SURVEY: Would you recommend Thailand as a retirement destination?

[newnative]

20 minutes ago, simon43 said:

I can retire to the 'tax-haven' of Andorra (not an EU country BTW, so all nationalities welcome).  I am not required to have any money in the bank for a visa and I can live modestly on about $1200 per month.  It is rated by 'The Lancet' as providing the best healthcare system in the world (yes, IN THE WORLD).

 

I can go walking/climbing in the summer and skiing in the winter.  Oh, local language lessons are provided by the government for free....

 

There are much better places than Thailand, if one bothers to look.

 

   Never said there weren't other choices out there.  Of course there are.  You might want to double-check the visa requirements to live in Andorra.  Maybe my information is incorrect but several websites say you need to show an annual income of about 37,000 Euros for a 'passive' visa to live there, plus proof of private health insurance, and a 50,000 Euro investment bond in Andorra.   The 'passive' visa seems geared to retirees.  If you want to work there, you apparently need to invest 400,000 Euros for an 'active' visa.      Perhaps these requirements have been relaxed and the websites are incorrect.  But, whatever the requirements, I prefer a warm climate year-round so Andorra's not for me.  However, whatever floats your boat.

    

[Pattaya46]

5 hours ago, connda said:

No consistency in the application of immigration law between immigration offices //

How is it a real problem ?

Why care about rules applied at Phuket or Pattaya if you live in Chiang Mai ? 

 

5 hours ago, connda said:

Immigration is now moving the goalposts on short notice with increasing regularity.  We all simply wait for the next shoe to drop.

AFAIK they made only 1 change on Retirement Extensions in more than 10 years ! It was this year with a change of the 800 kB seasoning that they extended to 1 year (by 800/400 periods)

So I really fail to see were you took your "increasing regularity" from ? 

 

For many retirees, Immigration requirement is just one visit a year with a few documents and 1'900B. Cheap and easy. Not a reason to leave, and neighbouring countries don't do better.

[marcusarelus]

14 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

No thank you. I would not put 400.000 or 800.000 Bt into my Thai bank even though I can afford it.

This country is too untrustworthy, you just don't know what will happen next.

I can see where you are coming from.  I put my money into Baht instead of pound sterling 20 years ago and have done quiet well.  If I had trusted a relatively insecure currency like Pounds Sterling I'd have lost almost half of my retirement funds.  60 when I put my money into Thai banks to now 40 would have killed me.   

[madmen]

14 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

Don't move here if you have below average health or have a lot of health risk factors, or don't have ample money to take care of yourself, because if you don't, nobody else will.

rocket science. 

[marcusarelus]

15 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

No. Finding lasting romance here is too much of a long shot.

The divorce rate in America is 50%.  The difference here is you can have enough left to start over again and starting over again is a 5 minute process.  

[madmen]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

About 60+% thus far saying NO to Thailand in one flavor or the other....in terms of recommending Thailand as a retirement destination.

 

I'm pretty sure I'm safe in saying that 10 years ago if we had asked the same question/survey here, no way would the answers re Thailand as a retirement destination be anywhere near as negative as they are now.

10 years ago the big 4 embassies issued BS affidavits. tens of thousands lived here without a bean in the bank. Ya reckon that may have had something to do with the warm n fuzzys.

 

They are the ones crying now but that's life, sometimes it bites your backside.

[Gecko123]

11 minutes ago, madmen said:

rocket science. 

Maybe so, but still bears repeating as you see plenty of people with diabetes, heart disease, pulmonary problems, and ambulatory and obesity problems. Engaging in lifestyles which put you at risk for future health problems is also very common.

Edited June 9, 2019 by Gecko123

[madmen]

1 minute ago, Gecko123 said:

Maybe, but bears repeating as you see plenty of people with diabetes, obesity, heart disease, pulmonary problems, and ambulatory problems. Engaging in lifestyle choices which put you at risk for future health problems is also very common.

So what country should they go to? Pretty sure anywhere would be high risk or am I missing something and Thailand is the worst place in the world

[Expat Tom]

I have been here for many year and regret to say that many of the Thai Smiles have turned to plastic. I would not recommend Thailand as a retirement destination and have, in fact, developed my exit strategy. Having said that, everyone's circumstance is different so to each his own. 

[Pattaya46]

2 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

About 60+% thus far saying NO to Thailand in one flavor or the other....in terms of recommending Thailand as a retirement destination.

It should have been good if the OP had add a second question

in his poll: Are you from one of UK, USA or AUS countries ?...

[Longcut]

2 hours ago, JaiLai said:

 

There’s always one.....


