Retire in Thailand – Overview
Thailand is a beautiful country with very friendly and happy people.
Over 90% of the population are practicing Buddhists their peaceful nature is evident wherever you go. The scenery is unbelievable, mountains, thousands of islands, beaches and Thailand has a rich history.
Thailand is a well-developed country with an infrastructure to support its population. Traffic drives on the left and their roads in main areas are paved. You have to watch for the motorcycles as they are everywhere.
Seafood is its main dish but Thai food is known for its variety and freshness.
The average temperature in Thailand is 27C/80F; monsoons bring a great deal of rain between April and October.
If you’re looking for nightlife entertainment, boy is this your place! Bars, live music, discos. Some people visit just for the nightlife. If a quieter place of solitude is more your speed Thailand offers that as well. There are a ton of activities to keep you occupied, too many to list here really; a good friend said the golf is fantastic! And if you love the beach this is the place for you.
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Retire in Thailand – Healthcare
There are many healthcare clinics throughout Thailand. There is universal health care for citizens, 99.5% of the population take advantage.
Cost for a doctor’s visit is approximately $11. As well, medical tourism is another reason people travel to Thailand.
Is it safe?
Thailand is one of the safest places in the world you can live with only 6 murders per 100,000 people in 2008. Most crime that is committed is between locals and usually revolves around illegal activities. There have been examples of foreigners being targeted in “drink spiking” so put your hand over your drink and watch it closely.
There are some political tension and civil unrest in Thailand currently (2015), with sporadic violence, demonstrations and attacks due to a military coup that took place on May 22, 2014.
Retire in Thailand – Overall Potential
Thailand should be high on your consideration list for places to retire.
The downside would be the distance from North America or Europe, a 24 hr. flight in most cases. Certainly, you need to consider travel cost if you have to fly back to maintain your citizenship. (Canada you have to come back within 6 months of leaving) The price doubles per couple. If its $1200 per person, it would cost my wife and I $4800 to come home and go back again, but because it’s so affordable, it may still be worth it from a value perspective.
Weather can be extreme as well if you are there year-round during monsoon season; we’re only 10 years removed from the devastating Tsunami that hit southern parts of the country in 2004. These extremes are infrequent and should not be the deciding factor in your decision given all of the upsides of Thailand.
I don’t know a single person who has visited Thailand that hasn’t fallen in love with it. Several years ago I was in South America and I had a discussion with an Australian tourist. We wandered onto the retirement discussion (see I’m always talking about it, I hope I live long enough to retire LOL!) He told me that he could retire like a king on 20K-30K a year without worrying about a thing.
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