Name the top three countries you would want to move to if you left Thailand other than your home country

[Jingthing]

30 minutes ago, yimlitnoy said:

Vietnam Danang if possible, Nepal Kathmandu or India Kerala...  Maybe after the ravages of the virus Vietnam will be more welcoming to retirees?  In your introduction, you say it is not possible for a retiree (Canadian) to live in Vietnam, can you explain?  

 

Thailand with his forced mandatory Insurance is making it difficult for a 70 years old to stay.

Vietnam.

No retirement visa.

No prospects of a future retirement visa.

Fairly recent massive expulsion of expats using loopholes such as dodgy business visas.

IF you can go there now as a so called "retiree" all you can possibly get is a short term TOURIST VISA. If interested check current Covid policies. From there check the current rules on extending, whether you can do in country or need to do constant tedious visa runs.

Even if you did that, they could start saying no more at any time on your next extension attempt/visa run. That's how they easily expelled so many recently, allow stuff and then just stop allowing it, easy for them, a nightmare for expats.

If you're complaining about lack of residency security in Thailand, I think it would totally crazy to try to "retire" in Vietnam. 

That is no way for an elder to live.

For someone in your situation, older age, health issues, all three of my top choices are totally doable with clear paths to permanent residency, in some cases very quickly. (Colombia, Mexico, and the Philippines.) 

Edited October 6, 2021 by Jingthing

[LongTimeLurker]

On 10/5/2021 at 3:56 PM, Jingthing said:

Preferably name countries that you could legally move to long term. For example Vietnam, a working expat could, a retired expat couldn't.

A retired expat CAN retire to Viet Nam if they are married to a Vietnamese as you get a 5 year renewable visa.

 

So.

 

1. Viet Nam

2. Philippines

3. Greece

[Jingthing]

6 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

A retired expat CAN retire to Viet Nam if they are married to a Vietnamese as you get a 5 year renewable visa.

 

So.

 

1. Viet Nam

2. Philippines

3. Greece

Yes, there are advantages to marriage. I was talking about someone strictly attempting to "retire" without such connections. There are also good options for wanted special skills WORKERS. Giving secure status to foreign non-working "retirees" is clearly not something Vietnam wants and based on my reading of the culture, I doubt that they ever will. 

Edited October 6, 2021 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

This is a pet peeve of mine. People saying they're interested in moving to country permanently without considering whether that's even possible or if so, if they're even qualified. Like people saying they want to retire in the USA if they're not Americans. Good luck with that one unless you're OK living there six months out of the year or massively wealthy (because you can basically buy residence there in that case). 

Edited October 6, 2021 by Jingthing

[portlandtree]

Vietnam but it’s not for retirement so it’s got to be close to coast maybe coast by Cambodia or ???

[yimlitnoy]

On 10/5/2021 at 7:47 PM, GammaGlobulin said:

Backhanded compliment. 

 

If you really want to be happy, then, you would ship out aboard an oil tanker traveling between Rastanura and Satahip. 

 

Out upon the briney sea, nothing but stars and flying fish, and porpoise riding the bow wave. 

 

It's magical. 

 

Only sailors know what I am talking about. 

I am suspecting that what you are not mentioning are the stopovers for 3 days then back to sea... On oil rigs they are shorter and shorter, all are now very coordinated with a quick 35 hours flight home in Business Class... 

Edited October 6, 2021 by yimlitnoy

[Jeffr2]

1 hour ago, seedy said:

BS ? - take it up with the YouTube poster.

But looking forward to posts of other countries in the same situation

YouTube is hardly the best source for information. Again, the same bs can be dug up for literally every country in the world. With few exceptions.

[yimlitnoy]

14 hours ago, seedy said:

Mogadishu is IN Somalia

Well I had to wear a bulletproof vest in Bosaso, Somalia. It was nice, beautiful sea and beaches, in fact the nicest beaches in the world...

Quote

o

 

[siftasam]

There's only choice for me in Asia. Some wonderful girls in my village asked me "Why you like Thai girls?"

 

Naturally, I replied that Thai girls are (or can be) so beautiful. They laughed and said: "Oh, but have you seen Vietnamese girls? They are even more beautiful!" They'd been to Vietnam and they meant it!

