Expat Insider 2023 Survey Reveals: The Best & Worst Destinations for Living and Working Abroad, Thailand is 6th

 Thailand

InterNations, the world’s largest expat community with more than 4.8 million members, has published the latest results of its annual Expat Insider survey. This year also marks the survey’s 10th anniversary. With more than 12,000 respondents, Expat Insider is one of the most extensive surveys about living and working abroad. It provides insights into expat life in 53 destinations, offering in-depth information on the respondents’ satisfaction with their respective countries in these five indices: Quality of Life, Ease of Settling In, Working Abroad, Personal Finance, and the Expat Essentials Index.

Expats Enjoy an Affordable Life in Thailand 

Thailand ranks 6th out of 53 destinations in the Expat Insider 2023 survey. Cost-conscious ex-pats appreciate Thailand for its readily available and affordable housing (1st), as well as the affordable lifestyle it generally offers. The country ranks 4th in the Personal Finance Index. However, there is still room for improvement regarding Work Culture & Satisfaction (46th) and Safety & Security (45th). All in all, 86% say they are happy with their life in Thailand, compared to a global average of 72%. 

The Best & Worst Destinations for Expats in 2023

Out of 53 destinations in the Expat Insider 2023 survey, Mexico (1st), Spain, Panama, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Costa Rica, the Philippines, Bahrain, and Portugal (10th) are the best places for expats in 2023. On the other hand, expats consider Kuwait (53rd), Norway, Türkiye, South Korea, Germany, South Africa, Italy, Malta, New Zealand, and Japan (44th) as the worst destinations for expats.

Source - Pattaya News

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Bangkok ranks 6th out of 50 cities worldwide in Expat City Ranking 2022, Friendly atmosphere a highlight

Bangkok ranks 6th out of 50 cities in the Expat City Ranking 2022, performing best for personal finance and worst for working abroad and quality of life.  

– In 2022, Valencia (1st), Dubai, Mexico City, Lisbon, Madrid, Bangkok, Basel, Melbourne, Abu Dhabi, and  Singapore (10th) are the top 10 cities for ex-pats to live in.  

– On the other hand, ex-pats consider Johannesburg (50th), Frankfurt, Paris, Istanbul, Hong Kong,  Hamburg, Milan, Vancouver, Tokyo, and Rome (41st) the world’s worst cities to live in.  

Bangkok ranks 6th out of 50 in the Expat City Ranking 2022 by  InterNations, the world’s largest ex-pat community with over 4.5 million members.

The city excels when it comes to both Personal Finance and the Ease of Settling In, ranking among the top 5 in both indices. While it gets somewhat mixed results in the Expat Essentials Index (22nd) — ex-pats find it easy to find housing but are unhappy with the digitization and local bureaucracy — Bangkok performs worst for both the Quality of Life and Working Abroad.

 The Expat City Ranking is based on the annual Expat Insider survey by InterNations. It is one of the most extensive surveys about living and working abroad, with 11,970 respondents in 2022. A total of  50 cities around the globe are featured this year, offering in-depth information about five areas of ex-pat life: Quality of Life, Ease of Settling In, Working Abroad, Personal Finance, and the new Expat  Essentials Index, which covers digital life, admin topics, housing, and language.  

Expats Enjoy Life without Monetary Concerns

Bangkok ranks 6th out of 50 cities in the Expat City Ranking 2022 and 2nd worldwide in the Personal  Finance Index. Expats are not only happy with the general cost of living (69% vs. 45% globally), but affordability is also a highlight in the Expat Essentials Index (22nd).

Source - Pattaya News

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Thailand Named #1 Destination in Asia for Global Retirees

BANGKOK (NNT) - Internationalliving.com has ranked Thailand the best destination in Asia and the 11th best in the world in its 2022 global retirement index.

According to the website, the rankings and indices are based on various factors including the cost of living, food, medical cost, visa convenience, weather, things to do, tradition, and culture.

The website said Thailand has always been popular among retirees from around the world because the country does not offer only beaches and other beautiful natural attractions but also convenient places as well as friendly locals.

Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Hua Hin of Prachuap Khirikhan are the top 3 cities among retirees. Foreigners can choose to live for different costs of living starting from 1,000 US dollars or around 33,000 baht per month.

