Don't move your Thai wife to the West if you want to come back .

[sirineou]

Thank you all for engaging me in this conversation, and please excuse me for the late replies, with the 12 hr time difference I wake when you all go to sleep and sleep when you are up.

  Many have said that it is mistake to make the wife as independent as i did.

 That's a very difficult proposition.

Many of as are older than our wives, I am 20 years older, and I know that one day , I will pass away and leave her to fend for herself, A thought that disturbs me , because we are very close and I am her best friend, as she is mine.I know some will laugh at me for saying that, but I know her and her personality. and I know she will be lonely without me, we do everything together.

I don't think it's right to keep her dependant on me for my own selfish reasons.

I tried as best as I could to prepare her for an eventual life without me. Imperative that she became a citizen so that even if we came back to Thailand , after I passed she had a way back to the states if she so wished. I wanted her to be fluent in English, (very important IMO for anyone wanting to live in the states) and wanted her to have a trade so she can earn a living for herself independent of me. 

 I get a good Pension from my Union and will start collecting Social security soon. but it all goes away when I die, and she doesn't start collecting social security for another at least  25 years (if it's even there by then) 

I could have opted for a 60% of my Union pension and she keeps it for life, but I don't trust the  Union I don't think the way things are going they will be around for too long. Their pension system is a pyramid scheme dependant on new members coming in, and investment returns, It is insured but only pennies on the dollar.  

So IMO, get it while the getting is good.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SunsetT]

On 1/18/2020 at 11:39 PM, sirineou said:

I have not be gone for 10 years . We own a house in Thailand (actually two, we inherited her parents house also)

,we come to thailand every year , I usually stayed for a couple of months , and came back to work, sometimes the wife came   stayed longer, or came before me, and sometimes she came without me, especially when her parents were sick but I could not get way from work.Last I was there was last spring. 

I like Thailand, I like the energy, I like my house there and my Garden, going to the morning market for the food of the day., or for a walk at night in a night market  I even like some of you, A lot of interesting people from many parts of the world , with interesting stories. Taking a ride to Laos for a visa run, Cambodia , Myanmar (never being there), see many parts of Thailand I have never seen yet . etc etc.

I am not divorcing my wife, I love her more than I love my life, I would be lost without her.  I stay where she stays, I just wish she would be more happy to come to Thailand, And wanted to warn others that it could happen to them, and something to consider. 

Our house in Khon Kaen

 

 

Keep coming to Thailand, as u do, enjoying, as I do, the things u mention, for as long as u can. The contrast keeps u enjoying both countries. I have wintered in Esaan for the last 13 years and spend summer in a very nice part of the UK. I dont think that I would enjoy staying for 12 months and enduring the Thai 'rainy' season from April to October, nor do I savour the thought of returning to dark, predominently cold and wet UK winters in the future. But one day I will have to choose between the two.

[sirineou]

1 hour ago, BTB1977 said:

In your story you say she became a US citizen than in the end you say you want her to become a US citizen.  Not nice to make things up and lie. 

 

[Jaggg88]

On 1/18/2020 at 1:55 PM, Kwasaki said:

On 1/18/2020 at 1:29 PM, sirineou said:

^^^^^^

I guess the same might apply to other western countries. 

No, my wife wanted to go back Thailand after her being in Uk for 2 & 1/2 years she wanted to be back with her family. 

The weather in Florida is not too dissimilar to SE Asia whereas the weather in the UK is mostly cold and damp. My wife did 9 years in the UK but couldn't wait to return to Thailand.

[gk10002000]

6 hours ago, RobbyXNorway said:

Stay in Florida, is my advice. Thailand is not really worth it. I see nothing but trouble ahead politicaly and financialy here.

