Thailand on less than $5000 a year

[offroad]

Am reading some blogs about folks that fly to Thailand and yearly expenses are less than $5000. Not too bad. Maybe consider it during the coldest months.

Would you do it?

 

[spd2918]

Out of country retirements are on the rise. Many go to Central America.

 

[user 423]

You would have to add air fare and that probably ain't too cheap. If you were just staying for a few months, your costs would probably be higher than if you stayed there permanently. My main concern would be getting good health care. And doesn't it rain there all the time?

 

[akrvbob]

Those days are mostly gone everywhere in the world. Today you have to have at least $1000 a month nearly everywhere. That's true in Thailand. I have an ex-pat friend who lives in Thailand and he says you need at least $1000 a month to live. Plus the government requires proof of $1500 a month before they will give you a visa to live there.
Bob

 

[Blue]

I was really considering going to Cambodia and working with an NGO, 2k in Cambodia buys you a bar on the beach (four sticks, a fridge, and a roof) sell 8 beers a day and you cover your living expenses, house on a white sand beach with two servants is 700.00 a month. but Cambodia is terrible with crime and corruption and beggars, and diseases and bugs, but still thinking about it for after my loop of the U.S. They have the fastest rising GNP and just discovered big oil reserves off the coast, Exxon will be bringing workers an infrastructure. Anyone interested should check out the website Khmer440.com

Thailand has great hospitals, but there are 1000 other serious problems there I could go into them all (least of all being terrible water and pollution) but you'd be better off reading up on expat blogs. I remember there was one mountain town where most of the expats lived, has fresh water, didn't have the wild sex clubs and was high enough to avoid most of the insect problems. They had an expat center there that was like a senior center for expats from around the world. If I don't go to Cambodia or Mexico I'll likely go there.

---

Oh and bob most of the expats I read about in Thailand were going to Cambodia for their visas because it's like 170 bucks and lasts for years, I don't remember all the details or why it was valid in Thailand but yeah there are lots of blogs from Thailand expats going over the terrible bus rides to Cambodia.

 

[offroad]

Reading the book HOW TO RETIRE OVERSEAS by Kathleen Peddicord. The section on Thailand published in 2010 verified my original claim of less than $500 a month in possible. In CHIANG MAI city. Though you have to try to save money by creative.

 

[caseyc]

I have a buddy who visits Thailand regularly. He tells me you can live like a king on $1500 monthly. Even at $1000 monthly, one can live like a prince. I've never been there, but I'd like to go visit one day soon. I think I'd have a fun time there. Wonder if it would be like that movie "The Hangover" series every day and night? Haha! Bob is right that the Thai government requires proof of a minimum amount of monthly income coming in, plus you must deposit a certain amount of funds to keep at one of their banks. I am actually seriously considering moving to Thailand (or somewhere similar) when the day comes for retirement cuz I sure know for a fact that I won't be able to afford rent in the big city another 10, 15, 20 years from now.

 

[Zil]

Why are all those people trying to come to USA or Australia??

 

[Patrick46]

Why are all those people trying to come to USA??

'cause they haven't done their homework?

(we still are the "Land of Opprotunity", believe it or not.)


I've got friends who have moved to Costa Rica and Belieze (hmmmmmmm), and now one of my best friends is moving to the Phillipines. (he also has a Phillipino wife and son, so they've got alot of reasons to go back there.)

I have a ton of things I like about the Neatherlands and would really consider moving there, but forget that COLD...I'm done with that!!

 

[akrvbob]

I think there is a lot of old information about living in other countries and I'm getting this from people living there and not books. Here is what I've heard:

1) I went on a cruise and stopped at Belize, while there I took a horse-drawn tour of Belize City. That was an up close experience with the local guide. I asked him if I moved to Belieze could I live like a king on $1000 a month. He said no, no way! I could live well on $1500 and barely squeak by on $1000. He told me some of the prices they were paying for rent and I wondered how any of them could survive. He said they were all very poor and barely making it.

2) I went on a tour in Roatan, Honduras which is very popular with Americans (Oprah Winfrey has a mansion there). i asked the toru guide the exact same thing, can I live like a king there on $1000 a month. She gave me the exact same answer. No, it took $1500 to be comfortable and squeak by on $1000.

Neither of them had a reason to lie. In fact if they had a motivation to lie it was to tell me I could live on that so I would move there and bring my American dollars. They made their money on tourisim and so the more Americans the better.

3) My friend has lived in Thailand for 10 years and married a Thai woman. He will live there the rest of his life. He told me I could be comfortable on $1500 and squeak by on $1000. He had no reason to lie to me.

Now. lets think about the books you are reading, do they have a motivation to lie. YES! they want to sell you pie-in-the-sky so you will buy their book and tell your friends so they will buy the book.

But everyone has to make up their own mind.
Bob

 

[offroad]

The prices in the book are higher than what you mention for Belize. It's expensive there.

 

[GotSmart]

I have a buddy with a wife from Guam. Their claims of $300 a month living expenses sound good, (only if you know where to buy and who to buy from) but my Mother told me of living there and having to put up with bugs, snails the size of beer cans, and the real possibility of making the wrong turn and never coming back.

I will stay in the USA thanks.

 

[Blue]

Don't forget some jobs are easy to get overseas, in Cambodia for example if you have ANY kind of college degree you can teach English at a private school and earn 30% more than a Cambodian teacher earns (they hate that) the 1,500 per month you get will let you live like a king or if you have needed skills (like the ability to read international shipping orders) you can work for an NGO all of that is assuming you don't want to invest less than 1,000 to own a bar or restaurant.

 

[morongobill]

Here is part 1 of 4 of a month long visit to the Phillipines by a British blogger who lives on a narrowboat along with his wife, a filipina, as they stay with her family in the country.

Extremely well written and plenty of details regarding everyday life there.

This may get some off the fence that might consider moving to the islands.

Very good read and should flesh out the bones for some here.

Amonth in paradise