Over 50 maybe. Elite visa, marriage visa, retirement visa. With some inventive maneuvers you could do 9 months if you’re under 50. This would require visiting immigration and leaving and coming back…etc.
I will say you’re spot on in your thinking Catherine. I live in Bangkok but from Oklahoma/southern California, and had the same awakening a few years ago on my first visit to Thailand. No laundry except a nice Thai lady and her daughters who apparently did laundry for the surround neighborhood. Ok. I said to my self…..I dropped a big load off and it was perfectly folded and vacuum bagged for a couple hundred baht….wow. Went to some friends ‘Up Country’…(everyone uses that term..555) and we went shopping at the local outdoor marketplace that’s been there for 50 some years….got back to the ‘house’ and they cooked all that food outside, underneath the house……no kitchen. I looked at condos for sale and still no proper kitchen….a single sink but no stove for cooking. I make another dozen trips to Thailand and decide to live in Bangkok. I leased a modern condo, underground parking, elevators to the 7th floor, dual air conditioning, nice modern fridge and freezer, sink, microwave, but still no stove. I like my clean clothes and sheets so I walked to the Mall (fashion island that has a Home Depot type place) and bought a combination Washer/dryer in one machine. Talking a look around many people have this machine on their balcony. So I did the same thing. Works amazing. Very quiet. Same for cooking. Apparently the hot ticket is an Induction cooker that can be stowed under a counter. Got one. Works very fast. I split time between California and Bangkok but I can cook and do laundry nice and proper in both locations. Bob. Here’s some photos…you’ll have to put the machine on a base mount. Lucky I had 3 inches to spare….555.