# Moving to thailand



## Jb86

I'm planning of moving to thailand with my gf and dog 
Can anyone recommend the best part to move to 
And what's the deal with visa etc 
Cuz we are 30years of age and plan on retiring 
And if anyone has any knowledge of cost of living and do you think we could achieve living there on £2000-£3000 per month


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## Asian Spirit

Jb86 said:


> I'm planning of moving to thailand with my gf and dog
> Can anyone recommend the best part to move to
> And what's the deal with visa etc
> Cuz we are 30years of age and plan on retiring
> And if anyone has any knowledge of cost of living and do you think we could achieve living there on £2000-£3000 per month


Howdy and welcome to the forum. First, be sure to confirm your new membership with the email address you provided when signing up to continue using the site.

The Thailand page is a bit slow but you should get the info you need. My understanding is a permanent visa to live in Thailand is just about impossible to get. You may need to settle on living in another Asian country or elsewhere in the world.

Best of luck


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## dancebert

Jb86 said:


> I'm planning ...
> ... recommend the best part ...
> And what's the deal ...
> ... if anyone has any knowledge ...


In 9 years as expat online, I've seen that the best way for a new poster to make sure they get few responses is to ask questions demonstrating you've spent zero time searching online for answers to the most basic questions.


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## Thai Bigfoot

I've posted 2 comprehensive "Moving to Thailand" pages. They're up to date.
You can't get a retirement visa extension until you are 50 years old. Your only options are:
1-Use education visas (learn Thai) and renew them yearly.
2-Go on Visa runs out of the country every 90 days.
3-Get a legal job with a company. Many use a teaching job to stay in country but those are quite difficult to land since so many are after them.

In my opinion, it costs around $1500-2000 per month per person, to live a quiet lifestyle.


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## modeeper

Asking if you can live on ?????? Baht per month is like asking how long is a piece of string. 

Resident visas are a matter of showing a huge income and bank account. IMO they don't really want you there. If they did it'd be easier for people. They want you to come, dump a wad of dosh and then go home. I've lived and worked in a few Asian nations, never felt wanted in any of them. And the big WTF for Thailand expats is why anyone would come to Thailand with a woman in tow.


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## Thai Bigfoot

modeeper said:


> Asking if you can live on ?????? Baht per month is like asking how long is a piece of string.
> 
> Resident visas are a matter of showing a huge income and bank account. IMO they don't really want you there. If they did it'd be easier for people. They want you to come, dump a wad of dosh and then go home. I've lived and worked in a few Asian nations, never felt wanted in any of them. And the big WTF for Thailand expats is why anyone would come to Thailand with a woman in tow.


It would appear that you became pretty disillusioned after 7 years in Thailand. 

Getting some idea of living expenses is an intelligent way to plan.

Thais only want you there if you have the resources to pay your own expenses. Retirement visa extension bank levels try to insure that. As a U.S. expat, you didn’t have to have these bank funds. All you needed was a form from the embassy verifying a monthly income of β65,000 ($2,000). Why didn’t you know this? Did you have the income?

Maybe you never felt wanted in Asian nations because you could never accept them. It doesn’t sound like you put much effort into learning about Thais. You were expecting to learn from Thais things that could be used in the States. Like what? 

I actually agree with you on one thing. “Why anyone would come to Thailand with a woman in tow?” Any man who has a libido is going to be severally tempted by the beautiful Thai women who will share a few hours with them for under $100. I don’t understand why any wife/girlfriend would ever agree to moving or visiting Thailand.

I retired here at 61, 8 years ago. I understood that an attitude of understanding the Thai Way (good and bad) would go a long way in making my move successful. I learned to speak passable Thai. Always tried to be friendly. Observed their customs. As a result, I’ve always felt welcomed here. In the U.S., I’d be considered just an old, useless, man unless I had millions. Here, I’m treated with respect, without having to show a lot of money. 

By your own admission, you didn’t try to be much more than a short term tourist. You got a tan, drank too much, smoked too much, screwed around a lot, never learned the language or the culture.

You say “…After 7 more years wondering the same I got the idea ... NOTHING…”

You got nothing because you gave nothing.


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## dancebert

modeeper said:


> Resident visas are a matter of showing a huge income and bank account.


Huge? That's a matter of perspective. I know people in their early 60s who couldn't put up the 800,000 thb needed. Doesn't bother them because they know they'll have to work until they can't, then try to get by on Social Security.

Huge? It's also sour grapes.


