moving to thailand now or later

[MRTELLYOUSTRAIGHT]

hi rolandrat, its true housing is the biggest expense and with 2 million think i could get a half decent place. a happy home is important for a happy life. im a carpenter and i know i could get work in samui for 10000 baht a week if needed to, have friends and family living and working there, but like i said i really wouldnt mind coming back to uk every 6 months or so and save a mil then come back. cheers

You bought land a few years ago in Thailand, which is illegal, you have broken the law and legally cannot own it. Now with the Junta in power here all these back door and Thai upfront name methods to buy land will soon be clamped down upon and you stand a chance of losing the said land in the future.

You intend to create some sort of small business here with your wife. What sort of business? Considering you have by your own admission illegally financed land in your Thai wife’s name, would this be the same scenario regarding any businesses you intend to finance, own and run in Thailand?

£80000 at today’s bank exchange rates = just over 4 million baht. Out of this you intend to have a home built up to 2 million baht on land you purchased illegally and cannot own, but hoping that the law will turn a blind eye and no one will notice, probably the same regards if you were working as a carpenter. And then pay for International school education for 2 children for the next 14 years until the children reach 18 years old and probably another 4 years University education for the children after they graduate from high school, then throwing in the purchase of a couple of motorbikes just for good measure.

F'me the guy is not in court give it a rest you old far#

[Gumballl]

hi atf , extended holidays each year only in the past have teased me into wanting to give it a go. it depend s what drives you i suppose, im not one who needs loads of money to make me happy, its not all about finances , i understand a little financial security but 4 million baht isnt a bad starting point is it ?

You may not require loads of money to make you happy, but the Thai gov't will require you have funds parked in the bank (400,000 baht). You will then be faced with the daily needs of your family for medical care, clothing, food, etc.

If you build a house, it will require maintenance, furniture, services (electric, water, gas?), and lots of other needs.

As others have stated, and I have to agree, you do not have sufficient funds. I also agree that the prospect for you to get a job in Thailand is pretty slim to none.

IMO, you should quit day-dreaming and face reality. Do you really want your kids to grow up "poor"? Focus on getting your kids through school, and then decide what to do next. If you want to build a house in Thailand, do so, but keep working in the UK so that you can replenish your savings.

If you a still dead-set on finding something different from the UK, then why not consider immigrating to Australia? It should not be too much of a hurdle, being that you are a UK citizen.

P.S. I am about 10 years older than you, and my Thai wife is about your age. She too would like to live in Thailand at this time, but even she is wise enough to know that this would not be in the best interest for our two young daughters.

As for planning our future, we have built a modest house in Thailand, which serves us well when we visit... and will serve us well when we retire. I do not know exactly when I will retire, but once my youngest daughter enters university (hopefully a mere 11 years from now), my wife and I will probably move to Thailand. But honestly, I am not in a hurry; seriously, why would I give up my job?

Anyhow, until then, my wife and I will keep working, saving money (including sending some to Thailand for the upkeep of the house), and hopefully someday (fingers crossed), we will look forward to receiving a pension (a.k.a Social Security). With any luck, I may not have to dip too deeply into my retirement savings, which btw, are currently sitting at $330K (~£200K).

When I do retire, I will not have to spend any of my saved earnings to build a house. If anything, I will probably use some monies to buy a small compact car. I will deposit the amount require by the Thai authorities in a savings account, and then enjoy the good life... knowing full well that my daughters will be enjoying theirs.

Edited August 10, 2014 by Gumballl

[apiwan]

Boris.

Roughly, where abouts in the uk do you live just asking have you thought about moving to a cheaper place

If you move to a cheaper place buy a cheap house you will pay it off quicker i want it paid off you can rent it and use the rent to live on obviously location you want to be near parents family however if you lay your plans now within a few years you could realise your dream without working illegally in thailand also you wouldn't have to fly in and out of the uk to work maybe just 3 months a year for some spending money.

Being a chippy you can live anywhere hope this helps

[ATF]

Boris the Road to Hell is paved with good intentions. Given your present financial circumstances it would be very difficult. That's just an observation don't take it personally.

Why don't you plan extended holidays every year and get a feel for it first.

hi atf , extended holidays each year only in the past have teased me into wanting to give it a go. it depend s what drives you i suppose, im not one who needs loads of money to make me happy, its not all about finances , i understand a little financial security but 4 million baht isnt a bad starting point is it ?

Boris if you were single I'd say yes but it's going to be really hard making money outside of BKK or the Eastern Seaboard.

If you want to live in Chumpon rent don't buy. You can rent a house for less than 100 GBP a month but you will be surprised how fast the money goes. That's the reason most people have been telling you not to do it.

You have another ten good years to make good money in the UK and by then your kids will have grown up and you can semi-retire in style.

