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Are you sure nobody is stealing electricity from you? Sounds like it happens a lot in Thailand. The thing about the fans always running sounds like you are talking about inverter aircons, which are considered more efficient. https://www.panasonic.com/au/hvac/air-conditioning/learn-more/what-is-inverter-air-conditioner.html

The biggest problem with Duma are the constant power outages. Often lasting hours. That is a deal breaker for me. Staying somewhere that has a backup generator helps.

AC may have been cheaper once upon a time but hasn't been for a long time now. About the only thing that is still cheaper in the PI is booze.

Lots of people use Wise for that, but mostly by transferring it into their local bank account. That avoids the fees you have to pay when using their ATM card to get cash.

Try sign up for a fully verified GCash account. It's very similar to a real bank account but easier to get. That will allow you to transfer money into it from abroad like you would a regular Philippines bank account. You can then get a card to take money out of ATMs or just pay for things directly using your smartphone. I believe there are ways around some of the info they might ask for like local address and gov't ID. Just need to be a little creative. I've heard mixed things about people using their passport as the gov't id so not sure if that still works or if only the ACR card # works now. You need a Philippines smartphone # to sign up so that means you pretty much need to be in the country before getting it. https://help.gcash.com/hc/en-us/articles/360017722393-Get-Fully-Verified

Surprised Da Nang and Hoi Ann beaches are not mentioned. I heard they were recently ranked #3 and #2 respectively by some other publication, and deservedly so imo.

Lol the guys here saying the PI sucks despite probably never having been there. ThaiVisa comments never fail to entertain.

Not up into the hundreds yet but never a problem. COD is too much hassle so I don't bother with that anymore. It would help if they gave more advance notice of delivery time but that doesn't seem to happen very often. The last two times I did it the guy phoned me like 5 minutes before showing up.

The AQI monitoring stations in both countries disagree with you. As I type this, AQI in Chang Mai is an eye watering 151. Currently 2nd worst in the world. Only slightly lower than Katmandu. Bangkok is not much healthier at 102. In Manila it's only 41. Those are all fairly typical numbers for this time of year. Here are some others. Of course it can vary from day to day and even hour to hour depending on wind and other factors, but they are all fairly typical. Pattaya 78 Cebu 26 Phuket 104 Davao City 45

Impressive self-control how you managed to get through that MAGA brain fart without mentioning Soros and the Clintons.

So another never been is my guess.

Air quality is bad all over Thailand during burning season. It comes from Burma, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Phuket is the furthest away from all of it and they still get lots of triple digit AQI days. They are also closer to Indonesia and there is lots of burning going on there as well.

You can get good fresh food at the markets. So if you like to cook for yourself it's not bad. Those fresh ingredients don't translate to good inexpensive food in the restaurants like they do in Thailand for some reason. Also, accommodations are more expensive in the PI for some reason. Typhoons are not really a problem on the western side. That includes Manila, Subic, AC. Cebu is somewhat protected but they did get nailed by that last one pretty good.

I remember when lots of guys were saying they were moving to Cambodia way back. I think it was because everyone thought Thailand was getting too expensive. Maybe because of more visa hassles too. Almost none of them did or all moved back within a year or two. Just sayin. Speaking for myself. I am taking a much harder look at the PI. This tax thing and more visa hassles are part of it, but the air quality is also a huge deal for me. Call me crazy but I like to be able to breathe clean air. I've been comparing and the PI air quality is much better during burning season.

What could possibly go wrong.

As opposed to before when it had a reputation for being a chilled out hippy hang out? 🤔

Lol.... So I guess just saying "Estimates suggest", which is peppered all through that article, makes it all fact. 🤣 How do I know this story is complete nonsense? Yes yes, marijuana is well known to cause addiction problems. 🤦‍♂️ But gambling. Nah, Thai's don't have a problem with that, so let's make that legal. 🤡 In the western world, where there are actual scientific studies, usage always goes down. Especially among younger people, who apparently no longer see it as a form of rebellion once it is legal.

Still amazes me that there are stable people who actually WANT to be around for this. Almost always newbies. Very few repeats.

Is this true? I was seriously looking at VT5D instead of VT2A but no fiber would be a deal breaker for me.

It's not for a few days, only a few minutes. Just long enough for you to sign the paperwork at the bank. TIT

Yes, farangs are some of the worst scooter drivers on the road. I guess they see Thai guys driving like idiots and figure they need to show them that they can be an even bigger idiot. Watch how most Thai women drive scooters. That is the example people should be following. Not the young Thai guys who seem to have a death wish.

Now that you mention it, the immigration officer that pulled me aside was a younger female who was fairly easy on the eyes. So the girlfriend question she asked could have been more than just for professional reasons, but who knows.

I rented most bikes out there and drove them several days to get a good feel for them. Grand Filano hybrid was my favorite. Also one of the cheaper ones and even comes with front disk brakes and ABS. I like it better than a PCX (way overpriced imo) or NMAX. Clicks have the gas tank under the seat which is inconvenient and limits storage. Grand Filano has tons of storage under the seat. Also a nice wide comfortable seat. More maneuverable and narrower than a lot of other bikes, so good for weaving around and going in between traffic. Also very fun to drive. Unlike something like a Scoopy or Lead, it's good for a taller person. You sit higher so your knees are not up to your chest. You see lots of little thai girls riding them as well, they just need to sit a little further forward. I haven't had the opportunity to rent a Giorno yet, so that is still on my todo list. Visually, I prefer the look of the Filano, but I could probably get used to the look of the Giorno if I liked everything else about it.

I was well within all those rules as well. I only did one land border entry that renewed my METV for another 60 days. The ONLY visa waiver I got was re-entering by air one time. I had previously been in Thailand only about 4.5 months with a legit return ticket within 30 days. So I was still well below the 6 months with proof I did not plan to stay that long. One of the problems with the METV is that the 6 months starts after it is issued, not after you first enter the country. My consulate can sometimes take up to 2 weeks or more to issue them, so I can't wait till the last minute to get it before I go to maximize the 6 month duration. Also, I hate leaving anything till the last minute so I got it about 45 days before. That is why it expired after only about 4.5 months in country. This trip was the first time I tried staying for more than a couple months as a trial to see if want to retire in Thailand part time. This experience didn't make me feel very welcome. That and all the hassle with renewals, border runs, extensions, is making me rethink things. They even wanted me to produce a TM.30 when I tried to extend for 30 days. It's all a big hassle. I might give the Philippines a go next winter since their visa process sounds easier. If I do decide to make Thailand my asian base I'll probaby just bite the bullet and get a retirement visa. I'll still need to produce a TM.30. This new tax thing will probably mean even more paperwork at a minimum. It's definitely making me re-evaluate things.

Did you actually read what I did or are you just trying to make stuff up so you can argue with me about it? Do you even know how an METV works and that it is different than a visa waiver? For anyone else who can't be bothered to read my OP. I had ONE multi-entry tourist visa. That is supposed to allow me to re-enter for up to 6 months. I extended that by 30 days ONE time. I did a land border run ONE time. I went to Vietnam for a week and came back after my METV expired and they didn't want to issue a visa waiver even though I had previously been in Thailand only about 4.5 months and have a legit return ticket proving I am staying less than 6 months. No grey areas, all well within the rules.