Now let me just say before I post that I have written yes written as opposed to not written

....this post this section , because this forum is not just about Thailand despite contrary to what many of you think , sorry to burst your bubble honeys it's a forum for ALL South East Asia

It's sad many if you live in the past

So the Philippines has passed new laws on April 6th

You must wear a T shirt in public , you will be fined

Especially those fat old farangs in Cebu

The young Israelis and young Filipinos is perfectly fine in my books

All I can say is my next trip will be to Cebu in the Philippines to look for a new place to retire

Especially after these new laws and oh No vlogging is allowed

Many UK expats have moved to Cebu because of their pension increases

You won't be seeing me again in Pattaya

3 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

Now let me just say before I post that I gave written yes written as opposed to ....this post this section , because this forum is not just about Thailand despite contrary to what many of you think , sorry to burst your bubble honeys

So the Philippines has passed new laws on April 6th

You must wear a t shirt in public , you will be fined

Especially those fat old farangs in Cebu

The young Israelis and you g Filipinos is perfectly fine in my books

All I can say is my next trip will be to Cebu in the Philippines to look for a new place to retire

Especially after these new laws and oh No vlogging is allowed

George why have you become so condescending? In addition you are telling more porkies than truths.

Come on old man, you can do better.

14 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

Now let me just say before I post that I have written yes written as opposed to not written

....this post this section , because this forum is not just about Thailand despite contrary to what many of you think , sorry to burst your bubble honeys it's a forum for ALL South East Asia

It's sad many if you live in the past

So the Philippines has passed new laws on April 6th

You must wear a T shirt in public , you will be fined

Especially those fat old farangs in Cebu

The young Israelis and young Filipinos is perfectly fine in my books

All I can say is my next trip will be to Cebu in the Philippines to look for a new place to retire

Especially after these new laws and oh No vlogging is allowed

Many UK expats have moved to Cebu because of their pension increases

You won't be seeing me again in Pattaya

Nice to know these countries only have 1 city each to live in 555

MOVED into the Pub

Have you considered moving to Zanzibar?

1 hour ago, georgegeorgia said:

You won't be seeing me again in Pattaya

Saddest story of the year 😪

Live with your choice ... why I chose TH, and not Florida or Caribbean.

My apologies to residents of Pattaya

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=typhoon+hits+cebu

1 hour ago, georgegeorgia said:

You won't be seeing me again in Pattaya

Has anyone actually seen you in Pattaya ?

3 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Live with your choice ... why I chose TH, and not Florida or Caribbean.

My apologies to residents of Pattaya

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=typhoon+hits+cebu

When it get all windy like that the surfing must be awesome!

1 hour ago, georgegeorgia said:

You won't be seeing me again in Pattaya

I was under the impression that you had effed off back to OZ for good.

7 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Has anyone actually seen you in Pattaya ?

"Georgie, when you're done mopping the basement, I'll bring you another glass of milk for your cookies. Stay off the computer & finish your homework"

Cebu in the Philippines is the place to be and of course passing that is Da Nang in Vietnam

Interestedly BALI is now riding again as a expat community,

Do we have any expats here in BALI ,they say cheaper and more beautiful than Phuket

Philippines is where I'm looking at next in Cebu and please don't try to talk me out of it !!!!

10 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

Cebu in the Philippines is the place to be and of course passing that is Da Nang in Vietnam

Interestedly BALI is now riding again as a expat community,

Do we have any expats here in BALI ,they say cheaper and more beautiful than Phuket

Philippines is where I'm looking at next in Cebu and please don't try to talk me out of it !!!!

What do you feel is better in cebu than Pattaya?

15 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

Cebu in the Philippines is the place to be and of course passing that is Da Nang in Vietnam

Interestedly BALI is now riding again as a expat community,

Do we have any expats here in BALI ,they say cheaper and more beautiful than Phuket

Philippines is where I'm looking at next in Cebu and please don't try to talk me out of it !!!!

Cebu is double the cost of Chumphon for worse food.