If you think you can make a go of it without burning your bridges and it's what you really want then it's your decision.

[mrtoad]

hi rolandrat, its true housing is the biggest expense and with 2 million think i could get a half decent place. a happy home is important for a happy life. im a carpenter and i know i could get work in samui for 10000 baht a week if needed to, have friends and family living and working there, but like i said i really wouldnt mind coming back to uk every 6 months or so and save a mil then come back. cheers

You bought land a few years ago in Thailand, which is illegal, you have broken the law and legally cannot own it. Now with the Junta in power here all these back door and Thai upfront name methods to buy land will soon be clamped down upon and you stand a chance of losing the said land in the future.

You intend to create some sort of small business here with your wife. What sort of business? Considering you have by your own admission illegally financed land in your Thai wifes name, would this be the same scenario regarding any businesses you intend to finance, own and run in Thailand?

£80000 at todays bank exchange rates = just over 4 million baht. Out of this you intend to have a home built up to 2 million baht on land you purchased illegally and cannot own, but hoping that the law will turn a blind eye and no one will notice, probably the same regards if you were working as a carpenter. And then pay for International school education for 2 children for the next 14 years until the children reach 18 years old and probably another 4 years University education for the children after they graduate from high school, then throwing in the purchase of a couple of motorbikes just for good measure.

F'me the guy is not in court give it a rest you old far#

BJ on his high horse again.

[boris77]

Boris.

Roughly, where abouts in the uk do you live just asking have you thought about moving to a cheaper place

If you move to a cheaper place buy a cheap house you will pay it off quicker i want it paid off you can rent it and use the rent to live on obviously location you want to be near parents family however if you lay your plans now within a few years you could realise your dream without working illegally in thailand also you wouldn't have to fly in and out of the uk to work maybe just 3 months a year for some spending money.

Being a chippy you can live anywhere hope this helps

hi apiwan i live in south east london. yes being a chippy i can work and earn about the same roughly anywhere in uk . this thought has crossed my mind before and was thinking of moving to bristol where property is cheaper. it just feels sometimes we are just working to survive in this country. i know thailand is not some far away paradise with no problems but i could build a nice house , in the countryside near the beach and waterfalls, whilst writing this looking out the window at the pissing rain with 7/8 months of shitty weather coming our way

[Gumballl]

...i could build a nice house...

No you cannot; that would be an illegal form of employment in Thailand. Don't you get it??

[Spaniel]

You should be giving more thought to you kids education and the expense. Several posters have mentioned the high cost of international schools and I know of them firsthand as my son went to RIS here in Bangkok. I think I would concentrate on building up more cash before I made the move. Whatever you decide I wish you luck.

[apiwan]

Boris.

Roughly, where abouts in the uk do you live just asking have you thought about moving to a cheaper place

If you move to a cheaper place buy a cheap house you will pay it off quicker i want it paid off you can rent it and use the rent to live on obviously location you want to be near parents family however if you lay your plans now within a few years you could realise your dream without working illegally in thailand also you wouldn't have to fly in and out of the uk to work maybe just 3 months a year for some spending money.

Being a chippy you can live anywhere hope this helps

hi apiwan i live in south east london. yes being a chippy i can work and earn about the same roughly anywhere in uk . this thought has crossed my mind before and was thinking of moving to bristol where property is cheaper. it just feels sometimes we are just working to survive in this country. i know thailand is not some far away paradise with no problems but i could build a nice house , in the countryside near the beach and waterfalls, whilst writing this looking out the window at the pissing rain with 7/8 months of shitty weather coming our way

On a day like this. With the storms it would be nice to be in great sun.

However the weather isn't everything.

What do your kids and wife say about this?

SE England round Kent way prices still a bit cheaper than say West. South West London. England. And Surrey.

Bristol is not cheap either

[boris77]

...i could build a nice house...

No you cannot; that would be an illegal form of employment in Thailand. Don't you get it??

get what , so if i wanted to do a bit of d i y in my own house its an illegal form of employment. i dont really get posts like this are u just trying to be a prick for the sake of it , and rude too what is it with some people

[Gumballl]

...i could build a nice house...

No you cannot; that would be an illegal form of employment in Thailand. Don't you get it??

get what , so if i wanted to do a bit of d i y in my own house its an illegal form of employment. i dont really get posts like this are u just trying to be a prick for the sake of it , and rude too what is it with some people

Performing general maintenance will probably not be frowned upon. However, if you are building a house from scratch, then in essence, it is against the law. This has already been discussed earlier (by others) in this thread. You need the appropriate visa, and a work-permit, to perform work in Thailand.

As a 'chippy', it unlikely that you will get a work-permit. Hence no work-permit, no permission to build a house.

