What's Wrong with Renting?

[AnotherOneAmerican]

You are the judge of who is married or not? You talked to the 10 monks and the 500 people at the wedding? You talked to the village elders and my wife's mother? I live in Thailand. Everyone I know including the mayor of the town calls my wife, my wife. My wife gave me a rental contract that I present to the officials at immigration and they call my wife my wife. I know at least 1000 people who call my wife my wife. You may disagree but it's 1000 to one who think she is my wife. What percent of Thai people register marriages? Maybe you could take a Thai culture lesson. We are not two lawyers discussing a legal point here. I pay my wife rent instead of buying her a house and you called me a sucker and said I had an abnormal marriage. Ya right!

No Thai will call her your 'wife', it's not a Thai word.

Without official marriage your relationship is mia/pua.

After legal marriage your relationship is panraya/samee.

Thais are very precise about such relationships, English translations of the Thai descriptions are imprecise.

No government or official organisation in the world will judge you to be married, you have no marital rights in Thailand, you wouldn't even be considered to be the father of any children, you had with her, by the Thai government.

Edited August 25, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican

[onthedarkside]

So is this incorrect?

Foreigners married to a Thai national can't own land in Thailand and can't have an ownership interest in land as jointly owned marital or matrimonial property between husband and wife. The Land Department does allow a Thai national married to a foreigner to own land as a personal property after a joint statement with the foreign spouse that the money expended on the land is personal property of the Thai spouse. This means that the land (and in practice often land and house and in some cases condominium) is purchased as a personal property of the Thai spouse and therefore will not become a jointly owned and managed property between husband and wife (Sin Somros). The confirmation in the certify letter is based on the principle of section 1472 Civil and Commercial Code that if personal property has been exchanged for other property (in this case land) that property shall be a personal property. The foreign spouse has no ownership rights in such assets based on Thai family laws governing property between husband and wife. The Thai spouse will be the sole owner and manager of the land and as a personal asset it is not part of the division of assets when the marriages ends.

I would agree with the first part of your post that a foreigner cannot own land in Thailand and that a Thai national married to a foreigner can own land. I have been married (legally) to a Thai national for many many years and I know that I signed a document declaring no financial interest in the land my wife bought.

I will admit that it's not clear what is the legal situation is if we divorce. As it happens this is not so important to me and I would just give it up as a parting gift after 14 years of a good marriage. To be honest I am more interested in what happens if my wife died before me. Legal council tells me that that as my wife has no children and her parents are dead then I am the sole heir, plus she has willed the property to me, but I would have to sell within a set time as obviously I cannot own the land.

In conclusion, it's tricky buying property in Thailand.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

I will admit that it's not clear what is the legal situation is if we divorce. As it happens this is not so important to me and I would just give it up as a parting gift after 14 years of a good marriage. To be honest I am more interested in what happens if my wife died before me. Legal council tells me that that as my wife has no children and her parents are dead then I am the sole heir, plus she has willed the property to me, but I would have to sell within a set time as obviously I cannot own the land.

In conclusion, it's tricky buying property in Thailand.

Most land offices usually don't enforce sale of inherited land by a foreigner.

Where a land office does give you a year to sell and you don't, at the end of the year they write and give you another year to sell.

Do we know any foreigner who has been forced to sell inherited land?

[historyprof]

You are the judge of who is married or not? You talked to the 10 monks and the 500 people at the wedding? You talked to the village elders and my wife's mother? I live in Thailand. Everyone I know including the mayor of the town calls my wife, my wife. My wife gave me a rental contract that I present to the officials at immigration and they call my wife my wife. I know at least 1000 people who call my wife my wife. You may disagree but it's 1000 to one who think she is my wife. What percent of Thai people register marriages? Maybe you could take a Thai culture lesson. We are not two lawyers discussing a legal point here. I pay my wife rent instead of buying her a house and you called me a sucker and said I had an abnormal marriage. Ya right!

No Thai will call her your 'wife', it's not a Thai word.

Without official marriage your relationship is mia/pua.

