Americans Retired In Thailand

[mellow1]

There are a number of thing which are cheaper in Thailand as compared to the US. Mainly housing, repairs on cars, Thai food to go or eat in restaurant, as well as clothes, and labor( domestic or otherwise). Food bought at the grocery store especially meat is cheaper and much better in the US.Cars are cheaper. Insurance,if you have medicare is cheaper, if the wife works you can have medical coverage for the entire family, better care in medical facilities( except for BKK or other large cities,maybe). Electricity is about the same cost. Schools are free, better, and school buses pick up the kids and drop them off. Many people here like to talk about violence in the US, I have not had that problem, I guess you have to not move, to a ghetto area. Museums,Parks, are free. I don't see how a person having a modest home cannot afford to live in the US in a decent manner should the Baht reach 25 to 1. You wouldn't have to deal with visa runs, extensions, etc. Bad roads,pollution air or otherwise, garbage, dog and cow shit everywhere. There would be proper law enforcement, no matter what color or nationality you are. Internet, TV,electricity,water, all would work. You can drink the water out of the faucet. Wouldn't have to worry about bribes to the boys in brown, getting screwed cause your not a native.

Of course if your here for the girls(rentals or otherwise) and partying in bars etc..Its MUCH cheaper here.

[Wrong Turn]

<a href="http://www.currencyshares.com/content/products/index.shtml" target="_blank">http://www.currencyshares.com/content/products/index.shtml</a>

this should give you a good idea. you purchase shares on the NYSE and it trades like a stock. they also earn interest. its pretty much like opening a bank account in another country and earning a modest amount of interest.

if you want growth, then invest in companies that make money overseas.

checkout the international ETFs - <a href="http://www.ishares.com/home.jhtml?investor...equestid=567406" target="_blank">http://www.ishares.com/home.jhtml?investor...equestid=567406</a>

exchange traded funds are like mutual funds except they trade as shares, like a stock. its a great way to painlessly get into the foreign markets.

Tony thanks for the info and site. I book marked the ETF site and am studying it now. You can short these ETFs, also, so yes, it seems like it's a stock.

My new question is:

Are International, no-load funds by T. Rowe Price and Nueberger & Berman just as good as an ETF? I'm in it for the long haul, and these International Mutual Funds have 0% in the U.S. market.

I know that mutuals and ETFs are different. (And it depends on the individual and their goals.)

But as for returns, which in your opinion is better? (If this can be answered.) I can move my mutual funds around by computer.

Thanks, TonyL

Edited November 6, 2007 by Wrong Turn

[thai_narak]

eventually it will catch up to 25 a dollar.

[TheEmperorOfTheNorth]

LOL.. This poll is rich.. The issue is not any rise of the baht, but the USD going down the toilet. No matter where you go you'd be affected.

But don't let that stop anyone from leaving.

[Dakhar]

Bush does not have a weak dollar policy he has a weak brain policy!

As for me if the baht hits 25, the effect is a mixed bag. I get paid by 3 companies. Two of the companies pay me here in Thailand, the third pays me in USD in the US.

The wife has rental property in Thailand, so that is more in Thai Baht. Then I have a partnership in a co. in Thailand. We buy our parts over seas. So our buying power will have increased, but our market is not just in Thialand. So when you export to countries like the US, then margins decrease. As I said, it is a mixed bag.

Eventually I would like to go back to the US, but I don't know if I would be able to afford to, because if I did go back it would be to retire....

that was the initial reason I came to Thailand in the first place. But like all things... plans changed.

[mohatma]

Good forum!

I might as well start here. Ahh, the big game of global economics. As I understand it , one reason for the deprciation of the american dollar is to balance north american economies preparing for the north american union. ( the Amero ) currency. Similar to the euro. This is being spear headed by the council on foreign relations and the tri lateral commision. The economic amalgamation was signed by the leaders of the U.S. Canada and Mexico in 2005. By 2012 , the implementation the Amero will be complete. Furthermore similar plans are being prepared by the globalist economic giants to have Asian union as well. In my opinion and as someone mentioned before is to create a standardized way of living.

just my 2 cents

[Naam]

As I understand it , one reason for the deprciation of the american dollar is to balance north american economies preparing for the north american union. ( the Amero ) currency. Similar to the euro. This is being spear headed by the council on foreign relations and the tri lateral commision. The economic amalgamation was signed by the leaders of the U.S. Canada and Mexico in 2005. By 2012 , the implementation the Amero will be complete.

as i understand it the "Amero" will be pegged to the "Klingon Dollar" and fully backed by Trilithium (one Amero = one kilogram Trilithium) held in Fort Xonk on the third moon of Vulcan and guarded by fierce Delta Quadrant Rottweilers. to sum it up, the Amero will be one fine currency.

