Did anyone end up hating Thailand after retiring?

[Aing123]

I'm considering retiring in Thailand after multiple visits, due to the weather and easygoing life, however visiting and living somewhere might be a bit of a different experience.

 

Any input?

[tonray]

No...but retirement without adequate funds for activities will bore you to death.

[Peterw42]

If you read these forums enough you will get the impression that many hate the place, but fortunately its the vocal minority.

[Jip99]

On your own ?

 

 

or are you attached ?...... that may well be a factor in where you live.

 

 

I imagine that everyone hates something/somewhere/someone at some stages of their life.

 

i hated the cold of winter in the U.K.

 

 

I hate the heat and humidity of Thailand in April.

[billd766]

I retired here in 2001 though I did work offshore for a few more years.

 

I am married to a Thai lady and we have a 13 year old son.

 

We live on about 15 rai in rural Thailand where is peaceful and full of fresh air and friendly Thais.

 

It is not, however great for everyone. We are 6km from the big village, 7/11 and the local markets and about 65 km from the nearest western style supermarket.

 

For the OP a lot depends on what you want out of retirement, if you are married to a Thai or not, if you have schoolage children, (I do), and very much lately on the forex rates.

 

It depends on if you want city , town or country life.

 

If you want to live in a house or a condo, to rent or buy.

 

You have given no information really for anybody to advise you.

[Aing123]

12 minutes ago, Jip99 said:

On your own ?

 

On my own.

[chickenslegs]

Location, location, location.

 

It would kill me to live out in the sticks, but I know quite a few people who love that sort of life and hate the city.

 

I have chosen to live in a relatively quiet seaside town which is just 20 minutes or so away from the madness which is Pattaya. For me, it is a perfect compromise.

 

I don't think there's too much to "hate" about Thailand, but I would advise anyone thinking of retiring here to spend at least a full year living normally (i.e. - not as a high spending tourist) before taking the plunge.

 

Oh, and just to add. ThaiVisa is a great source of news and other information, but it does seem to attract a lot of negative posters and Thai bashers. So, be careful not to believe everything you read here. 

Edited August 28, 2017 by chickenslegs

[billd766]

2 minutes ago, Aing123 said:

 

On my own.

 

That legally restricts you to renting somewhere or buying a condo if you want to buy but still not enough information about what else you want.

[Jip99]

1 minute ago, Aing123 said:

 

On my own.

 

 

That broadens your options.

 

I guess the majority of retirees are here with partners and where that partner lives may be a big factor in choosing where to live.

 

in your case you have total independent freedom of choice. Just like buying a house on your own, list down the things that you think will be important to you.

 

Come here rent everything and as chickenslegs said come and live as a resident rather than a tourist. With no baggage you have the mobility to move where you want, whenever you want, and take your time to decide where and what suits you.

[tonray]

I was a bit unusual as I never visited Thailand before I moved here. I was living in Malaysia prior to this and wanted a change. In many ways Thailand is much more in your face than Malaysia was for me. But some things about Thailand leave me wanting to be back in Malaysia:

 

1) Thais seem to have little sense of aesthetics. For example, most houses are a jumble of collected junk, no real landscaping or attempts and lifestyle seems a bit chaotic where Malaysia everything had a place and gardens and flowers especially were an essential part of even the most modest dwelling. Thais seem to leave the aesthetic design to the Temples which are beautiful of course but the Sois to me are a mess of nondescript almost Soviet Bloc style architecture with little planning or beauty.

 

2) Perhaps because of the British colonial days, Malaysia seems much more ordered and civilized than Thailand. I miss the order of things where here Mai Bpen Rai rules the day.

 

3) I really miss the Laksas....555. Thai food is great but somewhat monotonous in that everything has the same basic core flavors. This I think is an offshoot of how deeply culturally Thais are connected to their  past but limits some adventurism in cuisine. A funny story was a girl I dated kept telling me how much she loved Italian food so I took her to a nice Italian restaurant. The Italian sausage was homemade and fantastic, she just about spit it out because the flavors of fennel and oregano were so foreign to her as her Thai palate told her sausage should only taste like she knew from Issan. 

