Olddaddy

That's food for thought, you are entirely right, I haven't thought of it that way.

I just saw another post where the poster was saying he was retiring to Pattaya in September.
Now this question has been thrown around the gay forums for years and of course many of the original farang expats are no longer with us.
The "latest" gay farangs of course to retire will be more wealthier however is it just me but I have noticed my last few months there is far far less gay farangs retiring to pattaya,no idea about Bangkok but far less gay  resident expats in my opinion 
So this is my update, I just spent several months in Thailand, particularly in Pattaya to see if I still had that "urge" to settle down there forever  like I used to want to when I worked hard and all the overtime I could to save enough money for that "exciting retirement"
Fast forward 25 years and sadly it seems going by my last few months in Pattaya I no longer have that urge or excitement to retire here in Pattayail,I'm not ruling out other parts just Pattaya now doesn't do it for me
Its a combination of things, unfortunately I tend to reminisce over old times and what Pattaya used to be like, walking thru the old Sunee recently I had memories after looking at the old Top man go go ,the exciting & busy times there etc, Michael who used to own it,memories bar ,the old farang expats who used to talk chat laugh with 
The boys who were more Boyfriend material entertainment,rather than the business like boys nowadays.
It's no longer like that,well to me anyway,yes I know times change 
25 years on and now near retirement I cannot see any reason to retire there,the boys are drying up and more than ever " businesslike" with one even sending me a written quote for his services on grinder and times of service etc.
The beer bars I can no longer relate to,I find a few farang owned great where you can communicate with other farangs but most seem Thai owned and uninteresting .
Unfortunately I suffer with "it's not like it used to be" syndrome.
I find most things in the supermarket etc just as expensive if not more expensive than my own country eg cheese& coffee.
But what confirmed it was talking a gay farang in a beer bar who had been here 2 years who was "lonely".He was thinking of going back to the UK as he had his daughter there.
He spent his days living in a jomtien condo near the complex and was ,in his words,"bored"
He had no friends it seems or should I say "real friends" just seemed to be the other gay farangs attending daily the beer bars he would say hello to.On asking if he had a BF he said no you cannot find a real BF here and I believe he is right.
Talking to him gave me that extra thought that it's too early yet and with risk to retire there without having any "support'.
Support meaning someone who is a genuine friend, someone who notices you not around etc ,support when you get sick 
I imagined what my scenario could be  62yo ,then retire to pattaya,I'm  still gym fit & relatively healthy.
So I would rent a condo probably near jomtien complex and spend my days doing what? 
Maybe going to gym like I did, massages etc but the days start to get boring, missing family back home, etc 
Visiting bars? Hiring the services of male prostitutes who want to go as quick as possible,then what?
That got bored for me.
Watch tv ? I would be bored too and very lonely .
Obviously age makes a difference too,if I was 75 instead of 62,it may be more inclination to retire to pattaya but once again where do you get that support if you need it in sickness etc 
What some guys cannot fathom is you will no longer be a guy on a 2 week holiday chasing arse or dick, you will be living there and you will grow tired of it .
You will find the boys working will become disinterested in you as you no longer use their services as much as a 2 week millionaire and they stop contacting you on Grindr etc 
You will sit most nights in your condo watching tv bored shitless, you will go out during some days to beer bars just to talk to someone.
You will be alone the majority of your time unless you hire the services of company who want to most times leave asap anyway 
I can't do it at this stage of my life ,I prefer to continue working and travel each year .
One thing that could change that though is if I had a very genuine Thai  boyfriend and I don't mean a paid boyfriend who works in a bar I mean a real lover , someone you can move there for and live with .
But at this stage guys I would say be very hesitant to jump into something such as retirement to Pattaya and finding out your more lonely than ever!
Suffering depression being away from family,living by yourself in a high rise condo would be no fun with no network support wouldn't be fun, and to be brutally honest with you I have heard there have been far more negative stories of farangs retiring to pattaya particularly gay farangs than positive,that's why you see so many going back after trialling it for a few months 
It wasn't what they imagined, I doubt any like me on here will admit that though,that  they didn't like it here full time ,
I do,I couldn't cut it guys,living in that jomtien condo everyday ,not at this stage of my life, it got boring,I got lonely ,I felt like I had no support,I wanted love after a while, someone to care for and he cared by, the moneyboys,that's what they call themselves nowadays, weren't people I could relate to,times change I guess ,but maybe some day I can get my spark back when Pattaya comes back I guess but not this time, I'm going back home 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I guess you would leave behind family,friends?
Maybe medical services you don't have to pay for .
I just can't see the same level of gay farangs living in Pattaya say in 10 years like there is now,and even now many of the older ones have left and are slowly leaving.
I'm not sure how the gay  beer bars are surviving,I guess to many owners it's just a hobby.
 
