2 minutes ago, lamyai3 said:

 

This is definitely a concern. 

 

 

Changes made to the Non O-A visa a few years ago were not grandfathered in, confidence in them honouring this in the future is not high. 

 

Insurance that is real expensive AND covers nothing.

 

I'd love to see reasonably priced, solid insurance.

 

 

Yeah, no idea where he's come from but Thailand as a rule doesn't grandfather anything it's too complicated for their simple minds to keep track of.

 

The situation with weed is a perfect example of not grandfathering anything and cutting off one's nose despite their face

Some posters may have read in the UK forum that I am seriously considering leaving Thailand after many years. There are many factors in my decision, but those that relate to Thailand are:

 

- I live alone, so no support network in case of sudden illness etc

- I don't have 800k baht, and I do not like using alternative 'unofficial' methods to extend my visa

- I like the sun, but after 23 years, I also miss 4 seasons in a year

 

That's about it, so no major negative reasons...  Having said that, my efforts to actually return to the UK are going nowhere fast, because of the desperate shortage of rented properties - I've found typically 50 people chasing each available property.

2 hours ago, Gandtee said:

My death.

I was going to post a similar answer but on thinking about it  - it would be highly probable that if you died in Thailand your ashes would remain here so technically death would not mean leaving Thailand.

10 minutes ago, KhaoHom said:

 

No idea how long you been married when I say this so.. grain of salt

 

You would move your illness prone wife back to the United States and pay for her care out of pocket?

 

There's nothing wrong with the food here pal. I live on this stuff and I'm never sick. My wife lives on the stuff and she's only sick rarely with a cold type illness. Neither of us got covid

 

Is genetics or it's whatever she's eating behind your back

 

Thai food is by and large healthy and it's my opinion that it's what keeps the entire country is healthy as it is. compared to the United states, UK, Germany, most of Northern Europe, all of the Middle East, etc etc

We have been married for fourteen years - spent about half the time for the first ten years in the U.S. so she could get naturalized.

 

Paying for medical care out of pocket or market rate health insurance for my wife at my income level is a deal breaker.

 

As to diet I see the bottles of oil arrive on a regular basis and clean the stove hood trap so I know her diet.  She grew up poor in the Isaan and although she does eat the fruit and yoghurt I prepare for breakfast and vegetables and 'spicey' most evenings her upbringing causes her to eat with the seasons - if there are mangos or papaya in season one is never enough and a mid-day mealtime without  white or sticky rice diet is unimaginable - all of this puts people at risk of type 2 diabetes - including her older siblings.

 

It is important to compare the older generation of Thai people (at least here in the Northeast) who by and large are trim, fit, and incredibly tough with what I see in the young people around me who frequent 7-11 whenever there is money in the pocket and who have a tolerance for overweight peers as that translates to having money.

 

 

 

3 minutes ago, Negita43 said:

I was going to post a similar answer but on thinking about it  - it would be highly probable that if you died in Thailand your ashes would remain here so technically death would not mean leaving Thailand.

A good point.  If your will does not make your wishes clear, it will not be your decision.

12 hours ago, connda said:

can't let go of its hegemony

I just learned a new word - hegemony.

god this is going to be a depressing thread. 

 

11 hours ago, simon43 said:

- I live alone, so no support network in case of sudden illness etc

paying a nurse here might be cheaper than retirement home in home country. 

Bob arriving at my front gate with his dilly-bag.🙃🙃

Getting very sick.

16 minutes ago, mudcat said:

We have been married for fourteen years - spent about half the time for the first ten years in the U.S. so she could get naturalized.

 

Paying for medical care out of pocket or market rate health insurance for my wife at my income level is a deal breaker.

 

As to diet I see the bottles of oil arrive on a regular basis and clean the stove hood trap so I know her diet.  She grew up poor in the Isaan and although she does eat the fruit and yoghurt I prepare for breakfast and vegetables and 'spicey' most evenings her upbringing causes her to eat with the seasons - if there are mangos or papaya in season one is never enough and a mid-day mealtime without  white or sticky rice diet is unimaginable - all of this puts people at risk of type 2 diabetes - including her older siblings.

