Don't retire to Thailand

[QuotaMan]

While I don't agree with everything on the list, and many have retired to Thailand successfully, it does bring up some good points and things to be aware of.

 

http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/thai/index.pl?noframes;read=1444

Married to a Thai and longing to retire in Thailand for the spicy hot delicious food, white tropical beaches, sunshine and smiles? Before you rush in headlong, take a long look at these reasons for not retiring in Thailand.

 

1. Political Unrest In Thailand

 

Those who are considering retiring in Thailand need to take the current dire political situation into consideration. In 2006, a power struggle erupted between the Thai political parties. The "red shirts" and the "yellow shirts" are in bitter disagreement about the country's future. Accusations of corruption have inspired physical confrontation between the two sides. The current political protests in Thailand are funded and guided from overseas by Thaksin, a former police officer who built up a telecoms empire before turning to politics and becoming prime minister in 2001.

 

Currently governed by the highly revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, there is great concern lurking about the further great political unrest that is anticipated after his death. Now at age 82, and not in good health, there is concern about who will take over the throne after his death. The law that forbids anyone talking ill of the royal family and thereby protecting the dignity of a reigning sovereign King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand did not stop former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra speaking of a "shining" new age once the King's reign comes to an end. That does not bode well for the future of Thailand.

 

This political uncertainty could affect your future life in Thailand. It only takes a change in the laws in Thailand to make it a completely different place. Suppose they made the requirements for Thai visas more stringent, so that you found it difficult or impossible to get your non immigrant Thai visa? You could lose the right to live in Thailand and with it your retiring in Thailand plan.

 

2. The Difficulty Of Learning The Thai Language

 

On holiday in Thailand you maybe picked up a few Thai words and generally got by with very little knowledge of the Thai language. Of course, provided you stick to the main holiday areas and resorts, you don't need to know Thai because the Thai people you deal with will speak enough English for you to be able to get what you want.

 

But in retirement you maybe are not going to be living in the holiday resort areas - which are not only very expensive for everyday living but which are becoming increasingly dangerous. Instead, like us and many people like us, you may be retiring 'up country' in predominantly Thai populated areas. In these circumstances you may be buying fresh food at the local Thai market, eating out at the roadside stalls, jumping on the back of the local motorcycle taxis, and generally interacting with the indigenous Thais who are unlikely to speak English. This is where, without a good knowledge of the Thai language, life could be difficult or just uneasy for you.

 

3. You Will Have To Pay For Any Medical Care That You May Need

 

If you enjoy free medical care in your home country, remember that you will lose this privilege when you retire to Thailand and you will end up paying your own medical bills in future. Perhaps you may think that you are in good health and take the chance on that but think about the increasing treatments you may need as you get older or if you become seriously ill. As you become older your needs for medical care dramatically increase and whereas perhaps at present you are entitled to medical care paid for by the State in your homeland, when you retire to Thailand the costs will come from your own pocket.

 

4. Visa Restrictions

 

There is no such thing as a "get it and forget it" visa for retiring Thailand. While Thai retirement visas are available, there are still restrictions, and you will have to report to the immigration office in Thailand periodically. The Thai forums are thick with questions from foreigners asking about Thai visa laws or restrictions or reporting problems they have faced. I am one of those people because although I once obtained a multiple journey one-year Non Immigrant Category "O" visa for Thailand within a few minutes at the Royal Thai Consulate in Birmingham, U.K. I was later refused the same kind of Thai visa with exactly the same paperwork at the Royal Thai Embassy in London!

 

As a generalism, it seems that different offices and officials issuing Thai visas around the world all have different interpretations of the qualifications to be granted a Thai visa. Some people have reported being refused a visa for spurious reasons when all their paperwork was in perfect order. Consider what you would do if you were refused entry to the country where your retirement home and wife was!

 

5. High Taxation On Imported Goods

 

Those who have a visa to live in Thailand for greater than a year can also move household items to the country, but if the visa is granted for less, you must also take into account the import duty taxes and value added tax. These total 27% of the value of your items, not including the shipping costs. In theory, some entrants to Thailand are permitted to bring household effects into Thailand free of duty, but it doesn't work like that in practice even though I am Thai as I found out found out I tried to do it. Again, the Thai forums are filled with people who, according to Thai regulations were supposed to be able to import personal effects tax-free, still ended up paying a lot to the customs officers!

