Retiring In Phuket, What Is It Really Like?

[mynextgig]

Hope you dont mind me starting a new thread along the lines of the Living in Phuket thread.

So i have been to Phuket many times on 7-10 day holidays and i love every minute of it. But whats it really like if you can afford to support yourself and decide to retire and live there all year round ?

What does an average day for you lucky retirees consist of and do you get bored or frustrated after a while ?

[huggybear]

Hope you dont mind me starting a new thread along the lines of the Living in Phuket thread.

So i have been to Phuket many times on 7-10 day holidays and i love every minute of it. But whats it really like if you can afford to support yourself and decide to retire and live there all year round ?

What does an average day for you lucky retirees consist of and do you get bored or frustrated after a while ?

I am not retired, I am working here, but if it's o.k. I'll make some comments.

When I used to travel here on vacation, after about three weeks I definitely would get bored. I think if you were retired here (and I do know some retirees) you would need to stay somewhat active. Donate some time in the schools, find some activities/causes to persue.

Being here on holiday is definitely different than living here. On holiday the resort/hotel deals with mundane stuff like water supply, electricity, internet connections etc. Your transportation is usually limited to short distances. When living here and you are hassling through the Lotus intersection, trying to figure out what the hel_l is wrong with your water pump, why your internet connection although you are paying doesn't work, trying to find the electricity office, yes, day-to-day here can be very different than a cocktail by the pool on holiday.

Although Phuket is very modern, there are times when it is still third world bumpkin.

[CroBiker]

Not retired but life here feels like retirement compared to west. Never frustrated, it all depends on your personality and how open you are to new acquintances. Avoid people who whine all the time, they're just dissillusioned jealous folks at the end of the line. Try places like Watermark at the boat lagoon, The Boat House, Amari or those fine 3 restaurants in Kalim Bay. In no time you'll meet some nice affluent folks with similar interests in life and your days will be full of genuine excitement.

I ride my bikes, go boating & fishing, enjoy fine cuisine either at home BBQ or nice fresh seafood restaurants and steakhouses just about every day of the week. Get yourself a nice home, do some gardening, build fish pond....start a hobby. Get a pet...dog perhaps, jog around with him at Nai Harn beach. At Chaofa Rd there is beautiful spa/gym called Sukho, check the place out. In general, avoid Patong and similar areas full of grumpy western old men and prostitutes. After 2 days of knowing them, these leaches will offer you "deals of century" to buy junk car, rundown house, land....anything just to earn commision. They'll even try to borrow money from you, that says it all.

There are many fantastic places and great people on the island...I'm sure you'll have best time of your life.

[LivinginKata]

I fully agree with the previous 2 posts. I planned an early retirement, but ended up buying land, building houses, and renting them out. It gives me something to do, mostly on a part time basis. I know some people who are fully retired and some people who work away for a few weeks (offshore guys mostly), and by far the most balanced people are the working guys. The fully retired guys, without a full time interest, other than drinking, seemed very bored. Also much depends on whether you are bringing your wife with you as that tends to keep a man in line. Also, if you buy a home here then that gives a man a lot to do about the house. Patong is not as bad as some people make out, there are some Ok residential areas, and without doubt you should choose your friends carefully as there are a lot of 'retired' guys living on thin air and will leech a 'new' friend to death. But Patong is not a place to live with your wife.

[paulfromphuket]

I fully agree with the previous 2 posts. I planned an early retirement, but ended up buying land, building houses, and renting them out. It gives me something to do, mostly on a part time basis. I know some people who are fully retired and some people who work away for a few weeks (offshore guys mostly), and by far the most balanced people are the working guys. The fully retired guys, without a full time interest, other than drinking, seemed very bored. Also much depends on whether you are bringing your wife with you as that tends to keep a man in line. Also, if you buy a home here then that gives a man a lot to do about the house. Patong is not as bad as some people make out, there are some Ok residential areas, and without doubt you should choose your friends carefully as there are a lot of 'retired' guys living on thin air and will leech a 'new' friend to death. But Patong is not a place to live with your wife.

Phuket is a lifestyle decision and not the cheap charlie option for retiraires.

golf costs a fortune but the courses are among the best in asia,boating is fantastic is your stomarch is strong but again not cheap,shopping and health care are first class but health is expensive without insurance.

so it depends on what your dream of paradise is.

if its night life and girls/boys then off to pattaya, if you want a more sophisticated life then here has it all but many prefer chaing mai and indeed bkk .

we are conected to the rest of asia via the international airport when its open which is handy too.

my advise is rent for a year in a good area with poulations of your own nationallity and rent a nice place with some privacy and a pool.75/100 k baht per month.rent a car and go to the expat bars and not patong and travel to other parts of thailand taking your time

try laguna/bangtao if your a brit, aussie,US and the like, or rawai chalong if your a scando and khoh sumui if your russian.

[LivinginKata]

my advise is rent for a year in a good area with populations of your own nationality and rent a nice place with some privacy and a pool.75/100 k baht per month.

I gulp when I hear these casual references to spend 75/100 K baht month rental figures, plus car, plus etc. The average (note AVERAGE) retiree most likely does not even get a pension of 100 K baht month, so it's unreasonable to talk these sort of figures without any knowledge of the OP's budget.

