# First Visit in preparation for retirement



## Suuzee

We are a couple in our mid 50's planning to retire to Thailand. We are planning our first of many trips in sept / Oct this year.
We thought to start down south and work our way up towards Bangkok. We are thinking of starting at Rai Lay Beach stopping in at Hua Hin.
We love beaches, spas, cycling, eating and all things fun!
Do you have have any suggestions for this first trip. We live in the Caribbean on a small island with no culture or night life to speak of.

Any suggestions would be very welcome as we don't want the same trip our 26 year old did for her gap year!

Su


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## ZTraveler

*Similar questions asked in this forum. Save time, check them out...*

Hey congratulations on your planned move to Thailand!

So, where in the Caribbean are you now that you would want to move? Getting a second wind for the nightlife it seems. <smiling>

Your question has been asked before, and so I thought I would give you the link. You'll find that the answers are going to be similar, and there are already a lot of them in this thread: www.expatforum.com/expats/thailand-...and/50966-looking-possible-places-locate.html

Hope this helps...


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## modhuhu

ZTraveler said:


> Hey congratulations on your planned move to Thailand!
> 
> So, where in the Caribbean are you now that you would want to move? Getting a second wind for the nightlife it seems. <smiling>
> 
> Your question has been asked before, and so I thought I would give you the link. You'll find that the answers are going to be similar, and there are already a lot of them in this thread:
> 
> Hope this helps...


Chiangmai is cheap one in the mountain.
You may need to find a condominium, check out it in prakard dot com


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## cnx_bruce

Suuzee said:


> <snip>We love beaches, spas, cycling, eating and all things fun! Do you have have any suggestions for this first trip. <snip>Su


Hi Su

A big variable here is the funds you are able to/want to spend during your time in Thailand. This will depend in part on the extent to which you want to/are able to 'go native'. 'Fun' means a 100 things to a 100 different people. Farang style fun can be more costly here than in farangland, and is limited to a relatively few locations. Thai style fun can be had for very little indeed and is yours to have almost everywhere.

If fun is sitting on a rock fishing then you'll be interested in different retirement locations than someone who needs the aircon on full and a table full of pastries with a starched white tablecloth.

You probably can't answer this just yet - until you've been here a while - so the best advice might be to simply read widely on this and other internet forums and then just get in a car and drive ... staying in many places in different styles of accomm and get your bearings that way. Have fun and hope it all works out


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## Suuzee

Thank to you all for taking the time to respond. Well we have our first trip booked and we are very excited. Through BAngkok to the South and then work our way north for this trip.
The Caribbean we are on a very small rock south of the Bahamas called Turks & CAicos Island. No culture so not a retirement option for us. Wonderful beaches and water, typical Caribbean seasons so we cannot retire back to the UK.......

Will keep on researching

Thnaks Again

Su


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## ZTraveler

Suuzee said:


> ... we are on a very small rock south of the Bahamas called Turks & CAicos Island. No culture so not a retirement option for us. Wonderful beaches and water, typical Caribbean seasons so we cannot retire back to the UK.......


We are visiting Turks & Caicos November 1-8. Staying at the Villa Alamandra. From the airport, looking for a good grocery, then to the Villa. Please message me direct since this is out of Thailand thread. Thanks!


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## kusadasi

Hi everyone
İ am new to the forum my husband are also thinking of retiring to Thailand we thought we would rent for a while and see if we like it, we have heard a lot about Hua Hin if anyone can gives us any advise that would be great. We are both in our mid fifties. Thank you


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## joseph44

kusadasi said:


> Hi everyone
> İ am new to the forum my husband are also thinking of retiring to Thailand we thought we would rent for a while and see if we like it, we have heard a lot about Hua Hin if anyone can gives us any advise that would be great. We are both in our mid fifties. Thank you


I don't know HH personally, but from what I've heard, HH is reasonably priced, not too touristic and Bangkok can be easily reached.


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## kusadasi

joseph44 said:


> I don't know HH personally, but from what I've heard, HH is reasonably priced, not too touristic and Bangkok can be easily reached.


Thank you for your reply Joseph44


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## ableseaman21

I have been to Hua hin several times. I love it there. All the modern things anyone would need and stores that cater to Farrang ie western foods for when your jonesing for that food you grew up eating.
I have a friend their (Thai) who has an atv park.
I would say one can do a lot worse if they opted to live in that area.


