Babyboomers are retiring overseas

http://money.msn.com/retirement/how-to-retire-on-a-small-budget

I have read all kinds of things about babyboomers going to Thailand where they live very well on 1k a month. They require a 25k deposit in a Thai bank, and at least 2000 a month income. Americans cannot buy land, but they can buy condos. Some people spend as little as 300 a month on nice apartments or condos, have great restaurants and inexpensive quality health care. Folks with very small retirement incomes are living very comfortable. I have never been to Thailand but the beaches are supposed to be great, and the reports from the retirees is that for 1k a month a person can live in paradise.

2seaoat wrote:http://money.msn.com/retirement/how-to-retire-on-a-small-budget

I have read all kinds of things about babyboomers going to Thailand where they live very well on 1k a month.  They require a 25k deposit in a Thai bank, and at least 2000 a month income.  Americans cannot buy land, but they can buy condos.  Some people spend as little as 300 a month on nice apartments or condos, have great restaurants and inexpensive quality health care.   Folks with very small retirement incomes are living very comfortable.  I have never been to Thailand but the beaches are supposed to be great, and the reports from the retirees is that for 1k a month a person can live in paradise.

Thailand is a nice place....to visit.  Very friendly people.  
I might change my mind in the coming years, but right now I think that I do not want to spend my golden years living outside the USA.

Thailand is a nice place....to visit. Very friendly people.
I might change my mind in the coming years, but right now I think that I do not want to spend my golden years living outside the USA.



I do not have that much time and I want to spend my time near my grandchildren, but if I was healthy, I could see spending a decade outside the country, and saving money living abroad, returning when health and age required the same. I guess the babyboomers always find a way. Many are not fully prepared for retirement, yet 1k a month and folks can retire comfortably in Thailand.

2seaoat wrote:Thailand is a nice place....to visit.  Very friendly people.  
I might change my mind in the coming years, but right now I think that I do not want to spend my golden years living outside the USA.



I do not have that much time and I want to spend my time near my grandchildren, but if I was healthy, I could see spending a decade outside the country, and saving money living abroad, returning when health and age required the same.  I guess the babyboomers always find a way.  Many are not fully prepared for retirement, yet 1k a month and folks can retire comfortably in Thailand.

I could see doing that.  In many ways, the world is smaller now than it was 20 years ago.    But it's still a long damn flight from the US to Bangkok.

I could see doing that. In many ways, the world is smaller now than it was 20 years ago. But it's still a long damn flight from the US to Bangkok.


I could never do that flight, but for a great many ill prepared babyboomers Thailand is truly becoming a destination.

2seaoat wrote:I could see doing that.  In many ways, the world is smaller now than it was 20 years ago.    But it's still a long damn flight from the US to Bangkok.


I could never do that flight, but for a great many ill prepared babyboomers Thailand is truly becoming a destination.

They don't have your $22,000 shots over there.

I like Thailand...but living there, I don't think so.  It's very far away from the USA.   It's still a 3rd worldish country.  I very much doubt that their health care is as good as we have in the US.   There is the language problem for Americans; most Thais don't speak English. There has also been some unrest in the country, although not really aimed at foreigners.  But when a country's main airport is taken over and shut down by militants for several days...you have to wonder if it's a country you want to live in.

Chrissy wrote:

2seaoat wrote:I could see doing that.  In many ways, the world is smaller now than it was 20 years ago.    But it's still a long damn flight from the US to Bangkok.


I could never do that flight, but for a great many ill prepared babyboomers Thailand is truly becoming a destination.

They don't have your $22,000 shots over there.

Yes, I very much doubt it.
If I were thinking of retiring outside the US, I would choose a place a little closer and a little more modernized.  But then, it probably wouldn't be as cheap to live there.

If one is going to retire to Thailand, my suggestion would be to stay as far away from Bangkok as one can get. I would suggest a place such as Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand or Phuket, an island in Southern Thailand on the Andaman Sea. When I was in Vietnam, the Military had an R&R destination in Chiang Mai.

Nekochan wrote:

Chrissy wrote:

2seaoat wrote:I could see doing that.  In many ways, the world is smaller now than it was 20 years ago.    But it's still a long damn flight from the US to Bangkok.


I could never do that flight, but for a great many ill prepared babyboomers Thailand is truly becoming a destination.

They don't have your $22,000 shots over there.