BUY OPTIONS NOW!

[mohatma]

As I understand it , one reason for the deprciation of the american dollar is to balance north american economies preparing for the north american union. ( the Amero ) currency. Similar to the euro. This is being spear headed by the council on foreign relations and the tri lateral commision. The economic amalgamation was signed by the leaders of the U.S. Canada and Mexico in 2005. By 2012 , the implementation the Amero will be complete.

as i understand it the "Amero" will be pegged to the "Klingon Dollar" and fully backed by Trilithium (one Amero = one kilogram Trilithium) held in Fort Xonk on the third moon of Vulcan and guarded by fierce Delta Quadrant Rottweilers. to sum it up, the Amero will be one fine currency.

BUY OPTIONS NOW!

I thought warf was affiliated with the borg. hmm

[Lancelot]

Let's not assume that everyone can't handle THB 25 per USD. Perhaps some folks will no longer feel that the level of service/quality of life in Thailand is consistent with the cost of living here. Just because some guys can afford $4+ drinks is Thai go-go bars will mean that they are willing to pay that amount

[NovaBlue05]

I figure that after I set myself up with transportation and build a house, I should be able to live quite easily on 40k a month in Isaan. As a cushion, and to indulge myself in my "projects", I want 100K/month in pension + investment income available. I have been using the 25 bt/$ kind of as a worst case. I figure I will need to work another 3 years to secure that. Hopefully it wont get much worse than that....

[dclaryjr]

However, owning my own home here makes a major difference.

Five years ago I agreed to purchase some property in Thailand (technically I supplied the funds for my brother-in-law to buy the land). It wasn't until construction was underway that I learned that I had agreed to a house as well!! I was upset at first but now I'm kind of glad I did it. I will finish paying for it in another five years while I'm still making good money. I figure with a paid off house, my wife and I will be ok because we each will have Social Security and government pension (retired military for me--GS for her).

[backflip]

"The $ is falling and will continue to fall because the US is printing it as fast as it can."

That's simply not true.

[TonyLeung]

However, owning my own home here makes a major difference.

Five years ago I agreed to purchase some property in Thailand (technically I supplied the funds for my brother-in-law to buy the land). It wasn't until construction was underway that I learned that I had agreed to a house as well!! I was upset at first but now I'm kind of glad I did it. I will finish paying for it in another five years while I'm still making good money. I figure with a paid off house, my wife and I will be ok because we each will have Social Security and government pension (retired military for me--GS for her).

Sounds good man, except you should remember that you dont legally own the house or land.

[ProThaiExpat]

It is not clear from declyr post if he ended up with title for the house, which falang can own without difficulty in Thailand, it is only the land falang can't own. Even in a condo, the unit owner doesn't own the land nor an interest that exceeds 49%.

[zink]

EU is China's largest trade partner, not US.

[Wrong Turn]

Good forum!

I might as well start here. Ahh, the big game of global economics. As I understand it , one reason for the deprciation of the american dollar is to balance north american economies preparing for the north american union. ( the Amero ) currency. Similar to the euro. This is being spear headed by the council on foreign relations and the tri lateral commision. The economic amalgamation was signed by the leaders of the U.S. Canada and Mexico in 2005. By 2012 , the implementation the Amero will be complete. Furthermore similar plans are being prepared by the globalist economic giants to have Asian union as well. In my opinion and as someone mentioned before is to create a standardized way of living.

There has been no official agreement on the Amero. Only a couple of think tanks have advocated it, and yes, there has been some discussion of it.

There are many who oppose any such idea.

If it every happens, it won't be any time, soon.

