After 40+ Years in Asia, without a break, I am now Toying with: Returning to America, and Becoming a Hermit in Trumpland!

[GinBoy2]

11 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Remember one thing. You've lived in very cold areas, then came here. Most people move to a warmer climate when they get older and here's a good reason for that. Cold gets old. I lived in New Jersey for 30 years and hated the winters unless I was ice fishing, skiing or hunting. Having to drive on ice and snow isn't fun, and most of the time you have to stay indoors because it's too cold to do anything. I would move back to lower New York even though I hate the winter, because the Spring, Summer and especially Fall make up for it. Four seasons are great. Here it's hot and hot. I lived in Texas for 32 years and it's actually hotter there on average than here, but it does get cold at times. Just not for too long. New England is beautiful, and again, hating the cold, I wouldn't mind being there because here it's as boring as it gets. I've been here a total of maybe 3 years, and it's already gotten old, mainly because Isaan doesn't have much. If I was nearer the beach it might be better, but this is where my wife's from and where we built a house, so it's here at least for now. Think hard what you had before. Bitter cold like the Dakota's isn't an easy thing. Cold from October to May with not much to do. Some like it, but I would only go there to hunt or fish. Montana is beautiful but again, cold a lot. Virginia has four seasons, a lot of country and it doesn't get extreme either way. Another possibility.

A little clarification for the Dakota's.

 

It's a mixed bag. A lot of folks when you even say the word Dakota think of the movie Fargo. 

 

North Dakota is much like Minnesota and pretty frigid.

 

South Dakota is sorta split almost along the time zone, the East being Central, the West Mountain.

 

Sioux Falls in the East is much more like Minneapolis, Rapid City in the West is much more like Denver in terms of climate.

 

The nice thing in the West, it's very rare even in the depths of winter that you have days below -10C, and almost every day you will see blue sky

[sirineou]

2 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Remember one thing. You've lived in very cold areas, then came here. Most people move to a warmer climate when they get older and here's a good reason for that. Cold gets old. I lived in New Jersey for 30 years and hated the winters unless I was ice fishing, skiing or hunting. Having to drive on ice and snow isn't fun, and most of the time you have to stay indoors because it's too cold to do anything. I would move back to lower New York even though I hate the winter, because the Spring, Summer and especially Fall make up for it. Four seasons are great. Here it's hot and hot. I lived in Texas for 32 years and it's actually hotter there on average than here, but it does get cold at times. Just not for too long. New England is beautiful, and again, hating the cold, I wouldn't mind being there because here it's as boring as it gets. I've been here a total of maybe 3 years, and it's already gotten old, mainly because Isaan doesn't have much. If I was nearer the beach it might be better, but this is where my wife's from and where we built a house, so it's here at least for now. Think hard what you had before. Bitter cold like the Dakota's isn't an easy thing. Cold from October to May with not much to do. Some like it, but I would only go there to hunt or fish. Montana is beautiful but again, cold a lot. Virginia has four seasons, a lot of country and it doesn't get extreme either way. Another possibility.

My property tax in New York was almost $1,000 a month, .   I hear NJ is worst.

And Yes I agree about the winters

North East FL is great. I call it New York Lite. Most people in my town are from the Tri-State area anyway. Property tax are low, no state tax, and services are great. Weather is hot in the summer but not bad if you live near the beach and get a breeze from the ocean. In the winter  (October to June)  it gets cool enough to get frost in the windshield of the car  in the morning some days,but when the sun come up it is a comfortable 60-70 F.

  But we still miss Thailand and are tired of the US BS, (trump, riots, mass shootings and needing a permit to even look at your house) . I can't wait for travel restrictions to be over so I can come back to our Thai home.

 Also looking to get a Greek passport and perhaps make a move there.( will go these ASP to find family records) Property prices are low   because of the economy(brother bought a small place at an Island near  Piraeus for about  $90,000), climate is great and no visa BS, If I  can resolve the Health insurance issue , I might cash in my chips in the US and make a move. Greece is also closer to Thailand and easier to bounce back and forth. Wife is all for it.

[GinBoy2]

2 minutes ago, sirineou said:

My property tax in New York was almost $1,000 a month, .   I hear NJ is worst.

And Yes I agree about the winters

 

Holy Sh***t. 

 

We pay $2400/year

[sirineou]

16 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

Holy Sh***t. 

