Thailand voted one of the best destinations for retirees

[Chupup]

If you are a British Pensioner the British Government love it when you retire to Thailand as they FREEZE your PENSION from the moment they know you are living here, one good reason why Brits should retire to a place other than Thailand

[daveAustin]

Clearly written by a blogger who has never lived here

'Welcoming' and 'friendly': until you know how it really is or upset just about anyone in the most insignificant way. The smiles are the default face thing guys.

'Respect for the aged': if they're Thai.

Proper long term status like you'd get in real countries: very hard to come by and you'll still be a 'farang'.

House: nope

Cheap: nope

Security: lol

[Spaniel]

But If the 90 day thing to hard to do then head home. Or go to the states if you got a half a million to invest, Then you can work get some fat chick there to suck you dry, and get that fine Obama care. I'll take the 90 days any day besides I travel so non issue. Then my in and out covers the reporting Besides Cambodia has casinos other side walk over drop a couple bucks walk back hop bus back home. If lucky usually win my costs back so free trip with tip. Besides where in the world can an old dude get so many young women? that are mostly pretty nice weather and beaches, cheap cold beer good food. Only complaint is damn steering wheel on wrong side of car and they drive on wrong side of road.

strange logic! since when is the right side the wrong side?

I think he, strangebrew, was being sarcastic.

[Expat Brad]

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I do understand why Thailand is one of the most welcome countries for retirees.

They only ask me to have 800K Baht in my account that I can't touch and present myself every 90 days to the immigration office.

What else could I ask for?

Your information about the bank account rules is incorrect.

The 800K bank method can be spent down to zero during the year, if you so wish.

There has never been any requirement not to touch the account during the year, except that it must be seasoned for three months (two the first time) before each annual extension application.

Other methods are to show income of 65K baht monthly or a combo of bank and income totally at least 800K.

Yes there are limitations in the Thai welcome.

No long term path towards more stable residence is offered by Thailand and that is a weakness compared to some of the competition like Ecuador.

Of course the 90 day report thing is an annoyance and let's us know who be DA BOSS.

Agree that there are certain limitations as compared to other countries particularly with regards to home ownership. Many retirees don't want to be stuck in a condo, they would prefer to live in a house to really enjoy there surrounds etc. I think that they could say change this rule & allow a person to own & live in one property. I'm sure that the amount of purchasers would not upset the mix re. Thai investors.

[tony5150]

Those old farts in the pic look a little too "happy". Perhaps they've been slipped some yaba.

[jpeg]

Being a old bloke I think Thailand would be a dud place to retire if you had a Farang wife the same age as yourself, I think anywhere would be dud to retire if I had a Farang wife the same age as me, and I don't think that is just me.

Would all the knockers tell me a better country than Thailand to retire for old blokes, because that is what most retirees in Thailand are, that is cheaper, more friendly, better weather, a better country for ugly old blokes like me to get very accommodating beautiful young women, a country with more easy and cheaper immigration rules for retirement, cheaper accommodation, and for the blokes that drink alcohol that is more easy to get and cheaper to buy and you can drink it anywhere, even on the days you are not allowed to.

A country that is better that Thailand with all the above not just one or two things, I would really like to know because I can not find one, if there is one I going there.

Wow! One of those 'quality expats' they're always banging on about

[keestha]

Sorry to barge in, only read the beginning of the thread.

An acquaintance of mine decided to explore Panama as a retirement option, after having had a look at Thailand. One of the reasons is that from Panama he can take a quick flight to the US where he is from. For a Panama retirement visa you just need US$1000 per month income. I did some reading up on a few Panama/expat forums, as expected there are pros and cons. Anyway I am looking forward to hear about his experiences.

[Bernard Flint]

If you are a British Pensioner the British Government love it when you retire to Thailand as they FREEZE your PENSION from the moment they know you are living here, one good reason why Brits should retire to a place other than Thailand

sir

excuse me but that is the most stupid post i have seen on here, well done puppy. I can even bother to tell you were you are wrong, are you from uk???

ok i will tell you,or give you a start up, people do retire under 65 you know.

Your turn to stop people thinking you have 1 brain cell

[Cranky]

If you are relying on a UK pension as your source of income you have a lot more problems than the fact is frozen.

