Kicking in an open door, if you intend to stay on the long run in Thailand (on any other country for that matter), the first things to do are: 1/ long term visa 2/open a local bank account. If you DON'T have a long term visa (i.e. exceeding the standard duration of a Tourist/Social visa), forget about opening a local bank account, it is the same in any country (25 years of expatriation speaking here)

Thanks for the info. I'll put that in the back of my brain for future strategies on dealing with these potentialities.

To pay your Thai bills.

The Samut Praken immigration office is a lot less chaotic.

The immigration here is a pain but I've pulled through for 9 months now but probably going to the Philippines, it looks like a much better deal immigration wise. It takes a lot of patience to live here. I've had a lot crazier things happen at immigration than that, you're very lucky to find anyone who speaks good English at any of their offices.

That’s impressive weight loss and health maintenance. I also have been on a carnivore diet since 2022, lost 65 pounds from 255 down to 190 at 6’1”. I had metabolic syndrome in every aspect, high bp, fatty liver, pre-diabetes and chronic inflammation with arthritic joint and back pain…all gone due to carnivore. Thanks for sharing your story especially coming from SEA, where carbs and seed oils are a mainstay of the diet (from what I have heard and read). You might want to start a separate carnivore channel specializing on being carnivore in SEA, there’s a lot of expats and others that would benefit from it, just a thought.

Thumbs up 👍 Greg

Just found your channel and wanted to say congratulations on your decision to move and have enjoyed your videos and i am binge watching to catch up. 555! The first time to Thailand for me was 1990 and i knew it was for me....I retired in May of 2023 and moved to Thailand in Nov. Of 23 and absolutely love it. Looking forward to more videos!

For your initial retirement O-A visa, you can obtain that by having a 800k baht (equivalent) deposit in your home country bank. My question is : Are you required to transfer that amount into a Thai bank to get yearly visa extensions ? Or can the amount simply stay in your home bank ?

I( do not know how long you have been in Thailand but one word of caution. I have two friends who have their ss check deposited into their Thai bank. This sends an alert to social security and they will send an "Are you still alive" letter to whatever address you use in the USA. If that question is not answered, you will, without warning have your money cut off. It happened to two friends. It is a giant pain to turn it back on.

what sort of pricing are you paying for meat over there? Ground beef and the aussie beef? allways wondered how much it would cost to go carnivore in SEA

Keep up the good work - Semper Fi..

Wow, what a nightmare! I would've lost my cool in that situation. The thing I learned from having an ex Thai girlfriend is they make no sense. They do wrong, and you'll apologize for it. They'll accept your apology but only begrudgingly, despite their actions being what led to this situation to begin with.

So I grew up in the US but Im Indian and I had the same issue with US immigration, they wanted to see my old passport which I had in high school while in the US to see that I wasn't there without proper paperwork as I was in college at the time. I dint have a copy but the guy in immigration could see the records anyway and that my papers were in order. This sometimes happens if you are in any country long enough. I was almost denied entry into Thailand only because I had been visiting too often they assumed I worked there luckily my gf was able to explain that I own several establishments and dont need to work for a living. Just be patient with people they understand its a hassle but if they make a mistake it can have bad consequences for them.

Hey Greg , what about prostate problems from the massive increase in omega 6 , I wonder if fish , fowl ,etc might be better with the higher omega 3 ?

I feel like Thailand is like stepping back in time. It feels like the mid 80’s to me, especially when it comes to the malls!

Thumbs up 👍 Greg

Hi Greg, im a new subscriber and this is exactly what im going through right now...the hardest thing about relocation is the process of downsizing a house into a few suitcases. It's a very difficult and challenging process. But I am getting it done step by step.

Called 1-800-got junk-brought 4 boxes to my daughters-safekeeping my 🇺🇸 flag & my shadow box-sold my model 15/ammo/LE equipment to gun dealer-sold my condo while in Pattaya!

I'm right were you were. I'm stressing about selling everything I own, putting my house on the market, quitting my job, signing up for ssi, etc...and then moving to the other side of the world all in a 3 month period! I'm visiting in January to hopefully make a final decision one way or another.

Sounds exciting... your way to retire i mean!! Have fun on your beach romp. Love you and that Onni girl❤🎉

As a Thai person, I encountered a similar experience with the CBP officer at the port of entry in the past. My only exception is the capability to speak both languages proficiently. Whatever you have experienced with the Thai Immigration Bureau, it is nothing close to what I had experienced with the CBP officer. I once got deferred to the secondary inspection for the final decision in the eligibility for admission. While I waited for the official interview, there was one of the CBP officers who pointed her finger at me and quoted "That one right there!, Yes, you! Follow me to the room". I was furiated deep down inside to question "How dare you disrespect a passenger who traveled across the Pacific Ocean just to be condescended?" I was being interviewed in the secondary inspection, and fortunately I was able to calmly explain my legitimate purposes at the interview under scrutiny. I would like to give you my advice from my travel experience. The immigration officer is not there to comprehend your predicament, no matter where you go internaionally. They are there to scrutinize your legality in contradiction with your current visa condition. The adjustment of status is different everywhere. By far, the USA is harsher than Thailand when it comes to the adjustment of status while inside the country.

