6 hours ago, mikebell said:

I am the 2nd happiest person I know. (The 1st is my TGF.)  I live in a lovely 3 bed/3 bath house on a secure & well appointed estate with superb gym/pool.  Despite being 80 I play table tennis to  a decent standard 3 days a week + visit the gym at least another couple of times.  My son has a successful restaurant in BKK a mere 100 minutes drive away.

'focussing on scenarios you are unlikely to personally encounter' I don't understand this reference;  my pension is frozen;  Chiang Mai is polluted (I once spent an unfortunate weekend there;) I have holidayed in Samui & Phuket & experienced the taxi mafias personally;  I have lived 18 years in Pattaya so know what I am talking about.

My positive outlook on life has meant I have been a local and popular Quizmaster in the Pattaya league; played Pool for a number of bar teams with plenty of buddies in these areas.  Despite my age I will be seeing my UK family in 3 weeks; next year I am planning to take my GF to my daughter's wedding + a holiday in Spain.

Do you still feel sorry for me?

Oh, by the way I have written & published four books since coming here; two of them are Thai-centric.  The royalties make up the deficit in my pension.

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 ????

8 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

OK can someone explain why Brits want to move to Australia the cost of living is higher there than in the UK.

 

Canada is a little cheaper but still.

Probably the thought of better weather, English speaking and drive on the sensible side. They might think you have less of an immigration issue too.

On 6/10/2023 at 10:08 AM, oxo1947 said:

Was the same in Thailand until a few years back---just do a U turn boarder crossing, plenty to chose from near Spain.

 

Maybe Spain will open an office to just report in every 90 days like Thailand did ---oh no I forgot about all the posts....thats a really big hassle in peoples lives to have to do that here.

Yes it is a hassle when you get older and want some stability how many old folks are still backpackers living on the road hopping borders it gets old after awhile it’s also hell on relationships you end you meeting other people on the road or when you need to bounce borders and are away for weeks or months and just end up with a string of fleeting encounters it’s also setup that way so you never dig roots in they want people just moving around and not entrenched in like the locals

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. 

8 hours ago, Northstar1 said:

Believe me, we don’t want or need the Uk rift raft here, they can stay in pattaya 

Where can you buy a "rift raft", I've always wanted one?

20 minutes 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

What are "POV" and "Patts"?

4 minutes ago, stoutfella said:

Where can you buy a "rift raft", I've always wanted one?

You don't want one, a raft with no rudder is pretty useless.......????

14 minutes 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. 

Always felt it was a good deal for particularly the UK getting shut of us as a burden!

8 hours ago, Northstar1 said:

Believe me, we don’t want or need the Uk rift raft here, they can stay in pattaya 

I don't think the UK has "rift raft's", give us a pointer as to what they are...????

21 hours ago, proton said:

My niece bought an estate in France in 2012 moved there, went on holiday to Portugal in 2016 bought there after falling in love with it, another very expensive place, renovated that as well, last Dec she sold up and moved to Scotland never having been there before, according to her France was too cold in the winter and the Portuguese are racist and mysoginist, not heard from her about the Scots as yet.???? 

Hmmm, both racist and mysoginist, my kind of place

 

On 6/10/2023 at 8:52 AM, webfact said:

Thailand is in fourth place. Chiang Mai, in the northern region, .................................................... Alternatively, Koh Samui is a beautiful island.....................................................

Interesting - no mention of Pattaya, Phuket or Bangkok as retirement destinations. IMO quite rightly so!

8 hours ago, Dene16 said:

packed full of foreigner's bleeding our welfare state dry

The cost of refugees comes out of the funds siphoned from the foreign aid budget. It actually has incurred no cost to taxpayers, but has worsened the suffering of desperate foreigners abroad.

 

If you mean the cost of welfare for people of working age then I you are living in fantasies concocted by The Daily Mail and The Sun newspapers. The welfare budget is a rounding error compared with the astonishing cost of the pension budget.

 

Please use Google. It is your friend.

On 6/10/2023 at 4:35 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?

Not unusual - Remainer ignorance.

 

Pass this to your friend…. https://www.immigrationspain.es/en/retire-to-spain-after-brexit/

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

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

 

How many months in calender you are using?

35 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

Not unusual - Remainer ignorance.

 

Pass this to your friend…. https://www.immigrationspain.es/en/retire-to-spain-after-brexit/

Most pensioners do not qualify at the amounts of income needed

On 6/10/2023 at 2:55 PM, Mike Teavee said:

the fact is it there are many other countries (e.g. Australia, New Zealand, Canada & India being 4 other counties on the list) where it would also be frozen. 

If you paid into the system and the system is run in a responsibly fiduciary manner, why the H should the government try and manage where you live. Nanny states, all of them

8 minutes ago, proton said:

Most pensioners do not qualify at the amounts of income needed

 

 

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

Surprised India ranks so high. Bet number very different in ten years after all the hippies are dead.

9 hours ago, mikebell said:

I don't live in Chiang Mai and will never visit it as I value my health too much.  I had a holiday in Samui in January where a simple short journey to the airport of under 3 kilometres cost 300 baht.  I will not return; ditto Phuket.  My post was a simple warning to avoid these pitfalls and to express disbelief that Thailand is at no 4.  I live in Pattaya which has no police force to enforce the use of meters in Taximeters.  Your simplistic solution of moving ignores the ties I have made over 18 years.

