bangkokburning

Thanks for that Lopburi.

I still need to do a border hop first week July.

They will take my pp for the duration? Both returned by post?

I live in bkk so no need for acs outreach. I could pu but rather have them send (because I want the address verification of the parcel).

OK, so two weeks, but plan on three - so give myself almost a month. I will email ACS but wanted to get first hand experience.

I'm not going to VTE (Savanakhet), further I need to have my new NonO in my new pp. So I will not be doing this in Lao, nir do I want to pay $$ for a room in a most boring of cities for three weeks when I have a apt in BKK as well as a wife.

Hadva friend add pages in VTE few mos back. They groussed at him not having appt, but then added the pages anyway. He said there was no one in the place and it was typical govt nonsense, the appt. BKK, yes Vuentiane, <deleted>

How is my old pp handled? Returned when I make the app or both pp returned weeks later? I will still be on that visa.

Is there a cost for postage?

Obviously a rat trap between Nana and Soi Cowboy.

What about Skype to a landline?

Im late to this thread, but here is my two baht:

Biggest hurdle is self employment, so copies of her business lic and tax records for as long as possible. In lieu of letter guarantee from employer. Ultility bills, like elec oldest and newest from shop/office.

Vehicle title

Bank book/s

Lease agreement her flat

Itinerary of your plans, precisely.

*Travel imo is way better than going someplace and "visiting"

Photos of you two together in different places and or events. A bunch of dog photos in your garden, not so much.

Your original passport

Photocopies of past visas and/or extensions.

A NOTE of introduction, half page (which like photos will be ignored).

Properly attired. Dress, blouse, low heels or flats. Smile.

Your biggest hurdle imo is the self employment. If shes late 30s and decent verifiable job - not just selling stuff out of a shop, you should have no problem.

Could use a new passport, but need to do runner to Lao for new visa and then back to US with wife fir six weeks.

I think I had read here about 2 (3) three weeks?

Need to schedule the process as well yes? So I will need to wait for appt time?? That would not work so well.

Thanks.

Buying BBB bonds, especially at the top of one of the greatest bond and soverign debt crises the world has ever witnessed. Who knows what govt intervention might ensue over the THB, or the banks when the debt (housing and consumer) blows up.

Genius.

All you need to do is take the cost of an ordinary tourist visa runner and that will be your extra visa cost for the filipina. Or you can marry the filipina and if you're on a retirement extension of stay u can get her a 1 year extension as a dependent. Sounds like you're not in scenario 2 now so take #1

Well, doing a runner two weeks with Jack golf will cost him b50,400 (over 1800usd). Then you have the money back tonthe family, spending money for her and basic household and holiday expenses.

If she does the runner to Lao, I think he chances for a double are nill, even with blank pp. Jack Golf adverts a runner for a single for b6600 with shared accom at Aran. So that is now "only" b40k a year ☺.

She can diy if you can trust a young, pretty and inexperienced loved one on the Cambodian or Lao border.

If you go with, her biweekly runs would cost 100k.

Would imagine Jack would tell you no promieses on the Visa after you have 4-5 as well. You could be back to 2wk runners and shipping her back home.

Would she stay with you after a year if she had to do biweekly runners or pack it upnand go home?

If this trend continues there will be a mass rethink from westerners about staying on here. I know of a multitude that have gone for much cheaper accomodation, to keep the same living standards on spending.

Western holiday makers will stay for less days here, many now instead of a month have now dropped down to 14 days.

I am aware that there are many ways of bringing orgetting money changed, why not help others by dropping the charges down for ATM visa transactions.

There are thousands who cannot just go home-- because of money tied up in house- business-car-condo. and some are getting desperate.

Easy to say people should have made better plans, but if you have been here a long time plans are not always easliy to deal with.

And all the "clever" folk who forever babbled on about renting being better than owning who could have bought a very decent house or condo when GBP brought in 75 baht to the pound and are now faced with living in Stalag Nirun Condo to save enough for a few bottles in the sun.

