On 2/7/2026 at 7:27 PM, Kyoto Kyle said:

This is a genuine question and not an attack on anyone who already lives here or loves it. But is Thailand really a smart place to spend the last third of your life?

Thailand gets talked about nonstop as a dream retirement destination. Cheap living. Easy food. Beaches. Warm weather. Services available for just about anything. Basically a soft landing for men with a bit of cash who are tired of the West and want an easier daily life.

But the older I get the more I wonder if people are only looking at the upside and ignoring the stuff that actually matters once your body is no longer forgiving.

When you are young or even middle aged you can shrug things off. Heat is annoying but manageable. Air pollution is just a bad month or three. Traffic is chaotic but you stay alert. Medical costs are hypothetical.

That changes later on.

A few things I keep coming back to.

Thailand consistently ranks at or near the top globally for road deaths. As reflexes slow and eyesight fades, is this really the environment you want to be navigating daily?

Air pollution is not just an inconvenience. For older lungs and hearts it can mean chronic breathing issues or worse. Burning season is not a meme when you are seventy.

Heat tolerance drops as you age. Long humid days that feel merely uncomfortable at fifty can become exhausting and dangerous later on.

Private hospitals are excellent but also brutally expensive if you do not have top tier international insurance. Public hospitals are another story and not always reassuring for complex age related care.

Social safety nets are thin. If things go wrong financially or medically, you are largely on your own in a foreign system as a second class citizen.

Long term care is rarely discussed. Assisted living, dementia care, and end of life support are not cheap or straightforward here.

None of this means Thailand is bad. It clearly works very well for a lot of people right now.

The question is whether it still works when you are no longer mobile, independent, or resilient. When the margin for error shrinks.

Is Thailand really a place to grow old in or is it a place that works best only while you are still healthy enough to enjoy the advantages?

I have been living in a house in Phuket for four years now and have visited Thailand for 35 years sometimes for a three months, six months etc.

Heat in old age? The answer is to turn up the aircon.

Nowhere in the world is a dream, every country has its pros and cons.

We farangs are only long term visitors with our yearly visa extensions, I do not feel like I live here, just a long term visitor.

My plan for when I get 'old-old' and a medical problem happens is to use the £100k I keep in cash in banks which are instant access, plus £100k credit facilities is to hand if I need it, so I can get back to the UK and be treated there.

Keep a property in your home country so you have somewhere to flee to, they are useful as they provide second incomes in the form of rents.

Road deaths? Stay off motorbikes as they are where the majority of deaths happen, drive a big car for protection.

I know Chiang Mai is heavily polluted for many months of the year so stay away from there, here in Phuket I have a PM 2.5 monitor in the house and it is always in a the green zone.

The areas such as Patong are probably polluted but here in Kathy, Kathu it is great.

Keep yourself fit now by walking daily or riding a bike in a safe off road area, have very active interests to keep the brain young, mine is writing software for iPhone apps on a daily basis, there is something new to learn every day doing that.

Stay away from negative moaning farangs.

Stay far away from bar-girls or ex bar-girls as they can bleed us dry if we let our egos run amok and actually believe good looking your girls fancy old farangs.

Stay away from women who tell you it is your job to look after them and their extend family and who say it is the norm, it is not true, only desperate farangs fall for that one.

I have no experience of this as I have a very long term relationship with my Thai partner who is financially self sufficient as I am which suits the two of us.

But I have heard of many old guys crying into their beer as they ended up broke due to their relationship.

I think living in Thailand is great with so many positives as long as we keep an eye on real events and react accordingly.

On 2/8/2026 at 1:02 PM, spidermike007 said:

I don't stay in my house for months at a time I go out nearly every day it's just that if I have a choice I go out in the evening when it's cooler and more pleasant. I don't think anything could ever take me back to the US which I find to be a depressing and broken down nation. I really like the attitude of the Thai people, I find them to be incredibly pleasant, and so much more fun to be around than the average American.

I can't drag my Ms for a walk after 8am & before 6pm even if the air is perfect... We live at Wongamat beach so <8am and >6PM it's a very pleasant walk, but in the between hours it's often hot as hell...

Of course on Holidays (We're just back from Maldives & now in Penang for 4 weeks... Trying to do less than 180 days in Thailand for Tax reasons)... I drag her out walking at lunch time and the Noel Coward ditty... Mad Dogs & Englishmen go out in the midday sun always springs to mind...

