How was your first day of retirement LoS

[Golden Triangle]

Nearly 6 years ago I burnt all my bridges with regard to the UK, I had sold my house (for a very small profit after 23 years) took early retirement and booked a one way ticket to Thailand.

 

I had money in the bank, I had and still have a gorgeous girlfriend who takes good care of me today, and at the time I had booked an apartment in what I can only now describe as feeling like a prison (bars on windows and doors and we were 4 floors up).

 

Due to jet lag I awoke very early the next morning, I made a cup of coffee and wandered out onto the tiny balcony with a ciggie in hand, I watched the Sun rise on the Darkside of Pattaya and the nasty Green pool water that was supposed to be the swimming pool, I looked at the palms swaying gently in the early morning breeze and wondered "Have I done the right thing" ? Too late now mate I thought to myself, no going back now, I really did have butterflies in my stomach. 

 

Happily 6 years (nearly) later I can say yes I did the right thing, I've had a ball, have you ? I would be interested to know.

[i claudius]

Well i semi retired when i was 55 retired full time at 60 .efore that i had taken a few sabaticles of a year or two to do things that i wanted to do.luckily i was always able to work when i wanted and do other things when i wanted .we came here full time nearly 12 years ago.i had a buisiness here before that .that allowed me to come and go.i dont really know what being fully retired is as i always "did something " to make a few bob .legal i hasten to add but doing what i like now is great

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[Nemises]

Nearly 6 years ago I burnt all my bridges with regard to the UK, I had sold my house (for a very small profit after 23 years) took early retirement and booked a one way ticket to Thailand.
 
I had money in the bank, I had and still have a gorgeous girlfriend who takes good care of me today, and at the time I had booked an apartment in what I can only now describe as feeling like a prison (bars on windows and doors and we were 4 floors up).
 
Due to jet lag I awoke very early the next morning, I made a cup of coffee and wandered out onto the tiny balcony with a ciggie in hand, I watched the Sun rise on the Darkside of Pattaya and the nasty Green pool water that was supposed to be the swimming pool, I looked at the palms swaying gently in the early morning breeze and wondered "Have I done the right thing" ? Too late now mate I thought to myself, no going back now, I really did have butterflies in my stomach. 
 
Happily 6 years (nearly) later I can say yes I did the right thing, I've had a ball, have you ? I would be interested to know.

OP great topic! Should generate many posts.

Pleased to hear that all is still good after 5+ years.

Would you mind sharing where in LOS you are living/have lived?

[Golden Triangle]

35 minutes ago, Gregster said:

OP great topic! Should generate many posts.

Pleased to hear that all is still good after 5+ years.

Would you mind sharing where in LOS you are living/have lived?

Currently living in a nice quiet gated village out on the Darkside of Pattaya, I have actually spent an awful lot of time in Korat before I moved here full time, and I and the Mrs have travelled extensively throughout Western, Northern & Eastern provinces enjoying everything that they have to offer, I have seen more of Thailand than many people who tend to move here and stay put, we're heading South soon, but that is a very special trip that will be highlighted on one of the threads here sometime soon  

 

 

[jeab1980]

Remember it well only 7 months ago.

Woke up to the sweet tunes and terrible singing of a new teacher singing theThai anthem. (Newbies always get the job till the next one comes).

Thinking to myself wonderfull no more waking up early. No more kids day in day out. Just potter around and be at peace with the world in my own little oasis.

Then the dream was over got bored rigid now back part time lol. 

 

Edited September 12, 2017 by jeab1980

[nanglong218]

Oh Je ab, my nemesis.  I came here to farm my wife's land, a lifetime dream to be a farmer. I'm busy in the early and later hours when temps permit,  Buy ten shirts for 500baht in the local market, cut the sleeves off, you still need 3 a day. Dry them on the line, six shirts a day.  Melanoma loves Celtic/Saxon skin.   I can't handle this isolation from English conversation, my missus speaks good English (10  years in Melbourne) but......

[nanglong218]

So back to the OP's question. The first day is enthusiasm   then you get real.  You better have some plan up your sleeve or the boredom  will get to you very quick. Pattaya pissed me off after a fortnight. The rest is history, you can read it.

[Tidybeard]

Hi Op

Been here three years, love the lack of corporate stress and bullshit, love the early morning walks in the mountains, got involved in Rotary Club, and Hash House Harriers, always manage to keep busy. Travel like crazy too ... usually take a 2 month tour to explore, last year was Africa the previous year was Australia... all in all the best move I have ever made :) 

[klauskunkel]

Came here at the tender age of 44 and retired. No more suit & tie. Do what I want. Hah!

[impulse]

Not sure it's a good idea to lump the first day of any retirement in with the first day of Thailand retirement.

 

Retirement itself brings on all kinds of dynamics no matter where you spend the first year or so.  So does a Thailand "adventure" in long term residence- and much different from a fixed term Thai holiday where you know you're going back home eventually.

 

[Juan B Tong]

Inane #2

[aussiandrew]

I need to back to work for a rest.....

