Retirement in Thailand for low and mid level budget expats -- is the party really over?

[The Hammer2021]

19 minutes ago, robblok said:

You mean that Americans finally have to show money in the bank like ordinary people. Not just swear they have it. So what is the problem if you had that money then you could park it in Thailand. If you did not have it you lied.

 

Of course there will be all the excuses its tied up, ect ect. Other nationalities had the same problems but moved their money anyway.  

Very true.

[Caldera]

I don't know. I visited Pattaya for a much-longer-than-usual stay last year. My impression was that you can still have a darn sweet life there, as a retiree or otherwise.

 

I'm not of retirement age yet myself, so I might be missing something, but budget-wise, Pattaya is a place where you can pretty much spend as much or as little as you want.

[NoshowJones]

50 minutes ago, robblok said:

How are visa's harder to get by did they change the 800k retirement rule that has been there for ages ?

 

I think not so its not harder its the same as before.

 

As for western food, that might be more expensive but i notice it hardly as i make my own food. Sure last year when i ordered foor from grab every day an it was 800-1000bt per day it was expensive. But it does not have to be expensive if you make your own food.

 

So it really depends on what you expect and want.

When I first came here in 2005, although there was the 90 day reporting, you had the choice of putting the 800.000Bt in the bank, or making a border run every 90 days. 

I was happy with the border runs as it was a less than 200Ks to Maesot which was a very pleasant motorbike or car run every 90 days.

I feel cheated now as everything has changed for the worse. There is no way I would come here if I could turn the clock back.

[mokwit]

31 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

No!

The assertion that all or most Americans that were using the letters before were lying is a disgusting lie. 

This is true, most Americans here seem to be on fat Government and Military pensions.

[OJAS]

1 hour ago, mokwit said:

I just wasn't aware of the British Embassy riding to the rescue of anybody, ever.

It goes wider than the Embassy, I think. The UK government as a whole has made it plain that it has no time for British pensioners of "low and mid-level budgetary means" (as per the OP title) who choose to live in Thailand, and has sought to "punish" those of us who have the temerity  to disagree with their point of view through inflicting excessively bureaucratic procedures on us over recent years in key areas such as passport renewals and State Pension life certificates - with the latter adding insult to injury as a result of our pensions being frozen for ever and a day!

 

What when constantly shifting goalposts on retirement extension requirements are thrown into the mix as well, I really do wonder sometimes whether the British and Thai governments are actively engaged in implementing a joint strategy aimed purely at making life for us expat Brit retirees here in LOS just as stressful and difficult as is humanly possible.

 

 

[pagallim]

If you use the 800,000/year or 65,000/month (baht) requirement for a Retirement extension, that is a good measure of what should be considered a minimum for a relatively comfortable life here.   If you own your home and are debt free, you can be very comfortable with that amount, certainly in comparison with the equivalent amount in the UK where the costs of local taxes, utilities, fuel for vehicles etc would leave very little left for 'luxuries'.   Health and social benefits of course have to be taken into consideration, being expensive here for the former, and zero existence for the latter.

[onthedarkside]

Several off-topic and trolling posts have been removed.

 

[MyFriend You]

11 minutes ago, mokwit said:

This is true, most Americans here seem to be on fat Government and Military pensions.

I am a quadruple "dipper" of Government annuities, having worked 45 years in one US Govt Agency or other and own property in 3 countries, including Thailand - some of us are just smarter than the average retiree. but I don't get your drift ............., Peace

[Jingthing]

41 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Very true.

Americans weren't allowed to show proof of the income by our own embassy. That was hardly their fault.

[Jingthing]

54 minutes ago, robblok said:

 i never said all American's were lying but im pretty sure it happened. So if you have the money what is the problem about moving it ? The only problem I see is the one time hit in exchange rate. But over the years that is not too bad. 

 

 

Dude.

You said nothing has changed.

I proved to you that you were utterly wrong.

So instead of being decent and saying yeah I was wrong you deflect to an attack on Americans.

I'm not playing your game.

[Jingthing]

59 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Since when?. UK people can use that method.

(Well this one can!)

OK.

