I am almost ready to Pull the plug and leave

[Naam]

5 minutes ago, mogandave said:

You get what you pay for...

...and the rest is bla-bla.

[garyk]

This whole region is one of the cheapest places in the world to live period.

Quality of life is very good, food is very good, so many advantages it is unbelievable.

Health care is very good and very cheap, just too many pluses to comprehend, if you are on a budget you cannot go wrong living here. Just keep your senses about you and 40K will be more than enough to live a very enjoyable life in Thailand. IMO the 65K retirement visa is way too much for this region.

 

To the OP,  South America is very doable. About the same cost of living. Head to Ecuador, Colombia, even Mexico, 40K will get you a retirement visa there with no problems at all. I think about 800-1000 a month is all you need. Head to Medellin, nice and cool and a great place to spend your life. You can buy land and build a small home. Health care is IMO a cut above Thailand, and very cheap.If you cannot land a retirement visa here there are many other places that you can live a comfortable life on 40K. Don't give up just because Thailand is giving you problems. 

[marko kok prong]

Alot of Brit expats may find themselves in trouble if there is a no deal Brexit.

[simoh1490]

12 minutes ago, marko kok prong said:

Alot of Brit expats may find themselves in trouble if there is a no deal Brexit.

By "a lot" I presume you mean "most".

[transam]

14 minutes ago, marko kok prong said:

A lot of Brit expats may find themselves in trouble if there is a no deal Brexit.

I already am.....?......

But if my mum and dad had to dodge bombs and bullets, near starve, then think l will try and manage..?

[scubascuba3]

Alot of Brit expats may find themselves in trouble if there is a no deal Brexit.

Many countries will be in trouble in the future when the EU goes down the toilet

[Jingthing]

2 hours ago, garyk said:

This whole region is one of the cheapest places in the world to live period.

Quality of life is very good, food is very good, so many advantages it is unbelievable.

Health care is very good and very cheap, just too many pluses to comprehend, if you are on a budget you cannot go wrong living here. Just keep your senses about you and 40K will be more than enough to live a very enjoyable life in Thailand. IMO the 65K retirement visa is way too much for this region.

 

To the OP,  South America is very doable. About the same cost of living. Head to Ecuador, Colombia, even Mexico, 40K will get you a retirement visa there with no problems at all. I think about 800-1000 a month is all you need. Head to Medellin, nice and cool and a great place to spend your life. You can buy land and build a small home. Health care is IMO a cut above Thailand, and very cheap.If you cannot land a retirement visa here there are many other places that you can live a comfortable life on 40K. Don't give up just because Thailand is giving you problems. 

40K per month will NOT get you permanent retirement residency in Mexico. 

 

Colombia and Ecuador -- yes.

 

https://www.mexperience.com/financial-criteria-for-residency-in-mexico/

Quote

By way of an example, if you’re a retiree and intend to apply for temporary residency in Mexico, the law stipulates that you need to demonstrate an income per month over the past six months derived from foreign sources (e.g. pension, investments) of at least 300 days’ worth of minimum wage (approximately US$1,400*) or have a savings balance equivalent to at least 5,000 days’ worth of minimum wage (approximately US$23,500*) over the past 12 months.  If you intend to apply for permanent residency you will need to demonstrate an income per month over the past six months of at least least 500 days’ worth of minimum wage (approximately US$2,325*) or have savings equivalent amounting to 20,000 days’ worth of minimum wage (approximately US$93,000*) over the past 12 months.

 

[NCC1701A]

Sorry I keep seeing this thread pop up and I don't have time to read 25 pages of comments. Has the op pulled the plug yet?

[simoh1490]

1 hour ago, transam said:

I already am.....?......

But if my mum and dad had to dodge bombs and bullets, near starve, then think l will try and manage..?

Mum and dad had no choice!

[transam]

4 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

Mum and dad had no choice!

Well mum could have moved to Cornwall...?

[JoeLing]

23 hours ago, mogandave said:

 

You have a friend that married a woman to get free healthcare? Does it include psychiatric care?

 

Nothing wrong with that ?

I married a doctor in the UK,
got free treatment for cancer and now, 20 years later,
I get half her pension and live happily ever after ?

