BBC says Thailand is among 7 top places in the world to live after retiring

[duckmandon]

Yes great place to retire. You just don't live long enough to enjoy it! Fall off balcony, fall in bathroom, killed on road by crazy motorists, I can continue! Sigh!!!!!

[Sutty]

Fluff ------------

Reality ------

Like most beaches in the world after high tide

You're kidding, right?

He means like most tourist traps in 3rd World countries.

Obviously, this poster has never been to the beach in Santa Barbara, CA, 555

And like most "low information" tourists, has no clue what the beach at a remote fishing village is like, because they're too busy getting drunk in tourist slums.

Assumptions is a man's down fall.

Low information tourist !!!your so hi-so darling

Santa Barbara, CA now there's a whole thread on its own !! What a dump darling.

Bee to many so called tourist traps in 3 world countries dear.

Oh and just to mention darlings I don't drink

Xxxxx

[Plutojames88]

Sure death can occur.

Like a loony Tune cartoon of a violent nature from the 40s.

Or itchy and scratchy from 90s Simpsons .

Life can imitate bizarre at times events .

An example ....drunk woman crying in restaurant , gains your sympathy.

Asks to go back to your place , is beautiful.

Then after the intimacy starts showing pictures of said boyfriend who she left that night.

""But now regrets it ...just a little""

He is a Cop !

A Thai cop.

He has a gun.

She is now sending him jealousy pictures of your apartment and says she had sex with you.

In two hours you went from joe in bar getting lucky and free female company with nice girl.

To being in extreme danger from hence day on.

That's how it happens there.

You end up in the tiger cage at 2am with cops drinking Mekong whiskey laughing as try climbing up the little tree and they wake up the animals with their noises.

Cement truck brakes fail and your dead.

Pole falls of building fifteen storeys.

Fall down pot hole .

Mystery bug kills you in two days flat.

Then all things electric .

Zap !

Appliances that will burn down your house.

Crazy man next door who hears voices beats you to death.

Wife's who will smother you with a plastic bag when you have dengue fever.

Shouldn't have taken a life policy.

A thug in dark ally who likes your watch.

Should have bought fake Cartier piece

Psycho YA Ba girl who hates Farangs after being abused for years by them in some hard core bar , happens to choose you as her victim.

Stabbed 127 times after having things cut off.

Drugged by woman who thinks you might have a hidden stash .

Die on route to hospital when ambulance serves into pole .

Jumpers .

Then we have the jumpers ...

Before cutting throat with bottles gained popularity .

Jumpers club was rage.

Still is .

The strange thing is how ATM s continue to be used after death.

And evidence of struggle.

Many Farangs who have apartments in high up blocks and have a few girlfriends often end up in the jumpers club.

Cars and boom boom.

Thailand is truely like a. Violent cartoon on the roads.

It reads like a beach landing on D day causality list after any holiday..

And that's just the 40% who happened to die

60% more are crippled and disfigured , burnt , and broken .

But don't make the list.

You gotta die to do that.

Second most dangerous in world.

You could be unlucky?

In fact it's stats wise a likelihood if you hit the highways long enough.

There are more westerner deaths per head of 100,000 then anywhere else in world.

So retiring there requires ability to survive not just all of the above but yourself.

Many westerners slide in very small increments .

To the point they don't notice.

I knew westerners who drank daily .

Some bought establishments .

And did the hard life .

Maybe died happy?

But die they did.

The guy playing golf sounds smart.

Though perhaps a bit lonely?

Anyhow it's really a matter of application and some wisdom.

I left because I was sick of military involvement .

And the coming strife

But the funniest thing about your unexpected death in dubious circumstances.

Is it will be explained away.

No suspicious circumstances .

Or perhaps a Burmese worker at a building site will be arrested ?

And your bank statements ghostly reveal the mystery of withdrawals ....that continued.

Thailand appears to be a loving nurturing mistress.

