If Not Thailand, Where?

[happyending]

hello everyone

Im looking for some advise about places to live.

Im semi retired and can live off my investments

Thailands great and ive been here 2 years now

But something tells me theres the 'rest of the world' out there

Other beaches, cultures, nightlife...

I know now i can land back here and live quite easily

so

If anyones spent some time in other destinations that offered similar to thailand,

Id really like to know

cheers

happyending

[Boater]

there are really only the other boarding countries, but from my point of view and after visiting them i would not want to live there

Cambodia - Cheap as chips to live and visit, but still very 3rd world.

Malaysia - KL and Penang are ok, but more expensive to live then thailand, and you are ruled by islam

Burma - Need i say anything

Laos - Same as Cambodia

Best bet is to stick with Thailand, esp if you have been here 2 years

[zorro1]

India has excellent curries

[Boater]

India has excellent curries

so does london and birmingham

[happyending]

there are really only the other boarding countries, but from my point of view and after visiting them i would not want to live there

Cambodia - Cheap as chips to live and visit, but still very 3rd world.

Malaysia - KL and Penang are ok, but more expensive to live then thailand, and you are ruled by islam

Burma - Need i say anything

Laos - Same as Cambodia

Best bet is to stick with Thailand, esp if you have been here 2 years

thanks boater

youre always quick off the mark with sound advice

i have to agree with your summary

cambo still seems too 3rd world - but that must change with asia on the rise

myanmar - when it opens i think it will boom - now too risky

laos - agree plus no beaches

what about central america

the us$ is low so its got to be viable

and yeah, 2 years on and its feeling like home in thailand

only need a good lady...

and a good location...

thanks again

[happyending]

India has excellent curries

agreed zorro

im a sucker for indian food

on visa runs to kl i pig out big time

cant get enough

and ive been to india 6 times

great experience but heavy going

no holiday thats for sure

maybe its changed with their recent prosperity

somewhere down near kovalum might be good

nice beaches too

im warming to it

thanks a million [baht that is]

[LeungKen]

The one place that hasn't been mentioned is Bali & I know for a fact that there is a large expat community living there - perhaps it is worth investigating.

It may pay you to contact Donna (a Mod here ) who has recently gone to live & work there, perhaps she can point you towards a bit more useful information.

[happyending]

The one place that hasn't been mentioned is Bali & I know for a fact that there is a large expat community living there - perhaps it is worth investigating.

It may pay you to contact Donna (a Mod here ) who has recently gone to live & work there, perhaps she can point you towards a bit more useful information.

thanks leungken

balis great

been there a few times

good surf, good people, good food

one thing that worried me last time was the influx of javanese who had a completely different spin on life to the balinese.

seemed like it was turning into the cash cow at any cost

but hey - its still bali

ill put it on the list

thanks for the imput and ill try to contact ms donna

cheers

[denboy]

The one place that hasn't been mentioned is Bali & I know for a fact that there is a large expat community living there - perhaps it is worth investigating.

It may pay you to contact Donna (a Mod here ) who has recently gone to live & work there, perhaps she can point you towards a bit more useful information.

I lived in Bali for several months in the 90's, this was before the bombing which destroyed much of the central entertainment.

The beaches in Bali are quite fantastic as compaired to Thailand, the Balinese culture I found a breath of fresh air and very interesting.

Night life is very ( or was ) very low key as compaired to Thailand.

Female company is available but you will find that the ladies hail from other parts of Indonesia,it would be unusual to find any Balinese ladies around the bars.

It is so close to Thailand it is definately worth a visit. Whilst you are there take the 30 minute flight to Yokyakarta and taste their layed back culture.

If you decide to visit there, please post on how it is nowadays.

Cheers

[elkangorito]

I'd never lived in Bali for the simple reason that a <deleted> load of Aussies "throng" there. In my personal experience, the majority of these Aussies don't bother to learn much about Bali....they just go there because the surf is good & the wine/women & song are good (sounds like Thailand).

When the world decides to "get over" religion, I may feel free to move about. Until then, I will not move to countries that harbour extremists of religion.

My "rule" has been simple...live in a Third World country that is NOT ruled by a religion. There aren't many of these countries left.

Your next best thing is to wait about 1 year for Argentina to "come online". Essentially, the world is splitting into 2 pieces...one piece loves the American ideal of life (consumerism) & the other piece opposes it. Argentina will be opposed to the American ideal (according to the American Standard) & could therefore be a more relaxed (less aggressive) environment in which to live. I've lived there before...a wonderful place. Plus the "culture" there is NOT indoctrinated upon society. Most people there have the freedom to act independently.

