Retirement - what to do?

[midlandmike]

There seems to be 2 groups of retirees in Thai, probably the same elsewhere. Those who find that getting up in the morning and deciding where to go for diner at night is a life and those that think this is just time spent in God's waiting room. By your question, I think that you are somebody who wants to have something to do. Your advantage is the Thai wife. Think about starting a small business of some type with her as the nominal head. I have 2 friends with this lifestyle.
I am very lucky, I was working a full time job in BKK and then at 60, slowed down to 4 days a week (Mon-Thurs) and spend 4 nights a week in HH, that is ideal for me. I have a friend in HH who was an accountant and has 'gone back to work' working from his home in HH about 4 hours a day and he is equally happy. Your concern is understandable, find something to keep your brain and muscles busy.

[Dannie Boy]

Pulling this up again, hard to believe I asked this 6 years ago! (and my retirement has postponed as well)

Lot's of new members, and new stuff to do around HH so what fills your day?

I've been retired and living in the HH area almost 2 years and feel that I have got into my routines now, although the first year was very much dedicated to supervising the construction of our house - as was mentioned before, you really need to dedicate time every day to visit the site and make sure everything is going as planned (you can bet your life there will be issues).

Our house is on a 1.1/2 Rai plot with half of it dedicated to grass and areas to grow fruit and veg. The garden is very demanding taking into account daily watering outside the wet season, cutting grass, weeding the borders and all of the work associated with growing fruit and veg.

My day starts with taking our dog for a walk on adjacent open land and that is followed by a 8-10 km cycle ride. Back home and time to clean the swimming pool - daily top skimming of the surface and twice a week vacuuming the bottom and as needed, scrubbing of the tiles around the top of the pool.

Clean out the chicken run and feed and water them.

Time for a shower followed by breakfast and by now it can be anything between 8.30 and 10.00 depending on the activities.

Catch up on the Internet - there's a good forum that will keep you busy/amused for a few hours and then before you know it's lunchtime. As you will be aware, it's really too hot to do anything too strenuous between mid morning and mid afternoon, so just chill out.

I like baking so always make one or two cakes every week as well as a loaf of bread and cook all sorts of other things, including making my own sausages, curing bacon etc etc.

I am not into golf but play badminton once a week and am thinking about giving the lawn bowls facility a try. Fishing does seem interesting going by some of the photos posted on the HH fishing lodge page - a bit bigger that the bream and perch I used to catch as a youngster!!

We don't venture out very often in the evening as I don't need the bar scene any more, so quite happily spend a couple of hours watching the best of the UK TV programmes that are available.

I'm sure my day is very different than many others here in HH, but it rocks my boat and I don't get bored.

[VincentD]

Dannie boy
Your avatar caught my eye. Desperate Dan... Dandy, Beano, the Rupert Book... Sigh. I'm showing my age. Would be interested in your recipe for curing bacon, more out of curiosity than anything else. I've stopped baking as the oven was destroyed in the Bangkok flood, presently re-building. A few years short of retiring, but intend to keep myself busy as I find it difficult to adapt to the life of a couch potato.

[Dannie Boy]

Dannie boy
Your avatar caught my eye. Desperate Dan... Dandy, Beano, the Rupert Book... Sigh. I'm showing my age. Would be interested in your recipe for curing bacon, more out of curiosity than anything else. I've stopped baking as the oven was destroyed in the Bangkok flood, presently re-building. A few years short of retiring, but intend to keep myself busy as I find it difficult to adapt to the life of a couch potato.

I bought pre-prepared mixes for sausages, bacon, pork pies etc from a UK based company when on holiday last year -their website is:

www.sausagemaking.org/acatalog/Sausage_Making_Kits.html

It's surprisingly easy once you have the right joint of pork - not that easy in HH but I found the French Butcher now up Soi 88 I think, who can supply you with a proper piece of loin of pork. Simply rub the seasoning mix all over the joint and keep in the fridge in a sealed bag for about a week depending on the size of the joint, turning the meat daily. Then it's ready for slicing and will freeze well in portions of however many slices you need per portion. Bon Appetite

[migrant]

Thanks guys!

You're right I like to keep the mind and body busy. Not a golfer due to numerous surgeries on the shoulder.

Midlandmike, like you're accountant friend I've thought the same thing, with the 14+_ hour time change from California it opens some options, of course with work permits sorted . The wife does want a business so possible also, and with the Amity treaty still in effect (I believe) I can also share in it.

Dannie Boy, your day is also somewhat what I pictured, exercise and outside work in the morning, quiet afternoon. I do enjoy cooking so also similar.

