Retiring in Thailand: Start Here

Reviewed by Greg Berryman, 7 September 2026

Most people arrive here with a daydream and no idea whether it stands up. This site exists to help you dream about it properly, and where it can be made to happen, to help make it happen.

Start at the top and work down. Stop at whichever one sounds like you.

Where are you in this?

You are not sure it is realistic at all Three quick questions and a rough read on where you stand, free, before you go any further.

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You like the idea but have no idea where Seven cities, and they are not interchangeable. Cost, pace, flights home, and what there is to do all move together.

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You need to know if you can even get a visa Five routes, and the one that fits depends on your age, your passport, and how your money is held rather than how much of it there is.

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Tax is the thing worrying you Two systems apply at once, Thailand's and your home country's. The 2024 rule changed how money you bring in is treated.

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You are wondering what you lose back home Healthcare and your driving licence both change, and the rules differ by country.

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Still can't decide?

I'm Greg Berryman. I live in Phuket and I've been coming to Thailand since 1996. Send me your questions about retiring here and I'll write same day. Every answer comes from me.

Ask Me

If the answer comes back no

It usually is not a flat no. More often it is not that city, or not on those numbers. Somewhere cheaper, or a different setup, often works where the first idea did not. The pages here are blunt about costs and visas for that reason, not to talk you out of it.

Or just have a look around

Not everyone arrives with a question. If you would rather browse:

Using a Visa Agent, what an agent does, what to ask before you engage one, and where the risk sits
The DTV Visa, the remote work route, including the case for it after 50
Best Places to Retire in Thailand, the six main cities side by side on cost, pace, golf, flights, and sport
Sport and Activities, what there is to fill your week with, city by city
Practical Questions Answered, water, food, mosquitoes, rainy season, tipping, getting around, and shopping
Visit Before You Commit, renting first, the honeymoon period, and how you fill your days
Retiring in Phuket, the island I live on, from someone who lives here rather than holidays here
Retiring in Bangkok, which does not compare on the same terms as the rest
About, who is behind this and why there are no affiliate links anywhere on it

What this site is not

There are no affiliate links, sponsorships, or commissions anywhere on it. Nothing here is licensed financial, legal, tax, or immigration advice. It is general information from someone who lives here, to help you ask better questions of the professionals who can advise you.