Retiring - stay in USA or go to other country

W_and_C · 2021-01-25T21:03:38.502Z

zantax:

Here's to feeling good all the time. :

SixFoot:

We’ll be retiring to Panama. Their national currency is the US dollar, most of the country speaks English, cannabis and gun laws are lax.

In my short experience there, most of the country DOES not speak English. Maybe things have changed, but you’ll definitely learn Spanish.

Quick internet search says 8% speak English. My wife speaks French like a native, that’s an enormous help when we travel. She should, she lived in France for all of grade school.

Wow, that’s even less than I thought.

Me and my buddy went out with a girl from our hotel for drinks, she did not speak a word of English. That’s really rare for someone in hospitality industry to not speak it. Can’t think of any other place where that happened.

zantax · 2021-01-25T21:05:49.321Z

Here's to feeling good all the time. :

zantax:

Here's to feeling good all the time. :

SixFoot:

We’ll be retiring to Panama. Their national currency is the US dollar, most of the country speaks English, cannabis and gun laws are lax.

In my short experience there, most of the country DOES not speak English. Maybe things have changed, but you’ll definitely learn Spanish.

Quick internet search says 8% speak English. My wife speaks French like a native, that’s an enormous help when we travel. She should, she lived in France for all of grade school.

Wow, that’s even less than I thought.

Me and my buddy went out with a girl from our hotel for drinks, she did not speak a word of English. That’s really rare for someone in hospitality industry to not speak it. Can’t think of any other place where that happened.

At a guess I would say it is because of low literacy. Usually not that bad even so for retirement, as expat retirees tend to cluster together. And I would expect a much higher percentage in and around those expat communities.

zantax · 2021-01-25T21:08:19.932Z

But I can also tell you as someone who has done two stints of a year or more abroad, I got incredibly homesick. No way I would sign up for a full retirement of it with no way out. Lease for a while sure, buy a house and put down roots, nope.

Tom_Ch · 2021-01-25T21:12:37.596Z

I did some research for Thailand. Ones can live comfortably(close to luxury) at $2500 a month. That’s with nice modern condo in downtown bangkok. Food is cheap there. Very friendly people and lots of things to do.

If you go out to the smaller town, it gets even cheaper. But if you want beach/touristy town, it will be a litttle more expensive.

zantax · 2021-01-25T21:13:37.864Z

Why stop there, if you go to India, you can have a live in maid, a chef and a driver too.

Does this give you pause at all?

from Politics of Thailand - Wikipedia

To date Thailand has had 20[2] charters and constitutions, reflecting a high degree of political instability. After successful coups, military regimes have abrogated existing constitutions and promulgated interim charters. Negotiations between politicians, bureaucrats, influence peddlers, Corporate Leaders and Army Officers have become a driving force in the restoration of temporary political stability.

Cheap countries are cheap for a reason, that being, investors are scared of them.

Hexenbiest · 2021-01-25T21:28:25.959Z

I messed with Rosetta Stone a few years back I don’t know if I have it in me, not trying to gripe as many are in the same boat but insane hours plus wife and two 5-10 year olds drains ones time.

zantax · 2021-01-25T21:30:42.280Z

Hexenbiest:

I messed with Rosetta Stone a few years back I don’t know if I have it in me, not trying to gripe as many are in the same boat but insane hours plus wife and two 5-10 year olds drains ones time.

Understood, I’m older, empty nester now, wouldn’t have had time for it back at your age either.

Tom_Ch · 2021-01-25T21:32:40.146Z

zantax:

Why stop there, if you go to India, you can have a live in maid, a chef and a driver too.

Does this give you pause at all?

from Politics of Thailand - Wikipedia

To date Thailand has had 20[2] charters and constitutions, reflecting a high degree of political instability. After successful coups, military regimes have abrogated existing constitutions and promulgated interim charters. Negotiations between politicians, bureaucrats, influence peddlers, Corporate Leaders and Army Officers have become a driving force in the restoration of temporary political stability.

Cheap countries are cheap for a reason, that being, investors are scared of them.

Yes I’m aware of that. Of course it’s not perfect. I live in chicago area. Foreigners and outsiders probably think it’s a warzone here. If you watch the news, you think people live in fear. It isn’t. Only certain areas are to be avoided. We all know where NOT to be. Most areas are quite calm and safe.

Thailand has political issues. I’ll have to include that in the decision but so far, it doesn’t deter me.

