For Greg Carroll, the Great Australian Dream never eventuated. Instead, it meant moving to Southeast Asia to start a new life with his wife in his late 60s.
The couple were living in Sydney, but the sky-high cost of living quickly took its toll, prompting their move to Queensland in 2017.
The now 71-year-old and his wife Yuri, 46, started renting an apartment at an ‘enviable’ location in Carindale, about 20 minutes from Brisbane CBD, for $490 per week.
The happily married couple were enjoying their ‘golden years’, having been together for 10 years after meeting on a dating website in 2014.
However, after more than 40 years working in the heavy road transport industry, Greg’s ‘well paid’ but ‘demanding’ job left him with chronic back issues, making him realise that ‘time was running out’ if he wanted to enjoy his retirement.
‘We loved our lifestyle in Brisbane. We had an enviable life but the opportunity to retire and move while still fairly fit and active was too great – we knew it was time to go while we still could,’ Greg told FEMAIL.
As the global pandemic hit in March 2020, Greg and Yuri took the plunge and moved to a small village in rural Thailand for affordable home ownership and a ‘better’ life.
‘So we left our beautiful top-floor apartment in Brisbane, packed all our furniture and possessions into a shipping container and headed off to Surin, a five-hour drive northeast of Bangkok,’ Greg said.
For Greg Carroll, the ‘great Australian dream’ never eventuated. Instead, it meant moving to Southeast Asia to start a new life with his wife Yuri in his late 60s
‘It was the start of an exciting and enjoyable adventure that added immeasurably to our relationship.’
Greg said building his own home had ‘always been a dream’ – but the reality of buying a property in Australia was out of the question.
So the couple decided to build their ‘dream’ home in a small village, about 45 minutes from Surin.
‘Our first priority was to build our house, which took a lot longer than planned but ended up better than we could ever imagine,’ Greg said.
However, he pointed out that building a property in Thailand was ‘not for faint-hearted’ expats.
Greg said he wanted his ‘dream’ home built to Western standards – but it took seven attempts over two years before they finally settled on a builder.
‘Apart from the language barrier, which is a significant obstacle, finding a builder who understands Australian quality expectations can be quite difficult,’ he said.
‘We were starting to despair in our search for a builder… until we finally found one who knew what we were looking for.’
The couple built their ‘dream’ home to Western standards in a small village, about 45 minutes from Surin, a five hour drive northeast of Bangkok (pictured)
The builder’s quote came as a ‘pleasant surprise’, especially since the couple didn’t skimp on the quality of the materials for their dream home.
‘His price was a steal,’ Greg said.
‘All up, including fixtures and fittings, for a 252 square metre single-storey house, we paid the equivalent of AUD$120,000. Try doing that in Australia these days.
‘We are very pleased with the result – a comfortable, cool and energy efficient home. Not something we could ever afford in Australia.’
Fortunately for Greg, his wife Yuri is a Thai native so she acted as the ‘project manager’, serving as the go-between for the building supervisor and him.
‘It was relatively pain-free, with far less stress than friends in Australia have experienced while building their own homes,’ he said.
‘No building inspectors to worry about, no development applications requiring detailed teeth grinding revisions, just plenty of communication and clear uncomplicated plans. The key is good planning and plenty of communication.’
‘All up, including fixtures and fittings, for a 252 square metre single-story house, we paid the equivalent of AUD$120,000. Try doing that in Australia these days,’ Greg said
The builder’s quote came as a ‘pleasant surprise’, especially since the couple didn’t skimp on the quality of the materials for their dream home
The couple have lived in the gorgeous new home for the past 14 months.
‘It has exceeded our expectations,’ Greg said.
‘An essential part of the design was to make it as climate friendly as possible. Having a “cool house” was core to our requirements.
‘The materials used and certain aspects of the design make it particularly suitable to the tropics. This is our favourite aspect of the house. It is exactly as planned.’
Financial plan
In making the decision to move, the couple spent a lot of time assessing whether there would be enough from Greg’s superannuation and savings to build the house, buy a car and maintain the lifestyle they wanted.
‘Sticking to the plan can be a stretch at times, particularly given the exchange rate has recently moved unfavourably against the Australian dollar, raising concerns whether we will be able to sustain our current lifestyle in the future,’ Greg said.
‘Travel around Southeast Asia was originally part of our plan, but this is unlikely now. We’re fortunate though that Thailand offers many wonderful places rather than travelling internationally. It is cheap to travel locally if you plan carefully.’
Cost of living and eating out
The couple now spends an average of AUD$250 on their weekly grocery bill, with their most significant expenses going towards imported items such as fresh fruit from overseas.
‘Beautiful blueberries from Peru, luscious strawberries from Australia and grapes from China,’ Greg said, adding: ‘There is no way we could afford the same in Australia.’
The couple now spends an average of AUD$250 on their weekly grocery bill, with their most significant expenses going towards imported items such as fresh fruit from overseas
The couple eat out once a week as part of their visit to Surin for their grocery shopping.
‘Good Thai food is so cheap. For a meal, we’d pay over AUD$60 for two in Australia but it costs us less than half here and it’s better quality too,’ Greg said.
‘Just don’t order pizza though – Thai pizza chains still have a long way to go to catch up to Dominos. On the other hand, KFC in Thailand offers a menu with a greater variety and is far cheaper than Australia.’
Greg said most of his home bills are generally much lower compared to Australia.
‘For instance, the cost of mobile phone and home internet is equivalent to AUD$50 per month, offering upload and download speeds you would not believe for a small rural village way out in the boonies,’ he said.
