Live and Invest Overseas
The Best Places To Retire In 2025 Report
FREE REPORT: THE BEST PLACES TO RETIRE IN 2025
We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.
  • Home
  • Countries

    Top Destinations:

    Whether you’re looking for fun and sun, a peaceful retirement, or the chance to earn some extra income, you’ve got a real world of opportunity open to you… In short, we’ve done our best to narrow down your best options, but only you can decide the right country for you.

    • Spain
    • Portugal
    • Panama
    • Belize
    • Colombia
    • Cyprus
    • Mexico
    • France
    • Montenegro
    • Browse All Countries

    Best For:

    • The Best Places To Retire
    • Health Care Abroad
    • Cost Of Living
    • Investing in Real Estate
    • Establishing Residency
    • Gun Laws In The World
    • English-Speaking Countries
    • Safest Places For Retirement
    • Best Places In Latin America
  • Budgets

    How Much Will It Cost You To Live Overseas?

    The only honest answer is, we have no idea. And neither does anyone else. The only one who can answer that question is you. Here’s the most important thing to understand about budgeting your new life overseas…

    Super Cheap

    • Chitré, Panama
    • Santa Marta, Colombia
    • Phuket, Thailand
    • Dumaguete, The Philippines

    Cheap

    • Medellin, Colombia
    • Boquete, Panama
    • Kyrenia, Cyprus
    • Hua Hin, Thailand
    • The Algarve, Portugal

    Affordable

    • Valencia, Spain
    • Cascais, Portugal
    • Las Terrenas, The DR
    • Pisa, Italy
    • La Rochelle, France
    • Mazatlán, Mexico

    Luxury

    • Ambergris Caye, Belize
    • Kotor, Montenegro
    • The Panama City Beaches
    • Paris, France
  • Resources

    Global Living

    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore & Diversification

    Making Money

    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing

    Follow Us:

    • Meet Our Experts
  • Real Estate

    Buying Real Estate For Cashflow

    • Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

    Explore Our Latest Posts

    • Learn how to invest and purchase property abroad…

    Go To The Overseas Property Alert Site

    • How To Become Independently Wealthy And Fund The Lifestyle Of Your Dreams
  • Conferences

    Upcoming Events

    • Explore Our Events Site

    Live and Invest In Spain Conference

    Offshore Wealth Summit

    Greece Workshop

    VALENCIA, SPAIN

    Sep. 17-19, 2025

    PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

    Oct. 15-17, 2025

    VIRTUAL

    Nov. 13, 2025

    Learn More About This Event
    Learn More About This Event
    PRE-REGISTER
    Learn More About This Event
    PRE-REGISTER
    • MORE EVENTS

    Contact Our Events Team

    Toll-Free U.S. and Canada:
    1 (888) 627 8834
    From Outside North America:
    1 (443) 599 1221
    Working Hours
    Monday – Friday 08:00 am – 17:00 pm EST.

    Reach us with your questions by email at: events@liveandinvestoverseas.com

  • Store

    Unlock The World

    • Access Your Library

    Overseas Havens Reports

    • Expats' comprehensive destination guides

    Conference Kits

    • Hours of coverage  from our latests conferences

    Lahardan Books

    • Titles on living and investing around the world
    • Explore Our Store
    Your passport to a life well-lived abroad

    Services

    overseas living letter offers affordable retirement guidance
    The Simon Letter Wealth Protection Insights
    Global Property Advisor Global Investment Opportunities

    Our Customer Service team is here to assist with any questions or concerns CustomerService@LiveandInvestOverseas.com

  • My Library
Live and Invest Overseas
  • Home
  • Countries

    Top Destinations:

    Whether you’re looking for fun and sun, a peaceful retirement, or the chance to earn some extra income, you’ve got a real world of opportunity open to you… In short, we’ve done our best to narrow down your best options, but only you can decide the right country for you.

    • Spain
    • Portugal
    • Panama
    • Belize
    • Colombia
    • Cyprus
    • Mexico
    • France
    • Montenegro
    • Browse All Countries

    Best For:

    • The Best Places To Retire
    • Health Care Abroad
    • Cost Of Living
    • Investing in Real Estate
    • Establishing Residency
    • Gun Laws In The World
    • English-Speaking Countries
    • Safest Places For Retirement
    • Best Places In Latin America
  • Budgets

    How Much Will It Cost You To Live Overseas?

