Popular Post Clutch Posted February 17, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted February 17, 2014 He's gone from a homeless panhandler to an international jet setter in days. Priceless! I wish him all the best. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatdrunkandstupid Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 He's gone from a homeless panhandler to an international jet setter in days. Priceless! I wish him all the best. Hmmm....homeless...At least he doesn't have to stress about the 20kg luggage limit... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thailiketoo Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Interestingly we have a US vet from the Korean War living here and when the US social found out they halved his benefit as being non resident in the States! He is 81 this month and friends are trying to arrange a free military flight home as he is in very poor health and has no money for health care! Something not right there. Check with the VFW in Thailand. They have three or four posts. Benefits should not be contingent on location. Health car yes. Benefits no. IMO. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyL Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I can assure you that the scorn of my previous post was reserved for the OP -- not the poor misguided man who is presumably coming here. At least the OP didn't make money from this poor man -- unlike the owners of those websites that sell services to help low-income people retire here. You know, the ones that tell you how you can have a good life in Thailand for less than $1000 a month. Yes, you can indeed live a nice life here for less than $1000 per month, but they neglect to mention the financial requirements for a retirement visa or the fact that you don't receive free medical care and should have a good nest egg set aside for a medical emergency. If/when I encounter the man the OP "assisted", he will certainly be treated with respect and compassion. Yes, the OP thought he was trying to help, but he could have done a bit of research and emailed our group and I would have given him many, many leads for assistance for the man in Los Angleses. To address some specific issues brought up by others: Banks, guesthouses, hospitals, etc may not care about your visa -- but they often note if you're on long-term overstay and can either refuse service or ask for substantial deposits ahead of providing service While the OP wasn't specifically encouraging the homeless man to break the law, he doesn't qualify for a long-term visa and will probably find it physically & mentally taxing to do visa runs -- not a good long term plan for someone with a disability. Going on overstay is a crime in Thailand. TerryLH -- I'll address the VA low income pension in another post. It's a little-known benefit that could help many here in Thailand VA hospital in Philippines -- admittedly there isn't a similar facility in Thailand, but there are many, many more in the U.S. Without knowing more about the man the OP "assisted" it's not evident if he is able to utilize a VA hospital for all his medical needs. But we do know he's on SSDI which means he gets to use Medicare for free medical care in the U.S. -- something he will no longer receive overseas. JohnC - what you said about the Korean vet getting his benefit halved because he's in Thailand and now his friends are looking for a free military flight to the U.S. doesn't make sense. I suspect the people trying to help him don't understand how the U.S. assistance programs work. If you'd like to send me a PM with the details of this poor man's situation, perhaps I can help. If he's in Chiang Mai, I can come by to talk with him and his friends. I love the way this thread has already brought out people who are offering to help this man with ways to keep him here "100% legally". There's an entire industry of vultures that feed on people like this poor man, yet are nowhere to be found when the poor souls get into trouble. Yes, it's entirely possible that everything could work out just fine for the man the OP "assisted", but I hope that he resists the urge to do it again in the future and instead learns a bit more about someone's situation and local resources available in his home country to help someone in need. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayonarax Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Interestingly we have a US vet from the Korean War living here and when the US social found out they halved his benefit as being non resident in the States! He is 81 this month and friends are trying to arrange a free military flight home as he is in very poor health and has no money for health care! Fought for his country only to be given a slap in the face when he needs help the most from his government. Hope he gets back home to some helping hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyL Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 "You mentioned he's a U.S. Vietnam vet. If he's over age 65, he could get a VA low income pension -- did you help him to apply for that?" Nancy, will you help me apply? I've never heard of a pension for someone who served a couple of years, but I'm willing to listen and learn. Terry Terry, it's a pension for someone with low income: http://benefits.va.gov/pension/vetpen.asp In the case the OP described, he said the man he "assisted" was a Vietnam vet, so he may be over age 65. That's the first requirement. He probably meets the second requirement of serving during a "wartime period" http://benefits.va.gov/PENSION/wartimeperiod.asp for at least 90 days. For 2014, a veteran who meets those requirements would receive a monthly maximum pension of $1054 per month if he has no spouse or dependents. With one dependent, it's $1381 per month. Other income (such as Social Security) is deducted from this amount. The OP said the homeless man's income was about $900 per month -- with this pension, he could receive another $154 per month. Not a huge increase, but it's something. For someone already in Thailand, esp. if married, an increase of another $481 could be huge. The amount of the pension increases if the veteran is housebound or in needs of assisted living. The requirements for those are more involved and beyond the scope of this posting. It is fairly easy to apply for this pension at a VA office in the U.S. It's a giant PITA to apply from here. I've never seen it take less than 9 months to get started. Heck, many guys who served a few years in Vietnam never thought they'd get any benefit from it and don't even have their DD 214 -- record of military service. That's a must! That's the starting point to prove you were even in the military. