18 minutes ago, john69 said:

Dutch Guinea is not European territory. It is a former Dutch colony, now independent Surinam.

And sorry to say, a wee bit ehhhhhhh...narcotic?

8 hours ago, Momofarang said:

Why does everyone forget Malaysia which offers a much better deal than Thailand and costs less? Even wine about the same price (google Wine Now).

It's easy to forget about moving to Malaysia, they have a Muslim infestation problem.  For Americans, Vietnam is worth considering, along with Panama.  Moving back to the states looks better every time immigration increases their loony rules and regulations.  For Europeans, there are any number of inexpensive and interesting European countries to choose from.  Thailand as a retirement destination is over.   

6 minutes ago, CMNightRider said:

It's easy to forget about moving to Malaysia, they have a Muslim infestation problem.  For Americans, Vietnam is worth considering, along with Panama.  Moving back to the states looks better every time immigration increases their loony rules and regulations.  For Europeans, there are any number of inexpensive and interesting European countries to choose from.  Thailand as a retirement destination is over.   

Infestation? We're talking about human beings not cock-a-roaches yeah? As Malaysia is a majority Muslim country your rhetoric becomes absurd as well. 

 

Thailand isn't exactly over as a retirement destination but it is on the decline. 

 

Poor old Swissie.

 

Can't be happy anywhere.

 

And doesn't want anybody else to be.

 

Poor old Swissie.

 

 

6 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Infestation? We're talking about human beings not cock-a-roaches yeah? As Malaysia is a majority Muslim country your rhetoric becomes absurd as well. 

 

Thailand isn't exactly over as a retirement destination but it is on the decline. 

Since it is obvious Malaysia is a Muslim country, it wouldn't be worth considering as a retirement destination for most westerners.  Thailands decline as a retirement destination appears to be picking up speed rather rapidly, lol.  Thank you for pointing out my insensitive comment regarding Muslims. 

14 hours ago, swissie said:

Clearly, the number of Farangs, dissatisfied with Thailand as a long-term domicile is increasing.

More farangs are arriving to live in Thailand than leaving. I saw a statistic but can not find.

50 minutes ago, CMNightRider said:

Since it is obvious Malaysia is a Muslim country, it wouldn't be worth considering as a retirement destination for most westerners.  Thailands decline as a retirement destination appears to be picking up speed rather rapidly, lol.  Thank you for pointing out my insensitive comment regarding Muslims. 

You're ever so welcome. God bless your dear heart! 

5 hours ago, Rookiescot said:

What about Belize? Its stable. Everyone speaks English. Weather very similar to Thailand.

Hi

 

I did glance at it on line.

 

Fair few positives. English language as you say , stable and nice climate.

 

2 negatives I read, some food items more expensive than neighbouring countries due to import duty.

Health care standards not quite up with various other countries, only managed no.69 in WHO health rankings.

 

Interesting suggestion though.

Never met anyone who has even visited there, be interesting to have a view from someone with experience.

 

 

13 hours ago, madmen said:

Thats the problem as expats here keep harping on about visa changes when in fact the big damage was done by their embassies.

 

so lets keep it real, being pushed out because they dont have and never did have 800k or 65k

Is that a crime?

"Escape Routes From Paradise".

I thought Paradise was in Scotland. The Parkhead area. ????

8 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I won't live anywhere I can't buy a bacon sandwich for breakfast.

You can buy that in malaysia.

9 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

Phobia is an irrational fear, fear of Islam and a dislike of it's culture is entirely rational and justified.

I live in malaysia and can confirm it is an irrational fear to disregard it because of muslims.

 

Kl traffic is a nightmare. Penang and langkawi are nice. Can get anything here that you get in any non muslim country.

 

Langkawi booze is duty free.

1 hour ago, CMNightRider said:

Since it is obvious Malaysia is a Muslim country, it wouldn't be worth considering as a retirement destination for most westerners.  Thailands decline as a retirement destination appears to be picking up speed rather rapidly, lol.  Thank you for pointing out my insensitive comment regarding Muslims. 

So you simply regard it unsuitable because of muslims. Its multicultural and practice whatever religion you want or not.

 

I first wanted to live in thailand but after many stays there and malaysia i chose malaysia. No real language issues. Feel more welcome. Can do anything here that i did in thailand.

11 hours ago, Momofarang said:

Why does everyone forget Malaysia which offers a much better deal than Thailand and costs less? Even wine about the same price (google Wine Now).

Boring. At least the peninsula.

14 minutes ago, Sujo said:

I live in malaysia and can confirm it is an irrational fear to disregard it because of muslims.

 

Kl traffic is a nightmare. Penang and langkawi are nice. Can get anything here that you get in any non muslim country.

 

Langkawi booze is duty free.

Malaysia is underrated. I don't notice a substantial cost of living difference there. I'm in Penang and KL 3 months a year. 

10 hours ago, Jip99 said:

Islamophobia ?

 

Penang certainly has it’s attractions.

 

Multiculturalism is one of them.

Less Muslims in Malaysia than in Western Europe... And the ones in Malaysia are among the most amicable I can think of.

17 minutes ago, Sujo said:

I live in malaysia and can confirm it is an irrational fear to disregard it because of muslims.

 

Kl traffic is a nightmare. Penang and langkawi are nice. Can get anything here that you get in any non muslim country.

 

Langkawi booze is duty free.

There's nothing you can do about peoples taste, i wouldn't want to live there either. I've only chosen Thailand because it was westernized and buddhism is the least evil bs religion in the region....

 

Malaysia would be a downgrade for me and M2H visa costs more than Thai Elite, not an option.

