Thailand ranked among the top 6 places in the world to retire

[sawadee1947]

2 hours ago, possum1931 said:

France is a dreadful country, I had more issues with police and security guards in 3 days than I have had in 15 years in Thailand.

So it's a terrible country because YOU got problems with Police?

Oh snapper, this might not depends on French people I reckon.

[Pinot]

10 hours ago, bendejo said:

When you are 40 and your girlfriend is 20 she's half your age.

When you are 50 she'll be 30, 3/5 your age.

When you are 60 she'll be 40, 2/3 your age.

Before you know it she'll be older than you, get out now!

(I figure anybody who uses Groucho as an avatar would appreciate such humor)

 

 

Yeah, she is catching up. Thank you for your kind pedantic remarks. ????

[Pinot]

37 minutes ago, Saanim said:

And you are not concerned - like many others on the way to 7/11 - that the PM is not elected? 

Not even a tiny little bit concerned. I remember the good old days when when a corrupt democracy produced anarchy under Yingluck. The woman was completely incompetent. I'll take the General and his ilk every time. The PM was elected by the way. I realize that may not fit your narrative but he was. 

 

Tell me this...who replaces Prayuth? Name one single politician who could lead a government that wouldn't be completely corrupt in six months. There are no choices. Prayuth was elected by a majority of Thais and has the overwhelming support of the Thai people. If there was an election tomorrow he's win again. 

 

Like many others on the way to 7/11? Secret meaning or just confused? 

 

 

 

 

[Andrew65]

4 hours ago, jerrymahoney said:

IMHO healthcare costs have far more day-to-day impact on the average farang than does the unelected PM and his soldiers.

 

BTW as a Yank I presume that ALL Prime Ministers are unelected -- they are chosen by members of parliament as opposed to the direct name-on-the-ballot election of the president in the US.

True, but they are the leader of the elected party, in the UK anyway. We have a monarch, but very unlike a US President, they have virtually no political powers, just a figurehead. 

[NoshowJones]

53 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

So it's a terrible country because YOU got problems with Police?

Oh snapper, this might not depends on French people I reckon.

But the security guy and the policeman are French people, and if I come across their nonsense twice in three days, yet don't have any similar problems in 15 years in Thailand, what does that say about the French people, though there are good and bad in every civilised country.

[Doctor Tom]

23 hours ago, Guitar God said:

When I first glanced at the headline I thought it said
"Thailand ranked among the top 6 places in the world to lose all your money and everything you own and die penniless".

Only if you are a stupid naïve dick and if you are, then you can lose everything wherever you are. You can't fix stupid. 

[berrec]

Try this one from USA News

 

 

[Millcx]

On 10/25/2021 at 9:23 AM, Daithi85 said:

Such a drama  queen.. Life is easy here buddy enjoy it. 

When you fall sick it won’t be .. Insurance or not

[sawadee1947]

55 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

But the security guy and the policeman are French people, and if I come across their nonsense twice in three days, yet don't have any similar problems in 15 years in Thailand, what does that say about the French people, though there are good and bad in every civilised country.

It says that You are the problem, not the French police

[WinterGael]

9 hours ago, Daithi85 said:

Got to respectfully  disagree with that, the amenities in the countries u have mentioned are no where near as good as Thailands,cambodia is a big step down from Thailand and is not cheaper, people are having serious problems in Vietnam with the visa situation at the moment and are leaving in huge numbers. Thailand is miles ahead of these other countries when it comes to a place for retirement, 1900 baht for a visa, how can anyone complain about that. 

Excuse me, but Cambodia is quite a bit cheaper.  Yes COVID made living in some of these places difficult, but that goes for Thailand, too.  I've done a lot of research on this, and if my marriage goes south I will be leaving Thailand in all likelihood.  And it is not just 1900 for an extension of stay in Thailand.  It now means having proof of 400,000 baht in your account year round, and 2 months prior and 2 months after, 800,000 baht, or 400,000 plus the equivalent of another 400,000 in monthly income.  At the present time, that is roughly 26,000 US a year.  But there is talk of raising that to a minimum of 40,000 US a year (almost everyone I know does not make that in retirement).  They are also talking about raising the minimum health insurance to 3 million US in coverage (I have 1 million now and that is expensive enough). 

 

You can retire in Cambodia no money in the bank, and work if you want to. Not so in Thailand. You can get a retirement plan in the Philippines that includes medical, and I am told that is the same for Malaysia (where you can also legally buy a home).

 

As for people leaving Vietnam, yes they are, and planning on going back.  I also have spoken with a lot of people who have left Thailand.  Some have lived here 20 to 30 years, still like the country, but no longer find it welcoming, accommodating or cheap to live in.

 

And as for amenities... really, what does Thailand have that other countries don't? Maybe better medical, but not cheap for some procedures.  For some stuff, I'd save money by hopping a flight home for two weeks because guess what, my medical insurance doesn't cover it. Or going to India where there are better doctors and costs are amazingly affordable.

