best retirement places in the world

Punta Gorda noted for retirement housing
Punta Gorda, Fort Myers are listed among top cities in the nation for bargains

Pacquiao roots for Mexico in World Cup
MANILA, Philippines – Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacman Pacquiao is known to be a fan of basketball, billiards and cockfighting. This time, he is also sharing his love for soccer, specifically the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

California Teachers' Pension Fund Joins Lawsuit Against Massey Energy
The public pension for California's teachers is joining a shareholder lawsuit against Massey Energy.

Retire at 54 years of age and be happier?

I recently bought pineapples at the large grocery store. Large, fresh, mouth watering pineapples. Ten baht each or .25 cents U.S. each. They will cut if for you and put it on styrofoam with cellophane wrapping for free.

What is different now?

When we approached our room we found it was devastated. The outside window smashed by the water, the door broken, mattress and furniture upside down and the room inaccessible.

To learn more about living in Chiang Mai one has to live with the people. Find out what they eat, where they shop, what they do daily.

I lived like a tourist at first living in a hotel, eating my meals there. I played pool before breakfast at a snooker establishment behind the hotel. After breakfast TV was the norm and then later in the day I would walk to the Night Bazaar shopping and tourist district about 30 minutes away. The walk there was good exercise, it gave me a chance to see the people and businesses along the way and get familiar with the city. Walk, look around, pop into O'Malley's pub for a cool drink and to meet Scot, a fellow Canadian, and the owner.

Well to cut to the chase I was thinking of going to the Dominican Republic to live. But after going there twice I found that the power was unreliable, there were safety concerns, doctors and dentists were not easily accessible and it was pricey.

I arrived in Bangkok on Nov. 23, 2004 and that is where we will start our real life experiences, adventures and misadventures.

Only when we reached the airport a day later did we realize the true extent of the devastation. There were tourists at the airport with cuts, bandages, broken bones but worse yet there were many people unaccounted for.

Hotel guests were taken to higher ground by buses and trucks. We sat by the roadside on higher ground waiting. The hotels found alternate accommodations in nearby Phuket which was about one half drive away from Patong. We left the others who sat by the roadside and went to some hillside shacks where Wan was able to greet the people, speak their language and explain the situation. They offered us refreshments and a place to lay down and wait.

Cats and dogs here are numerous. Just about everyone in our neighborhood has either a cat or dog or both. Our neighbor has 6 cats plus 2 kittens and he does not have a fulltime job. It is difficult for him but I know he loves the cats. He has offered to give us a few but we do not have the space.

The hotel rate was $16U.S. a night with taxes and breakfast included. I wanted to stay in a serviced apartment later but did not want to book it until I had seen it first. I was favorably impressed when I visited the apartment and proceeded to book it. So three weeks at the hotel and then on to the serviced apartment which would run about $250 a month with utilities and water included, and breakfast extra. The apartment had internet available in the rooms at an extra fee, or internet on site, massage spa on site, rooftop pool, motorcycle rental, beauty salon and restaurant which had entertainment in the evenings. The TV has a large selection of channels by way of satellite, there was free parking on site, and a great location near the Central Mall. So it had it all

They use fresh ingredients in their cooking. There are many farms nearby and the produce from fruits, to vegetables is abundant year around and very cheap. There is also a fantastic selection of seafood's to pick from. You can buy the seafood from the market or from a large grocery store where the selection is varied and fresh. If you want you can pick out a live fish, continue with your shopping and when you are checking out pick up your cooked fish to take home for dinner or lunch.

I can tell you about one or two things that I do not like and I could tell you about the hundred things I like. I am a picky person so if I like it here and have very little or nothing to complain about then I am sure others will love it here also.

Tremor about 3 a.m. Woke me up and I wondered whether it was an earthquake. Around 4:30 a.m. another tremor. Awakened me again. At around 7 a.m. a large boom sounded like a shotgun blast and then a minute later another such loud boom.

I think in total I spent something in the neighborhood of 600 hours of research on the internet and I learned what I could but there was more, much more to learn.

Now life is different. Wan and I live in her townhouse with her daughter and mother. Her husband passed away and she has been the one they rely on. Wan has a beauty salon downstairs in her townhouse.

