5 minutes ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

It is simple, keep your money, you wealth in your own country, make sure you have a good pension and additional income coming in, spend what you need and then escape back to your own country when your long term VISIT is over (we are only visitors) , use the free health system back in your own country.

Exactly, never trust anyone with your money.

On 4/19/2026 at 6:20 AM, georgegeorgia said:

Very true

So if I retire say spend my retirement funds and buy a million dollar AUD apartment overlooking Jomtien beach then buy a Mercedes Benz and then motorbikes etc ...they can still kick me out anytime

The retirements visa is one year right

In 90 day increments or less if you're a naughty boy.

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

I like it that the new guys 'fresh off the plane' are saying the same things that we joked about over forty years ago. Of course back then, we didn't have YouTube accounts to monetize things that most of the world didn't care about, and probably still doesn't.

As for 'residency security', legal pathways to Thai permanent residence or citizenship have always been there. Having said that, if the western concept of morality is important, the opening two lines of the Thai national anthem says it all.

There is no path to upgrade residency status with retirementextensions.

1 hour ago, soalbundy said:

Try living in the UK today, the rents in major towns are unaffordable, a doctors appointment can take weeks, referral to a hospital can take months, sometimes years even as a cancer patient, lose your job and you are in real trouble despite the so called social security, homelessness in London doubled in the last 12 months. The laws and regulations are piling up exponentially with horrific fines for the most silly mistakes which a few years ago wouldn't have caused a raised eyebrow, the social tension in the UK is palpable, people feel crushed. Don't post your true feelings on social media as you could end up with the police on your doorstep. After 20 years of living in Thailand I feel safe and secure, my 18 year old son wanted me to get him a UK passport, he wanted to study at a UK university, I declined, he is now enrolled in a University in Buriram, forget the West I told him, you are better off in Asia and as a well educated Thai in Thailand who speaks perfect English you have a brighter future here.

I suppose a lot of farangs come up with that false view of the UK in order to justify why then can not go back as they can not afford to live there after burning their bridges so many years ago, what a load of nonsense.

I have visited Thailand for long holidays over 30+ years and started living here in 2022, I went back to England in March 2025 for five months.

I saw nothing of the nonsense you mentioned above, I had to change doctors as I had bought a property to rent out which I stayed in for five months, I registered online with a new surgery within an hour and had an appointment two days later, it was followed up by weekly appointments. I also had a free eye test, seeing as I am over 60.

I was at a hospital a week later having blood tests, it does not take months.

I saw no social tension other than the made up tensions in the media as it likes negative stories in order to sell advertising space.

The news should be more like, "Today there was a report that a few people felt tense and irritable but the vast majority of people feel happy and content", not the doom and gloom they like to try and sell to the dim witted.

A university in Thailand is of a far lower standard to any university in the UK, ask the wealthy Thais where they send their kids to university, you did your son a diservice there by your petty prejudice, look at the world rankings on universities ,no Thai establishment comes anywhere near the top especially a university in Isaan.

But I suppose the universities in Thailand are free, it would cost £70k or more to send a kid to a university in the UK.

Most people I saw in the UK were as happy as they had always been there, still if it makes you feel happy to knock you own country then do so, remember you are only a visitor here on a yearly visa extension and have to report to the police every 90 days, do you have to do that in the UK?

Oh and if you go to a hotel for a day, when you get back home you have to file you address again using a TM30 otherwise the owner of the house will be fined, how is that for freedom?

But lets see what happens when you get old, have no money in Thailand, lets see how welcome you are then, it will be a shock, still you can go back to the UK and received free health care there for life and a free nursing home if you need one.

I like living in both countries, they both have their pros and cons , but I am not under any illusion that I am welcomed permanently here.

p.s I like the high rents in the UK as the salaries are also correspondingly high and I get a few thousand pounds a month extra in rents to supplement my pension, that pays for more that a few beers a month. 👍

28 minutes ago, msbkk said:

"use the free health system back in your own country"

Many countries do not have such a free health care system.

Most farang counties do, even in the USA there is free basic healthcare.

17 hours ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

Tyrant King sounds good. Could be straight from the eighties thrash metal though. Reminded me of Powermad for example - Slaughterhouse is a good example. Song from Wild at Heart.

Death metal all sounds the same.

17 minutes ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

Most farang counties do, even in the USA there is free basic healthcare.

The more money you have, and the more personal resources you have, the easier life gets, and that also applies in countries with “free healthcare.”

In most European countries there is still a safety net for people who are willing and able to seek help. I still rely on my private health insurance, which gives me screening within seven days and treatment within twenty days if needed.