After legal marriage your relationship is panraya/samee.

Thais are very precise about such relationships, English translations of the Thai descriptions are imprecise.

No government or official organisation in the world will judge you to be married, you have no marital rights in Thailand, you wouldn't even be considered to be the father of any children, you had with her, by the Thai government.

What do you think I don't speak Thai? She is called Pal e ya khun (my name) or in English wife of (my name). For the rest I don't think it has a bearing on the topic. The topic is not about children or government status.

[hml367]

So is this incorrect?

Foreigners married to a Thai national can't own land in Thailand and can't have an ownership interest in land as jointly owned marital or matrimonial property between husband and wife. The Land Department does allow a Thai national married to a foreigner to own land as a personal property after a joint statement with the foreign spouse that the money expended on the land is personal property of the Thai spouse. This means that the land (and in practice often land and house and in some cases condominium) is purchased as a personal property of the Thai spouse and therefore will not become a jointly owned and managed property between husband and wife (Sin Somros). The confirmation in the certify letter is based on the principle of section 1472 Civil and Commercial Code that if personal property has been exchanged for other property (in this case land) that property shall be a personal property. The foreign spouse has no ownership rights in such assets based on Thai family laws governing property between husband and wife. The Thai spouse will be the sole owner and manager of the land and as a personal asset it is not part of the division of assets when the marriages ends.

I would agree with the first part of your post that a foreigner cannot own land in Thailand and that a Thai national married to a foreigner can own land. I have been married (legally) to a Thai national for many many years and I know that I signed a document declaring no financial interest in the land my wife bought.

I will admit that it's not clear what is the legal situation is if we divorce. As it happens this is not so important to me and I would just give it up as a parting gift after 14 years of a good marriage. To be honest I am more interested in what happens if my wife died before me. Legal council tells me that that as my wife has no children and her parents are dead then I am the sole heir, plus she has willed the property to me, but I would have to sell within a set time as obviously I cannot own the land.

In conclusion, it's tricky buying property in Thailand.

I sent you a PM, OnTheDarkSide

[thaibeachlovers]

It is a preference. When I was raising a family it was important to me to own my own home, As years passed and a divorce I still owned my own home.

When I moved to Thailand I rented and will continue to rent I am retired on pensions have savings. I do not need to worry about making money for my old age I am already there. I refuse to buy anything I can not walk away from. I am a free man. Except for my wife. If I decide to move to some other local not a problem. I bought my own TV and refrigerator and will just give them away.

Owning does not give me a feeling of security it gives me a feeling of being owned. I don't know what will happen in the future but I will be able to deal with it. When the Wife's mother dies there is the possibility that I may move on to some where else. The wife likes Bali.

< I refuse to buy anything I can not walk away from.>

That's the main thing in LOS. So many people buy the wife/ family everything and are then out on their ear with no possibility of recompense. I for one will not take that chance.

Someone asked what to do with possessions if go back home for 6 months or so. Easy answer, if you can afford to buy a house, you can certainly afford to rent a cheap room to keep your stuff in during that time. They are available for 5,000 a month or less.

Or, in Bkk there is storage space for rent.

After my wife's mother dies, she might want to move to my country- in that case, why would I buy her a house here?

[KittenKong]

Regardless of whether I repatriate the funds or not I have an asset that is worth considerably more in both Thai baht and in dollar terms than when I purchased it.

You are lucky. I know many people who have lost money in THB on property here, even if they have gained something from the exchange rate (which is entirely the luck of the draw and has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the property purchase).

[KittenKong]

Sorry I must be getting old.

I know that feeling.

I didn't see where we were talking about resales. I quoted a number of factual reports about the condo market. Resales or new they are both selling. Pattaya maybe not as much as Bangkok, can't say, don't know.

I think that you will find that an honest estate agent (and if you find one, get it stuffed and put it on Ebay; they are incredibly rare) would say that the resale market is "quiet" as usual.

[KittenKong]

In conclusion, it's tricky buying property in Thailand.

I disagree. Buying a farang-name condo is extremely straightforward. In fact it's hard to imagine how it could possibly be simpler.

