Newbie Emigrants - Dutch Couple - 2014 to Thailand

[flexthai]

Hi everyone,

We are 50 (dutch couple), decided to step out of the rat-race, and plan to be in Thailand by mid-2014. So, newbies emigrants, but not new to living outside our home Country, we already traveled, lived and worked for 14 years around the world.

Why Thailand? As we stop early, our "pension" savings are holy, as we need to cover many years (we hope of course :-) ) -- So, we do not want any Tax on our self-created offshore pension funds or rental-properties, we like a good climate, low crime, affordable good living style, good health system (just in case), nice people (local and expats) - easy to integrate, etc...

We hope to learn a lot from this forum, hereby in advance our thanks !! Of course, in time, we hope to contribute as well once we live in Thailand

cheers, Bob

[Dannie Boy]

Hi everyone,

We are 50 (dutch couple), decided to step out of the rat-race, and plan to be in Thailand by mid-2014. So, newbies emigrants, but not new to living outside our home Country, we already traveled, lived and worked for 14 years around the world.

Why Thailand? As we stop early, our "pension" savings are holy, as we need to cover many years (we hope of course :-) ) -- So, we do not want any Tax on our self-created offshore pension funds or rental-properties, we like a good climate, low crime, affordable good living style, good health system (just in case), nice people (local and expats) - easy to integrate, etc...

We hope to learn a lot from this forum, hereby in advance our thanks !! Of course, in time, we hope to contribute as well once we live in Thailand

cheers, Bob

Hi Bob, welcome to the forum. You mention that you have travelled around the world - does that include Thailand and if so, have you been to Hua Hin before? It has become quite popular with expats so there is a good mix of nationalities although significantly outnumbered by Thais. Hua Hin itself offers a pretty good mix of traditional Thai culture but with a fairly strong western influence. There is housing to suit every budget, whether you rent or buy. There is a fairly low level of crime, and if you act sensibly you should avoid meeting it. There are some reasonable hospitals in the area but depending on what treatment you need, they can be expensive, so medical insurance is probably worth investigating. You shouldn't have any tax liability on your pension income.

Traffic in the town itself can get quite bad at weekends and holidays, so choose your location wisely - most people recommend taking a short term rental while they search for their ideal property.

If you have any further specific questions, I'm sure you'll get a variety of replies.

[mat]

Welcome Bob, you will not be the only Dutchman living here (i think about 3 to 400 including me).
Maybe nice to know there is a Dutch Society here http://www.nvthc.com/

[Lancashire Lass]

Hello to you and your wife...
My husband and I are from the UK and in our mid 50's and we have decided to stop out of the rat race and to spend the bulk of our time at our home in Cha-am. We have been visiting Thailand for over 11 years and have had our home for over 7 years and have made many friends with many lovely expats. Hopefully we can arrange to meet up when you make the big move.