 at 7:54 PM, darksidedog said:

Please stop with your assertion that anything about how I obtained my visa is illegal, as it is not.

I used a licensed and approved visa agent. I provided him with exactly what he asked for. He made the application and visa granted.

Your comments suggest you haven't been here very long. This is Thailand.

Some things stink, some things don't. You need to avoid the smells and take advantage of what doesn't.

My visa is every bit as genuine as every other one out there at the end of the day.

I avoided queues. I avoided paperwork. Because I could! And I have done absolutely nothing wrong.

My 90 day reports are done the same way. My re-entry permits are done the same way. I don't like queuing. I pay extra for that, and am happy to do so.

If every visa obtained from a visa agency was illegal, there wouldn't be any visa agencies. Get it?

I add to that, you don't have the first clue who I am, or what I do as a volunteer here, so your good guys/bad guys comment is sad.

 

 

Doesn't matter what you think,it is illegal.One day,when they feel like it your agent will be caught out.

On 07/04/2017 at 6:52 PM, bazza73 said:

It's more than 1900 if you include a multiple re-entry permit, as I have to do.

I pay about 12,000 baht a year for an agent to do all the correct paperwork for me. IMHO it's well worth it when you don't have the hassle of waiting for anywhere up to a day, only to have the extension application rejected because you failed to dot some i or cross some t.

It is still done in person, 15 minutes maximum at Immigration for the last 5 years.

Your easily pleased.If you can't fill out a few forms correctly how did you make it this far in life.

On 07/04/2017 at 5:42 PM, Prbkk said:

Terrible , same as Australia. But couldn't that have been challenged in Brussels?

Ozzys do not pay tax on pension.Lose a few concessions but i rekon that's fair enough.Pension goes up with CPI.

On 07/04/2017 at 4:13 PM, FredNL said:

Better to retire on the Cayman Islands. 

 

No so many idiots and corruption, good food, no monkeys driving..

Residence way easier and cheaper than Thailand and it's not a 3rd world country. 

Only problem is that you have to take cover once a while for an hurricane.

Racist comment should be removed.

On 07/04/2017 at 3:37 PM, Bundaberg Baxter said:

Sounds illegal then and if you have not got even 800k should you really be here at all? I keep more than that here for medical needs if it wanted, what do these people do? you can't bribe a Hospital to treat you for next to nothing.

I know a few Brits that live like this.Have to pay 12k for visa because no money in the bank.It is a frugal life,keeps them off the piss and eating a lot of veggies,so can be a healthy life style.One mate got on the lao khao for a while,but i nagged him and he stopped.He has house for free to live in and gf that helps with money.If he gets really sick he will have problems.Rides unregisted bike on the main road and back roads in the town.Parks and walks everywhere.No licence either.

On 07/04/2017 at 4:45 PM, The Dark Lord said:

FredNL

 

could you pm me please with more info on this?

 

thanks

State pension would last 5 minutes in Caymans,bloody expensive place.

On 07/04/2017 at 2:37 PM, ajarnmarc said:

Nice list of necessities needed to stay safe, while living within Thailand...

If I may add to your list-

 

Remember to carry small bills around at all times,

so you can pay your way through the day, when you venture out.

This will help pay for the times you forget to bring your passport with you.

 

Create a PDF with all your details and obtain plenty of photos,

with the every changing back ground color required, 

so best to get the photos taken with both white or blue behind you.

 

Don't forget that every 90 days you will need to report to the local immigration,

this is where the PDF will come in handy.

 

Best to quite smoking before you come,

as the ever changing law is soon going to restrict smoking anywhere outside your home.

 

Make sure to obtain class A insurance, 

for if you're unfortunate to be involved in an accident, 

the citizens will always blame the incident on the foreigners.

 

Good to also obtain extortion insurance for when the people recover, 

as they will come to obtain more pocket money for the accident, 

which you may or may not of been at fault.

