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  1. #1
    Thailand Expat
    Simon43's Avatar
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    Off to Luang Prabang to rent a house this weekend

    WTF!, is that gypsy Simon moving again??

    Yep I am, just a few months after moving from Ranong up to Issan on the banks of the Mekong.

    To be perfectly honest, I'm bored with Thailand, and my new-found freedom of teaching online from anywhere in the world with half-decent internet means that unless there is something hot and juicy keeping me in Thailand, then I prefer to move elsewhere.

    Now my current visa will expire in a few months and I'm not prepared (or able LoL!) to drop 800,000 baht in a bank account, AND provide all the documents, photos of my nipples etc that immigration seems to demand.

    When I worked in Luang Prabang in 2012/13, although my job was shite (white monkey puppet headmaster at the international school), I loved the town itself, with French colonial buildings, decent Lao coffee, crusty baguettes and wine! Every weekend I would ride out on the hilltop tracks through the Hmong villages, or go swimming at Kuang Si waterfalls.

    I can get a Lao one year visa plus work permit plus ID card for 15,000 baht, without actually having to 'work'. Stick that in your cap, Thai immigration.

    To rent a twee old house just metres from the Mekong will cost 11,000 baht a month. I've got appointments to view 4 houses within walking distance of the old town.

    I hope that I won't need to move again for at least ... er ... 3 months...

    Anyway, looking forward to my baguette on Sunday morning.

    Off to Luang Prabang to rent a house this weekend-frog-jpg
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Off to Luang Prabang to rent a house this weekend-frog-jpg  
    Groping women when you're old is fine - everyone thinks you're senile

  2. #2
    R.I.P. Luigi's Avatar
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    Good stuff Simon, always liked your adventure threads.

    Good luck with it.

  3. #3
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    Good luck with your move. It's a great town.
    Let us know about the Chinese invasion there. Is it hype or reality? I heard they're coming in by land, sea (river) and air.

  4. #4
    A Cockless Wonder
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    Quote Originally Posted by Simon43 View Post
    documents, photos of my nipples etc
    How many have you got Simon?

    Off to Luang Prabang to rent a house this weekend-img0091-jpg

    Quote Originally Posted by Simon43 View Post
    crusty baguettes
    I am sure you will find winsome wench willing to crack the crust off your baguette and gobble your golden gun somewhere in the wilds of Laos!
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Off to Luang Prabang to rent a house this weekend-img0091-jpg  

  5. #5
    Custom Title Changer
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    Good luck Simon!

    What furnishings are you expecting the house to have?

    Off to Luang Prabang to rent a house this weekend-dwarvesmbc-1320x676-jpg



    A personal housekeeper?

    Off to Luang Prabang to rent a house this weekend-thai-ladyboy1-jpg
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Off to Luang Prabang to rent a house this weekend-thai-ladyboy1-jpg   Off to Luang Prabang to rent a house this weekend-dwarvesmbc-1320x676-jpg  

  6. #6
    I'm in Jail

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    Nice. So about 40usd per month for the permit ect. I've only ever stayed on the tourist visa and would extend for more time as needed. As I recall it was about 35 to 40usd for an extra month.

    So if you don't mind me asking do you need to check in monthly or what?

    Reason being is that I'd like to do something similar some day so I don't have to use the tourist route. I'm several years away from actually pulling the plug so things will probably change by then as far as spending long stretches of time in Laos.

    Good luck with the move btw. I heard they have some nice restaurants there so a livable area. We wanted to tour there on our last trip but ended up going south to Don Det and Don Khon for some zipline action.

    Cheers, fish.

  7. #7
    Thailand Expat
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    So if you don't mind me asking do you need to check in monthly or what?
    You've been under the Thai thumb for too long...

    No monthly check-in, no 90 day report, no reporting by your landlord. Just extend your visa every year, show zero documents (definitely no nipple photos) or money.