 

I guess you would leave behind family,friends?
Maybe medical services you don't have to pay for .
I just can't see the same level of gay farangs living in Pattaya say in 10 years like there is now,and even now many of the older ones have left and are slowly leaving.
I'm not sure how the gay  beer bars are surviving,I guess to many owners it's just a hobby.
 
 

Yes I agree the west culture is much more open to gays ,  more gay enentertiment venues.the internet, apps and smartphones made hook up more easily then it used to be before .gay peoples have  more opportunities in their home countries nowadays . Thailand is no longer the great escape destination.
Many years ago I had the opportunity leaving at Pattaya  couple of month every time and it was a gay heaven I had everything I needed there and rarely leaved the city limits nowadays it's still fun but not close compare to the past after a week l find myself bored and prefer traveling more other destinations in Thailand. 

But what would we leave behind if we were to locate?  I decided back in 2004 when this issue was uppermost in my mind,  that frequent visits were the better option for me.
And then came Covid.  
 

With younger gay tourists seemingly wealthier and travel hopefully soon to become less expensive, I'm rather surprised that there seem to be no tour companies around organising gay tours to several countries on one trip. Many will recall the Utopia Tours company which was based in the Tarntawan hotel lobby. It did organise multi-country tours. Sadly it became the subject of a scandalous court case (the scandal surrounded the judge!) and later shut up shop. I believe it was reincarnated as Purple Dragon Tours. But even that no longer exists. Anyone wanting to know more about that case can check here -
https://web.archive.org/web/20050606015724/http:/www.yawningbread.org/arch_2005/yax-435.htm
I know that Siam Roads provides excellent guides around the region.  But it does not include Malaysia, Hong Kong or Taiwan nor make transport and hotel arrangements. Once the covid entry restrictions in all countries are removed, I expect the gay scenes in these cities to be fully open to tourists again. Perhaps the new breed of sex-related tourist might wish to include at least 2 if not 3 destination countries rather than always sticking with Bangkok and Pattaya.

Would be quite interesting to see just how many gay farangs are nstill retiring to Thailand particularly Pattaya 
The current 50yo to 65yo age gay farang group is very different to the generation of 25 years ago.
More wealthier,more knowledgeable, far more different,I don't think as "settled",
I can't see the new generation of gay retirees doing what the past generation did 
Do any of you agree with that?
 

I'm not sure I heard right but I had a aussie expat  farang a few weeks ago in Pattaya telling me was paying 15,000 baht a month?
Maybe I heard wrong,it was either 15k a month or 150k a year ,now if your on a limited income eg Aged pension then it's a bit difficult to afford that .
As for travel insurance I have no sympathy for those who travel overseas for a few weeks and fail to take it out!

Filipino food such as Balut?
I found Filipinos seem to love their American fast food more than anything,that's my impression anyway 
I was in the Philippines last night at the airport and saw some stunners, dark skin ,tight butt cheeks and strong build guys😘
I would like to check out farang expat  places like Dumamagette & Palawan, I wasn't keen on Manila 😞
Philippines is cheaper than Thailand in many aspects ( not for hotels in Manila though😅
I guess if I had a real lover I could live in the Philippines anywhere ,but like Gaybutton says, just don't take into account the sex .
I think close proximity to hospitals,safety ,gym , recreation facilities etc are high priority when deciding where  to retire 

Would be quite interesting to see just how many gay farangs are nstill retiring to Thailand particularly Pattaya 
The current 50yo to 65yo age gay farang group is very different to the generation of 25 years ago.
More wealthier,more knowledgeable, far more different,I don't think as "settled",
I can't see the new generation of gay retirees doing what the past generation did 
Do any of you agree with that?
 

