Need Advice For Retiring To Thailand

[astral]

in 2005 i brought in a 40foot high cube container with 60m3 contents on a retirement visa. import duties had to be paid (1,800 us-dollars) but this amount was negligible in comparison with the total value imported.

This is good advice.

Find a shipping agent in Thailand and he will know how to negotiate a "fixed fee" for importing your entire household effects.

No-one else has mentioned it, I assume you are aged 50 or more?

On the subject of property I will quote my famous saying,

"Do not invest more money in Thailand, than you are prepared to walk away from."

I strongly recommend renting. If the house, the area becomes unbareable you

up sticks and move, loosing may be a month or two of deposit.

You cannot do that if you have bought the apartment or house.

If you have a house in the UK, rent it out and use the income to pay your rent in Thailand,

you will probably still have money in hand every month. Also somewhere to go if the

sh1t really hits the fan one day.

[Edonista]

Actually farangs are no more welcome in Thailand.

says who???

Immigration and Land Office.

please quote or refer to any statement from immigration or land offices. you seem to know more than others.

Immigration did a huge shake up of visas regulations past 15 October.

Land Office did a shake up against farang companies past 15 July.

Bank of Thailand introduced 30% deposit against foreign investment past 18 December , crashing SET the day after.

I guess you did not miss those, perhaps you have not fully understood purposes and consequences.

[pepsi666]

Actually farangs are no more welcome in Thailand.

says who???

Immigration and Land Office.

please quote or refer to any statement from immigration or land offices. you seem to know more than others.

Immigration did a huge shake up of visas regulations past 15 October.

Land Office did a shake up against farang companies past 15 July.

Bank of Thailand introduced 30% deposit against foreign investment past 18 December , crashing SET the day after.

I guess you did not miss those, perhaps you have not fully understood purposes and consequences.

I intend to retire to Thailand LEGALLY, with all my visas stamped and dated, I dont have a criminal record of any kind in the UK, I am prepared to invest my time and money in Thailand, it will not be JUST a holiday home, BUT I will be renting, not buying, as you say we arent welcome, well if that is the case I can walk away, no point in staying in a place you're not welxcome (BUT I have never seen it in the places I have been to)

Going by the things you say, Farang NOT welcome, if every foreign company took heed of you, JUST how far would Thailand slide without foreign investment anfd the tourist trade, How many people would be out of work Thailand needs tourists, it doesnt have anything else

[pepsi666]

I can get most US and UK TV via the internet, even more so if TV streaming goes ahead

How? I mean I don't find that much bbc tv available - especially on my tt&t internet connexion in Chiang Mai. However I readily admit my lack of expertise. Can someone enlighten me - in simple terms - about getting much from bbc2 or bbc4?

Slingshot, tried it while I was over there, but you need Sky TV and a decent PC and a decent broadband connection, it was a bit sketchy at times, but no real problems (we didnt come over to watch TV) it was just to see if it worked, it did

[pepsi666]

in 2005 i brought in a 40foot high cube container with 60m3 contents on a retirement visa. import duties had to be paid (1,800 us-dollars) but this amount was negligible in comparison with the total value imported.

This is good advice.

Find a shipping agent in Thailand and he will know how to negotiate a "fixed fee" for importing your entire household effects.

No-one else has mentioned it, I assume you are aged 50 or more?

On the subject of property I will quote my famous saying,

"Do not invest more money in Thailand, than you are prepared to walk away from."

I strongly recommend renting. If the house, the area becomes unbareable you

up sticks and move, loosing may be a month or two of deposit.

You cannot do that if you have bought the apartment or house.

If you have a house in the UK, rent it out and use the income to pay your rent in Thailand,

you will probably still have money in hand every month. Also somewhere to go if the

sh1t really hits the fan one day.

Hi Astral,

Yep, definately over 50, and yes, I will be renting, as you say, we can always walk away, and it would be a good idea to spend time in different parts of Thailand (and its neighbours)

We will be renting out our place in the UK, for a couple of reasons,

1 if Thailand goes belly up, we got a bolthole

2 its a income

All our stuff could go into storage in the UK, only really want the minimum if we are renting, so there would be no point in bringing it all over

[WilliamIV]

Pepsi

Do you have a Rental Budget?

You say you have money but did not win the Lottery

Rentals can be Horrendously high in the Prime Spots

But there are VERY reasonable Apartments in Bangkok Outskirts for example

( I pay Bht 9,000 for a 2 bed 2 bath apartment 10kms from Town Centre)

So it is worth looking around ... until you decide on your "permanent" abode.