[paulfromphuket]

my advise is rent for a year in a good area with populations of your own nationality and rent a nice place with some privacy and a pool.75/100 k baht per month.

I gulp when I hear these casual references to spend 75/100 K baht month rental figures, plus car, plus etc. The average (note AVERAGE) retiree most likely does not even get a pension of 100 K baht month, so it's unreasonable to talk these sort of figures without any knowledge of the OP's budget.

just been realistic this islands not a cheap place anymore, nice car btw

i know you can rent a shithole for 10k but its not going to give you the lifestyle experience of phuket ,but i guess the important point i was making is rent dont buy unitil you have tried.

[LivinginKata]

but i guess the important point i was making is rent dont buy unitil you have tried.

Totally agree with that, and rental prices make good economic sense when compared to purchase prices, in a foreign country.

[LivinLOS]

In general, avoid Patong and similar areas full of grumpy western old men and prostitutes. After 2 days of knowing them, these leaches will offer you "deals of century" to buy junk car, rundown house, land....anything just to earn commision. They'll even try to borrow money from you, that says it all.

Well having lived either in or near Patong for 7 years now.. I can quite safely say I know many (happy and cheerful) western men with current and ex prostitutes and in the entire time none have ever offered me a deal of the century, or a time share, or a car, or a rundown house, etc..

While I admit Patong may not be to everyones tastes, and I couldnt handle living in the busy crowded streets any longer.. Its not the hel_l hole you paint it.. Theres always some one to meet, lots of pleasant places for a cold one, nice eateries, the best supermarkets, malls, a cinema, bowling alleys, etc etc etc.. Its a balance, for me the best location on the island would probably be the Blue point / Baan suan kamnaan location. All the plusses of Patong yet peace and serenity at home.

Of all of Patongs downsides its the nature of the Thais that come to work there, Patong tends to attract the more cheating kind of scammer, sometimes they even forget to smile while they do it but I guess thats the nature of high volume tourist towns anywhere.

[retirednavyman]

Not retired but life here feels like retirement compared to west. Never frustrated, it all depends on your personality and how open you are to new acquintances. Avoid people who whine all the time, they're just dissillusioned jealous folks at the end of the line. Try places like Watermark at the boat lagoon, The Boat House, Amari or those fine 3 restaurants in Kalim Bay. In no time you'll meet some nice affluent folks with similar interests in life and your days will be full of genuine excitement.

I ride my bikes, go boating & fishing, enjoy fine cuisine either at home BBQ or nice fresh seafood restaurants and steakhouses just about every day of the week. Get yourself a nice home, do some gardening, build fish pond....start a hobby. Get a pet...dog perhaps, jog around with him at Nai Harn beach. At Chaofa Rd there is beautiful spa/gym called Sukho, check the place out. In general, avoid Patong and similar areas full of grumpy western old men and prostitutes. After 2 days of knowing them, these leaches will offer you "deals of century" to buy junk car, rundown house, land....anything just to earn commision. They'll even try to borrow money from you, that says it all.

There are many fantastic places and great people on the island...I'm sure you'll have best time of your life.

Well written, sounds like me in about 5 years since I'm planning to retire in Phuket or Pattaya

Ciao

[Arthur88]

Well having lived either in or near Patong for 7 years now.. I can quite safely say I know many (happy and cheerful) western men with current and ex prostitutes and in the entire time none have ever offered me a deal of the century, or a time share, or a car, or a rundown house, etc..

yeah right you are probably one of them most likely offer never came because they know you cant afford it anyway

[Sir Burr]

Well having lived either in or near Patong for 7 years now.. I can quite safely say I know many (happy and cheerful) western men with current and ex prostitutes and in the entire time none have ever offered me a deal of the century, or a time share, or a car, or a rundown house, etc..

yeah right you are probably one of them most likely offer never came because they know you cant afford it anyway

Hmmm.....the guy you are addressing retired at the age of 28.

Poverty isn't one of his problems, but, looking foolish is definitely one of yours.

[ybdf]

I'm not retired but did spend my first year or so drinking way too much. Lots of good suggestions already made. Aside from golf and land based activities the OP could get into fishing (lots of operators, pricey if doing it all the time tho and on a budget) or scuba diving although need to be relatively healthy for this.

Edited September 24, 2008 by ybdf

[ybdf]

Of all of Patongs downsides its the nature of the Thais that come to work there, Patong tends to attract the more cheating kind of scammer, sometimes they even forget to smile while they do it but I guess thats the nature of high volume tourist towns anywhere.

how true

[steelepulse]

Well having lived either in or near Patong for 7 years now.. I can quite safely say I know many (happy and cheerful) western men with current and ex prostitutes and in the entire time none have ever offered me a deal of the century, or a time share, or a car, or a rundown house, etc..

yeah right you are probably one of them most likely offer never came because they know you cant afford it anyway

Hmmm.....the guy you are addressing retired at the age of 28.

Poverty isn't one of his problems, but, looking foolish is definitely one of yours.

Haha, got to love these newbies that jump in and don't have a clue as to what they are talking about.