Mentor

[Sue&John]

We are asking for a very kind person or couple living on Koh Samui who would be willing to be our mentor(s)

We intend to move there in about 12 months, buy property etc.

We are 52 & 58 respectively and would also like to join any expats club and make some friends.

Can any one help us.

Many Thanks

Sue and John

[Pompeynick]

We are asking for a very kind person or couple living on Koh Samui who would be willing to be our mentor(s)

We intend to move there in about 12 months, buy property etc.

We are 52 & 58 respectively and would also like to join any expats club and make some friends.

Can any one help us.

Many Thanks

Sue and John

hi ya guys,

i am sure you will recieve many responses to this.....mainly from people keen to part you from your money!!

please feel free to contact me direct and i will answer your questions as best I can.

hope to hear from you soon....Nick www.thepfc.com [email protected]

[KhunMarco]

Can you hear the theme of "jaws" in the background?

[Khun Jean]

I can be your mentor in this post.

And i won't charge you anything, and i don't have land for sale for a special price.

AND i don't ask you to make contact with me!

First thing:

Sorry to disappoint you folks.

Do everything yourself!!!!!

Read every contract, NEVER buy land as a way to invest and live here for your retirement.

You can not own land, and if someone says you can they lie. If you are adventurous and able to continue to live happily if you loose all the money you spend, then and only then you buy land and use loopholes in the law.

Just rent. This way you still can move if you not like it, and it will happen to you because you first have to see how it really is by staying a long time. And keep your money save.

This place (Thailand, especially Samui) can deceive you a lot.

It is wonderfull and awfull at the same time.

If you keep yourself low profile, in a nice neighbourhood you can last a long time.

If only one thing goes wrong, better be able to move out quickly, and with investments you will be unable to do that.

If you have the plan now, learn, learn, learn. Sametime next year make decisions.

In the simple question you ask, you already sound like very decent people. If you have not dealt with unsavory people before you will be very vunerable. (Not only in Thailand i might add)

Be prepared to meet the scum of the earth very quickly as they will prey on you (Foreigners and Thai alike). I have already seen too many people getting taken advantage of.

If you can handle that, you will be fine. If not, better back out now.

Better to be warned! It will make sure your guard is up.

Don't become the desillusioned (my spelling is wrong i know ) retired couple.

If you have an active live, you will be severly limited.

And Sue DO NOT underestimate the power of the Thai (18-50 year) bargirls and there a A LOT of them on Samui. They will do anything and i mean ANYTHING to steal your husband from you. If it happens you are case number 100.000. Marriages lasting decades have been destroyed in a few weeks holiday. Resisting temptation is one thing, to have a girl knock on your door at night is another. Even if she has never seen you before. It is a good trick, and it usally works to make you not trust eachother anymore.

Go see other people who have been there and done that.

I urge you to have a good knowledge firsthand before making the plunge.

Good luck.

[snoophound]

I know a lot of people on Samui and Khun Jean has some valid points.

I cannot understand why a married couple would want to retire on samui.

Samui retiree expats in the main are single male hard drinking sexpats.

They wile away the time by a bit of golf , plenty drinking,pretending to be successful investors in land , shagging bargirls and getting into poker schools.

Few are from professional backgounds.

If you play golf their is a course but its expensive ,if you like english food if you can call it that ,their are many of the thai variety english restaurants.

Yes its a pretty place but ats 40ksx 40ks overbuilt,overpriced and overused ,and is primarily populated by tourists and the emotionaly exhausted and morally bankrupt falang.

Have a good think about what your retirement dream is and rethink again.

I can be your mentor in this post.

And i won't charge you anything, and i don't have land for sale for a special price.

AND i don't ask you to make contact with me!

First thing:

Sorry to disappoint you folks.

Do everything yourself!!!!!

Read every contract, NEVER buy land as a way to invest and live here for your retirement.

You can not own land, and if someone says you can they lie. If you are adventurous and able to continue to live happily if you loose all the money you spend, then and only then you buy land and use loopholes in the law.

Just rent. This way you still can move if you not like it, and it will happen to you because you first have to see how it really is by staying a long time. And keep your money save.

This place (Thailand, especially Samui) can deceive you a lot.

It is wonderfull and awfull at the same time.

If you keep yourself low profile, in a nice neighbourhood you can last a long time.

If only one thing goes wrong, better be able to move out quickly, and with investments you will be unable to do that.

If you have the plan now, learn, learn, learn. Sametime next year make decisions.

In the simple question you ask, you already sound like very decent people. If you have not dealt with unsavory people before you will be very vunerable. (Not only in Thailand i might add)

Be prepared to meet the scum of the earth very quickly as they will prey on you (Foreigners and Thai alike). I have already seen too many people getting taken advantage of.

