12 Years in Pattaya..Then and Now...part 1

[Undaunted]

I retired at 50...wanted a change....first went to Bali stayed 6mos. had to renew my Idonesian visa out of the country. I was friendly with a German guy who lived in Bali but made frequent trips to BKK, he suggested I go with him an go to the Indo. embassy in BKK. Many people told me to stay @ The Pinnicle. After a 3.5hr. trip I was at the desk in the hotel, they told me they misplaced my res. and apologized profusely and asked if I would mind staying in a suite at the same $ I said well ok.
As I arrived late afternoon I anxiously awaited my German friend Rudy who said he would show me the town. He arrived and we went to Soi Twilight. Now all this was new to me, the first go go we went to, was Future Boys{now closed]. There was an energy there that was surreal, we were lucky to find seats, without exaggeration there must have been 75 Thai guys working. Not yet jaded I was captivated by the cutomes, the candle show, the big candle show etc. by the time the show was over I began to think how great it would be to live here, I won't bore you discribing my exploits .
Now I had been at the Pinnacle for a week and Rudy suggested I visit Pattaya. Ok, I took a Taxi to Pattaya had a nice big room at Welcome Plaza. Rudy said it was a short walk to Boystown and he said also visit Sunee Plaza. Now at about 8pm I found my way to Panarama.....upon finishing my drink I asked my waiter to tell me where Sunee was...he said pay the bar 200bht and I will take U, I declined and asked him just to point the direction, he did I walked and walked and miraculously I entered the Plaza at the enterence closest to what was Krazy Dragon, only those that knew Sunee back then could relate to it's very electric atmosphere......Elephants, Snake carriers an a collection of farang that looked as if they were extras in a Fellini film. My fist go go was Krazy Dragon seating was around an arena all I will say was it was a mistake wearing sandles. Every bar and go go was packed....closing time was when people went home, there was also a bar of dubious nature that was open 24hrs. yes there was the good..the bad, and the ugly and it was great!!!
I'm tired now...to be continued:

[windwalker]

That was similar to my first visit to Pattaya and Sunee about 16 years ago. Was in Boyztown and took motorbikes, with friends, to Sunee and thought we were going to mugged on the way since had no idea where we were going or where it was.. But arrived ok and loved the scene there. Very vibrant. Lots of fun.

[thaifarang]

Retire at 50? What job allows you that? I can work till 67 till legal retirement age arrives.

[Smiles]

Retire at 50? What job allows you that? I can work till 67 till legal retirement age arrives.

Surely one can retire at any time they wish. It's all about money. Undaunted retired at 50 (or so he says, I have no reason to doubt it) ... because he could.

[thaifarang]

Retire at 50? What job allows you that? I can work till 67 till legal retirement age arrives.

Surely one can retire at any time they wish. It's all about money. Undaunted retired at 50 (or so he says, I have no reason to doubt it) ... because he could.

Ok, then he belongs to a very very very select minority. 99.5% can't retire at 50.

(I mean 99.5% of those people who have an honest living. Of course drug dealers who became rich with crime, from these - if they wanted - the bulk can retire at 50, provived they are smart).

[Undaunted]

Retire at 50? What job allows you that? I can work till 67 till legal retirement age arrives.

Surely one can retire at any time they wish. It's all about money. Undaunted retired at 50 (or so he says, I have no reason to doubt it) ... because he could.

Ok, then he belongs to a very very very select minority. 99.5% can't retire at 50.

(I mean 99.9% of those people who have an honest living. Of course drug dealers who became rich with crime, from these if they wanted 99.5% can retire at 50).

I believe it is you that is sadly in the minority; when I moved to Thailand almost everyone I knew was in their fifties and all but a few in their early sixties all of which were retired, your reference to drug dealers and crime certainly precludes you from those you claim retired at 50 because they were smart.

[Gaybutton]

Retire at 50? What job allows you that?

In many cases it's not how old you are, but how many years you worked at the same place, no matter what your age is once you've worked the required number of years.

That 99.9% figure you quote - where is that coming from? Can you show some valid research to back that up? Are you just making it up?

[thaifarang]

Are you seriously saying that it is pretty normal to retire at 50? That is extremely exceptional.

Few reasons it can happen:
1) you had your own business and it was successful (most people with a business can't retire at 50, 99.99% of people who have a business don't become rich from it)
2) you are a salaried CEO of a company (most people with a salary cant retire at 50; only CEO's of big companies or these few other very very well paid jobs)
3) you had an inheritance (most inheritances don't allow people to retire at 50; the ones that do are very rare)
4) you are in crime

Option 1 to 3 are very rare at 50. Option 4 is more common. Which of these 4 applies to you?

If someone retired at 50 while having had a job, say he started working age 22 (very young). Then you worked 28 years. You earned 28 yearly salaries (starting very low of course at age 22). In these 28 years you managed to save at least 15 yearly salaries to bridge the gap to age 65 (legal retirement age). Sounds impossible, unless someone lived extremely modest and saved like 50% of his income for 28 years in a row.

[Gaybutton]

Which of these 4 applies to you?

Why do you think those are the only options? Many jobs permit retirement once you've worked a minimum of 30 years. If you started working at age 21, 30 years later now you're 51 and can opt to retire - with a pension.

[thaifarang]

Which of these 4 applies to you?

Why do you think those are the only options? Many jobs permit retirement once you've worked a minimum of 30 years. If you started working at age 21, 30 years later now you're 51 and can opt to retire - with a pension.

I know indeed military has this. But I don't know any other job with these nice benefits. These jobs must be very popular, who doesn't want this?

I wonder how it can be afforded by the employer. He needs to bridge many years till legal retirement age for that country, paying for many years former employees who don't work for him anymore. There can't be many jobs with that. Everyone would want to work there.