As this is now not just a Thailand forum I want to know who has retired to other Asian Countries and either happy or sad there?

 

Anyone here in the Philippines who has or had picked Dumamagette,seems to be the number 1 retirement area for farangs .

 

Anyone picked Cambodia to retire ,I know a guy from my work last year who retired at 63 to Siem Reap but I wasn't close to him so lost contact 

 

Strangely Bali seems to becoming popular with Australian retirees 

Tell me where you chose to finish out your life or you tried and it wasn't to your pleasure

Bali is full of bogans from Oz. Siem Reap sounds ok to me plus short flight to Thailand. Be my choice.

2 minutes ago, Sparktrader said:

Bali is full of bogans from Oz. Siem Reap sounds ok to me plus short flight to Thailand. Be my choice.

Maybe, I never been to Siem Reap.

I wonder if anyone retired to Phomn Penh here 

 

Still not many guys on here who live in the Philippines yet I saw hundreds of farangs when I went there 

 

Yes Bali has a bad image ,I think of young shirtless drunken  tattooed Aussies 

1 minute ago, georgegeorgia said:

Maybe, I never been to Siem Reap.

I wonder if anyone retired to Phomn Penh here 

 

Still not many guys on here who live in the Philippines yet I saw hundreds of farangs when I went there 

 

Yes Bali has a bad image ,I think of young shirtless drunken  tattooed Aussies 

My mate loved Phils but he is half crazy

 

PP i dont know. Go for a week and see.

 

Cambodia being so close to Thailand seems a good option. Get visa there, fly in and out Thailand visa exempt.

 

Bali too far.

 

Phils has lots of crime and bad food. I dont like the women also.

Beers are cheaper in Cambodia

Looked all over Europe and Asia went with the guts which felt good in Thailand but anyone wherever you lay your hat should always have a plan 'B'. 

5 minutes ago, Sparktrader said:

My mate loved Phils but he is half crazy

 

PP i dont know. Go for a week and see.

 

Cambodia being so close to Thailand seems a good option. Get visa there, fly in and out Thailand visa exempt.

 

Bali too far.

 

Phils has lots of crime and bad food. I dont like the women also.

Yes Phil women can be bossy and dominant

9 minutes ago, Sparktrader said:

My mate loved Phils but he is half crazy

 

PP i dont know. Go for a week and see.

 

Cambodia being so close to Thailand seems a good option. Get visa there, fly in and out Thailand visa exempt.

 

Bali too far.

 

Phils has lots of crime and bad food. I dont like the women also.

"Bali too far":

 

Flight time Sydney to Bali (Denpasar) 6 hr 20 min.

Flight time Sydney to Bangkok 9 hr 15 min.

 

Plenty of quiet beautiful locations in Bali away from the tourist areas low cost of living, and more English spoken than in Thailand. 

 

Yes, a lot of crime in Phils, and many folks walking around with legal handguns. 

Exactly. I just worked out I could take long service leave and annual leave and throw in some sick leave and retire middle of next year though actually not retire for a further two years. Since it's become a bit real Bali has popped in my head - closer and probably more familiar and more Australian stuff available but keep away from bogans and instagrammers. But Thailand still most likely - Bali is a bit small and the rest of Indonesia not really good for retirees. Thailand seems to be the best of most things. 

 

6 minutes ago, scorecard said:

"Bali too far":

 

Flight time Sydney to Bali (Denpasar) 6 hr 20 min.

Flight time Sydney to Bangkok 9 hr 15 min.

 

Plenty of quiet beautiful locations in Bali away from the tourist areas low cost of living, and more English spoken than in Thailand. 

 

Yes, a lot of crime in Phils, and many folks walking around with legal handguns. 

Bali far from Thailand. I speak Thai.

24 minutes ago, Sparktrader said:

Bali is full of bogans from Oz.

I spent a few years in Hanoi, good place, very few Canadian bogans!

I can put up with an imperfect government but the powers that be in Cambodia and Philippines and Laos are a  step too far as a place to actually stay long term.  

8 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

Exactly. I just worked out I could take long service leave and annual leave and throw in some sick leave and retire middle of next year though actually not retire for a further two years. Since it's become a bit real Bali has popped in my head - closer and probably more familiar and more Australian stuff available but keep away from bogans and instagrammers. But Thailand still most likely - Bali is a bit small and the rest of Indonesia not really good for retirees. Thailand seems to be the best of most things. 

Wow , Government job?

