I am debating on weather to retire in Udon, on a part/full time basis?Should I buy a home or rent? How much in American dollars do I need a month to live in an average style? As people who have retired in Thailand from another country, you know this is a very important decision and one that should not be taken lightly. I would appreicate any input and advice..........THANKS for any insight...

Scott, my understanding is, a foreigner is not allowed to buy landed property unless he uses his Thai spouse's name.. One can only rent.

Tony from Singapore

Hi Scott,
Before you can retire to Thailand, you will need some sort of visa which will allow you to stay there... check out the Thai embassy/consulate in your home country for options.
As dooley110 says, you cannot own land (certain exceptions)... so if you intend to buy (other than a condo), you will need to clear that hurdle first!
Renting an apartment or a house, is a good option to start with... as rents are not expensive, (c. $100-$150/month).
Your monthly living expenses, could be anything over $150, depending on things like... transport, entertainment, socialising, drinking, shopping, (if you don't know your way around, it will cost you more to live ).

Scott,so much depends on what your motivation is for wanting to retire here!From your question,I assume you have very little experience in Thailand other than a or some tourist trips.You will get a lot of advice from various personalities,but who you are makes a great bit of difference,and not many expats are the same!I would counsel to take plenty of time researching and relating that info to your own evaluation of yourself!!I would recommend that you read much from sites like stickmanofbangkok.Start with an attitude that you don't know anything,even if you think you do.The difference between coming on holiday versus becoming an expat here is like night versus day!Good Luck

Scott wrote:I am debating on weather to retire in Udon, on a part/full time basis?Should I buy a home or rent? How much in American dollars do I need a month to live in an average style? As people who have retired in Thailand from another country, you know this is a very important decision and one that should not be taken lightly. I would appreicate any input and advice..........THANKS for any insight...

Hi, Scott!

You should probably first spend some time as a "semi-expat" here before you consider seriously if you want to really retire in Udon Thani. You can try to stay a few months in the area, renting a house and making contacts here whom might help you to have a better understanding of the everyday life in this place. You could even spend some time to learn the language or at least, to better know the culture and the Thai ways. Then, you would be able to decide whether or not you want to retire in Udon Thani.

Just my two satangs...

Thanks for all the input! I think a condo might just be the best option. For I would not want to get married, just so I can own a home. In the U.S. condo's seem to be bettar. In construction, appearance and just for the fact that the people that own the property have a vested interest in taking good care of them. I have heard of Condo's in BKK and Phuket. That 49% of the buyer can be forgieners. I am not familiar enough with Udon to know if they have these types of Condo projects. I understand the posters concerns about the cultural differents and other issues( language barrier, natural conditions such as heat, humidity and floods). I have researched this intensively and have also visited for a month at a time. I have enjoyed my time in Thailand and the quality of life that you can recieve for a fraction of the cost in the U.S. is really what makes Thailand a very alluring place of course the culture,food and the very charming people. Maybe this is a view I have as a tourist and that appeal will wear off. If I stayed for a much longer period..............Thanks for the input.........I am also open to hear more.................Scott

Yes Scott, I too would recommend that you rent here for up to a year, and really get to know Udon and Thailand and related idyiosyncrasies (?), BEFORE making any long term decisions.

I'd rent first see how you like Udon and get a feel for the place.
You might like somewhere else better. I made the mistake of buying in Udon Thani, I prefer Nong Khai.

Prenders,is the property market so illiquid that you cannot sell your place in Udon and move to Nong Khai?

From what I see,the 2nd hand market is pretty well confined to falangs.So it is hit and miss,depending on the particular type of falang that happens to come into the area.There is not to much in finacing available to most of the falangs.So,most purchases are for cash.Definitely confined to those with savings.Village houses are pretty much a deadend as far as resale is concerned ,unless you are the replacement BF/Husband and are dpoing ''upgrades''!LOL

I have to agree with Prenders88

I would say that Nong Khai is the better option.

Not having total recall but I do remember reading somewhere that Nongkhai was in a top ten list of places to retire.

TC

Coot wrote:Prenders,is the property market so illiquid that you cannot sell your place in Udon and move to Nong Khai?

Coot,
We can easily sell up and move to Nong Khai, we are located in a good area near Nong Prajak, We bought the place in haste from the Kasikorn Bank, it was a repossesion, we got it cheap and it was to good to turn down. It's now worth double for what we had paid for it. We just prefer Nong Khai. The 'Issan Riviera'.

We just prefer Nong Khai. The 'Issan Riviera'.

You mean the "Kong Riviera", don't you?

I'm coming up to visit it tomorrow.

Mmm


Suppose all the Farangs that arrived in Udon, say this century, moved to Nong Khai. Wouldn't that be nice?

Then we could have a nice big bar strip (plus decent pie and chips)and maybe even start "Nongkhaimap.com"


TC

I was in Nong Khai yesterday.The river is an amazing site as half the trees from Chiang Mai flash floods are floating by.Wow.

Prenders you did not say why you do not consider selling up.Loads of very cheap land in Nong Khai.