The major problem Is that Thailand changed dramatically over the last twenty years :
 Retiring nowadays is more complicated the immigration rules are more restricted and changing all the time makes things more uncertain and difficult planing retirement on the long term. 
Thailand become much more expensive than it use to be and the strong Baht isn't helping either. 
Pattaya gay scenery shrinked dramatically Sunee Plaza almost don't exist anymore , most of the gay bars at Boyz Town closed so most of vibrant gay life in Pattaya used to have is gone .
In the past many Thai boys genuinely seeked for falang boyfriend now it's changed most of the boy are money boys and straight so the chances to find real Thai boyfriend are very low.
 

I just saw another post where the poster was saying he was retiring to Pattaya in September.
Now this question has been thrown around the gay forums for years and of course many of the original farang expats are no longer with us.
The "latest" gay farangs of course to retire will be more wealthier however is it just me but I have noticed my last few months there is far far less gay farangs retiring to pattaya,no idea about Bangkok but far less gay  resident expats in my opinion 
So this is my update, I just spent several months in Thailand, particularly in Pattaya to see if I still had that "urge" to settle down there forever  like I used to want to when I worked hard and all the overtime I could to save enough money for that "exciting retirement"
Fast forward 25 years and sadly it seems going by my last few months in Pattaya I no longer have that urge or excitement to retire here in Pattayail,I'm not ruling out other parts just Pattaya now doesn't do it for me
Its a combination of things, unfortunately I tend to reminisce over old times and what Pattaya used to be like, walking thru the old Sunee recently I had memories after looking at the old Top man go go ,the exciting & busy times there etc, Michael who used to own it,memories bar ,the old farang expats who used to talk chat laugh with 
The boys who were more Boyfriend material entertainment,rather than the business like boys nowadays.
It's no longer like that,well to me anyway,yes I know times change 
25 years on and now near retirement I cannot see any reason to retire there,the boys are drying up and more than ever " businesslike" with one even sending me a written quote for his services on grinder and times of service etc.
The beer bars I can no longer relate to,I find a few farang owned great where you can communicate with other farangs but most seem Thai owned and uninteresting .
Unfortunately I suffer with "it's not like it used to be" syndrome.
I find most things in the supermarket etc just as expensive if not more expensive than my own country eg cheese& coffee.
But what confirmed it was talking a gay farang in a beer bar who had been here 2 years who was "lonely".He was thinking of going back to the UK as he had his daughter there.
He spent his days living in a jomtien condo near the complex and was ,in his words,"bored"
He had no friends it seems or should I say "real friends" just seemed to be the other gay farangs attending daily the beer bars he would say hello to.On asking if he had a BF he said no you cannot find a real BF here and I believe he is right.
Talking to him gave me that extra thought that it's too early yet and with risk to retire there without having any "support'.
Support meaning someone who is a genuine friend, someone who notices you not around etc ,support when you get sick 
I imagined what my scenario could be  62yo ,then retire to pattaya,I'm  still gym fit & relatively healthy.
So I would rent a condo probably near jomtien complex and spend my days doing what? 
Maybe going to gym like I did, massages etc but the days start to get boring, missing family back home, etc 
Visiting bars? Hiring the services of male prostitutes who want to go as quick as possible,then what?
That got bored for me.
Watch tv ? I would be bored too and very lonely .
Obviously age makes a difference too,if I was 75 instead of 62,it may be more inclination to retire to pattaya but once again where do you get that support if you need it in sickness etc 
What some guys cannot fathom is you will no longer be a guy on a 2 week holiday chasing arse or dick, you will be living there and you will grow tired of it .
You will find the boys working will become disinterested in you as you no longer use their services as much as a 2 week millionaire and they stop contacting you on Grindr etc 
You will sit most nights in your condo watching tv bored shitless, you will go out during some days to beer bars just to talk to someone.
You will be alone the majority of your time unless you hire the services of company who want to most times leave asap anyway 
I can't do it at this stage of my life ,I prefer to continue working and travel each year .
One thing that could change that though is if I had a very genuine Thai  boyfriend and I don't mean a paid boyfriend who works in a bar I mean a real lover , someone you can move there for and live with .
But at this stage guys I would say be very hesitant to jump into something such as retirement to Pattaya and finding out your more lonely than ever!
Suffering depression being away from family,living by yourself in a high rise condo would be no fun with no network support wouldn't be fun, and to be brutally honest with you I have heard there have been far more negative stories of farangs retiring to pattaya particularly gay farangs than positive,that's why you see so many going back after trialling it for a few months 
It wasn't what they imagined, I doubt any like me on here will admit that though,that  they didn't like it here full time ,
I do,I couldn't cut it guys,living in that jomtien condo everyday ,not at this stage of my life, it got boring,I got lonely ,I felt like I had no support,I wanted love after a while, someone to care for and he cared by, the moneyboys,that's what they call themselves nowadays, weren't people I could relate to,times change I guess ,but maybe some day I can get my spark back when Pattaya comes back I guess but not this time, I'm going back home 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Well for some of you it's only yearly trips ,so If your departing the next morning or next day for your home country,do you do anything unusual or by routine?
Do you go out and rage that last night,off several boys and orgy or stay up all night in bars  if you have a early morning departure?
Those of you who visit Pattaya do you make your last night in Bangkok to be closer to the airport?
Anything routinely you do on your last day/ night?
 
