I think retiring in Thailand is a really bad idea

[CharlieH]

Some off topic and inflammatory remarks removed.

[Rob8891]

Retirement would be wasted on the young, so someone has to do it.....

[impulse]

Move to Thailand as a kid before you've made your nugget, and odds are over 99% you won't ever have the dosh to retire. Anywhere.

Unless you had a rich uncle who passes away, of course.

I'm always astounded at the guys who can retire in Thailand precisely because they made their pensions back in Nanny World, then bitch about how expensive things are "back home". If things weren't expensive back where they put in their time, they wouldn't be here. They couldn't afford it.

Me, I intend to retire back home. Thailand is a distant backup plan in case I don't make it financially. Behind Mexico. And Costa Rica. And Belize. Not better than Thailand, but much closer to home...

Edited February 24, 2016 by impulse

[DipStick]

And this isnt trying to provoke the older / retired people here is it, not trying to "stir it" at all eh

If he really knows thai culture maturity and stability trumps youth and a hard dick. Dont worry its a never ending debate which 10 years from now he will flip-flop. I feel sorry for his thai girl friend. What foreigners dont understand is marriage is important in this culture. Boinking is something thai girls can do without. DICK SIZE IS WORSHIPED BY CHINESE WOMEN. HERE NOODLES ARE THE STAPLE...

Please explain how you can bring Chinese Women into the mix ? And please explain the word Boinking.

[lovelomsak]

quoteI have an uncle who was just diagnosed with cancer. It is aggressive one, but he is receiving free treatment and furthermore they are doing some experimental trials that are not even available in Thailand. The guy was a smoker throughout his life, but thanks for Canadian healthcare he is going to live.... or at least be given the best care available. "Oh, but I have insurance and can get world class care at Bumrungrad (enter your favorite hospital here)". You don't say! What happens when insurance refuses to cover the treatment or even worse the hospital refuses to take any responsibility for the botched procedure they performed? It happens and you don't have any recourse. In Canada they will always and I mean always fix the problem. Not in Thailand and that is a fact. Unquote

You must have made this up it is so far the reality most Canadians live with.Always fix the problem you are definitely in lala land.

I have a close friend who is contracted by the government to do need and cost of long time healthcare for people who become disabled.She is established,well respected and well known in the medical field in BC. you could say very well connected. She had a back problem and the doctor who operated on her made matters worse. Even with all her influence and connections when she went to court to sort it out she lost. the common man does not have a chance in hell of getting "the problem fixed"

Edited February 24, 2016 by lovelomsak

[theguyfromanotherforum]

I have an uncle who was just diagnosed with cancer. It is aggressive one, but he is receiving free treatment and furthermore they are doing some experimental trials that are not even available in Thailand. The guy was a smoker throughout his life, but thanks for Canadian healthcare he is going to live.... or at least be given the best care available. "Oh, but I have insurance and can get world class care at Bumrungrad (enter your favorite hospital here)". You don't say! What happens when insurance refuses to cover the treatment or even worse the hospital refuses to take any responsibility for the botched procedure they performed? It happens and you don't have any recourse. In Canada they will always and I mean always fix the problem. Not in Thailand and that is a fact.

You must have made this up it is so far the reality most Canadians live with.Always fix the problem you are definitely in lala land.

I have a close friend who is contracted by the government to do need and cost of long time healthcare for people who become disabled.She is established,well respected and well known in the medical field in BC. you could say very well connected. She had a back problem and the doctor who operated on her made matters worse. Even with all her influence and connections when she went to court to sort it out she lost. the common man does not have a chance in hell of getting "the problem fixed"

Yes, I made everything up.

Maybe you are making everything up to feel better about yourself?

Sure enough I have seen plenty of UK and Canadian expats go back to their respective countries when they need a "procedure" done.

Even on this very forum there is at least one thread a month about scamming NHS by these very distinguished members/pensioners declaring they are still residents of UK, so they can receive a free healthcare.

Yes... like I said. You all bash your Western countries until the time comes to face the music.

[lovelomsak]

I have an uncle who was just diagnosed with cancer. It is aggressive one, but he is receiving free treatment and furthermore they are doing some experimental trials that are not even available in Thailand. The guy was a smoker throughout his life, but thanks for Canadian healthcare he is going to live.... or at least be given the best care available. "Oh, but I have insurance and can get world class care at Bumrungrad (enter your favorite hospital here)". You don't say! What happens when insurance refuses to cover the treatment or even worse the hospital refuses to take any responsibility for the botched procedure they performed? It happens and you don't have any recourse. In Canada they will always and I mean always fix the problem. Not in Thailand and that is a fact.

You must have made this up it is so far the reality most Canadians live with.Always fix the problem you are definitely in lala land.

I have a close friend who is contracted by the government to do need and cost of long time healthcare for people who become disabled.She is established,well respected and well known in the medical field in BC. you could say very well connected. She had a back problem and the doctor who operated on her made matters worse. Even with all her influence and connections when she went to court to sort it out she lost. the common man does not have a chance in hell of getting "the problem fixed"

Yes, I made everything up.

