Do you think (most) financially struggling western retirees are stupid for not retiring abroad?

[QuantumQuandry]

8 minutes ago, Bobthegimp said:

The point is that an income that qualifies as poverty in the US is far from poverty over here.  If you're resilient enough to survive what you did, you'll figure out the language and find your footing over here.  The social welfare payments in the West are being devoured by inflation.  

I think that's too broad of a statement.  I, for example, had zero money.  Zero money in the US is zero money in Thailand.  Zero money to GET to Thailand.  Zero money for a visa.  Zero reasons to go to Thailand.

 

Why would I possibly have wanted to come to Thailand and figure out the language there?  I would have less handouts and less people who wanted to help.  They would all just want me to go back to my country.

 

And the social welfare programs back home, eaten up by inflation, are better than the zero social welfare programs that would have been available to me in Thailand.

Edited October 21, 2023 by QuantumQuandry

[gearbox]

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

That may be so but still beats living in a car and <deleted>ting in a bucket!

I'm above that level here but for quite modest levels of wealth and income I have a set up that I couldn't replicate in the U.S. for under at least a million dollars, more like two.

 

There are retirement destination countries where you can qualify for 600 dollars a month income and perhaps I'm wrong but I don't think Cambodia even checks income for retirement status.

 

Or there is the Philippines option of only needing to do a visa run every three years.

If there are too many of us, the prices will rise and negate some of the financial benefits, and the home countries may put extra restrictions on pension portability and fund transfers.

[Bobthegimp]

4 minutes ago, mania said:

Believe it or not most of the car/van living crowds want that life

(Gawd knows why but they do 😅 )

I did it for the last 4 years of my working life. I had a good job with a defined benefit pension and a 7 on 7 off schedule.  My employer was fine with how I chose to live and our workplace had 24/7 access to 2 kitchens, a shower and a gym. They let me plug in during the winter because solar panels do nothing during the winter.  My savings rate was astronomical and gave me the option to refuse the covid injections and take early retirement whilst my indebted coworkers were coerced into taking the shots against their will.  

 

My summer weeks off were spent trout fishing, cycling, road trips and visiting family and friends.  I usually spent 11 weeks per year in the winter here in Thailand.  

 

In addition to saving 100k in rent and most of my income, the value of my van has increased since I bought it.  Nowhere near as much as real estate, but it didn't depreciate like automobiles usually do. 

[bignok]

11 minutes ago, Michael Klaxxon said:

I was watching a vid on Youtube the other day.

Female expat (Russian I believe) was talking about the kind of guys she met in Phuket.

 

3 categories:

1) Guys that are losers back home

2) Guys with mental health issues

3) Guys that are cheaters

 

I think she is mostly right.

3 types of women

1 gold diggers

2 moles

3 ok

[Bobthegimp]

7 minutes ago, QuantumQuandry said:

I think that's too broad of a statement.  I, for example, had zero money.  Zero money in the US is zero money in Thailand.  Zero money to GET to Thailand.  Zero money for a visa.  Zero reasons to go to Thailand.

 

Why would I possibly have wanted to come to Thailand and figure out the language there?  I would have less handouts and less people who wanted to help.  They would all just want me to go back to my country.

 

And the social welfare programs back home, eaten up by inflation, are better than the zero social welfare programs that would have been available to me in Thailand.

No kidding.

Your experience as a teen is completely irrelevant to this topic, which is about retirees who do have an income.  Someone with no money can't even book a flight, so how could they leave the country? 

[Jingthing]

8 minutes ago, gearbox said:

If there are too many of us, the prices will rise and negate some of the financial benefits, and the home countries may put extra restrictions on pension portability and fund transfers.

There will always be a plethora of more off the beaten track destinations that aren't corrupted.

 

We have no control in how home countries treat expats.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

14 minutes ago, Michael Klaxxon said:

I was watching a vid on Youtube the other day.

Female expat (Russian I believe) was talking about the kind of guys she met in Phuket.

 

3 categories:

1) Guys that are losers back home

2) Guys with mental health issues

3) Guys that are cheaters

 

I think she is mostly right.

So she's hanging out with Russian expats here... That shouldn't be much of a surprise!

 

[connda]

Geez, I thought this was written by bob smith.  😉

[QuantumQuandry]

5 minutes ago, Bobthegimp said:

No kidding.

Your experience as a teen is completely irrelevant to this topic, which is about retirees who do have an income.  Someone with no money can't even book a flight, so how could they leave the country? 

It's relevant in that my experience being poor in America tells me that it's not as bad as some of you guys make it out to be.

[StayinThailand2much]

I moved to Asia when I was quite young. l'm planning to move back home in a few years due to healthcare provided there, and for doing things I don't do here (much), e.g. hiking, sightseeing... - I may still spend some time in Asia in the future, just not the whole year.

Edited October 21, 2023 by StayinThailand2much

[tkramer]

2 hours ago, EchoPlus said:

Not everything is about money or purchase power.

Most people want to stay in the place they call home.

