Where Else Do You Suggest !

[lannarebirth]

I'm 50, but if I were 40 or younger with no attachments, I'd be living in Lao. I just love it there. I spend quite a bit of time there and it's progressed quite a bit in the past several years. Next life maybe.

[Naam]

Darwin, NT, Australia. Asian friendly, similar climate, laid back attitude, close to work (South China Sea)..

GIVE ME A BREAK MATE! 500,000 Oz-Dollars minimum investment, crazy income tax, retirees can be kicked out if they don't meet certain health standards checked every two years.

:D

[Austhaied]

Darwin, NT, Australia. Asian friendly, similar climate, laid back attitude, close to work (South China Sea)..

GIVE ME A BREAK MATE! 500,000 Oz-Dollars minimum investment, crazy income tax, retirees can be kicked out if they don't meet certain health standards checked every two years.

:D

Just stay here then, no need to knock MY ideal back-up destination, is there ?

[Jingthing]

Just found out that Brazil offers a 5 year resident investor visa for an investment of 50K USD. Totally affordable to most any early retiree. This amount was LOWERED from 200K! The money can also easily and legally be transferred later out of Brazil if you wish. Now, that is an example of a smart immigration policy coming from a large country that is totally energy independent. A very good deal indeed. You have all rights except political rights. Typically, people buy rental apartments either at a beach resort or Sao Paolo. The only thing I don't like about it is Brazil isn't so cheap anymore if using USDs, and the apartment must be a rental unit. So you can't live full time in your investment. So really, you might want to buy two units, one to live in, one to rent and get the visa. It would also be very nice only to have to worry about visa renewal every 5 years instead of annually. 10 years would be better though.

Edited August 6, 2007 by Jingthing

[theseveredhead]

i think the thing with cent/south america is crime, same with philippines. i was thinking about panama as well - pretty, orchids, coastline... i met some guys who came here from costa - said crime and sour locals. i think brazil has crime and high hiv rates.

i hear that central america is very easy for visas. even if you overstay pay a bit of a fine, jump across the border and come back. immigration dont even care and the expats often just 'forget' to visa run because so little penalty.

id like cuba i think - but i hear its already pricey.

my next stop (gasp) will be hunkering down in the phils. i will NEVER go thru the everychanging hassles of a retiremnet visa in thailand. phils also not cheap, but on usd thailand isnt either anymore.

[slapout]

I worked in India for several years, most of it I was glad to get out of every 3 months ( go to Singapore, Thailand, Manila, etc Then I went to Assam and found a very well kept secret. Its a beautiful area with tea plantations and the people from Assam and Nagaland should not be compared with the rest of India. Not sure you would have any luck getting visa to live there on retirement.

[Jingthing]

i think the thing with cent/south america is crime, same with philippines. i was thinking about panama as well - pretty, orchids, coastline... i met some guys who came here from costa - said crime and sour locals. i think brazil has crime and high hiv rates.

i hear that central america is very easy for visas. even if you overstay pay a bit of a fine, jump across the border and come back. immigration dont even care and the expats often just 'forget' to visa run because so little penalty.

id like cuba i think - but i hear its already pricey.

my next stop (gasp) will be hunkering down in the phils. i will NEVER go thru the everychanging hassles of a retiremnet visa in thailand. phils also not cheap, but on usd thailand isnt either anymore.

How will you go visa-wise in the Phils? There are two options if not married to a local. Perpetual tourist visas with visits to immigration every 2 months and flying out once a year or the legit visa option where you bring in 50K USD one time and can use it to buy a condo. (75K if under 50 years old.) The tourist visa option sounds dicey but cheap because they could deny you at any time, every 2 months, thats worse than Thailand. Thailand has a high HIV rate also. Its not the country that gives it to you.

Bottom line for me if Thailand doesn't work out for me, is that the Phils and Malaysia probably at the top of my list. If I had a pension, Argentina.