Now, if you want to plop down 2 million baht to form you own construction company, where you would serve as a foreman and where 4 Thai nationals will perform the lay-man's work, then you just might be able to qualify for a work-permit... but as a foreman, not a 'chippy'.

Edited August 10, 2014 by Gumballl

[Beetlejuice]

hi rolandrat, its true housing is the biggest expense and with 2 million think i could get a half decent place. a happy home is important for a happy life. im a carpenter and i know i could get work in samui for 10000 baht a week if needed to, have friends and family living and working there, but like i said i really wouldnt mind coming back to uk every 6 months or so and save a mil then come back. cheers

You bought land a few years ago in Thailand, which is illegal, you have broken the law and legally cannot own it. Now with the Junta in power here all these back door and Thai upfront name methods to buy land will soon be clamped down upon and you stand a chance of losing the said land in the future.

You intend to create some sort of small business here with your wife. What sort of business? Considering you have by your own admission illegally financed land in your Thai wife’s name, would this be the same scenario regarding any businesses you intend to finance, own and run in Thailand?

£80000 at today’s bank exchange rates = just over 4 million baht. Out of this you intend to have a home built up to 2 million baht on land you purchased illegally and cannot own, but hoping that the law will turn a blind eye and no one will notice, probably the same regards if you were working as a carpenter. And then pay for International school education for 2 children for the next 14 years until the children reach 18 years old and probably another 4 years University education for the children after they graduate from high school, then throwing in the purchase of a couple of motorbikes just for good measure.

You are not taking into account inflation, bank exchange rates and interest rates that can fluctuate greatly, plus Immigration could raise the imposed amounts of Thai bahts required as savings in a Thai bank account to obtain your annual visa and after that your yearly visa extensions and of course health care for yourself and family.

To survive in Thailand for a family of four, including International school education for your children, you are probably looking at needing an income of at least 50000 baht per month, if you’re lucky, and on that amount you certainly would not be eating Champaign dinners every day and definitely living a lifestyle of absolute basics. If you were left with even 2 million baht after your house building and other expenditure to set yourself up here, your savings at 50000 baht per month would be depleted within three and a half years, that’s if nothing else crops up in the meantime. So how do you suppose to financially support yourself and family after you reach 40 years old?

I would like to ask, do you have any Insurance policies or guaranteed pensions to claim on your retirement? As you are only 36 years old the normal retirement ages for those claiming their pensions in the next 30 years may have increased to 70 years old or older, that is of course if you have been or continue to pay into a pension scheme and UK Government NI credits while you are living in Thailand, which on your limited savings would be a struggle, or more likely impossible.

Sorry my friend, but you are living in cloud cuckoo land, you would be moving here on a hope and a prayer that everything works out. I first suggest that you do some more research prior to even considering packing everything up in the UK and moving permanently to Thailand and especially not subjecting your children to such an ordeal and placing their futures at risk, as that would be totally irresponsible and an act of extreme foolishness of the first degree. I speak as someone who has a Thai wife and brought up 3 children here for over 30 years.

Whatever you decide to do, you do so at your own risk and discretion and suggest that you arrange a proper guardian for your children in the UK if not able to support them there and not bring them to Thailand with you as a part of your grand ideas that do not have any chance of succeeding while you`re in your present situation on the details you have given.

hi beetlejuice, i dont believe in my post i said i paid for the land, you know not all thai s are penniless peasants. grand idea s with no chance of succeeding , we ll if everybody thought the way u do there wouldnt be much hope in the world. that is what i like about forums though , different points of view cheers

Well you should believe in my posts, this is not personal but only common sense and logic and I certainly believe in your posts, absolutely ludicrous.

You paid for the land that I gather is in your Thai wife`s name and come across as if breaking the laws of Thailand should be acceptable if there are no other means for foreigners of little wealth to financially support themselves. It is people like you who are abusing the system with intentions to continue abusing the system that has created the tightening up of the rules for all of us.

Under Thai law the said land unless under certain circumstances has be financed by your Thai wife`s money with back up documentation and paperwork to prove it.

Also you mentioned about working in Thailand doing carpentry hoping to earn 10000 baht per month. Either you do not have knowledge of the rules regarding Westerners owning and running companies here or what is involved if working as an employee or you are preparing to flaunt the laws again as you have done with the financing of land in your Thai wife`s name.

You are breaking the law, plus taking a gamble with your children`s future with your planned exploits here in Thailand that have little chance of succeeding for the long term if taking into consideration the ways you have described your situation.

I maybe on my high horse, but i am completely legal here in Thailand and completely in the right. What I do here will never affect anyone else and my future is secured here and so is that of my family. If that would have been based on luck and a hope and a prayer I would never had brought my family over to Thailand. It`s called being a responsible parent and placing my children`s welfare before my own whims and fancies.