But reality can bite .

Beware

[DeepInTheForest]

Why should retirees NOT live in a bubble?

In a way you are right of course but if you have children of your own and step children for whom you care it is difficult to extricate oneself from what goes on and it is also expensive then as well but we all make our own life's choices, i don't regret mine. Due to financial constraints i can no longer go to the coast which i used to enjoy but i can comfort myself with the fact that i am making positive life changes to people who 11 years ago had no chance in life.

Because none of us really is in a bubble, I guess. If we think we aren't inextricably interconnected, well... We can pretend, but that's a sort of senility, and who wants to be senile? (Obviously, many do. Look at the cocoons that the world's wealthy have created for themselves. Still, not such a great way to be, at least in my view.) And it's a lot more fun to try to be aware, despite our obvious human limitations, shortcomings, and outright failures.

[Pimay1]

Yes, come and retire here. Just bear one thing in mind - LOVE IS NOT FOR FREE!

Correct. Love in Thailand is simply economics.

[Sutty]

Yes, come and retire here. Just bear one thing in mind - LOVE IS NOT FOR FREE!

Correct. Love in Thailand is simply economics.

What a load of ballony darlings I've found love and it's as free here as it is anywhere else in the world.

But then if you sit in a bar tapping away on here you might have to pay.

[i claudius]

Yes, come and retire here. Just bear one thing in mind - LOVE IS NOT FOR FREE!

You are dead right ,my wife has a very good job and it costs her a lot to keep me happy .

[JOC]

Why should retirees NOT live in a bubble?

With more than 65.000 posts here, Thaivisa is clearly your bubble......................

Personally I prefer to venture out into the dangerous world outside the gate and interact with real people !!

[bkktrapper]

Pattaya on a good day.

Fluff ------------

Reality ------

[ravip]

Fluff ------------

Reality ------

I guess trash attracts trash, eventually.

Fact. Very obvious in Thailand and seen often, every where.

Absolute trash!

[Jingthing]

Why should retirees NOT live in a bubble?

With more than 65.000 posts here, Thaivisa is clearly your bubble......................

Personally I prefer to venture out into the dangerous world outside the gate and interact with real people !!

I'm a fast typist.

[perdido]

Why should retirees NOT live in a bubble?

...exactly ; the world is FULL of billions of bubbles.....

[flyingdoc]

I like Ratcatcher's sensible summary !

[NCC1701A]

this fluffy thing does not say a word about how not to become a zombie.

[fey]

I agree with the article since its a very easy place to retire. It caters well.

Most retired folks need that stability, especially as you become much more vulnerable in old age. Yemen, cambodia, vietnam as a frail ing retiree is not easy.

[thaiduncankk]

People say Thailand is not the same as 5/10/15/20/25 years ago (pick a number).

Of course it's not, neither is the place you chose to leave to retire here.

I would say that here is by far the better option for me personally.

Most Thailand bashers, who return to their home country for whatever reason, slag off Thailand to try and justify their return. None of them have the balls to admit that living over here is better. A bit like 'losing face'.

[Thian]

Pattaya on a good day.

Fluff ------------

Reality ------

Don't forget those box jellyfish in Hua-Hin, they stink like crazy and cause 2nd degree burnwounds.

[Brian Thomas Scott]

Articles like this are not helping Thailand.

Yes, it is quite easy as a retiree in Thailand (and many other low cost countries), when you enjoy a steady if not spectacular income, to lead a good life. The situation changes somewhat when you develop an emotional attachment to the country and its people. Then life becomes about your empathy and concern for other people and their living conditions. The "sunny retirement" articles tend to gloss over these possibilities, which are inevitable for many of us.