Edited August 7, 2007 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

I worked in India for several years, most of it I was glad to get out of every 3 months ( go to Singapore, Thailand, Manila, etc Then I went to Assam and found a very well kept secret. Its a beautiful area with tea plantations and the people from Assam and Nagaland should not be compared with the rest of India. Not sure you would have any luck getting visa to live there on retirement.

True, because they have no retirement visa option.

[rychrde]

Italia - if I felt I had a homeland it would be there. However, on my last trip found that the first world disease of legislating everything down to the air one breathes was becoming too much. Maybe further south, like Sicily (which is not unlike Thailand!)

Cambodia - I currently live very near the border and my wife and I will be taking some extensive trips there over the next year to see if a good idea to stay there more often.

BTW I do find it amusing how all the Thailand-lovers come out whenever there is some justified criticism of LOS. I have very little contact with falangs in real life as there just aren't that many around here. Most of the criticisms I may voice actually come from my Thai friends and family. They are not aware of places to voice their concerns apart from their bars and even then only with close friends. The least I can do is see if there are any solutions they hadn't thought of. And the idea of my wife and I changing country may be extreme but is definitely an item on a list of options - not too high yet, but who can tell.

rych

[dttk0009]

Montreal, Canada. I absolutely love that city, and it's also where my girlfriend's from.

[Austhaied]

can anybody recommend india as an alternative to thailand.good points bad points?

since many years i have a home in India, including a visa which permits me to come and go whenever i please. when i arrive in India i start counting the hours till my next outbound flight. for the last three years my count never exceeded 120.

p.s. things in India have improved a lot during the last 30 years. but still...

I agree with Dr. Naam with one possible exception. As a beach resort area, Goa, south of Mumbai, is not TOO bad, but can't compare at all with ANY of the Thai resorts. I spent a few long weekends there recently whilst doing business in Bombay, and there are quite of few expats there. Again, no comparison with Thailand.

when i was a twelve year old boy India was the country of my dreams. now being a rather old man India is still the country of my dreams. i like hindu and muslim architecture, i like hindu and muslim music and lyrics, i like indian food.

now i am now dreaming of an India minus one billion Indians

Maybe the Indians are dreaming of an India without you as well..

[JimsKnight]

PI probably. Or Indonesia if the visa situation was relaxed.

[nick2k]

when the thai baht goes to 30 to 1, I am temporarily moving over to the philippines. my other backup destination is china. china is not bad depending on where you go. the prices are pretty low in many places in the southern part of china. but where you go is a personal decision. different strokes for different folks.

when I get really old (if I get there), I will probably go back to america. america is not that bad if you can't party. at least I will have my medicare, and I can go back to fishing like when I was a kid.

america will always be my first home.

[theseveredhead]

jinthing: go with the perpetual tourist. all the guys i have ever known unmarried do this. you can get a perm visa if you marry (nightmare) in a snap. as for the retirement visa its similar hassle to hear and money. perpetual visas are totally no problem.

rychrde: i really do love thailand. ive lived in cambodia, indonesia and korea and spent many months in countries from pakistan to papua. i will admidt though much of it is inertia but i love the fact that so much of the food is clean and cheap and so is my flat. i like the food, culture, eating customs, high culture, pop culture. the ladies are far and away the prettiest in south east asia save for the viet/chinese ... its safe, clean, coastal - its really a great little place. its not me thats pushing myself out. fyi my worst offenses in 15 years: three overstays (12 hours) xing by land which were not really overstays - so i behave, aside from my drunking wanderings and boxing with the songtaew drivers. not all of us have made the mistake of marrying, but at least you married a thai. i have no respect for philippine 'culture' at all and that silly sing-song way english is spoken is never unnerrving (sp).

the thing about indonesia is thats is quite polluted and a 'broken nation'. bali is nice as lombok, but the rest is broken. the food becomes dull after about a month, but its better than phils. currently youll get hassles for too many in/outs in indo.

[chinthee]

I've spent time in ALL these places you guys are flogging. I'm sorry, but they all pale miserably compared to the total package in Thailand...AND you know it!

