Retirement Advice Request

[bcboy5440]

I am 54 recently left my company and looking at what retirement might look like. I have been a working drone for 36 years and the idea of retirement is a little daunting in a way. My wife and I recently separated and per my previous post I have a friend telling me I need to seriously look at Thailand. So with that in mind I am wondering:

-I know what life is like in Canada, but what do the early retired folks in Chiang Mai fill their time with?

- What are the educational opportunities like?

- What about English books or Book exchanges or libraries?

- What about English movies and TV?

- Do people play badminton in Thailand?

- What are the popular activities? Golf (costs?)

- How risky is it to ride a motorcycle in Thailand, I have heard different cautions that it is much more dangerous than in North America. Why would this be?

- Are there opportunities to meet other English speakers other than the famed bar scene?

-Are there times of the year when the weather is unbearable?

-Someone talked about pollution / bad air what is the cause of that?

-I have been reading more in the news that Thailand is becoming increasingly unstable politically, I know the news can distort reality so it would be nice to get some idea from people on the ground so to speak

- Do they offer classes to learn Thai? Is Thai a difficult language (like I found Mandarin)?

What sorts of things can a Canuck like me anticipate to find a bit challenging to adapt to in the Thai society / way of life?

What is it that keeps you living in Thailand? What do you really enjoy?

Thank you in advance for your assistance and participation. Who knows perhaps I will meet up with you in October if Thailand turns out to be a viable option.

Cheers

[PeaceBlondie]

I spent the evening with a retired expat from Vancouver. He loves it here.

Weather is hot, nothing like Saskatoon or Churchill. Winter in South Texas was too frigid for me.

Motorcycles = danger. They don't drive like folks in Ottawa.

Thai language = very difficult

[NancyL]

Hubby and I considered early retirement to Chiang Mai and had many of the same questions as the OP. We arranged our life so we could visit for a month and live like retirees instead of tourists. We stayed at Viangbua, which I think others have mentioned as a good initial "first home" in Chiang Mai.

We set out to answer our questions and develop a budget. We attended meetings of the Expats Club and several of their special interest groups, hubby (a member of Rotary) went to several Rotary meetings and we had lunch with some people we met thru Expats. At the beginning of each meeting, they ask newcomers to stand up and give a brief intro. We said we were interested in talking with other Americans who had left their life in the US and retired to CM full-time. Because of that little announcement, several people offered to have lunch with us and answer our questions.

(We decided to limit our lunch dates to Americans simply because of lack of time and a desire to talk with others who are in a similar situation with banking, mail forwarding, retirement visa application, Social Security, etc. OP might want to focus on talking with other Canadians during a "research" visit.)

We did try to set up lunch or beer dates with some people we'd "met" thru this forum, but none of those panned out. I think the personal announcement at Expats was best because it let people see that it would be OK to invest an hour in us.

We looked at some accomodations to get an idea of how much we'd have to spend, priced appliances and vehicles, had some health care services, visited libraries, movie theaters, checked out Thai language class offerings and in general sampled the activities we thought we'd enjoy in retirement.

We developed a budget and reviewed it with a few of our new Chiang Mai friends for fine tuning. We returned to the States, sat down with our financial advisor and decided to close down our business, get rid of our stuff and retire to Chiang Mai. That process took about two years; I know others without businesses who have closed their U.S. lives in just a few months. We've been in Chiang Mai now as retirees for about seven months and just love it. That initial exploratory visit and many hours of internet research paid off.

For the OP -- this forum is a good place to post specific questions (i.e. who has the best hamburger in town) and a wonderful place to lurk and learn, but it isn't so good for posting a list of 20 questions and getting meaningful responses to each. A visit and chat over lunch or a beer is the best way to run thru a list of questions.

[Pond Life]

I think Nancy L has hit the nail on the head.

The best thing to do it is to come here for a holiday first.

A month is ok but 2 or 3 would be better, but its possible you may never leave.

