13 minutes ago, SamSpade said:

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).

The locals was quite helpful with getting beers, and even a beach bar we visited at Pak Nam Beach in Satun.

Overall very friendly against us wherever we went. And quiet, not like any other tourist places,

On 4/19/2026 at 12:37 AM, Jingthing said:

This isn't about the personal details of the youtuber.

It's about the message in the content.

I agree and there's a lot of truth in this video but to accuse Immigration of not taking care of him is ridiculous. That's not their purpose nor function.

Although the story of "Marcus" is probably true, it smacks of looking for someone to blame rather than taking responsibility for one's own bad decisions.

It never fails to amaze me that educated people (usually men) will put all their assets in the name of a (usually) former working girl and expect that she is, and will remain trustworthy.

Would they give everything to a street whore in their own countries?

Stupid is as stupid does!

Finally, to suggest this is some sort of a Thai conspiracy is ridiculous! The law is clear if you bother to study it and It's your failure to plan ahead and act responsibly. It's just that unlike in the West, there's no "nanny state" protecting you from yourself.

Blogger doesn’t seem to realize that even if there was an easy route to permanent residency or citizenship, that doesn’t mean that a generous social safety net would suddenly be made available to you.

1 hour ago, JerryM said:

Medicare long-term care

"long term care" sounds like an oxymoron. I'd rather off myself than rely on someone's care to extend a life that has lost it's purpose.

2 minutes ago, VBF said:

I agree and there's a lot of truth in this video but to accuse Immigration of not taking care of him is ridiculous. That's not their purpose nor function.

Although the story of "Marcus" is probably true, it smacks of looking for someone to blame other than taking responsibility for one's own bad decisions.

It never fails to amaze me that educated people (usually men) will put all their assets in the name of a (usually) former working girl and expect that she is, and will remain trustworthy.

Would they give everything to a street whore in their own countries?

Stupid is as stupid does!

Finally, to suggest this is some sort of a Thai conspiracy is ridiculous! The law is clear if you bother to study it and It's your failure to plan ahead and act responsibly. It's just that unlike in the West, there's no "nanny state" protecting you from yourself.

As I said I'm not sold on the bad intent narrative. But it doesn't matter either way! The time bomb design is still there.

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

As I said I'm not sold on the bad intent narrative. But it doesn't matter either way! The time bomb design is still there.

Indeed, but i think this vlogger destroyed his own credibility with some of his comments.

And you mentioned that you're aware of all this but still you choose to stay. That's an educated decision rather than just blindly saying "it'll be alright on the night".

I imagine you have either got emergency assets or some sort of plan if your future doesn't pan out quite as you hoped.

3 hours 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.

Do you mean losers can relate to losers and winners can relate to winners?

How should a loser relate to a winner and a winner to a loser?

How would you know if someone is anti-social on a forum? Would they be the ones who don't post at all or the ones who just post just a little?

You give lip service to "helping each other with various ideas and experiences", but what you seem to mean is your ideas and experiences. You don't seem that keen to accept the vast accumulated experience of others. You prefer to insist that you know it best, because you have more experience than anyone or you have special friends with all the knowledge.

Do you see what I'm getting at or do you think that I'm just interacting to 'demean and troll'? No matter if it's your friends telling you or the people you prefer to view negatively, you don't change nor adapt at all. Even with all of the 'emotional support' you are given by certain posters. You get as far as repeating a new slogan, but the behaviour remains the same.

3 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

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.

I seem to be doing okay in Thailand without a partner from Thailand.

You claim to have a decent partner now, but are only dreaming about leaving. Something to do with the person, isn't it? Wherever you go, there you are.

3 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

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.

Have you been screwed over or were you blinded by your own arrogance and unable to change course until it was too late?

Everyone can use their knowledge and experience to judge a situation. Your knowledge and experience(or the lack of it), landed you in that situation.

My knowledge and experience differs from yours. Through that, we have different lives and experiences.

This is just the way it is. You pride yourself with the thinking that you see things as they are, but you comfort yourself by trying to dismiss the reality of others. Easier for you to shout out Troll and anti-social, but in reality that cannot be possible. Someone in a successful relationship(one not based on financial remuneration) is not likely to be anti-social. They would need to have some social skills to be able to track their partners needs., to maintain good relations.

You claim to be good with women, but the evidence of how you behave when confronted with issues belies that statement.

You need to learn to respect that people see things differently. You are not more right than them. As long as you continue to disrespect and diminish others, you will experience the same in your life.

Stop whining and start changing.

3 hours 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

Please don't be tempted to do it during your night shift work cleaning in Australia.

1 hour ago, Peter Crow said:

"long term care" sounds like an oxymoron. I'd rather off myself than rely on someone's care to extend a life that has lost it's purpose.