All the muslim nations are f'ing boring. All the truly 3rd world places are a damm mess. Central America is fading. Brazil is possible. South Africa Capetown maybe, but locals will tell you to glue broken glass on top of your walled compound.

Just face it and accept it. Thailand is still the best in spite of all the miserable new hassles and increase in costs. Stop looking for disneyland. It's here, it really is....

[Naam]

Brazil is possible

give me a break please. did you have a look at BRL recently?

[chinthee]

Brazil is possible

give me a break please. did you have a look at BRL recently?

Well doc, I didn't exactly give it a ringing endorsement now did I?

[Naam]

when the thai baht goes to 30 to 1, I am temporarily moving over to the philippines. my other backup destination is china.

must be a wonderful feeling when one is able to move and all belongings fit in one suitcase.

[Naam]

Brazil is possible

give me a break please. did you have a look at BRL recently?

Well doc, I didn't exactly give it a ringing endorsement now did I?

Brazil is a bureaucratic nightmare Chinthee. a retiree residence permit requires a government pension. even if your income is 50 times the minimum, you can proof you have spent 250,000 dollars and willing to spend another half a million to build a home... it just does not account. no matter what some clowns posted a few months earlier on TV and no matter what my latino friends told me a few years ago.

in 2002 we bought land 80km north of Rio (up in the mountains). then it turned out that residence permit would not be granted. this year we found a buyer. brazilian consulate in BKK refused to notarise our signatures on the documents. my wife and me had to fly half around the world -spending 15,000 dollars- for two freaking signatures.

by the way, it took me nearly three months to get a bunch of governmental notarized documents to submit the first name of my late father. only then the land was transferred in my name!

[chinthee]

Brazil is possible

give me a break please. did you have a look at BRL recently?

Well doc, I didn't exactly give it a ringing endorsement now did I?

Brazil is a bureaucratic nightmare Chinthee. a retiree residence permit requires a government pension. even if your income is 50 times the minimum, you can proof you have spent 250,000 dollars and willing to spend another half a million to build a home... it just does not account. no matter what some clowns posted a few months earlier on TV and no matter what my latino friends told me a few years ago.

in 2002 we bought land 80km north of Rio (up in the mountains). then it turned out that residence permit would not be granted. this year we found a buyer. brazilian consulate in BKK refused to notarise our signatures on the documents. my wife and me had to fly half around the world -spending 15,000 dollars- for two freaking signatures.

by the way, it took me nearly three months to get a bunch of governmental notarized documents to submit the first name of my late father. only then the land was transferred in my name!

Well then, I defer to you on this. I've done a lot of business there, and have been fed a lot of hype by partners wanting me to settle and invest there. Good to hear your hard facts.

[Jingthing]

The Philippines has TEMPORARILY lowered the dollar amount needed for their LIFETIME retirement visa program. Apply once and thats it, except for annual fees. The amount for those over 50 is 20K USD. This can be withdrawn to buy a condo. This was lowered from 50K USD. This is the best retirement deal in the world, folks. Rush or this offer will go away. Oh, the trouble is, who wants to live there? Well, lots of people, but like most on Thaivisa, I prefer Thailand!

And, no. I am not kidding. But it is still called an experimental program (the lowering) and it can go away:

http://www.plra.gov.ph/main/index.php?pid=178〈=1

However, if you are approved under this program, you are approved for life.

BTW, I looked carefully at the applications for both Phil and Malaysia. Philippines is much easier when you really look deep into it.

I am even considering going for this program as a backup to fickle Thailand, and buying a holiday condo. I am not clear yet on whether you have to live there at all and hold this visa. BTW, decent middle range condos are available in Cebu City for the 40K USD range.

It is clear the Philippines really, really wants expat retirees. As many as they can possibly lure in. They see the great benefit to their country, I wish Thailand would wake up about that. The Thai retirement visa is a cruel joke compared to the Philippine program.

