Even at 38 baht to the pound most retirees won’t and cannot leave Thailand

[Thailand]

38 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

So how do you get your Retirement Extension?

I suppose you could have additional pensions or have more then 800,000 baht in the bank?

[Lacessit]

9 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Through an agency or get married and get a 1 year marriage extension.

Get married just to stay here? How desperate does one have to be?

[Fat Prophet]

3 hours ago, ThaiPauly said:

People will just have to suck it up, especially if they have a wife, let alone children.

 

If they want to go back to their country of origin and take their wife then there are all the visa issues, if they are past retirement age they have to show 62,000 GBP in the bank in the UK for example, they have to show they have somewhere to live in the UK......impossible unless they are going to live with their children.

 

It just won't work.

 

So stay they must until things improve and the pound climbs which it won't until Brexit has been finalised one way or the other

 

 

The original blog article is void of any explanation as to why a British expat living in Thailand must stay in Thailand and not depart for home, as was his initial premise. At least your post gives a glimmer as to the problems/issues in packing up and heading home. But, the expats living in Thailand are not a homogeneous group. Those without a family and without a house or condo will be the first to go, and may have started leaving already, if not for England, perhaps for other more affordable and "friendly" places to call home, like The Philippines. Those with a wife but without kids will be next, but having kids in Thailand, if you care about their education is quite expensive, and with free education and affordable health care back in the UK, relocating with the family in tow may be very attractive if you can meet the legal requirements for emigration with the family. And those with all of their assets (house/condo) in Thailand will likely be the last to go, as those assets are presently hard to sell at anything other than distressed prices, which may not leave much for resettling back in the UK. But if you can get a reasonable price for your Thai house or condo, the very poor exchange rate means that you will send home a reasonable number of Pounds for the lower selling price in Baht -- bad exchange rates work very well in reverse. So, those British expats with a family, wife and kids, and a house in Thailand and little assets or income other than a pension may be "stuck" in Thailand, but (and of course there are always exceptions) those are the only ones that are/maybe truly stuck without real options to head for home. And if the Pound falls to the 38 level, with a reasonable expectation to stay there for a prolonged period of time (that is, I think, the real issue …. for how long? more than 1 year is the necessary time period for people to make significant living changes), notwithstanding the view of the OP, British expats in Thailand will be leaving in significant numbers. 

Edited August 17, 2018 by Fat Prophet
clarification

[ThaiPauly]

1 hour ago, james1995 said:

they could take up an income producing hobby.  might supplement their incomes.  i run a little online gig and it's bringing in 30,000 baht weekly.  started out as a hobby and now i'm doing it full time.  people are so jealous because they don't believe me.  but here i am, living in thailand on it.

If you would be kind enough to share your business plan here then a lot of people who may possibly have to leave may be able to stay.

 

It would be a very noble gesture on your part and would stop this ridiculous jealousy as they would have the opportunity to follow your business ideas.

 

 

[Kwasaki]

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Get married just to stay here? How desperate does one have to be?

Yeah well up to you if you like being single, I never liked my time being single, I'm a family man and married to my Thai wife 15 years,  I've still got my man cave and independents and my hobbies.

My kids from my other 3 marriages come and visit me here in Thailand and luv it. 

Edited August 17, 2018 by Kwasaki

[Lacessit]

3 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Yeah well up to you if you like being single, I never liked my time being single, I'm a family man and married to my Thai wife 15 years,  I've still got my man cave and independents and my hobbies.

My kids from my other 3 marriages come and visit me here in Thailand and luv it. 

I've been married once. I didn't say I was single, just in a relationship other than marriage.

My GF and I spend two weeks together, one week apart. Works for both of us.

 

[Jip99]

14 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I've been married once. I didn't say I was single, just in a relationship other than marriage.

My GF and I spend two weeks together, one week apart. Works for both of us.

 

 

Sounds like a possible recipe for success...

 

 

Managing the time apart is as important as managing the time together..

[Jip99]

6 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Get married just to stay here? How desperate does one have to be?

 

 

It’s only 30 Baht.....

[Lacessit]

1 minute ago, Jip99 said:

 

 

It’s only 30 Baht.....

