I am almost ready to Pull the plug and leave

[Ban Phe Dezza]

On 9/5/2018 at 10:34 AM, Ban Phe Dezza said:

Brit man said I have several friends, too poor to stay in Thailand, who now rotate around Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Philippines **I thought of that but entry to Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia cost $ 30 US every time  Philippines free entry on arrival. interesting to find out how your friends do it and average costs 

Brits and Aussies get 60 or in my case 90 days in Penang Georgetown looks doable at least from my remote investigation 

[GinBoy2]

9 minutes ago, SheungWan said:

Probably a typical example of someone pulling the plug is a guy who recently returned to the Midlands in the UK after living in Thailand for many years and has no intention of returning. Reason for leaving? He decided that the continual hot, humid weather was just too unpleasant for him as he was getting older and decided to 'ahem, throw in the towel. There were other accumulating reasons of course, but it was the heat that finally tipped the decision.

It wasn’t single thing that made me pull the plug, but I gotta admit weather was part of it.

 

The humidity was a killer for me. 

 

I deal with snow and winter so long as summers are hot and dry.

 

In point of fact I rather like the winter day with snow on the ground, blue sky and frigid as Hell.

That for me trumps hotter than Hell and dripping with sweat, which is a lot of the time in Thailand

[David Walden]

5 minutes ago, Ban Phe Dezza said:

Hi David 

Lots of Changes in Thailand for OAP and others looking to stay long term, It seems many of the Quasi Options have been closed with the appointment of the new Immigration Chief.

In my case the Family have stepped in to Help depending if I can renew my Extension, I have 3 weeks to go before i will apply first step Trip to Embassy/ Consulate in Bangkok for statement of Income Stat Declaration Then next day to Marraput Immigration to see if the will accept and approve my application (A) If approved with Financial help from my Family I will Stay at least for a while.  (B)  if rejected will Pack my Bags and take your advice to heart Many thanks for Constructive info 

If you have to go back to Aus and you clearly enjoy or suffer hot weather in Thailand. Cairns in Northern Queensland Aus. has similar weather and nearly all the things a big city has.  You can live there with only 2 pair of footy shorts and a few shirts, 4 pair of underpants, thongs for formal attire and can rent small places quite cheap not down town but near the beaches and it is "Aus" and no "wild dogs"  There are thousands of Aussie retirees living in Cairns and North Qld as is in much of all Queensland and love it.  And you will be able to have a "T" bone steak more then you think.  "where do you get'em in Thailand".

   Although I have a bit more then the AAP (OAP) my Bt 95,000 p/m Aus pension 6 years ago (includes OAP) is now only worth Bt70,000 and prices have gone up in Thailand.  Rents have been dropping in Aus in the last few years.  You can rent a small unit not far from downtown Cairns for less then $200. P/W or a unit in a caravan park long term for even less (mostly).   It seems that matters of the heart are your biggest problem in Thailand...good luck.

[Ban Phe Dezza]

34 minutes ago, David Walden said:

If you have to go back to Aus and you clearly enjoy or suffer hot weather in Thailand. Cairns in Northern Queensland Aus. has similar weather and nearly all the things a big city has.  You can live there with only 2 pair of footy shorts and a few shirts, 4 pair of underpants, thongs for formal attire and can rent small places quite cheap not down town but near the beaches and it is "Aus" and no "wild dogs"  There are thousands of Aussie retirees living in Cairns and North Qld as is in much of all Queensland and love it.  And you will be able to have a "T" bone steak more then you think.  "where do you get'em in Thailand".

   Although I have a bit more then the AAP (OAP) my Bt 95,000 p/m Aus pension 6 years ago (includes OAP) is now only worth Bt70,000 and prices have gone up in Thailand.  Rents have been dropping in Aus in the last few years.  You can rent a small unit not far from downtown Cairns for less then $200. P/W or a unit in a caravan park long term for even less (mostly).   It seems that matters of the heart are your biggest problem in Thailand...good luck.

No heart Love Just a Career 

[David Walden]

On 9/16/2018 at 11:21 AM, jayboy said:

I don't think he was making a moralistic point.Perhaps he was just echoing:

 

Sex: the pleasure is momentary, the position ridiculous, and the expense damnable.

 

Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield

 

My answer to this post has always been "I'll stay with sex till something better comes along", at 76 I still think it's best deal as long as there in no victim.

