7 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

More likely, tell me to FO back to where I came from. I would.

This is the retirement situation, if you don't like it, simple ...

That's exactly right.

Go hard. Or go home.

6 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

Price for land in my area has increased by a modest 50% since 2016 - 2017. In Isaan 2008 I was looking for a bit of land near ole lady's village, 1 rai was 250K baht on the main road. Today 1 rai will sell for over 1 million baht.

I don't really pay attention to food prices to have an opinion, I just pay.

I agree land prices have increased in Thailand. As I can't own land in Thailand, I don't care.

OTOH, condo prices and rents have not gone up. More significant if you are a foreigner.

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

That is so blatantly untrue. 10 years ago I was paying 15 baht a kilo for watermelon, 30 baht a kilo for longan, 25 baht a kilo for rambutan and the list goes on and on and on. Eggs are higher, meat is higher, labor costs are higher, airfares are higher, movie tickets are higher, everything is higher, except perhaps rent, as the property market has remained sluggish.

If you are denying the existence of inflation here it is likely due to your wealth or a very substantial monthly income which prevents you from seeing the increases.

Granted inflation here is less than a place like America where inflation is completely out of control, despite all the BS and disingenuous denials coming from a very corrupt government.

I live in Chiang Rai. I have not noticed any significant rises in day market prices. Perhaps it is different in your location.

Airfares would be relevant to me if I was using them.

I would not say I am wealthy, an Australian pensioner. Having said that, I spend less than I receive in income.

44 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I agree land prices have increased in Thailand. As I can't own land in Thailand, I don't care.

OTOH, condo prices and rents have not gone up. More significant if you are a foreigner.

Agree,

In my gated village (Chiang Mai) the house prices have risen between 2013 and 2026 (1M8 to 2M6), but the rental value of the houses has dropped (10K/month to 8K/month).

Edited July 16Jul 16 by BritManToo

13 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I'm definitely not a misogynist however I do prefer younger women and I prefer attractive and pleasant women. In America if you're content to get with an old woman your age, who's is difficult, and not much to look at, then relationships are not a problem.

Except for some rare cases, normal well adjusted women do not want to spend their lives with significantly older men. The last thing they want is to be with a varicose riddled guy with prostate issues, liver spots, and the various ailments that attach to the men as they age. The women who do take up with such men are usually gold diggers, and/or unwanted by their own peer group because of social or mental defect.

Anna Nicole Smith was the apple of billionaire J. Howard Marshall's eye. She was much younger and he thought she was beautiful. Unfortunately, she was considered a "borderline personality" and had a predisposition to drug addiction and was not particularly intelligent. Marshall was over the moon, but was the object of ridicule.

15 hours ago, CallumWK said:

Very sad that your IQ level didn't allow comprehending that.

136, what about you?

1 hour ago, FritsSikkink said:

136, what about you?

Since you were unable to comprehend a simple comment, it's either a fake IQ test or a made up number. Make your choice Frits

14 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Yep ... TH or USA, world inflation is totally irrelevant. My income has increasd with 76.6% COLA since retirement 2000, along with 100%+ ROIs (RE) which has made monthly expenses, about the same as when I arrive, if like for like expenses & lifestyle considered.

We're O&A more, so that actually is the added increase in yearly living expense, averaged over the months. In 2000 I lived easily, very basic, comfy lifestyle on ~15k THB a month. That same basic monthly expense now, would be ~15k THB a month, wouthout the extras we now enjoy. Medical cost due to age, maintanence of this life form, has raised that a bit, but has nothing to do with TH or inflation. All one off expenditures, and out of pocket money expenditures. Oops & retirement funds, still full up.

No mortages/rent, and every house/location move has been in part or wholly paid by sale of previous house. Basically rent free for 25+ yrs.

Utilities, electric, water lowered due to solar & rain collection, with ROI almost completely realizes. Petrol eliminated with BEVs. Use of PEA/PWA, is voluntary and unecessay, but convenient at times, obviously. Usually just mismanagement when at home, and O&A is voluntary.

