If you are on your way to retirement and currently undecided if Thailand is suitable for you
You want to get a better understanding from others, who already retired in the country
I think the info in this video will give you some fantastic insight into what to expect
Expats with years of experience, some over a decade or more
Retired in the country,
giving their opinion on their current state of retirement living in the country
was their retirement plan in the country
a big mistake or a dream come true or a little bit of both?
What are some of the most challenging things they face?
The first half of this video will mainly focus on the good aspects of retiring in Thailand
In the second half, we will include some of the downfalls you might face and how to overcome them
I'll let you know when the second part starts
Keep in mind this survey was done during the pandemic
There are many more restrictions and requirements during this period
The subject is "Will Thailand continues to be a favorable destination for retirees?"
it is not the same thing as snowbirding from your home country
let's start with the good and these are real comments by real people
First, comment by Jay
I have no hesitation in saying I love it here and would not move back to Australia to live.
In the last couple of years, we have bought land and built a second home,
something not possible back in Australia. I don't find it expensive to live here at all,
it's cheap to go out for dinner plus other everyday costs are quite good, the only problems
I see that really affect us are the corruption and the racist policies for non-Thais that make
it hard to get visa extensions etc. They really need to get rid of the 90-day reporting as well
as all the paperwork for visa extensions and making them for longer than just 12 months
(really think all this is for is financial gains for them). I think you would find that more
people would retire here if the govt stopped making us jump through hoops and let us live
here carefree for a couple of years at a time before having to do an extension/paperwork etc
Comment two by Fred
I have been here for a long time, but I no way want attachments,
cept mutts. Live a good life, pensions excellent then I'm not frozen for OAP...medical
is what a lot complain of, but the cheapest and best is close to hand,
better than NHS but yes covid has put a spanner in works for the money.
Sauna mornings, followed by long swim afternoons,
nice massage later, followed by other things, where else could that be got cheaply
Comment by Eric
One can still live a good life if one has the backing, not talking pensions, and yes, the cost
of food is up there if you like your imports, i.e. pretty much the same as back home. Still, labour
costs, housing materials, electricity, water, and the like are cheap, so it depends on what you
want in life, i.e., owning a shack in a western country and putting down at least a million $'s
to buy it. Still, we all know it's way more than that or use those funds to build a place here for
1/10th of that and maintain the same existence as you did when you lived back in your home country.
Thailand is not perfect, but where is it? When I talk to guys thinking of retiring here,
they can't believe what it costs me to live here. Albeit it they constantly complain of
how expensive it is back home and how they have to keep working to just survive. With my reply being,
how much is enough and what do you want out of life, because at the end of the day,
it's the only time, the rest is nothing. So if you're going to work the 5th or 7th of your life
to exists to watch your asset grow, but have to work to continue to repay the bank loan,
the car loan and the rest, then keep doing what you're doing. For me,
I have enough here to last me till I'm 101, but I don't just sit and live off of my money. I look
for investment opportunities without breaking a sweat to minimize my out-of-pocket expenses,
with this year being the worst as it's cost me around 4,500 baht a month to live
hereafter income from investments earned... I know, it's bad, but hey could be worse 🙂
I think if people have money, Thailand is a perfect place to retire, and one's
home country can be a holiday destination every year or two if one has family there.
Otherwise, the world can be anyone's oyster.
Comment by Carlos
I have been retired here for 3 years now. For me, my Thai marriage is much better than the one I had
back in America. There are many good-hearted women here. And for the money, my life is better here
than what I would have back home. So if I ignore the politics and focus on a relaxed lifestyle,
then Thailand is a good place to be. I really enjoy the warm weather too!
Comment by John
6. It is still a lot less expensive than many western countries,
and as long as males throughout the world have testosterone, Thailand will remain popular.
I have been coming yearly several times on holiday since 1989.
Lived here full time since 2011 after a 7 year stretch in Vietnam.
Overall, I think Thailand is still a good country to retire to,
but I am considering trying out the Philippines for a couple of years when Covid allows it.
Maybe also a year in Belize. I want to try and see something new, especially after this Covid
period. I will still keep my stuff here, so I will return after my latest “adventure” is over.
Basically, I have no regrets about moving here. Thailand offers a good relaxing lifestyle and is,
in my view, still pretty cost-effective. For sure still beats my home country
when it comes to the weather and a more relaxed lifestyle.