If you can handle that, you will be fine. If not, better back out now.

Better to be warned! It will make sure your guard is up.

Don't become the desillusioned (my spelling is wrong i know ) retired couple.

If you have an active live, you will be severly limited.

And Sue DO NOT underestimate the power of the Thai (18-50 year) bargirls and there a A LOT of them on Samui. They will do anything and i mean ANYTHING to steal your husband from you. If it happens you are case number 100.000. Marriages lasting decades have been destroyed in a few weeks holiday. Resisting temptation is one thing, to have a girl knock on your door at night is another. Even if she has never seen you before. It is a good trick, and it usally works to make you not trust eachother anymore.

Go see other people who have been there and done that.

I urge you to have a good knowledge firsthand before making the plunge.

Good luck.

[Rooo]

[color=#330033]know a lot of people on Samui and Khun Jean has some valid points.

I cannot understand why a married couple would want to retire on samui.Because we can.What is wrong with being married to a farang?[/color][/size]

Samui retiree expats in the main are single male hard drinking sexpats.

They wile away the time by a bit of golf , plenty drinking,pretending to be successful investors in land , shagging bargirls and getting into poker schools.

You hang around the wrong crowd.We play roulette & black jack[/b].

Few are from professional backgounds.

Proves you are hanging around the wrong crowd

If you play golf their is a course but its expensive ,if you like english food if you can call it that ,their are many of the thai variety english restaurants.

Yes its a pretty place but ats 40ksx 40ks overbuilt,overpriced and overused ,and is primarily populated by tourists and the emotionaly exhausted and morally bankrupt falang.

Have a good think about what your retirement dream is and rethink again.

[color=#330033]OOOOPS I better get a divorce & go and marry a Bangkok party girl.And whilst I am at it I'll get a lobotomy so I can write informative posts such as your's.[/size][/color]

Oh God I have started to change,look at all the mistakes in my post.

[N&M]

Wow, Jeano sounds a tad bitter.....someone been knockin on your door late at night ?????

[Khun Jean]

Wow, Jeano sounds a tad bitter.....someone been knockin on your door late at night ?????

Don't worry. I am happily married and have 2 children.

And you guessed my gender wrong i think.

I speak of experience from other people. I have seen it happen to friends and family.

Most keep it quiet. Why let everyone now. You will not rad about it much on nternet.

It is a personal thing.

But it happens more than you think.

I have been in Samui long enough to see how it is.

And it is not a suitable place to spend your retirement years.

There is nothing to do, it becomes extremely boring. The reason are tourists. Few years back the numers were manageable. Now they are flooding everywhere. Hunger for tourist money is very big.

A lot of tourist are of absolutly the worst kind. You don't believe me, spend a few months there and give me your opinion.

It is known as a cheap place to get boozed up and shag away the days. So what kinf of people do you think it attracts. It is Thailands image all over the world. And this as is Pattaya and Phuket are the centers. Go anywhere else in Thailand and you will have a much better time if you do not belong to this category of tourist. Her you cannot escape it.

So you can stay somewhere where these people don't go.

Forget it. Unless you live somewhere in the mountains in the jungle. Not feels right for retirement now does it?

The place is now too small and you will have a neighbour soon who will blast you away at night with his new stereo. What can you do about it. Call the police? (Yeah dreaming)

Or someone driving on his midlife crises motorbike and producing that nice fat Harley sound. 2 am of course. Mmm. Is that not the time bars close?

If you want to go shopping you have your choice of

Motorbike rental shop, massage shop, barber shop, motorbike rental shop, bar, barber shop, cd shop, cloth shops with clothes for bargirls, another barber shop but with massage, bar, bar, cd shop, restaurant, etc..etc..

This example is from 1 street in Chaweng. Can you guess where exactly. In Bhoput you might feel it is more nice. But it is so small you can walk through it in 10 minutes. Good for a holiday. But living there. It is just not interesting enough to spend years of your live.

So if you are a couple on retirement and you need some things, where do you go.

Like everybody else Lotus. Where can yo get a decent diner. 2 maximum 3 places on the island have some resemblence to western food , good atmosphere and service. Thai restaurants are everywhere. But sometimes you want to chew on some real meat and not fat and bones.

What happens when you get sick. No problem here you have a bottle with antibiotics and you will soon feel better.

Please don't forget about someones priorities when you go live somewhere for retirement.

Normal retirement priorities are not an abundance of bars with music so loud you can not even hear yourself, or beaches, one more dirty then the other.

If European, better choose France, Spain, or Purtugal or even Italy and Greece.

