@Ruth ******

yes, that has long been confusing for newbies. In most countries a visa agency couldn't call themselves a name using the word "Embassy." I haven't looked at their site recently, but in the past the information that they shared wasn't always 100% up to date

@Jason ****

been in place since 1979, but started to be routinely enforced in 2017

@Craig ******

I don't think even a year here is enough to decide. Most people are still walking around with pink glasses on at a year, seeing everything as rosy. Some time in the second year seems to be the point at which the pink glasses come off and people decide to stay or go

@Vee *******

it's not about getting home sick so much. People leave due to other factors such as the language barrier, frustrations due to cultural differences, beaurocracy, unrelenting heat, unmet expectations re what they expected living in Thailand would be like, poor environmental controls ie terrible air quality for months of the year when agricultural waste is burned, neighbours burning plastic, daily late night noise from bars and neighbours partying, dangerous driving conditions, boredom and loneliness. However it is very individual and depends on a lot of factors ie what one person hates about Thailand often is, what another loves. The fact that you mention keeping busy and adapting puts your chance of settling ahead of many others

@Greg **********

it's more about not being the way they have been taught to understand their world ie they don't know the names of major and minor streets, just landmarks or the names of intersections like si yaek followed by the intersection name or sarm yaek followed by the T junction name

Best advice, rent out your property in New Zealand, come to Thailand for 2 plus years before you make any definite plans about liquidating your assets and moving to Thailand permanently. By the end of two years many foreigners who thought they wanted to live in Thailand forever, have gone home. It takes about that long for the rose coloured glasses to come off. Thailand has lots to offer, but it is not perfect or paradise, but it's definitely worth giving it a try to see if it is right for you

Would you be eligible for Medicare if you moved to Austraia? That could be a big deciding factor ie free healthcare and access to goverment subsidised medication. I ask because I've met Kiwi workers who are and others who aren't. Don't have any knowledge about Kiwi retirees. Healthcare costs in Thailand are relatively cheap, except if you're used to free healthcare in your country of origin ie a doctors visit in a private hospital outpatients department could be as little $12-20 AUS. However if you have a stroke or heart attack or end up in ICU after a serious motorbike accident you're looking at tens of thousands of AUS dollars for your medical treatment unless you have robust private health cover and no pre-existing medical conditions

@Chris ***********

Generally the bank related insurance is Life insurance with a small amount of health insurance tacked on ie a payout to your beneficiary if you died in an accident and enough health insurance to cover a broken bone, x-rays and patching up of grazing after a motorbike crash. But not enough to cover an ICU stay or multiple surgeries if you were seriously injured

@Jeffrey ******

or no longer have sufficient funds to meet the financial requirement

@John *****

Could be the portion of superannuation that he did not have to pay tax on in Australia at the time it was deducted from his salary. If he withdraws this before preservation age he will be taxed. If he leaves it in super until aged 60, he does not have to pay any tax on it