[David Walden]

On 9/16/2018 at 12:35 PM, BritManToo said:

I think this guy has the answer to that.

This is the most sensible post on this site by miles.

 

[David Walden]

On 9/17/2018 at 4:05 PM, Stradavarius37 said:

An argument about never having a car crash is not a valid reason to forgo car insurance. An argument about never having major sickness is not a valid reason to forgo health insurance.

Sent from my SM-N920C using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

At the current Royal Commission in Australia into the banking and insurance industry.  Evidence was presented that AllIanz Insurance from 2013 to 2015 received 1.6 billion dollars in Australia for car insurance premiums.  $600 million went to agents, brokers and car sales yards as commission.  $144 million was paid out in claims (8% of premiums paid) and $856 million was profit.  From my own personal experience having worked in the industry, Travel insurance is about 5% of premium collected in claims and fire is about 4% of premiums paid.  It about time charity began at home.

[David Walden]

On 9/21/2018 at 3:32 PM, Nemises said:

Not possible - no gold allowed in deposit boxes, apparently.

In 1968 gold was US 32 an OZ it's now about $1,200 an Oz

[GinBoy2]

I think for a lot of us, with maybe the exception of the UK guys, we all have locations back home where you can live relatively cheaply.

For us that makes the Thai equation a lot less straightforward

[David Walden]

On 9/29/2018 at 4:37 AM, blackhorse said:

On 9/28/2018 at 7:38 PM, WinterGael said:

Where do you get the idea that Canada is dirt cheap? I love in Canada 1/2, as do my brothers and sisters.  At 2000$ a month you are a pauper in Canada. The only real benefit is having medical. There are not that many perks for being over 65. My mother and her husband make 3000 a month between them and they are in their 70s/80s. They can't afford to go to movies, or for dinner, travel, or much else. They lost their home years ago when the bank foreclosed on them. Their rent is almost 1/2 their income. The cost of food here is outrageous and the over 65 perks are minimal... First you have to be able to afford them to take advantage of them. 
 
My mortgage in Thailand 250, my brothers mortgage in Cranbrook 1200. 
 
Our monthly grocery bill in Thailand 150-200 for 2, the average my brothers and sisters pay in Canada is 500-700 for 2 a month, depending on how much healthy food you want. 
 
Our utilities in Thailand come to about 80 a month, with air, for a 3 bedroom townhouse. My sister pays 80 a month just for electricity in a 2 bedroom house. Cable and Internet cost her 150, gas averages to 70 a month, and her cell phone is 75 a month, basic plan. 
 
All numbers in Canadian dollars. 
 
I have friends in canads who are struggling to live making 100000 a year because the cost of living in Canada is so high. My wife and I live a very good life here in Thailand on 35000 baht a month, and we save money. 
 
Oh yes... Can't forget this... Medical... I pay 1700 baht a month. But then I told the insurance company I did not want a private room, that the provincial public hospitals were fine with me, and I did not care if noone spoke English. Their quote went from 4800 baht down to 1700 baht a month by doing that. 
 

That's funny. Please tell us which insurance accepts 1700 baht a month at your age? You talking accident or medical?

In Australia you break a leg and spend a month in hospital under Medicare Gov insurance you will not pay a penny.  I know, been there done that.  Didn't break a leg but had another issue.

[chrisandsu]

6 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

I think for a lot of us, with maybe the exception of the UK guys, we all have locations back home where you can live relatively cheaply.

For us that makes the Thai equation a lot less straightforward

There is some really grim northern towns you can move to for a very cheap existence in the uk . Trouble is the uk pension really is terrible ! I think my dad gets about £170 a week ! 

[Naam]

On 10/7/2018 at 7:22 AM, mogandave said:

On 10/7/2018 at 6:21 AM, Naam said:

the available credit is your limit.

I’m sure you’re right, but you should tell the banks, as they all seem to list the limit and the available credit separately.

i consider all three banks i am dealing with to be stupid banks. but none of them is that stupid. could it be that your banks refer to a single transaction or daily limit that differs from available total credit?

[bwpage3]

12 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

It wasn’t single thing that made me pull the plug, but I gotta admit weather was part of it.

 

The humidity was a killer for me. 

 

I deal with snow and winter so long as summers are hot and dry.

 

In point of fact I rather like the winter day with snow on the ground, blue sky and frigid as Hell.

