Decisions, decisions, where to stay in retirement?

[simon43]

I thought that I had this sorted.  Move to the Philippines so that I get my UK state index-linked pension (due to start payments in 6 weeks from now).  But the lack of annual increases won't be a financial problem for me just now, and I've never been to the PI anyway...

 

I was teaching in Mandalay.  I came back to Thailand for a couple of weeks to sort out a 'base' condo at Jomtien Beach. 7,000 baht a month for a modern studio condo that's 300 metres from the beach 🙂

 

During my absence, Mother Nature decided to 'throw' an earthquake in Mandalay!  Thousands are dead, many buildings destroyed.  

 

So I flew up to Luang Prabang in north Laos, the UNESCO city where I have lived off and on for many years between my teaching contracts in Burma. A beautiful place (NOT NOW!).

 

Big shock on this visit!  Gone was the sleepy Lao town by the Mekong river.  Now, as a result of the new train from China, the town is bursting with Chinese tourists AND Chinese businesses.  The central peninsula area is jammed with white tourist vans.  The outskirt hills of the town are being scraped away and huge Chinese hotels being built. The Mekong river will become a non-flowing lake when the next Chinese dam just north of the town is in operation, (The Xayaburi dam south of the town already stops natural river flow).

 

I'm so disappointed with Luang Prabang now.... 'paradise' destroyed by the 'locusts'.

 

What to do?  The local international school in Luang Prabang asked me to teach at the school.

 

Then I got an email from Mandalay begging me to return to teach again.

 

What I don't want to do in my retirement is simply do nothing, get fat, drink beer and catch STDs from 'professional' woman.

 

What would you do?

[save the frogs]

11 hours ago, simon43 said:

What I don't want to do in my retirement is simply do nothing, get fat, drink beer and catch STDs from 'professional' woman.

 

What would you do?

 

Exactly. Continue working as long as you possibly can because retirement can be dreadfully boring.

 

I stopped working recently and I'm going nuts. The bars do not fill the void for me.

 

[simon43]

Just now, save the frogs said:

 

Exactly. Continue working as long as you possibly can because retirement can be dreadfully boring.

 

I stopped working recently and I'm going nuts. The bars do not fill the void for me.

 

I agree!  When you are self-employed or where you enjoy your employee job, there is little reason to retire 🙂

[Harrisfan]

Try Udon Thani? Or Cambodia

[Harrisfan]

15 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

 

Exactly. Continue working as long as you possibly can because retirement can be dreadfully boring.

 

I stopped working recently and I'm going nuts. The bars do not fill the void for me.

 

Go for a 5000km drive 

[sidjameson]

Another place bites the dust.

South east Asia is not what it used to be.

I first arrived in 95 when the population was half what it is today. Average age was twenty years younger. Temps were two degrees cooler.Tourism was a trickle not a flood. No burning season that I remember. Most places were without traffic jams. Get away from the main spots and locals hadn't spoken to a foreigner before.

 

Sorry it's off topic, the OP just made me sad.

[Magictoad]

39 minutes ago, simon43 said:

I thought that I had this sorted.  Move to the Philippines so that I get my UK state index-linked pension (due to start payments in 6 weeks from now).  But the lack of annual increases won't be a financial problem for me just now, and I've never been to the PI anyway...

 

I was teaching in Mandalay.  I came back to Thailand for a couple of weeks to sort out a 'base' condo at Jomtien Beach. 7,000 baht a month for a modern studio condo that's 300 metres from the beach 🙂

 

During my absence, Mother Nature decided to 'throw' an earthquake in Mandalay!  Thousands are dead, many buildings destroyed.  

 

So I flew up to Luang Prabang in north Laos, the UNESCO city where I have lived off and on for many years between my teaching contracts in Burma. A beautiful place (NOT NOW!).

 

Big shock on this visit!  Gone was the sleepy Lao town by the Mekong river.  Now, as a result of the new train from China, the town is bursting with Chinese tourists AND Chinese businesses.  The central peninsula area is jammed with white tourist vans.  The outskirt hills of the town are being scraped away and huge Chinese hotels being built. The Mekong river will become a non-flowing lake when the next Chinese dam just north of the town is in operation, (The Xayaburi dam south of the town already stops natural river flow).

 

I'm so disappointed with Luang Prabang now.... 'paradise' destroyed by the 'locusts'.

 

What to do?  The local international school in Luang Prabang asked me to teach at the school.

 

Then I got an email from Mandalay begging me to return to teach again.

