Is Thailand Value for money

[YankeeDK]

Hopefully I will retire to Thailand in the coming years, and I was wondering how to best invest my money to get a decent and safe return.

 

• Which countries are you invested in? Why?
• What are you invested in? Why?

 

After googling a lot, a good bet seems to be an international account with Charles Schwab investing in global ETFs. Has anyone done that and willing to give some insight to whether it's a good idea?

 

I'm an EU citizen, if that matters.

[chicowoodduck]

I invest in myself, and that is why I still have money....???

[steven100]

Find a nice Thai girlfriend down Nana way and then invest 2,000,000 baht in a bar. 

[thrilled]

I’m invested in US.The Dow.S&P. fANG stocks. KO,J&J,T,VZ,just to name A few.

[connda]

45 minutes ago, chicowoodduck said:

I invest in myself, and that is why I still have money....???

Looks like you work for the Juárez Cartel.  Lol.  <just kiddin'> 

[simoh1490]

I'm split between Thailand and the UK, 65% in Thai assets and 35% in the UK and it's been that way for a few years.

 

Uk assets are divided between cash (21%), investments in global funds (35%), self-invested pension (39%), Bonds (9%), misc. (6%). FWIW my UK investment portfolio's returned about 12% on average in 2017 but they are cautious since I am retired, some funds returned 24%. My funds are spread globally,  UK 15%, US 18%, EU 12%, Japan 15%, Asia 6%, India 5%, Emerging. , 12% emerging plus misc.

 

Thai assets are divided between (interest bearing) cash (19%), time deposits (32%), LTF's (3%), property (42%) misc (4%).

 

My income is in GBP, USD and THB.

Edited January 3, 2018 by simoh1490

[whaleboneman]

I'm investing in marijuana. So far, so good.

Check out Weed, ACB and others on the Canadian TSX.

[murraynz]

its a pity that thai visa respondents arent capable of giving a more serious response to your sensible,realistic question....its always important to have varied investments... i dont realy have---but gain most of my income from property in nz, rentals and prop syndicate net returns---parts of australia good also...plus regular capital gains to take care of inflation...

have very nice freehold condo in pattaya, so cheap cost of living--

i have more than i can ever sensibly spend---love thai women---but would NEVER  invest in them---thats the best way to losse the above after many years of hard work and sacrifice...

keeping healthy is even more important than having good income---

[seancbk]

I'm primarily invested into my business here in Thailand.   Also looking to start another completely unrelated business in 2018.

My other investments are all crypto currencies.  I will continue to expand my crypto investments in 2018.   

[Nemises]

What: Physical Gold 

Where:Goldmoney Inc. Jersey (HQ)

Why: 

GOLDMONEY VS. ETF

The benefits of a Goldmoney holding include the assurance of knowing that gold, silver and platinum group metals are held in secure and insured vaults, fully identified as owned by individual Goldmoney clients. This form of direct individual ownership is superior to owning a share (or shares) of a corporate entity or trust, such as listed ETFs or other collective vehicles, for several reasons. First, a holding in a metal ETF is a form of indirect rather than direct legal ownership, as it is the intermediary, rather than individual, that owns the metal. 

Second, physical ETFs are designed so that their shares closely track the price of physical gold. For this service, they charge annual management fees of approximately 0.4-0.6% per annum. This is three to four times greater than the annual all-in fee paid by Goldmoney clients for the secure storage, bar testing, insurance, and audits of their gold as well as the full suite of additional features and services provided by Goldmoney. The higher fees associated with the ETFs are due in part to their requirements to comply with securities laws, including associated regulatory filings. These costs are higher than those incurred by Goldmoney in meeting its regulatory obligations. 

Third, some ETF prospectuses point to possible risks, such as that redemptions may be suspended temporarily or indefinitely at the discretion of the management company, and that custodians may be free to appoint sub-custodians, whose performance cannot be guaranteed. 

