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As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing retirement in Thailand and Retirement Visa holders in Thailand and this concept that I have kind of deemed "comparative inflation" if you will. I started thinking about this reading a recent article from the Pattaya Mail, that is pattayamail.com, the article is titled: Inflation is hitting Pattaya hard but it's not evenly spread. Quoting directly: "Meanwhile, International tourists, expats and locals are already being hit by rising prices. In Pattaya the evidence is everywhere. Beach road restaurants facing a steep rise in cooking oil and commodity prices are changing menu prices way beyond the 5.73% Government year-on-year inflation total. Some barber shops in South Pattaya have even increased the cost of a shave from 100 to 120 Baht quoting "the rising cost of everything" whilst farang sometimes are charged 140 Baht as they get a quick run over with an electric shaver as well as a safety razor." So there is no doubt the overall narrative out there, globally even, is talking about inflation; I know it is a big issue in the United States.

What we are talking about here is sort of "comparative inflation". When I say that, I have talked to a lot of retirees recently especially a few from California, who said “look one way or the other I am retiring and I am going to leave where I'm at because I have got to find a place with a lower cost of living.” And yes inflation is hitting Thailand, there is no doubt about that but if you sort of plug it in and compare it in terms of what it would cost you to do something; you know 140 Baht at the high end for a haircut, what would that be, like less than $5 US, I mean it would be like $4 US? I don't think you can get a haircut in the United States for four bucks anymore. I don't know, I haven't been there for 15 years but I'm pretty sure it is going to be higher than that in real dollar terms. So when you compare that to Thailand, okay yes the overall price is going up compared to what it has been here recently here in Thailand but when you do the math, you can kind of shave off some of the overall cost of living just by dint of the fact that Thailand's economy is sort of more deflationary in a very real sense than some of these other economies where inflation is running very hot and things here in Thailand just began at a lower price in terms of whatever your foreign currency is. 

So it is something to think about. Inflation I know is a major concern for retirees out there and I certainly get that that is something that they are going to be looking at very carefully when they are making retirement plans but I think it is pretty safe to say that Thailand is a pretty good place to retire regardless of what the global inflation situation is looking like.