Is It Really Worth It?

[pepi1]

Living in Uk at present but thinking about retiring in LOS very soon. 62, married to Thai lady and have baby girl.

Getting ret. visa not a problem for me. Is it worth it? Going to Gov office every 90 days makes one feel like tourist, never feeling really settled. Does this work in practice? Never knowing if they will change rules for retirement visas.

Having to declare to UK tax that you have upsticks and gone,maybe losing tax breaks let alone NHS treatment.

Very nice for the Thai girl, back home with parents etc. but what about us.

Not winging, just really curious to hear your views. Serious ones please

Cheers

[Casanundra]

Life is more certain in England than it is in LOS that's for sure.

It all depends on the lifestyle you want here versus what you have back in the UK.

I guess you also need to consider what kind of education you want for your daughter too.

Thailand is for the oldies and being 50 upwards on a retirement visa is the least of the visa hassles anyone is going to get here

You still unfortunately have to spend an hour every 90 days reporting to immigration like a good little boy but 1 hour every 90n days is no major hassle.

You can get health insurance here with fewer waiting lists compared to back home so there are financial / time trades to be had on health

Not saying you are ready to pop your clogs yet but the question on where you would rather die also needs to be considered in this too.

[Jingthing]

It a personal decision. I think most of us do not regret it. It always good to realize you might just be forced to go home one day, and have some idea how you might do that. Beats condo jumping.

[TerryLH]

"Going to Gov office every 90 days makes one feel like tourist, never feeling really settled."

"You still unfortunately have to spend an hour every 90 days reporting to immigration like a good little boy but 1 hour every 90n days is no major hassle."

The 90 day reporting can be done by mail.

[jumnien]

Yes, 90 day reporting in person has not been necessary for years now. Just mail in the card!

[Krub]

Living in Uk at present but thinking about retiring in LOS very soon. 62, married to Thai lady and have baby girl.

Getting ret. visa not a problem for me. Is it worth it? Going to Gov office every 90 days makes one feel like tourist, never feeling really settled. Does this work in practice? Never knowing if they will change rules for retirement visas.

Having to declare to UK tax that you have upsticks and gone,maybe losing tax breaks let alone NHS treatment.

Very nice for the Thai girl, back home with parents etc. but what about us.

Not winging, just really curious to hear your views. Serious ones please

Cheers

The retirement rules can and have been changed but they were and are grandfatherred so if you meet the today's requirements, you should be OK

The 90 day reporting can be done by mail.

Health Insurance will add to the cost but the overall cost of living should be much cheaper in Thailand.

Education for the child could be a or the deciding factor.

[astral]

On the positive side, you can move your investments overseas and avoid UK tax.

No Thai tax on retirement income

Low cost of living

I have yet to see a tax break based on living in the UK, and there won't be any

with the present Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Negative, your State pension will not be incremented once it starts.

You will need health insurance, but if you plan to stay in Thailand then I suggest you

choose a plan based on Thai hospital rates, not international.

So far changes in the Thai immigration rules have been grandfathered.

[Gary A]

If you meet the requirements for a retirement visa, it's an easy simple thing. It costs 1,900 baht per year and you never have to leave the country. The three month address verifications can be done by mail or more recently even via the Internet. As for myself, I live up country and the trip every three months is a nice outing for the wife and myself. Chiang Khan is right on the Mekhong river and it is a scenic area. The people at the immigration office are very pleasant people and it is no problem with the simple single form. It takes about ten minutes but is often an hour or so for me because we always have a nice conversation.

[PeaceBlondie]

My immigration office is close by, and even though it's a big busy place, they're beginning to recognize me among all the thousands of blond ponytails they see every day. Always pleasant.

So far we have hinted at the problem you might face with your child's education. If your girl is still a baby, she'll be in prathom and matayom before you can say, "Where did all the years go?" If you have a spare million baht to spend every year for the highest quality education for her, it's no problem.

[naka]

Positives.

Once you move to Thailand you can bank offshore (Channel Islands) so

no more tax on your invested income. (conditions apply )

Just make sure you tell the UK tax man you're out of there.

Lower cost of living.

Negatives.

Pension (if any) gets locked at current level. (why do they do that ?)

Nothing is free anymore

Positives.

You can always get back there !

Naka.

[jdinasia]

Living in Uk at present but thinking about retiring in LOS very soon. 62, married to Thai lady and have baby girl.

Getting ret. visa not a problem for me. Is it worth it? Going to Gov office every 90 days makes one feel like tourist, never feeling really settled. Does this work in practice? Never knowing if they will change rules for retirement visas.