As for health insurance, that's soo old fashion.
Today we use crowdfunding ?

 

[simoh1490]

21 minutes ago, transam said:

Well mum could have moved to Cornwall...?

Mine moved to Bridlington, I'm not sure which was worse, Bridlington or the Luftwaffe.

[CharlieH]

2 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

Mine moved to Bridlington, I'm not sure which was worse, Bridlington or the Luftwaffe.

Having spent time in Bridlington I would have voted Luftwaffe! ?

[simoh1490]

5 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Having spent time in Bridlington I would have voted Luftwaffe! ?

I grew up there and in the '50's and it was great, I went back last year and it was seriously dire, decayed doesn't even begin to describe it.

[garyk]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

40K per month will NOT get you permanent retirement residency in Mexico. 

 

Colombia and Ecuador -- yes.

 

https://www.mexperience.com/financial-criteria-for-residency-in-mexico/

 

Ok, thanks for the update I did not know that. I am from Texas and don't have to worry about Mexico. I drive down all the time. I stop at the crossing and pay about a 300 dollar refundable fee for my pickup and get a 180 day visa. For me it is so easy I wonder why I don't just call Mexico my second home. I was down in Merida Yucatan two years ago and it is so safe and a very nice place to live. I have a retirement visa here but the last two years I have not spent much time here.

Hope the OP has things sorted out, sounded like he was a bit stressed.

[Jingthing]

9 minutes ago, garyk said:

Ok, thanks for the update I did not know that. I am from Texas and don't have to worry about Mexico. I drive down all the time. I stop at the crossing and pay about a 300 dollar refundable fee for my pickup and get a 180 day visa. For me it is so easy I wonder why I don't just call Mexico my second home. I was down in Merida Yucatan two years ago and it is so safe and a very nice place to live. I have a retirement visa here but the last two years I have not spent much time here.

Hope the OP has things sorted out, sounded like he was a bit stressed.

Even though I haven't been there, I like most of what I've heard about Merida. However, it's super super HOT (and humid) for much of the year. Even for people that don't believe hot places are trending even hotter, it's already extremely hot. 

 

As far as Mexican residency, most retired Americans don't have social security checks even close to their income requirement, but I reckon a much higher percentage can show about 100K USD in a retirement account. That works too.

Edited September 14, 2018 by Jingthing

[mogandave]

...but I reckon a much higher percentage can show about 100K USD in a retirement account. That works too.

I just read that Fidelity has over 635,000 people with over a million in their 401K.

Gotta love capitalism....

[Naam]

4 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

5 hours ago, marko kok prong said:

Alot of Brit expats may find themselves in trouble if there is a no deal Brexit.

Many countries will be in trouble in the future when the EU goes down the toilet

true! and that will happen with Brexit when the British Empire cuts the financial lifeline which has kept the EU afloat.

[Odysseus123]

1 minute ago, mogandave said:

 

I just read that Fidelity has over 635,000 people with over a million in their 401K.

Gotta love capitalism....

 

Sure,

 

Big fella...

[Jingthing]

12 minutes ago, mogandave said:

 

I just read that Fidelity has over 635,000 people with over a million in their 401K.

Gotta love capitalism....

 

Sure, but that's hardly the majority of their accounts.

 

Quote

More than half of Americans do not have any retirement savings. Of those who do, the average saved is $60,000.

https://www.creditdonkey.com/average-savings-by-age.html

 

But the context of my previous comment was really about qualifying for Mexico. Many more would have 100K to show than their required pension. 

 

Edited September 14, 2018 by Jingthing

[Odysseus123]

Just now, Naam said:

true! and that will happen with Brexit when the British Empire cuts the financial lifeline which has kept the EU afloat.

Oh Gawd..worth a laugh.

 

It was best when they were armed with Martini-Henry's and could  beat up on the natives-after that the Germans got to them...pfitttt...

 

Broke.

[mogandave]

Sure,
 
Big fella...

I’m sorry, is you butt still sore?

[Odysseus123]

1 minute ago, mogandave said:

 

I’m sorry, is you butt still sore?

 

I really admire someone who doesn't accept  defeat...who trudges thru the snow filled mountain passes knowing that there is a Mars bar at the end..even in Chiang Mai.