I will be splitting my time between Florida and Thailand.   I am somewhat inclined to settle for a few  years and not move around so much due to all the years I contracted on the road away from home.  But the Thailand retirement extension rules are very distasteful to me.  had they left the embassy income letter alone (they being the US Embassy) I would be there in a heartbeat.  But I have no desire to set aside 800k money especially in a foreign bank, and I have no desire to set up monthly transfers.  I retire for simplicity and less paper work and less reporting.  Maybe my 40 years of obeying the rules, keeping my security clearances has tainted my view a bit.  right now planning on just two 60 day SETVs each with a 30 day extension.  No fussing with garbage Thai health insurance, no need to do 90 day reports as I will be sure to travel at the 88 day mark.   Maybe I will change my mind and punch out to Thailand all together.  One thing I do know is I am done with cold cold weather.  I took this last minute contract job in new jersey, and the 18 F temperature not counting the windchill, the novelty has already worn off.  So Cal cool air warm sun or warm and humid Florida and Thailand is where I will be concentrating.

Edited January 20, 2020 by gk10002000

[ChakaKhan]

On 1/18/2020 at 10:40 AM, ChaiyaTH said:

Joking right? Trump is a saint compared to what has been happening here. 

Stop watching Fox News......he's a stain on humanity....

[gk10002000]

47 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Thank you all for engaging me in this conversation, and please excuse me for the late replies, with the 12 hr time difference I wake when you all go to sleep and sleep when you are up.

  Many have said that it is mistake to make the wife as independent as i did.

 That's a very difficult proposition.

Many of as are older than our wives, I am 20 years older, and I know that one day , I will pass away and leave her to fend for herself, A thought that disturbs me , because we are very close and I am her best friend, as she is mine.I know some will laugh at me for saying that, but I know her and her personality. and I know she will be lonely without me, we do everything together.

I don't think it's right to keep her dependant on me for my own selfish reasons.

I tried as best as I could to prepare her for an eventual life without me. Imperative that she became a citizen so that even if we came back to Thailand , after I passed she had a way back to the states if she so wished. I wanted her to be fluent in English, (very important IMO for anyone wanting to live in the states) and wanted her to have a trade so she can earn a living for herself independent of me. 

 I get a good Pension from my Union and will start collecting Social security soon. but it all goes away when I die, and she doesn't start collecting social security for another at least  25 years (if it's even there by then) 

I could have opted for a 60% of my Union pension and she keeps it for life, but I don't trust the  Union I don't think the way things are going they will be around for too long. Their pension system is a pyramid scheme dependant on new members coming in, and investment returns, It is insured but only pennies on the dollar.  

So IMO, get it while the getting is good.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just a comment about Social Security.  I am single so I am far from a married expert, but based on what my parents did, Dad died, then Mom got his benefits.  There are some ins and outs of when and how survivor benefits work, but I think she can get most of yours if you pass before she does.  Just suggesting you double check on how social security works.  Might be timelines involved, maybe she can wait to take over yours, etc.

[sirineou]

12 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Plenty of new Thai ladies waiting to meet you, at 63 you're still hansum.

Sorry for replying to so many in one post. I just got caught up reading all the replies posted while i slept ,

 

BritMan , I an sure they do , the problem is that a 62 and seven months,  I find myself less and less interested on what any ladies have to offer. As far as them finding me Hansum, who wouldn't? LOL 

Don't answer that.

6 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

If I may ask, exactly what education degree and job experience prepared your wife to do so well in a state overrun with low wage workers from Puerto Rico and Haati, not to mention every single country in South America?!?!?

 

I remember reading on Stickman about 20 years ago a man did exactly what you did.  Found out his wife was working at a massage parlor on the downlow.

 

Big money. Oops. ????

 

 

Not Big money for FL good money. In Thailand she had a college degree in accounting, useless for her in the US. first I send her to school to learn english (plenty of community subsidised ESL courses)  She went to cosmetology school , and works at the local Nail shops,we live in a tourist area near Saint Augustine  the money is good in season, during slow season she can take off, and either come back to the same shope or go to a different shope, she has a very good reputation in the area. We have discussed the idea of opening her own shop but we don't want to be trapped in it and not able to go anywhere. We also talked about knocking her parents home in Thailand, (located in a good area in Khon Kaen) and putting up a   shop house with a hair/ nail salon. I like the last idea because it will get her interested in Thailand again.

6 hours ago, SoSoCNX said:

As soon my friends wives, received citizenship they all filed for a divorce. The age difference between my friends and their partners was between 5 and 15 years. There is not Love just money and citizenship.

