Thailand Enters the Global Top 10: Southeast Asia’s Top Retirement Destination
Thailand has achieved a remarkable milestone, rising to 9th place worldwide as the highest-ranked retirement destination in Southeast Asia. This ranking reflects Thailand’s strong fundamentals across quality of life, affordability, healthcare, safety, and long-stay infrastructure, which are increasingly important to global retirees seeking stability and value. Thailand’s world-class healthcare, competitive cost of living, and retirement visa options make it a top choice for those looking to retire abroad in 2025.
PATTAYA, Thailand – Forbes, a U.S. media platform focusing on business, investing, technology, leadership, and lifestyle, has unveiled its list of the best places globally to retire abroad in 2025. The results are based on costs, amenities, health care, language, crime, climate risk, and whether U.S. retirees are welcome.
The best places to retire abroad in 2025 comprise 24 countries and 96 recommended spots. Thailand, with Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Phuket, and Koh Samui, was named among them.
Thailand
Tropical Asian environment with excellent healthcare
Locations: Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui
Living Costs: Much lower than the U.S. average
Healthcare: Excellent and cheap
Gaining Right to Stay: Easy
Thailand draws flocks of U.S retirees thanks to an inviting Asian culture, a cost of living less than half that of the U.S., and healthcare so excellent and cheap it draws patients from abroad. English is widely spoken. The crime rate is low. Politics are stable. Natural hazard risk includes tsunamis. The O-X retirement visa is easy to obtain upon a showing of about $24,000 in yearly income per couple and another $25,000 in a Thai bank. A tax treaty between the U.S. and Thailand prevents double taxation and also exempts Social Security and U.S. pensions from Thai taxation. With no nonstop flights currently, plane travel back to the U.S. can take 24 hours or longer. The northern town of Chiang Mai draws retirees, as do the crowded capital of Bangkok, the island of Phuket, and Koh Samui, an island in the Gulf of Thailand.
Thailand is among the most affordable places to live around the world, with a cost of living index of 97, which is the highest on this list. Certainly, Thailand’s ultra-low cost of living is the major draw, but one can’t overlook the natural beauty, outdoor opportunities, and lovely climate, making it a good place for retirement.
Furthermore, Thailand’s healthcare system is enticing for its affordability and quality, and the various visa options cater to both retirees and digital nomads. While Bangkok has repeatedly been named Asia’s most livable city for expats, little cities like Chiang Mai provide a slower pace, milder weather, and affordability.
With so much to offer expats and retirees, it is a favourite destination for Americans, and one may easily find people of the same age and preferences to mix with.