 

What I don't want to do in my retirement is simply do nothing, get fat, drink beer and catch STDs from 'professional' woman.

 

What would you do?

Retire in Pattaya and spend my time travelling round NE Thailand.

[Harrisfan]

7 minutes ago, sidjameson said:

Another place bites the dust.

South east Asia is not what it used to be.

I first arrived in 95 when the population was half what it is today. Average age was twenty years younger. Temps were two degrees cooler.Tourism was a trickle not a flood. No burning season that I remember. Most places were without traffic jams. Get away from the main spots and locals hadn't spoken to a foreigner before.

 

Sorry it's off topic, the OP just made me sad.

Temps were the same. But yes it was better.

[Harrisfan]

Koh Chang is still good.

[Cameroni]

Retirement in Jomtien would not appeal, too many Russians and place feels seedy and downmarket.

 

Luang Prabang or Mandalay have to be better. Though Chiang Mai would obviously be the best option as it's the best place to live in Thailand.

[Harrisfan]

Given the OP likes Laos then Nong Khai makes sense.

[Will B Good]

Not Isaan

[swissie]

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

I thought that I had this sorted.  Move to the Philippines so that I get my UK state index-linked pension (due to start payments in 6 weeks from now).  But the lack of annual increases won't be a financial problem for me just now, and I've never been to the PI anyway...

 

I was teaching in Mandalay.  I came back to Thailand for a couple of weeks to sort out a 'base' condo at Jomtien Beach. 7,000 baht a month for a modern studio condo that's 300 metres from the beach 🙂

 

During my absence, Mother Nature decided to 'throw' an earthquake in Mandalay!  Thousands are dead, many buildings destroyed.  

 

So I flew up to Luang Prabang in north Laos, the UNESCO city where I have lived off and on for many years between my teaching contracts in Burma. A beautiful place (NOT NOW!).

 

Big shock on this visit!  Gone was the sleepy Lao town by the Mekong river.  Now, as a result of the new train from China, the town is bursting with Chinese tourists AND Chinese businesses.  The central peninsula area is jammed with white tourist vans.  The outskirt hills of the town are being scraped away and huge Chinese hotels being built. The Mekong river will become a non-flowing lake when the next Chinese dam just north of the town is in operation, (The Xayaburi dam south of the town already stops natural river flow).

 

I'm so disappointed with Luang Prabang now.... 'paradise' destroyed by the 'locusts'.

 

What to do?  The local international school in Luang Prabang asked me to teach at the school.

 

Then I got an email from Mandalay begging me to return to teach again.

 

What I don't want to do in my retirement is simply do nothing, get fat, drink beer and catch STDs from 'professional' woman.

 

What would you do?

You have tried everything, including Cyprus.

 

At least you have several options left. As many other elderly Farangs have no options left. Consider yourself as "fortunate".

[GammaGlobulin]

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

The Mekong river will become a non-flowing lake when the next Chinese dam just north of the town is in operation, (The Xayaburi dam south of the town already stops natural river flow).

 

You see?

 

THIS is why I always insist that the ChiCom Bandits will ALWAYS destroy nature, in every case.

 

This is part of communism, and is part of authoritarian rule.

 

This is why the ChiComs will, one day, even destroy Earth's Moon, once they land there.

 

There is no solution other than the overthrow of the Marxist-Leninist state, and we must tear down all Mao statues, too.

 

I just hope it is not too late, and that some of the damage can be corrected, in due course.

 

My view is that CM is the best place to retire.

So, I suggest that you do so.

 

[Harrisfan]

26 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Not Isaan

 

[rough diamond]

1 hour ago, Harrisfan said:

Go for a 5000km drive 

On your toy train in Harrisfan's basement!

[Celsius]

Retire in Vientianne and open a bakery 

[Harrisfan]

2 minutes ago, rough diamond said:

On your toy train in Harrisfan's basement!

Stalker creepy

[Harrisfan]

Just now, Celsius said:

Retire in Vientianne and open a bakery 

And a gym with George as manager

[rough diamond]

5 minutes ago, Harrisfan said:

Stalker creepy

Please find another word that will relieve you of your paranoid behaviour that makes you think that there is anyone on the planet who would wish to stalk you!

[Harrisfan]

8 minutes ago, rough diamond said:

Please find another word that will relieve you of your paranoid behaviour that makes you think that there is anyone on the planet who would wish to stalk you!

