My three-bedroom Chiang Mai requires maintenance, just like houses everywhere. This is my home maintenance diary, with costs and mistakes that come with caring for houses regardless of where you live.

Electrical Work

Last week my bathroom light went out and, since replacing it required going to the electrical supply shop for a replacement, balancing on top of a stepladder, unwiring the LED ring and ballast, and rewiring the new one, I took the coward’s way out and called the electrician. He came, took a look, vanished, returned with the new unit and installed it–all within 40 minutes. The bill? 250 baht ($8.80). I gave him 500.

Painting

I got tired of looking at my fence and decided to repaint it. Two guys and a lady showed up and started by pruning my giant hedge back so the sliding gate can roll easily. Then they welded four decorative metal arrows (along the top of the gate in picture) back on. Then they painted the metal parts of the fence and gate white and gold, and painted the concrete fence–both front and side–gray, to match the house. Then, for good measure, they re-plumbed my kitchen sink so it doesn’t leak any more. Total: 7,500 Bt. (US $227.00).

Moving into my house in Chiang Mai was a little tricky. Here’s a list of what our Concierge service provides. Before you part company with your realtor and the owner–who should both be present with you at the signing–here’s the minimum:

• Cash–to pay your first and last month’s rent.
• Your new address in both English and Thai–typed into your smartphone and checked by both of them. You will need both for different audiences.
• Mail delivery arrangements–especially if you are in a condo with a front desk. You’ll be receiving all kinds of important mail in the first week or two and you don’t want it piling up under the desk because the clerk was too shy to tell you that they don’t deliver it.
• TV/Internet subscription–get the agent to set up the appointment (if any) for the installers because it’s a pain in the ass doing it yourself.
• Ditto water and electricity–get them to handle it while they’re still your friends, preferably before you even hand over the money.
• Your TM-30 Form, the Proof of Legal Residence that must accompany your permanent visa application and must be filled out and signed by your landlord.
• Your new address, in English and Thai. She also emails this to them
• The names and addresses of your new electricity and water suppliers and how to pay their bills.
• Your cable company. (She helps them subscribe).
• Your trash collector and how to pay them.

The Cost of Living in My House in Chiang Mai? When clients ask about houses and the cost of living in Chiang Mai the first place we visit is my house In the picture): It’s a useful place to start, for several reasons. It’s a real, typical house and we can walk around inside and discuss how much everything costs. It’s very significant to new arrivals that they can repaint an entire house for 15,000 Baht ($500) because now they;’re not afraid to take on a place that needs some renovation or whose color scheme doesn’t suit them. And to know how much each piece of custom-made furniture cost, because now they can think realistically about renting an unfurnished place (most Thai houses are furnished). Ditto appliance costs, my custom electrical work, fiberoptic internet and bottled water delivery. That’s why I call it ‘useful’: in a matter of minutes they have a down to earth, dollars and cents budget in mind, they understand the tradeoffs between location (mine is so-so), size, quality and monthly rent. If you’re planning to move to Thailand I recommend getting inside a real house and asking the owner every question imaginable before you start looking for your own place.

Back Story: My Thai house is on a quiet (no through traffic) street in a mixed neighborhood with expensive houses, a small bus depot and an ice factory. All neighborhoods are ‘mixed’ here: there’s no zoning. Three bedrooms, 2 tiled bathrooms, small Western kitchen, solid concrete that’s cool in summer and warm in winter for 10,000 Baht (US$300)/month. Ten minutes from Chiang Mai Old Town. I’m slowly getting it livable. Before I  moved in 12 months ago I had the interior repainted for 14,000 baht; installed new, custom-made drapes to match the color scheme (8,000 Baht) and a new garden and lawn (2,500 baht).

