News Forum - Moving to Thailand checklist – What you need to know before your move

[BigHewer]

  On 10/23/2022 at 9:00 AM, Shade_Wilder said:

So, can I suggest two things? If you have a bicycle, get on it. If you don't have a bike, rent/borrow/buy one and get on it. ASAP. Second, go do whatever makes you laugh.

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Thanks SW, and that’s an interesting idea. I used to ride 20-30km every day, but my dusty bikes are all sitting in the garage with flat tires. 

I’ll give it a whirl

[Cabra]

  On 10/23/2022 at 1:49 PM, JamesR said:

I suppose it all depends on your circumstances.

I stayed in Thailand for a year between 2018 and 2019, it was great.

I have stayed for period of between three months to nine months on many occasions over the last thirty five years.

I spent twenty five years living between the UK, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Holland and the USA so I am used to hopping all over the place, but my base was still the UK, house etc.

I have just got my non Imm 0 visa valid for 90 days which I will convert or whatever you call it to a one year visa next month when I arrive.

I will stay for one year and then see how it is, but if your circumstances are you can easily hop over and live in another country if Thailand become stale then all should be OK.

I would hate to become one of the long term moaning 'expats' I have come across on many occasions, their situation is they are stuck in Thailand as they can only afford to live in such a cheap country, in some boring backwater village surrounded by dim local gossipers,  due to their low pension income and have priced themselves out of ever going back home.

In the video explaining the dangers and scams of Thailand, the bar girl scam was not mentioned, this will affect many more retirees than tourists, with the I love old men, I love you, my mum and dad are sick as is the buffalo so can you give me money scam, also buy me a house and car and I will take care for you forever, well in between the other boyfriend arriving that is.

I will not be falling for that one. 

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100%... and what you make of your own circumstances. Sounds like you are practiced and resilient. Which can only benefit you. If nothing else preparing you to overcome the inevitable challenges that come with moving abroad, and to deal with the disillusionment (stage 2) phase, if it comes to that. But most importantly, you have checked the box on "always have an escape plan" should the disillusionment phase become untenable.

[Marc26]

  On 10/23/2022 at 8:55 AM, Soidog said:

Good post @Shade_Wilder and absolutely correct. I think it’s referred to as the culture shock curve. I’ve been coming to Thailand for well over 20 years and for the past 15 or more years this has been my “home” for between 6 and 9 months of each year. I recognise all three stages and I would say I’m well in to stage 3. The only thing I would say, is that having got to stage 3 and totally happy with the fact there are good/bad, wrong/right things happening in the U.K. and Thailand, the bad and wrong things in Thailand are significantly more worrying and annoying than those in the U.K.  Not being able to park my bike right outside the coffee shop is annoying in the U.K.  it’s nowhere near as annoying and worrying as the total nut job drivers in Thailand for example. As such, I will never regard Thailand as home. I will always retain a home in Europe and keep the majority of my finances in Europe. Thailand has been and always will be a long holiday destination. 

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I think you find so many guys in Thailand that cut off their home country, for whatever reasons, or brag they haven't been back, that are also the ones that are most miserable

I think you should have a decent footing in both "homes"

I will likely spent 8-9 months in Thailand and 3-4 months in Boston in retirement

But quite honestly, I don't see much getting me riled up in Thailand because my life wouldn't be that much different there, than it is here

Exercise, as Shane said above, watch sports and cook good food and go out a couple times/week

Travel down to the beach every few months........

Rinse, repeat

There will be things that bother me, for sure................but there is things that bother me in Boston and Vancouver

[Soidog]

  On 10/24/2022 at 2:32 PM, Marc26 said:

I think you find so many guys in Thailand that cut off their home country, for whatever reasons, or brag they haven't been back, that are also the ones that are most miserable

I think you should have a decent footing in both "homes"

I will likely spent 8-9 months in Thailand and 3-4 months in Boston in retirement

But quite honestly, I don't see much getting me riled up in Thailand because my life wouldn't be that much different there, than it is here

Exercise, as Shane said above, watch sports and cook good food and go out a couple times/week

Travel down to the beach every few months........

Rinse, repeat

There will be things that bother me, for sure................but there is things that bother me in Boston and Vancouver

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What you describe is pretty much what I do now. I spend 6-9 months in Thailand and the rest in either the U.K. or Holland. I pick up some work from time to time and I keep myself active in sport and exercise. I go out a couple of times a week for some decent food and a few too many beers. Three or four times a year I head to the beach or some other different place to catch up with friends. Keeping active and finding a purpose is essential to humans and especially in retirement. 