 

We pay $2400/year

Same in FL,  . The trick in FL is to buy when appraised values  are low and obtain a homestead exemption and Save our homes (SOH) provision.  where your primary property gets as much as $50,000 reduction on the taxable value, and your taxes can not rise more that 3% per year . So if your house is assessed at $200k  you pay taxes on $150K .

   in my town the millage is$4.5937 per thousand and school tax is $6.41 per thousand  so $689 PT  + $962 ST =$1,923 and your tax can only go up by $57.69 next year (3%).

But I love the property tax in Thailand more. Zero X zero = zero  

[bwpage3]

7 hours ago, ChakaKhan said:

Lewis French---Rockland    Maine Windjammers

Yes I know the place, beautiful area.

[bwpage3]

22 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Same in FL,  . The trick in FL is to buy when appraised values  are low and obtain a homestead exemption and Save our homes (SOH) provision.  where your primary property gets as much as $50,000 reduction on the taxable value, and your taxes can not rise more that 3% per year . So if your house is assessed at $200k  you pay taxes on $150K .

   in my town the millage is$4.5937 per thousand and school tax is $6.41 per thousand  so $689 PT  + $962 ST =$1,923 and your tax can only go up by $57.69 next year (3%).

But I love the property tax in Thailand more. Zero X zero = zero  

Agree, our tax in Palm Bay low as well

[sirineou]

10 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

Agree, our tax in Palm Bay low as well

I always see the sign for Palm Bay when driving south to visit my sister in Boynton Beach on I95 . and I always tell my wife "there is a TVF member who lives here" and she always say "I know, you tell me the same thing every time" LOL

One of these days i will take the exit and have a look around. Now she wants to go south to a Mango farm and pick mangoes. 

 

Edited June 2, 2020 by sirineou

[phetphet]

On 5/29/2020 at 2:27 AM, JohnBarleycorn said:

 

Sounds like they  have an aerobics  class going on.

[Mutt Daeng]

bye

[JohnBarleycorn]

1 hour ago, sirineou said:

I always see the sign for Palm Bay when driving south to visit my sister in Boynton Beach on I95 . and I always tell my wife "there is a TVF member who lives here" and she always say "I know, you tell me the same thing every time" LOL

One of these days i will take the exit and have a look around. Now she wants to go south to a Mango farm and pick mangoes. 

 

After so many years of unquestioned ThaiVisa preeminence, and all it stands for, no doubt there is a TVF member living almost anywhere. Sammy Davis Jr., according to what I have read, read TVF when he needed a little pick-me-up, especially when he was on the wagon.

[JohnBarleycorn]

59 minutes ago, phetphet said:

Sounds like they  have an aerobics  class going on.

A class of only one, but loud enough for a class of 39.

[GinBoy2]

4 hours ago, JohnBarleycorn said:

A class of only one, but loud enough for a class of 39.

It was loud, but for many of, thats almost quiet elevator muzak loud.

 

Try living in a village upcountry.

 

Funeral, Wedding, Monk Ordination, or just because they want too, be prepared to be woken at 5am by music from a mile away loud enough to rattle your windows.

 

I began to recognize after a few years all Thai's must be genetically partially deaf.

 

I often joke with my wife, telling her she doesn't need a phone, just open the window and shout they will hear you!

 

Case in point on Sunday we were buying plants from the local garden center, as I walked back in after dumping stuff in the car, yep the only voice I could hear was her's, waaaay back in the store

[ChakaKhan]

12 hours ago, bwpage3 said:

Yes I know the place, beautiful area.

Agreed, I thought about having my ashes spread around Acadia park when my number is called

 

Think I remember saying to someone this is where God must vacation.......rugged beauty up there

 

My first time ever cooking on a wood stove for 25 ppl pure wind driven schooner--they called me "Chowdah"

[chockchai12]

On 6/2/2020 at 2:13 PM, sirineou said:

Same in FL,  . The trick in FL is to buy when appraised values  are low and obtain a homestead exemption and Save our homes (SOH) provision.  where your primary property gets as much as $50,000 reduction on the taxable value, and your taxes can not rise more that 3% per year . So if your house is assessed at $200k  you pay taxes on $150K .

   in my town the millage is$4.5937 per thousand and school tax is $6.41 per thousand  so $689 PT  + $962 ST =$1,923 and your tax can only go up by $57.69 next year (3%).

