How to retire in Thailand

[KhunLA]

3 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

We eat >95% of our meals at home (GF is an excellent cook) & my grocery bill is approx. 30,000 THB PM (No alcohol included) for the 2 of us, mainly due to my foibles when it comes to eating (I don't eat Chicken or Fish which are cheap here & will only eat high quality meat so no Thai beef & only eat lean pork which is approx. 360 THB per KG) + my love of Cheese, Butter & Korean/Japanese spices doesn't help, but also because she loves Chicken, Fish & Seafood so will often cook 2 completely different meals. 

 

NB. I don't dispute that you can eat out or at home very cheaply in Thailand but it's not something that I would want to do, & would rather give up other things (e.g. rent a cheaper condo, socialise, go on holiday less etc...) before I went down that road & turned vegetarian (Cos I still wouldn't eating Chicken, Fish or cheap Thai meats). 

Yea, I can do both, home or out, though prefer to go high end at home, as never disappointed, or regret spending the money.

 

Had a nice steak lunch (rolling the dice) and was surprisingly tasty, only 189 baht, at a coffee shop.  Lite meal, but, only 189 & tasty.  I'll probably do again.  I think the Danish cost 100, also tasty, and I've ordered it before.   A regular stop for us, but first sampling the non sweets.

 

Flip side, the one KaPao & rice vendor uses braised beef, and it's really good, all of 89 baht, with a side of eggs in a pan, 35 baht, if wanting  couple eggs and bits of meat with your KaPao, instead of one on top.

 

At home, that high end brekkie, and it will be a salmon omelet, cost about 220 baht, as you get 4 fillets @ 800 baht, couple eggs & a tater.  And it's a filling meal.  Probably cost 5-6-700 baht at AC'd restaurant, and they might screw it up.

 

Or a bowl of cereal w/blueberries ... I'm flexible.

 

We don't eat out that much, for 2 reasons, we do it better at home, usually, and there aren't that many AC'd restaurants here.

[CartagenaWarlock]

4 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

If you eat very cheap food and drink very cheap drinks, yes. If you like the finer things in life, it will be a lot more expensive

The finer things in life are expensive in any country. I spend 15K for food and 10K for weed. Except the breakfast, I order most of my food. Also, when you get older, I assume people tend to eat less. Sometimes I drink cocktails, and there may be another 2K/month. I don't sit in the bar from morning until midnight, drinking beer. That's how most people spend their money, I assume. 

[Captain Monday]

Leave sell or leave everything in home country. For example don't bring your lifetime collection of power tools, musical instruments  LP records or furniture. Everything you really need is easily  available here.  Except good socks and underwear 😆There is always AMAZON.

 

Rent!  Never pay in advance for anything such as a gym membership/ Maybe a condo or vehicles but remember to not invest anything more you cannot afford to lose This includes relationships. And every expat needs to have have a backup plan whether it is returning to your home country or plan B

• Do not open a business
• Never purchase a home in a Thai woman's name

[fredwiggy]

11 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

Are you still miffed because I said I spend more than 3k/mo on 7-11? And yes I do buy eggs, milk, bread and sometimes butter  at 7-11.

 

What is my monthly food bill? I haven't a clue. I hit Makro usually when I'm low on coffee and it's easy to spend 10K stocking up on snacks,  cheese, butter, olive oils plus soaps. I like to eat salmon and chicken. Sometimes I'll hit out local expat store for some good Aussie beef and their Thai minced beef isn't bad. We don't do food courts at the malls. Instead I prefer to spend money at their nice buffet restaurants. Last night I sent the ole lady out for food and she came back with steamed rice and boiled chicken for me wrapped in paper 40thb. and mango and sticky rice. Tomorrow maybe I'll cook at home. 

 

I don't have a budget. I know if I pay a 20K baht purchase like tires for the car I'll have to watch the spending a bit more careful. Guess you're just having a bad day. Sorry to hear it. 

No, just tired of hearing people brag because something's missing in their lives. It's always best to be humble because showing off only impresses the sheep. I know a lot of people who do better than most and they aren't feeling the need to tell others.If it was a topic on how much a person spends on food monthly it's a little different. There are some here, and we all know who they are, who feel the need to tell others just how much they have, and this is bragging. How they came into the money might be an interesting story also. Many of them are probably lying anyway which is sadder yet. This is a world in which most people are just getting by, and any advice on how to help others is always a good thing. Do you think anyone in their right minds cares how much the Kardashians make, let alone how they make it?

