Big Decision: Which Asian country is ideal for foreign retirees?

[spidermike007]

6 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I never met anyone in PI on SRRV, all the peeps I met just arrived with nothing and extended every 2-3 months. (It worked out at around $300/year for the extensions, no visits to immigration required) Many were working as bar/resort/hotel managers on the sly, and immigration never seemed to care.

 

You talk about violence and robbery, I've been there a lot and never had problems of any sort, despite walking around in the Manilla barrios late night/early morning. Everyone was always friendly and polite and like you mentioned PI guys were always up for a casual chat (unlike Thai guys).

I have not had any problems there either. But my expat friends who live there have warned me that there is alot of violence there, and unlike here, it is more frequently targeted at foreigners, due to the extreme levels of poverty and desperation. 

 

I have one friend there who did the long term visa with a deposit. Apparently, there is a clause that allows you to get your money back after a certain number of years. Last time I talked to him he was still struggling to get it back. And he had been working on it for awhile. Part of a Duterte slush fund, perhaps?

 

I have found many guys there to be quite friendly. Here? Whoa. Astonishing how little interest most Thai guys lack, in having a foreign friend. 

[Hummin]

Some questions to be asked

 

Are you single, and do you want to find a woman?
What do you enjoy in life? Food, wine, bars, dating, standard of living, hobbies? 
Your age and health? 
How often Travel to and from orign country or any place in the world
Hospitals

Transport or drive yourself

 

I like to ride motorbikes so Thailand is a good destination for me. I used to kayak, diving and climbing, thats why I ended up in Thailand in first place, and got to know the country before retiring here.

 

The beauty of Asia fades quickly if you start staying here long enough without leaving, and it takes quite a bit positive thinking at once that fase hits you, at least for me, and you start to learn the real  Asia and overcome the negativity and find your true path. 

Edited February 14, 2022 by Hummin

[Henryford]

The ONLY real criteria for a retiree is can you easily retire there. No point have great beaches or hot women if it's a nightmare to get a retirement visa. That alone probably does away with Japan and Vietnam and maybe soon some others.

[BritManToo]

3 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

But my expat friends who live there have warned me that there is alot of violence there, and unlike here, it is more frequently targeted at foreigners,

IMHO they're just repeating the same old tosh that people in this forum also post about PI.

I used to go there twice a year with 3 other white guys, ZERO trouble for any of us.

Met lots of other white guys over there, none of them had ever mentioned having trouble either.

(Beyond the domestic violence perpetuated on them by their PI wife/gf of course, same as Thai girls)

[rott]

Full of meaningless generalities and hot air, lacking in detail. 

 

Are long stay visas again easy to obtain in Cambodia.? Everything keeps changing. 

[Xonax]

Who would care about the availability of cheap short- or long-term female company?

[Jingthing]

Just now, rott said:

Full of meaningless generalities and hot air, lacking in detail. 

 

Are long stay visas again easy to obtain in Cambodia.? Everything keeps changing. 

Yes!

[RafPinto]

9 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

I have not had any problems there either. But my expat friends who live there have warned me that there is alot of violence there, and unlike here, it is more frequently targeted at foreigners, due to the extreme levels of poverty and desperation. 

 

I have one friend there who did the long term visa with a deposit. Apparently, there is a clause that allows you to get your money back after a certain number of years. Last time I talked to him he was still struggling to get it back. And he had been working on it for awhile. Part of a Duterte slush fund, perhaps?

 

I have found many guys there to be quite friendly. Here? Whoa. Astonishing how little interest most Thai guys lack, in having a foreign friend. 

I can be your friend. I am  a foreigner.????

[Jingthing]

Just now, Xonax said:

Who would care about the availability of cheap short- or long-term female company?

That's what I always say innit.

[rott]

3 minutes ago, Xonax said:

Who would care about the availability of cheap short- or long-term female company?

Many people on here. 

According to the other people on here. 

[Purdey]

I think many countries can make comfortable retirement homes if one has money and a very easy-going attitude. Those who find problems are usually not that flexible (where's the Watney's Red Barrel then bruv?).

