Ever wonder about other places to retire and whether or not you made a good choice.
Here is international livings top 30 retirement places. Thailand comes in number 19.
We have considered Costa Rica (suburb of San Jose), Mexico on beach near Merida, Uruguay Punta del Esta, and possible Panama but haven't discovered a city we like well enough to live in.
But that is only in the event Thailand throws us out, otherwise we are happy here.
A good friend does some work down in South America and is always saying how great, and cheap, it is. Ecuador, Uraguay and other of the countries.
I've spent a fair amount of time in Costa Rica, Honduras and Belize. I could easily live in any of those countries, but my Thai wife isn't so keen so it's Thailand for us!!
About 20 years ago spent time in Mexico, Belize and Costa Rica and a lot of the Caribbean Islands. Three years ago checked out Panama as we had narrowed our search down to Panama or Thailand. Needless to say LOS was the final choice.
Sometimes wonder what it would be like now if we had chosen differently.
Uruguay is intriguing but have never met anyone that has been there.
norm wrote:About 20 years ago spent time in Mexico, Belize and Costa Rica and a lot of the Caribbean Islands. Three years ago checked out Panama as we had narrowed our search down to Panama or Thailand. Needless to say LOS was the final choice.
Sometimes wonder what it would be like now if we had chosen differently.
Uruguay is intriguing but have never met anyone that has been there.
If it's been twenty years (went when you were 9 years old??) prices have jumped considerably. Still cheaper than here in the states, but from ex pats I spoke with, maybe 50% or more higher.
My friend is talking Uruguay as a top retirement place for him. He says prices, services, food all first class and dirt cheap. People real friendly also.
I think this comparison is really not very meaningful and not even correct.
I spent 5 months in the Dominican Republic (Sosua), to see if this would be the right spot for retirement. Lots of Canadian and American there. But if you can't go out in the evening, because you must fear to be killed for some dollars, this is really not relaxing. Even in our secured village a man was killed, because he did not pay his bar girl. And every day you heared of some house breaking where mostly the safety guards were involved.
But in this comparison the safety/stability is 86 points and for Thailand only 71, even for South Africa its 75 points.
The cost of living was much higher than in Thailand and the real estate prices at least double than here for comparable houses. But the beach was really the best I have ever seen.
I think the problem with the safety and stability numbers you refer to with Thailand is because you are thinking of Hua Hin. Even with the often reported robberies here and the occasional shooting, Hua Hin is relatively safe and stable compared to the South, Pattaya, Phuket, Samui, and parts of Bangkok. I think that number may be more accurate if you apply it to the entire country for crime as well as the political problems here.
I read English news daily about all of Thailand and there seems to be nearly a murder or violent attack of a foreigner every day in this country, but it's mostly in Pattaya or Bangkok.
Even in Hua Hin during the five years I've been here I've personally known people (a few) whose homes were burgled, a woman who was mugged and purse snatched on the street, one man who was murdered and one on whom murder was attempted. That seems to be a lot since I never knew that many people who were victims of violent crime in my entire life before those five years.
My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?
norm wrote:About 20 years ago spent time in Mexico, Belize and Costa Rica and a lot of the Caribbean Islands. Three years ago checked out Panama as we had narrowed our search down to Panama or Thailand. Needless to say LOS was the final choice.
Sometimes wonder what it would be like now if we had chosen differently.
Uruguay is intriguing but have never met anyone that has been there.
If it's been twenty years (went when you were 9 years old??) prices have jumped considerably. Still cheaper than here in the states, but from ex pats I spoke with, maybe 50% or more higher.
My friend is talking Uruguay as a top retirement place for him. He says prices, services, food all first class and dirt cheap. People real friendly also.
Don't I wish I was 9 years old 20 years ago. 20 years ago I was a young 55 and had been retired for 5 years at that time.
Uruguay sounds worth checking out. If they ever throw me out of LOS that is what we will do.
It is No 5 Italy for me but as I have a Thai wife, we will settle down in Thailand No 19 but not just yet.
Italy 64 63 58 100 80 67 100 87 73
Thailand 80 50 69 69 70 49 71 43 65
I'm not sure how Thailand scored 80 in the real estate section, unless it was just on price! or perhaps the contribution from "Real estate agents" swung it.
I notice that under Safety and Stability, Thailand and Colombia have the lowest scores of 71.
I've lost my mind and I am making no effort to find it.
If I hadn't been married to a Thai I would most likely have chosen Queensland in Australia or Malaysia.
I have mixed feelings for Thailand although it has its merits there are too many things here that I do not appreciate. Still, Thailand is where I am because given all circumstance for our family it is the best place us.
Uruguay was mentioned and I spent some time there in the early 1960s before Frelimo started the unrest that lasted a decade or so. I haven't been back but I really liked Montevideo at that time. I suppose it is like a total different country today.
we have lived in cha am for 5 years we love it what more could you want great golf courses great beech. good food and the markets are very good and the thai people allways happy .
sargeant wrote:Having read the title of this thread (what am I doing here) i have after much consideration come to the following conclusion
******Sitting on my arse doing buggerall****
If ten years ago, I knew what I know now, I think I may have been somewhere in South America. As another poster has mentioned, Thailand is a great place but there is much about it that I don't like as well. Of course, no matter where you choose to live, the grass is always greener on the other side. Then again, maybe I'm just getting itchy feet....
Don't try to impress me with your manner of dress cos a monkey himself is a monkey no less - cold fact
Ahhhh so diplomatic Takiap i think what you meant to say was what i will say
If I had known 11 years ago all these poxy foreigners were going to screw this quiet little fishing town up as much as they have i would have become an airport Taxi mafia and forced them all (at gunpoint) to go somewhere else
We've talked on other threads that all of us need a break from this place from time to time. The problem is the older you get (at least me) the more of a pain in the ass flying gets, worsened by all the increased security routines. Flying used to be fun, no more. As soon as I get seated, I want to arrive and get off. I have about 350K old program United Airline miles that never expire and I'm seriously thinking of transferring them all to my daughter and family this Christmas. I'll never use them.
The only solution we've decided upon at present is to try to travel more in-country to see places not yet visited. At least it's a change of scenery and interesting to experience Thai culture/life/attitudes away from tourist spots and big cities. Pete
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
According to WL and SJ on another thread, if you did that you would spend the rest of your life in jail.
My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?
Italy for me but as I have a Thai wife, we will settle down in Thailand No 19 but not just yet. 
