Thailand has been ranked the world’s sixth best country for expats to live and work by the latest Expat Insider report from InterNations, the global community for people who live abroad.
The best country for expats, out of 53, is Panama this year. The report surveyed more than 12,500 people in February about how satisfied they are with their lives in a foreign country.
82% of the people who live in Panama say they are happy with their lives there. Most people said they moved to the Central American country for financial reasons, to retire or for a better quality of life.
Newcomers are most satisfied with the low cost of living. They also said it is easy to move there as a foreigner and there is ample and affordable housing.
The InterNations report ranked the countries based on five indices: quality of life, ease of settling in, working abroad, personal finance and an expat essentials index, which covers housing, administration, language and digital life.
Behind Panama, the nine other countries are Mexico, Indonesia, Spain, Colombia, Thailand, Brazil, Vietnam, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates.
Government Spokesman Chai Wacharonke said that Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has been trying to promote tourism since he took office, because he regards it as the foremost economic engine for generating revenue for the country and creating jobs for Thai people.
He noted that several measures have been introduced by the government to promote foreign arrivals, such as pre-travel visa free entry for several nationalities and fast track visas for foreigners participating in MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions).