Edited August 8, 2007 by Jingthing

[thai thai]

I was in Chile for a month (a few years ago) and found it absolutely beautiful. I believe it has only 15 million or so people. Santiago can be very polluted, but down south had many great villages and small towns, and prices were similar to Thailand. Except the cost of a bottle of wine...US$2.00 - 3.00 everyday...! The world's 4th largest exporter of Salmon. Were were eating smoked salmon, grilled salmon, and many other varieties of fantastic seafood everyday. Climate like California, scenery like Cabo San Lucas to Vancouver...only 100 years ago.

[chinthee]

I was in Chile for a month (a few years ago) and found it absolutely beautiful. I believe it has only 15 million or so people. Santiago can be very polluted, but down south had many great villages and small towns, and prices were similar to Thailand. Except the cost of a bottle of wine...US$2.00 - 3.00 everyday...! The world's 4th largest exporter of Salmon. Were were eating smoked salmon, grilled salmon, and many other varieties of fantastic seafood everyday. Climate like California, scenery like Cabo San Lucas to Vancouver...only 100 years ago.

Yup,

I agree with you. Worldwide the best place for cheap winos is Chile. And the beauty is that the language is easy (ok you need some background in latin) and elegant and beautiful. I think maybe I'll go there soon. Chilean chicks are also so beauty.

Arroy maak loi.

[buzzer]

After living in Thailand for 4 years. I'm leaving in less than two months to do something in Tijuana (not my final stop). I will not be coming back. And am not interested in anywhere else in Asia. Ultimately, I'll probably check out Belize and Nicaragua. There's not much info on them or their neighbors, Guatemala, and Honduras. What do you know about some of the South Pacific islands? I think my ideal would be an island somewhere. I lived in Hawaii most of my life, but it's too expensive, and getting more crowded all the time. Aloha (love) is mostly a thing of the past as the Hawaiians (locals, actually) are seeing their precious land scooped up by people with money.

So, does any one have any way to find out more about the S.Pacific, and C.America? Websites, expat forums? I haven't found much myself.

Thanks - Buzzer

[jetjock]

After living in Thailand for 4 years. I'm leaving in less than two months to do something in Tijuana (not my final stop). I will not be coming back. And am not interested in anywhere else in Asia. Ultimately, I'll probably check out Belize and Nicaragua. There's not much info on them or their neighbors, Guatemala, and Honduras. What do you know about some of the South Pacific islands? I think my ideal would be an island somewhere. I lived in Hawaii most of my life, but it's too expensive, and getting more crowded all the time. Aloha (love) is mostly a thing of the past as the Hawaiians (locals, actually) are seeing their precious land scooped up by people with money.

So, does any one have any way to find out more about the S.Pacific, and C.America? Websites, expat forums? I haven't found much myself.

Thanks - Buzzer

Most of the islands I have been to in the South Pacific have been relatively expensive. I have no experience with C. American countries. If you are more interested in Spanish speaking areas just move to California !!!

[ratchabuild]

After living in Thailand for 4 years. I'm leaving in less than two months to do something in Tijuana (not my final stop). I will not be coming back. And am not interested in anywhere else in Asia. Ultimately, I'll probably check out Belize and Nicaragua. There's not much info on them or their neighbors, Guatemala, and Honduras. What do you know about some of the South Pacific islands? I think my ideal would be an island somewhere. I lived in Hawaii most of my life, but it's too expensive, and getting more crowded all the time. Aloha (love) is mostly a thing of the past as the Hawaiians (locals, actually) are seeing their precious land scooped up by people with money.

So, does any one have any way to find out more about the S.Pacific, and C.America? Websites, expat forums? I haven't found much myself.

Thanks - Buzzer

Most of the islands I have been to in the South Pacific have been relatively expensive. I have no experience with C. American countries. If you are more interested in Spanish speaking areas just move to California !!!