[think_too_mut]

cambo still seems too 3rd world - but that must change with asia on the rise

myanmar - when it opens i think it will boom - now too risky

laos - agree plus no beaches

How about 1st of all First worlds - Japan.

Okinawa?

Or anywhere in Kyushu? No stray dogs, guaranteed.

[girlx]

i think the philippines might be comparable to thailand, there have been some threads on this, do a search

[happyending]

I lived in Bali for several months in the 90's, this was before the bombing which destroyed much of the central entertainment.

The beaches in Bali are quite fantastic as compaired to Thailand, the Balinese culture I found a breath of fresh air and very interesting.

Night life is very ( or was ) very low key as compaired to Thailand.

Female company is available but you will find that the ladies hail from other parts of Indonesia,it would be unusual to find any Balinese ladies around the bars.

It is so close to Thailand it is definately worth a visit. Whilst you are there take the 30 minute flight to Yokyakarta and taste their layed back culture.

If you decide to visit there, please post on how it is nowadays.

Cheers

thanks denboy

i found the bali beaches and culture fascinating too

didnt sample the nightlife tho

went to yogya too

quite a place

just managed to escape the 'drugged tea' scam with my kidneys intact

pretty laid back , agreed

met a swiss couple on a 2yr trip

theyd been in yogya 6 months - didnt want to leave

cheers

[elkangorito]

Or anywhere in Kyushu? No stray dogs, guaranteed.

LOL.

In my opinion, if one seeks "quality of life", one will not find it in a "dollar" value. In other words, if one is simply seeking the cheapest place in which to live, one may be encumbered by such things as "cultural rules" & regulations that may not be very humane. But it will be cheap to live there even though it may cost you your life (execution).

On the other hand, if one wishes quality of life, one may be smart enough to realsie that this comes with;

1] a reduced income &,

2] a reduced expectation of material things.

If you can't live without your satellite TV, air conditioning or junk food etc, you may as well go back to from whence you came & put up with the artificial democratic government & excessive prices/taxes.

If you can live with another religion (not a "state" religion) or another culture (not a culture that punishes people for NOT following it), you will have a greater range of countries from which to choose. Sadly, there are not many countries that don't punish their people for not following cultural or religious rules.

[happyending]

I'd never lived in Bali for the simple reason that a <deleted> load of Aussies "throng" there. In my personal experience, the majority of these Aussies don't bother to learn much about Bali....they just go there because the surf is good & the wine/women & song are good (sounds like Thailand).

When the world decides to "get over" religion, I may feel free to move about. Until then, I will not move to countries that harbour extremists of religion.

My "rule" has been simple...live in a Third World country that is NOT ruled by a religion. There aren't many of these countries left.

Your next best thing is to wait about 1 year for Argentina to "come online". Essentially, the world is splitting into 2 pieces...one piece loves the American ideal of life (consumerism) & the other piece opposes it. Argentina will be opposed to the American ideal (according to the American Standard) & could therefore be a more relaxed (less aggressive) environment in which to live. I've lived there before...a wonderful place. Plus the "culture" there is NOT indoctrinated upon society. Most people there have the freedom to act independently.

hi elkangorito [the spanish aussie?]

im with you on avoiding the drunken yobos

thats why i dont live in patong or kuta

but everyone needs a place to hang out so let em have it

true, its amazing how religion can influence a place

its part of the culture and goes with the country

but if that country has an intolerant religion - better stay away [for now]

another plus for thailand

your world split theory is interesting

pro/anti america

seems like the latter is gaining momentum

central and south america seem to be heading that way

have to go there one day and see

isnt arg. catholic?

cheers

[happyending]

cambo still seems too 3rd world - but that must change with asia on the rise

myanmar - when it opens i think it will boom - now too risky

laos - agree plus no beaches

How about 1st of all First worlds - Japan.

Okinawa?

Or anywhere in Kyushu? No stray dogs, guaranteed.

kit mah

didnt even think about japan [too much]

but why not.

maybe ill work my way up to that as i fear it will be expensive

[Jangot]

I don't think anyone has yet mentioned Vietnam?

I have a couple of buddies who live and work there - they seen to like it.

I have spent only a few days in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Didn't like Hanoi at all, thought Ho Chi Minh seemed quite pleasant.

I do hear that the cost of accommodation is quite high, and cost of living generally is escalating rapidly.