The difficulties arise when farangs try to buy properties that are specifically prohibited to them by Thai law i.e. everything that isnt a farang-name condo. If people will persist in attempting to bend or bypass the law perhaps they should expect to be p*ssed on from a great height at some point.

[elektrified]

dont you just get tired of other peoples germs and dirt and not to mention the mattress....if you are ok with all that then renting is the best....i just finally said to myself,i deserve better,and i bought new...im lovin it...i dont care if i lose a bit when i sell,but im here for the long haul...now i cook all my meals spend more time inside and entertain sometimes....is a normal life...for me....

What a weird post. A bottle of bleach wouldn't do it for you? I always get a couple of people in to disinfect every surface with bleach and other solvents when I move somewhere, change out toilets or at least the seats, new curtains, etc., etc. - pretty normal stuff.

I never rent furnished (other than some very nice teak furniture that the landlord included) and we always buy a new mattress. I would not want to sleep on a used mattress - no.

We can cook meals too with our own stuff and feel comfortable, a normal life for us too.

[elektrified]

Better not to discuss things about another man's marriage and keep your opinions to yourself. There are a number of different ways to get married in Thailand. My OP was correct but you assume too much about things you don't know much about. Oh well it is not my desire to educate you. You can consult a lawyer if you want or need the details.

Thai law is perfectly clear.

If you married her in the Amphur office, she is your wife. The house (currently being purchased by home loan) is a marital asset.

If you didn't marry her in an Amphur office, then she isn't your wife, and what you have isn't a marriage. So why would you post that she is?

Best not to post mis/information about your relationship on a public forum if you don't want it discussed.

Especially if you are participating in an activity so socially abnormal as renting a house from your wife.

You are the judge of who is married or not? You talked to the 10 monks and the 500 people at the wedding? You talked to the village elders and my wife's mother? I live in Thailand. Everyone I know including the mayor of the town calls my wife, my wife. My wife gave me a rental contract that I present to the officials at immigration and they call my wife my wife. I know at least 1000 people who call my wife my wife. You may disagree but it's 1000 to one who think she is my wife. What percent of Thai people register marriages? Maybe you could take a Thai culture lesson. We are not two lawyers discussing a legal point here. I pay my wife rent instead of buying her a house and you called me a sucker and said I had an abnormal marriage. Ya right!

He is right. If you did not register the marriage at the Amphur then you are not married. It does not matter if there were 100 monks there.

"What percent of Thai people register marriages?" LOL. Every married Thai I know has registered their marriage. Otherwise, under the law you are not married. Maybe some villagers out in the sticks don't...

Paying a "wife" rent sounds odd to me too.

[historyprof]

Better not to discuss things about another man's marriage and keep your opinions to yourself. There are a number of different ways to get married in Thailand. My OP was correct but you assume too much about things you don't know much about. Oh well it is not my desire to educate you. You can consult a lawyer if you want or need the details.

Thai law is perfectly clear.

If you married her in the Amphur office, she is your wife. The house (currently being purchased by home loan) is a marital asset.

If you didn't marry her in an Amphur office, then she isn't your wife, and what you have isn't a marriage. So why would you post that she is?

Best not to post mis/information about your relationship on a public forum if you don't want it discussed.

Especially if you are participating in an activity so socially abnormal as renting a house from your wife.

You are the judge of who is married or not? You talked to the 10 monks and the 500 people at the wedding? You talked to the village elders and my wife's mother? I live in Thailand. Everyone I know including the mayor of the town calls my wife, my wife. My wife gave me a rental contract that I present to the officials at immigration and they call my wife my wife. I know at least 1000 people who call my wife my wife. You may disagree but it's 1000 to one who think she is my wife. What percent of Thai people register marriages? Maybe you could take a Thai culture lesson. We are not two lawyers discussing a legal point here. I pay my wife rent instead of buying her a house and you called me a sucker and said I had an abnormal marriage. Ya right!

He is right. If you did not register the marriage at the Amphur then you are not married. It does not matter if there were 100 monks there.