    The only honest answer is, we have no idea. And neither does anyone else. The only one who can answer that question is you. Here’s the most important thing to understand about budgeting your new life overseas…

    Super Cheap

    • Chitré, Panama
    • Santa Marta, Colombia
    • Phuket, Thailand
    • Dumaguete, The Philippines

    Cheap

    • Medellin, Colombia
    • Boquete, Panama
    • Kyrenia, Cyprus
    • Hua Hin, Thailand
    • The Algarve, Portugal

    Affordable

    • Valencia, Spain
    • Cascais, Portugal
    • Las Terrenas, The DR
    • Pisa, Italy
    • La Rochelle, France
    • Mazatlán, Mexico

    Luxury

    • Ambergris Caye, Belize
    • Kotor, Montenegro
    • The Panama City Beaches
    • Paris, France
  • Resources

    Global Living

    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore & Diversification

    Making Money

    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing

    Follow Us:

    • Meet Our Experts
  • Real Estate

    Buying Real Estate For Cashflow

    • Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

    Explore Our Latest Posts

    • Learn how to invest and purchase property abroad…

    Go To The Overseas Property Alert Site

    • How To Become Independently Wealthy And Fund The Lifestyle Of Your Dreams
  • Conferences

    Upcoming Events

    • Explore Our Events Site

    Live and Invest In Spain Conference

    Offshore Wealth Summit

    Greece Workshop

    VALENCIA, SPAIN

    Sep. 17-19, 2025

    PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

    Oct. 15-17, 2025

    VIRTUAL

    Nov. 13, 2025

    Learn More About This Event
    Learn More About This Event
    PRE-REGISTER
    Learn More About This Event
    PRE-REGISTER
    • MORE EVENTS

    Contact Our Events Team

    Toll-Free U.S. and Canada:
    1 (888) 627 8834
    From Outside North America:
    1 (443) 599 1221
    Working Hours
    Monday – Friday 08:00 am – 17:00 pm EST.

    Reach us with your questions by email at: events@liveandinvestoverseas.com

  • Store

    Unlock The World

    • Access Your Library

    Overseas Havens Reports

    • Expats' comprehensive destination guides

    Conference Kits

    • Hours of coverage  from our latests conferences

    Lahardan Books

    • Titles on living and investing around the world
    • Explore Our Store
    Your passport to a life well-lived abroad

    Services

    overseas living letter offers affordable retirement guidance
    The Simon Letter Wealth Protection Insights
    Global Property Advisor Global Investment Opportunities

    Our Customer Service team is here to assist with any questions or concerns CustomerService@LiveandInvestOverseas.com

  • My Library
Live and Invest Overseas
 Moving Out Of The U.S?

THE 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE IN 2025

the 10 best places to retire in 2025

PLUS: A SPECIAL BONUS DESTINATION

Simply sign up to receive the FREE daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we’ll immediately email you our editors’ latest research report… absolutely FREE

We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

Home Countries Thailand

Enjoying Easy Expat Life In An Exotic Wonderland

by Kathleen Peddicord
Aug 15, 2024
in Thailand
0 0
Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia have all drafted new immigration laws and investment incentives. life overseas

AdobeStock/TWEESAK

“I’ve wanted to live in Thailand since I was 12 years old,” says Bart Walters.

“My uncle was in the U.S. Air Force stationed at U-Tapao, the American airbase near Rayong. I used to sit for hours with my grandmother’s projector flipping through 35mm slides he’d send home. The pictures painted an exotic fantasy land full of endless summers on deserted beaches with pretty girls.”

Fast forward a couple of decades, and Bart’s childhood vision has become his reality. He has long been established on Pattaya, on Thailand’s Eastern Seaboard (also known as the Chonburi Coast), just southeast of the capital, Bangkok.

What does Bart love about life in Pattaya?

“First, it’s easy. Easy to get here. Easy to stay here. Easy to get around. Easy to meet people. Easy to live whatever lifestyle you choose. I would argue it’s the easiest place for an expat to live in all Southeast Asia.

Start Your New Life Overseas Today!
Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we'll send you a FREE report on the 10 Best Places To Retire In 2025.
We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.
“Second, it’s flexible. You can choose the way you live and interact with locals and other expats here. From housing to food and entertainment, it’s all up to you. I’ve met just about every kind of person you could imagine living up and down this coast, and they all have one thing in common—they love freedom and flexibility.

