Is my Thai girlfriend trying to sell me a pup?

[Laza 45]

35 minutes ago, Durio said:

I live in a part of the world subject to cyclones and I do track those that affect Japan and the ph.  It does seem that things are changing as the climate warms.  

Indeed... just look at the Caribbean and the cyclones to hit there and the the south east US..  Here is a good site to track these events in real time:     https://www.ventusky.com/?p=16.8;115.6;3&l=rain-3h

 

[Durio]

Just now, MaeJoMTB said:

Asking for advice on a public forum, may give you answers you don't want to hear.

Title of thread "Is my Thai gf trying to sell me a pup?"

My answer "Almost certainly"

You are entitled to your opinion but I was referring to her suggestion that there are cool parts of northern Thailand in which to live.  

[IAMHERE]

Absolutely not. She is testing your IQ

[ubonjoe]

Some posts meant to deflect the topic have been removed.

[MaeJoMTB]

3 minutes ago, Durio said:

You are entitled to your opinion but I was referring to her suggestion that there are cool parts of northern Thailand in which to live.  

My advice remains unchanged.

Live in her house in Korat for a year or two, see how you like it.

[4MyEgo]

2 hours ago, Durio said:

That does make sense to me.  I have lived in some Asian cities in the past and as I age the constant noise and exhaust emissions annoy me more than when I was a much younger man.  My gf will buy about 5-10 rai somewhere once we agree on a location and preferably with a dam/s already constructed.  Then we will build a simple cool house which I will fund and we will start with the process of growing food.  

I retired here in Isaan from Sydney 2 years ago, and had planned it from 8 years prior for when I would turn age 55.

 

My wife's village is between Udon Thani and Sakon Nakhon, not sure about how high up we are, but looks as flat as far as the eye can see, winter is Dec/Jan, nice, not like back in Oz though, but enjoyable, sort of like spring in a way.

 

Before deciding if I could live in my wife's village, i.e. coming from the big smoke and a very stressful work environment, these are the things I looked into:

 

Could I buy a decent parcel of land within walking distance of the local village and not too far from her family, I also didn't want to have neighbours too close on either side, at least a house away from us either side, and preferably older people, "less load music" when they have their festive seasons.

 

This was practically impossible, but she approached her (not real grandmother) and she sold us a 20 metre frontage x 50 metre depth of her rice field land which had a 100 metre street frontage, now 80 metre frontage, and will eventually become ours when she passes, i.e. kids have already said they will sell to us as they live in BKK and won't be using the land, and we have a few kids.

 

The land was sold to her for $4,000 AUS back in 2007, then to fill the land it cost another $1,500 to bring it up to above street level, thus avoiding recent floods, as opposed to our neighbours on either side. We built a good size one bedroom bungalow of (64m2) plus a 24m2 veranda at a cost cost $17,500 AUS and we travelled annually one/twice a year and stayed for 4-6-8-12 weeks at a time as if it was our holiday destination over the 8 years that followed, with some stops at Phuket or Pattaya on the way here, this all helped me make my decision easier, although I knew from the first time when I came her in 2007, that I wanted to move here, but of course you have to sus out other things as well, like how interfering the in-laws are going to be with cultural differences and all the BS that goes with it, and if your wife is going to be strong enough to sort them, I am lucky in that aspect. The bungalow was converted to a two bedroom self contained flat which has internal access to the house, we now have 6 bedroom and 3 bathrooms all up, with me and the Mrs living in the self contained bungalow, its the furthest we can get from the 4 kids....lol

 

Smoke was also a problem for me, as I am allergic to it, but a small investment with buying an IQAir 250 Healthpro air purifier, worth every baht, might want to research that one.

 

When building, if building in brick, has to be a cavity wall, roof insulation with thermal reflective insulation will take longer for the heat to penetrate into the ceiling, whirly birds to get the hot air out, less windows as the heat just walks on in, 1200mm eaves also assists, lots of trees around the house will keep it cool, we also have 7 air conditioning units, only 4 on when the nights are hot, 26 degrees is comfortable as we don't really like air conditions, but they are a must here, nuf said.

