rogercw

Pattaya is an ideal location for a field test of this new product. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-07/-viagra-in-a-condom-may-make-u-k-s-futura-a-target-of-reckitt-benckiser.html

I agree. I use Pattaya International Hospital for my cleanings, no other work, lucky for me, in three years. Dr. Aree has been there the entire three years and I have heard nothing but good comments about her.

England is in the process of converting to Islam. Will we have to do this also?

As wallyc said above a combination of Bank of America and Bangkok Bank works fine. In your Bank of America account click Transfers and when that screen comes up click Make a Transfer Outside the Bank then follow directions. It takes a couple days to do the transfer and verify a few cents trick. After that it takes 3 or 4 days to do real transfers. The fee from Bank of America is three dollars like wallyc said. Bangkok Bank gives the deposit a small haircut but you do get the in-country exchange rate.

I have mine cleaned at Pattaya International. For major work I have been told that the German Dentist on Tappraya Road is pretty good. Head toward Jomtien on Tappraya and watch for a big sign on the left saying "German Dentist".

The Villa Market is in the new Mall (The Avenue) across Second Road from the Lek Hotel. It has parking you enter directly from Second Road. As you come up Second Road look for the McCafe (McDonalds) at the entrance to the mall. I agree with previous posters. Most of the prices are high but they have a lot of items that no one else sells.

I came here in May last year with an "O" visa. When my first 3 months was up I paid Key Visa 10,000 baht to do the Retirement extension for me. All I had to do was go to the Embassy in Bangkok for the income verification letter. Gave my passport and the letter to Key Visa one day and came back the next and picked up my passport with a Retirement extension in it. Stress free. You can do it yourself and save some money, which I did when I got my second extension. Having someone do it for you the first time reduces stress and anxiety.

'fredcyber' Don't forget the in bank amount has to be there at least three months before you renew you retirement extension. By the way can anyone confirm that the medical letter is no longer needed? The medical letter is no longer needed.

Save time and trouble and get a new embassy letter. They do want an original. Bring a copy with you for their records but you have to show them the original. I showed them the original from last year and they accepted it again. I don't know how many years you can use it but I know it is more than once and assume it is less than 20 times.

Just want to confirm information posted in the past. Last year was my first time for a retirement extension and I paid a visa service to do it for me. Today was the time to roll it over for another year and I chose to do it myself this time. Had no problems, got it done in one day. 1. Went to the photo shop on the second floor of BigC Second road a few days ago. Got 5 photos about the right size. Immigration says 4x6 cm , they gave me 4x5.5. Worked fine, used one today, have 4 left for next year. Cost 200 baht. 2. Went to Bangkok Bank 0830 this morning for the bank letter. Cost 100 baht. 3. Went to the copy shop to the left of Jomtien Immigration Soi 5 about 0915. He needed the original of my Embassy Letter, the bank letter, my filled out TM.7 form, one of my photos, my passport, and my bank book. He copied what Immigration needs copied, attached my photo to the TM.7 form, stapled the package together, and gave me back my originals. Cost 30 baht. Ahead of time go to Jomtien Immigration. To your left are a couple of counters with blank forms. Find the TM.7 forms. Above them under glass is a sample filled out TM.7. Use it as a reference to fill out yours. 4. 0935 went into Immigration and took a number from the ticket spitter for desk 8 retirement. When my number came up desk 8 asked a few simple questions, stamped the package from the copy shop in a few places, had me sign them all, and sent me to desk 4. 5. Desk 4 relieved me of 1900 baht and sent me back to desk 8 who sent me to an un-numbered desk behind him. 6. The lady at this desk asked me a couple of questions (do you rent or own?) as she filled out a form, had me sign it, gave me a little plastic number, and told me to come back at 1500 for my passport. 7. Total time in Immigration an hour and ten minutes and I was out at 1045. 8. Came back at 1500 and as advertised my passport was ready at the lady's desk. 9. The whole process was stress-free, the people involved spoke good English and were pleasant. 10. Total cost 2200 baht.

My account is with Bangkok Bank. Short answer is yes yes yes. When you open your account make sure you ask for internet banking. Go to bangkokbank.com home page and browse the site. It should show the availablility of what you want. If you want help with the nuts and bolts ask questions of the person who sets up your account. Example - I have no current account (what they call a checking account) just a savings account. They gave me a Visa debit card which I use to withdraw baht from ATM's and to order books from Amazon. Haven't tried it for anything else but I assume it would work for all the common stuff.

When I got to Thailand I opened a Bangkok Bank savings account with 5,000 baht cash. They would not let me deposit a personal check until the account was open for 6 months. When the six months was up I deposited a personal check for 5,000 dollars. They put a hold on the money for 45 days to be sure the check cleared. Then I deposited 3,500 dollars which I am now waiting 45 days for it to clear the hold. My balance is now 310,000 baht. In March when this has cleared I will start depositing 5,000 dollars at a time, drawing baht from the bank's ATM until my balance is down to about 300,000, and then depositing another 5,000 dollars. A balance of 300,000 baht plus a pension income of over 2,000 dollars will keep Immigration happy and the fees involved will be minimal. Until this process is complete I have been taking 20,000 baht at a time out of my checking account at a bank ATM. I expected to be able to make a check deposit to open the account but discovered the six month rule. Went to two other banks same story about the six months. Oh well. The bank charged me a fee of 371 baht for the deposit of 5,000 and 364 for the deposit of 3,500. Sounds complicated but it really was pretty simple. Since I expect to be here 5 or 10 years a little hassle the first year is no big deal.

