Want to retire in Thailand, but under 50 yrs old - how??

[RetiredNav]

21 hours ago, chicowoodduck said:

Take it slow and do not burn any USA bridges.....you might find the party over after a few years in LOS.......just saying.....????????

Help me understand what “LOS” means?

 

we shouldn’t be burning any bridges in the USA. My skill sets are fairly marketable and re-establishing ourselves should be easy. Most of our family is in the US, the rest are in Canada and fully supporting our decision to move overseas to retire.

[55Jay]

2 minutes ago, RetiredNav said:

Help me understand what “LOS” means?

 

we shouldn’t be burning any bridges in the USA. My skill sets are fairly marketable and re-establishing ourselves should be easy. Most of our family is in the US, the rest are in Canada and fully supporting our decision to move overseas to retire.

LOS= Land of Smiles. 

[55Jay]

What attracted you to Thailand, and made it #1 on your list?

 

[KiChakayan]

2 minutes ago, RetiredNav said:

Which countries are you suggesting?

Costa Rica, Chili, Possibly Peru, Portugal, Spain, Malaysia. I was leaning towards Chili and Peru when I met my Thai Wife. Being married here helps a lot to cope, with inept bureaucracy and services, otherwise I'd run. One thing to bear in mind also, that the cost of living in Thailand is now comparable with those of the countries I mention. Some here would dispute that, they would likely to be guys sleeping in a small condo in Pattaya and staying all day in Soi 6 oggling/pawing the bar girls they can't afford anymore or some of these weirdos how chose to go native out in the sticks.

[RetiredNav]

1 hour ago, 55Jay said:

What attracted you to Thailand, and made it #1 on your list?

 

Cost of living, hospitable people, culture, history, previous visits, ocean close (with minimal fear of tsunami, typhoon or hurricane), good medical, safety.

[RetiredNav]

1 hour ago, 55Jay said:

What attracted you to Thailand, and made it #1 on your list?

 

Portugal is #2.

 

1 hour ago, KiChakayan said:

Costa Rica, Chili, Possibly Peru, Portugal, Spain, Malaysia. I was leaning towards Chili and Peru when I met my Thai Wife. Being married here helps a lot to cope, with inept bureaucracy and services, otherwise I'd run. One thing to bear in mind also, that the cost of living in Thailand is now comparable with those of the countries I mention. Some here would dispute that, they would likely to be guys sleeping in a small condo in Pattaya and staying all day in Soi 6 oggling/pawing the bar girls they can't afford anymore or some of these weirdos how chose to go native out in the sticks.

 

[Peterw42]

20 hours ago, bbz404 said:

For 10 million you can get the elite visa for both your wife and you with lots of cash to spare. As you need to bridge just a couple of years, elite visa will be the most convenient option. And legal without any need for border runs. 

 

Where are you getting a figure of 10m baht, a thai elite visa is as low as 500,000 baht, the most expensive one being 2m baht.

[bbz404]

16 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

 

Where are you getting a figure of 10m baht, a thai elite visa is as low as 500,000 baht, the most expensive one being 2m baht.

As you can see, I said that for 10m you can get the elite visa and have lots of cash to spare, i.e. left after paying for the visa. Further, in my post I go on to say that the elite visa for 5 years for 2 persons (married couple) is 800k.

[ubonjoe]

22 minutes ago, bbz404 said:

As you can see, I said that for 10m you can get the elite visa and have lots of cash to spare, i.e. left after paying for the visa.

The 10 million baht for a extension based upon investment is not to pay for the extension like the Thai Elite membership is. You can put the 10 million baht in a bank or government bonds or use all or part of the 10 million to buy a condo.

[JackThompson]

 

2 hours ago, KiChakayan said:

Some here would dispute that, they would likely to be guys sleeping in a small condo in Pattaya

 

How much condo does a single-guy need?  When I lived in that area, my "living room" was Jomtien Beach - a couple hundred meters away from my bed.  My "kitchen" was dozens of affordable restaurants within walking-distance plus hundreds more a 10-baht bus-ride away. 

 

2 hours ago, KiChakayan said:

...

and staying all day in Soi 6 oggling/pawing the bar girls they can't afford anymore

Living frugally in Thailand and going to Soi-6 bars don't go together.  It's one or the other.  If paying bar-girls regularly - even just "ladies drinks" - that could quickly exceed the cost of living in more expensive places.  And why bother, when one can easily date gals working ordinary jobs who are more likely to be stable people?
 

2 hours ago, KiChakayan said:

some of these weirdos how chose to go native out in the sticks

Compliment accepted.  I'm also married to a Thai lady, and we now live in her home-town.  It's nice out here in the sticks.  But then, I always enjoyed living in rural areas, and I think 90% of Issan food is delicious.  It's not for everyone.

