Olddaddy Posted 15 hours ago Posted 15 hours ago How many of the readers here will be retiring to Pattaya this year or 2027? Most of you really need to move there if your from a Western country 🇦🇺🇺🇸🇨🇦🏴 Time is limited, life is limited⌛⌛ Like sands through the hourglass so is the Days of our lives Whether you live in the UK, USA or Germany, sell up ( if you own your house) , move over to Pattaya to lead an exciting life ,dancing 👯👯♂️, guys on call 👦👨sex everyday , the best restaurants , you can easily live on 25,000 baht month if you buy a apartment there Bars every night 🍷🍾🥂sex everyday , meeting people from around the world 🌎 Do it .... otherwise remain stagnant in your Western country doing absolutely nothing !!! Quote
Mavica Posted 15 hours ago Posted 15 hours ago So, what do we do when the blush is off the rose? Vacationing somewhere is vastly different than living full-time in that destination. While an early arrival may hit the bars nightly / frequently upon arrival and off the boys ... it's likely that changes over time. Eating out at restaurants regularly? That becomes lesser and lesser over time. The ability to speak/communicate in Thai makes a transition easier but not having that ability can isolate us and cost us. Hopefully, over time ... we develop regular callers, therefore making trips to the bars less frequent - but the financial commitment not much less. What else, though, will occupy our time there? Expat network? I've been an expat outside the USA previously (not Thailand), and I know that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Ok. when are you making the move? bkkmfj2648, Lucky, tm_nyc and 1 other 4 Quote
Olddaddy Posted 14 hours ago Author Posted 14 hours ago 16 minutes ago, Mavica said: So, what do we do when the blush is off the rose? Vacationing somewhere is vastly different than living full-time in that destination. While an early arrival may hit the bars nightly / frequently upon arrival and off the boys ... it's likely that changes over time. Eating out at restaurants regularly? That becomes lesser and lesser over time. The ability to speak/communicate in Thai makes a transition easier but not having that ability can isolate us and cost us. Hopefully, over time ... we develop regular callers, therefore making trips to the bars less frequent - but the financial commitment not much less. What else, though, will occupy our time there? Expat network? I've been an expat outside the USA previously (not Thailand), and I know that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Ok. when are you making the move? I will make the move in the next few years I will then have a very exciting life whilst many of you languish in your country whilst I'm out being forever young , dancing , clubbing ,bar hopping , being gangbanged in the gay sauna ,moneyboys , massages everyday , Fine wines🍷🍾 ,cheeses 🧀 and the list goes on while many of you will be in your crime ridden country dreaming about Pattaya !! Oh like sands through the hour glass ⏳⌛⌛.... So is the Days of our lives Mavica 1 Quote
bkkmfj2648 Posted 14 hours ago Posted 14 hours ago 1 hour ago, Olddaddy said: move over to Pattaya to lead an exciting life ,dancing 👯👯♂️, guys on call 👦👨sex everyday , the best restaurants , you can easily live on 25,000 baht month if you buy a apartment there Good luck living on that type of budget = 833 baht per day (25k / 30 days). A more realistic monthly budget is 60k to 70k baht (based on the above mentioned assumption that you bought an apartment and don't have rent to pay). On some days it is possible, but on many it is not, if you want to do the things that you describe on your above list. Also, if friends come over to visit you - they are in vacation mode (with a travel fun budget that they saved up all year) and that 833 baht per day suddenly becomes 2,000 to 4,000 baht per day. 37 minutes ago, Mavica said: So, what do we do when the blush is off the rose? and in my opinion, this is the hardest part of retirement - how do you repurpose yourself? How do you find new purpose in your life? Blah and Mavica 2 Quote
Olddaddy Posted 13 hours ago Author Posted 13 hours ago I'm sure there is gay farang in Pattaya living on that budget ( obviously own their own Condo and no rent ,) The gay bars actually are much more expensive than the straight bars ,has anyone noticed that ? I usually pay the 250;baht at the gay sauna where I'm a very popular slut and no need for rent boys I wonder if I should take over l/ buy a small bar , have a few money boys. Have a few tables out the front and provide some excitement Have the 1980's music going Even hire Boy George to come into the bar ? I don't want a big bar , I just need a small one where we can all play bingo , strip poker and dance to the night Mavica 1 Quote
Olddaddy Posted 13 hours ago Author Posted 13 hours ago 1 hour ago, Mavica said: So, what do we do when the blush is off the rose? Vacationing somewhere is vastly different than living full-time in that destination. While an early arrival may hit the bars nightly / frequently upon arrival and off the boys ... it's likely that changes over time. Eating out at restaurants regularly? That becomes lesser and lesser over time. The ability to speak/communicate in Thai makes a transition easier but not having that ability can isolate us and cost us. Hopefully, over time ... we develop regular callers, therefore making trips to the bars less frequent - but the financial commitment not much less. What else, though, will occupy our time there? Expat network? I've been an expat outside the USA previously (not Thailand), and I know that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Ok. when are you making the move? Oh don't be jealous !!! Mavica 1 Quote
Londoner Posted 13 hours ago Posted 13 hours ago A number of YouTube videos have appeared recently which can only be described as warnings against relocation. The issues appear to relate to visas and banking, as well as a rise in costs. The issues raised by bkkm2648 and Mavica have also been mentioned. Is there general dissatisfaction in the expat community? Mavica 1 Quote
