"Retiring" in Thailand?

Can we be your friends @Terry_w ?

 

Yep

 

Only if it comes with benefits

 

My plan is simple - to build a GF and rent out the front house. Minimal house contents. Keep buying off-peak air tickets and travel the world. So many places and mountains have not been so plenty to do for a while

 

i biked the Mae Hon Son Loop from Chiangmai into Burma 25 years ago...some of my adventures were hair raising ..some were hilarious...

can't wait to go back ..the Thais are amongst the most friendly people i know ! Plus the food...the food...heck! you only live once!

 

One bucket list is biking in Vietnam (not in main cities) but more like from mid-end to Hoi An or even from Ha Noi to Saigon and take it slow and easy probably get a bike licence in Aust first so international recognition. Actually now is a good time as tourists are rare all over the world

 

One word (or maybe three) : Ha Giang Loop

 

Renting short term and have near zero belongings doesn't sound like a good retirement. Beds in Thailand are often hard as well. There's just something nice about having your own things and a base to travel and be able to return to.

 

I'm not talking for me, we would get too bored, we prefer going everywhere, quite often....3-4 weeks trips
Love thailand & bali though

 

All this sounds very good in theory and works out very well for many but probably not us (I can't even imagine moving interstate, guess it is an age thing with me lol.) I do wonder how many Aussies were desperate to return home to Australia during the pandemic. And I was thanking God that I was safe

For me, I'd rather spend less and live a much simpler life here than say, spending a lot lesser and living it up in Thailand or some other cheaper country. Will probably travel to India/Thailand if we ever need to get any non-emergency medical procedure or major dental work done and it is exorbitantly expensive here. But settle down in another country? Not for me

 

Hey guys, I just compared the cost of living between Australia and Thailand on Numbeo (see attached). Thailand is about 30% cheaper than Australia. Honestly, that's not that impressive. It seems way more expensive than what some posters are saying here, unless I'm missing something?

I think there are way better retirement options. Check out Montenegro, with beautiful beaches and mountains. It is about 60% cheaper than Australia (see attached).

 

It all depends. I just paid $16 for a salad dinner in bangkok - very nice too - but you can get a pad thai noodles for $3.33

Cheap Housing is about 1/4 of the cost of Oz, but high end apartments are expensive. Next to Nana station it ranges from 30milB to 130milB for an apartment, that is $1.2mil to $5.4mil aud.
Hotel like Ibis could be $40 per night, cheaper hotels $20, but super expensive around $400 per night

brand new beach apartment in jomtien from $200k upwards - but small like 30sqm.

Small bottle of cold water in 7/11 costs 29cents, but a smoothy in a mall franchise shop would cost about $8.

 

Digital nomads rave about Chiang Mai. Probably because its cheap I guess. I've never been there but would like to.

If I was living overseas, I'd personally pick Bali or Malaysia over Phuket in terms of lifestyle etc. The only winner in Thailand for me is the superior healthcare compared to Indonesia. I'd love to live in Japan for a while too if I could, and Portugal, Spain, Hawaii etc etc.

Can't wait - really wish we could do it now. Money isn't the problem. But I think we're boxed in due to kids education and stability.

Thanks kids - ruined my dreams.

 

Look, it's a big sacrifice to make on my part, but if you pay for it then I'm willing to live your dream, report back on the experience and send you photos. You get the best of both worlds.

 

Done this with MIL 20 years ago who is an American. After a stoke she was put in a nursing home sat in the corner, feed crap fried food and sedatives while they took all her pension. She didnt want to live they said she wouldnt be able fly from NY to Las Vegas to visit daughter, it was a feat to get her out to visit another daughter just down the road for a day visit. When she was released my wife whisked her to the airport, with the help of flight centre got her on the plane to Philippines to my house there. where she got her own full time personal physio therapist for peanuts. A few hours of the meds and some decent food worked miracles. Been in America the last 15 years with her daughter and 93 years old much more healthy than at 73.

 

I know a doctor that retired there about 20 years ago and never looked back. A lot of people partner up with Thai's as it's easier to buy property in their name. If there's one thing I've seen with my parents in Australia and that is getting old is a business.

 

Guess the only drawback is if one's kids stayed in Oz you'd hardly get to see them.

 

Yep may be going there late 22.

I think most petty crime is never reported.
Tourists are fair game to many in those places.

Call a taxi instead?

From what I see they mostly seem fairly basic compared to here.