Just now, sandyf said:

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.

Your assumption would be wrong and i am from the uk.

Good day.

Of course, if you want to retire to a place that doesn't visas at all, try approaching the USA from its southern border and you will be treated with the ultimate in welcome mats, and you will be put on a nice charter  plane to an obscure part of NY state and from there  you can catch a Greyhound to anywhere that takes your fancy.

No fuss, no muss.

1 minute ago, blazes said:

Of course, if you want to retire to a place that doesn't visas at all, try approaching the USA from its southern border and you will be treated with the ultimate in welcome mats, and you will be put on a nice charter  plane to an obscure part of NY state and from there  you can catch a Greyhound to anywhere that takes your fancy.

No fuss, no muss.

Way off topic 

Yes I agree ,Thailand is good, But the visa situation ,,,,is very bad,,,$$$$

That is why I sold my two houses and moved away, 

I am in country that I buy a visa and I don't have to worry about ,

When I lived in Thailand I was feeling that I was on a visa run , but not holliday living , or living in Thailand.

I am so glad now , visa sharks in Thailand is another situation,,,

1 hour ago, mrfill said:

An obscure French economics magazine gives a tentative nod of approval and it is a 'world-leading accolade'.

 

That is, world leading of 5th placed countries.

With a population of 65.5 Million people and assuming at least 30 % are under the age of being Adult, that leaves roughly 42 Million that think ( only 5th ) Thailand is the best in Asia.

Now assume that 50 % of those 42 Million are retired, that leaves 21 Million possible retirees.

Of those 21 Million, at least 16 Million will travel to the 4 more popular destinations, while 4.95 Million will only wish to stay within France.

That leaves 0.05 Million people who potentially would retire to Thailand, and with most of them being either infirmed or cannot travel due to Health reasons, I estimate Thailand can expect both of the French Retirees sometime in 2022.

4 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Way off topic 

Beg to differ.   Many on this thread mention Portugal and other places as possible destinations, and the topic also seems to deal with visa problems.  So, no, the USA it is...all for free.  If you know somebody in Haiti who needs a new knee, send him to Mexico, where some kind gentleman will show him the way to Texas...

11 minutes ago, Orinoco said:

Your assumption would be wrong and i am from the uk.

Good day.

That being the case you can obviously advise us how much it would cost for a Thai to enjoy the so called benefits of the UK that you listed in the post.

I am a UK pensioner and what you listed is quite meaningless, unless you are in a position to  fund those benefits, outside my means.

Much easier to live in Thailand, as suggested in the OP.

2 minutes ago, blazes said:

Beg to differ.   Many on this thread mention Portugal and other places as possible destinations, and the topic also seems to deal with visa problems.  So, no, the USA it is...all for free.  If you know somebody in Haiti who needs a new knee, send him to Mexico, where some kind gentleman will show him the way to Texas...

This topic isn't about illegal immigrants in the USA

Just now, sandyf said:

That being the case you can obviously advise us how much it would cost for a Thai to enjoy the so called benefits of the UK that you listed in the post.

I am a UK pensioner and what you listed is quite meaningless, unless you are in a position to  fund those benefits, outside my means.

Much easier to live in Thailand, as suggested in the OP.

Right on mate. ( so your skint then ) LOL.

You have failed to see the point, the point was.

if you meet the requirements to vist or to immigrate to the uk

you will get the benefits of the uk.

unlike Thailand does for us expats.

 

Just for the record, my wife and I shall be moving back to the uk when I get closer to pension age.

( growing old in Thailand , no thanks.

 

 

 

 

2 hours ago, 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. 

It wasn’t a claim that Portugal would suit everyone in Thailand better ! ???? 

4 hours ago, 10baht said:

I am sorry, but the insurance issues make this not so. 

Can you elaborate more on these insurance issues? Thanks. 

3 hours ago, Swampy999 said:

<deleted> same old BS story, repeated 3 times every month, Aseannow seems to forget (ignore) the fact that not all retirees are overweight, tattooed and with a receding hairline, men that enjoy booze and hookers.

Granted there are happily married (in their county of origin not to a luv u long time 30 year younger 'wife') retirees living here but they are very few and far between.

I really don't think that a receding hairline can be treated as a character trait.

2 hours ago, RobinV said:

Portugal is on my list along with one of those cheap houses in Sicily.

I'm going to investigate them this year to see if it's really better than here.

