On 9/20/2025 at 6:21 AM, arick said:

I would have to agree with Portugal being in the top 10 I don't know about about number one but I do love Portugal but I would get quite bored there. But it looks like all these places are close to the UK or European cities so I imagine this is a UK european-based statistics.

I've lived in Portugal and in Thailand. Food is mostly mediocre in Portugal and I must say I find it ridiculous that every time an article comes up in the media, it talks big time about the "pasteis de nata" - yes, they are good but for goodness sake, does anyone only eat sweets with coffee in life?

 

Its national beers (Sagres and Superbock) are to my taste what I would describe as "donkey piss". Fortunately there is good red and white and green (!) wine, rather cheap - so that gives a positive on Thailand where beer is equally disgusting and .... there is no wine of the value/price quality of Portugal.

 

I find Portugal often frustrating when having to call for services such as medical, TV, telephone, wi-fi and so on - contrary to what many say, too often people cannot speak 1 word of english or if they do, it's with such a pronunciation that one struggles to understand. That puts it on par I think with Thailand.

 

As for learning to speak Portuguese, I do not know any foreigner who ever managed, it's an awful language (it's much better, easier, nicer to the ear in Brasil). So again, rather on par with Thailand.

 

Property prices in Portugal : it has been said above - it has become very expensive.

 

Social life in Portugal : I think it is very difficult for a foreigner to really establish anything with the Portuguese. They stay among themselves. On par with Thailand I guess.

 

A big negative for Portugal is the heavy fiscality that applies to any resident after a few years.

 

Portugal is also so much smaller than Thailand so in terms of traveling around and discovering diverse regions, it would not compare to Thailand. However, I have to admit that the possibility to visit the Azores islands, or Madeira, is a big plus for Portugal. So, maybe on par with Thailand after all?

 

I think when everything has been said, the big plus for Portugal, compared to Thailand, for Europeans at least, is the proximity to the rest of Europe and the ease of traveling there from a visa pov.

On 9/19/2025 at 10:08 PM, ikke1959 said:

It will hurt Thailand as it wants to be the best country to retire... But with outdated visas and too many rules, such as 90 day reports address notifications even with the TDAC system, the yearly visa paperwork, and the double standards everywhere, overpriced imported articles  and not allowed to do anything by outdated labour laws, It is just not the country anymore that it pretend to be and welcoming retirees.. They forget that retirees mostly have kids and grandkids, who will come and visit and so contributing to the economy...

 

Indeed. If Thailand aspires to be the premier destination for retirees, its actions do not reflect that ambition.

To be honest, the prevailing sentiment from Thailand and its people seems to be: "Just quiet down and appreciate that we allow you to enter."

18 minutes ago, gejohesch said:

I've lived in Portugal and in Thailand. Food is mostly mediocre in Portugal and I must say I find it ridiculous that every time an article comes up in the media, it talks big time about the "pasteis de nata" - yes, they are good but for goodness sake, does anyone only eat sweets with coffee in life?

 

Its national beers (Sagres and Superbock) are to my taste what I would describe as "donkey piss". Fortunately there is good red and white and green (!) wine, rather cheap - so that gives a positive on Thailand where beer is equally disgusting and .... there is no wine of the value/price quality of Portugal.

 

I find Portugal often frustrating when having to call for services such as medical, TV, telephone, wi-fi and so on - contrary to what many say, too often people cannot speak 1 word of english or if they do, it's with such a pronunciation that one struggles to understand. That puts it on par I think with Thailand.

 

As for learning to speak Portuguese, I do not know any foreigner who ever managed, it's an awful language (it's much better, easier, nicer to the ear in Brasil). So again, rather on par with Thailand.

 

Property prices in Portugal : it has been said above - it has become very expensive.

 

Social life in Portugal : I think it is very difficult for a foreigner to really establish anything with the Portuguese. They stay among themselves. On par with Thailand I guess.

 

A big negative for Portugal is the heavy fiscality that applies to any resident after a few years.

 

Portugal is also so much smaller than Thailand so in terms of traveling around and discovering diverse regions, it would not compare to Thailand. However, I have to admit that the possibility to visit the Azores islands, or Madeira, is a big plus for Portugal. So, maybe on par with Thailand after all?

 

I think when everything has been said, the big plus for Portugal, compared to Thailand, for Europeans at least, is the proximity to the rest of Europe and the ease of traveling there from a visa pov.

Madeira, is a big plus for Portugal.

 

 

Very much so!

 

I have had the pleasure of visiting the island and what outstanding scenery. I now know why Sir Winston Churchill (ex UK PM) used to visit as an artist to relax and paint various aspects of the beauty. (stock photo)

 

On 9/20/2025 at 2:16 PM, BadSpottedDog said:

The 65k per month would be fine, but immigration requires it to be exactly the same amount every month on exactly the same day every month. We got turned down for that option because one payment was late coming in, and another payment was a different amount.

Immigration only requires that at least 65000 baht is remitted each of the 12 months.  I never sent the exact same amount each month, depending on what I would spend.  And, I hardly ever sent in on the same day within each month as neither of these are required in CM anyway.

