fk
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Post by fk on Mar 4, 2019 23:29:13 GMT 7
^^^^ it will be a cold day in hell before I pump my assets into a country that offers me no more than 365 days at a time. Thankfully as a pom, my gains in the UK are tax free, its a risk I am willing to take to offset currency swings.
Yeah I can't disagree with that.
In any other country, once you have lived there for 5 or 10 years you can apply for permanent residency and short of a criminal offence, you have some security of being able to continue staying there.
In Thailand you get some security of residency if you are married, but if you divorce, even if you have been there for decades, you have no rights whatsoever to assure you that you have a home here.
It certainly weighs on my mind in a very big way.
I don't really want to get into an argument by people who think Thailand is wonderful and anyone saying anything negative is saying it out of some bitterness, so I will stop there.
Regarding just the financial side - if I create a bias towards the region, it will be while avoiding bringing money here directly.
For instance, an Asian index purchased through my home country, possibly Thai equities directly through the US listed THD fund. It is a shame I can not get a cash deposits in THB from outside Thailand.
Anyway, yes I do hear you.
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chiangmai
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Post by chiangmai on Mar 5, 2019 7:50:30 GMT 7
^^^^ it will be a cold day in hell before I pump my assets into a country that offers me no more than 365 days at a time. Thankfully as a pom, my gains in the UK are tax free, its a risk I am willing to take to offset currency swings.
Yeah I can't disagree with that.
In any other country, once you have lived there for 5 or 10 years you can apply for permanent residency and short of a criminal offence, you have some security of being able to continue staying there.
In Thailand you get some security of residency if you are married, but if you divorce, even if you have been there for decades, you have no rights whatsoever to assure you that you have a home here.
It certainly weighs on my mind in a very big way.
I don't really want to get into an argument by people who think Thailand is wonderful and anyone saying anything negative is saying it out of some bitterness, so I will stop there.
Regarding just the financial side - if I create a bias towards the region, it will be while avoiding bringing money here directly.
For instance, an Asian index purchased through my home country, possibly Thai equities directly through the US listed THD fund. It is a shame I can not get a cash deposits in THB from outside Thailand.
Anyway, yes I do hear you.
I disagree, the ability to remain here legally is not dependent upon marriage and a usufruct is pretty sturdy and reliable vehicle for long term residency of a home. Yes the permanent residency system is a major flaw and yes, Thailand has lots of things wrong with it, none of those things however detract from our ability to remain here year in year out.
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Post by Fletchsmile on Mar 5, 2019 11:54:50 GMT 7
^^^^ it will be a cold day in hell before I pump my assets into a country that offers me no more than 365 days at a time. Thankfully as a pom, my gains in the UK are tax free, its a risk I am willing to take to offset currency swings.
Yeah I can't disagree with that.
In any other country, once you have lived there for 5 or 10 years you can apply for permanent residency and short of a criminal offence, you have some security of being able to continue staying there.
In Thailand you get some security of residency if you are married, but if you divorce, even if you have been there for decades, you have no rights whatsoever to assure you that you have a home here.
It certainly weighs on my mind in a very big way.
I don't really want to get into an argument by people who think Thailand is wonderful and anyone saying anything negative is saying it out of some bitterness, so I will stop there.
Regarding just the financial side - if I create a bias towards the region, it will be while avoiding bringing money here directly.
For instance, an Asian index purchased through my home country, possibly Thai equities directly through the US listed THD fund. It is a shame I can not get a cash deposits in THB from outside Thailand.
Anyway, yes I do hear you.
Being here on a marriage visa myself and having a background which includes professional risk management, the visa element of divorcing would be minor compared to all the other hassles divorce might bring. There would also likely be a choice of options to replace it:
- Anyone over 50 could just extend in future based on retirement - If you have kids with dual nationality you could extend based on looking after them - assuming you get custody - You can still extend based on business if working/have a WP.
That would give most people options enough.