Bought a few condos to do what with? Cant rent em, cant sell em. Not to mention the loss you will.take when the bubble here dors burst. Why am I not seeing owning two condos in Pattaya as brilliance?

The only expats that will.have problems that cannot be dealt with are those stuck with property that cant sell or rent or living in a place they cant sell.and have a mortgage to service. Outside, external pressures.

For everyone else, change of lifestyle. Love it. If you cant or wont, it is bye-bye for you because beef and cheese and 24/7 ac and maids and wine - thats all out the window for many of you.

Now the realntruth and question comes...who.really wants to be here? Who loves Thailand.

In the end, everyone can hunker down. Cook at home, eat Thai food, drink a cheaper brand of Whiskey, take fewer holidays. If you have kids and a wife - Thais know all.about hard times. Keep Calm and eat lots of rice.

Newsflash: Philippines is hugely more expensive than here, always was. But moreover, Peso now trading 41-2 to usd used to be 48, 52...so it has strengthened in paralell. USD is falling, these currencies rising less so. But hey, you can get a Jollybee burger and cheesy hot dogs.

Well, Thailand has decided to buy dollars stupidly. Would be far better to inflate its own currency and spend it on infastructure.

It better do something and fast. Buyers will return to agroculture but consumer goods - they will be gone.

I also pay approx 110,000 a year for my own health cover over here which is only .03% of my total net worth. So yes one could say I planed for my retirement here. Many arrive on a wing and a prayer and just wing it.

Which is an interesting point, as have heard many times by the TV faithful that once your over 60 you can get medical insurance in Thailand...it appears you are a Kiwi, am I correct in saying that New Zealand has an NHS type system ?, therefore you recognised you would need private medical insurance and factored it into your retirement plans when moving to Thailand ?...good for youSo it would appear those who say they cant get medical insurance in Thailand, should in fact be saying they dont want to pay for medical insurance ?....which is a very short sighted and irresponsible way of setting themselves up in a foreign country and not have recourse to free medical treatment

From what I have read here on TV, the older one gets the more difficult buying insurance gets until you ate just not taken under any scheme. Presumably when you are approaching 80 or had your first serious illness or accident. Id tbought Id read as well that if you dont get on some scheme by XX yrs they wont take you at all. Im sure some of this is incorrect, but just wanted to put it iut there.

Really matters little what one makes, its what one has managed to keep (assets).

California is full of high flyers who spend a lifetime in the red by design.

Many pensions are bound to blow up in the future as well. Many guys do not have much of a nest egg but a nice pension. Sorry guys.

Banks are not done imploding in EU, look at Ireland

Banksters in US are at it again, big 5 banks insolvent, stock market bubble and QE#X

Metals could fall 30-50%

In US paying for Veterans services is 20% of the budget

Teachers mske less than trash collectors, what is the point of this?

Let me guess...

You are well off

+62

English

Live in Pattaya, Phuket or possibly CM.

All propositions have come from UK malrs under 55

Ok 8posts? Ill bite.

Ah the webs we weave...

Cops will just see her as the tramp she is

Disappear. Plan it out (and fast!) and vanish in the night. Leave the country.

Text her from the Cambodian border and say - I am on the plane and gone. No blackmail for you.

She cant and wont do anything. She will look back, see shes ahead money for nothing and go about her business.

The only thing Thailand will be able to provide new arrivals that seek western lifestyle here is a warm climate, a pretty beach and a potential companion.

At these thb levels western food is every bit as expensive and more so as back home

Housing can be cheaper, a small pad - but that is ill suited for retirees. So you are looking at 20k minimum for a nice 1 bedroom.

Medical...no insurance for you!

Automobile related - same as home save for insurance.

Entertainment - bar fines aside, alcohol in bats and pubs is about the same as in the US.

Alcohol in general is more expensive in Thailand.

The situation with the THB will not appreciably change. Thailand is between a rock and hard place.

Better to stay in your home country and enjoy a long holiday during the cool season. Long holidays dont require any committment to anywhere as well. You are free to travel to other countries.

Sorry, blue book? And if you are renting a house or a flat?