 

But all in all, not too bad and Malaysia is only a short hop away, as is Vietnam when I need a cultural holiday.

[champers]

I took a peek at your profile; OP; and it has your year of birth as 1985. On that basis, you cannot extend a visa for retirement purposes for another 18 years. 

I suggest working as long as you can, putting by as much as you can for retirement.

NB. If in the UK, you cannot buy an annuity until age 55. 

Edited August 28, 2017 by champers

[swissie]

Plenty of them ended up hating Thailand. Plenty of them ended up loving Thailand.

Look before you leap: Stay in Thailand for at least 6 months and travel a lot. Don't (just yet) burn your bridges in your home-country. Try to live on an "Expat-Budget" during this time (usually lower than a typical "Tourist-Budget".)

- But, as an other poster already mentioned, with this little information you disclose, there is no member on this forum (born by a woman), that can give you a clue wether you will end up as a person that hates Thailand or one that loves Thailand.
Cheers.

[thrilled]

There are pluses and negatives about living anywhere.You might want to 

take an extended vacation and see how it goes.

[jacko45k]

A few things can aggravate you but hating the place is a long way off.

 

Overall I would say the place is pretty agreeable...... beats my home town and what it has become.

[tonray]

10 hours ago, tonray said:

No...but retirement without adequate funds for activities will bore you to death.

 

I'll quote myself because I wanted to elaborate a bit here. I am 59 and decided to quit working a few years early...but pre-pension (earliest I can reasonably draw SS and Pension monies is 62). I have assets and investments but keeping to a tight budget until that steady income flow comes in at 62. Keeping a strict budget AND being retired in Thailand is difficult, I am finding the transition from working every day to having nothing to do daunting and the cash restrictions are limiting my activities. So just something to keep in mind. When you are working all day you have the advantage of a steady paycheck and since you are working, less opportunity to spend money.

[marquis22]

Once you are retired, you can only get a one-year retirement extension so get that and live here for 12 months and find out.

Then like it lump it or leave!

[BuaBS]

Been here nearly ten years , I don't hate Thailand , but I do hate ME being here . There's a difference.

[robblok]

7 minutes ago, BuaBS said:

Been here nearly ten years , I don't hate Thailand , but I do hate ME being here . There's a difference.

No chance of you changing that situation ? If I hated being at a certain place id move. 

 

I think location is important, I am near BKK, did think about moving (inside Thailand) but decided against it that i like it where I am that I do like the creature comforts of BKK and can always take the car and do trips. 

[jeab1980]

My answer no not at all love the place.

Read this forum and you will get the impresuon Thialand 

1. Hates foriegners.

2. Your just a walking ATM.

3. You will be fleeced by a woman.

4. All thai women are only looking for wealthy husband.

5. Well the list goes on and on and on.

Take no notice do as you see fit. Belive what you will and not the knockers.

Dont take anything (with the exeption of ubon joe) as Gospel.

 

[steven100]

Having read all the comments, and we know there are some TV Farang on here that do continually complain about Thailand over and over, but you can't please everyone and of course one should move if they don't like it. I certainly wouldn't want to live anywhere else. It has the good weather, food, beer, and many other things.  Life is to short ,  just do it and live life to it's fullest.

[Pinot]

I live in Phuket at a world class beach. I'm busy everyday with exercise and creative projects. Been married to a beautiful Thai who treats me like a King. I go back to the USA now after eight years and can't wait to get out of there. This is home now.

 

There are frustrations. This is a third world country. Whenever I get POed, I have a mantra I repeat..."lower your expectations, lower your expectations."

 

This place remains fun.

[dotpoom]

11 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

If you read these forums enough you will get the impression that many hate the place, but fortunately its the vocal minority.

