Advertorial How to Retire in Thailand Comfortably

[xylophone]

8 hours ago, Ron jeremy said:

and this article, 100 baht a day for food???

sure sounds like quality food.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I read that piece about the hundred baht a day for food........cook a load of rice in the morning and eat three bowls for the day perhaps??

 

There may be some people here who would say that it's possible, but on that sort of money they are not living, they are barely existing.

[ThaiBunny]

2 minutes ago, xylophone said:

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I read that piece about the hundred baht a day for food........cook a load of rice in the morning and eat three bowls for the day perhaps??

My breakfast is muesli & milk - maybe 20 baht. Lunch is chopped fruit off the street vendor - another 20 baht. Need I go on?

[digibum]

5 hours ago, yogi100 said:

I was just saying that their false smiles and sweet words often conceal their true feelings about us particularly where bar staff are involved.

 

 If it were not for the women few falang men would ever have thought of holidaying in the LOS. As far as Pattaya is concerned the bar girls are all it's got going for it. Much the same but to a lesser degree can be said for Bangkok and Phuket as well.

 

I know this is going to sound controversial but maaaaaaaaaybe, people shouldn’t make their decisions about where to or vacation or live based solely on the demeanor of prostitutes.

 

Believe it or not, prostitutes tend to go into that profession because:

 

a)  Economic necessity 

b)  They are ethically challenged and this seems like an easy way to make a quick buck

c)  All of the above 

 

So, they’re not exactly people I would put in charge of my retirement or vacation happiness.  I mean, would you move to or vacation in Iraq if they had enough smiling prostitutes?  

 

Quote

I don't expect a smile from a baht bus driver but a brief 'thank you' would be nice when you hand over money no matter who you are dealing with. That's just normal every day courtesy where most of us are concerned.

 

Do you get a thank you when you get on the bus back home?  Most bus drivers back home don’t even acknowledge you.  You fly anywhere back home?  Do the gate agents thank you and smile or do they just stare at their computer screens and act annoyed if you ask them a question?  

 

Quote

 

I can understand their nationalism but we come to the LOS as paying guests on holiday not as uninvited nor unwanted immigrants but that's how we are often regarded nowadays. Sometimes you can sense an underlying animosity.

 

And truth be told expats are only paying guests as well whether they like it or not. If the Thai govt take the notion they can be booted out in the wink of an eye regardless of how many Thai families are dependent on them. 

 

 

Like I mentioned in another comment, you mean, paying guests that have sex on the beach and go on crime sprees?  I mean, just look at the news section on this site, it’s filled with abhorrent behavior by farangs.  

 

I was in a bar the other day (not even a girlie-type bar, just a bar) and the owner had a bunch of comics above the urinals.  One was two obese farangs sitting there with Thai girls giving them blow jobs and the one woman is talking on the phone saying, “Can’t talk now, mommy is working.”  All of the comics were degrading and the common theme was that Thai women only exist to have paid sex with morbidly obese farangs.  

 

Now imagine you saw that in your home country.  Maybe you’re in a Asian restaurant and you go into the bathroom and they had a bunch of comics up on the wall portraying western women has whores that service them.  Nice eh?  

 

But I guess, based on what you said, you would politely smile at the owner since, well, heck, as an expat in your country, he’s a paying guest.  

 

[ThaiBunny]

2 minutes ago, digibum said:

I know this is going to sound controversial but maaaaaaaaaybe, people shouldn’t make their decisions about where to or vacation or live based solely on the demeanor of prostitutes.

I wonder. The availability of prostitutes may well be a surrogate for a number of indicators about the general way of life. The fact that, for example, katoeys can be readily observable in Bangkok and larger Thai towns but not in, say, Tehran and other Iranian towns, seems to me to be a darn good indicator of a general relaxed lifestyle of the society overall. I'm not saying katoeys = prostitutes by the way, I'm just using that as an example of how an identifiable group of people can tell the outsider rather a lot about the society generally. I'd certainly use that as a starting point in deciding between Thailand and elsewhere

[xylophone]

27 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

My breakfast is muesli & milk - maybe 20 baht. Lunch is chopped fruit off the street vendor - another 20 baht. Need I go on?

No need to go on, because you've just proven my point.

