Thailand ranked as one of world’s best places to retire in 2015

[jlwilliamsjr18]

I doubt a sincere cost of living index has been applied to this report. Also, it's important to point out, the average N.American pensioner is not in the same category as a European. Granted if one was to go native within a moderate to low pension or retirement savings of about 10-20 K (baht) and you were in good health, then one could live a peaceful life. But...from my observations (Hua Hin), many retirees are living their lives as close to they can, as they would in their homeland. Mostly western purchases and alcohol probably tops the list.

[junk1e]

Never ceases to amaze me that all these negative comments are no doubt in the main from people who chose to live here, and continue to live here. Why is there not a mass exodus over the border to Malaysia who are ranked 4th or over to South America? I was not aware the Thai government were forcing people to stay here against their will. If you find things so bad here for God's sake go! I retired here 11 years ago after looking at the positives and the negatives and have no desire to move elsewhere. Shangri La does not exist anywhere and every country has pluses and minuses. You choose to live here, you accept the good and the bad. If you can't accept the bad then should not be here.

[rebelplatoon]

Malaysia so much higher in the list.... Could it be the visa department?

[retarius]

I have been retired here and have been very happy on the whole. I love the East and have developed an intense dislike for living in either UK or US. The only really unpleasant thing about Thailand is the ex-pat community, and even there I have met a handful of people who are interesting and likable.

[retarius]

OMG So many knockers in Thailand yet you choose to live there. Almost every item on Thaivisa gets so many knockers.

There are 196 countries in the whole world. Coming 10th is not a bad score at all.

Over the years I have ben to many places worldwide and nowhere else have I been so readily accepted by the majority of people.

Thailand deserves the nickname "The Land of Smiles" for just everywhere you do smiling Thais are around.

The closest I came to that in Asia was Cagayan D'Oro in the Philippines but nowhere else in my travels

If you do not like the hospitality and the people you have chosen to live amongst then for god's sake leave!!!

Perhaps the 'knockers' are part of a minority but very vocal subset. They seem to share extreme right wing attitudes with ideas of Western superiority in all things. Every country I have ever lived in has these types of people. A clue is that they complain that Thais English skills are poor, but would never dream of learning Thai themselves. They complain about poor driving and corruption but willing pass the BIB a 100 baht tea money tip when stopped for speeding. In short, they are in no way introspective and lack any self doubt...this can be an asset when moving to an alien country, but breed this sort of contempt for the natives and endless complaints.

[Emster23]

I would bet the money my Thai ex still owes me that the photo they used was NOT taken in Thailand. Waves too big for one thing. Typical, like that textbook with Japanese porn star on cover.... haha.

I lived in Colombia, speak decent Spanish, and now live in Thailand. One slight advantage language wise is lack of gender and articles. Tones are killer here... ma, ma, ma, ma etc (horse, doctor, come, dog...and so on).

Every place has + and -. I think meaning of Utopia is "nowhere", unless got that wrong too....

[Ace of Pop]

If you don't have money,or have to watch the pennies

,retirements hell where ever you live

[pchansmorn]

Thailand is far from Perfert, but for us it provides a reasonable place to live, decent Health Care, Good Food, Safety, and a Hub for us to travel to other countries. We are in our 60's own our condo, have a nice car, just trying to lay low with the politics and enjoy life. It works for us.

[Miami Bob]

Even with all it's problems I think Thailand rates much higher than tenth simple because those central and south American countries are way to dangerous. I lived in S. America for the first six months after I retired and it took me a long time to stop looking over my shoulder after I got to Thailand. And Spain, Portugal ? ....aren't they very expensive? Been in Thailand for 11 years now and probably will stay until the end.

[timber]

If you don't think Thailand should be in the top 10 and you live in Thailand you have to ask yourself why.

[SCARLETIBIS1]

International Living Magazine is thrashing around looking for Thai advertisers. Once over 65, the costs of medical insurance in Thailand become prohibitive. Don't get in to an accident with major medical needed or end up with life threatening health issue and end up in a Thai hospital.They rifle through your pockets for credit cards, bank books, and passports.