 

6. High Cost Of Maintaining Your Home

 

If you keep your current home in your own country, there are huge expenses with maintaining two homes, one in Thailand and the other far away across the ocean. When renting out your home in your own country, you run the risk of damage, non-paying tenants and having to hire an agency that will keep your property up. It is a good idea to keep your original home in case you ever go back home, so that you can have a familiar place to get home to, or your retiring in Thailand plan fails for any reason.

 

7. Culture Shock

 

It is one thing to have a great time in Thailand on holiday but living there permanently is completely different. While it may seem easy to adjust to the Thai culture, residents retiring in Thailand have to commit to setting aside long standing habits and it can be tiring. Unravelling a country's long standing culture can be a bit tedious for foreigners in the country.

 

[CyberHippie]

It all depends on the individual and circumstances.

 

When I get depressed about living in Thailand, I close my eyes and imagine that this very second I am in a bar with sexy Thai ladies pole dancing.... Its like taking an aspirin for temporary relief

[kansuwan]

Over to you Big Reg and Frugal Charles:

 

1. Political Instability in the UK

 

Those who are considering retiring in the UK will need to take the current dire political situation into consideration. In 2010 a coalition government (Conservatives and Liberal Democrats) was formed. Policy is now based on the lowest common denominator between the two, fissures in the coalition are appearing while the Labour Party – responsible for much of the woes of present day Britain and now led by a lightweight leader called Milliband – is offering no credible alternative. Pressures are building for a re-run of the ‘winter of discontent’ and large-scale street protests in major cities are likely to be repeated.

 

2. The difficulties of being understood in your native language

 

In the past, the English language provided a a unifying bond and common basis for personal and business exchanges. It no longer does so for three reasons. First, English language and grammar are not being taught adequately in the state school sector, leaving a generation without a vital tool in personal advancement and believing that txt-speak and casual spelling are adequate substitutes for clearly and unambiguously expressed English. This tendency has been exacerbated by those in the educational establishment who have argued that the pursuit of correct English discriminates against the lower socio-economic classes and minority groups. The reverse is true: current practice has led to the linguistic disenfranchisement of a generation.

The second reason is that the mass influx of immigrants from the former Soviet Union and states that have joined the EU over the past ten years means that you will often encounter difficulties in communication with non-native speakers who have had little incentive to learn English. Note also that many traditional service functions have been outsourced to the sub-continent: you will find that many call-centres are incapable of dealing with your problem swiftly or efficiently.

 

3. You Will Have To Pay For Any Medical Care That You May Need

 

The NHS now employs a greater proportion of non-clinical staff than at any time since its foundation after World War II. The relative decline in numbers of clinical staff has led to a parallel decline in health-care performance, whether at local doctor level or in hospitals. Gifted clinicians and medical support staff are now retiring early or moving abroad, leaving a health service incapable of meeting national medical needs. If you value your health and that of your family, take out private health insurance: current government tinkering is unlikely to solve the problem or defeat an entrenched bureaucratic establishment.

 

4. Visa Restrictions (or not)

 

The current government is seeking to control entry into the UK more tightly. But it is incapable of imposing visa restrictions to prevent the further influx of immigrants into the UK from EU states. Note that an amnesty on illegal immigrants and asylum seekers has boosted further the numbers of non-UK citizens with the right to remain the UK, eligible to claim tax-payer funded benefits if they have a bad headache or poorly tummy.

 

5. High Taxation On Imported Goods

 

The UK manufacturing base has collapsed over the last twenty years owing to an investment strike by private capital and the failure of successive governments to deploy North Sea oil revenues to create new manufacturing jobs and fund tax breaks for real investment. UK wage rates are highly uncompetitive for any manufacturer seeking to establish new plant in Britain. It follows that probably the majority of goods on sale in the UK (on an item for item count) are foreign manufactured. Though not yet taxed as such, they are a low-hanging fruit for a populist government seeking to fund the biggest public sector deficit in the country’s history. Note, however, that WTO rules and EU legislation would prevent the imposition of tariffs such measures being taken unless the UK were to opt out of both organizations.

