These are the ones I fear… and am less curious about.  I don’t like much reptiles, scorpions and those. What about the rest ? 

22 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

my country has nothing like that.

i have not heard of any western country that has anything similar.

it's quite an impressive policy on the part of france.

Check your in-box. I just sent you a message,

3 hours ago, save the frogs said:

so you're saying the public health care in france extends to other countries if someone retires abroad? that's quite progressive. i've never heard of that before. 

Yes…. That’s what I’m saying. Which was your home country?

11 hours ago, save the frogs said:

that sounds like a forward-thinking innovative system.

It’s not private. That’s why it’s better. 

On 7/14/2023 at 1:32 PM, 1FinickyOne said:

Yes. I do renew for an entire year - the 90 days is just a notification - I used to mail it in but now have an agent who takes care of that too... I never remember as for me it is a nominal fee- I think maybe 6,000 baht for the agent and that includes the 1900 baht fee for immigration - - the 90 day notification is maybe 1500 baht for 4 times for the year???? 

 

Yes, for me, I definitely made the right choice. I was first here as a young backpacker many years ago and fell in love with the people and the culture. 

No, it is never frustrating that I can't work here. It does not mean that I cannot get involved with people or donate to charities. Life in general can be boring anywhere, and yes I get bored here, but not because I can't work. I would get far far more bored in my home country. 

 

I assume you have visited here, not sure if you mentioned this in your initial post, but keep working and keep visiting and keep experiencing the country. I have been charmed for 50 years - - here and nowhere else. And keep learning - the language is very helpful. 

 

ps - I think you will find the language a fun challenge. If English is not your first language, your written English is terrific, better than many Americans... I am here a long time and never have any problematic situations. You will be fine - I also am not looking for trouble and do not get drunk nor do I enjoy hanging around drunks. 

Thank you for congratulating my written english. It’s indeed a second language. I can speak spanish too. My english is ok due to the fact that I love languages. I am used to reading everyday in english.

I’ll have probably a go at learning Thai. I’ll even might try to attend some kind of Thai course for beginners… I’ll see by then how I can navigate this…

Anyway, I appreciate what you say about not getting drunk. When I stay/live abroad, I never drink alcohol or get drunk. Mistakes may have greater consequences when we are abroad. For me, it a way to stay safe and enjoy more too,

13 hours ago, BritTim said:

I have a couple of points to make on this.

 

First of all, following some rule changes a year or two ago, it is now safe to do many kinds of volunteer work as a retiree. There are restrictions, most notably that you cannot receive any financial benefit.

 

Secondly, it is true that you cannot work on the most common type of permission to stay in Thailand for retirees. If you are well off financially, and want to avoid that restriction, look into the LTR-WP (Long Term Resident Wealthy Pensioner) visa that optionally provides you with a work permit.

Hi there,

… thank you for the information. If some kind of (selfless) VOLUNTEERING ACTIVITIES have become allowed, it brings some more flexibility & interest in our lives there,

Thanks,

On 7/14/2023 at 12:35 PM, save the frogs said:

not if you factor in health insurance / self-insuring in thailand.

yes, until after 65 maybe

For french people, there is the CFE (Caisse des Français à l’Etranger)… A good option for the health insurance,

On 7/14/2023 at 6:12 AM, Andrew Dwyer said:

Many retain some allegiance with their home country, a bank account an address ( usually a family member ) or a house/apartment etc  usually rented out.

 

A bad relationship, lack of tolerance for the food/people/weather can cause depression and many find themselves returning to their home country.

 

Of course, many have success here also and find happiness but it is always advisable to keep a plan B ( return home ) available if possible.

22 minutes ago, bignok said:

Travel around first. You have 5 years. Pattaya is one place I'd skip. Start in Phuket then go Nakhon si Thammarat up the coast right up to Chiang Mai.

Hi there,
Yeah, that’s what I’d like to do. I’ll have no urge to settle anywhere so soon.
There are many places I don’t know… and I want to explore them. 
Why would you skip Pattaya? I would be curious to know that place too ????
Thanks for the advice,

On 7/13/2023 at 5:07 AM, Robin said:

My experience has been that if you comply with the requirements for a Retirement visa,  you can get one with no trouble, but if you try to do it 'on the cheap'  you will get obstructions from most I/O  I have no problems with keeping 800KB in the bank, and regard it as final ,emergency insurance sum.

But.. my experience is that it is not easy t lie in Thailand without the frequent help of someone who is fluent in Thai.  I live up-country, it may be easier if you live in a major urban centre.

Do not burn any bridges you do not have to.  At least for the first 2 years, try to keep a way out if you find you need it.  A good rule to remember is that anything you bring into Thailand will have to stay there when (if ) you leave.  Buying a car/ property is much easier than selling one and getting the money back to France, especially if you have to leave in a hurry.

How do you do when you need help from someone fluent in thai ?
 

Why would I need an emergency way out ? I don’t intend to get into trouble. I understand that Thailand may be a challenge to navigate but I hope I won’t get in these kinds of situations ……….