[tingtongtourist]

Like the photo but of all the retirees I know here, and I am one, i don't know any who brought an original wife.

There would be a corkage charge at Swampy.

Might be a question of whom one mingles with I know several who brought the original wife (non Thai) with them from abroad. Perhaps they just could afford the corkage charge?

However, like you NongKhaiKid, I also didnt, either because I never got married abroad, or because I couldnt afford corkage charge for all my girlfriends and need to find local replacements

I would never pay corkage for xxxxxx woman in my own country...no way.

Even when times the Thai product cost many % higher is still better than homebrand

Sometimes you get a bad taste in the mouth but still work out cheaper in the long run :0)

[mrblue]

I never got to vote, anyone else?

Me neither, if TAT want to get serious, send out a questionnaire to all us retirees to complete. Immigration know where I live, I have to report in like a parolee every bloody 90 days.

hahaha. and you seriously think that TAT will show the real results of the questionnaire?

[merlen10002]

Being a old bloke I think Thailand would be a dud place to retire if you had a Farang wife the same age as yourself, I think anywhere would be dud to retire if I had a Farang wife the same age as me, and I don't think that is just me.

Would all the knockers tell me a better country than Thailand to retire for old blokes, because that is what most retirees in Thailand are, that is cheaper, more friendly, better weather, a better country for ugly old blokes like me to get very accommodating beautiful young women, a country with more easy and cheaper immigration rules for retirement, cheaper accommodation, and for the blokes that drink alcohol that is more easy to get and cheaper to buy and you can drink it anywhere, even on the days you are not allowed to.

A country that is better that Thailand with all the above not just one or two things, I would really like to know because I can not find one, if there is one I going there.

Wow! One of those 'quality expats' they're always banging on about

Just a little about me, don't drink Alcohol or Smoke, don't go to bars, very happily married to a very beautiful 51 year old hard working Thai lady for 4 years, live a very quite life, my wife and I keep to ourselves, play a little golf and travel a bit around Thailand, The facts are that most retirees are men and are in Thailand because it is cheap and the ladies are easy to be with even if they are old and ugly like me the men I mean, and most like to drink and go to bars, I may not be perfect like you. I just get very pissed off about all negative things on TV about Thailand written by people that are here for the ladies and the cheap living and easy way of life.

[Anon999]

I do understand why Thailand is one of the most welcome countries for retirees.

They only ask me to have 800K Baht in my account that I can't touch and present myself every 90 days to the immigration office.

What else could I ask for?

You do not have to present yourself to an Immigration Office every 90 days. There is the option of using the postal service but it's up to you!

[Anon999]

If you are a British Pensioner the British Government love it when you retire to Thailand as they FREEZE your PENSION from the moment they know you are living here, one good reason why Brits should retire to a place other than Thailand

sir

excuse me but that is the most stupid post i have seen on here, well done puppy. I can even bother to tell you were you are wrong, are you from uk???

ok i will tell you,or give you a start up, people do retire under 65 you know.

Your turn to stop people thinking you have 1 brain cell

If I remember correctly your State pension isn't frozen for the first 2 years you retire here. Other pensions maybe fixed whenever and wherever you retire.

Edited September 9, 2014 by Anon999

[Gweiloman]

As to whether Thailand is suitable for you or not depends on your personal circumstances and desires. Some of the pet peeves as well as upsides (in no particular order) of some residents / retirees here:

Downsides

Lazy and corrupt police - a nuisance when you have not done anything wrong but a blessing when caught speeding or breaking other traffic laws.

Can't own land - I'm retired, what the hell do I want to own such an asset for? I would prefer to just rent, whether it be a condo or a house

Double pricing - not an issue for me as I have Thal DL so I pay Thai price

No rights - what rights? As a retiree, who gives a sh*t about rights. Stay under the radar, don't do something that you shouldn't and you should be fine

90 day reporting - I would have thought that it might be good for retired people to get out and about every 90 days or so. After all, you're retired, you have all the time in the world

Lousy food - not to me. Food's not as good as say in Malaysia but I can quite easily live with Thai food. You just need to be adventurous and try other local stuff and restaurants

Respect - treat others with respect and they will reciprocate accordingly. In my apartment, the guards sawasdee me and other residents every time we go in and out. Reception staff are always smiling

Walking ATM - if you're a walking ATM here, you will be a walking ATM anywhere in the world (and it would be a helluva lot more expensive in other Asian countries like Hong Kong and Singapore)

800,000 bht or 65k per month - everyone needs money to survive so what's the big deal?

