Whoops I Forgot Something

[Blackandwhite]

When you made a move to Thailand what preparation did you do.

How long did you prepare for your move ?

Was there anything you overlooked or forgot to arrange ?

Did your plans change much from what you had intended might happen ?

Were there any real surprises things that you had not accounted for ?

What was the most stressful part to the move ?

Do you return home to visit your home country and do folks come out to see you for holidays ?

Did your relationship ( if you had one ) with a girlfriend or wife change once there in Thailand ?

If you had one piece of advice for those of us stil to set sail to far and distant lands what would it be ?

Just asking - we are quite a few years away from moving yet like 6 - 8 years but will need to be organised as I am with most things and if I am not I can go a bit mad. Things like getting paperwork in order, did you leave certain stuff in the Uk for safe keeping.

[Dancealot]

What's the meaning of life? Anyone?.... Please....

[Blackandwhite]

What's the meaning of life? Anyone?.... Please....

Well, thank you sir, fantastic answer

[Dancealot]

What's the meaning of life? Anyone?.... Please....

Well, thank you sir, fantastic answer

Excuse me about that, but i felt you were i tat too organized to venture into this relocation. To be honest.. I try to answer all your questions with one answer. Why do you want to move? Respectfully, sorry again for answering your question with another question.

[Mossfinn]

What's the meaning of life? Anyone?.... Please....

Well, thank you sir, fantastic answer

Excuse me about that, but i felt you were i tat too organized to venture into this relocation. To be honest.. I try to answer all your questions with one answer. Why do you want to move? Respectfully, sorry again for answering your question with another question.

You tried to answer all his questions with one answer, which was, 'What's the meaning of life? Anyone?.... Please....', well done, you did well there.

As for being a little too organised, cricky what a fool he is!!!

[Blackandwhite]

What's the meaning of life? Anyone?.... Please....

Well, thank you sir, fantastic answer

Excuse me about that, but i felt you were i tat too organized to venture into this relocation. To be honest.. I try to answer all your questions with one answer. Why do you want to move? Respectfully, sorry again for answering your question with another question.

Without going into lots of boring detail, we have a daughter sheiks 11 I want her to see out school in the Uk otherwise I would make the move sooner.

Wife thai. She is happy where I am happy usual chilled our type :-) that she is.

I have an issue with the uk on many grounds mainly being weather and the general feeling of being ruled and controlled by a society that I ring hard to link with on a personal level.

I look at older couples here in the uk and what they do for fun and I think there are more options available for me in Thailand. Added to the fact the weather is awful here.

Guess out of frustration of waiting I am looking to make plans as soon as to give me a way to will the years away sooner.

Is there stuff I could be planning now that will help, I do not know hence my questions

Hope this makes sense

[simple1]

Took me a about four weeks to organise relocation to Thailand upon being made redundant & opting for early retirement. My Thai wife, after living overseas for many years, initially found Thailand dirty, noisy and the endemic corruption irritating, took her a while to readjust. In other words be wary of waring rose coloured glasses. Plan for cost of living increases

Edited November 7, 2012 by simple1

[Blackandwhite]

Took me a about four weeks to organise relocation to Thailand upon being made redundant & opting for early retirement. My Thai wife, after living overseas for many years, initially found Thailand dirty, noisy and the endemic corruption irritating, took her a while to readjust. Plan for cost of living increases

Yes I can understand cost of living being a good thing to factor in, we notice each time we come over how some things are more expensive than the uk and it is we feel expensive here.

Thanks for a reply that is helpful.

[Dancealot]

What's the meaning of life? Anyone?.... Please....

Well, thank you sir, fantastic answer

Excuse me about that, but i felt you were i tat too organized to venture into this relocation. To be honest.. I try to answer all your questions with one answer. Why do you want to move? Respectfully, sorry again for answering your question with another question.

Without going into lots of boring detail, we have a daughter sheiks 11 I want her to see out school in the Uk otherwise I would make the move sooner.

Wife thai. She is happy where I am happy usual chilled our type :-) that she is.