 

 

[mogandave]

https://www.creditdonkey.com/average-savings-by-age.html
 
But the context of my previous comment was really about qualifying for Mexico. Many more would have 100K to show than their required pension. 
 

I was pretty much agreeing with you. While 635k is not many, the number that have over a $100k is significant. It is such a great investment vehicle it is a shame how many people do not take advantage.

[4MyEgo]

On 9/5/2018 at 11:12 AM, sammieuk1 said:

Your not alone death by slow financial strangulation is relentless?

I am sorry to say this, and will probably cop a lot of slack over my comment.

 

But what the fark have you blokes being doing all your lives ?

 

I came from a poor family, you know the one pair of jeans, shoes, thongs (flip flops), the jeans were grey so I would also wear them as my school pants, the shoes were called jim-boots and I would wear them for school as well, the teachers knew my brothers and my family situation and would just accept the fact that my parents couldn't afford school uniforms for us.

 

I had no hand outs from anyone, including parents, and there will be no inheritance as my parents raised four sons and couldn't afford to buy a property, that said, I worked the milk run before school and pumped petrol after school till 9pm, never been unemployed, always worked overtime if available when I left school after managing to complete year 10, then 2 jobs, studied 3 nights a week for 3 years x 2 courses for 2 diplomas, all while working.

 

I still enjoyed my life travelling Europe for 3 months twice, going out on weekends, sometimes straight to work when the sun was rising, but I saved, I invested, because what you make, is to survive, you need extra $'s to invest, so it grows, and I retired at 55 to never have to work another day in my life, even though I am retired (3 years now), I am still making money from investments, what I am saying is for those of you who just waited for the pension, life is not going to get any easier as the cost of living rises, not to mention health insurance cover in a foreign country.

 

But also let me say this, if I went back to Sydney tomorrow, I would have to work again, and that ain't never going to happen while I am living the modest life here.

 

I don't have the answer for you, maybe look at cutting back on things you like for a while, sacrifice when you have too, but as for the Oz $ going down, it affects us all, cutting back is a must, as much as you might not like it, but going back to Oz is not an option for you, the other countries you mention might be, but look further as there are other countries even cheaper to live, so I have read. 

 

Best of luck anyways.

[transam]

2 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

I am sorry to say this, and will probably cop a lot of slack over my comment.

 

But what the fark have you blokes being doing all your lives ?

 

I came from a poor family, you know the one pair of jeans, shoes, thongs (flip flops), the jeans were grey so I would also wear them as my school pants, the shoes were called jim-boots and I would wear them for school as well, the teachers knew my brothers and my family situation and would just accept the fact that my parents couldn't afford school uniforms for us.

 

I had no hand outs from anyone, including parents, and there will be no inheritance as my parents raised four sons and couldn't afford to buy a property, that said, I worked the milk run before school and pumped petrol after school till 9pm, never been unemployed, always worked overtime if available when I left school after managing to complete year 10, then 2 jobs, studied 3 nights a week for 3 years x 2 courses for 2 diplomas, all while working.

 

I still enjoyed my life travelling Europe for 3 months twice, going out on weekends, sometimes straight to work when the sun was rising, but I saved, I invested, because what you make, is to survive, you need extra $'s to invest, so it grows, and I retired at 55 to never have to work another day in my life, even though I am retired (3 years now), I am still making money from investments, what I am saying is for those of you who just waited for the pension, life is not going to get any easier as the cost of living rises, not to mention health insurance cover in a foreign country.

 

But also let me say this, if I went back to Sydney tomorrow, I would have to work again, and that ain't never going to happen while I am living the modest life here.

 

I don't have the answer for you, maybe look at cutting back on things you like for a while, sacrifice when you have too, but as for the Oz $ going down, it affects us all, cutting back is a must, as much as you might not like it, but going back to Oz is not an option for you, the other countries you mention might be, but look further as there are other countries even cheaper to live, so I have read. 

 

Best of luck anyways.

Ex UK wife and an incurable illness scuppered my original late life plans....

[Odysseus123]

3 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

I am sorry to say this, and will probably cop a lot of slack over my comment.

 

But what the fark have you blokes being doing all your lives ?

