Retiring in the "correct" location

Before I moved permanently to Ban Sakanam, Chiayaphum Thailand this year, I had travelled to many places on this planet.

Due to my work, (including installing Satellite Communications and Microwave Commo Stations, and working five years as a Personnel Administrator for McDonnell Douglas), I have worked in, lived in or visited 39 countries and all 50 United States.

For the last 10 years or so of my working life, I started looking around for where I might retire. I considered Florida, Texas and California in the United States, Thailand, Philippines, Portugal, Greece (islands), Cyprus, and Macau.

At the time of my retirement I'd already made 30 trips to Thailand and it seemed the logical place to retire as I love the people here and the way of life.

Now, I'm NOT the typical expat in that I don't drink or smoke and really never did whore around as some expats do "occasionally"....lol

As luck would have it, on my first trip to Thailand after I retired, I met my present wife, (Jan 1995) and by September, we were married.

We moved to San Antonio Texas and then Yuma AZ, then returned to San Antonio spending 10 years living in the U.S. Before moving permanently back to Chiayaphum on my 36th visit to Thailand.

Truthfully, I could NOT have moved here even two years ago because there was not the "infastructure" in place for me to have enjoyed life here on a permanent basis.

But now, with the advent of having a mall in town that includes Tesco- Lotus, having Foodland here now, having many ADSL internet cafes available, and our village (Ban Sakanam) having reliable electricity, running water etc. it has become "quite livable".

In fact, I wouldn't think of living anywhere else. Now, that said, we do retirement a little different than most expats with Thai wives.

We spend about two weeks/month in Chiayaphum and travel throughout Thailand/Asia at will the other two weeks of every month. (Just returned from Christmas Shopping in Singapore) and we spend time each month in Bangkok, Udon Thani, Korat, Pattaya, and other locations at will.

I guess it took me so long (36 trips) to Thailand to make up my mind to actually retire here mostly because I knew Bangkok was NOT an option for retirement (love Thailand/hate Bangkok) and Pattaya Beach, where I spent the majority of the first 35 trips, also does not offer the lifestyle I wanted for my retirement years.

Sure would love to hear from other expats, who like me, decided to retire in Isaan, or any other location in Asia. Would love to hear what steered them to that decision.

Reader's comments:

Hi my name is carla and im 26 years old i read your imformation and think you have travelled a lot and that you have finally found that you love chiayaphum iv travelled to across most of thailand and i fell in love with chiayaphum too im going back there to visit my thai boyfriend and his amazing family but i stayed last time with them in there village and this time im going to stay in the city of chiayaphum with my british friend as i dont think she could handel the true thai style of living with the family i stayed with but we are also gonna go to korat too which i havent been to before and i know you dont drink but as 2 young girls i wondered if you could recomend and good bars or clubs in chiayaphum and korat my e-mail is carlaheff@hotmail.com i would be grateful carla Added by: Anonymous    Report abuse

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