    This is a 'real' business visa, but I'm restricted to only doing my online work. If I want to get my hands dirty with real work, then I need a company etc, and I have no interest to do that.

    The house that I hope to get looks like this - beautiful quarry tiles.

    Off to Luang Prabang to rent a house this weekend-62619454_456439154921005_5624543068939091968_n-jpg

    Off to Luang Prabang to rent a house this weekend-51044276_393151294767374_76611582221615104_n-jpg

    It's on the peninsula, on the road that runs along the Mekong river.

    I will see some other houses, including one that is right at the tip of the peninsula - should to find something suitable.

    Now as to wenches, (and you can't fool me CSFFan with that disgusting photo that you try to pass off as female!! I bet those are 4 guys aren't they?). Last time I was in town at the school, young female teachers kept on finding themselves in an empty classroom with me - apparently word had got round that the foreign headmaster was single. It would have been wholly inappropriate to bang them over the desks, but now being self-employed so to speak, I'm open to fair game.

    I know about the local law of 'no fuckee local gal'. Which is presumably why at least 3 Vietnamese brothels have opened in town, no doubt catering to the small yellow penises from mainland China who are busy building their invasion railroad.

    It will be interesting to see how many Chinese are in town. One reason to rent right on the peninsula is because this is within the UNESCO heritage boundaries, with no Snookyville type building works allowed.

    Anyway, I need to test the internet connection from LP into China for my online teaching. Several of the houses have fibre internet, so the speed should be fine.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Off to Luang Prabang to rent a house this weekend-62619454_456439154921005_5624543068939091968_n-jpg   Off to Luang Prabang to rent a house this weekend-51044276_393151294767374_76611582221615104_n-jpg  

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Simon43 View Post
    I can get a Lao one year visa plus work permit plus ID card for 15,000 baht, without actually having to 'work'. Stick that in your cap, Thai immigration.
    Interested to hear more about that, live on the land border with Lao.

  9. #9
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    awesome move, Simon, keep us posted!!!

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dragonfly View Post
    awesome move, Simon, keep us posted!!!
    Simon is full of BS, end of story.

  11. #11
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Simon43 View Post
    No monthly check-in, no 90 day report, no reporting by your landlord. Just extend your visa every year, show zero documents (definitely no nipple photos) or money.

    This is a 'real' business visa, but I'm restricted to only doing my online work. If I want to get my hands dirty with real work, then I need a company etc, and I have no interest to do that.
    So you can just say "I need a business visa for one year to do my <insert made up online job here>" and get a visa, work permit and ID Card for Bt15,000?

    If that's true I fancy there will be more than a few sickly, pasty-faced, low income Thai-based farang racing there to get out of the mandatory health insurance scam, er I mean scheme.

  12. #12
    I'm in Jail

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    Laos is a crappy place with very poor infrastructure poor air quality and foods you really wouldn't want to eat. Not only that but the police are everywhere enforcing crazy strict laws. For example if you're caught with a local gal in your room you will be jailed and they don't even feed you once you're locked up. Your family has to bring you food or you'll starve in no time.

    Just kidding, it's like anywhere. It is what you make it.
    Last edited by fishlocker; 27-06-2019 at 03:46 AM.

  13. #13
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    ^Sounds exciting.

  14. #14
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Simon43 View Post
    I prefer to move elsewhere
    I know at least 4 twenty year plus stayers who have moved on in the last couple years. 3 from Bangkok, one from Phuket.

    Two went to Vietnam, another to Portugal and my younger brother back to Northern Cal.

    Reasons were varied but burn out dealing with congestion (people and cars) and annual immigration visits a common stated reason for the move.

    I think they moved because what appealed and drew them to live here in the first place 20 years ago no longer exists. Understandable given the many changes over the last 20 years in the country and of course changes in what appeals to each of them.

    In my case living in rural Thailand nothing has really changed so I have no desire to bail out of Thailand.

