# Lost in asia



## Gilbert_in_Houston (Jul 30, 2014)

Hello all, finally retiring from my government job and making that big jump, thinking about moving to The Land of Smiles finally (only visited a few areas over the years). Any advise would be much appreciated on the following subjects.
1. Sell my car or put it in storage somewhere.
2. What should I send myself/What company should a use.
3. Should I purchase a round trip ticket vs one way.
4. Get a visa vs extensions.
5. Best way to send money to myself (until getting a local bank acct).
6. Housing ideas ( I only stayed in nice hotel my previous trips).
7. Great cities where I can 'live like a king', it must have a mall and good night life since I'm still single and haven't found my better half yet.
8. Any and all ideas/ suggestions are much appreciated.


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## rubberfarmer (Jul 26, 2014)

Come and try living here before making the jump, holidays are not reflective of long term living.
Place is great for some, but turns into an alcoholic nightmare for others.

How will you fill in the days, weeks and years, boredom is a big problem.
Seen many over the years come with a dream, only to find it's not a never ending holiday, just a different life style.

Money decides and Thailand is not cheap anymore, know lots of pensioners who sit in front of a TV, day in day out.

Best to try and see the up and downsides before committing, best of luck. Jim


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## Gilbert_in_Houston (Jul 30, 2014)

Thanks Jim, something to think about.


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## bsdk1960 (Jul 28, 2014)

Hi Gilbert.
Here were I live in Hua Hin there is malls supermarket's and a night life scene to but not near what Pataya,Phuket or Bangkok.
Can only agree with Rubberfarmer about come and take a long rent in the city you choose,buy or rent a motorbike drive around and find a area you like,speak with people and find out how water,electric ,internet,floods to find out if it's suits you and your need.


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## Wayward Wind (Aug 28, 2011)

Gilbert_in_Houston said:


> Hello all, finally retiring from my government job and making that big jump, thinking about moving to The Land of Smiles finally (only visited a few areas over the years). Any advise would be much appreciated on the following subjects.
> 1. Sell my car or put it in storage somewhere.
> 2. What should I send myself/What company should a use.
> 3. Should I purchase a round trip ticket vs one way.
> ...


I can give this a go.

1. Sell the car - the import tariffs on vehicles are extravagant, ranging as high as 300% of the value;
2. You will be able to get pretty much everything you need here, and that will save quite a bit on shipping, etc.
3. If you obtain a tourist visa before you travel, then you only need a one way ticket. If you intend to arrive as visa exempt, then it is up to the airlines - some will not allow one-way ticketing without a pre-issued tourist visa.
4. A simple way: come in on a tourist visa, convert that here to a non-immigrant O visa, and then apply for an annual extension. Eliminates the need to chase down a police certificate and a medical certificate before coming. I will PM a link to an excellent guide for navigating the process.
5. ATMs are all over the place, and will take care of all your needs until you set up a local bank account.
6. Choose an initial location as a base, and rent a condo. Spend a couple of months to finalize your visa and have a look around. Then, if you think the grass may be greener elsewhere, travel and explore other locations.
7. I have been to just about every major destination in Thailand with the exception of Hua Hin, and we found that Naklua, on the outskirts of Pattaya, meets our needs perfectly: spectacular sea view, a large range of restaurants, shopping, cinemas, etc.; all the conveniences of Pattaya but just far enough away that we can avoid the craziness if we want. Certainly close enough to enjoy the nightlife.

Hope this helps. Feel free to crank out more questions as you need.


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## Gilbert_in_Houston (Jul 30, 2014)

Thank you for all the great info, definitely will check out Naklua ( love pattaya).


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