Emil

Alan, Irishman had told me that when he last went to immigration for his 90 report that an individual who was renewing his retirement visa got fined 5000 baht because he hadn't done the 90 report and that he was doing the same as me flying in and out of the country same as me. That's why I was a bit worried. While waiting I picked up a small leaflet that also mentioned that if you changed address that you had to imform them within 24 hours or be subject to a fine.

TGF and I went to Pattaya Immigration Monday and I was turned down becasuse my Proof of Income statement was a copy from last year and they wanted an original. I wasn't surprised but it only cost me 60 baht for transportation in the hopes of saving about 2000 baht and about a 9 hour R/T to the US Embasy. Went to the US Embassy Tuesday and got the certificate in about 20 minutes. Again they didn't want to see any proof only wanted me to affirm that what I wrote down as my monthly income was correct. Just before we left a guy walked in and was followed by his daughter whose mother is Thai. She was sexy, naughtly and bitchy and Mr Young and his daughter sat down behind us. I told my TGF to get her autograph but she was afraid of bothering them. Headed back to the skytrain and got a ticket back to Ekamai. A TG who had rode the bus from Pattaya to Bangkok and was accompanied with a young child and a baby, got on right next to us and sat down. The baby started crying and she just pulled up her blouse and started breast feeding. I turned away, but not before I got a look at one of the biggest aerolas that I've seen in a long time and thought about crying myself in the hopes of sharing the other breast with the baby. Wednesday went back to immigration and everything went smooth. I was a bit worried as I hadn't done the 90 day check of residencey with them and had been told by a reliable boardmember that I could be fined 5000 baht. The reason that I hadn't checked in is that I leave the country about every 60 days and that when I return I'm providing the immigration officials at the airport my address. There was no discusion about me not reporting to them.

MK you select the items you want and then put them in a pot of boiling water. Some item off the menu are prepared in their kitchen. I eat from the street side restaurants and brush my teth with tap water and have only had a problem once and I've spent over a 1000 days in Pattaya during the past six years. On this current trip I left my home on the 6th of July. I had the shits before I boarded the aircraft and the first day in Pattaya, go figure.

No, but I found another place just like it that does and it only will cost me an additional 15,000 baht a month.

Martin, This isn't a very larget bus terminal, in fact if you blink you'll miss the place. Once you turn onto 3rd Rd from Pattayaklang heading north, the place will be on your left. It is basically a shop house and the busses will park out front on 3rd Rd when they are dropping off or picking up.

There is a direct bus from the airport to Pattaya, cost is either 150 or 200. I don't use it because of my arrival/departure times. I use a Pattaya based car service that costs 1000 baht plus tolls (60 baht).

Denny, I think I've seen the ad on TV saying they came with a 3 year warranty. Bobby, Let me know when you start selling the Harley Sportsters.

Just a heads up for those interested. Walked by this place last night and noticed a banner out front stating"Mid Year Special 650" This place is located on Soi LK Metro just a few meters away from Lolitias. Its affiliated with the LK Metropole so you can use its pool, fitness center, and sauna. Nothing was mentioned about when this deal ends.

My TGF told me you can get a VIP bus to Korat at the bus terminal on 3rd Rd just north of Pattayaklang. Korat is susposed to have one of the larger bus terminals in Issan so I would guess that you could get another bus there to your next destination.

Last September when Thailand decided to crack down on the 30 day entry stamps one could get within a year I decided to get the retirement visa. I did so in LOS and was in country on a 30 day entry stamp. The first thing I did was viist the US Embassy (this was 2 days after the coup) and get the monthly income verification letter stating that I had over 65,000 baht on monthly income (this cost 1200 baht) Then when I returned to Pattaya later that day I went to the Bangkok Bank and opened an account and deposited 10,000 baht (this cost 150 baht for the ATM card). The next morning I went back to the bank and got a letter stating that I had an account ( cost was around 100 baht), then went to the Dr for a medical certification (cost was around 200 baht and am told this is no longer required) then went to Jomtien Immigration with numerous photo copies of my passport and all these letters along with a few passport photos. First I had to get the non immigrant "O" visa which cost me 2000 baht and was stamped into my passport and then stamped used a few seconds later. Then I filled out the paperwork for the retirement visa and gave them all the letters along with 1900 baht and was told to come back Monday to pick up my passport as this was Friday afternoon. Went back Monday morning and picked up the passport after which I filled out another application for a multiple entry stamp at a cost of, I believe 3800 baht. All in all a farily simple process, the trip to Bangkok consumed the most time. Time spent in Immigration was a little over an hour the first day and around 10 minutes the 2nd trip.

