Best Place In Thailand To Retire

[Renoir]

Hi,

Where is the best place to retire in Thailand for a single man who which to find not only a nice Thai girlfriend but also a good community of foreigners and many things to do other than going for a drink. I want to learn Thai and make Thai friends but I also want to make some friends among foreigners as it will be easier to have conversation with them. Chiang Mai seems to have everything that I am looking for but I could not live there when they start burning the fields as the air quality is too poor then. However, i don't discard Chiang Mai as an option as I could travel somewhere else during that period.Obviously Bangkok could also be a good place but I believe that the cost of living is much higher. Do you have other place to suggest? I visited Thailand last year and have seen the two cities mentioned and some others but I have not all of Thailand.

Thanks,

Renoir

[lovelomsak]

I cannot say for sure if my suggestion will suit your needs but will suggest anyways. I travelled Thailand for over 10 years before deciding where was the best place to live in the country. I am a single man same as you but probably older.

I found Pitsanulok ideal. It is central.By that I mean 4 hours from Bangkok and 8 hours from Chiang mai. It has decent shopping for many farang items at Macro,Big C, Tesco Lotus. Has movie theaters. I amnot sure if it is true now but before it had the reputation for the most restaurants per capita in Thailand. Now there are lots of foreigners there so very possible to meet and make friends.

Cost of living is probably similar to Chiang Mai. It too has an immigration office in the city no need to travel. It also has an area near the big university that is popular with the younger crowd of foreigners.(Great social life)

Has many good hospitals. Doctors and hospitals are very affordable.

If you have any specific questions please ask.

[happyrobert]

No one can accurately answer your question as we all have different views and preferences.

More important, is Thailand even the right place for you?

Come with nothing more than you can carry. Say, a back pack and a small duffle bag.

Stay the first month in Bangkok and take an intensive Thai language course at a respectable school. Their are many and most are not expensive.

Do not buy anything that you can not carry. Do not buy a vehicle or a condo, nor enter into any long term lease agreements. If you are coming soon, the wet season will have some great deals on bungalows for short term. If you are not coming for some time, attend a school in your home town and start studying Thai now, if possible.

After you have a little language skill, start travelling, stay a day, a week or two, or a month someplace, then travel to another local. Familiarize yourself with visas, the purchasing of any kind of vehicle, and rentals and their typical prices and policies.

Have a fun and carefree time, unburdened by the worries of anything that will Thai tie you down and then realizing you don't like that place so much afterall. Believe it, you can and will experience unpleasant surprises that you never dreamed of.

Study Thai language an culture for 15 minutes a day, sitting on a bus or train or while eating. It adds up.

After six months, decide if you even want to stay here, and if so, where. There are many great places here where you should find happiness, but it's a very, very personal decision. The biggest mistake people make is moving to fast to get settled. Six months is minimum, a year is better. Think of it as a long holiday and have a blast.

By the way, Bangkok is no more expensive than CM. (Yea, I'll get hit for that one, so what.)

Good luck.

[KED]

No one can accurately answer your question as we all have different views and preferences.

By the way, Bangkok is no more expensive than CM. (Yea, I'll get hit for that one, so what.)

Good luck.

While it is possible to live frugally in Bangkok, I think Chiang Mai and other areas of Thailand are much less expensive than Bangkok. The cost for similar housing outside of Bangkok gets you much more for your baht.

I do agree that with the skytrain and mrt, transportation in Bangkok cannot be beat.

[sirchai]

I settled down in the lower northeast, about 10 years ago. The city is close to Laos and Cambodia, people are more friendly than at tourist destinations.

Most people countryside are rice farmers, the cost of living is cheaper than in Bangkok or CM.

Speaking the language Thai does help you a lot, don't rely on foreigners who drink their daily alcohol, starting fights, gossiping around and so on.

Never trust people, who are too friendly, this goes for all nationalities.

There's no need to buy a house or motorcycle, just come and see the Isan, as it's much more the real Thailand.

Nice girls are everywhere, but you better meet a girl with a poor English command not being a bar girl. You wouldn't like to hear sentences like" I lav U too mach."

You can get them all out of a bar, but the bar will always be in their minds.

After being here for a while, ordinary Thais will start to like you, when you're not doing some weird stuff. Many women are single, after a relationship with a Thai man.

