SURVEY: What are your plans for the long term?

[talahtnut]

It doesn't matter where I go, Thailand or UK, heaps of work follow

me everywhere. Complete retirement fail.

[Rampant Rabbit]

12 hours ago, driver52 said:

don't y'all realise that the double vaxxed are still catching the delta variant, what is that telling us? ????

That as we  all know  vaccination does  not stop you recatching covid  but does  help with  making it way  less serious.

[BritManToo]

8 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Can rent 2 4-bedroomed houses in Hua Hin for that.

Chiang Mai,

I'm buying a 3 bed house in a gated community for 1/4 that (250 pounds/month).

[BritManToo]

5 hours ago, scorecard said:

After 2 years now capable to function and compete on the world stage?

I rather doubt 2 yrs in a UK school will create this horizon. 

Then a not easy transition back to Thailand?

2 years in UK school gets her the right to pass on UK citizenship to her children.

A right she probably doesn't have at the moment.

It also gains her the right to attend UK University at UK prices.

Edited July 26, 2021 by BritManToo

[meechai]

Left in 2016...Sold Condo in Chiang Mai but kept house in country

Just visit every year (except during Covid) for 2-3 months...much better life

 

We left because we could see Junta was already in place 2 years  & this time compared to other coups was different

Looking back now I would say we were right.

[billsmart]

18 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

18 hours ago, billsmart said:

Thailand's handled this crisis pretty well so far

Really?  They have made a massive set of errors in the last 12 months, not least, not ordering vaccines until it was too late.  They started out well, but its been a dogs breakfast, lunch and dinner for the past year and its not over yet, not by a long way. 

Yes, Thailand's handled this very well. There have been low instances of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths, at least compared with many other countries such as my own (USA).

And, as far as ordering vaccines, it's not "too late." That could have been done earlier, but you can always say that about any important actions taken anywhere for anything.

 

IMO, it's been handled well enough, but yes, I do agree that this pandemic is not over. It may never be over anywhere in the world. This may just be the new normal.

[Mr Meeseeks]

47% will remain in Thailand regardless of how bad it gets.

 

That may not be up to you. 

[NoshowJones]

20 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

How about: I will stay here as long as I don't see any alternative which is a lot better than Thailand.

 

Obviously Thailand is far away from perfect. But we still have nice weather, many nice people, good food, lots of pretty girls, no hassle with police, low crime, and and and.

 

It seems many people see problems with immigration or with politics. Personally I think that is maybe 10% of what is important.

There is a lot about the government and politics in Thailand which I don't like. But does it affect my life? No, or very little. And looking at "home" and many other countries in this world it seems bad politicians exist almost everywhere.

And about visa and 90 days, etc. That needs a few hours every year. Who cares? 

I was going to give you a "thanks" emot until I read your last paragraph. I don't care if the IO is next door to me, there is no one in this world better than me that I should be reporting to.

[NoshowJones]

20 hours ago, BE88 said:

When the borders reopen I will set foot in Italy in the south where the weather is well, where we eat and drink very well and where people are nice and do not care about the future because they are all without money or almost same me, what more can you ask for in life

Girls?

[NoshowJones]

20 hours ago, Denim said:

Yes , you are quite right....my bad......monthly cost.  Still seems like hell of a lot.

You should not be paying anything, it should come off your income tax.

[madmitch]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

2 years in UK school gets her the right to pass on UK citizenship to her children.

A right she probably doesn't have at the moment.

It also gains her the right to attend UK University at UK prices.

In theory you need to be resident in the UK for three years to get the UK university price, so if she decides, as I hope, that that's what she wants to do, probably a working gap year will be in order. But i'll be checking all options.

[Henryford]

19 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

Really?  They have made a massive set of errors in the last 12 months, not least, not ordering vaccines until it was too late.  They started out well, but its been a dogs breakfast, lunch and dinner for the past year and its not over yet, not by a long way. 

Errors, compared to whom? The UK with the same population has 30x the deaths and thrown away 400 billion Pounds.

[BE88]

9 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Girls?

If you are a handsome man, no problem, if no, take there your Thai GF there after married her, after 5 years you will receive your Italian passport.

 

[OneMoreFarang]

38 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

I don't care if the IO is next door to me, there is no one in this world better than me that I should be reporting to.