Get a 2 month tourist visa (extendable for 1 extra month) from your Thai consulate in Canada.

You do need to make your questions more specific, or feed them in a few at a time.

People on here have short attention spans. Including me.

Weather, Chiang Mai

Nov to Feb cold at night (10c) warm daytime (25c). Dry.

Mar to May Hot (up tp 40c) very dry, bad air quality (from burning forests & undergrowth).

June to Oct, Rainy season, starting hot & cooling towards Oct.

If you suffer from respiratory problems, you wont want to be there March to May.

The lifestyle depends on you.

Piss it all up the wall in a couple of years or live like a hermit or anywhere in between.

Single Farang men have a habit of hooking up with Thai girls & producing babies rather late in life.

Maybe work that in with your retirement financial planning !

[caf]

I am 54 recently left my company and looking at what retirement might look like. I have been a working drone for 36 years and the idea of retirement is a little daunting in a way. My wife and I recently separated and per my previous post I have a friend telling me I need to seriously look at Thailand. So with that in mind I am wondering:

-I know what life is like in Canada, but what do the early retired folks in Chiang Mai fill their time with?

- What are the educational opportunities like?

- What about English books or Book exchanges or libraries?

- What about English movies and TV?

- Do people play badminton in Thailand?

- What are the popular activities? Golf (costs?)

- How risky is it to ride a motorcycle in Thailand, I have heard different cautions that it is much more dangerous than in North America. Why would this be?

- Are there opportunities to meet other English speakers other than the famed bar scene?

-Are there times of the year when the weather is unbearable?

-Someone talked about pollution / bad air what is the cause of that?

-I have been reading more in the news that Thailand is becoming increasingly unstable politically, I know the news can distort reality so it would be nice to get some idea from people on the ground so to speak

- Do they offer classes to learn Thai? Is Thai a difficult language (like I found Mandarin)?

What sorts of things can a Canuck like me anticipate to find a bit challenging to adapt to in the Thai society / way of life?

What is it that keeps you living in Thailand? What do you really enjoy?

Thank you in advance for your assistance and participation. Who knows perhaps I will meet up with you in October if Thailand turns out to be a viable option.

Cheers

Nancy's reply should be useful to you. You will need to visit personally to understand what it is like here. Make a few trips.

There are two choices. Get out and meet the ordinary Thais. You need to be cautious dealing with Thais. ( They are cautious with each other. We have a stronger sense of trust than they do as life can be very unfair on them). If you remember that you will get on well with them and be able to fit in. Thais are a proud race and you must make efforts to integrate into their society and try to understand why they think the way they do. Do that and you can enjoy life here.

The alternative is to live with other foreigners here in a gated community. Many do but they miss the real Thailand by doing so and never understand what makes a Thai tick. The majority of Thais are poor as this is a third world country and this influences their attitudes. .Some foreigners look at life through Western eyes and values. Read widely topics on this forum. And see these differences for yourself. Some posts are unhelpful to say the least but overall there is much truth in the points put across. Read between the lines and remember some posters, although they have been here a long time, are not au fait with the political or social realities.

The Thai language is not difficult to learn. It is different from the Romance languages but it is very easy to get to a basic level so that you can integrate with the locals. A large number of foreigners here do not want to do that. That is up to them.

Yes driving, and riding particularly, is dangerous. But if you observe how they drive and ride, take account of it, and adapt accordingly you can cope with it. Drive defensively. Drive assuming the other guy will make a mistake. Don't complain when a bike comes at you on the wrong side of the road. The fact that is not the way in the West is irrelevant. This is not the West. Just be awarev that it happens and deal accordingly.

Hope that helps. It is a big topic. As I said. This is not the West. Be prepared to understand that, accept that you need to adapt a bit, and you will be fine

[venturalaw]

I am 54 recently left my company and looking at what retirement might look like. I have been a working drone for 36 years and the idea of retirement is a little daunting in a way. My wife and I recently separated and per my previous post I have a friend telling me I need to seriously look at Thailand. So with that in mind I am wondering:

-I know what life is like in Canada, but what do the early retired folks in Chiang Mai fill their time with?

