Was Thailand ever the number 1 country to retire to because its not now

[superal]

Had a chat with a friend who said the Philippines was the number 1 country to retire to but after a Google search that was not the case and Thailand nowhere close on the list  . There are many links for info but the attached covers most aspects .

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

[mstevens]

Thailand used to be cheap which was a big factor for many. Now it’s not nearly as cheap as it used to be and for many things it’s more expensive than the west. That really changes the retirement equation. Of course there are many areas where Thailand excels and nit everything comes back to cost of living. 

[smutcakes]

Who gives a toss. You either like it or you dont. If you dont go somewhere else, if you do stay here.

 

I am not retirement age, but it suits me here- golf, beer, islands, hills, ladies- nothing for me to complain- love it and cannot see why that would change. If it did i would either accept it or move on.

[madmen]

Nobody gives a rats about links and articles. I don't have an issue if all Thai expats go to the Philippines. It's not a bad thing.. Except for those leaving ????

[OneMoreFarang]

6 minutes ago, mstevens said:

Thailand used to be cheap which was a big factor for many. Now it’s not nearly as cheap as it used to be and for many things it’s more expensive than the west. That really changes the retirement equation. Of course there are many areas where Thailand excels and nit everything comes back to cost of living. 

Lots of Thais still live on the minimum salary of 300B per day. It's possible.

Obviously many of us spend a lot more than that. But that is our personal choice and the way we want to live. Thailand can be very cheap - if people use those cheap options.

[bkk6060]

#1 is so subjective.

I could afford to live any of those places or many others but I like the varied lifestyle options here.

Purgatory living in western culture been there done that no thanks.

Edited January 20, 2021 by bkk6060

[Olmate]

16 minutes ago, superal said:

 

                                         

 

16 minutes ago, superal said:

Had a chat with a friend who said the Philippines was the number 1 country to retire to but after a Google search that was not the case and Thailand nowhere close on the list  . There are many links for info but the attached covers most aspects .

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

Moneymaker website..for newbies to dream on!

Edited January 20, 2021 by Olmate

[Dale75]

I had always planned on retiring to India.

Cheap, fabulous food, English widely spoken and in the media, cricket is 24/7, it's a stable democracy and the people love the English.

Then I holidayed in Pattaya and everything changed.

Thailand doesn't come close to the above list but it does have women!

And that was the decider. Sad eh?

Been retired here now for 9 years with wife and child and it's fantastic.

Still miss those Indian curries though....................

[TheFreqFlyer]

There's an angry Australian guy with a chip on his shoulder who makes anti-Thai videos almost daily on YouTube called "Expats Report". He lives in the Philippines and claims it's heaven while Thailand is hell. 

 

A more rational YT channel mentioned something about the Philippines doing away with the "young" retirement visa for those aged from 35 years of age. Now you have to be closer to a more realistic retirement age to qualify, if I understand it correctly. 

[RickG16]

3 minutes ago, Dale75 said:

I had always planned on retiring to India.

Cheap, fabulous food, English widely spoken and in the media, cricket is 24/7, it's a stable democracy and the people love the English.

Then I holidayed in Pattaya and everything changed.

Thailand doesn't come close to the above list but it does have women!

And that was the decider. Sad eh?

Been retired here now for 9 years with wife and child and it's fantastic.

Still miss those Indian curries though....................

There are Indian restaurants in Pattaya surely?

[PGSan]

4 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

There are Indian restaurants in Pattaya surely?

But Nothing comparable to the local food in India.

[Jeffr2]

That is not a very credible website.  They are trying to make money off people with reports like this.  They're into selling real estate, etc.  Some of the info is interesting, but it's extremely biased.

 

This guy has been doing this for decades.  He's pretty good with reports on a variety of places around the world.  I've met him and he's a very good guy.  Worth a read:

 

https://www.cheapestdestinationsblog.com/

Edited January 20, 2021 by Jeffr2

[lovethai123]

2 hours ago, Dale75 said:

 

Still miss those Indian curries though....................

u cud find them anywhere in pattaya, they must be closed as of now , but sooner or later they will be open.

and pre covid there used to be lots of cheap daily flight from bkk to all major indian airports. visa is simple, just an e visa, but things changed with covid. 

[lovethai123]

2 hours ago, PGSan said:

But Nothing comparable to the local food in India.

reading this comment, i would have met u if i were there and supplied you with a big bowl of a curry of your choice and properly cooked long grain jasmine rice.

 

u wud lick the bowl ..

Edited January 20, 2021 by lovethai123

[Antonymous]

On 1/20/2021 at 12:43 PM, Jeffr2 said:

That is not a very credible website.  They are trying to make money off people with reports like this.  They're into selling real estate, etc.  Some of the info is interesting, but it's extremely biased.

 

 

Totally agree with you. I used to subscribe to International Living (many moons ago). Alot of bias and hard sell for their own interests.

 

As for the linked report, it is as they themselves say, definitely not 'scientific'.

 

Take the ranking for Thailand for instance. Healthcare Thailand is ranked on a par with Cambodia! And Vietnam healthcare is ranked four points higher!