[JackThompson]

3 hours ago, RetiredNav said:

Thank you all very much. Much to think about. We are both excited about the ED visa option, never looked at it from a “I go to school and learn Thai” perspective. We both want to learn the language, and being able to stay longer to learn it sounds good. My wife will be 6 months away from 50 when we go and I’ll be 18 months from 50.

 

In that case, you are almost home-free.  Easy to stay that long without some crazy-expensive visa-option.

 

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How long can we stay on an ED Visa? Without really pushing the limits? Is 1 year a reasonable time frame for an ED Visa?

 

At least a year and a half just studying Thai.  More if you can find a school with more advanced classes.  I knew people working on their 3rd language on ED Visas - here for years.  But, given your ages, you won't have to worry about that.

 

Quote

Or arrive under a tourist visa then apply for ED? 

I would arrive with an METV Visa - which gives you almost 9-months total stay if you re-enter the country just before it expires.  Each entry is 60-days, and you can get 30-day extensions from Immigration for each of those. 

 

If that is not an option - depending on the Thai Consulate rules where you apply, I'd start with an SETV, then go to ED Visas, which are easily obtainable in Laos.  You can study Thai while on a Tourist Visa - so will not delay learning the language.

 

After your wife reaches 50 (immigration's retirement-age), she can change to a visa/extension based on that, and you can piggy-back on her permitted-stay.  Financial qualification for annual extensions are 800K Baht in a Thai Bank or 65K Baht monthly-income, or a combination bank-money and income.  Extensions cost 1900 Baht each.

 

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We are both currently school teachers, anyone have experience with a Category B visa for teaching in Thailand? English language teachers in Thailand?

There is a forum devoted to this.  I would ask here:
https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/forum/46-teaching-in-thailand-forum/

 

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We certainly are not dead set on retiring to Thailand, but it is currently our #1 choice and would like to give it at least a year before deciding to move to a different country. I have visited plenty of times with the US Navy and am familiar with the people and customs (for the most part). I do understand living there is quite different from just visiting though.

 

That is a smart approach.  Try it out, and see if it works.

Edited September 30, 2018 by JackThompson

[gk10002000]

20 hours ago, Oxx said:

 

But with the elite visa you are simply throwing money away.  With an investment visa you keep the cash (and get interest on it).

Follow the details. 

 

1:  Double check if one is allowed to just deposit the money in a CD or interest bearing account, and does not have to actually invest in any sort of enterprise or business.

2:  Remember having funds over 10,000 USD in a foreign country requires USa citizens to file some paperwork.  Just pointing that out.  Not a big deal for many.  Some hate it.

3:  As a US citizen one is subject to income tax globally.  The earned income exclusion is for "earned income" and interest or dividends or capital gains do not fall under that category.  So any interest earned would have to be reported, and maybe taxed, depending on the details of your overall tax situation.

4:  Have you looked into the details of exactly how you would then get that 10 Million baht back or out of Thailand or into your hands to spend in Thailand?  Heck, I would never transfer that much money into Thailand for any reason.  Pay as you go is so much safer over there

 

Being so close to 50, I strongly suggest you put off the retirement and put some more cash away into some good tax free investments in the USA.  Then when you go over to Thailand, you can (if you qualify) use the monthly income verification method that requires you to assert  and possibly show that you get $65,000 baht a month.  I prefer that instead of keeping 800k baht in Thailand.  Go ahead and take two 60 day tourist visas each with a 30 day extension, giving you two 90 day stays in Thailand.  Check out a few areas.  After each 60 days shoot over to Cambodia or Laos and then come back and finish up each trip. 

[ubonjoe]

24 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

1:  Double check if one is allowed to just deposit the money in a CD or interest bearing account, and does not have to actually invest in any sort of enterprise or business.

Look at clause 2.5 of Police Order 327/2557 basis for extension of stay and you will see that it is not required.

[KiChakayan]

3 hours ago, RetiredNav said:

Portugal is #2.

 

 

Well IMHO, have some holidays in Thailand and settle in Portugal, the language a lot easier to learn, and unlike the Spaniards, many Portuguese speak English of French.  If you enjoy drinking good wine, Portugal will be a paradise compared to Thailand. You can also choose the climate you prefer as the country stretches between Galicia and Andalusia.

[gk10002000]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

Look at clause 2.5 of Police Order 327/2557 basis for extension of stay and you will see that it is not required.

Thanks for the reference.  Seems to be several ways to invest the 10Mil.  "...Must have evidence of investing in the form of a fixed deposit of..."  This to me means a time deposit and not just a checking or savings account.  Which makes sense to me otherwise, it would be too easy for the foreigner to just pull the money out after getting the visa extension.  Or could invest in some Thai bonds.  I have many USA bonds, and bond funds, both tax exempt and corporate. I don't know enough nor trust Thai financial things enough to invest in them

Edited September 30, 2018 by gk10002000
add

[elviajero]

7 hours ago, RetiredNav said:

My wife will be 6 months away from 50 when we go and I’ll be 18 months from 50.