"What percent of Thai people register marriages?" LOL. Every married Thai I know has registered their marriage. Otherwise, under the law you are not married. Maybe some villagers out in the sticks don't...

Paying a "wife" rent sounds odd to me too.

Oh my you have pulled out the statistical big guns, "the Thais you know!" What am I to do in the face of that?

You only leave me one choice in this heated debate on my marital status.

I guess I'll have to quote the Thais I know! My neighbor is Yingluck the Prime Minister and leader of Thailand and she didn't register her marriage. So there, top that. And no we don't live out in the sticks.

I guess you are trying to make me feel bad or tawdry by changing the subject from renting to my wife and me being odd. It didn't work. Anyone who really knows anything about Thailand knows a lot of people don't register marriages for all sorts of reasons they would not want to talk about on a public forum.

[smotherb]

If you rent and need to return home for 6+ months, what do you do with all your stuff while you are not there?

If you rent, are you able to easily upgrade appliances such as refrigerator, clothes washer, TV, etc. ?

I just ask because I am curious. It seems to me, if you owned, you would always have a place to keep your stuff. You could customize your place any way you would like. With renting it seems like you are locked into stuff that you may not want or need. I have no experience in renting a place. Does the owner let you make changes if you sign a long lease?

Duh, you continue paying the rent, much cheaper than a mortgage, or, you rent a furnished place and store your shit at a friend's house.

[smotherb]

There is also the problem with shop houses, people that live over their bars/cafes etc. Renting is fine, but a bad landlord can wipe out a business that has been built through hard work (look at the Olde Bell for an example). Buying would help that as you are not at their (or descendants should they die) whim. Having a plot to call your own and to leave for the kids is nice too - making the house the way you want it, decoration, safer wiring! ray sizes and layout (people buy land to build their own homes on). There are many reasons I guess.

But, you are at the mercy of ther person, corporation or legal entity in whose name you bought the property

[smotherb]

555+ all the cheap charlies renters...

Anywhere I have stayed more than 6 months I bought the place and I now have rental money of many condos that I could easily sell with a profit.

Renters I love you !

Also, don't you get bored to leave and move everytime a landlord ask you to leave ? But maybe you have nothing else to do in your life ?

But I'm sorry, I'm too busy and leave a place when I DECIDE, not anybody else...

I too buy, but somewhere I can buy in my own name and rent with relative impunity. Here, the Philippines, Vietnam and other no-foreigner ownership countries, I rent and use the rental income from my properties in my own name to do so. They also earn equity and make great tax write-offs and places to stay should you want to return. Now is a good time to buy in many of the recession-hit countires.

[smotherb]

If you are 40-45 and you plan to have a family here, owning makes sense and is quite necessary if you are married to a Thai women as it is expected that you will accumulate assets to ensure her future and that of the children if something happens to you. I hear stories all of the time about Thai men who die and leave nothing but a lot of debt. Generally, life insurance is not something that Thai's purchase. I came to Thailand with no intention of buying a home (buying is used because you cannot own a house and land; life tenancy is the best you can do).

On the financial side owning makes no sense at all. I rent a 3bd,2b in a large Moo Ban with a nice 25 m pool and well maintained roads and grounds for 8500 Bt a month including air con. A tiny lot in the same Moo Ban would be 1 million and another 2 million to build the house. Plus Thai banks limit the term of the mortgage depending on your age and the age of your wife. I rent on two year leases and so far the rent has not gone up. Thais do not like pre-owned houses because of superstition about ghosts, etc. but that does not make them cheaper than building.

New to posting on forum, now living in central Pattaya. Renting here is far more expensive than that quoted by Balance. Would I be right in thinking that price would be for some where outside of CM? You don't get much of a 3bd,2b down this end at 8500 Bt. At 74 yrs old I think the best way for me is to continue renting but maybe in a better area!

