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[QUOTE=TwoTimeTed;1683035]I believe it's just way too hot, which makes it miserable. Bangkok is huge. Pattaya seems more my style. I don't know if I will come back, the weather sucks and that's the drawback for me. Maybe in my blue hair days should I live so long would I come back for a long extended stay.
[/QUOTE]Yes, and you went during the "cool" season. :)
You'll find a god in every golden cloister /
And if you're lucky then the god's a she /
I can feel an angel sliding up to meeeeeeeee.
[QUOTE=Phordphan;1683366]Yes, and you went during the "cool" season. :)
You'll find a god in every golden cloister /
And if you're lucky then the god's a she /
I can feel an angel sliding up to meeeeeeeee.[/QUOTE]But thank God, I'm only watching the game, controlling it.
I don't see you guys rating.
The kind of mate I'm contemplating.
I'd let you watch, I would invite you.
But the queens we use would not excite you.
[QUOTE=TwoTimeTed;1682330]So then they tried to book me with American at no charge. I went to American and they wanted an extra $25 baggage fee, I told them NO, I;m not paying that, I already paid my ticket in full and included the baggage. I go back to United they explained the baggage fee. I ended up not going with American and waited for the 7:45 pm flight, 8 HR layover. Got on board to Vegas, again packed, make it to Vegas at 9 pm, I miss the last free shuttle to my area of town and ended up taking a taxi to my house at the cost of $55 USD including the tip. Maybe I should have paid the American Airlines baggage fee of $25 USD after all.[/QUOTE]American pissed me off recently with their baggage fees. I traveled on a free frequent flyer ticket, and when I went to check in for my flight, they charged me $25 to check one bag "because I hadn't paid full fare for the ticket". Wait a fucking minute! They were the ones who "awarded" me with a "free" ticket, then they turn around and charge me to check a bag because I didn't pay the full fare for the ticket? What kind of bullshit is that? To me "free" means "free", and the fucking trip wasn't free because I had to pay $50 round trip for my one piece of luggage plus an $11.20 "processing" fee. So, it wasn't a free round trip ticket after all! Nickel and dime them to death! I traveled on a United frequent flyer ticket last summer and didn't have to pay to check a bag. Just one more reason why I generally despise American Airlines and normally will avoid them when I can. Too many shitty old planes (they are modernizing their fleet I'll give them that) and shitty customer service! American Airlines. The only way not to fly!
[QUOTE=TheCane;1683374]American pissed me off recently with their baggage fees. I traveled on a free frequent flyer ticket, and when I went to check in for my flight, they charged me $25 to check one bag "because I hadn't paid full fare for the ticket". Wait a fucking minute! They were the ones who "awarded" me with a "free" ticket, then they turn around and charge me to check a bag because I didn't pay the full fare for the ticket? What kind of bullshit is that? To me "free" means "free", and the fucking trip wasn't free because I had to pay $50 round trip for my one piece of luggage plus an $11.20 "processing" fee. So, it wasn't a free round trip ticket after all! Nickel and dime them to death! I traveled on a United frequent flyer ticket last summer and didn't have to pay to check a bag. Just one more reason why I generally despise American Airlines and normally will avoid them when I can. Too many shitty old planes (they are modernizing their fleet I'll give them that) and shitty customer service! American Airlines. The only way not to fly![/QUOTE]To Cane.
This is a Redemption ticket for your Mileage it is not totally free you still have to pay the fuel tax and other tax, I fly with AA about 50,000 mile a year I transfer all my Mileage to Cathay pacific they don't charge me for baggage most airline is cutting mile benefit and service not just AA.
Fast eddie 48.
[QUOTE=FastEddie48;1683845]To Cane.
This is a Redemption ticket for your Mileage it is not totally free you still have to pay the fuel tax and other tax, I fly with AA about 50,000 mile a year I transfer all my Mileage to Cathay pacific they don't charge me for baggage most airline is cutting mile benefit and service not just AA.
Fast eddie 48.[/QUOTE]They charged me exactly $61.20. There was an $11.20 fee which I didn't mind actually. It was the $50 baggage charge that annoyed me, and the reason they gave for why I had to pay that. I recently obtained the Citi AAdvantage Platinum MasterCard. Now I won't have to pay for a checked bag again on American and will get other benefits as a result of having that credit card. Like I said, I don't like them, but sometimes they offer the best flights and connections, especially to Latin America.
What do you guys that took up residence (live) in Thailand do?
I realize that its the cooler months now, but what do you guys do in the summertime? Do you go back to your country (US or wherever)?
You just hack out the weather?
I realize also that a lot of you are retired, semi-wealthy or moved there years ago. But besides teaching what do you do for a living (income) in Thailand?
And do you guys take girlfriends for extended periods of time and just hook up with her, I mean the temptations are at every corner and every time you look to your left or right!
How do you maintain it?
How was the red tape getting to stay in Thailand?