You need a peculiar mindset to go die in a country where most people don't even speak your language, infrastructure sucks and your family ain't around. Most people retiring in Thailand are in a way or another, deep down inside, sad and lonely individuals. I mean no disrespect. It's just the truth.

It's clearly 'their' choice...they can just deal with it.

 

"You need a peculiar mindset to go die in a country where most people don't even speak your language,"

 

'As I lay there in my final moments, I slightly lift my head to ask those around me..."Do you speak my language...?"

 

Why? Because this has the greatest significance in the after-life. It's like showing up at Immigration without your 'passport'...!

[connda]

Do you think (most) financially struggling western retirees are stupid for not retiring abroad?

No.  Most Western retirees (at least in the US) don't have a clue as to what lies beyond there own US borders.  It you have traveled globally during your life (being a military brat or a veteran helps), then you understand your options.

Are these retirees "stupid."  No.  They are simply ignorant of their choices.  Ignorance isn't bad, it's just lack of knowledge.

And Btw, the one thing that has become "stupid" in the US since I left is the cost of living.
I don't pity the retirees as much as I do the Millennials and Gen-Xers, and soon Gen-Zs who are totally screwed. 
"You'll own nothing and be unhappy."

[Michael Klaxxon]

14 minutes ago, bignok said:

3 types of women

1 gold diggers

2 moles

3 ok

 

11 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

So she's hanging out with Russian expats here... That shouldn't be much of a surprise!

 

 

[Bobthegimp]

16 minutes ago, Michael Klaxxon said:

I was watching a vid on Youtube the other day.

Female expat (Russian I believe) was talking about the kind of guys she met in Phuket.

 

3 categories:

1) Guys that are losers back home

2) Guys with mental health issues

3) Guys that are cheaters

 

I think she is mostly right.

Take a gander at her YouTube chanel. Pot, meet kettle.  She grew up in Latvia and moved to England at 18 or 19, if memory serves. 

 

If you're referring to the Thairish Times interview watch the video again. This time take note of her surroundings.  The woman claims to be successful but look at the furniture and television in the room behind her. Very shabby, low quality stuff, not what somebody who had many years of success working in The City would be surrounded by. 

 

No doubt there is some truth in what she said, but the observations are from a woman who is past her prime and is used to men back home throwing themselves at her feet. No man here needs to do that with so many younger, agreeable Thai options available. If you're craving a stringy, 40 year old Eastern European woman one can be rented cheaply enough and sent on her way when you're done with her.  She isn't special over here and that burned her.  She can live without a man, but not without male validation. 

[transam]

1 hour ago, Ralf001 said:

Obviously the shampoo bit went over your head but hey,  I don’t have the time nor the crayons to explain it to you.

That's great, keep it up Ralphy, and you may find a Biro easier to use............😉

[JimTripper]

i think many people do move...

 

the ones that don't seem to be elderly or have medical issues and such that makes the move too difficult, or family like kids, etc.

 

also for some living a skint life on social welfare programs like medical, welfare and food stamps it's too risky to give up the safety net and move. that money and support stops when you expatriate.

 

[stupidfarang]

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

But they could get one and it's a pretty good  passport as well. 

When your flight gets hijacked, maybe not the best passport LOL. Also when so many people in the world hate america, is it really a great passport, what would your goverment do to save your a**e in most situations? I think like most goverments they do f*** all to help their nationals

[scubascuba3]

Most don't come because they don't know it's a good option, they think living in the miserable west is the best option, for some it is maybe.

 

Obviously if you're tied up in family life it's not an option

[Michael Klaxxon]

10 minutes ago, Bobthegimp said:

Take a gander at her YouTube chanel. Pot, meet kettle.  She grew up in Latvia and moved to England at 18 or 19, if memory serves. 

 

If you're referring to the Thairish Times interview watch the video again. This time take note of her surroundings.  The woman claims to be successful but look at the furniture and television in the room behind her. Very shabby, low quality stuff, not what somebody who had many years of success working in The City would be surrounded by. 

 

No doubt there is some truth in what she said, but the observations are from a woman who is past her prime and is used to men back home throwing themselves at her feet. No man here needs to do that with so many younger, agreeable Thai options available. If you're craving a stringy, 40 year old Eastern European woman one can be rented cheaply enough and sent on her way when you're done with her.  She isn't special over here and that burned her.  She can live without a man, but not without male validation. 

She is piece of garbage, no question about that.

But that doesn't mean she's wrong.

I think her 3 categories are about right regardless of who she is.

I mean look at those winners for example:

 

[tkramer]

1 hour ago, bignok said:

My gf's parents live 1 hour from 2 famous attractions, never been. She asked me to drive them there. Yet they are happy people.

Simple things for simple minds...

 

(and I am not being facetious or condescending)

[Bobthegimp]

10 minutes ago, stupidfarang said:

when so many people in the world hate america

They hate US foreign policy, an important distinction.  When was the last time a plane was hijacked?  Sorry, I haven't watched television in 20 year and am out of touch with made for TV movies. 

[JimTripper]

is anyone here a man?

