Farang123

You will have to open an account with a Thai bank account if you are living in Thailand most likely. In my case, I wasn't able to verify the link with my bank overseas while I was in Thailand. Kraken was the exchange recommended to me on this forum some years ago. I think they are pretty reputable.

That's good. Life is easy there but I found it to be a bit of a no mans land after 7 years. Miss those massage ladies though!

I have been desperate lately so I go to the only Thai massage shop around my neck of the woods. Lady is from Issan, mid 40's, and charges $80 an hour for a one hour Thai massage. Tips are of course expected on top of that as this is America. I actually need massage from time to time for health reasons, so I'm willing to pay. She has signs out front explaining that she faces stigma as an Asian woman in the massage industry and she will not provide sexual services. Why would she even bother when she is making such good money providing just massage.

I spent most of my 30's in Chiang Mai but I am too young to just stay in Thailand for the rest of my life.

I miss massage in Thailand so much. Ease of access and affordability. It's not even worth going in the US where I live. The Chinese run it, looks like gangsters. They charge $70 for an hour of <deleted>ty massage and then beg for tips saying they don't get paid without tips. Thai massage women are the best!

You need to go to a big establishment that looks professional. Women will be dressed in the same uniforms. Would be easier to find in Bangkok.... Most of the massages do do handjobs even if no sex...

Yeah... Who to believe... Michael Saylor or the guy who created Ethereum...

Good job. Good to see some people making money.

I bought $400 worth of BTC at around $40,000 as an experiment. Right now I'm glad I didn't put more in.

I've been following the predictions closely. It's an interesting study to see how wrong they have been. I remember the CEO of Kraken saying it will be worth "a Lamborghini by the end of 2021, and a Bugatti by the end of 2022"????

Think of it as more of a public opinion poll

Good time to buy or will it become worthless in the not too distant future?

Ok, looks like you are right. Just watched an update on the YouTube channel "Retired Working for You" Thanks..

There are some really good deals now. I don't think there is any need to spend more than $60 a night.

Not coming for "Boom-Boom" but I still kinda like Sukhumvit. I don't really know anything else so that's why I am looking for suggestions. I wouldn't stay on Khao San if they paid me to????

not for quarantine but you still need proof of booking as I understand it for the Thailand Pass

What are your favorite areas to stay in Bangkok? I'm coming in from the states and will stay a few nights in BKK before traveling elsewhere. In the past I stayed around Sukhumvit 11. I'm open to trying something new and there are a lot of good deals on hotels now (from what I can see)

Hello, How many days do I have to have booked at a hotel to successfully complete the Thailand pass application? Thanks.

This is not a McDonalds like establishment. It's a step above that. But in general food prices have skyrocketed in the US. It's crazy.

One of the funny things about being back in America is me being shocked that everywhere I shop they always have change. Today, I bought a small french fry at the local "Village Snack Bar" for $4 and had no choice but to pay with a 100 dollar bill. No problem sir. This would never happen in Thailand.????

The thing about life in CM, is it can be a no man's land where you just drift around aimlessly. You don't even need to work to survive if you have a little money in the bank and you get so comfortable being on a permanent holiday it could be hard to ever come back to "reality". Anyway, I have no regrets about the seven years I spent there. At the end certain aspects of Thai society left me feeling so nauseous that I couldn't wait to get out of the country.

It's just as it has always been in America. Work, pay bills, go into debt... I like how efficient everything is when I want to get a drivers license or go to the doctor, everything is much easier. But its a bit monotone without the culture or the sense of magic in daily life. It's all very routine.

Just to update the story, I finally bought some bitcoin, it has been about a year since I started this thread. It was a very small amount just to get my feet wet.

Gottfrid, Yes it is nice and easy over there which is a large portion of what I miss. I'm 38, and just settling back into life in the USA is tough. I'm about to buy a new car and acquire a small amount of debt with that. I'm in the process of bringing my fiance to the US on a fiance visa (she is not Thai), but the whole immigration system is backed up supposedly due to covid. It's taking forever and is very complicated. I don't know if it would be possible to return to Chiang Mai in the future. I will definitely visit for a vacation, it depends on how bogged down we get with mundane life here in the US once my fiance gets settled here.

I lived in Chiang Mai from Aug 2014 to Aug 2021. It was a great time, I'm sure I'll remember it as the best of my life. Now back in the US, some things I appreciate, but life is not as simple nor charming. Enjoy your time!