[geisha]

I’m lucky enough to live in the south of France near Cannes, 200 m from beach, perfectly clean and water checked regularly to get the blue flag. I’ve nearly always spent winters in Thailand, sometimes Bali or S America. I think, probably with age creeping up, I’ve had my dose of Thailand. Nothing functions here, the place is falling apart. Corruption is rife and poverty on the rise. For my future getaways, I’m planning the south coasts of Italy, went to southern Spain last year …Seville and Granada , I was blown away. Great people. Can speak there too, hold conversations is becoming a necessity. Then, as soon as the worse of this pandemic is over, I’m planning on French Polynesia . Loads of the most beautiful islands in the world to visit , and why not Fiji etc after. Don’t think I’ll settle anywhere for very long, 3 months is fine .I think there’s an age where you can be adventurous, tread unknown paths, take a few mild risks, ( the jungles trecks in Borneo being one) . Seen so many beautiful,places, Machu Picchu, lake Titicaca, Equator, Brazil and jungles , Guatemala volcanos and Mexican lost temples, everything is beautiful . Why limit yourself to Asia, I’ve been nearly everywhere, except North and South Korea, the world is huge and we have a choice. As someone above said, you don’t have to retire all year in one country . Of course, those are my views not for the average retiree I suppose. 

[Hummin]

30 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Don't agree,

I'm OK with dying if something serious happens, second rate medical care is good enough for me.

Never worry about tomorrow, you might not be here to see it.

If you get a stroke, time and hospital is essential, since you most likely will survive but the outcome can be quite different. Close to a good hospital life goes on as before, or half vegetable for rest of your life. 

[rott]

11 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Yes!

What the one year business visa available again, same as before Covid.? 

If it is a complex answer don't bother yourself, I'll look on their Web page. 8

[NoshowJones]

How can Thailand possibly be the second best country for retirees? Surely the junta and their forever changing of immigration issues and everything else should have them near the bottom of the list.

[spidermike007]

21 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

IMHO they're just repeating the same old tosh that people in this forum also post about PI.

I used to go there twice a year with 3 other white guys, ZERO trouble for any of us.

Met lots of other white guys over there, none of them had ever mentioned having trouble either.

(Beyond the domestic violence perpetuated on them by their PI wife/gf of course, same as Thai girls)

Well, i think you guys have been fortunate. There is alot of violent crime in the PI. Alot.

 

The Philippines has a moderately high rate of violent crime, particularly in the capital city of Manila. Incidents of violent robbery and assault occur frequently, and visitors are often targets. The biggest culprits of these acts are local criminal gangs, and it‘s not unheard of for individual hoodlums to strike on their own.

 

https://www.worldnomads.com/travel-safety/southeast-asia/philippines/crime-in-the-philippines

 

In February 2011, Adriano wrote: “Organized crime rings have recently launched a series of car jackings and kidnappings for ransom that have specifically targeted foreigners or Filipino emigrants who are back in the country on holiday. The assaults have been commonly carried out by heavily armed assailants who instigate traffic accidents and either kill or apprehend their victims within a few kilometers of Manila's international airport.” 

 

https://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Philippines/sub5_6f/entry-3908.html

 

The homicide rate in the PI is 15.1, compared to 6.7 in Thailand, and 7.8 in the US, per 100,000.

 

https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/VC.IHR.PSRC.MA.P5?locations=PH

 

I could go on. 

[flexomike]

1 hour ago, JustAnotherHun said:

What exactly would that be the've done to retirees over the last years?

Health insurance for OA visa holders

[spidermike007]

23 minutes ago, RafPinto said:

I can be your friend. I am  a foreigner.????

Thank you. Very kind and considerate of you to offer. 

[vandeventer]

2 hours ago, muratremix said:

Malaysia would be great if they weren't favoring muslims and have a dual law system (sharia + civil) where Muslims hold advantage over non-muslims (or infidels)

 

I met a guy in a bar in Penang a few years back and he said he  came from the USA to marry his GF. Her whole family said he had to become a Muslim, so he was booked on the next flight back home Poor Guy!!!

[NanaSomchai]

40 minutes ago, Xonax said:

Who would care about the availability of cheap short- or long-term female company?

Trust me, in 20 years from now on, you WILL care.

[BayArea]

2 hours ago, Shocked farang said:

Hoi An? It's a touristy construction, it's not a real city with real people.

https://vietnamdiscovery.com/hoi-an/attractions/hoi-an-old-town/

 

Tell that to the people who actually born, bred, worked and lived there. 

[NanaSomchai]

37 minutes ago, rott said:

Many people on here. 

According to the other people on here. 

I call a spade, a spade and a mutt, a mutt.

 

Let's face it; None of us would be here if it wasn't for the pootang action.

[Jack Batty]

4 hours ago, Dustdevil said:

Hoi An might be nice to live in, although I personally haven't been there yet. Saigon--forget it. Extremely difficult getting around, and overcrowded.

