1 hour ago, transam said:

However, for the vast majority of people, they wish to do more than to exist. They want to live comfortably and to have an enjoyable old age. They want clean water, proper facilities, good quality food, and a healthy environment. They want to be sure that they can access quality health care if something happens, and they don't want to worry about yaba fueled crazies in the neighborhood, or having to put up with noisy neighbors or living next door to Chester the Molester. 20-30-40,000 baht doesn't really get one that

So, what do you suggest OP to do, his income is 40k, no matter how "the vast majority of people" spend their life, suicide?

Just now, Vacuum said:

So, what do you suggest OP to do, his income is 40k, no matter how "the vast majority of people" spend their life, suicide?

I never wrote that quote....?

2 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

The other places you mention will still have financial requirements to qualify for long stay Visa etc. Same situation different country, cost of living probably similar.

I know you have said the thread is not about how to get an extension but if you do the income letter (no proof required) from Australian consulate you can still get visa extension no matter what your finances.

Depending on your lifestyle it can still be way cheaper than Australia and probably the same as the other destinations you mention.

You still have an income better than most Thais, teachers, policemen, bank workers etc. Not sure if you are saying you are having problems living on 40k or qualifying for visa on 40k ?

 

both atm

2 hours ago, cleverman said:

I assume on such a low income,you haven't medical insurance. If this is the case, get back to Oz.

No chance of getting medical insurance here too bloody old 

3 minutes ago, transam said:

I never wrote that quote....

I know, it was

geriatrickid 

and I was quoting him.

 

4 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

I know, it was

geriatrickid 

and I was quoting him.

 

Say sorry then....?

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

What makes you think moving to another country will be better, rather than just delaying an inevitable outcome in years to come ? If your pension will not rise as fast as any countries inflation each year, your just kicking the can further down the road.

 

A

Hi it is not the pension that is the real issue it is the current exchange rates also my $ against the strong US $

17 minutes ago, Ban Phe Dezza said:

Brit man said I have several friends, too poor to stay in Thailand, who now rotate around Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Philippines **I thought of that but entry to Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia cost $ 30 US every time  Philippines free entry on arrival. interesting to find out how your friends do it and average costs 

It appears to be same same but different, friends report similar costs and lifestyle, living on oz pension. 

5 minutes ago, transam said:

Say sorry then....

Sorry for what, malfunction in Thaivisas system? I'll try again though, lets see what'll happen.

2 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

The reality is that Thailand does not want the  impoverished retirees. It has not wanted them for some time. This socio demographic group has been nothing but trouble for Thailand. They are often without medical insurance, live a marginal subsistence existence and take up space that is more profitably allocated to short term visitors and a wealthier demographic. In the coming years, Thailand will make it more difficult for these people to remain, not easier. The future is bleak for this demographic. If they are lucky, they have a quick death over the next five years before the economy undergoes an adjustment and they find themselves with even less income.

 

Until then, if one comes from an impoverished background. a lifestyle of living hand to mouth, free of worry about the future or care about what happens if he becomes ill, or if one really doesn't want the best for his kids, then all the tales of living on 20,000 or 30,000 or 40,000 baht a month work out.  

 

It is all relative. Some people are quite  happy living in poverty because they don't know anything else, nor desire to have a different lifestyle. They are fine with low quality living arrangements and poor quality  food.  However, for the vast majority of people, they wish to do more than to exist. They want to live comfortably and to have an enjoyable old age. They want clean water, proper facilities, good quality food, and a healthy environment. They want to be sure that they can access quality health care if something happens, and they don't want to worry about yaba fueled crazies in the neighborhood, or having to put up with noisy neighbors or living next door to Chester the Molester. 20-30-40,000 baht doesn't really get one that, despite all the claims to the contrary. A good quality home costs money. So does  food. So do quality clothes etc.   Claiming that all will be well  at 40,000 is an exercise in denial and self delusion. It won't be , nor can it be in today's Thailand.

 

 

 

So, what do you suggest OP to do, his income is 40k, no matter how "the vast majority of people" spend their life, suicide?

Judging by some the Posts please excuse me for living

I was asking fellow Pensioner Aussies and Brits who might be in the same situation or had genuine advice to offer I should have just kept my thoughts to my self Moderators i think we should close the Post 

3 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

Sorry for what, malfunction in Thaivisas system? I'll try again though, lets see what'll happen.

Happens to me all the time....?

 

PS...Check your post when it appears is a good idea.....?

