Thailand - Retirement Paradise For Western Men

[Jonny Law]

Dubai is a Sausage Fest. Great place for f@ggots

There are over 50,000 Americans living in Dudai.

According to the census conducted by the Statistics Center of Dubai, the population of the emirate was 1,771,000 as of 2009, which included 1,370,000 males and 401,000 females.

Although my brother found a nice Filipina girl there and they are happy.

How about Dubai for a place to retire?

[In2dadark]

Yes some good info there.

I had a great time living in Bangkok last year. The only major issue was the unrelenting heat. White dudes aren't designed for that.

The country does have its problems though. There's a heck of a lot of corruption, and education standards are low. But if you like beer and ladies, there is no better place on earth.

You're not helping... That's the thing I dread.. Anything hotter than Florida... I better be able to take every one of my creature comforts w/ me... haha

That's why Chiang Mai has become a popular area for retirement. Definitely cooler than BKK.

Thanks. Tagaytay looks nice too (in Phils). Tagaytay is more expensive than I've seen mot other places in phils though. I imagine Chiang Mai is costlier as well..?

[Winston]

The Perks of Retirement in Thailand and the Philippines
These countries are offering special programs of benefits to attract foreign retirees.

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/on- ... hilippines

[Luc Furr]

The Perks of Retirement in Thailand and the Philippines
These countries are offering special programs of benefits to attract foreign retirees.

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/on- ... hilippines

Ask yourself why they are offering perks before you think of going there.

[Boxman]

For you guys that live in Thailand, do you carry a health insurance policy or just pay out of pocket?

Just curious how expensive the health insurance premiums are, or if it's even worth carrying a policy at all...

[Falcon]

However, you generally see lower-quality Western expats in places like Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines than you'd normally see in places like Mexico or Costa Rica. In Mexico, the Western expats I see are often couples and families, and very rarely do you see expats with local women. The expats there are your regular next-door grandpa types around the block.

But in many SE Asian countries, you see the worst of the worst. They often have personality problems and also have the worst looks (yes, both combined) and are in Thailand specifically to look for women. In Chiang Mai, they mostly aren't sex tourists, but are divorced retirees aged 50-70+ married to local women, who are mostly single mothers and divorcees in their 30's. The sex tourist types would be in Pattaya and Phuket. But even the men married to women here are the fattest, most decrepit, most lizard-like creatures you'd ever see anywhere, and are mostly from NW Europe (all the Germanic-speaking countries such as the German-speaking ones and Scandinavia), with some from Anglophone countries. Most of NW Europe has low obesity rates, but most NW European retirees you see in Thailand are aging men who are quite obese. And the local women see them as meal tickets, which is what I hear them talking among themselves but not to the white men who come here.

I'm not putting down middle-aged white guys at all, but I'm just saying that the average older white male you see in Thailand is not the typical older white male in his home country. They are rarely with their families or with their "original" wives that they had married back in their home countries, but are usually in Thailand to start new lives with local women.

It looks like in NW Europe, you'd have to have the worst looks plus some anti-social personality problems in order to have to want to start a new life in Thailand with a local woman. The point is, the average NW European guy in his 20's-40's isn't really likely to be so desperate back home that he thinks Thailand is his only option left when it comes to getting a woman. Whereas, on the other hand, the US is not like that.

So, as an Asian-American guy in my 20's who has started a new life with a local woman here, I really stick out as an aberration among foreign men who have settled down with Thai women. Also, as a side note, I never came to Thailand for the women, and never intended to actually start a new family life here, but rather came here for school and work.

[IraqVet2003]

The Perks of Retirement in Thailand and the Philippines
These countries are offering special programs of benefits to attract foreign retirees.

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/on- ... hilippines

Hey Winston that was a very fascinating article. But after reading this I would more likely choose the Philippines to retire in.

[Erick_john]

@starchild...thailand semi developed? Lol what a joke...its per capita income is not that high to be in as high income country let alone to be a semi developed...philippines and thailand per capita income is still in the same range as upper middle income countries...so both are in the same level of economy and development...india is at lower level of development & has very low per capita income so india is not comparable to both countries...better check your facts before making generalized blanket statement against philippines..you seemed ignorant about the current economy of philippines...typical stupid indian

[Erick_john]

