# Retiring at 45...



## meatlovessalt

My husband and I plan to make the move to Thailand in 5 years when our youngest graduates from high school, we will be 43 and 45 years old. My husband receives a $2000 a month retirement from his former employer and we will have approx. $100k in savings for whatever. My questions are:
1. Can we live in Phuket with a private pool and still pay utilities and eat for $2000/60,000baht?
2. Should we ship our belongings in a container...ie furniture, motorcycle, etc. in a container or should we buy once we arrive?
3. We are bringing our dog...are there any issues that we should know about prior?
4. Regarding Visa's, we will not be old enough to apply for a retirement visa and we are not interested in working...what is the longest stay visa that we are eligible for and can someone explain if visa runs are really necessary?

Thanks,

Marcy


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## Moolor

meatlovessalt said:


> My husband and I plan to make the move to Thailand in 5 years when our youngest graduates from high school, we will be 43 and 45 years old. My husband receives a $2000 a month retirement from his former employer and we will have approx. $100k in savings for whatever. My questions are:
> 1. Can we live in Phuket with a private pool and still pay utilities and eat for $2000/60,000baht?
> 2. Should we ship our belongings in a container...ie furniture, motorcycle, etc. in a container or should we buy once we arrive?
> 3. We are bringing our dog...are there any issues that we should know about prior?
> 4. Regarding Visa's, we will not be old enough to apply for a retirement visa and we are not interested in working...what is the longest stay visa that we are eligible for and can someone explain if visa runs are really necessary?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Marcy


1: Yes, if you don't live extravagantly. 

2: Only bring items you can not part with. Sell the rest, import fees are outrageous if you are not Thai. 

3: Bringing the dog is no problem, but it will need specific vaccinations. Don't let the mention of quarantine time scare you, almost never happens if your paperwork is in order. 

4: An ed visa is your best option, and you get the added benefit of learning the language. When one of you hit 50, switch to an O visa. Yes, visa / border runs will be a requirement until you are on an O visa and have extended it for a year. Even at that point you will still be required to make 90 day reports to immigration.


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## Song_Si

Visa

There is no visa to cater for early retirees under 50.

Unless you decided to come here to study and apply for a Non-Immigrant ED (Education) Visa, the longest visa available is a Tourist Visa - 60 days plus extension of 30 available within the country. Please refer to: Thailand - visits and Tourist Visas

Some embassies may issue a double entry Tourist Visa (as per linked thread) but there is still the requirement to leave/re-enter the country every 90 days.

Put simply, one cannot _easily/simply_ move to Thailand to live.

Bringing a motor vehicle/motorcycle into the country is impractical - getting registration here nigh on impossible, plus import tax may be as high as 300% of assessed value. Also see this link including: 



> Ban on imports of used vehicles
> The Nation April 18, 2012
> The Cabinet yesterday approved the Transport Ministry's proposal to ban import and registration of second-hand vehicles. Four types of vehicles are targeted by the ban: motorcycles, sedans, pick-ups and vehicles that carry more than seven passengers.


Costs - I spent a year on Phuket, leaving in 2010 - often hear from friends there about how much costs have increased - I'd suggest 60,000 baht for two would be difficult if you want apartment or villa with pool, and any form of social life. Do-able, but at subsistence level imo. And you need to save enough for those Visa trips, health/medical insurance, vehicle expenses. 

These online newspapers have property sections to give you an indication of the current market
_Phuket_
phuketwan http://phuketwan.com/
Phuket Gazette http://www.phuketgazette.net/
Phuketnews http://www.thephuketnews.com/

also plenty of options online if you search _'Phuket Long-Term Rentals_'


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## cooked

I don't think that you will be able to extend an ED visa for 5 years. Immigration has promised to clamp down on false Ed visas and I don't know how you could justify 5 years of study.
However, in Pattaya, anything is possible (including arrestation and deportation). A private pool with ฿60 000.-? No.
Maybe you might want to settle down near the Laotian border for the 5 years remaining, so you can do your visa runs easily? The restrictions on visa runs are changing all the time.
From my personal point of view, nothing would ever induce me to live in Pattaya. We do fine in Isaan with ฿46 000.-.