 

In your post, I see no room for a good glass or two of red wine a night, a good steak, perhaps an evening out at a nice restaurant (not a bowl of rice with chicken) once a week or more, and meeting up with friends at a local bar once or twice a week, not to mention at the Coffee Club or similar.

 

As I said, for me, that is not living, it is existing.

[ThaiBunny]

4 minutes ago, xylophone said:

As I said, for me, that is not living, it is existing.

As for me, that is an opinion not a fact

[IvorBiggun2]

On 12/30/2019 at 1:36 PM, Classic Ray said:

there are options to report by post or online

You can get some to do it for you. I once had a few farang friends and we took it in turns to one person reporting for all. No probs.

[digibum]

4 minutes ago, xylophone said:

No need to go on, because you've just proven my point.

 

In your post, I see no room for a good glass or two of red wine a night, a good steak, perhaps an evening out at a nice restaurant (not a bowl of rice with chicken) once a week or more, and meeting up with friends at a local bar once or twice a week, not to mention at the Coffee Club or similar.

 

As I said, for me, that is not living, it is existing.

 

Your avatar checks out ????

 

Generally, I don’t spend much on food.  On many days, my first meal is lunch.  Sometimes I just get some fruit for lunch.  So, on average, my daily spend is 100 - 200 baht.  

 

But, I put some of the things you mention in another budget which is entertainment.  Taking the wife out to a nice dinner is entertainment. Same as going out for drinks with friends.  

 

It just seems too confusing to mix your actual food budget with what is essentially a night out.  It also gives me a bit more granularity to work with.  If we’re going over budget, I have a rough idea of whether it’s because we’re consuming a lot more food or if we had some friends in town and we meet up a few nights to hang out.  

 

I know the entertainment budget will go back to normal when friends leave and I don’t. have to start trying to cut back on food ????

 

I don’t generally drink wine back home, nor am I suddenly going to start drinking wine in Thailand given the markup.

 

I’ve also never been a coffee shop coffee drinker.  I sometimes have a cup in the morning but I think I’ve been inside a Starbucks back in the US, on average, three times a year.  

 

So, perhaps the disconnect here is what is labeled what in the budget and the fact that you lead a different lifestyle.  I eat simply.  I’m not now nor was I ever a foodie.  I love a good steak as much as the next guy but even back home we only did that for anniversaries or birthdays.  

 

I would prefer to put that money towards travel.  That’s just my lifestyle.  I love to check out new places.  You seem to love wining and dining.  To each their own.  Neither is right or wrong.  

[IvorBiggun2]

34 minutes ago, digibum said:

it’s filled with abhorrent behavior by farangs.

Because it's a farang orchestrated site. We as crooks pain into insignificance compared to the natives.

[digibum]

28 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

I wonder. The availability of prostitutes may well be a surrogate for a number of indicators about the general way of life. The fact that, for example, katoeys can be readily observable in Bangkok and larger Thai towns but not in, say, Tehran and other Iranian towns, seems to me to be a darn good indicator of a general relaxed lifestyle of the society overall. I'm not saying katoeys = prostitutes by the way, I'm just using that as an example of how an identifiable group of people can tell the outsider rather a lot about the society generally. I'd certainly use that as a starting point in deciding between Thailand and elsewhere

I think you make a good point about laid back attitudes but I’m not sure I would mix availability of prostitutes and demeanor.  

[xylophone]

23 minutes ago, digibum said:

It just seems too confusing to mix your actual food budget with what is essentially a night out.

I can see the point you're trying to make, however to me going out for a good meal, with a few glasses of good wine, is part of the food bill, as is going out for a coffee/tea along with a sandwich or muffin, or similar.

 

Most nights I eat at home and like cooking my own food, so a stroganoff was consumed with gusto last night, whilst I cooked a chili con carne the night before, and tomorrow morning for breakfast I shall be having smoked salmon and scrambled egg.

 

My point was that I did not come to Thailand to simply exist, but to still enjoy the life I always enjoyed, as regards food that is, and although the wine is very expensive compared to back home, I still manage to consume about three quarters of a bottle at night, and for me that is part of the food bill.

