The thing I would consider about location is smokey season. We lived as a family of 4 in Chiang Rai for 2 years. Absolutely loved it, the people, the culture, the food, but for 3 months of the year, not the smokey season. Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai get it the worst.

I can't speak to the Philippines but in Thailand just check the cities. Coastal in the South it's better. There's an app called IQAir. The icon is blue with a person's face with a mask on it. It's really helpful to see what the quality is.

Re meds, bring what you can, but with all countries that we go into we research for restricted lists. You can go to jail for some of them, so be careful! Thailand has EXCELLENT medical care - I mean, world class - we travel full time so we get to test different medical care around the world. I would fly from other countries to get care in Thailand (or Malaysia), if needed. They're both EXCEPTIONAL.

Re Amazon - no. Not in Thailand. Sure you can have stuff shipped but it's slow and expensive. There is so much available in Thailand that you won't miss your Amazon prime. Use Lazada instead. It's an amazing app with excellent (next day) delivery in some cases. You will learn to love it, as I did.

Also, as others have said, (I'm sure you're onto this) get the right visa. I had a non-B for business and it was no problem getting bank accounts etc. Some of them can be problematic, (sounds like people are having trouble with the DTV right now with bank accounts being closed) so do check that out.

Hope that helps, and enjoy! 🎉

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

it's looking unlikely that it will be the DTV and will probably be the LTR. That should settle any potential banking issues. Last time I was on a non B and there was no problem opening the accounts.

@Todd ********

Communication is clearly not your thing. You didn't read. My comms are fine. I never asked you to qualify me. Glad you won't be popping up on my feed again. People like you are not helpful at all and make others worry about asking questions. Why do you even bother? And you're wrong. I fully qualify for LTR, DTV and Retirement.

@Todd ********

What's abundantly clear is that you didn't read my request and jumped straight to an assumption. In my original post I was very clear. I wasn’t asking anyone to assess whether I qualify. I already know that my daughter and I do so you are in fact - WRONG.

What I didn’t go into was the full detail of qualifications, because that wasn’t the question. Where did I ask for you to qualify me?

You misread the post and jumped straight to assumptions instead of asking clarifying questions.

Comments like that aren’t helpful, so it’s worth asking why bother asserting authority if it doesn’t actually add value?

@Chris *******

Yep, if they decide they're not going to support it, they just won't. The Thais don't muck around. They're very clear about these things once a decision has been made. It's a pain not having a Thai bank account though - with cash withdrawals and prompt pay. Did you get another account somewhere else? Or have another back up? We're accumulating bank accounts in various countries around the world now (we travel full time). It's certainly handy !!

@Gerg *********

thank you - yes indeed. Best of luck to you too. Actually luck will have nothing to do with it. When you have the paperwork, you'll get it. Enjoy 🥰.

@Gerg *********

thanks for confirming. Yes, I think it's the best option. We were looking at the non-oa as well for my partner (not married). And LTR for me and my daughter - she is 16. We also have a son 22 - he's got to get his own, so it's painful. He loved Muay Thai last time so that's a no brainer for him.

The good thing is, we have choices. An alternative is putting the money into a boat and sailing around the world instead and not have to deal with all this immigration BS. We know Thai immigration. It's not consistent. Grateful to have choices. 🙏

You'll probably feel more secure on the LTR when you're ready. It does look like a great option. I just hate all the insurance. We always pay cash wherever we go. We know it's not an option for everyone but being forced into unwanted insurance feels really annoying!

@Chris *******

Oh wow, ok, that sucks. Sorry that happened. Did they return the cash? We have Bangkok Bank and Krung Thai - opened over 2 years ago now. Still looking ok, but who knows? I had non-B then.

@Todd ********

well my partner and I are not married, so we're questioning multiple visas. And we have a 22 year old son who also needs a visa. LTR won't help there either. There's your answer. Not everything is as clear as you think.

@Jim ******

yes and it's smarter and safer to stay within the rules.