 

My experience is only limited to the Thais we know in our area, all of which have their US citizenship by now, and none of them got divorced.  

4 hours ago, thaipo7 said:

We have the same story.  Married over 47 years and I am retired, built a nice home in Thailand and we were supposed to move here years ago.  There is always a reason not to move.  So we come here 5 months of the year and live in the US the other 7 months or less.  I hate the long plane rides and could live in Thailand for what it cost for taxes, fuel oil, property taxes, car insurance on two cars, and other expenses in a high tax state.  The retirement income would be gravy.

I hate the ride also. especially from Florida, When we were in NY we could find flights fro JFK with only one stop, but from florida we mostly find flights with two stops.

We resolve the problem by breaking up the trip. Next time look for a :multi city" attinuary,

Wwe usually get a ticket with either Turkish airlines or Qatar air, they have tickets where we fly to Istanbul or to doha, catch a short flight to Athens, spend a week there, then catch a flight back to   Istanbul or doha, and continue to Thailand. The return is straight BKK, Doha, US. It only costs a couple of hundred dollars more in airfare.     

4 hours ago, khunPer said:

It's often the other way round, the only thing the Thai ladies dream bout is returning home; however some years of work is Okay, so they return with a pile of nice money.

 

But perhaps sunny Florida is more attractive the cold northern Europen countries...????

You could be right, Winters in NY were brutal. 

 

 

3 hours ago, Airalee said:

You did it all wrong by moving to a nice place like Florida.

 

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Trona_CA

One can find what they look for depending on the price point of their search

Edited January 20, 2020 by sirineou

[sirineou]

45 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

Just a comment about Social Security.  I am single so I am far from a married expert, but based on what my parents did, Dad died, then Mom got his benefits.  There are some ins and outs of when and how survivor benefits work, but I think she can get most of yours if you pass before she does.  Just suggesting you double check on how social security works.  Might be timelines involved, maybe she can wait to take over yours, etc.

The problem is that she doesn't get part of mine, untill she is of age , (at least I think she has to be of age) and she will not be old enough for another 25 years, Hopefully I will hast that long which will make me 88 but I don't think so. 

A good incentive to keep me alive, LOL

[Airalee]

1 hour ago, sirineou said:

One can find what they look for depending on the price point of their search

My comment was tongue in cheek.  Actually a compliment for Florida.  I have found that many Thais are quite shocked when they see pictures and videos of the urban and rural decay in many parts of the US.     

Edited January 20, 2020 by Airalee

[impulse]

2 hours ago, sirineou said:

She went to cosmetology school , and works at the local Nail shops,we live in a tourist area near Saint Augustine  the money is good in season, during slow season she can take off, and either come back to the same shope or go to a different shope, she has a very good reputation in the area.

 

I'm amazed at how many Asian women are doing great in that line.  In Houston, it's Vietnamese and Thai women.  And unless they're really good at faking it, they seem to love their workplace, as if it's a big family.

 

I also had a Thai co-worker in BKK who had worked her way through university in Sydney.  She did Thai massages- above board, no hanky panky, well established shop, and she made a good deal of money to send back to Thailand while studying.  She'd go back in a New York minute but she can't get an immigrant visa.

 

There's a reason for those thriving Asian communities around the world...

 

Edited January 20, 2020 by impulse

[gk10002000]

3 hours ago, sirineou said:

The problem is that she doesn't get part of mine, untill she is of age , (at least I think she has to be of age) and she will not be old enough for another 25 years, Hopefully I will hast that long which will make me 88 but I don't think so. 

A good incentive to keep me alive, LOL

Yes, you are right.  A quick search tells me that in general the surviving spouse has to be 60 before they can collect.  I had no idea and that surprises me, but it probably helps keep the murder rate lower!:

 

"In most cases, a widow or widower qualifies for survivor benefits if he or she is at least 60 and had been married to the deceased for at least nine months at the time of death. But there are a few exceptions to those requirements..."