- What are the educational opportunities like?

- What about English books or Book exchanges or libraries?

- What about English movies and TV?

- Do people play badminton in Thailand?

- What are the popular activities? Golf (costs?)

- How risky is it to ride a motorcycle in Thailand, I have heard different cautions that it is much more dangerous than in North America. Why would this be?

- Are there opportunities to meet other English speakers other than the famed bar scene?

-Are there times of the year when the weather is unbearable?

-Someone talked about pollution / bad air what is the cause of that?

-I have been reading more in the news that Thailand is becoming increasingly unstable politically, I know the news can distort reality so it would be nice to get some idea from people on the ground so to speak

- Do they offer classes to learn Thai? Is Thai a difficult language (like I found Mandarin)?

What sorts of things can a Canuck like me anticipate to find a bit challenging to adapt to in the Thai society / way of life?

What is it that keeps you living in Thailand? What do you really enjoy?

Thank you in advance for your assistance and participation. Who knows perhaps I will meet up with you in October if Thailand turns out to be a viable option.

Cheers

There are many topics available here to search for answers to your questions. A few quick responses: Most if not all of the major cities have 'expat' clubs. In Chiang Mai there is an excellent one. There are also many used bookstores. It really is a completely different, and may I say refreshing, way of life compared to the western world.

Feel free to PM me for more details if you wish. I'm heading out the door now, but I would not mind conversing at another time.

Cheers

[bluweyze]

You get obtain most things here as you can at home, movies, western TV, sport, books,food but of course you can't get everything. Medical facilities are good and there are many ways to meet other westerners. Try to remember it is not your home country and things work differently, adapt to the local ways and you should enjoy it, continually long for everything to be like the west and you probably won't. You can live in the city or outside in the hills ( and despite what you might read, you can breathe clean air year round because the pollution in March sinks to the lowlands of the city). I endorse what others advise, come for a long holiday before you make the big decision

[Priceless]

I think Nancy L has hit the nail on the head.

The best thing to do it is to come here for a holiday first.

A month is ok but 2 or 3 would be better, but its possible you may never leave.

Get a 2 month tourist visa (extendable for 1 extra month) from your Thai consulate in Canada.

You do need to make your questions more specific, or feed them in a few at a time.

People on here have short attention spans. Including me.

Weather, Chiang Mai

Nov to Feb cold at night (10c) warm daytime (25c). Dry.

Mar to May Hot (up tp 40c) very dry, bad air quality (from burning forests & undergrowth).

June to Oct, Rainy season, starting hot & cooling towards Oct.

If you suffer from respiratory problems, you wont want to be there March to May.

The lifestyle depends on you.

Piss it all up the wall in a couple of years or live like a hermit or anywhere in between.

Single Farang men have a habit of hooking up with Thai girls & producing babies rather late in life.

Maybe work that in with your retirement financial planning !

I agree about the care to be taken if you suffer from respiratory problems. However, the times given by this poster are slightly off. The worst times are actually the second half of February and most of March. The beginning of February and April can be bad, but usually are not. May is actually one of the best months of the year.

/ Priceless

[IanForbes]

I'm also from BC, and further to my answer to your first question I can go into detail what I like about Thailand if you send me a PM or e-mail. I have lots of photos that can illustrate what I say. I've been spending my winters in Thailand for the past 5 years and had been a regular visitor for 10 years prior to that. It's a HUGE change going from a one month holiday to a 5 or 6 month stay. It's MUCH better once you stay in one place for a while. I rent a hotel room in Chiang Mai as a place of residence, but take mini-holidays to other parts of Thailand. I enjoy it all.

[sassienie]

The bottom line is, how much money does the OP have? And what financial resources does he have for the future?

