Thailand is still among the most affordable destinations for expat retirees

[ta158]

13 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

https://www.numbeo.com/crime/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Mexico&country2=Thailand&city1=Mexico+City&city2=Bangkok

 

 

looks better for thailand.....

ah numbeo the site where anyone can go in and change the crime rate, this site uses feelings not actuall crime statistics, there is so many cities that are in wrong rank. 

 

some exemples, chicago with its 600+ murders, safer than kuala lumpur, malaysia? 

 

townsville Australia and darwin Australia, more dangerous than tripoli, libya.  bogota, colombia. nairobi kenya.  oakland USA with the highest robbery rate in US and high murder rate.

 

yeah it was wrong for me to compare thailand with mexico, but the same crimes and the brutality is the same, mexico is far worse than thailand, and thailand is far worse than Europe

 

https://www.thelocal.se/20170117/how-one-swede-made-a-city-the-worlds-most-dangerous-to-expose-fake-stats

[simon43]

That little farmer's house looks perfect for me!  I've rented similar and really enjoyed the rural lifestyle, cool natural ventilation coming up through the gaps in the wooden floor, no need for air-con, just a simple and stress-free lifestyle.

 

Am I some cheap-charlie to want to live like that?  I live in Thailand using my Elite PE visa (to ensure I don't have to deal with immigration's sour faces).  I live according to what I want, not according to what other people might think of me.  A truck, 5-star insurance, fresh food and a simple wooden house suits me fine, (which maybe explains why I am twice-divorced from Thai women and happily live alone LoL).

 

But my low-cost, simple lifestyle definitely doesn't 'gel' with the type of foreigner that Thailand seems to want now.  

[DrTuner]

Let's define "affordable" then:

 

TAT:

 

TiT:

 

[marcusarelus]

2 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

Wrong! 

 

Wrong again! Have mine. Always have...always will. (Clue to the clueless...While following the new extension requirements is not a problem personally, it certainly is not a requirement that anyone has to like them)

 

Here's a suggestion... 

 

Try keeping your trolling targets straight and gather all the facts before posting. 

What kind of visa extension do you have? Trying to get my facts straight here.

[marcusarelus]

10 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Let's define "affordable" then:

 

TAT:

 

TiT:

 

 

My cost of living less than half of what I paid in my home country. 

[DrTuner]

25 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

My cost of living less than half of what I paid in my home country. 

Mine used to be about 1/3rd. Then the kids started school, upgraded house to euro standards, prices went up, etc. Now it's probably about 1.25x, maybe more because of the school fees. No country for a family man. And apparently soon not for the low cost pensioner. Also not for a working man, crappy career prospects. Leaves.. assorted youngsters, drifters, Nigerian drug dealers? 

[baboon]

On 2/12/2019 at 1:48 PM, Sheryl said:

Meanwhile elsewhere we have this thread

 

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1083489-cost-of-living-in-bangkok-phuket-pattaya-and-chiang-mai-among-the-highest-in-asean/page/6/?tab=comments#comment-13829171

 

Goes to show how easily public opinion can be manipulated and decent people turned against one another, then turned against each other once again, at the convenience of some rather shady people. Both in Thailand and worldwide...

[bkkcanuck8]

2 hours ago, DrTuner said:

Mine used to be about 1/3rd. Then the kids started school, upgraded house to euro standards, prices went up, etc. Now it's probably about 1.25x, maybe more because of the school fees. No country for a family man. And apparently soon not for the low cost pensioner. Also not for a working man, crappy career prospects. Leaves.. assorted youngsters, drifters, Nigerian drug dealers? 

And when you go back you will find it is 2x+ more expensive than you thought.

[gk10002000]

13 hours ago, ginjag said:

If a teacher lives very nicely on his 28k or so a month with a nice house and car and family  why can we not reside/retire here with the same money  ??   I would suggest each ex pay wishing to do has to deposit 500k in a Thai bank. NO withdrawal until he returns to his native country.  make a 90 day report to prove his 500k is intact.

 

One possibly can reside/retire with the same money, and only spend that much.  Just because you now must transfer in 65k does not mean you have to spend it

[tingtongtourist]

5 hours ago, DrTuner said:

Mine used to be about 1/3rd. Then the kids started school, upgraded house to euro standards, prices went up, etc. Now it's probably about 1.25x, maybe more because of the school fees. No country for a family man. And apparently soon not for the low cost pensioner. Also not for a working man, crappy career prospects. Leaves.. assorted youngsters, drifters, Nigerian drug dealers? 

Or.. It leaves those people who actually planned..

worked hard back home for years until they had enough $ to go to Thailand

and not have to look for work and be a cheap Charlie

 

[GinBoy2]

8 hours ago, ThomasThBKK said:

https://www.numbeo.com/crime/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Mexico&country2=Thailand&city1=Mexico+City&city2=Bangkok

 

 

looks better for thailand.....

Trouble with crime stats its all local, aggregated numbers, especially the bigger the country don't make much sense.

Our house in Thailand...would I leave the gates and doors open when we go out, Hell No.