[Marc26]

  On 10/24/2022 at 2:45 PM, Soidog said:

What you describe is pretty much what I do now. I spend 6-9 months in Thailand and the rest in either the U.K. or Holland. I pick up some work from time to time and I keep myself active in sport and exercise. I go out a couple of times a week for some decent food and a few too many beers. Three or four times a year I head to the beach or some other different place to catch up with friends. Keeping active and finding a purpose is essential to humans and especially in retirement. 

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Exactly what I will do

We will have the house in the village, luckily it's only 1hr30mins from Bangkok and 15mins to a pretty lively town.

When in village, do what I do on a weekly basis here...........

Then probably head down to beaches for month long stays twice per year, pick different places so it's always sort of fresh

And as you stated above, home for Xmas, etc

Although this year we doing Xmas in Bangkok.........20 of us at an American Xmas buffet!(me being the only American at our table 555)

As for work, I will probably do something

If my stepson starts a business down the road, I'd imagine we'd be involved in some way

[JamesR]

  On 10/24/2022 at 8:39 AM, Cabra said:

100%... and what you make of your own circumstances. Sounds like you are practiced and resilient. Which can only benefit you. If nothing else preparing you to overcome the inevitable challenges that come with moving abroad, and to deal with the disillusionment (stage 2) phase, if it comes to that. But most importantly, you have checked the box on "always have an escape plan" should the disillusionment phase become untenable.

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I will not be moving abroad as far as I read it, I will come and go as I please as before, that resets the onset of a 'disillusionment' phase.

I am assuming of course, we can come in and out of the country on a retirement 'visa' whenever we want, I think we have to get a re-entry paper or something of the sorts before leaving?

[Cabra]

  On 10/26/2022 at 5:42 PM, JamesR said:

I am assuming of course, we can come in and out of the country on a retirement 'visa' whenever we want, I think we have to get a re-entry paper or something of the sorts before leaving?

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That's correct 

[JamesR]

  On 10/27/2022 at 2:15 AM, Cabra said:

That's correct 

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Thanks for the info

[Soidog]

  On 10/26/2022 at 5:42 PM, JamesR said:

I will not be moving abroad as far as I read it, I will come and go as I please as before, that resets the onset of a 'disillusionment' phase.

I am assuming of course, we can come in and out of the country on a retirement 'visa' whenever we want, I think we have to get a re-entry paper or something of the sorts before leaving?

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My understanding is that there are two types of extension of visa on the basis of retirement. Multiple entry and ones that require a reentry permit. I’ve tagged @Faz on this as he’s the immigration expert. There is probably loads of information in the relevant section on visas. I think if you intend to leave more than three times in a year, you are better off going for the multiple entry retirement extension as it will work out cheaper than paying 1,900 baht for a reentry permit each time???

[Faz]

  On 10/27/2022 at 11:18 AM, Soidog said:

My understanding is that there are two types of extension of visa on the basis of retirement. Multiple entry and ones that require a reentry permit. I’ve tagged @Faz on this as he’s the immigration expert. There is probably loads of information in the relevant section on visas. I think if you intend to leave more than three times in a year, you are better off going for the multiple entry retirement extension as it will work out cheaper than paying 1,900 baht for a reentry permit each time???

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You extend your permission of stay granted on entry based on retirement, which is a permit (of stay), not a visa. An extension is valid for 1 year and costs 1,900 BHT.

There are two re-entry permits available, the single entry, cost 1,000 BHT, the multiple entry costs 3,800 BHT.

The re-entry permit protects any permission of stay already granted by Immigration.
If you had a 1-year extension issued on March 1st 2022 permitting you to stay until Mar 1st 2023, and you exited without a re-entry permit, your permission of stay would cease the moment you leave.
If you had a single re-entry permit, exited, then re-enter, during the period of stay, you would be granted permission of stay again until Mar 1st 2023.
If you had a multiple re-entry permit, you could exit and re-enter as many times as required during the period of stay, but on each re-entry you would be granted permission of stay again until Mar 1st 2023.

[Soidog]

  On 10/27/2022 at 5:18 PM, Faz said:

There are two re-entry permits available, the single entry, cost 1,000 BHT, the multiple entry costs 3,800 BHT.

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Thanks @Faz  so unless you intend to leave 4 times or more, it’s more cost effective to get a single reentry permit each time at 1,000 baht

[Faz]

  On 10/27/2022 at 5:34 PM, Soidog said:

Thanks @Faz  so unless you intend to leave 4 times or more, it’s more cost effective to get a single reentry permit each time at 1,000 baht

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Generally, yes.
Re-entry permits can be applied for at local Immigration offices or at International airports on departure.