About Almanac
Straightforward Support for a Complex Time
We exist to make retirement paperwork less confusing — with patience, plain language, and a clear sense of where our role ends and your choices begin.
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How Almanac Came to Be
Almanac was started in Chiang Mai in 2019 by a small team who had watched too many friends and neighbours struggle with the paperwork side of retirement — not because they were careless, but because the documents themselves are genuinely difficult to read without some background.
A pension statement from the UK reads differently from a Thai Social Security notice, which reads differently again from a superannuation summary from Australia. Many people living in northern Thailand in retirement are dealing with records from more than one country, in formats they have never seen before, with terminology that was designed for administrators rather than individuals.
The response was not to create an advice service — the legal and regulatory reasons for keeping those boundaries firm are real — but to offer something more modest and, we think, genuinely useful: help with the organising, labelling, and basic comprehension of the documents, and clear signposting towards the official sources that can answer the questions we cannot.
We work quietly, without any sales pressure, from an office on Huay Kaew Road. Most of our clients come to us through word of mouth. We are not trying to become large; we are trying to be consistently helpful to the people who walk through the door.
Our Mission
Why We Do This Work
Honest about our limits
We do not pretend to be something we are not. We are an organisational and educational resource, and we say so clearly at every step.
Respectful of autonomy
Every decision about your records, your money, and your future belongs entirely to you. Our job is to make the information more legible, not to steer you.
Pointing the right way
We know which official offices handle which enquiries, and we help you reach them — whether that is a pension administrator, an embassy, or a government helpline.
The People
Who You Will Meet
Margaret Knowles
Founder & Lead Organiser
Margaret spent over fifteen years working in records management before retiring to Chiang Mai and noticing how many fellow retirees were overwhelmed by paperwork. She founded Almanac to bridge that gap.
Praewpan Nakkasem
Client Coordinator & Workshop Facilitator
Praewpan brings a background in adult education and document translation. She runs the Statements Workshop and helps coordinate signposting to Thai official channels for clients who need them.
Robert Ingram
Programme Adviser
Robert joined Almanac in 2022 following a career in public administration. He contributes to the Guided Organisation Programme, helping clients build their personal information checklists with care.
Standards We Keep
How We Work
Privacy by Default
Your documents stay in the room. We do not copy, photograph, or retain any personal records. Sessions are conducted privately with no third parties present.
Scope Transparency
At the start of every session we explain clearly what we will and will not do. There are no surprises, no upselling mid-session, and no pressure to purchase further services.
Clear Documentation
Clients receive a written summary of what was covered in each session and any signposting notes provided. You have a clear record of what we did together.
Accessibility Considerations
Our office is arranged to be comfortable for clients with mobility or visual considerations. Please mention any requirements when booking and we will accommodate them.
Ongoing Learning
We stay current with changes to official pension communication formats and keep our signposting lists updated. When official guidance changes, we update our reference materials accordingly.
Feedback Welcome
After every session we ask for feedback. If something was not useful, or could have been explained more clearly, we want to know. Our approach has been shaped largely by what clients have told us over the years.
Our Approach
Document Organisation as a Practical Skill
Retirement records tend to accumulate quietly over the years — annual statements, deferred pension notices, state pension forecasts, and correspondence from employers or plan administrators. For most people, these sit in a drawer or a folder until something prompts a closer look. By that point the volume can feel daunting, and the terminology has not become any clearer with time.
What Almanac offers is a way to bring order to that accumulation without needing to understand every detail in advance. A sorted, labelled set of records is far easier to carry into a conversation with an adviser, an embassy officer, or a pension scheme helpline. Knowing which document is which, and roughly what each section covers, changes that conversation for the better.
We work with clients who hold records from multiple countries — particularly those from the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and other nations with expatriate communities in northern Thailand. We are familiar with the general layout of documents from these jurisdictions, though we do not comment on the figures they contain or what they mean for any individual's position.
Our sessions are conducted in English. If you prefer to bring a Thai-speaking companion or family member, that is entirely welcome. We are based in Chiang Mai and serve clients throughout the Muang district and surrounding areas.
Ready to Begin?
Let's Sort It Out Together
A brief call or message is all it takes. Tell us roughly what you have, and we'll suggest the most sensible starting point.
Get in Touch