Retiring in Thailand, Revised Edition [Paperback]

Sunisa W. Terlecky (Author), Philip Bryce (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2007

This is a revised edition of the book "Retiring in Thailand" which contains updates on the new Thai law on retirement and other general updates. Why Thailand? Thailand is a great retirement option for anyone with modest savings. The low cost of living and high quality of healthcare can dramatically increase your standard of living. The country is attractive to many because of its beautiful beaches, friendly people, delicious food, astonishing culture and much more. Find out how you can live in paradise for pennies on the dollar. This book could open doors for you to a lifestyle you have never dreamed of. Retiring in Thailand is the most complete guide for anyone living, working or retiring in Thailand. This book contains essential information about: Visas--get comprehensive information on tourist, non-immigrant, marriage and retirement visas and work permits. Finance--find out about taxes, pensions, savings and banking when planning your retirement in Thailand. Medical--learn about private and government hospitals, clinics, prescription drugs, health insurance from western patients in Thailand. Tips--read valuable tips on how to live a successful life in Thailand and learn from other retirees stories. Retirement Locations--get an overview of different parts of the kingdom from the point of view of expats who live there. This is not your typical tourist guide to Thailand. The information in this book is written and contributed by expats living in Thailand and a Thai native. Whether you have just arrived in Thailand or lived there for decades, you will find this book informative and useful.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Many expats in this country have already retired and have made the decision that Retiring in Thailand (ISBN 1-887521-70-4, Paiboon Publishing, 2006) is for them. Written by Philip Bryce (retired in Koh Pha-Ngan) and Sunisa Wongdee Terlecky (semi retired in California and Bangkok), the book promises to tell the reader how you can live in paradise for pennies on the dollar. The book is divided into five sections, with Philip writing the second section on Planning your retirement in Thailand and Mrs. Sunisa writing the other four entitled Why Thailand?, Tips on how to live a successful retired life in Thailand , Retirement locations and the Reference section. I did find the words of wisdom from the few retired expats they had interviewed very interesting, and many of the tips are well known, but ignored, and it is good for potential retirees to understand that spending the next 20 years sitting on a bar stool is not much of a way to spend the last years of your life, even though initially it is much more inviting than working as an assembly line worker in Detroit. It has a strong American bias, which is understandable, with both Philip and Sunisa having worked for many years in the US, and the reference currency throughout the book is the US dollar. In the section at the end of the book is a table showing the costs of everyday living items in Thailand, which the reader looking at retiring here will not believe. A haircut for $2! Or $3 for a movie ticket! However, the book does not point out with sufficient emphasis that these prices, when you are living here on a limited budget (an Old Age Pension for example, or perhaps no pension at all and using savings) that these prices are relatively just as expensive as the similar items in the US or the UK where incomes are higher. This is a cheap enough reference book, though much will have to be brought up to date each year. The book had no sooner been published when the government was overthrown by a welcomed blo --Pattaya Mail --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Phillip is originally from England. Until 2003, he worked as a software engineer in Silicon Valley, California, fighting the traffic and slaving long hours to pay a mortgage, all the while dreaming of a life in paradise. After visiting Thailand many times and falling in love with the country (and the girls) he decided to move to Thailand. Phillip writes books and supports on-line customers of TabTrax, a drum music teaching program that he created. He is his own boss and lives the life he loves in Thailand. He has a beautiful house on the island of Koh Pha-Ngan overlooking the sea, a lovely Thai wife, and a steady income from his freelance work. Sunisa left Thailand when she was 22 to continue her studies overseas. She has done extensive research on Thailand and given lectures to foreigners on the Thai language and culture. She has always been interested in early retirement. She is an avid traveler, scrabble player and accomplished Latin dancer. She now resides with her husband, in San Francisco, California and Bangkok, Thailand. Sunisa enjoys living as an early semi-retiree and a part-time writer.

Product Details

• Paperback: 270 pages
• Publisher: Paiboon Publishing; 2nd edition (September 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887521798
• ISBN-13: 978-1887521796
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #490,169 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > Travel > Specialty Travel > Senior Travel

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Author's Comments, October 23, 2006

By 

Philip Bryce (Pa-ngan Island, Thailand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Retiring in Thailand (Paperback)

This is Philip Bryce, the co-author of this book. I am not here to review my own book but to correct some misleading statements made by reviewer Geoff Puterbaugh.

Mr. Puterbaugh states that he is able to do is 90 day reporting by mail. Reporting by mail is most certainly not an option in Ko Samui, you must appear in person and the consequences for not doing that are very severe. It is my understanding that this is the normal case in Thailand, but I strongly recommend you check with your local immigration office.

Mr. Puterbaugh states that I said `the new settler in Thailand needs to find a "pharmacist" to superintend their health'. I most definitely did not say or imply that; in fact, quite the opposite, I say "beware of self medication" and advise people to seek advice from a doctor if drug names are different in Thailand to the names used at home.

I state that "tranquilizers and sedatives are only available from hospital pharmacies." That information was sourced from "Guide to Healthy Living in Thailand and Southeast Asia" and confirmed by the medical director of Bangkok Samui Hospital.

I did make a mistake about teaching salaries; I wrote "500 to 1,500 baht per hour or 20,000 to 50,000 baht per month", I meant to type "500 to 1,500 baht per day or 20,000 to 50,000 baht per month". My apologies for any confusion this may have caused.

On the reviewers main point that we `redefined the word "retirement," `, guilty as charged. Most "retirees" where I live are in their forties and fifties and are not eligible for retirement visas. Some people who are eligible do not meet the financial requirements; therefore we see nothing inappropriate about including abroad range of information for retirees of any age. And as to Mr. Puterbaugh's assertion that retirees should not engage in `VERY active sports (surfing, snorkeling, wind-surfing)' that is clearly laughable!

This book has over 250 pages of highly researched, factual information for people interested in living and retiring in Thailand. It is meant as an introductory guide, not a legal or medical reference book. Rules and regulations seem to change almost daily in Thailand and are always open to the interpretation of the individual officer or official. This book is a first edition and will have minor errors; please rest assured that the main substance of the text has been researched from multiple, reliable sources and is to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing, correct.

Note that there have been significant changes in visa rules since printing; please see the Thai government visa updates for more information.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book on Retiring in Thailand!, November 28, 2006

By 

James H. Cogan (Thailand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Retiring in Thailand (Paperback)

As a visitor to Thailand virtually every year for close to 20 years,
and a current semi-retiree in Thailand, I found Phillip Bryce's book
most helpful.

There is a wealth of well researched,as well as clearly experientially
based information,many of which even regular, long term visitor like
myself did not know.

Because work,land ownership and long term visas in Thailand can be
surprisingly complex to deal with, I found Mr Bryce's time tested advice
was invaluable.

I would consider this book a "must" for anyone who wants to spend more
than a few weeks at a time in Thailand on an ongoing basis.

J. Cogan

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very useful book!, December 31, 2007

By 

T. Persinger "Goof" (People's Republic of California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Retiring in Thailand, Revised Edition (Paperback)

I have wanted to expatriate to Asia for some time now, but have always wondered about the logistics of doing so, especially regarding visas. This book does a wonderful job of explaining all your options, in detail. I also really like that he discussed each of the major areas, and used interviews with real expats in those areas to discuss the pros and cons of each area. Ultimately, if you're planning to retire in Thailand you should visit all areas (and he encourages that) to find the area that suits you best, but knowing up front many of the pros and cons of each area is a great foundation to build on. I really recommend this book.