You could end up spending a lot of money being with a Filipino or Thai gal, so realize this before you get into a long-term relationship. From what I hear from my friends who live there, the threshold for taking care of a PI gal is far lower than here, and so are their expectations. There is nothing inexpensive about caring for a Thai woman! I speak from experience!

In terms of beauty, I find both have stunning women. But, the primary issue for me, if I was single, would be the actual quality of life there. Strictly from my point of view:

Philippines

Pros-

1. The women can be lovely. And many of them speak english. And if you are older guy, that is a plus in the PI. Plus they are way less demanding, and the bar is set much lower, in terms of their expectations. Older guys can get with far younger women, without an issue. The parents actually encourage it! Generally, it is possible to have a real conversation with many women there. Not the case here. It is rare here. Unlike most Thai women, the women there can have a real sense of curiousity, and will ask genuine questions about you, and your life, beyond where do you come from, how much do you earn, and what do you own? The PI seems to have a higher level of intellectual development.

2. The visa system is something that some think is simpler. He used to require a significant amount of money to be on long-term deposit but I've heard that has changed.

3. The place has thousands of islands, and some stunning beaches, and cleaner water than Thailand, at least on the Gulf Coast. In general the air quality is better than Thailand, but, the islands are fairly hard to get to, and the services are very limited, and more expensive than in Thailand. So unless you have a private yacht or a helicopter a lot of these the most extraordinary places are very hard to get to.

4. In general I would say the people can be quite friendly. Especially the women. But, unlike Thailand, even the men can be friendly. I suspect if I lived there, I would have a number of local male friends, unlike here. I have never met a society of men, who are less interested, less curious about, and less willing to get to know foreigners, than I have here in Thailand. It is sometimes astonishing. It is a real disappointment. The PI is more Westernized. You do not feel like you are living on another planet, which can be nice sometimes. Some shopping can be better, as there are Costco type outlets there. Some of the highways are better, and as an American, I can have goods shipped to me, with a preferred system, that allows low cost shipping, and duty free imports. Unheard of in Thailand. Importation of goods in Thailand can be horrendously difficult. It is an onerous system, one that is outdated by decades, in this age of globalization. Thailand is far, far more insular and fearful of the outside world, than the PI.

They are more Western in their mindset. The colonial occupation by Spain, which was largely managed by Mexico, means the culture is more Western leaning. Which makes them more open to the outside world and more curious. Qualities which are sorely lacking here. 

I find it rare for Thai men to have much interest at all, in really getting to know us. They seem to be lacking curiosity of the outside world, to a remarkable degree. 

nomadcapitalist.com/2018/01/15/the-philippines-residency-srrv/

Cons-

1. The entire country is like one big Tijuana. It is depressing. Very little landscaping in the homes, even nice homes are ugly, and have barbed wire, and glass topped walls everywhere you look.

2. The security situation is not very good. You always have to keep your eyes open, keep an eye on your back, and beware of robbery, home theft, and violence. It is rampant. I have many friends who live there, and they all say the same thing. I never feel that lack of safety in Thailand.

3. If you do get into an altercation with a Philippine man, or are getting robbed or harassed, unless you are a 6th degree sensei, do not fight back. An astonishing number of locals are well trained in the fighting arts. Many are good with sticks, knives, blades or any sort, and their hands, fists and feet. I have a friend who is a world class security consultant. He is a black belt in a few different martial arts. He says he can usually fight his way out of a gang of men, nearly anywhere in the world. Except in the PI. That is the only country he will NOT take an assignment.

The average guys there, can take down the average Westerner in five seconds. In Thailand few have those kinds of skills. Very few. Though they do have their gangs here, they very rarely attack a foreigner.

4. The food sucks. The only other country I can think of with worse food, is Cuba. Granted, if you are willing to spend the money, you can find good food. But, it is not the general rule, as it is here. Also, the access to fresh fruits and vegetables is pathetic compared to Thailand. Very low quality, and often not fresh. Thailand is a paradise by comparison, when it comes to all things related to food.

