thaigold

Look ... I use to live in Santa Cruz California - I sent a birthday card to a friend's wife in San Jose (about 15 kilometers). It took 2-months.

You need it quick - use FedEx, no problema....

Unlike Latin based languages, which English, Spanish, Italian, and US speakers share - Thai is based on Sanskrit under the personal direction of a past Thai regent. The best way to learn Thai (if you really want depth) is to learn the Thai alphabet first - and then read, with a native speaking Thai correcting your tones.

Also, the Thai language is, in itself, a direct reflection on the Thai social contract, and all that that implies. Thailand, if forced to speak English, would be hard pressed to continue in its current iteration. The language itself is Thailand's shield against the rampant surge of western aggressive action, in business, and especially on the social plain.

Learn Thai - understand the nation -

Long Live The King

And we, we who are only guests in the Kingdom must acknowledge and accept the Noble Truths of Buddhism. Once in acceptance, you can appreciate and submit to the truth. Time, as it always has, will - in it's mysterious ways, bring resolution to all and everything.

Be not troubled...

_{Why is a "married to a Thai" visa only requiring 400,000? Makes no sense that it should be 400,000 when two people are being supported. Why not 1,600,000 baht for a married farang?}

One reason just might be a Farang couple just might have more disposable income than a Thai couple. 1.6 million baht is a huge amount for the average Thai. Case in point, Australia or New Zealand. If I and my wife want retire there we must be gold plated.

P.S. 400,000 baht is not a lot of money for a Farang couple to retire on..

Can't speak for everyone....but for me after living here for 10 years (vocabulary of mayber 500 words)....my Thai is very basic....

WHY?...First off I'm an old man and its hard enough for me to remember where I left the car keys! let alone learn a "tonal" language like Thai.

Next....don't really need much more than the basic's that I know to communicate with the Thai's.....isn't That what its all about ...communication!

So why the attitude .....congrats to you....but each to their own

Come on Sir ... Would you really consider living in France and not speak conversational French at some level? In fact, why would you even want to live in a country where you can't read, write, or speak?

This is just a "Tempest in a Teapot." The law is not unreasonable. With the advent of ASEAN on the horizon, the Thais are simply putting in place the same laws the Australia, England, or many other countries around the world enforce.

I'm sure that all non-Thais (Farangs - Foreigners) whatever, wish Thailand peace and harmony. As many Farangs were ringing their hands and worrying about untoward events, I knew in my heart of hearts that the Thais would solve their differences in the Thai way. Being an American, I remember well the ringing of The White house with buses to keep out the protesting mobs trying to stop Nixon's continuation of the Indochine adventure. Sometimes, many say, civil disobedience is actually healthy in a vibrant democracy - and vibrant the Thai democracy is.

When my wife of 25-years and I lived in California, I always said an invisible line went through our house - half Thai / half US. Since we now live in her country, Thailand, the invisible line still holds. She's yellow shirt to the core (southern born). I'm red shirt to the core (American born), be we love and respect each other ... just as the real Thai people do. Long live Thailand / Long Live the King!

Why not confiscate Thaksin's and Pojman's assets; ban him from political activity for (10) years, and let him return home. After all, he was removed from office by extra-constitutional means. Richard Nixon was a crook, but be was forced out of office by legal pressure, not a by coup d'etat.

I think we can all agree that in every human endeavour corruption is endemic. In the United States, every member of Congress had been the recipient of hundreds of thousands of dollars in election funds. This money doesn't come with no strings attached. As some say, why would any man pay millions of dollars to gain a position that pays less than $200K a year?

Someone once said each Congressman should wear a NASCAR uniform so the voters could set what corporations, it had bought them off. The point is it's unfair to say the Thai political system is any more corrupt than the US, Japan, or the United Kingdom. The point is; the Thai elites just can't swallow the reality that the unwashed and ignored poor cannot be ignored anymore. Bangkok for decades has had the means to ease the pain of the poor in rural areas - especially the Isan. But rather than build water systems and support systems for the rural poor, they built temples to greed and extravagance in Bangkok. Hotels; Malls; advanced rail systems, and all the necessary infrastructure.

Disparity of income is at historically skewed in the US, but changing the government by extra-constitutional means is a crime against all Thais. Create a fair and unstratified society and leaders like (we know who) would never have come to power.

Let me see if I've got this right. One group ( a minority) closes the international airport and occupies Government House for weeks - nobody goes to jail

The other group rallies in the streets and people get killed - and several of the targets are tried and jailed.

Now, just imagine a disaffected political group in the U.S. taking over the halls of Congress and closing Los Angeles Airport (LAX). Well, we all know that answer to that one don't we?

Yo ... When the yellows closed the international airport - they still came. When the yellows occupied the Government House, they still came. When the reds burned Central World and Zen - they still came. Thailand is not Rwanda.

Same the world over. Older men usually have more money. Women are drawn to money like bees to honey. Hence; No Money, No Honey.

Whatever country fat boy is from, his Ambassador should be publicly spanked.

He's lucky he got caught in the Kingdom. In the US they probably would have given him a enema trying to find drugs.

You people need to express a little compassion here. Life is hard everywhere - and these young people shouldn't be condemned for choosing the wrong university major - times have changed dramatically.

I came out of California school system before that drooling dodo, Ronald Reagan ruined the state. When I entered the workforce you could not avoid getting a good position with an open field for advancement. Those days are long gone.

Many young and educated Americans I meet overseas were contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan - now those good paying jobs are vanishing.

I wish this guys good luck, they are going to need it.

We live in Bangkok near the Victory Monument, and were here during the riots - so I'll answer your question with a statement.

I would rather be in Bangkok during riots than Los Angeles any day. Take this one to the bank - come on over...

We live on soi Rangnam, and during the last riots we had to pass through protester's barricades to get food. Both the red and yellow shirts were friendly and only asked who I supported. I smiled and something nice in Thai and we went on our way.

Now during the Los Angeles riots I would have been beaten or shot (probably by the LAPD). Travel warnings? No problemo...

If you have been married for 12-years and have never applied for a retirement visa based on marriage to a Thai only tells the immigration office that you are working in the Kingdom without a work permit. You need to get a work permit or a retirement visa. It's that simple. Good luck.

Lord help him if his German hausfrau reads about this - he'll be out of a lot more than 200,000 baht.

If this dude was as big an exporter as the New York court say he is, why didn't the dude have a second nation passport?

Thailand has a pretty easy retirement visa policy but it is very conditional, one year at a time with NO PATH whatsoever to any increase in residence status EVER. Also, that is not likely to change.

So for those seeking more residence security in retirement, indeed PERMANENT RESIDENCE and even the option for citizenship -- there are some other options in the world that do offer that. Perhaps the best program for that is ECUADOR.

In case your are skeptical, when applying for expat retirement status in Ecuador it is an IMMIGRANT visa, not a non-immigrant one.

In my view, people considering retirement in Thailand are very wise to examine the pros and the cons, and the lack of long term residence security here is definitely a con.

Excellent post. Long term is always a concern...but the advantages outweigh the concerns.

Actually, I feel really bad for the guy. I hope he's OK but there sure is a worry and it doesn't pass the smell test yet.

Cadaver canines might be of assistance.