 
 

I'm not sure I heard right but I had a aussie expat  farang a few weeks ago in Pattaya telling me was paying 15,000 baht a month?
Maybe I heard wrong,it was either 15k a month or 150k a year ,now if your on a limited income eg Aged pension then it's a bit difficult to afford that .
As for travel insurance I have no sympathy for those who travel overseas for a few weeks and fail to take it out!

I’m 64 and have been retired for seven years. I spend 5 months every year in Pattaya, the rest in USA.
I find I’m happier in Thailand. I still love the sex, even though there’s less choices now. And I spend 2 or 3 months with my money boy boyfriend. I think it’s him that makes it good. He’s not afraid to be seen with me, and we have a nice routine. We wake up about 2 pm and have a meal , sometimes hang out on the beach.
I’ve read that paying someone to love you can cause depression. I’m aware ot that and accepted that he loves my money more than me,lol. But I’m certainly not lonely with him. Half the battle I guess.
I cannot live in Bangkok because of the pollution. Pattaya is a bit better in that regards. I’m an introvert and I’m easily entertained! I try to learn some Thai but I don’t have to.
I’ve found Great Depression since I came back to USA after Covid. I’m very isolated and lonely in the USA. I suppose I could find a guy near my age here. As long as he doesn’t mind me going to Pattaya for 5 months, might be hard to find someone like that.
If I was rich I’d just retire in Thailand. It’s the fear of not being able to afford health insurance latter on that keeps me going only 5 months.
Also I’m healthier in the USA. The air cleaner, healthy food, and I like my doctors here. I swim in Thailand and in USA I use a gym and walk. I need to break up the workout routine. 
 
I think Olddaddy, you’re right about being bored in Jomtien. Jomtien is boring! I sold my vt condo there.  I think you’re in a good position though. You’re in Australia, which is nice and close, so you can adjust your trips better. You’re an introvert like me. You can pursue sex and do other things, you need to look hard and you’ll be surprised what you might find. But most importantly is having someone you can count on, if you’re sick,etc. I have same problem! You can contact me if you’re there when I am, I’m always there for my friends.

I guess you have to have " interests' or hobbies , or you perhaps you may have a boyfriend or a lot of friends you enjoy being with ?
I'm more unfortunately introvert ,I also suffer from depression sometimes .
Perhaps if I didn't go there to retire with that mindset of looking only for sex and actually looked for other things in my lifestyle it would be ok, but I didn't those few months, I just sat all day at beer bars 
 

My impression after travelling the Philippines last few weeks is they love their fast food chains, everywhere I went in shopping malls etc they were busy lining up for Jollibees fast food & all those American chain restaurants.
If that was Thailand it would be the street food they line up for, I found that a bit of a shock compared to Thailand where they love their street food, but maybe I was just in the wrong places/areas  in the Philippines.
I guess more in the poorer type areas of Manila you would find more street food but the Shopping malls were always crowded ,I couldn't get over how crowded they were along with their fast food restaurants.
No wonder there's so many " large size" Filipino around,some looked like Hawaiian/islander look 
 
 