Not foreigner friendly - (most of) France, especially Paris, parts of Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Russia is less foreigner friendly

Not as cheap as 10 or 20 years ago - but still cheaper than most other countries

Corrupt to the core - so? Does not affect me as a retiree. Bribe money only ever paid to cops but still cheaper than the official fine

Upsides

Cheap booze and girls - who in their right minds will complain about this? If you don't like it, then don't indulge

Cheap massages - where I live in downtown Asoke, foot massage for 100b per hours, oil massage for 250b per hour, extras for 500 up. Not even in Malaysia is it this cheap

7-11 - every 50-100 metres, extremely convenient. No where else in the world (not even Hkg) can compare with this convenienceSubservient wives / gf - if I told my ex English wife to get me a beer, she would just say get it yourself

There are of course better places to live but in terms of value for money, I still think that Thailand comes up top - for now.

[harleyclarkey]

Is this a joke?

Every 90 days you report for a continuance, you must leave 800K in the bank, you can't own property, you have no rights, you have no legal system, corruption is rife, the [police are worse than the criminals, the courts laugh at you, you are despised, you are merely there, not to enjoy the Autumn of your years, but as a cash cow and potential scam victim.

Remember the vast majority of retirees cash flows one way....into Thailand.

Rubbish article.

Do you actually live here? A quick look at your previous posts reveals that every single one seems to be attacking Thailand.

What happened to you?

For most of us retirement here is an escape from the overbearing politically correct nanny states back home- who tax you at every possible moment for example 20% VAT on nearly everything in the UK.

Yes cash flow is one way- but it goes a lot further here- money is to be spent; can't take it with you when you depart this mortal coil.

Yes...I did (past tense) live there and that is why I am in a good and knowledgeable position to judge this utterly corrupt and false country. Land of smiles? What a misrepresentation of the reality. Smiles for what....to welcome you, make you integrate, feel right at home, make you safe, secure?? Heck no....this is the smile that says welcome sucker.

What happened to me Peter? I saw friends and acquaintances stripped bare and left destitute by corrupt lawyers, land office officials judges and of course the thugs in brown. They were left with literally the clothes on their backs. One was a poor elderly guy from Canada who was left with absolutely nothing after his "wife" took every single dollar he ever made. Why did he let this happen? He had Alzheimers. I know of two close friends who have been defrauded out of all their properties and the courts and lawyers are having a ball . They are like a circus.

The measure of a country is how they treat and respect you when you are in trouble. You just don't get into trouble, and I do not mean criminal issues, in Thailand. What about the numerous murders (even by the police), the mysterious deaths (like on Phi Phi and Chang Mai) never investigated, the official scams, the bribery, corruption, military take overs, land grabs, national forests denuded, development on national park land, Phuket Mafia (the Mayor and his family?)/tuk tuk/jet skis, etc, etc, etc. Nothing is ever done in Thailand to clean up the mess.

And yes my previous posts do attack Thailand and especially it's corruption which is rife from the very top down....all the way to street level. Thais seem to think we are easy pickings for them and as a recent poll suggests this is a perfectly normal way of life for them.

Yes, Peter.....I am perhaps a little bit off Thailand after what I have seen first hand.

[jacky54]

Respect - treat others with respect and they will reciprocate accordingly. In my apartment, the guards sawasdee me and other residents every time we go in and out. Reception staff are always smiling

Of course they do they are paid to do it, but they will gossip behind your back and are not unknown to arrange to have your room robbed when you are away, smiling when you return!

[jacky54]

delte

Edited September 9, 2014 by jacky54

[Gweiloman]

Respect - treat others with respect and they will reciprocate accordingly. In my apartment, the guards sawasdee me and other residents every time we go in and out. Reception staff are always smiling

Of course they do they are paid to do it, but they will gossip behind your back and are not unknown to arrange to have your room robbed when you are away, smiling when you return!

Well, have lived here for over 3 years, often walk out with the door unlocked, still yet to lose a single satang. The security head has been in his post from before I started living here and he keeps a tight rein over the newer guards. Once when I was still walking through the lobby, he called to the new guard that was stationed in the lift foyer my floor so that he (the new guard) would know which button to press for me.

