I'm retired and want to relocate permanently to a foreign

>>1159269
Yes

>>1159269
I have researched this is as well. First off the requirements. About 25K USD in a Thai bank or proof of income of about $2K USD/month for a retirement visa. I think you have to be 50 or 55.

Other ways are to marry a Thai, or buy a condo (I don't think you are permitted to buy a house), and of course employment or business investment. Do know you only legally own up to 49% of a business, so this venture is typically done with a "Thai wife " whether legally married or not. Traditional employment is an option as well, but you are retiring, right?

The benefits:
>Low cost of living so any pension goes farther.
>quality medical, which is an important consideration as you age
>regional hub
>modern conveniences
>growing/developing (in case you do decide to buy property or invest in a business)

File: r208056_795344.jpg (127KB, 678x840px) Image search: [Google]

127KB, 678x840px

>>1159269
I would think carefully about how stable you think Thailand will be after the King dies.

t is a country that has been riddled with coups, but with the King at the top things generally settle down and do not get too nasty, and the government after the coup tends to be be not noticeably worse than the one before.

But the Crown Prince is significantly less respected than his father, and I could see things getting a bit hairy after the old boy becomes a Buddha. Which could be any moment, he is quite elderly.

>>1159363
I find it pretty bizaar how everyone has pictures of the king on display... EVERYWHERE.

>>1160037
His history is pretty amazing. The only English biography I know is "The King Never Smiles," which is now a decade out of date, maybe, and is banned in Thailand, so don't take a copy with you. It is a fascinating read, and pretty even-handed, though not a hagiography and so the instances where it does not tow the party line puts it on the Thou Shalt Not Have list over there.

He is literally seen as an incipient Buddha by many Thais, though I get the feeling that some of the factionalism pitting "royalists" against the Thaksinistas during the Red Shirt vs. Yellow Shirt crap and his probably-age-related inability to command that violence not be used or cease may have tarnished him a bit, I'd be surprised if (m)any Thais would admit to this.

If you want to retire to thailand, the island Ko Yao Noi. Amazing views, prices, setting, people. It is paradise. I have several friends who live there full time and work internationally. They have nice houses and pa 117 a month all bills paid. They dont miss out on anything. Cant recommend it enough.

Ban?

>>1160047
117 what?

>>1160050
It equals out to $117 us dollars a month for a 2500 sq ft house facing the beach.

How long could I live on 30k US?

>>1160041
Is he any good at playing the sax? I saw a few old pics of him holding one in front of his face, haven't heard a recording of him actually playing music though.

>>1159269
I have a cousin who lived out there for 10 years and he loved it.

Then he was driven out by locals who wanted to usurp his business. They're corrupt as fuck out there, so there wasn't a lot he could do about it.

>>1160053
That's simply not true.

>>1160931
By law any business has to be 51% Thai owned, so that happens a lot. Yeah, you can go into business with your Thai wife, but you better not ever break up or piss her off. Or have some who is a genuine friend go into business with you, not just a partner. In the West they say don't mix business and pleasure, but out there it is essential.

File: thailand king with BENNY GOODMAN.jpg (71KB, 614x480px) Image search: [Google]

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>>1160687
Hoestly, I am not a judge of sax abillity. I am told by a nephew who plays that he was OK, nothing spectacular but technically competent, but his artistry was middle of the rode.

I do like some of the big-band stuff he wrote, tough. Maybe ear-candyish, but pleasant to listen to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSyffnKZu9A