Hello,

 

I’m a 60 years old man from France.

 

I intend to settle in Thailand in 3 to 4 years. 

I believe I’ll retire with a 60.000 baths monthly pension (after having paid a health insurance). Rough estimate. 

I believe it’s a good option for me as I have no friends, nor close family in France.

 

I think France would be very dull and boring for me. I see expatriation as an opportunity to explore, get curious and keep learning. I get a bit worried though when I read some topics in this forum. I happen to come across much bitterness and negativity. It makes me reflect but I keep in mind that the views and opinions expressed on this website don’t necessarily reflect the situation.

 

I believe many people don’t mention the positive sides and forget to say that they feel they made the right choice when they decided to settled in Thailand. Expatriation is good too, isn’t it? 

 

I have some savings (safety net) and don’t intend to buy a house. I’ll start out by renting in different places around the country. 

 

I like speaking english but don’t intend to mingle much with the expatriate community. I won’t be drinking alcohol. I can speak french, english and some spanish. Some people here say that it’s important to learn Thai… I might try but at 64 or 65 yo, I’m not sure I’ll have that drive to study a new language. I might get a bit lazy with that but I might try.

 

What are your experiences?

I worked out ,that if I retire from my job at this time and move to Thailand ( Pattaya) I would be bored and thus continue to live in Australia 

 

So I continue to work my Government job and if need be I can transfer to part time 20 hours per week

Why ?

Because will the " other side of the fence be any greener'  if I suddenly retired then moved to Pattaya and rented a condo ??

 

What would I do all day ?😯

 

I can go to the gym I guess , bars , massages then what ??

 

Is it going to be different from Australia?

 

I'm not saying I'm not ruling out retiring to south East Asia whether that be Thailand Vietnam Cambodia etc ..BUT not at this stage of my life ,

Maybe your ready ,maybe your not 

But don't just think it's going to somehow be better because your moving to a new country 

 

So think about that first ,the "novelty/excitement" soon wears off after a few months of living there ,boredom , not many life goals to achieve , loneliness,

sitting all day in a condo , where's your social interaction if you do mix talk with other farangs ?

Your going to get fobbed off by thais 

 

 

What are you going to do all day that's different from France?

France has free medicare ?

France has seniors groups/clubs , you can go to 

 

Personally at this stage of my life I can travel there twice a year ,it's more exciting than living in a condo there all day there in Thailand!!

 

The alternative is being locked up in that view talay 2B in Jomtien listening to old people tell me of their sicknesses 

 

Of course if you have a real and I say real Thai partner ( that you don't pay to be a regular partner) then it may be worth moving for  as you have someone to be with all day 

 

The point is , is it going to be any better particularly as you don't want to mux with other farangs. 

 

 

 

 

Go for it,nothing to lose, If it not works out can always go home. I personally love Thaialnd,neverever have i had a problem. Poeple great,plenty of places to eat,play golf,good beaches. Go for it.

64 is too old to retire in Thailand. 

 

60k baht a month is enough money if you have around 10 million baht in savings. Otherwise risky.

17 minutes ago, theshu25 said:

Go for it,nothing to lose, If it not works out can always go home. I personally love Thaialnd,neverever have i had a problem. Poeple great,plenty of places to eat,play golf,good beaches. Go for it.

Oh yes you play golf 

 

Do you wear the pink  polo shirt and the tight shorts along with the baseball cap and wrist watch?

 

 

 

11 minutes ago, Celsius said:

64 is too old to retire in Thailand. 

 

60k baht a month is enough money if you have around 10 million baht in savings. Otherwise risky.

???what a ridiculous comment 

 

He has more than enough , why would he need 10 million baht ?

 

 

 

 

 

46 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

???what a ridiculous comment 

 

He has more than enough , why would he need 10 million baht ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

For unexplained things and stuff

1 hour ago, Franck60 said:

Hello,

 

I’m a 60 years old man from France.

 

I intend to settle in Thailand in 3 to 4 years. 

I believe I’ll retire with a 60.000 baths monthly pension (after having paid a health insurance). Rough estimate. 

I believe it’s a good option for me as I have no friends, nor close family in France.

 

I think France would be very dull and boring for me. I see expatriation as an opportunity to explore, get curious and keep learning. I get a bit worried though when I read some topics in this forum. I happen to come across much bitterness and negativity. It makes me reflect but I keep in mind that the views and opinions expressed on this website don’t necessarily reflect the situation.