[jacky54]

Respect - treat others with respect and they will reciprocate accordingly. In my apartment, the guards sawasdee me and other residents every time we go in and out. Reception staff are always smiling

Of course they do they are paid to do it, but they will gossip behind your back and are not unknown to arrange to have your room robbed when you are away, smiling when you return!

Well, have lived here for over 3 years, often walk out with the door unlocked, still yet to lose a single satang. The security head has been in his post from before I started living here and he keeps a tight rein over the newer guards. Once when I was still walking through the lobby, he called to the new guard that was stationed in the lift foyer my floor so that he (the new guard) would know which button to press for me.

Do you regularly tip him?

[Gweiloman]

Yes...I did (past tense) live there and that is why I am in a good and knowledgeable position to judge this utterly corrupt and false country. Land of smiles? What a misrepresentation of the reality. Smiles for what....to welcome you, make you integrate, feel right at home, make you safe, secure?? Heck no....this is the smile that says welcome sucker.

What happened to me Peter? I saw friends and acquaintances stripped bare and left destitute by corrupt lawyers, land office officials judges and of course the thugs in brown. They were left with literally the clothes on their backs. One was a poor elderly guy from Canada who was left with absolutely nothing after his "wife" took every single dollar he ever made. Why did he let this happen? He had Alzheimers. I know of two close friends who have been defrauded out of all their properties and the courts and lawyers are having a ball . They are like a circus.

The measure of a country is how they treat and respect you when you are in trouble. You just don't get into trouble, and I do not mean criminal issues, in Thailand. What about the numerous murders (even by the police), the mysterious deaths (like on Phi Phi and Chang Mai) never investigated, the official scams, the bribery, corruption, military take overs, land grabs, national forests denuded, development on national park land, Phuket Mafia (the Mayor and his family?)/tuk tuk/jet skis, etc, etc, etc. Nothing is ever done in Thailand to clean up the mess.

And yes my previous posts do attack Thailand and especially it's corruption which is rife from the very top down....all the way to street level. Thais seem to think we are easy pickings for them and as a recent poll suggests this is a perfectly normal way of life for them.

Yes, Peter.....I am perhaps a little bit off Thailand after what I have seen first hand.

I don't disagree with what you are saying but you must realise that in every country in the world, these sort of things can and do happen, to both locals and foreigners alike. Just look in your own country or whatever country you are staying in now and you can see hundreds and thousands of injustices.

However, you should not judge purely on the negatives. Like everywhere else, there are also many positives. At the end of the day, it's up to each individual to make their own decisions based on their needs, desires and expectations.

Thailand is not suited for all but it is suitable for a lot. You just need to know how to live life accordingly.

[louse1953]

I do understand why Thailand is one of the most welcome countries for retirees.

They only ask me to have 800K Baht in my account that I can't touch and present myself every 90 days to the immigration office.

What else could I ask for?

You can use the money apart from two months before the first Retirement Visa or three months before following visas at these times you have to have at least 800,000Thai Baht in the account. You can use anything above that. With rates of around 2.5% on Saving Accounts and a firm Baht it is good anyway. Look at the rules for other countries Australia for example, last time I did this you had to have 750,000AUD AND invest another 750,000AUD. So to retire you need 1.5Million AUD. What a sad joke, how many Australians have 1.5m?

Baht!!!!

[merlen10002]

As to whether Thailand is suitable for you or not depends on your personal circumstances and desires. Some of the pet peeves as well as upsides (in no particular order) of some residents / retirees here:

Downsides

Lazy and corrupt police - a nuisance when you have not done anything wrong but a blessing when caught speeding or breaking other traffic laws.

Can't own land - I'm retired, what the hell do I want to own such an asset for? I would prefer to just rent, whether it be a condo or a house

Double pricing - not an issue for me as I have Thal DL so I pay Thai price

No rights - what rights? As a retiree, who gives a sh*t about rights. Stay under the radar, don't do something that you shouldn't and you should be fine

90 day reporting - I would have thought that it might be good for retired people to get out and about every 90 days or so. After all, you're retired, you have all the time in the world

Lousy food - not to me. Food's not as good as say in Malaysia but I can quite easily live with Thai food. You just need to be adventurous and try other local stuff and restaurants

Respect - treat others with respect and they will reciprocate accordingly. In my apartment, the guards sawasdee me and other residents every time we go in and out. Reception staff are always smiling

Walking ATM - if you're a walking ATM here, you will be a walking ATM anywhere in the world (and it would be a helluva lot more expensive in other Asian countries like Hong Kong and Singapore)

800,000 bht or 65k per month - everyone needs money to survive so what's the big deal?