Hexenbiest · 2021-01-25T21:34:21.012Z

Philippines has a lot more english speakers than Thailand. Just don’t go south there, it’s beautiful but whenever you hear of some terrorist attack that’s where it happens. I thought Makita was nice, quiet a few westerners there it’s inside of Manilla

Also Philippines and the U.S. has always has kind of a special relationship among the people the populations is definitely pro Americans. Either will be a hell of a plane trip, we stopped at Tokyo then it was close to five hours to Manilla about the same for Thailand.

zantax · 2021-01-25T21:36:36.023Z

Tom_Ch:

zantax:

Why stop there, if you go to India, you can have a live in maid, a chef and a driver too.

Does this give you pause at all?

from Politics of Thailand - Wikipedia

To date Thailand has had 20[2] charters and constitutions, reflecting a high degree of political instability. After successful coups, military regimes have abrogated existing constitutions and promulgated interim charters. Negotiations between politicians, bureaucrats, influence peddlers, Corporate Leaders and Army Officers have become a driving force in the restoration of temporary political stability.

Cheap countries are cheap for a reason, that being, investors are scared of them.

Yes I’m aware of that. Of course it’s not perfect. I live in chicago area. Foreigners and outsiders probably think it’s a warzone here. If you watch the news, you think people live in fear. It isn’t. Only certain areas are to be avoided. We all know where NOT to be. Most areas are quite calm and safe.

Thailand has political issues. I’ll have to include that in the decision but so far, it doesn’t deter me.

No I think most reasonable people understand that about cities. Just as silly as Euro’s who think all of America is murder central. My point was, how far your dollar goes is but one consideration of many. Political stability, a fair justice system and even the locals attitudes toward you are every bit as important when it comes to quality of life. If you think minorities have it bad here, trying being one almost anywhere else.

TheRedComet · 2021-01-25T21:48:52.079Z

Yepp. I’ve never considered living outside of the US.

Well, maybe Canada. That’s about it. But even then, I don’t think I could do it. But at least it wouldn’t be the legal and cultural shock moving to somewhere like Thailand or Vietnam would be.

zantax · 2021-01-25T21:51:29.432Z

I could adjust to just about any advanced stable democratic country, which is not to say I would be just as happy as I am here. Not touching anything else with a ten foot pole in terms of committing to living there, especially not if I couldn’t afford to lose that investment. Tuscany and Normandy are my top two right now if I were going to do it for some reason. Though I haven’t checked how easy it is to get into France, Italy looks possible.

TheRedComet · 2021-01-25T22:13:46.275Z

Only realistic way to live in a “not first world” country is the military. At least at that point you are mostly on base and have options for your defense if you are accused of a crime by the local authorities.

And Normandy sounds amazing. France in general is fascinating. I don’t ever want to live there, but I have to travel there one day. Being a big World War I Western Front fanatic makes it the equivalent of Mecca.

westaussie · 2021-01-26T05:02:04.741Z

You could check out the south-west of Western Australia if you are looking outside the USA.

Tom_Ch · 2021-01-26T05:08:18.201Z

zantax:

But I can also tell you as someone who has done two stints of a year or more abroad, I got incredibly homesick. No way I would sign up for a full retirement of it with no way out. Lease for a while sure, buy a house and put down roots, nope.

Yes I would agree. Rent is better way to go. Unless you end up marrying one of the local young lady. then that may change things.

zantax · 2021-01-26T05:09:49.230Z

westaussie:

You could check out the south-west of Western Australia if you are looking outside the USA.

Not likely to get in though.

westaussie · 2021-01-26T05:13:02.370Z

Wasn’t there a 15 year lead time?

zantax · 2021-01-26T10:54:27.304Z

Australia’s point system, not good for retiree’s.

biggestal99 · 2021-01-26T11:01:50.717Z

WuWei:

It’s no more corrupt than NJ.

Or Texas for that matter.

Progress Times

Melo Ochoa, former judge who confessed to accepting bribes, dead at 74

Allan

Smyrna · 2021-01-26T12:19:08.004Z

TheRedComet:

I can imagine. The pictures look absolutely amazing. One of the few places left in the US where it’s not hard to completely leave modern civilization behind for a while.

Same reason I’m eyeballing Wyoming if the future permits me to do so in 30 years. Absolutely beautiful state and a ton of natural preserves.

Have to get used to snow every winter, though. I can count on one hand how many “deep” snow falls I’ve experienced in my life. And even then, it’s only deep for a gulf coaster. For people up north, it would be a mild inconvenience. Down here, the whole swath of states shut down completely.

It sounds like a beautiful plan and I hope it matures into your reality.