 

In the US where we live I could leave the house open, the car running with keys in (which is actually what most of us do to warm the car up in frigid cold) without worrying, Yes

 

Then again we're not living in Chicago or Detroit. 

 

I'm hispanic, so obviously fully aware of crime in Mexico. So would I live anywhere in Sinaloa, Mexico City or Tijuana? Of course not

But many many cities in Mexico outside of the drug areas, are just normal peaceful places 

[GinBoy2]

9 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

Wrong! 

 

Wrong again! Have mine. Always have...always will. (Clue to the clueless...While following the new extension requirements is not a problem personally, it certainly is not a requirement that anyone has to like them)

 

Here's a suggestion... 

 

Try keeping your trolling targets straight and gather all the facts before posting. 

Don't worry

 

This dude is currently American

 

However he has also been a Brit, Canadian and an Australian, I think he's currently married to some Hiso, but has also been very recently a Soi 6 Dog.

Also over 80 years old, recently retired, so who knows

 

Don't fret about constancy! LOL

 

At the end of the day he provides entertainment, so you can watch daytime TV or read this!

[ginjag]

2 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

One possibly can reside/retire with the same money, and only spend that much.  Just because you now must transfer in 65k does not mean you have to spend it

That is not the point.  My post is pointing to the fact of WHY they came up with this amount ??  it only proves they want money tied up in a Thai bank, it will accrue here so when you leave you have the stupid task of stopping the transfer, then TRYING to withdraw all or transfer back to your home country could be a problem. 

Not forgetting the unfortunate task for a relative also trying to take out the money if you died here.....  A 500k bond in the Thai bank should be enough to let you stay here.

[Hummin]

2 minutes ago, ginjag said:

That is not the point.  My post is pointing to the fact of WHY they came up with this amount ??  it only proves they want money tied up in a Thai bank, it will accrue here so when you leave you have the stupid task of stopping the transfer, then TRYING to withdraw all or transfer back to your home country could be a problem. 

Not forgetting the unfortunate task for a relative also trying to take out the money if you died here.....  A 500k bond in the Thai bank should be enough to let you stay here.

Anyone who claim to been here for how long? Know how unpredcicatability the visa rules have been, and we can only predict the future with the same. If 800 000,- is a problem for you now to leave in a bank, or transfer 65 000,- a month, you better find a new destination, or get married. 

[ginjag]

45 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Anyone who claim to been here for how long? Know how unpredcicatability the visa rules have been, and we can only predict the future with the same. If 800 000,- is a problem for you now to leave in a bank, or transfer 65 000,- a month, you better find a new destination, or get married. 

A UK old age pension is far far better than a good qualified teacher here at 35k, how the hell do the elderly get the extra 30k to transfer...   again the point being Immigration know that 50% will have to leave, although they are living far more comfortable than a a teacher AND most immigration officers.     SO why then do they think we are a burden on society.   So as you say tying up 800k in a Thai bank a person can live on 20k easily and that then is not a problem ---crazy

[mommysboy]

The bottom line is that it is a very cheap destination until one weighs in with health costs, which is a very real cost risk in the age group under discussion.  The average Brit probably needs to factor in a return to his own country at some point, since the cost of servicing a chronic health condition can destroy even a healthy bank balance.

[bkkcanuck8]

3 hours ago, ginjag said:

That is not the point.  My post is pointing to the fact of WHY they came up with this amount ??  it only proves they want money tied up in a Thai bank, it will accrue here so when you leave you have the stupid task of stopping the transfer, then TRYING to withdraw all or transfer back to your home country could be a problem. 

Not forgetting the unfortunate task for a relative also trying to take out the money if you died here.....  A 500k bond in the Thai bank should be enough to let you stay here.

A bond is a reasonable requirement to ensure some level of self-insurance if you don't have other insurance to take care of things when you finally kick the bucket.  I have told my relatives that when/if I eventually kick the bucket here, I should have enough funds to cover things... but for gods sake... if they wanted to use my body as leverage - tell them to keep it.  I have also said that my preferred method of disposal right now is the cheapest...  I started out with just feeding me to the fishes, but then I realized if they find anyone that does flesh removal via those bugs (you see in TV shows) that it might be a better solution since there is good value in selling real human bones for skeletons (worth much more than those created with molds) ????  Just don't drag my dead body all around the world ...

[Hummin]

Im starting to think 2 mill in the bank is an better option than health insurance start paying now at age 49

[ginjag]

4 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Im starting to think 2 mill in the bank is an better option than health insurance start paying now at age 49

At 76 most are refused, what will happen if they make it law, standard to stay here ??   that will get rid of another 8%  (guess)

[bkkcanuck8]

4 minutes ago, ginjag said:

At 76 most are refused, what will happen if they make it law, standard to stay here ??   that will get rid of another 8%  (guess)

My guess is that we will be given the option of public health policy at "unsubsidized" rates... enough to insure Thailand that on average -- farang retirees will not left unpaid bills at the end.  It will intersect with Thailand as a medical hub.

[ginjag]

1 minute ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

My guess is that we will be given the option of public health policy and "unsubsidized" rates... enough to insure Thailand that on average -- farang retirees will not left unpaid bills at the end.