 

Thailand takes another hit in their report for 'climate', which is ranked near the bottom. Say what?

 

One thing I do agree with is that within SE Asia they rank Malaysia tops. If the SHTF in Thailand (where I live and still love), I'd be off to Malaysia.

 

 

[Tagged]

On 1/20/2021 at 11:47 AM, mstevens said:

Thailand used to be cheap which was a big factor for many. Now it’s not nearly as cheap as it used to be and for many things it’s more expensive than the west. That really changes the retirement equation. Of course there are many areas where Thailand excels and nit everything comes back to cost of living. 

Thailand is still cheap, it is just you do not get as many baht for your western currency anymore ????

 

 

[1FinickyOne]

Those lists change every year... retirement usually does not... 

[Srikcir]

Panama looks interesting.

 

[allanos]

India does not have a retirement visa per se, nor does it allow one to own property there as a foreigner. Most visas granted are for 3 months, although there is a 6-month option available, subject to conditions and/ or nationality of the applicant.

[Lacessit]

None of the ten countries in the link posted by the OP give any assessment of the beauty and availability of women to retirees, as some of the reviews are written by women that is not surprising.

Malaysia, Mexico and Colombia? Inferior food. Who but a Muslim would want to live in a Muslim country? Or one notorious for kidnapping, or ruled by drug barons.

Distance is another factor. Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines are within easy reach of Australia. Most Australian retirees would have to be very well heeled to settle in France or Mexico.

France is interesting, but the indigines are incredibly snotty if one can't speak French.

[Isaan sailor]

Thailand was a great place to retire, until recently.  Baht high enough to drive some expats out, due to visa requirements.  Many flyover states in the USA now cheaper to retire in, if you qualify for Medicare.  For me, it’s about sailing in the Gulf.  But whatever floats your boat.

[lovethai123]

10 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Malaysia, Mexico and Colombia? Inferior food. Who but a Muslim would want to live in a Muslim country? 

I would love to be with a malaysian woman, I am not a muslim. They look cute in their modest attire. But I am an intact man, they will know when they see it and might not like it. 

 

Remember meeting a south Thai woman with some kind of malay roots. She wasn't too happy seeing it. She was used to the ones where they chop off the skin.

Edited January 21, 2021 by lovethai123

[Lacessit]

1 minute ago, lovethai123 said:

I would love to be with a malaysian woman, I am not a muslim. They look cute in their modest attire. But I am an intact man, they will know when they see it and might not like it. 

The modest attire is also present in Myanmar. I don't think being circumsized is a factor there.

Despite the modest attire, and thanks to the combination of Indian and Burmese genes in Yangon, IMO they have the most beautiful bums on the planet. I could not stop myself from staring.

 

[Lacessit]

2 minutes ago, lovethai123 said:

lol i had to check google what that means.

 

i was referring to my thing . the skin hasnt been chopped off so malaysian girls might not like it. Again this is my assumption. 

Depends on whether they are Malaysian Muslim, or Malaysian Chinese.

[lovethai123]

Just now, Lacessit said:

The modest attire is also present in Myanmar. I don't think being circumsized is a factor there.

Despite the modest attire, and thanks to the combination of Indian and Burmese genes in Yangon, IMO they have the most beautiful bums on the planet. I could not stop myself from staring.

 

I was referring to the head coverings. Its not there in Myanmar. 

 

Burmese woman look cute too, but they were asking money from me. I mean the ones I met in a nightclub last year. 

[Jingthing]

16 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

None of the ten countries in the link posted by the OP give any assessment of the beauty and availability of women to retirees, as some of the reviews are written by women that is not surprising.

Malaysia, Mexico and Colombia? Inferior food. Who but a Muslim would want to live in a Muslim country? Or one notorious for kidnapping, or ruled by drug barons.

Distance is another factor. Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines are within easy reach of Australia. Most Australian retirees would have to be very well heeled to settle in France or Mexico.

France is interesting, but the indigines are incredibly snotty if one can't speak French.

Malaysia and Mexico inferior food?

I don't think so!

Edited January 21, 2021 by Jingthing

[lovethai123]

3 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Depends on whether they are Malaysian Muslim, or Malaysian Chinese.

TBH, i like them with their head coverings and those of chinese descent wont do that IMO.

 

I had a PME with a thai woman with a head covering. Met her around sukhumvit, she worked in a coffee shop , but she didn't have place for the night , so I allowed her to sleep in my bed for the night. ????????

[lovethai123]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Malaysia and Mexico inferior food?

I don't think so!

no food is inferior, what u like and dnt like , depends on what our parents fed us when we were little and also on our travels. 

 

[Jingthing]

This entire topic is flawed.

 Most popular retirement expat countries is obviously closely linked to the geographical location of the expat source countries.

 

For Americans the most popular has always been Mexico.

 

For Brits Spain.

 

For Koreans the Phillipines. 

 

Etc.

[Lacessit]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Malaysia and Mexico inferior food?

I don't think so!

Mexico has too much fat/oil, heart attack territory. Refried beans, tacos, guacamole, spare me. Malaysia must have picked up how to stew food to death from the Brits, who did colonize them for some time.