One thing to be aware of - if you are on a Budget

Electricity Bills - if you pay them to Electricity Company DIRECT - OK

But if your Apartment Owner pays them & then Charges you - you can easily be paying DOUBLE

Bill

[samtam]

Immigration did a huge shake up of visas regulations past 15 October.

Actually they just decided to enforce the law. If you have the correct visas, extension of stay there is no effect.

Land Office did a shake up against farang companies past 15 July.

Again enforcement of law; will not effect you if you are renting or if you are buying a condo.

Bank of Thailand introduced 30% deposit against foreign investment past 18 December , crashing SET the day after.

The 30% withholding tax has been largely withdrawn and there are exemptions for most of the things you will require for remittance in and out of Thailand; your bank will advise you.

I guess you did not miss those, perhaps you have not fully understood purposes and consequences.

The glass is half full...half empty?

[astral]

Going by the things you say, Farang NOT welcome, if every foreign company took heed of you, JUST how far would Thailand slide without foreign investment anfd the tourist trade, How many people would be out of work Thailand needs tourists, it doesnt have anything else

Some companies are already moving in that direction...........

[pepsi666]

Pepsi

Do you have a Rental Budget?

You say you have money but did not win the Lottery

Rentals can be Horrendously high in the Prime Spots

But there are VERY reasonable Apartments in Bangkok Outskirts for example

( I pay Bht 9,000 for a 2 bed 2 bath apartment 10kms from Town Centre)

So it is worth looking around ... until you decide on your "permanent" abode.

One thing to be aware of - if you are on a Budget

Electricity Bills - if you pay them to Electricity Company DIRECT - OK

But if your Apartment Owner pays them & then Charges you - you can easily be paying DOUBLE

Bill

I do, sort of, but as the same as everyone, I want as much as possible for as cheap as possible, different places command diffeent rents (same the world over, I guess)

Still we can have a lok around when its all in place

I know about the power supplies andf how SOME landlords can be a bit overzewalous with the bills

[Naam]

Actually farangs are no more welcome in Thailand.

says who???

Immigration and Land Office.

please quote or refer to any statement from immigration or land offices. you seem to know more than others.

Immigration did a huge shake up of visas regulations past 15 October.

Land Office did a shake up against farang companies past 15 July.

Bank of Thailand introduced 30% deposit against foreign investment past 18 December , crashing SET the day after.

I guess you did not miss those, perhaps you have not fully understood purposes and consequences.

the shake up concerning visa regulations was overdue. the only real shake up at land offices happened in ThaivisaForum, otherwise it's business as usual. what the stock exchange has to do with "foreigners are not welcome" is a mystery to me and the claim "30% deposit against foreign investment" is simply a false one.

perhaps you should fully inform yourself

[Penkoprod]

Going by the things you say, Farang NOT welcome, if every foreign company took heed of you, JUST how far would Thailand slide without foreign investment anfd the tourist trade, How many people would be out of work Thailand needs tourists, it doesnt have anything else

Some companies are already moving in that direction...........

Also there is a BIG distinction between "tourist" and "long stay expats"

MILLIONS of tourists, with pockets bulging with cash, against a few tens of thousands of long stayers ekeing out a living on their savings/investments.

Penkoprod

[pepsi666]

Going by the things you say, Farang NOT welcome, if every foreign company took heed of you, JUST how far would Thailand slide without foreign investment anfd the tourist trade, How many people would be out of work Thailand needs tourists, it doesnt have anything else

Some companies are already moving in that direction...........

Also there is a BIG distinction between "tourist" and "long stay expats"

MILLIONS of tourists, with pockets bulging with cash, against a few tens of thousands of long stayers ekeing out a living on their savings/investments.

Penkoprod

I wouldnt say the tourists pockets are bulging with money (most have 2-3 weeks holiday a year) and so they make the most of it, as for long stayers 'ekeing out a living with their savings, they masde the choice of living there, no one held a gun to their heads, no one forced them, they made their choice, if they are eking out an existance there, what sort of life would they have in their home country ?

You pays your money, you makes your choice,

[No beleeeeve!]

Hi Everyone

I am seriously thinking of retiring to Thailand (LOS)

BUT......

I have tried various links and websites for advice and so far all I have got is estate agents and various people trying to flog me something (this ThaiLongStay program)

I have subscribed to various magazines which are sent over sort of regular (but they are full of ad's)

Would anyone be prepared to help out with WHAT I actually need and require for retiring in Thailand ?