But is that an important reason in your decision if you want to live in Thailand?

Personally I like to look at the big picture. If that is fine then it's fine. There will always be details anywhere in this world which I don't like. We all have to live with them and I prefer to just do what has to be done and forget about it an hour later.

[NoshowJones]

19 hours ago, madmen said:

Tell us what country is easy to retire to compared to 20 years ago?

.Having just returned from Australia I can tell you im extremely happy to be back. The rent alone was killer 

, Thailand is perfectly fine if you're vaccinated

and can afford the extortionate health insurance as well as he risk of getting cut off when you get too old.

[bert bloggs]

9 hours ago, thaigrifter said:

It always makes me smile when ex UK residents describe people who go to the UK as "immigrants", and yet refer to themselves as expats when living in Thailand.

No problem i am an immigrant to Thailand,i have an income,money in a Thai bank that i must leave there to be allowed to stay ,must report to immigration every 90 days  ,and once a year fill in masses of forms and prove i have money in the bank, i cannot get free hospital treatment,or any benifits,although i am married to a Thai woman and have a son ,i have done this for over 25 years ,now what do the " expats" in Britain have to do ,answer on a postage stamp will do.

Edited July 26, 2021 by bert bloggs

[NoshowJones]

7 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

But is that an important reason in your decision if you want to live in Thailand?

Personally I like to look at the big picture. If that is fine then it's fine. There will always be details anywhere in this world which I don't like. We all have to live with them and I prefer to just do what has to be done and forget about it an hour later.

i suppose it depends on what sort of nature you have, I live by the motto, no one is better or worse than me.

[Neeranam]

1 hour ago, madmitch said:

In theory you need to be resident in the UK for three years to get the UK university price, so if she decides, as I hope, that that's what she wants to do, probably a working gap year will be in order. But i'll be checking all options.

Something wrong there, my kids have to pay foreign students fees, despite being British from birth. 

[NoshowJones]

18 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

That was 15 -20 years ago .

The authorities have since clamped down, investigated and persecuted the perpetrators .

   There have been numerous Court cases all across the U.K where the perpetrators have been jailed . 

"The authorities have since clamped down," Not according to recent reports in social media. 

[Neeranam]

53 minutes ago, Henryford said:

Errors, compared to whom? The UK with the same population has 30x the deaths and thrown away 400 billion Pounds.

And the USA with 169 times the deaths! 

[2009]

22 hours ago, Denim said:

Tend to agree. The UK does not look like such a wonderful place these days. Seems the whole world is going down the pan so might as well stay here as anywhere else.

 

Spoke to my mother just yesterday. Her monthly community charge for a 4 bedroom detached house is 250 pounds a week with single persons discount. Here , I think we pay about 20 baht a week to have our garbage collected and that's about it.

Yeah, and the UK is ravaging itself with its immigration policy, look at France. Such a shame.

 

Crime on the rise. It is bad enough with the local wasters and hooligans, nevermind the migrant spongers and undesirables.

 

Nah, Thailand is doing a better job of looking after itself.

 

Ok, there is a vaccine shortage, especially in the developing world. Can hardly blame Thailand. The western countries got first shout on them. That's the way the cookie crumbles.

 

At least Thailand's behaviour regading covid during 2020 was decent, exemplary even. The western countries fudged that part totally with their idiocy.

 

[2009]

1 hour ago, madmitch said:

In theory you need to be resident in the UK for three years to get the UK university price, so if she decides, as I hope, that that's what she wants to do, probably a working gap year will be in order. But i'll be checking all options.

Wait, the UK charges??

 

In Scotland, university education is free of charge.

Edited July 26, 2021 by 2009

[bendejo]

19 hours ago, 1FinickyOne said:

where is it certain? - that would be boring - right?

At this age I say hear, hear for boring.

Priorities at this point in life are good coffee, good milk to put in it, legal cannabis.  When I get ready for bed at night I think about the coffee I'll have when I wake up.  Clean, good quality food.  Not having to be concerned that others will give me grief for not being like them. Emergency medical call facilities necessary, unfortunately.

 

Been in the northwest part of US since before pandemic.  In the past 18 months have personally witnessed not only the lockdown but also empty supermarket shelves.  Demonstrations by irate citizens that turn into violent clashes by those that oppose them, and went on for nights at end: let me clarify that this was confined to just a few blocks in the downtown area, and most of Portland was not affected.  Then there were the wildfires last September and the entire area was dark with ash clouds for about two weeks.

