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Like several others here mentioned, I had children late. My oldest was born when I was 50, my youngest the year I retired at 55. Fortunately I had a very lucrative career, senior research and engineering management. So I am able to afford very good private schools in Thailand. I convinced TW to get US citizenship in case our daughter wants to come back to the US for university, but seeing the way schools have gone woke back there we'll probably look for something overseas. I worked with some excellent Thai engineers back in the day. So I have a good opinion of Chulalongorn, Mahidol, and Thammasat universities in Thailand also.

Best I could do - the staff didn't seem too happy that I was taking pics!

I had a practice 16 month run at retirement once I managed to get back to Udon during covid. Was seriously thinking about cashing in a pension and going for it. Even though I was very busy - we demolished both houses in our compound and rebuilt them, established a Eucalyptus plantation, sorted out neglected farm land and I was spending a couple of days a week working online, the experience proved to me that I wasn't quite ready to retire. John Lennon said that "Life happens when you are making plans to do something else" (or along those lines). Events last year meant that I needed to get back to the UK and I actually enjoyed going back to work. As it happens the place where I have been working in Southampton for the last 4 months employs around 40 zero hour tempory workers and most of them are people who retired early. There are ex-coppers, council employees, RAF, Army, Navy etc etc. Sure some of them need the extra cash but ALL of them say they missed the banter, workplace camerarderie and most importantly something to keep them occupied, both physicaly and mentally. I have 36 more days then its back to the jungle for 3 months - just about the right split between working and being a beer for breakfast sexpat. 👀

If i hadn't had my daughter, i'd retire a lot sooner and do 'long stays' in Thailand, diving and what not. And no disrespect to anyone, but i'd much prefer my daughter to get educated here in the UK than Thailand, unless i could afford an International school or similar. But to each their own, everyone's situation is different. That said, i wouldn't swap it for the world. Very happy and contented, though a wee lottery win would give me more options re her education

I'm in a quandary,I went to look at a "new" (but secondhand) car today. My dear old Subaru is getting on, and despite it being a damn good car, fully serviced and perfect mechanically, electrically and inside, some rust is starting to appear on the bodywork, along with faded paint and laquer peel. It's on 170k miles, I've put 100k of those miles on the old girl. Solid underneath, never once let me down, it's got me to work and more importantly, home in the most awful conditions, snow, ice, rain. The AWD system is just awesome. Never once missed a beat. Now, my bodywork skills are wank. I can hand build and blueprint an engine, but give me a tub of "bondo" or "filler" and a spray can and my skills are that of a 5 year old, so a DIY option won't happen. If I pay for a respray, it'll come in at over 2k of the cars value. But my heartstrings are pulling. It's been such a good car to me, I can't bring myself to sell it to some nobber who'll treat it like crap. It's a bit like barfining a fat bird*. You know it's a mistake, you know everyone will look at you , but despite it seeming like a good idea at the time, there is always buyers remorse the following day when you realise how stupid you've been. *I've never barfined a fat bird. "Big boned", yes. "slightly overweight" - guilty as charged. "bubbly" - most certainly. But fat, never. Also, "fat" is subjective. 60kg's is NOT fat, it's glandular.

I once asked Mrs Smiler why she bought a small bunch of runner beans from a young boy who came to the house. We had the only just got back from the market and got what I thought was enough from there. Her reply simply floored me - she said her sister and her used to do that when they were kids to try and make enough money to eat at school the next day. No hesitation, no question, we ALWAYS buy from callers to the house and local businesses.

A good point about the arrogance associated with the Thai International School education. A mate had his kid go to International school and at the age of 9 he was one arrogant, smarmy, condescending little bugger. He would ask the most stupid questions that a boy with a broader worldly knowledge wouldn't ask, he just thought he was smart. What the hell do they teach them in Thailand.

"It's nice to go travelling, but it's so much nicer to come home" I was out showing my neighbours the laminating I got done on Saturday for my Health Insurance Certificate which I will keep with my laminated Funeral information .. when the Ice Cream Man turned up .. (It's really neat - Ring Ring!).. So that was it!! 20 ice creams all around..260 Baht well spent !!!! So much fucking happiness !!

There are some damned good schools in Dorset.. but perhaps I am biased... I went to Wimborne Secondary Modern which became Comprehensive when they closed Wimborne Grammar School . We played rugby against Canford, Byanstone, Clayesmore and always giving them a damned good game. Cross Country County level was always run at Lychett Matravers over your way.. Regarding expat International schools. You and @Krapow made the right decision. I think @Horizondave mentioned it too. When I went contracting a very good friend stayed on as a permie Senior Manager with the entitlement to send his kids to the best International schools wherever he worked. We would meet up occasionally for a beer and he purposely brought along his kids so that I could tell him what I thought.....and I didn't hold back.. They were the most arrogant little shits I had ever met. No social awareness. No ability to communicate to a country boy like me..The worst thing though was that the arrogance wasn't supported by knowledge or life experience .. they just "knew" that they were better than everybody else. He agreed and sent them back to UK to attend a "proper school"!!