Maybe you are making everything up to feel better about yourself?

Sure enough I have seen plenty of UK and Canadian expats go back to their respective countries when they need a "procedure" done.

Even on this very forum there is at least one thread a month about scamming NHS by these very distinguished members/pensioners declaring they are still residents of UK, so they can receive a free healthcare.

Yes... like I said. You all bash your Western countries until the time comes to face the music.

Yes people go back to their respective countries for many reasons, but that deosnot make for "facts " about Canada any more than a lie.to those of us who know.

[thairay]

you persuaded me. i will go home tomorrow where it is safe and die there as soon as i can.

[canathai8]

I was going to retire there. Three months a year in the LOS is more than enough IMHO. This last 3 month trip - two more relatives died on motorbikes on Phuket - not wearing helmets of course.

My (Thai) wife wants to come back to Canada after only two months in the Kingdom. Not because it's dangerous, but mainly because of the heat.

But after 8 weeks I'm just getting warmed up..

[Ghostmanthai]

As a fellow Canadian I simply can say you can't be more wrong.

• In Canada we can pay up to 42% tax. So a guy like me who was single when living there I paid 42% tax to pay for all these elderly and for the lazy who did not want to work but the Canadian government decided as I work hard I should help them. It's a social system so while some see the benefits others are footing the bill.
• How would one tax the people of Thailand who have a reported average wage of 350-450 baht a day to fix the city infrastructure? One might think with so many in Bangkok alone if we taxed then just a bit it would cover the cost, but there is not city in Canada that deals with such a high volume of people. So it is near impossible to compare.
• Hospitals are a you get what you pay for option here. I think to many people miss calculate the cost of living here and figure you can retire for cheap. If you add the what if scenarios and look at the chance of a long term stay at a hospital it is in fact quite costly.

So before you try to compare the 2 nations you need to do your homework. you have stated points that a guy must know and plan out well prior to thinking about moving country. This thread could be done about any single cheap living country in the world. They are cheaper for a reason, why do you think Thai's have such a tight family system. The best solution if this type of living is to stick close in a family unit and take care of each other not the western independent mind set of hitting 18 then leaving the nest.

Apples and Oranges man apples and oranges...

[Ghostmanthai]

op

do you know the meaning of third world country, because you are using the term in the wrong context. it is a long outdated term from the cold war era.

how can people enjoy Thailand while they are young, ( a 2 week vacation isn;t enjoying) they are busy trying to make ends meet, saving for the future and cocking up marriages, once that is behind them they can then enjoy Thailand for what it has to offer, nice beaches, great weather, good food, not pc, the lack of rules, freedom, easy immigration system, cheap the list can go on.

noone is forced to live here, you enjoy Thailand when you want, i will enjoy Thailand when i want

Indeed he missed it. When the meaning of the word Third World country Thailand was one of the biggest allies to the USA. Thus if you look at a map it was classed as First World country. I believe in his naivety he was looking for the word Developing country.

[jacko45k]

I think you are a little young to be giving advice to us oldies!

Believe me, when you reach 60, you will be like a completely different person.

[Ace of Pop]

Canada is nice in Vancouver ,but I don't like the areas full of French people ,they are a bit simple n rude I found as a tourist.I wouldn't enjoy the Cold there being older now

[Straight8]

This fellah is just having a shot at us with our young chicks , you think mate sex is only for the young ,

See, this is what I like to see, guys admitting they come here for the real reason other than the beautiful Thai heat and the cuisine!!

[asdecas]

Canada is nice in Vancouver ,but I don't like the areas full of French people ,they are a bit simple n rude I found as a tourist.I wouldn't enjoy the Cold there being older now

Is Vancouver still in Canada? I heard it had moved to China.

[Suradit69]

First of all, you wouldn't be stuck with "fake" women and affection so many old expats are faced with on daily basis.

Yes, because all the beautiful women 30 to 40 years younger than you back in Farang Land would be falling all over themselves with genuine love and devotion for you.

It just can not and will never compete with the west regarding care for the elderly.

That's true, but probably not in the way you mean.

[yellowboat]

Your comments are that of people I like to avoid. You come to this part of the world for an adventure. Knowing the risks. You learn at least one useful Asian language, Chinese or Indonesian, not Thai, and live. When you are done there are no regrets. Life is about living and not convalescing or vegetating, which are your only legal choices in Thailand without huge amounts of hassles, money and paperwork.

[Straight8]

I find the above 2 replies quite amusing.

The first one I won't reply to out of respect for person's condition.

I would just like mention that I am not having a low opinion of Thai people. What bunch bunch of nonsense. I was specifically talking about the state, not the people.

As for all the whining about Canada, if there is a sign of trouble that one is faced in Thailand people all go back crying to their country. I am not

I am just wondering under what passport did all of you arrive to feel so ungrateful about the country that gave you so many opportunities, so you can enjoy the favorable currency exchange and other cheap sins this country provides? Maybe you used Thai or Albanian passports?

I find the hypocrisy astounding.

Unfortunately you posted in the wrong forum. You're just pizzing on people's parades in here, messing with their new found utopia. I just don't think they like to be reminded, ever!!

