Long Term Viability of Living in Thailand

[nickt092]

20 minutes ago, GalaxyMan said:

The people who seem to have issues with Thailand are those who are economically marginal. If you have the funds, it's really not that big a deal. All countries have their foibles. It's really a matter of what you enjoy. Thailand is simply fantastic if you don't let the nonsense that really doesn't affect you get in the way. The people, food, weather, and culture are all wonderful and stimulating. The neighboring countries that make it easier...IMHO, their food doesn't cut it and they are decidedly third world compared to Thailand, which is relatively above that, especially for a farang with the funds to live here. Vietnam and Laos are decidedly communistic with everything that that implies. Malaysia is Muslim with everything that that implies. Cambodia is an extremely corrupt, oppressive military dictatorship with its head firmly up China's butt, even worse than ..... can't say it here. Haven't yet heard anything that I'd describe as 'good' about the Philippines except that it's easy to get in and stay, which smacks at desperation on their part.

 

At your age, you have nothing to lose by trying it in Thailand for a while, seeing how it goes for you. Everyone is different. One size does not fit all. You seem to have your head on your shoulders the right way. No matter how long you live, life is short. Don't waste it by not grabbing at every opportunity that you can. Nothing worse than regrets for not having tried.

Much much appriciated.   Exactly details I was looking for.

[Martyp]

33 minutes ago, nickt092 said:

Just have a gf pushing for something stable.  I have always told here 1 day at a time due to thailand immigration as I dont plan on getting married (western culture has ruined marriage).

She is clear on you not wanting to get married? It's a predictably reasonable expectation on her part and has nothing to do with her being Thai. You maybe don't want to go the expensive Elite visa route if your relationship with your GF could falter on the marriage question.

[mngmn]

39 minutes ago, nickt092 said:

At the same time it's like what does thailand offer...

I think you have already found the only thing it has to offer... Need to decide if she is worth all the other hassles...

[yogi100]

49 minutes ago, Momofarang said:

If you don't have family here, just go and live in Peru. Arequipa and Cusco, have ten times more to offer than any Thai city.

You advise people to "just go and live in Peru". Peru is literally on the other side of the world.

 

Few of us will even have heard of Arequipa nor Cusco. What exactly do they have to offer that Thai cities do not.

[nickt092]

17 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Got to keep them tills ringing. I have been fortunate that Jomtiem do not pursue this with 

It's been a while since I have been there.  I normally leave after my 60 days and come back after a month or 2.  I do wonder if they still make a stink about it.  I have often considered what I would do in that case... 1600 fine to immigration for the tm 30 plus exit fee or just jump to a neighbor country for the same price for a day or 2 and come back.  Haha.  

[Old Croc]

3 hours ago, nickt092 said:

But idk, am i missing something?  Does thailand offer something that justifies their actions?

You've been coming here for 5 years, what's the attraction for you?

Why aren't you setting up camp elsewhere if you don't know, or like, what Thailand offers?

 

If you are committed to the place and just having a whinge about their everchanging and restrictive rules, join the throng. There's threads on the subject all over the forum without you starting yet another.

[nickt092]

8 minutes ago, Martyp said:

She is clear on you not wanting to get married? It's a predictably reasonable expectation on her part and has nothing to do with her being Thai. You maybe don't want to go the expensive Elite visa route if your relationship with your GF could falter on the marriage question.

I think when you tell a women I dont want to get married they hear...  I dont want to marry you now.  Idk why they process "not want to" as "not want to now."  While yes it would be cheaper than elite visa I'm just am not sure of legal repercussions of divorce in thailand.  Here in the western world there is a good chance your tail could become homeless over night.  As a result of this I will not marry in this life time.

[nickt092]

1 minute ago, Old Croc said:

You've been coming here for 5 years, what's the attraction for you?

Why aren't you setting up camp elsewhere if you don't know, or like, what Thailand offers?

 

If you are committed to the place and just having a whinge about their everchanging and restrictive rules, join the throng. There's threads on the subject all over the forum without you starting yet another.