At dinner last month Christophe admired my windows, “Wow! You’re lucky that your house is sealable. You could run an air purifier!” I grunted and forgot about it until the local Hill People started burning the underbrush two weeks ago. The hills that protect Chiang Mai from violent weather also prevent smoke from blowing away so I followed Christophe’s advice. Siam TV, an electronics chain, has the deepest range of purifiers and I bought the cheapest. My 3,000 Baht (US$100)

Hatari has now been running 24×7 for three weeks and I’m delighted. Its 3-stage filter – mechanical + plasma + ionization – has relaxed my nasal passages and I breathe easier day and night. Highly recommended! I also spent 60,000 Baht on line for a new 27″ iMac from Apple Thailand. It arrived three days later, freight and duty free, by UPS from China! Very cool to see that the ASEAN duty-free market is starting to deliver – literally.

Knowing I was planning to spend Christmas-New Year in Australia a Thai friend suggested that, for 10,000 baht, he’d handle some tasks I’d put off: touch up the 1-year-old interior paint; get some scrapes on the car resprayed; remove the failed outside garden and its brick wall; replace the door tracks….
I returned this week to find that – if the jobs had been done at all – they’d been done half-assedly. The garden was gone but the bricks remained; the door tracks were removed but not replaced; my friend had discovered the car’s insurance policy in the glove compartment, located a body shop accredited by my insurer and charged God knows how much to the policy as an ‘accident’ (the difference will, no doubt, end up in my friend’s pocket) and, though the work was minor, the car won’t be ready for another week. My request that we cancel the job and pick up my car was met with changing excuses, so I’ve rented a car. You get the picture…

An expat friend called and I mentioned my to-do list. “None of it was done, right?” he asked. We both laughed uproariously. I would have been pleasantly surprised if the work had been completed, of course, but I wasn’t surprised at the outcome. There’s a good reason mai pen rai is the national mantra: Thais’ handling of responsibilities is unlike ours. My friend is still my friend. I still love Thailand.  I tell you this story now so that, by the time it’s your turn you’ll be relaxed and humorous about such matters. Now, here are some prices for

Services

• Water delivery costs 30 Baht/case of 24 one-liter bottles.
• Garbage collection (almost unlimited quantity) 30 Baht/week
• Electricity 900 baht/month
• Internet: 30 Gb download fiberoptic: 1200 baht/month.
• iPhone: unlimited service 960 baht/month.

Furniture

I ordered the furniture from a furniture cooperative in the countryside south of Chiang Mai. A very cool place and their solid teak stuff was amazing to look at and amazingly affordable. More on that in my next post. Meanwhile, here‘s a video of the arrival of the plants and the first of the furniture:

Reading

• 3 Phase Power – TeakDoor.com – The Thailand Forum – If you want to build a luxury house in Thailand then this is the forum for you.

January 2015: I Just Found My House in Chiang Mai. I’ll move in next week. Here’s the story:

My house in Chiang Mai was an accident. I’d saved $70,000 from the business over the past 2 years and resolved to buy an ordinary, 2 bedroom condo in a nondescript part of the inner city. But tying up my meagre capital in a piece of (very ordinary) real estate raised some problems:

1. I’d be back to square one – zero capital – while still needing to grow the business (I’ve had two requests to franchise it).
2. ‘Used’ real estate is much harder to sell in Thailand. People don’t like moving in with the former occupants’ vibes (phi) – especially foreigner vibes!
3. There’s a building boom going on with no end in sight. The economy is running very nicely (unemployment is under 1%/ Yes, that’s a’1′.) and Chinese cash is seeping in under the doors and over the transom. Everyone here is suddenly rediscovering old Chinese cousins….
4. I’d be in the middle of a grimy (Asian air quality is OK, but grimy), noisy city.
5. To go for a walk I’d have to walk to somewhere via narrow streets in the pre-dawn light.

So when a client recently told me he was moving out of his 10,000 Bt/mo., 3 bedroom, 2 ba, Western kitchen house with a lawn and off-street parking in a very quiet neighborhood 10 minutes from the city, you can guess my response. And since he was moving out 12 months into a 24 month lease, he offered to pay my first month’s rent so I could make a smooth transition.

Which is what I’m now doing. I’ve had it repainted – interior and some outside changes. The whole job cost me 15,000 Bt ($500) and took 3 days.

