1 hour ago, Rockyroad said:

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

Cebu is double the cost of all three!

Cheapest is irrelevant, unless using an agent. 40k or 65k a month, or lump sum for proper visa. I could easily live here on 15k a month, though wouldn't want to. Box room, no transport or just a scooter, boring food, boring life.

As a single person, would need at least 65k a month to enjoy life here, if renting. A bit less if bought a condo, which I'd never do. Even less if I didn't have a car, but that's requirement for me.

Actually, I wouldn't even consider TH or SEA as a single person. USA for me, if retiring now.

4 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Cheapest is irrelevant, unless using an agent. 40k or 65k a month, or lump sum for proper visa. I could easily live here on 15k a month, though wouldn't want to. Box room, no transport or just a scooter, boring food, boring life.

As a single person, would need at least 65k a month to enjoy life here, if renting. A bit less if bought a condo, which I'd never do. Even less if I didn't have a car, but that's requirement for me.

Actually, I wouldn't even consider TH or SEA as a single person. USA for me, if retiring now.

Single is cheaper if no p4p. 30k be enough.

6 minutes ago, Rockyroad said:

Single is cheaper if no p4p. 30k be enough.

Couldn't do it on 30k.

Decent condo, balcony w/view & pool, 25k alone, 5k utilities/phone/internet.

30k

15k for food

10k extra, social out dining

55k already, without cost of transport or O&A, so back to 65k again.

15 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Couldn't do it on 30k.

Decent condo, balcony w/view & pool, 25k alone, 5k utilities/phone/internet.

30k

15k for food

10k extra, social out dining

55k already, without cost of transport or O&A, so back to 65k again.

25,000 condo is Bangkok price. 10,000 in Chumphon.

2 hours 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.

Some of it has to do with an astounding lack of curiosity about the outside world. I've been told by some expats who are fluent in Thai that English is also an issue. I do have one Thai friend who speaks fluent English so perhaps that's a consideration. However in many other countries it wouldn't be.

5 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 !!!!

Maybe 30 years ago Bali was a cool place to live but it's been an absolute pit of desolation for the last few decades. The overdevelopment is insane, the traffic is an absolute nightmare, and the southern third of the island is like Manhattan at rush hour.

Bali is long past its prime and no expat in the right mind would consider that as a destination to live. I've been there a few times over the decades and I would never go back. Other parts of Indonesia might be quite interesting but not Bali. By comparison Phuket and Samui are like paradise, and that's not saying much as both of those places are also completely past their sell by date, and any greatness that they once had is in the distant past.

Georgeenta this sounds like a very solid plan.

Philippines tightening up the dress code.

No vlogging.

Sweaty beer Chang singlets mandatory.

Finally a place that aligns with your operational standards.

Assuming of course this is not just another field report from your private mop closet in Oz.

Pattaya was clearly too loose for a man of your discipline.

Or at least the version you have been imagining between shifts.

Over there you can really focus.

Up early

T shirt on

Clipboard ready

Diary open

Proper environment.

Also good move leaving Pattaya.

You only ever went there in theory, but still too many distractions.

Too many uncontrolled variables.

Cebu sounds much more structured.

And if you can find somewhere with no internet even better for others.

Really lock in and focus.

I assume you will begin with a full survey.

T shirt compliance rates

Body mass index observations

Vlogger activity suppression

General behaviour metrics

Get some clean data.

Build a report.

Maybe sell it to the highest bidder.

You could become the leading authority on South East Asia clothing enforcement.

Big opportunity.

And fair play announcing you will not be back in Pattaya.

The city will be absolutely devastated.

Flybird will never be the same.

Ladyboys will be heartbroken.

A real loss to the local ecosystem.

Best to keep everything remote and well documented.

Much safer for everyone involved.

I will alert Cebu to prepare accordingly.

6 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 !!!!

Spent a very pleasant two weeks at the Bluewater resort, Cebu, with a young lady I met in Hong Kong.........long time ago.....nice memories.

9 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

You haven't written anything . You have typed.

2 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

What the <deleted> are you on about please?

2 hours ago, Rockyroad said:

25,000 condo is Bangkok price. 10,000 in Chumphon.

10k wouldn't get me anything I'd want to live in. Krabi would work for me. Tired of the Gulf side. I also need at least 50m².

Daughter has a nice one at Sathorn, 2 bdrm @ 15k, and don't think she'll be leaving there for a long time. Way too convenient.

3 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

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

Georgie boy, why are you wearing 2 sets of glasses, is one Xray vision or maybe they allow you to see through ladies clothing?