[gk10002000]

3 hours ago, sirineou said:

Sorry for replying to so many in one post. I just got caught up reading all the replies posted while i slept ,

 

BritMan , I an sure they do , the problem is that a 62 and seven months,  I find myself less and less interested on what any ladies have to offer. As far as them finding me Hansum, who wouldn't? LOL 

Don't answer that.

Not Big money for FL good money. In Thailand she had a college degree in accounting, useless for her in the US. first I send her to school to learn english (plenty of community subsidised ESL courses)  She went to cosmetology school , and works at the local Nail shops,we live in a tourist area near Saint Augustine  the money is good in season, during slow season she can take off, and either come back to the same shope or go to a different shope, she has a very good reputation in the area. We have discussed the idea of opening her own shop but we don't want to be trapped in it and not able to go anywhere. We also talked about knocking her parents home in Thailand, (located in a good area in Khon Kaen) and putting up a   shop house with a hair/ nail salon. I like the last idea because it will get her interested in Thailand again.

My experience is only limited to the Thais we know in our area, all of which have their US citizenship by now, and none of them got divorced.  

I hate the ride also. especially from Florida, When we were in NY we could find flights fro JFK with only one stop, but from florida we mostly find flights with two stops.

We resolve the problem by breaking up the trip. Next time look for a :multi city" attinuary,

Wwe usually get a ticket with either Turkish airlines or Qatar air, they have tickets where we fly to Istanbul or to doha, catch a short flight to Athens, spend a week there, then catch a flight back to   Istanbul or doha, and continue to Thailand. The return is straight BKK, Doha, US. It only costs a couple of hundred dollars more in airfare.     

You could be right, Winters in NY were brutal. 

 

 

One can find what they look for depending on the price point of their search

I am planning to buy in the Melbourne/Palm Bay area this year.  Easy to find a qualified renter from Harris or Northrop Grumman, people with security clearances and no criminal backgrounds.  Share with one person would pay all my house expenses, insurance, utilites, etc. I plan to buy the house and not finance and just be done with it.  I am VA loan eligible from my US Air Force time and have my paperwork, but VA just started charging fees which counteracts the no down payment benefit quite a bit.  I prefer in this relatively low interest investment environment to just fork over the money and buy the place outright.  It is a coin flip at the moment.   250k USD should get me a pool and a decent sized lot.   300K and I can get up to 1/2 acre.  Wish I had bought two years ago when I was working there.  Prices were better.  Northrop hired thousands of people from that B-21 program and there was a bit of a property shortage.  I don't need to be really close to either city as I won't be working or commuting.   And yeah getting from Fl to Thailand is a pain.  So much easier from California where I always caught EVA premium economy flights from LAX to Taipei onto BKK.  But if retired and in no hurry, I have plenty of flight options after this year.

[Thomas J]

On 1/18/2020 at 8:38 PM, tgw said:

it always depends on the money.

it takes much more money to feel comfortable in the West than in Thailand.

TGW  I disagree,

 

The food in Thailand is much more expensive than it is in the USA.  The home prices are not cheap here either.  You can buy in many regions such as Texas a nicer home than Thailand for less money. Restaurant prices are as expensive, and cars are more expensive. The only thing in Thailand that is noticeably cheaper are cell phone plans, internet services and anything you want done by labor such as a haircut, taxi, gardener, etc. 

[Sydebolle]

The standard saying goes "you can take a Thai out of Thailand but you cannot take Thailand out of Thai". 

Few and far between, some Thai spouses with Western partners settle in foreign lands AND love it. Some young Thai students study overseas and LIKE it. Both result in them returning to Thailand for a visit or a longer break of a few months but they would never resettle back in Thailand. 

The message is clear; I did not know it, or thought of it as I expected all sorts of problems moving to Thailand but her re-integration was never a concern. 

Many foreigners living permanently here in Thailand would never consider moving back to their fatherland unless forced to do so for monetary or health reasons; so it applies to people irrespective of nationality or childhood! 

[Jip99]

9 minutes ago, Sydebolle said:

The standard saying goes "you can take a Thai out of Thailand but you cannot take Thailand out of Thai". 

Few and far between, some Thai spouses with Western partners settle in foreign lands AND love it. Some young Thai students study overseas and LIKE it. Both result in them returning to Thailand for a visit or a longer break of a few months but they would never resettle back in Thailand. 

