Its4john

I’m uk male age 55 with a Chinese girlfriend who lives in Beijing.

I have an option this year to close up my uk business and walk away with £1000/month income plus about £50k in hand,

I’m looking at retirement in China but big city life is very expensive.

My question is, with my income and lump sum, what kind of lifestyle is possible if I move to Thailand? I’m not too bothered about location as long as there is a reasonable expat population.

scot47

Whatever you do keep paying National Insurance so that you eventually qualify for State Retirement Pension at the full rate.

Former colleagues who taught with me in the Middle East have retired to Thailand and tell me that you can get by on that income you hope for. Your capital sum may dribble away and slowly disappear.

Thairetired2016

With your monthly income you get by if you live very frugally. Look at requirements for nonimm-O visa. Min. monthly requirement is 1500 US$. Consider medical insurance policy.

nonthaburi

I don't think you have enough income. 1000k a month is only just over 40,000 baht a month at today's exchange rate.

Just as a rough guide to some possible costs.

Rent:5-10k a month.
Utilities:2-5k aircon costs money.
Petrol:1-3k how much do you travel?
TV and internet:1-2k
Food:5-10k
Insurance:???
Fun:??

Even taking the lowest of my figures, and I don't know your lifestyle that's still 19k a month before you've left the house.

Leaves you 21k+ a month, or just over 700 a day. Doesn't leave you much wiggle room for fun.

You want to be enjoying life, not living like a monk.

My advice would be to work another 5 years or so, to hopefully build up your monthly income to at least 50% more.

60-70k a month in Thailand is very comfortable. 40k is a stretch.

Its4john

Excellent reply, thank you. I’m now thinking my £50k would do me an extra £500 per month (ish) until I’m almost due my old age pension!
Are there many options for a little employment?

Thairetired2016

[QUOTE=Its4john;12462795]Excellent reply, thank you. I’m now thinking my £50k would do me an extra £500 per month (ish) until I’m almost due my old age pension!
Are there many options for a

You have to prove income of 65.000Bht/month to get a visa if you try retirement option. Working will not be allowed. This would be a diff. visa route.
I consider the cost of living figures given by previous poster too low. It won't allow for a tiny luxury like some cheese may be? The further away you go from public transport the cheaper housing gets. You will be quite isolated.
Unless you have visited before, pay a visit before you make a decision.

Mathieularoche

Utilities:2-5k aircon costs money. ??? That much ? I pay like max. 500 baht/month for electricity and 300 for water. I have a scooter to get around in Bangkok, never paid that much for petrol.

I'm not saying you are wrong, I'm just surprised. I personally believe 40 000 baht in Thailand is ok, as long as you pay minimum attention to what you spend on. If you cook at least once a day at home, and don't eat everyday in western restaurants, you may also save quite a bunch of money.

I guess everything depends on your lifestyle

But 40 000 bth + £50k seems quite enough

Thairetired2016

The first rule is that you don't ride a motorbike/scooter without having insurance.
40.000Baht/month won't get you non-imm O. Once you can switch to retirement you will need to show 800.000Baht every year or 1500US$/month.

nonthaburi

It does depend on lifestyle, and that's the point.

April in Bangkok, I think if you ask most people if they want aircon, they'll say yes. Aircon alone can double your bill for electricity.

Obviously there's a big difference between running a car and a scooter. One costs a 100 to fill up, and the other costs 1500. I know where you're coming from, I've done it. But sitting at the lights for ten minutes in 80% humidity in a jacket on a bike isn't fun. It might be okay once in a while but give me a car anyway.

You make the point that 40k is okay if you watch what you spend, and that is exactly my point. It is okay, but you're going to have to watch absolutely everything you spend. Not my idea of retirement.

One last point, generally speaking I would say that to cook good food at home actually costs more than eating out a lot of the time, especially compared to street food. I know all the reviews rave about Thailand's street food culture, but a lot of it is very unhealthy, deep fat fried, full of msg, left out in the street for hours next to all the pollution etc. Give me my wife's cooking any day.

I think the thing is that at the OP's point in life, they shouldn't have to worry about every baht they spend. That 50k could disappear very quickly too in an accident without decent health insurance. When you're young you don't think about these things, but when you're older you have no option but to.

Mathieularoche

I got your point

You're right, maybe the generation gap is the main reason for our different opinions on this topic but I totally understand your point.

And totally agree on the deep fat fried street food

Khao Yai

The rate today would give you 43,000 per month. Yes you can easily live on that but it depends entirely on your lifestyle, whether you own a car, go out a lot, etc. etc. Its too broad a subject to give a definitive answer.

I often spend way less than that and I own both a car and a motorbike. But I have no rent to pay and I don't live in Bangkok or any of the usual tourist haunts.

So many things to consider - will you be wanting to travel home for visits etc? Do you have health insurance?

dontheturner

Sorry to disagree, but 40,000 is not enough - I have lived there, and hope to return before this year is out - and my Wife is from Thailand - and we are returning to a House already waiting for us, _ her family are puting the 80K THB , up for us - I am retired UK civil servant, and due to UK £ having gone down my £14K will not be enough - and we do live modestly. The Exchange rate Stinks!

Khao Yai

Sorry to disagree with your disagreement! Its not 40,000 its 43,000 - still crap I know but I can live quite happily on that. Depends on your lifestyle and outgoings though. I have no rent to pay and don't live in an expensive area.

You have to remember that a great many Thai's survive on 10,000 per month. Sure, I wouldn't want to live like they do but with 43,000 per month you don't have to.

Thairetired2016

Rent for a halfway decent apartment (50 sqm, own bathroom, hot water, aircon, ķitchen) in central Bkk costs more. Of course you can live in the outskirts for less but this is not everybody's idea of life esp. if you don't speak Thai. Thais survive on 10.000/month but they are usually more than 1 earner in a family. They club together. And foreigners don't want a room with a bathroom down the hallway sharing with 50 others.

Khao Yai

As I have said, it depends on your circumstances and lifestyle. I already have my house which I have just upgraded to include western comforts. It has insulated double skin walls to keep it cool, has aircon, double glazed uPVC windows (low e glass, also to keep it cool) and doors and a full hot water system - total including the original cost (5 year old house) £63,000. So I now have no housing costs, a house that doesn't cost the earth to run and is unlikely to need any maintenance for a long time.

I have a Thai friend who lives in the Ari area of Bangkok in a nice 2 bed condo - no bathroom down the hallway, its a very nice condo. I have never asked her how much rent she pays but I do know that she earns 29,000 per month because I negotiated her pay deal for her. She has a decent standard of living and doesn't share with anyone.