What I said previous still stands, whatever you do, you do so at your own risk and discretion. Good luck to all who sail in her.

Edited August 10, 2014 by Beetlejuice

[Cypress Hill]

...i could build a nice house...

No you cannot; that would be an illegal form of employment in Thailand. Don't you get it??

get what , so if i wanted to do a bit of d i y in my own house its an illegal form of employment. i dont really get posts like this are u just trying to be a prick for the sake of it , and rude too what is it with some people

Performing general maintenance will probably not be frowned upon. However, if you are building a house from scratch, then in essence, it is against the law. This has already been discussed earlier (by others) in this thread. You need the appropriate visa, and a work-permit, to perform work in Thailand.

As a 'chippy', it unlikely that you will get a work-permit. Hence no work-permit, no permission to build a house.

Now, if you want to plop down 2 million baht to form you own construction company, where you would serve as a foreman and where 4 Thai nationals will perform the lay-man's work, then you just might be able to qualify for a work-permit... but as a foreman, not a 'chippy'.

He doesn't have to build it himself does he? He could retain a contractor

What the hell is wrong with you?

Are you at Beetlejuice's house or something?

[mrtoad]

Boris.

Roughly, where abouts in the uk do you live just asking have you thought about moving to a cheaper place

If you move to a cheaper place buy a cheap house you will pay it off quicker i want it paid off you can rent it and use the rent to live on obviously location you want to be near parents family however if you lay your plans now within a few years you could realise your dream without working illegally in thailand also you wouldn't have to fly in and out of the uk to work maybe just 3 months a year for some spending money.

Being a chippy you can live anywhere hope this helps

hi apiwan i live in south east london. yes being a chippy i can work and earn about the same roughly anywhere in uk . this thought has crossed my mind before and was thinking of moving to bristol where property is cheaper. it just feels sometimes we are just working to survive in this country. i know thailand is not some far away paradise with no problems but i could build a nice house , in the countryside near the beach and waterfalls, whilst writing this looking out the window at the pissing rain with 7/8 months of shitty weather coming our way

Bristol is certainly cheaper than London, but it's still not cheap, unless you want a house in Knowle West , Lawrence Weston, Hartcliffe or Southmead.

I think you do need to look at schooling though, as if you are in Chumphon then to my knowledge there are no International a Schools, and the cost for Int Schools is high, look at around 300k a year up to a million, depending in which one.

[benalibina]

hi rolandrat, its true housing is the biggest expense and with 2 million think i could get a half decent place. a happy home is important for a happy life. im a carpenter and i know i could get work in samui for 10000 baht a week if needed to, have friends and family living and working there, but like i said i really wouldnt mind coming back to uk every 6 months or so and save a mil then come back. cheers

You bought land a few years ago in Thailand, which is illegal, you have broken the law and legally cannot own it. Now with the Junta in power here all these back door and Thai upfront name methods to buy land will soon be clamped down upon and you stand a chance of losing the said land in the future.

You intend to create some sort of small business here with your wife. What sort of business? Considering you have by your own admission illegally financed land in your Thai wifes name, would this be the same scenario regarding any businesses you intend to finance, own and run in Thailand?

£80000 at todays bank exchange rates = just over 4 million baht. Out of this you intend to have a home built up to 2 million baht on land you purchased illegally and cannot own, but hoping that the law will turn a blind eye and no one will notice, probably the same regards if you were working as a carpenter. And then pay for International school education for 2 children for the next 14 years until the children reach 18 years old and probably another 4 years University education for the children after they graduate from high school, then throwing in the purchase of a couple of motorbikes just for good measure.

You are not taking into account inflation, bank exchange rates and interest rates that can fluctuate greatly, plus Immigration could raise the imposed amounts of Thai bahts required as savings in a Thai bank account to obtain your annual visa and after that your yearly visa extensions and of course health care for yourself and family.

To survive in Thailand for a family of four, including International school education for your children, you are probably looking at needing an income of at least 50000 baht per month, if youre lucky, and on that amount you certainly would not be eating Champaign dinners every day and definitely living a lifestyle of absolute basics. If you were left with even 2 million baht after your house building and other expenditure to set yourself up here, your savings at 50000 baht per month would be depleted within three and a half years, thats if nothing else crops up in the meantime. So how do you suppose to financially support yourself and family after you reach 40 years old?

I would like to ask, do you have any Insurance policies or guaranteed pensions to claim on your retirement? As you are only 36 years old the normal retirement ages for those claiming their pensions in the next 30 years may have increased to 70 years old or older, that is of course if you have been or continue to pay into a pension scheme and UK Government NI credits while you are living in Thailand, which on your limited savings would be a struggle, or more likely impossible.