One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble.
Not much between despair and ecstasy.
[QUOTE=TheCane;1683853]They charged me exactly $61.20. There was an $11.20 fee which I didn't mind actually. It was the $50 baggage charge that annoyed me, and the reason they gave for why I had to pay that. I recently obtained the Citi AAdvantage Platinum MasterCard. Now I won't have to pay for a checked bag again on American and will get other benefits as a result of having that credit card. Like I said, I don't like them, but sometimes they offer the best flights and connections, especially to Latin America.[/QUOTE]To The Cane.
Well other US airline is charging for baggage now not just AA I always carry on one garment bag for most of my US travel even to Brazil and ARG I travel light, just book with Cathay Pacific SFO to HK and BKK for 90,000 asia mile tax is about 300 usd I need to pay need to use it before it expired and I still have 200,000 miles avalible after that.
Fast eddie 48.
[QUOTE=TwoTimeTed;1684222]What do you guys that took up residence (live) in Thailand do?
I realize that its the cooler months now, but what do you guys do in the summertime? Do you go back to your country (US or wherever)?
You just hack out the weather?
I realize also that a lot of you are retired, semi-wealthy or moved there years ago. But besides teaching what do you do for a living (income) in Thailand?
And do you guys take girlfriends for extended periods of time and just hook up with her, I mean the temptations are at every corner and every time you look to your left or right!
How do you maintain it?
How was the red tape getting to stay in Thailand?
One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble.
Not much between despair and ecstasy.[/QUOTE]Well, people tends to fall into categories, you probably have seen a few already. Not everyone of course has the same sexual drive. There are also very monogamous men, bigots, priests, etc. The tens of thousand of British folks living cheap in Pattaya are different from an elitist living on a small Island. Some people makes a point of not having a fixed Thai wife. Some has all the free time to become rich working or trading online, others just slowly drink their life away, others fights the odds running a business that they can't even legally own, as well foreigner can't own land, only pre-determined condo units. There is a lot of people that has cut bridges with home country and would not have a place to return to. When older than 50 staying continuously is easy, only need Bt 80,000 in a Thai bank, or a monthly income of 65,000, or a combination of the two. The language is so difficult that few learn it satisfactorily. Millions of strange personal stories, at the end I think living in Thailand can be a blessing but is not an absolute value, life is what you can make out of it, wherever you are.
[QUOTE=Old New Guy;1684542][...] When older than 50 staying continuously is easy, only need Bt 80,000 in a Thai bank, or a monthly income of 65,000, or a combination of the two. [...][/QUOTE]
That's a minimum of THB 800,000 (not 80,000) in a Thai Bank, or a monthly income of (at least) 65,000 for retirees (must be older than 50), or a combination of the two.
If you are married to a Thai national, it's only THB 400,000 in bank, or a monthly income of (at least) 40,0000 for most people, or a combination of the two. There is no minimim age (apart for being legally married first, of course) for this second type of visa.
A few other options are available (one may check ThaiVisa.com website and forums, for instance, for more details), but the two mentioned above are probably the most common for long-term foreign residents.
I am only 47 years old, I was 32 when I first came in Thailand as a tourist, and some time later married a local (at 35) because I wanted to live here and didn't need to work (I own apartments in my country of origin and can live here comfortably enough on their rental, I also had pretty good savings before settling here and still have a non-negligible part of them and some securities for 'raining days').
I have many hobbies (besides patronizing the local brothels and other P4P-related activities) and I also help several friends (I used to work in the IT sector, thus, I am often needed for computer-related projects and/or issues). And of course, as a married man, I spend much more time than I want with the wife and/or the in-laws (although, I must admit that it may be fun sometimes).
It was not difficult too much to acclimate myself to the weather. Now, I very seldom use A/C at home. I've always enjoyed the spicy Thai food and can eat like a local.
However, I regularly come back about one month yearly to France (my country of origin) usually during winter because one of my favorite sports is skiing and I cannot practice it in Thailand!
[QUOTE=Goyave;1684750]That's a minimum of THB 800,000 (not 80,000) in a Thai Bank, or a monthly income of (at least) 65,000 for retirees (must be older than 50), or a combination of the two.
If you are married to a Thai national, it's only THB 400,000 in bank, or a monthly income of (at least) 40,0000 for most people, or a combination of the two. There is no minimim age (apart for being legally married first, of course) for this second type of visa.
[/QUOTE]Yes, 800,000. But in case of marriage, funds and income cannot be combined.
[QUOTE=OldNewGuy;1684802]Yes, 800,000. But in case of marriage, funds and income cannot be combined.[/QUOTE]In the past, it was possible to combine income and funds, even for a non-immigrant "O" visa based on marriage (I know at least one consulate in Switzerland where it was possible), but I haven't checked this option recently, so, you are probably right and I stand corrected.