The message is clear; I did not know it, or thought of it as I expected all sorts of problems moving to Thailand but her re-integration was never a concern. 

Many foreigners living permanently here in Thailand would never consider moving back to their fatherland unless forced to do so for monetary or health reasons; so it applies to people irrespective of nationality or childhood! 

 

Absolutely the opposite of what I have seen.

 

I can think of 20+ Thais in and around my home town who would not go back to Thailand if you paid.

 

In 3 cases the husbands visit Thailand for a holiday on their own. In 4 cases marriages have broken down but the Thai has remained living and working in the U.K.
 

Only in one case did I see the Thai return home after her marriage became rocky; she stuck 2 months back in the rice fields before going back to the U.K.

[Sydebolle]

13 minutes ago, Jip99 said:

 

Absolutely the opposite of what I have seen.

 

I can think of 20+ Thais in and around my home town who would not go back to Thailand if you paid.

 

In 3 cases the husbands visit Thailand for a holiday on their own. In 4 cases marriages have broken down but the Thai has remained living and working in the U.K.
 

Only in one case did I see the Thai return home after her marriage became rocky; she stuck 2 months back in the rice fields before going back to the U.K.

You are right and you obviously see only a fraction of the Thai community in your homeland. Think of the thousands and thousands (in Switzerland alone there are 27'000 Thais living permanently and legally; you can double that figure to cover the illegals). 
I would assume that the official as well as the unofficial figure of the Thai community in the UK is considerably higher. In order words, in your direct circle of think-alikes, you do not see the whole picture. 

That is, what I saw with my little incomplete experience. I - as a Thai - would also remain overseas for countless reasons and just wing in for an extended holiday - or when plenty of money is around, to settle like a king ???? 

[tgw]

53 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

TGW  I disagree,

 

The food in Thailand is much more expensive than it is in the USA.  The home prices are not cheap here either.  You can buy in many regions such as Texas a nicer home than Thailand for less money. Restaurant prices are as expensive, and cars are more expensive. The only thing in Thailand that is noticeably cheaper are cell phone plans, internet services and anything you want done by labor such as a haircut, taxi, gardener, etc. 

the USA are an exception - I'm talking about the majority of Western countries, such as Western European ones.

 

I'm not sure I would agree on your comment on prices, of course you can't compare the price for the same food, you would have to compare prices of a tasty Texan hamburger to a tasty Thai pad krapow (or any other standard Thai dish) to be fair.

For the real estate, it depends on the location - what's the price for a 700 sqm house with a 15x7m pool in Texas, less than 10 min away from the next larger city center and within 10 min of 4 or 5 championship golf courses? I paid 250.000 USD for that in Thailand.

 

Regarding personal freedom, again, the USA are an exception. People have lots of personal freedoms in the USA. And I do consider the cost of manual labor to be part of personal freedoms. And even that is still relatively cheap in the USA. In Western Europe, I have the constant feeling of being coerced into doing everything myself because of financial pressure. Getting any manual labor done is so expensive.

 

That's probably why Thai ladies are ok with staying in such places, give them good weather, good money, things to do, etc.

if they get trapped in places where it's mostly cold and rains, the money is just enough to maintain things as they are and where they have to stay at home most of the time watching TV, I don't think they will be thrilled.

Edited January 21, 2020 by tgw

[sirineou]

1 hour ago, Jip99 said:

1 hour ago, Sydebolle said:

The standard saying goes "you can take a Thai out of Thailand but you cannot take Thailand out of Thai". 

Few and far between, some Thai spouses with Western partners settle in foreign lands AND love it. Some young Thai students study overseas and LIKE it. Both result in them returning to Thailand for a visit or a longer break of a few months but they would never resettle back in Thailand. 

The message is clear; I did not know it, or thought of it as I expected all sorts of problems moving to Thailand but her re-integration was never a concern. 

Many foreigners living permanently here in Thailand would never consider moving back to their fatherland unless forced to do so for monetary or health reasons; so it applies to people irrespective of nationality or childhood! 

 

Absolutely the opposite of what I have seen.