Amen Amen to that....unfortunately the "crackpots" ..."disgruntled" (no matter where they reside, me thinks)....and all those who look at life from a place of doom and gloom....Shout the loudest.

   

[curtklay]

"Hate" would be too strong a word.

"Disenchanted" would be more accurate.

[craigt3365]

I find the hot season tougher and tougher to take every year. Not being able to go out for a walk during the day without coming back a sweaty mess is no fun.

 

We're back to leaving every year from mid April or so until July or so. And considering making it even longer.

[fittobethaied]

11 hours ago, tonray said:

I was a bit unusual as I never visited Thailand before I moved here. I was living in Malaysia prior to this and wanted a change. In many ways Thailand is much more in your face than Malaysia was for me. But some things about Thailand leave me wanting to be back in Malaysia:

 

1) Thais seem to have little sense of aesthetics. For example, most houses are a jumble of collected junk, no real landscaping or attempts and lifestyle seems a bit chaotic where Malaysia everything had a place and gardens and flowers especially were an essential part of even the most modest dwelling. Thais seem to leave the aesthetic design to the Temples which are beautiful of course but the Sois to me are a mess of nondescript almost Soviet Bloc style architecture with little planning or beauty.

 

2) Perhaps because of the British colonial days, Malaysia seems much more ordered and civilized than Thailand. I miss the order of things where here Mai Bpen Rai rules the day.

 

3) I really miss the Laksas....555. Thai food is great but somewhat monotonous in that everything has the same basic core flavors. This I think is an offshoot of how deeply culturally Thais are connected to their  past but limits some adventurism in cuisine. A funny story was a girl I dated kept telling me how much she loved Italian food so I took her to a nice Italian restaurant. The Italian sausage was homemade and fantastic, she just about spit it out because the flavors of fennel and oregano were so foreign to her as her Thai palate told her sausage should only taste like she knew from Issan. 

 

But all in all, not too bad and Malaysia is only a short hop away, as is Vietnam when I need a cultural holiday.

Tonray, I think you've hit on something here. Whether or not one can adapt to and enjoy Thailand has so much to do with ones own personality. Personally, I am very obsessive-compulsive and  am only comfortable in an environment where there is order, organization, symmetry, great aesthetics and surrounded by people who obey the rule of law and are basically good, honest and hardworking people who you can take at their word. If you are content to live in a place that is the exact opposite of those attributes, then you will enjoy the chaos that is Thailand. If not, then stay away from this place because it will drive you mad! I have devoted 7 years of my life to trying to adapt to this culture, and for me it's nothing more than an exercise in futility. 

 

My advice would be to try it for one year and see how it goes. If after that you are still having trouble adjusting, don't fool yourself into thinking that you just need a little more time. Your basic personality will never change and you must understand that oil and water can never ever mix.  Living in Thailand can suck the life right out of you if it's not a good mix for you.

[likeke]

I retired in Bangkok after traveling there many times. I took the plunge as it were. I gave myself one year but stayed three years. Probably one year too long. Ended up hating everything Thai. The language and cultural barrier did me in. I knew a lot of the thai language but still could not speak conversationally. Went to the gym 6 days a week and traveled around southeast asia. Good pension and never took the bars or the bar girls seriously. Stayed single because I would never marry again. It was a good life for a while. I returned to the states (Hawaii) one year ago. Best move I ever made. Going back to BKK for 2 weeks on holiday, and looking forward to being a tourist again. 

[impulse]

If you liked it back home, you'll probably like Thailand.  If you want to escape all the idiots and urban blight back home, you'll probably find them here, too.

 

Wherever you go, there you are.

 

Personally, I find that a lot of guys, myself included, don't even notice how small our worlds become over the years.  At first, it's new and exciting and that delays the boredom and diminishes the memories of what we've left behind.  Sports events, concerts, skiing, comfort food, old friends, family, and on and on...

