Just now, micmichd said:

So what? 

I'm an orphan, and I don't have a family in Europe. So retiring and Thailand was ideal for me. 

Surely being an orphan only widens your horizons... we mostly all end up as orphans as we get older. The proximity of many other countries and the UK (if that is where you originally come from) is a positive. I too have committed to Thailand somewhat, but there are some factors about the place really concern me.  

1 hour ago, Orinoco said:

Playing loud music ?

Or is that night time activity, just reserved for Thai people only.

 

Yes, totally agree about road deaths. that the number one for me.

 

 

 

For me, numbers 2, 3 & 4 are: wild dogs with rabies; predatory cops; poor service .

2 hours ago, StevePettman said:

Whilst I personally love Thailand (even with it's numerous faults) I would never take for granted anything the TAT say as true. This mob seem to come up with ridiculous and outlandish figures on a daily basis. 

???? I wonder what exactly they scored points on when it comes to the real estate - did they get points for not let foreigners own land and house in their own name or the artificially high prices on what the foreigners may put in their name (condos) as a result of the first one ...?... ????

2 hours ago, asiasurfer said:

Depends on whom you ask. If you have loads of money, you can be comfortable anywhere. But if I had loads of money, I wouldn't retire in Thailand. 

well said and that would be the opinion of many if they told the truth....many beautiful countries out there with a lot more to offer if you got the cash..i ain't  im staying for the long haul

Emperor Macrons mob saying there is a place better than Good Old Paris.. must be fake news

6 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

Now, my non-european wife on the other hand, when she has to apply for a visa to my own country, she can tell you what a pleasant experience it is to deal with my immigration officers. Not.

I do believe your wife will have only minimal contact with immigration from your home country.

Will she need to do 90 day reports.

renew her visa every year.

get a residents certificate to get a driving licence.

get a residence certificate to open a bank account .

How long before she can have a passport.

How long before granted to be a permanent resident.

Just to name a few differences.

 

 

1 hour ago, Millcx said:

If you believe TAT then you are living a boring one or have a few Bob … Think of the guys who don’t … Wait until you run out or get stiffed 55555

Actually it's not TAT, it's a french magazine. And I don't particularly believe this kind of surveys. I just said that I agree that Thailand is a good place to retire - I have a few Bobs as you say and I could choose other places. I am sure there are, but I feel ok here. I have seen enough of the world before settling down here, and I mean really remote places not Greece or Portugal. Getting stiff, I assure you it's on my mind more often than I'd like.

 

Yes, well done Thailand.

 

Would have scored higher if these were in the mix:

-beer and

- hookers.

 

Clearly they didn't lose too many points for:

- packs of stray dogs, including rabies near Jomtien

- recent sickle-murder of a Brit, and murder of Swiss woman in Phuket, questions over some Koh Tao deaths ...

Thailand has a wealth of beauty and attraction for the retiree. It is also relatively cheap (Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia are cheaper, without the greedy grabbing mentality).

What is paramount here is paperwork. All other South East Asian countries are so much smoother and less bureaucratic in their processes for foreign integration or residency. ???? 

Just now, arithai12 said:

It occurred to me too. If you think road, I agree it's dubious.

But then I thought: what about crime? I feel perfectly safe in CM. Burglary, theft, ... almost unknown. My wife is safe alone at night. We can leave the keys, the entire shopping in the scooter. Compare to any big city in Europe. So yes, for me safety is a check.

Well things are never a problem until they are.

How do you think inter action with the Law is here.

Same as back home ? i some how think not.

 

1 minute ago, Orinoco said:

I do believe your wife will have only minimal contact with immigration from your home country.

Will she need to do 90 day reports.

renew her visa every year.

get a residents certificate to get a driving licence.

get a residence certificate to open a bank account .

How long before she can have a passport.

How long before granted to be a permanent resident.

Just to name a few differences.

 

 

My asian wife cries at the thought of dealing with my Embassy.

All the above doesn't apply because she/we have no intention of spending more than a short vacation in my home country. As for the above in Thailand, most have been achieved without hassle. Passport is not in our interest, PR she will apply at the next round. As for me, I have no interest in PR although I could have applied years ago.

 

But this is not the point. My point was (perhaps poorly expressed) that many of us farang, especially from countries with a strong passport, are often complaining at the hurdles here in Thailand and don't realize that it's actually not that hard compared to other combinations of nationality, ethnicity, religion. Just to give you an idea, my wife and I had to marry twice and register it in four different countries.

 

It is just my personal opinion that Thailand is a good place to retire, I hope you can accept that as I can accept that it's different for others.

 

Just now, arithai12 said:

 Getting stiff, I assure you it's on my mind more often than I'd like.

Sorry,  could not resist it.  

5 minutes ago, Orinoco said:

Well things are never a problem until they are.

How do you think inter action with the Law is here.

Same as back home ? i some how think not.

 

True. So what should I do? Move to my home country (that I don't like for more than a vacation) because of the possibility that one day I might be on the wrong side of the law in Thailand?

3 minutes ago, Orinoco said:

Sorry,  could not resist it.  

That too!! ????

3 hours ago, StevePettman said:

Whilst I personally love Thailand (even with it's numerous faults) I would never take for granted anything the TAT say as true. This mob seem to come up with ridiculous and outlandish figures on a daily basis. 

Fortune Favours The Brave.

Written by TAT presumably 55555

Just now, arithai12 said:

My asian wife cries at the thought of dealing with my Embassy.

This is nonsense. or you did not prepare paper work correctly for her. ( what country are you from ) ?

