Falang Old Age And Death In Thailand

[Swelters]

The other day I was told in a small Isan ampur in Korat that there were 100,000 fahlangs registered as actually living in that province. I find this astonishing, having felt like a visitor from outer space when I first arrived there in 1963. But it brought to mind the whole issue of the later stages of fahlang life in the kingdom. Do many people, having rejected in some degree their homeland, find themselves drawn back, perhaps to some depressing nursing facility in UK or America, in their late life? Do as many find themselves well enough established in their local communities in Thailand to enjoy a Thai-style old age, complete with mobs of hospitable visitors?

Anyone thoughts on this, anyone taken a systematic look at this question?

Edited June 29, 2007 by Swelters

[tijnebijn]

Seems rather much for a small province like that. I know the Isaan woman are popular but so many ?

Surprised me if it really was so. Aren't there any wizz guys helping us out with some real statistics , or aren't there any.

[ThaiPauly]

I don't believe that.

There are only 20,000 in Chaing Mai Municipality and that is the second largest provinial area outside of Bangkok !!!

[Luckydog]

I live happily alone in my little house in Pattaya with two lovely Thai Dogs, since my Divorce last year.

The only thing that worries me sometimes is the thought that I might pop-off and no-one will find out for

week or more. The Dogs would have to eat me!

THAT is often the reallity of retirement in LOS.

I have aquaintances sure. But they wouldn't miss me for quite a while. GFs? They come and go......

But this worst case scenario will not happen hopefully......

[lazeeboy]

I live happily alone in my little house in Pattaya with two lovely Thai Dogs, since my Divorce last year.

The only thing that worries me sometimes is the thought that I might pop-off and no-one will find out for

week or more. The Dogs would have to eat me!

THAT is often the reallity of retirement in LOS.

I have aquaintances sure. But they wouldn't miss me for quite a while. GFs? They come and go......

But this worst case scenario will not happen hopefully......

now i would say i would get a lot of help from freinds and family ,but in say 20 years and im not giving money and jobs i think id be very alone

[JetsetBkk]

now i would say i would get a lot of help from freinds and family ,but in say 20 years and im not giving money and jobs i think id be very alone

So now your friends and family are only with you because you give them money and employment - you see yourself as the milch cow for the group. And when you are old and penniless, it's "out the door" with you? That's not a nice future to contemplate, a little "eskimoesque", but maybe realistic...

[mellow1]

There aren't mobs of hospitable people around here.Why would it start when I get older.

If you have no immediate family in the LOS,and you reach the prime old age, where you no longer can take care of yourself.A change of plan would be in order.I haven't noticed much human compassion,or any social services for Thais,much less for an old farang.Dying is normally, not something to look forward to,no matter what country you find yourself in.If you can manage it in your own place,more power to you.I'd look for a way, in which the dogs could get out,for when this eventuality occurs.

[Jeff1]

I think a few of my drinking buddies would miss me after a week or so.

Does Thailand have a " life alert" type device that you can wear around your neck and push the button and help would arrive? it's rather popular in the states.

Yeah right, My friends would probally get there first.

[highdiver]

amazing idea for a start up.

a retirment home for againg farrangs. with medical facilities.

can have a small girlie bar in the lobby and high speed internet cafe so they can keep bashing on thai Visa

[qwertz]

amazing idea for a start up.

a retirment home for againg farrangs. with medical facilities.

can have a small girlie bar in the lobby and high speed internet cafe so they can keep bashing on thai Visa

With a caption under your avatar.

"If there's no post from me for more than twenty four hours, call the funeral home".

P.S. If I didn't mention it, my casket's already ordered.

It's very large, lined with lively girls and has a big stereo system, a collection of ZZ Top, George Thoroughgood and Boss Hoss and a well stocked bar.

I will take possession only when I'm sure I'm close to death, after which sad event it is to be floated into the Bay of Siam at sunset and set on fire, Viking style.

Edited June 29, 2007 by qwertz

[Tinkelbell]

I live happily alone in my little house in Pattaya with two lovely Thai Dogs, since my Divorce last year.

The only thing that worries me sometimes is the thought that I might pop-off and no-one will find out for

week or more. The Dogs would have to eat me!