Not foreigner friendly - (most of) France, especially Paris, parts of Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Russia is less foreigner friendly

Not as cheap as 10 or 20 years ago - but still cheaper than most other countries

Corrupt to the core - so? Does not affect me as a retiree. Bribe money only ever paid to cops but still cheaper than the official fine

Upsides

Cheap booze and girls - who in their right minds will complain about this? If you don't like it, then don't indulge

Cheap massages - where I live in downtown Asoke, foot massage for 100b per hours, oil massage for 250b per hour, extras for 500 up. Not even in Malaysia is it this cheap

7-11 - every 50-100 metres, extremely convenient. No where else in the world (not even Hkg) can compare with this convenienceSubservient wives / gf - if I told my ex English wife to get me a beer, she would just say get it yourself

There are of course better places to live but in terms of value for money, I still think that Thailand comes up top - for now.

I agree,

[peterb17]

Is this a joke?

Every 90 days you report for a continuance, you must leave 800K in the bank, you can't own property, you have no rights, you have no legal system, corruption is rife, the [police are worse than the criminals, the courts laugh at you, you are despised, you are merely there, not to enjoy the Autumn of your years, but as a cash cow and potential scam victim.

Remember the vast majority of retirees cash flows one way....into Thailand.

Rubbish article.

Do you actually live here? A quick look at your previous posts reveals that every single one seems to be attacking Thailand.

What happened to you?

For most of us retirement here is an escape from the overbearing politically correct nanny states back home- who tax you at every possible moment for example 20% VAT on nearly everything in the UK.

Yes cash flow is one way- but it goes a lot further here- money is to be spent; can't take it with you when you depart this mortal coil.

Yes...I did (past tense) live there and that is why I am in a good and knowledgeable position to judge this utterly corrupt and false country. Land of smiles? What a misrepresentation of the reality. Smiles for what....to welcome you, make you integrate, feel right at home, make you safe, secure?? Heck no....this is the smile that says welcome sucker.

What happened to me Peter? I saw friends and acquaintances stripped bare and left destitute by corrupt lawyers, land office officials judges and of course the thugs in brown. They were left with literally the clothes on their backs. One was a poor elderly guy from Canada who was left with absolutely nothing after his "wife" took every single dollar he ever made. Why did he let this happen? He had Alzheimers. I know of two close friends who have been defrauded out of all their properties and the courts and lawyers are having a ball . They are like a circus.

The measure of a country is how they treat and respect you when you are in trouble. You just don't get into trouble, and I do not mean criminal issues, in Thailand. What about the numerous murders (even by the police), the mysterious deaths (like on Phi Phi and Chang Mai) never investigated, the official scams, the bribery, corruption, military take overs, land grabs, national forests denuded, development on national park land, Phuket Mafia (the Mayor and his family?)/tuk tuk/jet skis, etc, etc, etc. Nothing is ever done in Thailand to clean up the mess.

And yes my previous posts do attack Thailand and especially it's corruption which is rife from the very top down....all the way to street level. Thais seem to think we are easy pickings for them and as a recent poll suggests this is a perfectly normal way of life for them.

Yes, Peter.....I am perhaps a little bit off Thailand after what I have seen first hand.

OK apologies

Sorry to hear about your friends woes- it does seem a common thread amongst those who choose to get married or involved with girlfriends.

Over the years I have learnt to be very careful- but these things happen to us all ( the bf disappeared with my new Civic ), I was a bit pissed off- but moved on very quickly and really do not think about it all. But small potatoes compared to your friends.

At present enjoying life here.

Take care Peter

[wileycoyote]

Yes,more could be done

[Kerryd]

(croaky old man voice) Way back in '95, when I was just a young whipper-snapper looking at possibly retiring from the military with a special "buy-out" package, I thought long and hard about where I would like to retire to.