[WinterGael]

23 hours ago, Flink said:

I'm of retirement age but can see no obvious advantage to retiring here compared to somewhere like Ecuador, or Colombia where theonly requirements for a retirment visa is a lifetime pension of $900 a month or more, you get a 2 or 3 year visa, no 90 day checks, and after your second renewal you can apply for citizenship/PR. You are also  entitled to use the medical facilities just the same as nationals. They still have similar weather to here and lovely beaches. Some may argue that south American countries are prone to revolutions and crime, but then HOW many times have they had juntas take over here? 

This survey is being pushed out there for PR in the hope that people will see the headline and not actually readthe article.

 

Citizenship... yeah.  I talked to a long term teacher here (40 years) about permanent residence in Thailand (does have some benefits, like no money in the bank, only need 30,000B a month, and you get the same medical as your wife).  He said that no one he knows has ever been able to get permanent residency, let alone thai citizenship. Crazy...

[Daithi85]

5 minutes ago, WinterGael said:

Excuse me, but Cambodia is quite a bit cheaper.  Yes COVID made living in some of these places difficult, but that goes for Thailand, too.  I've done a lot of research on this, and if my marriage goes south I will be leaving Thailand in all likelihood.  And it is not just 1900 for an extension of stay in Thailand.  It now means having proof of 400,000 baht in your account year round, and 2 months prior and 2 months after, 800,000 baht, or 400,000 plus the equivalent of another 400,000 in monthly income.  At the present time, that is roughly 26,000 US a year.  But there is talk of raising that to a minimum of 40,000 US a year (almost everyone I know does not make that in retirement).  They are also talking about raising the minimum health insurance to 3 million US in coverage (I have 1 million now and that is expensive enough). 

 

You can retire in Cambodia no money in the bank, and work if you want to. Not so in Thailand. You can get a retirement plan in the Philippines that includes medical, and I am told that is the same for Malaysia (where you can also legally buy a home).

 

As for people leaving Vietnam, yes they are, and planning on going back.  I also have spoken with a lot of people who have left Thailand.  Some have lived here 20 to 30 years, still like the country, but no longer find it welcoming, accommodating or cheap to live in.

 

And as for amenities... really, what does Thailand have that other countries don't? Maybe better medical, but not cheap for some procedures.  For some stuff, I'd save money by hopping a flight home for two weeks because guess what, my medical insurance doesn't cover it. Or going to India where there are better doctors and costs are amazingly affordable.

Go and actually try living in Cambodia for 1 year, then come back to me and tell me which country is better to  live in. I've tried it and I do like Cambodia and the people, but it's a huge step down from Thailand in my humble opinion. Acomadation, food, gym membership, transport all better value in thailand..Cambodia wins for visas  but that's all. 

[NoshowJones]

36 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

It says that You are the problem, not the French police

Absolute rubbish, now run along, any more nonsense and you will be ignored.

[sawadee1947]

20 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Absolute rubbish, now run along, any more nonsense and you will be ignored.

Oh, now I got you. In case you'll ignore me I honestly doubt I would miss you ????

[Saanim]

5 hours ago, Pinot said:

Like many others on the way to 7/11? Secret meaning or just confused? 

Sorry, I did not attached a ????

[Jen65]

Must be joking !!! France !!!  I just left there and couldn't get out fast enough - the land of high taxes / high cost of living .   Incredibly expensive to go out to eat .    It's cold and wet in the North .   When I first moved there 24 years ago it was fine but latterly if I went out for a good time to a club or even at the train station there were , how should we say "immigrants " trying to sell you drugs !  Totally out of control .

France has BIG immigrant problems which are not going away .

I had some choices on where to retire -  Thailand , Panama , Costa Rica , Philippines , Vietnam , Portugal .    Quite happy here so far .

The main worry now is whether Thailand will return to being a "democratic " country to live in  AND the immigration system does not adopt more negative rules and regulations to those who retire here .    

 

[Jen65]

6 hours ago, sawadee1947 said:

So it's a terrible country because YOU got problems with Police?

Oh snapper, this might not depends on French people I reckon.

Not the only one who considers the French Police to be inconsiderate and a pile of dicks !   I had a car accident late at night travelling from the ferry to my house . Car was severely damaged by a stray animal that shot in front on a country road .  Police came , statement etc all done - they called for a tow truck to take the car away and when it arrived gave me the address of the garage .The truck left and so did the Police - left me stranded at midnight on a country road in the middle of nowhere !!   Luckily I was able to flag a passing car to get a lift to next village .   France and the Police !!  mmmmmm very LOW opinion 

[Jen65]

If France is so good , why do so many French come to Thailand to retire ??? 

