The Essential Thailand Retirement Guide Pete Bowen doc

The Essential Thailand Retirement Guide Pete Bowen Copyright 2012 by Pete Bowen Smashwords Edition Introduction It’s not surprising that Thailand was chosen as the best country in the world for expats to reside. The HSBC Expat Explorer Survey of 2011 found the Kingdom beat 31 other countries for health care, accommodation, work environment and lifestyle. Thailand is my home. I live in a beautiful tropical beach community in a three bedroom condo with security and spacious pools. Where can I live like that in America for $2,000 a month? You can’t do it for twice that amount! I don’t want to paint the Land of Smiles (LOS) as the be all and end all for every retiree. Buddha knows, it has its issues, but for someone who has the courage to get out of their comfort zone in the West and maybe doesn’t have the money to retire in a luxurious style in a western country, Thailand can be that special place. Make no mistake, it is going to take courage to travel half way around the world and live in a place where things are very, very different. Family and friends are rarely going to be coming for a visit and trips home are expensive. You’ll probably never speak or read the Thai language. You’ll always be an outsider. You’ll never have the same rights as Thais and you won’t be looked at the same. You’ll always be vulnerable. It’s just the way things are. You're a foreigner or as the Thai refer to you, “farang” and no matter how hard you try, you'll never be Thai. Thai culture is very different from the West. Combined with a very different language, Thailand can be a difficult place to grasp and understand. "TIT," short for "This is Thailand", is a phrase coined and frequently used by former Bangkok Post nightlife columnist, Bernard Trink. It’s often used in conversation and writing by expats to explain puzzling behavior and the way things are done. TIT can be frustrating or a never ending source of wonderment and fun. Retirement in Thailand is as close to stress free as you’ll find anywhere. No place can match the “fun factor” that Thailand offers. Lower your expectations and be flexible enough to overlook the everyday craziness that makes Thailand unique and you’ll be happy here. I hope this book will help you decide if Thailand is the right place for you. This is a guide to the Land of Smiles for the retiree, with all its blemishes. It should give you an idea of what to expect. I’ll breakdown the expenses for different budgets and the lifestyles they provide. Give you alternative places where you might choose to live. I’ll tell you a little about the people and the culture. Finally, I’ll give you some tips on what to do for a safe and fun retirement. Join me for the adventure of your life. Chapter 1 - Checking Out Of the Hotel California At 59, I found myself unemployed and the US economy didn’t present many future prospects. My children were grown, had moved away and I’d recently ended a long term relationship. I sat in my four bedroom home in a wonderful San Francisco Bay Area community, feeling a little sorry for myself. What the hell was I going to do? After a lot of soul searching, I decided to take a chance, roll the dice and cash out. Sell the house, all my belongings, say goodbye to friends and family and retire…somewhere. Looking back, it was the right thing to do at the right time. It was the perfect storm of circumstances. No job, children gone and no relationship, what was keeping me there? The roots ran deep in my adopted hometown. It was where I raised my kids. I did a lot of youth coaching. I knew a lot people. I couldn’t walk down the street without running into people I knew. All my friends were there. Yes, the roots were deep. This was a hard decision. Maybe, the hardest I’ve ever made. Retire and move half way around the world? I think very few people can make the same decision and it’s a shame. It shouldn’t be that tough. Stay where you are and struggle or go for a life in paradise? I think we’re just afraid of change. I’ve learned something in the last few years. Change is good very good. When I was 23, my wife and I moved to California after graduating from college. I didn’t want to spend my life in cold, staid Massachusetts. There was a precedent for making big moves in my life. I didn’t know anyone in California. There was the East Coast vs. West Coast culture shock and of course, the language barrier. I spoke Boston at the time. It wasn’t easy, but we did it. California was home for the next 35 years. The housing market was in the dumper when I decided to finally make the move, but my town hadn’t been hit as hard others. It’s centrally located, upper class with great schools. I could have made another $100,000 if I had sold my home the year before, but that was blood under the bridge in that housing market. I had owned the house for 15 years and with appreciation, had significant equity. I needed every penny I could get out of it, though. I priced it fairly and listed it with a discount broker. I baked cookies every time someone came to see it and it sold in a month. Now the hard part: getting rid of 25 years of accumulated “stuff”. I never thought of myself as a pack rat, but there was a lot of stuff. Furniture, clothes, office equipment, tools, appliances, all had to go. Let the garage sales begin! What I couldn’t sell, I gave away or tossed and I tossed a lot. It took months. I’m a musician so cherished guitars and keyboards went on Craig’s List and EBay. I made a promise to myself that I would never accumulate “stuff” again. It’s a good plan, but difficult to stick to. Every time I move now, I’m amazed at how much more “stuff” I’ve acquired. When I buy something now, I ask myself, “Do I really need this?” Still, stuff accumulates. A car, motorbikes, musical instruments, TVs, clothes, computers, last week I agonized over buying a blender! It was a good move. I start every day with a mango smoothie, now. The “stuff” cleansing process took four months. The day after the sale of the house was completed; I left on a one way ticket to Phuket, Thailand. I had all my belongings with me in a suitcase and a guitar on my back. Three years later, I think it was the best decision I’ve ever made. Chapter Two - Where in Asia? I’d been to Thailand a half a dozen times over the previous ten years and loved the place. The people, the food and the low cost of living made it an ideal spot to kick off a retirement home search. The Kingdom of Thailand, formerly Siam, is known as the Land of Smiles (LOS) for good reason. People smile easily and if you do the same, it’ll get you a long way here. A smile can mean many things of course. It can indicate happiness and contentment. It can cover-up awkward situations and defuse confrontations. I kept reminding myself of that. The Land of Smiles was high on the list of eventual permanent retirement destinations, but I owed myself a look around at all possible destinations in Asia. Phuket would be my base of operations for checking out a permanent retirement home. Phuket is a beautiful island, 500 miles South of Bangkok. It’s surrounded by the Andaman Sea with great beaches and a wicked nightlife. The Phuket airport is a regional hub and it would be easy to check out the countries on my retirement list: the Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam. On Phuket, I started out in Patong, the busiest resort town. I rented a furnished apartment right in the middle of town for $500 a month and started the party. Patong has something like 300 bars, a modern shopping mall, great food and is the center of the adult entertainment industry. Motorbikes are the preferred mode of transportation, but I’d never driven one. So, I walked everywhere. Food is cheap and food carts are everywhere. A grilled chicken and rice meal (my go-to food) is $2. Malaysia My first trip out of LOS was to Malaysia. Malaysia is a liberal Muslim country. The cost of living is higher and the country is wealthier than Thailand. The infrastructure is better. Unlike Thailand, Malaysia welcomes expats and makes it easy to live there. The MM2H (Malaysia My Second Home) program allows you to stay there on a 10 year visitors pass that allows you to come and go as you wish. Thailand will have you jumping through hoops on a regular basis with their Visa requirements. Malaysia is one of the safest countries in the world. It has a modern medical system. English is widely spoken. It has a world class telecommunication system and modern highways. You would probably drive a car there; Thailand is dominated by motorbikes. It’s an excellent choice for retirement. My problem with Malaysia is the low fun quotient boring compared to Thailand. Maybe a couple would find Malaysia more to their liking? The nightlife in the major cities can be found, but leaves a lot to be desired. The expat community is a lot smaller. I went to Malaysia’s second biggest city, Penang. The clincher for me was, I went to see the beaches around Penang and they were polluted! You couldn’t swim there. I know there are some beautiful beaches in Malaysia once you get away from the city, but it just isn’t Thailand. Malaysia is far more conservative than Thailand. I looked forward to getting back to Phuket. The Philippines My second retirement exploration trip was to the Philippines. The big advantages here are the widespread use of English and the significantly cheaper cost of living. I would guess the savings is at least 15% over Thailand. The healthcare is good for those with money. Household staff, including a driver and maid, is dirt cheap. It’s an island nation with loads of beautiful beaches and scenery. It’s a conservative Catholic country. I was in a grocery store one evening when everything stopped at 6 PM for the reading of the Lord’s Prayer over the store intercom. Nightlife was comparable to Thailand in the big cities. It’s easy to get a visa and stay forever, but who would want to? The Filipinos want to get out of there. The Philippines has many problems, too many problems. Poverty and crime are widespread. Crime is a big problem. Children are begging in the streets. The Poverty is much worse than Thailand. There are armed guards everywhere. When I used the ATM at a bank, a shotgun toting guard would stand next to me. I suppose you get used to it after a while, but I was a little paranoid. You absolutely must live in a gated community with security if you live there. There is great beauty in this Island nation. I’m sure many expats have found their little piece of paradise, but the corruption and poverty are a turn off. The other problem is the food is terrible! Philippine’s national dish is pork Adobo, pork cooked in soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic. Adobo is not only limited to pork. Chicken, other meats and seafood are cooked this way. It’s a vinegar based flavoring which is unlike the food in other Asian countries. Herbs and spices are unknown. Cheap fast-food copies like Jollybees, which doesn’t serve a single healthy food item, are popular. All the other Asian pacific countries have delicious spicy