On 9/20/2025 at 4:27 PM, Espanol said:

 

Indeed, I was talking about the Spanish embassy, of course. This may not be the case at other embassies. I've heard bad things about the treatment at the German embassy as well.

 

Read some of the stories about getting a US visa for the Thai wife of an American husband.  I know some have done it with no problem but it sure was a hassle for me and from some of the other users here.

22 hours ago, still kicking said:

What I don't understand is why people have to move to a different country to retire. I retired in OZ, where I lived for many years, even my Thai wife won't go back to LOS after 20 years. We can afford to travel 2to3 times to Thailand every year. Surely not everybody is single and spends every night at the pub and requires the service of a barmaid. Is it because of money? I am not so keen about Thai food, so my grocery bill will be huge compared to where I live now. We go for a meal twice or three times per week, and we have no street food; we  go to proper restaurants. I pay nothing for medical care or hospitals, which I could not afford in Thailand, No  need for visas in OZ I admit real estate is not cheap in Australia, but not everybody lives in Sydney or Melbourne. I live in a city of 2 million and have not had a rent increase for about 8 years. So why move and put up with all the hassles ?

Spunds good to this American but then I don't really understand why so many Aussies do retire in Thailand.  I know my reasons are a much better living standard costl wise in Thailand.  I happen to love Thai food, warm year round housing much cheaper than US.  I still consider Thailand to be paradise comparitively - after spending ovefr 30 years here.

I drove around Portugal for three weeks many years ago.

I did love the food and wine especially the bacalao dishes.

For some reason the Algarve didn't excite me as a place I would personally want to live.

My favorite place was Lisbon but it's unaffordable now but sadly I didn't make it as far north as Porto which I imagine I would like even better but also pricey now.

The sea scenery and seafood at Ericiera were fantastic.

I got robbed in Sintra.

Enjoyed Coimbra a classic university town but too hilly for many retired people.

I think more budget retirees need to look outside the prime areas perhaps like Coimbra,  Braga, and outlying cities from Lisbon.

The language to me sounds like Russian but not as sexy and hearing it raises my blood pressure.  Completely different than Brazilian which I love. 

The D7 visa is pretty fantastic. Thailand offers nothing like it.

Bottom line I understand why Portugal is highly rated even with the higher costs but certainly not for everyone. No place is.

 

 

A country on that list that I've never been to that interests me and not many other people is Chile. It's a first world country meaning very modern infrastructure and good healthcare. Surprisingly their retirement visa is flexible financially (case by case basis and where you're living in Chile is considered) and has a good residency path. I know of someone who moved there, fell in love, with no interest in ever leaving.  When I've talked to expats in South America that have been there, the response I get is that it's BORING. It seems to me as people get older and older boring may be a feature.

Been living in Thailand 16 years. The development last 3 years has made me consider a move.

Philippines is a nice place:

 

 

On 9/20/2025 at 8:42 AM, CallumWK said:

How about all the rest? I guess it is also still mid 2000's?

Here in Thailand i have supermarkets everywhere, and can get all farang food I can think about.

I travel 150km to the airport, or anywhere else, in less tan 90 minutes.

I have a 1 year visa extension, which costs about 65 US$ and don't need to leave the country on visa runs.

When I go to a bar I can buy whatever foreign beer I want, not just the local swill.

HI could go on, but how is that in Vietnam?

You do realize Vietnam is at the forefront in the thriving craft beer industry in the region?? Furthermore,  according to lots of ex pats particularly the ones from Thailand,  the local brew in Vietnam is much better than the average lager crap that is incessantly promoted by the billionaires who monopolize the alcohol consumption Thailand.  Lastly, all the major cities in Vietnam have international bars that offer multitude of beers and liquor from around the world.

5 minutes ago, BayArea said:

You do realize Vietnam is at the forefront in the thriving craft beer industry in the region?? Furthermore,  according to lots of ex pats particularly the ones from Thailand,  the local brew in Vietnam is much better than the average lager crap that is incessantly promoted by the billionaires who monopolize the alcohol consumption Thailand.  Furthermore,  all the major cities in Vietnam have international bars that offer multitude of beers and liquor from around the world.

 

You do realize that there is more needed than booze for making a country to be expat favourable?

11 minutes ago, CallumWK said:

 

You do realize that there is more than beer for making a country to be expat favourable?

I  was responding to your curiosity regarding the beer culture in both countries.  But thx for the tip buddy 

I find it comical several posters who think Portuguese sounds awful compared to its Brazilian counterpart.  I have a good friend who was born in the Azores who told me his father detested the Brazilian accent because they butcher the Portuguese language lol!!

It's similar to Spanish people who think Argentinian speak a bastardize version of Castillan. With that said,  I can think of a lot of other languages that sound worse than Portuguese. 

3 hours ago, BayArea said:

I find it comical several posters who think Portuguese sounds awful compared to its Brazilian counterpart.  I have a good friend who was born in the Azores who told me his father detested the Brazilian accent because they butcher the Portuguese language lol!!

