Retired with 54 years and be happier?
Now, 54 years old, separated from my wife and my friends, to weight and health problems have given me food for thought. I was also gaining weight, I was not happy with the direction my life was referenced, I can do? I think of alternatives.
Retired? Nobody wants to talk about or think. Maybe it makes us older people when we do. The years pass, and things have not changed. We do the same, eat the same nutrients, until the doctor says, a few changes, and we, as we live forever. Unfortunately we will not live forever, and we need to retire before us, the bucket. After all, what have you been working all these years somehow?
Now, on to the essentials, I thought, go to the Dominican Republic to live. But after two times I have determined that the power is not reliable, there were problems with safety, the doctors and dentists are not readily accessible and it is expensive.
With time on my hands, I was sitting in front of my computer and research. and discovered that Thailand was a popular retirement. In fact, I have read that Chiang Mai was the most popular destination for occupational retirement provision in the whole Southeast Asia.
Hundreds of hours later, methodically, Planner George and he came back with the countries and also the best in retirement in all cities in Southeast Asia and possibly the world. Chiang Mai, a city with several hundred thousand inhabitants. Approx. 420 km north of Bangkok, and less pollution, cheaper and with less traffic of Bangkok, and also cooler than in Bangkok. Chiang Mai, known to most Americans still visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists each year, and the house of a thousand foreigners who are there, he finds for his taste and decided that this new home.
I arrived in Bangkok on 23 November 2004, where we begin to share our experiences from real life, adventures and misfortunes.
After the tiring journey, I decided to stay a few nights in Bangkok. Then I was also prepared, from Chiang Mai.
A quick one hour flight to a relaxation or 13 hours, the train was to be? With the award of baggage I, including golf clubs and I decided on the train. The bumpy in a very comfortable armchair (2nd class A / C) all me back $ 15 U.S. Dollar, which included two meals, refreshments and a piece of pastry. It was a little noise to see, but the forest. But I had all my baggage on board, without additional costs and jolty was exactly what my legs for transport.
My research, I could not well prepared for my trip and I’m not that things to chance. The things goes as planned and I am from Chiang Mai Railway Station and a room for 21 days in the Bossotel Inn is directly opposite the station.
Tourists than normal or? Yes, I know Canadians, like you?
I think that I am in total something in the vicinity of 600 hours for the search on the internet and I have learned what I could, but there is more, much more to learn.
I like a tourist in the first life in a hotel, eat my meals there. I have the pool before breakfast in a snooker behind the hotel. After breakfast, on television was the norm, and then later in the day, I go with the purchase and night tourist bazaar area of approximately 30 minutes. The march was a good exercise, it gave me the opportunity for individuals and companies during the trip and dealing with the city. Go to see the day in O’Malley’s Pub for a cool drink and Scot, a Canadian, and the owner.
The hotel was $ 16U.S. an overnight stay with breakfast and taxes. I wanted to stay, in a later, but do not want to that I had first. I was impressed when I visited the apartment and gave rise to reservations. And three weeks in a hotel, then in the apartment, approximately $ 250 per month with the public and contain water, and breakfast is not included. The apartment has the internet in the rooms, add to or on the Internet on the website, on the site massage spa, swimming pool on the roof, the renting of motorcycles, beauty salon and a restaurant, the evening entertainment. The TV has a wide selection of programs by satellite, there was free parking on the site and an excellent location near the complex. So he had everything
Other pensioners recommend a stay in a condo or an apartment for 6 months or more, with the city prior to any kind of long-term leasing agreements.
I met a charming lady named Nichaya. There was a hairdresser during the day and my guide, guides, transportation during the course of the evening. Even though I weigh more than twice his weight, we rode around the city on his motorbike. The leadership of the motorcycle and I on the back. This May seem strange, but it is not uncommon. Unless you know the city and really know how to ride a motorcycle, you must not. These vehicles are 100 to 110 cm, which means that the motors are not strong, but they are very economical in fuel consumption. We’ve made every day in the city, just 2 U.S. $ in the diesel fuel.
To learn more about life in Chiang Mai was to live with the people. Find out what they eat, where they store what it daily.
At the moment Nichaya Wan or his nickname, which everyone here, and I are very close and love the other. I have guests in Patong beach resort for a week vacation. She has rejected, but every day, I want to again. Finally, they accepted and retained. It is part of the December, 2004 tsuanmi? Now estimates, where I was at that time? Right. Just there.
The tsunami hit a few days ago, we were back in Chiang Mai. We have a camera, a few clothes, pictures, but the others. It will calm the situation and we are healthy and unharmed. In case you’re interested in is what happened.
Quake 3 has awakened me and I wondered whether there was a earthquake. Clock at 4.30, another earthquake. Awoke me. In the vicinity of 7 clock a big boum sounded like a shotgun blast, then a minute later another boom.
I think it is May, the terrorists by the pool and I recommended in the room. Nichaya told me from the room. We have such a low value, passport and leave the hotel. Our hotel room was in the lowest level compared to the pool, which is about 6 meters deeper than the lobby. We are in the pool, the stairs from the hall and the main entrance. As we pass through the Straits of water arises from the hotel and on the road. Thus, the water must be at least 6 feet high, straight to the hall. Motorcycle vehicles, which have been transported into the streets in all directions by the sudden jet. We were on a site higher on the road and our shoes and I rolled up my trousers.
After an hour, the level of the water began back. It is at this time a motorcycle police alerted the world and make it another wave soon. He was right. Another wave was comparable to the hall and on the road back. Well, the water was returned to the spot where she was, and we do nothing but wait.
On the day before the tsunami, we were on a cruise ship to the islands of Phi Phi. Two days before the tsunami, we have rented boats on the beach. If that was one day earlier or at another time, then there would not be playing this Article.
