The top 10 countries Brits want to spend their retirement in, according to new study

[jak2002003]

12 hours ago, JustAnotherHun said:

Not true. There are no restrictions for foreigners buying private property in Portugal. You can buy where and whatever you want.

 

BTW: Each country has visa and residency regulations, so does Portugal. It's changing, but yet it's one of the most easy places to retire for non-EU nationals.

As I said.. We did a lot of research.  You can not simply buy any house you like, move in and live there permanently on retirement. 

 

 

 

 

[JustAnotherHun]

9 minutes ago, jak2002003 said:

You can not simply buy any house you like...

 

Hmm...what restrictions buying a home in Portugal do you mean? Afaik there are none.

[jak2002003]

2 minutes ago, JustAnotherHun said:

Hmm...what restrictions buying a home in Portugal do you mean? Afaik there are none.

• Purchase real estate, in the interior or islands, for at least €350,000 for refurbishment purposes.
• Make a capital transfer of €1.5 million or more to Portugal.
• Invest at least €500,000 in research activities in Portugal’s scientific or technology industries

[jak2002003]

Anyone staying for longer than three months will need to apply for a residence permit from the SEF.

[jak2002003]

To get a golden visa, more options are

• Purchase real estate valued at least €500,000. As of 2022, real estate purchases in Lisbon, Porto, or coastal areas such as the Algarve no longer qualify. Real estate investments must instead be in inland Portugal or the islands of the Azores and Madeira

[arithai12]

On 6/10/2023 at 8:58 AM, bogs smith said:

yeah. it also offers choking smog for half the year.

 

if thats your thing then go for it.

I live in CM since many years. While there is indeed a horrific 2 months, I don't know about "half of the year". Which months?

[arithai12]

On 6/10/2023 at 9:52 AM, mikebell said:

4th!  These people, like me, haven't done their homework.  This perfect place to retire freezes your State pension (mine hasn't moved in 15YEARS!)  Chiang Mai is the Lung Cancer Capital of the World.  Koh Samui's strong sense of community means their taxi mafia now rivals Phuket/Pattaya.

I agree that they didn't do their homework. The whole thread is in fact hot air based on a tiny sample of google searches carried out by a company that is far from impartial. It should not even be newsworthy.

The "Lung Cancer Capital of the World" is however your invention. Look up the lists of countries with the highest incidence of Lung Cancer. Some surprises in the top ten, and Thailand never mentioned.

btw it's not Thailand that freezes your State pension, take issue with your own government.

[killala]

On 6/10/2023 at 9:45 AM, proton said:

Friend bought in Spain now can only spend 90 days at most there, if there was a visa I think they would have found one in the last 3 years

 

Not so. I’m Irish and have a home in Spain so the visa rules obviously don’t apply to me but have lots of Brit friends down there and of course there is a visa but the financial requirements are quite steep around 27k euro per year for each applicant and lots of hoops to jump through which I would imagine would put many people off applying.  Sort of reminds a chap of somewhere closer to home… 

[Gaccha]

8 hours ago, Dene16 said:

Thank you for letting google explain that you are talking a load of tosh,

Cost of retirees in 2022: 112.5 billion British pounds

 

Cost of unemployment benefits for all the unemployed in the UK, not only migrants, was 1.23 billion in 2022.

 

Cost of asylum seekers was £3.7 billion, or 29% of its aid budget, in 2022. 

 

[Source: Statista, the UK government's own statistics unit]

 

They are the simple statistics.

 

Crucially, you will note, as I stated before, that the entire cost of asylum seekers come out of the foreign aid budget, so there has been not a single penny extra in cost to the taxpayers because of asylum seekers. I don't know how I can make this any clearer.

 

You will also notice that the entire cost of all unemployment benefits in the UK is a rounding error compared with the cost of retirees.

 

The facts don't care about your feelings.

 

If you had actually used Google as I told you to I would not now have to waste my time pointing out that I was right on every point I made. 