Getting into the weeds here.

Combo method was always complex.

For those of us that can't get income letters anymore the complexity is multiplied.

There needs to be a monthly import and bank account for such people.

The qualification levels are confusing.

Surely not all offices will even accept combo.

The Integrity Legal.lawyer guy recently said combo was finished. 

You're saying at least for your office you can do.it  OK.

[Enoon]

1 hour ago, bert bloggs said:

I retired here with my Thai wife and son when i retired in the UK and we came back here,so what category am i in ?

You could read the article and find out:

 

Practising privilege. How settling in Thailand enables older ...

 

Much of what is said has been said on these pages, but she interprets and presents it........"differently":

 

"Men who do not have access to the money that enables them to purchase full and ‘successful’ lives of travel, sports, and sex, find relocation to countries such as Thailand a way to achieve ‘success’ thus defined."

 

 

           

 

[Pravda]

Healthcare costs for expats will be going through the roof. Thai insurance can not be trusted. 

 

Personally one thing I can't stand about Thailand is what most expats gloat over. Food. I just can't eat the slop they serve on the street and at the supermarkets. The only solution is to cook yourself, but I hate cooking here. No dishwasher, too hot, major lack of ingredients.

 

If I wasn't married I'd be going back to Serbia instead of Canada.

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, Pravda said:

Healthcare costs for expats will be going through the roof. Thai insurance can not be trusted. 

 

Personally one thing I can't stand about Thailand is what most expats gloat over. Food. I just can't eat the slop they serve on the street and at the supermarkets. The only solution is to cook yourself, but I hate cooking here. No dishwasher, too hot, major lack of ingredients.

 

If I wasn't married I'd be going back to Serbia instead of Canada.

Yeah the health care is probably the biggest issue for most.

[CANSIAM]

4 minutes ago, Pravda said:

Healthcare costs for expats will be going through the roof. Thai insurance can not be trusted. 

 

Personally one thing I can't stand about Thailand is what most expats gloat over. Food. I just can't eat the slop they serve on the street and at the supermarkets. The only solution is to cook yourself, but I hate cooking here. No dishwasher, too hot, major lack of ingredients.

 

If I wasn't married I'd be going back to Serbia instead of Canada.

Good choice on Serbia, there won't be any food on supermarket shelves soon in Canada, truckers are honking instead of hauling ! 

[RJRS1301]

2 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Not all retirees would live in a place like Pattaya so what you're  angle.

How ever, it true for anywhere in Tghailand for those on fixed, low, medium income and on retirement extensions.

 

[The Hammer2021]

1 hour ago, grain said:

I'm currently in Pattaya for a few days, first time here in close to 3 years, and yes, the grandads are sure here in large numbers, can't say I've noticed many of the younger monger guys who used to come in droves, nor any family groups, just all those grandads walking around in their shorts & singlets & sandals. I guess it's easier for them, being over 50 and getting retirement exts, and having pensions. 

Yeah the retired guys I know have a small state pension, a company private pension and some rent out property back in the UK. Its cheap to live here. A live in companion is about 10 to 15 k if required. Dining out is cheap even at western restaurants. Many are enrolled on dating apps which keeps them occupied.

[BKKBike09]

3 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Journalist Sarah Scuzzarello describes this group as “Elderly retirees enacting privilege over local people because of their superior wealth.”"

This would be the same person who has co-authored another must-read study entitled: "Transgender Kathoey and gay men using tourist-zone scenes as ‘social opportunities’ for nonheteronormative living in Thailand". Which contends "tourist-zones with nonheteronormative scenes can importantly supply new ‘social opportunities’ and resources for nonheteronormative living", presumably thanks to some elderly retirees 'enacting privilege' because of their superior wealth.

 

Thankfully Dr Scuzzarello is herself not short of a bob or two, so she can brag about her new $200 running shoes (probably made in a Vietnamese or Indonesian factory by underpaid locals).

 

 

[Kwasaki]

53 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

How ever, it true for anywhere in Tghailand for those on fixed, low, medium income and on retirement extensions.

The thread makes no sense to me mention Pattaya and Retirement.