food. I don’t know what happened to the Phils. For me, survival there would mean cooking all my own food. Vietnam Next stop was Vietnam. I landed in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon. My first exposure to the authoritative Communist regime was at the airport visa office. I offered my paperwork and I received a terse, “You wait,” while they processed the paperwork. You need to arrange the visa ahead of your visit. The cost through a service was $20. You can get a three month visa and in some cases a one year and renew three or four times before having to purchase another. I hit the ATM and became an instant Vietnamese dong millionaire with the exchange rate of about 20,000 to the dollar. The US dollar can also be used as currency. If you do, you’ll receive change for transactions in Dong. Make sure you count your change. With the large denominations, it gets confusing. I recommend you don’t change too much money at one time, as you’ll end up with a large wad of notes. The largest denomination is currently 500,000 dong (approximately $26). Vietnam pegs its currency against the US dollar. This means you are less subject to currency risk. Compared to other countries in Southeast Asia, the cost of living is lowest in Vietnam. That makes it one of the most preferred retirement destinations in the region. It’s considerably less than Thailand. One can live very well in Vietnam for under $1000 a month. Nha Trang is Vietnam’s most famous seaside resort-town and popular retirement destination. Here's what a typical monthly budget looks like: Rent: $350 for a large villa Dining out: (breakfast and dinner almost every day): $150 Electricity: (running air conditioning at night and occasionally during the day) $40 Groceries: $50 Motorbike rental: $45 Gas, entertainment, miscellaneous: $50 The healthcare system isn’t in the same class as Thailand. Almost anything can be purchased from pharmacies. Like Thailand, drugs can be purchased over the counter without a prescription with the approval of the pharmacist. A visit to the doctor runs $5. If there are serious health issues, a person can go to a foreign held hospital, for what is still an affordable price or jump on a short flight to Thailand. I loved the food in Vietnam. The French were in Vietnam for 200 years and it influenced the food. The bread and pastries are some of the best in the world. That’s something you won’t find in Thailand. I was a big fan of Vietnamese food in the US. A cup of coffee and a baguette will run you about 2000 Dong or 15 US cents. The Vietnamese know how to prepare Western food, unlike many Asian countries. Just sitting on the street in Vietnam is entertaining. Passing time in a street café, drinking ten cent draft beers, surrounded by food stalls serving delicious food for pennies, I could get comfortable there. The nightlife in Saigon is subdued. Surprisingly, I saw marijuana being openly smoked in some of the bars. There are bars where companionship is available, but it’s a little weird. A single woman can’t visit a hotel room. She needs to have a room of her own. Finding companionship in Vietnam isn’t a problem. It’s not hard to find a girlfriend. Vietnamese woman are beautiful. The biggest problem with Vietnam is the traffic. It’s chaotic with everyone constantly honking their horns. It’s a nightmare! There are rules for driving, but no one follows them and there is no enforcement unless the police can make money. Many locals drink and drive. The problem is particularly acute in the evening when people drink and drive, swerving in and out of traffic in their SUV's at high rates of speed, with little consideration for anyone else on the road. The fine for killing someone with a vehicle is around $100. Most times when an accident occurs people speed away. They do the same thing in Thailand, but here, it’s worse. There are no hit and run laws in Vietnam. If you have an accident as a foreigner, you are at fault and must pay money to the other party, no matter who caused the accident. In Saigon, It may be easier and safer to hire a taxi rather than walk across an intersection! There are conflicting reports on crime in Vietnam. I’ve heard that crime is a common occurrence; break-ins, bicycles and motorcycles thefts, purse snatchings, low end stuff. Guns are rare and major crime is almost nonexistent. I felt safe walking the streets of Saigon. It certainly isn’t like the Philippines. You just don’t see many police. The police seem oblivious to crime and again have little incentive to step in, unless they can put money in their pocket. You are on your own. As in all these third world countries, you need to be vigilant. I would rather walk around any city in the middle of the night in Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam than a city in the United States. These are relatively safe places. Guns are rare. Robbery, rape and assault are rare. Be more worried about getting hit by a motorbike, than crime! A friend pulled me out of the way, a second before I was creamed crossing a street. That was after I looked both ways…five times. Vietnam is a lot poorer than Thailand, and less technologically advanced. The people don’t have that same spark you see in the Thais. This is not the land of smiles. The Vietnamese seem to be more industrious than the Thais. The lower fun quotation, the ridiculous traffic, lack of Western amenities that make living in a foreign country palatable, combined to make Vietnam a tough sell for me. I crossed Vietnam off the list. Cambodia There is no doubt Cambodia is cheap