 

I'm going to quote here a little bit from NancyL which was related to end of life care, but it had a thought provoking effect on me:

 

Usually, by the time people at end-of-life go to McKean, it's often several weeks past the time they should have gone.  It's not usual to see some people improve, once they get into the nice, clean, beautiful and caring surroundings and I've even heard some misinformed friends/family comment that they really aren't at end-of-life when they see the nice little rally at first admission.

 

No, it's because for the first time in months they're in a proper bed, being kept clean, fed western food, in aircon, with unlimited ice cream or soft boil eggs or oatmeal or whatever western treat strikes their fancy within reason.  They're hearing English spoken, perhaps for the first time in months.  

 

 

Edit:  The other thing I notice is that a lot of people don't seem to consider the possibility of downsizing back home.  They hate living in New York City because it's so expensive, so crowded, and the weather stinks, but never consider they may enjoy Florida, or even the Poconos, where they can live on 1/2 the money they were spending in the NYC area.  Then we read all about how a virtual palace in Isaan is so much more affordable than a hovel "back home", when nice homes can be had all over the USA for less than NYC, or all over Europe instead of London.

 

Edited August 29, 2017 by impulse

[TKDfella]

Well, with what's going on presently you'll have a good laugh...the greatest comedy show on on Earth. I think it depends on your motives, ideals and other things. My friend introduced me to Thailand many years ago, he left and I'm still here.

[Thaidream]

The last few posts are excellent and I really believe one's own personality determines whether they can live happily in Thailand.  My first visit was 50 years ago and thereafter living and working in Thailand and also working in Japan.  I do not miss the US where I grew up  and find that I have adjusted to being in Thailand. 

 

There is a huge difference between being a 2 week tourist and actually living in Thailand. Before committing full time- please consider living as an expat to determine if you can handle the differences in culture between your own country and Thailand.  One of the things I had to really adjust to is the lack of planning that exists in Thailand and by Thais in general. The 'mai pen rai' attitude is the way the country operates and it can at times be irritating. So many times , I have found myself thinking- just tell me yes or no and stop the bull....when dealing with Thais  but eventually as I learned  to speak Thai... I have found ways around the cultural differences.  Learning how to be incredibly patient has helped.

 

I remember a Thailand from the past which was more laid back; less expensive; and generally a better place to live.  Modernism and globalisation has set Thailand back both in daily living as well as attitude. It's still a good place to live  but not a great place....but to me-still better than where I came from.

 

One last item- don't ever get yourself in a position where you cannot move somewhere else if you decide things are not working for you in Thailand.  Being single certainly helps but that is a personal decision. I would never burn bridges from the home country nor give up my citizenship. No matter how well you adapt to Thailand and speak the language and become immersed in the culture- you will never be considered Thai.

 

Good luck to you.

 

 

Edited August 29, 2017 by Thaidream

[simple1]

OP: I retired to Thailand and eventually relocated back to Australia. In a sense I was lucky as I had a medical check-up in Thailand with no issues identified. A month later I returned to Australia to apply for my government pension and out of curiosity had another check up, which identified an aggressive cancer, luckily caught just in time before spreading elsewhere in my body. As I require ongoing medical care cannot afford to return to live in Thailand where my wife and I have a house, car etc. In other words good medical insurance and doctor/s essential.

 

So far as day to day living is concerned I was surprised at the total indifference of some Thais to ones quality of life with excessive noise e.g.  practically non stop barking of a neighbours dog, rubbish and other annoyances. One matter to note is you are not equal to local Thais e.g. require two Thai nationals to support an official complaint and reporting to police every 90 days. Be careful of who you trust among the local foreign community.

 

On the plus side living outside of one's comfort zone and learning new cultural norms is IMO a positive experience. Some Thais are truly caring, have a ready sincere smile and will engage if you're able to communicate. After a week or so you get use to Thai driving, always follow defensive driving techniques and invest in 1st class car insurance. Does help if you have a Thai friend to navigate though bureaucracy which can be frustrating. Don't 'burn your bridges' with your home country as the your future is never guaranteed.

Edited August 29, 2017 by simple1