Retiring in Thailand from Switzerland: budget, visa and risks

Thailand is the cheapest option many early retirees consider, and the one furthest from home. The saving is large. So are the questions about visas, insurance and what happens when you are 75 and far from Swiss health care.

The budget

An illustrative budget for one person living modestly in a mid-sized Thai city is about CHF 1,800 a month, including rent, food, local transport and private health insurance. This is an assumption, not a quote, and it is lower in a small town and higher in Bangkok or a resort.

The difference is CHF 754,000. The way to keep it is to test the plan against a higher budget too, since costs rise with age and with medical needs.

The visa

The route most retirees use is a retirement visa or extension of stay for people aged 50 and over. It typically asks for:

• Proof of money, either a deposit in a Thai bank of THB 800,000, or a monthly income above a set amount, or a mix.
• Health insurance that meets the visa requirements.
• A yearly renewal, with the paperwork repeated each time.

Long-term residence schemes also exist for wealthy pensioners and remote workers. The details change often, so check the current rules with the Thai embassy.

Tax

Thailand taxes residents, and since 2024 foreign income brought into the country in the same year may be taxable under a new reading of the rules. Switzerland and Thailand have a double taxation treaty. How your pension, dividends and capital withdrawals are treated depends on how and when you transfer them, so plan it with an adviser before you move money. See retiring abroad from Switzerland for the Swiss side.

Property

Foreigners cannot own land in Thailand. They can own a condominium, within a quota for foreign ownership of 49% of a building, or take a long lease, typically 30 years. See buying or renting abroad versus staying in Switzerland. Many retirees simply rent.

Healthcare

Private hospitals in the main cities are good and cheaper than in Switzerland. The problem is insurance. Premiums rise steeply with age, policies may exclude pre-existing conditions, and some insurers refuse new customers over a certain age. Buy cover while you are young and healthy, and budget for the cost to rise. If you return to Switzerland, you can rejoin basic insurance. See health insurance in early retirement.

The main risks

• Insurance at 70 and above. Expensive, possibly limited.
• Visa policy. Rules can change, and you depend on them each year.
• Distance. From family, friends and the Swiss system.
• Currency. Your pot is in francs, your costs in baht.
• Climate and air quality. Different between regions and seasons.

How to test it

Spend three months in the place you have in mind, in the hot and the rainy season, with a realistic budget. Then compare with the other options in Portugal, Spain, southern France or Italy.

Next step

Open the calculator, enter the Thailand budget and compare it with your Swiss budget.