56 replies to this topic

[pog1701]

Hey Auto what about Tiffany's? LOL surely ranks up there with modern theatre. I know it supplied us with ample discourse fooder.

[Automorph]

Hey Auto what about Tiffany's? LOL surely ranks up there with modern theatre. I know it supplied us with ample discourse fooder.

That's true Ronan.

Tiffany's not only provided ample discourse fodder, but also horizontal refreshment!!!

A true cultural hotspot if there ever was one!

[Phil Lander]

My opinion has completely changed in the last three weeks or so that this thread has been up . I'm now seriously thinking about a 5 to 7 year plan of early retirement in Thailand before I reach 55 . I dont think I could do it any earlier but dont want to leave it till I get to 65 .
Unless I win the lottery of course which means I would have to remember to start buying it

[Rossco]

A number of good observations and comments re living in Thailand.

I live here so can only give you my opinion/experience.

Retiring here is different. I had my career, did my travelling, did the family thing and then thought about how I would retire.
I hate the European winters
Social disorder in Europe is getting worse
Materialism has become Number 1
Taxation is obscene
Routine was boring.

I guess if I was wealthy enough I would have the summers in Europe and the winters in Thailand. A personal jet would be good too! The thought of maintaining two homes and the associated cost is just too much.

So Thailand. I would NOT recommend:
Retiring here before 55
Do not live in 'downtown' - you will become a wreck.
Do not live in a rural location - you will go insane
Have some external interests - Golf, Sailing, Diving, Wildlife, Tourism
Mix with broad minded residents - avoid the whining ex-pat
Set a budget that affords a good lifestyle but is personally affordable

When people think of living here they often go for downtown areas. Would you retire to
Las Vegas
King's Cross in Sydney
Soho in London
Same same in Thailand - do not retire to Nana/Walking St.

I do miss the theatre etc but there are events here which are often not well publicized. Pattaya had an Opera and a Jazz concert last year.

Again it is an age thing - I have done much of the theatre etc before I retired so no real loss to me now. The thought of a trip up to London to see a show is no longer attractive - nor is the seat price!

Thailand is central to Asia so you can visit Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Macau, HongKong more easily/economically from here than from the West.

Thailand is NOT for everyone. I first came here 20 years ago and was attracted to it. It took a long time to decide to retire here. I added up the Pros and the Cons and decided it was for me - but not everyone is the same.

So, for me, a profile of a person retiring successfully here would be:
55+
No strings back in the home country
Enjoys a warm to hot climate
Likes Thai cuisine
Financially independent - subject to your own individual lifestyle
External interests - Golf, Sailing whatever
Reasonable good health
Tolerant - Thais can be frustrating but mostly it is the language barrier

I know guys here who are happy on 1000 USD per month. Others 2000 USD and up. It depends what you like to do.

Avoid city centers and farming communities, find something residential within strike distance of some social interaction.

Whatever you do PLAN carefully and commit yourself - returning back may not be easy!

[Phil Lander]

Hi Rossco , I was just looking at apartments in Jomtien when I decided to check the forum
I think I will start a new thread and see if I get some questions answered .

[Automorph]

Rossco:

Always the voice of reason and prudence. It should be well heeded, as you have already gone through the vetting process and made a decision that obviously works very well for you.

Thanks for that "insiders" look and it should be serious food for though for anyone contemplating such a move.

Cheers.

Auto

[sublimefolly]

Rossco: I completly agree with Auto's sentiments. Thanks for your words of wisdom.

But, I'm now curious: To what extent have you sought to learn Thai; and what would you recommend?

Personally I've always struggled with languages. To date I so cannot speak Thai. But I'm thinking - if I were to take a career break in, say. 2010, pending a decision to permantly move, I really should commit then to a programme of tuition/learning the language.

[Rossco]

I wish I had heeded my teachers at school and paid more attention to languages!

When I started work I never imagined travelling so much and quickly realised I needed to learn at least some phrases in many languages. Later in life I resided in a non- English speaking country and had to learn quickly.

Moving to Thailand. Thai is different in that the character set is also different. So whereas I could read a sign in most European/South American countries in Thailand it was "Greek" to me.

I have not really learnt Thai - the odd phrase but that is it.

Talking to many Farangs, who do speak correct Thai, the census of opinion is you must be able to read/write the language. One BM kindly left me a child's book where you learn to trace the outline of the letters - he was write as now I am attempting to learn all the letters of the alphabet.

Speaking Thai will not help you with sign recognition hence the need to learn the written word.

There are 44 consonants and numerous vowels. As the language is tonal there are tone marks as well.

The up side is that there is not the conjugation nor tenses of many European languages. French has a multitude of tenses.

Having said all that it is not impossible to learn - it just needs time and dedication. Learning street Thai is one alternative but then you will always sound like a street person!