 

I also take the point made by ThaiBunny, in that he can live on his muesli and chopped fruit, but as the heading of the thread was "how to retire in Thailand comfortably", then I applied it to my situation and didn't mean to offend him.
 

Edited January 5, 2020 by xylophone

[digibum]

19 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

Because it's a farang orchestrated site. We as crooks pain into insignificance compared to the natives.

The part you quoted me on was “abhorrent behavior” which is not entirely limited to breaking laws.  The attitudes and other actions of farangs are also a big portion of that behavior.  

 

And it’s not a contest.  That’s like saying, “But officer, why did you pull me over for running a red light?  I mean, that’s nothing compared to a drunk driver.”

[yogi100]

1 hour ago, digibum said:

 

I know this is going to sound controversial but maaaaaaaaaybe, people shouldn’t make their decisions about where to or vacation or live based solely on the demeanor of prostitutes.

 

Believe it or not, prostitutes tend to go into that profession because:

 

a)  Economic necessity 

b)  They are ethically challenged and this seems like an easy way to make a quick buck

c)  All of the above 

 

So, they’re not exactly people I would put in charge of my retirement or vacation happiness.  I mean, would you move to or vacation in Iraq if they had enough smiling prostitutes?  

 

 

1. Do you get a thank you when you get on the bus back home?  Most bus drivers back home don’t even acknowledge you.  2. You fly anywhere back home?  Do the gate agents thank you and smile or do they just stare at their computer screens and act annoyed if you ask them a question?  

 

 

Like I mentioned in another comment, you mean, paying guests that have sex on the beach and go on crime sprees?  I mean, just look at the news section on this site, it’s filled with abhorrent behavior by farangs.  

 

I was in a bar the other day (not even a girlie-type bar, just a bar) and the owner had a bunch of comics above the urinals.  One was two obese farangs sitting there with Thai girls giving them blow jobs and the one woman is talking on the phone saying, “Can’t talk now, mommy is working.”  All of the comics were degrading and the common theme was that Thai women only exist to have paid sex with morbidly obese farangs.  

 

3. Now imagine you saw that in your home country.  Maybe you’re in a Asian restaurant and you go into the bathroom and they had a bunch of comics up on the wall portraying western women has whores that service them.  Nice eh?  

 

But I guess, based on what you said, you would politely smile at the owner since, well, heck, as an expat in your country, he’s a paying guest.  

 

1. You don't interact with with bus drivers in the UK, anyway not in London, they are in their own locked cabin surrounded by unbreakable perspex and you prepay by card. If you need to ask them a question you can do so through holes drilled in the perspex in order to do so.

 

2. They answer if they can understand you and if they speak enough English. They're not sullen though, they shouldn't be they're on about 700 quid (28,000 baht) a week.

I once had an English IO say 'Welcome back' at LHR. Even the sub continentals are not sullen. They shouldn't be either. They've won the jackpot getting out of the subcontinent and being able to live in the UK.

 

3. I'd sooner they did that than 'groom" and then rape our underage girls, pass them around to their friends and then put 'em on the game which is what they've done in towns and cities all over England. Kebab shop and restaurant workers are notorious for it! That is not merely the subject of a cartoon it's real life. And I've never set foot in an Asian restaurant in the UK apart from a Chinese take away in my life and never will.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 5, 2020 by yogi100

[ICELANDMAN]

On 12/30/2019 at 4:02 PM, bobthomas said:

The reason we came to live in Thailand in the first place, is the same reason we will leave.

 

Change! New Horizons! New adventures!

 

Once my house in Kanchanaburi is sold, I too shall be gone.

 

It's been a great 20 years! Bangkok, Samui, Jomtien, Kanchanaburi- many great adventures.

 

But honestly? I would be bored if I had to do those 20 years over.

 

You can only come to Thailand for the first time.....once!

 

Uncle Bob

 

 

20 years is a long time, better 10 years is what I have always done, now I am in my eighth year, next two year by by Thailand

 

 

 

[digibum]

8 minutes ago, xylophone said:

I also take the point made by ThaiBunny, in that he can live on his muesli and chopped fruit, but as the heading of the thread was "how to retire in Thailand comfortably", then I applied it to my situation and didn't mean to offend him.

