Overview
We ourselves live in Thailand for approximately 4 to 5 months over the winter. Paphada worked in hotel management at Best Western Royal Buriram and has an extensive network of contacts here. Dieter has an extensive legal, business, tourism, and education background www.DieterGerhard.com
We also operate a B&B here in Thailand over the winter months primarily as a base for both local daily, and weekly guided tours to every corner of the country.
With increasing frequency our clients have been asking us about what the options, and considerations are for moving to Thailand. So much so that our once vacation-centric private tours have shifted to helping our clients identify the life style they prefer within their financial means, then touring corresponding cities and provinces to that end.
Once they have found an area they are considering to live in we have arranged monthly vacation rentals in those areas so they can actually live and experience them before going on to help them purchase, or rent a condo, or home.
1. Private Guided Thailand Tours - Experience authentic Thai culture with your Hosts Dieter and Paphada
Birds of a Feather Thailand is located in Buriram - city of happiness - approximately 5 hours northeast of Bangkok - 90 minutes from the Cambodian border. Paphada grew up here and knows the area very well. She also previously worked as a manager at the Royal Buriram Best Western Hotel.
We offer weekly packages to B&B guests (max 3 people) we have previously met at our B&B in Victoria. These packages are purchased in Canada and delivered by ourselves in Thailand. Most often we have hosted newly weds who married, and stayed at Birds of a Feather Victoria, or married next door at Hatley Castle and stayed with us and then honeymooned here in Thailand. We pick you up at the airport, spend a week or so at Birds of a Feather Thailand with daily outings followed by a custom road trip of 1 to 3 weeks to anywhere in Thailand; beaches, islands, mountains, jungles, rivers ... anywhere.
We focus on us driving you off the beaten path to markets, historic sites, Budhist and Khmer temples, nature reserves, state parks, festivals, and much more.
- Local weekly starter package includes accommodation, breakfast, transportation - we personally drive you everywhere, day trips to Phanom Rung Historical Park, Muang Tum Khmer Temple, day and night markets, festivals, rural villages, local food. Guests often choose to extend this package to 2 weeks.
- Road Trip Thailand weekly custom package is us driving with you to anywhere in Thailand. We will have discussed ahead of time our recommendations based on your interests - beaches, islands, mountains, jungles, cultural and historical and loosely plan a trip based on our discussions. This trip may end with us dropping you off at a resort we may have helped you pick for the remainder of the trip, or in Bangkok where you can spend some time before flying onward.
- Road Trip South East Asia We have friends in Buriram that also do what we do, however, they also have 20+ years experience exploring Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia and Mynamar. A custom trip to these places can also be added, or incorporated in to your vacation.
- Honeymoons Get married at our B&B resort in Victoria then join us for your honeymoon in Thailand
November through March is high season in Thailand with ourselves being in Thailand to welcome you. The tourist seasons perfectly compliment one another in that they are opposite from Canada. This is a lifestyle choice we truly enjoy. It also facilitates our other passion, eco touring our guests around where we live.
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Buri Ram, which literally means “city of happiness” or “peaceful city”, is located in the southern part of Northeastern Thailand, approximately 410 km from Bangkok. Buri Ram is renowned for ancient ruins, sandstone sanctuaries built by the Khmer Kingdom, extinct volcanoes, beautiful silk, Jasmine rice, and rich Thai culture. Buri Ram Province is home to numerous archaeological discoveries of pre-historic human habitation and ancient ruins from the Dvaravati period (6th-11th centuries C.E.)
The cultural experince here is the real thing. This area is not overrun with tourists - in fact you'll stand out! It is not about the beach, nor an all inclusive sterile resort vacation. There are loads of those places all over southern Thailand. North eastern Thailand is about the cultural experience.both present day and historically.
Buriram is also home to the Buriram United Football (we call it soccer, Germans call it Fußball :), perhaps Thailand's most loved team. We celebrated a New Year's eve here at the Thunder Castle iMobile Stadium with the soccer team where we felt the heartbeat of the community.
Thailand's first international-standard motor-racing track, Buriram United International Circuit, will host the world famous Grand Touring (GT) car race in October 2014 as its inaugural event; - the first-ever Super GT race staged in Thailand!
What we are offering both at the resort, and perhaps even a little more intimately here in our home is our hospitality. Papahada was born and raised here. Her village is 15 minutes from Buriram. Let us show you around - see the markets, the ruins, the rural lifestyle and meet the people. Experience a different world safely and comfortably with us as your guides.
We will greet you in Buriram, however, it will be our pleasure to help you arrange hotels in Bangkok, airline tickets to our airport in Buriram, or ground transportation to/from Buriram.