I have an issue with the uk on many grounds mainly being weather and the general feeling of being ruled and controlled by a society that I ring hard to link with on a personal level.

I look at older couples here in the uk and what they do for fun and I think there are more options available for me in Thailand. Added to the fact the weather is awful here.

Guess out of frustration of waiting I am looking to make plans as soon as to give me a way to will the years away sooner.

Is there stuff I could be planning now that will help, I do not know hence my questions

Hope this makes sense

Now this makes a lot more sense! Thank you for extrapolating.

Think about what you want to do when you live there. Make a plan to achieve that goal and stick to it. I get the feeling you want to release the general feeling of being ruled and controlled and especially do not want to pass the notion of this feeling on to your offspring.

Specifically the choice is yours. I cannot advice you on that because i do not know you.

[cooked]

Planning stuff? I would have planned to win a lottery.

I looked around on internet for about a year before emigrating, visited a few times before that. Either you like it or you don't.

I took about two months to organise stuff, shipping my tools and machines over, working out how to get the cat here, visa stuff and selling everything I owned. 6 to 8 years? wow.

[Blackandwhite]

Planning stuff? I would have planned to win a lottery.

I looked around on internet for about a year before emigrating, visited a few times before that. Either you like it or you don't.

I took about two months to organise stuff, shipping my tools and machines over, working out how to get the cat here, visa stuff and selling everything I owned. 6 to 8 years? wow.

Yes 6-8 years, schooling is important for our daughter and we owe her the time to be here for school,

How did you handle the cat situation ?

[cooked]

Sounds like you are planning more for your daughter's education than for your move to Thailand.

Cat: we found out what was legally required for cat importation (not quite the same as a dog). We got a chip implanted, got a 'pet passport' and a vaccination certificate.

We called up Thai Airways about two weeks before my wife went back and they asked for the chip number, that's it. At the airport we paid 200 Euros. We expected the cat to be put under the seat which was why I had to go to a lot of trouble to find a suitable container. She got a seat next to my wife all to herself!

At customs, legally, the cat should be put into quarantine but this seems to be a lever to obtain baksheesh, my wife fortunately didn't have any cash with her so she got through for ฿100.- ! None of the documents we had gathered were asked for.

She has gone a bit grey since getting here but seems to have learnt about creepy crawlies pretty quick. Only problem might be hungry neighbours.

[endure]

There really is no point in enquiring about present-day conditions and regulations if you're not considering moving for the next 6 years. The situation could have changed completely by then.

[farang000999]

getting credit and debit cards to western bank accounts when abroad can be a real pain. make sure to get new ones before you leave.

[Blackandwhite]

All good suggestions guys, some I have not thought of. Thanks

[Dancealot]

What's the meaning of life?    Anyone?.... Please....

Well, thank you sir, fantastic answer

Excuse me about that, but i felt you were i tat too organized to venture into this relocation. To be honest.. I try to answer all your questions with one answer. Why do you want to move? Respectfully, sorry again for answering your question with another question.

You tried to answer all his questions with one answer, which was, 'What's the meaning of life?    Anyone?.... Please....', well done, you did well there.

As for being a little too organised, cricky what a fool he is!!!

Just being polite fellas. No sense into dissing someone we dont know. :-)

[Dancealot]

All good suggestions guys, some I have not thought of. Thanks

You have the time to digitize ALL your important documents. Put them on the internet so you can easily access any document you will need when you are in Thailand.

[Blackandwhite]

There really is no point in enquiring about present-day conditions and regulations if you're not considering moving for the next 6 years. The situation could have changed completely by then.

I did not ask about present day conditions, not sure if you are answering the right post but you sure do appear confused. I am asking about experiences of making the more to Thailand and how you found it.

[Blackandwhite]

All good suggestions guys, some I have not thought of. Thanks

You have the time to digitize ALL your important documents. Put them on the internet so you can easily access any document you will need when you are in Thailand.