But one must realize that the whole process depends greatly on where you are applying for your visa (or extension of stay thereafter). For instance, it was still possible the last time I have checked (September 2014) to get a one-year non-immigrant "O" visa based on marriage at the Thai Royal Consulate in Savannakhet (Laos) without providing proofs of sufficient ressource. Not sure that it will last long and it's of course better not to count too much on this, but it demonstrates that rules are not always applied uniformly on these matters.
Living in Thailand.
Thanks Goyave and Old New Guy (ONG) for some info. Goyave, are you in BKK? What city.
Do you feel uneasy about putting your money in a Thai Bank, is it held in Thai notes or can it be held in US dollars? 800,000 at 32.5 baht to the dollar is $24,615 USD. An the income part of $2,000 USD is okay, but do you have to have that rolling into a Thai Bank or can you just show the income from a US bank. But I am under 50 so that wouldn't apply.
So under 50, what applies if you don't get married?
Also, a concern, is the health care, what do you do there? Are there health plans or health insurance? Find a random doctor, costs?
I know some of this is researchable and have searched it, but real life experience is much better.
[QUOTE=TwoTimeTed;1684952]Living in Thailand.
Thanks Goyave and Old New Guy (ONG) for some info. Goyave, are you in BKK? What city.
Do you feel uneasy about putting your money in a Thai Bank, is it held in Thai notes or can it be held in US dollars? 800,000 at 32.5 baht to the dollar is $24,615 USD. An the income part of $2,000 USD is okay, but do you have to have that rolling into a Thai Bank or can you just show the income from a US bank. But I am under 50 so that wouldn't apply.
So under 50, what applies if you don't get married?
Also, a concern, is the health care, what do you do there? Are there health plans or health insurance? Find a random doctor, costs?
I know some of this is researchable and have searched it, but real life experience is much better.[/QUOTE]I think we could answer to all this, but best would be for your to participate the website that Goyave has linked. There are continuous discussions (based on real life) to all these questions and more. While on this forum we can concentrate on on the matter of pussy with all the juicy details, or discuss politics in open terms, things that are frowned upon there.
[QUOTE=TwoTimeTed;1684952]Living in Thailand.
Thanks Goyave and Old New Guy (ONG) for some info. Goyave, are you in BKK? What city.
Do you feel uneasy about putting your money in a Thai Bank, is it held in Thai notes or can it be held in US dollars? 800,000 at 32.5 baht to the dollar is $24,615 USD. An the income part of $2,000 USD is okay, but do you have to have that rolling into a Thai Bank or can you just show the income from a US bank. But I am under 50 so that wouldn't apply.
So under 50, what applies if you don't get married?
Also, a concern, is the health care, what do you do there? Are there health plans or health insurance? Find a random doctor, costs?
I know some of this is researchable and have searched it, but real life experience is much better.[/QUOTE]While it may seem a bit strange, I understand that if you had your money in a Thai account before the crash of 2008, you would have lost nothing. I don't know any Americans who can say the same thing. Thailand has its share of problems, but they don't have Bush / Obama / The Federal Reserve doing their best to trash the dollar.
Now the problem lately is whether or not you, as a US Citizen, can get a bank account. I will try to do this, again, in April. I got busy last trip and just didn't get it done. The issue now, however, is FATCA. Stories abound about banks refusing accounts if held by a US national, based upon odious and insane reporting and withholding requirements. AFAIK, some Thai banks will still allow US holders. I'll report more later.
Under 50, not married, can be a problem. You may need to set up a company, or similar. As a US citizen, it's easier than most to set up a company under the Treaty of Amity.
The overall quality of health care is very good. Yes, there are good health insurance policies and they are extremely cheap by US standards. In any case, the health care in Thailand, at a good private hospital, is a fraction of what it costs in the USA. A good rule of thumb is 30% to 50% of what it costs in the US, depending on what's being done. Sometimes as much as 90% cheaper. The level of care in a private hospital is very good. In fact, a few years ago when I toured BNH doing research, I asked about semi-private rooms and the lady looked at me like I just beamed in from Mars. All rooms were private, just some were bigger than others. My only real complaint is that Thai doctors tend to overmedicate the hell out of you, and antibiotics are prescribed far too often.
[QUOTE=Phordphan;1684991]While it may seem a bit strange, I understand that if you had your money in a Thai account before the crash of 2008, you would have lost nothing. I don't know any Americans who can say the same thing. Thailand has its share of problems, but they don't have Bush / Obama / The Federal Reserve doing their best to trash the dollar.[/QUOTE]I had money in US banks in 2008 and I haven't lost anything. I understand your dislike for US politics, but the US dollar is today stronger than ever. A good 30% stronger than in 2008. And the US economy is doing quite good too. I say that as these are true facts, not because I feel compelled to defend anything that is American. And Thailand had its fair share of incompetent/corrupt/dictatorial gov.ts, poor enough to negatively compete with anyone.
The rest of your posting I agree with.