If you are thinking to retire to one of the exotic cities in Thailand, then you are in the right place because we bring you the 10 best places to retire in Thailand.
A country that was called Siam until 1939 is located in Southeast Asia and borders with Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia. It belongs to the group of countries that are best for enjoying retirement and its benefits are reflected in its diversity, a warm climate, accessible and affordability housing, and other various offers.
Thanks to the fact that the country was never colonized, Thailand has retained its historical and cultural heritage and developed them in a natural way, without the influence of external factors.
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Regardless of the fact that Thailand isn’t on the list of the 10 cheapest places to retire aboard, it is certainly one of the best countries to retire, and promise a peaceful and interesting retirement life. If you’re planning to retire in Thailand and apply for a retirement visa, you need a $ 2,000 monthly income (65,000 baht) and Thai bank account with $ 25,000 (800,000 baht) savings.
Places that have found their way to our list of 10 best places to retire in Thailand, we have chosen on the basis suggestions of specialized magazines and portals: Investopedia International Living, Tripadvisor, to name a few, which were engaged in the same or similar research and provided us with a great starting point for our research. We‘ve compared these studies and the most recommended places we have chosen, and create our list in such way that we took four key factors: cost of living, cost of basic medical care, climate, Additionally, we have taken the cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment, because the Thailand law prevents foreigners from buying land and real estate, and for the first purchase of property other residents are exempt from tax. We gave points from 1 to 10 for these factors, with the place with the highest costs getting minimal points. When scoring climatic conditions, we took the average amount of annual precipitation. Here are our results for the 10 best places to retire in Thailand.
10. Koh Samui
The island of Koh Samui is an hour’s flight from Bangkok, in the Gulf of Siam, and offers an easy and comfortable life with very affordable prices. The landscape is dominated by coconut palms, beautiful sandy beaches, incredible formations of stone and small, hidden coves. The average temperature is 28.4° C with the 1960 mm of rainfall per year. There are numerous restaurants, bars, and shops that offer a good source of entertainment on the island For a doctor’s consultation, you need to allocate $20, and the service is very good. The average cost of living amounted to $1,112 (THB 38,907/m), and an average price of the one-bedroom apartment for the rental is $569/m.
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9. Bangkok
A modern, cosmopolitan city with a large number of luxury hotels, beautiful buildings, located in the area of tropical climate, where the average annual temperature is 28.5°C with the 1648.2 mm of rainfall per year, offers excellent conditions for life. In Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, is a large concentration of foreigners, on the basis of these facts there are many night clubs and places that offer various forms of entertainment. A large number of private and public hospitals are situated in the city and offer the most affordable and high-quality service and for a doctor’s consultation, you need to spend less than $50. The average price of a rent for a one-bedroom apartment for a month is $569/m (THB 20,000/m). From the aspect of safety, Bangkok is Buddhist city, hence, it is very safe and there are no dangerous neighborhoods.
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8. Phuket
Phuket, a city that many say is created for peace and relaxation, is situated on 900 km from Bangkok and is one of the most popular destinations in Thailand. The city abounds in rich vegetation and beautiful landscapes, but despite this, its inhabitants offer a wide range of entertainment in the numerous bars and restaurants. The cost of living in this city is $981/m (THB 34,300/m), and the average cost of rent one-bedroom apartment is $398/m (THB 14.000/m). Phuket has some superior quality hospitals that are used to dealing with foreigners that have all manner of holiday related health problems, and cost of basic medical care is $36. The climate is tropical, with an average temperature of 28.5°C and with 2219.5 mm of rainfall per year.
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7. Krabi Town
Krabi, city with a simple and beautiful scenery, nature and unusual stone formations and limestone offer peaceful life for pensioners. For living expenses, it is necessary to allocate $1,300 per month. The cost of basic medical care is $20 (THB 700) while for renting a one-bedroom apartment need to pay $500/m (THB 17421.25/m). The average temperature is 31° C with 1500 mm of rainfall per year.
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6. Koh Lanta
Koh Lanta is made up of a group of islands that are located in close to the coast of Thailand in the province of Krabi, the largest island in this group of Koh Lanta Yai is known simply as Koh Lanta. The island has a rich flora and fauna and its inhabitants provide various forms of entertainment. The average cost of living amounted to $1.089/m (THB 38,097/m), and for a month renting a one-bedroom apartment is necessary to allocate $427/m (THB 15,000/m). Climate on the island is tropical with an average temperature of 28.5°C and 2569 mm of rainfall per year. On the island, there are several hospitals and fee for the doctor’s consultation is $14.30 (THB 500).
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5. Ko Phi Phi
A city which is made up of two islands, Phi Phi Leh, and Phi Phi Don, is located 50 km southeast of Phuket. It is also one of the most famous cities in Thailand known as the island-superstar because it enabled the recording of films such as The Beach, Stealth, Star Wars and many others. Ko Phi Phi offers foreigners the best conditions to go into retirement, in addition to shops, bars and restaurants and other forms of entertainment, it offers a very low cost of living, which amounted to $595 / m, and for the rent a one-bedroom apartment is necessary to allocate $284 / m (THB 10,000 / m). Average temperature during the year is 30° C, with 2,569 mm of rainfall per year. The cost of basic medical care is $30 (THB 1052.95) per visit.
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4. Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai is located in the north of Thailand between the highest mountains in the country. The city offers adventuresome life with a wide range of international restaurants, shopping centers, and more than 300 Buddhist temples. The average cost of living is $821/m (THB 28,730/m), and for a month renting a one-bedroom apartment is necessary to allocate $284/m (THB 10,000/m). The cost of basic medical care is $36 (THB 1263.55), and the average temperature is 37.3°C, with 1130.6 mm of rainfall per year.
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3. Pai
Third place on our list belongs to the town of Pai, which is located in the north of Thailand. The average monthly cost of living in this city is $939/m (THB 32,847/m), and for renting a one-bedroom apartment should be singled out: $284/m (THB 10,000/m). The cost of basic medical care is $11 (360 baht). The climate is tropical, with an average temperature of 27° C and with 1600 mm of rainfall per year.
2. Hua Hin
Hua Hin is a tropical paradise and a place for relaxation for all generations. The average temperature is 28.3°C, with 955.1 mm of rainfall per year. The average cost of living for a month is $858 a month and for renting a one-bedroom apartment is necessary to allocate $350 .The doctor fee is usually between $15 and $16 (THB 600) per visit.
1. Ko Pha Ngan
In the first place on our list of best places to retire in Thailand is Ko Pha Ngan. This mountainous island of medium size is located south of Thailand. Pensioners provide ideal conditions for life, both in terms of peace or entertainment, that can be found in many bars, restaurants, and beaches. Average living costs are $704/m (THB 24,638/m), and for a one bedroom apartment, it’s necessary to allocate $284/m (THB 10,000/m). The climate is tropical with the average temperature of 31° and with 1747 mm of rainfall per year. To visit a doctor and for the services of basic medical assistance is necessary to allocate $14.25 (THB 500).
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