Now your talking - that is a fantastic idea - thanks for a great suggestion Dancealot

[Swiss1960]

Most important you need to do is your financial planning

- will you or your wife be working here, what is your source of income when coming here?

- what kind of lifestyle do you want to have here, which are do you want to live

Once you have made up your mind, plan for the savings necessary for your life up to 90y old (you never know). That's what I made 3y ago and now I am working on getting the necessary savings to allow me to make the move in another 3-4y. My goal is to have 200K Baht avail every month for the next 40y so that I am safe for every situation, including expensive GF and medical emergencies.

Some of your questions really can't be answered now (or the answes will not help you in 6y to come), as you don't know what will change in your own country (i.e. laws about retirement money to be taken out) or in Thailand (political situation, Royal family, Visa laws, property laws, so many things could change)

Other questions can't be answered as too individual, i.e. how your wife will adjust to the new situation, how you will adjust to all the Thai girls around you, what you need for yourself with regards to returning and visiting relatives back home (i.e. will your daughter want to come with you or not) or how many real friends you have that you would want to come and visit you.

[Blackandwhite]

Most important you need to do is your financial planning

- will you or your wife be working here, what is your source of income when coming here?

- what kind of lifestyle do you want to have here, which are do you want to live

Once you have made up your mind, plan for the savings necessary for your life up to 90y old (you never know). That's what I made 3y ago and now I am working on getting the necessary savings to allow me to make the move in another 3-4y. My goal is to have 200K Baht avail every month for the next 40y so that I am safe for every situation, including expensive GF and medical emergencies.

Some of your questions really can't be answered now (or the answes will not help you in 6y to come), as you don't know what will change in your own country (i.e. laws about retirement money to be taken out) or in Thailand (political situation, Royal family, Visa laws, property laws, so many things could change)

Other questions can't be answered as too individual, i.e. how your wife will adjust to the new situation, how you will adjust to all the Thai girls around you, what you need for yourself with regards to returning and visiting relatives back home (i.e. will your daughter want to come with you or not) or how many real friends you have that you would want to come and visit you.

Thanks for your reply, saving as we speak, you realise you will need to save nearly £2'000000.00 2 million pounds if you allow for 200k per month in thai baht ? For 40 years

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Thanks for your reply, saving as we speak, you realise you will need to save nearly £2'000000.00 2 million pounds if you allow for 200k per month in thai baht ? For 40 years

Not so much for some, particularly if he's in the financial industry.

However if difficult to achieve for his situation, I'd agree this is taking preparation a bit too far, better to start enjoying life a bit sooner, I've seen plenty of guys drop dead within a couple years of stopping work and all those assets benefited the heirs only.

[trainman34014]

I started to plan my move out of Britain in 2000 having already done all the homework on finances. I had traveled widely for work purposes to many area's of the planet and had decided that I wanted to live either somewhere in or around the Med' or in South East Asia. After more travel and discovery I plumped for Thailand and then started the search for a possible partner. Played it cool whilst I continued to visit and plan, sold everything, finally moving here at the start of 2008. Apart from the odd family visit I would never consider going back to my Mother country as it's very far from the 'Land of Hope and Glory' that I grew up in.

I am happy to say that I did not forget anything, and I certainly did not leave my common sense in the departure lounge at Heathrow.

[Swiss1960]

Thanks for your reply, saving as we speak, you realise you will need to save nearly £2'000000.00 2 million pounds if you allow for 200k per month in thai baht ? For 40 years

Not so much for some, particularly if he's in the financial industry.

However if difficult to achieve for his situation, I'd agree this is taking preparation a bit too far, better to start enjoying life a bit sooner, I've seen plenty of guys drop dead within a couple years of stopping work and all those assets benefited the heirs only.

The money's a three tier mix: state pension kicking in when I reach 65, company pension fund which I will cash out and private savings / private pension fund... and yes, i am lucky to be en executive in the financial industry doing pretty well and all I'll have is from my own hands work.