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryLH Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Thanks Nancy Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogandave Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 The only thing funnier than someone spending 20 minutes talking to a panhandler is someone believing what a panhandler tells them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWMcMurray Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Nancy thanks for the details... Very interesting and never realized there was such a program. I'm still a young guy; working and saving , so hope to have enough to never be able to qualify... But still good to know its there Although sure there are more than a few in Thailand that this could help if they knew about it. Also if married the amount is enough to qualify for marriage visa extension Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wym Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 From talking to many Brits here, seems like many of them are in pretty much the equivalent position. Just that in the UK they would most likely have avoided being homeless in the first place. Most homeless in the US are (ex-) mental patients, and there sure are lots of veterans among them, often from damage done while serving but they're not taken care of. One tiny example - the diagnosis PTSD was "discovered" after the Vietnam War - largely based on that experience - but vets from before then aren't eligible to claim for that condition. See the Daily Show clip: http://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/understandingcombatptsd/2014/02/05/the-daily-show-reveals-truth-vietnam-veterans-ptsd/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeverSure Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Listen to Nancy. If the panhandler told the truth, there are many benefits including housing he could apply for. He appears to have a service related disability (I'm guessing but he is getting a pension which is probably for that) and should go straight to VA and find out if he is getting everything they offer. For instance if he has hearing problems and can relate that to being around explosions, he qualified for free hearing aids. He might also qualify for more money for that, too. He needs to stay in the US, get all of his benefits, move to a place that's much cheaper than (very expensive) LA, and get settled in with his free medical care. If he's mentally ill, he may not be able to do all of that without help and guidance, but VA will help him. So will other organizations that help vets. And don't forget that panhandlers make quite a bit of money doing that to add to his pension. Americans are generous if nothing else. I think the OP sold this guy a fairy tale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dao16 Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Listen to Nancy. If the panhandler told the truth, there are many benefits including housing he could apply for. He appears to have a service related disability (I'm guessing but he is getting a pension which is probably for that) and should go straight to VA and find out if he is getting everything they offer. For instance if he has hearing problems and can relate that to being around explosions, he qualified for free hearing aids. He might also qualify for more money for that, too. He needs to stay in the US, get all of his benefits, move to a place that's much cheaper than (very expensive) LA, and get settled in with his free medical care. If he's mentally ill, he may not be able to do all of that without help and guidance, but VA will help him. So will other organizations that help vets. And don't forget that panhandlers make quite a bit of money doing that to add to his pension. Americans are generous if nothing else. I think the OP sold this guy a fairy tale. Yeah, having worked with guys who are on the street in big cities in the US, I know that there is usually more to the story. 900 a month plus maybe some other way to make a little more money would, believe it or not, be enough to live on in cheap places in the US. However, drug addiction or mental health issues often push people to places like LA where homeless people can access more services (homeless guys don't flock to New York City for the weather!). He may seem stable now, but there is almost surely something else going on to bring him to this point. People who have trouble keeping it together at home often lack the skills to keep it together in a completely different society. I think the visa situation can be figured out (legally, mind you) and the money is enough, but could be difficult for someone with a disability and probably no language skills or knowledge of the culture or experience living abroad (being a soldier, in this case, doesn't quite count since the military does a lot of stuff that would now fall on his shoulders to be responsible for--think visas, housing, and so on). So, yeah, hopefully it will all turn out ok, but I wouldn't be surprised if he turns up looking for help sooner rather than later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogandave Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 So we assuming that the panhandler is a vet, and that he is homeless. If he is homeless on $900 a month in LA he will be homeless on $900 a month here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metapod Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 If him serve four your country in the war why he most stay on the streets??And fore 27000b you think he can stay here in Thailand??No you need at last 50000b a mounth if you no hawe a home ore a wife here.But if you are putting up 800b fore him then ok fore him to stay.Why help him when him can make himself,Why him stay on the streets your newer think of that 50,000 baht? You are so wrong it isn't funny. You can't even speak English. You talk like a third world prostitute. "Why him stay" Guessing you can't live without 50,000 baht because you spend a lot of time at Soi Cowboy, Bangla Road, or Pattaya..