Retire In Thailand

Tipps and Infos for Newbe Expats about how to live and survive in Thailand

Last udate: August 2009

Preperation

Leaving your Country
Fly Cheaper
Health Insurance
Where to stay in Thailand
E-Books about living in Thailand

Thai Visa Stuff

Visa Regulations Overview
Thailand without a Visa New!
Thailand with Tourist Visa New!
One Year Visa for Thailand Retire in Thailand

Finance

Banks & Accounts
Cost Of Living in Thailand
Prices in Thailand new!

Business

Working in Thailand
The Workpermit
Finding a Job in Thailand
Jobs in Thailand
Your own Company
Business Ideas for Thailand
Making Money Online new!

Living in Thailand

Finding A House
Rent or Buy?
Houses for Rent
Building A House
Cost of building a house

Buying a Car or MB
Driver's Licence
Satelite TV
Public Holidays
Important Links
Contact & Privacy Policy

You can consider Thailand as one of the best places in the world for retirement. The Cost Of Living is low and you can easily survive even on a low pension. Much better than in any other civilized country in the world.
In Thailand you can enjoy your retirement at places, where other people come for their holiday, like Pattaya, Koh Samui, Phuket, Krabi or some places in the North, if you don't like the heat in the south.

All of this holiday places and tourist centers have gathered up to make a home for retirees. You can buy anything you like, if it comes to food, furniture or any electronic entertainment equipment.
You will never feel bored, because there is always other people with the same interest and from the same country as yours.
Only if you have to live on a very low budget, you might consider to live somewhere in the deepest province, like the Isaan, because the cost of living there is even cheaper. Livestyle there might be a little less entertaining but even there, you will have company from some foreigners, living there with their Thai wife or girl friend and enjoying farming or the simple country life.

Visa for retirees: If you are over 50 years of age and have any sort of pension or other income, you can apply for a Non Immigrant Visa, Class "O", good for 1 Year with multiple entries, at any Thai Embassy or Consulate abroad. This Visa is good for 1 Year but requires border runs in Thailand every 90 days, since the stamp you get from the immigration officer on entering Thailand in gonly good for 90 days. So make a border run and get a new stamp every 90 days until the Visa runs out after 1 year.
If your are over 50 years and your pension is over 60,000,- Baht however, you can apply for the 1 Year Extension for your Non Immigrant Visa at any Immigration Office in Thailand. Alternatively, if your pension is less than 60,0000, you might have a time fixed deposit of at least 800,000,- Baht on a Thai Bank account and you will also get the 1 year extension. After this one year, you can go ahead and extend aganin but you will have to fullfill the same requrements. Please note, that even with the 1 year extension, you will have to peport to the nearest Immigration Office every 90 days. If you want to levae Thailand when you already have your 1 year extension, make sure to obtain a Re Entry Visa before leaving, otherwise your 1 year extension extension is void on reentering Thailand.

Living in Thailand for retirees: Some investors have set up hundreds of homes for foreign retirees as apartments, condos and what ever. However, because of this special setup homes are sometimes a litle expensive, you might want to consider to look for your own little house for rent. Please refer to the page about "Finding a House in Thailand".