Why Thailand? Compared To Living The Uk

[leprechaun]

Hiya....

I've recently returned to living in the UK and although I had an amazing time whilst living in Thailand I found it necessary to return to the UK so that I could financially support my family.

Since returning to blighty I have returned to my previous employment in the Logistics sector with a good salary, a company car provided and presently in the middle of purchasing a 5 bed detached property in a new housing estate.

To be honest life can't get any better for both me and my family.

I found that the meagre Thai salary didn't even come close to supporting my family and I wasn't entirely happy with not being able to provide the basics for my wife and baby, ie car, house etc so it was only a matter of time before a decision, rather reluctantly at the time had to be made to return to the UK.

The question that I am asking is do you feel that you can live in Thailand for any length of time or are you on a financial time bomb as I was, living beyond your means and borrowing from savings.

[Lawnmower]

Undecided. Sounds like i'm in a similar boat as you were before. With a second child on the way, we are considering a return to the UK for a few years. As you described, money is obviously easier to come by in the UK and education will be of a higher quality. However, the thought of returning to the world of finance and the predictability of life over there, is putting me off for at least a few more years !! If i can find a way to avoid it i will.

[anonymouse]

It depends on what your financial situation is in the UK I suppose....

I spend my time half in the the UK, half in Thailand but am currently in the process of selling up and moving full-time to Chiang Mai and doing some sort of business over there.

I think the UK is becoming an increasingly more expensive place to live. To fund a decent life style living in London as I do, with the wife and kid I would need to be earning at least 40,000gbp a year but in the job I'm doing even the top earners don't exceed 35,000.

If your earning the big bucks good luck to you........I'm going to try to make a go of it in Thailand - wish me luck!

[Neeranam]

Undecided. Sounds like i'm in a similar boat as you were before. With a second child on the way, we are considering a return to the UK for a few years. As you described, money is obviously easier to come by in the UK and education will be of a higher quality. However, the thought of returning to the world of finance and the predictability of life over there, is putting me off for at least a few more years !! If i can find a way to avoid it i will.

Uncannily close to my situation and thoughts.

If I had worked in the Uk oil industry for another 6 months, 12 years ago, I could have bought a very nice house. for over 1 million baht.

The chances of going back to that industry are pretty slim now though. , but would I really want to? I couldn't wait to get away from all that <deleted>.

[bannork]

Hiya....

I've recently returned to living in the UK and although I had an amazing time whilst living in Thailand I found it necessary to return to the UK so that I could financially support my family.

Since returning to blighty I have returned to my previous employment in the Logistics sector with a good salary, a company car provided and presently in the middle of purchasing a 5 bed detached property in a new housing estate.

To be honest life can't get any better for both me and my family.

I found that the meagre Thai salary didn't even come close to supporting my family and I wasn't entirely happy with not being able to provide the basics for my wife and baby, ie car, house etc so it was only a matter of time before a decision, rather reluctantly at the time had to be made to return to the UK.

The question that I am asking is do you feel that you can live in Thailand for any length of time or are you on a financial time bomb as I was, living beyond your means and borrowing from savings.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Leprechaun, you're being rather economical with the truth here, the fact is you couldn't hack it as a teacher in Thailand so you had no choice but to return. Your salary of 30,000 baht for 17 hours a week, Monday to Friday, should have been enough as you're not a man of any discernable vices. Your wife is the daughter of 2 teachers, she's qualified too if I remember right. Working together in Bangkok or her home province of Petchabun, you could have saved 10 or 15 thousand baht a month, built a nice wooden house in 2 or 3 years.

Living in England is cold, dull and expensive, a new housing estate sounds particularly depressing and soulless. If your wife can stand it I take my hat off to her,(it's cloudy here today, a pleasant 25 degrees).

bannork

[IMA_FARANG]

Hiya....

I've recently returned to living in the UK and although I had an amazing time whilst living in Thailand I found it necessary to return to the UK so that I could financially support my family.

Since returning to blighty I have returned to my previous employment in the Logistics sector with a good salary, a company car provided and presently in the middle of purchasing a 5 bed detached property in a new housing estate.

To be honest life can't get any better for both me and my family.

I found that the meagre Thai salary didn't even come close to supporting my family and I wasn't entirely happy with not being able to provide the basics for my wife and baby, ie car, house etc so it was only a matter of time before a decision, rather reluctantly at the time had to be made to return to the UK.

The question that I am asking is do you feel that you can live in Thailand for any length of time or are you on a financial time bomb as I was, living beyond your means and borrowing from savings.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My situation...I'm a yank, currently working outside U.S. (Greece) and about 4 years to retirement (2008). Will be 62 (only 50% pension (social security) as we say in U.S.). Not viable to live in U.S. at 50% pension rate due to costs. Possible to do that in LOS. Have enough savings to rent/buy place to live in Thailand. Probably will be outside BKK. Have Thai family and experience inThailand for last 20 to 25 years. Expect to come to Thailand about 2008 to retire. Won't be rich. but can still handle living on half-pension in Thailand. Not big on boozing/bargirls (did that for about 10/15 years, but getting too old for that nonsense these days.)

Quite willing to watch the Sun set over the ocean with a Mekong/Orange or an ice cold Singha/Hieneken/Chang (or whatever) until my time runs out.

And Flock the rest of the world.