[zzzzz]

" I spend 15K for food and 10K for weed"
  
the 2 of us average 12-14,000 baht/month for groceries'  and eating out in Phuket
You must be buying the overpriced grams at 500 baht/gram 
I buy 50 grms online for 490 baht,  figure its around 12-14% thc , which is fine for me for a few months, dont need 20+% thc 

[Robert Paulson]

I once ran into the bloke who cooks the dish I buy often at the market. He was shopping for the chicken he uses in his recipe. I forget the name of the dish I guess it’s just khao man gui but it has yellow rice with cinnamon. The reason I mention I saw him at the market was he was buying the stuff he makes fresh everyday, and I got to have a look at it all. And he was heading home to cook it all for that evenings sale.

 

40 baht for the dish. I’ve eaten it a hundred times never as much as an upset stomach (wish I could say that for my own cooking).

 

I guess that’s my long way of saying I don’t think you necessarily get more quality the more money you spend on food. Although of course that can be the case.

[ikke1959]

Thailand is a  good country to retire... With not a huge income you can live here normally. Indeed the rules of 800k in a bankaccount or an income of 65k are compared with the Thai huge, but with a normal Western pension it must be possible to comply to the rules. But there is anothe rproblem that nobody seems to see. In my country there are a lot of retired people who work as a volunteer, helping people and organizations as these people have time and are very happy they can contribute something to the society. Here in Thailand it is impossible to do this. Volunteer work needs a workpermit and a workpermit will only be given if the job can't be done by a Thai. So it means that in fact as a retired person you are not allowed to do anything than go out for eating, sex, on holiday, but after that sit at home and watch your garden, while a lot of people want to give a hand, helping people, or animals or organizations,  free of any payment same as in their homecountry. That is why I always want that the conservative labour laws are being changed. In a previous post some weeks ago, a person asked why I stopped working as I wanted to do something. But I think he was Thai as people don't understand the difference between real work and voluntarily jobs. 

[Wrwest]

On 4/24/2024 at 7:23 AM, fredwiggy said:

I'm guessing you're not taking into account there are hundreds of thousands of people living in the US on 65K a month, or less. The average Thai lives okay at 15K a month, but of course they expect foreigners to spend more, even though a foreigner could live here fairly well on less than 40K a month, as long as they weren't huge drinkers, ate food at home, and didn't spend more than necessary on eating out.

 

Like BritmanToo said, you can eat easily on less than 100 baht a meal, even for two. Street food is as good as much Thai restaurant food. Amazon coffee is as good as Starbucks. You can get pizzas for less than 250 baht, hamburgers for less than 200 baht and other western food for less than 300 also.

 

Some westerners need AC all day long, and rarely go out, so living here is just like anywhere else, besides the fact you can get women and rent cheaper here. After your house is built, if you have one and don't rent, the only expenses could be electricity, if you have a well. Add water and it's still not much. Paying for a car if you have one is another expense that can be less than 10K a month. Of course there are foreigners that made money in their countries raping the earth or swindling others, and they have money to burn, but the average  retiree makes enough every month, around $1781 USD,and that makes living here easy, as long as you're not throwing money away to show off.

Just a footnote, anticipating retirement, I figured out my sustainable budget would be $2400.00 a month USD ($1750 of that from SS). Looking at my US expenses, all in, the car maintenance, insurance, medical expenses (not 100% paid even with Medicare), maintaining home, food, utilities, property and income taxes, general cost of living ... I determined a rusting trailer in Florida or Arizonia might be feasible. Might get by but it would be akin to living a bare Thailand existence. No, by retiring to a lower cost country I found I could maintain a working middle class standard of living. Myself, Thai Wife and Stepdaughter use the 65K baht I bring in every month but have a new 3 bed, 2 bath home, 2 cars, motorbike and the ability to do some travel. Financially considerably better off here in Thailand.