 

•mic drop

 

[mikebell]

7 hours ago, arithai12 said:

The "Lung Cancer Capital of the World" is however your invention

I am an author.  We're allowed poetic licence to make a point.  Similarly my issue with a frozen State pension was merely meant to draw would-be retirees' attention to it.  I did not know when I came here to be with my son 18 years ago.  I think I would have reconsidered making the move permanently.

[mikebell]

19 hours ago, PB172111 said:

So you like to quantify your happiness. You should lie down on my couch and we can have a nice chat while I write on my clipboard ????

The quantifying of my happiness was in defence of someone feeling sorry for my daily misery.  As an amateur psychiatrist I think you'll understand why I must turn down your invitation to lie down on another man's couch.

[mikebell]

19 hours ago, PB172111 said:

Hardly a POV from an experienced person.

CM is a great city but I admit, you have to choose which half of the year to go. Much better than Patts IMHO

Having read my post you will see I have lived here for 18 years which gives me a certain degree of experience.  I have travelled extensively round Thailand; I came to Pattaya after living in Bangkok for some time; I've visited five of the islands; lots of cities/towns particularly in Issaan.  I moved to Bang Sare which had a nice beach; good quality housing and friends.  I only go to Pattaya for shopping.

[Chongalulu]

On 6/10/2023 at 10:21 AM, bignok said:

Best option is a nomadic life. No one country.

Yes,there's only so much a country can put up with Big Nok being there...

[mikebell]

22 hours ago, ujayujay said:

You seem to get your wisdom from tabloid headlines. shameful

Like The Guardian?  The Bangkok Post?  AseanNow? Where you get yours?

[NanLaew]

On 6/10/2023 at 9:43 AM, Mike Teavee said:

On 6/10/2023 at 9:35 AM, proton said:

I thought Brits could only spend a total of 90 days a year in EU countries now, so how can they retire there?

Was going to ask a similar question about Aus/NZ/India/Canada how can your average Brit (assuming no family ties) retire to any of these ?

Use an agent.

 

Sheesh...

[jaideedave]

On 6/10/2023 at 10:25 AM, ezzra said:

Half of those country are as bad as the UK and even worse.

You better have deep pockets and a warm jacket if you intend to retire in Canada

[edwinchester]

15 hours ago, Lancelot01 said:

The brexit vote was seven years ago. Get over yourself!

New retirees would be aware of the current rules when they make their decision. 

I was over the ability of an electorate to collectively shoot itself in the crotch years ago just a shame that the majority of UK retiree's no longer meet the financial requirements to reside in Europe anymore.

[kingstonkid]

20 hours ago, Purdey said:

Surprisingly, many countries haven't seen the advantage of attracting pensioners.

Spending money but not taking jobs from locals.

Paying higher than locals on medical costs.

Importing foreign currency regularly. 

These should be seen as attractive to governments. 

It depends on where they are coming from and their medical coverage.  Pensioners are great when we are healthy, and I agree, but as we have seen here, when we get polder and medical treatment gets more expensive, it can be an issue.

Pensioners do as you said, aid the economy, but most countries are looking for people that will pay income tax to increase government spending.

[jaideedave]

On 6/11/2023 at 7:08 AM, save the frogs said:

yeah, there are pros to doing that. no requirements to meet. 

 

but a lot of people are not that fit in their later years to be constantly moving around.

 

and more expensive than staying in one place. 

 

 

TBH I recently tried relocating to Phnom Penh after living in Pattaya for about 20 years.After a couple weeks I realized my error.Thankfully I never severed my ties and returned unscathed.

I had fond memories of past visits there when younger but was expecting too much.

At 72 it just wasn't in the books.

[kingstonkid]

2 hours ago, Gaccha said:

Cost of retirees in 2022: 112.5 billion British pounds

 

Cost of unemployment benefits for all the unemployed in the UK, not only migrants, was 1.23 billion in 2022.