28 minutes ago, baansgr said:

of course the more money you have the better things in life you can buy. I'm very happy,  live in a secure well kept condo with good facilities,  no yabba heads here, I eat quality food and mostly good at home,  so fresh, healthy diet,  I occasional have a few drinks  with friends, I have a well kept wardrobe. Although my car,  bike and condo are paid for,  I and my kids seriously do not want for anything. I would like to understand what "quality  food" means,  please explain? Even next year when I have a substantial  pension vesting I don't think I will spend anymore apart from a better school for my kids. 

How did your car, bike  and condo get paid for? You paid for them right?

Put those costs into a monthly basis over their lifespan. It irks me when people talk of their minimal expenses, but then add, I have a car, condo  and bike. That puts you  into a different socio economic demographic than someone who only has 30K a month. You have assets with value. they do not. 

What does a modest decent secure condo go for today? 10 million baht?  Let's say someone has been living in a condo for 10 years and we value the condo in today's value, this works out to about 80,000 a month. If one stays longer, the incremental cost is less, if one is a new owner, it is considerably more. Even if it is a budget condo at 5 million, that still works out to  40,000 a month if 10 years old. The point being that many of the people saying they have  limited budgets, do not, and are far wealthier than they realize.

 

Quality food, is not the processed stuff chock full of sodium  and additives that we know is not good for us. Its the produce sourced from the produce vendors who are not using  the dangerous pesticides that are restricted elsewhere. It is the poultry  purchased from the butchers who do not purchase from the monopoly which relies on hormones and antibiotics and who don't inject water into the carcasses during processing to plump them up. It is the fish purchased from retailers who obtain fish from clean zones, e.g. not the klong, and it is bread from  bakers who don't destroy the  dough with sugar, corn syrup and other crap. And mostly it is being able to maintain a western quality lifestyle eating things like smoked  wild salmon and not the disgusting farmed salmon.

 

 

I know a couple of Thai families living quite well on 10k/month (and paying rent and uni fees for their kids out of that).

10,000 baht? That is clearly not true


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

15 minutes ago, Ban Phe Dezza said:

Judging by some the Posts please excuse me for living

I was asking fellow Pensioner Aussies and Brits who might be in the same situation or had genuine advice to offer I should have just kept my thoughts to my self Moderators i think we should close the Post 

Some responses are way Over the top of my post 

Moderators Please note  

27 minutes ago, Ban Phe Dezza said:

Judging by some the Posts please excuse me for living

I was asking fellow Pensioner Aussies and Brits who might be in the same situation or had genuine advice to offer I should have just kept my thoughts to my self Moderators i think we should close the Post 

Unfortunately your original post will ring very true in a lot of expats heads and some would like to turn it into an insurance thread with the insured taking the moral high ground rubbishing those who haven't or can't like those with pre existing who have family's here and have no choice but to rely on luck. I have no idea to your conundrum  but good luck <deleted> 

I lived on 45k no problem and had health insurance, nice house, AC, scooter, motorcycle, internet, Cellphone and nice girlfriend, I don't smoke or drink. One way I did it was to find a house for 10,000 baht that was large so I did not always feel like I needed to go out.

 

After recurring monthly expenses of 25k, I had about 600 baht a day to spend on food or what ever. It was tight put I did it. I have never been "poor", in fact just the opposite, and I saw it as a challenge to live within my budget so I could retire at 57.

 

My new Thai girlfriend (not a bar girl) has her own shop, a seven year old son, an older pick up truck which is paid for, just bought a new house, and is renting out the old house. She makes about 32,000 baht a month. She can make a huge meal out of nothing. I think she would love to have 40k baht a month.         

 

Op sorry about your income not being enough for retirement extension. not sure what to do about that. 

 

Everyone should know that everything will only get more expense going forward EVERYWHERE until there is a deflationary event which may never happen.

 

 

  

 

 

3 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

The other places you mention will still have financial requirements to qualify for long stay Visa etc. Same situation different country, cost of living probably similar.

 

 

Cambodia currently has no financial requirements for retirement visa (this may change in future) BUT it is no cheaper to live in. So does not solve OP's problem. I am not sure anywhere in SE Asia will.

 

In addition health care is very poor in Cambodia, a particular concern for people of retirement age.

 

Cost of living is only going to keep going up, both in Thailand and rest of SE Asia IMO.

 

18 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

I lived on 45k no problem and had health insurance, nice house, AC, scooter, motorcycle, internet, Cellphone and nice girlfriend, I don't smoke or drink. One way I did it was to find a house for 10,000 baht that was large so I did not always feel like I needed to go out.