 

I believe many people don’t mention the positive sides and forget to say that they feel they made the right choice when they decided to settled in Thailand. Expatriation is good too, isn’t it? 

 

I have some savings (safety net) and don’t intend to buy a house. I’ll start out by renting in different places around the country. 

 

I like speaking english but don’t intend to mingle much with the expatriate community. I won’t be drinking alcohol. I can speak french, english and some spanish. Some people here say that it’s important to learn Thai… I might try but at 64 or 65 yo, I’m not sure I’ll have that drive to study a new language. I might get a bit lazy with that but I might try.

 

What are your experiences?

60,000 baths a month is a lot. 2 a day is enough.

If you have a house in France, do not sell it. Visit Thailand, for as long as you can, to see if it suits you. Unless you intend to live near the beaches, most of Thailand is pretty boring. There are nice views and if you like quiet and country, you could move close to a large city and be content.

 

It all depends on your lifestyle and hobbies in particular. If you like gardening it's an okay place because it has a 12 month growing season, but with that comes months of almost daily rain, where you can't do anything besides stay indoors.

 

If France is boring to you, take heed, because this will be worse unless again, you like the beaches, which some do and they are beautiful if you get away from the crowds. Totally different culture than Europe. Traveling and keeping your house is what many like to do, so you can visit many places and then if you really like one, can settle down. You have enough money to stay here. Ask yourself why Thailand. Some are homebodies and some like the beaches, but many come here and aren't happy. 

1 hour ago, georgegeorgia said:

Oh yes you play golf 

 

Do you wear the pink  polo shirt and the tight shorts along with the baseball cap and wrist watch?

 

 

 

Why? Does that turn you on?

You've got to be happy in your own skin, I worked on my own for 40 years, loved my job and I'm used to being single, looking after myself. Came to Thailand on a whim, after Covid finished on a holiday, had a couple of months enjoying the delights of Bangkok and Pattaya before moving on to Australia and NZ visiting family.

The plan was to retire in Australia but to be honest I didn't like the life there, so came back to Pattaya where I met my current partner, She has her own house out in the country 400kms north of Bangkok, within a month I was settled in loving life. Been here 3 years nearly, no Thai, Google translate is your friend, you do pick up a bit of Thai but even out here in the sticks I don't find that a drawback, I like to get involved with the local community and have a handful of Thai friends and family who, I feel treat me as one of their own.

Since I've been here I've met a few ex-pats from all over the world, some are great, some are like a few on here, a pain, but overall I have no complaints, I join up with a few every week for lunch, good laugh and everybody brings something to the table.

Retiring to Thailand is very easy if you follow the rules, plenty of info on this forum, getting a Thai driving licences is doable, as is buying a car, which I need because we like traveling and we explore all over Thailand.

There are a few on here who like blowing their own trumpet but I tend to ignore any negativity and learn my own lessons from experience, overall it's a great place once you get used to the lifestyle.

Moneywise, 30k baht should be more than enough to give you a good base to live on, accommodation, utility bills,(electricity and water), including food, I eat mainly what I cook myself and enjoy shopping at the local stores and markets. I'm a Englishman so the heat can be a bit of a shock, but over time you get used to it. I'm not a drinker, except in moderation, smoke a bit of local weed and generally enjoy life as it comes.

I'm big on common-sense, if you don't feel confident in a situation, get away from it, and if it don't feel right, don't do it.

One of my better decisions in life coming to Thailand, hope this helps you, and don't forget, enjoy your life, this is not a practice match, it's real life, enjoy.

Personally I find 60k baht a risky number. Yes, it's enough to exist on but definitely not living large. And that number thrown out there of 10 million baht might be an exaggeration but not by much. You absolutely want to go the route of having 800,000 baht in the bank for retirement. I have read too many posts of people having problems because going the monthly income route having one month that glitches, creating frustrating misery. And you want to have a large cushion in a separate bank account for emergencies. Also, keep in mind prices are going up rapidly.

 

Someone previously mentioned keeping your house, renting it out, and trying Thailand on for size. VERY good recommendation. Thailand is not for everyone.

3 hours ago, Celsius said:

60k baht a month is enough money if you have around 10 million baht in savings. Otherwise risky.