Finally, investors should also be aware that some ETFs do not own all physical metal directly, but gain their exposure to gold and silver prices in whole or part through futures, options, swaps, leases or other derivatives, which have some combination of exchange, issuer and counterparty risk. These risks can be difficult to quantify, in particular in the event of a financial crisis.

 

 

[smotherb]

3 hours ago, steven100 said:

Find a nice Thai girlfriend down Nana way and then invest 2,000,000 baht in a bar. 

What will you do next year?

[smotherb]

diversify

[Lacessit]

80% of assets in Australia, 20% cash only in Thailand. The assets in Australia produce income for my lifestyle in Thailand, while preserving my capital base.

Why Australia? It's what I understand. I don't know anything about investing in the US, UK, Europe or Asia. Rule 1 of investing is don't invest in anything you don't understand.

Edited January 3, 2018 by Lacessit

[Suradit69]

I'm invested via a US based broker. At the moment:

AMZA, KWEB, MSFT, OSTK, NHF SZC. FDC and others.

 

Have traditionally been largely invested in Closed End Funds that use options strategies that pay 8% to 10% in distributions, but recently the discount to NAV has been greatly reduced, in some case the market price has been higher than NAV for some funds as retail investors and institutions pile in. Eaton Vance (ETY, ETW, etc), Blackrock  (BCX, CII etc) and Voya (IGD, IRR etc) have equity funds that use options strategies.

[khunPer]

23 hours ago, YankeeDK said:

• Which countries are you invested in? Why?
• What are you invested in? Why?

EU-citizen, Danish, and I invested in property in my home country; and a bit in Danish and US stocks with my small retirement savings; and I was self-employed in music/disc business, which also left me with little cash to invest in stock within my company.

 

Why? Because I knew the Danish companies, and a few in US, well enough to take a risk, and imagine what would happen in longer term. Some few performed different from imagination, whilst most performed as expected, a few even surprisingly well...

 

When I decided for an early retirement in Thailand, I sold my property with enough profit after tax, to make my dream possible. I used some (a lot) of my money for a (dream) home in Land-of-Smiles, and the remaining smaller part were invested in stock market; which has performed relative Okay so far (totaling 50% - 100% in 5-year terms, including dividends). A tiny bit is also invested in SET (Stock Exchange of Thailand), which is performing equally Okay, with the stocks I selected for my portfolio.

 

I lived of my savings for 10-years (dividends plus some withdraws), until I became old enough for filling up with a small government retirement pension, and topped it little up from my own retirement savings; just enough for an Okay life-style that fits with my habits, and presumably much better – due to legal tax benefits and lower living expenses – than if I had stayed at home...

[simoh1490]

30 minutes ago, khunPer said:

EU-citizen, Danish, and I invested in property in my home country; and a bit in Danish and US stocks with my small retirement savings; and I was self-employed in music/disc business, which also left me with little cash to invest in stock within my company.

 

Why? Because I knew the Danish companies, and a few in US, well enough to take a risk, and imagine what would happen in longer term. Some few performed different from imagination, whilst most performed as expected, a few even surprisingly well...

 

When I decided for an early retirement in Thailand, I sold my property with enough profit after tax, to make my dream possible. I used some (a lot) of my money for a (dream) home in Land-of-Smiles, and the remaining smaller part were invested in stock market; which has performed relative Okay so far (totaling 50% - 100% in 5-year terms, including dividends). A tiny bit is also invested in SET (Stock Exchange of Thailand), which is performing equally Okay, with the stocks I selected for my portfolio.

 

I lived of my savings for 10-years (dividends plus some withdraws), until I became old enough for filling up with a small government retirement pension, and topped it little up from my own retirement savings; just enough for an Okay life-style that fits with my habits, and presumably much better – due to legal tax benefits and lower living expenses – than if I had stayed at home...

Well put, that's pretty much where I'm at, with he exception of the dream house that is, I got over that phase in my life, been there done that as they say..