THAT is often the reallity of retirement in LOS.

I have aquaintances sure. But they wouldn't miss me for quite a while. GFs? They come and go......

But this worst case scenario will not happen hopefully......

This story brought me back about the death of my faverite movie star 'William Holden'.

Although BILL spent much of his retirement in his owned safari ranch in Africa, but last trip to the US had him done, someone found his body in his apartment one week after his death. Sad !

I'm still watching his movies all the times especially 'Stalag 17'.

[retiredusn]

amazing idea for a start up.

a retirment home for againg farrangs. with medical facilities.

can have a small girlie bar in the lobby and high speed internet cafe so they can keep bashing on thai Visa

The idea of a retirment home for ageing farrangs really is not that bad of a idea.

[dave111223]

amazing idea for a start up.

a retirment home for againg farrangs. with medical facilities.

can have a small girlie bar in the lobby and high speed internet cafe so they can keep bashing on thai Visa

The idea of a retirment home for ageing farrangs really is not that bad of a idea.

When you can hire a live-in maid to take care of you for like 10,000 THB a retirement home sounds less appealing.

Plus it is inevitable that any retirement home in Thailand for farang would be grossly overpriced and by the time you died you'd be penniless (cheating rich old senile farang would be like stealing candy from a baby)

Edited June 30, 2007 by dave111223

[Gary A]

I have often thought about a retirement home for old and ailing farangs. I think it would be a GREAT idea. Some condo development on the beach that went broke would be a great spot to build a project like this. Wheelchair access to all rooms, the beach and recreation areas. Doctors on call and nurses to check on the tenants several times a day as well as delivering meals would be a winner. US nursing homes start at about $4,000 dollars a month and the care is NOT that great. I KNOW, my dad is in one of them.

[stickman]

Seems rather much for a small province like that. I know the Isaan woman are popular but so many ?

Surprised me if it really was so. Aren't there any wizz guys helping us out with some real statistics , or aren't there any.

Small province? Korat is the biggest province in Thailand!

But 100,000 people? That figure I just don't believe. Korat appears to have fewer Westerners than some other provinces in the Isaan region, particularly Udon. And if you then looked at the provinces with large numbers like Bangkok and the beaches and islands, apart from perhaps Bangkok, I doubt any would have 100,000 Westerners resident.

[altman]

i advocate for the establishment of a Compassionate Law and Euthanasia Clinics in which to implement that law. the concept of Euthanasia is applicable anywhere, even thailand, home of the aged and often lonely.

recently the thai minister of communications indicated in an interview with the int'l herald tribune that he had invented a Euthanasia machine which he intended to use if the need arose. so the concept is not unknown here.

and given a choice between an old age home, where i could expect to be kept 'alive' for as long as the money held out, or a peaceful and painless death at the time, place, and in the manner of my own choosing i would prefer the latter.

to make this choice before or at the time of the on-set of some debilitating medical crisis seems to me to be a better choice than endless medical exams, procedures, bills, and an undignified, painful, and protracted final exit.

the concept of Euthanasia is based on the individual's right to choose. that means that it is the person involved, not the church, the state, or the doctors, who are empowered to make that most important of all of life's decisions. unfortunately the current state of affairs is such that a person who makes that choice may be endangering his friends, family, and loved ones if they choose to be with him at the time of his death. a Compassionate Law would remove that peril and a Euthanasia Clinic would provide a place where that law could be easily implemented.

for further information i have a couple of blogs and a website, euthanasiaclinicdotcom.

[qualtrough]

I have long wondered why the Thai govt. and some developers don't get together to offer retirement communities pitched at foreigners. The communities would have to feature a first rate medical facility. It would be a win/win situation. The foreigners would get cheaper living, a better climate, etc. & etc., while Thailand would be getting a constant stream of $$ coming in from overseas. The xenophobes shouldn't have a problem either, because retired people disappear when their gone, and would not be leaving any children behind to 'overwhelm' Thailand. I am sure it will happen before too long. The key is the medical facility, because retired people don't want to be faced with the prospect of being bundled into a taxi when have a health crisis.

[farang prince]

My ultimate dream is to be shot by a jealous husband after finding me in bed with his wife when I am 90! I'll die with a smile on my face.

