Living a Middle Class Life in Thailand 

Totally agree!!

Hey, bro, I'm moving over in October. Chiang Rai will be where I am.

Another thing is the quality of life should not discriminate anyone by gender. If the quality of life is great as spoken by all, then there should be almost equal number of women seeking better life might move to Thailand also. But I have not seen any single woman saying that she chose Thailand for her retirement. It is all men talking about cheap housing, food and sex. I am a retired widower but I see things different perspective. I don't care about sex and food.

Precisely!!

Bravo!!!

richard wiediger yes, there’s no secret to a long, happy life!

That is very cheap...the bigger problem is what visa will you have?

I agree. $2,000/mo is comfortable.

,I also researched for settling there at Chiang Rai. Thai Govt. wants you to park 80,000/- Baht in a Thai bank as deposits and 6500 Baht monthly income as prerequisite requirement for getting an expat visa. So, convert this to USD and see if it is cheap at all! All that for bare minimum standard of living! But I found so many expats have settled there also some old age home is also available with impeccable good reviews. For touring purpose, it is a good place without any doubt, but settling there would cost more with a non earning companion!

Pradip Kumar Shome, I have been researching this quite thoroughly as I am considering moving from the US to Thailand as a (working) retiree. Speaking only to Retiree Visa, you need EITHER $24,000 deposited OR $2000/ mo provable income. You don't need both. Last year I decided to learn how to be an investor and stock/option trader. I plan to move when I have scaled up my income to $5000-$6000/mo. I have more than enough $$$ to cover the deposit requirement, but I want to be able to live securely knowing I have a steady, quality (in Thailand, not the US) income. I can live very comfortably and grow my income, portfolio and overall personal wealth much faster than in the US. All while living a nice, high quality lifestyle in an amazing country. I understand your point, however. So many expats want to emigrate to Thailand with the bare minimum and expect to live like they have the maximum. Even worse (imo) is when an expat moves to Thailand (or anywhere) and expects to find a woman who will do the earning, cleaning and move him into her home or her family's home. These guys don't work, or even try to work. They basically mooch off the women and their families. At least this guy in the video does not mooch off other people. He seems comfortable and happy and supports himself. Good for him. I certainly plan on supporting myself. I will find and purchase my own condo (can't own land, but can own a condo) and earn my own living. It all comes down to planning and common sense. If you expect to magically live like a king on the the minimum financial requirements and don't have sufficient income, it doesn't matter where you live. You will live a lifestyle commiserate with your financial situation. Unless you plan on having someone else support you.

Richard Shelton s

Yes, he's really an exemplary expat: he's involved with local people, very kind and helpful guy who still has a great life..

Greetings David, No further videos about living a quality life here in the Land of Smiles. But feel free to send me an email if you have other questions. Regards, Richard

Richard Weeks My email is rik158us@gmail.com

That level of budget will do outside big cities, but is your idea of "comfortable" ONE room/bath, no stove and a TV that only speaks Thai. After weeks of being illiterate, commiserating with other lonely foreigners in bars, and walking around, I have to ask is there a way except alcoholism to tolerate that life?

It seems to depend on the individual. There are plenty of expats like those you refer to, but there are plenty like Richard, who enjoy themselves thoroughly.

Yes it is!

None I would seek.

it is not about living. u can live with 1.2. girls are where the money goes :) u need 4000. 50k a year is a deal in Thailand. not many can afford that. but it is what it is

sly2kusa Lots of people do, but double-check your finances before you make the leap.

That is what I have been doing. I definitely need to come for a visit, but I will most certainly be seeking you out before I do! :D

Thailand Retirement One thing that does concern me is the current value of the US dollar and what is looking like a potential collapse of it. I am banking on Social Security to be there when I reach early retirement at 62, but what if it isn't? That is the only downside that I currently see, and I am just hoping that all these years of working professionally (where my savings have been minimal due to various reasons) does not turn out to be misfortune. :-/