and friendly, but it’s also the way down the list when it comes to infrastructure. It’s improved in recent years, but it still has a long way to go. This is a country that went through a horrendous civil war not too long ago. Sihanoukville is 143 miles southwest of the Capital, Phnom Penh, and probably the most desirable area in Cambodia because of the beaches. Unfortunately, visitors are regularly ripped off by street thugs. Crime is rampant. When the sun goes down, the cops go home and the criminals come out. The police spend most of their time trying to fleece tourists. Cambodia is the wild west of SE Asia. Maybe someday, but Cambodia was not going to be my retirement home. Other Asian Countries I considered other countries. Singapore has to be one of the safest places in the world. It has high quality healthcare. The infrastructure compares with any Western country. It has beautiful woman and great food. Everyone speaks English and you can work there, unlike all the rest of the countries I considered. The problem is you probably have to work there because compared to Thailand, it’s expensive. The cost of housing is comparable to the US. If you want to continue to work and live in the East, this could be the place. I wanted to retire. 235,000,000 people live in Indonesia! That’s the 4 th most populous country in the world and they have the traffic to prove it. The Capital is named “The Big Durian”, after the thorny, stinky fruit. Indonesia is a colorful and exotic country. Indonesian society is largely Muslim and conservative. The nightlife in Indonesian cities is vibrant and modern. It’s not difficult to have a good time if you know where to look. Obtaining a visa for Indonesia can be a frustrating. The requirements and processes are changing constantly. Healthcare is poor and certainly not up to Western standards, particularly outside of Jakarta. Indonesia is an exciting expat destination, but it’s certainly a country that has challenges. Terrible air pollution, incredible traffic and corrupt cops are the turn offs here. It looks dirty and run down and when it rains, the place floods. I like to visit, especially Bali, but I don’t want to live there. In the end, the decision was easy. No other country offered what Thailand does. A combination of Phuket’s beautiful beaches, good healthcare facilities, low cost of living and smiling people were all part of the decision. Thailand was going to be my retirement home. Chapter 3 - I Gotta Get Out Of Patong Phuket is a big island with a resident population of over a half a million and many more during high season. There are many beautiful beach resort areas and Patong is the biggest. It has become more of a family destination over the years, but the red light district remains the draw. It is the adult Disneyland and draws thousands of tourists nightly. The place is riotous fun. I’d recommend to any new expat retiree, enjoy the place, but get out of Patong as soon as possible? It’s painful fun. It’s funhouse fun. You realize, Patong is a ghetto and Phuket is beautiful and has so much more to offer, when you leave the ghetto. I’d been living right off of Bangla Road, the main street in the heart of Patong for three months and the honeymoon was over. I’d been out hitting it on a nightly basis and it was getting old. I’d come home and try and sleep with the high volume bass beats coming from the bars around me. They’d all be playing different music. It was a cacophony of noise that I could still hear through ear plugs. There were two big construction projects going on diagonally across the street. There is always construction going on there. They’d start pile driving every morning at 8 AM sharp. I’d been out all night. Ye gods, I needed a change. Expats are all over Thailand, but the most popular spots are Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and of course, Phuket. The estimate is 350,000 expats living in Thailand. I considered the most popular expat destinations: Chiang Mai Chiang Mai is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It sits in a lush tropical valley surrounded by mountains, with the Ping River winding its way through the city. Chiang Mai is rich in history and has many Buddhist temples. The city center is surrounded by a water-filled moat. Chiang Mai seldom gets cold enough in the winter evenings to need a jacket, and has a low crime rate. The cost of living is significantly lower than other popular expat destinations. Fully furnished luxury condo and homes are available from $400 a month making it one of the top destinations for expats. Hot springs mineral baths are located just outside the city. Beautiful national parks are a day trip away. Trekking, mountain biking, and dirt biking are popular due to the mountains and countryside that surround Chiang Mai. Visiting the hill tribes, the Monkey Center, snake farms, and elephant camps are a must. The nightlife is fun with lots of bars and discos. The people here are friendly and genuinely like Americans. There is a lot to offer in the area. Many expats think they’ve died and gone to heaven living in Chiang Mai. My problem with Chiang Mai is that I love the beaches, 500 miles south. It’s as far away from the beaches as you can get in Thailand. The other problem is the air pollution. The mountain location and low-pressure combine to trap the smoke from forest-fires and the practice of burning rice fields during the winter months. You can’t live there if you have respiratory problems. Someday I may end up in Chiang Mai; I don’t know. Bangkok Bangkok is a