But I love the property tax in Thailand more. Zero X zero = zero  

 

 

Ref your understanding that there is Zero property Tax in Thailand please see here   https://globalcompliancenews.com/new-property-tax-thailand-20181129/

 

[sirineou]

7 hours ago, chockchai12 said:

 

 

Ref your understanding that there is Zero property Tax in Thailand please see here   https://globalcompliancenews.com/new-property-tax-thailand-20181129/

 

If I understood this correctly , Primary residences under 10 million baht are excepted  

[bwpage3]

On 6/2/2020 at 9:46 AM, sirineou said:

I always see the sign for Palm Bay when driving south to visit my sister in Boynton Beach on I95 . and I always tell my wife "there is a TVF member who lives here" and she always say "I know, you tell me the same thing every time" LOL

One of these days i will take the exit and have a look around. Now she wants to go south to a Mango farm and pick mangoes. 

 

We live about 3 miles west of that sign if you are driving south on I-95

[Cryingdick]

I have booked a trip up to Lake Huron. Drummond Island on the Michigan side. I always wanted to visit Lake Huron Islands and thought they were all on the Canadian side. I have an offer on my land in Maine and this would be closer to where I live to do long weekends and vacations.

 

It's like the ocean but freshwater which I love. I hate that feel of salty water drying on me. Land is also cheap there and you can get Lake Huron water frontage for $50,000 or so with utilities. You can get it for less if you go on a smaller island by boat with no services. However internet is important.

 

So I have a contingency on a piece of lake front to view a lot. Lake Huron facts, 2 largest lake in the world by surface, first if you count Lake Michigan is connected. It has 30,000 islands and Drummond Island is the seventh largest lake island in the world. The archipelago looks beautiful. Many smaller islands, crystal clear water, convoluted shoreline that is scenic. Similar to Acadia but try getting waterfront near there for $50K

 

So many great places in the USA. This one I had never heard of was checking the way up to Canada and saw it. 

[3NUMBAS]

trump is expected to win more elections so youll be safe as houses with his unbounded optimism for many years

[GinBoy2]

8 minutes ago, 3NUMBAS said:

trump is expected to win more elections so youll be safe as houses with his unbounded optimism for many years

I think what many non Americans fail to recognize, is how little the Federal Government actually affects peoples lives in the individual States.

 

Unlike in Europe and many other pseudo Federal systems, in the US it's the Sovereign States which cede power to the center not the other way around, the craziest of those being in the UK, which is totally backwards

 

So for most Americans, no matter what the current nonsense that goes on with Trump their life doesn't change one iota in their particular State.

 

It just makes for good reality TV news

[Cryingdick]

2 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

I think what many non Americans fail to recognize, is how little the Federal Government actually affects peoples lives in the individual States.

 

Unlike in Europe and many other pseudo Federal systems, in the US it's the Sovereign States which cede power to the center not the other way around, the craziest of those being in the UK, which is totally backwards

 

So for most Americans, no matter what the current nonsense that goes on with Trump their life doesn't change one iota in their particular State.

 

It just makes for good reality TV news

 

When the government shut down awhile back it was embarrassing as everything went on as normal. Only when the airports were running into problems did anybody give a tihs. The shut down served to illustrate how little the feds actually do. 

 

Anyway this is about places in the USA specifically cold rural places with snow and the internet. Can we please get back to that?

Edited June 6, 2020 by Cryingdick

[CharlieH]

Reported off topic post removed.

[NoshowJones]

On 5/28/2020 at 11:29 PM, JohnBarleycorn said:

OK.

But then...what about the internet connection??

 

I cannot function without internet.

AND...from my experience, even for places quite near to the university, still the internet is NOT stable.

Just a few miles outside the city, and the internet becomes unstable at unpredictable times, and for extended times, sometimes, too.

I live upsticks here in the country about 60Ks from the nearest city and I am happy with my internet.

[GinBoy2]

5 hours ago, possum1931 said:

I live upsticks here in the country about 60Ks from the nearest city and I am happy with my internet.

Well this is where you come back to some infrastructure issues.

 

I went through the whole internet evolution up to TOT Fiber2U, which I would have to say was pretty darn good and unlike previous options was stable, at least domestically.

 

That being said you still get a bit stymied by the international gateway, which if a lot of what you want is international and bandwidth intensive, it's going to a problem

[StreetCowboy]

On 6/6/2020 at 10:26 PM, GinBoy2 said:

I think what many non Americans fail to recognize, is how little the Federal Government actually affects peoples lives in the individual States.

 

Unlike in Europe and many other pseudo Federal systems, in the US it's the Sovereign States which cede power to the center not the other way around, the craziest of those being in the UK, which is totally backwards

 

So for most Americans, no matter what the current nonsense that goes on with Trump their life doesn't change one iota in their particular State.

 

It just makes for good reality TV news

The UK is not federated.  There is one crown, not several on the same head.

Powers in the UK are devolved, not ceded to the Crown.