On 4/19/2026 at 9:20 AM, georgegeorgia said:

Very true

So if I retire say spend my retirement funds and buy a million dollar AUD apartment overlooking Jomtien beach then buy a Mercedes Benz and then motorbikes etc ...they can still kick me out anytime

The retirements visa is one year right?

Yes. They can kick you out any time. You have zero residential security in Thailand. They can change the rules, and have been, any time.

On 4/19/2026 at 9:20 AM, Celsius said:

Marcus is German name.

Another fake australian

On 4/19/2026 at 9:20 AM, Celsius said:

Marcus is German name.

Another fake australian

You didn't put much thought into that statement did you old mate ?? After WW2 thousands of German immigrants settled in Australia and their familioes live on.

On 4/19/2026 at 8:07 AM, fredwiggy said:

Some watch a video for a few minutes then judge, much like some do here, skimming and assuming, without fully reading all of what's written. Never works.

Why do I avoid watching embedded YouTubes and skim on AN?

Because life's too short, that's why.

14 minutes ago, wavodavo said:

You didn't put much thought into that statement did you old mate ?? After WW2 thousands of German immigrants settled in Australia and their familioes live on.

I haven't hear the word "old mate " for a long time , beautiful sentence you used and thankyou for writing it .

I noticed the younger people now use the word "bro"

I wonder how that would go with "old bro "!

Oh please you have too much time on your hands to think of this !!;;

11 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Why do I avoid watching embedded YouTubes and skim on AN?

Because life's too short, that's why.

Anyone can do whatever they want, but commenting on something without knowing the gist of it all doesn't work, as it's skimming. The same with watching a few videos, which are much of the time other's opinions about something, which could be wrong or right. Life is too short, so it's best to spend your time having fun, not hurting anyone intentionally, and not getting invovled with anyone's personal life, seeing it isn't anyone's business but theirs.

5 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

I haven't hear the word "old mate " for a long time

I expect that you are more used to hearing Miserable old git, rather than "old mate"

On 4/19/2026 at 10:20 AM, fredwiggy said:

Why are you bothering to try and understand how I live my life?

Why are you bothering to share with anonymous strangers how you live your life?

6 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

I expect that you are more used to hearing Miserable old git, rather than "old mate"

There's no need for jealousy because I live my life to the fullest and you sit in your shoebox in the Flybird Condominium

I noticed your last post where you were critical of me walking with no pants on at 3am in Pattaya , because you obviously were jealous and want to do that yourself!!

2 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Why are you bothering to share with anonymous strangers how you live your life?

As foreigners here, a minority, we can relate with each other and share the same wins and losses. The only problem there is that some, who are anti social to begin with, only interact to demean and troll, which isn't the reason for this forum, as it's a place where foreigners can help each other with various ideas and experiences.

This will always be a foreign place for foreigners to live, even if they've been here many years. They may have adapted well, especially if they're decent humans and have decent partners from Thailand. Those that have been screwed over can understand when another has, with the only problems being those aforementioned trolls, and those that for some odd reason, hate other foreigners. It's easy to spot those who's only agenda is to demean, as they'll take whatever you say and turn it around, instead of putting in their 2 cents worth to help.

5 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

There's no need for jealousy because I live my life to the fullest and you sit in your shoebox in the Flybird Condominium

I noticed your last post where you were critical of me walking with no pants on at 3am in Pattaya , because you obviously were jealous and want to do that yourself!!

I'm thinking you don't realize that that behavior is exactly why some locals abhor foreigners, and lump all of us into one sad group of miscreants, judging from that weirdo behavior instead of looking at it as one who's suffering from a mental illness, who comes to another country to disrespect instead of trying to fit in.

3 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

As foreigners here, a minority, we can relate with each other and share the same wins and losses. The only problem there is that some, who are anti social to begin with, only interact to demean and troll, which isn't the reason for this forum, as it's a place where foreigners can help each other with various ideas and experiences.

This will always be a foreign place for foreigners to live, even if they've been here many years. They may have adapted well, especially if they're decent humans and have decent partners from Thailand. Those that have been screwed over can understand when another has, with the only problems being those aforementioned trolls, and those that for some odd reason, hate other foreigners. It's easy to spot those who's only agenda is to demean, as they'll take whatever you say and turn it around, instead of putting in their 2 cents worth to help.

Beautiful post and thankyou for your service Sir

Everything you wrote I can relate to and very true , and yes I did get emotional because your post is sad in some ways

2 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

I'm thinking you don't realize that that behavior is exactly why some locals abhor foreigners, and lump all of us into one sad group of miscreants, judging from that weirdo behavior instead of looking at it as one who's suffering from a mental illness, who comes to another country to disrespect instead of trying to fit in.