 

After recurring monthly expenses of 25k, I had about 600 baht a day to spend on food or what ever. It was tight put I did it. I have never been "poor", in fact just the opposite, and I saw it as a challenge to live within my budget so I could retire at 57.

 

My new Thai girlfriend (not a bar girl) has her own shop, a seven year old son, an older pick up truck which is paid for, just bought a new house, and is renting out the old house. She makes about 32,000 baht a month. She can make a huge meal out of nothing. I think she would love to have 40k baht a month.         

 

Op sorry about your income not being enough for retirement extension. not sure what to do about that. 

 

Everyone should know that everything will only get more expense going forward EVERYWHERE until there is a deflationary event which may never happen.  

7

An excellent post and very true. I think it's all about lifestyle and as you wrote, the ability to live within your means. As I've got older I spend less, mostly because I no longer have a desire to buy toys or "stuff", plus my lifestyle has changed. We spend about 45k baht a month without trying to conserve but we have no debt and my wife is an excellent cook. If the average wage in Thailand was say 50,000 baht a month I'd say that thinking of bailing out because you only have 40,000 a month was sensible. But people live here on far less than 40k and still manage to lead interesting, satisfying and rewarding lives.

2 hours ago, colinneil said:

So you are going to give limited mobility a miss!!

What a crazy comment, maybe you will like me have no choice regarding that.

If you are going to give limited mobility a miss, stay inside your home, never ever dare to go on the roads here, as doing so you could very easily lose your mobility, due to no fault of yours, but others.

hi colin, 

some things in life are unavoidable, and limited mobility is on my list.

It seems that this topic is all about money. 
I assume that retirees who decide to live in Thailand do so, not only because the general cost of living is cheaper than in their home country, but also because they like and admire the Thai lifestyle, which includes the general friendliness of Thai people, the 'Mai Pen Rai' attitude, the Buddhist influence which encourages happiness despite one's economic circumstances, and so on.

 

Roughly, 40,000 baht per month translates to about A$400 per week.
If you owned your own home in Australia, lived in an area with access to public transport, had no debts, and had a garden surrounding your home where you could grow your own fruit and vegetables, you could live comfortably and healthily on A$400 per week.

 

The point I'm making is that whatever your circumstances, you should use your nous to organize your affairs in the best manner, in accordance with your income.
A serviced apartment in the centre of Bangkok is going to cost much more than a similarly sized, serviced apartment in the outer suburbs. If you are struggling to pay the bills because you live in an expensive area, then consider moving to a less expensive area which provides the same basic services.

No need to switch countries.
 

The OP should explore the option of combining his income with savings on deposit here. He basically needs 32,500 baht income per month, plus savings on deposit for 3 months of 400,000 baht. If he has not got that much in savings, the future is pretty bleak.

I'd agree with other posters that other Asian countries are not going to be  better in terms of living costs. They also don't have Thailand's infrastructure.

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I know a couple of Thai families living quite well on 10k/month (and paying rent and uni fees for their kids out of that).

As for health care, some of us aren't constantly ill, my last visit to a doctor was 4 years back for a few stitches after a crash (about 1,000bht). I live well on 20k/month + house loan repayments.

I've not had any health insurance since I left the UK.

INSURANCE is there to pay for the unforseen. 

1 minute ago, VincentRJ said:

It seems that this topic is all about money. 
I assume that retirees who decide to live in Thailand do so, not only because the general cost of living is cheaper than in their home country, but also because they like and admire the Thai lifestyle, which includes the general friendliness of Thai people, the 'Mai Pen Rai' attitude, the Buddhist influence which encourages happiness despite one's economic circumstances, and so on.

 

Roughly, 40,000 baht per month translates to about A$400 per week.
If you owned your own home in Australia, lived in an area with access to public transport, had no debts, and had a garden surrounding your home where you could grow your own fruit and vegetables, you could live comfortably and healthily on A$400 per week.

 

The point I'm making is that whatever your circumstances, you should use your nous to organize your affairs in the best manner, in accordance with your income.
A serviced apartment in the centre of Bangkok is going to cost much more than a similarly sized, serviced apartment in the outer suburbs. If you are struggling to pay the bills because you live in an expensive area, then consider moving to a less expensive area which provides the same basic services.
 

There are plenty of places in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai where one can rent an air-conditioned room with ensuite for $125 - $170

(AUD) per month. That's 20% of the Australian Age Pension.

In Australia, renting will take 50-60% of pension income.

Just now, Ban Phe Dezza said:

both atm

If you are struggling and others are supporting whole families on much less and not complaining. Why not detail your monthly expenditure and see if others can recommend ways to cut it down?

