Bangkok, 23 April, 2021 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to announce that Ko Samui, one of the country’s most popular tourist islands, was recently listed as one of the world’s 15 best islands to retire to.

 

International Living, a North American-based magazine for retirees, listed Ko Samui at number 10 among its 15 hand-picked islands, scattered around the globe that make for an affordable retirement. These islands are where retirees can find privacy, peace, a simpler way of life, and strong communities.

 

Commenting on Ko Samui, the listing said:

 

“Lying about 425 miles south of the country’s capital, Bangkok, Ko Samui has become one of the most coveted expat destinations in Thailand. Although only 13 miles wide and over 15 miles long, the island is Thailand’s second largest island after Phuket.

 

Ko Samui boasts world-class beaches tucked away in secluded bays…expansive inland jungles teeming with exotic birds, butterflies, and monkeys…magnificent cascading waterfalls and inland natural pools…and an almost countless choice of great spots to sit down, relax, and watch the spectacular sunsets over the Gulf of Thailand.

 

Samui, one of an archipelago of 80 smaller islands, has a warm and mostly crystal-clear sea with lots of opportunities for kayaking, sailing, and boating. It is also fast becoming a golfer’s paradise.

 

The island makes a great destination for anyone looking for a dream retirement by the sea. You can live well here on a budget of US$2,000-2,500 a month.”

 

Thailand’s is regarded as a welcoming country for people to retire on a long-term basis, and retirees are eligible for visas at the relatively young age of 50. For more information, contact Thai embassies or consulates abroad.

 

Source: https://www.tatnews.org/2021/04/samui-ranked-as-one-of-worlds-15-best-islands-for-retirees/

Nice, you can expect more retirees to come in early 2030. After you haddle vaccine program first.

Hard to find a secluded beach on Samui. The island is overbuilt, and completely in decay. We spent 8 days on Samui last week, and can not imagine to retire there.

9 minutes ago, SoilSpoil said:

Hard to find a secluded beach on Samui. The island is overbuilt, and completely in decay. We spent 8 days on Samui last week, and can not imagine to retire there.

Love to visit for a week, not interested in living there. I'm not slamming the place, I really like it, but spending the rest of my life there, not so much.

5 minutes ago, ramrod711 said:

Love to visit for a week, not interested in living there. I'm not slamming the place, I really like it, but spending the rest of my life there, not so much.

I love going to Samui as well. We always go to the same resort, read loads of books and relax. For retirement, I think Phukt or Krabi have better facilities and better beaches. The osland as a whole, is in dire straits though.

2 hours ago, SoilSpoil said:

Hard to find a secluded beach on Samui. The island is overbuilt, and completely in decay. We spent 8 days on Samui last week, and can not imagine to retire there.

I do not think that you were really looking. 3 secluded beaches within a 15 minute walk of my house.

That's not very hard.

3 hours ago, SoilSpoil said:

Hard to find a secluded beach on Samui. The island is overbuilt, and completely in decay. We spent 8 days on Samui last week, and can not imagine to retire there.

It was getting too commercial before the airport was built!

6 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

I do not think that you were really looking. 3 secluded beaches within a 15 minute walk of my house.

That's not very hard.

Not very hard in times of covid perhaps.

2 hours ago, SoilSpoil said:

I love going to Samui as well. We always go to the same resort, read loads of books and relax. For retirement, I think Phukt or Krabi have better facilities and better beaches. The osland as a whole, is in dire straits though.

Going to a resort and reading loads of books can be done anywhere..Ko Samui was great before the resorts and hotels were built dominating the coastline and beaches..but to be a retirement location it needs  hospitals.  There are retirement communities here in Pattaya with good accommodation,  pools, medical support etc that look attractive.

16 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

but to be a retirement location it needs  hospitals.

Samui has 4 International hospitals and a government one.

How many hospitals do you need?

19 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

Samui has 4 International hospitals and a government one.

How many hospitals do you need?

One suffices thank you. Hospitals were not mentioned in the article. 

How much did this back hander cost? 

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

You can live well here on a budget of US$2,000-2,500 a month

pretty much everywhere in the world

5 minutes ago, MasterBaker said:

pretty much everywhere in the world

 

I just told my wife of this article/post.  Told her we could live comfortably in Samui for 70,000 baht per month.  Got a strange look, must have thought the same ????

World-class beaches ? They haven’t travelled much then and golfers paradise ? One decent course as far as I know .