[Presnock]

On 4/24/2024 at 7:14 AM, KhunLA said:

Can do that also, but I've been here 20+ years, and not a noob, thinking I'll be eating good for 100-150 baht a day, everyday if moving to TH, in a metro area or surfside.   And 3 lite 7-11 meals aren't going to carry me over for the day,, or eating in house every meal gets old quick.  I need more substance.

 

My lunch was at an AC'd coffee shop, and living on the cheap every day, isn't living.  Actually inexpensive for what it actually was, along with tasty, but wouldn't call it a filling lunch or dinner.  Was hungry a couple hours later.

Two top selling books today have been written by Dr. Wiliam Li - both deal with health benefits of hundreds of different foods most of which due to the climate, are readily available in Thailand.  There are restaurants that sell meals with these very healthy foods and are very tasty though I guess not everyone likes healthy foods.  Since my wife found these restaurants, I eat at least one meal a day from these restaurants (at home).  Besides that meal, I buy fresh fruits, yogurt, fresh berries, nuts, seeds, and veggies (organic is available).  My food bill each month is much more than it was when I retired here 20+ years ago but is still well within my budget. I don't drink alcohol nor do drugs of any type.  I exercise daily, most days more than once (walk 6km a day, weights, core exercises) and during my time here have been very healthy even with pollution  (I wear an95 mask) have air purifiers.  When one sits down and starts to look at my life, I begin to wonder if I would be able to afford such an existence if I had remained in the US upon retirement - so far the answer to me is very clear.  But, TIT, I knew that coming in as I was assigned here several times prior to retirement (first time during the VN fiasco as a tech rep in NKP and fell  in love with the country.  There of course has been many changes in government, yet most things have remained the same.  For me right now I feel that I should be able to live easily (unless I die of

course) and with minor changes that might come about.  I change my retirement O to the LTR, and only receive a US govt pension which supposedly can only be taxed by the US govt so for the next ten years

I will be be sitting here in front of my PC and responsonding to whatever latest govt ploy to garner money and wondering if I might be affected.  Since I seldom order from the mail order giants as rumors of fake goods, I can't see how this latest  plan will affect me.  Good luck to those though that do use those giants or other overseas sources for material goods.  Good health to all, maybe the rains will begin in late May...I notice a two-week slip from last prediction by the weather experts.  

[KhunLA]

39 minutes ago, Wrwest said:

Just a footnote, anticipating retirement, I figured out my sustainable budget would be $2400.00 a month USD ($1750 of that from SS). Looking at my US expenses, all in, the car maintenance, insurance, medical expenses (not 100% paid even with Medicare), maintaining home, food, utilities, property and income taxes, general cost of living ... I determined a rusting trailer in Florida or Arizonia might be feasible. Might get by but it would be akin to living a bare Thailand existence. No, by retiring to a lower cost country I found I could maintain a working middle class standard of living. Myself, Thai Wife and Stepdaughter use the 65K baht I bring in every month but have a new 3 bed, 2 bath home, 2 cars, motorbike and the ability to do some travel. Financially considerably better off here in Thailand.

That mirrors our life here, and what my thoughts on living in USA would have been.  Though not rusting trailer surfside or desert, maybe in the hills of one of the Carolinas or even FL.  Piece of ground & nice double wide, or real house.   Cheap away from metro areas.

 

Yes, better spent here, and also mirrors our 'income', now SS - $2302 w/pittance of pension $357 (no adjustment).   Nice oops funds, liquidated there (hindsight, not sure if best idea, but done), and RE investing here, paying for our housing & transport.

 

Have to chuckle when a few AN members imply 'I'm rich', as we live on our income.  Oops fund is for just that ... oops, and haven't needed to touch.   So retirement for wife & kid will be better, long after I'm gone.

 

I just seem to manage my finances better than some.   Always came easy to me, as I'm practical, most times.

 

If you can own all out right, a very comfy living.  If renting, not too bad at all, and still very comfy, location & lifestyle dependent.   Being a non Alky helps.

 

Only ????? is healthcare.   Medicare is not cheap, considering extra cost of Plan B, and deductibles on silly priced everything.   So doesn't amount to much, when 'out of pocket' when needed here, has been much cheaper for 'my' same expenses or what have been in the USA, and that's if having insurance.