Toronto and farm geese

[Jingthing]

BTW, the Philippines has just liberalized their tourist visa requirements even more. You can stay there for life on a tourist visa. Nobody will call you names like scum or Cheapskate Charly if you do this. They are not trying to weed visa runners out. And why should they? They want tourists so whats better than a tourist who stays forever? Reports are that 70 percent of the long stay farangs are doing just that. The new change is that you used to have to fly out every 12 months and re-enter, now that is extended to 16 months, and in certain cases 24 months. You still get an initial stay of 3 weeks, then you must extend every 2 months, paying a fee of about 1 USD per day.

Edited August 8, 2007 by Jingthing

[Pepe']

new zealand is my favourite westernised country.sort of like england 40 years ago,but with a good pace of life & fantastic scenery.they seem to quite like the brits aswell....or i'd like to think so. i like their old fashioned sayings like, "good as gold",& the "fush & chups" is good.

nepal would interest me for the scenery & people.not sure what length of visa you get there though.

i'm getting a little tired of doing visa runs,& not knowing whether i will be granted one or not,& have been interested in giving india a go,as ive never been before.the 6 month visa is appealing,ive heard chinese food is widely available,& thousands of miles of coast land.

i still like thailand,but maybe the mystery has gone out of the place for me,but the grass is greener on the other,& after spending 6 months in india sat on the toilet i may be running back to the land of smiles.

can anybody recommend india as an alternative to thailand.good points bad points?

---------------------

No time to list all good points and bad points. However you mentioned one, "spending way too much time on the toilet feeling like your guts are coming out.

Traveled there for the first time in 1974. Liked it then and was studying yoga and Ayurvedic Medicine. Went 8 times over the next 16 years. Liked it less and less each time. Right now for me I would never go back.

Getting to "westernized."

[Pepe']

can anybody recommend india as an alternative to thailand.good points bad points?

since many years i have a home in India, including a visa which permits me to come and go whenever i please. when i arrive in India i start counting the hours till my next outbound flight. for the last three years my count never exceeded 120.

p.s. things in India have improved a lot during the last 30 years. but still...

I agree with Dr. Naam with one possible exception. As a beach resort area, Goa, south of Mumbai, is not TOO bad, but can't compare at all with ANY of the Thai resorts. I spent a few long weekends there recently whilst doing business in Bombay, and there are quite of few expats there. Again, no comparison with Thailand.

when i was a twelve year old boy India was the country of my dreams. now being a rather old man India is still the country of my dreams. i like hindu and muslim architecture, i like hindu and muslim music and lyrics, i like indian food.

now i am now dreaming of an India minus one billion Indians

---------------------------

I can relate....

[JR Texas]

After living in Thailand for 4 years. I'm leaving in less than two months to do something in Tijuana (not my final stop). I will not be coming back. And am not interested in anywhere else in Asia. Ultimately, I'll probably check out Belize and Nicaragua. There's not much info on them or their neighbors, Guatemala, and Honduras. What do you know about some of the South Pacific islands? I think my ideal would be an island somewhere. I lived in Hawaii most of my life, but it's too expensive, and getting more crowded all the time. Aloha (love) is mostly a thing of the past as the Hawaiians (locals, actually) are seeing their precious land scooped up by people with money.

So, does any one have any way to find out more about the S.Pacific, and C.America? Websites, expat forums? I haven't found much myself.

Thanks - Buzzer

Oceania (Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia) is a huge place.......I lived in Samoa (Western Samoa). The island was beautiful from a distance. The sunsets were spectacular. The food was beyond terrible (except the fresh fish). I really disliked the culture....made me feel uncomfortable. The people are HUGE......like giants....should all play for the NFL. It is not cheap as most things have to be imported. And, what they never tell you in the tourists brochures, is that billions of small biting bugs swarm all over the beaches and bite you on the ankles....not fun and terribly annoying. Paradise is isn't........same for Fiji. I think the place to go is around Tahiti, but never been there. And it would no doubt be very expensive. Hawaii is wonderful on some of the more isolated islands........but who can afford it?