One hassle with a marriage visa compared to a retirement visa is it takes 2 visits to get the full year extension. You get 1 month pending and return. I asked the immigration officer onec why. She said they check you are still legally married, as you'd be surprised at the number of people who try and do it after splitting up.
In theory if your wife wanted to be difficult she could refuse to go to immigration, sign docs etc, so you might be prevented even before divorce
I still extend based on marriage though. You can easily add a work permit on top, should I decide to work. Also only 400k in the bank vs 800k
------------------------------------ Not being able to renew your visa is a risk. It gets over done though. Particularly by bar stool experts. I used to be more mindful of it in my early years. As time goes by though I'm pretty relaxed about it. Still theoretically exists.
What I would say though is I don't know many decent people with decent jobs that have had to leave. Losing that job may force you to leave to get work elsewhere and support yourself, but that's another issue.
Most vulnerable are the under 50's (not eligibile for retirement), not married (or in a dodgy relationship), and not working, with precarious financial situations
You have to ask though if someone is under 50, no job, not married nor in a serious relationship, no kids, no work, and weak financial situation. What are they doing here? Probably best for them anyway if they moved on in many cases - with some exceptions.
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Anyone holding Thai Baht in any type of investment/ account outside Thailand needs to be mindful that the THB onshore and offshore rates will differ. Normally its not big. But years back when the government imposed capital controls on bringing money inside/outside Thailand the gap widened to around 10%. So anyone with offshore THB lost around 10% compared to onshore.
Personally I would prefer to hold THB cash inside Thailand rather than anywhere else. Apart from the rate: In a Thai bank it will be guaranteed by the deposit protection act (DPA). FCY deposits aren't guaranteed in Thailand though. In other countries similar principles apply. So even if you could get a THB account offshore it would be non-local/foreign currency so may not protected by the local currency DPA equivalent. eg Singapore only guarantees SGD accounts up to 50K
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fk
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Post by fk on Mar 5, 2019 21:35:36 GMT 7
I disagree, the ability to remain here legally is not dependent upon marriage and a usufruct is pretty sturdy and reliable vehicle for long term residency of a home. Yes the permanent residency system is a major flaw and yes, Thailand has lots of things wrong with it, none of those things however detract from our ability to remain here year in year out.
If by userfruct, you mean rent land, pay to build a house that you can never sell, then no thank you.
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fk
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Post by fk on Mar 5, 2019 21:54:17 GMT 7
Being here on a marriage visa myself and having a background which includes professional risk management, the visa element of divorcing would be minor compared to all the other hassles divorce might bring. There would also likely be a choice of options to replace it:
- Anyone over 50 could just extend in future based on retirement - If you have kids with dual nationality you could extend based on looking after them - assuming you get custody - You can still extend based on business if working/have a WP.
That would give most people options enough.
One hassle with a marriage visa compared to a retirement visa is it takes 2 visits to get the full year extension. You get 1 month pending and return. I asked the immigration officer onec why. She said they check you are still legally married, as you'd be surprised at the number of people who try and do it after splitting up.
In theory if your wife wanted to be difficult she could refuse to go to immigration, sign docs etc, so you might be prevented even before divorce
I still extend based on marriage though. You can easily add a work permit on top, should I decide to work. Also only 400k in the bank vs 800k
------------------------------------ Not being able to renew your visa is a risk. It gets over done though. Particularly by bar stool experts. I used to be more mindful of it in my early years. As time goes by though I'm pretty relaxed about it. Still theoretically exists.
What I would say though is I don't know many decent people with decent jobs that have had to leave. Losing that job may force you to leave to get work elsewhere and support yourself, but that's another issue.
Most vulnerable are the under 50's (not eligibile for retirement), not married (or in a dodgy relationship), and not working, with precarious financial situations
You have to ask though if someone is under 50, no job, not married nor in a serious relationship, no kids, no work, and weak financial situation. What are they doing here? Probably best for them anyway if they moved on in many cases - with some exceptions.