Stop stalking me weirdo

[simon43]

Jomtien is indeed full of Russians.  My condo building is full of them - some Germans and me when I'm in town.  But it's not a retirement destination for me.  Also, my condo building stinks of cannabis 24/7, which is not nice...

 

I was in Chiang Mai last week.  Too much smoke pollution, and that's also the problem in Laos and Myanmar.

[Harrisfan]

2 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Jomtien is indeed full of Russians.  My condo building is full of them - some Germans and me when I'm in town.  But it's not a retirement destination for me.  Also, my condo building stinks of cannabis 24/7, which is not nice...

 

I was in Chiang Mai last week.  Too much smoke pollution, and that's also the problem in Laos and Myanmar.

Hua Hin or Prachuap Khiri Khan

[sidjameson]

30 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

You see?

 

THIS is why I always insist that the ChiCom Bandits will ALWAYS destroy nature, in every case.

 

This is part of communism, and is part of authoritarian rule.

 

This is why the ChiComs will, one day, even destroy Earth's Moon, once they land there.

 

There is no solution other than the overthrow of the Marxist-Leninist state, and we must tear down all Mao statues, too.

 

I just hope it is not too late, and that some of the damage can be corrected, in due course.

 

My view is that CM is the best place to retire.

So, I suggest that you do so.

 

Hmm, the UK, like Europe was once covered by forest with great biodiversity. It wasn't the Chinese that cut all the trees down.

[Sierra Tango]

2 hours ago, simon43 said:

I thought that I had this sorted.  Move to the Philippines so that I get my UK state index-linked pension (due to start payments in 6 weeks from now).  But the lack of annual increases won't be a financial problem for me just now, and I've never been to the PI anyway...

 

I was teaching in Mandalay.  I came back to Thailand for a couple of weeks to sort out a 'base' condo at Jomtien Beach. 7,000 baht a month for a modern studio condo that's 300 metres from the beach 🙂

 

During my absence, Mother Nature decided to 'throw' an earthquake in Mandalay!  Thousands are dead, many buildings destroyed.  

 

So I flew up to Luang Prabang in north Laos, the UNESCO city where I have lived off and on for many years between my teaching contracts in Burma. A beautiful place (NOT NOW!).

 

Big shock on this visit!  Gone was the sleepy Lao town by the Mekong river.  Now, as a result of the new train from China, the town is bursting with Chinese tourists AND Chinese businesses.  The central peninsula area is jammed with white tourist vans.  The outskirt hills of the town are being scraped away and huge Chinese hotels being built. The Mekong river will become a non-flowing lake when the next Chinese dam just north of the town is in operation, (The Xayaburi dam south of the town already stops natural river flow).

 

I'm so disappointed with Luang Prabang now.... 'paradise' destroyed by the 'locusts'.

 

What to do?  The local international school in Luang Prabang asked me to teach at the school.

 

Then I got an email from Mandalay begging me to return to teach again.

 

What I don't want to do in my retirement is simply do nothing, get fat, drink beer and catch STDs from 'professional' woman.

 

What would you do?

You mention that you have never been to the PI before yet you had a plan to retire there? Maybe go and have a look around. I've been there many times and to mdifferent locations but mainly working on projects. I found most visits to be enjoyable and liked the people but I would have to do a bit more research if considering living there full time.

[Keeps]

2 hours ago, simon43 said:

So I flew up to Luang Prabang in north Laos, the UNESCO city where I have lived off and on for many years between my teaching contracts in Burma. A beautiful place (NOT NOW!).

 

Big shock on this visit!  Gone was the sleepy Lao town by the Mekong river.  Now, as a result of the new train from China, the town is bursting with Chinese tourists AND Chinese businesses.  The central peninsula area is jammed with white tourist vans.  The outskirt hills of the town are being scraped away and huge Chinese hotels being built. The Mekong river will become a non-flowing lake when the next Chinese dam just north of the town is in operation, (The Xayaburi dam south of the town already stops natural river flow).

That is very sad to hear. I've really enjoyed my trips there in the past. We were planning to visit again later this year but might have to reconsider after your comments above.

 

Best of luck in your retirement whatever/wherever you decide. Having followed your posts over the years you usually seem to make the right call so I can't see why it would be any different this time around. 

[atpeace]

1 hour ago, sidjameson said:

Another place bites the dust.

South east Asia is not what it used to be.

I first arrived in 95 when the population was half what it is today. Average age was twenty years younger. Temps were two degrees cooler.Tourism was a trickle not a flood. No burning season that I remember. Most places were without traffic jams. Get away from the main spots and locals hadn't spoken to a foreigner before.