Sorry my friend, but you are living in cloud cuckoo land, you would be moving here on a hope and a prayer that everything works out. I first suggest that you do some more research prior to even considering packing everything up in the UK and moving permanently to Thailand and especially not subjecting your children to such an ordeal and placing their futures at risk, as that would be totally irresponsible and an act of extreme foolishness of the first degree. I speak as someone who has a Thai wife and brought up 3 children here for over 30 years.

Whatever you decide to do, you do so at your own risk and discretion and suggest that you arrange a proper guardian for your children in the UK if not able to support them there and not bring them to Thailand with you as a part of your grand ideas that do not have any chance of succeeding while you`re in your present situation on the details you have given.

hi beetlejuice, i dont believe in my post i said i paid for the land, you know not all thai s are penniless peasants. grand idea s with no chance of succeeding , we ll if everybody thought the way u do there wouldnt be much hope in the world. that is what i like about forums though , different points of view cheers

Well you should believe in my posts, this is not personal but only common sense and logic and I certainly believe in your posts, absolutely ludicrous.

You paid for the land that I gather is in your Thai wife`s name and come across as if breaking the laws of Thailand should be acceptable if there are no other means for foreigners of little wealth to financially support themselves. It is people like you who are abusing the system with intentions to continue abusing the system that has created the tightening up of the rules for all of us.

Under Thai law the said land unless under certain circumstances has be financed by your Thai wife`s money with back up documentation and paperwork to prove it.

Also you mentioned about working in Thailand doing carpentry hoping to earn 10000 baht per month. Either you do not have knowledge of the rules regarding Westerners owning and running companies here or what is involved if working as an employee or you are preparing to flaunt the laws again as you have done with the financing of land in your Thai wife`s name.

You are breaking the law, plus taking a gamble with your children`s future with your planned exploits here in Thailand that have little chance of succeeding for the long term if taking into consideration the ways you have described your situation.

I maybe on my high horse, but i am completely legal here in Thailand and completely in the right. What I do here will never affect anyone else and my future is secured here and so is that of my family. If that would have been based on luck and a hope and a prayer I would never had brought my family over to Thailand. It`s called being a responsible parent and placing my children`s welfare before my own whims and fancies.

What I said previous still stands, whatever you do, you do so at your own risk and discretion. Good luck to all who sail in her.

Deus ex machina !

[SickOfEm]

Get on the motorway drive as fast as you can on the A4051 to Cwmbran.

[bandos2000]

hi Boris, i think 4 mill is a good start, but you have a couple of things to consider, you say chumpon is where your going to live, have you checked about schooling in the area ? and also it seems once you have your home ,your finances will be getting low, you will need to go back and work for up to 6 months a year, how will this affect you , can you be away from your family for this time ? if thats good with you , i say go for it !

[boris77]

Boris.

Roughly, where abouts in the uk do you live just asking have you thought about moving to a cheaper place

If you move to a cheaper place buy a cheap house you will pay it off quicker i want it paid off you can rent it and use the rent to live on obviously location you want to be near parents family however if you lay your plans now within a few years you could realise your dream without working illegally in thailand also you wouldn't have to fly in and out of the uk to work maybe just 3 months a year for some spending money.

Being a chippy you can live anywhere hope this helps

hi apiwan i live in south east london. yes being a chippy i can work and earn about the same roughly anywhere in uk . this thought has crossed my mind before and was thinking of moving to bristol where property is cheaper. it just feels sometimes we are just working to survive in this country. i know thailand is not some far away paradise with no problems but i could build a nice house , in the countryside near the beach and waterfalls, whilst writing this looking out the window at the pissing rain with 7/8 months of shitty weather coming our way

Bristol is certainly cheaper than London, but it's still not cheap, unless you want a house in Knowle West , Lawrence Weston, Hartcliffe or Southmead.

I think you do need to look at schooling though, as if you are in Chumphon then to my knowledge there are no International a Schools, and the cost for Int Schools is high, look at around 300k a year up to a million, depending in which one.

have friends in downend, and winterbourne, not cheap but affordable

[boris77]

hi rolandrat, its true housing is the biggest expense and with 2 million think i could get a half decent place. a happy home is important for a happy life. im a carpenter and i know i could get work in samui for 10000 baht a week if needed to, have friends and family living and working there, but like i said i really wouldnt mind coming back to uk every 6 months or so and save a mil then come back. cheers

You bought land a few years ago in Thailand, which is illegal, you have broken the law and legally cannot own it. Now with the Junta in power here all these back door and Thai upfront name methods to buy land will soon be clamped down upon and you stand a chance of losing the said land in the future.

You intend to create some sort of small business here with your wife. What sort of business? Considering you have by your own admission illegally financed land in your Thai wife’s name, would this be the same scenario regarding any businesses you intend to finance, own and run in Thailand?