------------------------------------
Anyone holding Thai Baht in any type of investment/ account outside Thailand needs to be mindful that the THB onshore and offshore rates will differ. Normally its not big. But years back when the government imposed capital controls on bringing money inside/outside Thailand the gap widened to around 10%. So anyone with offshore THB lost around 10% compared to onshore.
Personally I would prefer to hold THB cash inside Thailand rather than anywhere else. Apart from the rate: In a Thai bank it will be guaranteed by the deposit protection act (DPA). FCY deposits aren't guaranteed in Thailand though. In other countries similar principles apply. So even if you could get a THB account offshore it would be non-local/foreign currency so may not protected by the local currency DPA equivalent. eg Singapore only guarantees SGD accounts up to 50K
Thanks for your comment, but it does not address the actual problem.
• My point was not about divorce, it is about the complete lack of ability to call this land your home - ever. • You mentioned "hacks" to work around it as best as possible but none of them are anything that could be considered safe enough to really ever be able to call it your permanent home. • Those easier methods still guarantee nothing, they can change the retirement visa rules at any time, if I am retired and financially sufficient, having to get a job to stay here doesn't make sense. • Are you sure you have not become more comfortable with it because their changing rules have not affected you as someone who more easily gets a marriage visa and has kids here? They have been cracking down for around a decade now, including trying to make it harder so that people pay half a million baht for the "elite" visa so that more money can be pocketed by those who created the elite visa. People get "leaned on" by immigration for not paying money under the table, off the top of my head one of them was told to change stupid things over and over until they were finally asked to change the colour of their logo and they just gave up and closed their business here. • I'm one of those under 50 not married (partner in the army and not allowed to remain in the army if married to a foreigner) and I will be financially independent before I am 50, and despite not in a precarious financial situation and not with a dodgy bar whore, to your question "what am I doing here", I would ask why does it matter. How does it differ to someone who is over 50 or who is married?
I realise you are trying to tell the other side of the story, but I don't really see much that can be defended on the other side of the story. It seems more like a few get through unscathed and assume that for anyone else who has problems, it is due to being their fault and not the fault of the system here, and that is definitely not the case.
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chiangmai
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Post by chiangmai on Mar 5, 2019 23:42:03 GMT 7
I disagree, the ability to remain here legally is not dependent upon marriage and a usufruct is pretty sturdy and reliable vehicle for long term residency of a home. Yes the permanent residency system is a major flaw and yes, Thailand has lots of things wrong with it, none of those things however detract from our ability to remain here year in year out.
If by userfruct, you mean rent land, pay to build a house that you can never sell, then no thank you.
An usufruct confers rights of possession, it specifies who may and may not live at a property and whether or not it can be sold and under what terms and conditions it can be sold, it remains valid for life and does not involve rent payments.
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Post by Fletchsmile on Mar 6, 2019 0:13:55 GMT 7
Thanks for your comment, but it does not address the actual problem.
• My point was not about divorce, it is about the complete lack of ability to call this land your home - ever. • You mentioned "hacks" to work around it as best as possible but none of them are anything that could be considered safe enough to really ever be able to call it your permanent home. • Those easier methods still guarantee nothing, they can change the retirement visa rules at any time, if I am retired and financially sufficient, having to get a job to stay here doesn't make sense. • Are you sure you have not become more comfortable with it because their changing rules have not affected you as someone who more easily gets a marriage visa and has kids here? They have been cracking down for around a decade now, including trying to make it harder so that people pay half a million baht for the "elite" visa so that more money can be pocketed by those who created the elite visa. People get "leaned on" by immigration for not paying money under the table, off the top of my head one of them was told to change stupid things over and over until they were finally asked to change the colour of their logo and they just gave up and closed their business here. • I'm one of those under 50 not married (partner in the army and not allowed to remain in the army if married to a foreigner) and I will be financially independent before I am 50, and despite not in a precarious financial situation and not with a dodgy bar whore, to your question "what am I doing here", I would ask why does it matter. How does it differ to someone who is over 50 or who is married?