@YOHAN....I noticed most of your post,you always intentionaly mentioned the phiippines even the country is not the main topic..you tend to belittle, humiliate & insult the country..i means its ok if you want to promote thailand blah blah blah but not to the expense of the philippines..you always mentioned philippines is poor & has more slums etc...YES its true, ph has slum areas so does bangkok and its sorrunding areas..and its pretty common to ALL developing countries..which is more believable your ignorant & biased generalized blanket opinion or WORLD BANK STATS? COZ world bank/ IMF etc..says otherwise that ph is an upcoming UPPER MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRY AND HAS PER CAPITA INCOME THATS PRETTY HIGH FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRY..HAS THE HIGHEST ECONOMIC GROWTH IN ASIA FOR YEARS..thailand & ph are in the same level of income & economy & development..so its irrelevant and purely stupid to say which one is poorer..just merely ranting/ insulting and belittling the philippines...metro manila is larger than bkk and has countless first world areas..I cant even see a place in all if bkk that looked like or resemble BGC..and u been here living in bkk for years..and bkk its not that better as compared to manila..both has similar in aesthetics but developed places in manila looked far superior and advanced than any best areas in all if bkk..bottom line is just dont say generalized blanket statement against ph coz any global statistics say otherwise that ph has inpressive economy and stats to proved that ph is certainly not a poor country as many stupid & ignorant people like you always assumed..any shit talk against ph economy and in general is very irrelevant as ph is an upper middle income country..you cant change the real facts from merely illusions and rants..just to make thailand looked superior..lol very pathetic

[Mr S]

@YOHAN....I noticed most of your post,you always intentionaly mentioned the phiippines even the country is not the main topic..you tend to belittle, humiliate & insult the country..i means its ok if you want to promote thailand blah blah blah but not to the expense of the philippines..you always mentioned philippines is poor & has more slums etc...YES its true, ph has slum areas so does bangkok and its sorrunding areas..and its pretty common to ALL developing countries..which is more believable your ignorant & biased generalized blanket opinion or WORLD BANK STATS? COZ world bank/ IMF etc..says otherwise that ph is an upcoming UPPER MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRY AND HAS PER CAPITA INCOME THATS PRETTY HIGH FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRY..HAS THE HIGHEST ECONOMIC GROWTH IN ASIA FOR YEARS..thailand & ph are in the same level of income & economy & development..so its irrelevant and purely stupid to say which one is poorer..just merely ranting/ insulting and belittling the philippines...metro manila is larger than bkk and has countless first world areas..I cant even see a place in all if bkk that looked like or resemble BGC..and u been here living in bkk for years..and bkk its not that better as compared to manila..both has similar in aesthetics but developed places in manila looked far superior and advanced than any best areas in all if bkk..bottom line is just dont say generalized blanket statement against ph coz any global statistics say otherwise that ph has inpressive economy and stats to proved that ph is certainly not a poor country as many stupid & ignorant people like you always assumed..any shit talk against ph economy and in general is very irrelevant as ph is an upper middle income country..you cant change the real facts from merely illusions and rants..just to make thailand looked superior..lol very pathetic

So you must either be a butt-hurt Filipino or foreign sympathizer who only reads main stream economic news about the Philippines and gobbles down the gobbly-gook positive propaganda the government shits out of it's mouth every month, you can't see the truth outside the limited perceptual box you inhabit. I think you would identify well with this website: http://butthurtphilippines.tumblr.com

Anyways, if you really want to know the truth about various Filipino issues this is a much more accurate website regarding various issues in the Philippines and they aren't whitewashed either: http://www.getrealphilippines.com/blog/

I'm a Westerner and been living in the Philippines for 14 years now and know what's really going on in this country. Without going into specifics, this country is not really on the rise, it's an economic illusion created by internationalists and the local power-broker families that dominate the Philippines monopolistic business interests. They all have interests in the banking system and internationalizing things to create similar economic issues that they can take advantage of that have been occurring in North America, Australia and Europe starting in the 00's until now. The internationalists are basically pumping up the Philippines economy and will then dump their shares to make a massive profit from the economic free-fall that will eventually emerge, just as they do in the Western countries. Cheap credit is flowing into the country and there is even a law now being imposed where there is a government 'Credit Agency' that is supposed to monitor all Filipinos credit worthiness, which is basically a soft economic banking coup to start controlling the cash flow of all citizens and monitor all spending digitally, just as in other countries. The end result is to eventually eliminate cash all together.

No matter what the 'mainstream' news does to promote the supposed positive attributes of the Filipino economy, I personally haven't reaped a better lifestyle because of it, actually life has gotten worse in my opinion over the years I've lived here rather than better. Just because there are more malls, condos and fast food restaurants being built all the time doesn't mean a true economic boom is happening and improving everyones life. Inflation is through the roof here and quality of life is diminishing, not getting better. Wages are stagnant and many are still working under a contractual basis rather than full time with benefits. Traffic and public transportation still sucks and hasn't improved or has just gotten worse. Technology like decent cellphone and internet services have not kept up with other modernizing countries. Electricity prices are still sky high and many items that are sold in this country are low quality but being sold at premium prices to make a profit. I constantly have to buy things I've bought numerous times in the past because they keep breaking due to low quality manufacturing. Basically, the Philippines gets the lowest grade of 'Made in China' products, which basically are just shit quality. If one wants to buy higher quality products that have a reputation and are branded name brands, even some of those are lower grade quality then the same product being sold in Europe, Australia or North America. So one has to pay a premium price to buy a high end imported item that is not on the grade D list so to speak.

