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As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing well the issue of a strengthening Baht, excuse me a strengthening Dollar against the Baht. Now this article from Thailand Business News that is thailand-business-news.com, the article is titled: US dollar strengthens against Thai Baht: Implications for Seniors' Retirement Costs. This was actually written back in December, but I think it's pertinent even now. Quoting directly: "Economic shifts particularly the strong US Dollar against the Thai Baht are enabling Los Angeles seniors to enhance their lifestyle by relocating to Thailand where living costs are significantly lower -- up to 400% difference in expenses. Many trade a $3,000 monthly budget in LA for a lavish $1,200 lifestyle in Thailand." 

So again, that's a little old insofar as it was written back in December, but we've seen now with this Middle East situation being what it is, the Thai Baht - in fact Bangkok Post the other day - I read an article where they said that the Thai Baht was expected to go possibly as low as 35 against the US dollar. Now my personal opinion is that is actually kind of a good thing for Thailand's economy; a weak US Dollar often means that there is foreign inflows of trade etc. It's usually good for the tourism sector as well, but I expect it will possibly be, well probably be a major benefit to retirees here in Thailand. 

And just real quickly, if you are a retiree in Thailand or anybody else in Thailand and you feel like you have a hankering for some pancakes, American breakfast or sort of American Diner style food, my better half and I set up a restaurant here in downtown Bangkok. It is called Pancake Palace and as the name implies, breakfast anytime as well as American Diner style food: hamburgers, cheeseburgers, we've even got chilli dogs, we've got chilli bowls, buffalo wings, grilled cheese sandwiches and glass-bottled Coke. If you are interested, come on down; the link is in the description below.

But back to the main point here, quoting further: "Retirees enjoy luxury housing options such as modern condos in Bangkok for $560-$1,120 and apartments in Chiang Mai at $250-$500. Healthcare costs are also dramatically lower; a procedure in Thailand can cost 70%-80% less than in the U.S., easing medical expenses for seniors. To retire in Thailand, U.S. citizens must apply for specific visas and meet financial requirements; however, the strategic move offers financial stability and enhanced living experiences, transforming retirement from survival mode to a fulfilling, adventurous lifestyle." 

Yeah and again, I reiterate, I think that this thinking is in line with how things are likely to be especially if the Thai Baht continues to weaken against the US Dollar at least is it pertains to those retirees whose pensions or their assets are denominated in USD as they can benefit from this currency differential, and again they might be reminded of the old days in Thailand when it was quite cheap to live here and the US dollar went quite a long way, as did the British Pound and the Euro. 

That said, things are in a bit of a state of flux in the world so it's hard to say exactly how these things are going to play out, but we will certainly be keeping folks updated on this channel as the situation evolves.