As for the mention of superior wealth that's funny many Thais where I live by comparison I'm very poor. ????

[3NUMBAS]

World’s healthiest cities for expats (money.co.uk) 

1. Valencia
2. Madrid
3. Lisbon
4. Vienna
5. Canberra
6. Tel Aviv
7. Tokyo
8. The Hague
9. Ljubljana 
10. Zurich

just thought you would be intrested in this

[The Hammer2021]

2 hours ago, grain said:

I'm currently in Pattaya for a few days, first time here in close to 3 years, and yes, the grandads are sure here in large numbers, can't say I've noticed many of the younger monger guys who used to come in droves, nor any family groups, just all those grandads walking around in their shorts & singlets & sandals. I guess it's easier for them, being over 50 and getting retirement exts, and having pensions. 

Yeah sometimes its like a retirement town that you'd find on the Sussex coast or Florida perhaps. But I wasn't joking about tough  grandads. Crims need a place to retire and Pattaya is "A sunny place for shady people".  Pattaya is one of the few few places in the world where I never have to answer questions about my job or my work and I never ask people!

[3NUMBAS]

2 minutes ago, 3NUMBAS said:

World’s healthiest cities for expats (money.co.uk) 

1. Valencia
2. Madrid
3. Lisbon
4. Vienna
5. Canberra
6. Tel Aviv
7. Tokyo
8. The Hague
9. Ljubljana 
10. Zurich

just thought you would be intrested in this

https://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/1560070/british-expats-worlds-healthiest-city-valencia-spain

[3NUMBAS]

auss has the most uk retirees followed by canada

 

1.2 million to aus

[The Hammer2021]

3 hours ago, rumak said:

"These are the guys who retired here on fixed pensions to enjoy the golden years before the prospect of the crematorium became a near-term possibility. Journalist Sarah Scuzzarello describes this group as “Elderly retirees enacting privilege over local people because of their superior wealth.”

 

gee,  i sure would like to have a chat with her.    be great to hear/learn some more from her on generalizations .      maybe someone can explain to me what "enacting privilege"  means?    Isn't that what people with money, power, or influence usually do in this world ?

Or,  is it just elderly retirees in Pattaya ....oh , excuse me , Thailand.    

Feminism has always had a jealous, sanctimonious puritanical view to act as substitute for genuine critical analysis. 

"Puritanism is the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy." LOL

[GinBoy2]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Yeah the health care is probably the biggest issue for most.

Well that's the issue for many of us.

 

You read many a thread from American Vets who have Tricare, and that's great it covers them in Thailand.

 

But for most without that safety net, private health insurance spirals out of control at 60, 70+.

 

That's when old and getting sick gets real, real fast!

 

Health care in Thailand can be as good as it gets, but it comes at a price, and for some that's a price too far!

 

It's at that point, well maybe higher housing cost, but I get medicare flips the equation somewhat

[StreetCowboy]

4 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Right. Wealthy people are exempted.

Do wealthy people not enact their privilege?

[Jingthing]

16 minutes ago, StreetCowboy said:

Do wealthy people not enact their privilege?

Obviously. 

[Jingthing]

51 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Feminism has always had a jealous, sanctimonious puritanical view to act as substitute for genuine critical analysis. 

"Puritanism is the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy." LOL

You don't need to hijack every topic to promote the right wing side of western culture wars. 

[Jingthing]

55 minutes ago, 3NUMBAS said:

auss has the most uk retirees followed by canada

 

1.2 million to aus

This is about RETIRED expats. Canada has no retirement visa and Australia's retirement rules only allow the very wealthy.

[Jingthing]

31 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

Well that's the issue for many of us.

 

You read many a thread from American Vets who have Tricare, and that's great it covers them in Thailand.

 

But for most without that safety net, private health insurance spirals out of control at 60, 70+.

 

That's when old and getting sick gets real, real fast!

 

Health care in Thailand can be as good as it gets, but it comes at a price, and for some that's a price too far!

 

It's at that point, well maybe higher housing cost, but I get medicare flips the equation somewhat

There are other retired expat destinations more suitable for the non wealthy other than Thailand.