I realise you are trying to tell the other side of the story, but I don't really see much that can be defended on the other side of the story. It seems more like a few get through unscathed and assume that for anyone else who has problems, it is due to being their fault and not the fault of the system here, and that is definitely not the case.
Any country can basically change its visa requirements, as well as those for permanent residency. Unexpected events also happen. Look at other EU nationals now in the UK, and the uncertainty about all that for the future. Some arrangements might be grandfathered others not. So based on what you say for most people they'd only be able to call their country of origin home
I've heard the same story about Thailand cracking down on foreigners for about 20 years now. It goes thru periods where it can sometimes be a bit tougher than others. I remember about a decade back when they had been 4 or 5 years without even accepting applications for permanent residency. At the moment it doesn't seem like much different than average over my stay. There was a time when Thai wives of foreigners here (before me) couldn't own property in their own right. One example of how things have improved looking at the longer term picture.
Usually it's people on the margins that are most affected, and to be honest living in Thailand on the margins, isn't necessarily the best place to be in the first place. for Thais or foreigners I'd add
Deciding to call Thailand home or not is very much a choice you make. I've been thru phases where it felt like you describe in how secure or not you can feel here. Thailand being wonderful. Then terrible. Then not quite as good as you thought it was at first but not as bad as you thought afterwards. You can also get jaded with life here. I left after 7 years and went to a couple of other countries. Helps with perspectives, and for anyone unsure whether here is for them, well worth doing.
Thailand is far from perfect. There are some compromises you need to make if you want to stay. Different countries different compromises. Nowhere's perfect.
Two of the biggest factors for me being happy here are/were:
1) My own attitude. Including taking responsibility for my own choices. Accepting I will never be Thai or fully belong in Thai society, and accepting Thailand for what it is warts and all. The system is what it is. You can't change it. So accept it. No point trying to live in the country I'd like Thailand to be. I have to live in what it is. Harder some times on a bad day You can't change Thailand but you can change your attitude and how you react to it. You simply choose to be happy or not Pretty much life in general. Whatever sh*t gets thrown at you, it's largely your choice to be happy or not with your life.
Unfortunately for people wanting to be part of Thai society in the same way as a Thai is, they're going to be frustrated, banging their head against walls, and will always be blaming the system, and likely to be unhappy.
2) I noticed a big change in life though after getting married and having kids. While you'll never fully belong and never be Thai, it sort of brings a wider acceptance and you're less stereotyped. It also brings access to many of the things you'd expect from a normal life anywhere else.
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BTW My question wasn't what you are doing here, and was in no way personal. It was what are "they" doing here? As far as I can see you're in a serious relationship, and not in a weak financial situation
BTW2 When you ask "what am I doing here?" and "what does it matter"? It matters most to you
My take is that having certain reasons for being here, being honest with yourself, having the financial means to choose to be here etc are likely to increase anyone's chances for success. The system could be better but it isn't Just my take though.
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chiangmai
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Post by chiangmai on Mar 6, 2019 6:53:12 GMT 7
I totally agree that ex-pat attitude and compromise are the key issues, not only to survival here but also personal happiness. The country is far from perfect, there are significant annoyances at every twist and turn and some of them are deadly. I get frustrated when I spend a significant sum on a major purchase and find the quality is poor, every time I venture out into traffic I ask myself why people are so often stupid and when will things change, if I wanted to make a career out of complaining about Thailand it would be the easiest thing to do.
But those are factors I can't change and I still need to buy "stuff" and drive from A to B. And having identified those shortcomings it's better for my mental health to move on and focus on the positive aspects of Thailand and enjoy the things that I do enjoy, reading about everybody else's whinges and gripes on Thaivisa Forum is not helpful either, misery loves company as they say! I've only been here 16 years but it took me about ten years to get out of that complaining and moaning loop, albeit I didn't complain for the first five years so I do think perhaps it's a phase many expats go through.
