Farangs Retired In Thailand

[sibeymai]

I thought the obvious answer would be "sleeping off the night before".

[jackr]

There are quite a few expat retirees on this forum, and others who aspire to retire in Thailand. Often these people are not so old at all, just fifty something or even younger. The retirees, are they happy here and don't they get bored? Living here, they are far away from their family, and also building up a satisfying social life here is probably more difficult than maintaining the social life they have in their home country. In general, I'm just wondering how they keep themselves occupied, in other words what they are doing with all their time.

What's all this 50 business? I was over the full-time run-of-the-mill work type stage years ago (now 36) but seem to be busier than ever with... stuff

[Fred Sanford]

There are quite a few expat retirees on this forum, and others who aspire to retire in Thailand. Often these people are not so old at all, just fifty something or even younger. The retirees, are they happy here and don't they get bored? Living here, they are far away from their family, and also building up a satisfying social life here is probably more difficult than maintaining the social life they have in their home country. In general, I'm just wondering how they keep themselves occupied, in other words what they are doing with all their time.

I wish I had 50 baht for everytime someone asked me that question. I was retired for a year in my early 40s in the USA before I settled in BKK for good. Let me tell you, that was the longest, most boring year of my life in the US. Been here 5 years and haven't been bored once. So I guess in my case, the OP has it in reverse

[bruceboy]

I cam here to retire but I've found myself working even harder. This great country and the great people have really brought out the best in me.

[PattayaAddict]

Gym it ,Internet ,Flirting with the girls,go shopping,enjoying the sun ,cooking GOOD food ,beauty sleep ,going fishing , look after your body -massage etc etc watch movies , going to the watch when its on , i love too etc etc

[richard10365]

I retired from the army at 38 and moved to Thailand. I'm 41 now and decided it best to get a degree. Next month I start school at Payap University to get a BA degree in CIS.

I don't miss the USA at all. In fact, I would be happy never to return.

[Tyke]

Well in the UK I spent a lot of my spare time getting fat and grey, whilst retired in Thailand, I spend all my time doing that.

[villagefarang]

Seem to remember a thread in the Isaan forum about how people fill their day. It was a very interesting read so try and look it up in the search function. There are some of us who write blogs, which could be informative as well as entertaining. Start with the Top 10 and spread out from there. Try the link below. It might work.

Do You Live In A Thai Village Full Time

Edited July 20, 2007 by villagefarang

[Rdrokit]

A friend asked me what retired life was like, I replied, "Saturday times 7". Love it here never run out of thing s to do and DO NOT miss the USA at all.

[duke69]

To the OP:

you have more chances to get GW Bush to admit to have made a mistake in invading Iraq rather than having a reteree admitting to have made a mistake in coming to loS, after all a phone call home once a month to say: "everything is great" and then OBLIVM (which is oblium) in front of a PC, counting the money and facing huge health problems.........

I don't understand why people have to come to LoS......Oh yes.....the cheap "cat" for for someone else cheap "dogs" looking like "cats"

[qwertz]

No matter where you retire, every day will be the same unless you make it different.

Beware of boredom, it's a self inflicted state and I've seen what happens to people who live full time over there.

The bars are full of them at night, they sleep all day and just kill time till nightfall.

Their personality changes, usually not for the better; apathy and lethargy are rife.

People turn into boozers, not for enjoyment but to deaden the senses.

Comes the time when they only have a very tight circle of like minded friends and have lost the ability to make new ones.

They become fat, overweight and unfit or thin and unhealthy.

They can do this at home without the bother of living in LOS but in LOS everything is mai pen rai so they prefer to do it there.

I'm not bashing expats here, far from it but too many people there create their own boring environment.

[Dustoff]

Occasionally checking these forums, keeping up with a wife 30-years my junior who is in her prime while still finding time to polish the proverbial knob, flying ultralights, dealing with friends/family who keep visiting us in Chiang Mai, seeking skydiving sites, visiting with my butterfly friends (the winged ones) and sometimes being one (the 'other' kind), emailing responses to more friends than I ever expected to have, drinking/falling down, regular world travels, falling in love/lust about six times every time I go to a mall or walk down the street, taking the ole Honda 750cc chopper high into the mountains, leaping for the TV remote to avoid seeing Bush/Cheney/Blair/Howard on the news programs, beaching it in Thailand's glorious islands, arranging a quality education for my wife's brilliant young son, helping local friends with computer issues/problems, managing a couple of busy websites, playing with our very active dog, watching Midnight Fashion (the only reason I stay with UBC/True) taking my monthly shower...

There is so much more but check in with me again after I turn 67 next month as it may be time for me to slow down..

..Not..