Yes, I very much doubt it.
If I were thinking of retiring outside the US, I would choose a place a little closer and a little more modernized.  But then, it probably wouldn't be as cheap to live there.

Exactly. If youre a boomer and have health needs, I think youll probably find very few places affordable to move to. Probably better off staying in this socialized country.

Ghost Rider wrote:If one is going  to retire to Thailand, my suggestion would be to stay as far away from Bangkok as one can get. I would suggest a place such as Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand or Phuket, an island in Southern Thailand on the Andaman Sea. When I was in Vietnam, the Military had an R&R destination in Chiang Mai.

I think you're right but living away from Bangkok just makes the US even farther away.

Chrissy wrote:

Nekochan wrote:

Chrissy wrote:

2seaoat wrote:I could see doing that.  In many ways, the world is smaller now than it was 20 years ago.    But it's still a long damn flight from the US to Bangkok.


I could never do that flight, but for a great many ill prepared babyboomers Thailand is truly becoming a destination.

They don't have your $22,000 shots over there.

Yes, I very much doubt it.
If I were thinking of retiring outside the US, I would choose a place a little closer and a little more modernized.  But then, it probably wouldn't be as cheap to live there.

Exactly. If youre a boomer and have health needs, I think youll probably find very few places affordable to move to. Probably better off staying in this socialized country.

I would be thinking something more like Costa Rica but I'd have to go there for an extended stay before I'd move there.

Nekochan wrote:

Chrissy wrote:

Nekochan wrote:

Chrissy wrote:

2seaoat wrote:I could see doing that.  In many ways, the world is smaller now than it was 20 years ago.    But it's still a long damn flight from the US to Bangkok.


I could never do that flight, but for a great many ill prepared babyboomers Thailand is truly becoming a destination.

They don't have your $22,000 shots over there.

Yes, I very much doubt it.
If I were thinking of retiring outside the US, I would choose a place a little closer and a little more modernized.  But then, it probably wouldn't be as cheap to live there.

Exactly. If youre a boomer and have health needs, I think youll probably find very few places affordable to move to. Probably better off staying in this socialized country.

I would be thinking something more like Costa Rica but I'd have to go there for an extended stay before I'd move there.

Its not as cheap as people say in costa rica. Ive been there. It cost me a bunch.

Chrissy wrote:

Nekochan wrote:

Chrissy wrote:

Nekochan wrote:

Chrissy wrote:

2seaoat wrote:I could see doing that.  In many ways, the world is smaller now than it was 20 years ago.    But it's still a long damn flight from the US to Bangkok.


I could never do that flight, but for a great many ill prepared babyboomers Thailand is truly becoming a destination.

They don't have your $22,000 shots over there.

Yes, I very much doubt it.
If I were thinking of retiring outside the US, I would choose a place a little closer and a little more modernized.  But then, it probably wouldn't be as cheap to live there.

Exactly. If youre a boomer and have health needs, I think youll probably find very few places affordable to move to. Probably better off staying in this socialized country.

I would be thinking something more like Costa Rica but I'd have to go there for an extended stay before I'd move there.

Its not as cheap as people say in costa rica. Ive been there. It cost me a bunch.

Yep for tourists, but is very inexpensive for residents.

I haven't been to Costa Rica.  I've heard good things about it.  What are y'alls impression of it--living standard, medical care, etc?

Ghost Rider wrote:

Chrissy wrote:

Nekochan wrote:

Chrissy wrote:

Nekochan wrote:

Chrissy wrote:

2seaoat wrote:I could see doing that.  In many ways, the world is smaller now than it was 20 years ago.    But it's still a long damn flight from the US to Bangkok.


I could never do that flight, but for a great many ill prepared babyboomers Thailand is truly becoming a destination.

They don't have your $22,000 shots over there.

Yes, I very much doubt it.
If I were thinking of retiring outside the US, I would choose a place a little closer and a little more modernized.  But then, it probably wouldn't be as cheap to live there.

Exactly. If youre a boomer and have health needs, I think youll probably find very few places affordable to move to. Probably better off staying in this socialized country.

I would be thinking something more like Costa Rica but I'd have to go there for an extended stay before I'd move there.

Its not as cheap as people say in costa rica. Ive been there. It cost me a bunch.