When you add visa run costs, visa renewals, western food shopping, and original non counterfeit products, car purchase and auto insurance and tax, everyday getting around and taxis, you have tapped out. Unless you have health care coverage by your former employer, union, or military, it is prohibitive to buy in Thailand after 65 and after 70 fuggedaboudit. The only option is International Bupa which is extremely high premium. Local Bupa gets very high after 65 and the local version doesn't tell you that they stop coverage after 70 and you have to try to apply to International Bupa at prohibitive premiums.

"They rifle through your pockets for credit cards, bank books, and passports".

I had a similiar situation happen to me. But I have been told not to mention the name of the hospital even though in the West they would have gotten in serious trouble for doing this. A few months back I got what I thought was food poisoning.

For two hours I threw up every 20 minutes or so. I eventually felt sicker and sicker. I struggled to decide to call an ambulance or not. I felt like I was going to die. I decided to take my motorbike to the emergency room. Somehow I made it there. I got there around 2:30 am.

I explained to the doctor what was going on. They asked if I had insurance and I said no and asked them not to do anything without my approval. I felt I was simply dehydrated and had some type of food poisioning. I had this once before here.

When I left for the hospital I brought my Kindle reader, my reading glasses and my phone and put them all in a carry bag. I never opened the bag during the entire time I was there. I was too tired and in pain. While in the ER they stuck an IV drip in me.

I asked the doctor to give me a pain killer and something to sleep while I waited for the IV drip to do its thing. Next thing I knew I was being wheeled to a room. I asked what was going on and they simply said the doc said I had to stay overnight.

I remember a doctor coming in to my room and woke me up and when I asked who he was he told me he was a surgeon. I said that I had already seen the doctor in the emergency room. He told me he had to decide if I needed surgery or not, but not to worry that I did not need it. He said the tests indicated I did not need surgery. I never gave any blood nor urine nor had any xrays so I do not know what tests they did. If they did any it was without my permission.

I woke up listening to some construction workers pounding a hammer, drilling and sawing directly above me. I felt they were trying to enter my room thru the ceiling. Four times I buzzed the nurses and asked them to have it stop. They did nothing. After an hour of this I buzzed a fifth time and when the nurse came I told her I was checking out. I was told I was too sick to leave. I told them to get me a supervisor. The supervisor nurse came and of course the pounding was continuing all the time she was in the room. All she said was sorry they are doing construction. Dah! So, of course there is no logic or common sense here in Thailand so just keep me in that room of course. Idiots. I told her either move me to another room which I refused to pay for, or I am checking out. She agreed to move me AND not to bill me for the room. So they move me a floor or two above the racket. I could not believe it. I pressed the buzzer and said I was checking out. Some supervisor came with the bill and it was 18000 baht. I was stunned. It also included the room bill which the super agreed to not bill me for. It included bills for three doctors, two of which I never authorized to do anything and have no clue what they did to me or for me. The third doctor I never saw. BTW, I took about six or seven recordings of the noise on my phone.

I started going over the bill and there was charge of 5000 baht for a drug named Zythromax. You can buy a genetic brand for 250 baht or 450 for the name brand. I pointed this out to her and she just laughed. She said it was more expensive in a hospital. Sure, but 20x’s as much? It was of course a total rip off. There was stuff on there I had no clue what it was.

The only thing they did to me that I am aware of was the emergency room and doctor and an IV drip and some antibiotic in the drip and a pain killer which did nothing to alleviate the pain. The rest was just a rip off. They even charged me for food I never ate. I stopped going over the bill when I realized it was a total farce. I told her I would not pay that amount. So she starts playing let’s make a deal and asks me, "Well how much do you want to pay"? i thought I was in the Night Bazaar buying a T-shirt. I agreed to pay 8K baht which was way more than I should have because she agreed to it immediately. Even they must have known it was a scam.

Ok, so I only had 3K baht on me so I said I would return in a day or two when I felt better. They never asked me for my phone number but I had given them my Thai driver’s license at the front desk which they returned to me. So I went home and slept all the next day. That night I opened up my case to look for my phone and my Kindle (reader) and the Kindle was gone. The reading glasses and my phone were there. I went nuts looking for the Kindle in my apartment but I realized that no way it could be there because I NEED MY READING GLASSES TO READ THE KINDLE.