 

6. High Cost Of Maintaining Your Home

 

If you keep your current home in the UK you will be obliged to pay high rates to those who maintain it and provide power, fuel and television services. You will also have to pay the Community Charge invented by the Thatcher government. This will enable you to have your bins emptied once a month and fund lots of diversity groups, but it will not provide policing services sufficient to protect you in your own home. Note that when you get past it, you may have to sell your home to provide for residential care in an old folks home.

 

7. Culture Shock

 

It is one thing to have had a great time in the UK during your youth, but living there today is completely different. While it may seem easy to adjust to chav culture and multi-culturalism, it will be strain set aside long standing habits and expectations about social behaviour.

 

Edited to correct my spelling mistakes BWAHHAHAHAA!

Edited June 10, 2011 by kansuwan

[Soi Six Snatch Sniffer]

kansuwan you are absolutely spot on. i could go on and on about how i cannot wait to get out of great britain and move to thailand but i am having a nice night and i dont want to make myself angry, and talking about the horror story that is great britain makes me fucking angry. i dont care what anybody says, moving from britain to thailand is the best move any self respecting brit could ever make, end of story. breath.

[leeds]

your 100 per cent right the uk is finished as a country,no work no resources there living in the past ,this country is now a joke

[Soi Six Snatch Sniffer]

your 100 per cent right the uk is finished as a country,no work no resources there living in the past ,this country is now a joke

being from hull, it pains me to say to someone called leeds, "bravo" my sentiments exactly. lol. couldnt have put it better myself.

[Soi Six Snatch Sniffer]

your 100 per cent right the uk is finished as a country,no work no resources there living in the past ,this country is now a joke

being from hull, it pains me to say to someone called leeds, "bravo" my sentiments exactly. lol. couldnt have put it better myself.

[Edge]

Over to you ....................................................

 

A truly excellent piece of work Sir.

 

Whilst some of the Points raised in the article are valid, particularly medical care and possibly the political situation, for those contemplating future retirement here, it does seem that for the likes of myself, having burned bridges anyway, I am trapped here by circumstances. Oh well, onward and errr.... onward.

 

I'm going back to Blighty soon for the first time in 2 years. I wonder if I should do a trip report.

 

 

 

[capricorn]

2. The difficulties of being understood in your native language [...]

 

The second reason is that the mass influx of immigrants from the former Soviet Union and states that have joined the EU over the past ten years means that you will often encounter difficulties in communication with non-native speakers who have had little incentive to learn English. Note also that many traditional service functions have been outsourced to the sub-continent: you will find that many call-centres are incapable of dealing with your problem swiftly or efficiently. [...]

 

I was in London on a business trip last April. We went to a pub in Soho with people from work and to my great dismay, I had to repeat our order 4 times before the bartender could understand. Even if I'm French, I don't speak English like the average Frenchman as I spent 2 years in London when I was a student.

 

I was quite relieved when I realized the English people next to us who were speaking with an "Estuary" accent, probably from Kent or Surrey, couldn't get their point across either. It turned out the bartender was Polish as he explained to us later on.

Edited June 9, 2011 by capricorn

[TakeItEasyDarling]

Yep gotta agree anywhere would be preferable to not so Great Britain, took thousands of years to make that Island great took 40 years for a generation of tree hugging hippies to ruin it! Calling Britain a democracy is a joke nobody wanted to let the EU run our country we were promised a referendum, never happened! now look at the state of the place can't fart without breaking some law, the economy is in shite state yet we're still paying to bail out other countries even though we've been subsidising them for years already!

[Soi Six Snatch Sniffer]

A truly excellent piece of work Sir.

 

Whilst some of the Points raised in the article are valid, particularly medical care and possibly the political situation, for those contemplating future retirement here, it does seem that for the likes of myself, having burned bridges anyway, I am trapped here by circumstances. Oh well, onward and errr.... onward.

 

I'm going back to Blighty soon for the first time in 2 years. I wonder if I should do a trip report.

a trip report from old edge on good old england, i cant wait for that one. but i have got an awful feeling its not gonna be a very good read as there will be so many of these f***k s**t c**t w**k f**k s**t c**t w**k.....you get my drift.