The cheapest method would be taxi to Mo Chit bus terminal (100 baht), bus to Pattaya terminal (about 120 baht for the express), then baht bus to your hotel (80 baht). This only works if you arrive before the Mo Chit bus to Pattaya stops running.

I retired at 54 and found a hobby at 55. It was looking for cute TGs to shag. Wished I would have discovered Pattaya before I turned 55 as I would have retired a few years earlier.

You'll receive the best rates if your staying for a month as some places have monthly rates that are equal to 10 days at the daily rate.

Question for Rumbler, Would the UK taxman want any of your interest earned, I know Uncle Sam would want his share. I agree that you must live for today and not be too conservative. I had a very good friend who I went to school with and was just a few months younger than me. His plan was to for him and his wife to retire in 2006 at he age of 60, sell their home and then buy a motorhome and travel across America. He was diagnoised with liver cancer in January 2006 and died in April 2006. Nothing is guaranteed.

The hotel being built directly behind Best Beach is nearly completed, however right next to the new hotel and Pattaya International Hospital another project is under construction. It has topped out so the noise level should be less. Where you could get some big noise is on Soi 5 between Nothshore and Best Beach. They have completely cleared out that area so maybe another Northshore tower or another hotel.

Its either 50 or 60 dollars and they will give you another 5K miles at renewal or you can just cancel. If you cancel they will probably offer you another card free of an annual fee but you will only earn 1 mile for every $2 spent. Let me know if your interested as I will earn 5K miles for referal.

Last time I walked by there I noticed that they had cleared the area next to the Flipper House on the 2nd Rd side. Could be some construction going on.

Like others have already said don't use those miles for a domestic flight within LOS. You can keep those miles from expiring by using a credit card. I can give you the info for a card that will give you 20K miles just for signing up and using it once. You'll also get 1 mile for each $ spent and there is no fee for the first year. Once you get 60K miles you can get a free trip to LOS and if you don't like flying on United you can get the flight on Singapore Air.

Heard from another boardmember that if you didn't go to the immigration office every 90 days that you can expect a hefty fine. I didn't because I leave LOS every 60 days and pass through airport immigration and on the arrival card they ask about current address in Thailand and was told by Jomtien Immigration that this was sufficient when I reported after the first 90 days. Anyone have any experience on this issue?

True Alan, but add that to your depreciation loss and your operating cost and it might add up to around 10K a month. You can take alot of baht bus rides on that amount.

Well the service I use only costs me 1100 so I'm saving 700. Its not only the savings but I have a guy waiting for me outside the customs area who helps me with my luggage to the vehicle and I don't have to spend any time looking for a taxi and filling out any paperwork. In the past when I used Thai Limo at the old airport I sometimes had to wait 15 minutes for the driver to arrive.

I just realized that one thing is missing from the analysis. The money that is pulled out of your account to purchase this vehicle will no longer be earning interest income.

That's for sure, here are some Boeing numbers as of end of Dec 2006 from their annual report. Deliveries were for 2006. 747 14 deliveries, 116 back orders 777 65 deliveries, 299 back orders 767 12 deliveries, 28 back orders 737 102 deliveries, 1560 back orders 787 448 back orders

Did they change locations? When I walked by the location where I had eaten previously, back in May, the entire area from the beginning of Walking St on back to where the eating area was located had been gutted.

I didn't say that Carrefour would deliver the shopper. Good cost analysis, a few other things one should consider is if your buying a 5 year old vehicle and driving it another 5 years don't be surprised if you need to have some major repair work done. Aso if your driving alot in Pattaya don't be surprised if you're in a fender bender and if you are hope its with another falang and not a Thai. Also some of the falangs that I know seem to get pulled over by the cops and make a donation to the police department alot or is that included in your 30K a year operating cost.