The Spanish man Rafael Ruiz, a former lifeguard who worked at the municipal pools in Palma, Mallorca, retired with a pension of about 1,250 euros per month after about 40 years of work. Considering that this amount would not allow him to have the lifestyle he desired for this phase of life, due to the high cost of housing and daily expenses on the Spanish island, he decided to move to Thailand.
Rafael settled in Prachuap Khiri Khan, a Thai coastal city away from the main mass tourism destinations, where he lives with his companion Thit, whom he had met online. In an interview with the Spanish program Y ahora Sonsoles, on Antena 3, he stated that he pays only about 100 euros per month for renting a two-story house with bedrooms, kitchen, living room, bathroom, and terraces. With the difference in cost of living, he could regularly go to restaurants, travel within the country, and still save money for unexpected expenses.
In September 2025, Rafael developed serious respiratory problems and needed to be hospitalized in Thailand. At that time, the private health insurance he had taken out had already expired, forcing him to directly bear the costs of treatments, having already spent about 1,300 euros, an amount exceeding one monthly pension payment. Friends from the municipal pools in Palma started a fundraising campaign to help pay the hospital expenses, and he also received donations from strangers, including about 500 euros from a woman from the Zaragoza region to buy an oxygen machine.
After several difficult weeks and some relapses, Rafael eventually recovered. In November 2025, already restored to health, he stated that he intended to continue living in Thailand and marry Thit during the following year. He acknowledged, however, that living without health insurance could cause unaffordable expenses and said he was looking for a new policy that would allow him to remain in the country with greater security.