 

In Europe, Spain and France (if I could afford it - a pipe dream!)

[siftasam]

Do you want an ultimate fantasy? (sadly unachievable!):

 

I would rent a chalet in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland for the summer months - near to Wengen, and go up and down the cable cars, funiculars and chair lifts, and go hiking to my heart's content. And, oh! The cheese and the chocolate!

 

Then spend the winter above the Costa del Sol - maybe Mijas, or one of the beautiful whitewashed villages, not too far from Seville and Granada.

[chalawaan]

Back to Portugal. The only problem I had with it was almost zero sexy time, unless a 20 euro fumble on the side of a dusty highway floats ones boats. 

The "genuine" online dating scene was abysmal, and I was being realistic, only going for partners over 40.

Otherwise, it's the best kept secret ever. And the wine! Cheaper than some brands of water.

 

[Hanuman2547]

As I don't intend to retire anywhere full-time it would probably be something like this:

4-6 months in my home country from April to October.  Could be just May through September but it's flexible.

The rest of the time would be in no particular order.

Laos

Vietnam

Malaysia

Costa Rica

Spain

Portugal

Edited October 6, 2021 by Hanuman2547

[Jeffr2]

1 hour ago, siftasam said:

Do you want an ultimate fantasy? (sadly unachievable!):

 

I would rent a chalet in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland for the summer months - near to Wengen, and go up and down the cable cars, funiculars and chair lifts, and go hiking to my heart's content. And, oh! The cheese and the chocolate!

 

Then spend the winter above the Costa del Sol - maybe Mijas, or one of the beautiful whitewashed villages, not too far from Seville and Granada.

Just spent 10 days in Bernese Oberland. Outrageously expensive ! Made my eyes water! LOL

[Jeffr2]

1 hour ago, chalawaan said:

Back to Portugal. The only problem I had with it was almost zero sexy time, unless a 20 euro fumble on the side of a dusty highway floats ones boats. 

The "genuine" online dating scene was abysmal, and I was being realistic, only going for partners over 40.

Otherwise, it's the best kept secret ever. And the wine! Cheaper than some brands of water.

 

Really starting to like it here in Portugal. With my Thai wife, so dating isn't an issue.

[Sticky Rice Balls]

19 hours ago, seedy said:

Mogadishu is IN Somalia

I stand corrected..tnx for your concern for my holiday destinations

[Sticky Rice Balls]

16 hours ago, steven100 said:

don't you know where Mogadishu is    ?

I do now....still need me to think of a 3rd spot?

[bendejo]

On 10/5/2021 at 3:27 AM, GammaGlobulin said:

If one is a software engineer, Belize is good. 

 

The waters are crystal clear. 

 

Very few regulations in Belize. 

 

Take your Glock. 

 

40 millimeter. 

 

Bang Bang, I shot him down. 

Bang Bang. 

He hit the ground. 

Bang Bang. 

Johnny Too Bad lives on in Belize!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sz_QVTejXdY

Was passing through Belize back in the 1970s.  Arrived at night in Corozal.

Next morning went outside and there was a new friend waiting for me, my guess is word went out there was a tourist in town.

No sooner had my new friend begun to tell me how hard life was for him in Belize another fellow came up and began to challenge him that it was HE that should be hustling me (they were speaking in that Jamaican-style patois with some Spanish thrown in, I understood maybe every fifth word).  Then a third fellow came up and they were all having it out, which gave me a chance to get some distance away.  Unfortunately I couldn't walk around without having to deal with something of this sort.  Friendly people.

Not pertinent to the topic, but while in Corozal I found a mimeograph sheet (does anyone under 40 even know what that is?) that was supposedly the town newspaper, and it was there I first heard of the Jonestown massacre.  I thought it was some kind of joke that I couldn't see the humor in.  It wasn't until a few months later that I found it was real.

 

I saw the documentary about McAfee which showed his beach house down there.  An expat community with a bunch of houses crammed together on the beach, can see why all those guys are getting on each other's nerves.  The water's edge only a few meters from the property line.  It could be a test of mettle for the conservative types: do you really disbelieve in rising sea levels enough to invest your nest egg on this kind of property?

