Mid Life Crisis ??

[brewsterbudgen]

2 minutes ago, My Thai Life said:

Lots of interesting replies to this thread. It seems to have brought out a lot of the success stories.

 

But let me go back to the financial planning aspect. I've read one or two teachers saying they need 100k baht to live comfortably in Bkk. That's an annual salary of around 28,000 GBP or 36,000 USD. For those teachers that need to spend 100k Baht per month in Bkk there's going to no surplus at all from that salary. And no matter how you cut it that's not going to buy a 40 year old a secure comfortable future in his/her home country or in Thailand. So unless there are other assets or sources of income involved it's going to lead to hardship.

 

There often seems to be a certain amount of wishful thinking in financial planning. Even the the OP has gone from saying  "We could probably just about afford to retire now" to "However, thanks to my first career we're financially secure, so no matter what happens over the next 10 years we'll have a very comfortable retirement".  Well after 10 years he'll be in his early 50s, not so old.

 

I agree.  While I can live comfortably and support my wife and 3-year-old child on 80-100,000 a month, there is nothing being saved, especially when factoring in international schooling in the next few years!  If I didn't have significant savings back in the UK and a Final Salary pension from my 20+ years of working in London, I wouldn't have gone down this route.

[Melpomene]

Many thanks again for all the replies folks.  There's been some really great advice, tips, words of caution and much more for me to ponder.

 

I shall now slink back into the shadows to consider my options.

 

All the best to you all. 

[My Thai Life]

16 minutes ago, Melpomene said:

I shall now slink back into the shadows

No need to slink, your post has elicited some of the most positive posts seen here.

 

Oh jeez, the grammarian in me  is coming out, is it

 

slink slank slunk or

 

slink slinked slinked, or or or,

 

a most irregular verb

 

good luck.