What does an old guy need to move back to America

[gk10002000]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

I think you're wrong about Florida. There are a lot of people in deep poverty there. Utilities are more expensive there. Car insurance is more expensive there and you will need a car. Renting a mobile home or even buying one and renting the lot is like being in a hostage situation, you are truly a captive. Not to mention hurricanes that are getting worse.

pfffff.  I have lived there since 2000.   Plenty of options available. I pay 550 a year for my car insurance.  I didn't mean one has to rent on their own.  There are plenty of share rental arrangements available in homes, fixed or mobile or even apartments.  Hurricanes are a non issue.  Unless one is planning or desiring to live downtown in some metropolitan area, having a car is likely very necessary anywhere in the USA.  There are exceptions of course. 

[Jingthing]

Roommates are for people in their 20's. 9 times out of 10, roommates end up wanting to murder each other.

Florida -- mosquitoes.

So you've been living there, eh?

So you own your home, right?

Edited May 27, 2019 by Jingthing

[marcusarelus]

8 hours ago, SenorJorge said:

WV is coming up.  All you see now is new pickup trucks, remodeled homes, and newer shopping malls these days. It's sort of good in the way there's more jobs now.  But bad that its actually getting kind of pricey.  Anyway, it's still one of the few affordable retirement destinations in America left.  Florida isn't even on the map as far as affordability is concerned anymore.  It's outrageous and the places that are left with low mortgages and rents aren't safe at all. 

No it's not.  It's going down further.  West Virginia poverty gets worse under Trump economy, not better.

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/west-virginia-poverty-gets-worse-under-trump-economy-not-better/

[marcusarelus]

7 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

pfffff.  I have lived there since 2000.   Plenty of options available. I pay 550 a year for my car insurance.  I didn't mean one has to rent on their own.  There are plenty of share rental arrangements available in homes, fixed or mobile or even apartments.  Hurricanes are a non issue.  Unless one is planning or desiring to live downtown in some metropolitan area, having a car is likely very necessary anywhere in the USA.  There are exceptions of course. 

The year after I left to come to Thailand 4 hurricanes hit the Tampa area.  One of the reasons I sold my home there as afraid I could not take care of it from Thailand. 

[marcusarelus]

7 hours ago, SenorJorge said:

Sounds kind of like the days when I stayed in Salisbury MD to have quick access to Ocean City.

 

I've just generally had it with Thailand.  Marcus it sounds like your main reason for leaving is difficulty accessing quality health care?  That's why I'm out of here.

No.  Quality care here no problem.  I'm afraid health insurance will not be understood by Immigration and they won't accept my policies. 

[marcusarelus]

8 hours ago, SenorJorge said:

USD to Thai baht.  It was a lot better when I first got here than it is now.  Another reason I'm leaving.  It's not really cheaper here anymore.  We used to have it so good.  I'm sure you remember if you've been here 20 years.

Locked in living expenses by having wife buy home.  The taxi rates still the same for me and the small increase in food price I don't really notice as I'm a good cook. 

[gk10002000]

17 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

The year after I left to come to Thailand 4 hurricanes hit the Tampa area.  One of the reasons I sold my home there as afraid I could not take care of it from Thailand. 

yes.  and Oklahoma has tornadoes.  California has fires and earthquakes.  New England and the Midwest have snow blizzards.  There are few mild places in the USA that would never need any maintenance

[SenorJorge]

18 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

No it's not.  It's going down further.  West Virginia poverty gets worse under Trump economy, not better.

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/west-virginia-poverty-gets-worse-under-trump-economy-not-better/

Whenever you talk about deep red or deep blue states you always get this.  I care more about the Japanese maple in my yard than who is in power in Washington.

[SenorJorge]

13 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

yes.  and Oklahoma has tornadoes.  California has fires and earthquakes.  New England and the Midwest have snow blizzards.  There are few mild places in the USA that would never need any maintenance

You wanna see bad, look at Mississippi.  Every kind of disaster.  Tornadoes, hurricanes, flash floods, mud slides, fires, just about everything but volcanoes.

[gk10002000]

Just now, SenorJorge said:

You wanna see bad, look at Mississippi.  Every kind of disaster.  Tornadoes, hurricanes, flash floods, mud slides, fires, just about everything but volcanoes.

I have lived and worked in 17 states.   Blizzard of 78 in Rhode Island with I 95 shut down for one week.  I been in tornadoes in MS while playing poker in Tunica.  I lived in Florida for 20 years and had damage to house from hurricanes, lost power, plant closings etc.  I was in California (Redondo Beach) when the Northridge quake struck.  I have seen wildfires in CA evacuating the base as Bishop Road was closed down.  I was in Thailand during the 2004 Tsunami but luckily we changed our reservations from Phuket to Ko Samet at the last minute.  I was in St Louis when hail storm damaged thousands of cars.  Going back to the early 80s, when I was active duty Air Force still stationed at Vandenberg AFB in California, I had orders in my hands to go to Clark AB in the Philippines.  Mount Pinatubo took care of that PCS as it erupted and buried Clark in about 6 feet of ash!  Stuff happens. 

[rumak]

On 4/5/2019 at 8:12 AM, CMNightRider said:

If you have to go back to the states, one city to give serious thought to is San Antonio, Texas.  There are a lot of veterans who live there and the cost of living is reasonable.

There has been no request for health insurance on my recent extension ( retirement).   But just in case you

ever do go back San Antonio would be a good place to consider.   Good weather, not expensive, large military presence.   If you prefer a smaller place....60 miles west is a town called Kerrville.  Beautiful retirement type town and I believe it has a VA hospital .