I retired at 66. I married late (35), had 2 kids, got divorced. I felt responsible that I had to get my 2 sons through college level educations. All of this combined to put me in a financial hole where I had to keep working. I found time to help coach my sons' basketball and baseball teams. Post-divorce (age 45) I quit drinking for 12 years. My career took off and I started making much better money. I was lucky with a small parachute from a merger, where I had a better job in one week. I really enjoyed that first post-merger job. However, due to more mergers and management window dressing related to those mergers the job 20 years later became a daily taste of purgatory. I had over 50 people reporting to me, half of whom I had never met in person. Like others have said, I am lucky in that I was part of the Boomer generation. I receive two pensions and SS. This is a decent retirement income combined with my investment windfalls from over the years. At 66, due to a merger, I was receiving two pensions, SS, and a full time 6 figure plus salary. I am talking USD. This was difficult to walk away from. I would have been let go within 6 months, due to (yes) another merger. When let go, I would have been due 8 months salary due to my length of service. I walked. I probably left $200,000 on the table. I am glad I walked. My boss tried to talk me into staying saying "do you understand how much money is involved?" My reply was "what am I saving up for? A better looking coffin?" We both laughed. I always liked her. I live comfortably in a nice house here in Thailand and have a loving wife. I guess the summary of my lengthy response is -> it all depends on your situation.

Never regretted selling a car but I've regretted buying a couple.

Masterstroke getting rid of Sterling, replaced by 1 point Richarlison! f**k sake @galenkia's even doing better than me in the head to head

TW's family was down for a couple days, to pick her and the kids up for a visit upcountry. Yesterday we did the beach and today they put together this surf 'n turf feast.

I retired fully at 65 & a half.Thought I'd retired at 63 & had a year of not working but then I was offered some ad hoc work 30 miles from my home in the UK so grabbed it-probably 95% of my work was out of digs or hotels. I miss the laughs with the blokes,I had the good fortune to work on some great contracts where work & party were done with the same enthusiasm.Most aircraft maintenance engineers seem to suffer from a great thirst after work. My advice would be to retire as soon as you can afford it,I've known far too many good blokes who either have not reached retirement age or have not lasted long after it.

My Wife and I, decided to take an organised Coach Trip to Afghanistan. To see for ourselves, what the place was really like..??? It didn't start well..?!"£?! When the Coach we where Travelling On, broke down, a few miles East of the Capital. We were stranded in a Third World Dump. With Streets full of angry Bearded Types, glaring at us ; - And my Wife stood out like a sore thumb, in her brightly Coloured Sundress. As all the other Women around us, Were Head to Toe, in Black Letter-Box type Burqas. We were extremely Scared and convinced that we were in Deep Trouble. Just then, Dave the Organiser, Suddenly remembered, that Bethnal Green had a Tube Station, So we were easily able to get safely to King’s Cross. * And on to Heathrow Airport, for the Rest of our Journey.

I retired (18 years back) at 47yo. when I moved to TH. Enjoyed my 8 years living there but eventually it was enough. Live a few miles from where I was born now... Still do a few side 'gigs' once in awhile, but it's nice not to have the daily grind wearing you down. Maybe will move back to TH for my last few laps around the sun.

Thanks mate, brilliant post. I’m gonna give a big donation to the hospice out of it for they mainly rely on donations as the Tory scum government won’t fund them properly . Jan is really pleased at me doing this in her memory.

the Baby Boomers and Gen X have been very lucky when it comes to pensions not many places in the U.K. offer the final salary pensions to younger workers and probably none in the private sector ... we have also been lucky with property prices as well , enabling us to have retirement choices that generations before and probably after ... don't have

Just finished watching Encounters on Netflix with Jan as we both love UFO and aliens stories. Enjoyed it.

I tried waking up my neighbours on the phone but they didn't pick up so I banged like f**k on their wall.. They rescued 3 motorcye and 1 motorcye+cart but 1 needed to be pushed to safety ... Hope it dries out and starts in the morning...That is their only livelihood !! 2am now ... it's gonna be a long night ..

Pint of Estrella has hit the spot. .

I'm doing that many trips i might be able to get in there soon, just booked with EVA for July/August, though my Easter one was booked Thai.