 

It is important to compare the older generation of Thai people (at least here in the Northeast) who by and large are trim, fit, and incredibly tough with what I see in the young people around me who frequent 7-11 whenever there is money in the pocket and who have a tolerance for overweight peers as that translates to having money.

 

 

 

 

That's a good bit of time to be sure. So, US isn't option unless you leave her.

 

At least she has citizenship.

 

Well, off topic.

 

Get her to swap out bran oil for palm oil. Seems you can well afford. All fruit is good. Nothing wrong with a bit of sticky rice. It's doubtful she gets much exercise I'm guessing. Start demanding she take better care of herself as you're footing the bill

 

Move to BKK. Better lifestyle, healthier despite air. No one thinks fat = money here. That's peasant think

9 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

paying a nurse here might be cheaper than retirement home in home country. 

 

I've known few oldies happy in retirement homes. Actually, usually pretty dire.

 

 

Been here decades and never a worry. If something happened that forced a move, I would simply move.  Like it here.  Great natural scenery, like the food, great partner, very affordable, good health care, easy visas, done looking for the next best thing for now at least.

57 minutes ago, Stocky said:

And why do think that would happen? In all my years here I've never met that level of animosity.

I was replying to Stocky post about China. When the big bash kicks off in 2027 the Chinese communist party propaganda hate machine will be full throttle.

 

58 minutes ago, KhaoHom said:

 

Yeah, unreasonably cynical. Not funny 👍

 

Winning big time on the lottery might do it for me. Travel the world in style.

1 hour ago, lamyai3 said:

 

This is definitely a concern. 

 

 

Changes made to the Non O-A visa a few years ago were not grandfathered in, confidence in them honouring this in the future is not high. 

I think most of us expats live on extentions not visa's , certainly not the non O-A which is one of the worst.

 

1 hour ago, KhaoHom said:

 

I've known few oldies happy in retirement homes. Actually, usually pretty dire.

 

 

She looks more like a Japanese nurse than Thai.

And from the documentaries I watch , Japanese nurses take VERY good care of their patients.

1 hour ago, Negita43 said:

I was going to post a similar answer but on thinking about it  - it would be highly probable that if you died in Thailand your ashes would remain here so technically death would not mean leaving Thailand.

A good point. Half my ashes will be scattered in Sattahip Bay to join my mother, who died here in 2000. And where my wife and Thai family can throw a flower in, the Thai way, if they so desire. The other half will go back to England to be scattered to join my first wife's ashes, who died in 1982 and is the mother of my children.

2 hours ago, FlorC said:

I think most of us expats live on extentions not visa's , certainly not the non O-A which is one of the worst.

 

 

The non-grandfathering applied to the extensions as well, that's what made the visa unworkable for many. Non O-A was one of the best options for years until it suddenly wasn't - if the government ever pulled the same trick with Non O extensions then many people are going to be up the junction. 

4 hours ago, Bumstead said:

I was replying to Stocky post about China. When the big bash kicks off in 2027 the Chinese communist party propaganda hate machine will be full throttle.

Yes, that was my response to you!

 

The 'hate' propaganda is primarily from the west aimed at China regardless that it's the west that's in the habit of bombing other countries and overthrowing governments they don't like.

If the AUD was only worth 5 baht, I'd be moving.

7 hours ago, lamyai3 said:

If they implement worldwide taxation like they've said they would, it'd drive many out, or at least see them shifting to a non resident status. 

🙉

Simply, the continuation of what is already in progress. I refuse to pay income tax. 90-day reports are irksome, especially when I-O won't honor its own rules. Hiring an agent for Extension of Stay is an unnecessary expense. It looks like one large bank is determined to make even that rip-off even more problematic. I will probably have to change banks so I'm hoping my landlady/agent can help me get another bank account.  Too many demands from a country that offers almost nothing as I wade midway into my seventies.

Wife & kid dying, would take away any reason to stay in TH, though still not sure I'd leave permanently.   Probably would.  I'd liquidate, then take at least 1 year in USA, playing nomadic tourist and recon to decide if I wanted to live there again.   

 

If everything as silly priced as I think, then I'd go the nomadic backpacking RV van tourist route, and do the Americas first.   

