Reality Check-retire Asia

[liketobe]

There have bin some good threads the last month or so-Is it still worth moving to Thailand-Pattaya is great for lonely men-Enjoying life in the West-Asia alternatives to Thailand-What food would you like to eat right now.

Looking at retirment specifically(I'm 57 in 7 days and already retired disability for three years), the most important factors are cost and good health care. Philippines beats out Thailand for me at this point because can get good medical service in Cebu with out dragging my bones to the Megpolutopolis of Manila. Yes I've read all the posts about the good hospital in Pattaya and feel I'll have a 60% less chance of over charge hassles in Cebu, except in emergency either place you could get nailed to the wall. Major medical-V.A. coverage Guam, Hawaii, or the best on the west coast Seattle.

For good food between your appointments must fly to Thailand or Hong Kong(to expensive). You can find decent food in Cebu but not cheep and not every where, motoring across town for every meal can be a pain. Excessive sugar and msg not conducive to seniors good health. Rest homes with good environment and access to variouse entertainment venues in Asia?....huuuuuummmmmmmmmmmmmmm?

As long as I use Hong Kong as hub for annual reality check flight to the U.S. and don't by a house or start a family I can run all over Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines with out having to back track to connect with return flight. Question is how long can I be happy with being a completely rootless being? I know that at 90 days I'm ready to move on unless there's some involvement there to make me stay.

Sorry about the long post...I know things always change and there is no permanent answer.

[suiging]

In mho, you wont be rootless for long. Just about everyone I know....... "only came for...." and never left.

You will find a spot somewhere on your travels and whamo....you wake up one morning and you've been there for years.

[qwertz]

Liketobe, I think you're wise to be giving this some serious thought, I'm thinking just same as you over here. These paradise locations are okay for the young, carefree and fit but you have to think of the horror trip it can turn into if your health fails when you're far from home.

Edited May 18, 2007 by qwertz

[liketobe]

qwertz-ya I guess were just a different age group facing a different reality perspective, fewer years, less possibility's.

My self I'm not so much concerned with brief hospital stays even with the possible diagnosis of terminal out come in the near future-advanced cancer etc. It's just that I have structured retirment fiance's so that my two daughters don't get stuck with monthly bills for nursing home care of me ending in a struggle to get there own retirment finacial house in order.

I find it hard to deal with the facts of reality in a rest home here in the states. In fact my situation will be in a V.A. home stuck listening to other veterans telling war story's 24-7. When I here about seniors running around with there wheel chairs and good looking nurses having a good old time in Pattaya I'm ready to board the first flight out.

Thailand and the Philippines have both claimed goals to be first class medical tourism centers in the future, but I think there both going to miss the biggest boat now ready to sail. The front edge of the baby boomer generation(largest number of people to retire in U.S. history)are looking for service RIGHT NOW and will increase in numbers at a phenomenal rate for the next fifteen years. The private nursing home and assisted living infrastructure is in inadequate and in many cases appalling state in the U.S. Thousands of CNA's come to the U.S. to work each year at low wages and get no where in this economy, pay them the same in there own country and get the best of the best.

The rich in Thailand and Philippines would make a killing buy investing in developments to serve the need. If they built decent facility's that were similar to resorts a future down turn in demand would only mean that there investment holdings would be of tourist class real estate. Just look at Japan, in that economy retires have way more financial assets than the middle road guy from the U.S. and there actually selling robots to keep there old folks company.

It's almost like expats have to lead the way by doing it themselves, by using there wives citizenship to secure real estate and business legitimacy. Oh those rich local business women who ended up loaded because there corporation caters to forigners with money paying consistently mounth after mounth. And a government loving the tax revenues and the fact that they have artificial control over part of in country foreigners cause they no where there at-right over there at the retirment place where officials like to visit cause the food and wine is so good and the best looking nurses work there. Not a single back packer in sight or any other foreigners not contributing to the economy. Visiting family loving the fact that they have to take once a year vacations to exotic foreign country to visit old dad, dropping big money and upping the tourist numbers. But Thiland and Philippines have to understand with absolute clarity that what the retires want in facilities and service is what they do or they will leave or not come in the first place