a-447 Posted 12 hours ago Posted 12 hours ago 2 hours ago, Olddaddy said: I will make the move in the next few years I will then have a very exciting life whilst many of you languish in your country whilst I'm out being forever young , dancing , clubbing ,bar hopping , being gangbanged in the gay sauna ,moneyboys , massages everyday , Fine wines🍷🍾 ,cheeses 🧀 and the list goes on while many of you will be in your crime ridden country dreaming about Pattaya !! Oh like sands through the hour glass ⏳⌛⌛.... So is the Days of our lives Far from keeping you forever young, it sounds like a recipe for an early drop off the perch. Oh, and you misspelt 'Days'. I think you meant 'daze'. Mavica 1 Quote
Popular Post Londoner Posted 12 hours ago Popular Post Posted 12 hours ago One of the reasons I decided against relocation (one of many) is that I wouldn't have Thailand to look forward to. kokopelli3, floridarob, Lucky and 2 others 5 Quote
Kiwi306 Posted 12 hours ago Posted 12 hours ago 3 hours ago, Olddaddy said: How many of the readers here will be retiring to Pattaya this year or 2027? Most of you really need to move there if your from a Western country 🇦🇺🇺🇸🇨🇦🏴 Time is limited, life is limited⌛⌛ Like sands through the hourglass so is the Days of our lives Whether you live in the UK, USA or Germany, sell up ( if you own your house) , move over to Pattaya to lead an exciting life ,dancing 👯👯♂️, guys on call 👦👨sex everyday , the best restaurants , you can easily live on 25,000 baht month if you buy a apartment there Bars every night 🍷🍾🥂sex everyday , meeting people from around the world 🌎 Do it .... otherwise remain stagnant in your Western country doing absolutely nothing !!! So, Olddaddy, what type of visa would you be pursuing? I don't know if I would ever move to Thailand on a permanent basis. I would be willing to spend a few months there each year, but also have a base to return to in case things turned to custard in Thailand. Travelingguy and Mavica 2 Quote
t0oL1 Posted 5 hours ago Posted 5 hours ago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGPZKbAWHvc 82% of Western Expats in Thailand Lose EVERYTHING – Here’s Why floridarob and bkkmfj2648 1 1 Quote
bkkmfj2648 Posted 5 hours ago Posted 5 hours ago 8 hours ago, Londoner said: The issues raised by bkkm2648 and Mavica have also been mentioned. Is there general dissatisfaction in the expat community? This is a very hard question to answer. After living here for almost 4 years - here in the Pattaya/Jomtien area, this is what I perceive: There are 3 types of foreigners in the expat community, as follows: Seasonals - they own or rent a place here during high season and come to stay for less than 6 months - thus avoiding to become a tax resident. Tourists - they come for 30 days or less and are generally passing through Pattaya heading onto somewhere else. Full Time Expats (FTE) - they live here all year round and Thailand is home for them. Of these 3 groups - my sense of it is that the Seasonals are the most happiest, then the tourists, and then the FTEs* However, I assign one important caveat that can put the FTE into first place - that is to be in a full time relationship and in love and enjoying the Thailand experience to its fullest. I am in the 3rd category, FTE - without a partner. I have tried on 2 separate occasions to have a Thai partner - and during the initial phase of each distinct relationship, life was great. But in both cases things fell apart due to the usual issues about constant requests for money due to extended family issues. Unfortunately, the dating pool in the Pattaya area is full of guys who are not from Pattaya - but moved here out of financial necessity - as they come from poor families where there are not good opportunities for success. Those FTEs that I see and know who are the happiest are those who have found a true Thai partner and the relationship works without the money issue becoming problematic. Those kinds of partners, in my opinion, are very hard to find here. Another strange thing is that most of my farang friends are in the Seasonal category - as I tend to get along with that group the best. So, when they are here for the 5 months of the year - life is good. But when they return to their home countries, during the 7 months of low season - life becomes more difficult and lonely. I have had very limited luck with making true friendships with the FTE category of people who live here full time. They tend to be in 2 different camps: reserved and closed off to new friendships - as they have been burned by other FTEs in the past, alcoholics and want to drink alcohol at a rate that I cannot sustain - nor do I want to. Sometimes I refer to them as, "farang sit farang drink". Anyone else have a similar or different experience in Thailand? Mavica and Travelingguy 1 1 Quote
BjornAgain Posted 4 hours ago Posted 4 hours ago 9 hours ago, Olddaddy said: Even hire Boy George to come into the bar ?... If you do invite George, make sure you've got a plumbed in radiator and a set of hand cuffs. Believe he's into that sort of thing! Quote
Mavica Posted 4 hours ago Posted 4 hours ago 10 hours ago, Olddaddy said: I will make the move in the next few years I will then have a very exciting life whilst many of you languish in your country whilst I'm out being forever young , dancing , clubbing ,bar hopping , being gangbanged in the gay sauna ,moneyboys , massages everyday , Fine wines🍷🍾 ,cheeses 🧀 and the list goes on while many of you will be in your crime ridden country dreaming about Pattaya !! Oh like sands through the hour glass ⏳⌛⌛.... So is the Days of our lives Quote
Travelingguy Posted 2 hours ago Posted 2 hours ago I think that @bkkmfj2648 has some excellent insight here. I think that the thing that would make the most sense for most expats who love Thailand (or whatever other place) is to treat it like snowbirds in the US. Go to Thailand for part of the year. It keeps things fresh, while maintaining the connections back home with family and friends. One doesn’t feel trapped in Thailand if things go south. Quote
caeron Posted 27 minutes ago Posted 27 minutes ago I think buying an apartment before living there for about a year is a bad idea. It makes it much harder to change your mind easily if you find the experience is not what you hoped. It also gives you a much better feel for what you want from an apartment and where you want it. I wouldn't move there, but to each his own. floridarob 1 Quote
floridarob Posted 7 minutes ago Posted 7 minutes ago 5 hours ago, t0oL1 said: 82% of Western Expats in Thailand Lose EVERYTHING – Here’s Why Not only Thailand, but many places they decide to move without researching all the details..... thinking with the little head 🤷♂️ Quote