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

It's the truth!

[guzzi850m2]

So at 1840 hours; 60% no, 40% yes. 229 votes cast.

 

Considered the generally negative posts in TV, that was sort of expected.

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

44 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

It should have been good if the OP had add a second question

in his poll: Are you from one of UK, USA or AUS countries ?...

 

There are LOTS of other issues including ones involving Thai Immigration that would drive negative opinions, beyond just the removal of income affidavits from the countries you mention.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, madmen said:

10 years ago the big 4 embassies issued BS affidavits. tens of thousands lived here without a bean in the bank. Ya reckon that may have had something to do with the warm n fuzzys.

 

They are the ones crying now but that's life, sometimes it bites your backside.

 

There was some element of that, though not nearly as widespread as you seem to believe, IMHO.... But you're living in a dream world if you think the income affidavits issue is the ONLY or MAIN thing driving negative feelings here these days....

 

People in general, I think, want some sense of security, some sense of predictability, that the arrangements they've made for living here, deemed acceptable when they moved, are going to continue more or less intact.  Sadly, that security/dependability simply doesn't exist here anymore.

 

Edited June 9, 2019 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[marcusarelus]

6 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I think, want some sense of security, some sense of predictability, that the arrangements they've made for living here, deemed acceptable when they moved, are going to continue more or less intact. 

I really, speaking from years of experience, don't think this applies to Pattaya.  

 

Move to Pattaya for predictability and security?  

[Lacessit]

It very much depends on one's financial situation. IMHO people relying solely on a pension ( unless it's extremely lucrative ) shouldn't bother.

I think the only thing that keeps me here is my Thai GF. Plenty of pay-for-play in other SEA countries without the Immigration BS.

[Toany]

1 hour ago, Pattaya46 said:

How is it a real problem ?

Why care about rules applied at Phuket or Pattaya if you live in Chiang Mai ? 

 

AFAIK they made only 1 change on Retirement Extensions in more than 10 years ! It was this year with a change of the 800 kB seasoning that they extended to 1 year (by 800/400 periods)

So I really fail to see were you took your "increasing regularity" from ? 

 

For many retirees, Immigration requirement is just one visit a year with a few documents and 1'900B. Cheap and easy. Not a reason to leave, and neighbouring countries don't do better.

immigration told me to file a TM30 twice a week.  That is a big change

[Pattaya46]

29 minutes ago, Toany said:

immigration told me to file a TM30 twice a week.  That is a big change

You must depend of a bad small Immigration? Move to Pattaya

You will have a retirees friendly Immigration and will not have to worry with TM30. 

[Golden Triangle]

8 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

You must depend of a bad small Immigration? Move to Pattaya

You will have a retirees friendly Immigration and will not have to worry with TM30. 

You are aving a larf boyo.

[madmen]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

There was some element of that, though not nearly as widespread as you seem to believe, IMHO.... But you're living in a dream world if you think the income affidavits issue is the ONLY or MAIN thing driving negative feelings here these days....

 

People in general, I think, want some sense of security, some sense of predictability, that the arrangements they've made for living here, deemed acceptable when they moved, are going to continue more or less intact.  Sadly, that security/dependability simply doesn't exist here anymore.

 

what's changed ? still 800k (maintaining 400k but no biggie if you got 8 you got 4) and 65 k

Who is living in dream world? The only thing changed are the free loaders from the big 4 are screwed and who just happen to make up the BIGGEST expat numbers now making the loudest noise. Just see how quiet it gets on TV when these bums have used their last BS stat dec/ affidavit from january so next year around june they are out !!

 

What idiot would leave if they had the $$$ and were happy here? thats rhetorical ????

[Psimbo]

Oh for god's sake ANOTHER thread about the same thing numerous other threads have covered.

[Golden Triangle]

Well, I got as far as page 5 when all the arguments started so moved directly to page 10 - possibly 11 ???? 

 

Coming here on holiday is irrelevant to the question, I was coming here twice a year for a month at a time for 4 or 5 years before I retired here in 2011, I did what most people did, hit the bars, the go go's, the lively places, I had a couple of friendly girls that looked after me (as it were) but I never, or hardly watched TV, ThaiVisa was unknown to me, I was on holiday, I wasn't interested in the politics of the time, the carnage on the roads, the fragile male ego - shall I go on ?? 

 

I was here to enjoy myself as a newly divorced male all I wanted to do was let my hair down and have a good time. I had a mate with me who met a nice lady and got married and they still live North of Korat in a nice house in a nice town 11 or 12 years later.