Having a Thai partner is a great help but you need to encourage them to help you. You also need to check if they are teaching you slang or correct Thai. I have already been caught out using an improper word as it was slang and impolite.

There are many language schools and audio CD's to learn from but, as with any language, you need to study.

All the countries I have ever visited have always been responsive when you try to speak their language so their responsiveness is encouragement.

A couple of experiences.

I did not know the registration of my car because I could not read the alpha characters.

The Thai word Maa can mean Dog as well as Horse - confusion for the betting man. The distinction between the two is the tone.

Ladies from Issan admit that if they know a customer speaks Thai they switch to Lao!

The Thai language contains many English sounding words. Pen - bpaak-gaa - it actually sounds like Parker - I wonder why!

[meowmix]

wow, looks like this thread is an old one, but cant help but put my 2-cents in:

1. youre right, learning thai was/is not easy. You deffinately have to learn the alphabet and have to pay close attention to the tones. And it SUX BIG TIME when people speak fast and it all becomes a blur. But dont you think the reward of atleast being able to read signs and speak more than the occational tourist 'falang' totally makes up for all your hours spent studying? :twisted: when you ask for something in thai, or speak in thai even if its not spot dead on, ive noticed you get so much more respect from ordinary people.

and 2., no you wont make as much as you do in Western Countries, so i guess you do have to be realistic.

I wish i could tho...

[Brit]

Consideration would have to be the following:

* Sufficient income to sustain yourself
Remember you couldnt afford to BF every night on a limited income - its not like a 2 weeker on holiday when you have a blast.

* Unlikely to find work incountry - so income has to be derived from either foreign investment (or pension etc) or from ownership of a local business (bar etc... income is hard to get from these ventures as there's stiff competition). All the 'easy' money ventures have been exhausted in Thailand. Or if you are lucky enough - you are seconded from your western company to a local branch in Thailand - - oh those fortunate few.

* Health - private hospitals are of a high standard in Thailand - however maybe over time expensive if you require reoccuring treatment. NHS is great in the UK if you have a chronic condition. Unfortunately as we get older theres a greater reliance on health care. If you of failing health then Thailand is probably not a recommended option if you require constant attention.

* the Thrill - if you are like me, you've always been into LB's... however I have some friends who have 'evolved' into the admiration club for LB's over time. I would categorise those individuals as transiant in our community - as they eventually will look for the next big sexual high - and their tastes will evolve over time. Typically they start by having interest only in GG's... then GG & occassional LB... then LBs only.... thereafter - who knows... And if you go Full time in Thailand - might you loose that Thrill. The excitement and anticipation of waiting for your Thai trip might be lost if full time.

* ExPat communities - My own experience is those individuals who stay long term are those who transisition more into the local community. I don't mean live like a Thai (heaven forbid) I mean are not 24/7 on Walking St. and have genuine (out of the P4P environment) Thai friends.

* The "i miss my mates & Bangers and Mash" group - this is the lower class group of farang who have not travelled internationally before and tend to settle into Thailand without giving proper due care and attention. There are some great guys who live full time in Thailand - however there is also the social rejects & hippy drop outs. You have to be willing to mix with all types to be able to adjust to life in Thailand - types of people you would not normally associate with back home.

* Ties back home - If you have kids, or ailing parents etc then you might find full time relocation a strain.

* Lifes one big holiday - your friends visit you from back home - they are on their 2 week vacation - they want you out drinking with them everynight - and various friends visit and various times - you end up a 365 day a year party animal - not many folks can cope - Remember its your new home - and its not a vacation. I guess only the full timers would understand this feeling.

[Rossco]

Brit

I echo your thoughts and posted as such before. Any relocation should start with a full interrogation of what you want and what you will miss. Moving to Asia is vastly different to relocating within Europe or the Americas. Culture, Language, Food, Customs are all significantly different. It is YOU that must adapt and NOT them.

Having established that the Pros out weigh the Cons a "can I afford it" analysis is imperative.

I created a spreadsheet, in Excel, and projected out until age 80. I took into consideration current wealth in Assets, Savings and Pensions. I then calculated ALL likely expenditure and weighted all the figures with cost of living inflation etc etc.

Of course one very important factor, that is impossible to predict, is that it is likely that your wealth is NOT in Baht. SO what exchange rate to use in the long term

What most people forget is that when you stop earning there is NO income.

Health care is another enormous issue. When we are younger we take good health for granted - as we get older the cost of health care grows significantly.

I would caution anyone planning to retire here to be thorough in your analysis. Relocation is not an escape - it is a trading of lifestyle

[dixon cox]

Good stuff Rossco. I always read your posts on this subject with great interest.

I plan to retire to LoS in under 4 years and have been planning and working towards this already for over a year in order to get the foundations laid.

Fortunately I'm not a serial whore-chaser or heavy drinker, just an LB lover.