Pros and Cons of retiring in Thailand.?

Question

Hi,

I have read this forum for a while. I think plenty of you are American retirees in Thailand. Can you tell me some advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Thailand? What are procedure of retiring in Thailand for American?

Thank you very much.

Answer 1

Cons -

1. The weather can be hot, humid, and sometimes even hotter, but if you think of the cold northern winters this can be an advantage.

2. The food can be mind numbingly spicy, and frighteningly alive, but after a while you get used to how delicious it is and it becomes an advantage.

3. You can get ripped off by taxi drivers, street vendors, touts, hookers, genuine handbag salesmen, street beggars, elephants, and English ex-pats, but after a while you get to learn what good value for money it is to live in Thailand.

4. Everyone speaks Thai, or Mandarin, or Lao, or Burmese, or Karen, or something, but after a while you get to find out that going to school to learn a new language is lots of fun, and extremely rewarding.

5. You can't buy a house in Thailand, unless you're disgustingly rich, or you like living in a Condo, or you know this Thai guy who's a lawyer. Or you marry a Thai, and we're back in the advantages column again.

6. Lots of sickeningly arrogant, whinging, American ex-pats live in Thailand. There's no way round this one. All I can say is please don't fall into the same trap. Enjoy the pleasures of living in Thailand and brush aside the difficulties, just as the Thais do.

The procedure for retiring here is easy. Get yourself a non-immigrant visa prior to arrival, show money in a Thai bank account (around $25,000) or proof of retirement income, apply for a yearly retirement visa when you settle in, smile sweetly at everyone, wear smart clothes and clean shoes at all times, and don't 'wye' unless you're wye'd to.

Answer 2

Pros: You're retired

Cons: You're in Thailand...