I hired three Thai ladies to spend a day cleaning it. They did a great job. The entire bill for that was 900 Bt ($30). I bought lunch, so that added 100 Bt to the total.

Then Aimie took me down to the curtain and drapes shop where I ordered a custom made set of handsome drapes for every window in the house, and the sliding doors. 14 separate pieces. Installed. 15,000 Bt.

Next, it was off to the furniture factory for some custom built teak furniture. And that’ll be the subject of the next episode of this piece about my house in Chiang Mai.

I also get food delivered to my house in Chiang Mai. Here’s how..

The post My House in Chiang Mai appeared first on Thai Retirement Helpers: Retiring in Thailand Made Easy.

Happily, everyone pulled together. His Thai business partner found his contacts list on his phone, a brother was summoned from the UK, a lawyer found who had the unsigned documents, and it got worked out. But it required 5 people who didn’t know each other spending a week to make the same thing happen because they all wanted the intended beneficiary to get everything possible from the estate. If any of us had objected the entire affair (including the client’s body!) would have remained frozen.

My guy charges 5,000 Baht for Making a Thai Will. I haven’ checked any other providers because, having seen him in action in this case, I wouldn’t have anyone else involved. He made everything happen. And remember, he was working with documents that were unsigned and hadn’t even paid for the will when he dies. For that kind of service, $5K sounds cheap. Here’s the information you’ll need:

1. Passport copies – yourself, the beneficiaries and Executor
2. Address – yourself and the beneficiaries
3. Assets – what will go where / to who
4. Copy of Bank book
5. Copy of car / bike book
6. Would yo be cremated?
7. Who is the executor?

OK, here’s some straight talk about making a will in Thailand:

I’m Making a Thai Will…and so should you–especially if you drive in Thailand!

The post Making a Thai Will appeared first on Thai Retirement Helpers: Retiring in Thailand Made Easy.

Bed Linens. Thai linens are pretty awful, for some reason. The towels are bearable, but the sheets are rough and uncomfortable. Even though China makes most of the world’s linens, there are no decent sheets imported to Thailand. So bring your own sheets and remember that Thai Mattress sizes are different from ours:

• US Standard King — 76 x 80 inches = 198 x 203 cm.
• Thailand King — 72 x 78 inches = 183 x 198 cm

You can, of course, get a custom-cut latex mattress in Thailand to fit your sheets, but you’d also have to order a custom-made bed. These options are relatively inexpensive but cheapest by far is to have your foreign sheets altered by one of Thailand’s thousands of seamstresses – whose stalls can be found on any roadside. Expect to pay less than 300 Baht ($10)and wait less than 48 hours for the work to be done. Here are the sheets I got from Amazon that work well in Thailand’s conditions (and laundries).

Kitchen Knives: Thailand’s growing middle class does not cook. Cooking is not a Thai pastime in the cities, and back on the farm it’s an entirely different affair. Thais prefer to pick up their meals at roadside stalls, especially since indoor kitchens are relatively unknown here. But if you plan to have a Western kitchen and do some cooking, as I do, you’ll need some decent knives. And decent knives are all imported here, and start at $100/3000 Bt. So bring your own. Once again, I turned to Amazon for my standard 12” kitchen knife and bread knife.

Scissors: You’ll be surprised by how often you use scissors here. And appalled by the quality of Thai scissors. So bring your own. Heavy duty, so you can cut anything with them. These are what I use and recommend: Fiskars Heavy Duty Scissors. Good bang for the buck, They stay sharp. Don’t rust – a big deal in these humid parts.

Here’s a video with some more good suggestions about what to bring with you when you move to Thailand:

The post What to Bring to Thailand appeared first on Thai Retirement Helpers: Retiring in Thailand Made Easy.

Dear Neil and Bruce,

The post We Get Mail – From Retirees in Thailand appeared first on Thai Retirement Helpers: Retiring in Thailand Made Easy.

I have been visiting Thailand as a tourist for over twenty years.  I shall briefly consider whether retirement at fifty is worth it and, if so, why Thailand.   By retirement, I do not mean literally “retiring” from life.  Let’s call it “semi-retirement”.