 

Edited October 21, 2023 by JimTripper

[retarius]

No, I think people choose a retirement situation that they think will suit them.

 

If they assumed that inflation would stay low for years to come, it wasn't stupidity because the last dose of bad inflation was 40 years ago. 

 

People make their choices out of the experiences that have had during their lives up to retirement. Some may have travelled and so be more comfortable with living as an expat (I have been an expat for 40 years) so it doesn't scare me. Some people might love golf and so think living on a golf range is paradise, but then they get bored of playing golf every day. There are a million options, choices, and so work out well, some work out badly. You won't know until your final days on this earth which way your choices turned out. 

Edited October 21, 2023 by retarius

[Furioso]

A westerner has to be crazy to move to Thailand.

 

Crazy like a fox😜

[bignok]

6 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

they are looking for you, daz, for not having a work permit. best to lay low.

 

 

14 minutes ago, Michael Klaxxon said:

She is piece of garbage, no question about that.

But that doesn't mean she's wrong.

I think her 3 categories are about right regardless of who she is.

I mean look at those winners for example:

 

Yawn

[Bobthegimp]

18 minutes ago, Michael Klaxxon said:

But that doesn't mean she's wrong

The meaningles statement "not wrong" has been making the rounds lately. This isn't a binary issue, it's more nuanced and one must consider the source and their biases.  It's like the incels blaming women for their issues.  They're "not wrong" on many of them but it's hardly a balanced or reasonable perspective. 

 

YouTube is the ultimate forum for narcissistic individuals, so I'm not sure if we can get an accurate measure of Thailand expats from videos like the one in the link.  I'm not sure that it's even an accurate representation of Pattaya.   Many of those vloggers can't even record scenery without sticking their hand into the frame and wagging it about.  

 

 

Edited October 21, 2023 by Bobthegimp

[Michael Klaxxon]

3 minutes ago, Bobthegimp said:

The meaningles statement "not wrong" has been making the rounds lately. This isn't a binary issue, it's more nuanced and one must consider the source and their biases.  It's like the incels blaming women for their issues.  They're "not wrong" on many of them but it's hardly a balanced or reasonable perspective. 

 

YouTube is the ultimate forum for narcissistic individuals, so I'm not sure if we can get an accurate measure of Thailand expats from videos like the one in the link.  I'm not sure that it's even an accurate representation of Pattaya.   Many of those vloggers can't even record scenery without sticking their hand into the frame and wagging it about.  

It's because it's nuanced that you have categories here, bro :D

I agree about Youtube but again it's not because one is a narcissistic b*tch that one is wrong. She is roughly right.

Granted life is infinitely complex. But in that case, we stop conceptualizing cause it's ultimately wrong.

Sorry if she hurted you. What category are you from ?

[connda]

14 minutes ago, Bobthegimp said:

They hate US foreign policy, an important distinction.  When was the last time a plane was hijacked?  Sorry, I haven't watched television in 20 year and am out of touch with made for TV movies. 

Look up the term, "Ugly American".

Here's ChatGPT's two-cents.  It's accurate.

"The term "ugly American" originated from the 1958 novel of the same name, "The Ugly American," written by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick. The book was a fictional critique of American foreign policy and diplomacy during the Cold War, particularly in Southeast Asia. The term "ugly American" was used to describe American diplomats and officials who were seen as culturally insensitive, arrogant, and ignorant of the local customs and sentiments in the countries they were stationed in.

The novel told the story of a fictional Southeast Asian country called "Sarkhan" and depicted the various challenges faced by American diplomats and aid workers there. It highlighted the negative consequences of American diplomats' behavior and attitudes, which often alienated the local population and hindered diplomatic efforts.
 

The term "ugly American" quickly entered the public lexicon and became a catchphrase for describing American individuals who exhibited the same characteristics of insensitivity, arrogance, and ignorance, particularly when representing their country in foreign lands. It is important to note that the book and the term were intended as a critique of certain aspects of American foreign policy and diplomatic behavior rather than an indictment of all Americans."

I haven't read it but that's going to be cued up in my reading list.

[brianthainess]

You seem to be basing your assumptions on the US, what other countries do you call western. In the UK free health care, free local public transport, housing benefit, 300 GBP a year cold weather payment + other cost of living payments 299+ disability payments and volunteer agencies like AGE UK who will help you claim all you are entitled to.

[Bobthegimp]

1 minute ago, Michael Klaxxon said:

It's because it's nuanced that you have categories here, bro :D

I agree about Youtube but again it's not because one is a narcissistic b*tch that one is wrong. She is roughly right.

Granted life is infinitely complex. But in that case, we stop conceptualizing cause it's ultimately wrong.

Sorry if she hurted you. What category are you from ?

Why did you call her "a piece of garbage"? 

 

She has a myopic view based on limited experience in a heavily tourist oriented part of the country.  Of course that subset of men exists, I just disagree that they form the majority of men who move here. 

 

One can't dismiss the rage that Western women feel when they've relegated a large subset of men to a trash heap, only to see those men doing well in another country.