Chiang Mai is great 9 months of the year. Phuket is cheaper than many towns in Thailand for a better range of rooms and food. Pattaya is polluted with polluted seas.

 

CM is easily the best city from 10am to 10pm.

2 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

Interesting - no mention of Pattaya, Phuket or Bangkok as retirement destinations. IMO quite rightly so!

Phuket offers far more than Samui. Samui is the most expensive place to live in the whole country - not counting Phi Phi/Lipe/Kood.

2 hours ago, stoutfella said:

What are "POV" and "Patts"?

Point of view

Pattaya

 

You really didn't know?

 

 

12 hours ago, Enoon said:

https://www.statista.com/statistics/520954/brexit-votes-by-age/

 

And my cousin, who dreamed of living in Southern France, where she and her family had spent so many happy camping holidays, was one of them!

 

Stupid ******* *****!

 

 

I live in the south of France and I’d never live anywhere else. Been here and worked all my adult life. Great quality of living. I have many British friends who bought houses etc before Brexit. They had a choice of applying for residency and being taxed in France , but as most had businesses in UK , family , lovely homes, they didn’t go down that path. They chose to accept the 90 day rule, or can apply for a longer Visa at the London embassy. Most young people and all my family never wanted Brexit and regret it immensely. Lots leave for elsewhere, I have one nephew in Dubai, one in Ireland, another  soon off to Australia .Many young people are bitter that the choice of working in the EU has been taken away from them., When I was 10 yrs old, my family wanted to emigrate to Australia, some of us did, but my parents and siblings had to stay in UK as my sister in law was expecting a baby . It’s wonderful to have a choice. If you really don’t mind going through all the immigration rules and willing to give up UK residency, you can still work in the EU or anywhere if you have a good education and qualifications.  My nephew for example , has a special licence allowing him to drive oversized trucks, cranes etc which he’d earned in the British army. 

https://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/baby-boomers/slideshows/the-best-places-to-retire-in-asia

 

More interesting selections above

On 6/10/2023 at 10:58 AM, sirineou said:

I see Portugal at #3

I remember reading that legislation has passed tat eliminates the golden visa program some time this year. 

If that's true they better hurry. 

The 10-year tax exemption on foreign pensions was repealed a couple of years ago in Portugal. The present tax rate is still no higher than 10% though.

 

If I'm not wrong Greece is now the latest EU-country levying no taxes on foreign pensions.

8 hours ago, dogfish180 said:

Surely the Number 1 county Brits choose to retire in is Britain? ????????

It isn’t a * choice* , they can’t do otherwise, ie small pensions or health problems. 

4 minutes ago, geisha said:

It isn’t a * choice* , they can’t do otherwise, ie small pensions or health problems. 

Not all Brits retire on just the small state pension.....................????

People on here making claims about it being hard for poms to retire to Australia must be on drugs ????

there must be more Brit’s in Western Australia now than most other jurisdictions in the world.

Thankfully a bit more diluted on the other side of the country 555

On 6/10/2023 at 3:35 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?

They take up residence through the official channels.

On 6/10/2023 at 5:33 AM, edwinchester said:

Five countries that Brit retiree's want to retire in are in Europe but this is the group that were the largest supporters of Brexit......morons.

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

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

9 hours ago, Gaccha said:

The cost of refugees comes out of the funds siphoned from the foreign aid budget. It actually has incurred no cost to taxpayers, but has worsened the suffering of desperate foreigners abroad.

Thank you for letting google explain that you are talking a load of tosh, who do you think pays for the foreign aid budget (Father Christmas)we have been sending less due to the 3.5 billion we now have had to spend in the UK https://news.sky.com/story/uk-overseas-aid-response-to-floods-and-drought-very-limited-due-to-spending-at-home-commission-says-12844413#:~:text=The UK's foreign,of hotel accommodation

When i talk about the UK welfare state i encompass everything, why are immigrants encamped on French shores waiting for an opportunity to get to the UK (at any cost)

9.5 million people in the UK were born outside of its shores, that alone is an astonishing amount

London houses 259k polish citizens alone. that's not to say that they (poles)  take out more than they put into the system but it is the affect on our hospitals, schools etc that cannot cope. Polish being the first language in some schools in my mothers area

Asylum applications is back to it all time high at 70k + per year.

The sharp increase in crossings and the pandemic has led to approximately 37,000 destitute migrants and those on resettlement schemes being accommodated in hotels, costing the taxpayer £4.7 million every day. (From our own government website)

https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2022/04/14/factsheet-cost-of-asylum-system/#:~:text=The sharp increase in crossings,to be in the UK.

Once asylum is given stats show that 20% of that total will claim welfare payments, 3 times the average of normal residents. They can then also call family members to join them.

I grew up in the 70's in a migrant area where fathers and mothers would make the transition to the UK.  once residence was secured they would send for their children who were working happily in the country they had left. I don't hold it against them as i would do the same

I could quote stats(not fiction) till the cows come home

I don't believe anything a newspaper reports regardless of its name. but i am not a  do-gooder who wants to look at the humane aspect of everything

I try not read stupid conspiracy theories if that is what you are reading

In your own quote google is your friend