 

Driving distances:

 

Distance to big Cities, 1 hour and 1 hour 20 minutes with farang style supermarket (imports), meats, wines, cheeses, etc etc

 

Distance to airport 1 hour 15 minutes

Distance to farang style big Tesco and Big C supermarkets 20 minutes either direction

Distance to private schools 20 minutes

Distance to local waterholes to mix it up with Xpats, 20 minutes with 4 waterholes

 

Flight times:

 

Phuket 1 hour 50 minutes direct

Bangkok 1 hour

 

Nearest border : Laos, 1 hour 30 minutes

 

In planning your move, if your cashed up and are not going to keep your residency, might look at the stock market in OZ, as you pay no tax on fully franked dividends, and no tax on capital gains on shares, and don't touch your super until you reach 60 cause 1/3 will go to tax, and if you have a property, get rid of it because the tax will screw you over.

 

Last but not least, only invest as much as your prepared to lose (10%)

 

Good Luck

 

 

 

[Bangkok Barry]

Air-con?

[Just Weird]

3 hours ago, dotpoom said:

Your lady sounds like a delightfull and accomodating lady.  Unfortunate that you would associate, what many would consider a derogitary term, with her. 

    I do hope though that you find a suitable place here where you will both have a happy life.

Not quite as unfortunate as someone who completely misunderstands the perfectly normal and non-derogatory comment that he made which had no reference to his associating his wife with that remark,.

[britishrepublican]

Your girlriend will tell you whatever you want to hear. This is thailand, when their lips are moving, their probably lying. As for building a house together, it reminds me of the old saying."there's one born every minute.

 

Good luck anyway, I think you'll need it. 

[Durio]

14 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

I retired here in Isaan from Sydney 2 years ago, and had planned it from 8 years prior for when I would turn age 55.

 

My wife's village is between Udon Thani and Sakon Nakhon, not sure about how high up we are, but looks as flat as far as the eye can see.

 

Before deciding if I could live in my wife's village, i.e. coming from the big smoke and a very stressful work environment, these are the things I looked into:

 

Could I buy a decent parcel of land within walking distance of the local village and not too far from her family, I also didn't want to have neighbours too close on either side, at least a house away from us either side, and preferably older people, "less load music" when they have their festive seasons.

 

This was practically impossible, but she approached her (not real grandmother) and she sold us a 20 metre frontage x 50 metre depth of her rice field land which had a 100 metre street frontage, now 80 metre fromtage, and will eventually become ours when she passes, i.e. kids have already said they will sell to us as they live in BKK and won't be using the land, and we have a few kids.

 

The land was sold to her for $4,000 AUS back in 2007, then to fill the land it cost another $1,500 to bring it up to above street level, thus avoiding recent floods, as opposed to our neighbours on either side. We built a good size one bedroom bungalow of (64m2) plus a 24m2 veranda at a cost cost $17,500 AUS and we travelled annually one/twice a year and stayed for 4-6-8-12 weeks at a time as if it was our holiday destination over the 8 years that followed, with some stops at Phuket or Pattaya on the way here, this all helped me make my decision easier, although I knew from the first time when I came her in 2007, that I wanted to move here, but of course you have to sus out other things as well, like how interfering the in-laws are going to be with cultural differences and all the BS that goes with it, and if your wife is going to be strong enough to sort them, I am lucky in that aspect.

 

Smoke was also a problem for me, as I am allergic to it, but a small investment with buying an IQAir 250 Healthpro air purifier, worth every baht, might want to research that one.

 

When building, if building in brick, has to be a cavity wall, roof insulation with thermal reflective insulation will help get the hot air out, less windows as the heat just walks on in, 1200mm eaves also assists, lots of trees around the house will keep it cool, nuf said.

 

Driving distances:

 

Distance to big Cities, 1 hour and 1 hour 20 minutes with farang style supermarket (imports), meats, wines, cheeses, etc etc

 

Distance to airport 1 hour 15 minutes

Distance to farang style big Tesco and Big C supermarkets 20 minutes either direction

Distance to private schools 20 minutes

Distance to local waterholes to mix it up with Xpats, 20 minutes with 4 waterholes

 

Flight times:

 

Phuket 1 hour 50 minutes direct

Bangkok 1 hour

 

Nearest border : Laos, 1 hour 30 minutes

 

In planning your move, if your cashed up and are not going to keep your residency, might look at the stock market in OZ, as you pay no tax on fully franked dividends, and no tax on capital gains on shares, and don't touch your super until you reach 60 cause 1/3 will go to tax, and if you have a property, get rid of it because the tax will screw you over.

