Dear all

I know I am a little early on asking these questions, but one likes to be prepared. I am planning on retiring to Thailand in around 2016 (will be 52yrs old). I have visited many times but not in the last 6yrs.
Over the next 4yrs I hope to visit several areas to get a feel of where I would like to retire. Bangkok, Chaing Mai, Pattaya, NE Thailand....etc
I am a single guy who fell in love with Thailand the first time I visited and have been back about 8 times since 1990. My initial aim is to hopefully spend the rest of my life in Thailand from 2016, I will hopefully be able to spend approx £1000 per month, and if I can get away with less, than save a little to backpack around and maybe visit Cambodia, Viet Nam, etc
I don't think I will be bored living on my own, I am a bit of a loner (like my own company)...so initially just getting some ideas, and then hopefully I will be ready in 2016ish...
Thanks for any help, just joined this forum as thought it would be a good start...
Howie

Once you're 50 years you can get the one year non-immigrant "retirement" visa which you renew annually.

Where you choose to live of course depends on who and what you want to live with. Places like Pattaya , Chiang Mai , Hua Hin and the resort islands have farangs thick on the ground and all that goes with their living needs , while there are a other quiet non-tourist / expat areas and provinces , like Chantaburi or Kanchanaburi for example , where you can live a more Thai existence. Unless you are an avowed urban animal I wouln't even consider Bangkok for long term living in Thailand - fun to visit for a few days occasionally but that's all.

£1,000 (THB 50,000) is for most expats at the very lower end of their monthly living budget - unless you live like a monk you won't survive on less than this. From your stated needs and goals I would aim at £1,500 to 2,000 per month.

That about all I can offer at this stage.

Howie:

First, 52 yo is relatively young to begin living on a fixed income. As Mweiga stated £1,000 is @ 50 kBht, today. That is living frugally in Thailand at this point in time. Currency exchange rates fluctuate, sometimes dramatically. Inflation exists and can take a heavy toll on a fixed income. God only knows what £1,000 will be worth in 10, 15 or 20 years. As the adage goes; "The only thing you can count on is change".

Also, don't forget medical and/or health care costs. Disease is prevalent and accidents happen. You may need to purchase medical insurance to protect yourself.

As you state, "one likes to be prepared"; If I was in your shoes with a goal of retiring at the age of 52, I would also investigate Laos, Cambodia, Viet Nam and Malaysia. Don't ignore Myanmar and Indonesia before you finalize your plans.

Good luck.

Thank you for your replies, it is much appreciated. I have been looking at my planned retirement and will now consider looking at other countries within SE Asia. I plan to return to Thailand probably next year for a month or so, which will give me an idea of whether Thailand in the correct option for me.

I know 52yrs is probably a little young to retire, but by then I won't have any ties (business, work or family) so it seems one option. I haven't considered whether I would wish to work while in SE Asia, or whether I would actually be allowed, which is why I am starting to plan things now, as originally I had decided to initially try to live on £1000 per month, which with a condo (stayed in before) at approx B12,000 per month and health insurance as well, I am quiet confident I could do this.

Also my allowance would be based on rent received in this country (England) from several properties I have.

I will keep on getting info and facts, and thank you to anyone who can give advice....off now to surf on other countries, never initially considered.

Thank you

Howie

If you wish you could try some of the areas in Thailand that do not have a large number of foreigners, I live in Chumphon and there are plenty places in the area to live, would you be interested in the beach lifestyle, mountains, in the city, suburbs, in the rural areas, no cinemas, but it is close to places like Koh Tao and Koh Samui, about five hours drive to Phuket, two hours to Surat Thani and three hours to Hua Hin, but as stated earlier getting by on a thousand quid could be difficult unless you wanted to lead the quiet life in a quiet area.

1000 GBP a month is more than enough Mweiga.

I used to live well on 500$ down in Songkla.

Unless you go to bars every night ,do 'bar fines' etc, you will struggle to spend more than 500.

I would recommed to the OP to look for smaller towns outside the tourist traps.

Songkla or Hat Yai are ideal imho.

Quick exits to Malaysia or Indonesia are very popular for us in the Deep South.

Failing the South I would look at all the towns along the Mekong...Mukdahan ,Nakon Phanom etc. Cambodia and Laos are nearby...These are backwater towns though

Thank you for everyones's advice. Up to now my plan is to visit Chaing Mai early 2013 for a month, stay in a cheap B&B and for a few weeks live the type of life i would hope to live when I retire (now hopefully 2 yrs later).