[Suradit69]

I bought my condo more than five years before I retired and used it for two or three months a year all that time. so it was already my home away from home before it became my full time retirement home. No surprises on that front. And now it's been nearly 11 years since I did retire and took up full-time residence here.

 

Can't recall my first day very well. It was probably taken up on the phone arranging for the clearance of my air freight and doing some stocking up at Friendship and Big C ( Carrefour at the time as I recall) and arranging for satellite TV,  getting a mobile phone number and getting Internet  installed, etc.

 

It would have taken a week before I felt fully settled in, but I do recall feeling both excited and a little bit ill at ease, not about Thailand but with the idea that I had made the decision to end my fairly comfortable employment situation in the UAE.

 

More than a decade later I have no regrets, still enjoy life in Thailand. More from dumb luck than astute planning I ended up in a good building in a good location with a great view and have made a few very good friends. All things considered I feel very fortunate.

[Suradit69]

12 hours ago, nanglong218 said:

You better have some plan up your sleeve or the boredom  will get to you very quick. 

I thought you had cut off your sleeves.

 

12 hours ago, nanglong218 said:

Buy ten shirts for 500baht in the local market, cut the sleeves off, you still need 3 a day.

 

[bert bloggs]

13 hours ago, nanglong218 said:

So back to the OP's question. The first day is enthusiasm   then you get real.  You better have some plan up your sleeve or the boredom  will get to you very quick. Pattaya pissed me off after a fortnight. The rest is history, you can read it.

 

Boredom ,ive heard about that , but never ever experianced it , luckily my wife and son have lived in the UK and speak perfect English (well our son does) and after 20 years together the wife and i really like each others company , so life is good .

[Andrew Dwyer]

My first day here in LOS retired was full of trepidation, I was kinda on the rebound and worried that my judgement was wrong !!

I'd recently escaped a failed 20 year marriage in Brazil, planned to retire and go back to the uk but after doing some jobs in Thailand in my later working years that plan changed and here I am !!

 

Been retired 18 months, took it easy the first year to make sure I  really liked the place (and the girl ?), now have gone " all in " and am lovin' it .

 

Still doing the odd job outside of LOS and visiting the uk occasionally ( elderly father ), but have moved into a house a couple of months ago ( with the gf ) so there's not enough hours in the day !!

 

so, I guess the answer to OP is :

 

First day, excited but wary at the same time.

 

Now, life is good ? 

[connda]

I donned a day pack and set out for some urban hiking around Democracy Circle, Thammasat University, The Grand Palace, and areas bordering the Chao Phraya river, then that night I danced in the rain with a few hundred Thais at an outdoor concert at Pom Phra Sumen park.  I got a huge kick out of how many tuk tuk drivers and street scam artists tried to do there best to get me to 'go see Giant Swing and Laying Buddha and buy emerald, and have sexy girl for you go to boom-boom.'  Lol.
I looked exactly like a aging, male, retired tourist.  Unfortunately for them that was not the first time I had been in the country.  So I also enjoyed playing the players.  
Day one of retirement in Thailand over 10 years ago.  Now just a pleasant memory.

Edited September 13, 2017 by connda

[Lucky mike]

The grass is brown on both sides ?

[smotherb]

I've spent the majority of my adult life in Southeast Asia--Thailand, first in 1967. Consequently, I had no drastic break from my home country. I still own property there and have not burned any bridges--see no reason to do that, even though I do not often return; eleven years now. However, the first day of retirement in Thailand was a couple of days before Christmas, 2006. My wife and I stayed at the old Golden Palace on soi 1 Sukhumvit--the hotel I always stayed in when single in the 60's and 70's. It seems most of the usual hotels I stayed with my wife were booked, so I called the GP to see if they had a room; the room clerk remembered my name even though I hadn't been there for at least 30 years--nice touch. We had a great dinner at La Buca, a small Italian restaurant on soi 1, and my wife returned to the hotel while hit the old haunts and looked-up some old friends. Had a great time, downed far too many drinks and swapped far too many war stories; but returned safely to the GP sometime before daylight. All in all a pretty good first day of Thai retirement.

[murraynz]

i came to pattaya 2/3 times per year,then bought a condo in pattaya,2yrs  before actually retiring here, so it was a gradual process,still own property in home country and recieve passive income.

retiring is great-its great having money and freetime-to do exactly as i wish.

sometimes i have to pinch myself--is this lfe for real?

i keep busy, the heat is tiring---try not to get too lazy

 

[edwardflory]

My first day:  ( 2 weeks after actual - not going to work,) retirement started after 26 hours travel to Swampy. Landed around 02:40, thru immigration and customs and in cab to hotel by 03:45. 

Same hotel I stay at on previous trips, took reservation by phone call, no deposit.  Told them my GF would check in around 20:00 or so, no problem. 04:00 Ar hotel, told to go to room and get some sleep - they already had paperwork from previous stay. GF asleep ,( just off  15 day12 hour work schedule ) took shower, went to bed.  Woke up around 08,:00 being molested by GF, after 30 or so minutes, back to sleep - she did "clean up for both" as I slept, then she went out for food and etc.

Finally woke around noon to a prepaired meal. After meal went to lobby to pay for room and officially sign in  - 50% discount since they knew I was going to live here. Greeted by name by most of the hotel staff .

