I first went to Thailand in 1997 and immediately fell in love with the country. Thailand at that time to me was mysterious and exotic, full of potentials and pitfalls.
Fast forward to 2010 and here I am after 13 years and many trips to the LOS sharing, with the help of my 
Questions of Retiring to Thailand
Recently I was asked to write about retiring in Thailand. As you can imagine this is a pretty broad topic and it is going to take several posts for me to even begin to address this. Hopefully it will also spur a lot of discussion within the comments as I know people have different opinions about some of the areas that will need to be covered.
I am not an expert in this area, but I have done quite a bit of thinking about it since it is my plan to eventually retire in Thailand as well. Unfortunately I think for me it might be a few years yet before I get to that point (I’m only 41!). So, what things have I considered in terms of retiring to Thailand or moving there full time even if not retired (which is even more complex due to visa issues).
Here are several questions I think will need to be answered and/or planned for prior to making the leap:
Where in Thailand will you live? Different people like different things and fortunately Thailand can accommodate many different types of personalities. Golf and I have put A LOT of thought and discussion into this subject already. In a later post I will discuss some options such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket or other beach areas and possibly Issan (not much personal experience there). See the links below for individual articles.
How much money will you need? When considering money I think several factors need to be considered including savings, monthly income requirements, working in Thailand, inflation and exchange rates. Later posts will go into more depth on each area. Ignore this at your peril!
Thai visa issues and questions. The issue of visa’s isn’t really that difficult once you’ve got all the information, in theory. In practice it can create all types of headaches. How can you legally stay in Thailand, especially for those under the age of 50 or not married to a Thai citizen this can be a problem. I’ll take a look at the different visa options and what each might mean for you.
Planning for your future in Thailand. This obviously ties in with the money question above, but could also ties in with the question of where you would live as well as encompassing a back out plan. Our needs at 70 years old can be quite different from those at 50 years old and some thought should be given to this.
Thai Insurance – Unless you’ve got retirement medical insurance from a former employer you’ll definitely want to look into some form of comprehensive medical insurance. And what about auto or home insurance? Is Thailand the same in this regard as Western countries?
Buying versus renting your accommodations. Renting is a drain on your financial resources, but buying in Thailand can be difficult if not impossible for foreigners. Not to mention questions about the safety of your investment if you do buy. Pro’s and con’s of each approach will be discussed. Also, is it better to go with a house or condominium?
That’s just a quick list of the major issues I can think of. I’m sure others will arise from discussion and many sub topics will be identified as well. If you can think of anything major that you would want to have discussed regarding retirement in Thailand please leave a comment and I’ll add the subject to my research list.
Overall I think you’re making a great decision to retire to Thailand, of course I’m biased as well. With some forethought and a good plan Thailand can be a wonderful place to retire with it’s great people and food, nightlife, beautiful Thai girls, great weather (if you like it hot), beaches, mountains and culture. Add to that the infrastructure provided thanks to the tourism in Thailand and you have a great foreign retirement destination.
Looking forward to your comments and much more to come!
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Check out these similar posts:
- Visa for Retiring in Thailand
- Retiring to Bangkok Thailand
- Thailand Questions and Answers
- Retirement in Thailand
- Non-Immigrant O-A (Retirement) Visa For Thailand
- Preparing For The Move To Thailand
- What Do YOU Want to Know About Thailand?
With your retirment visa in hand are you alowed to bring in personal stuff duty free, how about a car/truck/motorbike and if so what limitations are their on value, etc.
When you say, with a retirement Visa you have to report to immergration every three months. Does that mean you have to travel to Bangkok. My house is being built as we speak in Wichen Buri, Can you report to what they call district or only to Immergration. It seems silly to turn up every 3 months and say I am still living in the house I built with my Thai Wife. You know Thailand better than me. But when you get married and have the local Mayor the Police Chief and every offical in the town come to the wedding and also oversee the buying of the land and visit the consruction site once a week. Know exactly who you are by name Is it not possible to report to these people.
Hi David and welcome to Thailand Musings.
Every 90 days you are in Thailand you will need to report. The reporting can be done at any Immigration office and if there is no immigration office nearby the reporting can be done at the local police station. If you leave the country the 90 day count begins anew on the date that you re-enter Thailand.
You can also report by mail the instructions are as follows (taken right from the Thailand Immigration Bureau site at http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php?page=90days)
1. Copy of all passport pages (up to the latest arrival stamp in the Kingdom or latest visa stamp)
2. Copy of arrival/departure card TM. 6 (front and back)
3. Previous notifications of staying over 90 days (if any)
4. Completely filled in and signed notification form TM. 47
5. Envelope with 5 Baht stamp affixed and return address of foreigner for the officer in charge to send back the lower part of form TM. 47 after having received the notification. This part must be kept for reference and for future notifications of staying over 90 days.
6. The above mentioned documents must be sent by registered mail and the receipt of the registration kept by the foreigner.
Send the mail before the renewal date 7 days to
90 DAYS REGISTRATION, ROOM 206
IMMIGRATION BUREAU,
507 SOI SUANPLU,SOUTH SATHORN RD.,
THUNGMAHAMEK SATHORN
BANGKOK. 10120
It may seem silly to have to turn up every 90 days, but remember you are a guest in Thailand and they like to keep track of the guests living in their country. No different than any other country really, even if a bit more restrictive. I can’t imagine if my wife had to report to the U.S. Immigration Bureau every 90 days, what a hassle that would be.
Thank you very much for speedy Answer. What an excellent website you run. Its so nice to be able to share my love of Thailand with like minded people. My Thai wife is so special, other members know exactly what I am saying. You want to shout it from the roof tops but non mebers do not understand or just think we are crazy. You Website brings the enlightened few togather. Thank you.
David – Thanks for the huge ego boost. I know I love the site, but it’s so nice to hear when other people benefit from it. It really is amazing the difference in Thai girls from western girls and you have to experience it to truly understand. Keep coming back and let me know if there’s anything else I can help with.
–Steve
@ Doug – Yes, you can bring in your household effects duty free on a retirement visa. The personal effects must be brought in no more than 6 months after your arrival in Thailand and you must have a minimum 1 year visa prior to importing the items. You can find detailed information here:
http://www.customs.go.th/Customs-Eng/HouseholdEffects/HouseholdEffects.jsp?menuNme=HouseHold#requirement
Note that this does not include alcohol, tobacco and motor vehicles. If you wish to bring your car into Thailand you can do so, however you will be liable to pay the import taxes. Full information about importing a car can be found here:
http://www.customs.go.th/Customs-Eng/PersonalVehiclesPermanent/PermanentImport.jsp?menuNme=PersonalPer#1
My husband was just reissued his “One Year Retirement Visa.” I am planning on retiring and joining him in March2009. Will I need to show proof on income as well? Can we combine our incomes to show that we have enought money in a Thai bank for visa purposes?
Thanks!
Cynthia
Hi Cynthia,
I am assuming that you will be over 50 when you join your husband next March. If this is the case then you have two options:
1. Enter Thailand on an “O” Visa (non-immigrant) and then get a 1 year extension as a dependent. Only one 800,000 baht is required. Both extensions run with the same dates, but independent trips from Thailand may raise problems.
2. File separately for your own “Retirement Extension”. This would require each of you to have 800,000 baht in separate bank accounts in order for each to qualify. This way one extension is not dependent on the other person.
If it was me I would choose the second option just to keep things neat and as trouble free as possible. Good luck to you and enjoy your retirement in the Land of Smiles!