How are expats in Phuket affording their lifestyle?

Consider Cambodia Phnom Penh....best retirement visa in south east Asia....Live in Thailand for 8yrs Cambodia is so much better my opinion. Of course

You ask: "wondering how are you guys been able to afford the lifestyle here". I'd say it is fact that the overwhelming majority of western foreigners that move to Thailand are financially independent. (Not all but the vast majority) They have pension or savings or business income to support themselves. Even those that come and work as teachers or highly skilled professionals would have some finances behind them. That is how they do it.

Strange how you wonder how people can afford the lifestyle, when one of the big reasons people often move to Thailand is how much cheaper it is to live here than in their home country. You can't compare the prices you pay for things as a short-term tourist, whether it be accommodations, transportation, the restaurants a tourist chooses, the stores a tourist shops at, compared to what residents would do year-round.

Penny neither of you look Thai so the marriage visa is what exactly. Retirement visa explain more. How you own that land again

Lived there for 15 years if you speak Thai and dont do western things not to expensive. Moved away too many russians and brits moved into Rawai

A lot of people work online or have investments back in the “home country” or even here to live off of.

Don’t know your situation… but we made a commitment to retire and move permanently 10 years ago and we worked and saved …. I have a marriage visa … we have our savings at Charles Schwab and social security income. We bought land on the beach in a non tourist area and are finishing construction on our home now …. So for me the answer was retirement, every 90 days I report to immigration and once per year I will renew my visa …. I keep 400k bhat in a Thai bank in just my name, and deposit in our family bank account 65k bhat per mth for our living expenses…. Our home is only in my Thai wife’s name.

That is my situation and we are super happy we have lived here full time for 1 year now I love it here ❤️🙏🇹🇭

If you’re retired, you can get an LTR Wealthy Pensioner Visa

It helps to have some money.

Many foreigners there are Russians, who have different "no visa" rules then other nations.

They need to get rid of that "digital nomad visa"....

Western refugees are taking over many places in Thailand. In 10 years time some places will become unrecognisable.

I think you will find that most of them foreigners are Russians, they are living in Thailand so Vlad doesn’t send them to war. What visa do they have? I don’t know but I think they are not living there legally but Thai won’t do anything about the Russians because they are scared of them

my buddy got married to a thai girl. lived there 15 years, hit 70 years old and moved back home do to insurence costs once he was 70! so be warned its not a forever move!

On DTV as a digital nomad. There are small annoyances but all I really have to do is to leave the country every 6 months.

20 years Rawai Best timesDownhill now I’m afraid, seeking peace on other coastsAll the same Phuket is very convenient

Yes it’s overloaded with foreigners !!

Especially aged under 50

Probably plenty of dodgy DTV Visa’s

Do half an hour on Muay Thai every few days then back on the weed !

Most under 50yo are here on a DTV or some on a privilege visa.

I lived in Thailand (mostly in Phuket - I built Phuket Airport Hotel and 3 other small hotels at the airport). In the early days (2003 ish), it was easy - get a non-immigrant B visa just for investigating business, no documentation needed. Over the years I've been through B visas, ED visas, Elite visa etc, but although now 67 years old and able to get a retirement visa (extension), no way will I move my money into a Thai bank account! Nowadays I''m still working (out of choice) - teaching in Myanmar. But my 'base' now is Siem Reap, because it simply got too difficult to stay in Thailand...

they were smart with a good retirement, invest wisely, steadily growing income after ya stop working, it’s not hard it’s easier then you think to live for free

If you want long term in a foreign country, you need to get married or seek citizenship…and becoming Thai isn’t happening.

Otherwise wait for retirement.

Here’s a YTer there:

ไม่แน่ใจว่าคุณเคยผ่านตามาบ้างหรือยังนะ Asia Wealth Builders🌹 แต่เพจนี้เป็นหนึ่งในไม่กี่เพจที่อธิบายเรื่องเงินได้เข้าใจง่าย แถมยังฟังดูสมเหตุสมผลจริงๆ ด้วย

Just buy a Thailand Privilege Visa (Previous: Elite Visa) for /15 or 20 years and your good 😙

5 years is pretty long to get settled and worry about what’s next later.

Others marry or get retirement visas over 50. Those are the most common routes I think.