 

Last but not least, only invest as much as your prepared to lose (10%)

 

Good Luck

 

 

 

Thanks for your advice.  I own two properties outright and was hoping to live off their rental return.  I had not thought too much about the tax implications of that arrangement. 

[4MyEgo]

6 minutes ago, Durio said:

Thanks for your advice.  I own two properties outright and was hoping to live off their rental return.  I had not thought too much about the tax implications of that arrangement. 

I was pretty much in the same boat as you.

 

The tax is 32.5c in every dollar, no $18,200 threshold if you lose your residency, i.e. if you stay out of the country for more than 183 days at a time, although their are ways to retain your residency, but its a hassle and you are at the whim of the ATO, although others will argue.

 

You have a lot to research on this, if you need some links, let me know, or make a call to your accountant and say hey Jack, looking to move to Thailand in 4 years, will I be taxed as a foreign resident on my properties, and is the capital gains tax going to hurt me more as a foreign resident and how can I get around it, sh.....t, what are my options 555

[Laza 45]

52 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Where in Australia does the OP currently live? Having an idea of what he's used to may help with optimizing the new Thai abode. Anyone can google up the annual temperatures for any provincial capital which would give a rough guide to the area with the smaller temperature extremes.

 

Khumpuwapi was mentioned, nice place, about 40 km SSE of Udon Thani town. There's also some higher land about the same distance to the SSW of Udon town around Nong Wua So and over the 'mountain' on Nong Bua Lamphu. Both provincial towns easily afford the quite life with any specialist 'foreign' shopping needs, be it home building, farming or just getting a decent pie and a pint easily fulfilled in Udon itself. 

 

What's Chiang Rai like? Does it suffer as much from the burning season as Chiang Mai. I know it's going to suffer from the regional burning but is it anywhere near as bad as the bigger neighbor 150 km to the SW? On the fire mapper link, it looks a lot worse than Chiang Mai right now. Also Udon Thani looks clear (I know, I'm here!) but Kalasin and Roi Et look real smokey.

...not much of a smoke problem here in Kalasin.. 

[Just Weird]

33 minutes ago, Durio said:

You are entitled to your opinion but I was referring to her suggestion that there are cool parts of northern Thailand in which to live.  

In time you'll find out which are the people here that should be totally ignored.

[simoh1490]

3 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

In time you'll find out which are the people here that should be totally ignored.

I was going to write something similar but you saved me the trouble. Plus you wrote it in a much nicer and more polite way than I would have so thank you.

[britishrepublican]

1 hour ago, wazzupnow said:

i do not know off any cold area,s in isaan

i also do not know why any one would want to live there

only if u speak thai fluently you can have a form of social life

if not u will explode by boredom 

I totally agree. I get bored in bkk and i have all the mod-cons of western life and I speak Thai reasonaly well.

[wildewillie89]

Depends on the person I guess. I knew of an older Australian couple who retired to live in CM as they believed it would be cooler. Lived a few years of what I consider 'tourist' life and moved back to Australia because they couldn't take the heat anymore. So it is hard to guide people as everyone takes heat differently. 

I am also Australian and live in Issan, and yes, personally it does get hot for me. Took maybe a year (and a summer) to get used to it/not see it as an issue anymore. I am relatively young though. One of my dogs thrives on it, will always sleep in the sun over the shade. 

In terms of physical work, if you are not used to working in Australia's hot summer (or at least playing competitive sport in summer), then you will probably find it tough to work the land in Thailand during the day. Or if you do work, work like Thais, slow pace/many breaks. But often that results in many sugar drinks (then combined with Thai diet), brings in the possibility of diabetes.  

Just wake up early and work, and then also work in the evenings if heat is a problem. Design the land to try and make work as minimal as possible. I look at the Mrs grandmother for inspiration. She has to walk about a km along a hot road from her house to her farm each day. She is 80+ and still looks after about 12 rai of bananas, coconuts, beans, fish, frogs and tamarinds by herself in a beanie. She then walks back home carrying or pulling a cart with what she needs. Will then walk another few kms to the village to give it to the family. She is a bit of a freak of nature though. 

