Yep. Avoid Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya.
Chiang Mai is beautiful and inexpensive.
It’s also on my short list of retirement destinations.
I can live like a Prince in Thailand just on my Social Security, and that’s if I opt to take it at age 62
Once I get a handle on my actual monthly expenses, I’m going to see if Koh Samui is within my budget.
It actually is, but I want to be able to save some money every month in addition to my “seed” money to move over there and have enough in the bank for emergencies.
If SS goes under or stops paying out for a while, I’ll have enough to live on for a while as well as an “exit plan”
” I’m going to see if Koh Samui is within my budget.”
Check out Koh Chang , beyond Rayong , way less tourists , way more wildlife and fish , and not a magnet for stinky Euro hippies ( unless you like stinky Euro hippies...)
” If SS goes under or stops paying out for a while, I’ll have enough to live on for a while as well as an “exit plan”
Teach English . Lots of fun and fairly lucrative . I used to make 500 baht for a 2 hour tutoring session , fees shared among the number of students . That’s more than a Thai laborer makes in several days . Commit several days of your week to this , several sessions a day and you should be good to go . Make it fun , make them study , give interesting projects , conduct field trips that require your student to speak English in describing things in their own environment. They love it . Most Thai that wish to speak English get little opportunity to practice in a low pressure non-classroom situation . In the process , you will learn Thai very well. If you are going in live in Thailand YOU MUST learn Thai . Do not listen to any lazy expat that tells you it is not necessary . In 2 years you will be an ace .