I do the exact same thing in the RP, some bloke riding a bike in the heat, selling Ice cream he's making a few peso profit on to provide for his family. Stops by our house, I buy almost all of his stock and he leaves happy with an ice cold San Miguel for his troubles.

One of the joys of living here are the food and vegetable, and yes ice cream carts that roam the neighborhoods. Happy to support those vendors as they're out trying to make an honest living.

Thank God for that!!! Feeling distinctly jet lagged and hungover today. My fantasy team seems to feeling the same😝 Somehow managed to scrape a win in what must have been one of the worst HH games this year!

It's probably what she always looked like.

WTF ? is going on with pic posting in here ?

Your head must have been spinning when they made you that offer. What an unexpected surprise that must have been. I'm sure though you acted coy initially. But, at the first opportunity went into the toilet and had a big wank ! 55555 !

Wise decision guys, i agree 100% 👍

Sunday dinner

A month after I turned 56, I called it a career with the postal service. Combined with previous military experience, I walked away with a decent pension along with a social security supplement (an amount that a federal gov't retiree gets if they reach their minimum retirement age before 62) which will stop upon my eligibility for social security at 62. The timing worked out for me as a few weeks after I retired, my mother was diagnosed with early stage dementia and within a few weeks, I had moved her in to my house to care for her. By that summer, we relocated her to my sister and brother-in-law's home where my sister had quit her job to care for mom full time. She is now in a care home. I lost many co-workers over the years, mainly health reasons, and I vowed that once I felt I could afford to leave, I would at the earliest possible time I could. I would eventually sell my home of 30 years in the Sacramento, Calif area and downsize to a mobile home in Las Vegas where I live now. My plan, or goal, was to move here to have a home base in the States, but to only live here about 6 months a year and travel the other 6. Many of you who live full time in Thailand, or specifically Pattaya, I find inspiration in, as you guys chose to live your life to your standard in a foreign country of your liking with good weather, mates, western-type amenities, and a choice of companionship when you like. Like others here, I too miss many of my old co-workers, a few sadly who have passed on, but in reality, not quite 3 years after I left, there are really only a small handful, maybe 4-5, who I still keep in touch with. That old saw about being "out of sight, out of mind", really is true. No regrets about retiring when I did. My biggest concern is keeping good health. As I have no current health problems closing in on my 59th in 7 weeks, I'd like to think and hope my best years are still ahead of me.

Well done to @jezza top scorer this week ... and my H2H opponent.. 👍

Having to share a bed at Nana Hotel in 2001 with my mate shifty Paul. Like a fucking scene from Morecambe and Wise. I ended up fucking my girl in the bed and him fucking his in the bathroom. 😂

Doing a bit of planning for my winter trip, well just checking out a few hotels in places I may visit really whilst watching the final of the English open snooker.

I was working for Shell when I retired at 56. When talking retirement, I always said, “are your years from 55 to 65 going to be better or worse than from 65 to 75?” I may die 37% sooner but I’ll have maybe my last ten good years in Thailand. If those that worked to 65 die in 10 years, the study says I should die 3.7 years earlier, for a total of 16.3 years of retirement. Dying at 71.3 or working ten more years and dying at 75. Maybe Shell doesn’t want to pay out 16+ years of pension rather than ten. But studies like that can be skewed. What is a major reason for taking early retirement? Poor health. Couldn’t that be a reason for the early deaths for early retirees and not early retirement itself? Correlation does not imply causation.

Landed Friday morning 6th Oct at 8 am at Swampy. About a 1 km walk to immigration. Walked straight up to a booth and there were a few others with no queue. Quietest I've ever seen.

Nearly knee deep at the moment but the flow is in the right direction taking it onto the main street... But I'm not going to sleep yet though

I still buy Trotters and pork hock from the butcher. Usually it's £1 for the trotters and £2 for the hock / knuckle. I then boil them in a pot for a few hours with herbs, remove, (keep the broth) and air fry to make them crispy. Add some Pinakurat dipping sauce (filipino version of Nam jim jaew) and its great food to eat with a few beers. The broth is fine as bone broth on its own, but I also use it as pork stock.

Yep... I understand .... and it makes you look like a tourist which is the ultimate insult! May I counteract that by saying that you are a fucking good bloke for doing it !!!

I was moving out of a motel room in Houston, Texas. I checked the bathroom, the closet and all the drawers in the dresser to make sure I wasn’t leaving anything. Lastly, I got down on my knees by the bed, threw back the blanket and stuck my head down to check under the bed. I almost had a heart attack. I was nose to nose with one of the ugliest men I have ever seen. Then, I realized the bed was sitting on a mirrored frame.

Just started watching "who killed Jill Dando" on Netflix, three part series , it was a shocking case at the time .... and is still unsolved