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## meatlovessalt

Thank you all for your replies. Can anyone recommend a community near the water where 60,000 baht might provide a comfortable lifestyle and/or let me know what a comfortable lifestyle in Phuket would cost in baht.


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## Song_Si

Hi

Never too far from the water in Phuket, about 20m across and 50km north-south.
Being near the water doesn't mean a swimming beach though, few spots on the east coast are suitable for swimming, the west coast has all the beaches whereas much of the east is tidal estuaries/mudflats.

Comfortable lifestyle is very broad!

Transport is a factor, for the wet season - and Phuket gets a lot of rain (esp May-Oct, Met Office averages say rainfall over 20 days per month - but not always all day!) - a motorscooter may be impractical, or maybe you just don't like motorbikes, so a car adds more to the situation, secure parking etc. There is minimal public transport, and Phuket's taxis are well publicised as extortionists. 50km isn't far, but at times I had 70-90 minute drives to the airport from Chalong. 

I got this list from another thread, modified a little, things to consider


location
facilities - supermarket, cinema
utilities 
convenience
accessibility
costs
comforts of home
communications
isolation
loneliness
wildlife


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## stednick

*Happy Travels*

meatlovessalt:

Commenting on this thread. 

Your visa is the first item to address. As stated "No under 50 early-retiree Visa" exists. Extending an ED visa for five years will be difficult, if not impossible.

Shipping your household goods, pets, etc. Will be a relatively expensive mistake unless your resolve the import taxation issues. Again, back to the visa question. 

Many seaside communities exist where you can find an economical lifestyle. Whether or not it will be a satisfactory lifestyle will be up to you.

Cost-of-living. The "How long is a piece of string?" question. Depends entirely upon your lifestyle. Discussed in many, many threads in this forum.

As you have found this forum I am sure you have read many of the threads. Continue reading as you develop your plans. What you want to do can be done. But, until your reach the magic age of 50 and qualify (income-wise) the difficulty is great. So great that the work involved may considerably outweigh the benefits. 

I suggest you investigate other southeast Asian countries visa criteria. You may well find a country that will be much more accommodating than Thailand.

Good luck in your planning and travels.


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## Song_Si

following on from that suggestion - have you csnidered Malaysia?

*Malaysia*

Malaysia has the '_*My Second Home*_' scheme (MM2H)

A thread on MM2H from earlier this year Retiring to Malaysia

Info here 

Requires a financial commitment, and is also available to under-50s
A lot more to it than this - but some brief figures from conditions



> *Upon Approval : Aged Below 50 years old*
> 
> * Open a fixed deposit account of RM300,000.00.
> * After a period of one year, the participant can withdraw up to RM150,000.00 for approved expenses relating to house purchase, education for children in Malaysia and medical purposes.
> * Must maintain a minimum balance of RM150,000.00 from second year onwards and throughout stay in Malaysia under this programme.
> Applicants aged 50 and above may comply with the financial proof of RM350,000 in liquid assets and off shore income of RM10,000 per month
> 
> *Upon Approval : Aged 50 years and above*
> 
> * Can either choose to:
> - Open a fixed deposit account of RM150,000.00 ; OR
> - Show proof of government approved pension funds of RM10,000
> 
> * After a period of one year, participant who fulfills the fixed deposit criterion can withdraw up to RM50,000.00 for approved expenses relating to house purchase, education for children in Malaysia and medical purposes.
> 
> * Participant must maintain a minimum balance of RM100,000.00 from the second year onwards and throughout his/her stay in Malaysia under this programme.


Note there is also the *Malaysia Expat Forum*


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