As far as acceptance is concerned: I personally never felt the need to be accepted by the locals for anything, I live here and we get along and they are mostly very pleasant to me and I'm mostly pleasant to them, that's all I need. I'm moaning on a separate thread currently about the state of my bank in Thailand and the poor service levels, I suspect if I was UK resident full time I'd probably be moaning about something there that I didn't like because social media forums let us do that. But I couldn't take my moan one more giant step and suggest that the banks in Thailand are unsafe or that all bank staff are crooks and that eventually, the government will revoke all our visa's, kick us out and keep our money yet those are the very thoughts that many expats verbalize (you know where)....it's all about perspective and being rational....I think.
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chiangmai
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Post by chiangmai on Mar 6, 2019 8:26:05 GMT 7
An afterthought:
I don't want to sound like a dog with a bone and I think that FS has probably said everything more eloquently than me, but just to reinforce further:
I retired here at age 53 and I didn't have a plan B, I also didn't give a thought to potential visa problems of the future. In the years since I had come to believe that having a viable and executable plan B was nice to have, later I thought it was essential, today I think anyone who doesn't have one must be nuts, oddly though I still don't have any concerns about my future visa's here BUT medical costs could much more easily become a game changer.
So whilst it would be nice to have the reassurance that a person who retires here aged 50 can stay until their final days, as long as you have that plan B there shouldn't be an issue. Be aware also that whilst the desire to live here forever may be strong at 50, it dulls somewhat at age 70, ergo, your views and needs will change over time hence that guarantee becomes much less of an issue.
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fk
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Post by fk on Mar 6, 2019 12:08:23 GMT 7
Any country can basically change its visa requirements, as well as those for permanent residency. Unexpected events also happen. Look at other EU nationals now in the UK, and the uncertainty about all that for the future. Some arrangements might be grandfathered others not. So based on what you say for most people they'd only be able to call their country of origin home
I've heard the same story about Thailand cracking down on foreigners for about 20 years now. It goes thru periods where it can sometimes be a bit tougher than others. I remember about a decade back when they had been 4 or 5 years without even accepting applications for permanent residency. At the moment it doesn't seem like much different than average over my stay. There was a time when Thai wives of foreigners here (before me) couldn't own property in their own right. One example of how things have improved looking at the longer term picture.
Usually it's people on the margins that are most affected, and to be honest living in Thailand on the margins, isn't necessarily the best place to be in the first place. for Thais or foreigners I'd add
Deciding to call Thailand home or not is very much a choice you make. I've been thru phases where it felt like you describe in how secure or not you can feel here. Thailand being wonderful. Then terrible. Then not quite as good as you thought it was at first but not as bad as you thought afterwards. You can also get jaded with life here. I left after 7 years and went to a couple of other countries. Helps with perspectives, and for anyone unsure whether here is for them, well worth doing.
Thailand is far from perfect. There are some compromises you need to make if you want to stay. Different countries different compromises. Nowhere's perfect.
Two of the biggest factors for me being happy here are/were:
1) My own attitude. Including taking responsibility for my own choices. Accepting I will never be Thai or fully belong in Thai society, and accepting Thailand for what it is warts and all. The system is what it is. You can't change it. So accept it. No point trying to live in the country I'd like Thailand to be. I have to live in what it is. Harder some times on a bad day You can't change Thailand but you can change your attitude and how you react to it. You simply choose to be happy or not Pretty much life in general. Whatever sh*t gets thrown at you, it's largely your choice to be happy or not with your life.
Unfortunately for people wanting to be part of Thai society in the same way as a Thai is, they're going to be frustrated, banging their head against walls, and will always be blaming the system, and likely to be unhappy.
2) I noticed a big change in life though after getting married and having kids. While you'll never fully belong and never be Thai, it sort of brings a wider acceptance and you're less stereotyped. It also brings access to many of the things you'd expect from a normal life anywhere else.