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wym Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 I've met hundreds of teachers live on less than that averaged over a year, see lots of full time jobs at 25K, no housing allowance, maybe cheap lunch that's all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWMcMurray Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Maybe you should refer him to the "how low you can go, monthly budget" topic on the Isan forum for some ideas... Posts and budget details for OP planning on raising a family of 4 on 26,000 thb per month Maybe your new friend can review for some ideas Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nautilus05 Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 If you think he was disabled before, wait until the culture shock of Thailand sets in, as he tries to manuver his way through it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWMcMurray Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 If it doesn't work out in Thailand... Did a quick search ... Cheapest city in USA is Harlingen, TX http://m.kiplinger.com/slideshow/real-estate/T006-S001-10-cheapest-u-s-cities-to-live-in/ 1 bedroom apartment ... USD 250 per month http://www.apartmentlist.com/tx/harlingen?page=2 Also has a VA clinic ... http://www2.va.gov/directory/guide/facility.asp?ID=5351 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wym Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Posts and budget details for OP planning on raising a family of 4 on 26,000 thb per month Cuz you know he'll fall in lurv and end up having kids back on the in-law's rice farm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wym Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rO0BHSPXQg#t=221 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northernjohn Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 You got him to come here now what?? How will he meet his visa obligations for a long term stay on 27,000 THB a month? or Do you intend to help? Well there is that also medical could be an issue. Will the veterans cover him here? But he could defiantly live a decent life here with that kind of money if he doesn't over drink and chase women. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thailiketoo Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 If you think he was disabled before, wait until the culture shock of Thailand sets in, as he tries to manuver his way through it. I've known three severely disabled people who lived in Thailand. 2 in Pattaya and 1 in Chiang Mai. Those three guys would not live anywhere else. I could tell you why but you probably would not believe me. Best to find a disabled Farang who lives here and ask him. In many important ways this is a disabled persons paradise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wym Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wym Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 In many important ways this is a disabled persons paradise. Tahm boon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thailiketoo Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 In many important ways this is a disabled persons paradise. Tahm boon? No, boom boom. But you were close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wym Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Well so how's that different than the rest of us sexpats that are just normally disabled wrt the marriage market? Actually in Victoria worked with a sex-worker union/coop that did pro-bono work visiting rehabs in order to service the differently-abled. Some managements had a problem with it, but once we got the families and DHS activists on board nothing they could do about it, and boy were they a hit with the residents! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longstebe Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 I see the typical responses from the farangs whom think Thailand belongs to them and them only. Pathetic small men. I hope the guy is enjoying himself. Sent from my GT-I9505 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antimedia Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 A Vietnam Veteran do not deserve live on the street of Los Angeles or any city in America, and will be welcome to live here around the US expat community. I am here to hep him in anyway I can....for him to feel happy, healthy and safe, like many other Americans in his situation in Thailand. I am an Australian Vietnam Vet on disability living in Thailand and support his move fully. As a vet I know what he would be going through trying to survive. All the best mate you won't regret it and yes there are many of your own country folk and others that will help you out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thailiketoo Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 (edited) Well so how's that different than the rest of us sexpats that are just normally disabled wrt the marriage market? Actually in Victoria worked with a sex-worker union/coop that did pro-bono work visiting rehabs in order to service the differently-abled. Some managements had a problem with it, but once we got the families and DHS activists on board nothing they could do about it, and boy were they a hit with the residents! Cost of labor to assist the disabled person with daily functions is a 10th of what it is in Australia. Those functions usually do include sex as opposed to what nurses are prepared to help with in the West. Edited February 19, 2014 by thailiketoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antimedia Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 The disability income sounds like it comes from service related illness or injuries, thus ongoing. He can get a retirement visa with little difficulty with proof of regular income and does not require money in the bank. This is renewable annually with 90 day reporting (by post if not living close to immigration). Once settled and at a permanent address, get a Thai drivers licence as ID and letter of confirmation of address through immigration, most rural clinics and government hospitals will allow access to the 30 baht medical coverage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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