Hello sly2kusa, They used to call it pessimism, now it's reality. Those who deny reality will soon be disappointed. The only accurate recommendation I can make is "don't count on anything anymore". ANYTHING. In 2002, I was a support tech with IBM, working on the newest equipment they made. I was laid off at 56, good luck at getting a new job at that age. IBM said " we don't need you support people any more, were going to support customers on the phone from Atlanta". I struggled, and reorganized as best I could. I had planned to work another 5-7 years, talk about plans dashed. I moved to a less expansive area, Colorado in 2007. Just before the crash. It helped but it was just a lesser of two evils. I started watching these RU-vid videos from this source and others about 6 months ago. Very intriguing and I am thinking of taking the plunge. But, it will take me a while to sell what I have and maybe store some things. The sickness in Washington, DC is ruining the country. The 4 years of Bush and the years with obama, the Senate, Congress have led this country into a death spiral which will soon reach its end. All I can say is plan carefully, and it may not make any difference.

Hello Dennis...Thank you for that sage advice, and you are absolutely correct - I don't tend to trust too much either. My hope is to bank as much as possible and hopefully I'm able to get as much as possible from my Family's home in the future, but who knows. That being said - there is always the possibility of the world coming to an end, so I will hold off on throwing the baby out with the bath water, so-to-speak. I am going to try and get a couple of vacations in to go and see Thailand for myself firsthand. I am a pretty flexible person when it comes to spending, and based on current currency rates and projections between now and the year 2029 for Social Security, it does seem doable with that and a small savings.

If we let ourselves be ruled by #1, most of us over 65 could never leave home. Although I've had zero experience with Thai dating sites, I had a client yesterday who found his new wife, a government school teacher and very beautiful, on a dating site. So some people get lucky, I guess.

Doug Robinson I totally agreed. It is plain stupidity to not have an health insurance when you reach that age. You never know what's going to happen. You can get a stroke, hearth attack, cancer, severe accident and so on, If you have some extra money you could save money on insurance by having a higher deductible. But only idiots retire abroad without a proper health insurance.

You're welcome!

impressive your only spending 10k baht a month, im planning on returning n spenind around 12-14 a month, not a boozer, girls are free or so cheap, rent is a hundred, hopefully the currency goes down with the rice scheme bailout. shitty thing about thailandis the visa rules, they don't want us around.

Food prices all depend where you shop..if you shop at foreign style supermarkets with imported goods then the price you will pay will be double the price of the U.K. Or USA

Tom Cat If you chase a young bar girl, you will be her ATM, I can show you how you would save some of your $3000 a month. I live on much less than that, I have a lovely lady, she is in middle management, at a Bank, she has her own house and owns lots of land, I do not pay a cent towards her family. Chiang mai is very cheap, move a little outside the city, life is good, I eat out often, go to shows, keep away from high cost tourist haunts, I have a great circle of friends, from USA, UK, NZ and Australia, we often get together for dinners, music nights, many social events, drop me a line if you need to know anything, regards......Rob.

just stay out of bars and you will save alot of money.

So true Tom Cat

If you have $3000 a month you don't need to stay out of the bars, you can rent a nice place eat out every day and go out for a few beers every night, no problem with that amount of money.

Zackly! Too bad the reverse isn't true. If you want to maintain a Thai lifestyle in Vancouver you'll have to pay Vancouver prices...

Thanks! It's a big fave!

And your point is?

+cr38961 Good comparison. God bless you.

Dennis Weifenbach I live in Southern CA, and I can tell you that you are correct on the values of homes, but this is just a matter of simple economics to me. Today is Tuesday April 7th, 2015 and $1 US Dollar is 32.56 Thai Baht. It doesn't take an economics major to know that you can definitely do more with less coming from the US and living in Thailand.

Living in Thailand on $1200 per month is equal to living on $4-5000 in the USA

You couldn't get a trailer home for $250K in California 20 years ago.

Middle class lol this guy's a bum. Doesn't even have health insurance

I agree. I'm trying to organize 3-6 months a year in Europe and the same in Chiang Mai. I love Asia and am willing to put up with the shortcomings you mention, though they can be annoying!

Check out Kraków, Gdansk, and Sopot, Poland and Budapest Hungary and Riga, Latvia

I checked out the winters there. That's the killer for me...

Yes, there definitely are tradeoffs.

It's not everyone's cup of tea..

+aziz affair Richard's very eloquent for a former Highway Patrol officer!