Life at fifty

Retirement is an opportunity to do what you want and according to when you want.  If you are not doing what you really wish to do at fifty then you are in danger of dying unfulfilled.  Before you think that the average person lives to about seventy-five years in the so-called “developed” world, give a passing thought to those you know who have died early or who have suffered life altering events for the worse before reaching fifty.  My mother’s early death and my own health scares cause me to reflect.

At fifty you can probably expect another fifteen to twenty years of reasonably healthy life.  You cannot take your assets or savings with you after death and, aside of giving some inheritance to family members, you should consider spending some of your capital in doing what you wish; in what is, effectively, the last third of your life.   Do not hold out for longer lasting medical treatments or “miracle drugs” or perpetual life; they are years away and world “unknowns” do not support the idea of sustainable life forever.

Assuming some good health, fifty is old enough to have experience and some capital behind you; and young enough to have some time and opportunity ahead.  So, fifty it is.

By retirement, I mean an opportunity to do what you want.  Getting started is often the hardest bit.  By all means plan ahead – to do otherwise is silly.

Having a partner can help but is not essential.  By the time you are fifty your kids should be nearing self-sufficiency; if not, then (save for “late” mums and dads) it is about time that the kids are.

There are plenty of things to do to keep busy and/or earn income enough to pay some of your expenses after fifty: charity work, teaching, TESOL/TEFL, life-coaching, self-employment, home businesses on-line, long-term travel, ex pat clubs, recreations.  I plan to take a TESOL/TEFL course in Bangkok or Phuket; something to fall back on, subject to visa requirements.  English language skills are in great demand in Asia generally – just visit any college or school and see.

There is no easy answer to how much capital you need to have saved before you retire to Thailand.  Personal circumstances are different; as are life-styles.  Little is to be gained by too much information overload on this point and there are enough financial gurus out there (via a simple google search) to gain an idea about how much one needs to retire.  Some of the ex pat forum website comments can make for amusing financial reading as experienced ex pat commentators bring the “newbies” up to speed.

For what it is worth, I think a minimum US$500,000 is desirable, probably not including the roof over your head or your accommodation costs.  Double that would be good.  Over US$2 million and much more and you are doing nicely.  Under US$500,000 and I think you are cutting it fine but possible.

Big “unknown” costs can include – health, unplanned air travel, interest rates versus inflation and losses on future currency exchange rates.  Look at the recent Euro and Aus. $ volatility.  Road accidents also appear to be quite prevalent in parts of Thailand and motor bikes a particular concern.  Friends tell me if they get seriously sick or injured, they visit private hospitals but try to avoid overnight stays that can be expensive.  I once visited a private hospital in Bangkok for a “skin rash” – blood tests, anti-biotics and a good local doctor cost me about US$200 (all in 2 hours).

Think about health and critical illness insurance but neither come cheap.

If you are sensible, a single person should be able to live on approximately US$2,000 per month in Thailand (including accommodation); a couple a bit more but with some economy of scale to be had.  It can be done cheaper.  However, allow for “events” and some front-loaded costs.  I aim to budget for about US$2,000 per month (including, my rent costs).  I do not drink or smoke, which will help.

Why Thailand

At fifty you can obtain a retirement visa, subject to applicable laws and criteria.  The income and capital requirements are not too strict.   Opening a bank account is relatively straight forward.  Pick your bank wisely (big and/or with a foreign association is generally better) and check your “depositor protection” status and bank charges as a resident foreigner.

Work opportunities will be limited but a good immigration lawyer and/or visa agent can assist; there are plenty on the ground in the big cities.  Godfree’s “Thailand Retirement Helpers” can assist here.

Thailand has a wonderful climate, provided you are not adverse to some heat.  It can rain some but often in predictable daily patterns you can plan around.  You rarely need to worry about more than one layer of clothing.  As a tourist, I normally only pack a few pairs of running shorts, tee-shirts, trainers and travel on the  plane in “smart casual” attire (should I need something to look presentable in, while on holiday).

The culture is friendly, provided you “return” smiles and show respect.