[rumak]

18 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

Locked in living expenses by having wife buy home.  The taxi rates still the same for me and the small increase in food price I don't really notice as I'm a good cook. 

After more than 20 years I still live here for peanuts.   I don't get these guys that say things cost as much as in the West.   Guess they live in BKK or one of the few expensive tourist areas and eat out at restaurants.

Big difference between city living (renting) and living almost anywhere else where the local cost of things is very affordable.  Food, labor, even rent .   But yes, one would have to live mostly around Thais, heaven forbid  .  ( sarcasm for those that need it pointed out )

[GinBoy2]

6 hours ago, rumak said:

After more than 20 years I still live here for peanuts.   I don't get these guys that say things cost as much as in the West.   Guess they live in BKK or one of the few expensive tourist areas and eat out at restaurants.

Big difference between city living (renting) and living almost anywhere else where the local cost of things is very affordable.  Food, labor, even rent .   But yes, one would have to live mostly around Thais, heaven forbid  .  ( sarcasm for those that need it pointed out )

Well it's relative.

 

Labor of course is cheaper than anywhere in the West, but we could argue about the quality!

 

We do the snowbird thing to our house in Thailand, thats where things get iffy.

 

Totally agree, we live the same Western lifestyle in both places, so although we 'live mostly around Thais' we don't probably live like them.

 

Thats when the comparisons get tough.

I look at our utilities, car insurance, and Yes even health insurance in both places, and it's a bit of a toss up.

Not embarrassed to say when we are in Thailand, we eat good food, neither of us are into Somtam off the road as our daily food, so yep sign me up for that cost

 

Usual caveats, we own outright both homes in the US & Thailand, so we're not talking about rent...and before you ask, we pay $2100/year in property tax in the US vs $0 in Thailand, but not enough to break the bank

Edited May 29, 2019 by GinBoy2

[SenorJorge]

8 hours ago, rumak said:

After more than 20 years I still live here for peanuts.   I don't get these guys that say things cost as much as in the West.   Guess they live in BKK or one of the few expensive tourist areas and eat out at restaurants.

Big difference between city living (renting) and living almost anywhere else where the local cost of things is very affordable.  Food, labor, even rent .   But yes, one would have to live mostly around Thais, heaven forbid  .  ( sarcasm for those that need it pointed out )

No, it's their women.  Their women don't want to live like thais and eat street food and rice cooked on propane tanks.  They want to live like farang women.  Face.  Married to farang = status symbol.

[marcusarelus]

1 hour ago, SenorJorge said:

No, it's their women.  Their women don't want to live like thais and eat street food and rice cooked on propane tanks.  They want to live like farang women.  Face.  Married to farang = status symbol.

You would have to know a whole lot of women to make that statement.  I have propane tanks at home and I cook Thai food for my wife.  Her favorite food is Som Tom, a taste she shares with 90% of Thai women.  Favorite restaurant food; Moo Ga Ta. 

 

90% of women from the Philippines want to leave for a foreign country.  99% of Thai women want to stay in Thailand.  It's a rare guy who finds one (usually in another country) who wants to leave Thailand.   

 

[SenorJorge]

19 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

You would have to know a whole lot of women to make that statement.  I have propane tanks at home and I cook Thai food for my wife.  Her favorite food is Som Tom, a taste she shares with 90% of Thai women.  Favorite restaurant food; Moo Ga Ta. 

 

90% of women from the Philippines want to leave for a foreign country.  99% of Thai women want to stay in Thailand.  It's a rare guy who finds one (usually in another country) who wants to leave Thailand.   

 

I didn't say leave.  I said live like farang.  Eating out at fancy restaurants, driving around in cars, wearing name brand clothing.  Not living like an esan farm girl.  If they wanted to live like a farm or factory girl, chances are they wouldn't marry a foreigner.  There's always exceptions but 99 percent of the foreigner-thai relationships I know are based on money.  Sad but true.  Why marry a Thai when you can marry some clueless foreigner with ten times the salary?  I have no idea about farang marrying wealthy thais in Bangkok.  My salary is small so I was never invited into that elite club.

[marcusarelus]

8 minutes ago, SenorJorge said:

I didn't say leave.  I said live like farang.  Eating out at fancy restaurants, driving around in cars, wearing name brand clothing.  Not living like an esan farm girl.  If they wanted to live like a farm or factory girl, chances are they wouldn't marry a foreigner.  There's always exceptions but 99 percent of the foreigner-thai relationships I know are based on money.  Sad but true.  Why marry a Thai when you can marry some clueless foreigner with ten times the salary?  I have no idea about farang marrying wealthy thais in Bangkok.  My salary is small so I was never invited into that elite club.

99% of the marriages I know of are based on money.  I don't live in Issan.  Never have.  So our experiences may be different. 

[rumak]

8 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

Not embarrassed to say when we are in Thailand, we eat good food, neither of us are into Somtam off the road

OK to make comparisons,  but try to keep it somewhat balanced.   There is a lot in between "eating good food" (whatever that means....pretty subjective I would say),  and eating somtam off the road.  

As for the rest,  you can have your opinion of course, but I find my good homemade food, 205 baht property tax,  twelve dollar visit to the doctor,   30 dollars oil change and check,  14 dollar teeth cleaning,  ten dollars to have an electrician (yes, quite capable) come to my house......well, i could go on and on.  

But differences of opinion are what makes life what it is.......

[SenorJorge]

I'd be wary of any ten dollar electrician in this country.  Fires are for real, man.