[hhfarang]

Hi Migrant, we've talked personally about this before and I've written my thoughts (and been flamed for them) a few times before, but I'll revisit my experience here.

For people fleeing a place with horrible weather and/or little variety of climate/topography, this is probably an ideal place to retire. For an American, in my humble opinion, it isn't so perfect. I've been here nine years now and the first three were well occupied by building a home, getting to know the area, exercise (in a public gym), and travel around Thailand. I've pretty much been bored silly since then. Being near the beach was nice at first, but that got old in a hurry as well and I haven't even bothered to set toes in sand for several years. I'm not a bar or night life person and in fact rarely leave the house after dark so just about the only time I go outside now is to have lunch or shop for supplies.

I originally moved here because my (Thai) wife missed home and family after living in the U.S. for eight years. Now after nine years here, she wants to go back to the U.S. even more than I do and wishes we'd never left.

If you want to live in a country smaller than the state of Texas with pretty much the same (very hot) climate all over and if you like jungle and beaches and very little else in the way of changes in scenery, or if you're heavily into nightlife or golf then Hua Hin/Thailand is your place. You'll probably see and do everything else in the first couple of years like I did and then have to work hard at not being bored. I've read way more books in the last six years than I did in my first fifty-seven years combined. I know the TrueVisions schedule by heart, and I belong to about ten internet forums that I read daily. The highlight of my week is deciding where to go for lunch the two or three times I do that. At least there is no shortage of restaurants here to choose from.

I hate moving worse than going to the dentist and would rather take a beating than have to do it again at my age, but with the missus pushing hard I think we will exit back to the U.S. sometime in the next couple of years. I'm just waiting for the new health care law to shake out and see what it does as far as medical costs.

About the Treaty of Amity. That link from a Thai law firm on the other thread about the treaty is an interesting read. I would like to see if that is really the way it works now. I know several Americans who have tried to use it and ended up putting their business totally in the wife's name because they ran up against a brick wall on the treaty. I do know exactly one American who has taken advantage of it and owns his business 100% outright. He told me that the treaty was over in that there were a finite number of business licenses to be issued under the treaty and they are all taken. However, those licenses are transferable, much like some of the lifetime golf memberships here, so he purchased one from an American in Bangkok who was leaving the country and no longer needed it. It will be interesting to see how that turns out if you try to go that route.

Looking forward to seeing you again in any case. If you wait long enough to retire maybe I'll visit you in California...

[migrant]

Thanks HHF for that, like you mentioned we've spoken about this.

One reason my original plan has been postponed is from your, and your wife's experience. As you know Mrs M has been here in the states almost 20 years now and we both realize living in Thailand is different than visiting. I postponed the plan so that if we do want to return we should be financially able to.

Hope to see you and Mrs HHF soon!

[Name Taken]

Hi Migrant, we've talked personally about this before and I've written my thoughts (and been flamed for them) a few times before, but I'll revisit my experience here.

For people fleeing a place with horrible weather and/or little variety of climate/topography, this is probably an ideal place to retire. For an American, in my humble opinion, it isn't so perfect. I've been here nine years now and the first three were well occupied by building a home, getting to know the area, exercise (in a public gym), and travel around Thailand. I've pretty much been bored silly since then. Being near the beach was nice at first, but that got old in a hurry as well and I haven't even bothered to set toes in sand for several years. I'm not a bar or night life person and in fact rarely leave the house after dark so just about the only time I go outside now is to have lunch or shop for supplies.

I originally moved here because my (Thai) wife missed home and family after living in the U.S. for eight years. Now after nine years here, she wants to go back to the U.S. even more than I do and wishes we'd never left.

If you want to live in a country smaller than the state of Texas with pretty much the same (very hot) climate all over and if you like jungle and beaches and very little else in the way of changes in scenery, or if you're heavily into nightlife or golf then Hua Hin/Thailand is your place. You'll probably see and do everything else in the first couple of years like I did and then have to work hard at not being bored. I've read way more books in the last six years than I did in my first fifty-seven years combined. I know the TrueVisions schedule by heart, and I belong to about ten internet forums that I read daily. The highlight of my week is deciding where to go for lunch the two or three times I do that. At least there is no shortage of restaurants here to choose from.

I hate moving worse than going to the dentist and would rather take a beating than have to do it again at my age, but with the missus pushing hard I think we will exit back to the U.S. sometime in the next couple of years. I'm just waiting for the new health care law to shake out and see what it does as far as medical costs.

