On 10.8.2017 at 4:44 AM, transam said:

I live my life from day to day, if I spent my life worrying about what "may" happen that wouldn't be much of a life...

Coulden't agree more. But IMO a worrie-free lifestyle must be based on certain foundations, like:

- Having kept a major part of ones assets in the home-country (house, for example).
- Still keeping in contact with some relatives/friends back home. Making it possible to fall back on some kind of plan "B" if necessary.
- Enough "liquidity" in Thailand to be able to handle unforeseen adverse events (health problems, etc etc).

With all of the above in place, I can't see a reason not to live a "worry-free" life in Thailand.

Another thing it is, if the "worry-free" life is mainly based on ruthless and uncalled for Optimism and/or a "I don't give a damm anyway" attitude and nothing else.

Plenty of cases around, where a "worry-free" lifestyle has turned into a nightmare. Life itself does not accomodate for "I should have...." or "Why did nobody tell me before....".
Cheers.
PS: Hopefully, most retired Farangs living in Venezuela these days have a plan "B".

11 hours ago, swissie said:

Coulden't agree more. But IMO a worrie-free lifestyle must be based on certain foundations, like:

- Having kept a major part of ones assets in the home-country (house, for example).
- Still keeping in contact with some relatives/friends back home. Making it possible to fall back on some kind of plan "B" if necessary.
- Enough "liquidity" in Thailand to be able to handle unforeseen adverse events (health problems, etc etc).

With all of the above in place, I can't see a reason not to live a "worry-free" life in Thailand.

Another thing it is, if the "worry-free" life is mainly based on ruthless and uncalled for Optimism and/or a "I don't give a damm anyway" attitude and nothing else.

Plenty of cases around, where a "worry-free" lifestyle has turned into a nightmare. Life itself does not accomodate for "I should have...." or "Why did nobody tell me before....".
Cheers.
PS: Hopefully, most retired Farangs living in Venezuela these days have a plan "B".

I lost all my assets back home via illness and a messy divorce. everything l worked and planned for went up in smoke, l am sure there are many guys like me who just said "sod it" and buggered off to LOS.

There was no way I was going to end up in a couple of rooms watching telly for the rest of my days. I met a nice lady here, built a fab house in a fab location, my illness went into remission because of the constant heat, so at the mo l am a happy bunny with many years in LOS under my belt. For sure I took a chance, a gamble, but if it went tits up tomorrow l would still say l made the right decision..

To me life is like a book with many chapters, my present chapter is still being written...

On 10/08/2017 at 3:31 PM, jippytum said:

Keeping a check on visitors to your country may be a bit overdone in Thailand but I wish my country had a tighter immigration control

regarding immigrants.

well said, me too. 

well said, me too. 

Where is your home country? I'm British and I wish they would relax the immigration controls on visas for Thais and other foreigners. I can't think of many western countries that are as open to visas as Thailand.

1 hour ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Where is your home country? I'm British and I wish they would relax the immigration controls on visas for Thais and other foreigners. I can't think of many western countries that are as open to visas as Thailand.

l agree the 30 day holiday thing should be available to Thais for holidays couldn't be any worse then others sneaking in Uk in lorries and trains.

2 hours ago, transam said:

l am a happy bunny with many years in LOS under my belt. For sure I took a chance, a gamble, but if it went tits up tomorrow l would still say l made the right decision..

To me life is like a book with many chapters, my present chapter is still being written...

A likeness to a quote in the book of my life l'm writing for my family off-spring. 

 

Once a special and good friend of my said,

           “ Life and friends are like a book to me.

    Probably some places and people are in it from beginning to end.

        Some are only chapters.  Some just pages.

     Some a paragraph maybe, many just a sentence or a word or two.”

     

 A likable and good analogy and a perfect true life thought I think.

 

4 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Where is your home country? I'm British and I wish they would relax the immigration controls on visas for Thais and other foreigners. I can't think of many western countries that are as open to visas as Thailand.

British