Once he has established his finances, than he can consider whether to retire in Thailand or not.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

-I know what life is like in Canada, but what do the early retired folks in Chiang Mai fill their time with?

Largely the same as in Canada, but we get to do it year-round.

- What are the educational opportunities like?

You mean for you to take courses or for kids to study? You can take courses in things like language, massage, meditation, golf, cooking, etc.

- What about English books or Book exchanges or libraries?

Chiang Mai is blessed with many used book stores. For things out of the mainstream there's always Amazon.com

- What about English movies and TV?

We get the usual cable channels on subscription from Truevisions. (www.truevisionstv.com). You know, HBO, Cinemax, Nat-Geo, Animal Planet, Discovery, CNN, BBC, etc, etc. For less mainstream things there's internet downloads of weird British TV series or whatever else you may like.

- Do people play badminton in Thailand?

Yes. It's not the number 1 sport (neither is it in Canada) but many people play it, it's easy to find courts and tournaments.

- What are the popular activities? Golf (costs?)

Don't know exact costs, but most people who are into golf seemed very happy with the standard of the courses and the costs.

- How risky is it to ride a motorcycle in Thailand

This is by far the most dangerous thing you can do in Thailand.

, I have heard different cautions that it is much more dangerous than in North America. Why would this be?

Because people follow the rules less, and because road design isn't as good as in Western countries. Sometimes pretty basic rules aren't followed, such as driving on the wrong side of the road, at night without lights, while drunk. It's virtually guaranteed that you'd have some type of mishap sooner or later. I'd stick to cars. You'd still get into mishaps, but those mishaps are less likely to involve scraping the tarmac.

- Are there opportunities to meet other English speakers other than the famed bar scene?

Yes absolutely. Actually while bar staff would be better at colloquial 'small talk' type conversations there's no doubt that educated Thais speak FAR better English, even though they may be less experienced in North American phrases and slang.

-Are there times of the year when the weather is unbearable?

Unbearable no, but I'm no fan of March. (Haze). Then April is super hot, September and early October very wet. All other months are fine, with December/January/Most of February positively amazing.

-Someone talked about pollution / bad air what is the cause of that?

Field burning and forest fires in the greater region incl. Burma and Laos. Results in haze. And it's very dry. There are usually about 10-15 days a year that the PM-10 count is really too high.

-I have been reading more in the news that Thailand is becoming increasingly unstable politically,

I know the news can distort reality so it would be nice to get some idea from people on the ground

so to speak

My personal opinion is that we aint seen nothing yet. However I don't see it impacting the day-to-day of people who aren't involved in politics, which includes foreign retirees.

- Do they offer classes to learn Thai? Is Thai a difficult language (like I found Mandarin)?

It's probably similar in difficulty to Mandarin due to not finding any similarities with Western languages, though reading and writing may be easier because it's just a finite set of left-to-right characters, so not terribly different form learing Greek or Russian. And if you've done Mandarin then you're at least familiar with the concept of a tonal language.

What sorts of things can a Canuck like me anticipate to find a bit challenging to adapt to

in the Thai society / way of life?

I don't know.. Being able to find your car back in January? I think it mostly depends on you yourself. Some people are just pretty open in their nature and enjoy seeing/learning new things. Those types of people tend to do very well.

What is it that keeps you living in Thailand? What do you really enjoy?

The culture, the weather, the food, the people, the sense of freedom, the sense of adventure/exploring.. I mean I live in a completely brain-dead gated community, but was at a small weekly market yesterday that's just around the corner a 3 minute walk away, and a guy actually managed an 'Oh My GOD!' in Thai when seeing the big foreign dude. He then smiles and offered me some whisky. I think everyone on this forum can tell you several dozens of those nice and fun encounters. I don't know, I just like the way of life. Add to that the stellar quality of life / value for money and it's all in all a pretty good place. Of course there are challenges, and your ability to engage those challenges is the bigger part of how well you will like it long term. Personally I wouldn't have it any other way.. My main fear of retirement would be to never ever find any challenge or something out of the ordinary!!

