BBC rates Thailand in the top 7 places in the world to retire

Thailand

Known as the “The Land of Smiles”, Thailand offers expats retiring here plenty to smile about — a low cost of living, tropical clime, culture that respects older people plus no tax on retiree income from abroad.

International Living magazine ranked the country as one of the cheapest in its cost of living index, buoyed by competitive property prices. Eating out remains reasonable with a typical Pad Thai lunch available from just $1.

As well, the country’s retirement visa, which is renewable annually, is available to all retirees with monthly pensions of 65,000 Thai baht ($1,800) or to pensioners depositing 800,000 baht ($22,125) in a Thai bank account.

While the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office rates many private hospitals in Thailand equivalent to western standards, it says standards at local hospitals can vary. Retirees should therefore budget to pay for local health insurance.

See the full story and other retirement destionations: http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20151230-the-top-seven-places-to-retire