Hi

 

I have continued to follow the TV news and TVF since leaving Thailand January 8th.  As many have pointed out to me, I had no business picking Thailand as my retirement expatriate destination,  for reasons I never considered. 

 

This topic really glued everything together for me.  I have stayed in touch with my girlfriend for six months now, and will be flying back for a new volunteer opportunity in Vietnam from the USA in September,  but first stopping in Malaysia and fly her there to join me.  A year from now? Who knows? Maybe go hang out in the old Eastern Europe for a few months to explore. 

 

I wanted to really say thanks for all the constructive comments many make on TV.

 

So, here is what I understand now about living in Thailand,  even under the new rules, or the old ones.  Understand the political and government process before you move here.  If you want "human rights"? Go somewhere else.  If you want a simple process to get and keep your retirement Visa? Go somewhere else.

 

Or maybe better, stay home and just travel,  whether for pleasure,  work or volunteering.   

 

I thought after 25 years of travel to over 60 countries I knew what I was doing.  Wow! Was I ever wrong, at least regarding the expatriate experience.  And, Thailand is a completely different animal. Different countries,  different rules. 

 

With all that said, I now understand that barring some radical change towards the entire retirement program in Thailand,  there are those that will still retire to Thailand and be successful, there are those that have been there for years and are happy there, and those that will have to move because of financial ability or they have decided it is no longer for them.

 

So, most who know me remember,  I don't make mean comments or posts about other TVF members,  and this is not one directed at any one person....

 

With that said......

 

If you don't like the rules, it's their country.  Leave.  But stop whining about everything.   Life is not fare.  Suck it up and get on with your lives.  

 

If you want to invite the police or immigration in for coffee,  lunch or whatever,  it's your choice.  If you don't want to,  then don't!  But quit whining about it.

 

Look. I grew up in Texas and we did lots of road trips in Mexico.   You always carried 20 dollars in cash if stopped by the Federales.  It beat getting arrested and robbed.  We did not compare Mexico to the USA.  

 

Will I ever come back to Thailand as a tourist? Maybe,  maybe not.  There is a lot of this planet left to explore. 

 

And, like I said starting out.  This topic really glued the entire thing about retirement in Thailand together for me. 

 

It's Thailand! Love it or leave it.

 

Take the good with the bad.  Otherwise? 

 

Your just another bitter person typing on your phone or computer.

 

CJ

Since I've always lived in Bangkok, the chance of seeing the same immigration officer twice is pretty remote. Though I can certainly see the sense in forging a relationship in a small provincial office, or in a case like [mention=40798]dbrenn[/mention] where there's an ongoing process of PR going on. Otherwise I stand by my comment which it seems quite a few have agreed with - I'm not a fan of obsequious brown-nosing. 

 

I go to a small immigration office, only deal with the same 4 lady IO’s.

 

The IO’s who do the house calls are a different bunch.

 

I think offering someone, who is only doing their job, a seat inside away from the heat of the sun and a glass of water while the business in hand is undertaken is more than adequate.

 

Anything more than this is just plain and simple unnecessary brown nosing !!

On 7/10/2019 at 3:29 AM, GinBoy2 said:

Was it really immigration who came to visit or the local cops?

 

The local cops have been doing these random visits for a while, they show up take a couple of pics, look at your passport etc.

 

But I've never heard of actual immigration showing up

They came to see my mate last week. He had their photos and a photo of their car and while I was at Khampaeng Phet Immigration today I saw the same car and the same 2 guys so his visitors were from Immigration.