Also, because of the mass amount of skilled workers and professionals working overseas to send money back because of the lack of decent paying jobs in this country, Most anything done by labor is of subpar quality. I can go to a 4 or 5 star hotel and see shitty craftsmanship (like crooked light switches as an example), it's ridiculous. For a country to be truly moving up in quality of life, it's own citizens should not be forced to have to look for decent paying jobs overseas to support their family. That's also what creates a mirage economy here, a lot of money is being sent back to the country from other countries. If ever Filipinos are not in demand anymore overseas, the economy here will start tanking for sure. Also, the economy relies heavily now on the BDO industry, I have news for you all, it's going to all be replaced by computer A.I. in 5-10 years and all those jobs will be wiped out of existence.

One other thing, until the average Filipino changes their cultural mindset in regards to how they function, the Philippines will never improve beyond a certain point. The attitude of 'good enough' or 'worry about it tomorrow' is prevalent here. For Filipinos to be successful they need a rigid authoritarian governmental structure with laws that are obeyed and carry heavy fines if they are not. Many countries where Filipinos work have those kind of standards and this Filipinos adapt and make exceptional workers, residents and sometimes citizens. Many that move overseas realize what a mess the country is and don't move back from whichever country they moved to work in. Ideally, the country would reap the benefits of those who worked in economies that were better off and governments better structured to bring that mentality back to the home country, but most do not come back. There is a serious brain drain here and those who can leave the country do and those who can't don't, thus most of the lower end citizens stay in the country and the ones that would improve the lives of average Filipinos and fix the country are now contributing to Western countries and making their countries better.

Basically to make it simple for everyone to understand is this: the Philippines takes one step forward but two steps back. That's the gist of things here and it's NOT changing anytime soon. So guys never have to worry about running out of desperate women looking for a way to improve their status in life. However, they are becoming more difficult to deal with and have attitudes similar to Western women as thy copy more from what they see on the internet and global media, plus much of this garbage is in English and many Filipinos can at least understand basic English, although that skill is drastically diminishing as well with each new generation.

I directly work in the education, skilled labor and the immigration field here in the Philippines so I know what's going on and can see the trends emerging in real time before others see them. So basically this country is stuck in neutral at best. If you want to see real Asian countries improving and something to show for it, Look into Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and even Indonesia is probably will be better off in the long run than the Philippines will be. You can quote me on that 5 years from now, nothing much will have changed in PI in comparison to those countries regarding quality of life and economy.

[yick]

I can understand the frustration if you are a white guy who grew up in a place where your identity was never questioned and you took being 'accepted' as a natural order of things for then to go to a place and have people acting the prick because you become a visible foreigner and then you feel you're not 'accepted' even if you learn the local language and are respectful to local customs - it's hard - it must be. The one thing where the Asian-American has over a white American is that he knows how that feels already back in America - he goes to Thailand and can shrug that off a lot easier than a white American can because he has had all the bullshit already and he knows how to deal with it.

I think for anyone who decides to reside in another country for retirement - is to decide what kind of lifestyle you want to build for yourself and ACCEPT the fact you are a foreigner there and that some of the people who live in your locale are jerks, are racist and you're going to be on the recieving end of it and that some local people WILL accept you, will love you, will help you and they're the people who become the community who accept you.

In China, wherever I have been - there have been people who have accepted me, who charge me a fair price instead of ripping me off, have been good to me and have helped me and have showed massive kindness - they were my people - I was in South America last year and I was charged like a f***ing bull and ripped off on numerous occasions - now I look like them more than I do the Chinese but it didn't stop them ripping me off, as soon as I opened my mouth - the price went up Something that rarely happens in China, if at all.

You have to accept wherever you go - you're not one of them in the main - but there will be people who will accept you as one of them - do you give a flying f**k if some yokel who washes once a month doesn't accept you? f**k them - they're not important, go to an eating establishment and you get ripped off or disrespected? f**k them! Don't go there again - that kind of shit actually happens in our own countries if you're not a white person - better believe it.

A place where I would love to retire to is Penang in Malaysia - awesome, chilled out, laidback wonderful place with great people in the main!

[Winston]

Thailand a paradise for retirees?

