Did expats consider living in Cambodia or other countries before choosing Thailand?

The real question to ask is from where is your work from. If they are from Thailand, they will like to remain here.

After 25 years marriage/ 29 years together, my Thai wife often repeats how lucky she feels to live in Thailand and not other places because food, religion, culture, family

No but I am now because of all the unclear messages here

Yes, I considered the Philippines but Thailand has a much better quality of life and Vietnam really does not have a long term visa outside of a marriage and probably business visa.

5555

I chose to retire in Thailand over the Philippines because of many reasons. If you qualify, the Thai LTR visa is just as good as the Philippine SRRV, and better in a few areas. As for quality of life, for me, Thailand wins hands down.

I like how I can run a business in Thailand. I've got one of the top companies in my sector now. (Renewable energy)

I am in thailand for 15yrs. Personally I am not happy anymore. As the years pass and the novelty wears off you start to notice things that you didnt in the begining. This starts in the 4th year living here. I tried HCMC for a year about 8yrs ago and was not a good city yet. I would pair Thailand with an european city.

If you are looking for city living there is a city that beats Bangkok in every sense including cost of life but there is no long term visa yet.

Look up Chongching in China.

I looked at a number of counties in SE Asia but mostly Thailand, Laos, and The Phillippines. Healthcare is super important to me so it was no contest in the end since Thailand's healthcare is so advanced.

I visited Vietanam, Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines. Thailand has better infrastructure. The only place I like as much as Thailand is Bali.

Nope, my kaow-man-gai is only sold in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Yes, malaysia. MM@H visa, TEN years in peace. no 90 day report, NOTHING. Stamp and see you in TEN years

I thought about Japan, but it’s too expensive….. I didn’t consider Cambodia, I visited there once and all I could smell was piss

No

I did not settle I choose

I was on my way to India (still am) in 1989. Still here.

Visit Cambodia or the Philippines and tell me its much of a choice. Modern convenience or 70 year old infrastructure

Royal Thai embassy in Laos, get application in order before arrival. Applied online, paid at embassy in morning, got approval next day in afternoon, back in Udon Thani by nightfall. Fast and friendly there.

no

Finding work in Thailand is nearly impossible.

Cambodia a good base then travel to others plan I am looking at

Living is Great in Thailand and no intention to leave. My second choice for retirement was Vietnam, BUT there is no reasonable way to stay there long term. If that were to change I think many would choose Vietnam.

Social freedoms, LGBT rights, 420 and by far one of the safest of any country. They have everything, big city vibes, beaches, quiet villages and beautiful mountains and national parks. Split time between in BK and the islands its the best of both worlds. I grew up in HK as an expat kid and I still chose Thailand.

One of the things I like about Thailand is the absence of foreign slave compounds.

of course not. my family is here in Thailand

No, I worked in Thailand before. We decided to go to Thailand and didn't consider other countries

Jumping from the pan into the fire

Just came back from Japan.

Cheaper than you think.

A clean and beautiful country.

I had thought about Cambodia at first.But not a lot to do there like Thailand has. I also gave the Philippines some consideration. But I didn't care for the hurricanes and the fact that husbands could kill you even if you were unaware that she was married and he would get away with it. There are some aspects about Thailand that I don't care for. The 90 day check in is a pain. I also do not care for the way the Thai government plays with the visas all the time. The banking also sucks when you put money in but can't withdraw it because of limited money withdraws.But I have been coming to Thailand since 1991. And at least I know some jealous husband won't kill me. I also will not run out of places to see.

I did a sort of adhoc study of different countries I might want to retire in back in the mid-90s, long before the internet was really a thing.

I made up a list of criteria to judge each country by and then did some research and even visited some consulates and embassies.

I had places like Belize and Paraguay and the Philippines and Cambodia and Costa Rica and Peru on my list. Places that had nice climates basically.

I specifically excluded ANY communist country and EVERY "Muslim" dominate country. Can't trust either of them especially in a crisis when they start "rounding up the white people" first.

My criteria included things like - how good was the country's education system ? How good was their "infrastructure" (power grid, roads, airports and so on). How good was their healthcare ?

How stable was their gov't ? Things that would indicate how "advanced" a country was - or how backwards it was.

I tried to research "cost of living" - like the price of gas, rent, utilities and food as best as I could but the internet wasn't as expansive as it is now.

I took what I could from the news, bulletin board sites, the scant information on the "interwebs" (this was before "Windows '95" when we had 2400 baud dial up modems and everything was done in DOS 3.0 with ANSI graphics if you were lucky) and graded each country on a 1-10 scale.

