The Real Marigold on Tour checks out retirement in Thailand

[Jingthing]

An interesting BBC series. Inspired by the Real Marigold Hotel movie where some old Brits retire in India. Now visiting various countries to explore different cultural aspects of aging, and one of those countries in Thailand. 

 

 

[wwest5829]

Growth industry potential for Thailand for sure. Combined with a caring cuture for the elderly, warm climate, international level health care and substantially lower costs, Thailand is very suited to appealing to an aging western population. The question will be if Thailand can bring these attributes together in a winning balance without being tempted to price gouge as the demand growth takes hold. Ah, to find that sustainable sweet spot!

[Dogbarker]

The biggest problem  with the episode in Chiang Mai was it did not look at how a real expat retired person could live here. The BBC messed up on a great opportunity It was badly produced ..was the biggest let down. How could they ignore the fact of the amount of retired folk living here already and how life is for them living with the real community. Fancy not showing our local M&S or that waitrose items are available with stores like tops rimping also and Tesco!!! let alone the expat  grown companies like sausage king and tower bridge where all those homely favourites are made. Big C with its lean towards franchise deli products cannot be forgotten .. Oh well maybe the  CM expat club and video group could produce the alternative real marigold  hotel featuring those similar to  The real Nieman condo coffee set and others... Maybe channel four would buy it :-)

I am fed up with all my UK friends who watched the program asking how my "Thai chi " is doing and I tell them the teacher was the local curry house (Hinlays) owner as I recall has ancestors from Scotland! That would have made a good story too! 

Forgot to mention the wonderful expats and their regular meets at immigration .. I hope the marigold had the tm30 completed haha!!

Edited January 19, 2018 by Dogbarker
Additional information

[tryasimight]

31 minutes ago, Dogbarker said:

The biggest problem  with the episode in Chiang Mai was it did not look at how a real expat retired person could live here. The BBC messed up on a great opportunity It was badly produced ..was the biggest let down. How could they ignore the fact of the amount of retired folk living here already and how life is for them living with the real community. Fancy not showing our local M&S or that waitrose items are available with stores like tops rimping also and Tesco!!! let alone the expat  grown companies like sausage king and tower bridge where all those homely favourites are made. Big C with its lean towards franchise deli products cannot be forgotten .. Oh well maybe the  CM expat club and video group could produce the alternative real marigold  hotel featuring those similar to  The real Nieman condo coffee set and others... Maybe channel four would buy it :-)

I am fed up with all my UK friends who watched the program asking how my "Thai chi " is doing and I tell them the teacher was the local curry house (Hinlays) owner as I recall has ancestors from Scotland! That would have made a good story too! 

Forgot to mention the wonderful expats and their regular meets at immigration .. I hope the marigold had the tm30 completed haha!!

Well there's at least 10 reasons for me to avoid CM.  Sounds like a UK ghetto. 

[PerkinsCuthbert]

Each to his own but I managed five minutes of that programme before feeling queasy; some no doubt like the Benidorm Effect, where it's just like home but with decent weather, but to me it seems such a waste to hang out with the same dreary people that you travelled six thousand miles to get away from. 

[Lacessit]

Can someone please supply a more potent adjective than embarrassing. The number of inaccuracies in the narration were mind-boggling. Can't the BBC afford researchers anymore?

 

[Jingthing]

Can someone please supply a more potent adjective than embarrassing. The number of inaccuracies in the narration were mind-boggling. Can't the BBC afford researchers anymore?
 

I think it's meant mostly for entertainment. I really enjoyed their segment on Florida in that regard.

Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[bumpkin]

This was a TV programme - what BBC executives consider to be "entertainment".  

 

It was not meant to be a factual documentary.

 

Don' take it too seriously.

 

 

[Jingthing]

36 minutes ago, bumpkin said:

This was a TV programme - what BBC executives consider to be "entertainment".  
 
It was not meant to be a factual documentary.
 
Don' take it too seriously.
 
 

Exactly and this segment is missing their really funny big star Miriam Margolyes from the Harry Potter movies.

 

 

She's doing a new series now on discovering current middle America called Miriams Big American Adventure.
 

Edited January 19, 2018 by Jingthing

[Dogbarker]

12 hours ago, tryasimight said:

Well there's at least 10 reasons for me to avoid CM.  Sounds like a UK ghetto. 

.. and americans french danish chinese japanese koreans and others.. so that will increase the reasons for you  not coming .. shame : - )

A new development has just commenced marketing  - Land and Houses - Villagio .. vintage ville  - complete with  a red telephone box and  London Underground sign .. .. looks like there is a southern tube line to CM now . Feels just like home !