I like this insight. Sadly it's why so much passion for the country gets misread as hate, cynicism or Thai bashing. Then there are the daily practicalities:

Thailand is great for retirement if you are prepared to live in a bubble. Live your own little life cheaply and happily and ignore what's going on around you. Things that are not likely to affect you much, like the blatant day to day corruption that permeates Thai society from top to bottom. The injustices of the legal system. Better not venture out onto the roads. Don't care about te Thais that live around you, you know the ones that struggle to live on 300 baht a day (if they're luck), ignore the 'slave labourers' from Burma on the building sites. Oh yes I'm all right Jack.

I wonder -how deep the research these articles by so called 'travel experts' go. Have they ever experienced 'trying to get things done' satisfactorily in Thailand. Have they ever had to jump through hoops at the whim of some surly Immigration Officer, and I'll bet they've never had to pay themselves for private hospital treatment in this Country.

...that often give rise to the genuine hate, cynicism and Thai bashing.

The article is out of touch in its reference to the Land Of Smiles. It reads like one of those websites encouraging gap year kids to go find their 'dream job' teaching English, money making by selling dreams. The article is mostly devoid of any real worth and paints a skewed picture.

[JeremyBowskill]

Problem is with 65 years of being babysat somewhat in most of their respective countries, many retirees come over here ill prepared for the potential hazards of living in Thailand. Some of the dumbest moves I have seen over here in the last 12 years or so have been done by people old enough to know better, not sure in every case a late start is a good idea..............

I have never been "babysat" in my respective country but I have been always treated with respect. I find that sadly lacking when dealing with the "system" here. Respect should be a universal thing or has the world deteriorated to the point where it no longer matters. I would be interested if you could "flesh" out your dumbest moves comment. You sound like one of those laugh a minute guys great around a campfire elsewhere not so much.

Not really making much sense there pal, think I will pass on a reply if its all the same........

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Why should retirees NOT live in a bubble?

I was speaking with a Thai woman the other day. I asked her about the decline in tourism. She said her business was way down, but she had no idea why. I suggested it was due to Little P. and his destructive policies. She said all politicians are bad. Why was I bothering myself over these thoughts? Why was I preventing my own happiness? She explained how relaxing it was to not think about these things, and just relax, as she put it. I asked her if she wanted to exchange brains with me.

Though I am usually not an advocate of sticking ones head in the sand, it must be nice to not be too concerned about all of the nonsense around us. Especially where politics is concerned.

She is completely and absolutely correct about everything she said.

I come from a war thorn country. What do you think my impact on the world stage or even my own life was from worrying about it?

I could care less who's in power in Thailand or what they do. If it starts affecting me I have plan b and c.

[sabaii69]

Respect older people? You're crazy as hell. Prices good here? This proves that drugs are legal at BBC.

[TomJ]

I just spent Christmas in Manila and found the Filipinos to be even more charming. The beach resorts look as good as any in Thailand. English is much more widely spoken and the Philippines is the only country in S.E.A. to have reciprocal social security arrangements with the UK. That should mean that UK retirees get the annual rise in the UK state pension. In Thailand it's frozen at the rate it was when you left the UK. Yes, the Philippines have similar poverty issues but that exists everywhere!

[puukao]

Note: NOBODY at the BBC lives in Thailand.

[digibum]

Yes, it is quite easy as a retiree in Thailand (and many other low cost countries), when you enjoy a steady if not spectacular income, to lead a good life. The situation changes somewhat when you develop an emotional attachment to the country and its people. Then life becomes about your empathy and concern for other people and their living conditions. The "sunny retirement" articles tend to gloss over these possibilities, which are inevitable for many of us.

I think you touch on several interesting issues.

1. Most of these "best places to retire" articles are written from the standpoint that cost of living, access to somewhat quality medical care, etc are the biggest factors facing a retiree. In some ways it should be sad that a retiree would have a hard time making ends meet back home so they have to go to a third-world or developing country to experience any sort of quality of life.