Yep for tourists, but is very inexpensive for residents.

really? I don't recall the restaurants there asking if I was a resident or not. or the food stuffs I bought at the stores.

also, Americans would be in a cultural shock if they try to live out of the city areas. They seriously allow you to build a house out of anything you can find. and good god, driving down the road on the side of those mountains is like playing chicken.

costa rica is a pretty place and you can retire there, but you better plan ahead just like a person would if they were retiring here in the US.

with that said. you could probably move to a lot of places with a retirement check, however, you are going to give up most of the comfy conveniences e Americans have built in our culture. Just expect that. Im sure it would work for some. but not the many.

I agree with Chrissy.  Retiring in a foreign country isn't for everyone.  You have to be flexible in your thinking and you cannot expect things to be like they are here in the US.   I wonder how many of those retirement areas outside the US have the locals saying: "It was nice here until the Americans came to retire." lol. 

Still, Costa Rica is a LOT closer to "home" than Thailand is.

Nekochan wrote:I agree with Chrissy.  Retiring in a foreign country isn't for everyone.  You have to be flexible in your thinking and you cannot expect things to be like they are here in the US.   I wonder how many of those retirement areas outside the US have the locals saying: "It was nice here until the Americans came to retire." lol. 

Still, Costa Rica is a LOT closer to "home" than Thailand is.

if I as determined to move out of the country and retire I would choose costa rica over thialand. thiland has a lot of issues that costa rica doesn't in regards to gov and military stuff.

people just shouldn't be fooled into thinking its something its not. youre goin to pay through the nose to have the luxuries we take for granted here. electricity, running water etc. or you could live in a dump worse than anything ever seen even in south florida, and let me tell you we got some scary laces in haleigh fl that ill make your hair stand on end.

I did a lot of walking and hiking when I went and the people seemed very nice in costa rica. I can say that much. cute little monkeys everywhere.

The cheapest things I saw there was tequila, taxis and sexual favors.  < not that I partook in any sexual favors, just saying. I could have for cheaper than a 6 pack. lol

Chrissy wrote:

Ghost Rider wrote:

Chrissy wrote:

Nekochan wrote:

Chrissy wrote:

Nekochan wrote:

Chrissy wrote:

2seaoat wrote:I could see doing that.  In many ways, the world is smaller now than it was 20 years ago.    But it's still a long damn flight from the US to Bangkok.


I could never do that flight, but for a great many ill prepared babyboomers Thailand is truly becoming a destination.

They don't have your $22,000 shots over there.

Yes, I very much doubt it.
If I were thinking of retiring outside the US, I would choose a place a little closer and a little more modernized.  But then, it probably wouldn't be as cheap to live there.

Exactly. If youre a boomer and have health needs, I think youll probably find very few places affordable to move to. Probably better off staying in this socialized country.

I would be thinking something more like Costa Rica but I'd have to go there for an extended stay before I'd move there.

Its not as cheap as people say in costa rica. Ive been there. It cost me a bunch.

Yep for tourists, but is very inexpensive for residents.

really? I don't recall the restaurants there asking if I was a resident or not. or the food stuffs I bought at the stores.

also, Americans would be in a cultural shock if they try to live out of the city areas. They seriously allow you to build a house out of anything you can find. and good god, driving down the road on the side of those mountains is like playing chicken.

costa rica is a pretty place and you can retire there, but you better plan ahead just like a person would if they were retiring here in the US.

with that said. you could probably move to a lot of places with a retirement check, however, you are going to give up most of the comfy conveniences e Americans have built in our culture. Just expect that. Im sure it would work for some. but not the many.

Chrissy, you seem so jaded about this. One can retire comfortably on 1K per month in Costa Rica as well as Thailand, and that does not include building a cardboard house.

Like with any country, the largest percentage of the locals can look at a tourist and pick him/her out of a crowd. Also most locals do not eat out, they prepare meals at home. Who cares about the comfy conveniences that the US has compared to Costa Rica. Conveniences are just that, a convenience not a necessity. If one wants a piece of the good life with low retirement and cost-of-living, then sacrifices would have to be surrounded.

A person can retire and live comfortably in the United States also if they don't require all the conveniences and don't eat out all the time.

*****SMILE*****

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQzUCO7rG0M

 

True, DE, just ask Teo! 

In a lot of foreign touristy places (especially developing countries) you're going to find that tourists are charged more for things than the locals are.

