English 
Français THAILAND, A PARADISE FOR SWISS RETIREES
Many Swiss people are settling in this country. Take Walter Faedo, for example, who has been living in Chiang Mai for five years.
Walter Faedo decided to spend his (early) retirement 9,000 kilometres away from his hometown of Le Locle. He has been living in Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, for the past five years. “I’ve never regretted that decision,” says the 56-year-old former engineer, who is married to a Thai woman. It all began ten years ago, when he visited a colleague who had settled there upon retirement. “I quickly fell in love with this country,” he recalls. After several holiday visits, he decided to make his home there too.
His case is far from unique, as Sarah Mastantuoni, director of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad, explains: “The latest statistics (2015) show that nearly 2,500 Swiss nationals over the age of 65 have settled in Thailand, representing just over a quarter of Swiss expatriates. This community is also one of those experiencing the strongest growth, namely +3.5% per year. ” “The increase in the number of permanent Swiss residents in Thailand is staggering, as in 1990 there were only about a thousand of us,” confirms Isabelle Meyer, 67, from the Jura region, who settled in Bangkok 45 years ago with her husband.
The country where the cost of living is lower
Why is Thailand seen as a paradise for our retirees? Walter Faedo points to the significantly lower cost of living. “A standard Swiss pension is enough to live comfortably, as a budget of around 1,000 francs a month is sufficient for a couple who have already bought a house — you can get a very decent detached house from 100,000 francs. As for insurance, it’s optional, which means you can tailor your retirement to suit your means. And you don’t pay tax, either in Thailand or in Switzerland. As for meals in restaurants, they cost just a few francs.”
Home help, which is easy to arrange, is very effective.
Another important factor for retirees, according to Isabelle Meyer: “Home help is easy to arrange and very effective.” A quality of life that is also down to “the kindness of the people, who are always very helpful and friendly, especially the further you get from the tourist centres”, and the mild climate. “Temperatures range from 20 to 38 degrees all year round, and snowy winters are replaced by the rainy season, from June to October, during which it usually only rains in the late afternoon and at night,” explains the Neuchâtel native.
A simple Swiss pension allows you to live comfortably
by Walter Faedo, Retired
An idyllic picture, with just one small cloud hanging over it, according to Walter Faedo: “The Thai language isn’t easy to learn, and not everyone speaks English.”
And what about the settlement procedure? “It’s quite simple,” replies the expert. “To obtain a retiree visa, renewable year on year, you must be at least 50 years old and have 22,000 francs in a Thai bank account.” In short, Thailand really is a country where life is good!
By Frédéric Rein