If you reckon getting married is only going to cost you 30 baht, I have news for you.

Our beloved government in Australia would halve my pension. A Thai wife would not get any pension, because she is not an Australian citizen. Those are the rules.

[Phuket Man]

The racist brexiteers have got a lot to answer for.

Wrecked the country and put a lot of people in deep doodah

[Jip99]

7 hours ago, robblok said:

I am talking about Brexit supporters who are expats. They have nothing to gain or lose from a Brexit besides financial issues as they don't live there. So for them it would be about money. If you reside in the UK I can understand being pro or against Brexit as it really affect your life. If you live here it only affects your income. 

 

 

The answer is is the same..

 

You clearly don’t understand that is not just about “me”........ kids for example....

 

Also, the option to go back - not that I would ever wish to exercise that option - would be to a country not under EU rule.

[Jip99]

4 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

If you reckon getting married is only going to cost you 30 baht, I have news for you.

Our beloved government in Australia would halve my pension. A Thai wife would not get any pension, because she is not an Australian citizen. Those are the rules.

 

I am not from Oz.... I guess that only a mug would tell their beloved government....?

 

 

The answer is still 30 Baht.

Edited August 17, 2018 by Jip99

[Lacessit]

2 minutes ago, Jip99 said:

 

I am not from Oz.... I guess that only a mug would tell their beloved government....?

 

 

The answer is still 30 Baht.

Maybe for you. As for being a mug, I play it straight. The mugs are the ones who get caught and squeal like stuck pigs when they are penalised. Governments do exchange information.

[cyberfarang]

There are going to be casualties and the illegal workers and visa over stayers will increase. For the rest of us Brits in Thailand, it`s going to mean really having to tighten the belts. Probably make it through the months with basic living and having to count every penny/baht, but it`s not going to be fun. Social will be out and making cut backs all round.

 

Question is, how long is this going to last?

[Henryford]

9 hours ago, cyberfarang said:

There are going to be casualties and the illegal workers and visa over stayers will increase. For the rest of us Brits in Thailand, it`s going to mean really having to tighten the belts. Probably make it through the months with basic living and having to count every penny/baht, but it`s not going to be fun. Social will be out and making cut backs all round.

 

Question is, how long is this going to last? 

Until the 30th March 2019. Once we leave the Evil Empire Britain and the Pound will flourish.

[robblok]

11 hours ago, Jip99 said:

 

 

The answer is is the same..

 

You clearly don’t understand that is not just about “me”........ kids for example....

 

Also, the option to go back - not that I would ever wish to exercise that option - would be to a country not under EU rule.

I guess you found EU rule oppressive.. never had that feeling. Guess we are all different. 

[robblok]

1 hour ago, Henryford said:

Until the 30th March 2019. Once we leave the Evil Empire Britain and the Pound will flourish.

Care to take a wager on that one ? To have a strong economy your currency has to be low to be competitive. You also need to be part of a big trading block then you get better deals.. guess what the UK leaves a big trading block and your higher rate is not good for the economy. So I guess your predicting is not going to come true.

 

Maybe a small wager would be in order ?

[Kwasaki]

12 hours ago, Jip99 said:

Sounds like a possible recipe for success...

Managing the time apart is as important as managing the time together..

For some it works if you don't mind sharing.

Didn't work for me working away in one marriage.

[BritManToo]

20 hours ago, hyku1147 said:

Yep! Lots of undernourished bar gals these days. ?

 

A healthy guy can live good on small money. It just takes practice. Good corner rooms with free good WiFi, and free sheets and towels maid service, can be had for 5 to 6 thousand baht. Chicken breasts are cheap and abundant - as are fresh fruits and vegetables. Great tasting coffee can be had for 4 to 6 hundred baht a kilo. Gym memberships for 6 thousand baht a year. Cooking is easy with a rice cooker and a microwave - thus leaving lots of cash for important naughty activities.?

I agree with you apart from your expensive accommodation. Plenty of decent places near me from 1,500-4,000bht/month.

New furnished apartments at the end of my road for 2k/month with free wifi and a swimming pool within 100m.

Edited August 18, 2018 by BritManToo

[janclaes47]

22 hours ago, webfact said:

For curiosity I wanted to run a scenario at a 38 baht to the UK pound and crunch some numbers around that point.