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BTW My question wasn't what you are doing here, and was in no way personal. It was what are "they" doing here? As far as I can see you're in a serious relationship, and not in a weak financial situation
BTW2 When you ask "what am I doing here?" and "what does it matter"? It matters most to you
My take is that having certain reasons for being here, being honest with yourself, having the financial means to choose to be here etc are likely to increase anyone's chances for success. The system could be better but it isn't Just my take though.
Fletch,
I'm sorry but you can't seriously be comparing permanent residency in the UK/US/Australia and other developed countries through Europe to that of Thailand.
The rest of your post I agree with.
Yes there are issues everywhere and those that are here, regardless of all the complaints, are still here for a reason.
Yes after realisation of more and more underlying problems, you need to reach a point of acceptance despite it if you want to be happy. This is an important point that needs to be repeated and is easy to forget and I appreciate your reminder. For a good reason, it's the crux of Buddhism (the philosophy, not the Thai religious version).
Interesting point about change in perspective once you have kids. I suppose at that point, everything besides the kids take a back seat in every way including issues of living in Thailand, although also for a reason since since you now have more security of living in Thailand and making a home here.
I realised it wasn't personal and it was a general question about what someone was doing here if they were under 50, unmarried, and with no job and I didn't mean to sound defensive if that is what it came off as. I was just saying that the question was not a reasonable one to ask because I don't see how someone being married or someone being over 50 somehow makes them a more reasonable candidate to stay here.
Having said all that, the original point that having no permanent residency even after living in a country for decades is not the same as other countries. There is something very messed up about having no security whatsoever of where you will be in the future.
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Post by Fletchsmile on Mar 6, 2019 12:50:28 GMT 7
You're right that permanent residency is likely more stable once in UK/US/Australia than life on a 1 year visa Thailand. All I was doing is highlighting they are not perfect and not risk free either. I find Thailand easier to get a visa compared to say when my wife (girlfriend at the time) first applied to the UK, and the hoops for a Thai to go to UK/US etc. On the other hand once you're here in Thailand you have less rights than the UK/US. UK/US can make it more difficult to get in, but once you do you've more rights. Thailand would do better to differentiate more on the type of people it lets in and what they can do once in. They don't though Being over 50 or married in Thailand means that it's easier for a visa and other stuff and provides more stability on that score. Stability helps with life here and increases the chance of things working out long term over the decades. From a life point of view, up until the age of 50, i.e before retirement, most people need to earn money to support their current and future life. So if someone is under 50 and no job/unemployed they'd likely be better off somewhere where they cold be gainfully employed and earning, better still if they're building a career and a future, rather than just stagnating. In my first couple of years here I'd a good mate from Germany who came to Thailand on an internship. He had a great time, working for a reputable bank. When his time was over, he really wanted to stay and was considering all sorts of things to be here. He didn't really have any form of established career behind him, and as a bright guy in his mid 20's he'd have been limiting himself so much. After exhausting a lot of avenues he reluctantly left, went back to Germany, and built a new career. He's happily married now there, with a wife and kids and decent job, having fulfilled his potential. Unfortunately others lose the plot and stay here on a downward slope. Some get lucky. He significantly increased his chances of being happy though by moving. Had he been close/ at retirement with years and career behind him, things might have been different as to what statistically makes sense. Living day to day, no stabilty, no job, no anchor (such as partner), weak financial situation is often a disaster waiting to happen. Those same people will then often blame the system for their disaster rather than themselves. It's not a concidence. They're all just generalisations though, and there are always exceptions. I just think more of the stats and what I've seen work/ not in life. 50 is an arbitrary number, BTW to some degree. Just that at 50 you can retire in Thailand, whereas other countries may be 55/60 etc.
I guess I could probably better worded it if I'd have said something like "in your prime, past your early adult years, and before you start to get past it" - rather than under 50
In your 20's, you've more time to experiment take risks, and mess up. In your 30's and 40's these are key years for determing the rest of your life. In your 50's you're likely to be heading to retirement, or even retired. So to be in your 30's, 40's (=prime for many people), unemployed, no anchor, no money etc etc is part of where I'm coming from.