 

But I think that is the entire point.  Your definition of “comfortable” and mine (or ThaiBunny’s) are different.  I’ve made very few changes to my lifestyle in terms of eating since moving to Thailand.  And I made good money back home, so my eating habits were not born of necessity.  

 

I’m the kind of person that eats to satiate hunger.  My body needs fuel, I have to give it fuel, and food happens to be the fuel.  

 

To me, I’m living comfortably.  You may define it as merely surviving.  

 

But I have my own expensive guilty pleasures I prefer to spend my money on which are necessary for my comfort that you might think are irrelevant. ???? 

[ThaiBunny]

My point was that xylophone's dismissive comment about three bowls of rice a day was simply that - dismissive (and ignorant). I made no comment about dinner because everyone's idea about the evening/main meal (take your pick) is different. It's perfectly reasonable to spend a mere 40 or 50 baht a day on a healthy two of the three meals a day without going to xylophone's ludicrous extreme of bowls of rice.  Scrambled eggs or/and some chicken off the street rounds it out for those who believe in the frugal life. Equally, chugging G&Ts two or three times a week and eating a 300-baht meal in a western style restaurant with friends is equally possible

[ICELANDMAN]

11 hours ago, Cryingdick said:

 

That's funny. Anybody know this place and can identify it is in Thailand? Where is that wall?

After a goggle search I found that it is an image of Adobe used many times on the web, from the foreground it is probably from Greece, see link

 

https://tineye.com/search/c0d9553c9039553b1ec82004020a892db49becbf?page=1

[xylophone]

46 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

My point was that xylophone's dismissive comment about three bowls of rice a day was simply that - dismissive (and ignorant)

That comment was made in relation to a post by Ron Jeremy, not you. 

 

And as I've mentioned before, an article stating how to retire in Thailand comfortably, which quotes a daily spend on food of 100 baht is misleading in my opinion, and certainly would not apply to the majority of people who would want to come and retire here.

 

So no point in going round in circles, and I will continue to do what I do, and you will no doubt continue to do what you do with regards to food, and you will remain ignorant of my food preferences, just as I will yours.

 

Just for the record and so that you are not offended again, I've always been a bit of a foodie, along with liking fine red wine, so continuing those things in my retirement was always going to be a key element in coming here.

 

If I couldn't afford them here then perhaps I could cut back on the wine a little, and still retain my lifestyle and still have my other expensive pleasures, which also include travel.

 

Edited January 5, 2020 by xylophone

[bkk6060]

On 12/30/2019 at 1:23 PM, thrilled said:

To retire anywhere comfortably is all about the money. Most people if they have the extra money they wouldn’t retire in Thailand.

Just the opposite in my opinion.

[bkk6060]

2 hours ago, xylophone said:

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I read that piece about the hundred baht a day for food........cook a load of rice in the morning and eat three bowls for the day perhaps??

 

There may be some people here who would say that it's possible, but on that sort of money they are not living, they are barely existing.

I am not on a budget but perhaps you need to get out more.

You can buy 3 different dishes at Terminal 21 food court for close to that enough to fill up most for a day.

It is also not that difficult shopping at Makro.  Veggies, fruits, chicken, pork actually pretty healthy if one knows what you are doing.

 

[bkk6060]

6 hours ago, mokwit said:

Thailand is not a retirement destination and it is misleading to promote it as such. Thailand is a country that issues 1 year visa extensions to those over 50 meeting certain financial requirements. Currently this visa extension can be extended for one year at a time if you meet the financial criteria on renewal. In the last year these criteria have been changed at short notice without grandfathering, thus Thailand is no longer a 'retirement' destination.

If a person cannot follow simple rules or afford it, you are right.

[Bangkokazy]

12 hours ago, Cryingdick said:

 

That's funny. Anybody know this place and can identify it is in Thailand? Where is that wall?

Overview of where image has been used before

 

https://tineye.com/search/709b0395ddc7f6b946ae473e5371cc4b8df772c9?page=1&tags=stock

[xylophone]

2 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

I am not on a budget but perhaps you need to get out more.

You can buy 3 different dishes at Terminal 21 food court for close to that enough to fill up most for a day.

It is also not that difficult shopping at Makro.  Veggies, fruits, chicken, pork actually pretty healthy if one knows what you are doing.