Went shopping - had wired $300 to her account in advance, so had THB to spend.

Rest of day shopping and eating and going to places around hotel. Bed time 20:00 or so.....need I explain more....

The first 20 hours AFTER official retirement.

 

Edited September 13, 2017 by edwardflory
spelling

[jeab1980]

32 minutes ago, Lucky mike said:

The grass is brown on both sides ?

No not so greener than its ever been

[Searat7]

The first day brings the realization you are no longer here as a tourist and you must search around for goods and services. It is quite different coming here as a tourist for a week or two vs. living here. 

[lovelomsak]

I was single back then. So I simply had 2 young women come my room and spent the day in carnal lust. n the evening they left i went out had  noodles went back to room to sleep.

[grollies]

Day one spent looking for the frigging cat we brought over from the UK.

[JLCrab]

How was my first day after moving indefinitely to Thailand? It really sucked but I soon recovered. what I realized is that I would not be getting married in Thailand and still have not.

Edited September 13, 2017 by JLCrab

[khunPer]

22 hours ago, Golden Triangle said:

...I've had a ball, have you ? I would be interested to know.

12 years ago it was time for my move out for an early retirement. Still had my property back home in cold Denmark to be sold, I would come back some weeks the following spring or summer and sign papers, and clear the last bits, when a real estate agent had done his job. Furthermore, that part of my self-employed business activities, disc duplication, which could not be continued digitally online, I would just forget; not even worth the effort to sell it as business, just advertise the machines for sale at a cheap price, when I got to LoS.

 

I expected my little savings, and later some profit from my property, could take financially care of my future, together with a minor government retirement pension – which would be due only some 8-years ahead – if I lived a financially modest life-style, which is not that bad a life-style when living in Thailand. 15-year before I’d been futuristic joking about wireless computer, and sitting in the shadow of a palm at a Bounty-island beach doing my business, whilst smiling ladies were bringing cold drinks; we all had a good laugh back then – but I later learned, that I was not that impossible – it was actually extremely possible in LoS, even with a financial modest life-style...

 

My Thai Air flight check-in was 12 noon, so I should leave my home in the morning to get to airport in due time, in case of delays in traffic. Late afternoon the day before, a blank media supplier called and asked me about my disc duplication and replication business. »You’re not going to close that business, then send it all out to me, I'll buy it,« he said. A business colleague, who was going to join me on the flight to Thailand, heading there himself also, helped me packing all machines and stock – we worked all night, without any sleep – and early in the morning I called for two trucks to move loads of pallets out, containing the duplication factory; just in time for us to head for the airport.

 

Not a problem to sleep on the eastbound night flight from Europe to Bangkok, so my “first day of retirement in LoS” began 6 am local time in Bangkok’s Don Mueng Airport, rushing through Immigration, and collecting luggage, and running to domestic in hope of getting tickets for an early morning bird to Samui. Back in September 2005, life as commuter between Copenhagen and Samui was fairly easy, not that long queues, and in the tiny old Samui arrival terminal you just took your luggage and walked out – the past year I’d been doing that trip 7 times, so I had my car waiting for me just outside the arrival, long-time parked for an outrageous 50-bath fee. At 10 am I was ready for two hours relaxing oil-massage, much needed after the previous hard nights work. I had already for some time rented a small bungalow close to the beach, so I knew how my future in paradise would hopefully begin; and my first day was exactly as expected, and after a cozy afternoon it was time for a delicious Thai dinner, and a party-night out in Chaweng Beach...

 

12-years after, my former replication business is still going strong, and the new owner is still happy. And 12-year after, I’m still at the same beach – and same-same lovely girlfriend – but I got rid of my homeland property in due time, and replaced the small profit with my own Land-of-Smile dream-house. So now I can sit on the beach in the shadow of a palm, doing my wireless online business – i.e. checking that I still have enough savings to survive little more time – whilst a smiling girl brings me a cool drink; just like in my unattainable dreams, many years before...

 

If there’s something I should regret? Well, then it’s that I didn’t do all this 10-years earlier...

[nanglong218]

To expand on this, 6 months now have been spent building up farm buildings, an intense period. I need a break now, a time to relax.  Balance.  No 18yo tottie, just good conversation over a couple beers.

[cyberfarang]

During my first couple of years of retirement in the LOS, good old Chiang Mai, I thought I`d died and gone to heaven. Every morning I woke up feeling refreshed thinking how wonderful the world has become for me, oh boy I must be the most luckiest guy in the Universe. And then it`s been downhill ever since. My home currency exchange rates have gone down the toilet,  the beautiful young Thai girls that I believed would be lusting over my body proved to be gold diggers and too expensive and all the expectations I had of meeting exciting new people and making great new friends, with garden parties, sipping cocktails by the pool with a dolly bird on each arm, never ending invites to parties and social occasions never transpired. But besides all the disappointments, it`s not been too bad.

Edited September 13, 2017 by cyberfarang

[JLCrab]

One beautiful young Thai girl lusting after your body and resting on your arm should be enough as long as she is the right one.