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Thanks Jackson
Meaty
I haven't done a Visa Run myself, but maybe you can find some info here:
[url]www.thaivisa.com/292.0.html[/url]
[url]http://experiencethailand.netfirms.com/visarun.htm[/url]
And if you give Google the string 'visa run' (and if you like: add 'Thailand') you'll find a lot of tips and stories.
Guys
Could any of you who have moved to LOS tell me a little bit about your experiences?
Any info appreciated ...
ph
Philo
Thanks, checking the sites out as i write. I moved here 3.5yrs ago, many experiences, which particular ones are you interested in :-) !!
Meaty
I am interested in everything I guess - but the most important things in the beginning probably is monthly budget, local bank issues, if I should rent a studio/flat or stay in a cheap hotel, dental/medical stuff, healt insurance etc. (?)
I don't expect anybody to give a complete handbook - I just thought it could be useful to have a thread here for more 'practical' issues than TG's - and many of the posts here are from people who say theyare staying in LOS.
By the way - there's a lot of stuff on the web - so I will not be disappointed if the boards members prefers to write about TG's instead of the price of new reading glasses :D
Philo
I think this is Joe_Zop or Freeler terrirtory as they seem to know everything about LOS but i'll add basics.
Western style apartments with min facilities of swimming pool, security and reception start from 8,000baht and go up to very high prices depending on location and level of luxury.
Normally it is standard to pay 2 months rent as deposit and 1 months rent in advance. Contracts usually have to be signed, normally 12 mths but you can find 6mths. Now i'm talking about longer term living here, there are apartments, and many of them that will let you stay 1 mth, Boss Tower on RamaIV but its location is crap, i'm sure there are others.
Hotels, for more than a month i think an apartment deal would work out cheaper, but then you have to think about room service, maid service, laundry, maybe stuff like bedding, all stuff a hotel makes very easy for you.
Health insurance and all that kind of stuff drop me an e-mail meatywsg@hotmail.com i say that because as all longtimers in LOS know, the insurance/financial services scene for expats here is saturated there are a lot of cowboys out there especially as the whole industry is unregulated. I have some people i have used for a long time and am more than happy, i will give you there details and then its upto you. But i'm not posting them on a sex board!!! i don't think they would be too happy if they found out!!
Local bank, any of the thai banks will issue anyone a savings account with an ATM card, costs vary but 500baht will be enough to open the account, get your card and have a small balance. Just go into any of them with your passport and you walk out 30 minutes later with a bank. For current accounts you MUST have a valid work permit, no exceptions (if there are let me know). but if you have a work permit your better going to citibank, or HSBC.
I need to get some work done, i'll think up some more stuff and come back later!
Meaty
ah, meaty, i defer -- i'm not living in los as you are, and as philo is looking to be. there are things i know about, and i researched a bunch about things related to this when i was planning my longish trip, but living long-term in thailand isn't something i'm at all expert on, and i look forward to learning a great deal from this thread. i hope folks like samus will pipe in on some of the specifics here as well, as this thread can be valuable even for those of us who look to come over for less than forever.
and i bow scrapingly low to freeler's encyclopedic knowledge.
Meaty, Joe_zop,
Don't worry, I will not attempt to make a mark in this thread:).
LT in the same place is not for me. I travel!
BUT: The point Meaty makes on HealthInsurance is a bit too important to just let pass. I've seen a few too many expats end their lives in miserable fashion because they didn't have HealthInsurance.
Thanks Meaty
I will email you later (only have a full name adress now...)
Went to look at two appt's yesterday: one in soi 12 (2 bedrooms, B 14000) and a studio in soi 71 (condo with bargirls, thai families and a few farangs, B3300 (with aircon !, bargirl from Morning Night bar took me there)).
I think it will be best for me to start with a hotel. By now I have found good rooms at B10000 mnth in CM and B12000 in Patong, but I haven't found anything in BKK yet.
Anyway-thanks. Will send email later.
Samus,
Perhaps you can start a business picking up newbies from the airport (until it moves, that is) and make a pre-selection:
Dorks to Pattaya, half-wits go to Sukhumvit and people who at least appear to have travel insurance and a map, straight to Korat or Pilok!
When can you start?
PS Welcome to BKK!
SA,
You certainly have a lot of info on living in Thailand, I've lived and worked in Japan for 4 years, I have been back in the states for 2 years now, and I have to been wanting to move back abroad, I have been to Thailand on several occasions, and I am considering making it my home, I would reall appreciate if you could backchannel me at daedalus_27@yahoo.com I have many questions about living, working etc... Again, any assistance would be greatly apprieciated.
TIA
wlc142 -- why not post the questions here so some of the rest of the folks on the board can benefit?
SA, I heartily agree. There are plenty of good reasons to decide to move to Thailand -- work, climate and geography, economics, culture, etc., and certainly the sex scene is a nice bonus -- but if the only motivation is cheap sex workers you gotta check your connection to good sense.
I'll be moving to LOS in about a year and a half but I'll be married and living on about $650 a month Social Security. I know I'll miss some amenities but on my pension I'd be alone in a [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord140][CodeWord140][/url]-in-the-sink hotel here, eating at the free meals. I'd miss all the amenities right in the middle of them. I'm interested in the ESL Teaching possibilities. I know that I can get the certificate with some minimal online training for about $300 now, while I have the money coming in. Is this a workable idea. What about jobs, work permits, etc. I know they only pay about ß300 an hour but that would be great above my pension.
Thanks for your info SA...
But please understand that not everybody is dreaming about a happy (sic) american middle class Disney-inspired life....
I'll rather live in one of the unfinished highrisers in BKK.
In pacem....
Wandered onto this thread and thought I would put in my two cents.....
Lived in LOS for 10 years plus until 1995 when I moved up to China. Some guys like myself are addicted to mongering. If this is the case, you will never get bored with the action in Thailand. Yes, you may cut down the frequency a bit after awhile, but I did not stop for the 10 years, and still go back for more as often as possible.
On the other hand, if you want to live there permanently, there are other cultural & language adjustments that must be made. The girls cannot keep you occupied all the time. It is nothing at all like living in the USA. Yes, the outskirts' communities are nice, but traffic is still a problem in Bangkok, especially during certain times of day.
I agree with SA on one very important point. If you don't have a job or money enough to do it right, don't do it at all.
Just my POV.....
OAH