 

Cost of asylum seekers was £3.7 billion, or 29% of its aid budget, in 2022. 

 

[Source: Statista, the UK government's own statistics unit]

 

They are the simple statistics.

 

Crucially, you will note, as I stated before, that the entire cost of asylum seekers come out of the foreign aid budget, so there has been not a single penny extra in cost to the taxpayers because of asylum seekers. I don't know how I can make this any clearer.

 

You will also notice that the entire cost of all unemployment benefits in the UK is a rounding error compared with the cost of retirees.

 

•mic drop

 

Just out of curiosity where does the foreign aid (Foreign Office) get the money for asylum seekers?  Is it not part of the budget that is submitted to be included in the government's annual spending budget?

 

Just wondering.

 

Retirement is a huge problem in every country, that is why you see a lot of countries upping the age.  No one considered tht after the baby boomers there would be such a drop in the number of people having kids or the amount of technology that now accounts for a smaller workforce.

[Dene16]

57 minutes ago, Gaccha said:

Crucially, you will note, as I stated before, that the entire cost of asylum seekers come out of the foreign aid budget, so there has been not a single penny extra in cost to the taxpayers because of asylum seekers. I don't know how I can make this any clearer.

we will have to agree to differ. of course its a cost to taxpayers we pay into the foreign aid budget which is covered by the tax payer. The UK reduced that payment because of the increased costs due to our present circumstances. It is still a cost to the taxpayer.

It is only now that you state that there is no extra cost to the taxpayer. Maybe I am being pedantic?

However those costs or payments the UK government has held back are only acceptable for the first 12 months after which the UK  will then have to bear the costs.

once asylum has been granted we will have to bear the cost. Most will have to take unskilled jobs unable to provide enough income for housing etc and will require extra welfare payments at best  So in answer to your statement(if it makes you happy) there is no immediate cost to the taxpayer but we will have to bear the future costs for many many yeas to come.  So if your statement simply implies there is no extra cost to the taxpayer then you are wrong.

 

1 hour ago, Gaccha said:

Cost of retirees in 2022: 112.5 billion British pounds

 

Cost of unemployment benefits for all the unemployed in the UK, not only migrants, was 1.23 billion in 2022.

i am sorry you will need to humour me as i have no idea what relevance this holds.  I have already stated I was encompassing the welfare state and the migrants affects on our society/country as a whole. For some reason you seem to have a fixation about the cost of unemployment and now comparing it to the cost of retirees. 

So your simple statistics are wasted on me. whilst I have no interest in googling irrelevant information 

I don't care if the budget for retirees was 10x the amount you state, they have been paying their NI for the last 30+ years and most still paying tax on their work pensions which is probably not taken into account

I thought we were talking about migrants and immigrants in the UK in a slight tongue and cheek response albeit true( I was anyway), however you seem to need to put the world to rights while implying that people that read the sun and daily mail are idiots

Don't worry there is always one

 

[Goat]

i think Australia has taken on more than its fair share of Brits and most Aussies dont want anymore of them.

 

Especially retired ones who wont work and contribute to the current skilled labor shortage and just fill up houses that Australians need.

[jaideedave]

13 minutes ago, Dene16 said:

we will have to agree to differ. of course its a cost to taxpayers we pay into the foreign aid budget which is covered by the tax payer. The UK reduced that payment because of the increased costs due to our present circumstances. It is still a cost to the taxpayer.

It is only now that you state that there is no extra cost to the taxpayer. Maybe I am being pedantic?

However those costs or payments the UK government has held back are only acceptable for the first 12 months after which the UK  will then have to bear the costs.

once asylum has been granted we will have to bear the cost. Most will have to take unskilled jobs unable to provide enough income for housing etc and will require extra welfare payments at best  So in answer to your statement(if it makes you happy) there is no immediate cost to the taxpayer but we will have to bear the future costs for many many yeas to come.  So if your statement simply implies there is no extra cost to the taxpayer then you are wrong.