In the end, there were cheaper places than Thailand but most were either a large step down - or very expensive by comparison.

The Philippines was a close 2nd but at the time they had a lot of political turmoil. South America was a step (or 10) down and harder to even get to.

SO basically it worked out to #1 Thailand, #2 Philippines or a distant #3 Cambodia. (Not long before I did my list Cambodia had gone through the Khmer Rouge civil war, the invasion by Vietnam that put an end to that and then the UN Peacekeepers for awhile).

Cambodia seemed to be the cheapest of the 3, but also likely the most corrupt and with the worst "infrastructure".

And at the time, getting a long stay Visa in Thailand was pretty easy whereas in the Philippines you need to invest $50,000 US to get a long term visa (but that money could be "invested" in a Condo or other property).

So I took a couple trips to Thailand to check it out and see if I felt comfortable there.

Things changed (personally) and it wasn't until a few years later that I decided to make my home in Thailand.

And - so far, so good. Much rather be here than in Cambodia - or some parts of the Philippines.

(First time I went through Manila, as I was in a cab from the airport to a hotel - outside every bank and shopping mall and entrance to an underground parking garage - there were guys in "uniforms" (identical white shirts and dark pants and shoes) standing guard - with what appeared to be FN rifles (I was ex-military and was issued an FN when I did my basic training and after I was posted to my unit so I kind of knew what I was looking at).

It was like - uh huh - if they have to have people on guard with rifles outside of those places all the time - maybe not a place I want to retire to.

Of course, I was working in Afghanistan at the time and I also made a couple trips through India.

And seeing how decrepit and run down the place looked, even in their "premiere" airport - and seeing the sandbag machinegun bunkers manned at the intersections leading to the airport - and the armed guards patrolling outside the airport - I was glad I never considered India on my list of potential retirement destinations !

Yes my husband and I thought about Cambodia. But in the end their healthcare for small things like broken bones was an easy fix. But if you have anything like a brain aneurysm or a heart attack they life flight you to Thailand. Cambodia is working on their infrastructure and it is coming along, but their healthcare is still Third World country. 

Thinking

Cambodia

Laos

Vietnam

Malaysia

Indonesia

Not sure which country yet.

May I know, how to get a Thai visa for the long term? 5 years or more at once

Why would you?

Cambodia wins

No, never gave it a thought

Nope

There's a reason why the country is called Scambodia. Think about it!

No i didn’t.But now I think Cambodia is a better choice. The people are a lot friendlier.foods good. And it cost about the same as Thailand

I mean there is a reason why Thai visas are so popular. Thailand as country offers more freedom than anywhere else in the world. Its more built up than the Philippines and Cambodia, its still somewhat competitive price wise vs a Vietnam, and unlike Vietnam its the land of the smiles. I didnt even consider another country after coming here.

Just because they are nearby... They are very different.

SCAMBODIA NEVER !!!

More places to see in Thailand than Cambodia😬sorry even better food too

"Settled"??? The only expats who choose Cambodia are those who can't afford Thailand so they settle for Cambodia.

I didn't settle for a Thsi visa, I chose to get a Thai visa and make Thailand my home. And by the way yes I've been to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Exactly why I chose Thailand instead.

Yes, Vietnam

I considered Philippines as an option, but 2 things said Thailand. Hospitals, which I don't use, but being 60, never know and being a history guy, the temples, especially old and some of the great Northern landscapes.

Vietnam I think about

I think it would be an easier base then to travel to Thailand and other SEA countries due to easier Visa system - but time will tell - but if you have plenty Money then the sea is your ocean

Scambodia?

No way !!

Never 🤷‍♂️

It depends whether you have ties (thais 😁) with Thailand. If not you can consider any country. My Thai wife and I have been married for 41 years and our daughter of 39 years also has a Thai ID and passport, so the logical place to go to is Thailand. Although my wife has a house and land in Isaan, we will probably settle in Rayong next year.

Excellent Healthcare, 420 and LGBTQ friendly was important to us, along with entertainment, safety and quality international schools for our kids. Thailand was and still is the only suitable option.

I love the people who retire and move abroad. The ones who inherit their mom and dads fortunes not so much

Thailand has the better infrastructure certainly.

Easy to get around and generally do things.

This despite the lowest amount of English spoken of any Asian country.

As I get older the comfort level wins out.

An

No

Yes !

Nijet

Spain... But we stupidly left the EU so it's really difficult to do now. But I love it here in Thailand so I'm not really bothered.