That's what many people say before such a need becomes real for them. Then most people decide that they still have a desire to live even with massive limitations. Of course you might be accurate in your self prediction, but you don't know that.

10 minutes ago, IsmeUno said:

Do you mean losers can relate to losers and winners can relate to winners?

How should a loser relate to a winner and a winner to a loser?

How would you know if someone is anti-social on a forum? Would they be the ones who don't post at all or the ones who just post just a little?

You give lip service to "helping each other with various ideas and experiences", but what you seem to mean is your ideas and experiences. You don't seem that keen to accept the vast accumulated experience of others. You prefer to insist that you know it best, because you have more experience than anyone or you have special friends with all the knowledge.

Do you see what I'm getting at or do you think that I'm just interacting to 'demean and troll'? No matter if it's your friends telling you or the people you prefer to view negatively, you don't change nor adapt at all. Even with all of the 'emotional support' you are given by certain posters. You get as far as repeating a new slogan, but the behaviour remains the same.

I seem to be doing okay in Thailand without a partner from Thailand.

You claim to have a decent partner now, but are only dreaming about leaving. Something to do with the person, isn't it? Wherever you go, there you are.

Have you been screwed over or were you blinded by your own arrogance and unable to change course until it was too late?

Everyone can use their knowledge and experience to judge a situation. Your knowledge and experience(or the lack of it), landed you in that situation.

My knowledge and experience differs from yours. Through that, we have different lives and experiences.

This is just the way it is. You pride yourself with the thinking that you see things as they are, but you comfort yourself by trying to dismiss the reality of others. Easier for you to shout out Troll and anti-social, but in reality that cannot be possible. Someone in a successful relationship(one not based on financial remuneration) is not likely to be anti-social. They would need to have some social skills to be able to track their partners needs., to maintain good relations.

You claim to be good with women, but the evidence of how you behave when confronted with issues belies that statement.

You need to learn to respect that people see things differently. You are not more right than them. As long as you continue to disrespect and diminish others, you will experience the same in your life.

Stop whining and start changing.

10 minutes ago, IsmeUno said:

I always see exactly what you're getting at as I had your number years ago as NowNow, before you were banned and came back with another username acting exactly the same. What I said was totally legitimate. That you disagree with my statement shows anti social thinking, as all I said was we should be helping each other out, and not acting like you do.

I know exactly who is anti social on a forum because they again, act like you, and I have decades of experience in your type of behavior. Guessing that I don't is your downfall . Internet trolls are around, and you fit the definition perfectly. That you'll never admit this is deflection, another thing I learned decades ago.

Where have I ever said I don't accept others experiences? Isn't that what I mentioned in my post. that we're here to help EACH OTHER out. I don't "seem" to mean anything else. That's just you assuming what I mean again. You aren't qualified to be a psychiatrist but only a patient. I grew up with a loving father and mother, so I wasn't "screwed over" but I'm pretty sure you were.

You actually come into this forum and try to act superior without any proof of that whatsoever. Others disagree with you and you go into autodrive, demeaning, bringing up things that were talked about before, and those things were you turning the truths someone said around, which is very strange, trolling behavior. You just can't help yourself, trying to psychoanalyze someone who's busted you years before, but that's what your type does, and sadly, there is no cure.

Incredible the amount of assumptions in that reply alone. Best not to tell someone to change when it's you with a personality disorder.

Like I said earlier, endgame, so go bother someone else. Hopefully you'll be banned permanently the next time you go overboard.

1 hour ago, VBF said:

Indeed, but i think this vlogger destroyed his own credibility with some of his comments.

And you mentioned that you're aware of all this but still you choose to stay. That's an educated decision rather than just blindly saying "it'll be alright on the night".

I imagine you have either got emergency assets or some sort of plan if your future doesn't pan out quite as you hoped.

I didn't start this topic to promote that guy. I thought it was a reasonable item to frame the theme of this topic. Retirement in Thailand being a time bomb. Of course it doesn't blow up for everyone but it does for a lot of people, aware of the structural reasons for it or not.

Yes, I'm very aware.

Yes I have assets and backup to Thailand ideas.

But in no way whatsoever have I built a foolproof shield against being hit by it.

I don't have the wealth level for that.

4 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

try to act superior without any proof of that whatsoever. Others disagree with you and you go into autodrive, demeaning, bringing up things that were talked about before

This sums up your whole post...

1 hour ago, Gecko123 said:

Blogger doesn’t seem to realize that even if there was an easy route to permanent residency or citizenship, that doesn’t mean that a generous social safety net would suddenly be made available to you.