 

If you don't bring your own mate, then you'll need to set aside an additional 20,000+ bht per month to pay salary, 

to most local females, who will pretend to be in love with you. The females communicate with each other within the first conversation, concerning how much their partners are paying them monthly, so the base is ever changing, 

and will create pressure to be increased annually, depending on how many friends your mate has.

 

Tripe!

On 07/04/2017 at 0:40 PM, cyberfarang said:

I receive more than 1 pension because as you say, the UK State pension would not be sufficient to cover living expenses in Thailand unless prepared to live a very basic lifestyle similar to how the poorer Thais live out in the sticks.  Also taking into account the bad bank interest and exchange rates.

 

I would not even consider retiring in Thailand unless I have a secured remainder of my life guaranteed income of a minimum of 50000 baht per month when the £ to bahts rates are low without the need the work to supplement my income and have a least 4 million baht in the bank after my initial expenses for setting myself up here.  

 

I know of some elderly expats that are living on $400 a month (just over 13000 baht) in Thailand with virtually no savings. As for immigration, I have no idea how these people manage to stay here and I don`t ask, not my business. What I do wonder is; why would some westerners choose to live like paupers in a foreign land?

 

 

A lot of British blokes i know,pulled the pin from work too early and sold the house. Money slowly wittled away and now on a pitiful pension.

On 07/04/2017 at 10:03 AM, Psimbo said:

One day the Brit Gov't will realise that they should encourage people to live overseas  and get the (tiny) increases- they are less of a burden being out of the country. IIRC the Japanese actually encourage their pensioners to go overseas and DO give them the adjustments. 

 

Apparently 2 Ambassadors ago the Indian Brit supported and tried to address this but was put firmly back in his box by the FO.

 

I know a guy that didn't have a pension increase for 20 years as it was frozen- ridiculous. By the! time I reach pension age though it will probably be 75 to qualify

The Norwegians do the same.Old people cost a lot of money to keep in the home country.Smart country,Norway.

18 hours ago, seancbk said:

 

I would say Thailand is improving all the time.   Sure parts of it were vastly better in the past, before the mass market and sexpat tourists arrived, but you can say the same for many many destinations around the world that were better 30 years ago and have been spoilt by tourism.  

For someone who is under 50 and therefore doesn't qualify for an extension of stay based on retirement, but who has made a ton of money or inherited a pile, the Thai elite makes a lot of sense.   

At 50 it makes less sense, except if you frequently travel by air in and out of Thailand, in which case the fast track service you get is worth it, also the 90 day reporting service they do for you might be worth it for some people.   

 

As far as 90 days is concerned it is just a quick run on the bike for me and i like keeping in contact with immi.If you live too far,what's so hard about writing a letter.Onlne will have to be back soon,surely.

On 07/04/2017 at 8:22 AM, darksidedog said:

I just renewed my retirement visa at a cost of 14,500 baht. I dropped my passport in to a shop with two photos and got my passport with visa back two days later.

Why I would be possessed to spend utterly stupid money to save me ten minutes every year is beyond me.

I'm pretty sure the 5,10,20 year folks still have to do a 90 day report.

I just got my retirement extention in the DIY scheme.1900 baht and free coffee.30 minutes,passport back,smiles all round.

Yeah,yeah,i believe you,but millions wouldn't.

8 hours ago, transam said:

As an English guy in LOS I still say.....eeeeeeeeeeeer.............

Thais love it when i errrrrrrr.Where did you learn that they ask.Bloody hell,off you lot,every day.

2 hours ago, giddyup said:

There will be no "easy street" that they were expecting in Australia. I don't imagine Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras will be offering the free housing, medical and a very generous welfare system that Australia does. Be interesting to know how many "refugees" opt to be returned to their home countries.

They are going to the US which will be worse.The "generous"welfare system for unemployed is well below the poverty line.

Things are starting to get harder Donny,decision time.Nth Korea and Syria sarin attack.

The law doesn't apply to your car.