That for me trumps hotter than Hell and dripping with sweat, which is a lot of the time in Thailand

Love to get a couple of Skiing trips in each year

 

Thai family loves the snow, maybe not living in the cold full-time, but good for a holiday.

[Naam]

i too like snow. any snow., even blizzards who knock out the power for days. snow's perfect... when i see it in movies.

[mogandave]

Yeah, when I take my family to LA we drive up to Ridgecrest to play in the snow, then back down to the beach.

[balo]

Considering the latest visa news from Big Joke , I think thousands will follow you within the next year.

But maybe not far , I guess Cambodia will be busy . 

 

[GinBoy2]

6 hours ago, Naam said:

i too like snow. any snow., even blizzards who knock out the power for days. snow's perfect... when i see it in movies.

Well at least in the US, it’s mainly in the East coast where they have predominantly overhead power cables where weather knocks out power for days.

For those of us in the enlightened mountain midwest, power is usually underground.

 

I’ve never had power knocked out in the worst of snow storms

[inThailand]

Northern Isaan for me in Dec and Jan. A nice and welcome change

[chrisandsu]

1 hour ago, GinBoy2 said:

Well at least in the US, it’s mainly in the East coast where they have predominantly overhead power cables where weather knocks out power for days.

For those of us in the enlightened mountain midwest, power is usually underground.

 

I’ve never had power knocked out in the worst of snow storms

Same in the nw . I really like the seasonal changes but like to get out of the depths of winter which is normally just drizzle rain . Go to Thailand for a few months then back for spring . The summers here are unbeatable I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else . Mid 80s and sometimes up to the mid 90s for a week or two at the most extreme  . Thailand is a beautiful place but the Rain and hot  seasons are pretty miserable ! 

[Ban Phe Dezza]

On 10/7/2018 at 4:40 AM, Odysseus123 said:

I would be interested to know how the poster is getting along.I think that he stated that October was his cut off point.

I think I posted a response to Odysseus 123 a couple of days ago However if Consulates are stopping the financial stat declaration statement and Immigration do not accept Oversea's Bank deposits  IE pension is paid here but my super in Australia I may have to reconsider my options still have 3 weeks before last chance to apply for extension  worrying times 

 

[GinBoy2]

12 minutes ago, chrisandsu said:

Same in the nw . I really like the seasonal changes but like to get out of the depths of winter which is normally just drizzle rain . Go to Thailand for a few months then back for spring . The summers here are unbeatable I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else . Mid 80s and sometimes up to the mid 90s for a week or two at the most extreme  . Thailand is a beautiful place but the Rain and hot  seasons are pretty miserable ! 

I hear ya.

 

We try to head out after Christmas or New Year back to Thailand, depending on my wife's work schedule, to escape the worst of the winter, then return in the Spring.

I love Spring Summer and Fall here

This year is gonna be a bit of a bitch. DoD have her working on a contract that will probably last through April.

Oh well, good job I bought some new boots!

Edited October 9, 2018 by GinBoy2

[Ban Phe Dezza]

3 hours ago, balo said:

Considering the latest visa news from Big Joke , I think thousands will follow you within the next year.

But maybe not far , I guess Cambodia will be busy . 

 

Is Cambodia a real option?   one idea I am considering at least for starters is Penang. I can walk up to Immigration hand over my passport and get 90 days Visa free. With a couple of plane trips to say Philippines, Thailand that is a whole year sorted out all Visa free and a couple of Holidays as a Bonus 

[simoh1490]

22 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

It wasn’t single thing that made me pull the plug, but I gotta admit weather was part of it.

 

The humidity was a killer for me. 

 

I deal with snow and winter so long as summers are hot and dry.

 

In point of fact I rather like the winter day with snow on the ground, blue sky and frigid as Hell.

That for me trumps hotter than Hell and dripping with sweat, which is a lot of the time in Thailand

Another emerging factor for me personally is the state of my health and the ease with which it can be managed in the UK versus in Thailand/tropics. 

 

No matter how much I exercise in Thailand I was always unable to get my weight below 86 kilo's and my blood sugar and lipids were always borderline/high, this despite a strict diet and as much exercise as I could. After being back in the UK and in an often cold climate for three months, my weight went down to 82 kilo's and my blood sugar and lipid levels are the best they've been in years but I have no dietary restrictions. Sure I didn't drive a car in the UK and instead, I walked everywhere but a person can do that easily in a cooler climate, it'd be almost impossible for me to get the equivalent

amount of exercise in Thailand because the heat and humidity are so high. Now that I'm back in Thailand it will be interesting to see how quickly I put the pounds back on.

