ChintaHuma

I used to be like that. I was a digital nomad without reading Makimoto's book "Digital Nomad". I started my travel after reading Tim Feriss's 4-hour work week in 2008 and continued till 2019. Covid put a break in my travel and from there my life started going downhill. Google tells me I have visited 80 cities in three continents. Now I don't have any enthusiasm for travel anymore.

It takes time. How can Thailand expects pre-Covid Chinese arrivals in two months only. It will take a few years.

After I started listing my expenses, it seems I may be able to afford health insurance. I have been to Bogota and I liked it. But never been to Coffee Triangle. May be I should make a trip to get the vibe. But there are no beaches I assume in the coffee triangle. Thanks for the suggestions.

There are credit cards for that. But, with all the discussions (discussions help) and after listing my expenses it appears I may be able to afford health insurance with my 2K USD budget.

I am assuming 60,000 for 2K USD to be on the safe side Good questions. Let me try to list it. I may over estimate to be on the safe side. Rent 15,000, Electricity, water, Internet, phone, entertainment (movies, netflix, etc.): 5,000 Foods 15,000 Transportation 3,000 Misc. 2000 House cleaning 1500 Health insurance 10,000 Weed 6,000 Did I miss anything else? Hey, it seems I can afford health insurance. Why everybody is making a big deal about health insurance?

Thank you @Jingthing. Very sensible suggestions. Gives me some hope in this despair time. I like Pattaya (specially the Jomtien area). I don't like Thailand's rural areas or the islands. Pattaya has foods from all over the World and my favorite foods like Japanese, Korean, Middle Eastern, Indian, and good burgers. Malls are also good and have good food courts. I could spend half a day window shopping in the Malls. Movie theaters are excellent and there are a few. Jomtien beach is OK. When in Pattaya. my morning routine was walking to Jomtien beach and sit there for a few hours. Can go anywhere in Pattaya for few baht using Songtaw or Bolt for 100 baht. My only concern is health insurance.

With five million and $2,000 income from SS, it is possible to retire in the USA also. Just buy a house for 50K USD in the USA for 10K down and you will be OK. Many people do that also.

How to generate more money? Any ideas appreciated.

Yes that is one issue I still struggling about. The two options I have outlined earlier. The third option is to buy health insurance, let's say 100K per year, So for three years it is only 300K. And after that I can always get into Medicare and in emergency I can move to the USA. In Medicare and Medigap and it will be $300/month. Even if I am not able to enroll in Medigap, the states will pick up my expenses. For that I need a house in the USA. Doing research for the best states to buy a cheap house for 50K USD that I can rent out when I am in Thailand. Don't need any relationship now. Don't want to get into business in Thailand. I already have a website that generates $100/month profit now. It used to generate $6,000/month profit but I neglected it for long due to personal reasons and too much stress. I will work on my website to increase its profits again. I have also opened an etsy site for selling print on demand products. I have tested a few book and album cover design in Fiverr and I generated $80 last month. I have lots of ideas for side hustles that does not involve opening businesses in Thailand. I was a digital nomad for ten years when most people never heard of the term "digital nomad".

Please send me a message if you're reluctant to post here. You're living in Thailand for 17 years and have not left yet. Can you suggest a few other places?

Never been to Hua Hin but I am very familiar with Pattay. You mean Hua Hin does not not have sex tourists? Jomtian area in Pattay and beaches are OK. I used to sit on Jomtian beaches and never felt bad.

Can you please elaborate. Thanks.

Yes, that is always in my mind. I have a two options I am exploring and all suggestions are welcome. Option 1. If I get SS at FRA and I can fully enroll in Medicare for $300 (current prices) in many places in the USA. In emergency I will go to USA. But right now I don't have a place in the USA to stay. I can buy a small house in many states in USA (still looking) for $50K with 10K down payment but I need an income. Life is not easy. Option 2. India is cheap for medical purposes. May be I can use my credit cards if need arises. Not sure how long banks will keep my available credits now that they will know I am divorced.

Why? Can you please elaborate it more. Thanks

Recently divorced. I have travelled all over the World counting 80 cities according to Google. I'm familiar with Thailand and a long time Thailand visitor. Have only 5 million Baht after divorce settlement. Have not started SS yet. FRA is still five years and I will get around $3,000 at FRA (at current prices according to mySocialSecurity.gov website) but now only $2,000. Planning to go to Thailand to retire and live there for five years before I apply for SS at FRA. Expected monthly expenses $2,000 in Thailand and that will be around 24Kx5 = 120K. I will be left with only one million at FRA when I start getting SS. I know it is too much to open up one's financial and health situation in a forum but life takes unfortunate turns and you never know where it leads. Coming in April with TV. Planning to live in Pattaya because I like beaches and want to stay close to Bangkok. I don't drink and not able to perform sexually for the last one year due to an operation. Please don't laugh and post caustic comments. So no attraction for ladies and bars. What else I can do in Pattaya? I like beaches and want to just spend my time on the beaches till I die. I have a website that makes around $200/month now and after expenses, I profit $100/month. May be I can work on my website to increase its profit to $600/month and I am sure I could to that in two/three years if I focus on it. Please advice all that is required for retirement in Thailand. I know I have to keep 800K in a bank account but I have also read in FB groups that one can get a retirement visa through agents that don't require keeping 800K. Is applying SS at FRA is better option or applying now and start life time reduced payment to preserve my five million baht is better? I'm originally from Surinam of Indian ancestry but settled in the USA for 40-years. Recently I have become a weed smoker and there is no shortage of weed in Thailand and it is legal now.