 

I do get out and about every day, ranging from Big C, to Makro, to Tesco Lotus, to Central, to Villa Market and so on.

 

And there is absolutely no way here in Patong in the Central food court that one could get three different dishes for a hundred baht, and in Central Phuket, one small sandwich will cost 85 baht, and I've just been out today to buy a few things in Big C, and one small container (enough for an accompanying salad) of cos lettuce has cost me just under 40 baht.

 

Five days ago I spent 135 baht on two tenderloin pork chops, and a week prior to that 295 baht on 200 g of tenderloin Aussie steak, both suitable for one meal only, so the 100 baht a day for me is definitely a no-no. 

 

And as I have explained earlier I do not want to live on 100 baht a day for food and I don't believe I ever could, and neither do I know any of my friends who do, and also I take into consideration my daily expenditure on tea, coffee, muffins/snacks when calculating my spend.

 

So I couldn't get out any more if I tried, and as I do all of my shopping and most of my cooking, I'm well aware of the price of food here, which is why my earlier comment, IMO, still holds true.
 

[MRToMRT]

On 1/5/2020 at 7:26 AM, mokwit said:

Thailand is not a retirement destination and it is misleading to promote it as such. Thailand is a country that issues 1 year visa extensions to those over 50 meeting certain financial requirements. Currently this visa extension can be extended for one year at a time if you meet the financial criteria on renewal. In the last year these criteria have been changed at short notice without grandfathering, thus Thailand is no longer a 'retirement' destination.

Best post in this entire thread.

[Nemises]

10 minutes ago, MRToMRT said:

Thailand is a country that issues 1 year visa extensions to those over 50 meeting certain financial requirements.

Are you sure? Because I know lots of foreign "over 50's" who say they live legally in Thailand (and have done for a very long time) without meeting any financial requirements whatsoever. Some of them say that they use the services provided by advertisers of the TVF website...

[Peter Denis]

11 minutes ago, Nemises said:

Are you sure? Because I know lots of foreign "over 50's" who say they live legally in Thailand (and have done for a very long time) without meeting any financial requirements whatsoever. Some of them say that they use the services provided by advertisers of the TVF website...

When you are not married to a thai national, it's not possible to stay long-term in Thailand without at some point having to prove you meet the financial requirements.  Maybe those claiming they do, are only referring to financials as money on a thai bank-account.  And you can indeed stay long-term in Thailand without money in a thai bank-account (e.g. income statement, money in a foreign bank-account when applying for a Non Imm OA that allows you to stay 'finance-free' for almost 2 years).

Using the help of agents is another possibility, but I cannot see how that can be fully legal when you use them for the reason that you are not able to prove you meet the financial requirements.

[Nemises]

8 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

 

Using the help of agents is another possibility, but I cannot see how that can be fully legal when you use them for the reason that you are not able to prove you meet the financial requirements.

Thanks PD. They do say they use the help of agents and apparently the extension/multi entry stamps are issued by Thai IO Officials and are no different to the stamps obtained by non-agent assisted extensions. Many of the guys are frequently leaving/returning to Thailand without any border crossing issues using their agent-assisted extension passport stamps.

[mikebell]

On 12/30/2019 at 4:18 PM, Blue bruce said:

your you thai wife is entailed to all your assests.  ask me i found out.

I've been there; I agree totally; what sensible farang is going to build/buy a house and immediately yield 51% to Thais? 

The figures quoted above for eating farang food at 300 baht day are ludicrously optimistic.

[Ron jeremy]

20 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

I am not on a budget but perhaps you need to get out more.

You can buy 3 different dishes at Terminal 21 food court for close to that enough to fill up most for a day.

It is also not that difficult shopping at Makro.  Veggies, fruits, chicken, pork actually pretty healthy if one knows what you are doing.

 

You can't live on that <deleted> for any length of time. It's cheap food cooked in <deleted>ty oil. Last I checked prices there went up too.

And the guy that eats some fruit from a hawker for lunch. That's not lunch, snack maybe. 

100 baht a day for food? What a life.

but to each their own.

 

[steven100]

you need a couple of thousand baht per day for p iss and food to live reasonably comfortable.