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

International Living, a North American-based magazine for retirees, listed Ko Samui at number 10 among its 15 hand-picked islands, scattered around the globe that make for an affordable retirement. These islands are where retirees can find privacy, peace, a simpler way of life, and strong communities.

Good for a visit but retire???? Nah.

6 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Good for a visit but retire???? Nah.

 

Any particular reason why?  Just curious really.

12 hours ago, ramrod711 said:

Love to visit for a week, not interested in living there. I'm not slamming the place, I really like it, but spending the rest of my life there, not so much.

 

Also curious as to your thoughts behind this.

Travel publications never get it right in my opinion - it is not cost effective to be honest.  It is always the greener pasture.   Read with a huge grain of salt.

 

A review of the reviewer:

Quote

International Living Magazine Review: More Hype Than Substance?

https://infolific.com/money-management/retirement/international-living-review/

1 hour ago, inThailand said:

How much did this back hander cost? 

The magazine makes its money by selling property on the islands/places it recommends.

18 minutes ago, Maha Sarakham said:

 

Any particular reason why?  Just curious really.

It's nice to go visit and see what it's all about once in a while, watching pi**ed-up foreigners with the prostitutes... but every day... no thanks.

Personal choice so don't take offence, if that's what floats your boat 24/7 365 then go for it.

 

13 hours ago, SoilSpoil said:

Hard to find a secluded beach on Samui. The island is overbuilt, and completely in decay. We spent 8 days on Samui last week, and can not imagine to retire there.

There are plenty of secluded beaches on Samui, you just need to know where to look.

Luckily tourists don't know where to look so they stay secluded. Even in pre covid times. 

I went their  about 15  years  ago, it was ok then, Went  back 2  years  ago and the construction had gone out of  control, wouldn't  want to go  again, ruined by over development.

2 minutes ago, gunderhill said:

I went their  about 15  years  ago, it was ok then, Went  back 2  years  ago and the construction had gone out of  control, wouldn't  want to go  again, ruined by over development.

As for me, in 1978 ; very few bungalows and tourists

returned in 2000; so many bungalows, hotels, farangs ! ... I couldn't believe it , not for me anymore, thank you !

18 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

It's nice to go visit and see what it's all about once in a while, watching pi**ed-up foreigners with the prostitutes... but every day... no thanks.

Personal choice so don't take offence, if that's what floats your boat 24/7 365 then go for it.

 

Maybe I need to get out more, I have never noticed a big sexpat scene on Samui. 

 

I'm not getting the logic of "great place to visit but not to live".

Isnt that the reason most people choose to live somewhere, they enjoyed visiting.

For me, if a place ticks all the boxes for visiting, it ticks all the boxes for living there

 

Does this mean everyone has chosen to live somewhere they didn't enjoy when they first visited ?

13 hours ago, SoilSpoil said:

Hard to find a secluded beach on Samui. The island is overbuilt, and completely in decay. We spent 8 days on Samui last week, and can not imagine to retire there.

Sorry to hear. We are staying two weeks in the Maenam area. Currently the only guests and pampered. Have our car so easy to get around. A favorite for vacation from our home in Chiang Mai. Favor the mountains over the beaches for my retirement but to each their own.

2 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

I'm not getting the logic of "great place to visit but not to live".

Isnt that the reason most people choose to live somewhere, they enjoyed visiting.

For me, if a place ticks all the boxes for visiting, it ticks all the boxes for living there

 

Does this mean everyone has chosen to live somewhere they didn't enjoy when they first visited ?

No it just means they like to visit it as a special treat, but living there every day can become boring.

Having lived on Samui for 6 years I have to disagree the place is a concrete jungle , and driving on the roads is an absolute nightmare so many crazy drivers and since Covid the island is more or less boarded up with businesses going to the wall . I now live on Koh Phangan Samui’s sister island it knocks spots off Samui as it truly is an island the only fear is that it might end up as an overspill to Samui I really hope this does not happen and until just before SONGKRAN we were Covid free until the government allowed millions of Thais to travel I heard this morning that Samui is a red zone meaning if I jump on the 20 minute ride on the fast boat on my return to Phangan I would have to go into quarantine ! 

1 hour ago, Maha Sarakham said:

 

Also curious as to your thoughts behind this.

I might feel differently if I had ever taken my vehicle but I never have. Transportation around the Island spotty and expensive. Not a lot of entertainment venues. As I said, I like to visit, have done quite a few times, only once since they built the mall though. I live in Chiang Mai, Bangkok Air used to have a direct flight that was perfect, always stayed in Chaweng.