I opened an account at Bangkok Bank when I got here in June. They told me I had to wait six mo9nths before I could deposit a check. The time was up th 23rd. Went in yesterday and deposited a personal check on my BankAmerica account for 5,000 dollars. They put a 45-day hold on it. When the 45 days is up I will deposit another 5,000 dollars and start drawing living expenses out of one of the bank's ATM's. Account runs down, more deposits. Simple and the only fee was 370 baht. I assume There will be a small haircut on the currency exchange. Will find out when the check has cleared. Of course, in case of problems, I have a Visa check card and a Mastercard credit card available.

I am 67, moved here six months ago, and love it. I live in View Talay Condo 1 for 10,000 a month, about 15,000 with electricity, water, phone, cable, and internet. My other necessary expenses are about 15,000 for a total living expense of about 30,000. With my pension of about 73,000 a month I have about 40,000 a month left for beer and ladies without dipping into savings. Like you I am at the age where a lady is not required every night. On 100,000 a month you should have all you can handle AND add some to your savings each month. Take 10,000 with you, go to one of the top go-go bars, barfine the best looking girl in the place, get her and you drunk, take her home for the night, give her a nice tip in the morning, and send her on her way. You will still have some of the 10,000 left. On 100,000 a month you could do this every 4 or 5 days. After a while you realize that girls just as good can be found in beer bars and lower-tier go-gos for less money. Of course if you insist on buying drinks for all the girls friends and maybe ringing an occasional bell forget a budget and give your financial ass to God.

Tricare amounts to the same thing as Medicare. Medicare will not pay for treatment outside the U.S. but Tricare will. The hospitals in Pattaya are familiar with the paperwork involved and will pretty much take care of it for you. It will pay for stuff like heart problems or broken bones but not for stuff like cosmetic surgery or sex changes. Of course you must be retired from the American military to get it. Tricare has an office in Bangkok with a web site if you really want solid info. I forget the web address but I found it once with a Google search.

My misc. expenses include transportation. I only use the baht bus. Probably about 8 trips a week - maybe 800 a month. I am retired from the U.S. Navy. My pension is adjusted for American inflation, but unfortunately not for adverse currency fluctuations. My military retirement pays for my medical expenses thru Tricare. A repeated caution. If you do not exercise willpower the amount you can spend on drinking and ladies will sneak up on you. Even when pussy is cheap. Even when you are past your prime.

This month will be my third month here. I am 67 now and live in View Talay. With a one year lease my condo is 10,000 a month. With internet , TV , phone , water, electricity it totals about 15,000 a month. My groceries and misc. stuff , with a week to go in the third month, run about 10,000 a month. This is without eating any Thai food. I also spend about 5,000 a month hanging out at one of the little bars on the ground floor. Total expenses about 30,000 a month. I allow another 5,000 for stuff that will come up during the year (visas, dentist, clothes, ect.) With a pension of about 75,000 a month this leaves me about 40,000 a month for drinking and young ladies. Blew thru that plus some the first two months, but have calmed down now and am going to live within it in September and hopefully from then on. Of course at 67 I don't need it twice a day every day like I would have 30 years ago. If I did the only solution on my income would be to move one in with me. So far the ones who have expressed an interest in that want as low as 8,000 a month and as high as 20,000. Plus food and whatever else they can get once they are living with you. Looks like you can live alone comfortably for 35,000 a month - with no sex. The amount you can spend on sex is basically unlimited. Most nights I go out drinking and bring a lady home run about 6,000 or 7,000 baht. If you want to go to a big time gogo and take the best looking girl in the place add several thousand. If you also want everyone to know the big spender from the east is in the place.double or triple everything. If you just want to get laid and go home 1,500 is more than enough on Soi 6.

I eventually used Burda tailors on South Pattaya across from Friendship supermarket. Three pair trousers for 2550 and three short-sleeved shirts for 2400. I'll find out if the material is as good as advertised in a year or so.

Seems to me the last year I have seen trust deeds with a huge "guarenteeded" return pumped a couple of times on the board. Same reply as everyone else. If it pays more than government bonds there is a risk. When it gets up to double digit returns the risk is huge. With any long-term fixed income investment there is also currency risk. So says a man watching his dollars fall against the baht.

Thanks guys. Sounds to me like I may as well get one pair cheap from whoever and see how they look and fit. If OK get more of better material. If I don't like them move on down the street to the next one. Sooner or later bound to get lucky.

I am arriving in a couple of weeks with just a carry-on. I figure one of the first things I need are several pairs of trousers. Shirts I can buy off the rack but 38 or 40 trousers seem to be few and far between. Who is a good, reliable, and easy to find tailor?

The last 6 months half my account has been in Conoco-Phillips so I was up 2 and a half percent today. If only the other half was not in a shipping line. If only I had serious money in the account.