Thailand Retains Position as the Sixth Best Destination for Expats

BANGKOK (NNT) – InterNations has released its annual report ranking Thailand as the world’s sixth-best country for expatriates, maintaining its position from the previous year.

Key Takeaways

Thailand ranks as the sixth-best country for expatriates, maintaining its position from the previous year, according to InterNations’ annual report.
Panama leads the rankings as the top destination for expats, followed by Mexico and Indonesia, with Indonesia making a significant leap from 13th place last year.
The bottom ten countries for expats include Kuwait, Turkiye, Finland, Germany, Canada, Norway, Italy, Malta, Ireland, and the UK, all facing various challenges that detract from the expat experience.

The survey, which collected responses from over 12,500 expats in February, assesses 53 countries across multiple indices, including quality of life, ease of settling in, working abroad, personal finance, and “expat essentials” such as housing, administration, language, and digital life.

Panama leads the rankings as the top destination for expats, with 82% of respondents expressing high satisfaction with their lives there, primarily due to financial benefits, retirement prospects, and an enhanced quality of life.

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Mexico and Indonesia follow, ranking second and third, respectively. Indonesia made a leap from 13th place last year, praised for its low living expenses, hospitable locals, and balanced work-life environment.

Spain, Colombia, and Thailand complete the top six. In contrast, the bottom ten countries include Kuwait, which ranks last, followed by Turkiye, Finland, Germany, Canada, Norway, Italy, Malta, Ireland, and the UK, all of which face various challenges that detract from the expat experience. The report provides a comprehensive look at the lives of expatriates globally, exploring the various elements that influence their happiness and overall experience living abroad.

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The Biggest Winners in 2024

South Korea, which ranks 23rd in 2024, managed an impressive recovery from its place in the bottom 10 in 2023 (50th out of 53 countries). This is largely due to expats’ increased satisfaction in three different areas.

The biggest gains are related to Personal Finance: South Korea went from a below-average 37th rank to place 15th in 2024. Not only do expats feel that their disposable household income is enough for a comfortable life (74% vs. 67% in 2023), they’re also less likely to complain about the cost of living (28% negative ratings vs. 36%). Seven in ten (70%) are thus satisfied with their financial situation (vs. 57% in 2023).

South Korea ranks in the bottom 10 for the ease of getting used to the local culture (46th). However, this is the only factor of the Ease of Settling In Index where that’s the case — while in 2023, the country ranked towards the bottom for every single factor of the index! For example: the share of expats who agree that local residents are generally friendly has grown by 12 percentage points (64% vs. 52%), and less than one in five respondents (19%) don’t feel at home in South Korea. In 2023, the country ranked second to last for this factor, with 36% not feeling at home.

Gains in the Quality of Life (17th to 10th) and Working Abroad (46th to 37th) Indices are not as striking, but still contribute to South Korea’s much improved ranking.

Jumping up 20 places in the ranking, Belgium (now 18th) is the second-biggest winner in 2024. In contrast to South Korea, Belgium’s results in the Personal Finance Index hardly changed (25th to 23rd). But it leapt onto the podium for the 2024 Working Abroad Index (21st to 3rd)!

Expats have a more favorable view on their work–life balance (71% satisfied vs. 65% in 2023) and their personal career opportunities. Close to a quarter (24%) give the latter factor the best possible rating, compared to 18% of respondents in 2023. Belgium manages to improve in areas where the country already did well in the past, such as job security (8th in 2023 to 2nd).

The country sees further improvements in the Quality of Life Index (from 35th to 18th). For instance, over four in five respondents (81%) rate the availability of public transportation favorably, ten percentage points above the 2023 result (71%). And they’re more likely to highlight its affordability (72% vs. 64%). However, the weather (52nd) and personal safety concerns (44th) remain an issue in Belgium.