Marvest

...to say it precisely.

Cost Of Living Comparison (numbeo.com)

Agree. Thailand claiming they are a step ahead of all other countries is hyperbole.

Right. UK and other European countries have already come down from a sharp peak in omicron. Denmark is a trailblazer in ditching coronavirus restrictions. If Thailand eases restrictions after their omicron peak, they will be like many other nations.

GDP fell less than 10% in 2020 while almost all economic sectors were down. Exporting of manufactured goods are growing and are much more important to a newly industrialized nation's future.

Hypothetically, advanced countries will have better treatment for COVID and the ratio of deaths to cases will be lower. But 'excess deaths' is a very good (best?) metric.

Hyperbole

How does that compare to the world?

Agree. However, not too early to judge that Thailand's case and death rate is far less than the world average.

What is the main industry?

Agree... going forward. England is ahead of Thailand and past their peak on the omicron spike. Thailand should remove restrictions once they get past the peak. I think they will.

England may be a good model for you and the English, but Thais may not be as accepting of a death rate of over 2000/million.

The COVID pandemic reaches far and deep. It’s a 100-year phenomenon that is complex to deal with. Ultimately, governments’ success in dealing with the COVID pandemic will be determined by how well they balance the economy and safety with the happiness of their citizens. According to the official COVID case and death count, Thailand is relatively safe. Thailand’s economy grew in 2021 as did exports. However, consumer confidence remains very low, and many restaurants and tourist related businesses continue to suffer. According to many of the experts on this forum, the Thai government is doing everything wrong. In the big picture, allowing foreigners to freely enter Thailand is not a priority for the Thai government except to the extent it effects the balance of economy, safety and happiness of Thai citizens. Which country’s policies are the best model for Thailand to follow?

If you have lots of money, insurance is a asset protection and wealth transfer strategy. Sounds like COVID insurance is a good fit for someone like you who is otherwise healthy. But of course, you should not buy it if you don't need it.

It's not that insurance companies are scamming to exclude coverage for COVID. Some insurance policies issued outside of Thailand don't cover "other viruses" either. In fact many group policies issued in the U.S. only cover medical expenses for 'life and limb.' That's why this article is pointing out that it is wise to purchase travel insurance. So the scam is bigger and has been going on longer than you might realize.

calculated risk, but yes, I agree

I have noticed some are unnecessarily concerned over misinformation posted here. Some of the misinformation is based on speculation and not actual experience. I have been through the first Test and Go process and will post my experience. I am not advocating for the new process. I understand the added COVID precautions create inconvenience for travelers to Thailand. My Experience (original Test and Go): - I booked 100% refundable one-way air travel, $50K insurance, and qualified hotel. The Hotel cost about BHT5000 for two for one night and included PCR test, ATK test, ground transportation, and breakfast. - I applied for or Test and Go approval. The application was pretty straight forward. I converted pdf files to jpg files and used a non-Microsoft email account as suggested by this forum. At completion of the application, I was given a confirmation number that I was able to use to check status and told it would take about seven days to process. - I took a RT-PCR test two days before departure after confirming acceptable result turnaround time. Notes: - Ensuring reservations are refundable is an added hassle. In my case, I canceled my plane reservations and re-booked after T&G approval. - Waiting for approval after application made me feel nervous, mainly because of the negative experiences and speculation I read on this forum before booking. - My application was approved with QR code on the seventh day. Incidentally, another person in my party applied five days before scheduled travel and it was approved in time. I assume (but don't know for sure) applications are prioritized by travel date. Fortunately, I did not experience a system crash. Side note: I have read here the application system was hacked, but haven't seen official reports. I think it more likely crashed because of initial pent-up demand. - Check in process at the airport went as expected. I was prepared with necessary docs. I had to show negative PCR test and T&G QR code to check in. - My flight was not direct, and I had to transfer to board my flight to Bangkok. I had to go through the check-in verification process again. The airport ground staff and facilities were strained, and I had to stand in line for more than an hour. At least two people ahead of me in line were having trouble because they had not purchased the required $50K insurance. There was a fair amount of arguing and panic among them. - On arrival at BKK things went smooth. There was an extra counter set up before immigration to check for T&G approval and QR code. I was asked what my seat assignment was on the plane. I noticed another person could not remember her seat number, but it was inconsequential. I did not see any denials. - Immediately after passing through immigration and customs into the arrival hall, there is a big sign board with all the quarantine hotel names on it. When you point out your hotel, a representative collects you and takes you to the hotel - in my case a mini van. Upon arrival at the hotel I was tested for for COVID and instructed how to install the Morchana app. Test results were delivered to the hotel by 10:00 the next morning. Mine was negative. I was given a printed copy of the test and allowed to go. Summary For me, everything worked as expected. No doubt it added hassle, expense and nervousness. The only frustration came when waiting in the long queue to verify docs at the transfer desk. I imagine most passengers to Thailand will not have to do that. The nervousness came from fear of being rejected somewhere during the process. I'm not sure why I feared this except for what I read on this forum. Test and Go v2 has the added requirement and expense of the fifth day hotel and test. Opinion T&G v2 additional hotel and test requirement was a quick overreaction to Omicron. Omicron seems to have steep case spikes and then goes away quickly. I expect more changes to reflect the COVID situation as it changes going forward. Hopefully, it will become less restrictive and costly for tourists in the future. I believe it will. The old and new T&G procedures will prevent some folks from traveling to Thailand. Thailand’s entry requirements are more restrictive than some countries and less restrictive than others. As it turns out, the countries with the most restrictive entry requirements tend to have the least number of COVID cases.

