General Reports

[Banana Boi]

My plan is just to use my allotment of 180 days down from Usual 330 days. Till further notice.

Under which Visa were you allowed to stay 330 days per year in Thailand without any issues from Immigration? To my knowledge it's always been 180 days on a regular tourist visa (exception was during COVID). I'm assuming you're not in Thailand under an OA, work, or marriage Visa.

Do you find it necessary to live in Thailand? Why not just move around SEA but spend the majority of your time in Thailand?

Exactly. This is what I did. Others are not keen on the idea though since they don't like the idea of paying rent in Thailand then paying for a hotel elsewhere the other 180 days per year. It's always nice to have a home base. Living out of a suitcase your entire life kind of sucks.

[Nyezhov]

Don't Ever Forget. High level Official called us Dirty Foreigner s during COVID.

Anything having to do with changes in immigration is done for the Worse. Live with it.

My plan is just to use my allotment of 180 days down from Usual 330 days. Till further notice.

Can you imagine the Paperwork nightmare even if no Thai taxes are due. I can see immigration putting you in jail just Because.

Do you find it necessary to live in Thailand? Why not just move around SEA but spend the majority of your time in Thailand?

My easy solution to all of the BS that you get from the Thai government, together with the bad air that interferes with my fun, is to move over to Siem Reap and live like a weed smoking hick, and come to Bangkok whenever I need a good meal and some pooswa if you know what I mean. $100 round trip.

[Raj Patela]

Don't Ever Forget. High level Official called us Dirty Foreigner s during COVID.

Anything having to do with changes in immigration is done for the Worse. Live with it.

My plan is just to use my allotment of 180 days down from Usual 330 days. Till further notice.

Can you imagine the Paperwork nightmare even if no Thai taxes are due. I can see immigration putting you in jail just Because.

[Mr Enternational]

There have also been open statements that they want fewer backpackers and more high end tourists. They must love the 2-week millionaires.

Isn't that everyone's DREAM? The reality is that they better get what they can get from whoever they can get it from before they fuck around and end up with nothing.

[Member #4838]

And now it looks like Thailand is going to make expats file income taxes each year after Jan 1, 2024? Maybe tax savings that you bring into the country too? Sell my house in the USA and buy a condo in Thailand for a million baht, pay their gov't 300,000 baht for the privilege? Still cheaper than living in un-america, but ack! F to fixing income inequality by redistribution. They like inheritance tax too.

I hope Thailand decides these are some really bad ideas. Only positive for me would probably be radical drops in Thai property prices, kind of reverse of the sleepy joe policies creating radical increase in my USA property price.

Do you find it necessary to live in Thailand? Why not just move around SEA but spend the majority of your time in Thailand?

[SubCmdr]

There have also been open statements that they want fewer backpackers and more high end tourists. They must love the 2-week millionaires.

I have no numbers to prove it, but just from my personal spending habits I spent more in two weeks in holiday mode than I spend now in day to day living mode. Why wouldn't the Kingdom want tourists and long stay visitors with more money.

I am not a mono country person. Countries around the globe see that the western nations are fucking up their program and their populations are getting out of dodge. They want the best of them, not those with short money and alligator arms.

Fiat currency is worthless. Every seen all the gold shops in Thailand? Think they know something you might not.

Spend now and enjoy your life. Die Broke..

[HorseTrader]

We need to understand Thailand's goals. It always appears that the goal is not to have people stay here long term rather come to Thailand several times per year as a tourist. You never hear Thailand government pumping themselves on how many people come to Thailand long term. You always read about how many tourists they have. Correct or not that's their measuring stick on a successful year.

More proof they no longer want long term tourists is that they just raised the price of a basic 5 year Thailand Elite Visa October 1 from 600,000 to 900,000 baht.

There have also been open statements that they want fewer backpackers and more high end tourists. They must love the 2-week millionaires.

[SubCmdr]

We need to understand Thailand's goals. It always appears that the goal is not to have people stay here long term rather come to Thailand several times per year as a tourist. You never hear Thailand government pumping themselves on how many people come to Thailand long term. You always read about how many tourists they have. Correct or not that's their measuring stick on a successful year.

More proof they no longer want long term tourists is that they just raised the price of a basic 5 year Thailand Elite Visa October 1 from 600,000 to 900,000 baht.

Says me that they want individuals of greater financial means living in the Kingdom. Don't get it twisted. Tourists spend more on a two week vacation that most ex-pats do in a month. Thailand knows they have a product that people want. Only makes sense to sell that product to those willing to pay the highest prices. Non-Thai citizens living here have had it good for a long time. Maybe those good times are up. If so, there will always be other places. Go where you are treated best!

There are a lot of condos projects being built in Pattaya. On the street where I checked out an off-plan condo, there were four other projects on the street.

[Banana Boi]

I hope Thailand decides these are some really bad ideas.