5. Pollution. They use a lower grade of diesel. So, there is alot of soot in the air. The PI has an epidemic of lung diseases and respiratory diseases. Even on many of the populated islands. The hospitals are full of people who are having a very hard time breathing. It is a real issue there. Lung disease is at an epidemic level, though the authorities do not like to talk about it, and publish very little information on it.

6. Aesthetics. The average house you would rent, looks like a slum. Tall walls, with barbed wire, to keep out intruders. And they just do not pay attention to landscaping and gardens like the Thai people do. So, most neighborhoods are fabulously ugly. Alot of slums in the big cities, and just not physically appealing.

7. Renting. There is a vastly lower number of rental units available, few are as nice as what you can find in Thailand, and it is almost always more expensive, with the possible exception of Central Bangkok. You just cannot find the studio apartments like the ones available all over Hua Hin, for 6,000 to 8,000 baht a month. That does not exist there.

8. Infrastructure. The entire country lacks the infrastructure you have here in Thailand. As I am typing now, I am enjoying a 1. 5 GB download speed, and a 1 GB upload speed, all on fiber optic cable, for 900 baht a month. Unheard of in many countries, including the US! Triple the cost there. No sky train network anywhere near comparable to Bangkok. No MRT network either. They have one under construction, and it will be limited to ten stations.

Shall I go on? I could. As far as I am concerned, the only reason to live there is the women, and a slightly more cooperative, and far less xenophobic and racist government. Alot of ex-pats are looking to leave Thailand, as the current administration is so far beyond heinous and incompetent, it is unspeakable. The air quality only seems to be getting worse, and none of the problems that plague the nation are being addressed.

I have a friend who does private security for a lot of very high net worth individuals, and corporate CEOs, when they travel, and he told me that the only country in the world that he will not take an assignment is the Philippines. When I asked him why he reminded me that he was at the 6th or 7th degree level in six different martial arts, besides the fact that he was 6'5 and about 280 lbs. of muscle. Spent his whole life training. Not the kind of guy you would want to mess with. He told me under normal circumstances he could incapacitate a group of four or five guys, in under a minute. Not in the PI.

He said that in general, the Philippine men had the greatest degree of fighting skills of any group of people in the world, and that if you encountered a single guy, or a group of Philippine guys on the street you just never knew what their level of skill was, and you had to assume that they were expert street fighters. He said many were experts with knives, sticks and improvised weapons. Not the case here.

If you add on top of that, the fact that the country is extremely poor and that there's a fairly high level of desperation, it makes the Philippines a very, very dangerous place. Crime there is very opportunistic. And being a foreigner makes you a potential target. Again, not the case in Thailand.

You really have to know what you're doing, you really have to know where you're going at all times, especially at night, and you always have to have eyes in the back of your head, and constantly looking over your shoulder. Of course, it varies depending on the city, the part of the city, and the region. But it is just one of many reasons I would not want to live there.

I've been told this by a number of friends who live in the Philippines and it's been my observation, the several times that I have visited.

I like the people. The level of english skills and the women seem to be the big draw for most guys. But random guys in the street, can be a hazard, and that is a variable I would not want to have to deal with, regularly. 

Also, I consider the PI to be far more of a ghetto experience. But, I am referring to the environment and the slums.

12 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

You could end up spending a lot of money being with a Filipino or Thai gal, so realize this before you get into a long-term relationship. From what I hear from my friends who live there, the threshold for taking care of a PI gal is far lower than here, and so are their expectations. There is nothing inexpensive about caring for a Thai woman! I speak from experience!

In terms of beauty, I find both have stunning women. But, the primary issue for me, if I was single, would be the actual quality of life there. Strictly from my point of view:

Philippines

Pros-

1. The women can be lovely. And many of them speak english. And if you are older guy, that is a plus in the PI. Plus they are way less demanding, and the bar is set much lower, in terms of their expectations. Older guys can get with far younger women, without an issue. The parents actually encourage it! Generally, it is possible to have a real conversation with many women there. Not the case here. It is rare here. Unlike most Thai women, the women there can have a real sense of curiousity, and will ask genuine questions about you, and your life, beyond where do you come from, how much do you earn, and what do you own? The PI seems to have a higher level of intellectual development.