Aaaaagh!!

Yes. Good idea, too, since foreigner were running up bills then skipping out.

+Disco Tex It's not so bad in Chiang Mai or at the beaches, where it's cooler

+Thailand Retirement I'm very interested in that area for that reason and more. Sorry, above 30 degrees with humidity is unacceptable. I love being outside working, playing etc and take the heat better than most ferrangs I've seen but when I have no escape from the heat .....we have a problem Houston! I refuse to sit stewing in my own juices when inside.

do not go to thialand if you cannot stand humidity. during the monsoon rain comes twice a day humidity near 1oo percent.

Yes. It took me 2 years to get acclimated. Now the monsoon is my favorite season!

personally, I have a MUCH HARDER TIME with fast food in western countries than I do with thai food. the water is fine. fill up a gallon for about 5 cents with purified water. shower is fine. electric and AC is 20/mo. in USA water alone is $40 can't get the ulitily bill lower than $100, compare that to 10 or 20 in thailand, ran air, I haven't been to thailand in 5 years but I read the same thing I just stated about the utilities here on youtube. MOST THAIS DON'T HAVE AC. disco tex is refering to the southern united states, not to thailand. winter utility bill in a western country even just renting a box is 200 or 300. you can rent and run the air in some other country for 120 and up RENT INCLUDED.

You don't need the money in the bank for a retirement visa there are lots of ways around it!

+Mad For it Those days are over. Now the Thai government requires original bank statements. A declaration of income from your embassy is no longer accepted.

+The New Foundation Enforcement is still patchy, however. Not every office got the memo.

What? I have official pension documents and monthly Bank statements clearly showing pensions . Im nearing my first year expiration on my )-A visa. Was thinking about just crossing the border returning and getting mine stamped for another year before expiration. Im now thinking about just taking my pension documents to the USA embassy and get my proof of income verified.

Well said. It's like any new, cross-cultural venture only more so because the Thai business culture is a minefield. Even businessmen coming up from Bangkok to Chiang Mai say the same: the North's business culture is different from theirs. The job of any real relocator in such an environment is to provide the new arrival with all the contacts they need, all of whom have been tested for years: bank manager, police contact, physician, dentist, etc. Over time they'll make their own network, but they can start life with some confidence.

1800 per month you are considered wealthy. but people w much more money go because they are smart and know their money will go farther in asia. 10 million for a house or condo is a pretty common practice.

you don't need a thai to get you started, it is not that difficult to come, stay in a hotel. do you like thai food? this is important if you want to stay longer than a few weeks.

That's the best way to do it!

Actually worked for 20 years with international NGOs in Africa, Central America, Asia and Pacific Region. Being with NGOs which are accredited tax free income Social Security was never deducted. From life long experience in lesser developed countries learned to live a quality life.

Richard Weeks great job in my book. There's way more to life than making money. True wealth is measured by happiness😊 and wisdom. not that a little more dough couldn't help!

Many regards to your positive comment. Fortunate to be allowed to work with and assist those of us less able to look forward to a quality life. Again thanks.

cooldesertknight Yes, go to public hospital for about 100-300 Bath...

Pusita Gibbs Alright ! I just thought Thai requires all foreigners to have some sort of health insurance before given an entry visa at the airport. Cheers.

Most Thais live on a lot lot less than that...wake the fuck up!

Pio Sae Definitely! US health care is an essential backup if you're living in Thailand and need major medical. The care in Thailand, however, is superior.

+Pio Sae Are you sick?

Between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai

Fang, in the North

+peter klumpf what's your name again?

+PureWoody I didn't quite catch the name did you?

mcrayfourd I did not too

That's the California he remembers!

Food is very inexpensive, and you can pick up occasional, legal jobs to supplement your income if you wish. My big studio apartment, with balcony, is $110/mo. Remember that the Thai minimum wage is $10/day. But you DO have to watch your spending carefully.

Thanks for replying, and I'm glad your comfortable. Today if I was over there, would it be tough to find a studio like yours at that price?

Chris R Yes. Prices are all over the map. I just helped two clients find a new, 3-bedroom house with garden for 15,000 Baht ($500), which surprised even me. This place is unusual in that it combines a high standard of living (QOL) and a strong, cohesive culture, with very low costs.