About the Treaty of Amity. That link from a Thai law firm on the other thread about the treaty is an interesting read. I would like to see if that is really the way it works now. I know several Americans who have tried to use it and ended up putting their business totally in the wife's name because they ran up against a brick wall on the treaty. I do know exactly one American who has taken advantage of it and owns his business 100% outright. He told me that the treaty was over in that there were a finite number of business licenses to be issued under the treaty and they are all taken. However, those licenses are transferable, much like some of the lifetime golf memberships here, so he purchased one from an American in Bangkok who was leaving the country and no longer needed it. It will be interesting to see how that turns out if you try to go that route.

Looking forward to seeing you again in any case. If you wait long enough to retire maybe I'll visit you in California...

I agree with hhfarang, Living in Thailand is very boring almost all of the time.

[nanyang]

I've been here nine years now and the first three were well occupied by building a home, getting to know the area, exercise (in a public gym), and travel around Thailand. I've pretty much been bored silly since then.

I agree with hhfarang, Living in Thailand is very boring almost all of the time.

Me too, I've been here for eleven years and, thank The Good Lord, have managed to sell our property.

So it's back to Europe, in August, with my wife and two daughters.

My wife and kids will return now and again but for me it'll be 'bye bye'.

[buksida]

Jeeze - you've got the whole of Southeast Asia on your doorstep, how on earth can anyone get bored here. A short flight costing less than a hundred bucks can have you in 8 to 10 different neighbouring countries.

If I didn't have to work I'd just spend my time traveling and using Thailand as a base. To be honest I don't know why so many people choose Thailand when there is so much more out there.

[richard]

Jeeze - you've got the whole of Southeast Asia on your doorstep, how on earth can anyone get bored here. A short flight costing less than a hundred bucks can have you in 8 to 10 different neighbouring countries.

If I didn't have to work I'd just spend my time traveling and using Thailand as a base. To be honest I don't know why so many people choose Thailand when there is so much more out there.

If I was 10 years younger, more mobile and had a slightly fatter wallet I'd be travelling SE Asia. Thailand as a base and hub to the surrounding countries. From the little I've seen of neighbouring countries there is a lot to see and do. Some things knock spots off anything Thailand has to offer.

No one should be bored to the point of giving up and shifting the box into reverse IMO

[PeteC]

Thanks HHF for that, like you mentioned we've spoken about this.

One reason my original plan has been postponed is from your, and your wife's experience. As you know Mrs M has been here in the states almost 20 years now and we both realize living in Thailand is different than visiting. I postponed the plan so that if we do want to return we should be financially able to.

Hope to see you and Mrs HHF soon!

I wouldn't even go that far. Lock the homestead or rent it, then come over here and stay 2 years in a rented place. Don't buy anything. I really think that's the key, decide after 2 years of constant stay here. I have to say honestly that if I didn't sell the place in Hawaii, we would have been back to there about a year ago. That's from someone with 43 years experience with this land and 18 years full time living at various times. It's a love/hate relationship but the frustrations continue to mount....maybe it's just age...no idea.....I endure at the moment. Pete

[midlandmike]

The 'do it by stages' is good advice. I met a British couple this winter, they had been coming to Thai for 4 weeks every winter and had decided to retire here. Due to family obligations they could not do it this year, their first post-retirement year. They came for 10 weeks and by week 8 were bored out of their minds and have decided to come to Thai for 6-8 weeks a year instead of 4.

[Pagey]

Midlandmike, if they are retired and bored when here, what will they do differently in their home country to alleviate the boredom ?

[caller]

This thread is really interesting for me. Time to come out of the closet (sort of), in that I've just retired. I've got 2 months in LOS shortly, most of which is planned to be spent in Korat, where the other half works and owns her own home (small mortgage). I am a little concerned how I will get on there in the longer term, the plan being 2-months here, head back to the UK, finalise the deal on letting my house, then seeking a 12-month visa, come for the 12-months - then review.

I've been in Thailand for up to 2-months before, but that was a holiday and to a degree, the upcoming 2-months will be the same, but will give me a taster of what daily life may entail.

Another UK based forum I use relays similar experiences to here, those who don't want to make a full-time move, (Thai) wives settled in UK etc, those seeking to make the move, those that have who love it, those that have and have returned as it wasn't for them and those who have lived and loved in LOS now returning for future prospects (work, earnings, kids education sort of stuff).

I have to be honest and say that if I could afford it, 6 months spent between the UK and Thailand seems the ideal to me, but I can't and as its been a long time dream to give it a go at living there, I will. It seems to me that exercising the mind and body is the key.