I live as citizen in the Netherlands, retired. Lived from 1993-95 close to Pattaya, and from then quite some business trips to Thailand and around.
My wife has hefty dementia, and is already some time in a special care unit, where she is taken care of, at the costs of Dutch Social Security ( now a €40K/year, but might go up to even €80K/y), every Dutch citizen gets when needed. But.. places in such a care home are scares, sometimes you are on a waiting list for 6-15 months ( one’s death is the free room for the next), despite you got a medical indication for a place in such a care home.
In Netherlands we have a quite good medical care system: everybody pays a 12 x €145/month + own risk of max €385/year + 6,3% of your income ( also when on retirement). The balance till about € 7000/per person per year medical cost (especially elder care !) comes out of the tax, paid by everyone. All medical costs are paid then, whatever, even when you have to be taken in for a care home.
My Thai friends invite me to come to Thailand, but.. I have some very strong hesitations:
You can own a house, but never the land under it, which must stay always in Thai hands. When on your wife: do not divorce, and when she passes away before you, you are at the mercy of her heirs.
Every year you must go for a continuation of permit to stay, no right for it despite you own a house, in which you are treated by the officials as low white trash ( I joined a few times a friend).
When you get into a legal dispute with a Thai, the Thai judge far too often follows the Thai.
Too often Thai police tries to extort money from you ( in my own case: I had a helmet on with a wind shield down. I was stopped, as “the police officer could not see my eyes, so”… 500THB at the spot. Pity for the policeman, I had my voice recorder switched on in time and I know some persons in TH, so he probably is now spotting Changs at Khoh Nit Noy, somewhere Far Away.
Also others try to distort money from farangs: double pricing at a lot of places; much higher prices for farangs, from taxi via car repair till whatever to be done.
Insurances, which ever, but especially medical: too often the insurance company tries to roll away from payment of (medical) bills. When you want to protest, you must go in court, see c)
You are NOT allowed to do any work. And in this case the old phrase goes in: the enemy always listens too. In my case: I advised a former supplier in TH with some export destinations. Suddenly the Thai police showed up.
Too easy you are arrested and put in a Thai monkeyhouse. As farang you have only ONE right: to spend as much and quick as possible money in Thailand. Best dump it at Swampy and return with the next flight.
Last-but-not-least: what happens with me, when I am NOT so well anymore: body and/or brain. Who and where I am taken care of ? At a Nursing House, where they give me so many tranquilisers I am 90+% off this world ? As long as your care money flows in… Discovered with two friends of mine.
Going back to Netherlands is then hardly an option, as.. who brings me at the airport, and.. arrived in NL: I have to get a medical indication for a place in such a care home + waiting till somewhere in NL there is a room free. So survive a 6-15 months on my own. Even commercial elderly care homes have hardly a room stand bye.
So, leaves me a jump in the pool of the crocodile farm ?