[sawadee1947]

23 minutes ago, Jen65 said:

Not the only one who considers the French Police to be inconsiderate and a pile of dicks !   I had a car accident late at night travelling from the ferry to my house . Car was severely damaged by a stray animal that shot in front on a country road .  Police came , statement etc all done - they called for a tow truck to take the car away and when it arrived gave me the address of the garage .The truck left and so did the Police - left me stranded at midnight on a country road in the middle of nowhere !!   Luckily I was able to flag a passing car to get a lift to next village .   France and the Police !!  mmmmmm very LOW opinion 

I could understand your personal Waterloo.

However, obviously you didn't know that the tow Truck got a passenger seat?????

Because you are used to drive on the left in UK and was Wandering why the hell there is only a seat with a driver???????????

[ChaiyaTH]

I almost choked myself laughing when clicking on the title of this article, they must be living in a post 2014 reality.

[bkk_bwana]

11 hours ago, Bobydog said:

As the government elect,  they decide changes, what to change, who pays what and what's in it for them is a good starting place.

And how does that affect someone retiring from a lifetimes work  who wants to come and live here?  What has the military government done to make life harder for retirees here any more than any civilian government? Outside of Covid type restrictions - nothing. Visa requirements change all the time, nothing to do with military.

[olfu]

Plenty of google's searches for any taste.

However life experience tells me check multiple times before you decide.

Yes, no perfect country is waiting but best idea is to start from crime rates.

Money is main consideration and being limited to income like 1000$ a month is not fun.

Age is another point because as you age your expenses increase but income stays same.

As a result I am staying in US where I'm local and speak local language. 

[sawadee1947]

3 hours ago, Jen65 said:

If France is so good , why do so many French come to Thailand to retire ??? 

BS. There are more Brits as residents in France than in Thailand. Even they have to learn driving on the right side and to learn to Deal with a Tow Truck.????

[jerrymahoney]

13 hours ago, Andrew65 said:

True, but they are the leader of the elected party, in the UK anyway. We have a monarch, but very unlike a US President, they have virtually no political powers, just a figurehead. 

In the US election system, the nominees for the US President are on the ballot and the voters directly choose their choice of nominee.

So it is quite proper to say the PM of UK is 'un-elected' by the UK citizenry.

Edited October 26, 2021 by jerrymahoney

[cheapcanuck]

This survey means nothing. I live in Canada and it's ranked #2. Funny, I looking else where to retire other than Canada. 

[Blumpie]

9 hours ago, Jen65 said:

If France is so good , why do so many French come to Thailand to retire ??? 

Of course!  And as I pointed out earlier, to retire in Canada is just about the most stupidest thing I have ever heard in my life.  Everyone here - EVERYONE  - does not want to be here in the winter.  No matter where you are it is nothing short of horrible.  

 

[skorp13]

A great place to retire? Used to be when it was cheap. Let's see here: you can't own land, can't vote, they tie up over $25,000 of your money at least half the year, medical insurance is very expensive as you get older and unless you're a multi millionaire you have to renew your visa every year subject to ever changing rules. 

[FunkyDunky58]

On 10/26/2021 at 12:44 AM, gejohesch said:

Excellent comment, hahaha!

Yes. Also, the google search algorithm uses past searches to bring certain results to the top of the page. So if someone searched on , say, "best places to retire" and Thailand has in the past been a well reviewed option, the results will bring Thailand results to the top, and that is what people will naturally look at first. Just a self promoting <deleted> article.

 

[FunkyDunky58]

20 hours ago, Pinot said:

Not even a tiny little bit concerned. I remember the good old days when when a corrupt democracy produced anarchy under Yingluck. The woman was completely incompetent. I'll take the General and his ilk every time. The PM was elected by the way. I realize that may not fit your narrative but he was. 

 

Tell me this...who replaces Prayuth? Name one single politician who could lead a government that wouldn't be completely corrupt in six months. There are no choices. Prayuth was elected by a majority of Thais and has the overwhelming support of the Thai people. If there was an election tomorrow he's win again. 

 

Like many others on the way to 7/11? Secret meaning or just confused? 

 

 

 

 

Hmm. Prayut promised elections time after time but did not actually call one until he had rigged the result to guarantee his win. I have spoken to many Thai people asking what they think about him and every single time they laugh and say what a buffoon he is. I think you are sadly delusional about your beloved general.

[WinterGael]

On 10/26/2021 at 4:11 PM, Daithi85 said:

Go and actually try living in Cambodia for 1 year, then come back to me and tell me which country is better to  live in. I've tried it and I do like Cambodia and the people, but it's a huge step down from Thailand in my humble opinion. Acomadation, food, gym membership, transport all better value in thailand..Cambodia wins for visas  but that's all. 

Hmmm... I have a few friends that left Thailand for Cambodia. They have nothing but good things to say about it.  One lived in Thailand for 12 years and has no intention of ever returning.  Both they it's cheaper, the women are nicer, visas are a breeze,and the one guy was offered a job three weeks after moving there.  He loves it, as his pension now goes into his home bank every month and he lives off of his income there.  Sure as hell can't do that here.  At least not legally.