Why I left Thailand

[Confuscious]

 

Living in Thailand was never my first choice, but Thailand was a nice country to live in.
Everything was dirty cheap, unless you wanted to keep eating Western food and have a Western lifestyle.

Eating a full "Pad Grapao lae Kai daew" in a roadside restaurant costed 20 Baht (0.60 Euro).

 

But as I grew older and my Health started to go downhill, life in Thailand became less enjoyable.
Also, the cost of living became very expensive for me.
I needed to go frequently to a doctor visit at the hospital and I was feed a lot of medication.

Daily tasks became a burden to me.

 

What made me decide to leave Thailand?

1. In 2022, I got the message of my doctor at the hospital that my Kidney function was degradating very fast and that I would soon need to start to do a Kidney Dialysis. The cost of this would be a very big junk of my income.

 

2. The level of corruption at Immigration and other departments started to become a burden. At the age of 70, I am not keen to run around for every "requirement on the spot" of the immigration officers. I thought that thai people had more egard for the elderly.

3. The oncoming changes and requirements for foreigners who were staying more than 180 days in Thailand was a "NO" for me. New taxation rules, taxation on my foreign income and a message of my bank in Belgium warning me that they had send the documents about my "Wealth" that were asked by Thailand was the "Final Straw" for me.

4. I was residing in Thailand on a Retirement Visa, type "O". This type of Visa did not require to show a Health Insurance. But Immigration was changing the rules and there were remours that they would require a Health Insurance on this type of Visa as well. Which insurance company would be willing to write a health Insurance for a 70 year old men with a medical history of a Stroke, a Heart failure, a Pacemaker implant, recent surgery for an AAA, and Kidney failure?
Yes, paying a very high Insurance price which at the end would mean nothing as every little thing could be connected to existing diseases.

I went back to Europe.

I chosed Spain because it is my country of birth, the nice weather and benefit the (almost) free healthcare as an EU citizen, Besides healthcare, I have other benefits in Spain by being a 65+ citizen.

I will reside here 179 days in a year, to avoid being taxed and do trips to other countries as long a I can.
As an EU citizen, I am entitled to the EU health insurance which repatriate me in case of an accident.
If I have an accident or need hosptal care, but can not be transported, the EU healthcare will sponsor my hospital bill.

It is maybe not the most perfect choice, but for the moment it is the best option.

[GypsyT]

Thank for telling. Good luck!

PS. I may join you soon. EU have problems but freedom to live in 27 countries with same health insurance benefits is a great asset.

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, Confuscious said:

As an EU citizen, I am entitled to the EU health insurance which repatriate me in case of an accident.

Are you sure about that? I can't recall that when UK was in EU.

 

As soon as someone has serious health conditions which are very expensive makes sense to go home if it's covered there, good luck

[GypsyT]

5 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Are you sure about that? I can't recall that when UK was in EU.

Every country has their own rules re emergency flights. Some has co-pay ceiling like 1500 Euros dep on income.

It used to be free in some countries but maybe non has that now?

 

When you transfer health insurance it cover same as natives get in national hospitals. Privates do not need to honor but many do.

Spain and Portugal have very good policies.

 

[Confuscious]

5 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Are you sure about that? I can't recall that when UK was in EU.

 

As soon as someone has serious health conditions which are very expensive makes sense to go home if it's covered there, good luck

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1580380000365&uri=LEGISSUM:c10521

[Sydebolle]

Without having my family here I would have left with a oneway ticket many, many moons ago - this country is in total overdrive