“Third, the whole region is moving onward and upward. I’ve lived in Bangkok. I’ve lived in Phuket. I’ve lived in Chiang Mai. I’ve spent a lot of time on islands like Koh Samui and Koh Phangan. For more than a dozen years, I’ve lived on the Chonburi Coast. The pace of development in this part of the world is rapid, and big things are coming to Pattaya.”

One of those big things is a high-speed train that will connect Bangkok’s two international airports to U-Tapao International Airport just south of Pattaya. This will cut the journey to the capital from two hours to thirty minutes. Another project in the works is the medical city, known as EECmd, being developed in East Pattaya. It will cover 223 acres and include medical facilities, a residential area, and special care for older folks.

Health care in general is excellent in Thailand. That’s why the country is one of the world’s most popular medical tourism destinations. Bart has first-hand experience with Thailand’s health care industry, having received serious medical attention here recently.

He says, “Five years ago, I had a total hip replacement at the Veteran’s Administration’s flagship facility in Orlando, Florida. In December 2022, I had the other hip replaced at Samitivej Hospital in Sriracha, Thailand. I was lucky enough to have both of these surgeries at state-of-the-art medical facilities, so hopefully that makes this a fair apples-to-apples comparison. The cost of this operation in the United States is about $37,320, not including medication. My operation in Thailand cost about $11,630, including everything.

Start Your New Life Overseas Today!
Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we'll send you a FREE report on the 10 Best Places To Retire In 2025.
We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.
“The Thai hospital could get me into surgery right away. The U.S. hospital was busy, and I had to wait seven weeks. The hospital stay in the States was one night. The stay in Thailand was three nights. The Thai hospital gave me a choice of which device I wanted to be implanted. The U.S. hospital did not. The Thai hospital gave me a choice of which type of anesthesia I preferred. I never even knew there was a choice at the U.S. facility. The Thai hospital consulted with me on pain management and allowed me to choose which kind of medication I preferred. The U.S. hospital doped me up with heavy opiates.

“Both the U.S. hospital and Samitivej Sriracha Hospital are professional and effective health care service providers that I would use again. But if I’m paying for it, at a 70% discount, I’ll be having my surgeries in the Land of Smiles.”

It’s not just health care that costs less in Thailand. Day-to-day expenses, rent, transportation, entertainment, and just about everything else costs less here, too.

“When I compare the cost of living in a place like Pattaya City with the cost of living in my hometown Orlando, Florida,” says Bart, “I consistently come up with the same number: 50%. It costs me half as much to live in Thailand as back home.”

A better life at a lower cost is a big part of the reason Thailand is so popular among expats. Pattaya has a massive expat community made up of all kinds of people.

“I would argue that this is the most diverse expat community in Southeast Asia,” says Bart. “There’s expats from Asia, Europe, the U.K., the United States, and beyond. There’s also a healthy cycle of snowbirds from Europe and Russia that fly in when the weather turns cold and return when their home countries thaw out. A wide range of ages, cultures, and lifestyles enjoy the sun, the sea, and the scrumptious seafood.”

Thailand is an easy place to establish connections if you wish to. The expat community is well-organized and active.

“Clubs and social organizations are in full swing,” says Bart. “Rotary clubs, book clubs, motorcycle clubs, a Veterans of Foreign Wars Chapter, and enough charitable organizations to fill up any energetic retiree’s schedule.”

Another factor that helps explain Thailand’s massive expat numbers is its reputation for beautiful beaches. In Pattaya, the beaches feature soft sands and shallow waters that extend far from the shore. Walking your dog on the sand, catching the sunset, going for a swim, doing watersports, and more are all popular pastimes. You can even take an exercise class on the beach.

“One sight that always brings a smile to my face is when I’m out for a walk and I catch an early morning or sunset aerobics class in Jomtien or Dongtan Beach. Locals and foreigners alike gather to stretch and lunge and hop and whatever else it is they do. To be honest, it looks like they’re having too much fun to be working out. Maybe they’re enjoying it because it’s free.”

It’s easy to keep fit here, with plentiful gyms, specialized classes like CrossFit, boxing camps, yoga, and plenty of health-focused restaurants. It’s an active place.