 

 

 

[JohnBarleycorn]

On 6/9/2020 at 8:06 PM, StreetCowboy said:

The UK is not federated.  There is one crown, not several on the same head.

Powers in the UK are devolved, not ceded to the Crown.

 

 

 

Have you read about William Penn?

He was a good Friend.

Where does power, even today, come from in the USA?

Why is there, still, so little power to the People?

Don't even think about Black Power.

Penn was white, as you know.

Charles II took a shine to him....

But not because Penn provided a good shoeshine.

 

 

[jmccarty]

Alaska, has good internet and solitude.  The people you do happen accross are mostly friendly.  Most keep to them selves.

Edited June 10, 2020 by jmccarty

[JohnBarleycorn]

12 minutes ago, jmccarty said:

Alaska, has good internet and solitude.  The people you do happen accross are mostly friendly.  Most keep to them selves.

OK.

But, after reading many good comments here....

I may give it one more try.

BUT.... I must move to a quieter place.

Don't know where.

Some GAME BOY, two weeks ago, moved into the room below me.

GAMEBOYS are worse than roosters...

And even more unpredictable!

 

So, my friend....

The game is up!

The game is up for me at this place where I have been living for almost two years.

 

By the way... I live in Chiang Mai.

If anyone knows how to find a place which is quiet (no roosters or GAMEBOYS), and also a place which is fairly inexpensive....then....PLEASE....PM to me...  And I will investigate any place you suggest!

 

I still have TWO MONTHS RENTAL on my present place.

This will provide enough time to search out a quieter place in Chiang Mai.

 

I have no car, and do not want one.

 

But, I have no objection to using GRAB.

 

So.....if anyone might have some suggestions...about a quiet place with birds (not human birds)....then please let me know.

 

Otherwise....I am definitely leaning towards cashing it in here and just returning to the USA where I DO know that one can find a quiet place with great internet.

THANK YOU!

[Damrongsak]

On 6/1/2020 at 9:03 PM, bwpage3 said:

I think what is interesting about living where we do in Florida, is you can find all the exact same things you were use to in Thailand.  ...

 

This past winter, my wife spent about a month visiting old Thai friends in Florida, mostly right by Tampa.  Asian farmer's market with all kinds of fresh and cheap produce, Thai temple with a community center that was hopping, selling food, etc.  Really neat.

 

As for other exact same things, we imported my wife's younger brother with his wife and two kids, and her sister with a daughter to the U.S. 10 years ago or so.  Only took 10 years to do it legally.  An older brother came before with a tour package and jumped ship.  I may have to move to Loei to get away from Thai family I've known for 40+ years, 555.  Famn Damily!  But, since I'm the oldest, they will mow my lawn, rake leaves, fix my car and cook stuff.  All I do is occasionally loan them $5k - $10K USD for various endeavors. So far, so good.  I can't imagine any of them want to go back except to visit, or retire there if funds here run low. 

 

 

 

[JohnBarleycorn]

35 minutes ago, Damrongsak said:

This past winter, my wife spent about a month visiting old Thai friends in Florida, mostly right by Tampa.  Asian farmer's market with all kinds of fresh and cheap produce, Thai temple with a community center that was hopping, selling food, etc.  Really neat.

 

As for other exact same things, we imported my wife's younger brother with his wife and two kids, and her sister with a daughter to the U.S. 10 years ago or so.  Only took 10 years to do it legally.  An older brother came before with a tour package and jumped ship.  I may have to move to Loei to get away from Thai family I've known for 40+ years, 555.  Famn Damily!  But, since I'm the oldest, they will mow my lawn, rake leaves, fix my car and cook stuff.  All I do is occasionally loan them $5k - $10K USD for various endeavors. So far, so good.  I can't imagine any of them want to go back except to visit, or retire there if funds here run low. 

 

 

 

It's only money.

[tlandtday]

On 6/2/2020 at 6:50 PM, GinBoy2 said:

A little clarification for the Dakota's.

 

It's a mixed bag. A lot of folks when you even say the word Dakota think of the movie Fargo. 

 

North Dakota is much like Minnesota and pretty frigid.

 

South Dakota is sorta split almost along the time zone, the East being Central, the West Mountain.

 

Sioux Falls in the East is much more like Minneapolis, Rapid City in the West is much more like Denver in terms of climate.

 

The nice thing in the West, it's very rare even in the depths of winter that you have days below -10C, and almost every day you will see blue sky

Actually North Dakota is more like Minnesota without the trees.  And it does get well below -10 in the winter.  The nicest area of South Dakota is the Black Hills and it enjoys a better climate.