We need to understand Thailand's goals. It always appears that the goal is not to have people stay here long term rather come to Thailand several times per year as a tourist. You never hear Thailand government pumping themselves on how many people come to Thailand long term. You always read about how many tourists they have. Correct or not that's their measuring stick on a successful year.

More proof they no longer want long term tourists is that they just raised the price of a basic 5 year Thailand Elite Visa October 1 from 600,000 to 900,000 baht.

[Raj Patela]

I texted a girl I met in a bar and asked her to come over since she was off work. She said if her boss found out she would get fired. I thought lots of guys got bargirls when they were off work. She showed up wearing a hoodie and would have been hard to recognize. She was worried that one of her co workers would see her and report her. Nakula bars have very few attractive girls, mostly older women or not very pretty faces.

I had a couple of aggravating instances at soi 8. One girl said she was OK with longtime when I first sat down with her but changed to short time only when I wanted to go. I spend way too much on lady drinks only to have my hopes spoiled when asking to barfine. I don't really want short time at all.

A lot of the Hype you see posted is just Hype. You need to know Hype when you see it.

I try my Best but people like Hype Better. Ex. My Bargirl came 5 times. Hahaha. Only 500 baht, from Palace and she brought her Broom.

[TooDirty]

Dey do not play with immigration in the Kingdom.

And now it looks like Thailand is going to make expats file income taxes each year after Jan 1, 2024? Maybe tax savings that you bring into the country too? Sell my house in the USA and buy a condo in Thailand for a million baht, pay their gov't 300,000 baht for the privilege? Still cheaper than living in un-america, but ack! F to fixing income inequality by redistribution. They like inheritance tax too.

I hope Thailand decides these are some really bad ideas. Only positive for me would probably be radical drops in Thai property prices, kind of reverse of the sleepy joe policies creating radical increase in my USA property price.

[Tvataham274]

Got my second trip booked. Air, hotels, all taken care of. Going to send an email to Nam's for my taxi this week. 17 days, was going to be longer, but Finn Air bumped my schedule so I'm leaving a tiny bit sooner than I anticipated, but in hindsight, it might be for the better.

13 days in Pattaya, 2 days in BKK. Decided against staying by LK Metro this time, because I honestly enjoyed myself far more on 6. So this time I'm within stumbling distance.

BKK, staying between soi 18 and 20. I want to be nearby some of the massage places, but am not opposed to taking the bts to Nana and Cowboy, if I even decide to go there.

Have a pretty fair game plan for Pattaya, but I'm going to yolo it in BKK. Aside from the massages.

Cya in February!

[SubCmdr]

Not even in Thailand for three months and I'm already a convicted immigration violator. Fined 1600 THB. Ignorance of the law is not a defense. My infraction? Failure to report my location to immigration. I made an overland border run to Cambodia. You can do that two times a year. Returned and went on about my business. But this time was different. I failed to report my location after I entered Thailand within three days. I didn't even know about that requirement. Because my previous visits the hotels that I have been staying at filed the paperwork. I am now in an independently rented condo. So, that responsibility (I have learned) fell upon me. 1600 THB for the lesson.

While I was waiting in the general information line to get into the queue, Royal Thai Police pulled up with a truck full of immigration violators. At least they did not throw me in holding tank with the other immigration violators.

Dey do not play with immigration in the Kingdom.

[Paolo99]

I had a couple of aggravating instances at soi 8. One girl said she was OK with longtime when I first sat down with her but changed to short time only when I wanted to go. I spend way too much on lady drinks only to have my hopes spoiled when asking to barfine. I don't really want short time at all.

If you've been burnt on the LDs, try to change your tactics. Try to get an answer to all your relevant questions during the first drink.

If you see she drinks too fast, it's a sign she is a *****, just skip her directly after the first drink. If she is not trustworthy (like the girl you described), next times you walk in front of her, completely ignore her to teach her a lesson, and in any case, never ever spend any amount of money on that same girl anymore. Eventually you'll find some good girls who will want to accomodate you.

[Banana Boi]

I texted a girl I met in a bar and asked her to come over since she was off work. She said if her boss found out she would get fired. I thought lots of guys got bargirls when they were off work.

I think there is a HUGE difference from someone living in Pattaya vs a tourist. When I lived in Pattaya most gogo girl knew who I was and knew my reputation (ie I'm not going to her gogo bar the following night and saying to another gogo girl Noi went with me yesterday before work for only 2500 baht).

However, yes there are certain girls who are super paranoid and won't go. It's not a perfect system but one I adhere to. So much so that I never even went with the girl I would have taken over anyone else in any gogo bar. The girl from Baccara and Palace who I call "Cat Ear Girl". I couldn't even get her Line ID because her rule was she won't give her Line ID unless a guy barfines her. It was weird with her cause whenever she saw me in a club she would run up to me. No worries. Just chalk it up to it wasn't meant to be.