 

[GinBoy2]

12 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

Another emerging factor for me personally is the state of my health and the ease with which it can be managed in the UK versus in Thailand/tropics. 

 

No matter how much I exercise in Thailand I was always unable to get my weight below 86 kilo's and my blood sugar and lipids were always borderline/high, this despite a strict diet and as much exercise as I could. After being back in the UK and in an often cold climate for three months, my weight went down to 82 kilo's and my blood sugar and lipid levels are the best they've been in years but I have no dietary restrictions. Sure I didn't drive a car in the UK and instead, I walked everywhere but a person can do that easily in a cooler climate, it'd be almost impossible for me to get the equivalent

amount of exercise in Thailand because the heat and humidity are so high. Now that I'm back in Thailand it will be interesting to see how quickly I put the pounds back on.

 

It’s funny, we were only just talking about this the other day. 

 

We went out for walk at the local lake couple of days ago, which is maybe half a mile away, it occurred to us we couldn’t actually remember a time while we lived in Thailand that we had just, gone out for walk

Edited October 9, 2018 by GinBoy2

[simoh1490]

3 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

It’s funny, we were only just talking about this the day. 

 

We went out for walk at the local lake couple of days ago, which is maybe half a mile away, it occurred to us we couldn’t actually remember a time while we lived in Thailand that we had just, gone out for walk

I'd love to ditch my truck and walk everywhere but that's not only not practical here in Thailand, it's almost impossible also, at least it is where I live.

[GinBoy2]

4 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

I'd love to ditch my truck and walk everywhere but that's not only not practical here in Thailand, it's almost impossible also, at least it is where I live.

Apart form the fact that you’re sweating your balls off.

 

Sidewalks are few and far between, and outside of major cities public parks just don't exist

Edited October 9, 2018 by GinBoy2

[simoh1490]

5 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

Apart form the fact that you’re sweating your balls off.

 

Sidewalks are few and far between, and outside of major cities public parks just don't exist

Queue somebody who will tell us to go to the gym! Yes I've done that, often, 90 minutes of getting totally knackered for what, a minor loss of body fluid weight which gets put back on within 24 hours and a minor tweak to the blood work numbers.....the boredom and repetition of that sort of regime is just too overpowering after a while - it's one thing to say, I think I'll walk into to town for lunch and then stroll down my the river, and yet another to say, I must go to the gym to get my exercise, because I have to. 

[GinBoy2]

5 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

Queue somebody who will tell us to go to the gym! Yes I've done that, often, 90 minutes of getting totally knackered for what, a minor loss of body fluid weight which gets put back on within 24 hours and a minor tweak to the blood work numbers.....the boredom and repetition of that sort of regime is just too overpowering after a while - it's one thing to say, I think I'll walk into to town for lunch and then stroll down my the river, and yet another to say, I must go to the gym to get my exercise, because I have to. 

Well you’re gonna get the folks who no matter what you say will take it as some attack on Thailand.

 

I relish going out for a walk every day, the other thing I do relish is the air.

 

My asthma is Thailand is horrible, yet when I’m back in the US, clean mountain air, I use my inhaler maybe 10% than I do in Thailand

[simoh1490]

13 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

Well you’re gonna get the folks who no matter what you say will take it as some attack on Thailand.

 

I relish going out for a walk every day, the other thing I do relish is the air.

 

My asthma is Thailand is horrible, yet when I’m back in the US, clean mountain air, I use my inhaler maybe 10% than I do in Thailand

What I wrote is true of any country in the tropics so what I wrote shouldn't be viewed as an attack on Thailand, it's a heat/humidity versus age thing.

 

 

[steve73]

1 hour ago, Ban Phe Dezza said:

I think I posted a response to Odysseus 123 a couple of days ago However if Consulates are stopping the financial stat declaration statement and Immigration do not accept Oversea's Bank deposits  IE pension is paid here but my super in Australia I may have to reconsider my options still have 3 weeks before last chance to apply for extension  worrying times 

 

There are plenty of retirees here who don't stay all year round.. Most of these probably get their pensions paid into their home account and then only move it to their Thai account during the months they're actually here.  If Thai now insists everything is paid in here, then they will lose many of these long stay retirees.