2. The visa system is something that some think is simpler. He used to require a significant amount of money to be on long-term deposit but I've heard that has changed.

3. The place has thousands of islands, and some stunning beaches, and cleaner water than Thailand, at least on the Gulf Coast. In general the air quality is better than Thailand, but, the islands are fairly hard to get to, and the services are very limited, and more expensive than in Thailand. So unless you have a private yacht or a helicopter a lot of these the most extraordinary places are very hard to get to.

4. In general I would say the people can be quite friendly. Especially the women. But, unlike Thailand, even the men can be friendly. I suspect if I lived there, I would have a number of local male friends, unlike here. I have never met a society of men, who are less interested, less curious about, and less willing to get to know foreigners, than I have here in Thailand. It is sometimes astonishing. It is a real disappointment. The PI is more Westernized. You do not feel like you are living on another planet, which can be nice sometimes. Some shopping can be better, as there are Costco type outlets there. Some of the highways are better, and as an American, I can have goods shipped to me, with a preferred system, that allows low cost shipping, and duty free imports. Unheard of in Thailand. Importation of goods in Thailand can be horrendously difficult. It is an onerous system, one that is outdated by decades, in this age of globalization. Thailand is far, far more insular and fearful of the outside world, than the PI.

They are more Western in their mindset. The colonial occupation by Spain, which was largely managed by Mexico, means the culture is more Western leaning. Which makes them more open to the outside world and more curious. Qualities which are sorely lacking here. 

I find it rare for Thai men to have much interest at all, in really getting to know us. They seem to be lacking curiosity of the outside world, to a remarkable degree. 

nomadcapitalist.com/2018/01/15/the-philippines-residency-srrv/

Cons-

1. The entire country is like one big Tijuana. It is depressing. Very little landscaping in the homes, even nice homes are ugly, and have barbed wire, and glass topped walls everywhere you look.

2. The security situation is not very good. You always have to keep your eyes open, keep an eye on your back, and beware of robbery, home theft, and violence. It is rampant. I have many friends who live there, and they all say the same thing. I never feel that lack of safety in Thailand.

3. If you do get into an altercation with a Philippine man, or are getting robbed or harassed, unless you are a 6th degree sensei, do not fight back. An astonishing number of locals are well trained in the fighting arts. Many are good with sticks, knives, blades or any sort, and their hands, fists and feet. I have a friend who is a world class security consultant. He is a black belt in a few different martial arts. He says he can usually fight his way out of a gang of men, nearly anywhere in the world. Except in the PI. That is the only country he will NOT take an assignment.

The average guys there, can take down the average Westerner in five seconds. In Thailand few have those kinds of skills. Very few. Though they do have their gangs here, they very rarely attack a foreigner.

4. The food sucks. The only other country I can think of with worse food, is Cuba. Granted, if you are willing to spend the money, you can find good food. But, it is not the general rule, as it is here. Also, the access to fresh fruits and vegetables is pathetic compared to Thailand. Very low quality, and often not fresh. Thailand is a paradise by comparison, when it comes to all things related to food.

5. Pollution. They use a lower grade of diesel. So, there is alot of soot in the air. The PI has an epidemic of lung diseases and respiratory diseases. Even on many of the populated islands. The hospitals are full of people who are having a very hard time breathing. It is a real issue there. Lung disease is at an epidemic level, though the authorities do not like to talk about it, and publish very little information on it.

6. Aesthetics. The average house you would rent, looks like a slum. Tall walls, with barbed wire, to keep out intruders. And they just do not pay attention to landscaping and gardens like the Thai people do. So, most neighborhoods are fabulously ugly. Alot of slums in the big cities, and just not physically appealing.

