A question for retirees

[travelerjim]

Pardon me Joe552...

I clearly misunderstood your original question...and am confused.

Why would you ask your question IF you had NO intention to retire in Thailand?

" but I wonder what made you choose Thailand as your retirement destination.
Food. temples, boys, cheap living costs?
What would be your best piece of advice to someone thinking about retiring there?"

You even brought up the 240 Euros pension...in your post.

Several board members were kind to reply postings to your OP...
but actually it was exercise all for nothing, In my humble opinion.

Oh well...
Good luck...

tj

[homeseeker]

Pardon me Joe552...

I clearly misunderstood your original question...and am confused.

Why would you ask your question IF you had NO intention to retire in Thailand?

" but I wonder what made you choose Thailand as your retirement destination.
Food. temples, boys, cheap living costs?
What would be your best piece of advice to someone thinking about retiring there?"

You even brought up the 240 Euros pension...in your post.

Several board members were kind to reply postings to your OP...
but actually it was exercise all for nothing, In my humble opinion.

Oh well...
Good luck...

tj

-I agree with tj. The way you phrased the questions suggested you were considering retirement here not merely starting a conversation. A lot of us do not like our time being wasted.

[Manforallseasons]

Thailand is so different today than it was when I retired here 11 years ago that I can"t comprehend what it will be like 7 from now. If I was to retire today it wouldn't be in Thailand . When I did retire it wasn't for the temples or the food!

[joe552]

A sincere apology for my original post. I was merely trying to start a conversation rather than looking for personal advice. Thanks to all who contributed. I'm sure the information provided will be useful to someone who may be considering a move.

Again, really sorry guys, I didn't intend to mislead.

[travelerjim]

No problem Joe...

From past experiences here when someone poses a question..
many members will happily reply...

Many times the reply takes time to be well thought out...
and thus a good thread is developed to assist the OP and others as well.

Again..
Good Luck in your future retirement plans in the Antarctica...
lol

tj

[bkkmfj2648]

hello manforallseasons,

you wrote, "if I was to retire today it would not be in Thailand"....

please tell us why - as I am interested in retiring in Thailand. I want to make sure that I don't make a big mistake - so any feedback is greatly appreciated.

thanks,
m.

[lego]

Thailand is so different today than it was when I retired here 11 years ago that I can"t comprehend what it will be like 7 from now.

That remark as piqued my interest! What's so different now, in your opinion? The past 11 years are pretty much the time I've covered in Thailand (first as a frequent visitor, then as a resident), and my own impressions are best summarized as, "The more things change, the more they stay the same". Compared to all the other countries I've kept track of in the same period, Thailand hasn't really changed all that much from my personal experience. That's why I'm interested in which BIG changes others see, I might have simply missed them.

[paborn]

I decided not to retire to Thailand. Mostly because I was unsure of the political stability, the economy and, sadly , a difficult tonal language that I have failed to make real headway with. the idea of growing old surrounded by people who I could not really communicate with sounded like a very bad idea. Recently, as I considered spending more time there I read this e book from Amazon: Thailand: Why You Shouldn't Retire To Thailand [Kindle Edition]
The Blether (Author), Zart CG (Illustrator).
I think he lays out some of the very real costs, the healthcare issues and much more, It was a very cheap book - and a quick read by what I take to be an honest man who has experienced the reality of retiring abroad, away from native support systems and examines the TRUE costs. BY the way, the boys may be cheaper than in New York or London but that is relative to how much disposable cash you have left each month.

[Smiles]

"That remark as piqued my interest! What's so different now, in your opinion? ... "

In a nutshell: progress.

The most distinctive observation which I remember having on my first holiday in Thailand back in 2000, was ~ during the taxi ride from the airport to a hotel in Bangkok ~ the incredible numbers of large empty shells of buildings which lined the motorway. Already crumbling, covered in black mold and vines, they were the detritus of the economic crash of 1997, three years before I arrived.
In Canada, I had already seen TV news shows of Thai multimillionaires now selling noodles on the streets, and later Suphot told me stories of~ during that time ~ how he had shunted from job to job only to see his employers shut down their businesses one by one.

None of that anymore: Army coups ~ two of them since I've been around ~ ridiculous politics and endemic corruption notwithstanding, Thailand grows. Although there are a few skeletons from 1997 still decaying upright in Bangkok like forgotten war memorials, most of them have been torn down now, replaced by condos, high rises, malls, more traffic, more skytrain stations, never-ending Tescos, and IKEA. The gentle little Bangkok neighbourhood of On Nut that I remember ~ not so long ago it was the last skytrain station on the Sukhumvit Line ~ is now swimming in huge condos and my favourite old traditional Bangkok night market is being squeezed smaller and smaller from all sides. It won't be there much longer, sadly.

This is one of the most famous decaying memorials, you can see it from Sathorn Rd. Thais think it is filled with ghosts, so, naturally, no one will pull it down!



Hua Hin ~ our home ~ is going the same way. There used to be what I would characterise as a 'green zone' between the end of the town buildup and the overpass on the road to Pranburi. Nothing left of it now, and that's only since 2007.
On the positive side of that: Thai national parks are much better kept than they used to be. Huge numbers of Thai folks are slowly dragging themselves into the middle class . . . and the importance of that one single economic trend cannot be overstated.

But the Thai genes for Party/Sanook Time and "mai bphen rai" and familial loyalty has not diminished. A general sense of good old fashioned joie de vivre and a healthy sprinkle of Cosmic Acceptance regarding life-itself shared by Thais was one of the main drawing cards ~ a magnet if you will ~ for me to end up retiring in Thailand right from the get-go, then I'll be sticking around, probably until I croak. (Aside: whatever you may think at this point ... rose coloured glasses are not in my wardrobe).
I'm not ~ never will be ~ one of these rather unimaginative farangs who think dragging their Thai boyfriends off to greener pastures in N America or Europe is the Holy Grail. My guy at least, would probably shrivel up and die ... his genes stolen.

[bkkmfj2648]

is 4,000 eur per month ok to get by on in retirement in Thailand?