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## MikeBangkok

I think your budget is more than enough to have a decent life in BKK


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## MaryneKoslo

I'm not retired... I'm a young expat launching his career in BKK. But what I suggest from what I've read from you:

- Don't move now: you seem not to have looked for the basic information we were all aware of before getting to Thailand. I mean, no offense, but you are asking basic questions that you will be able to find in less than 5 mins on google.

- As regards the cost of life here: I would say that 60-70 000 bahts is a minimum to have a decent life here, with a good condo (14-15 000), and nice food. 

I am still new in Bangkok, but from what I've seen so far I would say this is an amazing city. Just be prepared to handle heat, pollution, and temptations ahah. 

Have a good one, and please make sure you gather more information before making your choice


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## philly

Bigfoot quick question which I can t find online when you deposit the 800k baht for retirement visa do you ever get it back or only when you leave Thanks


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## Thai Bigfoot

It's still your money to use. As long as you have it in there each year at visa renewal time.

As a U.S. citizen, I can just provide a notarized embassy form verifying a monthly income of at least B65k, so, I don't have to deposit the B800k.

Since I figured I'd spend the rest of my life in Thailand, I didn't want to have that much money in a Thai bank. Figured it may disappear when I died.


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## philly

Thanks Bigfoot x


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## Mathieularoche

800K deposit ??????? wow. That's a lot. 

I guess Modeeper was right when he was talking about huge income needed. 800k baht just as a "deposit" is pretty much representative of what he was saying I guess


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## Thai Bigfoot

Mathieularoche said:


> 800K deposit ??????? wow. That's a lot.
> 
> I guess Modeeper was right when he was talking about huge income needed. 800k baht just as a "deposit" is pretty much representative of what he was saying I guess


Not really. It's about $25,000. Thailand doesn't want long term immigrants who haven't got the means to support themselves.


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## Mweiga

The minimum 800k baht credit balance needs to be in your Thai bank account for a full 2 months prior to making the initial one year visa application , verified by your bank with a letter they will do for you to give to immigration along with your application.

For the annual extensions of the one year visa it's minimum 800k credit balance for a full 3 months prior to making the application.

Once you have the visa , you can do what you like with the money as it's yours. For most expats on the one year non-immigrant visa 800k pretty much covers what you need to live in Thailand for a year , unless you plan to live like a monk.


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## Thai Bigfoot

Yes, you can take it out at any time.


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## exminerboy

*your beloved[dog]*



Jb86 said:


> I'm planning of moving to thailand with my gf and dog
> Can anyone recommend the best part to move to
> And what's the deal with visa etc
> Cuz we are 30years of age and plan on retiring
> And if anyone has any knowledge of cost of living and do you think we could achieve living there on £2000-£3000 per month


as I have just become a member with over 30yrs.of living of marriage and owning a dog in Thailand.i hope its not too late to warn you what to exspect.
I am sorry to be so NEGATIVE being a dog lover myself Thailand is not a country to bring your beloved to,you might ask WHY? its full of dangers at every street corner,every blade of grass,the soaring heat,most of which are inhabited by PARASITE'S including the 2 legged one's VETS.most places are over run by stray's most of which have been dumped by their owners,its HEARTBRAKEING to see,and there is also a lot of rabies here.its a decision you have to think long and hard about.
good luck.exminerboy.


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## Nicolas01

Jb86 said:


> I'm planning of moving to thailand with my gf and dog
> Can anyone recommend the best part to move to
> And what's the deal with visa etc
> Cuz we are 30years of age and plan on retiring
> And if anyone has any knowledge of cost of living and do you think we could achieve living there on £2000-£3000 per month


Traveled to thailand several times, planning to move there and trust me 2K-3K per month is gonna be more than enough


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## dancebert

Mweiga said:


> Once you have the visa , you can do what you like with the money as it's yours. For most expats on the one year non-immigrant visa 800k pretty much covers what you need to live in Thailand for a year , unless you plan to live like a monk.


Don't know if this is still true. Eight years ago when preparing to request my initial long term visa, conventional wisdom was not only can you do what you want with the 800k, you need to make withdrawals. If you're living off the 800k, you'll do that because you have to. If you don't make withdrawals, immigration will suspect you're working without a permit.


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## Thai Bigfoot

If you're from the U.S., you don't need the 800k in a bank, just a notarized U.S. embassy letter saying you have at least B65k monthly income. Otherwise, you must have the 800K on deposit each year at renewal time.


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