Like your post, BUT it is a guess, and option again could mean pay it,  or scarper, same sod off,  ha ha ha

 

[bkkcanuck8]

2 minutes ago, ginjag said:

Like your post, BUT it is a guess, and option again could mean pay it,  or scarper, same sod off,  ha ha ha

 

option meant that that there you either had to show proof of other insurance or some sort of self-insurance bond.  Not coverage is optional ????

[lipflipper]

If affordable is all you care about then Welcome to the Land of Smiles. For those of us who have seen our living here as an inconvince for the likes of Biggest Joke its simply not worth it. It just seems that every few years guys like him decide to make it harder to stay here without jumping through hoops. There are numerous countries that are just as or more affordable than Thailand. Take the time to do some research and you will see at least 11 countries where Expats are welcome and not hassled by Immigration. Hell, right next to LOS we have Cambodia and Vietnam that offer a much better option.

Sent from my CMR-AL19 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[bkkcanuck8]

5 minutes ago, lipflipper said:

If affordable is all you care about then Welcome to the Land of Smiles. For those of us who have seen our living here as an inconvince for the likes of Biggest Joke its simply not worth it. It just seems that every few years guys like him decide to make it harder to stay here without jumping through hoops. There are numerous countries that are just as or more affordable than Thailand. Take the time to do some research and you will see at least 11 countries where Expats are welcome and not hassled by Immigration. Hell, right next to LOS we have Cambodia and Vietnam that offer a much better option.

Sent from my CMR-AL19 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

I did not pick Thailand because it was most affordable... so yes, if that is your criteria... by all means... look elsewhere...  you won't be noticed other than maybe the posts here.  My criteria is that I actually like living where I am living (and it is warm), and has reasonably good quality communications/internet...  as a bonus, the friends I was closest to when working in UK, US, and Canada... live in this region as well (Singapore and Hong Kong).

[Pravda]

On 2/12/2019 at 6:48 PM, rumak said:

i tried once.  Not a million baht that everyone cries about.   They wanted a million dollars !

 

In 10 years million baht will be worth million Aussie dollars.

[marcusarelus]

7 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

Don't worry

 

This dude is currently American

 

However he has also been a Brit, Canadian and an Australian, I think he's currently married to some Hiso, but has also been very recently a Soi 6 Dog.

Also over 80 years old, recently retired, so who knows

 

Don't fret about constancy! LOL

 

At the end of the day he provides entertainment, so you can watch daytime TV or read this!

Show me where I've ever been a Brit or Australian.  I have legal status in Canada and America.  I'm not over 80 and not recently retired.  I have a 6 year old rescued Soi Dog. 

 

[bkkcanuck8]

3 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Show me where I've ever been a Brit or Australian.  I have legal status in Canada and America.  I'm not over 80 and not recently retired.  I have a 6 year old rescued Soi Dog. 

 

Legal status must mean that you cannot say you are a citizen of both countries... if that is the case -- residing here could lead to the deemed abandonment of permanent residency.

[dick dasterdly]

19 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

It is hilarious what people use as justification on how expensive it is here.

Beer.  Yes the price of beer in a bar.

How many posts...it is getting so expensive here I paid 80 b for a beer.

So childish.

This country is still very very inexpensive comparing.

Especially since it is not 3rd world.

Housing and rents still very in expensive in popular cities here.

Food, time with a lady, etc very low comparing.

Maybe stop hating and realize the truth..

 

I agree that renting a house here is FAR less than in the uk.  Plus we don't have to pay council tax and the like - and from my POV this is the 'clincher'.  

 

Of course the 'quality' of house doesn't compare very well - but that's a minor consideration from my viewpoint, as I'm able to live next to the beach in a relatively remote/quiet area - something I could never afford to do in the uk!

 

As far as I can see, a 'general' basket of food costs about the same (unless you are happy to eat factory farmed/full of antibiotics etc. chicken and pork.).

 

Phuket has certainly become more FAR more expensive for food and clothes etc. (mostly way above inflationon) over the last decade or so, but 'eating out' is still far less expensive than in the uk.

 

Additionally, the occasional use of aircon doesn't come close to matching the cost of central heating throughout the brit. winter.

 

 

[dick dasterdly]

14 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

My cost of living less than half of what I paid in my home country. 

Probably partly 'cos we no longer needed to buy what we 'needed/wanted/luxuries' immediately?

[dick dasterdly]

7 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

Trouble with crime stats its all local, aggregated numbers, especially the bigger the country don't make much sense.

Our house in Thailand...would I leave the gates and doors open when we go out, Hell No.

 

In the US where we live I could leave the house open, the car running with keys in (which is actually what most of us do to warm the car up in frigid cold) without worrying, Yes

 

Then again we're not living in Chicago or Detroit. 

 

I'm hispanic, so obviously fully aware of crime in Mexico. So would I live anywhere in Sinaloa, Mexico City or Tijuana? Of course not

But many many cities in Mexico outside of the drug areas, are just normal peaceful places 

"Our house in Thailand...would I leave the gates and doors open when we go out, Hell No."

 

I do - but then I have dogs ????.