The beauty of the provinces of Thailand is guaranteed to make the country a very attractive option for retirees to consider. There are so many great stuff about Thailand that makes it conducive for someone who’s about to retire from employment – island paradises, friendly locals, a laid-back vibe, and a low cost of living.
The best thing is – each city or province in Thailand has its own unique set of offerings for the retiree! Hence, whatever your preferences are or what kind of lifestyle you lead, there will always be a city for you to come home to in the Kingdom.
Take note that you will need a specific visa in order to retire legally in Thailand. This visa is the Non-Immigrant O-X Visa, a 5-year retirement visa. You can find out more about this visa in our previous article.
Now, where should you retire in Thailand? Let’s take a look at the top three cities in Thailand that you might want to think about. We’ll take a look at what the ambiance of the city is, and what kind of lifestyle you could expect should you decide to fly there for your retirement.
Bangkok
Bangkok is best suited for those who love living in a highly urbanized city, with all the bars and restaurants that both locals and expats can enjoy to their hearts’ content. Expats will love the North American-style malls with both foreign and local brands, or the night markets with all the inexpensive wares local vendors can showcase.
Although generally more expensive than the other far-flung cities in Thailand, Bangkok is still relatively inexpensive on the wallet. There are food stalls where you can spend only $2 per meal, if you’re really holding tight to those bucks.
Chiang Mai
If you love peaceful days with a touch of history, you can go far north to Chiang Mai. The city is rich in culture and history.
Here, you can find Buddhist temples – hundreds of them – as well as the remains of what was once the ancient city. Despite that touch of antiquity, Chiang Mai plays host to a huge number of comforts for the modern creature – restaurants, fast food chains, movie theaters, malls and hospitals.
All of these combined with a favorable temperature all year long makes Chiang Mai a very relaxing getaway for the expat seeking a comfortable and peaceful life in retirement.
Koh Samui
If you love living under the Sun and frolicking on white sand beaches, then Koh Samui is definitely the one for you!
The first thing you’ll notice in this island paradise is that there’s almost no end to the beach! You need not travel far in order to sunbathe whenever the itch presents itself to you. You only need to step out, walk a bit, and the beach is right there in front of you.
There are many activities here as well – you can take classes in yoga, pilates and other health regimes. You can have your fill of fine dining in one of the luxurious restaurants in the island, or you can go shopping for trinkets to send back home in the inexpensive night markets.
These are just three of the top destinations for expats who want to retire in Thailand. Some hidden gems lie waiting for you to discover them in one of Thailand’s lesser known regions too!
