Retirement in Thailand?

Post by **sam** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 2:18 pm

prcscct,
good Thai and Western freinds are helping,without them things would be a lot harder. Cannot wait to be there fulltime.

Post by **STEVE G** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 2:59 pm

prcscct wrote:
STEVE G wrote:I've voted yes, but I'm in the same situation as Spitfire in that I'm only 45 and with pensions being what they now are, I'll have at least 20 years before I've any chance of retiring.
By the by Steve, have you ever looked into getting a position with some aircraft company or contractor here? Is there a clearinghouse or some kind of service that professionals can reference for open positions in various countries? Pete :cheers:

I always keep an eye out for work in the region, but it's much harder to find than it was in the past.
Most jobs are locally employed now which means that the salary is a fraction of what you can find in the west.
Actually I quite enjoy moving back and forth between Europe and Thailand and I'm trying to get into a situation where I work perhaps six or eight months a year and spend the rest of the time in Thailand which would suit me just fine.
To be honest as long as I'm fit and healthy I would like to carry on working for as long as I can as I'm independant by nature and don't like the idea of not contributing to society.

Post by **London Boy** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 3:33 pm

Wife & I (both foreign) bought our place in Hua Hin last year and travel back as much as possible and full time retirement in about 2 more years

Post by **Sabai Jai** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 7:15 pm

I voted that we were intending to but now changed our mind...largely due to recent instability and exchange rates.

We (Me and the Thai missus) may well change our minds again in the future depending on circumstances in the next five years.

'Pleun Jai' - Thai's changing their mind - surely not!

Wish the Thai government would 'Pleun Jai' about giving residency to legitimate retirees

Sabai Jai

Post by **komfortablynumb** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:39 pm

I voted yes to retirng there/here?
Bring it on.
13 months left.
i will; be selling up in the UK.
My life & death will be in Praknampran.
unless something else comes along.
I won't have a safety net.
Pension and savings will do me.
I have done my time working.
I may have got it wrong.
But i would rather be miserable in the LOS

Post by **Khundon1975** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:13 pm

I voted yes to Thailand but actually we plan to spend 6 months in UK/ Italy and 6 months in Thailand for the next few years. At least that is the plan.

I retired from full time work at 47 (1999) but my (Thai) wife is only in her early thirties now, so she is not ready to retire.

We don't feel that spending all our time in Thailand would suit us at the moment as we both like to travel and being in the UK or Italy gives us the freedom to do that.

Maybe in a few years we will spend more time in Thailand and when my wife wants to "settle down" then we will live in Thailand full time.
Having family in Australia as well, will make it more convenient to travel there from Thailand.

Needless to say her family would like us to be in Thailand full time but we/they are only a 12 hour flight away, so for now they are happy with that.

Ultimately we both agree that Thailand is where we will finally settle, maybe in 5 years or so, but for now it is a three way split.

Post by **Pagey** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 12:39 am

Single man and voted yes. Not been to UK since 2002 when I left to work in Saudi. Planned to retire in 2010 when I am 50 but had to revise that to 2012 at earliest, depends what happens to investment rates and Baht exchange rate which has forced my rethink over the last 6 - 12 months.

Fully paid up NI for UK pension and been in my company pension scheme for 30 years so hoping my investments and savings will take me to retirement age then pension to supplement my later years.

Travelled around Asia incl various places in Thailand and decided on HH as the place for me around 4 years ago. Back there on Tuesday 21st July and again in Oct and Dec.

Post by **Vital Spark** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 1:09 am

Mr.VS and I would vote yes, at the moment.

Heck, who knows what the future holds in this country for us aliens? At the moment we can have the lifestyle which suits us, which we would probably stuggle to afford in the UK. Add on to that the weather, the mai pen rai attitude (which can be infuriating sometimes, but generally is good for the soul), and ease of living.

I'm less than 20 years away from retirement, so I'll carry on teaching (which I enjoy, and pays the bills) until I feel I've had enough. We have no intention of buying a house here - renting suits us fine as it gives us freedom to move to another area of the country if we feel like it.

I do tend to avoid making long term 'concrete' plans. As Robert Burns said 'The best laid plans (schemes) o' men and mice....'

VS.

PS: Note to self. Need to check up on my pension

Having worked for a paltry 18 years in the UK (and paying 25% of my salary in tax and NI) I'm probably only entitled to one and six a month. Guess I'll just have to give up the beer and cigs.

Post by **B6PTW** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 2:53 am

We hate the wait to retire but at least we spend 3 months of the year in Hua Hin but sometimes it feels like wishing ones life away

Post by **margaretcarnes** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 8:08 am

For Steve G and VS - the number of qualifying years for full UK state pension reduces from next April. This reduction in years during which full contributions are paid applies to anyone who retires after 6th April 2010. For women the number of qualifying years reduces to 30. For men it is more than 30,but I don't have the exact info to hand.
Everyone (men and women) born after April 5th 1959 will have a pension age above 65, and for everyone born after March 5th 1978 the age rises to 68.
Womens retirement age starts to increase in stages to 65 from next April.
More info on exact retirement ages is available on www.gmb.uk/statepensionage

Women born on or after April 6th 1950 will receive a letter from the Dept of Work and Pensions regarding their payment date. Letters should have started to arrive from this April and will continue to be sent out up to Jan 2012.

Post by **Pagey** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 11:47 am

Mags : The qualifying years for men reaching state pension age after April 2010 reduced at least a year ago to 30 years only. Hence at 48 years of age I am fully paid up and eligible for my full state pension although at age 66 not 65 as it rises in 2024.

Post by **margaretcarnes** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 6:48 am

Thanks Pagey - I thought it was more years for men but thats good news for you guys.
Some of these changes due next April were actually proposed about 15 years ago, and originally the womens retirement age increase was scheduled to roll in over only 5 years. Thats now been extended, and of course the retirement age increase for both is now due to be introduced once the womens age has equalised.
There are now also proposals to do away with compulsory retirement ages anyway, so even less jobs for youngsters in future maybe? But I doubt it will affect the retirement exodus to LOS!

Post by **le pew** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 12:10 pm

I am a married man (farang wife) with a love of Thailand but my wife refuses to visit. We have one thing in common though, that is we will need 2 residences to enjoy retirement. Maybe just space to get away from each other for a while or maybe just having 2 places to give us that wonderful feeling of choice. Given that, I'd still see myself spending much time in Thailand. After my next trip, Nua Hin may just be the place.

Post by **le pew** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 12:13 pm

As an addition to the above, the only difference may be the cost of airfares to LOS. Either way, retirement is going to be challenging without the sort of money I can now earn. I can see 3 month stints in LOS as being feasible. Then live like a down and out pensioner back in OZ.

Post by **PeteC** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 8:34 pm

We're just about a week into this now and interesting to see that out of 9 foreign couples and 3 foreign singles, none have gotten cold feet concerning the state of the country.

Small numbers to conclude any pattern, but folks like this usually don't take a life changing international move lightly and do their research.

If I was in their shoes, I think I would feel the same way.

If you've visited and researched a place in infinite detail, troubled times could be more of an opportunity than an obstacle. Pete

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