So if I remove the girl from the equation... I probably wouldn't come back.

[tonray]

7 minutes ago, yogi100 said:

Few of us will even have heard of Arequipa nor Cusco.

Taken out of context I would have thought they were Holday drink offerings at Starbucks

[GalaxyMan]

1 minute ago, nickt092 said:

I think when you tell a women I dont want to get married they hear...  I dont want to marry you now.  Idk why they process "not want to" as "not want to now."  While yes it would be cheaper than elite visa I'm just am not sure of legal repercussions of divorce in thailand.  Here in the western world there is a good chance your tail could become homeless over night.  As a result of this I will not marry in this life time.

I believe that it's a 50/50 split on possessions accumulated after marriage. What you have before you marry is yours and not subject to the 50/50 split. As others have mentioned, the easiest way to deal with this is to only have in Thailand what you need in Thailand, leave the rest in some other country.

[yogi100]

6 minutes ago, tonray said:

Taken out of context I would have thought they were Holday drink offerings at Starbucks

Going by the post I quoted it's a clear implication that they are cities or possibly towns in Peru rather than whatever a Holday drink offering at Starbucks might be. 

[Martyp]

5 minutes ago, nickt092 said:

I think when you tell a women I dont want to get married they hear...  I dont want to marry you now.  Idk why they process "not want to" as "not want to now."  While yes it would be cheaper than elite visa I'm just am not sure of legal repercussions of divorce in thailand.  Here in the western world there is a good chance your tail could become homeless over night.  As a result of this I will not marry in this life time.

I married a Thai woman this year. I divorced my US wife 3 years ago. Thailand is pretty much a community property country. 50/50. That is not to say that you would be treated fairly in a court if you had an adversarial divorce. There is a lot of lore about courts favoring Thai nationals ( no surprise there). I got a prenuptial agreement before getting married here. Some would say a prenup is worthless but they would probably say that about a prenup in any country. I would expect, in the worst case, that my wife would get at least half (or all assets) in Thailand. If you buy land that will be purchased in her name. Most of my money is in the US and of course my pension income is all mine.

 

I had the same questions about marriage/divorce in Thailand. I first talked to an American lawyer who is a partner in a Thai law firm. You should do the same since this is such an important aspect of your decision.

 

Again . . . there is nothing Thai about thinking you might change your mind about marriage. She very likely won’t change her mind on this issue. Eventually she will dump you and move on. My Thai wife said (after we were married) that that is what she would have done and I totally understand that. My 56 year old sister in the US recently dumped her boyfriend who wouldn’t commit after 5 years of dating.

 

A lot of Thai woman have sworn off marriage to unreliable Thai men but doesn’t mean they have sworn off marriage. It is a very strong aspect of Thai culture. Having recently experienced a traditional Thai marriage I can appreciate how important this is to them, their family, and their community. Or . . . maybe you have found a Thai girlfriend who is so influenced by western progressive culture they have relaxed the rules. 
 

Good luck.

[mikebell]

I have been here about 15 years and enjoyed much of it.  I have put down roots & made friends. Become a professional writer. My son has a business in BKK.  Learned a smattering of Thai.  These are all reasons why I stay and at 77 going elsewhere would be a wrench.

 

Reasons for leaving would include: corrupt Thai police; noise; litter; poor air quality; traffic dangers; cheating Thai wife; dogs; expense (on a fixed pension).

[freeman01]

I don't get it, if you only stay 6 months total whats the issue with SETV and VE ?

The only problem i see is if you want to stay more time with border run and back to back visa, if you stay a few weeks to a month or more between visa its a walk in the park to get in.

For instance for me i drop my passport at an agent in Penang with refundable flight ticket and 10 days refundable hotel booking and bam i got SETV after a few days that you can extend to 30 more days when in Thailand with a simple visit to immigration, total about 4,000THB.

 

When you cross the border, if you get pulled aside you just have to show flight ticket out, hotel reservation, 20k thb and visa receipt from the embassy. With this no matter how angry the officer looks at you they will let you in. Pretty sure i could do this 3 times a year if no back to back stamps.