7. Renting. There is a vastly lower number of rental units available, few are as nice as what you can find in Thailand, and it is almost always more expensive, with the possible exception of Central Bangkok. You just cannot find the studio apartments like the ones available all over Hua Hin, for 6,000 to 8,000 baht a month. That does not exist there.

8. Infrastructure. The entire country lacks the infrastructure you have here in Thailand. As I am typing now, I am enjoying a 1. 5 GB download speed, and a 1 GB upload speed, all on fiber optic cable, for 900 baht a month. Unheard of in many countries, including the US! Triple the cost there. No sky train network anywhere near comparable to Bangkok. No MRT network either. They have one under construction, and it will be limited to ten stations.

Shall I go on? I could. As far as I am concerned, the only reason to live there is the women, and a slightly more cooperative, and far less xenophobic and racist government. Alot of ex-pats are looking to leave Thailand, as the current administration is so far beyond heinous and incompetent, it is unspeakable. The air quality only seems to be getting worse, and none of the problems that plague the nation are being addressed.

I have a friend who does private security for a lot of very high net worth individuals, and corporate CEOs, when they travel, and he told me that the only country in the world that he will not take an assignment is the Philippines. When I asked him why he reminded me that he was at the 6th or 7th degree level in six different martial arts, besides the fact that he was 6'5 and about 280 lbs. of muscle. Spent his whole life training. Not the kind of guy you would want to mess with. He told me under normal circumstances he could incapacitate a group of four or five guys, in under a minute. Not in the PI.

He said that in general, the Philippine men had the greatest degree of fighting skills of any group of people in the world, and that if you encountered a single guy, or a group of Philippine guys on the street you just never knew what their level of skill was, and you had to assume that they were expert street fighters. He said many were experts with knives, sticks and improvised weapons. Not the case here.

If you add on top of that, the fact that the country is extremely poor and that there's a fairly high level of desperation, it makes the Philippines a very, very dangerous place. Crime there is very opportunistic. And being a foreigner makes you a potential target. Again, not the case in Thailand.

You really have to know what you're doing, you really have to know where you're going at all times, especially at night, and you always have to have eyes in the back of your head, and constantly looking over your shoulder. Of course, it varies depending on the city, the part of the city, and the region. But it is just one of many reasons I would not want to live there.

I've been told this by a number of friends who live in the Philippines and it's been my observation, the several times that I have visited.

I like the people. The level of english skills and the women seem to be the big draw for most guys. But random guys in the street, can be a hazard, and that is a variable I would not want to have to deal with, regularly. 

Also, I consider the PI to be far more of a ghetto experience. But, I am referring to the environment and the slums.

You just talked him out of going. Back to Pattaya it is!

1 hour ago, georgegeorgia said:

Cebu in the Philippines is the place to be and of course passing that is Da Nang in Vietnam

Interestedly BALI is now riding again as a expat community,

Do we have any expats here in BALI ,they say cheaper and more beautiful than Phuket

Philippines is where I'm looking at next in Cebu and please don't try to talk me out of it !!!!

No, we all want you to go, please!

Also, Strait of Hormuz <deleted> is affecting things badly in e Phil. I hear, lot worse than here.

2 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Cebu in the Philippines is the place to be and of course passing that is Da Nang in Vietnam

Interestedly BALI is now riding again as a expat community,

Do we have any expats here in BALI ,they say cheaper and more beautiful than Phuket

Philippines is where I'm looking at next in Cebu and please don't try to talk me out of it !!!!

You should have a discussion with Michael Kenner. He'll help you out. 😶‍🌫️

2 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Cebu in the Philippines is the place to be and of course passing that is Da Nang in Vietnam

Interestedly BALI is now riding again as a expat community,

Do we have any expats here in BALI ,they say cheaper and more beautiful than Phuket

Philippines is where I'm looking at next in Cebu and please don't try to talk me out of it !!!!

What happened to your plans to retire in Singapore?

BTW If you're serious about moving to Cebu, avoid Cebu City (Traffic is a nightmare) maybe CarCar or Moalboal

3 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

Has anyone actually seen you in Pattaya ?