Well, I am an English Man and the Ms does turn into a Mad Dog when dragged out in afternoon heat so I guess he was right :)

In Bangkok at 12 O'Clock they foam at the mouth and run... But Mad Dogs and English Men go out in the mid day sun...

On 2/7/2026 at 7:35 AM, georgegeorgia said:

It's a dream in the sense that if your into compiling statistics and graphs then it can keep you busy , although the Philippines would also keep me busy in my academic hobby

I have had many universities and major companies asking for my statistical information and my academic reports

Thailand is great for that ,for eg one of my major self published academic works was on how many dental clinics in Pattaya have the word "smile " in their name

That report was a major project which took me all my time during my 4 weeks vacation so yes Thailand is great for that for me anyway

Could you please share a link to your published report? I’m confident that everyone on this site will greatly appreciate its insights and value.

1 hour ago, palmbeachblueeyes said:

It doesn't matter where in the world you live; you need a retirement plan, and that plan has to have a major section on the final years of life.

If you can only afford an extremely small condo, then you are going to be hard-pressed to afford a place to live anywhere in the world where a Westerner would feel comfortable. My large two-bedroom apartment overlooking the ocean is about a third of what I was paying to rent a place in the US and Mexico.

If you decide to live in a place in Thailand where the air quality is bad, then pollution is a problem, but there are places like Pattaya where the breezes off the ocean keep the air quality acceptable. Some days it is bad, but most people have air conditioning, so stay inside, and there are air filters that can improve on that. If you move to a place like Chiang Mai, the AQ is bad.

Yes, for some people, the cost of medical care can be too much. I am fortunate that my US health insurance will cover all of my medical expenses. But most people are not that fortunate. Before retiring here, this issue must be addressed.

Assisted living and full-time nursing care are available and extremely inexpensive by comparison to anywhere in the Western world. It is unfortunate that Thailand hasn't had more options for the last few years of life. But they do exist, and they are cheap. You can handle all the details of staffing yourself, or go to a place where the management handles all the details of staffing. If you want to have live-in staff, you can have this for a small percentage of what it costs in the US. But have a plan.

If the heat bothers you, then you are in the wrong country.

Thailand has not realized that retirees are a huge source of income for the country. Not only do we spend year-round, but we also encourage everyone we know to come as tourists. If Thailand wanted to encourage retirees they would make the retirement visa much easier to get. Charge a flat 25,000 baht per year and eliminate all the hoops. Use some of the money that is generated to develop an assisted living nursing home industry. It would provide good-paying jobs at least twice the minimum wage for in-home care, it would help support the private healthcare industry, and provide jobs for nurses. But Thailand hasn't decided that they want retirees here.

The TAT spends millions flying people all over the world to promote tourism, a great perk for employees, but they could make considerably more money more easily by building a website for people considering retiring to Thailand and providing them with solutions for retirees. Not all people retiring to Thailand spend their days getting drunk at girl bars in downtown Pattaya. We aren't retiring here because it is the only place we can live, because many of us could afford to retire anywhere in the world. I spend at least 125,000 baht per month, but I have a wonderful lifestyle living in paradise.

Obviously your a wealthy man and retired that way

I'm only a floor mopper in a major hospital still slaving away until I get my academic statistical analysis papers published especially on dental clinics

But.. why on earth do you need as a single man a 2 bedroom condo ?

1 hour ago, scottiejohn said:

Were you also an ex member of the SAS/SEALs as well?

No, Sir, I never served. Thank you for your service.

23 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

Obviously your a wealthy man and retired that way

I'm only a floor mopper in a major hospital still slaving away until I get my academic statistical analysis papers published especially on dental clinics

But.. why on earth do you need as a single man a 2 bedroom condo ?

I have been very lucky. I try to remember every day the people who helped me live the way I do. A second bedroom serves as an office and occasionally as a guest bedroom. I don't need it, but I enjoy it. Good luck to you in your academic pursuits. I worked as a part-time bank teller while trying to get my master's. I think the pay was close to minimum wage. Your efforts are essential to the hospital, and without people like you, the spread of disease would be serious.

4 hours ago, Caldera said:

Thailand isn't a smart place to get old, but it's a fun place to get old. Works for me.