Edited June 30, 2007 by farang prince

[mellow1]

I am surprised that there aren't any retirement homes already set up.In the US there are all kinds of scams in that business.This is certainly a field where where people here could exceed in.Milk them for what you can get,when it dries up,out the door horizontally,and free up a bed for the next one.No accountability,transparency,plenty of bribe takers to hush everything up.If they decide to sell stock,a very good investment.

[a2396]

You are asking to hear happy stories about this topic? You must be joking. This not a happy subject in any country. OLD AGE & DEATH? What could be happy about that?

[Swelters]

Thanks for the thoughtful replies.

My experience with parents in US nursing homes is that you wouldn't want to spend your last days there. I suspect that Thai staff who may be fairly well disposed toward older people would be somewhat better than the immigrant staff in the US places.The entry of big companies into this business may actually be a good thing since the small private places may have low standards.

The Thai based care facility is an interesting idea. It has been proposed as a viable business opportunity by one Japanese economist for Japanese elders . His idea was to place it upcountry and use small semi-detached individual houses. He suggested that Japanese would come here from Japan specifically for residency there, Japan having serious problems with care for elders.

My OP had a typo, "hospitable" should read "hospital". My father in law was recently hospitalized in his small ampur and the scene was an ongoing delightful social festival in comparison with the US equivalent. My wife claims that a falang resident who had developed good relations with the family/neighbors would receive the same.

The whole issue of whether old age and death is necessarily depressing is treated very well in the Canandian film "Waiting for the Barbarians".

Swelters

[November Rain]

I live happily alone in my little house in Pattaya with two lovely Thai Dogs, since my Divorce last year.

The only thing that worries me sometimes is the thought that I might pop-off and no-one will find out for

week or more. The Dogs would have to eat me!

THAT is often the reallity of retirement in LOS.

I have aquaintances sure. But they wouldn't miss me for quite a while. GFs? They come and go......

But this worst case scenario will not happen hopefully......

I've had that thought, as well, Luckydog. But with 30 odd dogs in my home, I think I'd be eaten more quickly than you

It's a scary thought if you're living alone here. Of course I have my son, but I wouldn't want him finding my body - poor kid. If it was a weekday, I think I'd be found quickly - someone would miss me, but weekends or public holidays? I'm not sure. OK, I've decided, I want one of those 'If I don't post for 24hr...' notices under my avatar on here

[bina]

why do people assume that going back to their home country means getting the best care: in america i have no cntacts, social security or friends, in israel, if i were to come to live in thailand and then go back, i would be like many other old people here, in winter i would probably die of pneumonia after living on white cheese and eggs and bread in a dingy room without elevators or aircondioning or decent heating-- in summer i would die of heat stroke stinking in mly own sh..t. however, if i dont leave, and i stay on kibbutz i would get excellent care, extended family, health care is tops, the elderly are still employed for a few hours a day as a way to get them up and out of the house and be with people (folding laundry, helping with the kindergarten breakfast, easy gardening, archives and library, and those that dont or cant, there are filapina caretakers, or family that help out).... in general, the best scenario. we have lots of 70+ and 80+ men and women active and working here.

if i were to leave here, go to thailand, i'd come back to here to living in streets or gov't (shudder) home and die fairly quickly .... i'd be better off staying in thailand without decent med care, and i would die really fast in someones house or hovel. which will probably be the case as i am female, i will probably outlive my younger thai husband, somehow i dont think his sisters and children will take care (doo ler)of me as he claims.... and i have no money house etc to provide them with inspiration.

[qwertz]

You are asking to hear happy stories about this topic? You must be joking. This not a happy subject in any country. OLD AGE & DEATH? What could be happy about that?

Quite so.

And the older you get, the more relevant the subject becomes.

I don't expect from my offspring the same love and care I gave my parents to make their dying easier.

There is, however an alternative to consider.

Thai women are potentially very good carers.

If you set enough by to pay an aging Thai widow or divorcee a respectable weekly wage, I believe she would be prepared to make life easier for you, cook a square meal at least once a day, wash and clean a little etc.

Comfort for security, a good trade off and worth considering.