And furthermore, I agree BigJohnnyBKK about the guys dropping dead, seen them myself... that's why I'll make my move way before the official swiss retirement age (currently 65) and will start living in Thailand being around 56... and I'll enjoy every single day here and I'll make sure, my heirs (which would be my two sons) don't get a lot when I die...

but if I do die early, I'll die happy from too much drinking and too much fun with girls

[transam]

Think your main question she go to your daughter when she is 18. A kid brought up in faragland, with all her pals and farang life, hmmmmmmmmmm, l think a big culture shock.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

but if I do die early, I'll die happy from too much drinking and too much fun with girls

Try to get any inclination toward excessive drinking under control while you're still working, it tends to escalate after retirement.

Re fun with girls, you'll have a much better time - not just from a financial POV - if you pretend to be much poorer than you are.

It's not actually a very challenging game anyway, so my most important advice - set up at least one major project that requires time energy and most of all your brain.

Just "enjoying yourself" is actually a waste of time, stressful and conducive to an early death. Set goals and work to achieve them, important ones not just busy work.

[Swiss1960]

but if I do die early, I'll die happy from too much drinking and too much fun with girls

Try to get any inclination toward excessive drinking under control while you're still working, it tends to escalate after retirement.

Re fun with girls, you'll have a much better time - not just from a financial POV - if you pretend to be much poorer than you are.

It's not actually a very challenging game anyway, so my most important advice - set up at least one major project that requires time energy and most of all your brain.

Just "enjoying yourself" is actually a waste of time, stressful and conducive to an early death. Set goals and work to achieve them, important ones not just busy work.

He'he... thanks for your consulting

No need to worry about me...

- no alcohol during week while at work and 1 bottle of fantastic Italien red on the weekend...

- experienced with Thai girls and already done all the mistakes a newbie can do...

- loads of books to be read while I enjoy my beer in a pub near the beach (NOT gogo and girlie bars..)

- already set up for lot of things to do when there, like play my sax in a band, involved in charity work, maybe look for volunteering in tourist police as I will be pretty fluent in Thai when I come (besides my other 4 languages)

Edit: all above the result of 7y coming to Thailand and 3y of planning my next move and looking at where I could or could not live...

Edited November 9, 2012 by Swiss1960

[marstons]

getting credit and debit cards to western bank accounts when abroad can be a real pain. make sure to get new ones before you leave.

Just change your postal address to the one in Thailand and the new ones get posted here, well with HSBC they do.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

- already set up for lot of things to do when there, like play my sax in a band, involved in charity work, maybe look for volunteering in tourist police as I will be pretty fluent in Thai when I come (besides my other 4 languages)

You're of course much farther ahead than most, probably over-planning if anything. 8-)

My further advice is to avoid the volunteer police prats, and maybe develop something more focused and purposeful in the charity work area, getting involved with the same level of activity and passion that you would a business startup.

Helping to improve the educational prospects of deserving Thai youth would be a very high-leverage area to concentrate on.

[marstons]

What's the meaning of life? Anyone?.... Please....

Well, thank you sir, fantastic answer

Excuse me about that, but i felt you were i tat too organized to venture into this relocation. To be honest.. I try to answer all your questions with one answer. Why do you want to move? Respectfully, sorry again for answering your question with another question.

Without going into lots of boring detail, we have a daughter sheiks 11 I want her to see out school in the Uk otherwise I would make the move sooner.

Wife thai. She is happy where I am happy usual chilled our type :-) that she is.

I have an issue with the uk on many grounds mainly being weather and the general feeling of being ruled and controlled by a society that I ring hard to link with on a personal level.

I look at older couples here in the uk and what they do for fun and I think there are more options available for me in Thailand. Added to the fact the weather is awful here.

Guess out of frustration of waiting I am looking to make plans as soon as to give me a way to will the years away sooner.

Is there stuff I could be planning now that will help, I do not know hence my questions

Hope this makes sense

Is the your daughter Thai at that age she will need to be able to be fluent to get a job here, if she remains in UK going to be tough in her teens going it alone. As for planning best left i would think until about 6 months before you come. A lot can change in 6-8 years so advise may well be irrelevant.