[YankeeDK]

1 hour ago, khunPer said:

EU-citizen, Danish, and I invested in property in my home country; and a bit in Danish and US stocks with my small retirement savings; and I was self-employed in music/disc business, which also left me with little cash to invest in stock within my company.

 

Why? Because I knew the Danish companies, and a few in US, well enough to take a risk, and imagine what would happen in longer term. Some few performed different from imagination, whilst most performed as expected, a few even surprisingly well...

 

When I decided for an early retirement in Thailand, I sold my property with enough profit after tax, to make my dream possible. I used some (a lot) of my money for a (dream) home in Land-of-Smiles, and the remaining smaller part were invested in stock market; which has performed relative Okay so far (totaling 50% - 100% in 5-year terms, including dividends). A tiny bit is also invested in SET (Stock Exchange of Thailand), which is performing equally Okay, with the stocks I selected for my portfolio.

 

I lived of my savings for 10-years (dividends plus some withdraws), until I became old enough for filling up with a small government retirement pension, and topped it little up from my own retirement savings; just enough for an Okay life-style that fits with my habits, and presumably much better – due to legal tax benefits and lower living expenses – than if I had stayed at home...

I'm from Denmark too, but any investment you have in Denmark will be taxed in Denmark, right? As I understand if I keep my investments in Nordnet, I will keep paying the 27% tax even when I move from Denmark.

[AboutThaim]

12 hours ago, steven100 said:

Find a nice Thai girlfriend down Nana way and then invest 2,000,000 baht in a bar. 

Yeah! You'll make a small fortune!

[khunPer]

1 hour ago, YankeeDK said:

I'm from Denmark too, but any investment you have in Denmark will be taxed in Denmark, right? As I understand if I keep my investments in Nordnet, I will keep paying the 27% tax even when I move from Denmark.

No, only dividend from stocks.

 

When you sign out from Danish "SKAT" – i.e. move out ("fraflyttet"), and outside EU, and has no property in DK – your tax benefits are:

i) No withholding tax on earnings from retirement savings, which otherwise pt. is taxed by 15.3% ("pensionsskat");

ii) No tax on interest (since 2007), which means nothing to "0.05%" bank-interest, but something when investing in bonds, which is otherwise normal income tax;

iii) No capital gain tax on stocks, which is otherwise from 27 to almost 50%;

iv) But you'll pay normal dividend withholding tax of 27% (will probably be lowered in the future), which otherwise can be as high at almost 50%, if you have lots of dividend and reside in DK (using some mutual funds, you can sell before dividend is payed, and immediately buy back without right of dividend, and thereby save the dividend tax when living abroad);

v) Furthermore US stock's dividend will only be taxed with 15%, when living in Thailand (your bank/trade-platform will take care of that, when an initial document has be filled in and signed).

 

However income earned in Denmark – i.e. retirement pension, both government's "Folkepensions grundbeløb" and trade market "ATP", and you own tax-deducted retirement savings – will be taxed with 38% after your personal deduction ("personfradrag").

 

Dividends from Danish stocks will be taxed 27% withholding tax, from wherever you trade Danish stocks (if you are not a registered retirement foundation in specified countries like Malaysia and USA; i.e. the 12 billion kroner dividend tax fraud). Most countries will withhold dividend tax; Swedish dividend withholding tax from stocks are fx. higher than Danish; whilst Thai dividends are withheld taxed 10% only.

[khunPer]

1 hour ago, AboutThaim said:

13 hours ago, steven100 said:

Find a nice Thai girlfriend down Nana way and then invest 2,000,000 baht in a bar. 

Yeah! You'll make a small fortune!

Know one who almost did that – however, he invested three million baht instead of two – he did well and re-invested the profit in building three houses...

[steven100]

9 hours ago, khunPer said:

Know one who almost did that – however, he invested three million baht instead of two – he did well and re-invested the profit in building three houses...

do you remember the name of the bar  ?

[khunPer]

8 hours ago, steven100 said:

do you remember the name of the bar  ?

Yes...