I slowly realized someone at the hospital stole my Kindle out of my case. There is no other explanation. If I had taken it out of the case I would have taken out my reading glasses as well. They stole it to use as collateral for my bill balance. I drove to the hospital and inquired about the Kindle. Someone downstairs made a call and the word was sure we have it up in billing. Right, so I go to billing and there it is with the girl. I said that is my Kindle, may I have it? I wanted to see if what I was thinking was correct or not. The girl said to me, “You have to pay first”.

So, first they steal it and then they hold it hostage. In the West you go to jail for that but here I guess it is the way this hospital operates which is very strange since I've been to several other hospitals (Sripat, Suan Doak, Lanna) and nothing like this ever happened. Of all the hospitals in Chiang Mai I would have thought this one would be the furtherst from pulling a stunt like that. Go figure. Well, I complained and a supervisor comes. I said I wanted to call the police. And I start taking pictures of everyone. I explained to the supervisor what had happened and she agreed the billing girl had no right to do that to me. I said I still wanted to make a police report. So she calls the police (Or maybe not) and according to her they said they are too busy to come down.

I then gave her the 5K balance of the bill but I told her I was going to go on Thai Visa and post what had happened to me unless a director came to talk to me. They never even gave me a receipt or a copy of the bill or my file which I should have asked for but I was too pissed to think about it. So she calls a director. The guy walks up to me and says to me he is sorry if anyone in the hospital did anything to offend me. I asked him who he was. He told me he was just a “stupid doctor”. I told him if that was the case I was happy he wasn’t my doctor. I asked him for his name and at first he refuses to tell me so I took his photo. Finally he gave me his card. I asked him if he even knew what had happened. He said no. So he was just trying to jerk me off. He didn’t even care what his staff did. He was just trying to make a fake apology and get me to leave.

When I explained what had happened he became more concerned. He suggested that they would reimburse me if I would keep quiet. I said ok, fine. But then he added that I needed to make a police report first. Well, making a police report here if you are a foreigner is a joke. The cops would probably have blamed me for getting sick in the first place, which of course then caused whoever stole my Kindle to steal it in the first place. I told him I wasn’t going to waste my time. I told him if I didn’t hear from him within 24 hours I would post this. I asked them to prepare the bill with my records and contact me when they collected copies. I have not heard back.

I am curious if anyone else here in Chiang Mai has similar stories to tell about any other hospitals in CM but DO NOT name them. I have heard some really bad stories. It is one thing to get ripped off with the bogus charges but it is another thing when they start to steal your stuff.

I am curious if anyone has ever bothered to hire an attorney over any claims like this. I put my question on TV, “Ask a lawyer” but no reply. Thank you.

[monk213]

wow 5 days into the year and they have all the stats already, amazing Thailand.. smh

[thejcb]

If the criteria is :

1. Imbibing vast amounts of alcohol

2. talking complete nonsense with ugly birds in bars

3. living in an oven

4. wishing to live amongst ants, mosquitoes, cockroaches and lizards

5. treated like idiots by the indigenous people

Then, yes, Thailand really is a great place to retire

[madmitch]

"Thailand received full score on entertainment and amenity," ---

Thailand gets next to no international shows, has no major sporting events (Takraw doesn't count), hardly any non-thai musicians who aren't a decade past their peak come to play here, has no worthy musuems or libraries or art galleries, fewer recreational venues than other countries..... yet it still gets full score?

I guess if your definition of "entertainment" is limited to shopping, drinkiing in bars and hiring prostitutes.

Sure there is worse places to live, but seriously maybe some "expats" could enlighten me what constitutes entertainment for old folk in Thailand? Sitting in traffic? Evening Aerobics in the Big C parking lot?

Can't be right; One Direction are here in March!

[Rajab Al Zarahni]

In any other country you would have to pay to see Formula 1. In Thailand you can even participate at no additional cost. And tell me where in the world you can get more excitement just from crossing the road?

Edited January 5, 2015 by Rajab Al Zarahni

[jim cortesos]

I think some Greek island would be cool place to chill.