 

15k or 30k USD for an elite visa would be a huge waste of money imho, unless it is to stay all year long, and even then ...

 

Btw Malaysia is much more than just a Muslim country like some says, very underrated and well worth to visits, very friendly people they all speaks perfect english and the country has better infrastructure than Thailand.

Edited December 15, 2019 by freeman01

[ICELANDMAN]

3 hours ago, Martyp said:

I married a Thai woman this year. I divorced my US wife 3 years ago. Thailand is pretty much a community property country. 50/50. That is not to say that you would be treated fairly in a court if you had an adversarial divorce. There is a lot of lore about courts favoring Thai nationals ( no surprise there). I got a prenuptial agreement before getting married here. Some would say a prenup is worthless but they would probably say that about a prenup in any country. I would expect, in the worst case, that my wife would get at least half (or all assets) in Thailand. If you buy land that will be purchased in her name. Most of my money is in the US and of course my pension income is all mine.

 

I had the same questions about marriage/divorce in Thailand. I first talked to an American lawyer who is a partner in a Thai law firm. You should do the same since this is such an important aspect of your decision.

 

Again . . . there is nothing Thai about thinking you might change your mind about marriage. She very likely won’t change her mind on this issue. Eventually she will dump you and move on. My Thai wife said (after we were married) that that is what she would have done and I totally understand that. My 56 year old sister in the US recently dumped her boyfriend who wouldn’t commit after 5 years of dating.

 

A lot of Thai woman have sworn off marriage to unreliable Thai men but doesn’t mean they have sworn off marriage. It is a very strong aspect of Thai culture. Having recently experienced a traditional Thai marriage I can appreciate how important this is to them, their family, and their community. Or . . . maybe you have found a Thai girlfriend who is so influenced by western progressive culture they have relaxed the rules. 
 

Good luck.

Or do just the traditional Buddhist wedding without going to the government office, found it the best solution for me personally.

 

 

[Martyp]

3 minutes ago, ICELANDMAN said:

Or do just the traditional Buddhist wedding without going to the government office, found it the best solution for me personally.

 

 

That’s an idea if she would go for it

[UKresonant]

31 minutes ago, ICELANDMAN said:

Or do just the traditional Buddhist wedding without going to the government office, found it the best solution for me personally.

 

 

Covered both,

The legal bit at the office neaest the MFA, taxi round as soon as the paperwork was complete.

Then had a traditional ceremony, followed by a reception in the evening, three days later.

 

Edited December 15, 2019 by UKresonant

[Martyp]

5 minutes ago, UKresonant said:

Covered both,

The legal bit at the office neaest the MFA, taxi round as soon as the paperwork was complete.

Then had a traditional ceremony, followed by a reception in the evening, three days later.

 

I think the point of just having a Buddhist wedding is that it may satisfy both the GF and the family without being a legal wedding. The OP doesn't want a legal wedding with future divorce complications. A Buddhist wedding is a big deal and has a set of expenses associated with it but it is not strictly legal. However, by not being legal he cannot used it for a long-stay visa.

Edited December 15, 2019 by Martyp

[RubbaJohnny]

5 hours ago, tonray said:

Taken out of context I would have thought they were Holday drink offerings at Starbucks

Of course favourite here Sour Piscos.

As an exPisco I would add Peruvian cuisine while acclaimed in London and New York Michelin restaurants where champers washes down ceviche is quite unlike the beans and guinea pig delights of the Andean villages.

 

With enough funds one can live and eat well anywhere, for many the "flexible' nature of here, it's wonderful land and seascapes plus world class food for pennies means many will stay even if you have to pay a few bucks extra or log in every 3 months.

 

The OP is young enough to give it a go move on if he isn't seduced as so many are by the easy life here. Sure its cheaper in Cambodia if you take a peek you can see why, While Vietnam has splendid food and beaches teh gougers , thieves and cons make the siamese seem amateur, the Philipinnes , violence and Hurricanes plus probably with same ingredients as all of ASEAN teh worst in the world and include UK and KSA runners up.