$400 monthly. Studio apartment - Courtview Apartments, Carroll, Ia. Heating and AC included.
$20   monthly. Basic cable
$200 monthly. Food that you prepare.
$60   monthly. Coffee for an hour or two every day at MC's café. $1 coffee and $1 tip every day. You can get by with only $30 a month but the waitress will get grouchy and not pay attention to you if you need a refill. Free refills and plenty of people to talk to.
$40   monthly. Eat out once a week.
$50   monthly. Life insurance policy if you think it's necessary.
__________________________________________
$770  Total monthly bill

You still have $230 left over every month for clothing etc... New Hope Village thrift store is down the street. More if you don't feel it necessary to carry life insurance.

As I stated it's a matter of convenience and luxuries and what you want to pay for.

$6 Will get you a senior ticket to the movie theater.
$3 Will get you one game at the bowling alley.
$5 Will get you into the swimming pool.
$0 Will allow you to take a walk on the trails.
$20 Will get you a yearly fishing license.

NOTE: There's a free pool table along with tables and chairs in the lounge area at Courtview. So you can play pool or play games at the tables.

*****SMILE*****

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQzUCO7rG0M

Ghost Rider wrote:

Chrissy wrote:

Ghost Rider wrote:

Chrissy wrote:

Nekochan wrote:

Chrissy wrote:

Nekochan wrote:

Chrissy wrote:

2seaoat wrote:I could see doing that.  In many ways, the world is smaller now than it was 20 years ago.    But it's still a long damn flight from the US to Bangkok.


I could never do that flight, but for a great many ill prepared babyboomers Thailand is truly becoming a destination.

They don't have your $22,000 shots over there.

Yes, I very much doubt it.
If I were thinking of retiring outside the US, I would choose a place a little closer and a little more modernized.  But then, it probably wouldn't be as cheap to live there.

Exactly. If youre a boomer and have health needs, I think youll probably find very few places affordable to move to. Probably better off staying in this socialized country.

I would be thinking something more like Costa Rica but I'd have to go there for an extended stay before I'd move there.

Its not as cheap as people say in costa rica. Ive been there. It cost me a bunch.

Yep for tourists, but is very inexpensive for residents.

really? I don't recall the restaurants there asking if I was a resident or not. or the food stuffs I bought at the stores.

also, Americans would be in a cultural shock if they try to live out of the city areas. They seriously allow you to build a house out of anything you can find. and good god, driving down the road on the side of those mountains is like playing chicken.

costa rica is a pretty place and you can retire there, but you better plan ahead just like a person would if they were retiring here in the US.

with that said. you could probably move to a lot of places with a retirement check, however, you are going to give up most of the comfy conveniences e Americans have built in our culture. Just expect that. Im sure it would work for some. but not the many.

Chrissy, you seem so jaded about this. One can retire comfortably on 1K per month in Costa Rica as well as Thailand, and that does not include building a cardboard house.

Like with any country, the largest percentage of the locals can look at a tourist and pick him/her out of a crowd. Also most locals do not eat out, they prepare meals at home. Who cares about the comfy conveniences that the US has compared to Costa Rica. Conveniences are just that, a convenience not a necessity. If one wants a piece of the good life with low retirement and cost-of-living, then sacrifices would have to be surrounded.

Im not jaded on this. have you gone to costa rica? Im just giving my assessment of when I went, that's all. No one there picked me out as a tourist when I went. The local stores did not hurry up and change the prices on stuff when I walked through the front door lol , same goes for the menus when I went out to eat. I went to both, fancy places and local little places.

There are big fancy rich houses in places there and there are some serious scary looking places. for a thousand dollars a month you better have bought a house and have it paid for, just as would need to do here. or your going to live in the hood. That's all im saying.

Now if you think people who are of retirement age can go over there and live with the monkeys, more power to you lol Just let me tell you, those damn monkeys are mean.

and I havnt been to Thailand so I cant say one way or the other, but I have seen some pretty nasty political upheavals that have gone on over there on the news.

I'm not against traveling to go to these places. I like to travel, I don't do enough of it.

I do however think most Americans are a little pampered and wouldnt do well in these environments. The foods are different and the bacterias that live there are different so if your going to go over there as a old person, beware, you better have more than a $1000 a month because in all likely, your going to get sick a good bit.

Damaged Eagle wrote:

$400 monthly. Studio apartment - Courtview Apartments, Carroll, Ia. Heating and AC included.
$20   monthly. Basic cable
$200 monthly. Food that you prepare.
$60   monthly. Coffee for an hour or two every day at MC's café. $1 coffee and $1 tip every day. You can get by with only $30 a month but the waitress will get grouchy and not pay attention to if you need a refill. Free refills and plenty of people to talk to.
$40   monthly. Eat out once a week.
$50   monthly. Life insurance policy if you think it's necessary.
__________________________________________
$770  Total monthly bill

You still have $230 left over every month for clothing etc... New Hope Village thrift store is down the street. More if you don't feel it necessary to carry life insurance.