So much better conditions. Especially when you want to buy a house. Which in Thailand can NEVER be yours to keep or given to your children. Ok technically the house is yours, but if the landowners says move out, you have to move out. And if you don't go, there are means of making you go.

If Thailand is the only option, probably HuaHin or Phuket would be the best choice.

Phuket is a little more establihed. Huahin attracts a more civilised kind of foreigners.

The changes for a good place are higher.

HuaHin is changing rapidly. And unfortunately with changes for more tourist also come the bad elements. I hope it will keep its charm. Samui lost that charm 5-6 years ago.

Just beware, and read many things about Samui and at least experience it for yourself for a while. If then you make a decision you make it with open eyes, and not based on that dreamy image of a paradise. Which it is not of course, like every other place in the world.

[khall64au]

Dear me, Khun Jean..... you speak of Phuket as though you know what you are talking about. You paint the wrong picture of this island. Have you been here lately? Phuket is not Patong. You would be very pleasantly surprised if you care to come and take a look.

Phuket also happens to be connected to the mainland by a short bridge. I had a wonderful day today exploring the rainforests of Phang Nga... and drove back to my island home over the bridge.

Hurrah!

[Mr_Dave]

[Rooo]

Don't worry. I am happily married and have 2 children.

And you guessed my gender wrong i think.

I speak of experience from other people. I have seen it happen to friends and family.

Most keep it quiet. Why let everyone now. You will not rad about it much on nternet.

It is a personal thing.

But it happens more than you think.

I have been in Samui long enough to see how it is.

And it is not a suitable place to spend your retirement years.

No nursing homes?I didn't know you had such qualifications to determine where retirees can live.

There is nothing to do, it becomes extremely boring. The reason are tourists. Few years back the numers were manageable. Now they are flooding everywhere. Hunger for tourist money is very big.

A lot of tourist are of absolutly the worst kind. You don't believe me, spend a few months there and give me your opinion.

Khun Jean since the advent of cars & air travel, you are free to move about ,trips around Thailand or Asia ect are within reach.

It is known lace to get boozed up and shag away the days. So what kinf of people do you think it attracts. It is Thailands image all over the world. And this as is Pattaya and Phuket are the centers. Go anywhere else in Thailand and you will have a much better time if you do not belong to this category of tourist. Her you cannot escape it.

So you can stay somewhere where these people don't go.

Forget it. Unless you live somewhere in the mountains in the jungle. Not feels right for retirement now does it?

Don't belong to this category of tourist? Tourist demographics are changing,,I agree with you there about the drunks Khun Jean , but that happens anywhere in the world where people go for holidays,it is not only restricted to Samui.These people also happen to be the product of western superior societies.The same societies that produce people yp tell other people hpw to run their lives.

Not everyone likes to live in the hustle & bustle of a city like atmospher.So Semi rural or mountain setting is again a choice.

The place is now too small and you will have a neighbour soon who will blast you away at night with his new stereo. What can you do about it. Call the police? (Yeah dreaming)

Or someone driving on his midlife crises motorbike and producing that nice fat Harley sound. 2 am of course. Mmm. Is that not the time bars close?

I will take my hearing aid off or start blasting Sinatra back.

If you want to go shopping you have your choice of

Motorbike rental shop, massage shop, barber shop, motorbike rental shop, bar, barber shop, cd shop, cloth shops with clothes for bargirls, another barber shop but with massage, bar, bar, cd shop, restaurant, etc..etc..

You forgot INTERNET shops.OOOPS a sore point with you that is.

This example is from 1 street in Chaweng. Can you guess where exactly. In Bhoput you might feel it is more nice. But it is so small you can walk through it in 10 minutes. Good for a holiday. But living there. It is just not interesting enough to spend years of your live.

So if you are a couple on retirement and you need some things, where do you go.

Like everybody else Lotus. Where can yo get a decent diner. 2 maximum 3 places on the island have some resemblence to western food , good atmosphere and service. Thai restaurants are everywhere. But sometimes you want to chew on some real meat and not fat and bones.

You haven't looked hard enough,Many fine reastaurants about,depending on our budget.There is also something called home cooking that we retirees are well adapt too.You can now buy almost anything you fancy on the island,again you have to look.

What happens when you get sick. No problem here you have a bottle with antibiotics and you will soon feel better.

There are also hospitals here & Bangkok( big signs on them & a big Cross ).

Please don't forget about someones priorities when you go live somewhere for retirement.

Normal retirement priorities are not an abundance of bars with music so loud you can not even hear yourself, or beaches, one more dirty then the other.

What are these priorities may I ask?

If European, better choose France, Spain, or Purtugal or even Italy and Greece.