 

 

[jazzdog32095]

St. Augustine, Florida

La Chirraca, Costa Rica

Itapua, Bahia, Brazil

 

Simply because we have homes there waiting for us. Thing is we are happy here living on the boat collecting rent each month. We currently cruise between Bali and West Sumatra in the Mentawais' from March to July. Spend August through November in Sutera Marina Resort in KK, Borneo and the rest of the year tied up in Phuket and Pattaya at the condo. Great thing about the boat is if you get the urge to leave you're gone. 

[bendejo]

Uruguay: legal cannabis.  A truly non-consumer based economy.  You'll see things like water heaters being delivered by donkey cart.  Good produce, and I believe they are not beholden to the seed/fertilizer concerns that influence agriculture (I haven't been keeping up).

Unfortunately too expensive.  Socialist gov't to an almost comedic extreme: if you can afford to pay for anything then you can surely afford to pay even more.  Also a surtax on taxes as well as on other surtaxes.  Minimum electricity bill was around US$100, and that didn't include any juice you actually used.  It is ten years ago since I was last there, no doubt has gone up since.  A while back they sold coastal fishing rights to the Chinese and put an end local fishing industry, go figure.  Probably their best source of revenue is the Argies spending their summers there.

 

 

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, jazzdog32095 said:

St. Augustine, Florida

La Chirraca, Costa Rica

Itapua, Bahia, Brazil

 

Simply because we have homes there waiting for us. Thing is we are happy here living on the boat collecting rent each month. We currently cruise between Bali and West Sumatra in the Mentawais' from March to July. Spend August through November in Sutera Marina Resort in KK, Borneo and the rest of the year tied up in Phuket and Pattaya at the condo. Great thing about the boat is if you get the urge to leave you're gone. 

Home country locations are not valid answers for this topic.

[jazzdog32095]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Home country locations are not valid answers for this topic.

 

[jazzdog32095]

I don't consider investing in RE somewhere necessarily makes that your home country. Just as not owning property in a country excludes it from being your home country. Designating one home country these days is becoming more and more ambiguous as many people spend time in various places in the course of a year. 

[jazzdog32095]

On 10/5/2021 at 6:15 PM, Jingthing said:

In recent years Costa Rica has the reputation as being expensive. 

Actually depends on lifestyle and where you live and eat. Thailand can get pricey living in a nice large condo. Cars and eating out can be expensive. The two countries are quite similar. Eating healthy local foods along with a place in the mountains is doable on $1800usd per month avoiding imported goods.

[Skeptic7]

Cambodia

Philippines

Viet Nam

 

next 3

Costa Rica

Panama

Mexico

 

 

 

Edited October 6, 2021 by Skeptic7

[4MyEgo]

13 hours ago, BE88 said:

I see Issan has nothing of what you want, a wife is also "transportable" to the places you want to live. I have make this before and never regret Issan.

Read the last sentence in my post again, being stuck in Isaan because I love my wife too muk was meant to be a joke.

 

I am not stuck, we can move to any of those places to live at a moments notice, but Isaan suites us, and I love my wife velly muk ????

 

Edited October 6, 2021 by 4MyEgo

[james1943]

I have live in Mexico , Costa Rica, and Vietnam but Vietnam keep changing their visa laws and the Philippines and none of them are as good of a place to live as Thailand. I stay here and die here even those I was born and raised in America which i would never go back to.

[LomSak27]

Indonesia

Portugal

Greece - Guatemala (Antigua or Lake Atitlan)

Always keep that plan B folder updated!   

[seedy]

9 hours ago, Jeffr2 said:

YouTube is hardly the best source for information. Again, the same bs can be dug up for literally every country in the world. With few exceptions.

So ...

[steven100]

1 hour ago, Skeptic7 said:

Cambodia

Philippines

Viet Nam

 

next 3

Costa Rica

Panama

Mexico

 

 

 

why you have 6   ?  ............  that's not how the competition works 

[Skeptic7]

5 minutes ago, steven100 said:

why you have 6   ?  ............  that's not how the competition works 

Never had much competition. Always stay ahead of it.