He has never ever been here,all lies and made up pathtic stories.

Always always i get put off Philippines when i read what peoples experiences are, same last 27 years

4 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Now let me just say before I post that I have written yes written as opposed to not written

....this post this section , because this forum is not just about Thailand despite contrary to what many of you think , sorry to burst your bubble honeys it's a forum for ALL South East Asia

It's sad many if you live in the past

So the Philippines has passed new laws on April 6th

You must wear a T shirt in public , you will be fined

Especially those fat old farangs in Cebu

The young Israelis and young Filipinos is perfectly fine in my books

All I can say is my next trip will be to Cebu in the Philippines to look for a new place to retire

Especially after these new laws and oh No vlogging is allowed

Many UK expats have moved to Cebu because of their pension increases

You won't be seeing me again in Pattaya

Promise?

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

4. In general I would say the people can be quite friendly. Especially the women. But, unlike Thailand, even the men can be friendly. I suspect if I lived there, I would have a number of local male friends, unlike here. I have never met a society of men, who are less interested, less curious about, and less willing to get to know foreigners, than I have here in Thailand. It is sometimes astonishing. It is a real disappointment.
...

I find it rare for Thai men to have much interest at all, in really getting to know us. They seem to be lacking curiosity of the outside world, to a remarkable degree. 

I've noticed this also in Thailand. I've lived around Mexican migrants in the US and was friends with some of them. We'd have a good time cooking, fishing and drinking. That just doesn't happen here.

1 hour ago, wil iam not said:

No, we all want you to go, please!

Somewhere without internet

9 minutes ago, davb said:

I've noticed this also in Thailand. I've lived around Mexican migrants in the US and was friends with some of them. We'd have a good time cooking, fishing and drinking. That just doesn't happen here.

Most Thai guys are jealous of farangs due to money.

You can ask a hundred people and get a hundred different answers, although some might relate. Every country has certain things, so you go where you're most comfortable, and leave when you've found out it isn't what kept you comfortable.

Each country , especially ones near the oceans, have a lot of the same things, especially in the tropics. This is why many people travel by themselves before they find a place to finally call home once again.

I've never been to the Philippines but others here have described it as I've heard and read about. When a place has hundreds of islands, and you've only been to one or two, you can't judge the rest.

Thailand itself has the north and the south, and both are different but somewhat the same. America has 4 seasons, 50 states, and anything anyone could want in one place, which is why it's home to me.

Many move here from up north as they couldn't stand the damp and cold any longer, which is why I moved to Texas from New Jersey, even though I miss New Jersey a lot still, as it was home for 30 years. Of course if the younger women weren't here, many would still be tolerating the UK's winters and damp atmosphere, even though from what I hear and see on videos and pictures, it's a beautiful place I want to visit.

My son moved to Honolulu from Texas, then came back to San Diego for awhile because Hawaii was too expensive and was still the same as anywhere else as he wasn't a true fisherman like me. Then he moved back to Texas, a mile from our home house we had for 32 years. The Philippines sound to be a nice place to live, with English speaking women, decent food, beaches and a variety of places to live, but they get typhoons every year, so that's something to take into consideration. I loved visiting Florida, and if I didn't visit Texas, it would have been the place I moved to, but I didn't like the idea of those hurricanes, even though I could have lived inland. The best advice is always to live in a place a year, renting, before you commit, without any distractions from women.

15 minutes ago, davb said:

I've noticed this also in Thailand. I've lived around Mexican migrants in the US and was friends with some of them. We'd have a good time cooking, fishing and drinking. That just doesn't happen here.

Interacted with many while living in Texas. Not migrants but citizens. Nice culture, proud, and decent food if you know where to eat.

Cheapest city in Thailand is Roi Et. Cheapest in the north Phrae. Cheapest coastal is Chumphon.

Cebu is double the cost of all three!

6 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Moving to the Philippines

You won't be seeing me again in Pattaya

I don't believe you, if you say you're leaving not coming back why would you post this on a Thai Friendly?