joekicker

Seems a little below average in price for sure. Hate to generalise about this stuff, but something like 40,000 or 50,000 a year is more common for decent coverage. I don't think anyone can give excellent advice except "read carefully" and "question a lot" and then do the right thing.

Mike, this is a really tough amount. The answer is "yes but". If you just walk into Thailand and have to find a place to live and maybe make a visa run or three... very very difficult although possible. I'm not sure it would be very enjoyable. If you have some real plans, like no visa runs because you have a proper visa, say, you can certainly SURVIVE on that. As long as you don't get sick or hit by a car, for example. There are certainly people who have done what you want to do, successfully, but you're really walking a tightwire and hoping for no bad luck. If you DO do this, please ensure your stay is legal (visa up to date) and you have a valid ticket out of Thailand. Once you don't have both of these, even a slight misstep can put you in very deep and unpleasant doo-doo if all you can count on is a steady 50,000 baht a month without at least some emergency backup.

heh Any Thailand based satellite service (not cable-type pay-TV) is your best bet.

No http://tinyurl.com/nycs8 I'm a little surprised anyone would have to ask.

Agree plus ... there are other services like ovguide, all kinds of them. Do NOT pay. Almost all the good services are actually illegal and will suddenly close down without returning your money - and all the legal ones have shows "from around the world" like the Christian channel and folk dancing from Burma.

python I presume you know that you and your wife are likely to have to each have your own visas, based on your own status and income?? This is specifically and painfully true for a retiree visa. I know lots of people who have two passports, most of them Thai. None ever has had a problem. In case you ever have to talk about it, in case customs people discover the second one, say, it's definitely not good if they are in different names. Other than that, there seems to be no problem that I've ever heard of. It's my opinion that people should always do what is in their own best interest.

Their day of reckoning is approaching.

I agree totally with you. Blue Canyon is the ne plus ultra, a great course. Alpine is second best, and in Thailand that's saying something. For anyone who plays golf semi-seriously or better, Alpine is almost a must - a really fine course.

Balls??!?? If I had the stones to call you a sick and unpleasant troll, what would you have the "balls" to do about it? One of the world's most mentally unbalanced, unfocussed dixkheads had the "balls" on this very forum to threaten to track me down and come to my house and assault me. How many "balls" do you need to be a blustering, threatening idiot on the Internet and what kind of "balls" would you need to bravely laugh at him? Or her. Or it. I think you've got it backwards. The only people likely to threaten you or otherwise get upset about you in a forum are specifically those without hanging eggs. Anyone with actual cojones will more likely laugh at you or ignore you.

ditto I have "friends" that CC me enough, and I have to block them. Now people I don't know are testing me. Let us see what the forum provides. edit: I don't think you can opt out of one. Closest I can find is you go to the forum, click forum options and mark "all read". But you have to do that every time. You can do a super opt-in (subscribe) but I can't see an opt out. I sure hope I'm missing something.

You actually believe this was a true story. That is about the stupidest shit I have heard this week.

Welcome. How are your buns?

Okay, probably an airline thing? I've flown with my golfing son a couple of times and his clubs are always a suitcase. Not yet. let's repeat that, heh. These guys are discovering new revenue source they could only have wet-dreams about, and now they can have them and make you say "thank you" for doing you such a huge favour as letting you plunk your bottom on their hard chair. As for your coming flight, and over the next 6, 8 months or so: You want an aisle seat? I can can arrange that right now. Will you be using your Visa or American Express card for the payment, sir? Oh, you've changed your mind and want a window seat? Well, we take Mastercard for that, as well, a different out-sourcing company handles window-seat access. Please stop changing your mind, sir, it is a security regulation that you are allowed only one mind change per check-in or we will have to call one of those officers over there. I'm going to let you pass on this one however, because actually our middle seats are all taken and because I am just here to serve you. I said: Aisle or window? SIR! Thank you. Is that a book you have sir? I'm sor... er, I mean. Use of the optional airline entertainment systems is mandatory, and you will find everything you need to pass the time on your flight in an orderly, non-disruptive manner. You can leave the book with me, or deposit it in that handy can just beside you. And while you're handing it over, please pass your credit card so I can register your payment for our excellent optional entertainment system. That will be $26.95, please. Pardon me? Oh, yes, of course, "plus VAT," what a silly question. And sir? Of course you can conveniently pay for the Gambling Channel as you go with many credit cards, but for only $32.49, we can issue you with $33 worth of starter chips right here. This is our special discount week for our treasured, valuable customers.

Absolutely right. You WILL pay business tax - not only if you make no money but even if you lose a huge amount. This is by far the best reason NOT to just set up a business for the sole purpose of owning a home, say. Good stuff, Gary.

The OP stated he has ONE suitcase allowed.

So basically, they just pick on golfers. I don't blame them.

It is possible to "own" land, house and business, depending on his nationality as well as other circumstances. It is also possible he gets a kick out of telling whoppers. Not exactly anything, but almost anything is possible.

Hub I presume you have some status that gives you three suitcases? I know I do, but you have to fly a lot to get there, with the miles OR fly just behind where the pilots sit. That said, I should have stated to the OP that many airlines have a per-bag charge for extra luggage and don't charge by the kilo - but that is entirely up to the airline. By his description the OP is not touching North America (the two-suitcase rule) and has been told he can have one suitcase with 20K. These days airlines are making new customers pay for their first suitcase. I don't think he'll get a finger wave on a clubs bag. Odds are really against that. Of course the ACTUAL answer is, pick up the telephone and call your agent or airline you're flying with. When you're at the airport, "A guy on Pattaya Pages told me..." is not accepted. It should be, of course, but airline check-in clerks are narrow-minded prixks who don't understand authoritative sources. This kind of caught my eye. What will they do if they find some? And how would they know there ISN'T some merely by looking at the shoes? And why are golf shoes more dangerous than any other kind? Disease and similar nasties isn't normally spread by dirt, it's spread by bacteria. Or is this yet another of those "stand in line, hunch your shoulders, do not make direct eye contact and do not question my authority!" airport moments?

Link doesn't work for me, goes to Myspace home page

Free? hahahahahahaha Airlines are supposed to give two free suitcases. Your golf clubs should be one of them. If not, you pay excess. Was me in that situation you describe, I'd have 2 or 3 kilos of clothes in my golf-club bag.

I got a kick out of this: Just a few minutes from every direction you will find many of Pattaya's tourist attractions. Even ignoring the Thaiglish: When you are in Pattaya, there is little doubt that you are in Pattaya. No matter where you go, there you are.

Lovely stuff. I hope you get a bunch of submissions. FWIW, for some reason I think the photo captioned "Pattaya Downtown 1971" is Naklua. You might check that out. I was in Pattaya in 1971 and that looks more like the district town and not what we call Pattaya today. Also I'm pretty sure "Pattaya 1968: Central Road & Beach Road" is Walking Street, specifically the big tree - and the pickups on the right are parked where today you can get out to the boats to the island. Again, you want to check that. Thanks for the memories.

Fifty? Really? I will resist the temptation to brag.

Go to a decent supermarket. Try Villa in fact. You should find "real" potatoes there.

jerry, He has peace of mind. He has a wife, a healthy baby, life is good. The test in the very best instance keeps him the way he is. It cannot get better. It can, however, get one whole hell of a lot worse, and he WANTS that. Of course, he should go for it. No argument. So long as he knows the only two possible outcomes, he should fork over that cash asap.