Reflections on the last year (or so)
Major change in that I retired the day before my 62nd Birthday.
This was a few months earlier than I had previously thought but had advantages in that.
1 We could fly to Thailand for 2 months immediately. This allowed us to continue work on our house and gave me an "extra winter" in Thailand.
2 A complete break from work.
3 The opportunity for a longer motorhome holiday in the summer (2013).
4 The time to work on our house in the UK in preparation for rental.
5 The scope to send 80% of our household contents to Thailand.
6 Time to sell my Jaguar and re-insure our motorhome.
There were disadvantages the most significant being the loss of 6 months salary.
This was compensated by an earlier pension payout and the ability to let our house as from November (2013)
So essentially a "win win win lose" situation.
The arrangements also gave us scope for our "Big Trip to NZ"
Thai observations
The people are friendly helpful and polite. They do not have much spare cash and generally live "hand to mouth" farming and doing odd jobs, selling produce at local markets. The city centre has a range of shops with motorcycles and electrical goods much in evidence, other services are easily available and I have just had an eye test and news specs.
The political situation is confused and given the polarity of the main players it may well be some time before this allows for normal government. The latest round of protests were largely violence free but deaths occurred.
For tourists and locals alike these protests were a matter of inconvenience rather than disaster. The situation needs to be resolved !
Life in Thailand.
Mainly relaxing.
A car is almost essential. The village where we live has local bus services but the Toyota pickup we have does as follows
Routine shopping in Uttaradit (Tesco !) and other local shopping (markets, hardware, wood, Homebase). The choice of a pickup was considered and has proved to be correct.
We have used it for many things when a saloon just would not do. Transporting wood, wardrobes, 1cwt bags of fertiliser(x20) and more.
So for us
Generally pleasant, unstressed, simple !
I include this link as it is close to what we have done with our lives? ( http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20140224-the-joy-of-minimalist-living )
We do not have a luxury house, kitchen, bathroom. It is all fairly simple or rustic but better than rudimentary. We live "under the house" it is spacious, clean, dry and our fridge is kept here. We cook here and have washing up etc easily to hand. We have a good area upstairs with bathroom off our bedroom. A 2nd bedroom for Pudam. This leaves a large, mainly empty, living space with TV and our items from UK.
In the 2 months at the start of 2013 and in the last 3 months of 2013 we made major progress. So much so that it is now only odds and ends.
In October we plan perhaps the last big task of a ceiling in our bedroom and Air-conditioning.
We normally get up between 6:30 & 7:30..... this is the best time to work (it gets hot after 10).
So breakfast shower etc at some stage then not much else ...catch up on email etc, admin, website work, pottering. In the afternoon water the garden.
Nida is constantly clearing and replanting the garden. It is hugely better now than it was 6 months ago.
6pm start to cook and also burn rubbish. No collections, we recycle cans bottles plastic cardboard so not much to burn except odds and ends and garden waste.
The house..
This has not been hassle free but now we are nearly there !
Major items
A full surrounding wall for the land and a gate.
All internal walls, internal bathroom, hot water, more electric points, proper electrical supply, wardrobes, kitchen fittings, a clean and tidy garden with grass.
I have planned and played a major part in the finishing off of the house. (I built the frames and fitted the panels on many)
We employ local craftsmen to do the more skilled or difficult items.
We are due to return to UK on 5th May and "live in our motorhome".
Provided all goes well with this and my Thai visa application we will return to Thailand in the Autumn.
What do I miss from UK ?
Major change in that I retired the day before my 62nd Birthday.
This was a few months earlier than I had previously thought but had advantages in that.
1 We could fly to Thailand for 2 months immediately. This allowed us to continue work on our house and gave me an "extra winter" in Thailand.
2 A complete break from work.
3 The opportunity for a longer motorhome holiday in the summer (2013).
4 The time to work on our house in the UK in preparation for rental.
5 The scope to send 80% of our household contents to Thailand.
6 Time to sell my Jaguar and re-insure our motorhome.
There were disadvantages the most significant being the loss of 6 months salary.
This was compensated by an earlier pension payout and the ability to let our house as from November (2013)
So essentially a "win win win lose" situation.
The arrangements also gave us scope for our "Big Trip to NZ"
Thai observations
The people are friendly helpful and polite. They do not have much spare cash and generally live "hand to mouth" farming and doing odd jobs, selling produce at local markets. The city centre has a range of shops with motorcycles and electrical goods much in evidence, other services are easily available and I have just had an eye test and news specs.
The political situation is confused and given the polarity of the main players it may well be some time before this allows for normal government. The latest round of protests were largely violence free but deaths occurred.
For tourists and locals alike these protests were a matter of inconvenience rather than disaster. The situation needs to be resolved !
Life in Thailand.
Mainly relaxing.
A car is almost essential. The village where we live has local bus services but the Toyota pickup we have does as follows
Routine shopping in Uttaradit (Tesco !) and other local shopping (markets, hardware, wood, Homebase). The choice of a pickup was considered and has proved to be correct.
We have used it for many things when a saloon just would not do. Transporting wood, wardrobes, 1cwt bags of fertiliser(x20) and more.
So for us
Generally pleasant, unstressed, simple !
I include this link as it is close to what we have done with our lives? ( http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20140224-the-joy-of-minimalist-living )
We do not have a luxury house, kitchen, bathroom. It is all fairly simple or rustic but better than rudimentary. We live "under the house" it is spacious, clean, dry and our fridge is kept here. We cook here and have washing up etc easily to hand. We have a good area upstairs with bathroom off our bedroom. A 2nd bedroom for Pudam. This leaves a large, mainly empty, living space with TV and our items from UK.
In the 2 months at the start of 2013 and in the last 3 months of 2013 we made major progress. So much so that it is now only odds and ends.
In October we plan perhaps the last big task of a ceiling in our bedroom and Air-conditioning.
We normally get up between 6:30 & 7:30..... this is the best time to work (it gets hot after 10).
So breakfast shower etc at some stage then not much else ...catch up on email etc, admin, website work, pottering. In the afternoon water the garden.
Nida is constantly clearing and replanting the garden. It is hugely better now than it was 6 months ago.
6pm start to cook and also burn rubbish. No collections, we recycle cans bottles plastic cardboard so not much to burn except odds and ends and garden waste.
The house..
This has not been hassle free but now we are nearly there !
Major items
A full surrounding wall for the land and a gate.
All internal walls, internal bathroom, hot water, more electric points, proper electrical supply, wardrobes, kitchen fittings, a clean and tidy garden with grass.
I have planned and played a major part in the finishing off of the house. (I built the frames and fitted the panels on many)
We employ local craftsmen to do the more skilled or difficult items.
We are due to return to UK on 5th May and "live in our motorhome".
Provided all goes well with this and my Thai visa application we will return to Thailand in the Autumn.
What do I miss from UK ?
- Sports coverage particularly Cricket Rugby Football (Although the internet helps me keep up to date)
- Beer Beer Beer . Thai beer (Chang) is good but...(Wine here is ridiculously expensive - import duty)
- Topical Comedy programs (QI , Mock the Week etc)
- University Challenge but I can get most of these on youtube.
- Chocolate, Roast beef, Lamb.