smotherb

4 minutes ago, Russell17au said:

How easy would it be to verify the US social security payment?

Pretty easy if you filter it through a Thai bank.

It seems to me to be a minor problem.

The average US monthly social security over $1400; which is over B46K.

Enough for any American married to a Thai to meet the B40k/mo requirement.

If not married to a Thai; you'll have to amass almost $7k/B230k to make the requirement.

4 hours ago, robblok said:

Bad news for US nationals.

 

I have said it before just swearing to something leaves too many loopholes open its illegal to swear to things that are not the truth but the chances of being caught were almost non existent. 

 

Seems all sides have finally seen the same problems and fixed it in the most convenient way for them and not for the best way for their clients. Seems putting money in a Thai account is the way to go.

Sounds like sour grapes--jealous were you?

You think most US income holders were lying do you? Then why is the UK embassy stopping the income letters too?

You see, neither embassy is willing to verify income. The only difference; the UK embassy required you to provide paper work. 

And you couldn't figure that out, eh?

2 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

I have no axe to grind in this matter but I do like to see a fair and balanced view. As things stand there appears to be no substantial evidence to suggest the Thai banking system is any less reliable or safe than the US or UK system, in fact, there is considerable evidence that the failure rate of US banks is excessive by any measure and that employee fraud is a significant contributor to that. Card fraud, skimming, teller fraud, they are all features of the banking system in every country so it's pointless to cite anecdotal instances where this or that happened to a friend or somebody I knew and claim the entire system in that country is lacking as a result. Checks and balances: I'll be very surprised if all the banks being compared here don't follow very similar processes, regardless of which country they are in - employee regs., internal and external audits, processes and controls, most will have been copied or derived using international standards, what that leaves us with is the confidence factor and hearsay and suspicion, hardly an objective way to assess financial safety.. 

Slow down slick, I do not know the Thai banking system other than my interaction with them. That interaction guides my opinion; I have not been impressed. If you feel safe, go for it.

Just now, simoh1490 said:

Possibly, but I suspect very strongly that Thai central bank monitoring of retail banks is pretty intensive, given what happened in 1997 hence they have an incentive. From what I read of retail banking in Thailand BOT seems to have a pretty good handle on volumes, percentages, capital adequacy, NPL's etc.

I am sorry that I do not possess the same level of confidence in Thai officialdom. I am not claiming that the US or any other Western country is perfect; far from it. However, I believe the Western systems of checks and balances is more likely to uncover individual slight of hand.  

34 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

the US FDIC has taken control of over 480 US banks since the year 2000, that's over 480 banks that have failed, the BOT however and the DPA have taken control of no banks in Thailand during the same period.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bank_failures_in_the_United_States_(2008–present)

 

 

 

It may be a little easier to keep a suspect bank open under Thai banking regulations.

18 hours ago, wgdanson said:

If you had USD 100M in the bank, why would you want to retire in Thailand?

Why, is Thailand only for those who cannot afford to live elsewhere?

19 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

What benefits do they lose?

The original pollination subsection of the sin sot rule book perhaps.

13 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I was not referring to the OP. Just giving an example as to why 12 months of proof is not required.

I fail to see how immigration could equate B195k (3 x 65k) to the living potential of having B800k.

2 hours ago, Thailand said:

So what say you Trump, are you still going to supply arms to your buddies or will you tweet it was a suicide or something equally stupid.

Let me guess, if those nasty people who lied through their teeth for days,accidentally on purpose killed K say sorry all will be forgiven?

No, perhaps our Trump feels for MBS; he knows the press is the enemy of the people and produces nothing but fake news--especially that anti-trump news. I wonder if he envies MBS.

On 10/16/2018 at 11:56 AM, PatOngo said:

I seem to have forgotten what No. 3 and 4 are, can you please remind me?

#3 bonk'em and #4 bonk'em again

1 hour ago, dotpoom said:

Always strikes me that most people who bring this subject up are people who are not affected by it one way or another (financially) ...now if a business person were to share their views maybe that would be of some interest.

Maybe that is why few business people are saying anything; there are too few left. Many of the farang business people I know are supplementing their businesses with outside income or are merely getting by.

6 hours ago, lanista said:

Last week of Nov through to end of Feb is the high season.  They'll come. They always do.

Cheap airfares, hotels and sex on tap. There is a Thai toy boy living near me who makes over 100K a month sleeping with old gay farangs.  Huge business here.

The gays pour into Thailand  for sex and  of course marriage now that its legal in some of our sad countries.

Chinese, Indians  and Russians will probably dominate as farangs find better quality destinations.

Sex and marriage eh? What makes that any different than what the straight farangs do?  

4 hours ago, Kopitiam said:

What would you suggest to those who can't manage it?

Well, at least two real good options--1) you can just sit here and bitch about it or 2) sit here and claim to love it

7 hours ago, See Will said:

So you will say I probably getting ripped off? I knew I am not a good business man.

Better I stay offshore and make my money the honest way. 

Sorry franck88, my "loan shop" is closed now due to incompetence.. ????????

My, you do read things unsaid. What I said, and what I meant, was that you were giving a good deal for 5-6. And, you even said, "Best price guarantee as usual.. "

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

I've always found paying for my meals gives a much more regular diet.

Well, if no one invites you and you want to eat; you have to pay.

9 hours ago, See Will said:

If you need cash your right here.

I can offer you any amount for lets say 20% interest per month.

Best price guarantee as usual..

 

Ah, you are the benevolent one; 5-6 is usually compounded weekly.

22 minutes ago, seancbk said:

 

Yes, you read between the lines of my comment.   Of course "I love you" means all that and not just "I'm actually in love with you".    

 

It's sort of like being polite at a friend's mother's dinner; "Oh, yes that was good." It serves the purpose of making her happy and may get you another meal

3 hours ago, guest879 said:

whats wrong with bar girls? just need to find one genuinely wanting to get out of the bar. most of my friends who moved in with non bargirls got rolled pretty badly. best to stick to bar girls but put them on a strict allowance and do your very best to get one without kids. (difficult but not impossible) I have 2 kids with a bar girl and she is a fantastic mum and housewife.

I do not agree that it is best to get a bargirl--I have seen many westerners married to bargirls in my over 50 years in Asia and most marriages either end or the Westerner simply accepts his fate. 

However, I do agree there are exceptions; I can think of a few out of the many I know--the odds are just against it; they can get to thinking of themselves as a commodity and their men only as customers. I think you are right that you stand a better chance with one ready to get out of the life; if she isn't ready to change, you are likely to end up the long-term consumer instead of the husband.

Now, that said, I do not suggest that a non-bargirl cannot be just as bad. So called, "good girls" can take you to the laundry just as quickly and leave you the cuckold too. I just think the odds are better for finding one willing to  settle down and their baggage is generally less involved.

I have to admit, I am what some of you may call a bit shallow; I do not want a woman who has been with lots of men or one who has kids. In fact, I prefer a virgin. While I can understand wanting a fine used classic car; I don't want a used woman, no matter how fine she may be. I don't need to put up with all the baggage or the knowledge of all who came before me--pardon the pun. As I have metaphorically said, I like that new car smell.

If you have to use a dating site, I guess you have to. So, do your shopping, make no purchases and cull the herd to find a few possible short-listers. Then, come to Thailand for a significant period of time; not just a week or two. Spend some time with each member of your short-list. Find the one or two which meet your criteria. Do not get married yet. Better to go home and think about it while engaging in a long-distance relationship. If you really cannot wait; bring her to the states on a tourist visa--not too hard to do if she has money and a legitimate reason to return to Thailand; and you can always provide the money part.  Learn more about her; see if she can acclimate to the US and your family and friends. If she can and you still want to marry her; it's a long process to get the immigrant visa, but it can be done.  

Just now, BritManToo said:

I always picked the ones with nice tits and my son already seems to think the same way.

Yeah, that seems to be the choice of a lot of men. If tits is your thing; they can be bought. Try buying a brain, a sense of responsibility, or love.

On 10/13/2018 at 7:29 PM, BritManToo said:

Dunno about that, most of the middle-class Thai guys I meet seem to hand their wage packet over to the misses unopened.

Then she gives him a couple of hundred baht for a night out for being a good boy.

I've seen that happen in the West, but usually the woman has the money smarts in the family; whether she works or not. The man may be the type to blow his paycheck on whiskey and gambling and leave his family without.