Oh please there's no need to put one down because they want to feel "free" wearing no pants especially at on a quiet cooler night at 3am where I felt so free and happy as I walked down past that hotel California on the main road towards those basketball courts in Pattaya

I never felt so free in my mind that early morning and I most times I forgot I was pantless

The wind blowing between my legs , the mind clearing etc was something I will never forget that morning,it was absolutely beautiful

7 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

Oh please there's no need to put one down because they want to feel "free" wearing no pants especially at on a quiet cooler night at 3am where I felt so free and happy as I walked down past that hotel California on the main road towards those basketball courts in Pattaya

I never felt so free in my mind that early morning and I most times I forgot I was pantless

The wind blowing between my legs , the mind clearing etc was something I will never forget that morning,it was absolutely beautiful

7 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

Just sayin'. It's against the law and gives us a bad look. If you forget you're not wearing pants, that's another serious problem. There are specific places where you can let it all hang out.

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

There is no path to upgrade residency status with retirementextensions.

Actually there is, I upgraded from marriage extensions to LTR, and it turned truly as a massive improvement in quality of life. But I'll find out next year, when the 5 years extension comes up, if the balance of power between BOI and TI has tilted against us.

As with any person going and staying with the intention of being in that country for the rest of their lives, meet the requirements and do it so you become that nationality. Why wait 30 years? 30 years implies you want to be in Thailand forever. So, accomplish the requirements for that status and stay.

Sure, I don’t know this person’s status in life, but 30 years implies they could meet the Thai requirements or should have tried.

I wish them the best of luck!

2 hours ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

It is simple, keep your money, you wealth in your own country, make sure you have a good pension and additional income coming in, spend what you need and then escape back to your own country when your long term VISIT is over (we are only visitors) , use the free health system back in your own country.

Long-term care in the US is expensive and varies by service type, with 2025-2026 median monthly costs around $6,200 for assisted living and over $9,500–$10,700+ for nursing home rooms. In-home care (homemaker services) averages roughly $75,000 annually, while private nursing home rooms can exceed $129,000 per year.

https://www.carescout.com/cost-of-care

And for me personally there would be zero family-type support available to me in USofA as there is no family there.

36 minutes ago, JerryM said:

Long-term care in the US is expensive and varies by service type, with 2025-2026 median monthly costs around $6,200 for assisted living and over $9,500–$10,700+ for nursing home rooms. In-home care (homemaker services) averages roughly $75,000 annually, while private nursing home rooms can exceed $129,000 per year.

https://www.carescout.com/cost-of-care

And for me personally there would be zero family-type support available to me in USofA as there is no family there.

And you have family in Thailand?

11 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

And you have family in Thailand?

Yes.

A friend of mine was licensed to sell long-term care insurance in Florida for a Prudential affiliate.

He said almost everyone who bought it knew or had family of someone who did NOT have long-term care insurance but should have.

The only Medicare long-term care is that which is medically necessary following release from inpatient.

1 hour ago, georgegeorgia said:

There's no need for jealousy because I live my life to the fullest and you sit in your shoebox in the Flybird Condominium

I noticed your last post where you were critical of me walking with no pants on at 3am in Pattaya , because you obviously were jealous and want to do that yourself!!

Is this you find lady boys?

1 hour ago, RMK54 said:

As with any person going and staying with the intention of being in that country for the rest of their lives, meet the requirements and do it so you become that nationality. Why wait 30 years? 30 years implies you want to be in Thailand forever. So, accomplish the requirements for that status and stay.

Sure, I don’t know this person’s status in life, but 30 years implies they could meet the Thai requirements or should have tried.

I wish them the best of luck!

You obviously haven't a clue what that takes. First you need to get to PR status, which many, including myself, don't need or want, as requires a work permit. That's not retiring, and I've been here 25+ yrs.

No need or real advantage to having PR status or citizenship. Especially if all you want to do is retire here, married or not.

3 hours ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

A university in Thailand is of a far lower standard to any university in the UK, ask the wealthy Thais where they send their kids to university, you did your son a diservice there by your petty prejudice, look at the world rankings on universities ,no Thai establishment comes anywhere near the top especially a university in Isaan.

The Thai doctor that did my surgery did 1 year in a US school.

Some Thai schools have arrangements with foreign schools.

I wouldn't underestimate at least some of these Thai professionals.

22 hours ago, Hummin said:

So what is it that makes you dislike Muslims in Thailand?

Nothing against Muslims anywhere but I visit Satun 2-3 times a year and whilst my GFs village is Buddhist it's annoying that when we go into Satun center or Pak Bara (Ferry to Koh Lipe) we struggle to get Beer or Pork (I don't eat Chicken, Fish/Seafood or Thai Beef (Aussie, US etc... stuff is fine).

There are probably plenty more guys in this situation married then separated

Left alone

Broke have nothing left