Every year the same bs by the same magazines or websites for many years. TH has some advantages, but has declined in so so many aspects that they will never catch up with other nations in many years. MS>

2 hours ago, webfact said:

An index published in an annual report by International Living magazine

who order the the report, TAT???? wonder what were the basis for the ratings???

2 hours ago, bluesofa said:

Invaded many times, the last time by the Japanese in WW2, but colonised - never.

when the Japanese came across the visa requirements they left

2 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

 wonder what were the basis for the ratings???

Travel blogger suggestions.

You can write for them too:

https://internationalliving.com/about-il/write-for-il/
 

2 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Should be like "music everywhere so you happy"

Lucky you can hear the "music" its mostly drowned out here with the motorcycle and trucks blasting out illegal decibels! 

1 hour ago, GarryP said:

Has anyone ever thought that it has not been colonized because it was not worth colonizing. 

Correct, no need to colonize when the country capitulates and gives you everything you want - & more ????

58 minutes ago, overherebc said:

Reading the article in the magazine it mentions things like special pensioners queues in pharmacies where it cuts down waiting times and discounted medicines for pensioners along with excellent health care facilities

( in Panama )

difficult to conduct a poll for these type of things, every person has different standards/priorities, every person looking for something different (waiting time at the pharmacy, supermarket and other facilities will have different ratings/opinions/feedback from different retirees) the poll is misleading and the country ratings as well, same happens when a poll is conducted rating the cost of living in some countries, the only credible poll is the one created by oneself by visiting the country(ies) one is interested on

12 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

difficult to conduct a poll for these type of things, every person has different standards/priorities, every person looking for something different (waiting time at the pharmacy, supermarket and other facilities will have different ratings/opinions/feedback from different retirees) the poll is misleading and the country ratings as well, same happens when a poll is conducted rating the cost of living in some countries, the only credible poll is the one created by oneself by visiting the country(ies) one is interested on

True, but, the main point has been made on TV many times in many different threads about the lack of consistency and ever changing requirements that are not nationally consistent either.

Move provence and it's a new and different set of rules.

12 minutes ago, CGW said:

Lucky you can hear the "music" its mostly drowned out here with the motorcycle and trucks blasting out illegal decibels! 

Most of the time, it's not easy to distinguish between the "music" and engine noise anyway.

15 minutes ago, akirasan said:

Travel blogger suggestions.

You can write for them too:

https://internationalliving.com/about-il/write-for-il/
 

I did and complained about not being asked for my opinion on their poll, were you contacted to vote???? thus their poll is a punch of BS and not something to use as a comparison

Good opportunity for the retireees to get the other side of the coin out to the magazine right now by email. Hopefully get them kicked out the top 10....hahah.

 

Exceedingly hostile is more like the current environment for retirees, coupled with 5am queuing for visa stuff....lack of clarity on the smaller details from immi....

Feel sorry for those who were just getting by before due to currency issues and being settled with wives etc and being in a right pickle about show money now. Glad I'm behind the age curve right now as marriage and retirement avenues have shown how volatile the requirements may get again the future as Thailand really develops and they kick the requirements into Elite Visa pricing as they are bare-faced about what the want for long-stay costs.

 

Roll on the crash of the Baht...somehow...haha.

75 baht to the UK pound...seems like a distant dream far, far, away.

2 hours ago, bluesofa said:

Invaded many times, the last time by the Japanese in WW2, but colonised - never.

But not "conquered" by them.

 

Armistice signed but no surrender.

 

Instead alliance and wholesale collaboration, including Thai forces invading N.Burma in 1942.

 

Please someone ,make this showboating country open its eyes

3 minutes ago, freedomnow said:

Good opportunity for the retireees to get the other side of the coin out to the magazine right now by email. Hopefully get them kicked out the top 10....hahah.

 

Exceeding hostile is more like the current environment for retirees, coupled with 5am queuing for visa stuff.

Feel sorry for those who were just getting by before due to currency issues and being settled with wives etc and being in a right pickle about show money. now Glad I'm behind the age curve right now as marriage and retirement avenues have shown how volatile the requirements may get again the future as Thailand really develops and they kick the requirements into Elite Visa pricing as they are bare-faced about what the want for long-stay costs.

 

Roll on the crash of the Baht...somehow...haha.

75 baht to the UK pound...seems like a distant dream far, far, away.

Don't tease me!!!!! 75 to the pound.

1 hour ago, GarryP said:

Has anyone ever thought that it has not been colonized because it was not worth colonizing. 