Test and Go version 2 does not seem to be well implemented. However, the goal of the new Test and Go program is not to encourage a high volume of tourism. It is to reduce the possibility that tourists bring and transmit COVID. This measure will cost the tourist industry. News flash - The Thai government realizes that. The Thai government is signaling with significant long-term investments in infrastructure they want to transform the economy away from low-end tourism toward a more developed economy and exports. Although this will take years, there are already signs it is working. In the last year, the Thai economy grew without the return of tourism and exports rose sharply.

Accodring to the article, the ranking is based on cost of living, real estate, medical, cultural heritage, environmental heritage, food, weather, leisure activities, safety, difficulty in adaptation, transportation convenience, and infrastructure. Given it is retirement focused, I would assume it is aimed at people with cost concerns not folks with more than enough money for retirement. With this in mind, I agree with the ranking. I chose Thailand for those reasons, and I like it here. I like it for many of the criteria listed in the article. I suspect most of the people commenting on this forum must have chosen Thailand as a place to live for similar reasons. Immigration and police are common complaints. Neither are criteria and maybe they should be. Immigration is difficult and frustrating in most countries, especially if you are trying to extend a visa or gain residency. I was surprised how difficult my own country is once my wife applied for residency. If it's a bad place to retire, then why go through the immigration brain damage? Which are the wonderful countries with streamlined immigration? Corrupt law enforcement seems to be a problem here. I don't have first-hand experience. Are police problems common for law abiding residence? Then there's the bribery thing. If TAT bribed the French magazine for a high rating, then there must be at least four countries that are even more crooked than Thailand. But I'll give it some time. Perhaps I have not lived here long enough become pessimistic.

That's a bit harsh. This is an apples and oranges comparison. crouchpeter is talking about 'returns' on a 'past' investment. You first link is pre-pandemic growth data which outdated and does not tell us about returns which is what crouchpeter is talking about. Your second link tells us housing index outpaced rents which is a squeeze on returns. Without knowing crouchpeter's entry point we cannot accurately assess his investment. But he states 7% return although we don't know if that is net or not. That's a great net return and not bad if it's before taxes and operating costs. If we are talking about an investment made today, then only those with a crystal ball know for sure. So you both have good points, but no one here is shockingly ignorant.

I generally agree with tomazbodner. Thailand had become an advanced developing economy leading up to the COVID pandemic. To get to the next level they need to lose some of their old third world ways. COVID has provided a unique opportunity to rebuild. I don't believe the new Thai government policies are aimed at going back to the status quo. To become an advanced economy will take many years but what better time to start? The government is laying the groundwork and signaling in that direction. Private investment will follow the THB1.4T in government infrastructure spending this year alone. The Thai economy is said to have grown 4% last year despite COVID. Exports are up 17% over last year as the economy adjusts to less tourism revenue. Some of the new businesses that grow out of the COVID recession will offer products and services that attract wealthier tourists. And there are 1.5B potential tourist just north of the boarder. I see signs of a brighter future for Thailand and I personally think it's exciting. It's all my opinion. Perhaps I have not lived here long enough to become reflexively pessimistic. I'm bullish.

About three years ago it was possible to open a bank account complete with debit card at Krungsri Bank with a foreign passport on a tourist visa, a temporary Thai phone number and minimal deposit. I have also heard it is easier to transfer money out of the country with Krungsri.

Why do most people use AXA? Is there some data that show they are better than others?

Dentist studied at New York University. Price list as of December 2021

For what it's worth: As of late December 2021, 56 Hotel (SHA Plus+) was providing a test service via Thainakarin Hospital (walking distance of the hotel). I understood at the time you could arrange your own test at Thainakarin Hospital independent of the hotel as well. PCR Test with overnight results available by email early the next morning -- BHT 2000 at the time. Call to verify before making your travel plans.