Do I actually need this longstay program or can it be done without it ?

Type of visa and would it have to be done BEFORE leaving the UK, and where do I get it from ?

Any advice about the 30+30+30 lease program ? who, what and where ?

I like the Pattaya/Mapbruchan area, but am open to suggestions

Is it worth renting for a while (just to see how things go) and any recommendations, please

I'd prefer recommendations rather than being pointed at a estate/lawyer/solicitor, people who YOU have worked with and not ripped off

I am over 50 so I know I qaulify for the reirement visa and have savings (but havent won the lottery)

A rough idea of living costs would be nice to know as well (gas/power/internet/shopping/etc)

Dont have a Thai wife or GF (my scouse wife wont let me) so actually owning a property is out of the question, hence the 30+30+30 thing or renting

My few tidbits after living in BKK for a number of years. Not sure if you lived there or just vacationed so some of this you may already know, excuse me if so.

-Become slightly obsessed with learning the Thai language and culture. Thailand is a great country but if you live there and stick out like a tourist life will start out difficult and only get increasingly more so. Once I learned Thai above the tourist level, 80-90% of the "landmines" disappeared. I learned by listening to CDs, reading studying a textbook, and living in an area where there were few Westerners so I had to learn Thai to survive. You can study before you move. Even if it is listening to Pimsleur CDs, your mind becomes used to the sounds.

-I rented an apartment at first and thought about buying a condo, but unlike in the West, renting is so cheap in Thailand that there is some financial advantages to renting. Plus, could always move and I liked that freedom compared to owning.

-I had a bank account at Bangkok Bank, it was no problem setting up.

-Yes, life there is so much different than on holiday when you are on "holiday budget." I learned to live like the locals and had low monthly expenses. Eating "off the street" was cheap and where I lived very good. My silly expenses were for a maid once a week for about $3 USD.

-Alcohol and paid for women seem to be Westerners big expenses, so keep that in check, which can be done without becoming a monk.

-Almost everything is negotiable there (pleasantly with a smile though). I got my new landlord to drop the monthly rent amount by about 25% by offering to sign a six month lease instead of month to month and paid two months rent up front instead of two months security deposit, only one month security.

I learned that playing hardball on anything was usually the worst approach. Again, some of these are obvious but what the heck.

I plan on retiring there too. Feel free to PM for anything else. Good luck!

[pepsi666]

Hi Everyone

I am seriously thinking of retiring to Thailand (LOS)

BUT......

I have tried various links and websites for advice and so far all I have got is estate agents and various people trying to flog me something (this ThaiLongStay program)

I have subscribed to various magazines which are sent over sort of regular (but they are full of ad's)

Would anyone be prepared to help out with WHAT I actually need and require for retiring in Thailand ?

Do I actually need this longstay program or can it be done without it ?

Type of visa and would it have to be done BEFORE leaving the UK, and where do I get it from ?

Any advice about the 30+30+30 lease program ? who, what and where ?

I like the Pattaya/Mapbruchan area, but am open to suggestions

Is it worth renting for a while (just to see how things go) and any recommendations, please

I'd prefer recommendations rather than being pointed at a estate/lawyer/solicitor, people who YOU have worked with and not ripped off

I am over 50 so I know I qaulify for the reirement visa and have savings (but havent won the lottery)

A rough idea of living costs would be nice to know as well (gas/power/internet/shopping/etc)

Dont have a Thai wife or GF (my scouse wife wont let me) so actually owning a property is out of the question, hence the 30+30+30 thing or renting

My few tidbits after living in BKK for a number of years. Not sure if you lived there or just vacationed so some of this you may already know, excuse me if so.

-Become slightly obsessed with learning the Thai language and culture. Thailand is a great country but if you live there and stick out like a tourist life will start out difficult and only get increasingly more so. Once I learned Thai above the tourist level, 80-90% of the "landmines" disappeared. I learned by listening to CDs, reading studying a textbook, and living in an area where there were few Westerners so I had to learn Thai to survive. You can study before you move. Even if it is listening to Pimsleur CDs, your mind becomes used to the sounds.

-I rented an apartment at first and thought about buying a condo, but unlike in the West, renting is so cheap in Thailand that there is some financial advantages to renting. Plus, could always move and I liked that freedom compared to owning.

-I had a bank account at Bangkok Bank, it was no problem setting up.