 

I can think of 20+ Thais in and around my home town who would not go back to Thailand if you paid.

 

In 3 cases the husbands visit Thailand for a holiday on their own. In 4 cases marriages have broken down but the Thai has remained living and working in the U.K.
 

Only in one case did I see the Thai return home after her marriage became rocky; she stuck 2 months back in the rice fields before going back to the U.K.

That is my experience also.

I can't say for sure because I am only limited to the few Thais I know, and it could be regional, because where I live the climate is very much like Thailand, and there is a very large Thai, Lao a Cambodian And Vietnamese  community with a few Buddhist temples, many Asian markets where one can get anything Thai, and a few

farms that  grow everything Thai.We even grow some of it in our home, 

Of the few that we socialise with, none of them want to go back.

As far as the divorces go, a lot have to do with the Farang Husband also. Many come to Thailand and misrepresent themselves, They rent a big car, and start throwing money  around, and then they bring the poor girl to the states, to a reality where the guy can't even hold a job, and to abusive relationships. 

We had to rescue a couple of girls from such situations  already. 

 

[cmarshall]

On 1/20/2020 at 10:00 AM, sirineou said:

Thank you all for engaging me in this conversation, and please excuse me for the late replies, with the 12 hr time difference I wake when you all go to sleep and sleep when you are up.

  Many have said that it is mistake to make the wife as independent as i did.

 That's a very difficult proposition.

Many of as are older than our wives, I am 20 years older, and I know that one day , I will pass away and leave her to fend for herself, A thought that disturbs me , because we are very close and I am her best friend, as she is mine.I know some will laugh at me for saying that, but I know her and her personality. and I know she will be lonely without me, we do everything together.

I don't think it's right to keep her dependant on me for my own selfish reasons.

I tried as best as I could to prepare her for an eventual life without me. Imperative that she became a citizen so that even if we came back to Thailand , after I passed she had a way back to the states if she so wished. I wanted her to be fluent in English, (very important IMO for anyone wanting to live in the states) and wanted her to have a trade so she can earn a living for herself independent of me. 

 I get a good Pension from my Union and will start collecting Social security soon. but it all goes away when I die, and she doesn't start collecting social security for another at least  25 years (if it's even there by then) 

I could have opted for a 60% of my Union pension and she keeps it for life, but I don't trust the  Union I don't think the way things are going they will be around for too long. Their pension system is a pyramid scheme dependant on new members coming in, and investment returns, It is insured but only pennies on the dollar.  

So IMO, get it while the getting is good.  

 

Good on you for accepting the responsibility for your wife's life in the US and her eventual future without you.  However, you made a big mistake by not opting for survivor's benefits from your union pension.  You don't understand annuities, i.e. pensions.  They are not pyramid or Ponzi investment schemes.  They are insurance policies.  The difference is in an investment the investor expects and is fully entitled to receive the benefit from his investment which goes to his estate if he dies.  In fraudulent investment schemes like pyramids and Ponzis, the investments will never be repaid, because the manager has stolen the funds.

 

In an annuity insurance product, which includes SS and other pensions, the participant gets the payout only as long as he is alive.  When he dies his estate gets nothing from SS or the pension or any other life annuity.  That means that the SSA or the union pension fund does not have to repay all the money it has collected since not all the participants will still be alive at any point in the payout period.  What's more since the insurer, unlike the individual participant, is dealing with large numbers of people it can estimate to a high degree of accuracy just how many will still be collecting at each point in time.  That's why life insurance companies who sell annuities (and life insurance policies which have the same demographics) almost never go broke.

 

So, you made a poor choice from the point of view of protecting your wife's future.  At least she will have the SS spousal and widow's benefits.

