I'm there mentally

[denovoinnc]

A 52 year old lawyer from nc, usa. I loved the education and hate the profession, as least in the USA. Thus, gathering assets, landing a teaching job, coming to Hua Hin, and sending my wife into early retirement are my goals. She is Korean American (with a southern accent), age 47.

About $80k equity in the house. Another $20k in 401k money, and a pension when she hits 55. But that's a long way off. Things are getting to the point in this country that institutions are starting to break down or accelerate their decay. I'm afraid it's going to take more than four years to even steer us away from the rocks, much less head in the right direction. Getting better though, but even if I should land a great job, we still want to live in Hua Hin ASAP. we are thinking 3-5 years.

We considered Costa Rica, Korea, Columbia, and Vietnam. Thailand won, hands down. We considered Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Pattaya, Hua Hin, and Phuket. Close between Chiang Mai and Hua Hin, but the temps are actually cooler during the day in Hua Hin, and the smog in CM is a non starter, I think.

I'm 10 and she is 15 years away from that SS retirement check, so we need a bridge that we can rely on until that time, and she can't work there, but has a good job here. Personally, I'd rather teach kids than practice law.

[handdrummer]

Check on the immigration rules for retirement before making a decision.

[migrant]

Welcome to the forum! I'm a 62 year old semi retired CPA last living in California. Retired to Bang Saphan (2 hours south of Hua Hin) in 2015. My wife is Thai born but spent 20+ years in California (where we met) so could also be classified as Thai/American.

Workwise here teaching is probably your best bet, but pay is low. I don't work here, but return to CA for tax season to help my son for 3 months (he took over my firm). It gives us a chance to see family (mine, not my wifes, but she is close to them) and a few extra dollars doesn't hurt. I looked into teaching here, more as a time user than for bucks, and got back a lot of feedback that there is possibilities to teach english but, considering our business backgrounds, teach more of a business english which pays slightly more. I never went further,and there are some teachers here that could probably expand on this.

My wife wants to move back to the states, Bang Saphan, although beautiful (and we bought a place right on the beach) is too slow for her. We are currently living in Hua Hin for 3 months while we sell our BS property to see if she feels better in the "big city". I like life here but am older than her. She is the energizer bunny and wants to work, but not excited about pay here.

Gapwise could you retain some clients, or a connection with a firm back there? I've found the time difference helps. If there is a time constrained problem they send to me at the end of the US work day, I get it the beginning of the day here and get it back to them when they show up. Research perhaps? I bill them much less than my US billing rate but still make out well over here. My profession has the advantage of the busy tax season where any CPA can earn good for 3 months, but perhaps you have that type of part time option. I, too, am kind of over working in my profession, but found the part time gig is easier and even welcome sometimes.

I know there are American lawyers working here, but there are restrictions from immigration so you would need to check, but if you aren't too burned out perhaps an association with a firm here. Of course if the teaching pay here works with your budget then you can get your wish.

I spent 4 years prior to retiring here working on a budget by researching costs, asking questions, etc and it has held pretty well.

I'll stop here but any questions I can answer, I will. A couple more posts and you can send private messages if you want to do it that way.

Good Luck!!

[oakdale160]

Interesting. I have known two couples--American husband with heavily americanised Thai wives, who moved here for retirement. One of the factors being the wife's sense of obligation to the family. Both couple moved back to the US, one after 3 years, the other after only a year and in both cases it was the Thai wife who was the one who insisted on doing so.

[denovoinnc]

Welcome to the forum! I'm a 62 year old semi retired CPA last living in California. Retired to Bang Saphan (2 hours south of Hua Hin) in 2015. My wife is Thai born but spent 20+ years in California (where we met) so could also be classified as Thai/American.

Workwise here teaching is probably your best bet, but pay is low. I don't work here, but return to CA for tax season to help my son for 3 months (he took over my firm). It gives us a chance to see family (mine, not my wifes, but she is close to them) and a few extra dollars doesn't hurt. I looked into teaching here, more as a time user than for bucks, and got back a lot of feedback that there is possibilities to teach english but, considering our business backgrounds, teach more of a business english which pays slightly more. I never went further,and there are some teachers here that could probably expand on this.

My wife wants to move back to the states, Bang Saphan, although beautiful (and we bought a place right on the beach) is too slow for her. We are currently living in Hua Hin for 3 months while we sell our BS property to see if she feels better in the "big city". I like life here but am older than her. She is the energizer bunny and wants to work, but not excited about pay here.

Gapwise could you retain some clients, or a connection with a firm back there? I've found the time difference helps. If there is a time constrained problem they send to me at the end of the US work day, I get it the beginning of the day here and get it back to them when they show up. Research perhaps? I bill them much less than my US billing rate but still make out well over here. My profession has the advantage of the busy tax season where any CPA can earn good for 3 months, but perhaps you have that type of part time option. I, too, am kind of over working in my profession, but found the part time gig is easier and even welcome sometimes.