11 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Wife & kid dying, would take away any reason to stay in TH, though still not sure I'd leave permanently.   Probably would.  I'd liquidate, then take at least 1 year in USA, playing nomadic tourist and recon to decide if I wanted to live there again.   

 

If everything as silly priced as I think, then I'd go the nomadic backpacking RV van tourist route, and do the Americas first.   

Too old to move anywhere now, finished my bucket list buying the EV, death is next.

 

My best pal in the UK died in the past five years, nobody thought to inform me, just found out, he was 3 years younger than me and in good health 2020.

 

One cousin still alive, in a hospice with dementia, wouldn't know me if I visited. Nobody else left I want to see in the UK, at 70, I've outlived them all!

I'm meeting more people who actually say they want to leave, not stay. Your theory may be outdated.

No reason to leave for me. I have a good woman that busts her ass in the gardens does the dishes & helps us make money when it is time to move. That & now I have about 200 grams of weed & only smoke 1/2 a Joint a day.

Immigration here isn't that bad 90 day report 1 year extension. Besides the U.S. sucks right now & I don't think I would enjoy any of the shenanigans going on there.Baht goes up & down 34-36 baht when a dem pres is in down to 30 baht when a Repub is in. Same story for the last 21 years here. 

27 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Too old to move anywhere now, finished my bucket list buying the EV, death is next.

 

My best pal in the UK died in the past five years, nobody thought to inform me, just found out, he was 3 years younger than me and in good health 2020.

 

One cousin still alive, in a hospice with dementia, wouldn't know me if I visited. Nobody else left I want to see in the UK, at 70, I've outlived them all!

About the same, most friends passed, or barely hanging on.  2 Brothers, holy rollers, so not a whole lot in common.  Good people, but couldn't be around them more that the Xmas, Easter, Thanksgiving dinner.   Nieces & nephews, I wouldn't even recognize, and have their own families.  One just retired, Air Force, and last time I saw them, 25 ys ago, they were still teenagers 

 

Feeling healthy, and might squeeze out 5-10 more years, or crap out tomorrow, as 3 yrs pass my expiration date already.

 

I'd be really bored here without the wife and kid.  Dog might have 5 more years, so I got someone to talk to.

 

Seen all there really to see, as I may have stated, once or 100 times, it's a really small country, and nothing really world class, except the limestone landscape.   I never tire of driving around and looking at that.

 

Checking out the Nat'l Parks, playing in the snow, that would work for me.  Do miss the change seasons.  Canoeing down the Delaware Rive in autumn ... hell yea.

 

5 minutes ago, Beardog said:

No reason to leave for me. I have a good woman that busts her ass in the gardens does the dishes & helps us make money when it is time to move. That & now I have about 200 grams of weed & only smoke 1/2 a Joint a day.

Immigration here isn't that bad 90 day report 1 year extension. Besides the U.S. sucks right now & I don't think I would enjoy any of the shenanigans going on there.Baht goes up & down 34-36 baht when a dem pres is in down to 30 baht when a Repub is in. Same story for the last 21 years here. 

 

does the dishes.....555...... love it.

27 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

does the dishes.....555...... love it.

Yea she is a good woman. I almost wound up with the bad girl bar girl that dancing would make a dead corpses unit rise to the occasion. 100% guaranteed to  be fun for a while & then a heartbreak for sure.I got lucky & picked  her using the big brain.. She isn't perfect but neither am I but it helps when a partner is a real partner. 

8 hours ago, Stocky said:

Why? There are western expats currently living and working in China, not all westerners are fearful of the Sinosphere.

Nor am I.  But given the rather extreme levels of Sinophobia (and Russiaphobia) among the vast majority of AN member?  I have no problems with the Chinese nor their economic model nor their model of governance. Compared to the US its culture is ancient, rich, and diverse.  And if they decided to repatriate Taiwan?  Taiwan IS part of China.  It's there business, and a domestic issue unless the West does what its been signaling and goes to war of China for repatriating a breakaway state attempting to secede. And if it spills over into Thailand.  I've no plan to leave unless its at the end of a gun.  I'll roll with whatever comes this way.  So yeah, not all westerners are fearful of the Sinophere.