Whether he realizes that or not, being booted out of a country that you're very long settled in and may have no other "home" to go back to anymore, is something that people in crisis and vulnerable situations would often be the proverbial last straw. Having the residence security which is not available to us retired expats here would at least be one very major issue not to have to deal with at such times.

8 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

I always see exactly what you're getting at as I had your number years ago as NowNow, before you were banned and came back with another username acting exactly the same. What I said was totally legitimate. That you disagree with my statement shows anti social thinking, as all I said was we should be helping each other out, and not acting like you do.

I know exactly who is anti social on a forum because they again, act like you, and I have decades of experience in your type of behavior. Guessing that I don't is your downfall . Internet trolls are around, and you fit the definition perfectly. That you'll never admit this is deflection, another thing I learned decades ago.

Where have I ever said I don't accept others experiences? Isn't that what I mentioned in my post. that we're here to help EACH OTHER out. I don't "seem" to mean anything else. That's just you assuming what I mean again. You aren't qualified to be a psychiatrist but only a patient. I grew up with a loving father and mother, so I wasn't "screwed over" but I'm pretty sure you were.

You actually come into this forum and try to act superior without any proof of that whatsoever. Others disagree with you and you go into autodrive, demeaning, bringing up things that were talked about before, and those things were you turning the truths someone said around, which is very strange, trolling behavior. You just can't help yourself, trying to psychoanalyze someone who's busted you years before, but that's what your type does, and sadly, there is no cure.

Incredible the amount of assumptions in that reply alone. Best not to tell someone to change when it's you with a personality disorder.

Like I said earlier, endgame, so go bother someone else. Hopefully you'll be banned permanently the next time you go overboard.

Just out of interest...which one of our posts is more deserving of the description of 'overdrive'?

Do you see yours as a calm rebuttal and mine, as going into 'overdrive'? Give an honest appraisal, if you can.

3 hours 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!

I think you are being sincere but you obviously know nothing about the RETIREMENT VISA and EXTENSION program in Thailand. Using that program, which you can be starting from age 50 to end of life, so if you live to 100, that's 50 years here. Yet a person here 50 years on retirement extensions is offered NO PATH WHATSOVER by the government of Thailand to upgrade his TEMPORARY status. None. Zero. Zillch. No way. BUPKIS.

3 hours ago, Peter Crow said:

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.

BULL!
I said retirement extensions.

You're on a DIFFEREBNT PROGRAM which I think most people on retirement extensions do NOT qualify for.

Why play such silly games?

7 hours ago, IsaanT said:

Does anyone know of a well-behaved retiree who has been refused an extension of stay?

If by well behaved you meant they have their application in order and have met all requirements and also able to respond to any additional "surprise" demands that come up from to time to time, then NO.

If you mean someone with a NON-COMPLIANT application but shower fresh. dressed in nice suit, super polite, and wai-ing all about the place, then YES.

8 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

Aged 85, retired to Thailand since 1993 on a retirement visa. 800k baht in the bank, annual extensions. I have always hoped the Thai authorities would change their thinking and, at least, offer us 3 or 5 year extensions, hopefully even more for those of us who have been around for a long time, and who have always obeyed all the rules. It would relieve Immigration of a significant workload while maintaining departmental cash flow. However, sadly, nothing changes. One wonders if agents' relationships with many visa issuing immigration officers have something to do with this resistance to change.

I applaud you for being 85 and still having a bit of optimism that they might improve the program for us very long term stayers. Maybe that attitude has helped you reach that age and hopefully many more years.

Myself, I have absolutely no hope that they'll change it to our favor.

I have been living in Thailand for 26 years, the past 12 on a retirement visa. I cannot see anything wrong with the present regulations, all I have to do is to renew my visa once a year and report my address every 90 days. Very clear.

As long as I can support myself financially and don't get involved in anything illegal, I can stay. What else can I ask for?

1 minute ago, JJ-Thailand said:

I have been living in Thailand for 26 years, the past 12 on a retirement visa. I cannot see anything wrong with the present regulations, all I have to do is to renew my visa once a year and report my address every 90 days. Very clear.

As long as I can support myself financially and don't get involved in anything illegal, I can stay. What else can I ask for?

Best of all possible worlds, eh?

You could ask for a path for permanent residence based on a certain amount of years on annual retirement extensions. DUH.

4 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Best of all possible worlds, eh?

You could ask for a path for permanent residence based on a certain amount of years on annual retirement extensions. DUH.

Would you renounce your US citizenship for permanent residence?

As far as I know there is no country in the world that forces people to renounce their citizenship for permanent residence status. DUH.

8 hours ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

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. 👍

At 77 I think it's fair to say I am already old but I have health insurance here, although enjoying good health I have barely used it. My son's university isn't free, it cost's 60k Baht a term plus his living expenses. He has more here than he will have in the UK, two houses, over 200 rai of farmland and eventually a university degree in business management while speaking perfect English, the UK can offer him nothing more than that....superior quality of education isn't a guarantee for success, look at Trump and his ministers or the PM Starmer and his cabinet, total idiots but the best schools.