£80000 at today’s bank exchange rates = just over 4 million baht. Out of this you intend to have a home built up to 2 million baht on land you purchased illegally and cannot own, but hoping that the law will turn a blind eye and no one will notice, probably the same regards if you were working as a carpenter. And then pay for International school education for 2 children for the next 14 years until the children reach 18 years old and probably another 4 years University education for the children after they graduate from high school, then throwing in the purchase of a couple of motorbikes just for good measure.

You are not taking into account inflation, bank exchange rates and interest rates that can fluctuate greatly, plus Immigration could raise the imposed amounts of Thai bahts required as savings in a Thai bank account to obtain your annual visa and after that your yearly visa extensions and of course health care for yourself and family.

To survive in Thailand for a family of four, including International school education for your children, you are probably looking at needing an income of at least 50000 baht per month, if you’re lucky, and on that amount you certainly would not be eating Champaign dinners every day and definitely living a lifestyle of absolute basics. If you were left with even 2 million baht after your house building and other expenditure to set yourself up here, your savings at 50000 baht per month would be depleted within three and a half years, that’s if nothing else crops up in the meantime. So how do you suppose to financially support yourself and family after you reach 40 years old?

I would like to ask, do you have any Insurance policies or guaranteed pensions to claim on your retirement? As you are only 36 years old the normal retirement ages for those claiming their pensions in the next 30 years may have increased to 70 years old or older, that is of course if you have been or continue to pay into a pension scheme and UK Government NI credits while you are living in Thailand, which on your limited savings would be a struggle, or more likely impossible.

Sorry my friend, but you are living in cloud cuckoo land, you would be moving here on a hope and a prayer that everything works out. I first suggest that you do some more research prior to even considering packing everything up in the UK and moving permanently to Thailand and especially not subjecting your children to such an ordeal and placing their futures at risk, as that would be totally irresponsible and an act of extreme foolishness of the first degree. I speak as someone who has a Thai wife and brought up 3 children here for over 30 years.

Whatever you decide to do, you do so at your own risk and discretion and suggest that you arrange a proper guardian for your children in the UK if not able to support them there and not bring them to Thailand with you as a part of your grand ideas that do not have any chance of succeeding while you`re in your present situation on the details you have given.

hi beetlejuice, i dont believe in my post i said i paid for the land, you know not all thai s are penniless peasants. grand idea s with no chance of succeeding , we ll if everybody thought the way u do there wouldnt be much hope in the world. that is what i like about forums though , different points of view cheers

Well you should believe in my posts, this is not personal but only common sense and logic and I certainly believe in your posts, absolutely ludicrous.

You paid for the land that I gather is in your Thai wife`s name and come across as if breaking the laws of Thailand should be acceptable if there are no other means for foreigners of little wealth to financially support themselves. It is people like you who are abusing the system with intentions to continue abusing the system that has created the tightening up of the rules for all of us.

Under Thai law the said land unless under certain circumstances has be financed by your Thai wife`s money with back up documentation and paperwork to prove it.

Also you mentioned about working in Thailand doing carpentry hoping to earn 10000 baht per month. Either you do not have knowledge of the rules regarding Westerners owning and running companies here or what is involved if working as an employee or you are preparing to flaunt the laws again as you have done with the financing of land in your Thai wife`s name.

You are breaking the law, plus taking a gamble with your children`s future with your planned exploits here in Thailand that have little chance of succeeding for the long term if taking into consideration the ways you have described your situation.

I maybe on my high horse, but i am completely legal here in Thailand and completely in the right. What I do here will never affect anyone else and my future is secured here and so is that of my family. If that would have been based on luck and a hope and a prayer I would never had brought my family over to Thailand. It`s called being a responsible parent and placing my children`s welfare before my own whims and fancies.

What I said previous still stands, whatever you do, you do so at your own risk and discretion. Good luck to all who sail in her.

its easy to be rude and slag people off when your hiding behind a computer screen, keep on about my plans having no chance of succeeding, who the <deleted>.k are u to tell me that , u know nothing about me , so im not a responsible parent . is this what u do all day look down your nose at people who might want to try something different and tell them they have no chance . well done in being so successfull . i like it when people tell me what o dont want to hear but theirs no place for rudeness and labelling them bad parents mr high and mighty

[robertthebruce]

Don't do it, if you ain't happy with the area you are living in , in the UK, move somewhere else.

Thailand is fine for retiring especially if you have some money, great life great lifestyle..

But for your kids ?? No not sure on that one...

All the best with whatever you decide

[mrtoad]

Boris.

Roughly, where abouts in the uk do you live just asking have you thought about moving to a cheaper place

If you move to a cheaper place buy a cheap house you will pay it off quicker i want it paid off you can rent it and use the rent to live on obviously location you want to be near parents family however if you lay your plans now within a few years you could realise your dream without working illegally in thailand also you wouldn't have to fly in and out of the uk to work maybe just 3 months a year for some spending money.