So, what is so funny or fun about Thailand? Beats me how pensioners saying thuøey have fun. Sorry about such bisarre Question, but I continue to ask the same questions in different treads where someone claims they having fun in Thailand.

What is fun in your eyes guessing you are above 50 years old, maybe even 70, or something between?

43 minutes ago, Hummin said:

So, what is so funny or fun about Thailand? Beats me how pensioners saying thuøey have fun. Sorry about such bisarre Question, but I continue to ask the same questions in different treads where someone claims they having fun in Thailand.

What is fun in your eyes guessing you are above 50 years old, maybe even 70, or something between?

What is thuoey? New brand of pot?

45 minutes ago, Hummin said:

but I continue to ask the same questions in different treads where someone claims they having fun in Thailand.

I like it to avoid toxic people. The west is full of narcs and crazy women. Thais are lovely. Why are westerners so awful?

7 minutes ago, Harrisfan said:

I like it to avoid toxic people. The west is full of narcs and crazy women. Thais are lovely. Why are westerners so awful?

If you only find toxic people, you are at wrong place with wrong people.

12 minutes ago, Harrisfan said:

What is thuoey? New brand of pot?

Sorry, it was supposed to be "they"

Everyone has something to say but the real answer is know what your getting yourself into. It's Thailand. Keep good people around you and you should be ok. If not, then good luck.

4 hours ago, palmbeachblueeyes said:

I have been very lucky. I try to remember every day the people who helped me live the way I do. A second bedroom serves as an office and occasionally as a guest bedroom. I don't need it, but I enjoy it. Good luck to you in your academic pursuits. I worked as a part-time bank teller while trying to get my master's. I think the pay was close to minimum wage. Your efforts are essential to the hospital, and without people like you, the spread of disease would be serious.

Your previous job as a Criminal trial judge was also essential, I take it you must of took a few bribes , no need to be ashamed about that !

5 hours ago, Hummin said:

you only find toxic people, you are at wrong place with wrong people.

They are everywhere. Hard to avoid.

On 2/7/2026 at 11:42 PM, spidermike007 said:

Well it certainly is for me. I find everyday here to be rather delightful, and I'm continually amazed at how pleasant the average Thai person is, how wonderful their sense of humor is, how playful they are, how light-hearted they are, how easy it is to get them to laugh and joke, and how high the quality of my life is here.

I compare that to the broken down and pathetic nation that I come from. America. The land of the forlorn.

Thats great and I agree with you for the most part BUT, do you ever really look at them, really talk to them ?
Things are not as they appear for many, many Thais.

35 minutes ago, Slowhand225 said:

Thats great and I agree with you for the most part BUT, do you ever really look at them, really talk to them ?
Things are not as they appear for many, many Thais.

Yeah but humans in general are bad imo. 80% are selfish scum and full of bs.

On 2/8/2026 at 3:04 PM, georgegeorgia said:

I agree

I have met a many as the saying goes ...met a many particularly in Pattaya who regretted their decision because the lonilessness set in

Oh it's all fine and dandy the first few months , going out to bars etc living in your own condo ...oh what a life you tell yourself...THEN ..maybe 6 months down the track ,maybe more , you come to realise you really have NO friends at the bars you go to every night ....the ladies are there for your money and you MISS life back in farangland

No one gives a hoot if your in hospital,no one from the bar visits you

All your friends and even family are in farangland, the club's you went to ,the work you went to , the house you lived in,it's all back home !

And home is where you grew up

But you plodder on ....yes a new word I learnt .plodder ...so you plodder on tricking yourself that it's a great life here and you even tell family back in your home country it's great here in having the time of my life

Back to the bar to see old Les ,Des and shez for your weekly drinking session then back to the condo

So you get lonely you try to hook up with a Thai girl to be a support person, who you end up actually paying but you can pretend it's love because you NEED someone to pretend to CARE for you

Oh what a life

I think you mentioned bar or bars about a half dozen times in your post. To get a more balanced view of farangs living in Pattaya, maybe you should investigate some other places, as well. I would suggest starting with the paved walking/bicycling path around Lake Mabprachan some nice morning or early evening. Not all of us are spending our lives hanging out in bars.