Local food is abundant, inexpensive and generally healthy.  Food costs in many parts of the world will become scarce and more expensive.  Thailand is an enormous rice grower and has a natural food growing climate (like Malaysia, Vietnam, parts of China).   Commodities and food will become even more important.   The next twenty-five years may well see a move back to farming.  It is unlikely Thailand will see major widespread water shortages.

Thailand has a relatively young population compared to many aging countries but one that is generally respectful of age.  Thailand is quite IT savvy but lags (say) Hong Kong and Singapore.

While there are political uncertainties in Thailand, and have been for the last few decades, these do not affect foreign retirees’ quality of life by and large.  I was in Bangkok at the time of some political unrest in 2010 and 2014 and never felt unsafe; in fact, quite the contrary.  Those incidents were (at worse) at times inconvenient.

Indeed, Thailand is by and large a peaceful country and culture.  There is some petty crime and some less pleasant aspects, but they are a fact of most modern life.  In over twenty years of visiting many parts of Thailand, I have never seen any serious crime; the crime I have seen has almost all been night time drink and tourist related.  A more recent phenomenon in Bangkok is foreign scam artists; never invest in these “get rich quick” promises and quietly (and quickly) move on.  When out and about at night generally stay ground floor and avoid “upstairs” and basement joints.

There is much to do in Thailand.  The climate and varied landscape allow this.  Water sports (some of the longest coastal areas in the world), cycling, walking, golf, cookery classes, Buddhist retreats, temple retreats, many martial arts, meditation, many nocturnal activities; the list goes on.  You should not be bored.  I once had ballroom “dance lessons” with a professional dance instructor in Bangkok, who turned out to be a “ladyboy” and a great dancer (and nice with it); for those interested, I still tried to take the lead.  “She” charged Bhat 1000 per hour (just dance lessons).

Some life lessons

My first impressions of Thailand over some twenty years ago were not all good.  However, I came to see Thailand for what it is.  In short, a respectful culture and way of life but with modern amenities and facilities (including healthcare).   Do not underestimate the benefit of a good climate.   If you are single, there is abundant opportunity to meet a partner; just be careful and take your time.  Two rules normally hold true: (i) do not buy into property without first living in the locality and looking around for about a year and (ii) the same goes for finding a partner (business, personal or otherwise).

While you can place trust generally, do your due diligence (and avoid the foreign scam artists).  You will generally win Thailand over by showing respect.

Good luck.     PM

The post Consider Retirement in Thailand appeared first on Thai Retirement Helpers: Retiring in Thailand Made Easy.

David writes: “If you have bank a/c or Govt. approved retirement fund in Australia with a surrender value of at least Bt 800,000 in $A you can get a retirement visa  at the Thai Embassy in Canberra.

I have had a Thai Retirement Visa issued in Aus and have never had a bank account in Thailand and it’s good for 2 years…the 1st year you get a multi-entry retirement visa and you can come and go as often as you like. Each time you return your visa will get a stamped with an extension for a year.

So if you leave Thailand 3rd time or more or less (as I do) and you return the day before the retirement visa expires you will receive at the airport an extension to stay for a further 364 day (yes TIT a year in Thailand is really only 364 days). You cannot get an extension on top of an extension. You will have to apply again in your home country and do it all over again.

You need a real police report, a medical from a doctor and lots of photocopies all signed by a JP or CD, plus in Aus $275 and your passport all sent to the Embassy in your country. In about 10 days you will have your retirement visa all in order.

Ehen you arrive in Thailand YOU CAN JUST GO THROUGH THAI IMMIGRATION …you can also do it using you Aussie pension and evidence that your pension plus money from another pension fund to equal Bt65,000 p/m. I believe this will work OK but it may take over 12 months to prove this is so.

All the details of how to go about this are clearly explained on the Thai Embassy web site under “Retirement Visa”…yes you do not have to have a bank a/c or any money in Thailand to get a Thai Retirement Visa.

