Longevity of Expats in Thailand

[louse1953]

I find Aussies that "hang around" Thais more fun and youthful than Aussies that "hang around" Aussies; within their same age-group.

I believe it reflects on their physical health.

Having said that, when the "shit hits the fan" as it will do as we age, they soon retreat to the Aussie health system... Can you blame them?

Not many 90 year old farangs in Thailand, but a lot of happy 70 year olds.

Sounds like you know me.I go to a gym where everybody is younger than me and kids hook into my free internet all day and night.Good kids,i think i am the defacto village babysitter in the holidays.When i go back to Oz,everybody is old and moaning,can't wait to leave.

Edited March 23, 2015 by louse1953

[louse1953]

My country of birth gives me a life expectation of 78 years. - 15 years = 63. I'm ok with that.

My god man,you give up early.I'm close to that and still got heaps of living to do.Haven't you heard of viagra.

[smotherb]

My country of birth gives me a life expectation of 78 years. - 15 years = 63. I'm ok with that.

Yes, my life expectancy is also 78; I am 70, so I've managed to outlive that estimate by 7 years, and I have lived in Southeast Asia about 30 years. I have several buddies here older than I, well one-less now, the 83 year old died last year from stoke after having dinner and a wine with his 45 year old squeeze. The next oldest, is 80 and he and I just finished a bottle of Gentleman Jack, with a third friend, who is 75 years old. The 80 year old still plays the field, and he subsists on Social Security, so he cannot be spending much money of the ladies; the other has a 40 year old gf, been together 15 years, he too is not wealthy. I still maintain an active lifestyle--I party almost nightly, ride motorcycles everyday, frequently travel all over SEA, and most of my friends are 30-50 year olds.

So, there is life after 60, but you have to actively participate. If you become sedentary, and while away your life at home drinking beer and watching TV, you are not participating.

[smotherb]

My country of birth gives me a life expectation of 78 years. - 15 years = 63. I'm ok with that.

My god man,you give up early.I'm close to that and still got heaps of living to do.Haven't you heard of viagra.

The need for viagra should be positively correlated to the age of the lady.

[96tehtarp]

My country of birth gives me a life expectation of 78 years. - 15 years = 63. I'm ok with that.

Yes, my life expectancy is also 78; I am 70, so I've managed to outlive that estimate by 7 years, and I have lived in Southeast Asia about 30 years. I have several buddies here older than I, well one-less now, the 83 year old died last year from stoke after having dinner and a wine with his 45 year old squeeze. The next oldest, is 80 and he and I just finished a bottle of Gentleman Jack, with a third friend, who is 75 years old. The 80 year old still plays the field, and he subsists on Social Security, so he cannot be spending much money of the ladies; the other has a 40 year old gf, been together 15 years, he too is not wealthy. I still maintain an active lifestyle--I party almost nightly, ride motorcycles everyday, frequently travel all over SEA, and most of my friends are 30-50 year olds.

So, there is life after 60, but you have to actively participate. If you become sedentary, and while away your life at home drinking beer and watching TV, you are not participating.

smotherb congrats on your longevity. I hope you hit 90 kicking and dancing.

I've always taken a different tack on living in Thailand. Although I live here now, I don't plan to retire/die here. I'll retire (die) instead to one of the other counties I've lived in which has infinitely better infrastructure, a relatively corruption free system of government, breathable smog free air and a heath system (which I have already funded amply.)

The most important thing to consider in retirement and death is how to handle the end. I wear a "NO CODE" dog-tag. Most MD's do as well, well at least many of them do.

A living Will is also incredibly important. If one is stricken by a stroke and paralyzed one could spend a decade lying in agony without the ability to scream in 38C temperatures.

I choose my friends wisely, have a living will, and I plan to stop residing in Thailand full time before too long. Don't get me wrong, I love it here. There is simply a lot more out there, and I can afford it.

[aronp1]

Where did this -15 yrs come from? If anything it would be +15 yrs. At least for me. Much easier and cheaper to live a healthy lifestyle here.

[NancyL]

My country of birth gives me a life expectation of 78 years. - 15 years = 63. I'm ok with that.