[tweedledee2]

Thai's don't know what cold is. I live near Surin and there was a cool spell (mid-60's) in March 2014. Wife and I were going to ride 20 baht pick-up truck into Surin, to shop at the market. Wife dressed in socks, long-legged pants, long sleeved top and a jacket. I was dressed in cargo shorts, short-sleeved tee and sandals. Before we left, my wife informed me that it was too cool for what I was wearing. We walked 120 feet to the main road and waited for our ride. When it stopped, we got on and I saw everybody else was dressed in long pants but also had on socks, knitted stocking cap, gloves and a heavy coat. All the other riders looked at me and I could just imagine what they were thinking about the farang. I just smiled and laughed to myself. Over the last 3-4 weeks, it has been cooler at night and my wife makes comments about it being cold. I just tell her what the temperature is in the Midwest USA where I lived. She can't understand how people can live there.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

3 hours ago, Durio said:

Thankyou dotpoom for your response.  I really did mean that tongue-in-cheek.  She has no ill-intention nor do I suspect she ever would.  She has told me that I can pick anywhere in the country to live and she will be happy.

 

Pattaya 

[GarryP]

26 minutes ago, Laza 45 said:

...not much of a smoke problem here in Kalasin.. 

Was up in Kham Muang last week and the air was great. I did see some burning but only very isolated. I will be retiring there in a few years.  

[tryasimight]

G'day mate.

You live in Cairns - I have a place just south of Townsville. It does get hotter in Isaan than FNQ/NQ but you should be able to handle it easily. It's usually a dry heat and not the high temp/high humidity of NQ and FNQ.

Don't forget that for a lot of posters (not all) their move to Thailand may be the only experience they have had living long term in a tropical country. I don't think someone who has lived all their life in <deleted> land will understand the climate where we come from. Try and visit in the Thai summer - maybe do Songkran one year as it usually warming up by then. Only visiting in December may give you the wrong overall impression.

[simoh1490]

A very good suggestion, an even better one might be to stay for a year and rent, just so you can experience things firsthand, year round.

[Durio]

51 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

I was pretty much in the same boat as you.

 

The tax is 32.5c in every dollar, no $18,200 threshold if you lose your residency, i.e. if you stay out of the country for more than 183 days at a time, although their are ways to retain your residency, but its a hassle and you are at the whim of the ATO, although others will argue.

 

You have a lot to research on this, if you need some links, let me know, or make a call to your accountant and say hey Jack, looking to move to Thailand in 4 years, will I be taxed as a foreign resident on my properties, and is the capital gains tax going to hurt me more as a foreign resident and how can I get around it, sh.....t, what are my options 555

I find money so boring but I have a close mate who is a partner in an accounting firm so I will have a chat over a few beers and get him thinking ahead of the move. There is no way I am going to give the ATO a third.  

[Laza 45]

15 minutes ago, GarryP said:

Was up in Kham Muang last week and the air was great. I did see some burning but only very isolated. I will be retiring there in a few years.  

I've been to Kham Muang a couple of times.. nice place.. nicely situated near the hills.. very scenic..  A good choice for your retirement..

[transam]

6 minutes ago, tryasimight said:

G'day mate.

You live in Cairns - I have a place just south of Townsville. It does get hotter in Isaan than FNQ/NQ but you should be able to handle it easily. It's usually a dry heat and not the high temp/high humidity of NQ and FNQ.

Don't forget that for a lot of posters (not all) their move to Thailand may be the only experience they have had living long term in a tropical country. I don't think someone who has lived all their life in Pommy land will understand the climate where we come from. Try and visit in the Thai summer - maybe do Songkran one year as it usually warming up by then. Only visiting in December may give you the wrong overall impression.

I am English and did not like the hot English summer (yes we do get them at times). Also been around Europe on holidays and the heat was always a problem for me.

 

But in LOS the heat is no ploblem at all, to me a totally different heat that my old bones like..I just made sure I built a large covered place to sit or stand attached to the house...

[Durio]

40 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

I was going to write something similar but you saved me the trouble. Plus you wrote it in a much nicer and more polite way than I would have so thank you.

There does seem like a few damaged souls here who are angry.  I ignore them when I go out for a drink and I will ignore them here now.

[tryasimight]

Just now, transam said:

I am English and did not like the hot English summer (yes we do get them at times). Also been around Europe on holidays and the heat was always a problem for me.

 

But in LOS the heat is no ploblem at all, to me a totally different heat that my old bones like..I just made sure I built a large covered place to sit or stand attached to the house...

Totally agree....build for the climate. have a google for Queenslander. An old style house built on stilts with huge verandahs......don't need airconditioning.