So enamored by Chiang Mai am I that I have created a website to help other retire here. First to come here on vacation and then to retire here.

Friendly people who go out of their way to make you feel at home.

Retirement? No one wants to talk about it or even think about. Perhaps it makes us feel older if we do that. So years go by and things do not change. We do the same things, eat the same foods until the doctor tells us to make some changes, and we carry on like we will live forever. Unfortunately we won't live forever and we should be thinking of retirement before we kick the bucket. After all what did you work all those years for anyways?

I met a lovely lady name Nichaya. She was a hairdresser during the day and my tour guide, companion, means of transportation during the evenings. Although I weigh more than twice her weight we rode around town on her motorbike. Her driving the motorbike and me on back. This may seem odd but it is not uncommon. Unless you know the city and really know how to drive a motorcycle you shouldn't. These motorcycles are 100 and 110 cc engines which means they are not powerful but they are very economical in terms of fuel. We could drive around all week all over town for only $2 U.S. in diesel fuel.

Hundreds of hours of research later by methodical, planner George and he has come up with the best retirement country and also the best retirement city in all of South East Asia and perhaps the world. Chiang Mai, a city of several hundred thousand inhabitants. Located about 420 miles north of Bangkok and less polluted, less expensive, and with less traffic than Bangkok and also cooler than Bangkok. Chiang Mai, unknown to most of North Americans yet visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists yearly, and home to thousands of foreigners who have visited there, found it to their liking and decided to make this their new home.

By this time Nichaya or Wan her nickname which everyone has here and I were becoming very close and fond of each other. I invited here to Patong a beach resort for a weeks holiday. She refused but each day I would ask again. Finally she relented and agreed. Have any of you heard of the December, 2004 tsuanmi? Well guess where I was at the time? Right. Right there.

Great accommodations and bargain prices.

The tsunami hit a few days before we were scheduled to return to Chiang Mai. We lost a camera, some clothing, some pictures but found each other. She handled the situation calmly and we were unharmed. In case you are interested this is what happened.

The day before the tsunami hit we were on a boat cruise to Phi Phi Islands. Two days before the tsunami hit we rented motor boats at the beach. If this had happened a day earlier or at a different time then you would not be reading this article.

Back to the cooking. The reason Thai food is so delicious is partly the freshness of the ingredients but mainly the sauces. Simple cooked rice with fried vegetables becomes a delicious meal with the right sauce added. Something to watch out for if you do visit here. Two small bowls are presented with many of the meals. One has a green paste/sauce and the other a red colored paste/sauce. These are added to fish or meat by way of dipping or by placing a small amount on a tablespoon from the bowl and then on to your food. WATCH OUT!!!! The red is spicy hot and should be added in measured quantities. The green should not be added at all unless you are Thai or Mexican in my opinion. The green one is the hottest of the two and can make you perspire, reach quickly for a glass of water and visit the washroom in the middle of the night and not to brush your teeth.

Well aged 54 and separated from my wife and seeing my friends gain weight and have health problems made me think. I was gaining weight also, I was not happy with the direction my life was headed, so what can I do? I starting thinking of the alternatives.

Other retirees recommend staying in a condo or serviced apartment for 6 months or more to get familiar with the city before proceeding with any sort of long term rental arrangements.

If you want you can retire here on less than that, but to live a comfortable life here that is all that it takes.

I thought it may be terrorists out by the pool area and I recommended staying in the room. Nichaya told me to get out of the room. We grabbed a few valuables, passport and ran out of the hotel. Our hotel room was on the lower level facing the pool area which is about 6 feet lower than the lobby area of the hotel. We ran by the pool, up the stairs to the lobby and out the front entrance. Just as we crossed the road water gushed out from the hotel and on to the street. So the water level needed to be at least 6 feet high just to reach the lobby area. Motorcycles, vehicles were being carried down the streets in all directions by the sudden gush of water. We were on higher ground across the street and took off our shoes and I rolled up my pants.

So to sum things up. It isn't perfect here. You can find something to complain about if you look hard enough but for me it is as close to perfection as I will find.

So many things to do that I can not even list them all.

After the tiring trip I decided to stay over a few nights in Bangkok. Then well rested I was ready to continue onwards to Chiang Mai.