Area is the ticket. I live in a three-story 4 bdr, 3 bth, townhouse with garage, backyard and mountain views in a very nice neighborhood in the largest city in the Southern Thailand and pay B7k/mo for it. It's been six years now, the landlord has fixed two a/cs, installed new water pump and painted it for me, and he never stops by--of course, I pay the rent in full on-time every month..Here's a big secret, the fewer the falangs around, the better the Thais and the cheaper the prices.

[smotherb]

If someone invested 1,000,000 THB in a place to live when the exchange rate was 45THB to 1USD, are they still without common sense?

This, by the way, would be the same end result as a renter, except at the end of a long term lease the owner, which is usually the wife, has the land and house, hopefully.

Problem is, for foreigners, once the wife has a house fully paid for, she no longer requires the foreigner, so out you go. Giving someone else your assets/money is not what I call an investment.

Yes. And even though the foreigner may have a legal right to stay, the wife can simply drive him out by her becoming the b*tch from hell. Seen it.

Or, as I have seen, once the house is paid for, the foreigner has a terrible accident and dies.

[bangkokstick]

I'm going back to the States next month so I can wash my clothes in a Maytag, with hot-water.

Amazing life you have, American dream ?

[A1Str8]

I disagree with most statements here.

In my opinion renting is a waste of money, it is not what certain people tend to think but rather a fact. You rent something, you keep filling somebody else's pocket. You buy it, you make an investment by any means. If you live in it then thats why it was an investment. If you dont then thats why It was an investment. Because if you dont live in it then you are going to rent it out so your asset is making money for you. Even if you dont rent it out just decide to keep it in good condition and sell it later, you are going to make profit. A property investment when done smartly, is never a waste of money. It is just common sense. In my opinion most people who commented here are not entrepreneurs or investors. .thats why they have made such comments. No insult intended towards anybody but I speak from experience. If one buys a property anywhere in the world strictly for investment reasons then an agency is going to take care of it for a small commission and that person has made a good investment. You can either buy assets that generate income like a property in this case or buy liabilities that is only going to cost you. Approximately 7% of wealthy individuals rent property. The rest of them own it. The reason behind that is simple: they understand that they are only going to benefit from it, again if done properly. Thats one of the reasons they are wealthy. They understand what most people dont.

Sent from one of my devices using the internet

[elektrified]

I disagree with most statements here.

In my opinion renting is a waste of money, it is not what certain people tend to think but rather a fact. You rent something, you keep filling somebody else's pocket. You buy it, you make an investment by any means. If you live in it then thats why it was an investment. If you dont then thats why It was an investment. Because if you dont live in it then you are going to rent it out so your asset is making money for you. Even if you dont rent it out just decide to keep it in good condition and sell it later, you are going to make profit. A property investment when done smartly, is never a waste of money. It is just common sense. In my opinion most people who commented here are not entrepreneurs or investors. .thats why they have made such comments. No insult intended towards anybody but I speak from experience. If one buys a property anywhere in the world strictly for investment reasons then an agency is going to take care of it for a small commission and that person has made a good investment. You can either buy assets that generate income like a property in this case or buy liabilities that is only going to cost you. Approximately 7% of wealthy individuals rent property. The rest of them own it. The reason behind that is simple: they understand that they are only going to benefit from it, again if done properly. Thats one of the reasons they are wealthy. They understand what most people dont.

Sent from one of my devices using the internet

Except that foreigners can't buy homes here, only those ugly concrete boxes; i.e. condominiums. I'll stick with equities as investments and rent.

[Dante99]

You are the judge of who is married or not? You talked to the 10 monks and the 500 people at the wedding? You talked to the village elders and my wife's mother? I live in Thailand. Everyone I know including the mayor of the town calls my wife, my wife. My wife gave me a rental contract that I present to the officials at immigration and they call my wife my wife. I know at least 1000 people who call my wife my wife. You may disagree but it's 1000 to one who think she is my wife. What percent of Thai people register marriages? Maybe you could take a Thai culture lesson. We are not two lawyers discussing a legal point here. I pay my wife rent instead of buying her a house and you called me a sucker and said I had an abnormal marriage. Ya right!