But anyway, should be on the list to look at?

J.

[elkangorito]

isnt arg. catholic?

Yes, Argentina is Catholic. When I LIVED there in 1999-2000, I was initially told that burping in public was largely frowned upon. To my surprise, it was not. As a matter of fact, this was a simple distortion to try to "impress" foreigners. Sounds like Thaliand, yeah? Anyway, the folk there do not want you fined, gaoled or killed for "sovereign" intolerance. They are more open minded than that. They welcome "different thinking". You will not be sent to prison for "lesse majeste" (against the Prime Minister/President). Sadly, the previous idiot Australian Prime Minister (Howard) re-introduced "Lesse Majeste" laws...a backward step for Australia. Mind you, he was George W's "deputy sherriff".

Argentina is a wonderful country. It may be Catholic but most people do NOT strictly follow the Catholic way. Most people simply "go through the motions" of being Catholic & then are happy to be "human" the rest of the time.

EDIT.

If Thai culture does NOT relax & if certain Buddhists get their way (a "state" religion), I shall move away from this country & not return until such time as "fear of external influences" have been dispelled. Sadly, some key people in Thailand do not acknowledge history. I guess "ego" has something to do with this. Notwithstanding this, many other countries adopt the same narrowminded stance...the USA being No 1.

Edited May 18, 2008 by elkangorito

[think_too_mut]

cambo still seems too 3rd world - but that must change with asia on the rise

myanmar - when it opens i think it will boom - now too risky

laos - agree plus no beaches

How about 1st of all First worlds - Japan.

Okinawa?

Or anywhere in Kyushu? No stray dogs, guaranteed.

kit mah

didnt even think about japan [too much]

but why not.

maybe ill work my way up to that as i fear it will be expensive

It's not expensive as people think.

Assuming that developed countries provide pensions for their seniors good enogh for normal living, Australian pension is about 1200A$, same as Japanese.

And no crime, drug, alcohol ridden shitholes in Japan. Let alone places like Isaan.

Alternatively, why not Australia? Port Douglas. Same climate as Thailand, known language and laws, a robust democracy, world class facilities....

Port Douglas Australia

[elkangorito]

cambo still seems too 3rd world - but that must change with asia on the rise

myanmar - when it opens i think it will boom - now too risky

laos - agree plus no beaches

How about 1st of all First worlds - Japan.

Okinawa?

Or anywhere in Kyushu? No stray dogs, guaranteed.

kit mah

didnt even think about japan [too much]

but why not.

maybe ill work my way up to that as i fear it will be expensive

It's not expensive as people think.

Assuming that developed countries provide pensions for their seniors good enogh for normal living, Australian pension is about 1200A$, same as Japanese.

And no crime, drug, alcohol ridden shitholes in Japan. Let alone places like Isaan.

Alternatively, why not Australia? Port Douglas. Same climate as Thailand, known language and laws, a robust democracy, world class facilities....

Port Douglas Australia

Why not?

Simply put;

1] 40% tax (minimum 30% income tax & the 10% GST on most things, unless the new Labor govenment has changed things)

2] excessive laws in every quarter - you can't scratch your bum without breaking a law. Almost equivalent to the wonderful USA.

3] the governments of such societies are expert at lying to the populace & getting away with their lies. Let's face it, most people in Amstralia (Ausmerica) love "Big Brother"...keep 'em dumb & amused & they won't argue.

Is the Australian "Old Age Pension" $1200.00 Nett or Gross per month?

Who the moses would want to live in little America (Australia) no matter how clean it is?

[think_too_mut]

cambo still seems too 3rd world - but that must change with asia on the rise

myanmar - when it opens i think it will boom - now too risky

laos - agree plus no beaches

How about 1st of all First worlds - Japan.

Okinawa?

Or anywhere in Kyushu? No stray dogs, guaranteed.

kit mah

didnt even think about japan [too much]

but why not.

maybe ill work my way up to that as i fear it will be expensive

It's not expensive as people think.

Assuming that developed countries provide pensions for their seniors good enogh for normal living, Australian pension is about 1200A$, same as Japanese.

And no crime, drug, alcohol ridden shitholes in Japan. Let alone places like Isaan.

Alternatively, why not Australia? Port Douglas. Same climate as Thailand, known language and laws, a robust democracy, world class facilities....

Port Douglas Australia

Why not?

