timendres

Not that I have seen, and not for me. I do not go to a market to save money. I go there to enjoy something that is unique and entertaining for me. Seems a lot of Thai people agree with my sentiment.

I agree. Years ago, I needed to move a small amount of items from one condo to the next. I found a local who charged me 500 THB to use his truck for the afternoon. He came, I loaded everything into the back of the truck, he drove to the new place, I unloaded my stuff.

The absolute worst case is that immigration rejects the application. When this happens, the passport will be stamped with 7 days to leave Thailand. In other words, you get a guaranteed 7 day extension, if not the full 30.

It is the "western mindset" that we (if you are over 40 yo) have been brainwashed with - ownership. If you are young, and can leverage a mortgage, then okay. If you are older, it makes less sense. Not only could the return on the investment of the capital exceed the cost of rent, but.... liquidity! Often overlooked, and often far more important than returns.

Yeah. It wouldn't have anything to do with the number of incoming tourists jumping to the millions.

With all of the very affordable and immediately available means of transportation here (at least in any metro area like Pattaya), I cannot understand why anyone would operate a vehicle under the influence.

The competition, which is fierce, combined with their inability to wait for the reward, is what prevents that.

This. You cannot remove the bribery without paying a living wage, which the current salaries are not.

I bought my "model 2" 6 years ago, and, as I look on Lazada, that model is long forgotten. They are at "model 4" now. You may be able to find one used. I recently gave my extra purifier (moved into smaller place) to my maid.

I have been quite happy with my Xiaomi Air Purifier Model 2. I paid about 1,800 THB. An important consideration is filter replacement, and I have had no troubles for years getting Xiaomi filters. They have cheaper models, but not sure of coverage: https://www.lazada.co.th/products/xiaomi-youpin-usb-i5043681774-s21326509670.html

Do you see this addressed in the DTA? It may not actually be considered a pension, so it might need to be specifically mentioned the way that pensions are.

Charlie don't surf.

Not sure about "long term funds" overriding the requirement. That may be possible. But in my case, I kept the cash in a safe to avoid having to file a FACTA. The transfer out and back cost me about $230 (spreads and fees). Not terrible.

The funds must be shown to have come from abroad. I explained to the officer at CW that I had worked here for 9 years and saved up that money. The officer explained "That is good. Send it to the US, then send it back to Thailand." No alternative was even suggested (other than the envelope option, which I declined).

1970s I believe Along with checking for elephantiasis.

Borommaratchachonnani is actually in Bangkok Noi, not Chatuchak. But, you could start your excursion to Chatuchak from Borommaratchachonnani. Just as she did.

That is proper pandemonium! With genuine mosh pit action. Sorry I missed it all...

Samsung top loader 10Kg. Going on 10 years now. Still works perfectly.

I was on a Non-O based retirement extension for one year. I then converted to Non-B, then work permit extension for many years. In October 2023 I exited to Cambodia, returned on a Visa Exempt (US passport), obtained a Non-O for retirement in Thailand at CW, then got my retirement extension in January 2024. So, in my case, there was no issue with the Non-O, other than needing a lease, being 50+, and having 800K in the bank.

Was the only interesting thing about my visit to Kalasin years ago. Well.... aside from the bathing facilities.

Your use of "visa" and "extension" confuses me a little bit. I recently changed from extension based on work permit to extension based on retirement. Here is a history of that process, shown in passport photos: 1) I exited Thailand for Cambodia. I stayed one day in Cambodia and returned to Thailand. I utilized the "Visa Exempt" privilege of my US passport, getting this entry stamp in my passport: 2) Before my exempt visa expired, I went to Chaeng Watthana and obtained a Non-O visa for the purpose of retirement: 3) Finally, I filed my application for an "extension of stay" based on retirement, and I obtained my "extension" for one year: Notice the critical line stating "EXTENSION OF STAY PERMITTED UP TO". In my case, until 29 Jan 2025. You must have a stamp similar to this one with the critical "extension of stay permitted" line. If you have that, then you are okay until the date stamped. If you do not have that, then you have an issue.

It was not the "travel" that caused suspicion. It was the passports.

If I read this correctly, the exemption applies only to VAT, not income or capital gains taxes. In other words, brokers will not have to pay 7% VAT on transactions they perform trading. However, I believe that if you realize a gain on your trading, you will still likely be liable for income and/or capital gains taxes.

This is precisely the risk. In a world coming off the rails, USD will power higher, and the THB will fall, and all that debt will get a lot more expensive to repay. That said, $1B USD is not earth shattering in that scenario.