Expats -- If You Had A Million Dollars, Would You Stay In Thailand?

[Jingthing]

I know, I know, a million dollars isn't what it used to be. However, it ain't chopped liver either, and I am sure most expats in Thailand do NOT have a million dollars in liquid assets.

So, all of a sudden you've got a million dollars in liquid assets and you're already living in Thailand.

Would it change anything? Would you leave Thailand? Where might you go? What would you differently? What would you buy?

[StreetCowboy]

I'd be tempted to buy a pension so that I could retire in twenty years' time...

[zzaa09]

Yep, I'd stay.

It's not the money, but the lifestyle and atmosphere.

[poanoi]

Makes no difference, it will still depend on the VISA situation

[smokie36]

I'd be tempted to buy a pension so that I could retire in twenty years' time...

Yeah a million aint enough to be making lifestyle changes. I make more anyway when I'm skint.....much healthier then.

[WarpSpeed]

Yep, I'd stay.

It's not the money, but the lifestyle and atmosphere.

Obviously have led a sheltered life..

[Jingthing]

Yeah a million aint enough to be making lifestyle changes.

Speak for yourself! I reckon for the vast majority of people in the world, it most certainly is.

[jamescollister]

Lets see 1 Mil and I could buy a small flat in Sydney and get a job stacking shelves in the supermarket. No don't think so. Now if it were 10 or 20 mil, a beach front villa in the Med, with a 40 foot yacht moored out front might be on the cards. Jim

[Jingthing]

Lets see 1 Mil and I could buy a small flat in Sydney and get a job stacking shelves in the supermarket. No don't think so. Now if it were 10 or 20 mil, a beach front villa in the Med, with a 40 foot yacht moored out front might be on the cards. Jim

Or you could buy a large villa with land in Cuenca Ecuador for 200K (or a large modern highrise condo for 80K), get residency in a few years, and never work again if you didn't want to. Nobody's making you live in Sydney.

Edited September 6, 2011 by Jingthing

[StreetCowboy]

Yeah a million aint enough to be making lifestyle changes.

Speak for yourself! I reckon for the vast majority of people in the world, it most certainly is.

The vast majority of people in the world are not expats in Thailand; I thought the question was aimed only at that small minority.

SC

[PattayaParent]

Yeah a million aint enough to be making lifestyle changes.

Speak for yourself! I reckon for the vast majority of people in the world, it most certainly is.

Too right, when I've already lost 50% in Baht terms because of the exchange rate I'd definitely have to change my lifestyle if I lost 50% of the capital too.

[jamescollister]

Lets see 1 Mil and I could buy a small flat in Sydney and get a job stacking shelves in the supermarket. No don't think so. Now if it were 10 or 20 mil, a beach front villa in the Med, with a 40 foot yacht moored out front might be on the cards. Jim

Or you could buy a large villa with land in Cuenca Ecuador for 200K (or a large modern highrise condo for 80K), get residency in a few years, and never work again if you didn't want to. Nobody's making you live in Sydney.

Ecuador never really thought about that part of the world, but if it was nice would it not be it be full of those North American types. Horrible thought. Jim

[transam]

In the UK a 3 bed semi house in greater London will cost you around $500,000, sooooooooo a million really wouldn't do much to go back to the stuff you were used to. .

[Jingthing]

Lets see 1 Mil and I could buy a small flat in Sydney and get a job stacking shelves in the supermarket. No don't think so. Now if it were 10 or 20 mil, a beach front villa in the Med, with a 40 foot yacht moored out front might be on the cards. Jim

Or you could buy a large villa with land in Cuenca Ecuador for 200K (or a large modern highrise condo for 80K), get residency in a few years, and never work again if you didn't want to. Nobody's making you live in Sydney.

Ecuador never really thought about that part of the world, but if it was nice would it not be it be full of those North American types. Horrible thought. Jim

Full? So you consider less than 1 percent of the population there to make the place full? Bizarre.

[WarpSpeed]

Lets see 1 Mil and I could buy a small flat in Sydney and get a job stacking shelves in the supermarket. No don't think so. Now if it were 10 or 20 mil, a beach front villa in the Med, with a 40 foot yacht moored out front might be on the cards. Jim

Or you could buy a large villa with land in Cuenca Ecuador for 200K (or a large modern highrise condo for 80K), get residency in a few years, and never work again if you didn't want to. Nobody's making you live in Sydney.