Having said all that, you do make some very valid points, whichever way you slice it and dice it.

You can come, and live in your little fantasy world, till it all comes crashing down (for the majority anyway) or you can wake up and see it for what it really is and adjust accordingly so you never get effed over!!!

[Caca4u]

90% of the retired expats are here because of the cost of living. They cant afford to live in their home country with their pensions or live better here.

If thailand would stop being a cheap place to live most would leave, including me.

Number one reason I am here is because of cost. Yes it is third world but it is the best bang of the buck third world you get

If I had more money to live the same lifestyle I woukd not live here, I would be back living in California.

[koolkarl]

All women have the same brain no matter what country you live in. In Canada, they have a leering law.

If you stare at a woman too intently, she can have you charged with leering and this is not a joke. It happened

to a U. of Toronto professor. And women never lose in a court of law when it comes to divorce. No wonder most men are gay there.

In Canada, if you are Caucasian, you are an endangered specie.

If you need knee replacement, you can wait up to a year. Many hospitals have closed beds due to lack of funding which

means long waits in emergency and if you get in, they put you in a hallway or broom closet. Socialist medicine. All governments

are broke and for past 50 years, in Canada, they have very slowly delisted each year, certain health care procedures so people won't notice the changes.

In Thailand, immigration is a never ending nightmare. A retirement visa is really an extended tourist visa. And a foreigner is always at the back of the bus.

There is no perfect place to live. Just some are a little more tolerable than others.

[manarak]

@OP

you worry about sidewalks, public transport and healthcare in public hospitals...

in Thailand, these are things for the lower class or the poor.

in Farangland, people up to the lower upper class use public transport and government healthcare because of the prohibitive cost of getting something better.

I wonder why you want to use low-class services in Thailand?

[chiang mai]

90% of the retired expats are here because of the cost of living. They cant afford to live in their home country with their pensions or live better here.

If thailand would stop being a cheap place to live most would leave, including me.

Number one reason I am here is because of cost. Yes it is third world but it is the best bang of the buck third world you get

If I had more money to live the same lifestyle I woukd not live here, I would be back living in California.

Unless you can provide proof of that 90% figure I'm going to suggest you just made it up, of the expats that I know who live here, their reasons are:

Climate,

Tax avoidance,

Lifestyle

Cost of living.

I don't know a single expat who lives here solely for the low cost of living or for whom that was the main motivator, I do know many who list that as a secondary reason, a bi-product of other reasons for living here. I for example can afford to live in the UK and indeed I still have a home there, I chose not to because I of the reasons stated above and because I enjoy Asian culture far more than I do Western culture.

Frankly, this thread is nothing more than a thinly veiled excuse to bash Thailand, yet again.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

@OP

you worry about sidewalks, public transport and healthcare in public hospitals...

in Thailand, these are things for the lower class or the poor.

in Farangland, people up to the lower upper class use public transport and government healthcare because of the prohibitive cost of getting something better.

I wonder why you want to use low-class services in Thailand?

Public sidewalks are low class services?

Public transport is a low class service?

Please expand on these 2 as frankly I have never read anything more ridiculous in my life.

And I wasn't comparing quality of care in hospitals. I was stating that even the "world class" private hospitals in Thailand have a 3rd world mentality towards their patients (or rather clients). For example.... bill disputes and negotiations, refusing to take responsibility for procedures gone wrong, insurance denials, etc, etc....

[somchaiq]

If this is what you think I suggest you go back home for retirement.

[Farang99]

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No, because when i was a teenager we worked or studied all day and slept at night because we had no money to do anything else. And that will be true for many in our generation. You are talking about the post-war "baby boomers" who "never had it so good".

[crazyfj]

I don't agree 're health care. I suffer from MS. Unlike others heat helps my walking so I picked Thailand to spend some time. Taken ill a few times in Chiang Mai and the health care is friendly, understanding and very cheap for scans, antibiotics etc

I do agree about the paths. Up, down, duck, jump and avoid I say lol however it's makes me smile now as I'm use to it.

[BKResort]

I think that you biggest problem is not Thailand. It is that you do felt old at 42.....and ready to retire.

You will feel unhappy anywhere in the World.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

I think that you biggest problem is not Thailand. It is that you do felt old at 42.....and ready to retire.

You will feel unhappy anywhere in the World.

But I look 25. Honest

[Emster23]

"It just can not and will never compete with the west regarding care for the elderly." I'm from the USA, and would much rather be a geezer here than USA.

I'm a bit mixed up: you seem to think you are young when chasing after skirts, based mainly on sexual prowess as a main draw for you. But later, regarding visa issues, you say you are old and don't have time for that.

If a geezer works out an arrangement with a young thing, and both are getting their "needs" met, who are we to judge? My issue with under 30 crowd has to do with general air headedness, lack of perspective, etc. One night, maybe. Partner, forget about it.

[aronp1]

Thai women are "fake" too..they just cloak it in that sexy, soft, caring "Asian Way".

Stereotypes are international. The only thing that is different is the cover.