6 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

M2H visa costs more than Thai Elite, not an option.

You forgot the aspect that, the money for MM2H stays your money, compared to buying Elite.

 

A better comparission is with non O-X, although I feel that non O-X is a bad copy, twisted in typical Thai fashion.

Used to love Batam in the 90's It is a pretty good retirement option for many.

 

https://www.expat.or.id/info/batam.html

3 minutes ago, lkv said:

You forgot the aspect that, the money for MM2H stays your money, compared to buying Elite.

 

Money parked in a bank i can't touch i wouldn't consider "mine", it's useless and will be eaten by inflation.

 

 

In my age, in the thirties i need to show liquid assets worth 500k RM (120k USD) and monthly income of RM 10k 

AND park 300k RM (60k usd) in a bank account. (u can reduce that to 150k later investing in Real estate i think, but it's very limited).

We would have to do that twice as i am not single and the misses is Thai, so it's 120 000 usd parked there.

 

In thailand it's 30k USD for 20 years visa only for me - less money stuck as she's thai anyway. After that retirement visa, i guess.

 

In turkey i can buy an APT for 250k USD, get a passport and citizenship instantly and can RESELL it after 3 years.

In Portugal i can buy property for my gf and we can dump it some years later again, also getting PR and citizenship later. (i am german, i can just stay anyway).

Not to mention those countries are open to foreigners buying land without all this bs here.

 

 

Outside of Asia you get something permanent, i wouldn't mind investing a bigger sum, in Asia everything is just on time.

Asia needs proper investment residencies and citizenships, that's the only thing that would make me spill over bigger amounts of money.

 

For me the mm2h visa is absolutely not worth it, i dont even consider malaysia as an upgrade over thailand in any way. same bs restrictions, no landownership etc. 

 

25 minutes ago, BB1958 said:

Used to love Batam in the 90's It is a pretty good retirement option for many.

 

https://www.expat.or.id/info/batam.html

Batam is not a nice place anymore, plus Indonesia isn't the easiest country to get a long term visa for. 

 

 

45 minutes ago, Sujo said:

So you simply regard it unsuitable because of muslims. Its multicultural and practice whatever religion you want or not.

 

I first wanted to live in thailand but after many stays there and malaysia i chose malaysia. No real language issues. Feel more welcome. Can do anything here that i did in thailand.

Can you be openly homosexual or trans in Malaysia?

The OP is very ill-informed and hypothesizes about what he reads in the fake news.

 

People considering moving to Thailand would read the same thing. Massive Pollution, traffic, corruption, lack of land ownership, you name it.

37 minutes ago, intheheartoftheheart said:

Malaysia is underrated. I don't notice a substantial cost of living difference there. I'm in Penang and KL 3 months a year. 

KL has great food and shopping. fantastic  infrastructure makes getting around easy.  but it gets hot and muggy after 11am. 1st class symphony.  Bali is just heaven outside of the tourist zones.  again better western food than you could find in LOS.  lovely and welcoming people.  great beaches if you get outside of Kuta.  you don't have to put money in the bank in Indonesia to obtain a long term visa.  they will accept SS documents.

37 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

Less Muslims in Malaysia than in Western Europe... And the ones in Malaysia are among the most amicable I can think of.

But Islam is the official religion, hence homosexual sex is illegal and oral sex. The apologists amusingly blame the colonial era but they have had decades to change the law but the religion stops it. I could never live in a repressive society where peoples sexuality is controlled by religion and the law.

Health care standards not quite up with various other countries, only managed no.69 in WHO health rankings.

 

That comment was about Belize.

 

In my recent choice of living/retirement location (Laos), the WHO ranking is - oops! - #165.

 

However, that compares very favourably with my previous work location for several years - Myanmar at bottom of the list #190!

Cost aside, what is the main reason for not moving?

 

Florida USA

 

Palm trees, ocean, beaches, tons of THAI people, THAI restaurants, THAI grocery stores, THAI Temples.

 

What is the difference between Florida and Thailand if you want to mingle in Thai?

 

How is it SO MANY Thai people survive financially in Florida when many Americans move to Thailand to financially survive?

 

Before you go apesh** about the costs, are you living ocean front in Thailand?

 

If not, don't try to compare the cost of your one room flat to how expensive an ocean front house is.

 

Now I compare a 1 room flat in Thailand to the equivalent of a "mobile home" you might find in Deliverance.

 

There are plenty of cheap places to live in Florida if you want to live on the cheap. Rural places so rural you would think you were in Isaan.

 

For those more financially sustainable, lots of affordable over 55 communities.

 

So to say it is not affordable, when you compare apples to apples, it probably is.

 

For US citizens, Medicare, no VISA hassles, easy to get to a host of Caribbean Islands, tropical fruits, you name it.

 

There must be tons of other countries around the world besides Thailand that are affordable if you want to live the same cheap ass way you are living now.

 

Expats live all over the world and do just fine.

 

Whether it is Thailand, South America, Spain, you name it, you can always find a way to survive just as fine as you are surviving in Thailand with no hassles.

 

Now if you are broke and living in Thailand, you might want to think bad things about every country in the world because you know you don't have a prayer in hell of ever moving anywhere.

Well...thankfully there's always South Africa. So safe, so welcoming. 

Careful Swissie - your thread is being scrutinized in great detail by 3 convicts who recently escaped from Pattaya Courthouse jail.... ????

11 hours ago, Momofarang said:

Why does everyone forget Malaysia which offers a much better deal than Thailand and costs less? Even wine about the same price (google Wine Now).

If you can't afford requirements in Thailand you can't afford an Mmh2 for Malaysia either. Life is not only about price of wine.