SteveK

3 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

40.9168 was the highest in the last 90 days according to Oanda.

 

Where did you see the rate over 41? 

It's been over 41 a couple of times:

https://www.xe.com/currencycharts/?from=GBP&to=THB&view=1W

This is just a bit of fun, so Yinn please don't take too much offence.

I was bored the other day and realised that my phone still had Tinder on it from way back before I met my wife. I thought I would fire it up just to look at some pictures of nice girls, my profile was out of date but who cares. And I was shocked by what I found, but then I shouldn't be as I'm way out in the boonies here (I specified the maximum distance possible and any ages). A couple of points:

1. Even moderately attractive girls seem to put wording in their profiles now such "no FWB, no ONS, no holiday girl, no sex" etc. So I'm not sure exactly what they are looking for, what we in the west would call a "friend", maybe?

2. There are many which just say "freelancer". Screw that, if I want one of those I'll go and find one in person so that I don't end up with a 5 foot 2 version of Chewbacca knocking on my hotel door.

3. There seems to be an inordinate amount of ladyboys on there, but at least most of them admit it. Again, not for me.

4. Many of the girls say "long-term relationship only with a view to marriage". I wonder how many right-swipes they get? Can't be many.

5. Also I would say about a third of the ladies on there are off limits for aesthetic reasons.

So what does that leave? Not very much for the a single guy looking for a bit of fun, and around here, nothing at all. Deleted my profile and the app now seeing as I am married, but god that was depressing. Who uses Tinder then puts "no sex" in the listing? Jesus wept.

5 minutes ago, mikebell said:

I got 70+ when I first arrived and couldn't spend it all.  Now with a state pension frozen for 12 years and my married person's allowance now cut by nearly 50%, it would appear UK Gov are trying to starve us back home to plunder the Social Services. 

In my opinion, the UK has had it's chips. Ever since the Suez canal debacle, the country has been in decline. Now it has got serious financial issues, an awful government,  a population and government still divided over Brexit, divided royal family harbouring a possible pedo, race riots as a result of uncontrolled immigration, home-grown terrorism, eye-watering property prices caused by unchecked foreign investment, increasing poverty and inequality and rapidly rising homelessness and drug addiction.

When you consider the cost of living it makes you wonder why people don't leave. Oh, hang on, they are:

https://www.rt.com/uk/497033-emigration-eu-brexit-study/

Even if ex-pats don't contribute a huge amount to the economy, surely given the current environment they should be appreciating anyone bringing money into the country rather than trying to alienate them further with constant hassles? I know I personally spend more money per year than several entire households in our moobahn do, and I'm quite a spendthrift compared to some of the ex-pats on here. I'm not a cashcow, but a regular visitor to many local businesses, and often help out the extended family with a few baht here and there.

It's tens of billions of baht which ex-pats bring in, if they don't value that now it would be cutting off their nose to spite their face. Cutting back on red-tape to make ex-pats stay would be a very sensible move, but we know how this government feels about us smelly old westerners so it won't happen.

UK's going back into lockdown in some areas , furlough scheme is ending, soon there's gonna be mass unemployment and rioting. If you can get 41 to the pound, change it fast!

Small village in Isaan - most people now not bothering to wearing masks, all shops open as usual. None of the wife's extended family seem to be struggling. I know of one young lady forced to come back from Pattaya, but that's it.  To be honest it seems like most have just ignored the entire debacle anyway.

All the Thai girls who I have met over the years who were previously married did so without documents, they just had the party and considered themselves married. But then, they didn't need to keep presenting piles of documents at immigration like we do.

13 minutes ago, Westie1 said:

Would someone really do that ????????????????

Thais do it.

I recently used DHL to send some documents from Isaan to the UK, cost 1200 baht and arrived at the door in under 48 hours. Great service. 

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

  like living with little to nothing.  Some can just get up and go when they decide its time and are not out much.  

In one. I own almost nothing here, when the time comes that the goalposts have been moved just a bit too far, two small bags and a bicycle and I'm off.

8 hours ago, Mac98 said:

   How about a 60,000,000,000 baht boost to the economy that costs the government nothing? Change one rule: delete the 800,000/400,000 baht requirement for retiree extensions. 

   All that money now locked up could flow into the economy, from cars to bars, maybe help with a condo purchase here and there.

   The requirements could be re-instated at any time, but those who retired or extended under the exemption would be grandfathered in for life. 

  It is estimated there are currently 100,000 expat retirees in Thailand.

That makes sense - which is why it won't happen.

Making life easier for farangs in Thailand ain't gonna happen, too much loss of face. 

I'm under 50 and on marriage extension. If my wife dies will I have to leave immediately?

My first marriage extension took over 7 hours, 100 pieces of paper and a lot of hassle. Now it could be even worse.

15 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

They don't expect you to leave on the same day and as I wrote a divorce does not happen overnight. You have time to leave the country to get a visa and etc or apply for a different extension. I have suggested to people getting a divorce to go to a nearby consulate to apply for a multiple entry non-o visa before it happens that would remain valid after the divorce.

 

In Thailand the divorce happens when you sign the papers at the amphur office, so it effectively is overnight.

Then they want to boot you out? Felt a bit sorry for the guy.

I was just shocked to hear that if you end up getting divorced, they want you out of the country immediately!

If there's no chance of clunge then keep the money.