[tryasimight]

5 hours ago, Dogbarker said:

.. and americans french danish chinese japanese koreans and others.. so that will increase the reasons for you  not coming .. shame : - )

A new development has just commenced marketing  - Land and Houses - Villagio .. vintage ville  - complete with  a red telephone box and  London Underground sign .. .. looks like there is a southern tube line to CM now . Feels just like home !

What!  No Pakistanis driving taxis....?Poor imitation of old blighty if you ask me. 

 

[ballpoint]

7 hours ago, tryasimight said:

What!  No Pakistanis driving taxis....?Poor imitation of old blighty if you ask me. 

 

But the whinging is about right.

[keithpa]

On 1/19/2018 at 9:41 AM, Dogbarker said:

The biggest problem  with the episode in Chiang Mai was it did not look at how a real expat retired person could live here. The BBC messed up on a great opportunity It was badly produced ..was the biggest let down. How could they ignore the fact of the amount of retired folk living here already and how life is for them living with the real community. Fancy not showing our local M&S or that waitrose items are available with stores like tops rimping also and Tesco!!! let alone the expat  grown companies like sausage king and tower bridge where all those homely favourites are made. Big C with its lean towards franchise deli products cannot be forgotten .. Oh well maybe the  CM expat club and video group could produce the alternative real marigold  hotel featuring those similar to  The real Nieman condo coffee set and others... Maybe channel four would buy it :-)

I am fed up with all my UK friends who watched the program asking how my "Thai chi " is doing and I tell them the teacher was the local curry house (Hinlays) owner as I recall has ancestors from Scotland! That would have made a good story too! 

Forgot to mention the wonderful expats and their regular meets at immigration .. I hope the marigold had the tm30 completed haha!!

Gotta agree, bloody boreing. It was all about themselves.

[toofarnorth]

1 hour ago, keithpa said:

Gotta agree, bloody boreing. It was all about themselves.

Gotta agree keithpa . When my eldets daughter and family were here we went to CNX , we missed the Thai chi , there was no ' I don't like mixing with people much and I don't enjoy eating out '.  There was 'er from the 3 c telling the fat one she was pretty there was the fat one saying 'er from the 3c should calm down . Dreadful stuff. Glad they went mid country and not further north. Rant over , now I will go and look deep into my being and to see if I can find myself.

[Jingthing]

2 hours ago, keithpa said:

Gotta agree, bloody boreing. It was all about themselves.

Wherever you go, there you are.

Choosing another country or a place within that country (or even within your own country) is often a matter of personal temperament whether the place is a reasonable match or not. 

But it gets complicated because there is lots of evidence that human beings don't have much skill in predicting what will make them happy in the future. 

Edited January 20, 2018 by Jingthing

[i claudius]

An interesting BBC series. Inspired by the Real Marigold Hotel movie where some old Brits retire in India. Now visiting various countries to explore different cultural aspects of aging, and one of those countries in Thailand. 
 
 

I am sure you must watch tv through our window.because i watch all the series you recomend. Like minds i suppose

Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[keithpa]

10 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Wherever you go, there you are.

Choosing another country or a place within that country (or even within your own country) is often a matter of personal temperament whether the place is a reasonable match or not. 

But it gets complicated because there is lots of evidence that human beings don't have much skill in predicting what will make them happy in the future. 

What on gods earth are you on about?

[nglodnig]

The BBCs charter says their "mission" is to "Inform, educate and entertain" - well none out of three ain't bad

[Nurseynutcase]

I didn't see the programme, however my friends in the UK did.

 

It has persauded them to come here for a holiday - something I have not managed to do in three years of living here.

 

Good for the Beeb in getting my friends to come and see me.

[NancyL]

These four Brits came to Chiang Mai and engaged in tourist activities -- they didn't investigate what it would be like to live here as retirees.  When the producers were scouting out CM, I was involved in several meetings and it was evident the producers already had their minds made up about some "story angles" they wanted to pursue.  Fortunately, most of their wacky ideas were dropped -- like showing a "typical" expat home where the expat couple employed "servants", yes that was their term "servants".  Another angle they wanted to explore was how an older, overweight expat woman could come here and find true love in meeting another expat man or a younger, handsome Thai guy.  They wanted me to introduce them to women who fit this profile.  Trouble is, I don't know any and I was president of CM Expats Club for three years and organizer of Expats Ladies Lunch for six years, so I'd probably know if such a thing were possible.  

 

The idea that expat retirees can join in the weekly classes of the Thai elderly people is far-fetched.  Didn't they ask why no other expats were present in the Thai elder class?  Instead, they should have gone to a CM Expats Club breakfast or one of the special interest groups like Computer Club, Ladies Lunch or Bridge Club.  Yes, expat retirees do have massages, learn to mediate and get dental work (that woman needs crowns due to severe dental erosion, not just teeth whitening), but they didn't present a true overview of retiree life here.