[Nignoy]

Well as a genuine retired old fart I have the best of both worlds , If it gets too hectic!! fishing, crabbing, and drinking the odd sherbet in our coastal bungalow in sunny Queensland, usually it takes about 10weeks ,mrs nignoy starts to get restless too! so then its the next plane to BKK and home to the peace and quiet of isaan,no traffic, no centrelink, just peace!!if I get the urge to do something strenuous, mrs nignoy sits me down with a bucket of lao khao till the urge passes, the only exercise I get is the odd fishing trip to don tan or mukdaharn, but I do enjoy our afternoon card school, wifey enjoys her handwork sessions with the local women, so life is great, every so often we drive down to phuket, Huahin or pattaya just to see how the other half live, just a bit of a warning if you see to wrinkly telly tubbies on britbikes , Beware its mr and mrs Nignoy on tour Nignoy

[jumnien]

Today was a fairly typical day. Woke at 5:20am, beautiful red sunrise. Met up with a friend and his dog on walk at 6am. Picked up a friend at 8am and drove out 30 minutes into the rice fields to the grass airstrip. One hour flight, had to move a cow on the runway first! Flew down the coast to Chaam and then over the rice fields, all at about 100 - 500 feet. Came home and watched a video of the flight. Lunch with another friend, internet afternoon watching my 2 year old boy nap. Dinner at the sports club tonight. Early to bed, I hope!

[lannarebirth]

I really dislike doing everyday chores, I so give all that work to someone else. I always have some project going on however, and rainy season is a busy time for those, particulary agricultural ones. Today I planted about 30 trees, spread some gravel on a road I'm making and bought some cement rings. Tomorrow, hang a gutter and make water tank. Always lots of that kind of stuff to do.

[pgs]

Reading, interneting, socializing, cell phoning, shopping, watching foreign movies, flirting, combing, whale watching (not really), watching foreign tv, cooking, eating, beaching, sexing, internet banking, walking, baht busing, kvetching, drinking, coffee and teaing, breathing, pissing, excreting, being ...

People who can't handle leisure are a kind of cripple.

so - what's wrong with a little whale watching? Whale watching not good enough for you? ;-)

[pgs]

I just went fishing.

you must be with OP

[rogercw]

Check out favorite sites on internet, cycle thru the forums, play a little poker, watch a little TV news, go to Carfour every 3 or 4 days, read books from the second hand shop, go to my regular bar downstairs, and upon occasion go out and drink a little before bar-fining a 20 year old sweetie.

It's a dirty job but someone has to do it to keep the Thai economy going.

[Old Croc]

I always have a laugh at these threads.

Some little worker ant in his high rise cubicle, working 60 hours a week, proudly spouting the title of Manager of Operations Research, or something similar, is asking what retired people do all day!

The answer: Anything I f...ing well feel like when ever I f...ing well feel like doing it!

Wouldn't become a worker ant again for anything!

Edited July 20, 2007 by Old Croc

[keestha]

Thanks for the ongoing avalanche of interesting answers! Myself, I live and work in Thailand 15 years now. Most likely I will also eventually end up in a retired or semi retired mode here. But then I would prefer to settle in one of those cities with a large farang presence, such as Chiang Mai, Hua Hin or wherever. There at least you can go to the bars and socialize with other farangs. Of course besides expat oriented bars there are also other possiblities to socialize. Even though I speak Thai, if I only communicate with Thai people for a long period, I start feeling a bit isolated. The retired farangs living in the countryside do not seem to have this problem. But most likely the vast majority of the retirees is living in one of those big centers.

[jackspratt]

To the OP:

you have more chances to get GW Bush to admit to have made a mistake in invading Iraq rather than having a reteree admitting to have made a mistake in coming to loS, after all a phone call home once a month to say: "everything is great" and then OBLIVM (which is oblium) in front of a PC, counting the money and facing huge health problems.........

I don't understand why people have to come to LoS......Oh yes.....the cheap "cat" for for someone else cheap "dogs" looking like "cats"

Terrific post - someone who obviously knows what they are talking about.

[retirednavyman]

I intend to do volunteer work helping people on a part time basis interspersed with other activities. I'll make sure I have plenty to do to keep it fun and real

[Tyke]

I intend to do volunteer work helping people on a part time basis interspersed with other activities. I'll make sure I have plenty to do to keep it fun and real

Retirednavyman- as far as I know, voluntary work, whether paid or not is considered 'work', therefore you will need a work permit or it becomes an illegal activity for someone on, say, a retirement visa. Does anyone else have any clues about this as I would like to do some voluntary work myself.

[retirednavyman]

Reading, interneting, socializing, cell phoning, shopping, watching foreign movies, flirting, combing, whale watching (not really), watching foreign tv, cooking, eating, beaching, sexing, internet banking, walking, baht busing, kvetching, drinking, coffee and teaing, breathing, pissing, excreting, being ...

People who can't handle leisure are a kind of cripple.

Way too much information!