Visit our website for Thai foods and recipes, to learn more about living here, and to see pictures of Chiang Mai.

After an hour or so the water level began to recede. It was about this time when a motorcycle policeman drove by and alerted everyone that there would be another wave coming shortly. He was right. Another similar wave went through the lobby and on to the streets again. Now the water level was back to where it was before and we could do nothing but wait.

Well I have learned how to live here on less. There are accommodations to be had here from $80 a MONTH and excellent accommodations can be had for $200 U.S. a month. By excellent I mean similar to a hotel room, TV with cable or satellite, pool, restaurant on site and in a good location with twice weekly or weekly cleaning.

My research enabled me to be well prepared for my journey and I am not one to leave things to chance. Things went as planned and I arrived at Chiang Mai train station and had reserved a room for 21 days at the Bossotel Inn which was directly across the road from the train station.

When the water level receded and it deemed safe we re-entered our hotel lobby to find a young boy who was in the pool when the tsunami hit lying of the floor with someone trying to resuscitate him. Unfortunately the boy did not make it. The hotel staff were totally unprepared. Nice people as they are they did not have a clue what to do. Guests were yelling out, Call a Doctor, Have you called a Doctor? The hotel staff smiled politely but either did not understand or were unable to reach anyone.

Well a one hour flight back to Bangkok for some shopping and then the short one hour flight back to Chiang Mai, my new home.

I eat Thai food now with chicken wings, French fries, and some homemade potato soap several times a week. I read that Thai's can make anything taste delicious. That is TRUE.

With time on my hands I sat in front of my computer and did some research. and discovered that Thailand was a popular retirement destination. In fact I read that Chiang Mai was the most popular retirement destination in all of South East Asia.

Cable TV with 54 channels for $8.25 U.S. a month. Installation cost of cable was around $7 U.S. and $2.50 extra for the second TV. Internet and telephone for about $20 U.S. a month total .

Would it have been handled differently or better in North America?

A quick one hour plane flight or a relaxing 13 hours train ride which one was it to be? With the extra luggage I was bringing including computer and golf clubs I decided on the train. The bumpy ride in a very comfortable reclining seat (2nd class A/C) set me back all of $15 dollar U.S. and this included two meals, a refreshment and a pastry. It was a bumpy ride with little to see but the forest. But I had all my luggage aboard, no extra charge, and the bumpy ride was just what my legs needed for their circulation.

Wan and I were unhurt but learned something about each other through the experience. We showed how we react in emergencies and also we learned something about hotels and Thai people. After writing to hotel management at the Patong Merlin hotel on at least 6 occasions to that location and to their sister Phuket hotel which was undamaged by the tsunami we received one reply after 5 weeks. They did not try to clean any of the clothes left behind, did not try to return any of the contents, did not even try to contact us with a letter or e-mail saying sorry about this experience. We stayed there for a week at $100 U.S. a night and will never stay in a Merlin hotel again.

Like a normal tourist eh? Yes, I am Canadian how did you know?

Fantastic food and bargain prices.

I see the parents take their children to school which is expensive here. About 80,000 baht or $2,000 U.S. per year for schooling, clothing and textbooks for a 7 year old. They teach the children English even at this age. The parents have to work damm hard to pay for the schooling but they are doing this in hopes of their children obtaining good jobs and having a better life with more to look forward to.

