One of the reason I moved to Thailand was the cost. Now everyone’s personal situation is different and their financial situation also varies. Now for me, it was both hard and an easy choice to move. So let me explain.
One reason it was hard for me to move was a personal one. Those of you who know me understand that I am a single parent . I brought up my son from the age of 4 and he is now 25 years old. We are close and when I thought of moving to Thailand, he was very supportive, and that meant a lot to me, as if he did not help me, I do not think I would have moved.
Parenting alone is hard and draining but it is also extremely rewarding . Financially it was hard for me, as those parents out there will know all too well, bringing up a child or children is expensive and you are always careful with your money. As I have been through a divorce and an expensive custody battle for Chris, I never owned a house or property, so rented, There are arguments for the pros and cons of renting against getting a mortgage ,but. When I worked out the cost , I was unable to get a mortgage.
So when I retired , I paid off all my debts , and found that even if I could it a large deposit on a house, I would not be able to retire on my pension alone, and would have to work, which for me was silly as the point of retiring is not to work, and not to move from one job to another without the prospect of not working as it was too expense not to work.
So with the support of my wonderful son, the decision was easier. The funny this is, Chris (My son) had been to Thailand before me and he told me that I would love the place and we were suited . He was so correct. I trust his opinion as we are very close and understand each other .
Leaving Chris behind, was very hard, looking after him and being there for him , for me to more to the other side of the world I decided would be good for him, and I would have to let him loose , so to speak. This is a decision every parent has to do,
We did discuss Chris coming with us to Chiang Mai, but the decision was made for us, as Chris would not be able to get a visit to stay. You can get a tourist visa lasting 30 days or even an extended tourist visa for 60 days, which was impractical, That and the fact that I was. Following my dreams, not Chris’s.
My wife, Nui, whom I met in the Uk, and has a UK passport, comes from the area of Chiang Mai, so it was an easy decision were to move. Having a local makes. life a lot easier, as she know the best areas to buy a house, and can guid you through the maze of documentation and administration Thailand loves and embraces so much.
If you are deciding to move to Thailand, I would recommend you do so with a local person you trust. So with Nui by my side, we bought a wonderful house for around £50,000. So when I worked out my pension and if I could afford to live in Thailand, the answer was yes. Electricity, gas, petrol and other essentials are a lot cheaper than the UK.
If you eat and live like the locals, it is very cheap, but being a “Falange” or foreigner you. Will have/need extra expenses, money to get your visa, you will need medical insurance. If you do get into medical distress it can get very expensive as you will be charges from the ambulance to the cotton bud .
What increases your living expenses are the items you are use to back home, TV,s phones, air conditioners ( Temperatures can get very high in the summer , 40C is normal )
If you want to eat European food, you can get them in some stores, but like a lot of Falang” food you pay a premium. There are lots of fast food outlets in Thailand, from Burger King, McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut etc so you can get your secret delight.
I come back to the UK to work for about 6 months. I can live on my pension but things like air conditioners are expensive and do make life a lot more bearable , we don’t use the A/C for 10 months of the year but its well needed on the 2 months it gets over 40C .
I do miss the banter, conversations and comradeship of work and friends. Living in Thailand is wonderful and even though Nui speaks wonderful English, she does not have a UK sense of humour or can have an in-depth conversation. So I get my fix of all this when I come back to the UK to work.
One thing you have to be aware of, if you are deciding to live abroad , is the exchange rate. My money varies every month depending on how the Thai Baht is or the strength of Stirling. One way to get better value of money is to get your pension sent to your Thai Bank in Stirling , The exchange rate is better in Thailand than it is in the UK and the money is then converted at a better rate by my Thai bank.
One thing I have not mentioned is your personal circumstances . If you are deciding to move to Thailand or any country some distance away from for home, it can be very hard, away from your friend, family and support structure. If you close with your family, moving that far away can have its own problems, so its something you will have to think about . Time zone can also come into affect, when I want to speak to Nui, I know that Thailand is 6 hours ahead of the Uk so there is a limited time we can chat, without one of us being asleep. The good thing for me is I do night so chat with Nui most nights .
The good thing these days is the available of communication. Skype has a monthly subscription of around £10, and I can chat, unlimited , on Thai landline and mobile phones. or you can use Messenger , WhatsApp and viber for voice and FaceTime.
So, for me, I made the right decision and it suits me, I come to the UK to get extras for my house, and send stuff back to Thailand. It’s all to do with your own circumstances . So if you do decide, good luck.
My Personal Journey to Thailand 