Man in his 40s asks if it’s better to retire in SG or in Malaysia, Taiwan or Thailand

SINGAPORE: A Reddit user wanted to get others’ opinions on whether it’s better to retire in Singapore or in nearby countries, adding that he is now in his 40s and is starting to think about retirement in the next 10 years or so, after his children go off to university.

u/IvanThePohBear wrote on r/askSingapore on Wednesday (June 21) that he and his wife are comfortably off with good salaries. And by the time they’ll retire, the two properties they have should be paid off and will generate the income they can live on.

He added that they want to retire somewhere where they can live off their passive income comfortably with a good standard of living, before listing his choices if they choose not to retire in Singapore: Malaysia, Taiwan, or Thailand.

“JB is the obvious choice. near to SG, low cost, similar lifestyle to SG. Parent have a house in Batu Pahat that i can stay in. or maybe can rent somewhere in town , given how cheap rental is there.

Taiwan : we love the climate, people and lifestyle. probably not in taipei, maybe hualien or Taizhong etc where the cost is much lower. but no retirement visa from what i surmise. not sure if that will be a deal breaker

Thailand: was thinking Chiangmai rather than Bkk. it’s a comfortable place to stay. i can speak simple Thai. cost is low. climate is much nicer than Bkk. Expat friendly. generally safe.”

One commenter cast his vote for Malaysia, as it’s more familiar to Singaporeans.

Another said he’d “pick CNX (Chiangmai) any day between your choices” but warned that other countries’ healthcare systems aren’t as good as Singapore’s.

Other Reddit users chimed in to say they plan on going to different places around Asia every few months or so.

A commenter, however, made the case for retiring comfortably in Singapore, especially as a property owner.

/TISG

Lawrence Wong says S’poreans prefer to work than retire, but netizens say they’d retire tomorrow if they can afford it