On 2/8/2026 at 8:28 AM, fredwiggy said:

If you are with a good partner, with no children, there's nothing wrong where you live as long as you stay away from the tourist areas and violence around them. Country life is fine as long as you can enjoy your hobbies, and is best for those retired. Being close enough to a large city so you can enjoy what it offers, and far enough away so the insanity doesn't wear you down.

I agree with the above post, and I live my life that way.

I used to go back to the UK three times a year, now it's once because of my sons and visiting last remaining family members.

Likewise, I am better off than many, having a large plot of land with my Thai partner, houses, private gardens, a decent car paid for, and no mortgages, and I live simply. Some guys here have substantially more, and many have less.

At 63, apart from my Asian holiday jaunts, which are great value and inexpensive, I do not go out much. I do not skimp on anything, but find much more to life than propping up a bar.

To be honest, although on the fringe of the town, there isn't a great deal happening there, but I like being in my home, and I love the results of the local gym (not the exercise itself), which has helped immensely.

I am privately insured; however, I try to maintain a reasonably healthy lifestyle and fitness level.

We have excellent government hospitals nearby in Khon Kaen for non-urgent matters.

Those who haven't been back to the UK for a long time will see how extremely difficult it is to get a face-to-face doctor's appointment, and that surgery on the NHS usually has a two- or three-year waiting list, at least for non-emergencies.

Let's face it, growing old in the UK without family members is no picnic, and they inevitably have little time because they have their own families.

I am now 30 years into my relationship with my other half in Thailand, and long may it continue.

2 hours ago, Slowhand225 said:

Thats great and I agree with you for the most part BUT, do you ever really look at them, really talk to them ?
Things are not as they appear for many, many Thais.

OH yeah. I look at them all the time and I talk to them as much as possible, if you were referring to the Thai people. I know many people in Thailand have a difficult time economically, and I give them even more credit for maintaining a good attitude under those circumstances.

On 2/8/2026 at 3:53 AM, Hawaiian said:

"Land of the forlorn," is a fairly accurate description of a once great country. Americans have endured periods of upheaval in the past, but this time it's different. We have an administration that flouts the Constitution every day and continually lies about anything and everything. My wish is that the "Lion King" falls off of his throne and is replaced be someone that will put an end to all this nonsense.

The Nonsense has ended The Biden Crime Family is gone and Harris lost.

19 hours ago, BritManToo said:

https://baanlalisa.com/alzheimer-care-program-chiang-mai-thailand/

Baan Lalisa care home do dementia patients from 20kbht/month and up.

20k I believe gets you a place in a 4 bed room, then prices go all the way up to a private cottage.

I looked round the one in CM and it was great, nice gardens, swimming pool, plenty of nurses, free trips into town, free transport to gov hospital.

Downside being only Thai food included, and nursing staff spoke limited English, but Grab (et al) would bring you anything you paid for. (we stuck an old Nordic guy in there for a month after he broke his hip)

Thanks for sharing info.

A 4-bed room would be likely out of the question for most.

When looking at an acceptable level of eldercare, it's about same price than the one I mentioned...

On 2/8/2026 at 11:05 AM, cooked said:

Well. it's always about plan B, isn't it? As I understand it, palliative care in Thailand is pretty limited. If I contract something painful, I might want to go back home to die among strangers. Not a pleasant prospect. As someone mentioned above, my wife, granddaughter and in-laws + dogs would look after me if I went into a slow decline, so I prefer to end here, possibly a few years earlier than if I had gone back home.

I don't have private health insurance, back home (Switzerland) I would immediately receive first class care.

I have no interest in a slow decline and if it ever gets to point where there's no chance of recovery and I'm on my last legs, I told my woman I want her to take me to a euthanasia clinic and put me down like a dog. See ya!

On 2/8/2026 at 8:28 AM, fredwiggy said:

👍👍👍👍👍

If you are with a good partner, with no children, there's nothing wrong where you live as long as you stay away from the tourist areas and violence around them. Country life is fine as long as you can enjoy your hobbies, and is best for those retired. Being close enough to a large city so you can enjoy what it offers, and far enough away so the insanity doesn't wear you down.

Hitting the Nail on the Head.

Very good answer.

Country life just outside of a small preferably coastal city with hobbies and a good partner or wife leaves little to be desired. The heat can be a problem but a shade tree on the beach with a good breeze and a good book can certainly help ease that issue. No complaints on the winter. Going home for a visit during high heat index is always an option if available.

Thailand is in my opinion a good retirement choice for me.