Being a chippy you can live anywhere hope this helps

hi apiwan i live in south east london. yes being a chippy i can work and earn about the same roughly anywhere in uk . this thought has crossed my mind before and was thinking of moving to bristol where property is cheaper. it just feels sometimes we are just working to survive in this country. i know thailand is not some far away paradise with no problems but i could build a nice house , in the countryside near the beach and waterfalls, whilst writing this looking out the window at the pissing rain with 7/8 months of shitty weather coming our way

Bristol is certainly cheaper than London, but it's still not cheap, unless you want a house in Knowle West , Lawrence Weston, Hartcliffe or Southmead.

I think you do need to look at schooling though, as if you are in Chumphon then to my knowledge there are no International a Schools, and the cost for Int Schools is high, look at around 300k a year up to a million, depending in which one.

have friends in downend, and winterbourne, not cheap but affordable

Nice part, I used to live in Emersons Green. Which is between the two.

[cooked]

A lot of negativity on this thread. The guy is trying to work out if he can live his dream now rather than later. If it was me it would be kids first, leave them in English schools and combine this with annual visits to Thailand. I myself am in the opposite situation in that until our stint of parenting is finished here we can't go back home!

Anyway I would never ask for advice of this type here it really up to the OP to decide, I think he knows already.

[apiwan]

Not everyone takes pleasure in banging a brass.

Don't judge people by your standards

[arthurwasright]

Not everyone takes pleasure in banging a brass.

Don't judge people by your standards

How naive

[zeichen]

"You paid for the land that I gather is in your Thai wife`s name and come across as if breaking the laws of Thailand should be acceptable if there are no other means for foreigners of little wealth to financially support themselves. It is people like you who are abusing the system with intentions to continue abusing the system that has created the tightening up of the rules for all of us.

Under Thai law the said land unless under certain circumstances has be financed by your Thai wife`s money with back up documentation and paperwork to prove it."

BJ I don't know why you always beat the same drum but your information isn't always 100% accurate. First of all there is nothing illegal for a married couple to build a house for themselves. Buying property for one's wife isn't illegal. They line is drawn when it is a shell for investment purposes. When someone says I bought land, he means that his wife bought it for the family. He has no claim on the land but since he has children, they obviously do.

There is no abuse. It isn't like he was investing money for developing land but using his wife to do it for him. Shell companies that are just created for that purpose are illegal but giving your wife money to buy land for the family isn't.

Working as a carpenter is illegal. Owning a construction company and training Thai staff to do the work is not. Overseeing the construction of one's house isn't illegal either. Doing repairs and maintaining your home isn't illegal either.

I wish people would just give this guy a break. The real issues are education, providing a steady income for his family and not going crazy living in Chumpon.

I think that you are much better off doing extended holidays than a total relocation until you really get an idea of what living in that area is like permanently.

Personally, I would go insane there. Not much in Chumpon.

[Beetlejuice]

its easy to be rude and slag people off when your hiding behind a computer screen, keep on about my plans having no chance of succeeding, who the <deleted>.k are u to tell me that , u know nothing about me , so im not a responsible parent . is this what u do all day look down your nose at people who might want to try something different and tell them they have no chance . well done in being so successfull . i like it when people tell me what o dont want to hear but theirs no place for rudeness and labelling them bad parents mr high and mighty

I am not being rude or slaging you off, this is not personal, I am telling you how it is, giving the facts.

I am also saying that you have no chance of succeeding and sustaining yourself and your family in Thailand regarding your situation as it is according to how you have described your circumstancies so far, plus you would not be living strictly by the laws of Thailand. I also said that you should research further prior to considering moving here especially where your children are concerned, and I mentioned that you should consider leaving your children in the UK while you are trying to establish yourself in Thailand. I asked if you have made any arrangements for your retirement such as insurance policies and pensions? And gave you an estimate of how much cash you will require for yourself and family per month and an estimate of how long your savings will last in Thailand on the amounts you have quoted as having.

So getting straight to the point, my answer to your question; Thailand now or later? Is without a shadow of a doubt, later, much later in fact.

These are the facts, otherwise in what other ways would you like me to explain this and what else would you prefer to hear?

[boris77]

its easy to be rude and slag people off when your hiding behind a computer screen, keep on about my plans having no chance of succeeding, who the <deleted>.k are u to tell me that , u know nothing about me , so im not a responsible parent . is this what u do all day look down your nose at people who might want to try something different and tell them they have no chance . well done in being so successfull . i like it when people tell me what o dont want to hear but theirs no place for rudeness and labelling them bad parents mr high and mighty

I am not being rude or slaging you off, this is not personal, I am telling you how it is, giving the facts.

