Visit Thailand Before You Commit to Retiring There

Reviewed by Greg Berryman, 7 September 2026

Visit Thailand before you decide

If you haven't lived in Thailand, or you have and you're back home weighing the move, come over first. Spend at least a few days, ideally longer, in each city you're considering.

A week in a place shows you the heat, the traffic, the noise, and how far things really are from each other.

Meeting people in Thailand

Part of what's kept this working for me is the people I've met, locals and expats both. The expat bonds have run deeper more often than not.

It doesn't take long to connect with someone who has also left home and started again somewhere new.

Many expats here didn't come straight from home either. They lived in Hong Kong, Bali, or somewhere else first. Talking with them has been one of the better parts of this life, worth going in expecting that.

If you make it to Phuket while you're deciding, send me a note. I'm happy to grab a coffee if the timing works out.

Rent everything before you buy

While you're here, rent everything. Room, scooter, car, whatever you need. Don't buy.

A rental ends when the lease ends. A purchase means finding a buyer if the move doesn't work out, and that costs time and money you don't get back. Rent first and you can walk away with nothing worse than possibly a lost deposit.

The honeymoon period in Thailand

The first six to twelve months will likely still feel like a holiday, wherever you land. For some that feeling doesn't fade. For others it does.

Being away from ageing parents, kids, grandkids becomes a daily fact. Meeting new people can settle into something more ordinary once the novelty wears off.

Either way you've learned whether the move suits you. That's what the trial visit and the rental period are for.

One thing that surprised me: I see some friends more now than I did living back home. There, everyone was busy with grandkids, ageing parents, work, and whatever else fills a week.

Here, when they visit, that's the trip. No competing commitments pulling at them.

Filling your days as a retiree in Thailand

Some expats I meet are happy to come here and just chill. Beaches, smiles, food, new friendships, that's enough for them.

Others want to know how they'll occupy their days once the novelty of being on holiday wears off. The adjustment does take some getting used to. Not everyone makes it, and that's fine too.

One answer is volunteer work, and it's available here. I have friends who volunteer at an orphanage here on Phuket, and another who volunteers at a dog shelter. Both told me it changed how they see themselves as much as it filled their time.

If you want somewhere to start looking:

If it's activity rather than purpose you're after, there's a genuine range of sports and things to try across these cities, everything from golf to Muay Thai to rock climbing. More on that on the Sport and Activities page.

Bringing pets to Thailand

Bringing a pet is possible, though I don't know the full rules on it. What I do know is some expats here have gone that route.

If you're considering it, look into the requirements properly before you commit, starting with Thailand's Department of Livestock Development import requirements. Once you're here, there are dog "hotels" for when you want to go island hopping or head home for a visit.

Something here not covered? Ask me.

Sources

Most of what's on this page comes from living it, not from research. Where a specific claim needed backing beyond personal experience, here's where it came from: