GinBoy2

You might have a point there. Maybe growing up in the UK with almost semi religious NHS leads them to just always expect it to be free, which of course in itself is a myth, nothing in this world is free, someone is always paying the bills. But often they seem almost bemused and confused when overseas and the sh*^t hits the fan that someone actually asks them to pay, and then it's always Gofundme, which is basically no different to a beggar in a Skytrain station with a begging bowl

Well that hasn't been the history of condo construction. They continue to build despite horrific vacancy rates. It defies normal economic logic, but I've long since given up trying to understand the Thai property market

ETIAS and ESTA are 'visa lite' Not really a visa, but a kinda visa. Doesn't matter how you spin it this is the 'visa free' future of travel regardless of your passport Oh and by the way to all my Brit friends, I hope you realize this applies to you too when you want that weekend in Paris!

This is who we used. I 'think' it was around $1500. https://www.thailandpetmover.com/

I think thats true for a lot of us that grew up in the 60/70's. There is a perception that it was all sex, drugs and rock n roll. That may well have been true in the urban areas, but for a lot us in rural area's society was still pretty much the same as it was in the 50's. Now I'm talking from an American perspective, but talking to Brits and other Europeans I think that was pretty much the same for them too.

Well thats a sweeping statement. A lot depends on how long you're been in Thailand and your personality. Foe many what started off as cute when you first get off the boat, can over time just irritate the sh***t out of you. From garbage in the road, noise enough to burst your eardrums, power outages, it can just overwhelm you, especially I would say if you are retired and sat at home doing nothing. Then couple in visa's and God knows what else it can 'for some' eat at the soul. I've said this before, Thailand is a great place for guys mid 40's to late 50's. It's fun and different. But get into your 60's a lot of things start to change, and that when you gotta start making hard choices, not the dirt easy ones like when you first moved to Thailand!

Thing is, $170/month times 12, and at ฿33/$ is ฿67,320 a year. Good luck trying to find health insurance for a male 65+ in Thailand for that! Always plan a bolt hole my friends

If Part B costs you 25% of your SS check, you really didn't pay much in to the system. Back to @Jingthing OP, I don't think you really need to do anything to maintain a good credit score, other than have a credit card and not have late payments. As he has said previously never rule anything out in life, the universe can have a malicious way of sending you curve balls!

Well, when I first started this I thought it was just a light hearted thread about how we end up looking in our twilight years. What I have realized there is a lot of pent up therapists couch anger towards good old dad!

So I think I'm good. We're planning a week in Iceland in December, then on to Sweden over Christmas. I don't foresee any issues with MrsG getting a visa since she's a US Green card holder, and applying at the Icelandic consulate in the US seems a slam dunk

Curiously my name is Pedro, but I've always gone by the Anglo Peter

True, but... I'm a little old fashioned when it comes to parenting. I think having both mom and dad being around as kids grow up is important. I think my girls benefited having me around, since I sorta toughened them up, you only need to ask them about me teaching them how to drive! There was tears, but they are better for it, and both of them ended up strong adult women, and no man would ever mess with them. I think I taught my son how to respect women when he was in that cocky late teen phase, and today he is a great supportive husband and father, and hopefully will pass that on to my Grandson. So just giving life to a child is a very minor part of being a father in my mind

The other thing is kids with a wide age gap relationship So some choose never to have kids, and thats fine, but we've all seen the 60 something Dad slopping around the mall with a collection of rugrats For me my children have been the love of my life, All three of them are now in their 20's and 30's, and with two grandkids I couldn't be happier I often wonder what those kids born to older Dad's miss. I've been through teenage angst, ballgames, graduations, proms, boyfriends, weddings, grandchildren. I like to think that me being a part of all that was enriching for them too. A Dad at 60 ain't gonna see or participate in a whole bunch of that, and thats sad

Isn't that called Home Hospice? I suspect employing a home carer ultimately turns out to be a lot cheaper than marrying said 'carer' who inherits everything you've got

They are actually the same age. My first marriage failure was due to too much time away from home with work, nothing to do with looks or age. Luckily everyone gets on; my American daughters, Thai son, my ex, her bf and my wife. Weird though it may sound we even all go vacation together

It's funny how we all see things differently. Me and MrsG have been together over 20 years at this point Neither of us have the bodies we did back then, but I 'think' because we actually have a spiritual or whatever you might call it relationship, I think she's sexier now in her 50's than she ever was. I can see a pretty girl in the street, and think, Yep she's pretty, but wouldn't ever trade MrsG for a TikToc obsessed pretty face, with whom I would have nothing in common? I don't think so!

That is a somewhat disturbing tale!

DNA has a weird way of raising it's head as we get older. I'm an only child, of an only child Mom, yet my second cousin looks like my twin, and like my Dad. We have had some discussions about that!

And you know none of us are dumb enough to post pictures on here!

Well my ex wife is dealing very well with her toy boy boyfriend, doesn't seem to worry them. But again, he is I 'think' about 10 years younger than her

Two things affect the aging male brain; a desire for sex, and a sense of familiarity. Many guys in Thailand gravitate there for the former, easy sex with young women who in their home country would probably vomit at the thought of sex with them. Then you get to familiarity. We all like sex, but being with someone roughly your own age brings that sense of common ideals. You sorta like the same music, movies have lived through the same history so you actually have things to talk about, rather than a relationship just based around sex. So I'd say a 10 year age gap is about the limit And for full disclosure me and Mrs G are exactly 10 years apart

So if I'm right, and this might interest me as an American, am I right in saying that if I wanted to travel to Europe with my Thai wife, I should simply apply in a Schengen country with the lowest rejection rate? Now my wife is a US Permanent Resident, so I think that helps a lot, but we have wanted to visit Iceland for a long time, then we could visit with her cousin in Sweden. So apply in Iceland and we're off to the races! Is that how this works?

Maybe I'm just kinda old fashioned, but I do always pay the bill when we go out. It really is irrelevant since me and MrsG have joint finances, but maybe it's part of my dinosaur brain, and hers too, that I get out the credit card when we dine out. Don't know why, and I'm sure someone will tell me why it's wrong, and it makes no real sense but it makes us for whatever reason feel good

I'm an American so doesn't affect me, but thought for the Europeans this might be an interesting factoid.

I shipped our cat, several years ago it must be said, to the US, and to be honest I gave up trying to fathom it myself and just coughed up the cash to a shipping agent. The paperwork alone was horrendous, and it mostly appeared to be for the Thai authorities shipping it out. Entry to the US was pretty easy. Ass backwards I know, but it is Thailand!