I wouldn't want to live the expensive lifestyle even if I could afford it. I have been lucky in the UK to have a very good income, lovely home a wonderful cars, holidays etc, however non of this has ever brought happiness, as I am not a materialistic person.

I know I would be more happy and fullfilled with life, living in a B&B or apartment (then later when I learn a little Thai, move to a house in a quiter part of Northern Thailand). All I would need is 3-4 meals a day (Thai style as love the food, hate roast dinners etc in UK) love reading, will use my iPad on wifi, relax (never done that for 1 day in the last 30yrs here) and basically wake up every morning a smile (something else not done here much)...and after a few yrs if it doesnt work out, then I cant say i wish I had tried that!! I am single, hopefully have enough to live 40yrs at £1,200 per month, and have a property in the Uk to fall back on..

Only Howie again

I have over the last few months investigated further and my plams have changed a little. I am visiting Chiang Mai in May 2013 for a month to establish what is the cost of living, should I retire here.

I have spent over the last few months 2-3hrs per day talking to expats/researching etc and the info I have received in gereral is as follows:

healthInsurance approx £120 per month (50yrs old good health)
Condo approx £150 per month (studio with pool)
240v/water in Condo £40 per month
Food £450 per month (basic Thai off street)

I know the above list is basic as I have books full of information on costs, however am I missing something obvious as some of the threads state I can't live on £1000 per month and above adds to £760 per month. The only other cost would be water to drink and a beer a day (no bar fines etc as doesnt appeal)

Many thanks

Howie

Howie:

Your not missing anything. In your investigations I expect you have seen the below references:

From a 19JUL12 post by cooked in the "Moving to Thailand in 2013" thread.

Does it have to be Bangkok? Living costs there seem horrendous to people that live out in the sticks, we do ok, more than ok, in Buriram on ?46 000.- a month (no kids, own house, which we could rent for ?4 - 5 000.- if we were looking for something).


Also, from a 17AUG12 post by thai-insights in the "Moving to Thailand in 2013" thread.

Finally, for a number of years I lived on my own here: a no car, no motorcycle, no I-phone, no computer, no TV, no wife, no health insurance lifestyle. In short, a frugal, humble, "go native" "simple living" lifestyle. Frugality became a form of spirituality. A lot of fun actually. And I lived dirt cheap for a good five years. Dirt cheap, as in $5-6,000 a year cheap. No BS. But in the past several years, I find myself sending a step-daughter to private school, buying a pickup truck, buying a computer, eating higher on the hog, travelling back to the states more often, and my annual living expenses have jumped into the $15-20,000/year range in the blink of an eye. The moral of this story is that having a Thai wife, kid, and extended family can get a little costly, and even if you don't have a Thai family, it's not realistic to think that you can live in Thailand on "peanuts," at least not forever.


Anyway, both of the above references reflect the actual and frugal expenditures of expats who do or did, in fact, live on the amounts you are budgeting. On the basis of the amount of investigation you have done and the thoroughness that is apparent in your investigation, you can trust the quality of your investigation and the conclusion(s) you have reached.

And to comment on a statement you made in your post "however am I missing something obvious as some of the threads state I can't live on £1000 per month". The threads should really be interpreted as saying that "the poster cannot live on £1000 per month."


In my case, I will NOT live on less than USD +$1,500/month (up country) of USD $2,000/month (Bangkok) although I could if I was forced to.

I am dithering between 'do it, you only live once', and 'what happens if in a few years you find that the 'simple' life style is getting boring'? You probably won't be able to get another job at your age.
I get my ฿46 000.- a month on the 6th, we fill up the freezer, pay internet and stuff, and are looking at easily ฿30 000.- left over. We are building/renovating our house, so a fair bit is going on building materials and labour at the moment. We also spent a good few thousands when we got married, travel to my embassy in Bangkok etc, there is always something you hadn't really foreseen, (fix the car, buy irrigation equipment for the BIL etc), but we are ok.
What I mean is, everybody has to make his own choice, if you rely on my advice you may turn out not to be the same kind of person as I am, and accuse me of talking BS. I say this because Thailand is definitely a place for individuals that are happy to draw their own conclusions, and you can't do everything by internet.
My situation is special as is everyone's, if we didn't have our own house and the farm produce plus old car already, maybe I would be talking a different language. I don't have health insurance I might add, I put money in a Swiss bank every month as 'self insurance'.... up to you.

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