Forums In The Philippines

[DividendGuy]

Hello everyone.

 

I am looking for any forum websites to learn about the visa requirements in the Philippines, and any other general living forums similar to Thaivisa. I want to do some research to see if it is possible to live there on a retirement visa. I am tired of jumping through the hoops.

 

Thanks for any help or comments you can offer.

[Puchaiyank]

Google visa requirements Philippines.  Select the official government visa site.  Take your time and read carefully.  

 

Visa requirements can be a moving target.  Best to depend upon the official current word over someone who may have older unofficial data.

 

Good Luck! Feel your pain...☺

[DividendGuy]

Puchaiyank, thanks for your e-mail.

 

I like living in Thailand. Currently my wife and I are just plain tired of the hassles, reporting requirements and worry what will happen when we are too old to jump through the hoops that Thai Immigration requires or start forgetting dates due to old age. 

 

I see old people who are forced to go to Chaeng Wattana in wheelchairs, ambulances or sitting in a waiting taxi while an IO goes through their paperwork. To me, that is the same as being held captive and I've seen it with my own eyes. To me, there is no compassion for older foreigners here and I don't want to be at their mercy when I am old.  

 

Again, thanks for your reply

 

 

 

[BritManToo]

3 hours ago, DividendGuy said:

I want to do some research to see if it is possible to live there on a retirement visa.

Most of the people I met there lived on VISA waiver + extensions.

Just park your passport with an agent, and give them some money every few months.

No need to ever see an immigration officer, but they did have to leave the country for 1 day every 3 years.

[Cracker2000]

Checkout Philippines-Addicts.com site, it has a huge section on visa just like the Thai version.

 

Retirement Visa do require some cash on deposit but as previously said you can just go through the continued renew of Tourist Visas for upto to 3 years before you need to leave and renew.

[eppic]

What nationality is your wife?  Mine's a Filipina/UK dual citizen and we are moving from BKK to Rockwell (Makati, Metro Manila) within the next month or so.  Upon arrival, our whole family gets 1-year stamps even when my wife enters on her UK passport -- they don't even ask for any documents to prove relationship.  Overall, there appear to be many ways to easily stay in the Phils, including retirement (SRRV -- google it, a few options),  with a lot less hassle and no immigration negativity (the IO's are actually very friendly to us!).  And if you ever have issues, just get yourself a "fixer" and the problem can easily be handled for a small fee.

Edited February 10, 2020 by eppic

[DividendGuy]

Hi epic

 

We are thinking seriously about the SRRV program. Currently, we are healthy and have no problems. We want to have a visa that is long-term and offers PR security as we age. The last things we need are constant hassles/problems when we are old. I believe it is best to do it when you are not too old and it makes the transition a lot easier.

 

Tell me more about Rockwell; why did you pick there? We still haven't picked a place to live in the Philippines. We are looking for a city that has at least a couple of shopping malls, a good hospital, good restaurants, basically a decent place to live with most services, any ideas? My wife is Japanese.

  

[eppic]

DividendGuy,

 

I'm sure you can find some good resources on best places to live in the Philippines, but it really comes down to personal preferences and family needs.  For example, we are city people and currently live in Bangkok, next to a BTS station and within walking distance to the best malls. For us, convenience is of utmost importance and we don't live here because we want to live cheaply or simply (previous locations before BKK were NYC/Singapore/London/Tokyo/Singapore), but because we enjoy the city life.  Of course, many would consider BKK or Singapore hell and would rather live in a house in the countryside or a smaller city.

 

My wife is from Iloilo, which is a nice place, but we have a young child and needed to be near the best schools, which means Metro Manila.  Manila is generally a horrible mess, the airport is bad, and the traffic is just as bad as Bangkok...however, location is crucial and there are some very nice areas.  Specifically, our favorite area is Bonifacio Global CIty (aka BGC or "The Fort" -- look at the Tripadvisor reviews).  It was a planned development so has none of the chaos of a Manila or Bangkok, and in fact SIngapore might be the most apt comparison. The best international schools are there and there are plenty of walkable areas, especially "BGC High Street".  It's also the new financial district, is extremely safe day and night, and has an abundance of dining establishments and other activities. 

 

If immediate access to medical care is important to you, BGC would also be considered the best area because it houses St Lukes Global, which is probably the best medical facility in the Philippines. Pollution levels are far lower than Bangkok, which was one of the primary factors for us with a young child.  We are condo dwellers, but there are also gated housing communities (such at McKinley Hill) if that's your preference.

 

The downside of BGC? It's very expensive by Philippines (and Thailand) standards. 

 

Our personal preference would have been BGC, but given that most condo units are smaller, we have opted for a nearby subsection of Makati called Rockwell Center, which is a few minutes drive away and has some very nice, large, and brand new condos available for rent.  Most expats in Metro Manila would opt for Makati/Rockwell/BGC areas, which are easily the safest and most convenient (again, at a cost).

 

I personally would not consider any other area in Luzon (island of Metro Manila), but many like the housing subdivisions such as Laguna, a bit to the South, or the cooler climate of a place like Baguio (more like a Chiang Mai without the temples).

 

Outside of Luzon, there is Cebu, which I am personally not a fan of, and Davao (Duterte's former city), which I have previously spent a lot of time in and quite like. So, just from one person's opinion, I would put Davao on your short-list if you prefer a bit of a slower pace but a still a good size city or perhaps Baguio if you desire cooler weather and nature.  There are many many nice smaller places (Dumaguete comes to mind) as well, depending on your own preferences and budget.  Hopefully that helps a bit, although probably not unless you are the big city type (which I think is uncommon for Thailand retirees). 

 

 

[madmen]

OP you are dreaming if you think PI is going to allow you to stay in the future 

 

Don't believe me? Just take a look at what happens in Vietnam, and the suckers that fled there only to be told come July they can only stay 30 days and then have to do a border run!!! 

 

And you thought Thailand was a hassle?

 

Don't be a fool. SEA especially the Phillipines have big changes coming shortly.. Just Google it