Jan 20, 2008 RECORD numbers of Britons are fleeing country for more appealing climates, lower taxes, more affordable property and fewer traffic jams.www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/consumer/article3215247.ece - SimilarOn Top of CommunitiesOn Top of the World Communities - Active Adult Florida · About On Top of World Communities Ocala, Florida. Floor Plans & Features - Employment - Contact Uswww.ontopoftheworldcommunities.com/ - Cached - SimilarRetirement Index 09 – International LivingSep 2, 2009 The Best Place the to Retire, Says International Living Ecuador may be the best-kept secret the Americas, internationalliving.com/2009/09/retirement-index-09/ - Cached2007 Index – International LivingNews Update: Sardinia: One of Top Five Healthiest to Live World's Top Retirement Havens 2007 by Laura Sheridan Whether your internationalliving.com/2007/09/09-01-07-retirement/ - CachedThe world's best-kept secret - Commentary Index - MSN Moneyarticles.moneycentral.msn.com/RetirementandWills//TheWorldsBestKeptRetirementSecret.aspx? - SimilarThe world's best-kept retirement secret - MSN MoneyThe world's best-kept retirement secret. war is long over, but the bad rap remains. Today's Nicaragua is an inexpensive paradise eager to welcome articles.moneycentral.msn.com/RetirementandWills//TheWorldsBestKeptRetirementSecret.aspx - Cached - Similar» Top 10 International Best to Retire TopretirementsSep 7, 2009 Find communities, active adult communities, What countries would make your list of the places world? www.topretirements.com/retirement/top-10-international-best-places-to-retire.html/ - Cached - SimilarRetire Overseas - Overseas Havens - Retire Abroad Retire Overseas! Discover the world's 6 best to live or retire Own an exotic beachfront getaway for $35000a romantic pied-a-terre for under www.escapeartist.com/retirement/Overseas_Retirement2.html - Cached - SimilarAmerica's Top 100 Master-Planned CommunitiesBest guide for Living and Retirement Communities. of premier communities throughout world featuring site built homes, manufactured homes, Alabama - Arizona - Arkansas - Californiawww.retirenet.com/top100/ - Cached - SimilarFind the Place to RetireU.S.News & World Report. Tuesday, June 8, 2010. Subscribe |; Contact Us |; Article Index Best Places. Home > Retirement > Best to Retire www.usnews.com/money/best-places/to-retire/listing/search - Cached - SimilarSearches related to retirement places the worldbest place to retire europebest places retire south americabest international retirement locationsbest international places to retirebest places to retire worldwidebest small towns europeamerica top nursing homesbest small towns usa Sponsored linksSenior Living New YorkKittay House - Value & IndependenceNot just an apartement - a Life Best places to retire - find out where are top places around the to retire. Let us take a tour of various locations different parts of Savannah has an old charm about it with plenty of mansions, www.bestplacesretire.com/ - Cached - SimilarBest Places to Live and Retire Cheap America and Overseas Cheap places to live can be found many areas of the world, but we focus on warm and sunny retirement places where there's NO SNOW. The places to www.greatretirementplaces.com/ - Cached - SimilarThe Top 10 places to retire Robert Powell - MarketWatchFeb 25, 2010 But there are 25 new towns on list, according to John Brady, editor of second edition of 100 Best Retirement Towns. www.marketwatch.com//the-top-10-places-to-retire-2010-02-25 - Cached - Similar - Add to iGoogleWelcome to the Net - Retirement Communities and Communities, Homes and Retirement Properties- includes retirement communities throughout the world featuring site built homes, . on RetireNet.com is way to put your community front and center. www.retirenet.com/ - Cached - SimilarYouTube - Acapulco Mexico 10 Places To Retire In World Video 3 min 11 sec - May 19, 2009queueMazatlan, Mexico Retirement, House Options Maz3064 views queueThe 30 Best Places To Retire - Fre2107 RETIRE OVERSEAS - Learn about the world's six best places to live or retire. - Live like royalty on $17 a day. Own an exotic beachfront getaway for $35000. www.escapeartist.com/efam/41/anual_retirement.html - Cached - SimilarBest new to retire around the world - Retirement - HeliumThe new to retire to around world keep changing. There are so many great locations available through-out world that it www.helium.com//134783-best-new-places-to-retire-around-the-world - Cached - SimilarThe 10 Havens - Forbes.comOct 15, 2009 Pictures: 10 Best Havens. No place is perfect. Country Brand Index, most livable place world. www.forbes.com//ten-best-retirement-havens-personal-finance-retire-abroad.html - Cached - SimilarBest communities – Topretirements.comFind the