Are Visas still being approved for US to Thai but not Thai to USA?

Have have a question for everyone and I would like honest answers please. I hope to retire in Thailand or 6 months there every year and 6 months in the my home country and I was wondering what everyone does for hobbies and things to do and if it’s easy getting a part time job and your view on the different regions like Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, and Chiang Mai, I would like to hear all the good and bad, oh, by the way, I’m male if that makes a difference. Thank you

I considered Cambodia, and the Philippines. My wife does not like the Philippines. Cambodia is the second best choice.

I am also thinking about Vietnam, havent really seen any other videos about Loas or Cambodia. I joined Thai Cupid to try and meet people but man talk about the scammers coming out of the wood work

Nope, Noone ever thought of that.

So many options for staying in Thailand longer term and working legitimately. Let me know if you want to know more

Nope

I considered them all, I also thought about living all throughout the world for 3 to 6 months at a time in different places... after 2 weeks in Thailand no need to go anywhere else.

By the very phrasing of your question the answer would be everybody.

YOU FORGET Beautiful laos

Yes, I lived in Vietnam for 7 years but a) the weather sucks most of the year, and b) they have no retirement visa.

no

I lived in Vietnam for 7 years, and I would have stayed there forever, but they don't have retirement visa options. I had to pick a second best.

I worked in Saigon Vietnam for 1 year, 1 year In PP Cambodia, on and off in Manila for 2 years, Singapore for 10 years, Thailand is and was the only choice for me, besides from Singapore which is awesome place as long as you are making big money, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines are great places and I still visit at least once a year but I could never live there. Thailand is home now for 6 years and no regrets.

Well if your wife is Thai that pretty much settles it

Good question , was thinking thst. Thanks

All countries are good. Phillipines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, LAOS ❤️. Take your time and visit and see where you feel

Is the right one for you. Thailand is amazing but so are others too.

No because Thailand is best

First visited Thailand 20+ years ago and had it on my radar for living full-time all along. There was no other country that even came close to considering.

“Settled” ??

Cambodia is Plan B for me ... just in case visapolitics in thailand will change again in the future.

Vietnam

No, Thailand was the only choice for us. My husband is Thai and he missed home. I could easily extend my visa as well. Will apply for citizenship soon as well

Thailand is very modern

Other countries are very 3rd world countries.

Why so many people leave their develop home countries to settle in Thailand and surrounding countries? America for instance boast of being the greatest country in the world. Germany, France, UK and Australia are all well developed countries. Why are people leaving these super powered countries to settle in Asia?

Yes. Thailand iny opinion is by far the best option for a quality life. Other countries for me are nice for a visit but not to live.

I considered surrounding countries, yes, but they were either in a civil war, in poor condition form having been bombed by the US for years upon years, or just had poorer quality of life when it comes to environment and health care.

Or the places were terribly homophobic.

I also considered Nepal, but the electricity is allegedly not consistent or dependable. And coming from where I come from, I don't think I can live comfortably in that setting.

Also Vietnam was too expensive.

Yes,Malaysia would be my destiny, after thailand.

You say "settled" for Thai visas as if I wanted to go somewhere else, but was denied, so Thailand was my backup plan.

Nothing really , but there is not a day goes past that the Thai government saying they are considering changing something, my point is that it is very hard to plan a long term holiday in Thailand, people are confused about all the different Visa’s, I’m a Aussie, I want to come on 60 days exemption, but they threaten to change all the time , hard to plan

The restrictions are not as bad in other place , and basically if Thailand doesn’t want my money, I’ll go elsewhere, and I’m not the only one thinking like this

Thailand wants to make changes to get rid of certain people who miss behave, I get that , but they punish everyone

There is a reason people go through all the visa trouble here.

It’s a premium to pay, in order to be able to live in the best country in the world

We love Vietnam but impossible to stay long term unless you have a business visa which is very difficult, we have adopted two rescue dogs & are very happy in Thailand currently on a DTV Visa & will change to no o visa as my husband will be 50.

Nine years ago I decided to give the Philippines six months and Thailand six months before making a decision. Thailand won:

- Better food

- No typhoons

- Better healthcare

- Profoundly safer

- Not Americanized

No

For me no, I served here early 70’s…no desire to live elsewhere….

Those other countries cannot match the beauty and culture of Thailand.