And sure there are disadvantages, but the same goes for all other places.
and this is Jacob
The alleged disadvantages linked to immigration only apply to the Anglo-Saxons,
3 countries out of 180, and only linked to an arrogant relationship with the local authorities.
For others like me, the formalities are easy, inexpensive and always friendly.
The advantages of retiring in Thailand are many in my eyes and far outweigh the disadvantages:
Very low prices above all for accommodation and services,
the natural beauty and charm of girls, decent infrastructure,
ideal climate by the sea, security, the mix of quiet retirees and younger visitors often fun.
The major drawbacks are the obtuse nationalist culture and the price of real wine.
Give this video a THUMB SUP, if you're thinking of retiring in Thailand
This will be the second part of the video, all the downfalls and negative
aspect of retirement in Thailand and how some people overcome them
Here is the first commenter
I started coming here, annually, in 1988, for three month holidays. Did the bars,
did the temples, wandered length and breadth of the country. It was a real wild west then,
but free and easy. No troubles, providing you behaved yourself and showed respect.
I came to live here permanently 12 years ago. I was settled down,
things have gradually gone downhill. The people aren't as happy and carefree as before.
The visa requirements have gone through the roof, blatant corruption everywhere,
the cost of living nearly equals my home country, apart from housing, taxes etc.,
I'm talking about those who purchase farang food and do not live on rabbit food from the markets.
I do feel sorry for the general Thai populace, the working people who seem to live a hand-to-mouth
existence, but not the slightest empathy for the government or any employed within it.
Comment by Ethan
Aside from the corruption, I am more concerned about, and frustrated by,
the sheer lack of care for the environment,
abysmal educational system, very low hygiene standards (food) and lack of cultural activities.
Knowing what I do now, I can't help but feel that it was a mistake to set down roots here.
I'm not looking for Utopia, but there doesn't seem to be any real progress being made here.
Comment by Jerry
Most of the points have already been made, but here are mine anyway. I came here 24 years ago
to work, retired a few years later and stayed here on an 'O' visa retirement working unofficially for
the next dozen years. I had no particular ties to or assets in my home country. My children were
grown up, and I liked the country and the people, my pension went further, and I had things to do.
So I stayed. If the situation in the country now had prevailed when I decided this,
I would not have done so. In the intervening period, the amount of Baht from my pension
has roughly halved, while the cost of living has increased (as everywhere).
I discovered (as others have done) that the Thai smile hides an undercurrent of violence.
They are bureaucratic to a fault, and xenophobia abounds. Immigration is indeed the burr under
the 'alien's saddle and features differing requirements between offices, sudden changes
to rules and exasperating endless niggles. It must be one of the few countries in the world
to require expats to report their presence to Immigration every 90 days. I should only
add that personally, I have never had a problem with Immigration or been asked for tea money.
Do I think that foreign retirees will continue to flock here?
No, I don't. At least not until Immigration gets its act together.
The Covid inspired requirements for coming to this country are eased.
A government was actually elected by the Thai people that makes a stab at being democratic!
The economic situation needs to improve a great deal, and finally, foreign residents/retirees
are recognized for the financial and practical value of what they bring here.
Comment by Adam
Thailand has never been conquered by westerners. Why would they start now?
As far as I am concerned, Thai's are racist, not picking on Thai's, just stating the facts
that I have observed from living here, and that is not to say Racism doesn't exist worldwide.
It does, suffice to say, why would Thailand want to open up to westerners when they can control
the conditions, I mean, what is it? They allow up to 200 westerners, if I'm correct, to become
citizens subject to rigorous conditions that most other countries don't put people through.
The above said, even if and when they allowed us married to Thai's for over 5 years to become
citizens. I wouldn't because I am already a citizen of my birth country, as is my wife (dual
citizen) didn't have to squat to get it. Just be there for 2 years as a permanent resident, then
apply for citizenship a couple of years later, no need for work or knowing the language, go figure.
Comment by James
Don't get me wrong, this is a great country, and I will become a naturalized Thai citizen soon,
but I don't think I would be retiring somewhere where I am only ever allowed up
to a year temporary stay, and immigration policy changes often, and on a whim.
Comment by Kevin
Since all the so-called "crackdowns" about 5 (or so?) more years ago,
it has constantly become harder to retire in Thailand.
First, there was the saga about income requirements changing,
then mandatory insurance (this makes things very hard when you are old
and insurance companies dump you or decide they want 100+ baht per year)
Now, on top of all that, it looks like we will have to deal with a whole lot of Covid nonsense.
