THAILAND LISTED AMONG THE BEST PLACES TO RETIRE BY GLOBAL RETIREMENT INDEX

The Index reference’s the fact that Thailand provides long term visas for people over the age of 50, and says the country is popular with retirees from America, the United Kingdom, Canada, France and Switzerland.

from country to coast, rural to city and traditional to contemporary.

The people of Portugal and high English literacy was also key in the rankings: “The people of Portugal are some of the kindest and most genuine in the world, and they welcome foreigners with open arms and double-cheeked kisses. Since English is taught in the schools many of the locals, especially the younger generation, have a good grasp of the language”.

If you could spend the golden years of your life living anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Thailand has been ranked among the best countries in the world for retirees to relocate to, according to the 2023 Global Retirement Index by International Living.

Specifically, International Living ranked Thailand as the ninth best place to retire and settle down in 2023, with the country being lauded for its weather, affordability and healthcare.

InternationalLiving.com‘s 2023 Global Retirement Index scores and ranks the world’s top 16 retirement destinations for expats across seven categories, including the cost of living, housing, visa and benefits, climate, healthcare and more.

The annual Index — now in its 32nd year — examines the “top safe, good-value destinations beyond the U.S. or Canada,” where a retired couple can live a comfortable life on as little as $2,000 a month.

According to International Living, “the Retirement Index is the most comprehensive and in-depth survey of its kind. It’s the best way we know of to sift through the wealth of opportunity the world offers, bring some order, and help you pinpoint the best destination for you.”

“In no way is our Global Retirement Index meant to be a scientific output. It’s designed to be a useful tool for people, constructed out of realworld, on-the-ground information interpreted through a lens of well-informed experience and opinion.”

“Our sources are living in the places where they’re gathering their intelligence. And we trust their judgment. If they say the healthcare is good, or that a meal for two in a nice restaurant costs $20, then we believe them.”

Of Thailand, International Living correspondent Rachel Devlin says the country is “alive with social events. Festivals and local temple rituals delight as lanterns, fireworks, lightshows and candle water floats (kratongs) enhance the celebratory atmosphere. This is a fun place to live and provides many opportunities to feel alive.”

“Thailand’s expat appeal is that it offers an affordable cost of living yet manifests an enriched way of life,” International Living says.

It also points to the affordability of real estate in the country, saying it is possible for foreigners to buy a two bedroom condo for under $30,000, while rentals can cost as little as $180 per month.

International Living also says “most expats believe that $2,500 per month equates to a good life in Thailand” but that it is possible to live on less than that.

One of the biggest benefits for expat retirees in Thailand is the standard of healthcare available.

“An enormous advantage to living in Thailand is by far the healthcare facilities. Being a popular place for dental and health tourism says it all,” International Living says

“Expats report being very happy with the healthcare and there are a range of hospitals to choose from. Most of the doctors speak English but if not, there is often a translator on call. The best hospitals in Thailand are completely first-rate.”

Finally, it says another advantage to living in Thailand is the infrastructure, which it describes as “outstanding”.

“The utilities are very cheap, an average monthly water bill is less than $5. The roads are generally well maintained and there are good quality transport systems from the railway to long haul buses and reasonably priced taxis.”

Portugal tops the list thanks to the weakness of its currency and ease of acquiring a long-term visa.

Some of the areas that saw Portugal score most highly were healthcare (92), development/ governance (94) and visas/benefits (90), the area where Portugal scored lowest was in housing (74).

Terry Coles, writing for International Living said: “Despite its compact size, the country offers something for everyone” and outlines the varied landscapes and options

In second place was Mexico, followed by Panama, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Spain, Greece and France, with Thailand tying with Italy for ninth place.

In a similar survey, Bangkok was also found to be one of the best cities for expats to live and work.

According to a survey of more than 12,000 respondents from InterNations, an online expat community with more than 4.5 million global members, Bangkok ranked in 6th place.

The Expat City Ranking 2022 asked respondents questions about how they’d settled in, what the job prospects were like, and how they’d found the quality of life in their new city.

For Bangkok, the survey found that Expats are not only happy with the general cost of living (69% vs. 45% globally), but affordability is also a highlight.

Housing is both affordable (70% happy vs. 39% globally) and easy to find (85% vs. 54% globally).

On the other hand, expats rank the city 42nd in both the Digital Life and the Admin Topics Subcategories.

The Working Abroad Index (39th) is another lowlight, with Bangkok landing among the bottom 10 in the Salary & Job Security (41st), Career Prospects (41st), and Work Culture & Satisfaction (46th) Subcategories.

In fact, 35% are unhappy with the local job market (vs. 27% globally). Lastly, Bangkok comes 39th in the Quality of Life Index, ranking among the worst destinations worldwide for Safety & Security (45th) and Environment & Climate (48th). Expats are unhappy with the air quality (67% unhappy vs. 19% globally) and the political stability (36% vs. 15% globally).