In that case you could you use tourist visa/s for 6 months (METV or SETV). As soon as you wife turns 50 she can get a 1 year extension of stay (renewable each year) based on retirement, and you could get an extension as her spouse ( you piggyback her extension. 

 

You don’t need an ED visa to study, and if you decide to work in the future you could change (in the region) to a ‘B’ visa.

[KiChakayan]

4 hours ago, JackThompson said:

 

 

How much condo does a single-guy need?  When I lived in that area, my "living room" was Jomtien Beach - a couple hundred meters away from my bed.  My "kitchen" was dozens of affordable restaurants within walking-distance plus hundreds more a 10-baht bus-ride away. 

 

Living frugally in Thailand and going to Soi-6 bars don't go together.  It's one or the other.  If paying bar-girls regularly - even just "ladies drinks" - that could quickly exceed the cost of living in more expensive places.  And why bother, when one can easily date gals working ordinary jobs who are more likely to be stable people?
 

Compliment accepted.  I'm also married to a Thai lady, and we now live in her home-town.  It's nice out here in the sticks.  But then, I always enjoyed living in rural areas, and I think 90% of Issan food is delicious.  It's not for everyone.

Jack, just had two bottles of Wolf Blass' Cabernet Sauvignon with my lovely Issan Wife, in my aircon'd house, out in the sticks. I only want to say that even though we seem to squarely disagree, you do it in such a civil manner, that it makes you an exception in the TV sphere. I'd love to share a few "Bia Singh" with you.

[55Jay]

Afternoon drinking in air conditioned Issan. 

[JackThompson]

9 hours ago, KiChakayan said:

Jack, just had two bottles of Wolf Blass' Cabernet Sauvignon with my lovely Issan Wife, in my aircon'd house, out in the sticks. I only want to say that even though we seem to squarely disagree, you do it in such a civil manner, that it makes you an exception in the TV sphere. I'd love to share a few "Bia Singh" with you.

 

Yes, I have aircon out in the sticks too.  I don't use it as much as I thought I would, but sometimes it is really a lifesaver.  In a place like Bangkok (heat island), I don't know how anyone lives without one.  But then, I and my wife can be sitting in the same hot room - just sitting - and she doesn't perspire, while I am soaked.  Maybe it's genetic.

[RetiredNav]

On 9/27/2018 at 8:37 PM, ubonjoe said:

As said you will not be able to apply for visas or extensions of stay based upon retirement until your 50th birthday.

Getting multiple entry tourist visas (METV) would be a good start. The visa allows unlimited 60 day entries for 6 months from the date of issue. Each entry can be extended for 30 day at a immigration office. You can get almost 9 months of total stay from getting a new 60 day entry on or the date the visa expires and extending it for 60 days. 

You could apply for the visas at the Thai embassy in DC or one of the consulates in New York, Chicago or Los Angeles. Requirements are here on the embassy website. http://thaiembdc.org/tourist-visa-category-tr-multiple-metv/

It appears you are retired from the military. Proof of that would would be accepted instead of proof of employment to apply for the visas.

If we go the METV route, do I have to show a return flight, or flight out of the country? Didn’t want to book that as we don’t really know when we would want to/have to leave.

[RetiredNav]

We were looking at the Hua Hin area, or areas in between there and Bangkok. Are Thai language schools plentiful in those areas?

 

with an ED or METV do I have to have a return flight out of country?

[ubonjoe]

7 hours ago, RetiredNav said:

If we go the METV route, do I have to show a return flight, or flight out of the country?

There is no requirement to have a return flight. You could buy a low cost one way ticket that would be accepted from any airport here to any nearby country for not much more than 1000 baht by purchasing it well in advance.

 

7 hours ago, RetiredNav said:

We were looking at the Hua Hin area, or areas in between there and Bangkok. Are Thai language schools plentiful in those areas?

Hua Hin has a few schools. In Bangkok there are many of them.

[JackThompson]

9 hours ago, RetiredNav said:

with an ED or METV do I have to have a return flight out of country?

ED - no, just paperwork prepared by the school. 

METV - depends on the requirements of the consulate where you apply.  Some want an itinerary of plans to travel in and out (you can invent this), proof of your initial flight in and 1st out (can be out to Kuala Lumpur for ~$30 or similar within 60-days of your entry-date), proof of $5000 in a bank account not dropping below that amount for some months, and proof you have a job waiting on your return.  Some consulates skip or allow fairly "loose" job-proof, (self-employed, on-the-dole, etc). 

 

If the METV fails, they will likely offer you the SETV, which will bridge you to the ED, which you can get in Laos with school paperwork.

[ubonjoe]

9 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

proof of $5000 in a bank account not dropping below that amount for some months

It is $7000 not $5000 to be the equal the 200k baht requirement.