On 7/12/2023 at 5:06 PM, Pib said:

As mentioned earlier avoid a Non "OA" visa due to the medical insurance requirement.  Don't get me wrong it's not a bad thing to have medical insurance....it's just Thai immigration basically requires a person with a Non OA visa to have very specific medical insurance from a select group of "Thai" insurance companies....the insurance is expensive and the coverage is weak....full of exclusions.  Thailand makes it pretty much impossible to use a foreign insurance policy to initially get or extend a Non OA visa.   Even though you may have outstanding home country medical insurance that provides worldwide coverage it would not be accepted for annual extensions of your Non OA visa.  Up until 2019 the Non OA visa was VERY popular...had been for many years....but the medical insurance requirement that began in 2019 turned it into a visa to avoid.

 

If going with a 1 year type visa go with the Non O visa...no medical insurance required to get the visa or annual extensions.  Annual extensions will cost Bt1,900.  See the Thai Embassy in Paris webpage at the bottom of this post for details. 

 

And if you meet the requirements and want to avoid 1 year extensions consider a 10 year Long Term Resident (LTR) visa....probably the LTR Pensioner visa if you meet the requirements.   This LTR visa is really a 5 year plus 5 year visa totaling 10 years...although issued for 10 years you only initially get a 5 year permitted to stay and just before that 5 years is up you apply for an LTR extension to get the remaining 5 years of the 10 year visa.  Cost of a 10 year LTR is Bt50K (averages out to Bt5K/year)....no fee for the 2nd 5 year extension. Full details at the BoI LTR website and also the Thai Embassy Paris website.

 

Thai Embassy Paris....Non O over 50 visa

http://www.thaiembassy.fr/fr/visa-rdv/les-types-de-visa-et-les-documents-necessaires/visa-non-immigrant-o/

 

Non-immigrant visa O

Non-immigrant visa O

 

Hello,
thank you so much for this thoughtful and informative message.
It’s complete…
Have a good day,

On 7/12/2023 at 1:30 PM, scorecard said:

As eluded to, good idea to use the gap years to learn Thai, some preety good web sites nowadays.

I like languages and if it’s achievable… well, I might try to learn some Thai. But I’ll think about that when I get there. There’ll be more incentive… With my work, I have enough on my plate for now

On 7/12/2023 at 9:55 AM, spidermike007 said:

The retirement visa is easy to get. If you have enough money in the bank it is inexpensive. If you do not, you pay an agent a fee of 15,000 to 30,000 baht per year, and all is handled for you.

 

My question is why wait? I presume you must still be working and earning money needed to retire? Who knows what the world will be like in 5 years, but for now many of us enjoy very good lives here. Lives we could only dream about back in our native countries.

On 7/12/2023 at 9:49 AM, bignok said:

Sounds way better

Except its Cambodia

Hey…

… what do you mean ?
Is it less pleasant option for retirement? Just asking. I don’t know enough about this country.
Have a good day,

Frank

On 7/12/2023 at 9:47 AM, rwill said:

I've never had a problem getting annual extensions.  The original visa was much more work than the extensions in Thailand.

 

I would say to avoid getting an O-A visa so you don't have to worry about the extra insurance requirement.  There are thread on the forum here about how to apply for an O visa after you arrive in Thailand.  The hardest part with that seems to be opening a Thai bank account which you will need to get extensions.  If you already have a Thai bank account great.

 

I also find it easier to just leave 800,000 baht in a separate account to use just for immigration.

 

Also you do need to think about medical insurance here.  If you don't have any pre existing conditions right now it would be best to have insurance already.  All the insurance companies here will try to exclude everything they can.  It also gets quite more expensive the older you get.

On 7/12/2023 at 9:41 AM, Yme said:

You might also look at Cambodia. The only requirement is be agd 55+ and not working. 
No minimum bank balance required
No 90-day reporting
No reentry visa requirement
Get 8% pa interest paid monthly on your savings in USD or KHR on 12 mth TDs. 
 

Hi there !

Why not ? It’s always good to have a back-up plan. Thank for sharing information. I only stayed one week in Cambodia when I visited Angkor.

I’ll keep it in mind,

Thank you,

On 7/12/2023 at 9:08 AM, khunPer said:

I've been living here on retirement extension since 2006 – I made an early retirement when 57 year old – it's easy, if you just follow the rules and has enough fund to be self supported.

You need 800k baht deposited in a That bank – preferably in a 12-month fixed account – as financial support for your permission to stay in Thailand as a retiree. Using the deposit method and just leave the money in a separate account makes it easy for both you and the immigration officer, and you can sleep nice in nights not having nightmare about funds for next annual extension of stay. Furthermore the fixed-account gives you a better interest, which you can withdraw once a year.

You need a non immigrant type O-visa that gives you permission to stay in the country 90 days from arrival. About two weeks or one month before your stay expires, you can apply for a one year extension of stay based on retirement. There is a bit of paperwork – varies from province to province – but nothing you cannot do yourself. I live in the probably most demanding province for extension as retiree – Surat Thani, Koh Samui – and it's not that big a deal.

