Alan and Ros Cuthbertson are living their dream. The Queensland couple, both in their 60s, retired to Chiang Mai in 2014, attracted to the idyllic landscapes, lower living costs and easy Thai lifestyle.
The former IT manager and disability worker typically spend half the year at their Chiang Mai home surrounded by mountains and overlooking stunning Buddhist temples, and the rest of their time travelling the world.
After paying off their mortgage and seeing children grow up and leave home, Ros and Alan were ready for a better quality of life. “Chiang Mai is a melting pot of diversity and a stepping stone to the rest of the world, which still really suits us,” says Ros.
Their website and Facebook page, Frequent Traveller, is full of advice on planning the perfect holiday with tips on how to make your travel dollars go further. They should know. So far, Alan and Ros have visited more than 52 countries and are not about to unpack their bags anytime soon.
In 2020, with international borders closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple returned to Queensland before getting their roving retirement lifestyle back on track.
“Our long-term plan is to return to Thailand as our base in 2025, but stay in Australia until then, with plans to visit Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Finland, and Spain next year,” says Ros.