[yick]

There's no 'retirement paradise' unless you have long term security, PR or citizenship. A retirement visa is great and everything but they (third world tin pot shitholes...) can change the visa laws at anytime and then you're out.

No way would I retire in Cambodia - there is some kid in the news who has got some serious lung infection over there and the doctors are going to let him die if he and his family don't find 20000 pounds... no doubt brought on in him living in a dirty, shitty, third world heap - f**k that place.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/b ... s-22067761

Thailand? A lot nicer but still, it is populated by xenophobes and definitely run by xenophobes - you have to understand that you can't get too comfy and one day you can be out of the door.

[Yohan]

There's no 'retirement paradise' unless you have long term security, PR or citizenship. A retirement visa is great and everything but they (third world tin pot shitholes...) can change the visa laws at anytime and then you're out.

This is correct, and never invest more in such countries like Philippines or Thailand than you are willing to lose with nothing in return.
Further, always keep a good escape route ready, in case something is going wrong and you have to leave - might be because of political unrest, might be because of illness etc. etc.

No way would I retire in Cambodia - there is some kid in the news who has got some serious lung infection over there and the doctors are going to let him die if he and his family don't find 20000 pounds... no doubt brought on in him living in a dirty, shitty, third world heap - f**k that place.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/b ... s-22067761

Well, to be honest, this is a bit a different story, the article says he was 'on holiday' in January, February and March in Cambodia and now it is May and he is still there... He had time enough to disappear back to UK, and as a UK citizen and his father living there, he could easily find a place where to stay and receive medical care in the UK and it would not cost him anything.

While daily life is cheap in Cambodia and similar countries - in case you need something as a foreigner which is imported, or advanced medical care or prefer just a better life-style than most locals etc., you will have to pay for that, and I can tell you, you will have to pay a lot of money...

He is 31, his girlfriend is 28 - and I would not call them to be 'retired' - what is the visa status? 'Tourist' I guess....

Medical care in Thailand (not a big issue to transfer yourself from Cambodia) is good, but you have to pay out of your own wallet - most local insurances from your own country, travel insurances etc. will only pay a part of the bills later on and only if it was an unexpected emergency.

This guy mentioned above in Cambodia should have disappeared back home quickly...
I have no idea, what is cheaper - special medical treatment with expensive antibiotics over months or to remove a part of your lung... this is not an easy surgery and cannot be so much cheaper if paid as a private patient in a good hospital. GBP 20.000,- (approx. USD 25.000,-) you will face quickly this sum as a total bill if you have to stay in a private hospital for a few weeks because of surgery or chemotherapy.

Thailand? A lot nicer but still, it is populated by xenophobes and definitely run by xenophobes - you have to understand that you can't get too comfy and one day you can be out of the door.

Thailand is only 'nicer' because there are a lot of foreigners there and there are a lot of condominium buildings which you can buy as a foreigner and the country has a lot of cheap flight connections.
However you cannot trust Thailand either.

I have my second home there in Pattaya/Jomtien and had a valid retirement visa with multiple entries (but now expired, have to apply again) however I was happy to fly back to Japan with one of the last flights after some re-booking in March when the corona-problem was starting. Japan is my permanent residence place, and not Thailand . The Thai consulate in Japan is still closed, no visa even for pensioners who had already valid visa status before will be issued. No way to go now but I am not missing anything in Japan, I can wait it out...there are not even flights at this moment to go back to my second home.

My Thai accounting office and the house administration take care of everything in Thailand during my absence - no problem with my 2 condominium units, motorcycle, Thai banking account/payments, tax report. maintenance feels, utility bills etc. etc. - but if you are in such a situation and you bought or rent a single house outside of a guarded area and you come back some months later than expected it will be looted by burglars and everything inside and outside will be gone.

[Yohan]

Thailand a paradise for retirees?

This video was taken in Soi Buakhao in Pattaya located between Central Road and South Pattaya Road - a typical low-life area and Walking Street in South Pattaya area for locals and foreigners.
Nice to walk through this long street in evening, but surely not a place for me to live there.

Pattaya is not a small place with a few people living there - it has approx. 130000 people living there permanently and it is a rather large area within Chonburi provice (about 1.6 million people).
Usually Pattaya has about 5 million tourists per year, an unusual large number of accomodation is available and of course you will find there nightlife - Pattaya is not a sleeping Thai village, but a holiday city.

Living there is nice when retired, but keep in mind it is not so cheap there. Many foreigners, especially those with a little retirement allowance are rather shocked when they are running out of money and have to go home from where they come from.

Visa for short time - 30 days - is easy, but longstay is not such a cheap matter, there are various requirements and of course also the question if you have money....

Don't make the mistake to think, everything there is for free - you will be surprised how much money you can spend there...