few people will tell you, but you can find 5 rai for 10,000 baht per year, (yes year) and put permanent and non permanent structures on it, ponds, river routes garden farming etc. Im starting with 1-yr land lease and then 10 year upto 30-99yrs :) however you will be in the country 5km from any 711 or western convivences fyi

I married twice and had one daughter, and I regret all 3, they were my local USA husband,

You can use your va insurance at the va hospital in Singapore along w social security services fyi! Short flight

I just got my five year dtv visa and five year licenses Minimum of 500k in the bank for 6 months and pay total 10,000 baht fee for five year visa, I call it the magical Thai dtv visa

I shipped one box to my new condo in Jomtien and dropped a airtag in it, one laptop 5 shirts 3 pants and some undies 😆 Carryon luggage only! No security no issues

I sold about 35 guns from ars to Glocks and kimbers etc spent three weekends are the gun shows then had one garage sell and gave my safe to the old man and gave the rest of shit away Now I've lived 4 years out of a single Louis Vuitton backpack 😅 Got rid of 5 rooms and now have one ! I'll never go back to such a wasteful lifestyle boy was I dumb. Boats cars trucks mowers jet skis motorcycle so much bullshit 😮😊

While I was traveling the world a few years ago, I went to most everywhere most continents, then one day on a layover on the way to jfk to DFW I walked out the airport in BKK for a beer, and decided to ditch my flight home and stayed for Three months, then flew back to give away and sell all my shit less a couple properties I dont need to maintain and retired in Thailand and never going back!

Yes on the getting married part😂😂😂😂😂😂

I'm Thai btw. There is no reason for the Thai immigration officer to verify the stamp in your expired passport. All entry/exit records should appear in the government archive after conducting your facial recognition or fingerprint scanning. The Thai lady officer quoted "The CBP officer also request for the verification of her expired passport as well". I'm sorry to say this is another hogwash statement. I have been in-and-out of the Unite States quite often in the past as a Thai passport holder. The CBP officer always track the entry/exit records from the manifest information via I-94 electronic form. Thailand validates both entry/departure stamp. The USA only validate the entry stamp, and only enquire a foreigner to surrender I-94 electronically with the commercial airline, cruise ship, or with the CBP at the land border crossing. All in all, entry/departure should be available in the government archive, no reason to prove your entry/departure status from your expired passport whatsoever.

People who say immigration is EZ will also tell you they dont support their Girlfriends family in Issarn.

Makes zero sense to me... 😂😂😂😂😂😂. I was at a bar on Walking Street. Waitress say i cannot pay with 1,000 baht bill. Only 100 baht bill. Made NO sense. Oh Well.

I've been here 15 years and never a problem with immigration and never wasted money on an agent. They have always been helpful. Make a checklist! One for visa, one for 90 day, tho that is stone simple now. Tr

I was told to destroy my old passport.

Greg get a food stand created a income have a life

Lol, cheap living and sex Don't exist anymore in Asia. The people are very close in Asia it takes time and energy to get in with the people If you can score a Chinese women and be Though with it It's hard cat and Mouse But if you manage like Muddy Waters sings about his second cousin Round and thick, then you have her, remember A 5000-year culture Once you get a Asian woman, you have her She decides not you

Clearly, you are a city dweller! I am always surprised by how many people describe a concrete jungle as a great view. Personally I can think of nothing worse. Give me a pastoral or quiet marine view and I will be happy. I try to avoid anywhere that has a large number of ex-pats as, had wanted to be surrounded by my own countrymen I would have stayed in UK. I like the quiet rural life here in Isaan region with my wife and am totally relaxed. As far as Western food goes, if I fancy any, which isn't often, I cook it myself at home. One of the biggest mistakes that ex pats make when they come to live in another country, is to try to stick to their old diet and not try the local cuisine, and also to convert the cost of everything back to dollars or pounds. Sit back, relax, immerse yourself in the culture, and enjoy your new retirement country. God bless you and your wife. 😀🙏

You have made 2 fundamental mistakes here! 1. Hiring an agent to do a 90 day report for you! 90 day reporting is free and clearly for your first one, Immigration would like to see you in person. 2. Getting rid of your old Passport! I have never heard of anyone doing that especially when travelling to another country with strict Immigration rules. I carry both my old and current passport with me wherever I go and in the 13 years that I have been here I have never had a problem with Immigration as I have built up a personal rapport with them. Hiring agents is totally unnecessary and an unwarranted expense. I have always checked and double checked required paperwork, but sometimes individual officers require clarification, or an additional piece of paperwork, that wasn't required in previous years. So I just smile and get on with it. Don't argue or cause problems for yourself by complaining or vlogging, as this could make matters worse. The goal posts are constantly moving in all areas of Thai Government and what one official asked for this week may not be the same next week. So just go with the flow, or you won't last long in this wonderfully idiosyncratic country. Finally, NEVER try to apply Western logic to situations in Thailand as they are as different as chalk and cheese. God bless you 😀🙏

