Retiring in Thailand [Paperback]

This is Philip Bryce, the co-author of this book. I am not here to review my own book but to correct some misleading statements made by reviewer Geoff Puterbaugh.

Mr. Puterbaugh states that he is able to do is 90 day reporting by mail. Reporting by mail is most certainly not an option in Ko Samui, you must appear in person and the consequences for not doing that are very severe. It is my understanding that this is the normal case in Thailand, but I strongly recommend you check with your local immigration office.

Mr. Puterbaugh states that I said `the new settler in Thailand needs to find a "pharmacist" to superintend their health'. I most definitely did not say or imply that; in fact, quite the opposite, I say "beware of self medication" and advise people to seek advice from a doctor if drug names are different in Thailand to the names used at home.

I state that "tranquilizers and sedatives are only available from hospital pharmacies." That information was sourced from "Guide to Healthy Living in Thailand and Southeast Asia" and confirmed by the medical director of Bangkok Samui Hospital.

I did make a mistake about teaching salaries; I wrote "500 to 1,500 baht per hour or 20,000 to 50,000 baht per month", I meant to type "500 to 1,500 baht per day or 20,000 to 50,000 baht per month". My apologies for any confusion this may have caused.

On the reviewers main point that we `redefined the word "retirement," `, guilty as charged. Most "retirees" where I live are in their forties and fifties and are not eligible for retirement visas. Some people who are eligible do not meet the financial requirements; therefore we see nothing inappropriate about including abroad range of information for retirees of any age. And as to Mr. Puterbaugh's assertion that retirees should not engage in `VERY active sports (surfing, snorkeling, wind-surfing)' that is clearly laughable!

This book has over 250 pages of highly researched, factual information for people interested in living and retiring in Thailand. It is meant as an introductory guide, not a legal or medical reference book. Rules and regulations seem to change almost daily in Thailand and are always open to the interpretation of the individual officer or official. This book is a first edition and will have minor errors; please rest assured that the main substance of the text has been researched from multiple, reliable sources and is to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing, correct.

Note that there have been significant changes in visa rules since printing; please see the Thai government visa updates for more information.

As a visitor to Thailand virtually every year for close to 20 years,

and a current semi-retiree in Thailand, I found Phillip Bryce's book

most helpful.

There is a wealth of well researched,as well as clearly experientially

based information,many of which even regular, long term visitor like

myself did not know.

Because work,land ownership and long term visas in Thailand can be

surprisingly complex to deal with, I found Mr Bryce's time tested advice

was invaluable.

I would consider this book a "must" for anyone who wants to spend more

than a few weeks at a time in Thailand on an ongoing basis.

J. Cogan

I have wanted to expatriate to Asia for some time now, but have always wondered about the logistics of doing so, especially regarding visas. This book does a wonderful job of explaining all your options, in detail. I also really like that he discussed each of the major areas, and used interviews with real expats in those areas to discuss the pros and cons of each area. Ultimately, if you're planning to retire in Thailand you should visit all areas (and he encourages that) to find the area that suits you best, but knowing up front many of the pros and cons of each area is a great foundation to build on. I really recommend this book.

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