Have more pocket money & savings than I ever had, since retiring. That's with putting the kid through private school & Uni (out of province), and return on that is immessureable, as now she's earning 97k+ a month, with normal work hrs / 2 days off. She even has RE investments, and all of 27 years old.

Little Bi-atch brings in more than me a month.

Without the wife & RE investing, monthly cost would probably take most of, my SS income. But oops/medical funds would still be the same, and financially, not much would be different. I don't think. As when playing single parent living in 1st house, before meeting wife, not much changed over those 5-6 yrs.

I could possibly have simply stayed there (no thanks), and since paid for, next 20 yrs would have also been rent free. That was a very comfy house, and not much has really changed in the village. Couple new neighbors, (according to Gmap) but that's about it.

Can't really say it was a well planned retirement, considering Thai wife #1, (total ignorant noob), and raising village orphan, didn't see that one coming when I thought about retiring. But honestly wouldn't change a thing.

Don't know how so many, have so many problems, and so few smiles, in retirement. And if I would have continued to work & invest for 20 more years ... Holy Buddha.

Never considered myself well off, or extremely intelligent, along with ... making every kind of working, inversting and relationship screw up one could think of, and still, manage to smile in retirement. Go figure.

Does your daughter find it difficult to find a guy her level?

18 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Meanwhile my pension has risen by 30% and the exchange rate has lost me 14% (that's still a win IMHO). And my urge to party has completely gone (due to age). I did take my wife and her pals out to lunch at Huay Tung Tao this month, 5 of us eating as much as we could, 3 large beers, 1 wine cooler ....... 1,500bht. Entrance free as I'm a pensioner, they paid their own entry.

Thailand has to be the biggest bargain in the world for western pensioners IF you have a little self control over your lifestyle.

I was under the impression UK pensions are frozen, perhaps yours is different.

It amazes me Australian pensioners are not stampeding to Thailand. Rents alone in Australia can take 60-80% of the age pension.

Edited July 16Jul 16 by Lacessit

27 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

It amazes me Australian pensioners are not stampeding to Thailand. Rents alone in Australia can take 60-80% of the age pension.

Same for the UK,

I guess change when you're old is hard for many.

3 hours ago, sidjameson said:

Does your daughter find it difficult to find a guy her level?

Apparently not, and met her fiancé while at Uni, been together about 7 yrs or more.

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I was under the impression UK pensions are frozen, perhaps yours is different.

Not if you lie to the government, as he does,

3 minutes ago, CallumWK said:

Not if you lie to the government, as he does,

I always thought a lie was something you deliberately said?

Usually, I just avoid saying anything, and they've never asked.

Same with Thai income tax, they've never asked for any, and I don't offer.

If you break the speed limit, do you have the urge to drive to the nearest police station and confess?

Edited July 17Jul 17 by BritManToo

41 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I always thought a lie was something you deliberately said?

Usually, I just avoid saying anything, and they've never asked.

Same with Thai income tax, they've never asked for any, and I don't offer.

If you break the speed limit, do you have the urge to drive to the nearest police station and confess?

I'm a firm believer in the 'don't ask, don't tell' mantra when dealing with govt, especially IRS / tax offices.

My interpetation of a tax deduction and theirs may differ, so I'll let them decide, with as little info as possible.

When having dinner out with the wife, while self employed, if I discuss my upcoming work schedule while dining, then that's a deductible business meeting. If I call and say I'm running late for dinner, then that a business call, and both deductable.

If I don't have receipts for cash payments for my work, and not on the ledger, then I can't really claim them as income, as my memory sucks at times. Sh!t happens when busy at work. I never did take accounting courses.

Oh well ... and let he or she who never lied, ommitted income or exaggerated a deduction, on a tax form, cast that first stone. Did you really give that much to the church on Sunday, or even attend church.

Strange comments from folks that may or may not drive illegally, use agents at Imm, or engage in P4P.

Edited July 17Jul 17 by KhunLA