Edited June 14, 2009 by WinnieTheKhwai

[uptoyoumyfriend]

however

after changing continents twice in my life and now 8 years of chiang mai which has actually nothing to do with the point i want to make.

you should be honestly questioning yourself,if you want all the same lifestyle and amenities you have in canada,why leave?

after years there is a big challenge to find purpose in your life for many if you're not the Gypsy type and get off on the otherness ,at least or even better the oriental lifestyle .i don't make many friends here in the expat circle because of finding it hard to be with people always trying to find pizza and hamburgers,complaining about the heat and the thai idiots. why are they here ?

i think most of them just to get laid,although many also complain about their thai partners. there is mail order for that,is there not?

however there is the$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ i guess....

[Mapguy]

Hubby and I considered early retirement to Chiang Mai and had many of the same questions as the OP. We arranged our life so we could visit for a month and live like retirees instead of tourists. We stayed at Viangbua, which I think others have mentioned as a good initial "first home" in Chiang Mai.

We set out to answer our questions and develop a budget. We attended meetings of the Expats Club and several of their special interest groups, hubby (a member of Rotary) went to several Rotary meetings and we had lunch with some people we met thru Expats. At the beginning of each meeting, they ask newcomers to stand up and give a brief intro. We said we were interested in talking with other Americans who had left their life in the US and retired to CM full-time. Because of that little announcement, several people offered to have lunch with us and answer our questions.

(We decided to limit our lunch dates to Americans simply because of lack of time and a desire to talk with others who are in a similar situation with banking, mail forwarding, retirement visa application, Social Security, etc. OP might want to focus on talking with other Canadians during a "research" visit.)

We did try to set up lunch or beer dates with some people we'd "met" thru this forum, but none of those panned out. I think the personal announcement at Expats was best because it let people see that it would be OK to invest an hour in us.

We looked at some accomodations to get an idea of how much we'd have to spend, priced appliances and vehicles, had some health care services, visited libraries, movie theaters, checked out Thai language class offerings and in general sampled the activities we thought we'd enjoy in retirement.

We developed a budget and reviewed it with a few of our new Chiang Mai friends for fine tuning. We returned to the States, sat down with our financial advisor and decided to close down our business, get rid of our stuff and retire to Chiang Mai. That process took about two years; I know others without businesses who have closed their U.S. lives in just a few months. We've been in Chiang Mai now as retirees for about seven months and just love it. That initial exploratory visit and many hours of internet research paid off.

For the OP -- this forum is a good place to post specific questions (i.e. who has the best hamburger in town) and a wonderful place to lurk and learn, but it isn't so good for posting a list of 20 questions and getting meaningful responses to each. A visit and chat over lunch or a beer is the best way to run thru a list of questions.

A magnificently thoughtful post beautifully expressed!

[IanForbes]

I agree, mapguy. She did a very good job of giving good advice, and her use of vocabulary and paragraph structure was excellent.

I can sit for hours reading a novel, but I get tired after one or two paragraphs on a computer screen.

[Mapguy]

I think Nancy L has hit the nail on the head.

The best thing to do it is to come here for a holiday first.

A month is ok but 2 or 3 would be better, but its possible you may never leave.

Get a 2 month tourist visa (extendable for 1 extra month) from your Thai consulate in Canada.

You do need to make your questions more specific, or feed them in a few at a time.

People on here have short attention spans. Including me.

Weather, Chiang Mai

Nov to Feb cold at night (10c) warm daytime (25c). Dry.

Mar to May Hot (up tp 40c) very dry, bad air quality (from burning forests & undergrowth).

June to Oct, Rainy season, starting hot & cooling towards Oct.

If you suffer from respiratory problems, you wont want to be there March to May.

The lifestyle depends on you.

Piss it all up the wall in a couple of years or live like a hermit or anywhere in between.