“Think of just about any activity that takes place outside, and you’ll find it here from beach volleyball, tennis, and soccer to cricket and equestrian events. They’ve even built skate parks, badminton courts, and futsal courts underneath highway overpasses.”

Start Your New Life Overseas Today!
Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we'll send you a FREE report on the 10 Best Places To Retire In 2025.
We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.
The golf courses are world-class and affordable. In Pattaya alone, you have almost 50 courses within an hour-and-a-half’s drive.

But not all of Pattaya’s appeal comes from the outdoors. There are trendy coffee shops, art galleries, and massive beachfront malls with all the usual retailers represented.

“The crown jewel on the beachside is the six-story waterfront shopping mall called Central Festival, complete with a twelve-screen cinema experience and a luxurious Hilton Resort attached. Here in Asia, we like our malls with hotels attached to them.”

The familiarity of brands you recognize plus the strong air conditioning of a mall can be appealing, but in Thailand the traditional way to shop is at an open-air market. It’s a lifestyle option that many expats take up.

“Thailand is renowned for its massive open-air markets that offer everything from pets to panties and household appliances, all at bargain-basement prices. My favorite market is Buakaw Market in South Pattaya. It happens on Tuesdays and Fridays, and you want to get there early because it gets hot and crowded later in the day. You should be prepared for chaos. You should expect to sweat. You should engage in friendly haggling. Most importantly, you should expect to get some great stuff. Most people who have lived in Thailand for some time buy all their clothing here.”

It’s easy enough to set up a new life in Thailand. Bart’s advice is to come on a tourist visa then hire a specialist to help you sort out your legal status.

“Choosing Thailand as your new home or retirement destination is by no means ‘expat lite,’” Bart says.

“For North Americans, you can’t go any farther without starting to come back and you can’t find a place more alien unless you move to Mars. If you decide you’re up for a move outside your comfort zone and want to try the Land of Smiles, you’ll need to target a region to acclimate yourself to.

“Leaning on my 22 years of experience in this wonderful country, I recommend starting on Thailand’s Eastern Seaboard, aka the Chonburi Coast.”

Until next time,

Kathleen Peddicord signature

Kathleen Peddicord

Founding Publisher, Overseas Opportunity Letter

P.S. This is an excerpt from my new book “At Home Abroad—Retire Big On Little”, the culmination of 40 years of experience covering this beat and of more than 26 years living overseas.

It is bigger, more in-depth, more comprehensive, and more timely than any other book on retiring overseas available anywhere.

We’re planning to make a limited number of copies available free to a select group of Live And Invest Overseas readers. Watch your in-box for details.

Tags: 'Expat Life''how to retire overseas''Thailand'At Home Abroad
Share84Tweet52
Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord has reported on opportunities for Americans to live, retire, and do business overseas for 40 years. She has traveled to more than 75 countries, invested in real estate in 24, established businesses in 7, renovated and built properties in 6, and educated her children in 5.

Kathleen has moved children, staff, enterprises, household goods, and pets from the east coast of the United States to Waterford, Ireland, then to Paris, France, and finally to Panama City, Panama, where she has based her Live And Invest Overseas business. Peddicord and her husband, Lief Simon, now divide their time between Panama and Paris.

Peddicord was a partner with Agora Publishing’s International Living group for 23 years. She opened, staffed, and operated International Living publishing and real estate marketing offices in Waterford, Ireland; Panama City, Panama; Granada, Nicaragua; Roatan, Honduras; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Quito, Ecuador; and Paris, France. Peddicord launched Live And Invest Overseas group in 2008 and has built it into a successful multimillion-dollar business. Today, she shares her firsthand experience of expat life with more than 500,000 readers of her publications, including Overseas Opportunity Letter and Overseas Living Letter.

Kathleen has been featured often in The New York Times, MSNBC, AARP, CNN, Bloomberg, CNBC, and more and writes monthly about expat matters, international real estate, and offshore diversification for Forbes and U.S. News.

Kathleen has written several books including the memoirs “At Home In Ireland” and “At Home At Los Islotes” and her latest title “At Home Abroad,” all published by Lahardan Books. Her best-selling "How To Retire Overseas: Everything You Need To Know To Live Well (For Less) Abroad” was published by Penguin Random House in 2018 and her “Buying Real Estate Overseas For Cash Flow (And A Better Life)” was published by Wiley in August 2020.

