Uk Or Thailand

[SoiSource]

My friend was planning to come and live in Thailand but I think he has been a bit spooked by the recent exchange rate movements. So what do the forum members think.

He retires this year at 65. He has no assets whatsoever, but no debt. No family either. He will collect a gov pension of roughly 450GBP a month. He is a likeable guy, a non smoker, a moderate drinker. He exercises daily and apart from a bad back has no history of illness. He never wastes money. He would need to live in a city as he does have a need for some kind of intellectual stimulation that I don't think he could find in some Thai village. He would like to have a girlfriend though no desire to pay for play.

If he lives in the UK the gov would pay his rent and of course there is the free hospitals and bus pass. In Thailand rent would come out of the 450GBP

But currently 450GBP is only 25000bht.

He does have a 5000GBP bailout fund that he would use as a medical fund in Thailand with the last 1000 being a plane back to the UK.

So do you think he should live in the UK or come and live in Thailand?

THAILAND

[lazeeboy]

i'd sooner struggle in thailand on 450pound than starve in the uk ,cos on 450 pound thats what he'll do in the uk

[pattaya_girl]

i'd sooner struggle in thailand on 450pound than starve in the uk ,cos on 450 pound thats what he'll do in the uk

I agree - get out while you can and enjoy your last years here. I recently got back from the UK, it was miserable, and extremely cold and it was the end of August. I know a lot of Thai people who rent rooms for as little as 800 bt a month, just a room, but can me made nice inside to your liking - beats staying in some freezing cold, dirty bedsit back there surely...

[GuestHouse]

Another candidate for Thailand's growing welfare disaster of underfunded old foreigners in Thailand.

[petitechevre]

Very nice studio in ratchada: 3000baht

food: 7500baht

Internet: 1000baht

Cable: 350baht

thats around 12k baht.

that leaves him 13k baht for extra nice food, going out for a couple beers, movies as his age he probably doesnt need to do much shopping

Those saying its not enough are just retarded. the studios im talking about are in very clean buildings, close to everything.

I mean <deleted> i provide for my gf since shes not working right now, my son and his grand mother while she takes care of him, i have 2 dogs who eat a ton of premium quality food. a decent sized town house and a tooth for farang foods..

and i manage on 40k baht and save the rest... i could definately live cheaper without missing any confort from my old life in the suburbs in an above average income family.

So a old dude with no family on 25k baht? that's way enough.. theres a bunch of thai gyms too that are like 5baht a session, or in lumpini park its free i think?

Edited October 13, 2008 by petitechevre

[Geekfreaklover]

You can live in thailand for under 25k a month, but it helps if you have lived here some time, know the language, and can eat Thai food, watch thai TV and genreally adapt..

The vast majority of Thais live well within half of 25 per month on a family basis.

If coming over for the first time and expecting to stay within that budget, it would really help to have some friends in Thailand (that have lived here a long time) and avoid getting in a reationship with a local for the first year at least.

[easyride]

Absolutley mad to come over here on a 25,000 k, better off to stay in the UK; will not even get a retirement visa. Maybe he should try Cornwall they have palm trees down there too.

Of course he could live here on that money. Most Thais do.

A room (Thai style I'll admit) for 5000 a month.

Leave the booze and the birds alone an Bob's your uncle.

As for 'intellectual' I'd give it a miss. Who wants to hear a load

of barstool lawyers babbling on about how much better they are than you?

[warriors]

A WALK ALONG THE BEACH ROAD (caps lock sorry) Promenade in Pattaya demonstrates how many of the luckless and foolhardy are here.There appear to be many nationalities, clearly boracic. Perhaps a sociological survey along there ?. On the other hand there are retired expats whose sole activity, (besides waiting to die), is to go to their meetings for the week's buffet leftovers, and anxiously seek advice on where they might get a cheap deal on false teeth repairs.Both seem to be existing in their own purgatories...But as someone said "There but for the grace of god, Go I" Of course Burns "Wad the gift thepower gie us, to see worsels as others see us"

Not all us older persons have false teeth or are as poor as the poster.

Maybe the grace of god may not smile on you when if ever you get to his age.

[warriors]

Another candidate for Thailand's growing welfare disaster of underfunded old foreigners in Thailand.

Agreed

[ourmaninbangers]

Isaan will be more cost effective, Even in Chiang Mai you can rent at 5k including electric and internet, That leaves 5k a week to socialize and eat...it is doable. Don't really know how comfortable he would be in the UK on that. Find some part time teaching to help out.

I am sure he is a rational adult and can do the numbers.

He will never have comfortable time here on that amount. at his age he needs to have nedical insurance even it is only Thailand cover, that will put a big hole in his pension.

As for misleading the pension service, forget it, when they catch up you have to pay any annual increments back to them.( I speak from experience).

better he saves a little of his pension and do's the three to four month winter break over here, that way he will stay in UK compliance.Hopefully the exchange rate will creep back up after the govenment get their act together and he can revaluate again prehaps next year.

Good luck

please explain how they were able to do this..( catch about pension)my friend here many live on pension, government, and private ( which they keep seperate so get twice quite alot)one young man live here on UK dole( government hadout), and has his mortage paid for.

They say they follow correct proceedure and there is no way to be in trouble if do right, is it really that easy?, as they seem to do long time, with no trouble they must be right somehow. I showed them this, they say someone cannot be made to repay anything if they insist they have nothing and make the fuss

" and only a fool gets caught" I could ask them how possible. They also pay for all their trips back and forth by taking ciggeretttes back each time.perhaps he could do this to supplement his travel costs back and forth

In holland this is very easy.UK seems very backward with these things.Why penalise someone for living overseas?

I think 25k is enough,look how locals manage, that 4 times over average, and UK is so expensive these days.And so dull, those winters, no wonder it had an empire to get away from them! ( wink wink)

he could get health insurance, but would need a emercency fund.Perhaps some english teaching or some other odd job

I,d say for him to do some homework, network a bit and give it a go

good luck

[ourmaninbangers]

A WALK ALONG THE BEACH ROAD (caps lock sorry) Promenade in Pattaya demonstrates how many of the luckless and foolhardy are here.There appear to be many nationalities, clearly boracic. Perhaps a sociological survey along there ?. On the other hand there are retired expats whose sole activity, (besides waiting to die), is to go to their meetings for the week's buffet leftovers, and anxiously seek advice on where they might get a cheap deal on false teeth repairs.Both seem to be existing in their own purgatories...But as someone said "There but for the grace of god, Go I" Of course Burns "Wad the gift thepower gie us, to see worsels as others see us"

Not all us older persons have false teeth or are as poor as the poster.

Maybe the grace of god may not smile on you when if ever you get to his age.

yes, that was a little unkind, maybe poor in $$$, but not in spirit and far richer than this heartless poor person,and he does not seem to be looking too healthy judging by his photo.

[Scott]

This isn't about something being doable or not, it's about an older gentleman retiring here. Let's look at some of the costs he's going to incur just to get set up.

Airline ticket to get here.

Temporary accommodation until he gets a place

First, last and current month rent

Transportation to look around for a place

A few rip-offs here and there

Don't think it can be done on what he gets.

If he were 22 years old and could easily rough it a little, it would be doable, but this is an elderly guy. One tumble on the rough streets of most towns and he's got a broken arm or at least a trip to the hospital.

As for finding a 'lady friend', it ain't going to happen. They are interested in retirees for their money and/or security. This guy doesn't have that.

I am completely set up and I 'could' live on 25K, but I wouldn't do it. No fun, no buying a friend a beer, no real evenings out. Doesn't sound like much of a life.