What do you need in amenties to retire?

[georgegeorgia]

Not sure if the word amenties is the word im looking for ,but im only a hospital wardsman so what do i know.

 

But looking to retire soon whether that be Thailand,Cambodia or Phillipines,LAOS,TURKEY,, VIETNAM,MYANMUR ,SINGAPORE ,malaysia  im studying what i need around me,what "amenties " i need.

So i make this list to move somewhere where they have most of these to look for a city or town 

 

1. must have good gym,i like going to the gym everyday,it has to be walking distance 

2. pay4play whether that be bars or streetwalkers or meeting apps ,but should be available whether that be a bar or university town

3. Condos  I prefer a condo or apartment 

4.medical centres.. doesnt have to be close to hospital but its a preference 

5.financial ....cheap place with good life ,prefer under 15,000 baht rent per month for say a 1 bedroom condo ,would be good to say able to live on less than 35,000 baht a month ,maybe phillipines or cambodia we could do this ?

6.easy retirement visa,less hassle 

7,medical insurance ,a place which is cheap

8,low crime areas 

9.healthy area , clean air  ,chiang mai doesnt cut it 

now i know many of you are thinking of pattaya but too expensive for me ,what about farang expat cities/towns in places like phillipines etc.

The question im asking is what amenties are important to you and what countries/towns do you reccomend that has everything your looking for ?

 

To me western food is not important,i can live without, another is high crime areas eg i probaly wouldnt want to retire to Tondo in the phillipines BUT im sure there is western expats living there somewhere.

 

Im ruling out places like pattaya ,too expensive, phuket the same, UDON THANI could be a option,university town plenty of pay4play i guess ,

Vietnam Hanoi could be option, as for CAMBODIA  ,i didnt enjoy phomn penh BUT other area siem reap might be ok 

 

I plan on staying only 6 months in each city/town etc when i retire , i will explore Makati in the phillipines which is in manila,i may stay there a few months, then a place called PALAWAN, apparently many expats ,but these places may exceed my budget , 

 

 

Edited February 24, 2022 by georgegeorgia

[EVENKEEL]

In PI an easy place to start is Angeles City or Subic Bay (Olongapo and Barrio Barretta) are only a taxi away. One of the oldest expat areas in PI.

[FritsSikkink]

Forget Singapore, too expensive for that budget.

[BritManToo]

50 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

Im ruling out places like pattaya ,too expensive, phuket the same, UDON THANI could be a option,university town plenty of pay4play i guess ,

Vietnam Hanoi could be option, as for CAMBODIA  ,i didnt enjoy phomn penh BUT other area siem reap might be ok 

Pattaya is cheap, if you can't afford that ..........

Hua Hin is nice, Siam Reap also, Barretto in the Philippines (nice beach)

But the money requirement for Thailand is too much, if I wasn't here, I wouldn't be coming.

Hanoi is about the worst place I've been, serious uptightness, I preferred Da Nang (great beach) and Saigon (serious party).

[BobBKK]

1 hour ago, EVENKEEL said:

In PI an easy place to start is Angeles City or Subic Bay (Olongapo and Barrio Barretta) are only a taxi away. One of the oldest expat areas in PI.

I have been to those places countless times but is now a good time? I must say moving around once retired will get old quiet quickly.

[bkk6060]

Pattaya too expensive?  For what?  I have traveled to all the places you mentioned and for overall life style and cost and most of the items you listed, Pattaya is the best place.  Other activities such as golf many courses available at reasonable prices.

Also, you mentioned 35.000 b.  Way below my budget but plenty of people live in Pattaya on that.

The place is full of British pensioners living on their government pensions at approx. 35k.

 

To add, you really need to do your research you mentioned Singapore?

Good luck with that.

Singapore was ranked the second most expensive city in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in its Worldwide Cost of Living 2021 survey. In its ranking published on 1 December 2021, Singapore was tied in second place with Paris, up from fourth position in the previous year.

Edited February 24, 2022 by bkk6060

[VocalNeal]

3 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Thailand,Cambodia or Phillipines,LAOS,TURKEY,, VIETNAM,MYANMUR ,SINGAPORE ,malaysia 

Maybe you forgot one?

[Orinoco]

Quote

1. must have good gym

Top of the list.

Right i'm off for a beer.

Good luck.

Bye.

[Will B Good]

Ukraine?  Must some bargains going there.

[Orinoco]

Quote

But looking to retire soon whether that be  LAOS, SINGAPORE 

Not the same i think, way, way different,  for the bank account.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL. 

[Orinoco]

7 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Ukraine?  Must some bargains going there.

You naughty boy. 

[Will B Good]

Just now, Orinoco said:

You naughty boy. 

Please don't invade me....

[EVENKEEL]

1 hour ago, BobBKK said:

I have been to those places countless times but is now a good time? I must say moving around once retired will get old quiet quickly.