-Yes, life there is so much different than on holiday when you are on "holiday budget." I learned to live like the locals and had low monthly expenses. Eating "off the street" was cheap and where I lived very good. My silly expenses were for a maid once a week for about $3 USD.

-Alcohol and paid for women seem to be Westerners big expenses, so keep that in check, which can be done without becoming a monk.

-Almost everything is negotiable there (pleasantly with a smile though). I got my new landlord to drop the monthly rent amount by about 25% by offering to sign a six month lease instead of month to month and paid two months rent up front instead of two months security deposit, only one month security.

I learned that playing hardball on anything was usually the worst approach. Again, some of these are obvious but what the heck.

I plan on retiring there too. Feel free to PM for anything else. Good luck!

Thanks very much for the advice

No problem eating from the stalls (sometimes just not sure what I am actually eating) dont use bottled water, may as well get the bugs in your system right off, and get your body used to em

Werent really struck with BKK, far to much pollution and the bilkes drove me nuts

I enjoy a pint or so, but not to the extremes, and I'll be bring the missus so wont need to pay for that (been paying long enough anyway)

I'm hoping that I can set up a short term lease while we look for something with a long term lease, and a suitable property (I got even MORE questions on that, anyway)

I would have assumed learning Thai would have been one of the first thing's done, may as well find out what they are calling you

I found out a long time ago, if you shout and rant, you aint getting no where with a Thai, keep it low key, smile a lot, plenty of eye contact and be their best pal, it gets you a long way, even if you have a rudimentry understanding of Thai

I got in touch with the Thai embassy, no problems, in fact a bit of a breee,even seemed quite pleased that I was thinking of moving to Thailand even more so when I said I wasnt a 'sex tourist' and was actually wanting to retire there, which did surprise me

In an ideal world, I'd like to have a face to face with a long term 'ex pat' I know emils are great, but you get a lot more when you meet smeone, if you get my drift

When you hoping to retire there then ?

[Khun ?]

How do you get money when you are on vacation? Most likely in todays time by ATM debit card

which many times gives a better exchange rate.

If you have 800K baht sitting around put it in a thai bank and leave it there which will be enough for

your annual visa and emergencies. You can then live off your ATM withdrawls from back home, no need for other than the bank you already use or costly wire transfers.

A person in his 50's that has not figured out much of the money issues, such as having enough for a decent life style regardles if you are retiring back home, has no business stopping work.

Stopping work ( which is many times the case with farangs in Thailand) is no way the same as being retired. If you have to live on a strict budget and money is the issue every time you want to do something, like a week's travel every couple months to visit other locations, then you have only stopped working and are a slave to money and misery, feeling as such. You didn't work so many years so as to live like a refuge or in the disaray of a cheap Ackward developing country.

Trust few, if any, when it comes to your money. Foreigners and thais alike will be more than happy to be your best buddy just to talk you in to bad situations under the guise of what a great idea and deal

something will be. What they are doing much of the time is getting a commission in the background, and for many this is how they make a living or extra cash. Many use the easy friendship of home country fellows. This will be 90% of the time when someone is so willing to be your good friend and

help the new people out. Little in the Land of Smiles ( LOS) is based on honesty and that is a sorry fact you will have to live with on 99% of the situations you will be involved in with these types. Lies and dishonesty is just a normal way of life in LOS and many other cheap countries.

You would not retire and spend your time hanging around people that have nothing and live in the slums back home, so don't do it in Thailand. It is your retirement and hard earned, so comfort should be the main goal and not how cheap you have to be.

Good Luck

[phutoie2]

Pepsi 666, Like yourself considering retirement, I retired here this year. I have worked in Thailand (Thai Air Force contracting) and spent time here on tourist visa's, all since year 2000, so the place finally grew on me.

I left UK on a 3 month "0 non immigrant visa from the Thai consulate issued in Hull, which can all be done easily by post(all info is on their website)

When this visa was due to expire I went to Thai immigration in Bangkok and renewed it for a one year retirement visa. I had 500k baht in my Thai bank account and a letter from UK embassy providing me evidence of a proof of UK funds. About 45k baht per month from a military pension, the Thai immigration official just said to me "you have enough money, you can stay!!!"

Immigration can be daunting on your first visit, but once done, its fine.

On Thai banking, I am with Bangkok Bank, the swift transfers from Uk work ok with them, but Siam commercial Bank have a good reputation amongst ex-pats here. All the big banks require "proof of who you are etc/ usually in the form of a letter from the embassy again, though I know of people who have opened accounts with the smaller banks and only needed a passport.

