On 5/14/2025 at 10:02 AM, KhunLA said:

I'm a tourist, and always will be.  Here on holiday ... long holiday ... 25 years.   Just have to pop in every year and ask to stay, another year.  Give 'em some silly reason, like, being married, or want to retire here.

 

Unlikely, but one day, they could easily say, F'off and get out.  So yes, we're all tourist, unless holding a Thai passport.

 

Understood.

 

Nevertheless, being a married man of 15 years on O visa is very different than being some chav 'lifecoach' on whatever he can grub at the border.

 

While I don't at all disagree with the sentiment, given economic situation of the country it seems they need every retiree that they can hold.

 

I'm now of the opinion that we're going to start getting taxed up the ying yang because these governments love to spend money but cannot come up with an economic plan that generates it. 

 

We will all suffer increasing VAT. I think the income tax thing will become a lot more real in the next year or two or three. I recently read an article in the last day or two stating that the government is looking for an exit / departure tax .

 

Funny... The government just taxes but they don't think that they need to provide anything for those taxes. This is especially in the case of foreigners.

 

Let's say there's a very important and they don't pay any tax at all aside from VAT. They receive catastrophic healthcare and all of the infrastructure needs are set up for them... Roads, rail systems, subways and monorail. They are tight Nationals and fair is fair

 

Meanwhile you pay vat, possible tax on employment if you're working here, any excise taxes within the country, any import tariffs on a number of goods. If you don't pay employment tax you will pay tax on income brought into the country.

 

They are now digging deep into the poors pockets to get them to pay for VAT (sellers).

 

Thailand might become very expensive for us long stay tourist. We all might be better off on TRs.

 

Looking into the future I don't see this government doing much of anything to correct serious deficiencies in the economy and government. If going back home wasn't so bloody expensive I would. This current government seems more concerned with bringing Taksin back into Thailand and creating extremely dubious casinos which Thai people absolutely do not need.

On 5/17/2025 at 5:07 PM, KhaoHom said:

Nevertheless, being a married man of 15 years on O visa is very different than being some chav 'lifecoach' on whatever he can grub at the border.

 

Not VERY different. Essentially it's the same.  Any trouble with the law and you get kicked out of the country.

guys:  here is my 2 cents...  why do you even bother with picking one place to live in?  do what I do.  bounce around to several different countries each year.  to me, that is the best way to deal with the issues that come with living long term in any one place presents you.

 

thailand has 60 day visa free travel at least twice a year.  japan has 90 day visa free travel twice a year.  you can even do it back to back by leaving japan for one day.  if you do that, it eliminates the need for you to get a residence card or the mandatory insurance that you are required to get if you stay longer then 3 consecutive months.  you can stay in the PI for less then 250 usa dollars extensive fees each year.  in vietnam you can get a 2 year multiple reentry visa for about 155 usa dollars.  come and go as you please.  every other country in asean has 30 day visa free.

 

and when all it costs to bounce from one country to the next is like 100 usa dollars round trip if you book in advance, what's the problem?

 

next year, I plan on splitting my time between thailand, japan, the PI and vietnam by just bouncing around.  thailand will be my home base where I receive my mail and where I designate where I live with ss.  get a international charles schwab account (requires minimum 25k usa dollars to start), get the schwab debit card and you are set.  when you need money go to an atm.  schwab atm card has no fee use on both sides of the transaction.

 

buy a magicjack for calls back home.  on sale, 5 years for 150 usa dollars.  get a pill box back home for forwarding mail, etc.  about 120 usa dollars a year.

 

since my place in thailand is about 140 usa dollars a month, I keep it indefinitely so that I can store my things there.  open a bangkok bank account with some money in it to pay the rent each month online.  that easy.

 

6 months thailand, 4 months japan.  1 month vietnam.  1 month PI.  by doing this bouncing around, I eliminate the need to adhere to the financial requirements that living long term requires you to deal with.

 

I am flexible.  if I end up not liking  one country, I have a number of other countries to choose in asean to select from.  they are all the same.  can live on less than 1000 usa dollars a month.  my ss each month covers it all and more.  in fact, I save about half my ss each month by living overseas in asean.

 

in japan now.  loving it.  not hot now.  weather is like san francisco in the spring time.  got a share house room that is about 400 usa dollars a month including utilties and fast 200 mbs internet.  eating cheap at matsuya, sukiya, etc and buying the discount bento boxes from the supermarkets that get discounted after 6pm.  we're looking at 3 usa dollars a meal if you eat out.  cook at home cheap.  bowl of cereal with milk and banana 50 cents.

 

living the dream.

 

what do I do with my spare time?  netflix, play computer games, gym, exploring.  hang out at the beach with friends over 1 or 2 beers.