 

Yeah make sure you use all your sick leave , I remember one of my work colleagues never took a sick day for 30 years and left behind over 2 years accumulated sick leave 

 

They never thanked him,no one gave a <deleted> 

39 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

Strangely Bali seems to becoming popular with Australian retirees 

why strangely? I plan on spending some time there in the future as I have some bule mates who live there. Bali's a great little place and easy to avoid the bogans if they upset you that much.

 

they don't worry me too much because I'm a bit of a bogan myself ????

Thailand is easiest country in my opinion to be retired. Considering infrastructure and quality of living. At once you manage to have retirement visa, it is no hassle at all to renew every year either even I continue to hear complaints here at AN.

 

The drawback now is Flight tickets is more expensive and Norway do not have direct flights anymore post covid, and was one of the reasons I found Thailand as an better option than Phil for an example. 

I'm surprised no Philippines retirees here ?

 

34 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

Maybe, I never been to Siem Reap.

I wonder if anyone retired to Phomn Penh here 

I have A Brit pal in Cambodia.

He was in PP until the COVID shut-downs drove him out.

He's been living in Kampot since then, seems happy enough.

 

I've spent plenty of time in Siem Reap, Phomn Penh and Barretto (PI).

Like them all and would be happy to live in either place.

2 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

I'm surprised no Philippines retirees here ?

 

For me from Europe it was 6 hours longer flights with two changes, and the infrastructure, safety, poor beggars as well food knocked me off. 
 

It doesnt apply to me to live in a country with so much poverty as Philippine or Cambodia. 

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

I have A Brit pal in Cambodia.

He was in PP until the COVID shut-downs drove him out.

He's been living in Kampot since then, seems happy enough.

The peppers nice in Kampot. I haven't heard much else good about it. Crappy beaches in that area. 

17 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

rest of Indonesia not really good for retirees

why do you say they? too many mosques and kretek cigarettes? ????

31 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

Yes Phil women can be bossy and dominant

Seems to me like The Philippines is pretty much matriarchal.  The guys seem kind of infantilised.

 

Anyone thinking of moving to PI would do well to view videos by "filipina pea youtube".  She goes beyond most videos and keeps it real.  As she is in Duma where there is a large expat population (due mostly to lower costs) there will be a lot of content helpful to those thinking of taking that route.  Main issue in PI will be accepting limitations - Thais are on time compared to PI.  Corruption is routine.  Things are often not available.  Food is much lower quality (although fast food may often be cheaper and if burger/fries person freshness may not be an issue).  Not a move for type A personality but if able to go with the flow there are plus points - English is known by most and signs will often be more readable.  People are mostly friendly and easy to get to know.  Crime is an issue but most expats are not victims (looks worse than it is with armed guards everywhere).  Much more interest in keeping marriage together if that is in the cards.  Much easier visa system for long stay. 

 

But anyone interested start viewing some of the Youtube channels from there as they can provide a great deal of good information.

6 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

The peppers nice in Kampot. I haven't heard much else good about it. Crappy beaches in that area. 

Kampot was a cute little place when I went there in 2018. would love to spend more time there but I don't know if it would hold my interest for too long. 

 

there were some nice little places to eat and the river is very pretty but I'm not really a small town guy so if I ever ditch Thailand for the Bodja I'd be looking at dividing time between Phnom Penh and other places. 

Poor quality health care in Cambodia.

 

Too many guns in the PI.

 

Both lacking in infrastructure

 

 

A couple of YouTubers for Phillipines one old American guy channel

"Every man has a story "

has 

ex Thai expats being interviewed on why they changed to the Philippines.

 

 

 

Would make this a first watch for PI - seems to hit just about everything.

 

47 minutes ago, scorecard said:

"Bali too far":

 

Flight time Sydney to Bali (Denpasar) 6 hr 20 min.

Flight time Sydney to Bangkok 9 hr 15 min.

 

Plenty of quiet beautiful locations in Bali away from the tourist areas low cost of living, and more English spoken than in Thailand. 

 

Yes, a lot of crime in Phils, and many folks walking around with legal handguns. 

The problem with Bali, is sooner of later you have to deal with the lower third of the island. It is like Manhattan at rush hour. 

 

And the PI feels like one huge Tijuana to me, the food is atrocious, the air quality is horrendous, due to the sooty diesel they use, it gets far too many typhoons, and you always have to have eyes in the back of your head. I do like the people. Too bad about the ghetto feel of the place and the violent crime.

 

I don't have to be concerned about that here. Thailand is like Beverly Hills compared to most of the PI, and there is very little crime committed on foreigners, it seems.