Simply put;

1] 40% tax (minimum 30% income tax & the 10% GST on most things, unless the new Labor govenment has changed things)

2] excessive laws in every quarter - you can't scratch your bum without breaking a law. Almost equivalent to the wonderful USA.

3] the governments of such societies are expert at lying to the populace & getting away with their lies. Let's face it, most people in Amstralia (Ausmerica) love "Big Brother"...keep 'em dumb & amused & they won't argue.

Is the Australian "Old Age Pension" $1200.00 Nett or Gross per month?

Who the moses would want to live in little America (Australia) no matter how clean it is?

If you don't know the exact number and answer to

Is the Australian "Old Age Pension" $1200.00 Nett or Gross per month?

then I am afraid your whole response is void.

Edit: if you are anti Oz-government, would you have something to say against Thai rule?

Are they perfect?

Don't drag this into politics.

The question here could be - where a poverty packer might live a good life + (cheap) night life.

Those suggesting Manila might be right - if there were no safety issues. Then, back to sqare 1 - Thailand.

Edited May 18, 2008 by think_too_mut

[elkangorito]

My responce in blue.

cambo still seems too 3rd world - but that must change with asia on the rise

myanmar - when it opens i think it will boom - now too risky

laos - agree plus no beaches

How about 1st of all First worlds - Japan.

Okinawa?

Or anywhere in Kyushu? No stray dogs, guaranteed.

kit mah

didnt even think about japan [too much]

but why not.

maybe ill work my way up to that as i fear it will be expensive

It's not expensive as people think.

Assuming that developed countries provide pensions for their seniors good enogh for normal living, Australian pension is about 1200A$, same as Japanese.

And no crime, drug, alcohol ridden shitholes in Japan. Let alone places like Isaan.

Alternatively, why not Australia? Port Douglas. Same climate as Thailand, known language and laws, a robust democracy, world class facilities....

Port Douglas Australia

Why not?

Simply put;

1] 40% tax (minimum 30% income tax & the 10% GST on most things, unless the new Labor govenment has changed things)

2] excessive laws in every quarter - you can't scratch your bum without breaking a law. Almost equivalent to the wonderful USA.

3] the governments of such societies are expert at lying to the populace & getting away with their lies. Let's face it, most people in Amstralia (Ausmerica) love "Big Brother"...keep 'em dumb & amused & they won't argue.

Is the Australian "Old Age Pension" $1200.00 Nett or Gross per month?

Who the moses would want to live in little America (Australia) no matter how clean it is?

If you don't know the exact number and answer to

Is the Australian "Old Age Pension" $1200.00 Nett or Gross per month?

then I am afraid your whole response is void.

Void? Why would my response be void if I simply am not current with the amount Australian Old Age Pensioners get paid? Please forgive me...I have not lived in Amstralia for about 2.5 years. Since this is the case, feel free to enlighten "us" on how much Australia Old Age Pensioners get paid. Please specify period of payment & whether it is Gross or Nett.

Edit: if you are anti Oz-government, would you have something to say against Thai rule?

Are they perfect?

Don't drag this into politics.

If you have bothered to notice my previous TV posts, you may notice that I am anti "authoritarian". This includes the OZ government.

The question here could be - where a poverty packer might live a good life + (cheap) night life.

You are right but not all "poverty packers" wish a life of cheapness (consumeristically speaking). Some of us "poverty packers" actually want a life away from the the <insert your country here> dollar, which buys a lot of "stuff" in <insert host country here>.

It's the "best bang for your buck" crowd that ruin everything for those who wish for a "quality" life.

[slackula]

i think the philippines might be comparable to thailand, there have been some threads on this, do a search

The P.I. has, and always will be, more comparable to a tin-pot South American dictatorship than any place in Asia. They sold themselves to Catholicism and the American Way® years ago and are paying the price now.

[Nignoy]

why not australia?? especially Queensland ,for retirees the east coast is a paradise, because it so popular it is starting to get a bit more expensive to buy property, but if you are prepared to live an easy hour away from the coast still plenty of bargains to be had,no great traffic problems, the same as any major cities,cost of living is well below Europe and the US, medical and elderly support is the best in the world bar none, and if you are a veteran it is even better, language can be a bit difficult at first, and life in the back blocks makes the the oldest Isaan village look modern .I suppose as a dedicated whinger and critic of all things Australia, I must admit living here is the dogs &lt;deleted&gt;!!thailand is only a 500 bucks flight away so you can have the best of asia and Australia. Sure lots of australians prefer Bali to Los but most of them have relatives in JAIL over there!!! Nignoy

[Jingthing]

Only quite wealthy people can qualify to retire in Australia (if you are not already Australian). That is why not Australia.

