What is the best visa option and affordable living recommendations for a US expat with 80% VA disability planning to retire in Thailand?

hey i would like my chances better living on 2,000 a month than here in the usa. when i lived in pattaya for 3 years i lived very good going out too eat all the time place right by beach and i lived good on 1400 a month. i talked with ex pats from usa and they tell me they were only getting 900 1000 or 1100 a month living good. but back home usa cant even find apartment in bad neighborhood for that

The 1st thing you need to work out is what visa would work for you but you don't provide any information to help with this. If you're over 50 you can get a retirement visa and extend it every year indefinitely. If you're under 50 your choices are not so clear cut, the easiest is the Thai Privilege visa but it's expensive. Other options might be to sign up with a school and study but after a year or two you'd have to find another visa or the DTV which again you'd have to sign up for an activity but it gets you 5 years of multiple entry each entry being 180 days

Try Rangsit district, Thammasat university hospital

Look into the Veterans Administration Overseas Medical Program for a start.

80% (฿68,780) a month is a tight budget to live on in especially in Bangkok or Pattaya…completely doable in other locations like E-San etc

Sign up for the FMP via the Va website this will cover all your service related disabilities (0%-100%) on a reimbursement basis, you can use any hospital or clinic as long as you keep the receipt…submit the receipts and the VA takes 150-250

Days to reimburse you

Bangkok hospital will direct bill the VA for the FMP but it’s different for every Bangkok hospital branch so inquire

The VFW groups in Thailand are a great resource join Them

Try to get into the Hundo club you can do all your C&P exams overseas

Good Luck

You have free VA hospitals, why would you pay for another health insurance and live in Thailand?

I'm 100% & Thailand works just fine with me. I use med park hospital in Bangkok. Samut Songkhram is calm. I don't use fmp or tri care. Try us vets living and visiting Thailand group.

If you are above 50, Non-O based on retirement if you fill the financial requirements as well.

If you are under 50, DTV is a solid option.

If you don't have to 500k to put in the bank, maybe a ED visa while you go to school to learn Thai is a choice for you.

Plenty of places are affordable, but don't expect luxury on a lower budget.

But you can get decent comfort with a budget of around 2k USD.

Stay home, don't come here it won't work for you