thinking about retirement plans in bangkok. anyone here lived in bangkok before? or thailand in general.


how is the life there? cost of living wise, if we're used to a western diet (food / drink) and also for girls?

twiceAweek          22-5-2019 07:16          Acceptance          +2          Given your choice name, maybe you should go back to America

Funny, a mod telling users to GTFO. MAGA baby!

a mod ???
You've been smoking a tad too much lately ?  

I just had this conversation with a friend who has just moved there a few months ago.

He survives on about 2000 pounds a month. He has a couple of regulars he sees a couple of times a week. But he does not drink, even if he goes to bars he would only drink water, he would buy the girls a drink though.

I just came back from 25 days in Thailand. If you can qualify for an extension of stay (over 50, have THB800,000 in Thai bank account, a few other details), you'd do better in Pattaya for several reasons.

1. Way cheaper for everything
2. Way less air pollution
3. Way less traffic
4. Way more expats doing the same

You can always go visit Bangkok but not that many do. Or you go native after a while and wind up in Chiang Mai or Issan with your Thai wife and water buffalo.

There are people living on pretty small pensions but TBH they are living pretty simple lives as well. You can get a small AC room for THB6,500 a month, which is $200 or so but it's subsistence living.

I would say to anyone even remotely thinking about this - get an actual visa that allows a 60 day stay. Try 60 days in country and see if it's a lifestyle you could afford and enjoy. I have the money to live quite well there but there's no way I would. Three trips a year are enough.

For the ins and outs of visas and living permissions there is a Thai visa forum that would be useful. Nothing about girls there just the admin of Thai life. It can be a bit pedantic but it's good info.

Nobody and I mean nobody should go there without having been there for some extended period. It's not all gogo dancers and one dollar beers.

You could also read Stickman Bangkok's web site which has been around forever.

I have lived thailand for 14 years.

Ricky is right get a long stay visa for 60days - because simply visiting for 3/4 weeks and staying for 2 months you will see massive differences .

Yes andrew drummed is recommended to read - because there is some serious corruption issues in Thailand that make China and other Asian countries look corrupt free.  The Thaivisa forum sign up for it and start going through the issues highlighted about visas etc it is a major issue right now for expats - and also look at sections in the thaivisa forum about banking, drivers license, health insurance, money transfers in an out of thailand.

What you will find frustrating in thailand is the frustration with the thai mentality, things that are illogical and inconsistencies in daily life.  These can be from issues as driving in thailand to a bank won't open an account for you but go to another branch and they will open bank account - to other mores serious issues of the TM30 reporting of foreigners - the reporting of foreigners in thailand must always be known by thai immigration.  When you check into a hotel your passport details are copied and details sent to immigration.  IF you happen then go a visiting a girly's family in Changmai and stay more than 24 hours you need to report into immigration chang mai and advise the location your staying at (technically the owner of house is meant to do this but most thais don't know and so the foreigner gets fined by immigration).  Then say after visiting the girly in Chang Mai you got to pattaya and stay at a mates house - well with in 24 hours of arriving you are meant to go to immigration in pattaya and report in though technically the owner of the house is meant to do this.  

The above may sound extreme but it is not - it is happening now - this reporting has been law for a long time again typically thai government not enforcing it - but suddenly are now enforcing it but also depends on the immigration office for each region wether they enforce it or not - then it becomes a problem if you haven't been reporting in renewing visas or extending visas - suddenly you find oh you not been reporting need to pay fine for visa to be process blah blah.

So as i mentioned the frustrating thing in living in thailand is the inconsistencies you will encounter things that a counter intuitive/illogical, laws not enforced then suddenly enforced for convenience.

Living in thailand from an expense wise can be a cheap or as expensive as you want to make - all the high end shopping malls in Hong Kong cools bars restaurants etc in Hong Kong can easily be found in Bangkok no problem or live like a local.
As to locals - well yes people in bangkok are very different to those in Pattaya, phuket, changmai.  you will encounter racism thais against thais, against chinese against foreigners, foreigners and against foreigner.  the white skin complexion vs dark skin is extremely prevalent in the hi-so vs lo-so  mix of things.


Thailand you will hate it you will love it, it will frustrate you, it will piss you off,, it will give great laughter and great sadness, it will give you many memories you might find love who knows and logic will always defy gravity.  Thais live day by day karma is karma and it is a bitch - events and happenings in daily life is fate - worry about today not tomorrow, tomorrow will come tomorrow and worry about it then ( prevention is better than cure - thais dont entirely understand this)  - most important to living here is learn to shake your head and just shrug your shoulders, keep an open mind and just let it gooooooooooooooo!

Oh one last thing learn about saving face - this one thing is probably the greatest hindrance to the development of thailand.

[ Last edited by  theshadow1971 at 1-7-2019 16:29 ]

Here is an example of the daily WTF in thailand from thaivisa - but but you not understand thai logic! as someone said.

The comments are just too funny, sad but true - it is what it is .

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic ... -car-park/#comments