No Thai will call her your 'wife', it's not a Thai word.

Without official marriage your relationship is mia/pua.

After legal marriage your relationship is panraya/samee.

Thais are very precise about such relationships, English translations of the Thai descriptions are imprecise.

No government or official organisation in the world will judge you to be married, you have no marital rights in Thailand, you wouldn't even be considered to be the father of any children, you had with her, by the Thai government.

I have had a lot of Thais call my wife "Dante's wife" when introducing her, they almost always do it when speaking English.

What is an official organization?

Edited August 27, 2013 by Dante99

[Thighlander]

Go after the yields, and the appreciation will take care of itself. Wouldn't touch a non-insured title with a barge pole, though. Wouldn't engage in any business activity that could make me subject to extortion. That leaves the concrete box. Just go in very low, and make sure it's going to flow cash-wise. Google Earth is an amazing tool to find out about elevations and flood prone areas. If rent would be a lot less than buying; look elsewhere.

[hawker9000]

I disagree with most statements here.

In my opinion renting is a waste of money, it is not what certain people tend to think but rather a fact. You rent something, you keep filling somebody else's pocket. You buy it, you make an investment by any means. If you live in it then thats why it was an investment. If you dont then thats why It was an investment. Because if you dont live in it then you are going to rent it out so your asset is making money for you. Even if you dont rent it out just decide to keep it in good condition and sell it later, you are going to make profit. A property investment when done smartly, is never a waste of money. It is just common sense. In my opinion most people who commented here are not entrepreneurs or investors. .thats why they have made such comments. No insult intended towards anybody but I speak from experience. If one buys a property anywhere in the world strictly for investment reasons then an agency is going to take care of it for a small commission and that person has made a good investment. You can either buy assets that generate income like a property in this case or buy liabilities that is only going to cost you. Approximately 7% of wealthy individuals rent property. The rest of them own it. The reason behind that is simple: they understand that they are only going to benefit from it, again if done properly. Thats one of the reasons they are wealthy. They understand what most people dont.

Sent from one of my devices using the internet

If you buy (if you even can, legally...), and can't get your money back, you're filling somebody else's pocket as well. Many here are saying if that somebody is your Thai wife or Thai children and that's your wish, then well & good. That's hardly every potential buyer's situation though. If you can only buy a condo when you'd really only be satisfied in a house, then maybe that's a worthwhile investment of your money, but you're sacrificing quality of life to live somewhere you don't want to live. Paying rent would allow you to live where you want to, but not as an investment. It's a choice, and not necessarily a waste. It just doesn't seem so clear cut IMO, in Thailand for foreigners at least, as a simple one-size-fits-all declaration that says "renting is a waste of money".

[IsaanUSA]

If rent would be a lot less than buying; look elsewhere.

How do you figure this part out? 2.2 million to buy, or 14,000 to rent. Mortgage rate available to me is 4.6% @ 30 years

EDIT : Could probably get the rent down to 11,000, but 2.2 Mil is the lowest buy price.

Edited August 27, 2013 by IsaanUSA

[hawker9000]

If rent would be a lot less than buying; look elsewhere.

How do you figure this part out? 2.2 million to buy, or 14,000 to rent. Mortgage rate available to me is 4.6% @ 30 years

EDIT : Could probably get the rent down to 11,000, but 2.2 Mil is the lowest buy price.

Just comparing the rent to "average" mortgage payment maybe? Using a mortgage calculator, I get about B11,278/mo, which is comparable to the B11,000 rent, but only for those particular mortgage terms. I don't understand how the rule is really supposed to work either. I think maybe he's just saying that if you can't come close to breaking even on a monthly basis on renting out the place, it might not be a good investment.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

If rent would be a lot less than buying; look elsewhere.

How do you figure this part out? 2.2 million to buy, or 14,000 to rent. Mortgage rate available to me is 4.6% @ 30 years

EDIT : Could probably get the rent down to 11,000, but 2.2 Mil is the lowest buy price.

