Just speak to them in Thai right away. Introduce yourself, tell them where you’re from. Ask them how they’re doing. Compliment them. Describe the weather and your favorite food, etc.

if they see you’re making effort and actually speak & understand some basics you’ll be fine.

The ones that get busted are those that never go to class and actually try to learn at all.

Jeff Fouble $2800 is enough for a comfortable life in Chiang Mai. But if that’s the income for you And your wife that gets a little tricker, but I could see it still being doable. If you’re not clubbing and paying for bar girls freelancers all the time it’s easily doable in most of Thailand. You can honestly probably live off of $2k in Chiang Mai if you are paying 400-600 a month, actually cook or stick to mostly thai food (western food costs more) I live in Jomtien and most months in within 2500-2700 and pay around $800 for rent. I have maid service once a week and the fastest internet. Chiang Mai is even cheaper. I could get a decent condo for 400-600. In Chiang Mai depending where you live you can get a small house/villa for 400-700.

Your issue is going to be more with Visa and medical care. I don’t now how SSDI does, if they direct bill or reimburse like they VA does for veterans that are service connected. If not you’ll have to pay out of pocket which is cheaper than the us but will add up. Next option is paying for private insurance which I do but most insurance won’t cover a chronic condition you’re already diagnosed for or they will charge a high premium to do so. I have private insurance to cover me for emergencies for stuff that I am not covered for by the VA.

I would also recommend checking out Chiang Rai over Chiang Mai.

David Michael Moore right, I’m moving to PHI in late July but do love Thailand. My reasons are I’m not 50 yet so it’s DTV or Ed visa (currently), and I have friends in PHI already. Plus the visa option and affordability of the retirement visa there vs Thailand is better. I’m going to give it a year in PHI and if I like it I will get the SRRV retirement visa; which you can get before 50 unlike Thailand & still allowed to work and own a business with.

But I really do like Thailand.

For us US veterans that are service connected disabled PHI and Thailand have medical facilities that direct bill meaning we don’t have to pay out of pocket for military service connected medical needs; for most other countries we have to wait 6+ months to be reimbursed. So that’s another thing I take into consideration. I think it’s wise for anybody with ongoing medical conditions to do some research ahead of time on costs paying out of pocket, insurance, accessibility, etc.

Peter H Bates you also left out the ACR card. But you’re literally splitting semantics and want to keyboard warrior argue with me over the sake of arguing. Your life must be pretty sad.

Peter H Bates what part did I say was rubbish, keyboard warrior?

Phillipines is a better choice for you. Not as modern as an infrastructure but when it comes to visa you can literally extend the tourist visa up to 3 years without having to leave the country, basically do the first 30 days, than every 60 days; and every time you leave the country it restarts the 3 year clock. It is easier opening a bank account there. If your wife is Korean there are a lot of Koreans in certain parts of the Philippines too.

If you’re a veteran that did 2+ years the retirement visa in PHI is much more affordable as well.

More people speak English in PHi.

But again, Thailand is more modernized overall.

But with your budget PHI in my opinion when you take into consideration with the visa is a better alternative instead of hoping you find a visa agent that makes their magic work. If you go the route of using an agent in Thailand to fudge your financial records & immigration at some point catches on you have to leave Thailand.

And then there’s Vietnam, you have to leave every 90 days. Also a very good option and more affordable than Thailand. Vietnam may stop their 90 day tourist visa at some point though because these became the new place to be inside Thailand stopped infinite border runs without a long term visa. Vietnam has a pretty modern infrastructure overall closer to Thailand level than Philippines. I think the cell coverage-speed is actually slightly faster now in Vietnam and their internet speed is a little below Thailand. With that being said my internet in Thailand is faster & cheaper than I ever had in the USA.

Tore Valberg what? I’ve done much larger than that. Unless I misunderstand you somehow.

I think I spend around 1500 for electricity and water. I just did the math in my head what I pay for internet, maid service, and the rest for ac/water.

I have a 49 sqm condo in Jomtien. I have my AC on a lot too.

Jeff Cambey they don’t have to ask but can. It has been a rule for a while and one in the last few months that has been enforced more often. Google/youtube people denied entry over not having it. 20k baht for single person and 40k for families. It does not have to be in baht but has to equal that amount.

Can at 7-11, tops, etc I pay in cash to my condo agent. She shares the bills with me to show me she’s not ripping me off. So I pay maid, internet, electricity, and water. Waiting on her right now.

One of the owners (husband/wife) is a celebrity here in Thailand and are very fair to me. I also pay my rent far in advance 😂 no I won’t say who she is but will say she is very nice & I had no idea months later & asked my condo agent to confirm.

I use Wise to pay my rent.