Our forefathers in 1945 would never have put up with this non-reciprocal treatment by this backwater "kingdom." Wish we still had a State Department with men with a spine who would insist on reciprocal green cards for all that "aid" money and military treaty assurance that has been given to Thailand since in the past 60 years by U.S. taxpayers. I would end all joint training exercises until there are reciprocal green cards. Over 300,000 Thais have them in the U.S. with full civil and property rights -- same as any U.S. citizen (except for voting). Thais own a million homes in the U.S., especially in California. P.S. Viewers, please reply and let me know if you can see this post. YT has been doing its usual "funny tricks" if you know what I mean. Ever had some of your comments simply 'disappear', even though they were polite, mild, civil, benign, and simple facts? It is truly infuriating on yt. And lots of people know it by now.

Maybe he wanted to see if you overstayed in the past.

I avoid agents like the absolute plague. A lot of the time they seem to be working a smidge outside of the law. I don't like it, and it could lock you in to using their services since what they're might be shady at best. Especially if they help you circumvent the financial requirements. If you need creative ways to circumvent any requirement, it's basically could be illegal and the agents will handle the bribery for you. If you don't need to meet at the Immigration Office, it is probably also not super legal, considering you're always supposed to be there, in person, for all of these things. You can probably sign some rights over for someone to do that for you, but I think it is pretty strict and only for special cases such as medical reasons which render you immobile. Meeting the immigration officers, in person, in the immigration office, is the way to go. If you have a Thai wife, bring her. And bring your best attitude. I had a lot of problems with my landlord, rental agreement and TM30 when I was getting my Non-O after me and my Thai husband got married. Immigration wasn't happy about it. It took a bit of talking to get them to actually accept my documents. But I truly think us being there, in person, explaining everything, was the key to getting it done. A agent would have either not done it, maybe want more money, or done something shady to get it done. Not interested in that. Learn the system, use the timed booking appointments whenever possible, and rock up yourself with a smile and a good attitude. My 2 cents.

Go to Cambodia

Howz the hunting and fishing in Michigan these days? Would like to get there sometime. Any better areas you'd recommend?

good vid thanks for sharing your experience. your honesty and frankness gave me laugh a few times. Met my Taiwanese wife stateside in school, and then returned to southeast Asia as you can see in my channel. So sorta opposite experience. And I wanted to move to Taiwan with her after my very first visit, maybe 1995?, rather than immigrating and staying back in the US. Loved Taiwan after first visit, my wife also has a great extended family which made the Taiwan experience even better, I literally didn’t want back to the US it was such an awesome exp. And like you said, visiting asia was way out of my wheelhouse, so I can relate

woo, you were making bands… Ford speclizied tech UAW for 30 years 🤑 few companiea even have pensions since late 1980’s. unless you work for govt or military. Congrads, you have rockstar retirement income, lucky dude!

I met my long term g/f @44y/o (maybe future wife) on my 1st thailand trip @55y/o, she was serving behind the bar of the irish rovers in pattaya (ok think what you want)... anyways i was instantly drawn to her, and the compulsory "lady drink" was bought and we hooked up, this was in 2009 november for 2 weeks, i went back to TH again in march 2010 for 2 weeks again and continued to visit in 11/13/14/15/16/17/18/19 (covid stopped me for best part of 3 years 20/21/(22 i got back in late november after i retired @68.5y/o) I visited for 2 weeks at the beginning, then 1 month for the later years, and my last trip in 22/23 was going to be 3 months but i stretched it to 7 months (222 days) in all this time she's built a really nice house in her village near kamphaengpet and we bought a nice car in january 2023, working during my early and later thailand years in a well paid job which i loved with good holiday pay (30+days p/year) and 3 decent pensions along with 3 solid earning years over the covid period helped my finances no end, i'm in the process now of moving to TH full time, sorted my pensions and finances, selling my assets and house and leaving the mess that the once great britain has become, clean sheet in thailand, bring it on,.cheers,..

Hi, Are you a veteran ? Why did you chose Thailand over the Philippines ?

Thailand was always like this. I called it the "jerk-around." They do it intentionally. I put up with it for eight years, then had enough. They are always on about "saving face" but never mention that it only applies to them. YOUR face doesn't matter. Every single one of my circle of expat friends were driven out of Thailand, eventually. My friends were from UK, Australia, Canada, one from South America, one from Kenya, and a couple Americans. All left Thailand. In about 5 countries in Latin America, we can get permanent residency in two years or less -- even on Day One if you invest enough or show around $1500 monthly income. There is an excellent video on these countries and the requirements for each on yt. We can also buy a home there, no problem. In Paraguay, you even have 2A rights.

Thumbs up 👍 Greg…..ooohrahh