So much better conditions. Especially when you want to buy a house. Which in Thailand can NEVER be yours to keep or given to your children. Ok technically the house is yours, but if the landowners says move out, you have to move out. And if you don't go, there are means of making you go.

Yeah right.Maybe you should consult some lawyers ( oh forgot you hate them too).By forming your own company & leasing the land back,articles of association are there to protect your rights & pay your taxes.

If Thailand is the only option, probably HuaHin or Phuket would be the best choice.

Phuket is a little more establihed. Huahin attracts a more civilised kind of foreigners.

The changes for a good place are higher.

HuaHin is changing rapidly. And unfortunately with changes for more tourist also come the bad elements. I hope it will keep its charm. Samui lost that charm 5-6 years ago.

Just beware, and read many things about Samui and at least experience it for yourself for a while. If then you make a decision you make it with open eyes, and not based on that dreamy image of a paradise. Which it is not of course, like every other place in the world.

Khun Jean, not all retirees are old & decrepeit.Some people through whatever reason retire early or are fit enough at legal retiement age.It's their CHOICE what to do & where to live.

What are your assumtions of retirees needs & requirements based on?

Your posts are based on your experiences on Samui,fair enough it didn't work out for you.That was made very clear on several occasions.I seriously doubt you will ever find anywhere that will make you absolutley content.If it doesn't go your way then it is wrong.

As I mentioned to you before, you are entitled to your opinion, it is respected,but you also have to remember this is YOUR opinion,In response to that I will tell you it is not based on a very balanced knowledge or tolerance,but on bitterness & scorn.

Wishing you all the best & hope you find what you are looking for.

[Khun Jean]

Dear me, Khun Jean..... you speak of Phuket as though you know what you are talking about. You paint the wrong picture of this island. Have you been here lately? Phuket is not Patong. You would be very pleasantly surprised if you care to come and take a look.

Phuket also happens to be connected to the mainland by a short bridge. I had a wonderful day today exploring the rainforests of Phang Nga... and drove back to my island home over the bridge.

Hurrah!

Hmm. I thought i said Phuket was more established. That was positive.

And yes i know Phuket is not Patong. That is just a small part.

Although a very famous part, and a reason for many people to go there.

To Roo.

Sure there are still nice areas in Samui. But i already see the big trucs making it into a big piece of concrete. With multimillion villa's no foreigner can ever 100% own. It is fantasy land.

Do you want to invest a few million baht in those areas and build a house for your retirement?

From your nest egg for which you worked hard a very long time.

Up to you if you want to take the risk.

I never rely on loopholes in the law. I am married to a thai woman. I have two children with Thai nationality. I have no worries when i am buying land. If the marriage goes bad, my wife can have it all. I still have enough in my country to fall back on.

How about if you have no thai relatives. Starting a company, when you want to retire. Make sure you have accounting, make profit, pay tax. Not my idea of a comfortable retirement. And after 30 years. Good luck.

Don't belong to this category of tourist? Tourist demographics are changing,,I agree with you there about the drunks Khun Jean , but that happens anywhere in the world where people go for holidays,it is not only restricted to Samui.

When more and more tourist are going to Samui it will overflow to other areas. Remember the tsunami and the large influx of tourist in a short time. Questionable elements are now renting houses more and more far away from the centers of Chaweng and Lamai.

And because it is so small, there is no escape.

What are these priorities may I ask?

[/qout]

Sustainability. If you buy something you at least expect there to live for a long time. That not too much changes in your direct surrounding. We all know that Samui is changing very very rapidly.

How can you buysomething when it is not established enough so you canmake a good deciion. Not everybody wants to buy a few rai just to control how far away you are from your neighbour, who might start a metal work shop, or a car maintenace shop. There is no zoning.

Getting of the Island limits you to Bangkok Air. And a car, well driving around the island gets boring very quick. Of the island there is much to explore i agree. But why buy a house in Samui then. It is a big risk. Especially compared to the cheap rents.

From the OP:

We intend to move there in about 12 months, buy property etc.

That is why i try to make people realize it is not paradise, and it is very unsecure to buy property. Only owning a condominium is allowed, and there aren't many on Samui.

Don't trust lawers too much. There is enough about owning land on this forum. And when you read them all, it becomes clear it is a very very difficult subject which can have large consequences.

[Rooo]

One thing we all agree on, we are early risers or nightowls.look at the times of these postings.

[Khun Jean]

I am a night owl.

But that is because of my work. Website maintenance is best done in weekends and nighttime. Don't want to disturb my customers with downtime during the day.

BTW I am in the Netherlands right now.

So it was around 01:30. (6 hours difference)