Single Farang men have a habit of hooking up with Thai girls & producing babies rather late in life.

Maybe work that in with your retirement financial planning !

I agree about the care to be taken if you suffer from respiratory problems. However, the times given by this poster are slightly off. The worst times are actually the second half of February and most of March. The beginning of February and April can be bad, but usually are not. May is actually one of the best months of the year.

/ Priceless

I totally agree with Priceless. I generally extend the "bad" period into early April, but that's a quibble.

The weather can be absolutely glorious, as it is now, in my opinion. The air is almost crystal clear, the rain is intermittent (It is the tropics!), but wow!

So sad that people don't understand how nice it is around here after the really hot season ends in May and until the next bout with serious air pollution beginning the next February. In the middle is a great "winter season," as Priceless has pointed out.

[Mapguy]

Wow! What a wonderfully helpful thread!

I just read the whole thing after pausing to respond to NancyL's and Priceless'es posts!

[bcboy5440]

Thanks for trying to help a newbie find his way.

With the question looming in front of me like Oh wow now I am retired and single what do I do now? I have worked most of my life and I am now exploring a new chapter in my life. Tired of cold winters, looking for a land that can speak enough English to help a foreigner transition into the land until one can learn the language. Wanting to make new friends and how to do that? What opportunities are there in this new place etc.....

Just easy questions like what would a new life, in a new country, with new friends, look like?

[Tyke]

I am 54 recently left my company and looking at what retirement might look like. I have been a working drone for 36 years and the idea of retirement is a little daunting in a way. My wife and I recently separated and per my previous post I have a friend telling me I need to seriously look at Thailand. So with that in mind I am wondering:

-I know what life is like in Canada, but what do the early retired folks in Chiang Mai fill their time with?

- What are the educational opportunities like?

- What about English books or Book exchanges or libraries?

- What about English movies and TV?

- Do people play badminton in Thailand?

- What are the popular activities? Golf (costs?)

- How risky is it to ride a motorcycle in Thailand, I have heard different cautions that it is much more dangerous than in North America. Why would this be?

- Are there opportunities to meet other English speakers other than the famed bar scene?

-Are there times of the year when the weather is unbearable?

-Someone talked about pollution / bad air what is the cause of that?

-I have been reading more in the news that Thailand is becoming increasingly unstable politically, I know the news can distort reality so it would be nice to get some idea from people on the ground so to speak

- Do they offer classes to learn Thai? Is Thai a difficult language (like I found Mandarin)?

What sorts of things can a Canuck like me anticipate to find a bit challenging to adapt to in the Thai society / way of life?

What is it that keeps you living in Thailand? What do you really enjoy?

Thank you in advance for your assistance and participation. Who knows perhaps I will meet up with you in October if Thailand turns out to be a viable option.

Cheers

You'de be better off in Bangkok or Pattaya - the air in Chiang Mai is lethal and there's nothing to do unless you want to spend the rest of your life walking aimlessly around 105 temples (at the last count). Forget anything cultural in the western sense, unless you like really boring polite chit chat at wine tasting sessions, or maybe chess or darts.

Edited June 15, 2009 by Tyke

[Priceless]

You'de be better off in Bangkok or Pattaya - the air in Chiang Mai is lethal and there's nothing to do unless you want to spend the rest of your life walking aimlessly around 105 temples (at the last count). Forget anything cultural in the western sense, unless you like really boring polite chit chat at wine tasting sessions, or maybe chess or darts.

Here is a comparison of average pollution levels (Particulate Matter, PM<10) between Chiang Mai, central Bangkok (Din Daeng) and Chon Buri (Pattaya):

This goes to show that you have to be careful when you read ThaiVisa posts, some posters just don't have a clue what they're talking about As I pointed out earlier in the thread, late February and March are really bad but that's about it.

/ Priceless

[Ulysses G.]

This goes to show that you have to be careful when you read ThaiVisa posts, some posters just don't have a clue what they're talking about WARNING!