If I put the Bt800.000 in a Thai Bank a/c for a limited time to get a retirement visa very little interest is paid (none). The Bt800,000 if left in my retirement fund in Aus with interest and inflation value increases of about 3.5 per year amounts to about Bt80,000 per year. This indicates I would be loosing at least Bt80,000 per year interest on my fund for the year or about Bt1600 per week….you could buy 3 Honda Click second-hand motorbikes in good condition with Bt80,000 by keeping your money at home in your retirement fund. Mayby 4 Hondas?

This method of getting your Thai Retirement Visa in your home county at the Thai Embassy has been available for about 20 years, For me, it has been 7 years. Again, I’ve have never had a bank a/c in Thailand and have only ever obtained my Thai Retirement Visa at the Thai Embassy in Canberra Australia… Oh yes, the Thai Embassy is happy to accept that money in my bank managed or Govt approved retirement fund with a surrender to the value of at least Bt800,000 is treated it the same as money in the bank. You will require an original printout of a statement from that fund (not a photocopy) with the funds official stamp on it (hard to make up with Photoshop)

BTW: If you need health insurance, contact me about our group policy.

My Aussie financial advisor is James Brennan, who works for one of Australia’s oldest financial institutions, AMP. James has lived and worked in eight countries so he knows what he’s talking about. Here are some words of wisdom from James and helpful tips for australians moving to Thailand:

1. Pensions – there is no problem in being paid a pension overseas, and retiring in Thailand from Australia is no exception, but there are plenty of hurdles to cross. So tip one is not just to become familiar with the rules but to get to know the whole way Centrelink works. Who knows, you may be back sooner than you think? Or maybe you will opt for shorter periods of time in and out of Australia in which case becoming familiar with “working life” rules which can reduce your pension without your knowing it. [Note from me: Make sure that your superannuation pension stays tax-free while you are overseas. If you have a self-managed super fund, it will need to be restructured to ensure it remains a complying fund for Australian tax. If your super is with an industry fund or a big retail fund, the pensions you pay from it will be free from Australian tax. You can receive the age pension in Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam or Bali just as you can in Australia. Some 80,000 Australians already receive their age pensions overseas. But there are some tricks to be aware of. For example, you need to be eligible for, and already receiving, the age pension before you relocate].

2. Medicare – periods of over 2 years out of Oz will see you removed from the system. No automatic re-acceptance applies and the same is true of Health and other concessional cards.  [Note from me: Medicare is principally a health system for Australians who live in Australia. Non-residents are theoretically not entitled to Medicare on visits home to Australia but there is some flexibility for temporary absences, usually of up to two years. Once you have lived outside Australia for more than five years there is no flexibility – you are not entitled to Medicare on visits home. Take out an international health insurance policy. It is worth the expense. International health insurance can be expensive, but there are a number of different levels of cover from catastrophe insurance to the gold standard policy and prices vary widely. Tell your insurer the truth about any pre-existing illnesses. Failure to do so can lead to a denial of claims. Check if your proposed insurance company is recognised by major healthcare providers in your new country of residence].

3. Major life transition ahead – this is the time to get your physical, legal and financial health not only checked, but recorded. Medicare allows you to keep medical records online. A will stored with your accountant or lawyer here plus a copy taken with you. It’s not the jurisdictional validity which is the key, it’s that you have thought through the issues which ensure that the right beneficiary gets the right amount at the right time.

4. On a lighter note, street food myths – perhaps it is the prospective euphoria of escaping from our nanny state but the rules of hygiene, food handling, storage, perishability ignore national boundaries. Maybe it’s because everything is so well regulated in food in Australia that our nannied stomachs become even more sensitive to disturbance.

5. Questions? Email James at james.brennan@ampfp.com.au.

A Note About Your Australian Home: Many people rent out their home in Australia then rent property in Thailand. This gives them the option of returning while keeping a foot in the Australian property market. You can rent out your principal residence for up to six years without affecting the tax-free capital gains when you eventually sell.

And Your Oz Taxes: Do your tax planning before you leave Oz. A key factor is whether you’re going to be a resident or non-resident for Australian tax purposes. Enjoy planning to retire to Thailand from Australia.

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