Learn to speak Greek...like feta...donkeys ..and drinking wine and coffee....Live like a monk.....Then get bored and travel back to Thailand and live for sum tum.....LOL

[Pinot]

International Living Magazine is thrashing around looking for Thai advertisers. Once over 65, the costs of medical insurance in Thailand become prohibitive. Don't get in to an accident with major medical needed or end up with life threatening health issue and end up in a Thai hospital.They rifle through your pockets for credit cards, bank books, and passports.

When you add visa run costs, visa renewals, western food shopping, and original non counterfeit products, car purchase and auto insurance and tax, everyday getting around and taxis, you have tapped out. Unless you have health care coverage by your former employer, union, or military, it is prohibitive to buy in Thailand after 65 and after 70 fuggedaboudit. The only option is International Bupa which is extremely high premium. Local Bupa gets very high after 65 and the local version doesn't tell you that they stop coverage after 70 and you have to try to apply to International Bupa at prohibitive premiums.

I pay $200 a month for $2 million (US) in coverage at 65. I don't like it but I don't think that's prohibitive.

good place to retire if your goals and expectations are not set too high

One thing you can say for all these places is that you have to lower your expectations. They're mostly 3rd world countries with the third world infrastructure, corruption and the rest of the BS. I continue to monitor these retirement destinations and in fact as I said above was in Panama and Colombia a couple of months ago. My retirement community along one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world (Phuket) hasn't been beat yet.

Getting through the daily BS here, you just need to keep repeating the mantra, "It doesn't matter, It doesn't matter." 555

Edited January 5, 2015 by Pinot

[lovetotravel]

International Living run seminars in the US trying to draw retirees to real estate properties they are financially involved with in these countries. Dodgy for sure.

But the countries they list were at the top of my list for investigation also when I was retiring. Here's an interesting take on them:

http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/International-Living-has-created-an-empire-2544013.php

International Living has created an empire selling customers paradise

Real estate is an industry that often traffics in superlatives, but International Living, a company that has created its own global real estate kingdom, promises its clientele nothing less than heaven on earth. For the last 25 years, the company that calls itself the "world's #1 travel publication," has been advising American travelers, expats, retirees and investors to "look beyond their shores," "make their dreams come true" and "maybe make a lot of money." Currently, the company is promoting 15 countries -- from Argentina to Thailand to Malta -- as great places in which to live and invest.

........

Like the publicity of so many real estate-related ventures, International Living's alluring ad copy cloaks a much more complicated picture. Peel back the scrim of twittering birds and hushed servants, and you get a hydra-headed capitalist creature that sells numerous products, services and even properties. Their Web site, which features endless pages of hard-sell promotional verbiage, seems to have something for everyone who fantasizes about escaping the country temporarily or permanently.

[anto]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

If the criteria is :

1. Imbibing vast amounts of alcohol

2. talking complete nonsense with ugly birds in bars

3. living in an oven

4. wishing to live amongst ants, mosquitoes, cockroaches and lizards

5. treated like idiots by the indigenous people

Then, yes, Thailand really is a great place to retire

And you still live in Thailand ?......or you have found Paradise somewhere else ?

[Benmart]

this to shall pass, down from last years rating already, then add in the ability thailand seems to have to muddle things up, prices going up etc, could be very fleeting, i am afraid.

I believe prices are going up every where,nothing new with that

I've not been "everywhere", so I can't comment. I can comment on specific countries, within specific time frames. Other than that, for me, it's just a quess how much and where.

[kannot]

Good news I got land in Spain and Portugal.

[Benmart]

OMG So many knockers in Thailand yet you choose to live there. Almost every item on Thaivisa gets so many knockers.

There are 196 countries in the whole world. Coming 10th is not a bad score at all.

Over the years I have ben to many places worldwide and nowhere else have I been so readily accepted by the majority of people.

Thailand deserves the nickname "The Land of Smiles" for just everywhere you do smiling Thais are around.

The closest I came to that in Asia was Cagayan D'Oro in the Philippines but nowhere else in my travels

If you do not like the hospitality and the people you have chosen to live amongst then for god's sake leave!!!

Your post has merit. I would have left off the last sentence as I prefer to let people decide where they hang their hat.

[Dustdevil]

Was at one time! not sure now.