Ecuador never really thought about that part of the world, but if it was nice would it not be it be full of those North American types. Horrible thought. Jim

You mean Canadians?? I agree with you, perish the thought !

Edited September 6, 2011 by WarpSpeed

[sbk]

Thailand is my home, I wouldn't leave. But I probably would pay off my sister's mortgage and maybe fix up our old house a bit. But I don't need for much, so, no it wouldn't change a thing.

[Jingthing]

Yeah a million aint enough to be making lifestyle changes.

Speak for yourself! I reckon for the vast majority of people in the world, it most certainly is.

The vast majority of people in the world are not expats in Thailand; I thought the question was aimed only at that small minority.

SC

Fair enough, but we don't need to get all anal about this, unless it pleases. The bigger point is that for most expats in Thailand, having a million dollars liquid would give most of them more OPTIONS than they had before. So the question is open ended -- what would you do with those options if you had the opportunity?

[StreetCowboy]

Yeah a million aint enough to be making lifestyle changes.

Speak for yourself! I reckon for the vast majority of people in the world, it most certainly is.

The vast majority of people in the world are not expats in Thailand; I thought the question was aimed only at that small minority.

SC

Fair enough, but we don't need to get all anal about this, unless it pleases. The bigger point is that for most expats in Thailand, having a million dollars liquid would give most of them more OPTIONS than they had before. So the question is open ended -- what would you do with those options if you had the opportunity?

A million dollars liquid doesn't bear thinking about.

That's like a swimming pool full of Guinness. I can imagine that would change your life...

SC

[Jingthing]

It's very elitist indeed to maintain that having a liquid mil wouldn't change most people's lives. Live in your bubbles if you like, but again, that's real money. In any case, I thought I made it quite clear in the OP, a mil isn't what it used to be. Why this focus on the number? If a mil is nothing to you, think about what having a number that is something to you would mean. I am sorry if people don't get the spirit of my question. Some people are so literal! This is in the F-RANG PUB for Ra's sake; it's not a supreme court case.

Edited September 6, 2011 by Jingthing

[surayu]

I would build up a sky-resort on the Buddha Hill of Pattaya

[jamescollister]

Jingthing Only joking a lot of my friends are yanks and lived there for a while myself. That is except for those that come from LA. Jim

[andrewbkk]

Some people are so literal!

Excellent! I like that a lot.

If I had a million pounds (GBP), I'd stay.

If I had significantly more, I'd be off to the French Riviera or the Bahamas.

Thailand is okay. But if we're 100% honest with ourselves, it's basically a dump.

[Jingthing]

Thailand is okay. But if we're 100% honest with ourselves, it's basically a dump.

Pretty much and it's not even our dump. Which is why residency and more ownership rights, etc. somewhere else would be appealing to me.

Not having the mil, I'm totally OK with the living in the dump though.

Edited September 6, 2011 by Jingthing

[Dag]

I'd buy a temple so i could do the culture thing every day.

[Jingthing]

I'd buy a temple so i could do the culture thing every day.

By buying a "temple" is that code to mean you'd marry a bargirl?

[Spoonman]

I would be on the first flight back home, Iam only here for work and as I already own my house back in OZ the million invested wisely would allow me to never work again.

[Ulysses G.]

Yes I'd stay, but make trips to Bangkok, Pattaya and surrounding countries more regularly. If I had 10 million, I would probably retire and concentrate on spending it before I kick the bucket.

[zzaa09]

Yep, I'd stay.

It's not the money, but the lifestyle and atmosphere.

Obviously have led a sheltered life..

If you only knew me and know of what you speak.

[DP25]

Sure, I'd still want a place here no matter how much money I had. A large enough money amount and I'd buy a place in Hong Kong or elsewhere in Asia as well. Not interested in living in Europe other than vacations no matter the amount of money. No point in Latin America as money can't make the streets safe to walk alone at night

[Dag]

I'd buy a temple so i could do the culture thing every day.

By buying a "temple" is that code to mean you'd marry a bargirl?

A temple can be whatever your imaginations wants it to be....if your temple dream is a BG....then so be it....but it ain't mine.