Also be careful wearing your gold necklace around Pattaya, please remove it night time when you are beach road, coconut bar, ladyboy's will fondle you.

Most expats in Phillipines wish they could live in Thailand.

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

10k wouldn't get me anything I'd want to live in. Krabi would work for me. Tired of the Gulf side. I also need at least 50m².

Daughter has a nice one at Sathorn, 2 bdrm @ 15k, and don't think she'll be leaving there for a long time. Way too convenient.

Live in hotels for 15,000.

16 minutes ago, Rockyroad said:

Live in hotels for 15,000.

No desire to live out of hotel room, need more space, and less people poolside during the day. Condo, everyone at work & school.

Krabi is full of tourists except for town.

10 minutes ago, Rockyroad said:

Krabi is full of tourists except for town.

Krabi's a big province, and we love it, go there quite often.

10 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

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

This tourist got jail time for flipping the finger to one of the most important holidays in Bali and posting it on social media.

Learn the laws of the land and respect them, wherever you go.

3 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Krabi's a big province, and we love it, go there quite often.

I got sick of it. Bad food and tourists.

The deposit levels for the SRRV (retirement visa) have recently gone up.

Specifics depend on the category.

For example from 10K to 15K USD for a standard category if you have a pension.

As the SRRV gives permanent residence, compared to Thailand's 800K baht, 15K no big deal.

But someone said the levels have gond down. NO.

You can currently live there on tourist visa extensions up to three years at a time and then a visa run. But they've cracked down on that in the past and may again.

If you're a military veteran the SRRV level is a bargain. Used to be 1500 USD. Maybe it went up but if so not by much.

11 hours 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.

Hmmm .. safety sounds a concern.

Any stats on crime on foreigners out there?

3 minutes ago, DonniePeverley said:

Hmmm .. safety sounds a concern.

Any stats on crime on foreigners out there?

Crime and safety depends on LOCATION.

Just compared Iloilo City to Pattaya (which I consider quite safe).

Iloilo City has a safety index of 58.9, making it one of the safest cities in Southeast Asia, while Pattaya, Thailand has a safety index of 54.9. This indicates that Iloilo City is generally considered safer than Pattaya.

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/ip3/www.imtnews.ph.ico imtnews.phhttps://external-content.duckduckgo.com/ip3/www.numbeo.com.ico numbeo.com

Crime Statistics Comparison: Iloilo City vs. Pattaya

Safety Index

City	Safety Index
Iloilo City	58.9
Pattaya	54.9

Iloilo City is recognized as one of the safest cities in Southeast Asia, with a higher safety index compared to Pattaya, Thailand. This suggests that residents and visitors in Iloilo City generally feel safer than those in Pattaya.

Crime Rate Overview

• Iloilo City:

  • Considered one of the top 10 safest cities in Southeast Asia.

• Pattaya:

  • While still moderate in safety, it has a lower safety index than Iloilo City.

Conclusion

Iloilo City is statistically safer than Pattaya, making it a preferable option for those concerned about crime rates in Southeast Asia.

Anti vaxers -- cover your eyes!

1 hour ago, DonniePeverley said:

Hmmm .. safety sounds a concern.

Any stats on crime on foreigners out there?

I'm not sure you can find accurate stats either there or here? But most foreigners feel pretty safe here and I have a few friends that live there and they tell me that they tend to be quite cautious and there are quite a few areas that they avoid. Also nearly every house has razor wire or glass shards on top of tall walls, and bars on nearly every window, that has to tell you something.

I enjoy reading about these new areas.

I came to get away from annoying foreigners and embrace Thai culture, instead i am surrounded by some of the worst trashy visitor anywhere in the world.

10 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

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

Quick.... Swipe left.... Oooh. Too late.

4 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

I enjoy reading about these new areas.

I came to get away from annoying foreigners and embrace Thai culture, instead i am surrounded by some of the worst trashy visitor anywhere in the world.

The problem is the scummy tourists who usually go not too far for a holiday and a fight have found Pattaya and Phuket

15 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

The problem is the scummy tourists who usually go not too far for a holiday and a fight have found Pattaya and Phuket

What do the scummy expats do?

1 minute ago, Rockyroad said:

What do the scummy expats do?

watch Facebook reels, daily fights

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

watch Facebook reels, daily fights

Then move out of Pattaya and Phuket.

6 minutes ago, Rockyroad said:

Then move out of Pattaya and Phuket.

I don't see it, only on facebook, i see this though. These are probably AN guys, and dodgy arab french taking it too far

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXRQ2vRiC1w/?igsh=dzBja3B2YXltdDRq

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXTsHEFiV9h/?igsh=N2xqdmN2a2dxNDlq