Retire in Udon Thani

If you want to Retire in Udon Thani then this is what you will need to know. Many expats tend to retire in areas far outside of Bangkok where you will find many small pockets of expats who get together on weekends at restaurants in these towns. Some are small and others are much larger. Udon Thani is very popular with expats who are married to a Thai national and they normally make use of a Thai marriage visa instead of the Retirement visa.

There is normally a wide selection of houses which people rent in Udon Thani. Some do buy a house but as foreigners cannot own land many place the house in the name of their Thai wife. There are issues with this as in a divorce they are not going to look at the property as an asset as it is in your wife’s name and you cannot claim it. Many decide to register a usufruct over the property to ensure that in the event of a divorce that they can still live in the house.

There is also a certain amount of leverage during a divorce if you do this. You are going to build a house in Udon Thani. It is not uncommon that you have to ensure that your property zoning is correct. Also that you have a property title deed such as a Chanote, and that there are no liens against the property. Also, you will need to check the name on the building permit from the government. Speak to a property attorney first about these possible issues.

As stated you will need to be over the age of 50 when you retire and show 800,000 THB in a Thai bank account. Many however in Udon Thani tend to be married and they usually apply for a Thai marriage visa or Thai O visa in the country and extend this each year. The Retirement visa is much easier to do than the marriage visa. However the money in your bank account needs to be twice as much. If you are not married as yet, then see the article on registering your marriage in Thailand on this website. Retirement in Thailand covers all these regions.

The cost of living in Udon Thani is much lower than retiring in Bangkok or Pattaya where tourist prices are the norm. Entertainment is not around in these smaller towns in Thailand but the air is much cleaner and the people are usually much friendlier. As stated most times you will rent a house as apartments are not going to be very common. They are however very cheap. If your retirement pension is small, then an apartment would be the norm. Likewise also see the article we wrote on making a will in Thailand as well as the legal living will Pattaya as well.

You will notice that the prices are much lower than the large cities in Thailand and it is normally the major appeal for expats who wish to get out of the rate race. These apartments are normally small single open plan apartments with less than 50 SqM of space. Again you will need to check how the electricity is paid as the landlord will normally want to add his profit margin.

Most air conditioners in Thailand don’t have heating elements and Udon Thani does get cold in winter. Also take care when buying or renting a motorbike as most accidents in these regions tend to be motorcycles. They also have high fatalities. Note that these prices are average and they do vary depending on what type of deal you can strike with the owner. If you wish to Retire in Udon Thani then this might be helpful to you.

Food in Udon Thani is also very low. The cost of your daily meals will vary but they are cheap.

You will note that the cost of living in Udon Thani is very low compared to Pattaya where there is a mixture of local and tourist prices. If you are going to retire in Udon Thani or live in Udon, then consider your medical coverage as well as the cost of living, and should you wish to visit Bangkok or Pattaya once a month then the government inter-city buses are not half bad. See this website on more retirement in Thailand articles.