2. Unfortunately, you can find wrong everywhere. Why is it that you could not feel more empathy towards the homeless in your own country or for those who justice has been denied. I don't ask that in an accusatory way. I mean it in the sense that compassion and empathy are often lacking in western cultures. Something about Thailand brings that out in some people. The real question you have to ask yourself is whether or not that's a good or bad thing. In other words, there are two sides to that coin. Yes, the many things wrong in Thailand have made you empathetic towards their condition but being compassionate can be a gift of its own.

[digibum]

People say Thailand is not the same as 5/10/15/20/25 years ago (pick a number).

Of course it's not, neither is the place you chose to leave to retire here.

I would say that here is by far the better option for me personally.

Most Thailand bashers, who return to their home country for whatever reason, slag off Thailand to try and justify their return. None of them have the balls to admit that living over here is better. A bit like 'losing face'.

While I agree on some points, you're sort of living in a bubble yourself.

I lived in Thailand for several years and then had an opportunity back in the US that I would have been crazy to pass up. Brought my wife to the US with me and we've been living here for several years now.

Even she has lost a lot of her desire to move back to Thailand when we're ready to leave the US. It's almost funny when we go back and she does more complaining about how messed up stuff is in Thailand than I do. :-)

When she first moved to the US, she was 100% that we would go back to Thailand. Now, Thailand is now one of 5 places (in Asia) she's willing to consider and there are a few vacations she wants to take which may shuffle up that list a bit more.

Don't get me wrong, she still bleeds the red, white, and blue of Thailand and is as proud a Thai as any but she's also been exposed to more of Asia than she was before and those experiences have impacted her thinking on where she would like to spend the rest of her life. Also, living in the US, she's more confident that she can assimilate in a different culture.

Also, you're somewhat making the false comparison between Thailand and wherever you're from. You're aware there are other options, no? One could go to any of the surrounding countries which have plenty of pros and cons which may be more appealing.

And the argument that Thailand is different than what it was 5,10,15,20 years ago, while true, doesn't mean that the changes have been positive. It's all relative. For instance, if the #1 reason I moved to Thailand was the cost of living and the cost of living rises, maybe it's time to find a place with a lower cost of living.

I know for you the changes may be fine. Some of the changes may have worked in your favor. But that doesn't mean that your reasons and your needs are universal.

[Assurancetourix]

Fluff ------------

Reality ------

Having seen many beaches in Thailand I can say most are very clean and you picture is an exception not the norm.

Ah! Having also seen many beaches in Thailand and they are nearly all like the second photo of jaywalker;

if it's not the sea it's a few meters behind on the sand or/and under the trees where thai people like to have a picnic and a rest .

About the article of BBC which is a promotional one payed by TAT

" The seven best places to live after retirement are Panama, Ecuador, Malaysia, Spain, Malta, Portugal, and Thailand. "

they forgot to write that Thailand is also the best (worst ? ) place to die on the roads

[gigman]

Thailand is great for retirement if you are prepared to live in a bubble. Live your own little life cheaply and happily and ignore what's going on around you. Things that are not likely to affect you much, like the blatant day to day corruption that permeates Thai society from top to bottom. The injustices of the legal system. Better not venture out onto the roads. Don't care about te Thais that live around you, you know the ones that struggle to live on 300 baht a day (if they're luck), ignore the 'slave labourers' from Burma on the building sites. Oh yes I'm all right Jack.

I wonder -how deep the research these articles by so called 'travel experts' go. Have they ever experienced 'trying to get things done' satisfactorily in Thailand. Have they ever had to jump through hoops at the whim of some surly Immigration Officer, and I'll bet they've never had to pay themselves for private hospital treatment in this Country.

My wife and I and family live happily in the bubble outside a small town in northern Thailand.

We live comfortably but economically whilst not showing off to our Thai neighbors and locals.

Corruption can be found in any country if you look hard enough. It doesn't affect us on a day to day basis.

Not involved in the legal system. Hope not to be, ever.

That's normal status for any peace loving retiree .