Knowing that my pension would be small, and not wanting to live somewhere where icicles would be hanging from my chin for 8 months of the year, I did 2 things. I made up a list of potential countries I might like to live in (and a check list of things I thought were important at the time) and the other thing I did was visit various Embassy's and Consulates to get first hand information.

My list of potential countries included: Peru, Belize, Costa Rica, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay. I didn't bother with Myanmar, India, any African or M.E. countries, and skipped a few that I wasn't able to (at the time) find any information about (the internet was still pretty sparse back then).

My checklist included things like - Healthcare (good hospitals, quality staff), Climate (year round temperatures, rainfall, extremes), Education systems (as an indicator of the country's progress), Infrastructure (roads/rail, power, airports, phones, etc), Politics (democracy ? dictatorship ?), Cost of living (rent, realty, food, exchange rates).

In the end I think I had about 15 items on the checklist. Using what I could from the internet and visits to the Embassy's/Consulates, I tried to grade the various countries (on a scale of 1-10 I think it was) and then totalled up the scores.

The Philippines looked OK, but at the time there were security issues, weather issues and they wanted something like an investment of 50k+ (USD) for a retirement visa (the investment could be in the form of purchasing a condo though).

Vietnam looked OK as well, except for the communist government and how their relations with China were (and still are).

Some countries were very cheap to live in, but they also had (very) corrupt police/politicians, poor infrastructure and potential difficulties getting in/out and around the country. Some were just down-right nasty - corruption, lack of infrastructure, poor education/healthcare/etc.

In the end, I picked Thailand. It had good weather, good food, good prices, decent infrastructure. From what I could gather, the education and Healthcare seemed OK. (I ended up not retiring as early as expected, made a couple trips between '97-2000 and while working in the 'stan I decided I was going to live there permanently. I'm glad I made the choice then, and I'm still glad now.)

I do find it absolutely amusing to see so many people that have also decided to live in Thailand, but have nothing but bad things to say about it. If everything is so horrible, why are they still here ? There are obviously many other, much nicer, places in the world they could be living in, yet they don't move there. Curiouser and Curiouser.

I'm also astounded that the thought of having to report your residence ONCE every 90 days is such a hard ship ! The horror, the HORROR ! Four times a year (FOUR !) they have to get off their <snip> and prove that they are still living (wherever) and aren't (dead/gone home for good/living in a dumpster by the beach).

Such incredible hardship to endure just to stay here year after year ! I can't imagine how they manage !

How dare Thailand (or any other country) actually try to keep track of all the foreigners within it's borders ! Who do they think they are ?!?!?

How dare they try to prevent foreigners from buying up the choicest land (at local prices) and then reselling it to other foreigners at prices 3-4+ times higher ! (Yes, I've talked to foreign realtors who do exactly that through their "nominee" companies. One Belgian I spoke to a couple years ago told me how he'd buy properties at local prices, quadruple the price and then re-sell them to other Belgians who thought they were getting a bargain - compared to prices in Belgium at the time I guess. )

How dare they try to prevent hordes of penniless bums from other countries from flooding in and filling up the streets and beaches with filthy beggars and thieves ! Can you imagine how great Thailand would be if they just let any and everyone into the country, and didn't care what they did or where they did it ? I'm sure that there wouldn't be crowds of broke, unwashed foreign beggars puking, crapping, panhandling, swindling and thieving all over the country (and you thought the lady-boys on Beach Road were bad).

One does not have to read many of the threads in the Visa forum to realize, quite quickly, that a very large number of the foreigners in Thailand are not that wealthy, and therefore are not contributing that much to the local economy, despite their protestations to the latter.

One estimate (from 2013) put the total number of expats living in Thailand at 3-400,000. That includes the Nigerians, Algerians, Indians, Chinese, Students, Dependants, Over-stayers, Diplomats and sundry others. That equals roughly about .6% of the total population of Thailand.

If we use the high side figure of 400,000 foreign "residents" and assume they each were single and were spending the entire 800,000 baht every year that the government seems to think single people need to, that would represent, at most, 2.8% of the Gross Domestic Product for 2012. Tell me again how your 2 Changs a week is all that is keeping the Thai economy floating ?