[caf]

Thanks for trying to help a newbie find his way.

With the question looming in front of me like Oh wow now I am retired and single what do I do now? I have worked most of my life and I am now exploring a new chapter in my life. Tired of cold winters, looking for a land that can speak enough English to help a foreigner transition into the land until one can learn the language. Wanting to make new friends and how to do that? What opportunities are there in this new place etc.....

Just easy questions like what would a new life, in a new country, with new friends, look like?

I get the impression you want to live in Thaialnd but amongst foreigners. So, what attracts you to this country and its people? Then may be we can help you. It's nothing like the West. You need to be sure what you want

[IanForbes]

Thanks for trying to help a newbie find his way.

With the question looming in front of me like Oh wow now I am retired and single what do I do now? I have worked most of my life and I am now exploring a new chapter in my life. Tired of cold winters, looking for a land that can speak enough English to help a foreigner transition into the land until one can learn the language. Wanting to make new friends and how to do that? What opportunities are there in this new place etc.....

Just easy questions like what would a new life, in a new country, with new friends, look like?

You can get a triple entry tourist visa for $105 Canadian. That is 3 sections of 60 days at a time. In that time you have to leave the country twice to get your passport stamped. Chiang Mai is probably closer to the border than any other large city in Thailand. It takes a full day by bus to go to Mai Sai (Burma) and back for a passport stamp. Chiang Rai is closer by 3 hours. but Chiang Rai is MUCH smaller than Chiang Mai and doesn't have nearly the infrastructure for farangs as Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai is an ideal size city for English speaking tourists who want SOMETHING to do besides watch the grass grow and go for long walks around rice fields. You can easily walk right across the city in one day and there's always some place to speak English if you need advice.

I don't know how much money you have available to live on but there was a discussion about 30,000 baht being about the minimum. That is a little over $1000 a month. It can be done, but it's a tight fit. If you have about $2000 (Canadian) a month income you can live very comfortably in a nice hotel in Chiang Mai (monthly rate), and still have enough for food and entertainment.

I would take everyone's advice and make your first trip a long one of 3 months or more, and get to know the place on an intimate level. I usually stay for 5 months and it fits my lifestyle perfectly.

I would spend some time with the ladies of the night, but not make that your soul interest. And, I certainly would advise AGAINST falling in love. It's too easy to get caught up in that trap.

Cummon over, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I know once I started coming to Asia it changed my life for the better.

[PeaceBlondie]

"...and there's nothing to do unless you want to spend the rest of your life walking aimlessly around 105 temples (at the last count). Forget anything cultural in the western sense, unless you like really boring polite chit chat at wine tasting sessions, or maybe chess or darts." With all due respect to Tyke...rubbish. I almost never walk around temples. Whilst eating enchiladas, arroz y ensalada at an indoor air-con place (Salsa Cafe - aroi mahk), I had a long and fascinating talk with an American who traveled without Dorothy or Toto, far from Kansas. No mention of booze or sex, but Equatorial Guinea, Ecuador, Khe Sanh, Gen. MacArthur, Khmers, and Ougadougou. And I swam and cavorted with locals. No chess or darts. Woo-ga-doo to you, too.

[Rasseru]

I would spend some time with the ladies of the night, but not make that your soul interest.

What would you recommend for his soul interest?

[el jefe]

I would spend some time with the ladies of the night, but not make that your soul interest. And, I certainly would advise AGAINST falling in love. It's too easy to get caught up in that trap.

A life without love. That's sad.

[Tyke]

You'de be better off in Bangkok or Pattaya - the air in Chiang Mai is lethal and there's nothing to do unless you want to spend the rest of your life walking aimlessly around 105 temples (at the last count). Forget anything cultural in the western sense, unless you like really boring polite chit chat at wine tasting sessions, or maybe chess or darts.