 

I agree. Sixty thousand a month is a bit risky unless you own your place, live a simple solo lifestyle, and avoid eating too much imported or Western food. If you are paying rent and later have a partner, sixty thousand is not very much at all. It also is not enough to travel to Europe or other places once you have settled, so you could end up feeling stuck in Thailand. And if he does not have full health insurance coverage, that makes it even riskier if something big or unexpected happens that leads to high costs. I am not sure how much savings one really needs as a backup, but ten million sounds reasonable. 

29 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Personally I find 60k baht a risky number. Yes, it's enough to exist on but definitely not living large. And that number thrown out there of 10 million baht might be an exaggeration but not by much. You absolutely want to go the route of having 800,000 baht in the bank for retirement. I have read too many posts of people having problems because going the monthly income route having one month that glitches, creating frustrating misery. And you want to have a large cushion in a separate bank account for emergencies. Also, keep in mind prices are going up rapidly.

 

Someone previously mentioned keeping your house, renting it out, and trying Thailand on for size. VERY good recommendation. Thailand is not for everyone.

60,000 baht is more than enough for a non drinking man , that's $3000 Australian

I don't even spend that in Australia !

I can quite easily live on 40k a month in Pattaya , im sure 

You don't need to go to Sports bar or expensive cafes everyday 

I don't even do that in my own country 

The OP has made a valid thread asking for advice.

 

Don't clutter the thread with unnecessary comments, please.

 

Be helpful.

 

 

Flame post removed.

@theshu25

 

 

Reply removed 

You need 65k a month for retirement visa & extension after visa issued.   So pay your health ins, after you deposit into your bank account, or do the lump sum (800k), and then no monthly income required.

 

Living on 60k is possible, if a bit thrifty and not wasting money on alcohol & women.   Learning Thai is easy enough, as I've learned enough to get by, without trying to learn.

 

If away from tourist and expat areas, you'll pick up enough very quick.   Don't sell up in France, until you know TH is for you, as it certainly isn't for everyone.   Heat, smog can be hard on some folks.   Hot, damn hot, most of the year, except up North, but then you have to deal with the smog.

 

We live south, below Hua Hin, as I can't deal with the smog, so a bit hotter than top half of the country, and brutal at times. 

 

As you already figured out, RENT RENT RENT, and in a few different areas.   Stay at least 1 full year, when finding an area you like.  If and before buying into any condo, though at 65+ yrs old, not something I would really consider.

 

I love living in TH, others simply tolerate it, and others, just hate it, but still here 

2 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

60,000 baht is more than enough for a non drinking man , that's $3000 Australian

I don't even spend that in Australia !

 

 

Funny.

 

Your complaints about being "ripped off" by hospitals and clinics in Thailand are juxtaposed with your praise for the free healthcare available in Australia. Hence my 10 million baht safety net recommendation.

39 minutes ago, Celsius said:

 

Funny.

 

Your complaints about being "ripped off" by hospitals and clinics in Thailand are juxtaposed with your praise for the free healthcare available in Australia. Hence my 10 million baht safety net recommendation.

What a brilliant word .."juxtaposed" ..I have added to my list ..thankyou for your service !

So far learning two new words today  ,thanks to all 

 

Juxtaposed means to place two contrasting things side by side to highlight their differences.

 

3 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

60,000 baht is more than enough for a non drinking man , that's $3000 Australian

I don't even spend that in Australia !

I can quite easily live on 40k a month in Pattaya , im sure 

You don't need to go to Sports bar or expensive cafes everyday 

I don't even do that in my own country 

Why do you keep talking about Pattaya like its heaven on earth. You just last week were bashing it and would never come back there. 

4 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

What a brilliant word .."juxtaposed" ..I have added to my list ..thankyou for your service !

So far learning two new words today  ,thanks to all 

 

Juxtaposed means to place two contrasting things side by side to highlight their differences.

 

No kidding?

10 hours ago, Jeff the Chef said:

You've got to be happy in your own skin, I worked on my own for 40 years, loved my job and I'm used to being single, looking after myself. Came to Thailand on a whim, after Covid finished on a holiday, had a couple of months enjoying the delights of Bangkok and Pattaya before moving on to Australia and NZ visiting family.

