Hi guys

Thanks for all your great responses to my thread. I have been really busy doing the house up here so have not been on line. It seems like my hands have been permanently in my pockets rather than on the key board.

I have been checking out the immigration visa situation and for an 'o' type retitrement visa you have to be 50 or over. Well I am only 41 (fast approaching 42) Trying to interpret the rules it seems like I could apply for a multi entry visa which has a maximum stay of 60 days and 3 entries, which I have to get stamped every 58 days. Now this would only seem to allow me a stay of 180 days (or 240 if the initial entry does not count, would you know anything about how this is interpreted) before I have to hit the track home. The only other thing I can see for a more permamant status of an 'o' type visa is either working there ie dive instructor/ teaching English etc or if I was to be working as a volunteer all of these it seems would require me having a work permit.

I am not really sure that I would want to start any form of business there I was hoping to take things easy and besides most of my money is tied up in assets to provide a monthly income with only about 15k or so liquid, which I would like to keep as some form of security blanket. Giving all of this what would you guys recommend? I have seen a lot of farang living in the land of smiles and not all of them are over 50.

At a push I suppose I could take a good chunk out and finish my writing (not really what I'm after as I would like to stay somewhere as long as I feel like, going home when and if I'm ready) so would 180 (240?) days be my maximum or is there another way round this. I suppose I could get Teffl qualified and teach english, though not too keen on that as I struggle with the english myself and I have had 40 odd years practice (-: or is there some other type of voluntary work I could do, I am educated to degree standard (ok so only in the arts which is a bit of a big mac and french fry degreeI know) but I have ran a successful business for 16 years and I do have good people skills and have worked all over the world (plus offshore) using aspects of drama for interpersonal skills training particulaly in the area of attitudinal health and safety.

There you go guys a little bit more about me and a conundrum for the day. Thanks for all your help so far, your advice has been invaluable.

Hope ya all doing well in the sun, the weather's horrible here today in the grey north east of the uk, you lucky b**gers

Shaun