Very good. I'm a single guy, and then I'm thinking I could even rent a room with a nice family for what? $50.00 or $75.00? I only care about not having rats, the plumbing in decent shape, and secure from burglary. I still have a ways to go. I'm 45, work in public service (bus driver), but tired of working. I'm trying to think of an angle to go early. i'll see about a vacation though.

Chris R A vacation here, talk to Richard and others like him. A 5-year plan + teaching English to Thais. Definitely do-able.

Yes, you could live royally!

He eats a good diet, exercises every day and when he needs health care goes to the local hospital and pays $7.

I forwarded your note to Richard. Let's hope he responds. Best wishes, Godfree

Greetings Hylton, Since you have decided on a move to Chaing Mai in August, then by all means contact me at: rik158us@gmail.com. I live farther North of CM city in the pleasant town of Fang, Chaing Mai. Will be more than happy to answer any and all questions. Regards, Richard

Richard Weeks Richard you are a cool and down to earth guy. I like the way you analyze things. If i go to Chiang Mai, hope to meet up with you and learn from you. Tommy from Taiwan

Tommy Huang If and when deciding to visit Chiang Mai, please feel free to contact me at rik158us@gmail.com. Happy Chinese Year of the Sheep.

Richard Weeks Thanks for your hospitality, very kind of you. Tommy

I could not agree more!!!

Live in the country like him and you can do it. Bare bones but a much better standard of living than $1K buys in the USA

Agreed!

make that ....thailovelines.com

If you cannot pick a girl up yourself when you get to Thailand then maybe you should consider staying where you are!

Seems to me you are the clown and hasn't got a fucking clue!

A bilingual Thai, mid-level Government officer in Thailand earns $500/mo, drives a car to work and has kids in private schools. Go figure.

Nonsense

sickphil71 Wait a minute. You are comparing apples to oranges aren't you? What is a McDonald's workers RETIREMENT income??

I don't know, given that I'm not depending on a fast food job to finance my life or retirement. I'm about 25 years away from retiring, so I imagine I can do a little better than that.

sickphil71 About 1000 per month for SS

Because there are 100,000 people who want to (or need to) retire in Thailand and this guy has done it-on a CHP half-pension. Maybe not your demographic?

Demographic has nothing to do with it. This clip begins in the middle of a conversation with some old fella who needs a haircut. No idea who he is, no introduction, just BAM! right into the middle of the interview. He seems unhappy to be interviewed, there's some kind of creepy blue anime-inspired toy behind him drawing focus, and a massive white wall. Your belief that everybody who clicks on this vid wants to retire to Thailand is, IMHO, naïve. I think you're getting a lot of hits from people who simply entered the search string, "living in Thailand."

It has a hundred thousand views because it's unique. I suggest you watch it and listen. All will be revealed..

The clip begins with a question, followed by an answer that contains everything you need to know about living on a small income in Thailand.

you need to get a life!

Good observation, Andrew. They're not actually rotting, it's just that Richard hates dentists..

Good advice, folks! Listen up!!

Honored. Thanks. What I just noticed is that this video (and it seems 3 other copies/versions of it on your channel ?) is from ~4.5 years ago. Interestingly enough the "concepts" discussed are still quite applicable HOWEVER, since you are referencing it in the Feb 2018 newsletter, I think it's important for viewers/readers/customers of Thailand Retirement Helpers to realize that the Thai economy in 2013 was quite different AND the definition of "Middle Class" in the Kingdom at that time had a much different complexion. 2013 was the year of the Lowest exchange rate in THB : USD ( e.g April 2013 = 28.67 THB : 1 USD) since ~2008... This was pre-Coup. Since this fellow is from California, at this time, Obamacare had less than 100,000 enrolled, so his attitude toward health insurance could possibly have been biased accordingly. Since this video addresses the quality of living and the cost of life at that time I think this is a very important point. Additionally, if this guy has said, "I don't really worry about my retirement because I invested everything I own in BitCoin everyone would have laughed..." Until about December of last year :-) #persepctive

joe momma there’s no background check if you come on a tourist visa and apply for residency here