If you are interested in discussing one of our adventures please contact us. For us this is not about how many people we can book but rather ensuring each exoperience is personal and memorable. It's simple. We live here part of the year and are inviting you to share an adventure with us.
Khao Kradong Forest Park is an extinct volcano that rises 265 meters high. It was previously known as Khmer Phanom Kradong, meaning turtle shell because of its half-moon shape. The Devil Yoni Trees here are found only in volcanic areas. We can either drive up the massif, or walk up the 297 Naga raj steps, which have Buddha statues in various poses along the way. The pool halfway at the top is said to be the mouth of the volcano and features a suspension bridge across it, while the lava rocks are proof of volcanic activity at one time. The top offers scenic views of the surrounding countryside and is also home to a large Buddha image, Phra Suphattharabophit, considered to be the symbol of Buri Ram. The ancient stupa houses a replica of the Buddha’s footprint.
Phanom Rung Historical Park Buriram
Pricing for travel section
- Local weekly - CAD $375.00 / day / 1 to 3 persons same price whether 1, 2, or 3. Includes accommodation, transportation, breakfast, daily guide services.
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Road Trips - CAD $375.00 / day for 1 to 3 persons same price whether 1, 2, or 3. Includes transportation.
You pay for meals and accommodations which vary according to your personal choice of several we will present you with.
2. Moving to Thailand - Expats and Retirees
Retirement in Thailand
Inflation, taxation, lifestyle and social care is challenging retirement plans for many in the West. Here in Thailand we ourselves spend a fraction of what it costs us to live in Canada, and find the family oriented friendly lifestyle very pleasurable.
For retirees there are many options at many budget levels. The social care here is extraordinary. Affordable quality in-home care in your own home is readily available.
A care facility in Thailand is nothing like the nursing homes in the west. There are no shortage of very caring staff in a village resort like setting. You won't be living in a box with nurse Hilda bossing you around :)
Medical Care (aka Medical Tourism) in Thailand
Dieter can personally attest to the exceptionally high quality of medical care having myself had quintuple by-pass heart surgery in 2017. Thailand has very professional public, and private health care. The quality of care I received left me wishing that if I get sick I hope its in Thailand. Despite its over 70 million people the Thai medical system is not overloaded, nor suffering budget cuts. In fact the Thai government has been investing huge budgets in expanding health care services and facilities throughout the country.
It's efficiency is something to marvel at. One day spent at the hospital will have you seeing a primary doctor, any specialists needed, complete blood work, x-rays, ultra-sounds, and just about every test needed for a proper assessment. No bouncing around for weeks, or months from place to place before a medical assessment is made; often followed up with treatment the same day.
In my own situation I had an angiogram in the morning and was told I had clogged arteries that were too far gone to be stented. By noon I was asked, "Would you like us to operate tomorrow?"
I had 3 clogged arteries, and they had enough vein that they did 5 for good measure!
Doctors are fluent in English.
Working in Thailand
Some of our clients have established a winter home in Thailand akin to a summer cottage back home. Others have moved here permanently with local, or remote employment, while a few have even established a business here.
Visas
There are numerous and various, often bureaucratically complicated visa options for each situation which are ever changing and evolving. We've stopped posting them here as they are often quickly out of date. Everyone's circumstances are unique and often we use overlapping visa programs to achieve the desired outcome.
Economy
There is a growing middle class here in Thailand with a promising economy. From our perspective we're witnessing the collapse of the west while experiencing new economies in the East.
Checklist - Items to consider and that we can assist you with
- Visas and work permits
- banking
- driving license
- bringing pets to Thailand
- moving your stuff in to Thailand
- marriage, divorce, deaths, wills & estates
- owning property in Thailand
- car, property and medical insurance
- incorporating and setting up a business in Thailand
- attending schools / universities
- bringing money in to Thailand
- taxation - There are new policies that will affect Thai tax residents only in 2024. There is lots of noise from people who don't know what they're talking about. Here are a couple of recent YouTube Videos that spell it out correctly.
Process and Fees for this section
We help you navigate through all the noise from the countless internet experts. We also limit ourselves to 5 active clients at any given time so we can give you our full attention.
There is no one set fee as everyone's situation is very unique and has many moving parts to achieve the end result.
We have vetted a network of professionals - immigration lawyers, and accountants based here in Thailand, care home facilities, social care providers, realtors, schools and universities, home builders - and built relationships with numerous government agencies. We will project manage your case, and guide you through the process step by step.
We offer an initial free consultation by email and/or voice call to discuss and assess your goals, and abilities, and a possible path forward.
Thereafter our hourly rate is CAD $250.00 / hr. + 3rd party fees and disbursements.
Please make initial contact using the webform on our CONTACT page