Finally my advice to folks who are sensitive to the sun is Thailand is nice for a few holiday weeks, but if you are going to live here full time the heat gets some getting used to, here in the central region it has been really hot, with little breeze. Select where you are going to live with this in mind, It is always good for myself to escape to the holiday islands/coast for some lower temperatures.

We have to pump our water out of the ground here or from what is collected in the pots, I always stick to the bottled water myself.

Farang hostility, never encountered it, though it may well exist, mai bpen rai

[cheshiremusicman]

Hi Everyone

I am seriously thinking of retiring to Thailand (LOS)

---------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Pepsi666,

My wife and I retired to Thailand some 5 months ago and we are very happy with our life out here.

Yes there are problems like anywhere in the world, but I don't beleive that from what I have read from your comments to other replies that you will find LOS to be a difficult place to live as you have obviously been here before and know something of the culture, food, and areas.

I don't know if you are into golf or not? but if you are then I can recommend the area around Hua-Hin as a nice place with lots of facilities. Plenty of condos and houses to rent at reasonable prices, good local shops including a Market Village opened the end of last year that has Tesco, Homepro, bowling alley, multiplex cinema and lots of shops and restaurants. Acres of good local places to eat and only about 3 hours max from Bangkok or you can fly to the local airport from BKK.

We are on 'Retirement Visas' which we obtained in Hua-Hin after we had been in HH on the O-A visa for 90 days. Another good thing about HH is that they have there own local 'Immigration Office' and we personally have found them to be extremely helpful and pleasant. We have to report to them every 90 days but this is just a formality to inform them of your present address and only takes a few minutes to do.

Don't bother with the 'Criminal records check' as you will NOT be asked for it - we spent a lot of money getting ours notarised in the UK and all for nothing.

You will need to have deposited some 800,000Baht in a Local bank and it must have been held for 3 months before you apply for the RV.

We (rightly or wrongly) have bought a very nice villa here in HH and did this through the 'old' route of a company purchase, which we are told has now been closed, but I beleive that the 30+30+30 is legal and that seems to be the way that people are purchasing houses now, but I a certainly no expert and as advised previously take advice from as many people as possible before doing anything regarding a purchase.

Many times we have been told that IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO IMPORT PERSONAL GOODS WITHOUT PAYING IMPORT DUTY--- Well we DID import our household effects and DID NOT PAY ANY IMPORT DUTY. We were advised to send documentation to the import agency confirming our Retirtement status etc and they organised it on our behalf. We used a UK based exporter called 'Coles' and they used a company called 'Asian Tigers' in BKK who handled everything on our behalf without the bother of us having to go to BKK.Total cost of a 20 foot container door to door was about 1400 pounds sterling - much much cheaper than other quotes because they consolidate loads together so you just have to be patient waiting for it to arrive - ours took some 10 weeks to arive but what the heck! The container arrived with the original seal intact and was only opened when it arrived at our doorstep and unpacked - nothing broken and all excellenty wrapped by Coles, so can highly recommend same - and we have NO connection at all with either company.

With regard to the car import, take the advice already given and don't bother. The import duty is horrendous and its just not worth the effort - broke my heart to leave my beloved BMW 540i when we left the UK but even IF I had been able to import it the roads are ( in the main) not suitable for fast, low suspension vehices.

We are still settling into our new life, but are happy that we moved from the UK - it was getting us down as we felt as though we were becoming the second class citizens in our own country. We intend to try our best to learn the Thai language - but have to admit that it is difficult - but out of courtesy we beleive that we should make the effort even though we might get laughed at wth our feeble attempts - the language as I am sure you are already aware is VERY tonal.

Cost of living is as stated before dependent on your life style and needs, but our monthly electricity cost is about 3000baht (two freezer/fridges,small amount of aircon and 14x5m swimming pool plus all the other usual things like TV's etc) , water is cheap some 100 baht , food is half the cost in its raw state and eating out is very cheap and good - we tend to order 'take aways' when we go to some of our favourite places and stick them in the freezer. We recently bought a 3 litre diesel SUV and fuel is some 26B per litre; so much, much cheaper than the UK and reckon its doing some 24mpg in its 'running in state' - only clocked some 350kms upto now but very pleased with the vehicle.

Hope that this info is some use and if we can be of any more help please ask away - if we don't know we will tell you so.

Best of luck to you and your wife.