city of ten million people. Being the regional business center for Thailand, 25,000 Americans call Bangkok home. A high level of luxury and good value living are what attract many foreigners to settle in Bangkok. It’s trendy and sophisticated, but the city has its shortcomings. Beggars, litter, rats, clusters of electricity and telephone wire hanging everywhere, the ever present prostitution and of course traffic combine to make Bangkok a lot like any other big city. Bangkok could never be described as a pretty city. What Bangkok does have going for it is its vibrancy and energy. This is an exciting city and I love to visit. The cost of living is relatively expensive. Nice places to live are relatively high priced. Public transportation is very good and you don’t need to own a car. The expat community is centered on the Sukhumvit area, where there are modern condos and low-rise neighborhoods within reach of the metro or Skytrain. There is always something to do in this huge, fascinating city. I love visiting Bangkok and I always love getting back on that plane heading home. If you’re a city mouse, this is the place for you. Pattaya [...]... politically Thais use the phrase "land of the free" to express pride in the fact that Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia never colonized by a European power His majesty the King has reigned since 1946, the world's longest-serving head of state The King of Thailand is titled Head of State, Head of the Armed Forces, Upholder of the Buddhist religion, and the Defender of all Faiths There are laws... you Buy them a drink and chat her up…instant companionship They’re in the game Girls make money having customers buy them drinks The price of the drink is split between the bar and the girl You may decide to take the girl home, if she agrees You’ll need to pay a bar fine of $15 to the bar and then pay the girl between $30 and $60 ($45 average) for an intimate frolic The amount may vary with the girl... long they are talking about their Thai wives and the fact that they were from the same city They decided to show some photos The photos turn out to be of the same Thai girl Of course, I told him he was talking shit, but he was absolutely sincere He said that they were just two dumb Americans who got taken for a ride When they compared notes they were shocked at the bullshit she had given them over the. .. for these kinds of things (TIT), but everyone knows why Take for example the public transportation system in Phuket There isn’t one There is in other cities The reason there isn’t one is the tuk-tuk mafia Tuk-tuks are miniature busses that hold six people They’re all over the island There should be a public bus system, but because they’re making too much money ripping off tourists and paying off the. .. attitudes of Thai society families in the villages turn a blind eye to the occupation of these girls when they return home Money rules in Thailand A few girls return home rich or maybe even with a farang who builds them a house and gives them a car The poor farm girl is now the wealthiest person in the village This encourages other girls to give the bar scene a try Many of these girls return broke and mentally... and the culture of Thailand are wrapped together through Buddhism “Buddha will provide” is instilled in the psyche of the people Thais live their lives differently because of Buddhism It makes Thailand a very different and special place We can debate whether it’s better, but it’s certainly different Chapter 6 - The Thailand Retirement Budget There isn’t one budget for expats Individual choice is the. .. driving First of all, the Thais drive on the left, the wrong side of the road for me I can’t tell you how many times I found myself driving down the wrong side of the road, when I first started Driving on the right side is ingrained in the brain after driving for 40 years Then, there is the fact that Thais are insane drivers Traffic laws are not enforced, so drivers do whatever they feel like doing... of the King with long jail terms for violations Adulation of the King is instilled in Thais at early age The Royal Family is featured nightly on the news The King is beloved by the Thai people He’s getting old now and what will happen after his death is anybody’s guess It feels like the King is the glue that holds this country together The line of succession is uncertain along with the future of the. .. friendly does it? This is Thailand You could make the visa run requirement an opportunity to travel How about a trip to the beaches of Bali for a few days? Tour the famous Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the largest temple complex in the world, built in the 12th century Vietnam is two hours away The Philippines is three The Taj Mahal is four See the world! In order to get a retirement visa in Thailand you have to... Yingluck over the Democrat Party in the 2011 general election will not end the power struggle that has destabilized Thailand for the past five years It is only a matter of time before conflict develops between the government and the royalist establishment, particularly if Yingluck seeks to pardon her elder brother The political situation in Thailand is in flux It will always be in flux Between the beloved . The Essential Thailand Retirement Guide Pete Bowen Copyright 2012 by Pete Bowen Smashwords Edition Introduction It’s not surprising that Thailand. Like Thailand, drugs can be purchased over the counter without a prescription with the approval of the pharmacist. A visit to the doctor runs $5. If there