Your country will have a set of rules and requirements to get a visa for it. the list will be clear and she will not be asked to go away and get some extra bit of paper just on the whim of the particular person she is sitting in front of.

Can we same the same about Thailand immigration.

Think not.

1 minute ago, Orinoco said:

This is nonsense. or you did not prepare paper work correctly for her. ( what country are you from ) ?

Your country will have a set of rules and requirements to get a visa for it. the list will be clear and she will not be asked to go away and get some extra bit of paper just on the whim of the particular person she is sitting in front of.

Can we same the same about Thailand immigration.

Think not.

I have heard of a few horror stories from those attempting to get Visas to the UK for Thai partners...... there may be occasions where this happens. Although my personal experience went well and I got the Visa first time.... bombarded them with paper!

I think what isn't considered nearly enough in all these rankings is long-term residency security, or the lack thereof.

 

In Thailand, foreign retirees usually doesn't have a path to permanent residency, so they will be depending on yearly extensions throughout their stay. This can lead to all kinds of problems many years down the line. A deteriorating ability to deal with immigration or changing requirements come to mind.

 

A French retiree who retires in Greece or Portugal, on the other hand, doesn't have to deal with immigration matters at all.

I wonder how many of these Retired folks live after a fews years?? As much as we enjoy Thailand, we dislike it just as much. Kind of that love hate relationships. 

Just now, jacko45k said:

I have heard of a few horror stories from those attempting to get Visas to the UK for Thai partners...... there may be occasions where this happens. Although my personal experience went well and I got the Visa first time.... bombarded them with paper!

yes this is true.

But most of the time. its poorly prepared paper work and/or the ladies, have been evasive when asked questions at the interview.

 

But now days all you need is a schengen visa,  easy to get.

Nip across to France, buy a rubber dinghy at calais and pop across.

jobs a good'n.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This totally flies in the face of other reports over the past few years.  But beyond that... retirement here?

 

I started visiting here regularly as a tourist and absolutely loved this place. I'm not going to say it was cheap, because it isn't, but everything was always great, the people friendly and hospitable.  So I retired here rather than my Thai wife and I staying in Canada.  So how do I feel now.

 

Insurance is not an issue as married extension does not have the same requirements (yet).  But everything else.  As a resident, living here, I have learned to beware the fabled Thai friendliness. It's a myth. When you're not a tourist, not a walking bank, you are of no interest.  I've also noted a certain degree of racism directed my way and no longer accept being referred to as farang as most times, it is derogatory. 

 

As far as healthcare goes, it can be cheap and even good, but going by my wife's experience this past year, I think I'd be wiser to have more serious health issues attended to in a trip back home. I'm not going to go into all the immigration issues and costs (90 day reports, easy, extension of stays total nightmares).

 

Thailand is still a nice place, but it is not a place I would recommend to anyone as a cheap, quality retirement destination. I have friends who have retired in other countries with extensive knowledge of Thailand, as well.  Like they say, there's a reason they've chosen those countries over Thailand.  

 

This country wants your money, and not much else.

 

52 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Surely being an orphan only widens your horizons... we mostly all end up as orphans as we get older. The proximity of many other countries and the UK (if that is where you originally come from) is a positive. I too have committed to Thailand somewhat, but there are some factors about the place really concern me.  

Nothing is perfect in this world. But with the help of my Thai lady I get by. And that is the longest relationship I ever had. 

2 hours ago, vandeventer said:

Most of us don't have loads of money but we can live on our pensions quite nicely here. And the weather is so good compared to the weather back home. I would think it would much higher up than fifth on the list. And that's not even talking about the greatness on the Thai people.

Agreed. Outpriced in theUSA on my monthly retirement budget of $2400 USD ($1385 from SS), I can live comfortably in Thailand.

Just now, WinterGael said:

 I've also noted a certain degree of racism directed my way and no longer accept being referred to as farang as most times, it is derogatory. 

I don't mind Falang, but will not except it from Family

or people that know me. 

3 hours ago, StevePettman said:

I would never take for granted anything the TAT say as true.

Since when did TAT start publishing French websites?

https://www.retraitesansfrontieres.fr/newsletter/top-10-des-pays-de-retraite/

 

Never let the facts get in the way of a good whinge.

Wow, a small French magazine ranked them 5th. Guessing they had to scramble to find a better ranking after being ranked 11th last week by another poll. 55555

Any good news will always be top headlines. 

5 hours ago, arithai12 said:

I agree! Or I wouldn't be here.

And now, cue the bashers.

110% better than anywhere else on the list and Indonesia shouldn’t even be on the list as only Bali could qualify as a retirement destination, leaving the rest of Indonesia uninhabitable for retirees. 

1 hour ago, Orinoco said:

I do believe your wife will have only minimal contact with immigration from your home country.

One can only assume you have never dealt with a Thai entering a European country.

A lot of whinging on here about insurance to enter Thailand, been mandatory for the EU since day one. 

https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/schengen-visa-application-requirements/

 

As for the UK, the application is about 13 pages and my wife was interrogated for around 20  minutes in an office by border force on her first arrival. They try and scare foreigners into saying the wrong thing. Having a visa only gets you to the desk, not past it.

1 hour ago, sead said:

Damn they are pushing these agendas alot.Trying to prove something. Are these articles being published anywhere outside Thailand or are they only published in Thailand. 

They are obviously feeling very insecure at the moment, lacking self esteem, and flailing. Tourism programs are failing and the economy is in the toilet with record high unemployment. 

 

They have to make up something.