best places communities and active adult communities at One of the world's top Mozart Festivals, Frank Lloyd Wright's only www.topretirements.com/ - Cached - SimilarOn Top of Communities Ocala, Florida - Luxury Homes Unlike other 55+ Retirement Communities, On Top of the not only offers to offer residents very community and active adult living. www.privatecommunities.com//ontopoftheworldcommunities/ - Cached - SimilarLooking for Best Place to Retire?Youll definitely be impressed with this glorious Paradise along the Mexican Riviera and will probably agree, Puerto Vallarta is place www.streetdirectory.com//retirement/looking_for_the_best_place_in_the_world_to_retire.html - Cached - SimilarRetirement Panama - Living PanamaPanama is fast becoming one of world's top destinations and also a adventurous and inexpensive place to retire, Panama also offers an www.businesspanama.com/tourism/retire_live.php - Mexico - Cached - SimilarU.S. News & Report: Guide 2007Retirement Living TV offers video profiles of some places identified by U.S. News Sign up today for the latest headlines from U.S. News and World Report www.usnews.com › Home › Money › - Cached - SimilarBest Places To Retire - Ideal Retirement Places The WorldAre you looking for places to retire, so that you can make a good choice for your old age? Read on to find out options available to you, lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/best-places-to-retire-8086.html - CachedAmazon.com: The World's Top Retirement Havens (9781562613778 This review is from: World's Top Retirement Havens (Paperback). Having been to many of places covered this book, I was saddened to note that the www.amazon.com › › Aging Parents › Retirement Planning - Cached - SimilarSearches related to best retirement places worldbest place to retire europebest places retire south americabest international locationsbest international places to retirebest places to retire worldwidebest small towns europeamerica top nursing homesbest small towns usa Sponsored links55+ Active CommunityStaten Is. upscale active communityGolf, Tennis, Jogging & Bike trail Cities Citing no state income tax and its three healthcare systems, Money Magazine has named Chattanooga one of the 25 Places to Retire www.chattanooga-chamber.com//americastalking.asp - Cached - SimilarChoosing Where to retire, Affordable Destinations Explore Panama as a potential destination and learn about how exchange rates can Most Affordable Places to Retire - Panama America with near perfect weather, and world's pensionado program for retirees, www.gocurrency.com/articles/retire-panama.htm - Cached - SimilarRetirement Communities - 55 Plus Active Adult Community GuideJun 9, 2010 55 Places can help you find active adult including a rich history, world-class cultural attractions and a wide www.55places.com/ - 11 hours ago - Cached - SimilarGet more results from the past 24 hoursBaby Boomers Online Community and Social Network with some of the care the world cardiology, gastroenterology, . If you are planning to buy a vacation home, or retirement home or simply want at the same time, know place to invest, live, resort and enjoy boomersabroad.com/ - Cached - SimilarTop budget retirement destinations abroad | Analysis & Opinion |Jan 28, 2010 GlobalPost has put together a slideshow of some of the places to settle down when you need to make your dollar last. We favored countries that not only have low 1 spot its 2009 World's Top Havens. blogs.reuters.com//top-budget-retirement-destinations-abroad/ - Cached - SimilarInternational Communities, Active Adult Lifestyle Feb 6, 2009 International Retirement Communities, Active Adult Lifestyle Living and Reviews on Top Travel Destinations for Retirees www.blogcatalog.com//international-retirement-communities-active-adult-lifestyle-living-and-reviews-on-top-world-travel-destinations - Cached - SimilarTop 10 Overseas Retirement Havens | EFAM | Escape From America World's Top Overseas Retirement Haven #2: France. World's best quality of . for letting us know that there still are great places world to live. www.escapefromamerica.com//top-10-overseas-retirement-havens/ - CachedOn Top of the World Communiies Ocala FloridaOn Top of World Communities is all about choices—from the choice to Areas Gas Prices Current gas prices posted by area gas stations. www.mysuncountry.com/communities/world/index.htm - Cached - SimilarTop Places WorldThe World's Top Six Retirement Havens for 2008 Most tourists head for the north, but the best beaches are found the southeast, particularly along the www.oceanstarestates.com/top-retirement-havens.html - CachedHow to Retire Happy: With a Difference - HomeYou will also find planning resources such as Best Places . (A review of The World's Retirement Book on Retirement2Works.com