 

I did travel around Thailand a fair bit in those days but I was still chasing pussy wherever I went.

 

Things have changed a lot since then, I have been living with my longtime GF for 8 years now, she takes care of me every day, I don't need to do girly bars, go go's etc, we eat out a couple of times a week and have a good circle of Thai and Farang friends.

 

So to the OP, don't base your holiday experiences on what it is like to live here, it is totally different. get yourself an A-O visa and stay a while, try not to adopt the holiday mode, adopt the retiree mode, do your 90 day reporting, ride your motor bike with no helmet and pay the fines and after a year see if you are still as keen as you were from day one, of course it may take longer than a year to realise that all is not what it first seems to be, but that would be a good starting point.

 

Sorry for the long post everyone. 

[Boricua67]

I've only been to Thailand twice(2016-2017). Maybe because I was there for a short time, I didn't experience many of the people here talk about.

With that said, if you don't like a place, leave and never come back. This barrage of negative comments is stupid and a waste of time.

I will retiring in 6 years and Thailand is one of my top 5 countries to retire in.

[Jingthing]

9 minutes ago, Boricua67 said:

I've only been to Thailand twice(2016-2017). Maybe because I was there for a short time, I didn't experience many of the people here talk about.

With that said, if you don't like a place, leave and never come back. This barrage of negative comments is stupid and a waste of time.

I will retiring in 6 years and Thailand is one of my top 5 countries to retire in.

What are your other four?

I would suggest choosing one that gives you a path to permanent residence. Very old people are being pushed out of Thailand now that have no place anymore to go back to. Sure you think that could never to happen to you. Well probably not if you're very wealthy. 

Edited June 9, 2019 by Jingthing

[wisperone]

4 hours ago, possum1931 said:

Thailand is many things, but apart from on the roads and moronic motorbike riders riding on the sidewalk, it is certainly not a dangerous country.

So as long as you don't leave your house, you will be safe????

[JaiLai]

36 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

What are your other four?

I would suggest choosing one that gives you a path to permanent residence. Very old people are being pushed out of Thailand now that have no place anymore to go back to. Sure you think that could never to happen to you. Well probably not if you're very wealthy. 

Scare mongering 

 

Very old people are not being pushed out at all, few simple requirements to meet, not difficuly, agents are also available to assist. Yes they cost money but does n't everything?

 

You're yet to determine ( in your opinion ) the cost p.a to live here comfortably as a retired person, 20 / 30 / 50K USD?

[Jingthing]

6 minutes ago, JaiLai said:

Scare mongering 

 

Very old people are not being pushed out at all, few simple requirements to meet, not difficuly, agents are also available to assist. Yes they cost money but does n't everything?

 

You're yet to determine ( in your opinion ) the cost p.a to live here comfortably as a retired person, 20 / 30 / 50K USD?

I'm entitled to my opinion.

I disagree with you.

People ARE being pushed out including people that DO have the financials to meet the requirements.

I just heard another case from CHIANG MAI of a legit combo application applicant being told -- no, we will not process combo applications.
As far as using corrupt agents many people (including me) are not comfortable participating in corruption that way. Maybe we're silly and old fashioned but I know there are others that want to do LEGITIMATE applications. 

Why are you baiting me to state the cost to live here? That is BIZARRE. Am I required to jump every time I get a trollish demand from a serially hostile member?

The cost to live here is very dependent on the individual and their situation here. DUH. 

Edited June 9, 2019 by Jingthing

[RoadWarrior371]

12 hours ago, mania said:

 

I don't think folks with money choose Thailand as a retirement destination

 

Usual perception from blokes that have no money.......

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, RoadWarrior371 said:

Usual perception from blokes that have no money.......

I commented before on this issue myself. I never said that no wealthy people don't want to live here. I do think that the very wealthy have the choice of most of the world, and MOST such people that do choose expatriation will not choose Thailand. 

[JaiLai]

I'm entitled to my opinion.
I disagree with you.
People ARE being pushed out. 
As far as using corrupt agents many people (including me) are not comfortable participating in corruption that way. Maybe we're silly and old fashioned but I know there are others that want to do LEGITIMATE applications. 

Why are you baiting me to state the cost to live here? That is BIZARRE. Am I required to jump every time I get a trollish demand from a serially hostile member?
The cost to live here is very dependent on the individual and their situation here. DUH. 

I’m curious to what people estimate a budget for a pension to retire here is, is that ok?

It’s not a demand, it’s an open forum to gain knowledge / share info etc, you’re the one that appears hostile, not me.

How many agents have you tried?


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