 

before

after

 

Both pics taken around 3pm from the same point, maybe 1 week apart.  The nearest actual burning was around 150 miles away.

The upside of the ash cloud was that gun-toting patriots began cruising around the state a few days before, oversized flags flying from their pickups and horns blaring, and the cloud put that to an end for the most part, but some tried to take advantage of the panic.  If interested search on "clackamas militia"

Then in February we had an ice storm, the 2 major towns in the state (including the capitol) lost electricity for 3-4 days of freezing temperatures (glad I stocked up on canned tuna and had a cooked chicken in the fridge).  Drove out of town, managed to find a McD's that had a generator, waited an hour for a cup of coffee.

And now it's fire season again.

So much for comparing life in the US with countries where living is difficult.  It's starting to rack up like Biblical plagues, anticipating a rain of frogs.

 

For those looking for a new country to live in, 2 words to bear in mind: rising shoreline.

 

 

[2009]

4 hours ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

That as we  all know  vaccination does  not stop you recatching covid  but does  help with  making it way  less serious.

Exactly, I think some people live under a rock.

 

Covid is here to stay, like the flu. But the vaccine does a good job of preventing death, taking away its lethality.

 

I thought everyone knew that already

 

 

[Neeranam]

10 hours ago, thaigrifter said:

It always makes me smile when ex UK residents describe people who go to the UK as "immigrants", and yet refer to themselves as expats when living in Thailand.

There is a big difference in the words 'immigrant' and 'expat'.

Bert, the retired butcher from Bognor Regis, or Helmut, the retired seaman from Hamburg moving to Thailand permanently calls himself an expat, yet a financial advisor from Hong Kong in the UK/Germany is an immigrant. This makes me think it's a superior racial attitude, rather than a snobbish, Colonial-style one. 

[OneMoreFarang]

39 minutes ago, bert bloggs said:

No problem i am an immigrant to Thailand,i have an income,money in a Thai bank that i must leave there to be allowed to stay ,must report to immigration every 90 days  ,and once a year fill in masses of forms and prove i have money in the bank, i cannot get free hospital treatment,or any benifits,although i am married to a Thai woman and have a son ,i have done this for over 25 years ,now what do the " expats" in Britain have to do ,answer on a postage stamp will do.

I am sure you could live in the UK with free medical and all that. If it is so much better over there why don't you live there?

I think all countries have pros and cons. When I arrived in Thailand I didn't expect that I get all the benefits from Thailand and keep all the benefits from home. I made a decision what I want and what my priorities are. And if maybe later I would change my mind I could go back "home". We can't expect everything everywhere!

[BritManToo]

2 minutes ago, bendejo said:

Then in February we had an ice storm, the 2 major towns in the state (including the capitol) lost electricity for 3-4 days of freezing temperatures (glad I stocked up on canned tuna and had a cooked chicken in the fridge).  Drove out of town, managed to find a McD's that had a generator, waited an hour for a cup of coffee.

And now it's fire season again.

There's a lot to be said for keeping a gas cylinder and burner around the home.

Along with a few kilograms of dried food.

 

Had them in the UK, have them in Thailand.

[OneMoreFarang]

17 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Something wrong there, my kids have to pay foreign students fees, despite being British from birth. 

I know a British couple with a son who lived most of their lives outside of the UK. Now their son is in UK university without fees. It seems the reason is that they could prove a permanent connection to the UK (I am sure there is an official word for that). Basically they proved that they (parents with son) regularly visited the UK. I think they also have some relatives over there. It seems those visits were the reason why they don't have to pay for the UK university. 

[NoshowJones]

18 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Rotherham has a 90 % White British population and a 5 % Asian (Pakistani) population .

Well if there is only a 5% Pakistani population in Rotherham, think what it would be like if it was nearer 50%.

[bert bloggs]

2 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Well if there is only a 5% Pakistani population in Rotherham, think what it would be like if it was nearer 50%.

Like it is back where theh came from,ive been to Pakistan,not a nice place. Mind you at the hotel i was staying at at least the cockroaches were dead in the bath.

Its the only place that i have ever seen a man get down on his knees to look up a womans skirt as she boarded a bus.