Love Mobility and Care Strategies: Marriage-Retirement Migration Among Norwegian Pensioners and Thai Wives amid Structural Challenges

Due to historical connections, a substantial number of Norwegian retirees have married Thai women and have chosen to live their later lives in Thailand, where their pensions are valued significantly more. Recently, however, unforeseen structural challenges, including climate change and the dropping rate of the Norwegian Krone, have made it difficult for them to access Thai healthcare. Reaching their 80s, many Norwegian pensioners are considering returning to Norway with their Thai wives for life. Our paper examines the interplay of love, care, health, and the cost of living in the context of a highly-mobile world. It is based on in-depth interviews with 12 Thai-Norwegian couples residing in the beach resort city of Pattaya and Bangkok. We trace the migration trajectory of Norwegian retirees from their marriage and move to Thailand to the realization that seasonal migration may no longer be viable. We aim to illustrate how transnational welfare regimes affect both the health and care aspects of healthcare and how people navigate their life strategies through such constraints.