[retirednavyman]

I intend to do volunteer work helping people on a part time basis interspersed with other activities. I'll make sure I have plenty to do to keep it fun and real

Retirednavyman- as far as I know, voluntary work, whether paid or not is considered 'work', therefore you will need a work permit or it becomes an illegal activity for someone on, say, a retirement visa. Does anyone else have any clues about this as I would like to do some voluntary work myself.

Hmm, you brought up a very good point, when I retire in 6 years to Thailand, i'll have to be familiar with their laws regarding volunteer work so i'll definitely find out. Thanks guy

BTW my name is Mike

[Naam]

"Farangs Retired In Thailand... What are they doing the whole day?"

definitely not masturbating in a dark corner!

[Ricardo]

There are quite a few expat retirees on this forum, and others who aspire to retire in Thailand. Often these people are not so old at all, just fifty something or even younger. The retirees, are they happy here and don't they get bored?

No more so - than retirees anywhere else do.

Living here, they are far away from their family,

No, my family (wife & kids) are here with me, although I have other relatives back in the UK, formerly my family were in the UK with other relatives in Thailand. Same same not different.

and also building up a satisfying social life here is probably more difficult than maintaining the social life they have in their home country.

Actually I've always found, in the Middle-East & Scandinavia, that expats tend to stick together more, and a social life is easier to build, when there is no work to get in the way.

In general, I'm just wondering how they keep themselves occupied, in other words what they are doing with all their time.

Posting on TV - most of the time !

[chiang mai]

The OP's question is entirely valid and I doubt that he will find many people being completely honest and saying, yes, I do get bored - I certainly do and the other farangs I know are the same. Those that say they have hobbies or family to keep them busy, congratulations, you've organized your retirement well and have prepared for it. However those that sit in beer bars all day I suggest will have a short retirement or will get fed up with it over time.

I'm annoyed that the Thai government has missed a real opportunity with expat retirees in Thailand. The combination of experience and knowledge could easily be put to very good use in helping the country develop and I doubt (or perhaps I should say I like to think) that most would not want remuneration for such skills transfer and would feel happy to have made a contribution and to have spent their time doing something constructive. I'm also slightly surprised that no expat has come up with some ingenious idea for harnessing this talent and putting it to good use although it might be that it's simply not dooable. But I do think that the first step in all of this is for folks to admit that boredom is a problem.

[farang prince]

"Farangs Retired In Thailand... What are they doing the whole day?"

definitely not masturbating in a dark corner!

What, you jack off in a brightly lighted corner?

[JAS21]

There are quite a few expat retirees on this forum, and others who aspire to retire in Thailand. Often these people are not so old at all, just fifty something or even younger. The retirees, are they happy here and don't they get bored? Living here, they are far away from their family, and also building up a satisfying social life here is probably more difficult than maintaining the social life they have in their home country. In general, I'm just wondering how they keep themselves occupied, in other words what they are doing with all their time.

A lot of varied answers, maybe some think that they have made a mistake. It really depends a lot on your circumstances.

For me, from the UK, I married my wife some five years ago when she was 47 and I was 56. We bought our house on the edge of BK some two years ago and finally settled over here in February.

There are no really typical days. But if there was one it would include..

Up at 6-6:30 sometimes a bit later.

Sit in the garden with wife, drink coffee or orange juice.

Read the paper.

Either the maid makes breakfast or we drive out to some food shop.

Wash the car, only let the maid wash the wheels!!

Down the Mall, coffee, shopping etc

Golf we both play twice a week at least..she is usually shoots around 90 so I quite often loose!Lunch at a golf club.

Or lunch out somewhere

Gym opposite for an hour or so, both of us

Swim in the complex pool.

Usually have a few days away every week or two (£20 to £25 a night), my choice the sea side, hers a golf course.

She has a UK passport so we can go anywhere and we do.

Potter in the garden, I have to ‘fight’ the maid for the lawnmower.

Go visit friends or they come here.

Phone sons in UK and NZ

e-mail etc

Read this forum, must spend half an hour a day on it at least

Still looking to complete furnishing the house, so we wander all over BK

Try to learn some Thai..she says I must start with the constantants and vowels..wow there is a lot of them.

Evening eat out or grill a fish at home. Have tried steaming in pressure cooker (brought from the UK) but juice seems to end up in the wrong place.

For me life is great, just a little hot sometimes………must admit that we visit McDonalds about once every two weeks..burger and chips…rest of the time is eat thai

So as I said..it depends upon your circumstances. If you are tight on money then life will need adjusting, however overall it is cheaper to live over her. And no cold winters!!!! Sell your UK house..put money off shore..get 6.15% tax free..goes a long way….

I don't seem to have a lot of spare time..also watch UBC..it isn't that good and it stops when we have heavy rain.

If you are not already married but want to be..take your time and don’t let your trousers rule your brain.