As I stated it's a matter of convenience and luxuries and what you want to pay for.

NOTE: There's a free pool table along with tables and chairs in the lounge area at Courtview. So you can play pool or play games at the tables.

*****SMILE*****

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQzUCO7rG0M

damn DE, you made my day. All this time I thought I was going to have to retire in a van down by the river. If SS is still available when I retire I will be living high on the hog in a place like that with what they said I get from several years ago. whohoooo

Chrissy wrote:

Ghost Rider wrote:

Chrissy wrote:

Ghost Rider wrote:

Chrissy wrote:

Nekochan wrote:

Chrissy wrote:

Nekochan wrote:

Chrissy wrote:

2seaoat wrote:I could see doing that.  In many ways, the world is smaller now than it was 20 years ago.    But it's still a long damn flight from the US to Bangkok.


I could never do that flight, but for a great many ill prepared babyboomers Thailand is truly becoming a destination.

They don't have your $22,000 shots over there.

Yes, I very much doubt it.
If I were thinking of retiring outside the US, I would choose a place a little closer and a little more modernized.  But then, it probably wouldn't be as cheap to live there.

Exactly. If youre a boomer and have health needs, I think youll probably find very few places affordable to move to. Probably better off staying in this socialized country.

I would be thinking something more like Costa Rica but I'd have to go there for an extended stay before I'd move there.

Its not as cheap as people say in costa rica. Ive been there. It cost me a bunch.

Yep for tourists, but is very inexpensive for residents.

really? I don't recall the restaurants there asking if I was a resident or not. or the food stuffs I bought at the stores.

also, Americans would be in a cultural shock if they try to live out of the city areas. They seriously allow you to build a house out of anything you can find. and good god, driving down the road on the side of those mountains is like playing chicken.

costa rica is a pretty place and you can retire there, but you better plan ahead just like a person would if they were retiring here in the US.

with that said. you could probably move to a lot of places with a retirement check, however, you are going to give up most of the comfy conveniences e Americans have built in our culture. Just expect that. Im sure it would work for some. but not the many.

Chrissy, you seem so jaded about this. One can retire comfortably on 1K per month in Costa Rica as well as Thailand, and that does not include building a cardboard house.

Like with any country, the largest percentage of the locals can look at a tourist and pick him/her out of a crowd. Also most locals do not eat out, they prepare meals at home. Who cares about the comfy conveniences that the US has compared to Costa Rica. Conveniences are just that, a convenience not a necessity. If one wants a piece of the good life with low retirement and cost-of-living, then sacrifices would have to be surrounded.

Im not jaded on this. have you gone to costa rica? Im just giving my assessment of when I went, that's all. No one there picked me out as a tourist when I went. The local stores did not hurry up and change the prices on stuff when I walked through the front door lol , same goes for the menus when I went out to eat. I went to both, fancy places and local little places.

There are big fancy rich houses in places there and there are some serious scary looking places. for a thousand dollars a month you better have bought a house and have it paid for, just as would need to do here. or your going to live in the hood. That's all im saying.

Now if you think people who are of retirement age can go over there and live with the monkeys, more power to you lol Just let me tell you, those damn monkeys are mean.

and I havnt been to Thailand so I cant say one way or the other, but I have seen some pretty nasty political upheavals that have gone on over there on the news.

I'm not against traveling to go to these places. I like to travel, I don't do enough of it.  

I do however think most Americans are a little pampered and wouldnt do well in these environments. The foods are different and the bacterias that live there are different so if your going to go over there as a old person, beware, you better have more than a $1000 a month because in all likely, your going to get sick a good bit.

Yes I have been to Costa Rica, numerous times. You are definitely delusional if you think that they cannot recognize a tourist over a local.

I have an Army buddy that retired shortly after I did. He started pricing 3 bedroom 2 bath houses here in the states and found the cheapest one was almost 200K with a mortgage payment of almost 2k per month. He bought an equivalent house for 85K and his mortgage payment is $600.00 a month. He does not have AC because it is not required as the average annual temperature is 73 degrees.

As for the monkeys, he has made pets out of them and has never had a issue with a single one of them.