 

i am sorry you will need to humour me as i have no idea what relevance this holds.  I have already stated I was encompassing the welfare state and the migrants affects on our society/country as a whole. For some reason you seem to have a fixation about the cost of unemployment and now comparing it to the cost of retirees. 

So your simple statistics are wasted on me. whilst I have no interest in googling irrelevant information 

I don't care if the budget for retirees was 10x the amount you state, they have been paying their NI for the last 30+ years and most still paying tax on their work pensions which is probably not taken into account

I thought we were talking about migrants and immigrants in the UK in a slight tongue and cheek response albeit true( I was anyway), however you seem to need to put the world to rights while implying that people that read the sun and daily mail are idiots

Don't worry there is always one

 

In Canada the Trudeau gov't is importing 500k migrants a year officially but add 200k by other means.A large percentage will require assistance over the long term.Their credentials aren't recognized in the Cdn system hence they end up working as fast food or taxi drivers.The average house price in Toronto/Vancouver is over 1 million $.So much for the dream of the good life.Of, they are also in one of the highest taxed countries in the world.

[Gaccha]

28 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

Just out of curiosity where does the foreign aid (Foreign Office) get the money for asylum seekers?

They siphon it out of their own foreign aid budget. That total budget amount has consistently been below the amount that the government promised for international aid.

 

As a First World country, the UK sends development aid to the  Third World. The government has simply deducted from that budget to pay the budget of asylum seekers. There is no net increase in cost to the taxpayer.

 

You can imagine that a lot of left-wingers are rather upset about this as they already feel the international aid amount is unimpressive. Daily Mail readers, by contrast, are simply ignorant and feel there has been some extra cost incurred by the arrival of asylum seekers.

[rumeaug]

Spain and Portugal : awesome choices . Beautiful places, great people, great way of life, decent prices (for Europe).

France is just stunning in many places (except for the French of course, always complaining about their own country. Not realizing what they have, a little paradise on earth...), but mostly too expensive. Too bad for Brexit , things would have been so much easier for Brittons without that "delirious" decision...

[JustAnotherHun]

11 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

• Purchase real estate, in the interior or islands, for at least €350,000 for refurbishment purposes.
• Make a capital transfer of €1.5 million or more to Portugal.
• Invest at least €500,000 in research activities in Portugal’s scientific or technology industries

Your listed pointshave to do with permanent residency, but not with restrictions for foreigners buying private property.

So you can buy whatever you like, but it might not qualify you for residency.

[stoutfella]

On 6/11/2023 at 3:49 PM, hotandsticky said:

 

 

Then, rather like Thailand, if you don’t meet the financial requirements you can’t come in.

Unless you throw your passport overboard as you are crossing the English Channel.

[stoutfella]

7 hours ago, rumeaug said:

Spain and Portugal : awesome choices . Beautiful places, great people, great way of life, decent prices (for Europe).

France is just stunning in many places (except for the French of course, always complaining about their own country. Not realizing what they have, a little paradise on earth...), but mostly too expensive. Too bad for Brexit , things would have been so much easier for Brittons without that "delirious" decision...

Just leave it at "France is just stunning in many places except for the French of course,"

[stoutfella]

8 hours ago, Goat said:

i think Australia has taken on more than its fair share of Brits and most Aussies dont want anymore of them.

 

Especially retired ones who wont work and contribute to the current skilled labor shortage and just fill up houses that Australians need.

And originally Australia had no say over how many British criminals were sent there. Those were the days.

[stoutfella]

On 6/11/2023 at 4:23 PM, bignok said:

Point of view

Pattaya

 

You really didn't know?

 

 

Normally a professional would make their initialisms. truncated names, shortform words/descriptions made known early in the piece for later reference and clarification. Does this imply I am not dealing with professionals?