Pattaya for ex-pats
The ex-pat community in Pattaya continues to grow and at present numbers around 12,000 or more year-round residents from countries all over the globe. This number is swelled by part-time residents who come and go for part of the year, and weekenders from Bangkok. Although some ex-pats try, and, often succeed in running a business here, the majority of Western ex-pats staying here are retired. The entertainment scene, activities (especially golf), beaches, nightlife, the relaxed way of life, as well as the availability of Western goods and services are among the best Thailand has to offer an ex-pat, which is why Pattaya has one of Thailand’s largest foreign communities. Many who come to live here soon fall into a friendly social circle of Westerners, befriend plenty of friendly Thais and find that the atmosphere in general is very relaxed, enjoyable and hassle free.
Pattaya has a lovely climate as well as access to all the facilities available to Western people in their own countries. Thailand is a lot cheaper to live in than equivalent Western retirement areas and the price and quality of property to suit all budgets means that more and more people are coming here to live every year. The quality of the hospital care offered in Pattaya also brings many retired people here as medical insurance is also cheap to buy. The medical facilities available here rival most international centres, and often for a fraction of the cost. Since foreigners have been living here for decades, and the city is a popular tourist spot, you could quite easily live a very similar lifestyle to that in your home country, with social clubs, local bars, international restaurants, movie houses, shopping malls and more. In fact, Pattaya is perhaps one of the least Thai places in Thailand in many respects and few of the ex-pats living here bother to master the local language or boast many Asian friends.
Houses, condos, apartments and rooms are easy to rent on 6 to 12 month agreements. The cheaper single room apartments start at around 5500 baht per month, comfortable studio condos usually go for 8000 baht (plus service charges) and small houses at around 10,000 to 15,000 baht. These prices exclude utilities, which are around 1500 baht or more a month. Such places will have many Western domestic facilities, and the more you pay monthly the more you will expect in this regard. The further away from the beach you get, the cheaper the rents. However, there has also recently been a surge in property development, and with many Bangkok ex-pats and Thais snapping up weekend pads here, prices and the quality of what’s available has gone through the roof. How much it costs you to live here depends entirely on your preferences, but Pattaya does have plenty of distractions, especially young ladies willing to be a companion to you (and your wallet). You can live quite comfortably though modestly on 20,000 baht (US$500) a month in Pattaya provided you stay away from the tourist places.
There is currently a very buoyant market for investment properties and the burgeoning industrial development on this eastern seaboard means many multi-nationals are willing to pay 20,000 baht and more to house their foreign staff in Pattaya. Generally rents can vary considerably depending on the location, view, age and status of the building and facilities included. Foreigners are entitled to buy condos on Thailand but not houses (unless it is placed in the ownership of a Thai or a company). Many ex-pats have done this and the local property market is very well developed, with plenty of professional and honest agents. Some ex-pats who settle or retire in Pattaya manage to buy a very nice house with swimming pool, air-con and a bit of garden for 3 to 4 million baht, (£45,000/$100,000). For the same price in Pattaya you can get a 70m² condo in a decent apartment block.
If you have plenty of Western money, it is comparatively easy to become an ex-pat as long as you can face the long and sometimes frustrating process of obtaining the correct visa. If you are over 50 you should be able to obtain a ‘retirement visa’, as long as you can show you have a Thai bank account with sufficient funds in it (about 400,000 — 800,000 Baht depending on the immigration office) or property here, or an income from outside Thailand of about 40,000 baht per month. If you are under 50 but married to a Thai, a similar ruling applies. Other methods of legitimately staying here are to obtain a multiple entry non-immigrant B visa (ostensibly to take up employment or study) for which you will need some certified proof, or to gain a work permit through a company. Many simply resort to making monthly visa runs to the Cambodian border, but this can become tiresome. The immigration department has a reputation for bureaucracy and obstinacy, so it’s best to use the services of one the visa application firms widely advertised. The paper work for setting up a company and obtaining a work permit is almost not worth all the effort and red tape.
Working in Thailand is not that easy but not impossible. The various laws designed to ensure that all indigenous people are employed have led to the policy of non-employment of foreigners, except in specific roles such as technical advisors, educators or as sources of foreign capital. This makes it difficult to obtain a work permit unless you intend to work for a company who will assist you to get one, or you work for a government concern. The red-tape is mind-boggling. If you intend to work here it is important that you do your homework first. More on Living in Pattaya.
The busy and popular Pattaya ex-pats Club is an invaluable source of both information and practical help for anyone thinking of living here. The club is multi-cultural and multi-ethnic and supports both the long-term and short-term interests of everyone staying in Pattaya. More on Pattaya directory.