 

I came from a poor family, you know the one pair of jeans, shoes, thongs (flip flops), the jeans were grey so I would also wear them as my school pants, the shoes were called jim-boots and I would wear them for school as well, the teachers knew my brothers and my family situation and would just accept the fact that my parents couldn't afford school uniforms for us.

 

I had no hand outs from anyone, including parents, and there will be no inheritance as my parents raised four sons and couldn't afford to buy a property, that said, I worked the milk run before school and pumped petrol after school till 9pm, never been unemployed, always worked overtime if available when I left school after managing to complete year 10, then 2 jobs, studied 3 nights a week for 3 years x 2 courses for 2 diplomas, all while working.

 

I still enjoyed my life travelling Europe for 3 months twice, going out on weekends, sometimes straight to work when the sun was rising, but I saved, I invested, because what you make, is to survive, you need extra $'s to invest, so it grows, and I retired at 55 to never have to work another day in my life, even though I am retired (3 years now), I am still making money from investments, what I am saying is for those of you who just waited for the pension, life is not going to get any easier as the cost of living rises, not to mention health insurance cover in a foreign country.

 

But also let me say this, if I went back to Sydney tomorrow, I would have to work again, and that ain't never going to happen while I am living the modest life here.

 

I don't have the answer for you, maybe look at cutting back on things you like for a while, sacrifice when you have too, but as for the Oz $ going down, it affects us all, cutting back is a must, as much as you might not like it, but going back to Oz is not an option for you, the other countries you mention might be, but look further as there are other countries even cheaper to live, so I have read. 

 

Best of luck anyways.

Everyone  in Sydney-indeed Australia-is merciselly flogged to death 'tween sunrise an' sunset.

 

The women are tattooed behemoths who just sock it to you in the jaw...

 

It is a nanny state that mercilessly taxes you until  the pips squeek and you cannot send any more money to your Thai amour and her 37 relatives..

 

It is hell-with or without thongs or the wherewithal to buy a Chiko roll;

 

It is worth a laugh...,?

 

[4MyEgo]

2 minutes ago, transam said:

Ex UK wife and an incurable illness scuppered my original late life plans....

Oz x wife took half of what I built up in 1999, I was 39, twelve years together, she was on 30k, I was on 100k

 

Heart attack in 2008 at age 47, still kept pushing myself till 55

 

Now 58 so I made it and am alive and kicking strongly, new wife in 2007, which helped bring on the heart attack as she is much younger than me....lol, two more later, now 9 & 4 add to the cost of living meaning instead of dipping into my savings, I keep investing daily and grab what I can tax free, I manage to budget on 60,000 baht per month and cut where I need to, but past 3 years has been smooth winds and I keep an eye on things projecting forward.

 

Cannot just sit idol as savings will go south, although there is enough to keep us going till 101, but want to make sure the kids have something left...lol

 

I will say it again, if the tables were turned and I was back in Sydney, I would have to work, but here it gives me the opportunity to chill and enjoy a stress free life. 

[Odysseus123]

5 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Oz x wife took half of what I built up in 1999, I was 39, twelve years together, she was on 30k, I was on 100k

 

Heart attack in 2008 at age 47, still kept pushing myself till 55

 

Now 58 so I made it and am alive and kicking strongly, new wife in 2007, which helped bring on the heart attack as she is much younger than me....lol, two more later, now 9 & 4 add to the cost of living meaning instead of dipping into my savings, I keep investing daily and grab what I can tax free, I manage to budget on 60,000 baht per month and cut where I need to, but past 3 years has been smooth winds and I keep an eye on things projecting forward.

 

Cannot just sit idol as savings will go south, although there is enough to keep us going till 101, but want to make sure the kids have something left...lol

 

I will say it again, if the tables were turned and I was back in Sydney, I would have to work, but here it gives me the opportunity to chill and enjoy a stress free life. 

Yes...(in terms of work) you probably would.

 

But what is your point?

 

My Thai stepson has not worked in 7 years..sure as hell..if he was in Australia he would have to work..instead of being Isaan hammock tester and lao kao swiller first class (with parachute wings)

 

If  you have a comfortable life-than all the best to you.

[CharlieH]

Off topic "chit-chat" removed.