...and people wonder why I just go the multiple O route, what a hassle! And the woman counting your days, beyind belief. This happened to me once on the border. So if you enter on X day and exit on the day the cops stamp in your pp, even the day before - if they made a mistake, you pay. I really hate these people. Its just so petty, small, tedious. This stuff sends me to the moon!

Very informative though - thanks.

Transport from your place to train station

Cost of train

Price for food, water at minimum

Transport to Penang

Hotel

Visa and visa service

Transport assoc with visa if any

Hotel

Food, water, beer, everything

Transport to HY

(Hotel)

Train to bkk

Food, water, etc...

Transport back to your pad

Any time-killing cheap activity should be included as well

Thank you

PS without putting pen to paper, Im inclined to agree with Joe, I think I could do Vientiane chesper.

You can take the fan sleeper if they are running in the cooler months. Now, not so much.

30 to station

725 train

30 samlor to border

50 into Vientiane

450 hotel (bloody poor value here!)

120 food

120 beer

1000 visa

450 hotel

150 food

120 beer

50 to border

725 train

10 shower

100 two Leo waiting for train

30 back to apt

+40 r/t friendship bridge

+150 whisky on train

+35usd visa

If youb dont see tuktuk and other costs its because I walk and yes, I walk back from the border to the train station and walk to the embassy and return. I make my own fresh coffee in my room as well.

Thanks Lop - I knew that was crazy low. Last time I bought a 2nd class ac was about 1100 but I wasnt going to bother. Fan sleeper if you can even get one is like...900.

Nong Khai tran is 2k thb?! Not only do you need to get your number straight, dont even come here trying to boast a cheap visa run traveling first class bwahahaa ☺

Wait, stop halt everything...you excluded your hotel!!?? I did not notice prior. What sort of breakdown is this?

All this is incorrect price on trains and your visa costs! This is not in any way representative of cost items of a visa run. Done done and done.

You did not include transport, your costs to/ftom train station. Did you get the mv outside the train station (presume) or out at the bus station?

Alternative to Jim - <deleted>? Doing it yourself!! Pavarez was so cheap even I stopped bothering doing it myself. Then it all changed and it was best diy. But whatever. DIY is cost of bus fare out to cons 2x and walking back. That is cheaper!

Food. No, that is bs. Food costs are not "depends on your liking". If you ate 8 cups of Mama, those are your costs. Whatever it is it needs to be added in! I even add in my alcohol costs.

Lao or Penang...its about a wash. Transport to Penang is way more but visa is free and gh room cheap. Extra day in HY even b200 at my cheapie. Lao...35usd and for the losers that pay in thb, 1500. Then you have gh at 450 minimum and food in Vientiane is not cheap but I guess you could exist on sandwiches. Now, I always walk to embassy but I am the only person I know that does so. Add that huge ripoff charge as well as guys that still get rippped off coming and going on the border.

In the end - it doesnt matter which is cheaper, it matters who will give you a visa.

You scored a single for all.that work and 400b service. Meh...

I have never seen anyone post info here showing their visa run or border runs being cheaper or even equal to mine. Ive been doing this for a loooooong time. You lost before you started with the first class bogey.

Finally, you cant say - for about b4000! What is that really for you 4890? Give us the number down to a 100baht! If you tbink Im crazy, look at my posts on my visa run costs and if I said about 6000 for Lao or whatever, bank on it that it easily within 100b+ of that.

My least favorite province. Really greasy people.

Why not Phangan? Haad Kom.

The absolute best thing that the govt can do is to force dome transparancy on the market.

Everything else just twists and convolutes

Thailand would also do well to allow married foreigners +3yrs to buy condos and housing up to 1 rai (1) with money brought in from abroad. 100% ownership with wifey not on the title.

Well, no one really uses Penang anymore so it has ceased to become the go to visa shop.

I could have done the same trip cheaper by not going 1st class or paying Jim 40% for his services.

You made no mention of your transport costs other than minivan, no food nor gh in either Penang or Hatyai.