Having to declare to UK tax that you have upsticks and gone,maybe losing tax breaks let alone NHS treatment.

Very nice for the Thai girl, back home with parents etc. but what about us.

Not winging, just really curious to hear your views. Serious ones please

Cheers

???

after the 'age difference' threads ... and posting on here since 2005 I woulf think that you'd know if this would work for you or not already!

[Big A]

Refer to my posting 'Malaysia...too Good to be True' in the 'Visas and migration to other countries' section. This gives a little insight into retirement in Malaysia.

Alternatively, go to www.mm2h.com for more comprehensive info. I'm not trying to steer you away from LoS, but the Malay immigration ploicy seems much more foreigner friendly.

And please everyone, no more postings like.....if you like Malaysia so much, why not go and live there!! It gets a bit jaded after a while!!

[ProThaiExpat]

GaryA: Please point me to the website wherein I can do my 90 day reporting?

[pepi1]

Thank you everybody for your interesting views.

I have a very good lifestyle here in the UK but at the age now where my Thai wife and 2 year old count more than me.

Peace blondie are you really saying 1 Mill a year for school?

More views welcome

Thanks

By the way "Age Difference" was just a litle light hearted humour. Can't believe how many people thought it was true!

[chanchao]

> Getting ret. visa not a problem for me. Is it worth it? Going to Gov office every 90 days makes

> one feel like tourist, never feeling really settled. Does this work in practice?

> Never knowing if they will change rules for retirement visas.

That's all true.

Still I think when you're at the age that you qualify for retirement, you're allowed to stop worrying about the future occasionally and live a little today.

And a lot of the 'today' stuff is quite a bit more pleasant in Thailand, most months of the year.

[Medit8]

Thank you everybody for your interesting views.

I have a very good lifestyle here in the UK but at the age now where my Thai wife and 2 year old count more than me.

Peace blondie are you really saying 1 Mill a year for school?

More views welcome

Thanks

By the way "Age Difference" was just a litle light hearted humour. Can't believe how many people thought it was true!

PeaceBlondie is putting the fear of "bejeezus" in you with his schooling quotation. I have a 3 1/2 year old and a newborn and once they reach proper school age, the best International Schools will set you back around 300-500,000 THB per year. That's of course if you want to go that route and relative to what's available in the part of the country you will settle in. If cost is not a serious consideration, doing some research on schools is a worthwhile undertaking. It's probably the single most important investment you'll ever make.

Regarding the 90 day reporting, please note this excerpt from the Ministry of Finance:

5.3 Foreigner may report to the competent authority by post and should provide the following:

- A report form (Tor Mor 47).

- A copy of passport pages showing the foreigner’s photo, personal details, and the latest arrival visa stamp.

- A copy of the previous receipt of acknowledgement.

- A self-addressed envelope with postage affixed.

Such documents must be sent to the Office of the Immigration Bureau, Soi Suan Plu, South Sathorn Road, Sathorn District, Bangkok 10120, and must be submitted 7 days before the end of every 90-day period. A receipt of acknowledgement will be given and should be used for future correspondence.

[65Craig]

Thank you everybody for your interesting views.

I have a very good lifestyle here in the UK but at the age now where my Thai wife and 2 year old count more than me.

Peace blondie are you really saying 1 Mill a year for school?

More views welcome

Thanks

By the way "Age Difference" was just a litle light hearted humour. Can't believe how many people thought it was true!

I know the International School In Bangkok costs 528K baht from grades K-5, 603K baht for 6-8, and 626K for grades 9-12. Fees usually go up every year too.

http://www.isb.ac.th/Tuition_&_Fees

Then there is other stuff like transportion, lunches, extra-curricular activities that really adds to the cost. I'm sure some other schools cost more (less if you plan on living in say Chiang Mai), but if you want your kid studying in English, expect to pay a lot of money. My wife and I just got married and we are trying to conceive, and we've discussed it prior, and by no means am I allowing my kid to go to a Thai Government school. She's in agreement. Either we are moving back to Berkeley, California, or we are sending our kid to an American/International School here in Thailand. If you do decide to go to an international school, it's best to make sure your little girl is speaking English (sure that will be no problem), because there is an interview and English Language screening at many of the top end schools.

[Gary A]

GaryA: Please point me to the website wherein I can do my 90 day reporting?

Not sure if it works, but here is the link;

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...day%20reporting

[ProThaiExpat]

GaryA: Please point me to the website wherein I can do my 90 day reporting?