 

RE Taxes & healthcare really is the budget killer if living in the USA.  I'm a broken record on that, but if fairly healthy, a lower COL country is the way to go.   Whether bringing enough to 'buy in' or rent.

 

Hindsight for myself ... didn't liquidate, and bought more houses for Section 8, since USA is going full on socialism.  

 

If owning all, I haven't touched my SS yet this year, although only 1 long O&A, so that will change in a month or so, and just living on that crap pension, and sold some gold, which haven't touched that yet either.   Mind boggling how low our expenses are, and don't deny ourselves anything.

[Mike Teavee]

41 minutes ago, Presnock said:

I change my retirement O to the LTR, and only receive a US govt pension which supposedly can only be taxed by the US govt so for the next ten years

If you switched to the LTR then you must be earning at least $40K pa (assuming you've invested $250K/9Million THB into Thailand, $80K pa if not) which is >120K THB per month & a very healthy budget, especially as you have to have Health Insurance or another $100K locked away somewhere.

 

If you're only spending 65K of that then you're building up a nice nest egg for the future or a few very good holiday each year 🙂

 

[Bobthegimp]

I haven't read too many stories of expats screwing over the hospitals: that's the province of the tourists. 

 

It's the well heeled who cause the most high profile disgraces to the rest of the expats.  It always seems to be the as shole in the Benz or Tesla who hits someone and drives off.  Swiss back kicker dude is by all accounts very well off and has that entitled mindset.  They bribe their way out of it then bitch about guys who live in one room apartments and pay visa agents.

Sheesh.

 

 

 

 

 

[Thingamabob]

Depends entirely in how you want/are able to live. In my own case 65k baht would barely cover the wages of the 4 domestics I employ.

[Bobthegimp]

On 4/24/2024 at 8:51 PM, KhunLA said:

the one KaPao & rice vendor uses braised beef, and it's really good, all of 89 baht, with a side of eggs in a pan, 35 baht, if wanting  couple eggs and bits of meat with....

 

That sounds delicious.  Almost like a spicy beef sukiyaki.

[Thingamabob]

On 4/24/2024 at 5:27 PM, GammaGlobulin said:

 

Better to retire to Thailand, rather than retire to Taiwan. 

 

When one tries to retire to Taiwan, even a lobotamy is of little comfort. 

 

 

Taiwan is a great place. Friendly, hardworking people, beautiful mountains, good food and good nightlife. It is, though, expensive, and there is always the threat of earthquakes.

[PuiPuiHarry]

I live as citizen in the Netherlands, retired. Lived from 1993-95 close to Pattaya, and from then quite some business trips to Thailand and around.

My wife has hefty dementia, and is already some time in a special care unit, where she is taken care of, at the costs of Dutch Social Security ( now a €40K/year, but might go up to even €80K/y), every Dutch citizen gets when needed. But.. places in such a care home are scares, sometimes you are on a waiting list for 6-15 months ( one’s death is the free room for the next), despite you got a medical indication for a place in such a care home.

In Netherlands we have a quite good medical care system: everybody pays a 12 x €145/month + own risk of max €385/year + 6,3% of your income ( also when on retirement). The balance till about € 7000/per person per year medical cost (especially elder care !) comes out of the tax, paid by everyone. All medical costs are paid then, whatever, even when you have to be taken in for a care home.

 

My Thai friends invite me to come to Thailand, but.. I have some very strong hesitations:

1. You can own a house, but never the land under it, which must stay always in Thai hands. When on your wife: do not divorce, and when she passes away before you, you are at the mercy of her heirs.
2. Every year you must go for a continuation of permit to stay, no right for it despite you own a house, in which you are treated by the officials as low white trash ( I joined a few times a friend).
3. When you get into a legal dispute with a Thai, the Thai judge far too often follows the Thai.
4. Too often Thai police tries to extort money from you ( in my own case: I had a helmet on with a wind shield down. I was stopped, as “the police officer could not see my eyes, so”… 500THB at the spot. Pity for the policeman, I had my voice recorder switched on in time and I know some persons in TH, so he probably is now spotting Changs at Khoh Nit Noy, somewhere Far Away.
5. Also others try to distort money from farangs: double pricing at a lot of places; much higher prices for farangs, from taxi via car repair till whatever to be done.
6. Insurances, which ever, but especially medical: too often the insurance company tries to roll away from payment of (medical) bills. When you want to protest, you must go in court, see c)
7. You are NOT allowed to do any work. And in this case the old phrase goes in: the enemy always listens too. In my case: I advised a former supplier in TH with some export destinations. Suddenly the Thai police showed up.
8. Too easy you are arrested and put in a Thai monkeyhouse. As farang you have only ONE right: to spend as much and quick as possible money in Thailand. Best dump it at Swampy and return with the next flight.
9. Last-but-not-least: what happens with me, when I am NOT so well anymore: body and/or brain. Who and where I am taken care of ? At a Nursing House, where they give me so many tranquilisers I am 90+% off this world ? As long as your care money flows in… Discovered with two friends of mine.
10. Going back to Netherlands is then hardly an option, as.. who brings me at the airport, and.. arrived in NL: I have to get a medical indication for a place in such a care home + waiting till somewhere in NL there is a room free. So survive a 6-15 months on my own. Even commercial elderly care homes have hardly a room stand bye.

 

11. So, leaves me a jump in the pool of the crocodile farm ?

[GammaGlobulin]

1 hour ago, Thingamabob said:

Taiwan is a great place. Friendly, hardworking people, beautiful mountains, good food and good nightlife. It is, though, expensive, and there is always the threat of earthquakes.

 

There is not only the THREAT of earthquakes.

There are several earthquakes per week in Taipei.

 

Also, I was in Taipei during the 1999 earthquake.

We lost power for a long time.

And the rolling blackouts persisted for months.

Large buildings toppled over, in Taipei.

When the thing hit, the ground-floor where I was began to sway back and forth.

Had to hold onto the wall to keep my balance.

That was a big one, for sure....

 

 

The present-day Taiwanese generation are WIMPS and do not know what hard work is.

The food (Taiwanese) is GARBAGE, all except for SAN-BEI-JI (A chicken dish.  Google it.)

The mountains, on the east coast, are among the most beautiful in the world.

Night life is garbage.

The tea grown in Taiwan, the expensive DongDing WuLong tea, is better than anything you can find in China, or anywhere else in the world.  Yes. the tea on Taiwan almost makes up for every other travesty on that GARBAGE Isle of Formosa.

But, the people are the worst backbiting BACK STABBERS you would ever be unfortunate enough to meet.  Mostly, they just stab each other in the back, and cheat each other in the Hui (the informal lending system at the grassroots level).

Never seen so many Pawn Shops and Betel Nut skanks in my life.

 

So, then, why would I leave if it were so great?

 

Oh...the housing there is GARBAGE.  Worse than Garbage, even, because nobody is will to tear down the concrete dumps and cart it away.

Just take a look at some examples of the overpriced housing on the island.

 

All the above, IMHO, is exaggerated and undue flattery of the Isle of Formosa, ever since Martial Law ended, and those wonderful Taiwanese took over from the Mainlanders.  Lee Deng Hui was a NITWIT.  Need I say more?

 

Yes.  Who was that midget president they elected who they sent to prison a few years later?

I met him one time and was not very impressed.

 

Ah Bian, I think.

Wish I could get him out of my mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

On 4/25/2024 at 5:38 AM, Captain Monday said:

Leave sell or leave everything in home country. For example don't bring your lifetime collection of power tools,

 

OK.

 

(But, just one favorite vibrating tool is OK?)

 

 

[Captain Monday]

3 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

OK.

 

(But, just one favorite vibrating tool is OK?)

 

 

Did you bring your LP records?

 

[JimTripper]

2 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

Taiwan is a great place. Friendly, hardworking people, beautiful mountains, good food and good nightlife. It is, though, expensive.

Good places usually are.

[Jingthing]

Taiwan isn't a realistic place to "retire" to -- visa-wise.

[GammaGlobulin]

29 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

Did you bring your LP records?

 

 

Not even one.
What would I do with it?

I brought one VHS tape.

But, I have no machine to play it.

The VHS tape has been just sitting here in its cassette for years.

Probably, it has succumbed to the humidity and mold by now.