It's similar to Spanish people who think Argentinian speak a bastardize version of Castillan. With that said,  I can think of a lot of other languages that sound worse than Portuguese. 

Why comical? It's  a matter of personal experience and tenperament which languages sounds annoy and which enchant? For me the most annoying are European Portuguese and Vietnamese. Most languages feel neutral including Thai. Argentinian sounds like Italian. Mexicans have potty mouths but can be quite amusing. As an American I prefer hearing non American versions such as Australian.

It's like taste in foods.

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Why comical? It's  a matter of personal experience and tenperament which languages sounds annoy and which enchant? For me the most annoying are European Portuguese and Vietnamese. Most languages feel neutral including Thai. Argentinian sounds like Italian. Mexicans have potty mouths but can be quite amusing. As an American I prefer hearing non American versions such as Australian.

It's like taste in foods.

I figured you would say Vietnamese. I lived in Northern California as you can see from my poster name. I have lots of Vietnamese friends and co workers so I have gotten to know them pretty well. I considered most of them as family! It was only natural I became familiar with the language. 

. The Viet language is beautiful, poetic and humorous. To foreigners, it sounds strange and offensive but that it's due to plain ignorance.  You must think Thai sounds lovely too huh?? Tagalog must sound delightful to your ears . It's funny that you say Argentinian sound Italian because that's the exact reason why Spanish are bothered . Mexicans speak proper Castillan and will tell you proudlythat they do compared to other Latinos.

16 hours ago, falangUK said:

Mexicans?

An imaginary country and subject of the movie. Sonia Braga is Brazilian, Raul Julia was Puerto Rican, and Richard Dreyfus is an American Jew.

On 9/21/2025 at 8:55 AM, newnative said:

    I wouldn't call getting a Schengen visa for a Thai national 'easy'.  My spouse and I recently went thru the process, which involved booking an appointment and going to a specific office at a specific time, armed with paperwork maybe a half-inch thick.  Paperwork included cover letter giving the reason for the trip and the trip's itinerary, extensive bank statements with a signed and stamped letter from the bank, employment documentation, documents showing round-trip airplane tickets in spouse's name, all hotel bookings for the trip also in spouse's name, plus the filled-out visa application, a photo of a required size and background, and an addressed envelope for the passport to be mailed back.  Might have been some other stuff I forgot.  We worked on all the paperwork for quite awhile, I can tell you.  Not that easy.  

I´ve done this for my Wife in Bangkok with a Agent: Cheap and painless!

I moved to Bangkok from Tokyo for career reasons and agreed that I would stay for three years.  That was 37 years ago. I have visited 80 countries, many of them many times and have worked and lived in seven countries. Bangkok is my home on a Type-O Retirement Visa. I love Thailand and don't wish to live anywhere else in the world at any price. 

 

My advice to all is to travel more within Thailand to appreciate just how wonderful this beautiful country is. 

 

 

Thailand is the poor man’s Portugal.

1 minute ago, RobKray said:

Thailand is the poor man’s Portugal.

I don't see many similarities to Portugal at all.

However, I've always considered Pattaya the poor man's Miami Beach. 

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

I don't see many similarities to Portugal at all.

However, I've always considered Pattaya the poor man's Miami Beach. 

Hmm, I see what you mean. I see Pattaya as a third world beach brothel. 

Just now, RobKray said:

Hmm, I see what you mean. I see Pattaya as a third world beach brothel. 

Actually it's upgraded itself quite a bit in recent years, but cost-wise compared to Miami, the moniker still fits. 

They're probably working on a positive spin right now... 😆 

1 hour ago, ujayujay said:

I´ve done this for my Wife in Bangkok with a Agent: Cheap and painless!

If you use an agent do you get to skip all the paperwork involved?

9 minutes ago, newnative said:

If you use an agent do you get to skip all the paperwork involved?

Of course not! Just google Bangkok Buddy, this will help you!

On 9/20/2025 at 6:00 PM, Fat is a type of crazy said:

Uruguay isn't landlocked and has beaches 

Yes and very nice beaches, I have a friend who is planning to  visit there in view of residency given the costs in Europe and the risk of a major war pending in that region. 

28 minutes ago, ujayujay said:

Of course not! Just google Bangkok Buddy, this will help you!

So, if you still have to prepare all the paperwork--which was the hardest, most time-consuming,  and most difficult part--I don't  see much advantage in using an agent.  The easiest part was turning in the paperwork at the BLS office handling visas for Spain.  

2 hours ago, newnative said:

I don't  see much advantage in using an agent.

It saves many hours for a good visit  and potential return visits to CM Immigration if the IO is in a bad mood.

17 minutes ago, DezLez said:

It saves many hours for a good visit  and potential return visits to CM Immigration if the IO is in a bad mood.

I was posting about applying for a Schengen visa for my Thai spouse.

4 minutes ago, newnative said:

I was posting about applying for a Schengen visa for my Thai spouse.

Sorry!