Staying alone in Thailand. Do you ?

[Archchan]

Having retired now and having a room in Jomptien which I usually visit twice a year I have the option of moving to Pattaya permanently. 

The question is should I ? Wondering how many others stay alone in Thailand and does it work for you ? Do you get lonely or have you adjusted ?

I realize we are all different but would be interested in thoughts of others and particularly if you are already in Thailand.

Follow these forums regularly  and have gained a lot of help from many here over the past year. Thanks to all who post such great reports and information.

 

[vinapu]

Of you can stand year round heat and you think you can go without family and friends in your home country I'd say try to stay at least one year and then you will see.

Getting new friends  can be fun.

Don't burn any bridges at home until you decision is solid

[Londoner]

A trial period is essential. At least six months, preferably more.  I considered it sixteen years ago when the pound was worth 73 bht. I'm pleased  I remained in London and continued to travel for holidays, grateful that I could afford to do so. 

Returning to your question, one of the major issues for me was exactly what you mentioned. I only knew one expat (he has since died) and, to be blunt, the posts I read on a gay forum (not this one) suggested that I'd never fit in. Some of the attitudes were genuinely appalling to someone who has lived in a liberal, multi-cultural city all his life. I appreciate that this was not true of others but feared that expat life may not be for me.

So you are right to take into account what sort of social life you'd have in Pattaya, as well as obvious things like finance, weather,  health and the political situation, remembering that if you sell-up at home, you may find it financially problematical to return if things don't turn -out well.

[traveller123]

Londoner's/Vinapu's advice on a trial period is very important.

Consider your life beyond the sexual entertainment, do you make friends easily (I live in Isaan where there are drawbacks, my partner of 11 years is wonderful but I miss having mature gay friends and meeting them for dinner at home and in restaurants), there are opportunities in Pattaya to socialise and eg to play bridge, don't laugh but do you want a dog(s) which may not be allowed in a condo.

[williewillie]

Do you stay alone in your home country?  Do you have a large network of friends, close family you see often?

Is your religious organization, church, temple, mosque important to you?  Some miss national spectator sports, sporting

clubs ,bowling, golf, swimming, hiking ,bridge, poker group, casinos, etc.  

if you have nothing keeping you, and if you are lonely in your home country,  try 6 months or so.  Only you know your situation and only you can decide.

 

 

[Nikom]

Yes, try 6 months!  Then you should be able to answer your own questions.

 

[Boy69]

Yes trial period is a must before taking any decisions as advised by other forum members.

Me personally I am not the expact type ,If I consider to retire it will be only Pattaya because the nightlife industry, beaches and the proximity to BKK but when I stay there after one or two weeks I start to be bored and miss my country and home so moving to Thailand is not for me.

[Guest]

Visiting twice per year can mean a lot of things.   2 x 3 weeks is not the same as 2 x 3 months or 2 x 5 months.

I would try some longer stays, including at all times of the year.    Personally, I've been increasing the length of my winter stays to several months.  There is no need to rush any decisions.

Having a house with a garden requires slightly more organisation before I try some longer holidays in the summer, as lawns & so on require trimming.

 

It would be interesting to hear how well having a room in Jomtien works.   How does the cost, quality and location work out ? 

 

Also, the other issue is how much of a foothold to keep back in your home country:

(i) If maintaining a property, do you rent it out ?

(ii) If keeping a property vacant for your own use, what type of property do you want ?      Whilst I currently own a house and enjoy the garden in the summer,  I very much see the attraction of an apartment, as it should be possible to leave it for months on end, with no lawns to trim or any other maintenance needs.   So good for multiple holidays.  One obvious downside is the small postboxes, which would fill up quickly.   So I presume it needs a trustworthy neighbour to remove the post.  Having an untrustworthy neighbour handling all your financial correspondence could be expensive.  Ideally I would spec an apartment with a 1 cubic metre capacity post box and a webcam inside it to take daily photos.  

I'd like to know how apartment owners handle such details and are there any other issues.