Yes, my life expectancy is also 78; I am 70, so I've managed to outlive that estimate by 7 years, and I have lived in Southeast Asia about 30 years. I have several buddies here older than I, well one-less now, the 83 year old died last year from stoke after having dinner and a wine with his 45 year old squeeze. The next oldest, is 80 and he and I just finished a bottle of Gentleman Jack, with a third friend, who is 75 years old. The 80 year old still plays the field, and he subsists on Social Security, so he cannot be spending much money of the ladies; the other has a 40 year old gf, been together 15 years, he too is not wealthy. I still maintain an active lifestyle--I party almost nightly, ride motorcycles everyday, frequently travel all over SEA, and most of my friends are 30-50 year olds.

So, there is life after 60, but you have to actively participate. If you become sedentary, and while away your life at home drinking beer and watching TV, you are not participating.

smotherb congrats on your longevity. I hope you hit 90 kicking and dancing.

I've always taken a different tack on living in Thailand. Although I live here now, I don't plan to retire/die here. I'll retire (die) instead to one of the other counties I've lived in which has infinitely better infrastructure, a relatively corruption free system of government, breathable smog free air and a heath system (which I have already funded amply.)

The most important thing to consider in retirement and death is how to handle the end. I wear a "NO CODE" dog-tag. Most MD's do as well, well at least many of them do.

A living Will is also incredibly important. If one is stricken by a stroke and paralyzed one could spend a decade lying in agony without the ability to scream in 38C temperatures.

I choose my friends wisely, have a living will, and I plan to stop residing in Thailand full time before too long. Don't get me wrong, I love it here. There is simply a lot more out there, and I can afford it.

I totally agree with the part about the importance of having a Living Will or Advance Health Directive. And yes, it is very possible that you could end up spending your final days here stricken by a stroke, paralyzed and lying about in 38 deg heat, unable to communicate. Make your wishes known now to those who will make decisions for you if it ever gets to that point. And be sure someone has the ability to act on your behalf in those circumstances.

However, I don't agree with the part about wearing a "NO CODE" tag and I doubt many doctors wear one. There are simply too many circumstances where it might make sense to get out the paddles. Too many cases where what ails you is very treatable and you'll totally recover. This is where the Living Will would come into play. When you have a Living Will, you specify under what conditions you want "NO CODE" or really, the proper term is "No Life Support" and this would rule out tube feeding, intubation, and other extraordinary forms of life support. You would simply be kept comfortable, clean and free of pain.

[joshstiles]

NO

[NancyL]

I've followed this thread with interest. I've got a different vantage point than most. I'm president of the CM Expats Club, which caters mostly to retired foreigners -- just check out this video about what our club does http://www.chiangmaiexpatsclub.com/about-us/ Recently, the head of CM Immigration spoke at a meeting. It was interesting when he arrived at the big meeting room at the fancy hotel, looked out over the 250+ expats gathered, eagerly awaiting his talk and said "oh, so old!" to me in amazement. Yes, this is what the expat scene looks like in Chiang Mai. The crowd was healthy, happy, and enjoying life. There is definitely good life for expats after age 70 here in Thailand and even beyond age 80. Just last month, a man over age 90 was the director for a play produced by The Gate Theater, the English-language theater company in CM. It was the best play of their excellent season. Many, many activities to keep expats over age 70 engaged, healthy and happy in Chiang Mai.

That being said, one piece of advise I'd have for you young folks, those who just can't image growing old here is to plan ahead. You can live very economically in Thailand, but there is no free health care for foreigners and was pointed out, the health care here is curative, not palliative. Thailand is at least a generation behind the west when it comes to end-of-life care. I talked about the importance of a Living Will (Advance Health Directive) in a previous post, but realistically most people don't think about that document until they get to be over age 60 or until they receive a terminal diagnosis. But, everyone should start to save for end-of-life care when they're young, if they plan to stay in Thailand. It can be hugely expensive to have good quality round-the-clock care for some ailments, especially when you have no idea what your needs will be 30 years from now. Don't just assume you'll jump off a balcony if it gets to that point. That's just young man's bravado talking. By the time someone is to the point where they wish they'd done that, they physically can't anymore.