Filipino food such as Balut?
I found Filipinos seem to love their American fast food more than anything,that's my impression anyway 
I was in the Philippines last night at the airport and saw some stunners, dark skin ,tight butt cheeks and strong build guys😘
I would like to check out farang expat  places like Dumamagette & Palawan, I wasn't keen on Manila 😞
Philippines is cheaper than Thailand in many aspects ( not for hotels in Manila though😅
I guess if I had a real lover I could live in the Philippines anywhere ,but like Gaybutton says, just don't take into account the sex .
I think close proximity to hospitals,safety ,gym , recreation facilities etc are high priority when deciding where  to retire 

What about those of you with pets?
I actually met a farang 76yo  up at soi bukhao nice old man said he had 6 dogs !!!
Said he couldn't go on trips but he loved his dogs more than anything!

The airport massage I chose was purely a Thai massage and done behind thin curtains, they have the room at the back for those that choose the oil massage and maybe (just maybe) a happy ending. I don't think there is a choice of who does the massage either as it looks like a rotation with mostly women, it did make the flight home a lot more relaxing too. eXpress Spa Body and Foot Massage, it's showing as temporarily closed on Google.
 

Especially if your travelling on a overnight flight too, a massage , a bit of wine and then hop onto the flight to sleep the night away😴sounds great 

You need somebody to take care of your home back in the U.S., and watch out for any important mails(government correspondence etc).  Many entities don't allow using mailbox as your address.  I travel overseas no longer than one month at a time.

I am the guy that Olddaddy is referring to.
What he wrote are also my concerns - meaning will I fit into a new retiree life in Pattaya/Jomtien.
I have left my doors open so that I can return to Europe (or to some other destination) - where I live now - if I won't like Pattaya/Jomtien.
I am originally from the USA and I left the USA in 1999 as a result of some gun violence that occurred to a friend.  It was in Colorado - our ski buddy group went out for a beer.  I was tired that night so I left earlier to go home.  Our friend was the last person to leave the bar that night - he went out back to the parking lot to get in his car - some random guy came up to him and said give me your wallet - he replied NO and the killer said, good-bye and shot him dead at point blank range.  After his funeral at one of the ski group friend dinners, my friends told me, hey, we are going to get our gun licenses - do you want to join us (back in 1998)?  I replied, NO thanks - in fact, I will use this opportunity to leave the USA to finish my undergraduate studies that I never finished.  I hate gun violence!!
So, in 1999 I moved to Rome, Italy and started my new life there as an older student at the university.  Just shy of the first year, I almost moved back to the USA - as the culture shock and language barriers were keeping me from fitting in.  Of course I fit in with the younger students but I did not click with them as they were just there for a one semester abroad party.  I persevered and seeked out an Italian who could not speak much English to live with and after living with him for 6 years - I was able to fit in, make real friends, learn their language, get my Italian citizenship, and find an international career.
So, what I learned in my early years in Italy - I am hoping will give me the strength and perseverance to help me fit in and adapt to my new life to-be as a retiree in Pattaya/Jomtien.
I believe that if we encounter loneliness - then it is our own responsibility to overcome it.  I am also an introvert - but I can force myself - when needed - to be extroverted.  So, I will push myself to create a network in Pattaya so that I do not become that lonely person in a nice condo overlooking the Gulf of Thailand wondering - Oh my GOD - what have I done.  If I find myself in that predicament of loneliness - then I will only have myself to blame.
My life will not ONLY consist of the Jomtien Complex, the gay beach, Boyztown, and Sunee.  I see that there are so many additional things to do in the environment, nature, helping out the less fortunate, joining the expat group PCEC Pattaya City Expats Club, continue with some projects that my former employer would like me to work on, use Pattaya/Bangkok as a jumping off point to explore the nearby countries, explore Thailand in a more deeper way - after watching  Paddy Doyle's great adventure where he explored ALL 77 of the Thailand provinces - I realized that I also want to do that - and it would be so cool to do it on a low powered motorbike like he did.
So, in summary, do I fear all that Olddaddy wrote - HELL YES!!!  but, I am not getting any younger and I have lived in the North American continent (New York and Colorado) and then the European Union (Italy and Hungary) - now it is time for Asia and all the excitement that this will bring to me for the last chapters of my life.