 

Sorry it's off topic, the OP just made me sad.

 

1 hour ago, sidjameson said:

Another place bites the dust.

South east Asia is not what it used to be.

I first arrived in 95 when the population was half what it is today. Average age was twenty years younger. Temps were two degrees cooler.Tourism was a trickle not a flood. No burning season that I remember. Most places were without traffic jams. Get away from the main spots and locals hadn't spoken to a foreigner before.

 

Sorry it's off topic, the OP just made me sad.

Think your memory is challenged.  The burning seasons were worse most years in the 1990's. I remember not being able to see high rises a block away in Chiang Mai in 1999 I think.  The population was about the same and the temp hasn't changed in the last 50 years.  Google might help 🙂

 

Agree with the rest of your post.  I also miss those days and have great memories.

[Sierra Tango]

5 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Jomtien is indeed full of Russians.  My condo building is full of them - some Germans and me when I'm in town.  But it's not a retirement destination for me.  Also, my condo building stinks of cannabis 24/7, which is not nice...

 

I was in Chiang Mai last week.  Too much smoke pollution, and that's also the problem in Laos and Myanmar.

Come over to the Eastern Seaboard, as they call it. Pala beach, near Ban Chang. We own a nice condo right on the beach and hardly a tourist to be seen. Our condo building has a few people, I would say mostly older Scandi folks, having had a few chats with some of them, come in for 3 or 4 months during their home country's winter but that is as close to tourists that we get. 

[atpeace]

2 hours ago, simon43 said:

I thought that I had this sorted.  Move to the Philippines so that I get my UK state index-linked pension (due to start payments in 6 weeks from now).  But the lack of annual increases won't be a financial problem for me just now, and I've never been to the PI anyway...

 

I was teaching in Mandalay.  I came back to Thailand for a couple of weeks to sort out a 'base' condo at Jomtien Beach. 7,000 baht a month for a modern studio condo that's 300 metres from the beach 🙂

 

During my absence, Mother Nature decided to 'throw' an earthquake in Mandalay!  Thousands are dead, many buildings destroyed.  

 

So I flew up to Luang Prabang in north Laos, the UNESCO city where I have lived off and on for many years between my teaching contracts in Burma. A beautiful place (NOT NOW!).

 

Big shock on this visit!  Gone was the sleepy Lao town by the Mekong river.  Now, as a result of the new train from China, the town is bursting with Chinese tourists AND Chinese businesses.  The central peninsula area is jammed with white tourist vans.  The outskirt hills of the town are being scraped away and huge Chinese hotels being built. The Mekong river will become a non-flowing lake when the next Chinese dam just north of the town is in operation, (The Xayaburi dam south of the town already stops natural river flow).

 

I'm so disappointed with Luang Prabang now.... 'paradise' destroyed by the 'locusts'.

 

What to do?  The local international school in Luang Prabang asked me to teach at the school.

 

Then I got an email from Mandalay begging me to return to teach again.

 

What I don't want to do in my retirement is simply do nothing, get fat, drink beer and catch STDs from 'professional' woman.

 

What would you do?

Why stop working if you are satisfied with life?  Eventually you will have to I assume but do it until you can't or retirement seems to be the best alternative.  I retired in Thailand at 42 and have lived a good life the last 15 years but seen many struggle. 

 

I found a wonderful town with no Chinese tourists, great restaurants and  beautiful scenery.  No issues with Chinese other than the sheer number of them.  They have destroyed many wonderful  retirement options.

 

 

 

 

[LosLobo]

I was warned about Luang Prabang being eventually spoiled over 20 years ago, so I decided to visit for a week in 2005. I can still remember flying over the cloudy Mekong River and seeing a sleepy little village below. What a delight it was, along with the locals—really a window back into Thailand half a century ago.
 

I now live equidistant between Ranong and Chumphon, and these areas are almost smoke-free most of the year, likely due to being the wettest provinces in Thailand. You might know Ranong well from working nearby at Kawthaung in Myanmar.
 

Chumphon is a real gem, with a great expat area at Tung Wua Lien. Paddy Doyle even used to teach there. Both Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat, nearby, also have mainly little smoke and beautiful beaches. All of these locations are very liveable and well-connected with airport access to Bangkok. 

I’ve been to the Philippines a few times, but it doesn’t have the infrastructure or food that Thailand does, and it’s usually not as smoky—unless you’re near a volcano. The country is also prone to cyclones and earthquakes --but you'll never never know unless you go.