[tharae]

I definitely disagree with you:

the high temperatures stressing your blood circulation, blood pressure and skin. (= skin cancer).

It is common sense that moderate temps as in our home countries (except Ozzie-Land) guarantee a long life.

The high pollution (3-20 times more) tops the risks. In addition think of all the unhealthy food you eat here, contaminated with chemicals which are forbidden in our countries since ages. Same with use of antibiotics in agriculture.

But continue in closing your eyes and dreaming of a good life

Australia has one of the highest overall life expectancy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy

[96tehtarp]

It can be hugely expensive to have good quality round-the-clock care for some ailments, especially when you have no idea what your needs will be 30 years from now. Don't just assume you'll jump off a balcony if it gets to that point. That's just young man's bravado talking. By the time someone is to the point where they wish they'd done that, they physically can't anymore.

"By the time someone is to the point where they wish they'd done that, they physically can't anymore. "

Exactly.

[96tehtarp]

However, I don't agree with the part about wearing a "NO CODE" tag and I doubt many doctors wear one. There are simply too many circumstances where it might make sense to get out the paddles. Too many cases where what ails you is very treatable and you'll totally recover. This is where the Living Will would come into play. When you have a Living Will, you specify under what conditions you want "NO CODE" or really, the proper term is "No Life Support" and this would rule out tube feeding, intubation, and other extraordinary forms of life support. You would simply be kept comfortable, clean and free of pain.

no code (cite)

A legal statement that indicates that the patient has refused cardiopulmonary resuscitation if breathing stops and heart failure occurs.

A good read is here: How doctors choose to die

excerpt: "I cannot count the number of times fellow physicians have told me, in words that vary only slightly: "Promise me that if you find me like this you'll kill me." They mean it. Some medical personnel wear medallions stamped "NO CODE" to tell physicians not to perform CPR on them. I have even seen it as a tattoo."

"If a patient suffers from severe illness, old age, or a terminal disease, the odds of a good outcome from CPR are infinitesimal, while the odds of suffering are overwhelming"

[smotherb]

My country of birth gives me a life expectation of 78 years. - 15 years = 63. I'm ok with that.

Yes, my life expectancy is also 78; I am 70, so I've managed to outlive that estimate by 7 years, and I have lived in Southeast Asia about 30 years. I have several buddies here older than I, well one-less now, the 83 year old died last year from stoke after having dinner and a wine with his 45 year old squeeze. The next oldest, is 80 and he and I just finished a bottle of Gentleman Jack, with a third friend, who is 75 years old. The 80 year old still plays the field, and he subsists on Social Security, so he cannot be spending much money of the ladies; the other has a 40 year old gf, been together 15 years, he too is not wealthy. I still maintain an active lifestyle--I party almost nightly, ride motorcycles everyday, frequently travel all over SEA, and most of my friends are 30-50 year olds.

So, there is life after 60, but you have to actively participate. If you become sedentary, and while away your life at home drinking beer and watching TV, you are not participating.

smotherb congrats on your longevity. I hope you hit 90 kicking and dancing.

I've always taken a different tack on living in Thailand. Although I live here now, I don't plan to retire/die here. I'll retire (die) instead to one of the other counties I've lived in which has infinitely better infrastructure, a relatively corruption free system of government, breathable smog free air and a heath system (which I have already funded amply.)

The most important thing to consider in retirement and death is how to handle the end. I wear a "NO CODE" dog-tag. Most MD's do as well, well at least many of them do.

A living Will is also incredibly important. If one is stricken by a stroke and paralyzed one could spend a decade lying in agony without the ability to scream in 38C temperatures.

I choose my friends wisely, have a living will, and I plan to stop residing in Thailand full time before too long. Don't get me wrong, I love it here. There is simply a lot more out there, and I can afford it.

I totally agree with the part about the importance of having a Living Will or Advance Health Directive. And yes, it is very possible that you could end up spending your final days here stricken by a stroke, paralyzed and lying about in 38 deg heat, unable to communicate. Make your wishes known now to those who will make decisions for you if it ever gets to that point. And be sure someone has the ability to act on your behalf in those circumstances.