Spoiler alert: Portugal and Sicily both are better than Thailand under two conditions: 1) IF you can somehow speak or at least understand the language (the English proficiency is extremely poor there) AND 2) IF you aren't after hookers or young "friendly" females (there's a real shortage of available women, even for short-term relationships or pay4play) in both aforementioned places.

1 hour ago, arithai12 said:

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

 

Oddly enough there are only 6 passports in the World that would be considered as "a strong passport" for Thailand and I can safely bet you're not the holder of one.

Having friends, contacts, people you know has not been mentioned. I first came to LOS to visit a friend who had moved here. As soon as I got off the plane I was accepted into his large circle of friends. I'd rather live in Europe but not sure if I would ever have friends there, like here. Of course when I first came I was recently divorced, so the "friendly natives" was the kicker, and I've assimilated.

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

What these simpletons fail to mention, is that this ranking is really all about the money. Anyone who is wealthy or even affluent, would have little interest in retiring here. So, it is mostly about affordability. And I agree with that. It is reasonable here. Most of us live well, on a relatively modest income or pension. 

 

There are at least a dozen good reasons why someone without our financial limitations would NOT pick Thailand. Do they need to be repeated? We all know what they are. And these are part of the reasons why there is a mass exodus of expats leaving Thailand over the past few years. No question the number of expats here is dropping. 

 

These lying creeps would do anything for PR. The reality is, they want tourists, but they don't want expats. And tourists don't want them anymore. 

And you have the statistics?

I would say most of us retirees are happy and content to live here 

You know the pitfalls just accept them and enjoy your stay 

I miss the points: bureaucracy, legal certainty and price equality.

1 hour ago, Orinoco said:

Right on mate. ( so your skint then ) LOL.

You have failed to see the point, the point was.

if you meet the requirements to vist or to immigrate to the uk

you will get the benefits of the uk.

unlike Thailand does for us expats.

 

Just for the record, my wife and I shall be moving back to the uk when I get closer to pension age.

( growing old in Thailand , no thanks.

 

 

 

 

Growing old in the UK, no thanks. Care homes, disrespect, back of the queue in the NHS. 

It's an opinion of which I don't necessarily agree with!

 

Just now, Thingamabob said:

Growing old in the UK, no thanks. Care homes, disrespect, back of the queue in the NHS. 

Sorry i don't understand your post.

can you explain it .

1 hour ago, robertson468 said:

And you have the statistics?

Don't need them. A friend of mine uses a foreign lawyer in Bangkok, who is one of the top attorneys around. He said his office cannot find enough hours in the day to meet with expats who are leaving, with their Thai spouse or family, and dealing with trusts, wills or legal status for their remaining Thai families, properties, etc. 

He said he has never seen anything like it, in the 30 years he has been in practice here. 

 

Woe is Thailand. Where is the hope for the future? 

The dinosaur creeps are moving this nation backwards at a breakneck pace. Truly regressive reptilian leadership.

I would personally them poorly on real estate ownership, safety and adaption - which would include ease of visa/bureaucracy.

1 hour ago, odanny said:

Can you elaborate more on these insurance issues? Thanks. 

to elaborate...ridiculous age issues.  Insurance that is not possible to obtain should not be required.

SURELY NOT!!  Is this taking the ridiculous everchanging immigration issues into consideration?

I would never have come to stay in Thailand if I knew I was ever going to be treated like a prisoner on parole with this 90 day reporting nonsense.

Big title : Thailand  ranked 5 th best blablabla...... And TAT draws rapid conclusions believing ( at least publicly stating ) all this is The Truth.... 

 

Not at all, their certainties are only based on a low diffusion monthly french magazine ( 140000 copies on average ) Not a worldwide trusted news...

 

I am living in Thailand and I don't complain about my choice, but, I just wonder if the writer of this article actually came to Thailand.

7 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. 

I would. I could afford a harem.

Picked up the slide show from "Capital", and while I agree with most of the ranking, I found that sentence saying that in Thailand  a couple of retirees can easily live on 1000 Euros a month, rent included. Total bullcrud.

5 hours ago, arithai12 said:

In my experience they are very kind an efficient actually. it costs me zero time. Or I can do it online.

I know I sound like the typical Thai apologist, I usually am not, but I report my own experience I understand others may differ.

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 my ninety day reporting at the local Immigration Office.

Takes on average 4 mins from leaving the car to returning.

Only the passport is required, the staff are very polite and offer me a seat and point out the next date.

I can handle 16 minutes out of my life each year.

Maybe a fat envelope was paid by Thailand…ironic