[Jingthing]

In the US case, if you were really old, familyless, broke (spent down your assets), and dying, you could be at least taken care of (in a very disgusting way like a nursing home that might be featured on 60 minutes). Well, that after establishing your qualifications for all of that (you might be dead by then). I think many would choose a quicker more dignified end just staying in Thailand.

Edited June 30, 2007 by Jingthing

[Jimjim]

I live happily alone in my little house in Pattaya with two lovely Thai Dogs, since my Divorce last year.

The only thing that worries me sometimes is the thought that I might pop-off and no-one will find out for

week or more. The Dogs would have to eat me!

THAT is often the reallity of retirement in LOS.

I have aquaintances sure. But they wouldn't miss me for quite a while. GFs? They come and go......

But this worst case scenario will not happen hopefully......

We'd certainly hear about it in the news, though! Pattaya News Clippings . . . .

[Valjean]

I went out with a Thai nurse once up in CM and she worked for a nursing home for Alzheimer patients – almost all from Switzerland. Once you don’t know where you are it’s not so important where you are after all. The cost has got to be 1/4 or less of Europe or US. In fact I’d guess close to 1/10th (I had some surgery here and it worked out to close to that). To Swelters’ point I do think this could be a business opportunity. Especially if I think about the types of assisted living facilities. As many of us get older, especially if we are alone having an apartment in a building that provides housekeeping, meals and companionship with someone checking in on us is a really good option for people who still can be independent but maybe shouldn’t be or don’t want to be living on their own all alone.

And to qwertz’s comment I agree 100%. I intend to retire and die here and the last thing I worry about is who will take care of me. I hope my Thai wife-to-be will be with me to my last breath but if she is not I think there a lot of wonderful Thai women of all ages and backgrounds who’d be happy to live in and take care of an elderly person in a very caring way. When my 81 year old mom was here she was amazed by the kind care and attention from my mail and the respect she was shown. Like anywhere if you are penniless then life can suck but if you had a reasonable income I think the options here are much better than I’d expect in the US.

As to medical care it’s good enough here. In the US we spend an amazing percentage of the medical budget on the last month of life, prolonging things so often way too long. Maybe if I’m here upcountry somewhere I’ll have to expect to make a graceful exit a little sooner but a prolonged stay in a hospital with life support isn’t necessarily what I’d want anyway. Better to go out with the dogs and people who care about me around me.

[qualtrough]

Relatives of organ donors are often gratified that their loved ones organs live on in another person. By the same token, dog lovers should be gratified to think that their beloved dogs might eat them after they are gone!

[jackspratt]

I have often thought about a retirement home for old and ailing farangs. I think it would be a GREAT idea. Some condo development on the beach that went broke would be a great spot to build a project like this. Wheelchair access to all rooms, the beach and recreation areas. Doctors on call and nurses to check on the tenants several times a day as well as delivering meals would be a winner. US nursing homes start at about $4,000 dollars a month and the care is NOT that great. I KNOW, my dad is in one of them.

What a great idea. And you can get the old man over on a retirement visa, share a double room with him, and split the costs. A real win/win situation

[terry57]

I live happily alone in my little house in Pattaya with two lovely Thai Dogs, since my Divorce last year.

The only thing that worries me sometimes is the thought that I might pop-off and no-one will find out for

week or more. The Dogs would have to eat me!

THAT is often the reallity of retirement in LOS.

I have aquaintances sure. But they wouldn't miss me for quite a while. GFs? They come and go......

But this worst case scenario will not happen hopefully......

thats a very nice and straight forward post you have made there luckydog and i commend you for raising this senario ,as i think its very close to the truth for many farang that retire here.

in reality i dont think its that different from farang land as ones children grow up, leading there own lives, so you cant rely on your kids to be around for you. also ones friends either die off or move away so in reality one must be self sufficiant and content and happy to be able to survive on ones own. as far as women go, only a fool would place his whole happiness in them as they also come and go in ones life and can never be relied on to go the full term.

at the end of the day we only have ourselves and must find contentment within, as this is the true path to enlightenment.

so in conclusion luckydog, you are doing very well as you have your dogs, your house and you true self to see you through.

good luck to you and may you live forever.

thank you very much,

terry.

ps. id much rather be living alone here in paradise than living in farang with some horrid wife as thats a fate worse than death.