Thailand is also well-known for its affordable and high-quality healthcare which is one of the first things retirees seek for healthy and secure living after retirement, while applying for and obtaining a long-stay visa is also easy and fast.

Meanwhile, this year’s top 10 countries for retirement are Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico, Portugal, Ecuador, Colombia, France, Malta, Spain, and Uruguay.

Source - ASIAN NOW

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Expats in Thailand are living ‘healthier lives’

 

Aetna International has released a report saying Expats in Thailand are leading healthier lives and actively taking control of their physical health.
However many say they struggle with their mental health due to the coronavirus.

The data has been revealed in the Expat Experiences Survey, published by international health benefits provider, Aetna International.

The report, which surveyed 1,000 expats in the UK, the U.S., China, Thailand, Singapore and the UAE, explores the what impact the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown has had on expat health and wellbeing. Also addressing both mental and physical health.

This latest report delves into the true challenges of living abroad, from how expats feel about their new home to how they think they are viewed by locals.

It also touches on expat opinions of locals as well as the impact of COVID-19 on the lives of expats.

It was interesting to read that even though social distancing measures should be adhered to which would prevent them from meeting friends and families, 56.3% of the respondents agreed that, if they had the option, they would prefer to be in their own country during the pandemic.

Interestingly, Thailand had the highest number of expats who would wish to be home at this time, at 71%.

Thailand is the most affected nation on mental health
The survey’s published key findings referenced Worldbackpackers.com, which named Chiang Mai as a top three city for digital nomads, as a possible reason, stating;

“It may be the case that younger entrepreneurs do not set down roots — start or take families — and therefore have less in-country support network. These individuals may be more inclined to head home in times of crises.”

Interestingly too that Thailand is the most affected nation on mental health with 50% of expats reporting an impact.

Considering we have low COVID-19 death rates, this may be related to the fact that the country’s economy is heavily reliant on tourism causing economic stress.

The good news is that nearly 60% of participants admitted to eating more healthily since the pandemic, with only 21% eating less healthy.

Thailand takes the crown here with 80% of expats claiming to be eating more healthily. A whopping 43% of participants are exercising more with 27% of people drinking less alcohol and only 18% drinking more.

Another badge of honour for Thailand’s expats is the fact that you are all exercising more than anyone with 57% (versus the average of 30% in other regions) saying they are. – Aetna International

Source - BangkokJack

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Vietnam - Life on the line: the railway people of Hanoi

Vu Thi Khoa washes her dishes in a plastic basin outside her home using water from a makeshift hosepipe. As she carefully scrubs away the dirt she issues a frank and stern warning.

"Keep your ears and eyes open and pay attention to the light and train horn signals," she says, "to avoid being hit by trains."

Khoa has lived less than a yard away from the railway line for 27 years, so she knows how to stay safe, and to keep others out of trouble, too — she’s raised her children and grandchildren there.

She’s used to the noise, used to the dirt and used to the risks, just like all the people who live their lives on the train line in Hanoi.

Several stretches of the North-South railway line passing through Ha Noi have become points of attraction for foreign tourists because of the houses people occupy just a few steps away from the tracks.

Dating back to 1881, the 1,730km North-South railway line passes through 21 provinces and cities across Vietnam. When Hanoi Station opened in 1902, the train lines that entered it were built in barren areas. But as the city grew and became more populated, houses were constructed closer and closer to the tracks.

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It is estimated there are hundreds of households living this way in the city’s inner districts, including Ba Dinh, Hoan Kiem and Dong Da.

Most of the residents used to be railway workers. Some moved to the capital city from other provinces to find jobs.

"Living here is not nearly as good as other places," says Nguyen Thi Dau, who has been living near the railway line for 33 years. "But we’ve been living here so long we’ve all got used to it."

Open up Dau’s front door and there’s a small kitchen, bare walls, a room and an electric fan, constantly pointing in the direction of her husband, who lies on the bed.

He suffered a stroke seven years ago and has rarely moved since.

"The noise used to keep us awake, and we used to freak out when trains passed by because they shook our house. But then we all got used to it," Dau adds. "Life is tough here but we accepted it."

Using a method like Khoa’s, Dao Van Chinh scrubs away dirt from his clothes as he sits leaning over a plastic basin where he washes his garments.

They may come out of the water clean this time, but it won’t be long before they need a new rinse.

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