[Soi Six Snatch Sniffer]

Yep gotta agree anywhere would be preferable to not so Great Britain, took thousands of years to make that Island great took 40 years for a generation of tree hugging hippies to ruin it! Calling Britain a democracy is a joke nobody wanted to let the EU run our country we were promised a referendum, never happened! now look at the state of the place can't fart without breaking some law, the economy is in shite state yet we're still paying to bail out other countries even though we've been subsidising them for years already!

well said good sir!!

[999Baht]

There will always be obstacles wherever you live.

I would take the obstacles of Thailand over most other places.

This person sounds like he has had enough of Thailand or he wants to keep it all to himself.

[pattayaguru]

Over to you Big Reg and Frugal Charles:

 

1. Political Instability in the UK

 

Those who are considering retiring in the UK will need to take the current dire political situation into consideration. In 2010 a coalition government (Conservatives and Liberal Democrats) was formed. Policy is now based on the lowest common denominator between the two, fissures in the coalition are appearing while the Labour Party – responsible for much of the woes of present day Britain and now led by a lightweight leader called Milliband – is offering no credible alternative. Pressures are building for a re-run of the ‘winter of discontent’ and large-scale street protests in major cities are likely to be repeated.

 

2. The difficulties of being understood in your native language

 

In the past, the English language provided a a unifying bond and common basis for personal and business exchanges. It no longer does so for three reasons. First, English language and grammar are not being taught adequately in the state school sector, leaving a generation without a vital tool in personal advancement and believing that txt-speak and casula spelling are adequate substitutes for clearly and unambiguously expressed English. This tendency has been exacerbated by those in the educational establishment who have argued that the pursuit of correct English discriminates against the lower socio-economic classes and minority groups. The reverse is true: current practice has led to the linguistic disenfranchisement of a generation.

The second reason is that the mass influx of immigrants from the former Soviet Union and states that have joined the EU over the past ten years means that you will often encounter difficulties in communication with non-native speakers who have had little incentive to learn English. Note also that many traditional service functions have been outsourced to the sub-continent: you will find that many call-centres are incapable of dealing with your problem swiftly or efficiently.

 

3. You Will Have To Pay For Any Medical Care That You May Need

 

The NHS now employs a greater proportion of non-clinical staff than at any time since its foundation after World War II. The relative decline in numbers of clinical staff has led to a parallel decline in health-care performance, whether at local doctor level or in hospitals. Gifted clinicians and medical support staff are now retiring early or moving abroad, leaving a health service incapable of meeting national medical needs. If you value your health and that of your family, take out private health insurance: current government tinkering is unlikely to solve the problem or defeat an entrenched bureaucratic establishment.

 

4. Visa Restrictions (or not)

 

The current government is seeking to control entry into the UK more tightly. But it is incapable of imposing visa restrictions to prevent the further influx of immigrants into the UK from EU states. Note that an amnesty on illegal immigrants and asylum seekers has boosted further the numbers of non-UK citizens with the right to remain the UK, eligible to claim tax-payer funded benefits if they have a bad headache or poorly tummy.

 

5. High Taxation On Imported Goods

 

The UK manufacturing base has collapsed over the last twenty years owing to an investment strike by private capital and the failure of successive governments to deploy North Sea oil revenues to create new manufacturing jobs and fund tax breaks for real investment. UK wage rates are highly uncompetitive for any manufacturer seeking to establish new plant in Britain. It follows that probably the majority of goods on sale in the UK (on an item for item count) are foreign manufactured. Though not yet taxed as such, they are a low-hanging fruit for a populist government seeking to fund the biggest public sector deficit in the country’s history. Note, however, that WTO rules and EU legislation would prevent the imposition of tariffs would prevent such measures being taken unless the UK were to opt out of both organizations.

 

6. High Cost Of Maintaining Your Home

 

If you keep your current home in the UK you will be obliged to pay high rates to those who maintain it and provide power, fuel and television services. You will also have to pay the Community Charge invented by the Thatcher government. This will enable you to have your bins emptied once a month and fund lots of diversity groups, but it will not provide policing services sufficient to protect you in your own home. Note that when you get past it, you may have to sell your home to provide for residential care in an old folks home.

 

7. Culture Shock

 

It is one thing to have had a great time in the UK during your youth, but living there today is completely different. While it may seem easy to adjust to chav culture and multi-culturalism, it will be strain set aside long standing habits and expectations about social behaviour.