However, I don't agree with the part about wearing a "NO CODE" tag and I doubt many doctors wear one. There are simply too many circumstances where it might make sense to get out the paddles. Too many cases where what ails you is very treatable and you'll totally recover. This is where the Living Will would come into play. When you have a Living Will, you specify under what conditions you want "NO CODE" or really, the proper term is "No Life Support" and this would rule out tube feeding, intubation, and other extraordinary forms of life support. You would simply be kept comfortable, clean and free of pain.

My situation may be a little different from other septuagenarian retirees here--my wife of 36 years and our 29 year old son, his Thai wife and our grandson, all live here too. So, although I plan on pissing on all your graves, I do have a living will, my wife and son know my wishes, and we are financially secure. However, things can happen, but unlike other retirees here, I am not locked into Thailand, I can feel equally at home in Vietnam, the Philippines or Florida--always have an escape plan.

[JSixpack]

Compared to their friends back home, male expats in Thailand die earlier and happier.

I tend to agree with this. Certainly, you have to look at health. As long as health lasts, here should prove happier, if you were happier here to begin with. However, when health leaves us we either return to farangland or elect to stay--given we have the funds to have a choice. In Farangland, more subsistence-based care for longer periods of time may be standard; whareas, in Thailand, the care may be more curative-based, which tends to cease if cure is not possible. Consequently, you indeed may live longer in Farangland, or it may just seem longer.

I have short somewhat amusing (depending on your sense of humor) meditation relating to the above in the 2015 Pattaya Songkran FAQ. It's in response to the assertion

Songkran keeps you young

[Dario]

_{Do you want to be very old in Thailand.}

_{Not me.}

_{Check out 70-75 good enough for me}

_{maybe you can live a lot longer , for what !!!!!!!.}

_{a load of old peoples diseases, loads of problems for your family , no thanks.}

_{Live life a bit brighter and burn out a bit shorter , way more fun.}

_{go to sleep one night never awake up., best way.}

_{even better if in a St room !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!}

_{who wants to live forever.}

70-75 seems early to me. I turned 69 last month, so I would have to go as early as next year ??? No way. I don't drink, I don't smoke, I quit 24 years ago, it might be more. We live better here, get more for our money. No stress. No cold winters to endure. No taxman on our heels. In Switzerland my parents even paid income tax on their pension ...

Edited March 23, 2015 by Dario

[Chonburiram]

My country of birth gives me a life expectation of 78 years. - 15 years = 63. I'm ok with that.

My god man,you give up early.I'm close to that and still got heaps of living to do.Haven't you heard of viagra.

I still can offer a rock-hard errection on request, not even need to be aroused...

I dont "give up" but after 60 I would not feel cheated from life, facing dead.

I've got this 15 years less from a TV report I've seen 20+ years ago about UK citizen, living in Spain.

[KarenBravo]

Obviously because you're a dick.

Frankly, too much information and I don't believe you anyway.............dick.

Edited March 23, 2015 by KarenBravo

[smotherb]

_{Do you want to be very old in Thailand.}

_{Not me.}

_{Check out 70-75 good enough for me}

_{maybe you can live a lot longer , for what !!!!!!!.}

_{a load of old peoples diseases, loads of problems for your family , no thanks.}

_{Live life a bit brighter and burn out a bit shorter , way more fun.}

_{go to sleep one night never awake up., best way.}

_{even better if in a St room !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!}

_{who wants to live forever.}

70-75 seems early to me. I turned 69 last month, so I would have to go as early as next year ??? No way. I don't drink, I don't smoke, I quit 24 years ago, it might be more. We live better here, get more for our money. No stress. No cold winters to endure. No taxman on our heels. In Switzerland my parents even paid income tax on their pension ...

