Retired Farangs living in LOS

[Guest]

Dude, you are my hero!

Keep up the good living!

 

Rug

[Guest]

I suppose there will always be bickering on this board. Sour Grapes...ha ha ha. That is great that there are those that understand how to live among the wonderful, gentle Thai people. I think sometimes this board almost breaks down into people who love Thailand no matter what and those get tired of the BS and scams. From what I have leaned from reading on this board, living in Thailand takes some real work. You have to invest the time to learn to speak Thai if you want to make it there.

[thalenoi]

I kinda have a hard life living here:

 

Get up between 6 and 7, go biking for one hour.

 

Sweat out, have breakfast.

 

Internet for 2 hours (keep in touch with the rest of humanity, 555) whilst the missus takes care of house.

 

Shower together, go for a quick lunch somewhere around the villages.

 

One hour nap due to health problems, often with some excercise

 

Afternoon: learn thai or english to the gf, visit some poor retired guy and have a drink, some sight seeing in the area, read a book, write a book ("How to write software bugs for 30 years " might become the title)

 

3x week go Chumpon for shopping basic items.

 

Around 5pm go for a swimm, 6 to 7 definitely reading time, missus go sporting with group of puying)

After 7pm go out eating beach restaurant

After 8pm retire to bedroom, shower, relax, try to understand thai soap, look at news, read something, have some exercise again .

 

I do need to return to farangland every 6 month for health check-ups and insurance coverage, but DON'T enjoy that.

 

In summary: I hate my life here....::

[Oldtimer]

Although I am now past 66, I am not contemplating retirement -- just spending three months a year at my wonderful beach house . I could not do this without the internet, and indeed it will make one's business life a heck of a lot easier when my neighbourhood gets broadband.

 

The attactions down here are many beside the great climate.About the only thing I object to is the extraordinary high price of wine, which obliges one to drink more beer than is good for the weight situation.

 

Of course, the Thai lasses are a tremoudous attraction --especially when one has a stable relationship with a beautiful lady much younger than oneself.

[Neon Ninja]

 

Hi,

 

I'm only 33, and once in a while (ok quite a bit), think about being able to retire. Thailand has crossed my mind, but another poster hit the nail on the head when he said he could only stand it for a few months at a time.

 

After only being gone on vacation for a couple weeks there at a time, I start missing things! (GOOD COFFEE for one!)

 

Another thing for me to consider is this... what will happen to the Thai economy in the NEXT 33 years? Right now as retirement goes, it's a relative bargain compared to lets say Florida

 

If you turn back the hands of time to 33 years AGO, Korea was probably a fairly good bargain if you wanted to retire in Asia.... not anymore!

 

I've heard it said that Cambodia is at about the same developmental/economic level that Thailand was about 25-30 years ago. Perhaps that should be my goal for future retirement....but it's difficult to predict what path that country will go socially, it may not follow the same path as Thailand...

 

To retire in a country without a steady supply of discount Sanuk would be all kinds of wrong!!

 

Ah well, just some stuff to ponder I guess....

 

-=/NN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pescator]

Hi Thalenoi,

 

Geez. That is a hard life all right.

Who wouldnt be hating that? ::

 

Cheers

Hua Nguu

 

[Crash999]

Says Stickman:

---

I very much agree with the previous poster, OldAsiaHand, whose comments echo my thughts. He is obviously a little older than me, but I too know that there is not enough to stimulate me intellectually here, at least if I was retired.

---

That's a criticism that I've often mentioned in the past. Where's the national art museum? Where's the Bangkok Philharmonic? (oops, just did a Google search and found that there IS one!) Where are the hobbyists? The collectors?

 

This may be a case of the 'grass is always greener' syndrome. For the past two weeks I have been traveling in the US and UK to visit my family. In Pittsburgh, where I grew up, life is still the same as it ever was when I was living there 6 years ago. People seem more concerned about what their next meal will be ('will it be Red Lobster or Outback tonight?') rather than world events, philosophy, or culture.

 

In England I'm about as far South-West as one can travel to. Whereas there's generally a greater awareness of world events here, one still has the feeling that things are happening... elsewhere.

 

Although Thailand may be lacking in many things, I must say that I do feel alive when I'm there. I'm the type of person who can bury myself in books, the Internet, and various solitary activities that satisfy my thirst for intellectual stimulation- so I never ever feel bored in Thailand.

 

As for retiring there, I'm on the better side of 30, so I've still got a long way to go before I face that decision. There may be less economically well-off folks living in Bangkok than elsewhere (and a bunch of yobbo-types), but I've found that there's also a correspondingly lower level of pretentiousness than found in other places- where one in social situations begins the slow shuffle to establish a pecking order based on income/assets/power/privilege. Blah, who needs that.

 

So, as for intellectual stimulation, I'm sure I could find (or create) enough in Thailand to keep myself satisfied.

 

Cheers!

[Pescator]

Hi NN,

 

Well, this is a somewhat different issue from that of the original post, but I do agree with you. Being 42 years old right now I have no clue what living in LOS will be all about in 20 years or so. In terms of economy, health.... well, you name it.

I havent made any plans as yet. I like to keep my options open.

I only know this: I dont want to spend my winters in Scandinavia for sure!!!

 

Cheers

Hua Nguu

 

[walletss]

As some-one who doesn't mind working in my homeland, I have come to conclusion that I would be most satisfied with a schedule that would allow me two months in LOS, followed by a return to Farangland for 4 months, then back to LOS for 2 months then back home again for four months. That would give me four months of the year in Thailand. Perfect.

The only way i can see myself getting enough variety of lifestyle is to enjoythe benefits of both countries.

For those who can siesta, drink, screw, play golf and surf the net all day long 365 days a year I say good luck to you. As far as I am concerned it doesn't matter how you arrange your 24 hours, not being gainfully employed for part of the year is a recipe for boredom.

It's like stawberries and cream. if you have it a couple of times a week you love it. Have it every day and you will eventaully start turning up your nose.

[sfinkz]

"...I have no clue what living in LOS will be all about in 20 years or so..."

________________________________________________

 

I am also clueless but have pondered this as well as it's been 20 years since I first visited/resided and it will be another 20 until, if I keep my nose clean and to the grindstone, I could enjoy a comfortable retirement.

 

Looking back, fundamentally little has changed but the changes have been for the better--property ownership, medical care, infrastructure among them and even, without sounding like a slug, the internet and cable TV make it easier to stay connected. And the economy, from a farang pensioner's perspective, has seen nearly zero inflation in the past 20 years.

 

I've floated the idea by the wife, who I feel uncomfortable vacationing there with but would certainly want for the long haul--I couldn't imagine being there alone at that age to take and be taken advantage of-- and she is receptive as it offers better food and is closer to Japan with a strong Japanese community. Six months at a stretch would seem to be the limit and would conform to airline ticketing and the changing seasons.