[Durio]

37 minutes ago, wildewillie89 said:

Depends on the person I guess. I knew of an older Australian couple who retired to live in CM as they believed it would be cooler. Lived a few years of what I consider 'tourist' life and moved back to Australia because they couldn't take the heat anymore. So it is hard to guide people as everyone takes heat differently. 

I am also Australian and live in Issan, and yes, personally it does get hot for me. Took maybe a year (and a summer) to get used to it/not see it as an issue anymore. I am relatively young though. One of my dogs thrives on it, will always sleep in the sun over the shade. 

In terms of physical work, if you are not used to working in Australia's hot summer (or at least playing competitive sport in summer), then you will probably find it tough to work the land in Thailand during the day. Or if you do work, work like Thais, slow pace/many breaks. But often that results in many sugar drinks (then combined with Thai diet), brings in the possibility of diabetes.  

Just wake up early and work, and then also work in the evenings if heat is a problem. Design the land to try and make work as minimal as possible. I look at the Mrs grandmother for inspiration. She has to walk about a km along a hot road from her house to her farm each day. She is 80+ and still looks after about 12 rai of bananas, coconuts, beans, fish, frogs and tamarinds by herself in a beanie. She then walks back home carrying or pulling a cart with what she needs. Will then walk another few kms to the village to give it to the family. She is a bit of a freak of nature though. 

She sounds like an amazing woman.  I am used to working outdoors in heat above 32 degrees C.  I have worked all day sweating in much hotter weather.  But I am almost 47 and not sure I want to work in the heat of the day as I get older.  Maybe I have to learn to slow down and enjoy the shade in the hottest part of the day.

[Durio]

41 minutes ago, tweedledee2 said:

Thai's don't know what cold is. I live near Surin and there was a cool spell (mid-60's) in March 2014. Wife and I were going to ride 20 baht pick-up truck into Surin, to shop at the market. Wife dressed in socks, long-legged pants, long sleeved top and a jacket. I was dressed in cargo shorts, short-sleeved tee and sandals. Before we left, my wife informed me that it was too cool for what I was wearing. We walked 120 feet to the main road and waited for our ride. When it stopped, we got on and I saw everybody else was dressed in long pants but also had on socks, knitted stocking cap, gloves and a heavy coat. All the other riders looked at me and I could just imagine what they were thinking about the farang. I just smiled and laughed to myself. Over the last 3-4 weeks, it has been cooler at night and my wife makes comments about it being cold. I just tell her what the temperature is in the Midwest USA where I lived. She can't understand how people can live there.

Anything below 18 degrees C and my gf is freezing!

[NanLaew]

13 minutes ago, Durio said:

She sounds like an amazing woman.  I am used to working outdoors in heat above 32 degrees C.  I have worked all day sweating in much hotter weather.  But I am almost 47 and not sure I want to work in the heat of the day as I get older.  Maybe I have to learn to slow down and enjoy the shade in the hottest part of the day.

You are ONLY 47... almost, so you have 20 years head-start on the resident silver-hairs (and no-hairs) that inhabit the Isaan and Lanna hideaways. And if you are from the north end of QLD, then the heat here is not going to be an issue. Ever.

 

I was about your age when I invested in my Isaan future and you do acclimatize well and stay acclimatized if you stay healthy. Most of those with health issues that are exacerbated by the heat probably had pre-exisiting conditions that weren't helped by indolence, nicotine and alcohol which is a facet of the semi-retired country life in LOS. 

 

Everything in moderation and I think you'll do just fine.

[Durio]

26 minutes ago, tryasimight said:

G'day mate.

You live in Cairns - I have a place just south of Townsville. It does get hotter in Isaan than FNQ/NQ but you should be able to handle it easily. It's usually a dry heat and not the high temp/high humidity of NQ and FNQ.

Don't forget that for a lot of posters (not all) their move to Thailand may be the only experience they have had living long term in a tropical country. I don't think someone who has lived all their life in Pommy land will understand the climate where we come from. Try and visit in the Thai summer - maybe do Songkran one year as it usually warming up by then. Only visiting in December may give you the wrong overall impression.

Do you have a house in Bowen or Ayr or Home Hill?   I was passing through those areas two weeks ago and the Bowen Mangos were everywhere.  I finally tracked down a guy who was selling Nam Doc Mai Mangoes and can you believe he was selling them for $12/kg.  I have spent a month in Cambodia during Late March and early April and it was like FNQ on steriods!  But I could handle well compared to many of the other Farangs.