If the water back, and it is certain we are again in the lobby of the hotel was a little boy in the pool when the tsunami catastrophe, the earth, if someone tries to lie, again. Unfortunately he is not done. The staff of the hotel have been completely prepared. Nice people as they are, they have no idea what I should do. The guests were invited to screech, call a doctor, you call a doctor? The hotel staff smiled politely, but not understood or have not been able to reach everyone.
As we approached, we found our room was devastated. The exterior of the windows broke through the water, the door is broken, mattresses and furniture with their heads down and not the board.
The guests were at a higher buses and trucks. We sat on the roadside at a higher vantage. The deputy found hotel accommodation near Phuket, approximately half an Patong. We have others who sat on the roadside and went to a few huts where Wan Hill was able to the people to speak their language and their situation. It offers refreshments and to fix and maintain.
Only when we are at the airport a day later that we, the true extent of the devastation. There were tourists at the airport with breaks, tires, broken bones, but worse, there were many people missing.
Taiwan and free, but I have something from each other by the experience. We have shown how we react in an emergency situation and we learn about the hotels and the Thais. After the hotel in the management of Patong Merlin Hotel is at least 6 times at this point and her sister, Phuket hotel was damaged by the tsunami, we have an answer within 5 days. You have not tried cleaning the clothes left behind, has not attempted to re-record the entire contents, not even try to us through a letter or an e-mail to say sorry about this experience. We are one week ago to 100 U.S. dollars per night and will never be in a new Merlin Hotel.
Had it differently or better in North America?
Now, an hour flight from Bangkok back to some races and then a short one hours trip in Chiang Mai, my new house.
Now life is different. Taiwan and I live in his house in town with her daughter and her mother. Her husband died and she was a count on it. Taiwan has a beauty salon down in his house in the city.
What’s different now?
Now I have learned to live with less. It has adapted here from $ 80 per month and an excellent accommodation for him $ 200 per month. In other words, an analogue to a hotel, television with cable or satellite, swimming pool, restaurant and in a good position to twice per week or the week.
I eat the Thai food with chicken wings, french fries, potato and some soap several times a week. I’ve read that the Thai can do anything that taste. That is true.
They use fresh ingredients in the kitchen. There are many farms and close to the production of fruit and vegetables, abundant in the year and very inexpensive. There is also a great selection of seafood to the. You can use the products of the sea on the market or from a large shop where the selection is huge and fresh. If you wish, a fish, your shopping and control when you go to your fish cooked at home for lunch or dinner.
I recently bought pineapples of major grocery store. Large, News, mouth watering pineapple. Ten baht or 25 U.S. cents each. You go out, if for yourself and rely on the cellophane packaging with styrofoam free.
Return to cook. The reason of Thai cuisine is so delicious, is partly the freshness of the ingredients, but most of all sauces. Easy fried rice with vegetables is a delicious meal with the right to give the sauce. Something to watch, because if you are here. Two small bowls with a lot of food. There was a green paste sauce and the other is a red paste / sauce. These are meat and fish by diving or by a small amount to a spoonful of the ball and then your food. WATCH OUT! Red is hot and spicy should be added in a quantity to measure. Green may not be at all, unless you are in Thailand or Mexico, in my opinion. Green is the hottest of the two and you can come to get a glass of water and to visit the toilet in the middle of the night and you do not brush your teeth.
Fantastic food and the negotiation of prices.
Large homes and the negotiation of prices.
Friendly people who do their best to make you feel at home.
So much to do, I can not list all of them.
Cable TV with 54 channels for U.S. $ 8.25 per month. Costs for the installation of the cable is about 7 U.S. Dollar and 2.50 U.S. dollars in addition to the second TV. Internet and telephone for about $ 20 U.S. per month in total.
People work very hard. Many have their own business and work 16 hours a day, 7 days per week.
The activity in May, a new table and some chairs and sale of noodles, meat, fruit and a small store nearby home cooked food on the side.
I see the parents bringing their children to school, which is expensive here. More than 80,000 baht or $ 2000 U.S. per year for education, clothing and the preparation of 7 years. They teach the children English, even at this age. The parents work damm hard to pay tuition fees, but they do it in the hope their children to good jobs and a better life with a future anymore.
Cats and dogs are numerous. Almost everyone in our neighborhood has a cat or a dog, or both. Our neighbor has 6 cats and 2 cats, and it does not have a full-time employment. It is difficult for him, but I know he loves cats. He suggested to us a little, but we do not have the room.
So, to summarize things. It is not perfect here. You can find something, to complain if you hard enough, but for me it is also almost perfect, in my opinion.
I can tell you on one or two things that I do not like and I can tell you about the hundred things that I love. I am a person, if I understand it here, and they have very little or nothing, to complain, I am sure that the others love it here too.
Sun stands out Chiang Mai, I am that I have a website to help others to retire here. First of all, come here on vacation and then retire here. Our website address is:
http://www.retire-on-550-month.com
If you wish, you can retire on less than that, but for an expected life that everything you need.
Visit our website for food and recipes from Thailand, to learn more about the living conditions here, to see the photos from Chiang Mai.
So, off to a better health, more happy George, who lives on less benefit
Khop Khun Khrap or Thai, I thank you for reading the article. If you are here on vacation or extended stay for me to call and we go into a buffet and watch sushi, where can the ingredients for a soup called Suki, where you can eat an unlimited quantity of fresh salad with a variety of associations and tore the chicken on the side, choose from a selection of meats, noodles, or fish, and then the whole thing with a variety of desserts and for the best cup of coffee, which I had in the years to 2.50 U.S. dollars after taxes and gratuity. The best selection of freshly prepared food, and the lowest prices all you eat buffet restaurant in Chiang Mai, in my opinion.
Tags: ChiangMai, retirement, Thailand