Start Your New Life Overseas Today!
Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we'll send you a FREE report on The 10 Best Places To Retire In 2025.

We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.
Our Expertise Unlocks The World

quick links

  • Best Places To Live
  • Best Places To Retire
  • Finding A Job Overseas
  • Real Estate

LIOS Resources

  • New To LIOS
  • Ask An Expert
  • Media Center
  • Contact Us
  • FAQs
the 10 best places to retire in 2025
Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and get your FREE REPORT: The 10 Best Places To Retire Overseas In 2025

We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

As seen in

US Media Logos

© 2008 – Live and Invest Overseas™ – All Rights Reserved.

About Us / Contact Us / Privacy Policy / Terms / Unsubscribe
Facebook-f X-twitter Youtube Linkedin-in Instagram

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
HOME

Top Countries

  • Spain
  • Portugal
  • Panama
  • Belize
  • Colombia
  • Cyprus
  • Mexico
  • France
  • Montenegro

Best For:

  • Health Care Abroad
  • Retirement Living
  • Cost Of Living
  • Investing in Real Estate
  • Establishing Residency
  • Gun Ownership
  • English Speakers
  • Safety
BROWSE ALL COUNTRIES

Budgets

How Much Will It Cost
To Live Overseas?

Super Cheap

  • Chitré, Panama
  • Santa Marta, Colombia
  • Phuket, Thailand
  • Dumaguete, The Philippines

Cheap

  • Medellin, Colombia
  • Boquete, Panama
  • Kyrenia, Cyprus
  • Hua Hin, Thailand
  • The Algarve, Portugal

Affordable

  • Valencia, Spain
  • Cascais, Portugal
  • Las Terrenas, The DR
  • Pisa, Italy
  • La Rochelle, France
  • Mazatlán, Mexico

Luxury

  • Ambergris Caye, Belize
  • Kotor, Montenegro
  • The Panama City Beaches
  • Paris, France

Resources

Global Living

  • Living & Retiring Overseas
  • Raising A Family Abroad
  • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
  • Offshore & Diversification

Making Money

  • International Real Estate
  • Banking
  • Employment
  • Investing
Meet Our Experts

Real Estate

Overseas Property Alert 

 

How To Become Independently Wealthy And Fund The Lifestyle Of Your Dreams

VISIT SITE

Buying Real Estate For Cashflow

 

Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

READ MORE

Explore Our Latest Posts

 

Learn how to invest and purchase property abroad…

EXPLORE

Conferences

Live and Invest In Spain Conference

VALENCIA, SPAIN Sep. 17-19, 2025
Learn More About This Event

Offshore Wealth Summit

PANAMA CITY, PANAMA Oct. 15-17, 2025
Learn More About This Event
PRE-REGISTER

GREECE WORKSHOP

VIRTUAL Nov. 13, 2025
Learn More About This Event
PRE-REGISTER
MORE EVENTS

Contact Our Events Team:

Toll-Free U.S. and Canada:
1 (888) 627 8834

From Outside North America:
1 (443) 599 1221

Working Hours
Monday – Friday 08:00 am – 17:00 pm EST.

Reach us with your questions by email at: events@liveandinvestoverseas.com

Store

Overseas Havens Reports

  • Expats' comprehensive destination guides

Conference Kits

  • Hours of coverage  from our latests conferences

Lahardan Books

  • Titles on living and investing around the world

Services

  • Overseas Living Letter: Affordable Retirement Guidance
  • The Simon Letter: Wealth Protection Insights
  • Global Property Advisor: Global Investment Opportunitites
VISIT OUR STORE

Free Report

THE 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE IN 2025

FREE REPORT: The 10 Best Places To retire in 2025

Sign up to receive the FREE daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter and we’ll immediately email you our editors’ latest research report…

We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

LIBRARY

Follow Us:

© 2008 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

RETIRE OVERSEAS AND LIVE LIKE ROYALTY

Sign up for FREE to learn how. Plus, check out our FREE report on THE 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE


We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

RETIRE OVERSEAS AND LIVE LIKE ROYALTY

Sign up for FREE and learn how to live the good life on a modest budget, find bargain property, and more. Plus, check out our free report on the 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE.

We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.