 

Having lived in Myanmar for several years, the cost of living here is certainly much lower than Thailand or other south-east Asian countries.  But it is not really an option for the OP because:

 

- There is no 'retirement' visa.  You can get a one-year (renewable) visa if you marry a Myanmar citizen, or work for a company.

- You'll need emergency evacuation health insurance, 'cos the local hospitals can be very basic.

 

There are probably ways around these hurdles.  I spend about 10,000 baht a month (excluding accommodation costs - paid by my employer). Lots of fresh and healthy food and healthy lifestyle.

The problem for pensioners, or those on a fixed income, from Australia is the strong Baht versus the weak Aussie dollar.

 

Most of us moved here when there were 30 Baht to the Aussie. It is now 23 and predictions have it down to 18 by the end of next year. This is equivalent to a 40% drop in income.

 

At 18 Baht, it might be cheaper to live in Australia except that rents are so high. Those of us without property in Australia just can't afford to move back unless we are willing to live in a hostel or homeless shelter.

 

 

1 hour ago, Ban Phe Dezza said:

 

Hello, sometimes it is very hard to give advice to people on forums because we don't know anything about the op. NOT JUST THIS OP.  It is a complex issue.

 

I think people should include their age, their level of fitness and overall health issues, mental outlook, their ability to remain in a relationship, (because two can live cheaper than one) and any really negative traits like abusive personality and drinking. I don't really think people would cop to this last part.     

 

I know a very fit and positive 80 year old here in Hua Hin who hike 6 kilometers and it is hard to keep up with him. And I have met a broken down 58 year old very negative drinker who is unhappy all the time.   

 

It seems to me any Farang can find a completely average older Thai woman he can split expenses with. You can just be friends or she can act as a nurse. She would love to have a (boy)friend who makes 40k baht or 2-3 times the money she makes.  

 

I live most of the time in Australia on not much more than THB40,000 per month and I live OK. I'm able to live better in Thailand on around THB25K per month, although I don't have to cover rent when I'm here.  I don't need a lot of money to feel OK:  I'm happy if I have a quiet place to live in, OK neighbours, clean water, clean air (not always possible in Thailand), and good food, plus access to a lap pool and gym. 

 

As for insurance, I am covered in Oz, and travel insurance covers me when in Thailand, but if I lived in Thailand on a full time basis, health insurance would be beyond me. In any event, I'm still healthy and try to stay away from doctors and medication through exercise, attitude and dietary intake, I figure that's the best insurance I can take out.

 

I have a friend who has church subsidised housing in a large NSW country town. Her rent on a 1BR unit in a mostly owner-occupied complex is $115 per week and her pension is, I'm guessing, around four times that amount. It's possible to live in Australia on the age pension, but not if you're paying market rent.

 

What keeps me from living in Thailand most of the time is that once I lose Australian residency I need to live six months back in Australia in order to access Medicare, although I'm not sure how tough that line is in practice. My choice is to keep my Australian residency and keep coming here as a visitor, don't know how long I can stay commuting, though.

 

To the OP, if I were in your shoes, I'd stay where I am. Maybe it's a matter of prioritising, but I think living in Thailand on a modest income is very do-able. I don't see any shame in not having insurance beyond self-insurance, some well known Australians (Paul Keating is one of them) put the money for insurance premiums aside, instead of taking out private health insurance, and use that money to pay their own way in the private health system. I don't see anything wrong with that.  

I decided to go heavily into THB a couple of years ago so I'm OK for quite a few years. But much of my income is in GBP and of course the Pound has fallen massively against THB hence my income in THB terms is now much lower. This year I decided to use my UK emergency fund and buy a flat, with average property prices in the UK sitting at over 200k Pounds it was no easy task to find a decent flat for under half that amount. But I did, I found a perfectly lovely over 55's flat that ticks all the boxes and is very inexpensive to run and is located in a beautiful part of the country. I thought I might spend six months each year living in the flat and then return to our home in Thailand for the rest of the year but this has proved too hard on my wife and myself hence we're now going to rent out the flat. The flat will generate 450 Pounds net income every month which still leaves me under the UK personal allowance ceiling so this will make up the shortfall in my income. I would strongly recommend anyone in the OP's position who has some savings to think outside of the box when it comes to what they can buy and where and if able to do so, use that approach to help boost their income.

 

Note: for Brits wanting to go that route, the North of England still has plenty of good value but be sure you don't own property in Thailand before buying here otherwise the tax man takes a larger slice.