[cmarshall]

On 1/20/2020 at 10:40 AM, gk10002000 said:

I will be splitting my time between Florida and Thailand.   I am somewhat inclined to settle for a few  years and not move around so much due to all the years I contracted on the road away from home.  But the Thailand retirement extension rules are very distasteful to me.  had they left the embassy income letter alone (they being the US Embassy) I would be there in a heartbeat.  But I have no desire to set aside 800k money especially in a foreign bank, and I have no desire to set up monthly transfers.  I retire for simplicity and less paper work and less reporting.  Maybe my 40 years of obeying the rules, keeping my security clearances has tainted my view a bit.  right now planning on just two 60 day SETVs each with a 30 day extension.  No fussing with garbage Thai health insurance, no need to do 90 day reports as I will be sure to travel at the 88 day mark.   Maybe I will change my mind and punch out to Thailand all together.  One thing I do know is I am done with cold cold weather.  I took this last minute contract job in new jersey, and the 18 F temperature not counting the windchill, the novelty has already worn off.  So Cal cool air warm sun or warm and humid Florida and Thailand is where I will be concentrating.

The monthly transfer method isn't so bad.  A couple would need at least 65k/month to live in Bangkok, for instance.  Those of us with Non-imm O status have no health insurance requirements, at least so far.  Once you work through the process it doesn't seem as bad as reading all the posts here from people who are having difficulties with it.

[Trujillo]

I think this is called the long sting. 

 

You might try to find and good doctor when you come back to Thailand to see if he can remove the hook, line and sinker....

[gk10002000]

18 minutes ago, cmarshall said:

The monthly transfer method isn't so bad.  A couple would need at least 65k/month to live in Bangkok, for instance.  Those of us with Non-imm O status have no health insurance requirements, at least so far.  Once you work through the process it doesn't seem as bad as reading all the posts here from people who are having difficulties with it.

questions:

 

How do you do the income method with the Non O?  How do you start it?  I show up with a visa exempt, maybe get a 30 day extension, go to Laos or Cambodia and get the Non O.  Or I arrive with a SETV from the USA then go to next door country etc.  But when and how is the 65 k transfer method required and started and approved? 

 

 

[cmarshall]

2 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

questions:

 

How do you do the income method with the Non O?  How do you start it?  I show up with a visa exempt, maybe get a 30 day extension, go to Laos or Cambodia and get the Non O.  Or I arrive with a SETV from the USA then go to next door country etc.  But when and how is the 65 k transfer method required and started and approved? 

 

 

I don't know if it is possible to start out with the transfer method.  I didn't.  I transferred 800k to my individual account at Bangkok Bank.  For the initial application the 800k doesn't have to be in the account for any period of time, just the day you make the application.  Then, after applying for and receiving the retirement visa, I begin the 65k monthly transfers the following month, being careful never to miss a month, which can't be made up.  Then for the first one-year extension of the retirement visa, which will happen in the next few days as a matter of fact, I will present the required documentation of the month transfers.  That is the point at which the TM will accept my application and documentation or not.  From what I can gather from others' accounts, it should go through ok.

 

In your case since you will come in with the 30-day entry stamp, you will have to apply for the non-imm O visa while at least 15 days remains on your stamp or get an extension of the stamp at the TM.

Edited January 22, 2020 by cmarshall

[Dan747]

Your Topic kind of caught my eye, I too live in (Orlando) Florida, just arrived via Turkish Airlines last night from JFK (JFK-IST-BKK), and my other home is in (Ubon) Isaan with some of the same lifestyle governed by choice and or circumstances. My Thai (Ten years younger/Married 40+ years) wife and I have decided that we want to live in Thailand for six months and the United States for the other six months traveling in both places. We own our house in Ubon on 11 rai. When I pass, she will receive a Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) from the U.S. Government-USAF and probably sell our home in Ubon and move back to the United States where most of our family (Grandchildren, etc.) live. We are blessed and you are too. I would hope that you can convince your wife of your desires and come to some type of agreement where you two can just enjoy the good life in your golden years. Best of Luck!!   ????

[ICELANDMAN]

  I am sorry to contradict you dream love, maybe you for all this time you do not know Thai mind work, If this should happen, there is no problem to get a second wife in Thailand, with money everyone is a handsome man????

[Roadman]

Brought my wife here to NZ fifteen years ago. Our daughters followed over the next few years. She was out looking for work from day one and has help build the just about there secure financial position that will allow me to retire in two years. We will then return to Thailand for three to four months each year during our winter....first job is flattening the inner city old house she has and doing a new build. But she has no intention of ever living there permanent again even with a winter sojourn new home there as she has it too good here with financial security and free health and pension security even thou she has family and friends galore in Thailand. Plus our daughters are here and with our strong family unit and the probably of grand children one day here then it’s a no brainer.