 

The major uncertainty for retirees who have burnt their boats back home is divorce which he is pre planning.

Secondly the ineviatbly cost of insurance or affordable healthcare at the end of life when your income and savings are likley fixed but needs and infaltion continue.It will increae both with your age and costs will reflect salaries of young staff, Drs drugs not your fixed pension etc.

 

In the final analysis entropy and mortlaity face us all anywhere, so for a place to enjoy the here and now it's Thailand for my money.

 

Enjoy

 

 

Edited December 15, 2019 by RubbaJohnny
typos

[NCC1701A]

7 hours ago, nickt092 said:

So with that in mind for people that live in thailand, does the 90 day reports just become habit or do you hate/regret entertaining this concept?

the sum total of my interaction with immigration is 2.5 hours a year.

retired. not married. 800k money in the bank 24/7. zero problems with immigration. could not be easier. 

Edited December 15, 2019 by NCC1701A

[poohy]

7 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Plan for me - live here from say 50-70 (55 now) and then go back to UK in old age or whenever when health needs kick in. I still own my old house and travel back every 9 months. Thailand for me seems great for people aged 50-70 currently and then drops off dramatically after that if your health plays up

My plan entirely

i am already doing 3 months UK 9 here will increase to 6.6 then eventually back to UK

Here is not the place to be with failing health

[ivor bigun]

Lived here now for the last 12 yrs ,before that we lived in The UK for 8 yrs , i reckon i will die here have a loving wife and family , she owns the house ,the car ,the furniture ,joint bank accounts here and UK , mind you i do own my clothes , cant see here divorcing me ,our son would not let her ,dont think her family would either????

[Catoholic]

16 hours ago, nickt092 said:

Guys,

What are your thoughts on living in Thailand long term? 

I've been here more than 10 years and I have no plan to leave. I retired at 48 y/o ????  and I love it here.

It sounds like you've got a lot of problems, issues, concerns and frankly you sound like you need more $$$ money. You must remember there are no guarantees in life and one day, you are going to leave this planet in either a flash or a fizzle. So go find your big boy pants, put 'em on, figure out what you're gonna do,,, then go do it!

Cheers mate!

[brokenbone]

if i had known 20 years ago what i know now,

i would not have come, i would have picked a warm country belonging to EU

where i am a citizen and my stay isnt debated in any shape or form,

and i have rights there.

now my body hurt too much, i cant travel back

 

Edited December 15, 2019 by brokenbone

[EVENKEEL]

7 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

the sum total of my interaction with immigration is 2.5 hours a year.

retired. not married. 800k money in the bank 24/7. zero problems with immigration. could not be easier. 

If you should meet your untimely demise, what happens to your 800K ?? 

[BritTim]

Personally, I do not think worrying about what will happen in 20 years makes much sense. Anyone who believes they can predict the immigration rules in Thailand 20 years out is deluding themselves. Even predicting what the world will be like then is trying to channel Nostradamus. If you can afford the 20-year Thailand Elite membership, go for it. Even if the program changes drastically or even collapses, it is nearly certain that the visa privileges will be honoured. Worry about what you will do at the end of 20 years in 18 years' time when you will be able to form a clearer impression of your options.

[NCC1701A]

24 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

If you should meet your untimely demise, what happens to your 800K ?? 

ask me when i am dead.

[EVENKEEL]

11 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

ask me when i am dead.

A man with a plan, I like that.

[Catoholic]

45 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

If you should meet your untimely demise, what happens to your 800K ?? 

LOL .... there is a lot you can tell about someone who is worried about the living after they've died.... and even more about someone who is worried about a few Thai baht...

[EVENKEEL]

9 minutes ago, Catoholic said:

LOL .... there is a lot you can tell about someone who is worried about the living after they've died.... and even more about someone who is worried about a few Thai baht...

The suspense is killing me.