I must admit that I haven'y been in the UK for over 50 years having spent most of my working life in Germany but I still have family there, although most now live in Australia, but those who do live there say life is precarious,especially in the greater London area where high rents, examples of homelessness and violence aren't conducive to a feeling of well being. It isn't for nothing that even some working people feel obliged to use the food banks whose number is on the increase throughout the UK. Due to hidden homelessness the figures are estimated to be 14 times higher than the government figures

This isn't just a UK problem, mainland Europe and especially the USA have the the same problems of affordability although mainland Europe to a lesser extent, Germany as always is better organized in theses respects ( I have a German daughter and grandchild there who report on life in general). Everyone to his own, my only point was that Thailand isn't a bad choice of destination for a fixed income person (I'm on a German pension obviously) I personally feel at home here and have lernt the language including being able to read it and approach things with humility adapting to what comes.

3 hours ago, Jingthing said:

BULL!
I said retirement extensions.

You're on a DIFFEREBNT PROGRAM which I think most people on retirement extensions do NOT qualify for.

Why play such silly games?

Playing games? Was just pointing out THE FACT that one can upgrade, I did, I came with a non OA, extended it 7 times, and then chose the LTR as it was an obvious upgrade. Whether all people on extensions could qualify is a different issue all together. When you buy a bigger, better car you expect to pay more, don't you?

11 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I applaud you for being 85 and still having a bit of optimism that they might improve the program for us very long term stayers. Maybe that attitude has helped you reach that age and hopefully many more years.

Myself, I have absolutely no hope that they'll change it to our favor.

Many thanks. I fear you are right. The current system works very well for Immigration and agents, hence any change is unlikely.

8 hours ago, Peter Crow said:

Playing games? Was just pointing out THE FACT that one can upgrade, I did, I came with a non OA, extended it 7 times, and then chose the LTR as it was an obvious upgrade. Whether all people on extensions could qualify is a different issue all together. When you buy a bigger, better car you expect to pay more, don't you?

I couldn't have been more clear that the topic was about retirement visas and extentions.

43 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I couldn't have been more clear that the topic was about retirement visas and extentions.

Have you been to Kampot or Siem Reap?

3 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I couldn't have been more clear that the topic was about retirement visas and extentions.

LTR/WP IS a retirement visa.

Now if you reckon the the only retirement visa is yours we are in a totally new dimension...

While your heading was: "Is retirement in Thailand a ticking time bomb?".

On 4/19/2026 at 1:29 PM, fredwiggy said:

I was tested a few years ago. I do know while hunting I can still hear deer walking from quite a distance. Everyone does lose some especially into the 70's. It's children's voices I lose some at a distance, so I do notice some situations.

Yep, it's the higher frequencies that older people don't detect so well, because the cilia (hairs) in the cochlea of your ear, and which send nerve signals to your brain when sound vibrations move them, are damaged by strong vibrations. Higher frequency sounds are detected by cilia close to the entrance to the cochlea, and lower frequency sounds further into that snail-like organ, where sound levels are weaker.

So it's usually higher frequency detection that suffers most. But that shouldn't make a great difference to general hearing because people and general sounds are not at high frequencies. Youngsters can detect up to about 18 KHz, my limit seems to be about 12 KHz (at 66 years old), but my overall hearing is good.

Moral of this boring scientific explanation? Encourage all young people to look after their hearing and avoid loud sound vibrations, (such as playing loud music into air buds etc), as one's hearing will very slowly degrade hearing over decades, and that's usually not reversible....

5 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Yep, it's the higher frequencies that older people don't detect so well, because the cilia (hairs) in the cochlea of your ear, and which send nerve signals to your brain when sound vibrations move them, are damaged by strong vibrations. Higher frequency sounds are detected by cilia close to the entrance to the cochlea, and lower frequency sounds further into that snail-like organ, where sound levels are weaker.

So it's usually higher frequency detection that suffers most. But that shouldn't make a great difference to general hearing because people and general sounds are not at high frequencies. Youngsters can detect up to about 18 KHz, my limit seems to be about 12 KHz (at 66 years old), but my overall hearing is good.

Moral of this boring scientific explanation? Encourage all young people to look after their hearing and avoid loud sound vibrations, (such as playing loud music into air buds etc), as one's hearing will very slowly degrade hearing over decades, and that's usually not reversible....

Yes sir. The most damage occurs from sound pressure levels, such as loud music , especially in an enclosed space, gunfire over time without proper ear protection, and tools like jackhammers with the same.