Our oldest daughter won’t even go back there now for a holiday which she has done for a few weeks each year religiously...she is still very Thai but now thinks Thailand sucks big time in all ways and is going to Korea and Japan later this year instead. Youngest daughter is going to Thailand with us later this year for a few weeks but is starting to lose interest also.

All of the kiwi/Thai couples we know plus the few Thai couples here would never leave NZ for Thailand. But then they have all built new life’s here with children which is a huge corner stone anchor. Plus own their own businesses or work generally in higher earning contract jobs. 
Perhaps in your case it’s a matter of accepting that she is intelligent enough to figure out where she sees her best opportunity for her well being (and congratulate yourself yet again for the outstanding choice you made letting her pick you as a partner and why when push comes to shove she is more important then Thailand just for now) and work towards a compromise of living in both countries for different periods. She will also retire one day. 

[Trujillo]

Hey, rent out or sell the house in Florida and move to North Dakota. Watford City is a nice, small city. One summer and a nice brisk winter and she'll be begging to go to Thailand. 

Either that or she will grouse for divorce. 

 

I mean, let's cut to the gist; a Thai woman snagging a foreigner who will not only marry her, but take her to his home country is like a rookie baseball player hitting a game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth inning in the World Series. 

 

She got out of the quasi-Third World mire, would you seriously expect her to return? Madness. 

[sirineou]

8 hours ago, Dan747 said:

Your Topic kind of caught my eye, I too live in (Orlando) Florida, just arrived via Turkish Airlines last night from JFK (JFK-IST-BKK), and my other home is in (Ubon) Isaan with some of the same lifestyle governed by choice and or circumstances. My Thai (Ten years younger/Married 40+ years) wife and I have decided that we want to live in Thailand for six months and the United States for the other six months traveling in both places. We own our house in Ubon on 11 rai. When I pass, she will receive a Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) from the U.S. Government-USAF and probably sell our home in Ubon and move back to the United States where most of our family (Grandchildren, etc.) live. We are blessed and you are too. I would hope that you can convince your wife of your desires and come to some type of agreement where you two can just enjoy the good life in your golden years. Best of Luck!!   ????

 

I don't know if you saw my reply concerning Turkish airline and Qatar air.

We sometimes break up the long trip by doing a week long layover, JFK-IST- ATH (11 hr tip) spend a week in Greece then ATH -IST-BKK (10 hr trip)  the ticket was only about $200 more. A week in Greece was not very expensive, especially for as  who have friends and family there.  But a good way to brake up the trip. I am sure the same can be done in other European cities where you might know people and would want to visit. 

 I wish I had read your post earlier. we were  in Orlando Yesterday,  Went to a nail supply store in Colonial boulevard , then had lunch at the tasty Wok (i think that's the name)   restaurant.  I am sure you know that's the "Little Saigon area"  with many vietnamese and Chinese restaurants, shops, and supermarkets.  

I am trying to convince the wife to open a Hair/Nail salon in Khon Kaen, with her sister, and she seems to be receptive to the idea.  We have the parent;s home that they put on her name before they passed, It is really both my wife's and her sisters, But the sister was going through a divorce at the time and the parents did not trust the situation. 

 

Sister sells food there now. The plan discussed is to knock the whole thing down, And put up a two story shop house, half selling food, and the other half Hair/nail salon. That way they can work in the food side,where they have a good business now and if they have a customer at the Hair/nail side, one of them go , and do it. That way no pressure for the salon to be too successful, and if we wanted to take time to travel the sister can run both sides or vise versa. 

Thank you for your kind words

[sirineou]

8 hours ago, ICELANDMAN said:

  I am sorry to contradict you dream love, maybe you for all this time you do not know Thai mind work, If this should happen, there is no problem to get a second wife in Thailand, with money everyone is a handsome man????

Dude at my age I have trouble handling the first one, never mind getting another one. ????