IL ranks Malaysia above Thailand and furthermore ranks it as the best place in Asia! Oh, please. Give me a break. I've lived in Malaysia, and was married to a Malaysian-Chinese for 15 years. Malaysia is an appalling place to live, with its truly fascist Islamic government, and many other problems including the unfriendly locals. Thailand has problems but it's ten times better than Malaysia, especially if you live in Chiang Mai or other desirable location.

[kannot]

If the criteria is :

1. Imbibing vast amounts of alcohol

2. talking complete nonsense with ugly birds in bars

3. living in an oven

4. wishing to live amongst ants, mosquitoes, cockroaches and lizards

5. treated like idiots by the indigenous people

Then, yes, Thailand really is a great place to retire

1 only done by morons

2 never go to em ever, never been to em either

3 granted in April but not all year

4 true but can easily be avoided totally if you build your house right keep surroundings clean

5 yes but not all treat you like idiots but I get the gist

Still stupidly cheap for what you get but dont rely on ANY comeback if things go wrong with anything.

[Benmart]

The article is one opinion on a subject that is as diverse as the countries and peoples of the world.

I wish everyone the best of luck in finding the paradise of lifestyle that eludes many.

Peace, Love and Tranquility to All.

[dddave]

I have done a lot of air courier trips to Mexico from Thailand over the past several years and have had many departure lounge conversations with expats who are living in Mexico.

Most who had been there for more than 5 years said that if they could get out and go somewhere else, they would but houses have gotten difficult to sell and most can not afford to take the loss.

Many also stay there because it is close enough to the USA to be able to easily see family living there and also to take advantage of their Medicare. Departure areas for flights between the US and Mexico are always crammed with wheelchair passengers.

Everybody I talked to said the "Drug War" has changed everything and made life there much worse..."We don't go out much and never at night." is a common statement. Several I talked to had originally built stand alone houses; "Dream Homes" for their retirement but had been forced to sell them and move into gated and well guarded housing estates because of constant break-in's, day and night. Personal security is a constant issue for those who live there.

Many also complained about rising prices there. Mexico is no longer a cheap place to live. Still less expensive than the USA but not by much if you want to live a similar lifestyle.

[SinCityGr8One]

Their List could have been filled with worst retirement choices. It could have had:

1) Safety and Security - North Korea

2) Religious Freedom (Providing you are Muslim) - Saudi Arabia

3) Excitement in Lifestyle - Afghanistan

4) Exercise Venues (As in running for your Life) - Syria

5) Enjoying the local Greenery and Fauna - Brazil's Amazon

6) Variety of Food - Peru -Guinea Pig and Potatoes, Potatoes and Guinea Pig, Guinea Pig and Potatoes, etc.

7) Society and Culture (Breakdown of and None) - Detroit, USA

8) Trekking - Mongolia (Never to be seen again in Gobi Desert)

9) Sailing - (Away from Pirates) - Somalia

10)Winter Fun - Antarctica

[CapraIbex]

Retirement standards in Thailand are great! The cost of living is relatively low and the healthcare is above average considering the available accessibilities.

But I have a dream...

If only the Thai authorities would issue a Retirement Visa proper instead of annual Extensions to the Non-Immigrant 'O' Visa; Valid for an intial 12 months then increasing to 3 then to 5 years... And do away with the 90 day address confirmation report... Ah, wouldn't it be nice!

In the meantime, I keep on dreaming...

[Docno]

Love the photo in the opening post ... not the typical 'retirement couple' you see in Thailand, and that certainly doesn't look like a beach in Pattaya.

[RikDao]

I was in Panama checking it out a couple of months ago. I couldn't wait to leave. Every home needs a barb wire parameter. It's ridiculously hot (and I live in LOS). The food sucks and I've never seen so many ugly fat women! This place continues to get on these list with marketing (probably paying to be on there). Note that articles praising Panama are usually written by people living there and trying to sell the overbuilt condos.

Mexico? Ye gods. I wouldn't want to visit there let alone live there.

Malaysia continues to swing towards sharia law with the Muslim hardliners demanding and getting more say as time goes on.

Medellin Colombia was a beautiful city and I could definitely live there...if I spoke Spanish. A lot easier to navigate Thailand than Colombia with just English.

Take these best place to retire results with a grain of salt. These articles come out every few weeks.