I would suspect that if you could get economic data regarding just the expats living in Thailand, it would probably mirror the stats in most developed countries. In other words, you would have a small percentage that have a lots of cash (lets call them the "rich"). You would have a larger group that aren't rich, but are comfortable (call them the middle class). Finally, you would have the largest group at the bottom (also known as the poor huddled masses). (In other words, a very large percentage of those 3-400,000 foreigners probably don't have a lot of money.)

Chances are that the "foreign residents" in Thailand are not spending anywhere near an average of 800,000 baht per year per person. I think there are a whole lot of people that are maybe spending a quarter of the that sum (like 15-20,000 a month perhaps).

Think of all those threads over the years, full of stories about people who've overstayed their visas (and have no money, etc, etc). The threads from the people who can't meet the financial requirements for a visa and are trying to find loopholes or scam ways around those requirements. The threads about all the "balloon chasers", foreign beggars, foreign homeless and so on and so on.

Now think about how most of those are just about Euro and English speaking foreigners and imagine how many foreigners from other "demographics" are probably as bad, or even worse.

Long story short - the foreign residents in Thailand are nowhere near the economic force some like to think they are. Thailand makes considerably more money from tourists than (foreign) residents. Even if all 400,000(ish) foreign residents were spending 800,000 baht/year (highly unlikely), tourism revenues are approx 7 1/2 times that amount. In reality, it is probably more in the region of 15-20 times (or more) that amount as again, all those foreign residents are not likely spending anywhere near 800k/year/person.

Finally, there is one matter I'm not sure on, but will try to find out. It seems so many foreigners are being held here against their will that it should be a major international crisis ! How is it possible that Thailand is able to force all these obviously disgruntled foreigners to remain ? On one hand they are seemingly clamping down on foreigners, making it more difficult for them to stay, yet on the other hand the teeming masses of unhappy expats seem unable to leave !

Actually, I think the answer is pretty obvious as I'm sure the few that have actually read this far down are aware. (Really ? You're still reading this ? GET A LIFE !)

(Bah - I now know way more about the Thai economy, Gross Domestic Product and Thai Demographics that I ever expected to. Damn internet. Now I have to try and remember what I've probably forgotten due to learning too much new UFI. Be much easier if I knew where my pants were. Or what pants are. Or where the "white" goes when snow melts. And what is up with the number 42 ? )

[belg]

cannot own land, cannot even transfert a condo to children without them bringin in the same amount as the value of the condo (money gone ...), cannot volunteer, cannot work, people can hardly speak 2 words of understandable english ...

private hospital extremely expensive and not covered for pensionners

can spend all your money

preferable not to die here, as high cost of flying back the coffin

90 days reports

yearly beggin paper job at immigration to please please give me a year extention

Edited September 9, 2014 by belg

[Artisi]

cannot own land, cannot even transfert a condo to children without them bringin in the same amount as the value of the condo (money gone ...), cannot volunteer, cannot work, people can hardly speak 2 words of understandable english ...

private hospital extremely expensive and not covered for pensionners

can spend all your money

preferable not to die here, as high cost of flying back the coffin

90 days reports

yearly beggin paper job at immigration to please please give me a year extention

If you are already in Thailand go somewhere else, if not already here don't bother coming, easy solution to all your apparent problems.

[ResandePohm]

If you are a British Pensioner the British Government love it when you retire to Thailand as they FREEZE your PENSION from the moment they know you are living here, one good reason why Brits should retire to a place other than Thailand

sir

excuse me but that is the most stupid post i have seen on here, well done puppy. I can even bother to tell you were you are wrong, are you from uk???

ok i will tell you,or give you a start up, people do retire under 65 you know.

Your turn to stop people thinking you have 1 brain cell

Chupup is correct. If you retire outside the EU you lose any future Pension increases so your pension is to all intents and purposes frozen. Many pensioners who retired to Canada for family reasons, I remember, were really ticked off when it was introduced. We are talking about the Government Old Age Pension not private pensions.

[ldnguy]

I do understand why Thailand is one of the most welcome countries for retirees.

They only ask me to have 800K Baht in my account that I can't touch and present myself every 90 days to the immigration office.

What else could I ask for?

Yet more nonsense and lies. You are allowed to spend all the 800K baht. You only have to show that amount in your account for a few months before renewing your permission to stay. Then you can spend it all. Then you replace it with more money for the next year. Of course you are supposed to spend it. That's why they ask to see proof that you have it.