I went to Hoi An in 2018. Absolutely stunning! I retired to Thailand, but I could certainly see myself living there, no problem. 

[JohnHans]

PHILIPPINES, half the "real" cost of Thailand.

[BayArea]

2 hours ago, gejohesch said:

I agree with part of what you say. I don't know however about Penang, never been there. But I lived and worked 1 1/2 years in Kuala Lumpur and did not like it one bit. I found the slogan "Malaysia, truly Asia" is a total misrepresentation of what it actually is, and very misleading.

 

I far prefer Thailand, with all its defaults and irritating factors (I could list a few but this is not the place). Compared to Malaysia, Thailand is a cultural giant. Food is at least as good, and women at least as beautiful as in Malaysia (and more available).

 

I checked the website Best Places to Retire in 2022: The Annual Global Retirement Index (internationalliving.com). The OP hides the fact that when looking at the world, not one Asian country makes it to the top 10 list. Obviously, one can always wonder about the criteria used. But this is a sign nevertheless that Asia is maybe not that extraordinary after all. Statements like "great food", "amazing natural beauty", "amazing cultural sites" or "great population diversity" are used too freely left, right and centre, without much sense of relativity.

 

I personally understand why Mexico, Colombia, France, Spain or Portugal figure in the top 10. Let's take Mexico, for example. Compared with Thailand, Mexico is at least as cheap, has much easier regulations for foreigners, has a lot more diversity and a lot more cultural sites etc.... good food but maybe not as good as Thailand. Very friendly people and much easier to communicate with (Spanish being more accessible for most foreigners than Thai). For those interested in women, I would say Thailand beats Mexico by a few lengths. Security could be an issue but certainly one should not believe that Mexican cartels and other gangsters are everywhere and every day going to jump on foreigners.

 

Colombia, great also, except for the food (great meat but limited choices). Portugal and Spain, great also, cheap enough, very safe, lots to do and see, good climates.

 

Etc. Ah, the climates : in my opinion, climates in Asia can be a problem for foreigners used to temperate climates. South European climates (including France) are fantastic. So are the climates in Latin America (especially in the mountains). Thailand climates : I find them brutal, and Malaysia even more.

Mexican food is among the best in the world, why do you think you can find a Mexican restaurant or cantina pretty much anywhere in the world? As far as their women goes,  they are second to none!

Edited February 14, 2022 by BayArea

[vandeventer]

7 minutes ago, NanaSomchai said:

Trust me, in 20 years from now on, you WILL care.

Yes but in 20 years will we be alive? Besides those Japanese dolls look so much like the real thing these days and they never talk back and they don't smoke or drink and they never say no. It's a shame you can't import them to Thailand too many job losses I guess.

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, Caldera said:

Vietnam doesn't even have a retirement visa, so much as I like visiting the country, it has no business being on that list.

 

If Thailand didn't have an incompetent government and nonsensical immigration procedures, it would be pretty much perfect. Even as it is, I think it's pretty good.

Just who is the lnternational Living List? They must be the most uninformed people ever going by nos 1 and 2.

 

2 hours ago, Caldera said:

Vietnam doesn't even have a retirement visa, so much as I like visiting the country, it has no business being on that list.

 

If Thailand didn't have an incompetent government and nonsensical immigration procedures, it would be pretty much perfect. Even as it is, I think it's pretty good.

 

[simon43]

I recently moved to live on the island of Mauritius... wait!  I think I mentioned that before ????

[JustAnotherHun]

1 hour ago, flexomike said:

Health insurance for OA visa holders

You're right. Plus the 2 months before/3months after rule of the 800k.

I think, the change on 800k was invented to avoid people bypassing the rules by borrowing some money before application and transfer it back one day later. Which happened in many cases.

Health insurance is a hurdle for the O/A-holder and soon to come for all others too, imo. But I think, a mandatory insurance is a good thing. Most of those who insist they want be "self insured" would not have the funds to pay for an expensive treatment. 

Edited February 14, 2022 by JustAnotherHun

[BritManToo]

5 hours ago, Dustdevil said:

Hoi An might be nice to live in, although I personally haven't been there yet. Saigon--forget it. Extremely difficult getting around, and overcrowded.

Thought it was horrible, went back to Da Nang after a couple of hours walking around.

Took some nice photos of Chinese tourists though ............ loved Saigon.

 

Edited February 14, 2022 by BritManToo