 

[GammaGlobulin]

9 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Taiwan isn't a realistic place to "retire" to -- visa-wise.

 

One needs to invest and establish a registered company, as did I.

There is a minimum investment which you can easily check by googling.

 

Even if Taiwan was giving away visas, for free...

Why would anyone, in their right mind, wish to waste their lives on that GARBAGE island?

 

One thing, though...

The Taiwan government does offer many great scholarship programs if one might qualify.

These may be doable even for older people who are not strictly students.

Worth looking into....

Taiwan has a LOT of money to throw around trying to promote itself as an INDEPENDANT Country...which....

I believe it actually is.

 

 

[mrfill]

How to retire in Thailand
 

1 Leave job

 

2  Move to Thailand

[Gknrd]

On 4/23/2024 at 6:43 PM, Lacessit said:

The video skates over several pertinent facts:

 

1/ Retirement has no permanency for foreigners in Thailand. At any time, on a whim of an IO, a visa extension may be refused.

 

2/ Foreigners have very few legal rights in Thailand. Thai courts will usually side with a Thai.

 

3/ It is still unclear whether the pensions of foreign retirees will be taxed by the Thai government, or whether everyone who resides in Thailand for more than 180 days per year needs a Thai tax number.

 

4/ Medical treatment can be extremely expensive.

 

After more than 10 years in retirement here, 65% of my assets are still in my home country. Safer than burning all my bridges.

 

 

Wise decision, most come to Thailand in pretty bad shape financially. Then when it gets bad have no where to go and have to stay for life.  Best thing I ever did was not sell my home and bring all my assets into Thailand.  

[transam]

Just now, Gknrd said:

Most come here with no money other than retirement. And maybe. a few thousand, and burn through that fast. Then when reality sets in it's to late.

You get around then...........🤭

[Presnock]

On 4/24/2024 at 7:14 AM, KhunLA said:

Can do that also, but I've been here 20+ years, and not a noob, thinking I'll be eating good for 100-150 baht a day, everyday if moving to TH, in a metro area or surfside.   And 3 lite 7-11 meals aren't going to carry me over for the day,, or eating in house every meal gets old quick.  I need more substance.

 

My lunch was at an AC'd coffee shop, and living on the cheap every day, isn't living.  Actually inexpensive for what it actually was, along with tasty, but wouldn't call it a filling lunch or dinner.  Was hungry a couple hours later.

Well if one has an abode, doesn't mind eating at home, there are numerous restaurants serving good quality and healthy foods too that can be delivered just about anywhere in country.  Several grocery stores selling local and foriegn foods say online that they will deliver within Thailand.  I for one don't eat the fast food type from any shop since there is healthy and hearty food everywhere (ALMOST). 

[Gknrd]

7 minutes ago, transam said:

You get around then...........🤭

Right now I am sitting in a western style condo in Colombia .  Backed up to a nice stream with lush , almost jungle.  Tropical birds singing . Temperature about 65 F. Clean air I can breathe.  Not as safe as Thailand after dark. But, extremely nice to say the least. Will be here 6 months then head back to the US.  Would not of been possible if I had sold out when I moved to Thailand. Different strokes I guess. 

Not to mention I can stay for 6 months hassle free on a tourist visa.

Just me I guess. I prefer clean air to breath, clean western style amenities and reasonable prices. 

[Nick Carter icp]

2 minutes ago, Gknrd said:

Right now I am sitting in a western style condo in Colombia .  Backed up to a nice stream with lush , almost jungle.  Tropical birds singing . Temperature about 65 F. Clean air I can breathe.  Not as safe as Thailand after dark. But, extremely nice to say the least. Will be here 6 months then head back to the US.  Would not of been possible if I had sold out when I moved to Thailand. Different strokes I guess. 

 

....................logging onto a Thai forum 

[Nick Carter icp]

On 4/24/2024 at 6:46 AM, BritManToo said:

Lunch for me and my kid yesterday was omlette+cheese+bacon+mushroom ........ about 25bht for both of us.

 

That must have been one small omelette , or two small omelettes .

25 Baht would just about pay for the eggs .

I do hope that you don't still buy any alcohol , after spending such a paltry amount on your sons breakfast