I'm not a big fan of PI myself. My ships took me there to Subic, was always a good place for fun. I wouldn't consider PI myself, but many expats do.

[Sparktrader]

Hua hin expensive

 

Look at Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Udon Thani. All cheap. All have airports.

[Sparktrader]

Chiang Mai is good May to December. Jan to April is the bad air quality.

 

Khon Kaen is another one or Nong Khai.

[EVENKEEL]

Pattaya is a no brainer or areas through Rayong if you like the sea.

[Sparktrader]

Pattaya way cheaper than Phuket. Prob half for unit. Save 13,000 there. 

[KhunLA]

"would be good to say able to live on less than 35,000 baht a month"

 

That isn't going to work in Thailand, especally if P4P is included in that budget.  Hope you have a lot more to qualify for a visa (65k a month) unless you plan on teaching.

[lazygourmet]

Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

No temptation hundred of miles around.

Idyllic location for a retirement on a shoestring.

[EVENKEEL]

4 hours ago, KhunLA said:

"would be good to say able to live on less than 35,000 baht a month"

 

That isn't going to work in Thailand, especally if P4P is included in that budget.  Hope you have a lot more to qualify for a visa (65k a month) unless you plan on teaching.

I think 35 K/mo is very doable.

[thaibeachlovers]

 

I went on this thread expecting a discussion of what one lives in and appliances needed etc. Talking about gyms and p4p etc IMO is more involved than I intended to discuss, but up to you.

 

To contribute- I'd need a quiet place within walking distance of everything I'd need to visit eg supermarkets, bars, cinema.

The last time I lived in Pattaya, the Lek Hotel fitted that bill remarkably well.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 2/25/2022 at 2:38 AM, Sparktrader said:

Chiang Mai is good May to December. Jan to April is the bad air quality.

 

Khon Kaen is another one or Nong Khai.

Chiang Mai is only good anytime so long as one does not need decent bars. IMO a dead zone for entertainment.

[zzaa09]

On 2/24/2022 at 1:54 AM, Will B Good said:

Ukraine?  Must some bargains going there.

American made as well....

[scubascuba3]

I avoided Pattaya for 15 years but it has everything you want, spend as little or as much as you want, live off only thai food and limit the P4P and you could easily do for under 30k a month.

 

The thing is you just try a place you like, in Pattaya it's time factor x2

[tonray]

On 2/24/2022 at 4:50 PM, VocalNeal said:

Maybe you forgot one?

UKraine ?

[BobBKK]

On 2/26/2022 at 6:11 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

Chiang Mai is only good anytime so long as one does not need decent bars. IMO a dead zone for entertainment.

Noooo I have lived here nearly 15 years nothing wrong with the bars (pre covid). 

[BobBKK]

On 2/26/2022 at 7:23 AM, scubascuba3 said:

I avoided Pattaya for 15 years but it has everything you want, spend as little or as much as you want, live off only thai food and limit the P4P and you could easily do for under 30k a month.

 

The thing is you just try a place you like, in Pattaya it's time factor x2

Problem with Pattaya is burn-out (assuming you like bars). It's a place I visit yearly but to live there would send me to an early grave.

[scubascuba3]

2 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

Problem with Pattaya is burn-out (assuming you like bars). It's a place I visit yearly but to live there would send me to an early grave.

Of course you will get jaded then burn out then living the nightmare if you don't have a variety of things to do, not just girls and beer

[gearbox]

Mate...just retire. You are overthinking it.. you are a classical "paralysis by analysis" case. By the time you figure out the best plan you may be in the coffin already.

[Mike Teavee]

OP I think you'll find the price of rent in the PI to be more expensive than Thailand, especially around the Makati/Taguig/BGC areas. 

 

I rented a 1br studio near University of Mindanao (Davao City) for my Ex-GF &  it was 25,000 PHP (Approx 16,000 THB), a studio in a ladies only boarding place near GMall was 20,000 (approx 14,000 THB). 

 

I do prefer the Southern Philippine Islands (Visayas) though, if I were to move there it would probably be Davao, Cebu or Bahol, Palawan is a tourist spot so would expect it to be more expensive.  If I were on your budget, I'd probably choose Tagum (about 1.5 hrs north of Davao City, I used to have a house about 20 minutes further up in Kapalong & it was the closest "Town") or somewhere like  Cagayan De Oro which I've heard is popular with Expats.

 

I wouldn't worry about the lack of "Visible" P4P anywhere in Philipines, it's easy enough to find a willing partner whether it's paid for or longerterm (& so more expensive ???? ) 

 

Still say Pattaya is cheaper than anywhere but the boonies in Philippines, Udon Thani even more so... 

 

 

Edited March 3, 2022 by Mike Teavee