 

22 hours ago, webfact said:

So let’s say £1,069 a month which is 45,000 baht to live on in Thailand.

 

I think maths also wasn't Dan's favourite subject at school

[BritManToo]

19 hours ago, Fat Prophet said:

but having kids in Thailand, if you care about their education is quite expensive,

Not true,

Standard government schools are fine for intelligent kids, the pretend expensive hiso schools don't do any better. It's all image.

If you really care about your kid's education, you'll be moving back to your home country.

[BritManToo]

12 hours ago, cyberfarang said:

There are going to be casualties and the illegal workers and visa over stayers will increase. For the rest of us Brits in Thailand, it`s going to mean really having to tighten the belts. Probably make it through the months with basic living and having to count every penny/baht, but it`s not going to be fun. Social will be out and making cut backs all round.

 

Question is, how long is this going to last?

I mainly stay in my house, saving money just means less fewer hookers calling round.

Edited August 18, 2018 by BritManToo
fewer = things you can count.

[strikingsunset]

IMHO  25 baht to the GBP would be the tipping point,  then Thailand an unsustainably expensive a place to be.

[theoldgit]

20 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Forget what it was before Brexit 49 I think.

On the date of the referendum the rate was 51.13 (Kasikorn cash rate for that day)

 

The rate at close of play yesterday was 40.77, so a fall of about 20%, certainly not an insignificant reduction.

 

This site gives a good picture.

https://www.poundsterlinglive.com/bank-of-england-spot/historical-spot-exchange-rates/gbp/GBP-to-THB-2016

[geriatrickid]

The premise of the article is valid. What people fail to  understand is that the days of the hand to mouth pensioner are indeed coming to an end. All it takes is one serious illness and poof, gone.  TVF has already had a number of farewells, and others have  gone quietly, trying to preserve some dignity in the process. Keep in mind too, that many of the original pension segment have died. Those who remain are for the most part the  active, non smoking, relatively healthy group.

To be blunt, when I first showed up at Don Muang International, fresh and full of vim and vigor, I can recall all manner of interesting retirees and working expats. Those  retirees have died or moved back home for advanced medical care. Expats I first encountered and marveled at,  perished in car crashes, or in mysterious circumstances or due to work related injury or through misadventure. Others moved on. Grad students I knew,  have grown up kids now.  The new western residents are a different  type of person.

[theoldgit]

22 hours ago, ThaiPauly said:

If they want to go back to their country of origin and take their wife then there are all the visa issues, if they are past retirement age they have to show 62,000 GBP in the bank in the UK for example

Or of course a gross income of £18,600 per year, or a combination of cash in the bank and earnings, more if they intend to take children which are not their own with them. 

Being past retirement age doesn't mean that the income route can't be used. 

[KittenKong]

3 hours ago, Henryford said:

Until the 30th March 2019. Once we leave the Evil Empire Britain and the Pound will flourish.

I'm in my early sixties. I will be long dead and buried before Britain recovers from the colossal expense of leaving the EU. I'm also lucky enough to have a lot of money invested: far more than I could possibly spend in whatever time is left to me. So I have little to worry about, even if the GBP drops to 10B (though if I did I would surely go to Portugal instead).

 

But my brother has children in their teens. They will be paying for this catastrophe of bad government all their lives, and beyond. I pity them.

Edited August 18, 2018 by KittenKong

[transam]

8 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

I'm in my early sixties. I will be long dead and buried before Britain recovers from the colossal expense of leaving the EU. I'm also lucky enough to have a lot of money invested: far more than I could possibly spend in whatever time is left to me. So I have little to worry about, even if the GBP drops to 10B (though if I did I would surely go to Portugal instead).

 

But my brother has children in their teens. They will be paying for this catastrophe of bad government all their lives, and beyond. I pity them.

Would you like to adopt me....?

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, geriatrickid said:

All it takes is one serious illness and poof, gone. 

Health Insurance is something to have when older.

[transam]

Just now, Kwasaki said:

Health Insurance is something to have when older.

But the insurance company replied to ol' Trans ..."Bugger off"....I replied.."TVForum  who ban you for that reply"....?