Little luxuries
Despite living worlds apart from Australia, Greg said having access to many of his favourite things from Down Under has made life easier for them.
‘Thailand grows and roasts some of the world’s best coffee, so a good cup of coffee will set you back AUD$2.40 here,’ Greg said.
‘Great food and good locally brewed craft beer make a difference here.
‘Though, we do still miss Brisbane and would move back in a heartbeat if we could afford it but our new life in Thailand comes a pretty close second.’
‘Thailand grows and roasts some of the world’s best coffee, so a good cup of coffee will set you back AUD$2.40 here,’ Greg said, adding the lifestyle is far cheaper than any Aussie could imagine
Hired help
The couple keep costs to a minimum at home – but they do hire a cleaner to help with keeping the place tidy.
‘Once a week Yuri and one of our neighbours do a complete clean of the house. It takes about three hours and we pay Blin the equivalent of AUD$13.50,’ he said.
‘Not that I sit around doing nothing: washing and drying clothes and doing the dishes are my responsibility.’
The pair has a ‘wonderful arrangement’ with Blin’s husband, Pon.
‘When we need Pon to do specific tasks around the land, we pay him the equivalent of AUD$30 for a full day’s work. We show him what we need and leave it to him,’ Greg said.
‘If it takes him half a day we pay the equivalent of AUD$20 as he works bloody hard and always does a great job.’
Even when there’s no work for Pon to do, he still comes over to Greg and Yuri’s property every day to collect grass for his livestock.
Greg with his ‘A team’ – the builders who constructed his dream home in Thailand
‘He’s here early every morning of his own accord to cut grass for his buffalo and cows. It usually takes him about two or three hours. Often Blin will come and help him,’ Greg said.
‘The arrangement works well. They get grass to feed their livestock, which can be a challenge during the rice growing season and in return the place is kept looking tidy.
‘Both Pon and Blin are the most humble and kind people we’ve ever met. They give so much and ask for so little in return. We feel very privileged to have them in our lives.’
Affordable medical care
The standard of medical care in Thailand was a ‘major discussion point’ for the couple as they deliberated on uprooting their lives to move abroad.
‘We don’t have private health cover and more than a few times we’ve used the private hospital in Surin,’ Greg said.
‘The standard of care and treatment has been excellent- as good as the public system in Australia at about 20 per cent of the cost.
‘Being able to renew a script without a visit to the doctor is an added bonus. Pharmacies are so much better than in Australia.’
Not eligible for pension
Despite the affordable housing and cheaper cost of living in Thailand, Greg said he isn’t eligible for an age pension from the Australian Government.
Greg said while they were expecting some significant culture shocks, they have taken everything thrown at them in ‘stride’
‘Expats do not receive pension, despite in my case being an ex-Royal Australian Navy member and having paid tax for over 50 years,’ he said.
‘Once you leave Australia, that’s it – you’re responsible for funding your own retirement. It’s one of the few countries in the world that applies this rules, and I think it’s wrong.’
Before making the move, Greg was aware that he would not be receiving a pension in Asia so he excluded it from their overall financial plan.
‘For anyone contemplating doing what Yuri and I have done, it’s important to factor this into your finances if you’re on a budget,’ he said.
‘Did it influence our decision making? Yes, several features were deleted once we became aware of the pension not being available.’
Culture shocks
Greg said while they were expecting some significant culture shocks, they have taken everything thrown at them in ‘stride’.
‘Dealing with local officials and banks can be frustrating – no different to Australia really,’ he said.
‘But on the whole living as a retiree has been an enriching and rewarding experience. Assimilating into the culture is something to embrace, not to avoid.’
‘Attractive place to live’
During a recent trip back to Australia to visit family and friends, the couple started to think about whether they could see themselves moving back to Brisbane.
‘We spent time looking at rentals and analysing the cost of food and other living expenses and it was clear we couldn’t afford to move back,’ Greg said.
‘Besides we have a beautiful house and a lifestyle in Thailand that would not be achievable or affordable in Australia.
‘Surin is home. Every day is an adventure for me.’
Despite missing Brisbane, Greg said Thailand has become a ‘more attractive place to live’
Greg said the freedom of a ‘less regulated society’ makes ‘Thailand a much more attractive place to live’.
‘In terms of a daily lifestyle, it offers an old retired fella like me plenty of pluses. If I’m not cycling around the district, I’m outside looking after over 200 trees we’ve planted, keeping fit and active – within the limitations of a chronic bad back,’ he said.
Retiring in Thailand
For anyone planning to retire abroad, the couple is cautious about recommending Thailand as a ‘retirement destination’, as it ‘depends entirely on individual tastes and preferences’.
‘The best advice I can give for anyone thinking of moving to Thailand is to immerse yourself in the country and its culture,’ Greg said.
This means exploring not just the beautiful beaches of Phuket or Samui, the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, or the stunning mountains around Chiang Mai, but also the rural and regional areas of Thailand.
If you’re serious about retiring in Thailand, Greg said one of the most important things to consider is: What will you miss if you move?
‘Consider every single aspect of your life when you ask yourself this, as it is the most important question,’ he said.
The couple is now enjoying a ‘relaxed lifestyle and a laid-back’ environment, embracing the mantra: ‘Take it easy, take it slow, don’t stress.’
‘We do and it works a treat,’ Greg said.
‘We love our life here and we plan on never moving back to Australia. We’re now onto the next phase of getting the most out of living in Thailand.’
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