Terry, you have made some good points and are pretty much on plane with everyone else living in the LOS. FloridaBorn is spouting bullshit because he could not handle his money while he was living in Thailand. Everyone knows the cost of living is less is Thailand than most western countries, but you have to know how to leverage the cost savings that are available. If you send your kids to expensive schools and eat at Hot Pot every night, you will run through your savings in no time.
There are some things that are more money here in Thailand, but most know what they are and work around them. For those that do not know how, or spend a lot of time at the bars, you will be living a sorry quality of life.
The overall cost of living is less in Thailand than it is in the west and that is a given.