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

To start with Australia has NO retirement visa so unless you are Australian or a Kiwi you can not get a retirement Visa. While it is a very nice place to live the Oz goverment does not want you there.

When we left Australia (we were retired there and had a retirement visa for 12 years which they discontinued issueing new ones and put new rules on old ones.)

We looked at two places that we tought would be nice to retire in they were Thailand and Panama. We went to Panama first to check it out as we had already been to and spent time in thailand many times.

Panama definitely wants you to retire there and will allow you to buy property the same as the panamanians can. On new construction thay were giving a 15 to 20 year exemption on property tax. If you are over 50 you get a senior discount on everything. They had shopping malls that were top notch and you can buy most anything there. They use the US dollar as their currency. The people were very friendly and many of them spoke reasonable english. The cost of living falls somewhere between Thailand and Australia, it depends on the lifesyle you want to live. The women were very attractive. You can import your household good and a Automobile duty free, and a new auto every 5 years. Visas are easy and you can get citizenship if you wish and meet fairly easy qualifications. That takes 5 years or big bucks.

On the down side, mostly we ended up in Thailand as we did not find an area that we really felt we would like to live there. The quality of construction there was pretty bad and the cost of housing high compared to the quality. Some areas were considered unsafe to go to after dark and some you would not want to go to anytime. Drivers were very aggressive and you saw a large percentage of cars had dents. That was in Panama City outside the city it was less of a problem. The weather is comparable to Thailand. Medical is expensive.

In the long run we decided on Thailand. We are happy here but at times remember Panama fondly. We were only there for a month so I am not sure we gave it a fair go. Should have visited a lot more of the country.

If for some reason we ever left Thailand it is most likely Panama is where we would go to live.

[Jingthing]

Not exactly true:

http://hwmigration.com/retirement-visa-australia.php

There is a retirement visa for Oz, but you have to be wealthy.

[Naam]

Not exactly true:

http://hwmigration.com/retirement-visa-australia.php

There is a retirement visa for Oz, but you have to be wealthy.

and if you don't pass the bi-annual medical checkup they kick you out of the country

[wamberal]

Why not?

Simply put;

1] 40% tax (minimum 30% income tax & the 10% GST on most things, unless the new Labor govenment has changed things)

2] excessive laws in every quarter - you can't scratch your bum without breaking a law. Almost equivalent to the wonderful USA.

3] the governments of such societies are expert at lying to the populace & getting away with their lies. Let's face it, most people in Amstralia (Ausmerica) love "Big Brother"...keep 'em dumb & amused & they won't argue.

Is the Australian "Old Age Pension" $1200.00 Nett or Gross per month?

Who the moses would want to live in little America (Australia) no matter how clean it is?

Australia's income tax is progressive. If you earn $30,000 per annum, you will pay $3600 in income tax, which means that a couple with assets structured appropriately could earn $60,000, and pay $7200 in total, or 12%.

However, if your assets are investments in companies which pay Australian companies tax, you get a rebate of your tax payable based upon the tax that those companies pay. This can mean that a couple could earn up to $80,000 or so, and pay virtually no income tax (just the medicare levy).

Yes, there is a 10% Goods and Services Tax. Having lived in countries like Thailand where the rich seem to be able to avoid paying tax, with a concomitant poor fund-starved public sector, I would far prefer to live in a developed country where income and other taxes do provide a reasonable level of public amenities like hospitals, roads, police and security, education, and even welfare etc etc etc

As for the silly stuff about Australia's population being "dumb and amused", I suggest that you visit here and get some factual experiences. I have lived and worked in several countries, including Hong Kong, Thailand, and the UK, and I can assure you that the political and cultural scenes here are better than any others in the Asia-Pacific. Certainly we do not have military coups, and our elections are free and transparent.

[dclaryjr]

Back in the early 90s, I was in the USAF and stationed with a guy who had met a Costa Rican girl in the U.S. on a student visa. They eventually married and he came back from a trip there raving about what a great place it would be to live. About that time, Parade magazine (or a Sunday insert of another name), advertised a video about retiring in Costa Rica. It was only $10 or so and I ordered a copy. I watched the video and it looked great! About a month later, I opened my local paper and saw an article with the headline: "Paradise Lost". It went on to describe how the influx of foreigners had driven up prices on real estate and goods. !