Just comparing the rent to "average" mortgage payment maybe? Using a mortgage calculator, I get about B11,278/mo, which is comparable to the B11,000 rent, but only for those particular mortgage terms. I don't understand how the rule is really supposed to work either. I think maybe he's just saying that if you can't come close to breaking even on a monthly basis on renting out the place, it might not be a good investment.

Keep in mind that you are compairing todays rent to your payments over 30 years. So while the rent today may be only 11,000 (or less even), you got to wonder what it will be in 10 years. In ten years time the rent will likely have gone up, but you're still paying a similar amount for the mortgage payment.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

If rent would be a lot less than buying; look elsewhere.

How do you figure this part out? 2.2 million to buy, or 14,000 to rent. Mortgage rate available to me is 4.6% @ 30 years

EDIT : Could probably get the rent down to 11,000, but 2.2 Mil is the lowest buy price.

Home loan rate in Thailand is 7%.

We are talking about rent Vs buying in Thailand.

[elektrified]

If rent would be a lot less than buying; look elsewhere.

How do you figure this part out? 2.2 million to buy, or 14,000 to rent. Mortgage rate available to me is 4.6% @ 30 years

EDIT : Could probably get the rent down to 11,000, but 2.2 Mil is the lowest buy price.

Home loan rate in Thailand is 7%.

We are talking about rent Vs buying in Thailand.

Some Thais (like for example teachers working in the government system) who borrow through the Teachers Federal Credit Union - or whatever they call it here can get a slightly lower rate on home loans - but not even close to 4.6%. They can get personal loans @ 7.5% p/a.

[Thighlander]

I think they were charging the teachers 3.75% on 9mm handgun purchases, but mortgages are going to be closer to 6%+. Bit there was a rent/buy scenario given: buy 2.2 million or rent for 11,000. Here is the answer: take purchase price and divide by annual rent: 2,200,000/121,000 you get a ratio of 18.18. That's too high. That's only a 6% gross, you really want 12% if not 18%.

An Australian accountant taught me to look at it this way. Take 40% of gross rent to cover all expenses and fees. Subtract P & I from the other 60%. That gives you net cash flow. Say you paid cash. that would leave you with 6600 per month * 12=79,200 per year. 79,200 + 2,200,00 would be a 3.6% net, Phillip Morris just increased their dividend for the 47th time in 44 years. It's yielding 5.6%.

[elektrified]

You are the judge of who is married or not? You talked to the 10 monks and the 500 people at the wedding? You talked to the village elders and my wife's mother? I live in Thailand. Everyone I know including the mayor of the town calls my wife, my wife. My wife gave me a rental contract that I present to the officials at immigration and they call my wife my wife. I know at least 1000 people who call my wife my wife. You may disagree but it's 1000 to one who think she is my wife. What percent of Thai people register marriages? Maybe you could take a Thai culture lesson. We are not two lawyers discussing a legal point here. I pay my wife rent instead of buying her a house and you called me a sucker and said I had an abnormal marriage. Ya right!

No Thai will call her your 'wife', it's not a Thai word.

Without official marriage your relationship is mia/pua.

After legal marriage your relationship is panraya/samee.

Thais are very precise about such relationships, English translations of the Thai descriptions are imprecise.

No government or official organisation in the world will judge you to be married, you have no marital rights in Thailand, you wouldn't even be considered to be the father of any children, you had with her, by the Thai government.

I have had a lot of Thais call my wife "Dante's wife" when introducing her, they almost always do it when speaking English.

What is an official organization?

I think he means "Court" but I am not entirely sure. For sure, no court in Thailand would entertain the dissolution of an unregistered marriage as "palimony" cases are not recognized here. A Thai couple/Thai-farang couple who later settled in Europe or North America, Australia, etc. would not make it past the front door of the courthouse without an official certified copy of the document registering their marriage at the Amphur.

Indeed he is also correct on the issue of children. Without a registered marriage the 'father' is nothing more than a glorified babysitter unless one or both of the parents petitioned the court for a document (the Thai name of which escapes me now) recognizing the father as the legitimate father. It does not matter who is named on the child's birth certificate.