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I have found that living
in Thailand today is quite different than it was 36 years
ago. There have been both positive and negative changes but
on the whole I find that life in Thailand to be laid back,
comfortable, and full of the pleasures that we once knew.
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| There are many retirees living
in Thailand now and they are very well accepted. Most seem
to come from Asia, namely Japan and Taiwan and to a lesser
extent Korea. But there are also many Germans and Scandinavians.
I find that there are very few
American retirees so far. Visa laws have been changed to allow
for ease of coming, going and staying. It is very easy to
transfer money into the country and there doesn’t seem
to be much trouble taking money out either. |
| It is my opinion that one should start slowly
if you want to make a move. Start with a vacation. Go to the
places you are familiar with and see how they have changed.
Ten days is a good start. If it seems attractive then try a
few weeks the next time. |
Rent
a condo (see below) and buy your food and necessities at the
markets as if you were living there for a longer stay. If
it isn’t too hot and you can find enough stimulation
then maybe a longer stay is in order. I now stay about 4 months
a year and am really reluctant to leave when it is time. I
still don’t think I am ready for a full time home in
Thailand yet.
I would NOT buy a condo or a house. Since you won’t
be there full time for a while you won’t have to worry
about someone watching your home while you are away. Rental
prices are still fairly low and one really doesn’t need
to own anything. |
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| In fact, I even rent a car for
the time I am there (see below for costs). But I will probably
break down and buy one this year since I have a place to keep
it and someone to watch it when I am gone. |
Here are some notes
on life and living in Thailand today. |
Visas
Tourist
This is a non extendable 30 day visa which you can get at the
airport upon arrival.
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Non immigrant
This is a 90 day visa which has to be gotten at the nearest
Thai consulate.
You can stay 60 days and then get an extension (for a cost)
for another 30 days. The law has recently been changed so
that people over 55 can get an extra extension (for a cost).
That would make a stay of 120 days without having to leave
the country.
Multiple entry
I am not sure of the rules on this one. Check it out at the
embassy web site (http://www.thaiembdc.org ). |
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Children of Thais
With proof that the child has a Thai parent a visa can be
gotten at the airport so that the child can stay in country
for one year, with extension if they want.
Thais
For Thais who have become US citizens, they can enter on
a non-immigrant visa and then at the airport or immigration
office they can get a one year visa which also allows for
extensions.
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Over 55
For retirees over 55 they enter the country on a non-immigrant
visa and then request a one year visa with proof of $20,000
deposited in a Thai bank account or proof of $800 income a month
(eg. Social Security). The $20,000 can be tapped throughout
the year but when you apply next year it has to be refreshed
to $20,000 again. |
Transportation
Sky train
An elevated electric train going to most of the important junctions
in Bangkok. |
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Subway
An underground train in Bangkok – really! |
| Taxis
No bargaining now (except for really sleazy drivers). All
taxis use their meters. Pay what the meter says. No tipping
is expected. |
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Planes
Very convenient. Lots of different airlines competing for
your money so the prices are very low. $100 round trip Bangkok/Chiang
Mai is the most expensive. I have seen $50 round trip tickets
for sale. You don’t usually need a reservation on the
popular routes since there are so many flights per day but
they are very easy to make by phone or internet. |
Flights from US to
Bangkok – I know from Seattle they range from
$600 - $800 except for the December timeframe when the price
goes way up. We buy a ticket to Bangkok and then one from
Bangkok to Chiang Mai. The bags are transferred and we go
through immigration in Bangkok and then customs in Chiang
Mai. In the last 4 years I have spent about 8 hours (all at
the airport) in Bangkok. |
Trains
Not as nice as they use to be. Usually I see only backpackers
taking the train nowadays. |
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Automobiles
The roads have greatly improved and even upcountry we find broad
multilane highways. They still can be very dangerous especially
at night and holidays when there is a lot of drinking. Seven
hundred people died on the road over the New Years holiday.
Not as many of us oldies using motorcycles anymore but one sees
larger cycles (even Hogs) today. |
| Buses
These can be pretty much space age vehicles. There are now
buses with sleepers in them. The seats bend back so that you
can recline completely. Of course there is TV and videos on
most of the buses. |
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Rentals
Lots and lots of rental companies for cars, vans, motorcycles,
4 wheel drives, etc. I rent a car from a friend who owns his
rental company and he lets me have it for about $300 a month
flat rate. That includes complete insurance coverage. I think
the cost is a bit more at a normal place. |
Housing
Hotels from 6 stars for thousands a night down through the
ubiquitous guest houses at about 100 baht are all still available. |
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Rentals
Condos
There is a condo glut so they are easy to come by and the
price is very reasonable. Nice condos can go from $75 to $200
a month depending on how nice and location of course. These
will be completely furnished, may have cable TV and usually
provide parking. These can be rented by the week or month.
Houses
A nice house can be rented but they can be a bit more pricey. |
Buying
Condos
There is a strange law about foreigners owning property. But
condos are considered something more like a corporation. Since
a foreigner can own 49% of a corporation then if you have
a condo with 10 rooms then you can own 4 of them. Basically
that means that you can buy a condo in your name. |
Houses
Foreigners cannot own land. But the law that said that Thais
married to foreigners cannot own land has been changed. As
long as the Thai hasn’t officially given up his or her
citizenship they overlook the fact. If the Thai has not become
a US citizen then there is no problem at all today. |
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Quality of life
Just about everything you may need is available. Maybe not
all the US brands but something equivalent from Europe or
Asia will be. There are supermarkets all over the country
that carry all Thai foods as well as Western foods. We usually
don’t shop in the outdoor markets anymore. The big
guys are much cleaner and the prices are often better. These
giant stores (WalMart types) are owned by British (Lotus)
and French (Carrefour) and there are some others popping
up everyday.
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Cable TV is available
almost everywhere as is internet connections (DSL just came
available). You can set up your computer to videophone home
(for free) now. If you don’t have a computer then there
will probably be an internet café on the corner.
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Cell phones are everywhere.
With a phone card I call home often. It is very cheap. I will
probably use a video internet connection this year. |
DVDs are available
for rent even before they are out in the US. There is a thing
call a VCD which is not very good quality but costs about
20 baht to rent for 3 days. There are special VCD players
that are not very expensive. TVs, VCDs and DVDs are as cheap
if not cheaper than they are in the US. As with cars and motorcycles,
these are now made in Thailand so there aren’t those
high tariffs anymore. Movie theaters, especially in the big
cities, have large screens and great sound systems. They cost
about 100 baht now ($2.50). |
| We now own a GE washing machine (made
in Thailand). Makes life pretty easy. |
| Big cities have
good hospitals where most of the doctors speak English and
they are used to treating foreigners. Their service is great
and the treatment is of high quality. The prices are a fraction
of what they are in the US. The dental care, in my opinion,
is far superior to that found in the US |
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