Here is a comparison of average pollution levels (Particulate Matter, PM<10) between Chiang Mai, central Bangkok (Din Daeng) and Chon Buri (Pattaya):

This goes to show that you have to be careful when you read ThaiVisa posts, some posters just don't have a clue what they're talking about As I pointed out earlier in the thread, late February and March are really bad but that's about it.

/ Priceless

Damned right he has! - nothing like a quick downloaded, unreferenced, unexplained 9 year-old graph to sort things out eh? That's done the trick. Where is Pattaya on this scale?

One thing about the CM lot is that any slighting of their little northern comfort zone soon brings out the knives

[caf]

You'de be better off in Bangkok or Pattaya - the air in Chiang Mai is lethal and there's nothing to do unless you want to spend the rest of your life walking aimlessly around 105 temples (at the last count). Forget anything cultural in the western sense, unless you like really boring polite chit chat at wine tasting sessions, or maybe chess or darts.

Here is a comparison of average pollution levels (Particulate Matter, PM<10) between Chiang Mai, central Bangkok (Din Daeng) and Chon Buri (Pattaya):

This goes to show that you have to be careful when you read ThaiVisa posts, some posters just don't have a clue what they're talking about As I pointed out earlier in the thread, late February and March are really bad but that's about it.

/ Priceless

Damned right he has! - nothing like a quick downloaded, unreferenced, unexplained 9 year-old graph to sort things out eh? That's done the trick. Where is Pattaya on this scale?

One thing about the CM lot is that any slighting of their little northern comfort zone soon brings out the knives

I agree Tyke. What the op needs is some balanced views. warts and all

[Ulysses G.]

I would spend some time with the ladies of the night, but not make that your soul interest. And, I certainly would advise AGAINST falling in love. It's too easy to get caught up in that trap.

A life without love. That's sad.

A life with insincere love can be a lot sadder!

[Ulysses G.]

Damned right he has! - nothing like a quick downloaded, unreferenced, unexplained 9 year-old graph to sort things out eh? That's done the trick. Where is Pattaya on this scale?

Chon Buri is Pattaya (it is clearly marked) and the graph is dated 2009 although it begins in 2000. In other words, it is current and pretty easy to understand. Thanks; I thought that I was statistically-challenged

Edited June 15, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[Thakkar]

Pollution: Mid Feb to late March. Maybe a few days in April. Rest of the year it's clear skies. Within those few weeks of hazy days, there are about 15 intermittent days that are pretty horrendous. Since you'll be retired, you can just remain indoor those few days. However, if you already suffer from respiratory problems, you'll want to be out of town every Feb/March.

Language: It's tonal like Mandarin and the slightest variations in tone can change the meaning. However, unlike Chinese, Thai has an alphabet similar to Hindi/Gujarati in structure. The grammar is simple and similar to Mandarin/Cantonese. I speak fluent Cantonese and passable Mandarin and found basic Thai fairly easy to pick up. There are some excellent, reasonably-priced courses available. Consider learning Thai as a stimulating retirement challenge. Fluency is not easy, but to acquire a simple working knowledge of Thai isn't hard.

Many single retirees have come vowing never to fall in love, but have succumbed to love, or an arrangement, or whatever you want to call it. They then vainly vowed never to have children. You can't blame a woman for wanting to lock in her security. If you don't want kids, get a vasectomy before you arrive and make very sure the woman you hitch up with doesn't have kids.

You'll need 60k Baht/month to live comfortably. If you have to save and scrimp, you won't be happy. Budget extra for health insurance. Assume an inflation rate of 5%/year and assume that the Canadian dollar will weaken over time.

Life will be as interesting or boring as you make it, wherever you are.

Asking people who already live here, you'll mostly get positive responses. That doesn't necessarily mean this place is for you. Best to come and live here for six consecutive months before you burn any bridges back home. I know at least two people who came, couldn't adjust and left. One of them because he simply had budgeted too tightly, not allowing for the appreciation of the Baht from 40 against the USD to 33.

Edited June 15, 2009 by Thakkar