Website. www.how-to-retire-happy.com/ - Cached - SimilarSearches related to retirement places worldbest place to retire in europebest places retire south americabest international retirement locationsbest international places to retirebest places to retire worldwidebest small towns europeamerica top nursing homesbest small towns usa Sponsored linksThe Place to RetireFree Report: Find Your PerfectRetirement Destination Overseas Panama Is Retirement Destination World! to Visit or Live Panama: Balboa; Bocas del Toro; Chitré; Christóbal; Coco Solo; Colón www.retireinpanama.info/ - Cached - SimilarThe World's Top Retirement Havens 2007 « Information Literacy Mar 15, 2010 Moving up four places to take our top spot as the world's top . fact, we ranked Ecuador as world's haven 1999, www.literacynews.com//the-worlds-top-retirement-havens-in-2007/ - CachedBusiness, financial, personal finance news - CNNMoney.comJohn Legend sings for a better · Teaching can be taught · See high-res images of BP leak Are stocks the retirement bet?Fortune; Don't fear double dip recession Best Places to Live · Visionaries. Most Popular money.cnn.com/ - Cached - Similar - Add to iGoogleBest Retirement Places World: Beautiful Grasslands Country ClubOne of the Best Retirement Places is where the beautiful Grasslands Golf and Country club resides at Oakbridge Lakeland, Florida. www.oakbridge.com/Beautiful_Grasslands_Country_Club.html - CachedRetirement: Overseas Locations - BusinessWeekJul 1, 2009 Retirement: Overseas Locations Lovers of New World wines might choose Australia, while New Zealand, South Africa, and Croatia offer www.businessweek.com/globalbiz//gb2009071_589004.htm - Cached - SimilarSearches related to the worldbest place to retire europebest places retire south americabest international retirement locationsbest international places to retirebest places to retire worldwidebest small towns europeamerica top nursing homesbest small towns usa Sponsored links55+ Active CommunityStaten Is. upscale active communityGolf, Tennis, Jogging & Bike trail This review is from: The World's Top Retirement Havens (Paperback). Having been to many of places covered this book, I was saddened to note that www.amazon.com › › Aging Parents › Planning - Cached - SimilarRE/MAX- Nicaragua Real Estate & Property for Sale | Places to Come explore one of places to retire for cheap the world! Thinking about Retirement? Nicaragua now ranks amongst best places to retire! coastal.nicaraguaproperty.com/ - Cached - SimilarThe Real 'Best Places to Retire' - CBS MoneyWatch.comPerhaps the best way to use the “best retirement places” rankings is to to city the - where else can you find places like MOMA or moneywatch.bnet.com/retirementbest-places-to/305464/ - Cached - SimilarBest to Retire 2009 - Money Magazine on CNNMoney.comTee up your retirement. Pinehurst, N.C., one of Money's Places to Retire, offers world-class golf courses and a small town feel. money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag//index.html - Cached - Add to iGoogleThe Retirement Cafe - Where to RetireThe AARP's to Retire the World. Moving to a new destination is part of many retirees' plan, because relocating adds another www.retirement-cafe.com/Where-to-Retire.html - Cached - SimilarBest Communities - WalletPopClick through our gallery to see which retiree-worthy places fit bill as freelance writer Carol Vinzant picks 14 retirement communities with something www.walletpop.com/retirement/best-retirement-communities/ - CachedRetirement LocationsFind plenty of best retirement locations within the US that offer amicable Retirement Locations best thing about retiring is, it sets you Free, www.futureyears.com/retirement-locations/ - Cached - SimilarBest Guide Retirement CommunitiesRetirement communities are located the best places..whether coastal, urban, . Retirement Communities Review, On-site review of Leisure World in www.bestguide-retirementcommunities.com/ - Cached - SimilarTop 10 Cheap Retirement Destinations - Watch - CBS NewsJan 28, 2010 GlobalPost Lists 10 Places to Retire for Americans Struggling to Save Read more by Global Post on CBS News' Watch.www.cbsnews.com/8301-503543_162-6150996-503543.html - Cached - Add to iGoogleBest Places to RetireGet Free Reports on some of "The Best to Retire Around the World" reports for each cheap retirement location includes important factors to www-bestplacestoretire.com/ - Cached - SimilarSearches related to the worldbest place to retire europebest retire south americabest international locationsbest international places to retirebest places to retire worldwidebest small towns europeamerica top nursing homesbest small towns usa Sponsored links55+ Active CommunityStaten Is. upscale active communityGolf, Tennis, Jogging & Bike trail