Well, I am 70--which, by that logic, means I am on the way out. I gave up smoking 50 years ago, but I am still healthy--knock on wood--I still drink, party, ride motorcycles, and generally run around willy-nilly spending money. I see no reason to stop any of that. I too have no stress, except when I cannot do something I want to do, when I want to do it, and just the way I want to do it--and that is usually caused by something I cannot control. So, a few cuss words and a Jack Daniels, then I decide on something else to do. I do not worry about mundane things like weather and taxes--I can always go somewhere the weather is better and simply pay the taxes.

[EmptyHead]

Obviously because you're a dick.

Frankly, too much information and I don't believe you anyway.............dick.

I think someone needs a hug.

[baneko]

Better to burn out than fade away. Ive put more into my 42 yrs than some have done all of their life. Thats by preference. You wont see me at the garden center to add to my rockery.

[infinity11]

too long?

[KarenBravo]

Better to burn out than fade away. Ive put more into my 42 yrs than some have done all of their life. Thats by preference. You wont see me at the garden center to add to my rockery.

I see that modesty isn't one of your vices. Good to see you play the trumpet, too.....

[MAJIC]

If we are talking longevity,then the Balcony Deaths will throw all the statistics out the window (no pun intended).

[baneko]

Better to burn out than fade away. Ive put more into my 42 yrs than some have done all of their life. Thats by preference. You wont see me at the garden center to add to my rockery.

I see that modesty isn't one of your vices. Good to see you play the trumpet, too.....

Sorry do you have a rockery???

[NancyL]

However, I don't agree with the part about wearing a "NO CODE" tag and I doubt many doctors wear one. There are simply too many circumstances where it might make sense to get out the paddles. Too many cases where what ails you is very treatable and you'll totally recover. This is where the Living Will would come into play. When you have a Living Will, you specify under what conditions you want "NO CODE" or really, the proper term is "No Life Support" and this would rule out tube feeding, intubation, and other extraordinary forms of life support. You would simply be kept comfortable, clean and free of pain.

"If a patient suffers from severe illness, old age, or a terminal disease, the odds of a good outcome from CPR are infinitesimal, while the odds of suffering are overwhelming"

Can we get back on topic? Well, maybe not -- they decided to put this topic in the Expat Pub after all. But I'll try.

The idea of wearing a tag or tattoo that says "no code" only makes sense if you suffer from "severe illness, old age or a terminal illness". It's drives me nuts to hear people quote that study about how the odds of a good outcome from CPR are poor without quoting the rest of the study where they were saying it's poor under those three conditions.

I've had the paddles put to my chest and I'm glad they did. Hubby did CPR to his boss who was suffering a heart attack and the guy lived for decades afterwards. To say that "no code" is the way to go is just plain wrong. It depends on the situation. In both cases, severe illness, old age or terminal illness was not part of the equation. Both me and the boss were otherwise fairly healthy people who just happened to have our hearts stop. Thank goodness there were ways to get them starting again.

Edited March 24, 2015 by NancyL

[donfer]

I am 84 and every winter escape from Belgium to Mexico (Acapulco) or Thailand (Pattaya) only it is much easier to get a visa for entering Mexico, on board the airlpane free of charge and a 3 month extra just showing my credid caer at immigration.

[i claudius]

I only know one man over 70 with a quality life.

Mostly those over 70 are dying a slow and unhappy often painful death.

Totall bullcrap , you want to come around the place i live ,loads of happy guys from 50s to 80s all having a great time.

[NoshowJones]

Compared to their friends back home, male expats in Thailand die earlier and happier.

That will mostly be the ones with the drink problems, two near neighbours of mine have died through drink in the near 10 years I have been here.

[NoshowJones]

Compared to their friends back home, male expats in Thailand die earlier and happier.

Is there such a thing as a happy death?

How can we balance this out?

I am thinking stay in Thailand until your organs begin to fail, and then repatriate home.

Strangely I have known 2 expats who have done this.

That was my plan, but I have recently taken out health insurance.

[NoshowJones]

Why are you allowed to retire to a " third/second world" country?

Because it reduces your life expectancy for about 15 years. Otherwise, you wouldn't be allowed to do so.

For "expats" who arrived before retirement, look at the life expectancy for your birth country, subtract 15 years and that's it.

Not true, a lot depends on your lifestyle.