If you did not stay in HY then you were supreme-ly lucky to not only catch the train, but to get a sleeper.

Fan sleeper to HY and mv to Penang. Book 225b room, next day off to cons by bus, walk back. Repeat next day. Grab the visa and walk back. 2nts Penang. Early mv to HY and train north, no overnight.

Years early I used to use Pavarez (sp - sorry been so long). Id pu the visa and grab mv to HY gunning for train station but almost always miss the train. So thats b200 in HY for overnight plus food.

You have the right attitude, but you have a lot more money you can shave off the runner.

Philippines is anything but cheap. I find it 50% (yup) more expensive than Thailand.

You will.have to have a diffetent lifestyle than anywhere in Asia as the food is inedible and the women are dangerous (scams, drug plants, extortion, blackmail...)

All durable goods are made in PRC, they are of horrible quality made for domestic PRC market. You will see an ocean of new brand names in RP.

It is impossible to get anything done.

You are 100% target

It is a broken, dirty nation and the only expats that I have seen drawn to the place are perverts, alcoholics and broke service men.

Ask yourselves this - if Phils is so great why is everyone in Thailand?

Cambodia has more tourism now than Philippines.

Dude, its Myanmar - and that nut is still uncrackable, especially by your own transport.

Human Rts Watch just yesterday slammed the govt over human rights abuse re Rohinga debacle so as I stated prior, you wont be able to enter from Bangladesh for a long, long time. That eas after I posted my comments here I might add. It is just soooo apparent.

This honestly is the route you must take to claim you traversed Myanmar. You cant enter from China and exit at Tachelik and claim you traveled across the country.

Pethaps if you swept down thru NE Myanmar from.China, across the country, into Shan state. Toured that (amazing) and out. Even better to exit south at Three Pagoda.

The rest is just bs, sorry

Thanks to all -

Right now, Im taking it to the extreme. Ive always been thrifty but this is just a test. When I was 25 I woke up.and learned to separate my needs from my wants. My backpacking life extended that immensely.

When working at home, I saw every dollar earned as time on the road

Every beer and burger not consumed at the pub as time on the road

I learned to calculate both my spending and income as days of freedom.

Recently, we were coming off a remote island in Krabi, eating real food at the bus station. We each ordered a meal and split another. I looked over and saw a not unusual site. Two idiot backpackers. No real.food, junk, ice cream (2 each), both had laptops. My I thought, how many days food consumption did that cost?

When Im 62 and hopefully drawing a bit of SS pension and I start drawing on my IRAs plus some other funds, sell off my collectables and few antiques stashed - my spending will increase dramatically. Spending on trips and seafood hahaha ☺

But its been a great life, separating wants from needs, being crazy frugal has allowed me to live abroad for most of the last 20yrs jobless and traveling, despite the ruination of my currency and economy.

I buy quality. Clothes, travel gear, food, I even have a Swiss watch I bought for us850 and can sell for almost double that.

✔ LOVE not having a car. No traffic, upkeep, insurance - headaches like accidents...

There is nothing more fantastic than having the world at your feet and be young enough and strong enough to enjoy it. In hindsight, wish I traveled the world - got stuck in Asia.

For one brief moment in time the serfs were given the power to travel the world. Travel I did and travel I do. With EU and US in such a state, that windiw is fast closing, never to open again. Middle class has vanished.

★ I do not wish to give the impression that having a nice home, clothes or even luxuries are neccessarily bad. If you ate not labored by their ownership either financially or complicating your life. A nice home can be a worthy expenditure sure.

Im against crass consumerism, impulse, fads and trends.

Peace

Almost all gay men with no skills or education end up in the p4p scene at some level - somewhere but especially in Pattaya. Farang = jackpot.

There are tons of gay men and women living in BKK.

They all escape, just like they escape the small towns throughout the world.

My wife works with loads of gays, she often refers to some ladyboy as "she". If he is not especially attractive, Im prone to calling him sir, katoey kwai or it (if he is a real trainwreck). Just for fun...usually gets a big eyeroll.