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## hydroman

Hua hin is perfect for some one of about 50ish I am of that age and have been there many times. I have been to many places in Thailand and it is as they promote an amazing place. I made the choice in my head when I decided to make my roots in Thailand Bangkok or Hua hin, not sure why I choose Bangkok but I think that speaking to people living over there at that time they all did the same thing day in and day out. I am pleased with my choice as I would have never met my lovely wife who now is in the UK with me I can’t recommend Bangkok because as I write this my father in law has a pump in my front room trying to keep the water down . There is only one other place I could recommend an island Ko Samui but expensive.


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## kusadasi

For those of you who have made the move to Thailand ( xpats) island Hua in is there lots to do what do you do with your time from day to day? As that is where we are thinking of retiring to .
Thank you


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## hydroman

kusadasi said:


> For those of you who have made the move to Thailand ( xpats) island Hua in is there lots to do what do you do with your time from day to day? As that is where we are thinking of retiring to .
> Thank you


I have never lived in Hua Hin but have been many times. The shopping was good for western taste, there are lots of Expats there now and starting to get expensive. Things you will like are the walk to the beach there is a small market that sells all sorts of things, there are nice coffee and cake shops in the Girl bar area which is like a maze just before the beach, if you drive along the cost you will find some beaches that are so stunning and you will be the only one there you can go to a cave but I will tell you this will be the most dangerous thing you would have ever done so will not recommend this, there are lovely waterfalls to visit. They have a Thai boxing place never been but you can hear when it’s on. I often hear this question what do we do with our time here? Most seem to spend their time at the beach or bar drinking myself I found it important that I had a garden to tend, but Thailand is so full of amazing sites that if you make the effort you should never get bored. Going to the river Kwai for a trip is something I will recommend.


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## kusadasi

Thank you for getting back to me my son also recommended bang saen and also koh sichang islands which are closer to Bangkok where our son lives do you any information on these İslands , İ would really appreicate your comments.


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## hydroman

kusadasi said:


> Thank you for getting back to me my son also recommended bang saen and also koh sichang islands which are closer to Bangkok where our son lives do you any information on these İslands , İ would really appreicate your comments.


I have never been to Bang Saen but know where it is the Elephant island I have but can’t find the photos ( Koh si Chang) you need to get a boat there the is a lot of speed boats or get a fairy from Pattaya I can’t remember being much there but it was about six years ago when I was dating my now wife I cannot recommend there as I remember the trip and for me it was fun but what could you do there. The other places you are asking about are on the main land you don’t need to get a boat. If you would like to live on an island go to Koh samui this is wow but very expensive and a long way from Bangkok maybe your son will come to you


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## duncbUK

May I suggest Bangkok. Hua Hinh is a relatively expensive tourist resort, which may make you assume the rest of Thailand is like that.
Go to Bangkok, you will have a few issues with language, but it is a good place to learn. Set up a base here (a nice smallish new apartment with gym and pool for 10,000 baht (£200) a month. Explore the city then take a short (3-4 hour) bus journey to Hua Hinh and see what you think. I would also suggest you try Cha-am, Ko Samui, and all the other big expat hangouts. 
Doing it this way will give you time to consider all of the options. Stay in Bangkok for 6 months and explore all of the options, it will cost you 6 months time and c. £1200, but will be a lot cheaper than the other options and will give you enough time to make the right choice.
good luck


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## dani_adani

cnx_bruce said:


> Hi Su
> 
> A big variable here is the funds you are able to/want to spend during your time in Thailand. This will depend in part on the extent to which you want to/are able to 'go native'. 'Fun' means a 100 things to a 100 different people. Farang style fun can be more costly here than in farangland, and is limited to a relatively few locations. Thai style fun can be had for very little indeed and is yours to have almost everywhere.
> 
> If fun is sitting on a rock fishing then you'll be interested in different retirement locations than someone who needs the aircon on full and a table full of pastries with a starched white tablecloth.
> 
> You probably can't answer this just yet - until you've been here a while - so the best advice might be to simply read widely on this and other internet forums and then just get in a car and drive ... staying in many places in different styles of accomm and get your bearings that way. Have fun and hope it all works out


...."a table full of pastries with a starched white tablecloth." haha!


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## Chiang Mai

personally I'm not a fan of HH it always seems like a 'Thai version of Margate in UK' but Chiang Mai (where I reside) can't be beaten - congrats on retirement and take your time


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## johnwboy

Chiang Mai said:


> personally I'm not a fan of HH it always seems like a 'Thai version of Margate in UK' but Chiang Mai (where I reside) can't be beaten - congrats on retirement and take your time


How is the smoke and fog up there these days?


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