I am also saying that you have no chance of succeeding and sustaining yourself and your family in Thailand regarding your situation as it is according to how you have described your circumstancies so far, plus you would not be living strictly by the laws of Thailand. I also said that you should research further prior to considering moving here especially where your children are concerned, and I mentioned that you should consider leaving your children in the UK while you are trying to establish yourself in Thailand. I asked if you have made any arrangements for your retirement such as insurance policies and pensions? And gave you an estimate of how much cash you will require for yourself and family per month and an estimate of how long your savings will last in Thailand on the amounts you have quoted as having.

So getting straight to the point, my answer to your question; Thailand now or later? Is without a shadow of a doubt, later, much later in fact.

These are the facts, otherwise in what other ways would you like me to explain this and what else would you prefer to hear?

try explaining it in a less condesending manner and it s not what eles i would prefer to hear i like to hear all different voices, hence coming on a forum like this, but you come across like a bit of a xxxx . so u are one of these who knows everything there is to know about thailand. u sound like a barrell of laughs , shame we cant have a beer sometime

[boris77]

"You paid for the land that I gather is in your Thai wife`s name and come across as if breaking the laws of Thailand should be acceptable if there are no other means for foreigners of little wealth to financially support themselves. It is people like you who are abusing the system with intentions to continue abusing the system that has created the tightening up of the rules for all of us.

Under Thai law the said land unless under certain circumstances has be financed by your Thai wife`s money with back up documentation and paperwork to prove it."

BJ I don't know why you always beat the same drum but your information isn't always 100% accurate. First of all there is nothing illegal for a married couple to build a house for themselves. Buying property for one's wife isn't illegal. They line is drawn when it is a shell for investment purposes. When someone says I bought land, he means that his wife bought it for the family. He has no claim on the land but since he has children, they obviously do.

There is no abuse. It isn't like he was investing money for developing land but using his wife to do it for him. Shell companies that are just created for that purpose are illegal but giving your wife money to buy land for the family isn't.

Working as a carpenter is illegal. Owning a construction company and training Thai staff to do the work is not. Overseeing the construction of one's house isn't illegal either. Doing repairs and maintaining your home isn't illegal either.

I wish people would just give this guy a break. The real issues are education, providing a steady income for his family and not going crazy living in Chumpon.

I think that you are much better off doing extended holidays than a total relocation until you really get an idea of what living in that area is like permanently.

Personally, I would go insane there. Not much in Chumpon.

cheers for the support. not much other than great beaches , waterfalls, caves,windsurfing,diving, fresh seafood on beachfront resturants, golf courses, bit of nightlife in town, , island s nearby including samui ,ko tao, and more. it aint no pattaya but that suits me

[mrtoad]

OP ultimately it is you that has to make the decision. Sometimes people take a rsk, and it comes off. Don't fall into the trap of putting it off till it's no longer feasible to do it, as you'll be full of regret. There's a lot of good advice here, as well as some crap condescending BS. You do need to think about education and the costs involved, if you think it is what you want to do, then make a plan, with a good exit plan should it not work out. I got here 10 years ago, and certainly, didn't follow any advice, as I always thought I knew best 31 at the time. Plenty of struggles in the first few years, but managed to get settled into a decent way of life. I hope you get what you're after, but certainly make sure you have a way if getting out, without too much "pain" if it doesn't work out. One poster suggested renting a property, and to be honest might be worth looking at a one year out of UK, and see how things go, before committing fully. Just a though.

[benalibina]

OP ultimately it is you that has to make the decision. Sometimes people take a rsk, and it comes off. Don't fall into the trap of putting it off till it's no longer feasible to do it, as you'll be full of regret. There's a lot of good advice here, as well as some crap condescending BS. You do need to think about education and the costs involved, if you think it is what you want to do, then make a plan, with a good exit plan should it not work out. I got here 10 years ago, and certainly, didn't follow any advice, as I always thought I knew best 31 at the time. Plenty of struggles in the first few years, but managed to get settled into a decent way of life. I hope you get what you're after, but certainly make sure you have a way if getting out, without too much "pain" if it doesn't work out. One poster suggested renting a property, and to be honest might be worth looking at a one year out of UK, and see how things go, before committing fully. Just a though.

Sensible reply above. 1 thing not mentioned by you is the relationship you have with the inlaws. I assume your wife comes from Chumpon and that the land is in the vicinity of her family. It is therefore as well a good suggestion to rent initially before wasting 2m bth on building a house. You can see then how life is in thailand when you live near the inlaws. I further suggest that you learn to speak thai, if you dont already, so it will be somewhat easier to communicate overthere.

Finally.....better to regret the things you have done than to regret the things you have not done.

Edited August 10, 2014 by benalibina