[pattayaguru]

very ell put m8 couldnt agree more

[GoldCoastJon]

When i was in late early 20's it was very popular for Aussies and Kiwis to head abroad for a year or 2 in the UK, generally London to work and travel. The strong value of the pound and the ability to trip around Europe which was easily accessible made it a popular destination. Doesn't seem to have the same appeal to young folk..............guess times have changed in the UK as mentioned by other BM's

[vimto66]

thats what years of left wing ideology has lumbered us with.

[whitespider - RIP]

3. You Will Have To Pay For Any Medical Care That You May Need

 

If you enjoy free medical care in your home country, remember that you will lose this privilege when you retire to Thailand and you will end up paying your own medical bills in future. Perhaps you may think that you are in good health and take the chance on that but think about the increasing treatments you may need as you get older or if you become seriously ill. As you become older your needs for medical care dramatically increase and whereas perhaps at present you are entitled to medical care paid for by the State in your homeland, when you retire to Thailand the costs will come from your own pocket.

 

Firslty can I make it clear I am NOT advocating getting married LOL

 

However, this point is probably worth making as many I have spoken to who qualify had never heard of it.

 

If you are married to a Thai and registered in the Amphoe as a joint resident in a property owend by the spouse you can get a Thai 13 digit NI card.

 

I dont know the full in and outs of it but you go to the Amphoe, fill out some papers and they change your Green house book to a yellow house book and issue you the NI Card.

 

This entitles you to free medical care, or in the cases where even Thai have to pay (usually long term care) to thr Thai "rates".

 

It only applies to government hospitals so you become subject to the same waiting periods etc as Thais and so non of the "luxuries" offered by pricvate establishments but it IS available and, if you qualify, is well worth doing. I think the cost was under 1000 baht although we had to ay 1000 to the woamn at the Amphoe to help us fill in the forms.

[kanoguy63]

Although I think the original post was a bit too extreme in it's negativity, the OP does raise some valid points that folks contemplating the move should consider. I've know far too many guys who decided to move to either Thailand or the Philippines with only a dream rather than a plan. Relocating anywhere is always harder than many people realize. Additionally, living in any resort location is different than just going there on vacation and people need to ensure that their vacation experiences aren't skewing the reality of living there.

[Daveo]

I Love it here in Thailand and it has worked for me so F+*K England

[holsteinpill]

Great Britain.. Hmmm

 

All it is now since the channel tunnel has been built is a CUL-DE-SAC

 

A huge island with separate parliaments for the neighbouring welsh and scots who really don't want a piece of the "Great" anymore or indeed have ever wanted!

 

Goodbye ol' blighty I may return one day ( BUT NOT FOR LONG ) :Drink4:

Edited June 10, 2011 by holsteinpill

[furryman]

The guy in the original article sounds really uptight, not the guy I'd want to be lifting a mug with. Overall he does make a bit of a point though, moving to Thailand is not for the faint of heart or the closed-minded. It will be an adventure, exciting, annoying and frustrating like any real adventure.

[Edge]

Firslty can I make it clear I am NOT advocating getting married LOL

 

However, this point is probably worth making as many I have spoken to who qualify had never heard of it.

 

If you are married to a Thai and registered in the Amphoe as a joint resident in a property owend by the spouse you can get a Thai 13 digit NI card.......

.............................

This entitles you to free medical care, or in the cases where even Thai have to pay (usually long term care) to thr Thai "rates".

........................

 

So there is a reason for doing it after all.

 

 

 

[roppa]

I really could'nt agree more with Kunsuwan

I would leave GB tomorrow if i could!

[charlie934s]

3. You Will Have To Pay For Any Medical Care That You May Need

 

The NHS now employs a greater proportion of non-clinical staff than at any time since its foundation after World War II. The relative decline in numbers of clinical staff has led to a parallel decline in health-care performance, whether at local doctor level or in hospitals. Gifted clinicians and medical support staff are now retiring early or moving abroad, leaving a health service incapable of meeting national medical needs. If you value your health and that of your family, take out private health insurance: current government tinkering is unlikely to solve the problem or defeat an entrenched bureaucratic establishment.

 

lets not forget the tax and national insurance contributions that you have made all your working life to into the system, medical care in the uk is not free if you have worked all your life you will find that you have payed for any treatment you have had ten times over, you have also payed for the people who don't contribute a god dammed thing