    Laos would not be my choice if I had the urge to move on but good luck and happy times to you Simon.

    Always enjoy your contributions here so keep us informed as your new adventure unfolds.
    "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect,"

  15. #15
    Thailand Expat
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    Laos would not be my choice if I had the urge to move on
    In fact, my preferred move was to go back to live in Andorra, where I lived in the 90's. But it's not practical right now because of the time-zone difference (I teach online in the mornings here local time).

    But my plan is to hopefully stay in Laos until I retire, and then to move to Andorra, which is rated as having the best healthcare service in the world, (not my rating, but that of a survey done by The Lancet).

  16. #16
    I'm in Jail

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    Quote Originally Posted by jamescollister View Post
    Interested to hear more about that, live on the land border with Lao.
    Its always been easier to get 1 year visas in Lao . And as of july even the tourist visa will be available online. Work permits are usually arranged by a Lao person with a MOFA connection.

  17. #17
    Excommunicated baldrick's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Simon43 View Post
    but I'm restricted to only doing my online work
    too bad ,you could have done some local english lessons for preferred customers

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by jamescollister View Post
    Simon is full of BS, end of story.
    ???????????????????

  19. #19
    Thailand Expat
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    [quote]
    Simon is full of BS, end of story.



    ???????????????????
    [//quote]

    LoL, what a fcuking tool jamescollister is

  20. #20
    I'm in Jail

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    Hey bld I figured you'd chime in on this one being you have lived and worked there for so long. I've been reading, as of a few years ago one could "buy" Citizenship for I think a 500k investment in the country. A small business type venture. May have read something about employing X number of local folks as well ( not that I'm planning that ) but it would be one hell of a rice farm.

    I thought the one year business visa was closer to 600usd. Anyway 400 to 600 isn't bad. I could sell used underwear on line or something. I've been saving wiskey bottle corks for several years with the thought of drilling out the center and inserting a bamboo stick. The fish would have his own line of bobbers. All I need is some orange paint for the stick and a pen spring.

    I better get back to work emptying bottles, cheers......



    the fish.

  21. #21
    last farang standing
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    good luck Simon.

  22. #22
    Hangin' Around cyrille's Avatar
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    Looks like a good lifestyle choice for some.

    I wouldn’t be starting threads on forums about it, myself.

    And photos of where I aim to live?

    Good luck with it.

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by beerlaodrinker View Post
    Its always been easier to get 1 year visas in Lao . And as of july even the tourist visa will be available online. Work permits are usually arranged by a Lao person with a MOFA connection.
    As said, live on the Lao land border, kids go to school in Buntharik, about 25 km away, nearest Lao town is 10 km away from the school.

    Border is manned 3 days a week, market days, no passports needed, people cross over shopping, Lao kids are born in the Buntharik hospital, families living on both sides of the border hold both Thai and Lao ID's.

    Live in a jungle village now, moving to another same, same village across a line on the map is no problem, but can't see this magical 15.000 Baht one year visa on the net.

  24. #24
    Hangin' Around cyrille's Avatar
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    Simon has a unique take on things.

  25. #25
    กงเกวียนกำเกวียน HuangLao's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Norton View Post
    I know at least 4 twenty year plus stayers who have moved on in the last couple years. 3 from Bangkok, one from Phuket.

    Two went to Vietnam, another to Portugal and my younger brother back to Northern Cal.

    Reasons were varied but burn out dealing with congestion (people and cars) and annual immigration visits a common stated reason for the move.

    I think they moved because what appealed and drew them to live here in the first place 20 years ago no longer exists. Understandable given the many changes over the last 20 years in the country and of course changes in what appeals to each of them.

    In my case living in rural Thailand nothing has really changed so I have no desire to bail out of Thailand.

    Laos would not be my choice if I had the urge to move on but good luck and happy times to you Simon.

    Always enjoy your contributions here so keep us informed as your new adventure unfolds.

    Sound and fairly stated, Norts.....

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