A year from now, we should be heading for Thailand for a new life in a new country. Why Chiangmai, Thailand, some friends have asked. Some think we have gone over the deep end even thinking about not returning to Canada; others are bordering on jealousy and would love to be doing the same thing themselves. Most of our friends here in China think it is a great idea! But anyone who has moved to China to live and work is probably not the most normal crayon in the box.

Many boomers are selling out of the North American rat race and heading for pastures that seem to be greener and a hell of a lot cheaper. Tack on a little more sun, no snow, and a lot of people are easily sold on the idea of picking up shop and heading out on an adventure. Thailand is only one of several destinations that many are heading for. Central America is a biggie and other countries in Asia such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia and the Philippines are jumping on the bandwagon to attract retirees. All have a few things in common; warm weather, a pleasant welcome to retirees, and a very cheap cost of living. Many have retirement visas available for anyone that fits the criteria; usually a guaranteed monthly pension and an age requirement.

I will write about all of the places I have been looking at eventually, but today I am going to concentrate on Chiangmai. This city has been near the top of many lists as the ideal place to retire for many years. Because of the recent violent protests and bit of political instability, it has lost a little ground as an ideal retirement haven, but it is still in the top group of most lists as a wonderful place to spend a few months, years or even to retire. Currently, there are over 30,000 foreigners living in the city.

So why do people like this place? The top reasons are pretty straight-forward…Thailand is known for its very friendly people and its wonderful food. As someone who has traveled extensively in the country a couple of times and knows others who have made it their second home, I can vouch for both these observations. People will go out of their way to help you and you cannot beat the incredible Thai food. Not only is it delicious, it is amazingly cheap. As many say, it is almost not worth cooking when you live in this country.

As with all the other places I have been looking at, the cost of living is VERY cheap. It is easy to live on an income of $1500 per month or less. It is possible to rent a nice little house for well under $500 per month or a two bedroom condo for $450 to 550 per month. Real estate prices are also very reasonable if you actually want to buy a place of your own. You can buy a condo outright but houses can only be purchased on a 30-year lease. Check out some of the local Chiangmai prices here

Add to the list above a year-round warm climate, a low crime rate, great medical services, convenient public transport, lots of activities, and plenty of cultural events. Finally, the shopping is really good, ranging from modern supermarkets and malls to huge night bazaars and street markets.

Chiangmai is definitely still very high on the list for those with a limited disposal income who are in search of a warm climate. And as I wrote above, it is only one of many places in the world that are attracting seniors away from the expensive cost of living in the western world. The numbers of Americans, Canadians and Brits moving abroad is increasing annually. It is not a flood but many are fed up with the governments, taxes and prices in these first-world countries. Thailand is only one place in the world where you can live cheaply and still have money left over to travel at the end of the day. I have been reading countless stories of people doing just that; both seniors and younger folks. We certainly have not looked back since we left Canada five years ago and cannot picture ever returning full-time after seeing what other countries have to offer at this point in our lives.

Retire in Chiangmai – a website for those considering retiring to Chiangmai
Never Ending Voyage –love this site about a couple of “Digital Nomads” who spent several months in Chiangmai. They have several articles about the city…this one talks about the the cost of living in the city.
6 Affordable Places to Retire – Chiangmai is at the top of this list.
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“Steve, I need to talk to you,” the principal says. Never know what that is going to entail but this time I had a feeling. For the last few weeks we have been hearing rumors about China cracking down on the retirement age, even in the outlying areas such as Wuhan, our home town for the last five years. And sure enough, that was the news. A couple of us have inched our way past the magic age without much trouble but finally the Public Security Bureau is catching on. Those bad boys in the fancy uniforms have told our little school representative that they can’t keep renewing our resident permits forever and to plan on moving elsewhere next year. It sounds like our time in China is coming to an end.

My financial irresponsibility is catching up with me! Earlier this year, I told my son that I guess I should start saving for retirement. He told me I should have started that a long time ago. Oops! Even if I did have the money to move back to Canada, it is way too cold and too expensive. This land of no sales tax, no tipping and more than enough warm weather has grown on us. After a couple of visits to Thailand over the last few years, we have decided that it is the place to go, at least a place to start. We have also been checking into Cambodia, Costa Rica and Ecuador. They all fit my retirement criteria; you can live a good lifestyle on $1500 – $2000 per month (or less) and you can grow bananas year-round.

Over the next year, we will begin our search for a new home town and a new life! I will write about the process of this quest and my thoughts along the way. The adventure continues…