The people , culture, healthcare , education , infrastructure, festivities and nightlife , food and entertainment are all way better in Thailand 🇹🇭

The problem with Cambodia is its Cambodia the problem with Vietnam is they kick you out every 90 days that's ridiculous Thailand you can stay for several years if you don't want to leave

While Thailand might have a revolving door Prime Ministership, anchored somewhat by the Thai Monarchy, Cambodia cannot be said to have the same level of Asian democracy. Live in Myanmar if you want to experience SE-Asia time-warped back at least 20 years under a very authoritarian military government that only plays and pays lip service to a veneer of democracy.

Cambodia not a good country to settle in

Thailand hands down out of 42 countries.

It depends, I lived in Indonesia (on and off) for 16 years, and that was the only choice when married to an Indonesian, and engaged to an Indonesian, but after marrying a Thai (we met and lived in Bahrain) Thailand was the only choice.

been to every asean country. thailand was the best choice.

Scambodia is so filthy, never go there again!

Never considered any

I have been thinking half a year per year in the philippines but on further investigation im going off the idea. Maybe indonesia cos then at least the seasons would suit....

Yes Cambodia. But it's just not as convenient to live there

Going to Cambodia been living last three years in gated community Philippines. Retired from USA

All other are not open minded like thai… if you have a girlfriend dint think to take her how like here ….the cultural and “ military “ rules are much stricter even aliens don’t seams to see them …I live and work here 22 years in Thailand … more easy then the others I tried … Bali just kick out tourists… no Tourist is allowed now to rent a motorbike…also it is Hindu the influence of the rest of Indonesia with strange Muslim sharia laws pushed now all over …. NO go

Cambodia develop a lot in the last two decades but

Live is only possible in the “ tourist spots” or the capital, but even there are more and more police checks … Vietnam was beautiful and cheap … but rent in great locations are much higher then on Phuket … Laos is sadly very poor …. I decided the health care here is simply the Best

I'm going Cambodia way

Hi Ms.Kon, What are you looking for exactly. There is most probably ten other things you need to worry about before you get your rent back.

After 4 years in Thailand i moved back to Cambodia 10 days ago. Went to the agent I was using before, Lucky Lucky motorbike rental. I arrived at 8.15 am and paid for express, because I needed the visa for registration of a new motorbike before the weekend. 8.30 pm the same day they sent me a photo of the visa. Cost 295 dollars+ 60 dollars for express. 1 photo needed no, question about money and I didn't have to sign any paperwork. 1 year retirement visa with unlimited re entry.

Philippines Has It's Compensations...More English. 14 Yrs. In P.Is. 7 Yrs. In Chiang Mai. Lived in Several Places In Cambodia, Little Time In Vietnam. Don't Get Sick In Either Cambodia or The Philippines. For Health Care Thailand Is My 1st Choice After U.S. Denistry In Vietnam A Lot Cheaper Than Thailand. Cambodia Is Gettin' Alot More "Private Hosp." But Axcess May Be A Problem. Wife & I Just Signed 1 Yr. Lease On Condo, BUT I'm Already Gettin Tired Of Thai Banks & Their Visa Crap ! However I Got My 1st Non-O In 2011' After That I Had Zero Problems.

Any experience/opinions of Laos, as a possible alternative ?

Nope

Yeah I would like every western people live in Cambodia not Thailand

Well, given this is a Thai Visa group, opinions will be biased.

I am considering Phillipines due to easier visa routes + widely spoken English.

I spent a year in Cambodia one week. That’s why I settled on Thailand

I checked out the Philippines, then came running back to Thailand.

No. But now thinking about Cambodia.

Easy to stay . pay & stay . But you will really be going native

Yes

Yes

Other countries do not have enough infrastructure

And poor health system particularly Cambodia

Settled?

Please elaborate on

settling for a Thai visa.

NEVER CONSIDER SETTLE IN CAMBODIA

NEVER STEP INTO THIS LAND FOR PAST SIX DECADES AND CONTINUE TO SKIP

Why?

Nope

Do you love your life? LOL@Cambodia

I visited SE Asia countries for at least a month each. Thailand is the clear winner.

And Thailand has the best visa options in the region.

LMFAO. SCAMBODIA. HAHAHAHAHA. No thanks. Would be safer to go to Iran

Most important to worry about is Healthcare.

I settled in a Thailand after originally coming here for 2-years work (never left 29 years later as easy to get to other parts of the globe to work).

My brother has settled between Penang and Portugal.

Yes, but after visiting, none of them came close to beautiful Thailand 🇹🇭

Never.

Cambodia amazing and super easy for everything

Been in Thailand now for nine years never had a problem with the visa. People say it’s always changing but in reality it’s been the same for the last nine years as far as the retirement visa goes. Either you do it yourself or have a company and do it for you.