Some of them are really looking for love, try to differentiate between love and sex.

Be aware that there's no ocean near the Isan, but the way of life is great. Just my thoughts, good luck wherever you'll go to. :jap:

Edited August 7, 2011 by sirchai

[MrsMills]

Pattaya.

[woodyleonhard]

Take Happyrobert's approach and go slowly. Sirchai has the right idea.

Don't forget to look at Phuket. I moved here 11 years ago, and still love it. Lots of reasons.

... although many people on the forum will no doubt disagree.

P.S. If you want to try the slow immersion suggested by Happyrobert, you don't have to start in Bangkok. Phuket has many good Thai-language schools for English speakers. I go to Patong Language School almost every day.

[oo7]

have to agree with post 6 Pattaya as all u need sea, women,many different food places,places cheaper to rent,and only 1 hour to Bangkok.

Been to many places in Thailand and always find Pattaya the cheapest place hence been living here for 7 years.

[lazygourmet]

Sorry to the OP for not answering directly to his question....

But honestly, I could never dream of being retired in Thailand.

I am giving myself two more decades in South-East Asia, then I am off to the family holiday house in South of France.

Edited August 7, 2011 by lazygourmet

[sirchai]

have to agree with post 6 Pattaya as all u need sea, women,many different food places,places cheaper to rent,and only 1 hour to Bangkok.

Been to many places in Thailand and always find Pattaya the cheapest place hence been living here for 7 years.

Sorry, have to disagree with you in that point. First of all, most girls in Pattaya are bar girls, freelancers, loads of pick pockets, drugs, Go Go bars. Many people have never experienced the real Thailand and might think Pattaya’s the best place in this country.

But reality is often different, the place is full of people you wouldn’t like to have a chat with.

You pay more money for almost everything, because they’re all used to ‘overprice’ foreigners.

Pattaya isn’t really Thailand, full of dreams; the sea is so polluted that you can’t even go swimming there.

Lots of Thais, (foreigners as well) are drug addicted. Foreigners are fighting every day, too many drunks, scams at every corner, time sharing salesmen everywhere, trying to fool you.

You can’t even sit at Pattaya beach without getting offers to buy overprized stuff.

Restaurants are expensive, Pattaya is worth a holiday, but I guess some expats agree that it’s not a place to settle down.

Even Soengtaew drivers (Pick Up taxis) rip you off. This goes for all other shops, as you’ll pay more than Thais do.

Pattaya is a kind of divided; you’ll find a lot of German restaurants or pubs at Naklua, or north Pattaya.

Go there, don’t get hammered and try to see the place at it is. S T R A N G E. Good luck. :jap:

[Tolley]

I vote for Pattaya too.

It is set up for expats and retirees.

It has lots of food options, housing, hospitals, and of course plenty of women.

English is widely spoken and there are a variety of expat clubs and associations.

Don't be put off by the cheap charlies here who demonise Pattaya most of them live in Nakhon nowhere because they can't afford to live anywhere else.

[kerryk]

I vote for Pattaya too.

It is set up for expats and retirees.

It has lots of food options, housing, hospitals, and of course plenty of women.

English is widely spoken and there are a variety of expat clubs and associations.

Don't be put off by the cheap charlies here who demonise Pattaya most of them live in Nakhon nowhere because they can't afford to live anywhere else.

I am a cheap charlie and I don't demonise Pattaya. Pattaya can be really cheap if you play it that way.

You can get a job teaching English and eat on the street and meet girls on the baht bus. Hospitals leave a little to be desired if you are on the cheap though but manageable.

[happyrobert]

Sorry to the OP for not answering directly to his question....

But honestly, I could never dream of being retired in Thailand.

I am giving myself two more decades in South-East Asia, then I am off to the family holiday house in South of France.

Need a caretaker in the meantime?

[DNPBC0]

Renoir, if you want more helpful answers, perhaps you should begin by telling us why you want to retire to Thailand? What attracts you this country as opposed to anywhere else, including where you currently live. The responses to that information might save you the reconnaissance expedition suggested by happyrobert.

[Amsterdamhappy]

Agree that we need some more information about your wishes and lifestyle to give a good answer.

Are you a beach lover or a city person? Do you like to eat som tam or hamburgers? Do you want a gf that is part of your life or do you want a gf and be part of her life?