27 minutes ago, khunPer said:

Thanks for sharing info.

A 4-bed room would be likely out of the question for most.

When looking at an acceptable level of eldercare, it's about same price than the one I mentioned...

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we were spending an average of $70,000 a year for my Mom to be in a nursing home in the US until 2019, when she passed away. Likely a lot more now as the bill went up every year.

On 2/7/2026 at 7:34 PM, Jingthing said:

I'm assuming you're really talking about home country vs. Thailand.

Many of the weaknesses of Thailand will show up in any non-home country.

So in that sense it's more a question of what is your home country, your wealth level, and what kind of support you can realistically expect in your home country when things have gone south.

In many cases, these calculations will end up being a wash or crap shoot, so if you love living in Thailand or elsewhere, may as well continue.

Excellent points. I would suggest that middle income pensioners have a big, complex situation to analyze: comparing everything from everyday cost of living in your home country, to medical costs, to accessibility and cost of transportation. In my case, I also threw in the issue of becoming a burden on my children vs. the Thai custom of family taking care of family.

With new more strict 2026 requirements on driving, in the US for seniors, and the fact I have medical insurance as opposed to government health service (medicare); I've decided to live out my days here, rather than struggle back home.

21 minutes ago, Old John said:

Excellent points. I would suggest that middle income pensioners have a big, complex situation to analyze: comparing everything from everyday cost of living in your home country, to medical costs, to accessibility and cost of transportation. In my case, I also threw in the issue of becoming a burden on my children vs. the Thai custom of family taking care of family.

With new more strict 2026 requirements on driving, in the US for seniors, and the fact I have medical insurance as opposed to government health service (medicare); I've decided to live out my days here, rather than struggle back home.

Agree, and also a Yank, so RE taxes & healthcare cost, make TH an excellent choice to retire.

OP didn't state where from, so hard to give any advice more than his research uncovered. If he has universal healthcare in his country, and actually good & accessible, that would be a huge deciding factor where to retire.

Whether desiring to own or rent, depending on age, also not stated, would influence one's decision. Retiring early, and owning may be practical. At 65 or older, then probably not, or just a condo, if having someone to leave it to, after moving on to the next dimension.

2 hours ago, S Mart said:

The Nonsense has ended The Biden Crime Family is gone and Harris lost.

The Biden Nonsense has been replaced by the Trump Nonsense.

14 hours ago, Hummin said:

So, what is so funny or fun about Thailand? Beats me how pensioners saying thuøey have fun. Sorry about such bisarre Question, but I continue to ask the same questions in different treads where someone claims they having fun in Thailand.

What is fun in your eyes guessing you are above 50 years old, maybe even 70, or something between?

Have you actually lived in Thailand? I'm a bit baffled by your question - if Thailand isn't a fun place in your opinion, that's alright, BUT in that case, what are you doing here? It isn't a great place for anything else.

2 minutes ago, Caldera said:

Have you actually lived in Thailand? I'm a bit baffled by your question - if Thailand isn't a fun place in your opinion, that's alright, BUT in that case, what are you doing here? It isn't a great place for anything else.

Well you answer similar to most I ask. I'm a man soon 60 year old, and been in Thailand for many years through the time, and life is good and also challenging if you trying to build something sustainable, and not thinking about relationship.

I had alot of fun travelling with people around my age doing sport, working, doing activities, learning new stuff, but the older I Get, fun?

What is fun, is it so hard question to answer? It seems so. Because most avoid the question. One who answered honestly, was onefarang, and his fun was young ladies, going out and hang out with young ladies.

So?

On 2/7/2026 at 7:27 PM, Kyoto Kyle said:

is Thailand really a smart place to spend the last third of your life?

Absolutely.

And the first two thirds too.

8 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Well you answer similar to most I ask. I'm a man soon 60 year old, and been in Thailand for many years through the time, and life is good and also challenging if you trying to build something sustainable, and not thinking about relationship.

I had alot of fun travelling with people around my age doing sport, working, doing activities, learning new stuff, but the older I Get, fun?

What is fun, is it so hard question to answer? It seems so. Because most avoid the question. One who answered honestly, was onefarang, and his fun was young ladies, going out and hang out with young ladies.

So?

My idea of having fun is enjoying myself. It helps to have pleasant and interesting friends to have fun with.