A death wish, get your will updated. And make sure you have long term health ins.
[QUOTE=EihTooms;2931207]12 years ago I moved to Bangkok. Also from Southern California, where I still own rental property. With a good management company, my interaction with it is minimal. I get or need to reply to an email about something or other maybe twice a year.
I submit my 90 Days Residence Report on the Thai Immigration website. Takes about 3 minutes. Two days later I get a confirmation of its acceptance by email.
Extending my O-A Non Immigrant Long Stay (Retirement Visa) requires me to stop by my Thai bank branch to order a 12 month print out of my statement to show the proper (65,000 baht) minimum monthly Foreign Tranfers, which costs 200 baht. I come back to pick it up in 4-5 days and get a letter of verification from a bank officer confirming I am the person stated on my account, whatever. Costs 100 baht and takes about 15 minutes.
Next comes the one day per year I take that print out and proof of my health insurance coverage (another letter of verification from the insurance company) to Immigration along with the usual photo copies of my passport photo page and, yes, that is going to take an entire day. Cost is 1900 baht. There is now a direct skytrain connection between lower Sukhumvit and the front gate of Immigration at Chang Wattana. Either a 20 minute walk or a 2 minute motorbike taxi ride within the grounds of the complex gets you to the right building.
So far, the above is the entirety if my interaction with the Thai government in order to live here. However, that is before whatever new tax info requirement kicks in, if ever. At this point I have only heard reports of some new 1 page form / report to fill out and submit. Mostly just a repeat of the bank info I give them anyway. But time will tell.
Otherwise, my life here has been incredibly comfortable and fun. From the pussy to the food to the public transportation to the onventional Western entertainment options as in music, movies, parks, nightclubs, convention events, whatever, there is always some pleasant diversion to be enjoyed in this city. I am even fine with the year 'round weather.
And there are two easily accessed by skytrain or subway airports to explore the rest of the world anytime.
Now, I might not be the template for what life into old age offers here because I consider what happened to me lately to be rather rare; after plenty of new and sweet pussy and mouths, as I hit 70 years old, I happened upon a truly sweet young lady who is not a bargirl or a freelancer but who is more devoted to my pleasure and happiness than any prior girlfriend or wife I ever had. I wasn't looking for that and still not sure I am ready for such devotion and affection. I still have plenty of wildness in me. But there it is.
I mention this only because that finale is something several expats or wannabe expats have told me they hope to find here for a more perfect life. And with extras on the side. I suppose it has happened that way for me even though I was not hoping for it or looking for it.
Oh, one other thing. For years I walked and used public transportation for everything in Bangkok. During the Covid closures I bought a nice electric bicycle. One big enough to carry a passenger. I love it. Imo, this is the best and most pleasurable, easy breezy way to cruise around this city, cut through traffic, see the sights, hit the various restaurants, malls and entertainment venues. It has greatly improved my quality of life here. If you feel confident about maneuvering through town on a two wheeler, I strongly recommend getting one.[/QUOTE]If you feel confident about maneuvering through town on a two wheeler, I strongly recommend getting one.
Tick tock = only a matter of time
[QUOTE=EihTooms;2931427]I have ridden bikes in the streets of LOS Angeles and New York. Riding one in the lower Sukhumvit area of Bangkok is much safer in every way.
First of all, most of the time there is barely any movement in that area other than the bikes that are maneuvering between traffic lanes to get to the front of the line at the next 3 minute red traffic light stop.
In the 3 years I have been riding my bike through these auto / truck / bus traffic jams day and night I think I saw one minor fender-bender between a couple of cars and no accidents with a motorcycle, much less with an electric bicycle.
I don't use it to travel from Nana to Immigration. Not due to safety, just because the skytrain is now much faster. But I will ride it from Nana to Silom / Patpong (takes about 10 minutes compared to 5-6 times that by skytrain / subway or taxi), to Khaosan Road or Chinatown (25 minutes to Khaosan Road vs an hour or more by car taxi). And zipping around from Nana to Soi Cowboy or from MBK to Ekkamai is a cool snap compared to climbing up and down skytrain platforms, standing in the heat waiting for the next train, squeezing into the crowded train cars.
When I arrive at my destination, it being a "bicycle" I have no problem parking and locking it at the nearest sidewalk bicycle rack right outside the front door of the mall, restaurant or entertainment venue.
The risks of riding a two wheeler in the lower Sukhumvit area where I and most locals would ride a bike in their daily rounds is way overstated, imo. I have seen more pedestrians barely dodging potential serious injury while crossing Sukhumvit IN a crosswalk WITH the traffic light on their side and in a crowd of other pedestrians than I have seen for myself and other bike riders in those same areas.
I now see women in evening gowns riding one of those foldable, stand up electric scooters through traffic on Sukhumvit Road on their way to the bar areas. LOL.
Maximum speed possible with an electric bicycle like mine is about 35 kilometers per hour and most of the time I top out at only 18-20 kph, which I believe cuts way down on the risk of an accident. We're just not going fast enough to get into much trouble from our actions. But certainly faster and literally cooler temperature-wise than walking. Yes, I know some drunk driving a truck can slam into me on the street, having nothing to do with any safety measures I might take. But he could also slam into the taxi next to me, the pedestrian crossing the street or even up and onto the sidewalk.
I don't recommend this option to anyone who is not confident that they can maneuver between traffic lanes without clipping every side view mirror in the line up.[/QUOTE]Risk reward = it may only take 1 time to end your life if you are lucky or if unlucky make you a physical or mental cripple. Buying a car is is so small a cost for life insurance. How do you get those cases of beer home on a bike. Convenience is a separate matter. Especially when it rains.