Personally I like Kanchanaburi. Lots of things to do (nature, culture), great food, nice markets, close to BKK and enough foreigners to make friends and few enough to still be a Thai town.

[sirchai]

I vote for Pattaya too.

It is set up for expats and retirees.

It has lots of food options, housing, hospitals, and of course plenty of women.

English is widely spoken and there are a variety of expat clubs and associations.

Don't be put off by the cheap charlies here who demonise Pattaya most of them live in Nakhon nowhere because they can't afford to live anywhere else.

My dog likes bones, I don't. Not everybody wants to live his/her life in Pattaya, for several reasons.

Nobody was demonizing this fantastic city of lost dreams, not just English is widely spoken, also Russian can be easily learned.

:jap:

Edited August 7, 2011 by sirchai

[tailspin]

Pattaya-Boring People Need Not Apply..someone put this on a t-shirt please....just send me my commission for the concept

have to agree with post 6 Pattaya as all u need sea, women,many different food places,places cheaper to rent,and only 1 hour to Bangkok.

Been to many places in Thailand and always find Pattaya the cheapest place hence been living here for 7 years.

Sorry, have to disagree with you in that point. First of all, most girls in Pattaya are bar girls, freelancers, loads of pick pockets, drugs, Go Go bars. Many people have never experienced the real Thailand and might think Pattaya's the best place in this country.

But reality is often different, the place is full of people you wouldn't like to have a chat with.

You pay more money for almost everything, because they're all used to 'overprice' foreigners.

Pattaya isn't really Thailand, full of dreams; the sea is so polluted that you can't even go swimming there.

Lots of Thais, (foreigners as well) are drug addicted. Foreigners are fighting every day, too many drunks, scams at every corner, time sharing salesmen everywhere, trying to fool you.

You can't even sit at Pattaya beach without getting offers to buy overprized stuff.

Restaurants are expensive, Pattaya is worth a holiday, but I guess some expats agree that it's not a place to settle down.

Even Soengtaew drivers (Pick Up taxis) rip you off. This goes for all other shops, as you'll pay more than Thais do.

Pattaya is a kind of divided; you'll find a lot of German restaurants or pubs at Naklua, or north Pattaya.

Go there, don't get hammered and try to see the place at it is. S T R A N G E. Good luck. :jap:

[92302]

Pattaya isn't really Thailand

That's correct Pattaya is a city in Thailand.

Been all over Thailand and Pattaya beats the lot hands on for full time living everywhere else gets boring after a week.

Most who have lived in Pattaya then blown all their money have 2 choices, go home or go live in the jungle somewhere like Tarzan and come on here and slate Pattaya.

Edited August 7, 2011 by 92302

[wisdomwizard]

There is a site with over 60 videos about some of the places and prices of living in Thailand. Good info in the videos. The site name is retirecheap.asia I hope that helps.

[Ulysses G.]

Pattaya isn’t really Thailand

[Renoir]

Renoir, if you want more helpful answers, perhaps you should begin by telling us why you want to retire to Thailand? What attracts you this country as opposed to anywhere else, including where you currently live. The responses to that information might save you the reconnaissance expedition suggested by happyrobert.

I am planning to retire to Thailand for many reasons:

I went there for one month last year and I enjoyed it.

I like having massage (real one),

I also found that I could find a nice, younger and cute girlfriend there (not a bar girl) for a long term relationship, especially if I learn Thai. I am 52 years old and don't find women my age in my country attractive. I prefer a nice 35 years old Thai.

Thai women are feminine.

I am taking early retirement because my job will be cut next year. Because I don't have the age and the number of years of work necessary, I will receive only half my pension. I will have only about 55,000 to 60,000 Bath a month of available income plus a few million Baths in the bank for emergency, I would live like a poor man.in my country. In Thailand I can live better.

There is a big foreigner community in Thailand . I hope to find some good friends there.

I love Thai food.

I like Buddhist philosophy.

Etc.

On the other hand, I don't like rain and humidity that much. I guess nothing is perfect. I may decide to live somewhere else after giving Thailand a try. Many countries in South and Central America have a better climate and a low cost of living but it is dangerous living there and there seems to be less things to do. As I speak Spanish (in addition to French and English) this is another option.