Also, many like to have the freedom to travel back home occasionally to see grandkids and the like.
Thailand is not exactly friendly about that.
And how many will be prepared to keep dealing with endless requirements and handing in
of duplicate paperwork every year? After all the Covid we've
had to go endure, I, for one, have a lot less patience for all of it.
I think it will all just become too much for many folks,
especially for those who can get free (or at least affordable) healthcare in their own countries.
Next is Steve
I think Thailand as a destination for new retirees will be significantly reduced in the future.
Thailand is not easy nor cheap anymore. People who go online and search for 'retirement in
Thailand' will be flooded with pages full of negativity, talk about scams, Racism, visa issues,
and be immediately turned off. When searching for 'value' for money, Thailand doesn't even make the
top retirement destination lists as it used to pre-2014. With that, I struggle to see a business
case for attracting new retirees to Thailand that aren't looking primarily for the girls.
But even that scene, I think, will be less in your face and instead move online in the future.
This entire pandemic has been a stake in the heart of Thailand as far as I'm concerned. I don't see
any possible scenario where they come out of this with anything near what they had before.
Comment by Ed
I'm 50 now and have the finances in place to retire there if I want to.
But I see things more like 4 or 5 months a year as a snowbird now,
rather than the dream of living out there full-time.
First came in 2005 with friends backpacking around Asia and loved it.
I ended up staying 3 months and reducing other parts of my itinerary.
I've spent 2-3 months a year there since then while working the rest of the time in the UK.
Plus, I had a 6-month break there in 2013 and
had been planning to do another 6 months until the pandemic struck.
The idea of retiring to Thailand became a real aspiration fairly quickly,
particularly after getting into a long-term relationship.
However, I feel the free and easy atmosphere is going. OK, after spending a lot of time in
any country, it's inevitably not going to be fresh as it is when you first experience it.
But it doesn't have the same vibe anymore, to me at least. The mass over-development to
cater for package tours from China, Russia etc., has not helped either.
Samui, while still nice, isn't what it was even 15 years ago. When I first pitched up there,
Lamai and Chaweng were very much separate areas. Now they are one urban sprawl.
Also, it isn't a particularly cheap place if you are living in places like Bangkok unless you are
living as locals do. I spend more in supermarkets, for example, than I do in the UK and my UK wages
are a lot higher, obviously. Life away from the capital and tourist areas looks more attractive.
I wouldn't buy property there either due to the legal wild west,
though that's always been the case.
Next comment by Chris
In my humble opinion,
China and the current regime will put a stop to mass western retirees in the near future.
For me, the air pollution and constant hassle from immigration were too much to put up with.
My vote is it will get assimilated slowly, and tourism and retirees will slowly die out.
I lived there full-time for 10 years and 5 or 6 years before that,
visiting for months at a time—what a change. Hard to imagine back then I would be writing this.
The current regime wants the money that comes with the tourism of old but wants
to make it miserable for people that come here... haha. Hard to imagine.
Thailand is living on the publicity of old. They push it, and it attracts newcomers.
But, as with all false advertising, it is catching up with them and cannot last.
That being said, as a westerner. Now, Thailand will push China and the others to come.
And I expect some success. But, for me as a westerner,
I cannot think of a more miserable place than Thailand.
and the last comment by Lee
I did retire here after working here for decades. Would I retire here again at my age?
No way. It has lost its uniqueness, and its "Thainess" has disappeared. It is just
an ugly internationalized row of McDonald's, car dealerships, 7/11s and supermarkets now.
I enjoyed being a foreigner. Once again, there are foreigners everywhere, every village, every
building, every corner, and we are ubiquitous. The Thais don't particularly like us anymore as well.
I do admit I have become jaded, probably been here too long—time to move on.
If you watch all the way here and find this video useful or entertaining
Please give this video a thumbs up because it took a long time to put together
You have listened to what current retirees' opinions about retiring in Thailand.
Which one do you agree or disagree with is Thailand remain a destination of your retirement?
Leave your comment below
If you ignore politics and you are financially secure
You will be very happy in Thailand
but all in all, if you have money all the downfalls can be solved with money
Also don't move to Thailand thinking it could gradually turn into a mini America
For example, if you're married to a Thai,
don't expect them to give you a Thai citizen like what they do in the US or UK
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