I know there are American lawyers working here, but there are restrictions from immigration so you would need to check, but if you aren't too burned out perhaps an association with a firm here. Of course if the teaching pay here works with your budget then you can get your wish.

I spent 4 years prior to retiring here working on a budget by researching costs, asking questions, etc and it has held pretty well.

I'll stop here but any questions I can answer, I will. A couple more posts and you can send private messages if you want to do it that way.

Good Luck!!

Thanks much for the reply and the warm welcome!

My legal aid gig was focused on bankruptcy and family law, primarily. My solo practice was closed in 2012 and focused on federal and state criminal defense. Jack of all trades, master of none sort of existence. For the past three years, I've been working document discovery on big law cases involving DOJ inquiries and federal products liability. The latter involves about as much brain power as taking a shower.

You advice is well heeded, and valuable. The idea of flying home for a recharge was one I hadn't thought of, but is interesting because my wife, like yours, isn't as enthusiastic about the move as i am, perhaps because of genes, but probably because I've done this before in Germany. I find travel inherently invigorating and eye opening, even when it goes slightly wrong. She's more worried about missing friends and family, which I understand. So, flying back may be a way of killing two birds with one stone.

I've never been a CPA, but have worked with a few. I dare say that comparing the opportunities for both results in your garden variety lawyer at a massive disadvantage regarding work options and income. 80% of lawyers will tell you that the profession is collapsing. When computed correctly, the average salary for lawyers is about the average salary, or lower, than the general public. Many lawyers can't find work, as the degree actually hinders the ability to get a corporate job, and the generation of reliable income rarely happens outside of the government and their partner in crime, big business. The criminal justice system is completely shot out dnd corrupt as hell, leaving trials to be little more than government money opposing other government money, unless the media gets involved. This is all happening behind a veil of media imposed issue blackout because the media is part of the same broken system that is trying to perpetuate itself. Lawyers, good ones, are the first to become aware of a social collapse, because they are educated about how it works and then must operate within it. Unfortunately, lawyers are also the cause, largely, of the collapse itself. But even the ones raping the system are aware of what they are doing. Like a cat in an earthquake, we have been feeling this implosion happen for decades, and some, like me, don't want to chance the timeline. It could get worse quickly or slowly, but my odds of seeing the western world pull out of the tailspin are low. I don't want to be pollyanish about Thailand, of course, but the graft I hear about there pales in comparison to what I have seen here. Only here, nobody can afford to live. I suspect the average joe will slowly start hearing some sobering realities about the unraveling, unless a world war breaks out.

I really could care less about practicing law, but teaching it would be fantastic. However, like you said, the restrictions the Thai's place on foreign workers are, rightly, meant to protect their workforce, especially at the level where real societal influence can happen. I actually applaud that, and probably would not be writing this if the opposite were not true here. If there is an H1B like option available in Thailand, I'm not aware of it.

I think your larger point is interesting too. I was under the impression that $2000 a month would be plenty to live on, especially to someone like me who has lived at or below the median since going to law school in 1999. If I'm going to be slapped with a cold reality as I entrap myself, please warn! Basically, our plan is to have $25k each in savings to meet the Visa requirements, and then not touch it, but instead rely on an annuity or some financial vehicle to pay us $1,000 each, roughly, until retirement kicks in at 62. Again, the $25k would be a backstop at all times. We'd need about $175k if we were to go the annuity route, combining pensions, 401k, house equity, etc. And so any work money would not be there to sustain us, but simply augment the regular monthly income. I'm seeing about 30,000 bhat as the average teaching salary per month, so that would give us $3k a month. Like you, I'd just do it to pass time and meet people, but theoretically wouldn't have to do it. It seems like getting a teaching gig of this type wouldn't be much of a problem, but I'm not there, after all.

Looking forward to the freedom, and the new experiences! Thanks again.

[denovoinnc]

Interesting. I have known two couples--American husband with heavily americanised Thai wives, who moved here for retirement. One of the factors being the wife's sense of obligation to the family. Both couple moved back to the US, one after 3 years, the other after only a year and in both cases it was the Thai wife who was the one who insisted on doing so.

You are 100% correct about that obligation. In fact, that's the thing that hit me the most about the cultural differences. I think it's a relic of those societies being so poor and so independent of government aid, that created this phenomenon, because it's the same in Korea.

The only thing giving my wife pause is the possibility that her mom will still be living, but not her dad. I support her and agree with her, in fact, about obligations to her family, but not mine. For now, keeping the time window flexible and making sure her mother is taken care of are key. Ironically, being in Thailand may allow us to help more financially, depending on a job, but we would be far away. Flights can be had now for under $900 rt, but that flight time is brutal.

[migrant]

Looking forward to the freedom, and the new experiences! Thanks again.

I've sent you a private message, thanks!

[denovoinnc]

Looking forward to the freedom, and the new experiences! Thanks again.

I've sent you a private message, thanks!

Thanks! Got it.