We’re a British retired/retiring couple aged 59 and 62 and are planning an extended visit to Thailand in January/February to explore whether we’d like to spend around a year living there.

We’re not looking for a resort-style retirement or an expat “bubble”. We’d like somewhere comfortable, reasonably priced and with good access to healthcare, restaurants, shops and opportunities to meet other people.

We’d particularly appreciate experiences from couples in their 50s/60s who have actually lived in Thailand for several months or longer.

We’re interested in:

• Which towns/areas you’d recommend for a one-year base

• Finding a good-quality furnished rental for 6–12 months

• Experiences with private healthcare and health insurance

• How easy it is to make friends and become socially active

Not looking for visa advice here as that’s a whole other conversation 😉

2 hours ago, Canny traveller said:

How easy it is to make friends and become socially active

If you want nice friends?

Learn Thai.

If you want Farang friends?

Visit the bars in Pattaya.

Concerning healthcare, there is no reason for healthcare if you spend your time in the bars.

How easy is it to make friends, anywhere?

So, it is the same in China, and in Thailand.

I suggest that you forget about coming to Thailand.

Better to first visit Beijing.

You will be happy you did.

2 hours ago, Canny traveller said:

We’re a British retired/retiring couple aged 59 and 62 and are planning an extended visit to Thailand in January/February to explore whether we’d like to spend around a year living there.

We’re not looking for a resort-style retirement or an expat “bubble”. We’d like somewhere comfortable, reasonably priced and with good access to healthcare, restaurants, shops and opportunities to meet other people.

We’d particularly appreciate experiences from couples in their 50s/60s who have actually lived in Thailand for several months or longer.

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We’re interested in:

• Which towns/areas you’d recommend for a one-year base

Bangkok

2 hours ago, Canny traveller said:

• Finding a good-quality furnished rental for 6–12 months

Budget? Size?

2 hours ago, Canny traveller said:

• Experiences with private healthcare and health insurance

Private healthcare is great, I self-insure

2 hours ago, Canny traveller said:

• How easy it is to make friends and become socially active

Doing what? Plenty of bars and churches/temples

2 hours ago, Canny traveller said:

Not looking for visa advice here as that’s a whole other conversation 😉

My go to has always been Jomtien. I've lived in several places around Thailand and Jomtien checks off all the boxes. Very affordable rentals right on the water, close enough to Pattaya for world class healthcare and western amenities. Slower pace overall. As for friends, that's up to you. There is an expats club that has monthly meetings.

https://pattayaexpatsclub.info/

Good decision to try it on before you make a permanent move here. Thailand is not for everybody.

9 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Good decision to try it on before you make a permanent move here. Thailand is not for everybody.

Actually it is for everybody.

That's why it became a chithole that it is

27 minutes ago, Celsius said:

Actually it is for everybody.

That's why it became a chithole that it is

It's NOT for everybody.

Here, IMHO, is a very exclusive enclave.

Here, I meet only the right people.

Depends if you want beaches, mountains, big or small city. Some people love the small cities, others want large. The bigger cities have traffic and pollution issues. All the cities north of Bangkok have bad pollution from Feb to April.

The south becomes largely muslim from Krabi onwards.

Learning Thai is the best decision. I would not pick 1 city and rent for 12 months. Travel around for 12 months and see which suits.