[bowthai]

31 million canadians will not want their currency tied to a third world mexico and a debt-ridden america,the latter of which canadians love almost as much as the french do.

but america has plans for a surplus wealthy and resource rich canada.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...2901412_pf.html

[jumnien]

It's been said many times before on this forum, the further the dollar drops against the baht, the cheaper life gets here for most of us Americans. When the dollar is strong we feel compelled to buy condos, thai stocks, new cars, etc. When the baht is strong we let our cash incomes accumulate in our US accounts and live on a lot less.

[dclaryjr]

It is not clear from declyr post if he ended up with title for the house, which falang can own without difficulty in Thailand, it is only the land falang can't own. Even in a condo, the unit owner doesn't own the land nor an interest that exceeds 49%.

I understand that I don't own anything (or even have title to to the house at this point). I'm not concerned--I'm in a very stable marraige (32 years this December), and I get along great with the family.

[meom]

The $ is falling and will continue to fall because the US is printing it as fast as it can. Why? Think about the massive US debt, a huge fraction of which is owned by China and the Middle East, which must be repayed in - what currency?

I guess if they wanted to the US can always default on their debt.

[tropo]

However, owning my own home here makes a major difference.

Five years ago I agreed to purchase some property in Thailand (technically I supplied the funds for my brother-in-law to buy the land). It wasn't until construction was underway that I learned that I had agreed to a house as well!! I was upset at first but now I'm kind of glad I did it. I will finish paying for it in another five years while I'm still making good money. I figure with a paid off house, my wife and I will be ok because we each will have Social Security and government pension (retired military for me--GS for her).

That must be a huge house if it will take you 5 years to pay it off making good money.

[dclaryjr]

That must be a huge house if it will take you 5 years to pay it off making good money.

It's not huge but it's nice and it's located on a resort (Phupimarn outside of Pakchong). The land and the house was about $50K when we bought it, but that was at an exchange rate of something like 42B to the $. You can see pics at davidclary.com.

I haven't updated them in awhile--a lot of landscaping has been done since those photos.

[chicowoodduck]

It's been said many times before on this forum, the further the dollar drops against the baht, the cheaper life gets here for most of us Americans. When the dollar is strong we feel compelled to buy condos, thai stocks, new cars, etc. When the baht is strong we let our cash incomes accumulate in our US accounts and live on a lot less.

And most of the time less IS more! For awhile I got caught up in the "watch the dollar" game, but found that for the most part it was kind of like weighing myself each day to see how much I'd lost. In the big ending, it doesn't mean squat, you're dead.

[astral]

People managed back in the pre 1997 days, why not now????????

From a UK perspective it looks like we are heading back to the exchange rates of my childhood

when 1d (an old UK penny) equalled 1ct (the US penny),

a rate of $2.40 equalling one £1.

[Ratsima]

I don't really have any place to go, so I'm doing my best to adjust:

- No more road trips. We used to do one a month.

- No more wine.

- No more farang food out.

- No more lunches out with "the boys".

- No more drinking out. A few beers on the front porch is what I get these days.

- Much less meat in the diet. We have salad and veggies four nights a week now.

- No big purchases. Struggling with a five year old computer, mattresses on the floor instead of proper beds, an empty living room, etc.

I could handle 25 baht to the dollar, but it would be a bare bones existence. But even that is preferable to returning to the US where I'd actually have to work to survive.

[PeaceBlondie]

Since Ratsima has revived this thread after seven months of dormancy, it appears the dollar hit bottom before going below 31, and is headed above 34. I always felt that 25 was far more artificial than 42 or 48

[lannarebirth]

I think the current USD:THB exchange is squarely in the middle of it's expected range for the foreseeable future. If one cannot survive here with a baht trading 10 baht'/$ lower than here, I would suggest NOW is the time to consider what you will do, rather than when it happens. As for me, this is my home. I'm not going anywhere, whatever the exchange is.

Edited July 4, 2008 by lannarebirth

[britmaveric]

Expected range is probably 40-45, so yes I think if one can make it on 35, quite correct you certainly should be moving elsewhere.

[Jingthing]

Expected range is probably 40-45, so yes I think if one can make it on 35, quite correct you certainly should be moving elsewhere.

Move where? The dollar is weak most everywhere.

[britmaveric]

Not thailand