About

Reviewed by Greg Berryman, 7 September 2026

Why this site exists

I'm Greg Berryman, and I live in Thailand. This site started because I was working through the same decision it now helps you make: whether retiring here actually works, and where.

I want people to dream about this. And where the dream can be made to happen, I want to help make it happen. That is the whole point of the site, and it is why the pages are blunt about costs, visas and what goes wrong.

Background

I'm Australian, a non-resident for Australian tax purposes. My income comes from a separate online business, unrelated to this site. It's not a pension.

The free assessment works the same regardless of where your money comes from: a pension, savings, investments, or ongoing income like mine.

Firsthand knowledge

I've been coming to Thailand since 1996, up to four months a year. I've lived for real stretches in Koh Samui, Phuket, Krabi, and Chiang Mai, most recently four months across those four in early 2026. I lived six months in Bangkok in the early 2000s.

In 2002 I was vice captain of an Australian team at the King's Cup Elephant Polo Tournament in Hua Hin.

The city guidance and assessment tool draw on all of it.

My own preference runs coastal. I go back to Chiang Mai often when I want a slower pace, the old town's cafes and restaurants alone are worth the trip.

I've also taken up Muay Thai training in Phuket. New pursuits are still on the table well into your sixties (I turn 70 in October).

Something else I've noticed: friends here often seem to be ageing better than friends I've kept back home. I can't say for certain why, but less stress and staying active day to day both seem part of it.

If you want more, here's where to look:

• Visit Before You Commit: what daily life actually looks like, from making friends to filling your days
• Sport and Activities: what there is to do across all seven cities
• Best Places to Retire in Thailand: a straightforward breakdown for each city
• Retiring in Bangkok: a different proposition from the coastal cities, with its own page

What this site does

It gives you a clear picture of whether and where, among the seven cities this site covers, retiring here could work for you. It weighs your income, savings, and what you want day to day.

Those seven are a starting point, not the whole country. If none of them fit, that doesn't rule out Thailand itself, plenty of other places here simply aren't covered by this site.

And if the numbers do not work for the city you had in mind, that is not the end of it either. Somewhere cheaper, or a different setup, often does work. The answer is rarely no. It is usually not there, not like that.

Disclaimer

Nothing on this site is licensed financial, legal, tax, or immigration advice. Use it to get oriented, then talk to a professional before you make decisions.