They were stopped by a massive barricade of empty Lao Khao bottles built 24 feet high at the borders.

 

This massive national effort by the Thai is celebrated on a daily basis throughout the land and-monuments come and go-the Lao Khao monument (aka factory) near Phibun has never been touched..

YEP!!!  Land of smiles...top 10 best places to get killed on or near the road...got to love it!!!  The Life goes on...

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Specifically for Thailand the magazine pointed to choices for retirees on both the Gulf and Andaman coasts, ease of travel to bordering nations as well as the great culture born of the fact that Thailand has never been colonized.  

no mention of un-grounded electric? mad max highways? filthy air? mafia police? no rule of law?

Quote

the attraction of wonderful nature, the quiet surroundings and the possibility of economical living all made for fantastic retirement opportunities.

Quiet surroundings?????

Has he ever visited rural Thailand?

 

Cheap sex with beautiful women might also be a factor.

1 hour ago, MaxYakov said:

Yep, Cannot find any reason to retire to Thailand other than the weather.

 

Colombia is starting to look pretty good in my recent research.

 

Thailand is about to kill the Golden Goose (or eliminate the riffraff) with its new, mercenary bank deposit amount/income policy.

Quote

don't forget the all head cutting insurance policy that will be mandatory 

 

48 minutes ago, mok199 said:

Please someone ,make this showboating country open its eyes

It's not show boating. The Big P prayed for it and it happened. 

2 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

It's not show boating. The Big P prayed for it and it happened. 

Love it!

1 hour ago, MaxYakov said:

Yep, Cannot find any reason to retire to Thailand other than the weather.

 

Colombia is starting to look pretty good in my recent research.

 

Thailand is about to kill the Golden Goose (or eliminate the riffraff) with its new, mercenary bank deposit amount/income policy.

Colombia has emerged as my current top of the list alternative to Thailand for expatriation. They have revised their visa rules in a way that is very attractive among a number of other very positive things. However, there is a big caveat. There is a real crisis in Latin America being created by the tragic situation in neighboring Venezuela. Colombia is a natural place for Venezuelan refugees to run to and they are literally starving. Colombia has already taken a million of them but if things continue to fall apart you can multiply that number greatly. There is no big problem for Colombia to absorb the million, they speak Spanish and many of them are skilled, so just fatten them up and good to go. But ten million which is possible is a different story.  I would wait and see what happens with that crisis before making any commitment to Colombia. In any case, rent don't buy. 

Well we can put International living magazine in 1st place for not knowing what the he$$ they are talking about... haha.

The magazine must be gitting a little tea money from the agents at the Immigration office. 

 

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand named in top ten in the world for retirees - TAT says accolade is richly deserved

Amazing! That's exactly what I told TAT when they called me for my opinion

If you look at the original article from International Living Magazine, there are four categories that figure into the final score and ranking.

 

For the 'Visa and Residence' category, Thailand unsurprisingly ranked last in the top ten countries.

 

https://internationalliving.com/the-best-places-to-retire/

"But don’t think of it as a mere number-crunching exercise. At its heart lies the good judgement of our far-flung editors and correspondents. We didn’t create this Index for it to be a purely objective resource. Yes, it is built on hard facts. But its power—its utility—lies in what we recommend you do with them. In other words, we bring our team’s good judgement to bear on the question: "  

 

And there lies the problem.   haha

 

4 hours ago, thequietman said:

Not colonized,  but certainly invaded on a regular basis. The Burmese did it for a weekend away.

shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh????

3 hours ago, dyertribe said:

for many years I have been actively looking forward to my retirement in Thailand which is pretty close now, but with recent events and the unfriendly visa requirements, I am now looking to Cambodia ...

 

I'm both sad about that but looking forward to exploring the new options in Cambodia.

 

This year will be my last trip to Thailand

Visa requirements have not changed except for people who were lying about having a $2000 dollar a month pension.  If you actually have a pension or 25 grand in a Thai bank the requirements have not changed.  It you don't have $25k to put in the bank you don't have enough money to retire to a foreign country anyway so don't worry about it.  Health care in Cambodia is stone age so not a viable alternative to retirement to Thailand.

I have lived in Panama back  25 years ago and I would say it is the best. OBTY no reporting every 3 months What an archaic rule serves no purpose other than keep some people in a job at immigration

4 hours ago, fruitman said:

Spain has real police, good affordable wine, western culture, great clean beaches, western food, reliable people, safe roads.....

 

For me it's a no brainer, Spain it is. Or Portugal/Italy...

All the best for your retirement in the EU, I really hope you're not a Brit.