September 26, 2025Sep 26 Author 22 hours ago, quake said: Excellent, money was rolling in. Allowing me to retire 4 years latter. Sorted. Thanks for sharing all that! No pressure, but I have to ask: Don't suppose you're at liberty to divulge the source of this fabulous income stream? 😉 Just asking for a "bored friend" who's looking for a good plan! Seriously though, making enough in 4 years to set yourself up like that is seriously impressive.
September 26, 2025Sep 26 1 hour ago, falangUK said: Thanks for sharing all that! No pressure, but I have to ask: Don't suppose you're at liberty to divulge the source of this fabulous income stream? 😉 Just asking for a "bored friend" who's looking for a good plan! Seriously though, making enough in 4 years to set yourself up like that is seriously impressive. Ha Ha. you miss understood me. ( no big investment vehicle here ) No big income stream after early retirement. Was 20+ years offshore work. had enough dosh to flip the middle finger and take the severance package. at 52, Bought more properties in the uk, and now live off a small company pension, rental income and dosh in the bank. got uk state pension in a few years time, So a few more beer tokens from that to come. Life is good in Thailand, mostly. Good luck.
September 26, 2025Sep 26 On 9/22/2025 at 1:18 AM, still kicking said: I just got married to my Thai wife, had my own business Apropos the OP I had just relocated to Indonesia and was minding my own business.
September 26, 2025Sep 26 3 hours ago, falangUK said: That's an interesting approach to travel, focusing on the long haul, more adventurous places like Peru and China first! Smart thinking to do that while you were still young and active. I can only imagine how incredible Peru must have been. It's a shame the divorce stopped the European part of the plan. Life definitely throws some curveballs, doesn't it? And wow, 20 years in Thailand is a serious commitment. Why are you still on the fence about whether it was one of your better decisions? That's a long time to be unsure! I'd be really curious to hear what keeps you questioning it after all this time. 🤔 I suppose that it's all down to finances really. When I made to decision move to Thailand it was because my pensions would give me a far better standard of living than they would in the UK. At that time we were getting about 75 THB to the GBP and living here was incredibly cheap. I did, of course, build in a contingency as i was quite aware that the exchange rate was not guaranteed to remain so favourable. However, I didn't predict the major fall to around 43 THB that we are seeing currently, largely because of the 2008 financial crisis, followed by the Brexit debacle. I can still live comfortably here but Thailand is certainly not the bargain that it once was. Would i have done better to retire to somewhere different? Who knows!
September 27, 2025Sep 27 16 hours ago, falangUK said: That's a fantastic story, thanks for sharing such a detailed look at your journey. It's really insightful to see how things lined up for you, especially coming from that pay check to pay check life. You nailed the key piece of advice, buying that first condo was an absolute game-changer. That windfall, while maybe not huge by today's standards, was massive for you back then and gave you that crucial financial breathing room. You're spot on—money might not buy happiness, but it sure buys peace of mind, which is probably even better. And what a great point about the pension. A lot of people today don't have that security, and $400,000 received so far is a seriously impressive safety net. That traditional pension really did take the "sting" out of the low salary and gave you the freedom to retire early and find work you enjoyed before making the big move to Thailand. I always assume the common narrative is people escaping toxic workplaces or bad relationships, so it's genuinely refreshing to see another perspective where you actually loved the work and your colleagues but chose to retire early for financial reasons and a change of scenery. It shows that moving to Thailand isn't always about running away from something negative; sometimes, it's about running toward a long-awaited life of freedom and doing things you enjoy Wish the very best for both you and your Thai boyfriend (now spouse!). You've earned that paradise life! 🥂 Thank you for your terrific response. All the best to you!
September 27, 2025Sep 27 21 hours ago, falangUK said: Still a dream car for some of us 😁 I guess my next dream machine will be an electric wheelchair
October 1, 2025Oct 1 Author On 9/26/2025 at 4:03 PM, quake said: Ha Ha. you miss understood me. ( no big investment vehicle here ) No big income stream after early retirement. Was 20+ years offshore work. had enough dosh to flip the middle finger and take the severance package. at 52, Bought more properties in the uk, and now live off a small company pension, rental income and dosh in the bank. got uk state pension in a few years time, So a few more beer tokens from that to come. Life is good in Thailand, mostly. Good luck. Thanks for clearing that up 🙂 I definitely misunderstood the "fabulous income stream" part. 😂 That makes perfect sense, though. 20+ years of offshore work is a serious commitment, and being able to walk away at 52 with a severance package, then living off rental income and a small pension, is actually a much more relatable and achievable long term goal for a lot of people here. Buying more UK property for the rental income was clearly a smart move, and getting the UK state pension in a few years is a nice little bump of "beer tokens" to look forward to! Sounds like you built a solid foundation. Glad to hear life is good in Thailand! Good luck to you too! 👍
October 1, 2025Oct 1 Author On 9/26/2025 at 4:43 PM, VocalNeal said: Apropos the OP I had just relocated to Indonesia and was minding my own business. Indonesia is one of my favorite countries! Lucky you for getting to settle there. Is the visa situation trickier than Thailand these days? I've always loved the people there. I've managed to visit most of the main islands, except for Sumba. Kupang was fun, and Dili was a great experience too!
October 1, 2025Oct 1 Author On 9/26/2025 at 4:29 PM, scubascuba3 said: I was in Thailand full time at 48, as good as it is now 55 That's an early start to full time life in Thailand. It's awesome that you've been here seven years already.
October 1, 2025Oct 1 1 hour ago, falangUK said: Thanks for clearing that up 🙂 I definitely misunderstood the "fabulous income stream" part. 😂 That makes perfect sense, though. 20+ years of offshore work is a serious commitment, and being able to walk away at 52 with a severance package, then living off rental income and a small pension, is actually a much more relatable and achievable long term goal for a lot of people here. Buying more UK property for the rental income was clearly a smart move, and getting the UK state pension in a few years is a nice little bump of "beer tokens" to look forward to! Sounds like you built a solid foundation. Glad to hear life is good in Thailand! Good luck to you too! 👍 Thanks.
October 1, 2025Oct 1 Author On 9/26/2025 at 5:57 PM, doctormann said: I suppose that it's all down to finances really. When I made to decision move to Thailand it was because my pensions would give me a far better standard of living than they would in the UK. At that time we were getting about 75 THB to the GBP and living here was incredibly cheap. I did, of course, build in a contingency as i was quite aware that the exchange rate was not guaranteed to remain so favourable. However, I didn't predict the major fall to around 43 THB that we are seeing currently, largely because of the 2008 financial crisis, followed by the Brexit debacle. I can still live comfortably here but Thailand is certainly not the bargain that it once was. Would i have done better to retire to somewhere different? Who knows! That is the core issue for so many people who retired early. You're absolutely right, it all comes down to the numbers and getting the best value out of your pensions. It must have felt like a genius move when the exchange rate was at 75 THB to the GBP and living here was incredibly cheap! You were smart to build in a contingency, but I don't think anyone could have predicted that drop to around 43 THB, especially with the one-two punch of the 2008 crisis and the whole Brexit fallout. It's a shame Thailand isn't the bargain it once was, but it's great you can still live comfortably despite the change. That contingency planning clearly worked out, even if the rate dropped further than you expected! As for retiring somewhere different? Who knows indeed, but you got a solid run out of the bargain years 🙂
October 1, 2025Oct 1 2 hours ago, falangUK said: That's an early start to full time life in Thailand. It's awesome that you've been here seven years already. at the time i did wonder if it was too young, but no, it's been great
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