The plan was to retire in Australia but to be honest I didn't like the life there, so came back to Pattaya where I met my current partner, She has her own house out in the country 400kms north of Bangkok, within a month I was settled in loving life. Been here 3 years nearly, no Thai, Google translate is your friend, you do pick up a bit of Thai but even out here in the sticks I don't find that a drawback, I like to get involved with the local community and have a handful of Thai friends and family who, I feel treat me as one of their own.

Since I've been here I've met a few ex-pats from all over the world, some are great, some are like a few on here, a pain, but overall I have no complaints, I join up with a few every week for lunch, good laugh and everybody brings something to the table.

Retiring to Thailand is very easy if you follow the rules, plenty of info on this forum, getting a Thai driving licences is doable, as is buying a car, which I need because we like traveling and we explore all over Thailand.

There are a few on here who like blowing their own trumpet but I tend to ignore any negativity and learn my own lessons from experience, overall it's a great place once you get used to the lifestyle.

Moneywise, 30k baht should be more than enough to give you a good base to live on, accommodation, utility bills,(electricity and water), including food, I eat mainly what I cook myself and enjoy shopping at the local stores and markets. I'm a Englishman so the heat can be a bit of a shock, but over time you get used to it. I'm not a drinker, except in moderation, smoke a bit of local weed and generally enjoy life as it comes.

I'm big on common-sense, if you don't feel confident in a situation, get away from it, and if it don't feel right, don't do it.

One of my better decisions in life coming to Thailand, hope this helps you, and don't forget, enjoy your life, this is not a practice match, it's real life, enjoy.

That is a good post with many relevant and good points in it. Now on to the OPs post.....

 

I wasn't sure about moving to Thailand (because of a health problem) so I came over here for a couple of long holidays and one of them was just over two months and it was the last one because by then I had decided that I would give Thailand a go.

 

So back to New Zealand to sell my house and get my prized possessions loaded up for the trip to Phuket, which went smoothly. And I would suggest to the OP that he came over for a while to check the place out before selling his property, if indeed he has one, in France. Keeping his current property gives him options.

 

I've been here around 18 years now and on the whole I've enjoyed it, and in the process have met a few good Thai folk and also "adopted" a Thai daughter from a relationship I had in the early stages, the mother of whom I am still on good terms with.

 

There are things to get annoyed about, but then when you think about it, it's probably no different to the place you are currently living in. For me the delights here are the Thai food and the variation thereof and the fact that you can find restaurants of all cuisines and cultures, so food and dining out is always easy and if you are a bit of a chef you can try your hand at any type of food, and by the way fresh food is plentiful.

 

As regards accommodation, well there is plenty of rental accommodation available and it pays to search and haggle a bit for the price, and although I did buy a house when I first came over, I wouldn't recommend it, mainly because foreigners are not allowed to own land (but that's a whole different story) and renting gives you the option to move to wherever you want, whenever you want.

 

There are plenty of foreigners who like to be sitting on a bar stool at 11 AM in the morning, through to late at night, and a day without a visit to the bar is unimaginable for them, but thankfully I was never one of those, however if you can find a friendly local bar with non-alcoholic patrons, then that could suit you, also there are quite a few French folk over here, so you may find lots to talk about.

 

A couple of other points which you may want to consider – – never, ever lend money, either to Thais or foreigners as getting it back could present a problem, and ensure that you follow the rules with regards to "Retirement Visas" (as they are often referred to) because it saves a lot of hassle and worry.

 

Since I've been here I've cultivated some friendships with the owners of various restaurants and they allow me to take my own wine along, which I greatly appreciate as a lot of the wine sold at these places is/can be very poor indeed and I like a good wine with my meal.

 

Getting back to something I said earlier, if you come here for a couple or three visits for a reasonable amount of time, you will get the feel of things, by which time you should be able to decide if it's right for you.

 

Good luck.

60k with already paid health insurance is enough. Especially if you don't drink alcohol and smoke.

I personally would suggest that you try to find a location that's not crowded with mass tourism (Pattaya, Phuket, Bangkok).

Maybe already said above, didn't go through all posts.

 

Don't forget the Visa situation. -> check the visa topics. Travelling around can be a bit tricky, as they wan't to see a rental contract etc.pp. And the 90-day reporting (TM47).

 

 

Go for it. If you don't try you might miss some great moments