Renoir

[lazygourmet]

Sorry to the OP for not answering directly to his question....

But honestly, I could never dream of being retired in Thailand.

I am giving myself two more decades in South-East Asia, then I am off to the family holiday house in South of France.

Need a caretaker in the meantime?

Cheers...

But dad is in the retirement housing biz, that will suffix!

[virtualtraveller]

Been here 10 years, publish popular travel sites on Thailand, Renoir it really depends what your priorities are, different places suit different characters, here's a few notes;

Chiang Mai is probably the best balance of cheap, expat friendly, sociable, semi-sophistcated, quality living and healthy. To be honest, the three weeks of bad air in March is a lot less unhealthy than sitting in a restaurant beside a busy Bangkok road, several evenings a week throughout the year. Expats in CM simply go on holiday elsewhere in March.

Pattaya is great if you're here for the girlies, though it gets boring and you'r probably better off visiting occasionally, it's congested, there's much better beachside resorts in Thailand, and cheaper.

Bangkok isn't cheap if you want to enjoy it, and unless you're strictly a big city guy, or need to work, it's not worth living there. But, it's probably the best place to find a sophisticated girlfriend who is more similar to your own background and upbringing. You'll find yourself enjoying weekend visits to the Big Mango for shopping, nights out etc.

Isarn is an experience if you're girlfriend retires you to a nice rural environment but it soon gets boring, believe me, you'll need other farang to hang around with.

Phuket and Samui are nice for a holiday, if you want to live there it's going to cost more to keep up with the jones, and there is a real tourist character to the place, so it aint cheap and those that stay there are less down-to-earth,Thai and foreigner alike.

[Darrel]

Pattaya ........... Even Soengtaew drivers (Pick Up taxis) rip you off.

That's odd. Are they the same drivers that charge me only 10B to go anywhere on the route?

One of the things I really like about Pattaya is the dirt-cheap and reliable 24/7 public transport.

[happyrobert]

Renoir, if you want more helpful answers, perhaps you should begin by telling us why you want to retire to Thailand? What attracts you this country as opposed to anywhere else, including where you currently live. The responses to that information might save you the reconnaissance expedition suggested by happyrobert.

I am planning to retire to Thailand for many reasons:

I went there for one month last year and I enjoyed it.

I like having massage (real one),

I also found that I could find a nice, younger and cute girlfriend there (not a bar girl) for a long term relationship, especially if I learn Thai. I am 52 years old and don't find women my age in my country attractive. I prefer a nice 35 years old Thai.

Thai women are feminine.

I am taking early retirement because my job will be cut next year. Because I don't have the age and the number of years of work necessary, I will receive only half my pension. I will have only about 55,000 to 60,000 Bath a month of available income plus a few million Baths in the bank for emergency, I would live like a poor man.in my country. In Thailand I can live better.

There is a big foreigner community in Thailand . I hope to find some good friends there.

I love Thai food.

I like Buddhist philosophy.

Etc.

On the other hand, I don't like rain and humidity that much. I guess nothing is perfect. I may decide to live somewhere else after giving Thailand a try. Many countries in South and Central America have a better climate and a low cost of living but it is dangerous living there and there seems to be less things to do. As I speak Spanish (in addition to French and English) this is another option.

Renoir

Argentina, Panama and Peru all have much more to offer including full citizenship at minimal cost. Full blown rights. And not at all dangerous. I believe the sanctity of life there generally is held in far higher esteem and as far as "things to do", beats Thailand hands down. Many cultural activities. I'm looking at heading there next year for some recon. Their cultures and values are far closer than Thai's, and their education is superior. Plus the variety of foods blows away the dozen or so mainstay Thai cuisine dishes, as much as I like it, I need variety and I'm tired of paying $5 pound for hamburger that's $1.50 back home.

But if you can afford it, by all means, come here for the experience.

[tailspin]

this is simply nonsense

None of these countries comes close to thailand in food

Argentina---will you eat steak and drink red wine everyday?

Peru-will you eat Ceviche and drink pisco sours everyday

Panama-will you eat hamburgers everyday???

None of these countries is renowned for food the way thailand is

In terms of culture, ok Argentina has the tango and good futbol...

What are the great cultural experiences you describe in panama?

Renoir, if you want more helpful answers, perhaps you should begin by telling us why you want to retire to Thailand? What attracts you this country as opposed to anywhere else, including where you currently live. The responses to that information might save you the reconnaissance expedition suggested by happyrobert.

I am planning to retire to Thailand for many reasons:

I went there for one month last year and I enjoyed it.

I like having massage (real one),

I also found that I could find a nice, younger and cute girlfriend there (not a bar girl) for a long term relationship, especially if I learn Thai. I am 52 years old and don't find women my age in my country attractive. I prefer a nice 35 years old Thai.

Thai women are feminine.

I am taking early retirement because my job will be cut next year. Because I don't have the age and the number of years of work necessary, I will receive only half my pension. I will have only about 55,000 to 60,000 Bath a month of available income plus a few million Baths in the bank for emergency, I would live like a poor man.in my country. In Thailand I can live better.

There is a big foreigner community in Thailand . I hope to find some good friends there.

I love Thai food.

I like Buddhist philosophy.

Etc.

On the other hand, I don't like rain and humidity that much. I guess nothing is perfect. I may decide to live somewhere else after giving Thailand a try. Many countries in South and Central America have a better climate and a low cost of living but it is dangerous living there and there seems to be less things to do. As I speak Spanish (in addition to French and English) this is another option.

Renoir

Argentina, Panama and Peru all have much more to offer including full citizenship at minimal cost. Full blown rights. And not at all dangerous. I believe the sanctity of life there generally is held in far higher esteem and as far as "things to do", beats Thailand hands down. Many cultural activities. I'm looking at heading there next year for some recon. Their cultures and values are far closer than Thai's, and their education is superior. Plus the variety of foods blows away the dozen or so mainstay Thai cuisine dishes, as much as I like it, I need variety and I'm tired of paying $5 pound for hamburger that's $1.50 back home.

But if you can afford it, by all means, come here for the experience.

Edited August 7, 2011 by tailspin

[janverbeem]

have to agree with post 6 Pattaya as all u need sea, women,many different food places,places cheaper to rent,and only 1 hour to Bangkok.

Been to many places in Thailand and always find Pattaya the cheapest place hence been living here for 7 years.

Sorry, have to disagree with you in that point. First of all, most girls in Pattaya are bar girls, freelancers, loads of pick pockets, drugs, Go Go bars. Many people have never experienced the real Thailand and might think Pattaya's the best place in this country.

But reality is often different, the place is full of people you wouldn't like to have a chat with.

You pay more money for almost everything, because they're all used to 'overprice' foreigners.

Pattaya isn't really Thailand, full of dreams; the sea is so polluted that you can't even go swimming there.

Lots of Thais, (foreigners as well) are drug addicted. Foreigners are fighting every day, too many drunks, scams at every corner, time sharing salesmen everywhere, trying to fool you.

You can't even sit at Pattaya beach without getting offers to buy overprized stuff.

Restaurants are expensive, Pattaya is worth a holiday, but I guess some expats agree that it's not a place to settle down.

Even Soengtaew drivers (Pick Up taxis) rip you off. This goes for all other shops, as you'll pay more than Thais do.

Pattaya is a kind of divided; you'll find a lot of German restaurants or pubs at Naklua, or north Pattaya.

Go there, don't get hammered and try to see the place at it is. S T R A N G E. Good luck. :jap:

Hey, the way you write it sounds like Pattaya is a life challenge everyone should experience once in a lifetime.

[janverbeem]

Argentina, Panama and Peru all have much more to offer including full citizenship at minimal cost. Full blown rights. And not at all dangerous

Been there done that,after I experienced Thailand already for a few years,and I prefer to stay where I can walk on the street after 6 PM without carrying a weapon,or where the hotels still open the gate after 10 Pm if you forgot your key,or where I can eat Mc donalds without an heavily armed security guard at the door

[Renoir]

There is a site with over 60 videos about some of the places and prices of living in Thailand. Good info in the videos. The site name is retirecheap.asia I hope that helps.

Thanks for suggesting that nice web site. However, I have some doubts about what he is saying. In one video. He said that we can have a nice apartment at a walking distance from the old city for 6,500 Baths. Is it real or is it an old video of price being paid ten or twenty years ago?

Renoir

[daftpunker]

ibiza