To have a good life a retiree in Thailand the requested amount of income of 65k baht per month, or 800k baht per year, actually fit quite well. You can live for less money per month and you can easily also spend a lot more. Of course it depending of one's life-style and eventual family relation with a native; i.e. a Thai girlfriend or wife is not free, you are the provider, which can include part of an extended Thai family.

I'm still happy here after 18 years – my first year here was with a 12-month multiple entry visa, as I still traveled a lot between my European home country and Land of Smiles – I have not regretted my decision of settle here...????

On 7/12/2023 at 9:00 AM, newnative said:

I would also recommend giving Pattaya a look.  It checks all the boxes for me.

I definitely will check out Pattaya or places nearby.

Thank you,

On 7/12/2023 at 8:28 AM, LOG54 said:

Hello

We are french and retired here for nearly 10 years..We had before spent 5 years in Thailand from 2000 and 2005..

We also stayed in other countries ..India..South America and to tell the truth, even if it is not perfect here (which country is ?)  we enjoy it here..

First of all, go for a O visa (not for OA visa as this would require an expensive health thai insurance)

As a health insurance go for CFE (caisse francais de l etranger) and subscribe at least before 3 months after leaving France)..

Then choose where you would like to live... Islands are nice for holiday, but for long term not so much..Phuket, climate seems to us quite humid "tropical"..Chiang Mai, cold in winter + no sea + haze issues

...so we are happy with Pattaya choice..we live a bit outside, right on the beach, climate is good, all types of restaurants to go out, not far from airport or Bangkok, good hospitals and close to Bangkok if you still need better ones..

We understand your wish to leave France, as we wouldn't like to go back at any cost

Have a great day

On 7/12/2023 at 2:49 AM, jaideedave said:

And dodgy real estate agents

Hey,
Could they actually stick to renting condos or places? What’s the downside of it ?

On 7/12/2023 at 2:23 AM, Henryford said:

Retired here 17 years, dead easy to renew visa every year, last month took me 15 minutes. Do it yourself don't use an agent. Best to have the 800k in the bank method.

Hey!
That sounds good.
Which kind of visa did you renew ? In which city did you do it ?
Thank you!

On 7/12/2023 at 1:56 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

Yes, that reminds me of the father of a friend who might move to a home for old people in Thailand.

Under normal conditions they can take care of him. But if he has a big medial problem, then what?

That is a real problem. 

Didn’t he have a health insurance to cover hospitalisation ?

On 7/12/2023 at 1:54 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

I agree with that.

First of all, where do you want to live? In Bangkok? Or Pattaya or Hua Hin? Or somewhere up country?

Do you have already any woman in mind who loves you so much and wants that you live with her in her village?

 

Many of us, including myself, that that we know Thailand after staying here for a couple of months.

And then, maybe 2 or 3 years later, we realize that we didn't really know it.

And then 10 years later...

You get the idea.

 

If you think you want to live here maybe start by thinking you want to live here for a few months. If you still like it, then maybe for a year or two, and if you still like it, then stay.

 

It seems too many make the mistake of deciding they want to live in Thailand, and if they don't really like it anymore, they feel like a failure for not living here forever. Don't do that.

Keep your mind open that maybe you don't like it - for whatever reason.

And I would suggest at least for the first two years or so make no long-term commitment. Don't buy a condominium, don't buy a house for your darling. Just live! 

 

 

 

Hi there!
I believe I would like Thailand. I lived 20 months in England and visited 26 different countries (some of them multiple times). I’ve already stayed in Thailand for about three months. It was fine. I don’t want to live in France anymore. 
I know no one in Thailand. I haven’t been to Phuket, Pattaya nor Hua Hin, yet
I’ve mainly been to BKK, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Laos, and a few towns in between.

I agree with a step by step approach. There is no rush to buy a condominium or settle anywhere precisely. I’d like to explore the places I haven’t been to… and after 1, 2 or 3 years, I’ll see my best options. My hands are free. Nothing is cast in stone yet,
Thank you !

On 7/12/2023 at 1:46 AM, VinnieK said:

I would look at other (nearer) possibilities..Georgia, E Europe,, Turkey, Egypt maybe 

Their culture, food etc is way closer to us than Thailand.

Yeah..even the Muslim ones.

Also, bear in mind that you will have emergencies as you age.

Suddenly, France is on the other side of the world and you are stuck in a Thai hospital with no friends/family ????

Hi there,
I don’t see myself living in a muslim country. Islam is a set of values and ideas I don’t always feel confortable with. Eastern Europe ? Yeah, why not, but then, I felt well in Thailand…
I don’t have really many friends nor family here so … that wouldn’t be an issue. I’m pretty much alone. As for the dire prospect of « being stuck » in a thai hospital far from france, well… I believe I would have to research information and see how I could get a reasonably good health insurance. I hope I could afford a reasonably good health insurance but I also believe that I’ll have to live and die somewhere.
I’m not sure I would go back to france, ever
I need a change. I haven’t felt that much happy living in france altogether. I would probably not miss it at all. Europe is good to grow and work but then, apart from that, it’s better to move on.
Thai food is excellent,