Funnily enough though, I retired early at 48 in Thailand so probaly don't quite fit the stats/ generalisations I do understand why I did it though, have ties here, made sure I was financially OK etc. Ludacris/FireinThai is another person who's focusing well on being financially independent here and retiring early. So won't fit the generalisation. rgs another. They both also have the means to move on if needed. So Thailand is a choice, and they have other choices if needed. That's the key. While the visa situation could be improved it's a compromise I was prepared to make. It would have been more difficult to retire in UK with the quality of life I have in Thailand aged 48 . So I could have more stablity in other countries. But then there's cost of living, quality of life, tax etc etc As Chiangmai says I also have plan B (and C, D, etc for that matter ). Always useful getting other people's perspectives. In this life at least, I'm a few years behind Chiangmai so interesting to hear when you're 70-ish or at that stage of life
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Post by rgs2001uk on Mar 6, 2019 14:58:08 GMT 7
Can be summed up in two words, culture shock, after the honeymoon period is over the reality of living here sets in, coupled with all its quirks and irritations. I am here because I want to be, not because I need to be, having options, not just financial helps. It’s certainly easier for me to be here than it is to up sticks and take the mrs to the UK. Guy I know is going thru it right now, and his problems aren’t financial or family, his problem is he was institutionalized, retired here and found out he was replaceable, the phone didn’t ring, no one asking for advice and the place didn’t fall apart because he left. As for visa agents, guy I know here in Bkk uses one, again not financial, he can’t be bothered with the paperwork and beauracracy., and never knowing what was going to be asked for next.
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AyG
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Post by AyG on Mar 6, 2019 15:26:46 GMT 7
I am here because I want to be And I am here because I don't want to be in the UK. It's no longer the place of my childhood following mass immigration and deteriorating standards of behaviour in public - particularly amongst young people. Educational standards are also now dire, leaving little hope for the kingdom's future. I went through a process of analysing countries in SE and East Asia. Actually spent a year backpacking through places such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, India, Nepal, Singapore to help me with my decision. Japan would have been my first choice, having worked for Japanese banks most of my career, and worked in Tokyo for several years. Also spoke the language fluently. However, too expensive. Thailand was a reasonable second choice. My third choice (not in Asia) was the Greek part of Cyprus.
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fk
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Post by fk on Mar 6, 2019 15:54:51 GMT 7
Fletch,
You do bring up the interesting big-picture point, that being younger, not in a stable relationship, and not employed do add up to a situation where for most people, you are better of elsewhere that you can gain opportunities to be properly employed, and to be honest, find a relationship with someone who is not from an almost diametrically opposed culture.
I actually was about to leave when I was younger and with no job prospects, but at the last minute found a remote job. Hard to say whether it was good or bad.
It's a shame not to have the benefit of experience and seeing the bigger picture perspective from when you are a teenager planning your life, or at least having the guidance of someone you respect (and is worthy of respect).
AyG,
Yes that is basically why I am here also, I don't want to be back in Sydney. I can't imagine any other parts of SE Asia would be better than here though. It's a shame that I never tried other developed countries though, or at least other cities in oz.
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Post by rgs2001uk on Mar 7, 2019 20:33:13 GMT 7
I am here because I want to be And I am here because I don't want to be in the UK. It's no longer the place of my childhood following mass immigration and deteriorating standards of behaviour in public - particularly amongst young people. Educational standards are also now dire, leaving little hope for the kingdom's future. I went through a process of analysing countries in SE and East Asia. Actually spent a year backpacking through places such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, India, Nepal, Singapore to help me with my decision. Japan would have been my first choice, having worked for Japanese banks most of my career, and worked in Tokyo for several years. Also spoke the language fluently. However, too expensive. Thailand was a reasonable second choice. My third choice (not in Asia) was the Greek part of Cyprus.You certainly know how to p**s me off, no matter how many times I have tried making brandy sours, I can never get them right. I know at least 3 or 4 former work mates who have retired there, we compare notes.
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