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There is a saying in Thailand: "Same same but different." I asked a Thai lady once what the meaning was and she answered "You and me the same, but different", which I think sums it up. It has become quite a catchphrase here in Thailand, and it is seen on tee shirts, coffee mugs and heard all of the time, wherever you go. You might ask a local what's the best beer in Thailand, Chang, Leo or Singha? And the answer would generally be "Same same but different", or what's the difference between Thai red curry and Thai green curry? "Same same but different". So when I am asked what's it like retiring to and living in Thailand compared to Australia, England or the USA? My usual answer is, "Same same but different", very different, very cheap and very enjoyable. Thailand is a magical place and I feel blessed that I can live here. Thailand is within easy reach of many other Southeast Asian countries by airplane, car or bus, and I travel to these areas and try to have new experiences whenever I can. Being a retiree I have to look after my money to make sure that it doesn't run out before I do, so I always travel within my means, on a budget, and with a plan.It has been eighteen eventful months since I first arrived in Thailand to start my retirement. The time I have spent here has been full of highs and lows (mainly highs), and I know now that I made the right decision to make Thailand my new home. It hasn't been easy, in fact, if you have already read my first book, The Retire in Thailand Handbook (The first six months) you would have seen that it was quite difficult to establish myself here and sometimes very frustrating and time-consuming. That was then and this is now. After the first six months everything seemed to fall in to place. I moved from Phuket to Koh Samui and rented a nice villa on the beach. I met and fell in love with a beautiful Thai lady, who is now my partner. This book starts where the last one left off, in Phuket and will take you on an exciting journey through Thailand, stopping off at many of the cities and towns expat retirees now call home. I decided to take the road trip to find the ideal town in Thailand to eventually settle down and call home. Thailand has so many beautiful places to choose from, tropical Islands, beach resorts, rural towns, farming towns, large bustling cities, and fishing villages. The choice of where you may want to live depends on your outlook on life and how you want to enjoy spending your new life once you have retired. As Thailand is 95% Buddhist a lot of the attractions around Thailand's rural and inland areas revolve around Buddhist temples, markets and national parks are also a big feature in rural Thailand. Bangkok, the coastal areas and the beautiful islands offer more entertainment, amusements, and nightlife, but if you want to see the real Thailand, not just the Thailand that the tourist see you should head to the heartland, to places like Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Nakhon Ratchasima, Udon Thani, and Khon Kaen.Being on a pension, it was important for me to live within my means and within my budget, but I still wanted to be able to travel when I want to, and live my life to the fullest. To be able to do this and get the best deals you have to shop around. I am amazed at the people I have spoken to on my travels who have just booked their trip with a local travel agent, and not checked prices elsewhere. Though we may have traveled on the same airplane, gone on the same tour or be staying in the same hotel, the price I paid was sometimes half of what they had paid. This book will give you some great ideas on how you can save money when you travel, as well as an insight into great retirement areas within Thailand.The way I look at it, the more you save the more you can travel and enjoy your life and your retirement.

A Retirees Guide to South East Asia, Cambodia, Vietnam, The Philippines and Laos is the second book in The Retiree Series of travel books. The books are aimed at retirees or future retirees who want to enjoy their retirement years travelling and seeing places that they maybe couldn't afford or did not have time for when they were working and raising a family. Sixty is the new forty so most of us are fitter and healthier than our parents were, and when you retire there is a whole world out there waiting for you to discover it. This is a journal of a two month trip that I took through Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Laos. I did this trip on a budget, surviving on my pension. During that time I ticked off many items on my bucket list, ate and drank well, saw some breathtaking sights and did some amazing things including:The beauty of Angkor Wat and watching the sunrise over the temples.The atrocities of the Killing Fields and S_21 Prison in Phnom Phen.Sailed on the mighty Mekong River.Crawled through Vietnams Chu Chi Tunnels and visited the war museum.Explored the ancient cities of Ho Chi Min and Hanoi.Had clothing made to measure by expert tailors in Hoi An.Cruised Vietnams Halong Bay.Experienced Wind Surfing in Boracay and saw Bohol's Chocolate Hills in the Philippines.Explored Vientiane in Laos.My philosophy is the more I can save when travelling, the more I can travel, having said that, be frugal not cheap. Look for deals and don't waste money, but don't miss out on great experiences or walk miles to save money.

If you have read my third book "Same Same but Different" in The Retirees Guide series, you will know that when I returned from my adventures in Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Laos (book three in the series), I settled back in Koh Samui. A few weeks after I returned from my trip, on Valentine's Day 2017, I met and later fell in love with a beautiful Thai lady called Jin. Within a few weeks of meeting, we were on an extended driving trip around Thailand. On our return from our Thailand road trip, we decided that we wanted to travel overseas for three months of the year, every year, to visit all of the countries we wanted to see together. Jin had never been out of Thailand before, and I wanted her to see some of the countries I had been fortunate enough to be able to visit over the years, either on holidays or when I was working at sea or in hotels around the world as a chef. We decided that for nine months of the year, we would live on a budget that would hopefully still allow us to have a good life in Koh Samui, and also allow us to travel and explore Thailand, and at the same time save up for our next three months overseas trip. This book is a journal of our first overseas trip to Myanmar, Singapore, Bali and Malaysia by rail, road and air and sea. We stayed in some beautiful hotels, visited many local attractions, and ate in some fine restaurants well within the budget that we set for ourselves. We did this by checking out websites and advertisements to ensure that we got the very best value that our money could buy. By shopping around and surfing the internet, we managed to chance upon, a week's accommodation in Bali, as well as return flights from Singapore to Bali for less than US$600.00, and many other bargains that we managed to source, for accommodation, flights, and restaurants. I love shopping for bargains; I consider it a challenge not to pay the full price when travelling. The money we save enables us to travel and experience more out of life than we normally would if we paid the full asking price. Many people just book their travel and holidays through a travel agent, hotel chain, cruise ship company or airline without looking to see if there are better options available at cheaper prices. Being retired and on a pension it is important for me to stretch my money as far as I can, to enable us to travel more extensively. My motto is "You need to be frugal, not cheap, look for deals and don't waste money, but don't miss out on great experiences or walk miles just to save a couple of dollars. Time is money, spend them both wisely".