Not sure if it works, but here is the link;

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...day%20reporting

Thanks GaryA, your link went to the Thaivisa thread that contains the Pattaya Immigration web page that is long on forms and light on instructions.

My experience with mailing in a 90 day report was so problematic that I now do it during a restaurant trip near the immigration office in Chiang Mai. Submitting the online form to Pattaya Immigration may indeed satisfy the regulations but being in Chiang Mai, I don't feel comfortable with arguing with Chiang Mai immigration, holding a copy of an online form from Pattaya Immigration and insisting I sent it.

When I did mail in my 90 day notice, I got a call from immigration stating that I had not included something that I know I did. Rather than argue on the telephone, with a native Thai speaker doing the conversation, I went to immigration and lo and behold, when they pulled my file, there was the missing

item. Enough already.

[Gary A]

GaryA: Please point me to the website wherein I can do my 90 day reporting?

Not sure if it works, but here is the link;

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...day%20reporting

Thanks GaryA, your link went to the Thaivisa thread that contains the Pattaya Immigration web page that is long on forms and light on instructions.

My experience with mailing in a 90 day report was so problematic that I now do it during a restaurant trip near the immigration office in Chiang Mai. Submitting the online form to Pattaya Immigration may indeed satisfy the regulations but being in Chiang Mai, I don't feel comfortable with arguing with Chiang Mai immigration, holding a copy of an online form from Pattaya Immigration and insisting I sent it.

When I did mail in my 90 day notice, I got a call from immigration stating that I had not included something that I know I did. Rather than argue on the telephone, with a native Thai speaker doing the conversation, I went to immigration and lo and behold, when they pulled my file, there was the missing

item. Enough already.

I think you are correct. I don't think I would trust the mail and certainly not the Internet. If my check ins were troublesome or difficult I may try the mail but wouldn't feel comfortable with it. My 90 day visits are actually pleasurable and that's the way I will continue to handle it.

[ProThaiExpat]

Living in Uk at present but thinking about retiring in LOS very soon. 62, married to Thai lady and have baby girl.

Getting ret. visa not a problem for me. Is it worth it? Going to Gov office every 90 days makes one feel like tourist, never feeling really settled. Does this work in practice? Never knowing if they will change rules for retirement visas.

Having to declare to UK tax that you have upsticks and gone,maybe losing tax breaks let alone NHS treatment.

Very nice for the Thai girl, back home with parents etc. but what about us.

Not winging, just really curious to hear your views. Serious ones please

Cheers

I was faced with the relocation decision five years ago while living in Hawaii. I did not have a wife and child to consider. My decision was based on economics and heartstrings which pulled me to my love in Thailand.

You, on the other hand, have an ideal situation in the UK so consider the motivation to move. If all of the hassles that are involved in relocating to a foreign country with all of the cultural differences to deal with, pale in comparison to the happiness you would be giving your wife by allowing her to live in her home country, then you have a compelling reason to do so. Your child's happiness will come from within you family unit, not from the external living conditions in Thailand.

Yes, consider the cost of a International School, but public schools in England are not cheap I suspect.

I have considered returning to my home country on occasions when my mind fatasized, however, what with economics and my evaluation that my Thai would be happier living in his old country, my original decision prevails. Occasional homesickness is to be expected but not something upon which life changing decisions should be made.

I am a firm believer that one makes one's home wherever he is, not the other way around, so I suspect you will be successful in making a happy home in either country, its really something between you and your wife and which country will make the other happier.

[IMChris]

Its too bad .....He will never see her graduate high school.......................What were you thinking????

[pepi1]

Thanks for all your constuctive and frank comments.

I am at that stage where I do not mind where I hang my hat.

My Wife and beautiful Daughter's happiness more important.

See you in Los

[jetjock]

Its too bad .....He will never see her graduate high school.......................What were you thinking????

Why the negativity IMChris ? 62+18=78 years old when she gradutes from high school. 78 is still a relatively young age in these modern times. My folks are totally active and in their 90's. I am in my 60's and planning to start a family in the next few years. I do not think it will be a problem for me because I have long lived genetics on my side and my Doctor told me only recently that I have the mind of an 8 year old so it is apparent that I have perpetual youth is on my side !

[jetjock]

correction 62+18=80 (see I told you I had the mind of an 8 year old and math skills to match! )

[lukamar]

I'm 60 with a 2 year old son and I feel better and have more energy now than i did when i had my daughters in my early 30's. I no longer work 16-18 hour days and don't have the stress of worrying about where money will come from to make this months payment for anything.