Samui is a very small island and most expats know each other on the island. Property over the past 5 years has become very expensive as the available property has been snapped up by investors and those who have retired. It is still one of the best places to retire in Thailand.
There are a number of places to retire in Thailand. If you like the nightlife and a 24 hour party zone then Pattaya would be where you would want to retire. Hua Hin is where most expatriate couples live in Thailand. Many like the golf courses which it has to offer and it is a more laid back town than say Bangkok. Phuket tends to attract those with very large pensions ad the property and rentals are in the upper bracket for property in Thailand. Chiang Mai tends to attract military personnel who are retired and Bangkok – well it’s a mixed bag of those who are retired and those who teach English for a living.
When you retire in Samui ensure that you apply for the correct visa. You have two options. If you are married to a Thai national then you can apply for a marriage visa where the requirements and paperwork is far less. If you are not married to a Thai national then you can apply for a Thai retirement visa. In 2012 the Thai government boasted that they have never before issued to many retirement visas for Thailand and that the property market and services industries will benefit from this influx of retired Westerners. If you are looking at retirement in Thailand then speak to an attorney about the visa process and also how to bring your goods into Thailand duty free.
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