End of life help

Pandora is almost 23! After a great life she has suddenly gone downhill rapidly in the past few weeks and is clearly near the end of her life. She stopped eating and drinking 2 days ago and yesterday stopped purring when I stroke her. She still wobbles to her litter box and tries to wee (for ages with almost no results). She spends her days lying quietly but, livens up at night, walking around and mewing. She is breathing easily, does not seem to be in any discomfort, but is doing an odd chewing motion with mouth at times almost as if she had something like chewing gum stuck in her gums.
   
I live in Thailand where vets will do everything they can to prolong life and hate to put animals to sleep. If I take her to the vet, I know they will want to keep her there, which she will hate and I am certain she will die alone in one of their cages. I could probably find a vet who is prepared to put her to sleep and I could probably persuade one to come to my house to do it here, so she could die at home.
   
I suppose what I really want to know - and maybe it is an impossible question to answer without seeing her - is she suffering as she is? If she was in pain, would I know? Will she just peaceful slip away or is it going to be a horrible death and should I go and find that helpful vet now before things get bad?
   
Any help would be so appreciated.
   
Thank you.

How's Pandora? Is she still holding on? (I just found this, I was on vacation.)
   
23! Wow!
   
Cats usually go downhill very quickly at the end. I've seen it numerous times in my cats.
   
I know this may be a useless post, but -
   
If you have to put her to sleep, you can take her to the vet yourself, & the vet can do it while you hold her. That's how it happens here in the U.S., the owner is always present at the end if it's necessary to put the pet to sleep. By all means, get one to your house.
   
Cats hide pain well, we usually can't tell. When the cat starts hiding & laying around in a daze, it's time stop the suffering.
   
(are you mouring now?)

Hi. Thank you for your reply. I took another of my cats to the vet and told him about Pandora. He wanted to give her all sorts of help - as I knew he would! - but nothing was going to change the outcome or really help her - except he gave me some pain relieving injections which a trained friend of mine was able to administer at home. Pandy only needed one. She passed away that night. I had already decided that we should only leave her for a day or two before asking the vet to put her to sleep, but it was a relief that I didn't have to go it. It is SO hard being in a country where you have to persuade the vet to do this.
   
After almost 23 years it is very strange without her around. Who could ask for more than a cat who lives this long and is healthy right up until the final week? But of course, I am grieving and there is a big hole in a life right now.