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You love Vietnam, but it’s a little too noisy for your taste, especially when you’re attempting to catch some zzzzzs? Move to Phuket! That’s what Richard Joynes did! When he is not volunteering, Richard enjoys a fun and adventurous life! He lives on the water in a hotel where his boat is docked and he eats out every night. Find out more about retiring to Phuket, Thailand, on episode 48 of Retire There with Gil & Gene.
Richard Joynes was born in raised in London. He attended boarding school in Essex, which is about 80 miles north of London. He worked in London as a construction manager. He Then became a partner in a firm and moved to New York City in 1979 to open an American office. About 20 years later, he visited Vietnam on vacation and, as he says, "excuse the cliche, I was blown away." Accordingly, he knew he had to involve Vietnam in his life in some way so he enrolled at NYU to learn Vietnamese. As he learned more and was introduced to many people connected to Vietnam he closed his business and moved there. He lived there for 5 years volunteering with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) building schools and housing in poor, rural areas. However, living in Vietnam was quite challenging (terrible weather, no long-term visas, rather noisy people) so he in 2012 he moved to Phuket, Thailand which has great climate, great healthcare and infrastructure, and 90 minutes away from Vietnam by air and where he's able to get a yearly retirement visa.
Richard has a daughter in California and a sister in England. His interests include sailing, movies, and history.