Edited July 9, 2005 by IMA_FARANG

[mpdkorat]

I like living in Thailand. The thought of living back in the UK is to depressing to discuss further.

[ghengis]

What percentage of those people who are living in Thailand are in a position to live there for the rest of their lives?

Those people who have sold the house in the UK (or other western countries) and arrive in Thailand with a pension equivalent of 40k/month or better can expect to be in a position to retire comfortably in Thailand.

Many other long-term farang Thai residents who don't have a secure long-term income face the prospect of being forced to return to their home country to eak out their retirement on state social security benefits.

Edited July 9, 2005 by ghengis

[coldcrush]

Sometimes you just gotta do what ya gotta do!!! I work in a harsh environment, the North Sea to be precise. However after spending alongtime in Thailand I knew that making money was just a matter of time. Yes I could have saved all my pennys and held on, but how long for. No one is to blame, some people just want more money than others. That is freedom of choice.

[Dragonman]

Hiya....

I've recently returned to living in the UK and although I had an amazing time whilst living in Thailand I found it necessary to return to the UK so that I could financially support my family.

Since returning to blighty I have returned to my previous employment in the Logistics sector with a good salary, a company car provided and presently in the middle of purchasing a 5 bed detached property in a new housing estate.

To be honest life can't get any better for both me and my family.

I found that the meagre Thai salary didn't even come close to supporting my family and I wasn't entirely happy with not being able to provide the basics for my wife and baby, ie car, house etc so it was only a matter of time before a decision, rather reluctantly at the time had to be made to return to the UK.

The question that I am asking is do you feel that you can live in Thailand for any length of time or are you on a financial time bomb as I was, living beyond your means and borrowing from savings.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My situation...I'm a yank, currently working outside U.S. (Greece) and about 4 years to retirement (2008). Will be 62 (only 50% pension (social security) as we say in U.S.). Not viable to live in U.S. at 50% pension rate due to costs. Possible to do that in LOS. Have enough savings to rent/buy place to live in Thailand. Probably will be outside BKK. Have Thai family and experience inThailand for last 20 to 25 years. Expect to come to Thailand about 2008 to retire. Won't be rich. but can still handle living on half-pension in Thailand. Not big on boozing/bargirls (did that for about 10/15 years, but getting too old for that nonsense these days.)

Quite willing to watch the Sun set over the ocean with a Mekong/Orange or an ice cold Singha/Hieneken/Chang (or whatever) until my time runs out.

And Flock the rest of the world.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You have exactly my sentiments on the matter. Literally earned 10x my present income in the Uk. But so what! Sitting in my big house and my big car and going to constant social events doesn't compare to sitting on the local beach drinking a chang and watching the baby play in the ocean. I was lucky I retired at 50. Good luck in your retirement in a few years.

[Neeranam]

What percentage of those people who are living in Thailand are in a position to live there for the rest of their lives?

Those people who have sold the house in the UK (or other western countries) and arrive in Thailand with a pension equivalent of 40k/month or better can expect to be in a position to retire comfortably in Thailand.

Many other long-term farang Thai residents who don't have a secure long-term income face the prospect of being forced to return to their home country to eak out their retirement on state social security benefits.

I think a high %age of people are retirees, who never have to worry about money for the rest of their lives. or those who have sold their house.

I had a good job in the oil industry and could have worked there for another 20 years and then retired to Thailand. The prospect of doing that just for the money was very frightening for me.

I decided to come here, when I was 27, and work here. Who knows, I may be dead tomorrow. If I am, I will have no regrets. If I live to be 100, why can't I saty in Thailand? I don't have to go "home", and live on a crappy pension.

"Live for today", is one of my mottos.

Thailand is very different from the UK.

I could get a pension if I put into it for the next 25 years, then again I could have faith that I will be financiallly secure when I am older.

I guess my kids are my pension plan, which is normal for Thailand.

What would I rather be, an old guy who has worked in a miserable country in order to live a few years in Thailand as a king, or live like a king all my life?

There are plenty of ways to be secure in Thailand financially if you know the ropes. I have been here over 10 years and finally starting to make some money very easily. Not a great deal yet, but that may happen in the future.

Many older guys I know are rather dissapointed in this country after staying here for a few years. They have more than enough money here but cannot now go home. They sit at home all day watching English tv and drinking beer chang, moaning about the state of this country and Thai people.

[CarlBkk]

I was in a dilemma - at 25 I wanted to be in Thailand but knew the salary and work of an English teacher wouldn't keep me going for very long. Getting a job in an international company here would be incredibly difficult too, given my non-specialised role. I wanted the salary of my mind-numbing London office job but without being there. After a year in Thailand thinking, planning and wasting my redundancy pay I started a UK company manufacturing in Thailand and selling in the UK - money made in UK but spent in Thailand, me in Thailand.

I think it was the only solution for me and way more motivating than working for a big company. I can come and go as I please, work when I please, be with my wife who has a good job here (but wouldn't be able to earn anything similar if in the UK), and could buy an amazing apartment for £100,000. I look back and see my friends in London, one couple earning in excess of £65,000 per year and paying out, like I did, over £500 per month rent for a small apartment in a safe area. Buying a place? They want to but can't find anywhere for less than £250,000 in a NICE area and still have to pack on a packed bus or tube with irritable people twice a day for an hour each time.

What can 18 or even 8 million baht buy you in Bangkok or Hua Hin? No wonder the expat community is growing massively year by year.