If We Wanted To Leave Thailand What's The Next Best Place?

[klikster]

Quality of Living global city rankings 2009 – Mercer survey

Full report:

http://www.mercer.com/qualityoflivingpr

The problem with Mercer, in the spirit and context of this topic, is that their survey is directed at multinationals and governments rather than the "non-expat-package" expat.

"Mercer’s Quality of Living ranking covers 215 cities and is conducted to help governments and major companies place employees on international assignments." http://www.mercer.com/qualityofliving

Edited May 6, 2009 by klikster

[teacup]

I would stick with the USA.

I can’t think of another country that would let me continue my hobby of firearms.

Also there’s more economic opportunity in USA "for me" ....than any other country, and it has the best military, so I don’t think it'd ever get conquered.

Since I have no idea what the OP is looking for , as in what context or reference to…

…So yay….the above is my “final answer” for now.

...that argument seems to be a bit strange, because nowadays not many countries are in danger of getting conquered.

Tell that to the Swatt Valley of Pakistan, the Taliban would love to have a cup of tea with you...haha

Anyhow I was thinking in term of "not physically" but “economically” mostly

Hmm…should the americans ….get used to the fact that the once proud USA is quickly becoming a third world has been and start learning to use chop sticks?

Edited May 6, 2009 by teacup

[Familyonthemove]

If We Wanted To Leave Thailand What's The Next Best Place?

your question is very specific as it contains a huge amount of information... similar to "i don't like my car anymore, what's the next best car i should buy and how long is a piece of string?"

That's easy .... Toyota Fortuna, 8 inches and Sri Lanka ....

[jellymeister]

korea

that would be close to the bottom of my list.....I would only go there in leg irons and cuffs.......why do you recommend it?

[jellymeister]

Belize

2nd bottom of my list after korea...lousy food and high crime....Belize City has to be one of the biggest armpits of the planet.....yesyes the islands are ok but very boring....

[Amir]

Bali, I'll move next year.

Me too

[teacup]

Belize

2nd bottom of my list after korea...lousy food and high crime....Belize City has to be one of the biggest armpits of the planet.....yesyes the islands are ok but very boring....

Ohh… may be you haven’t been to the Caye Chapel island

Still Ambergris Caye is great tho, a good choice for taking tours to the reef---- not far away ---and great for doing some diving and snorkeling there. We happened to stay at Banana Beach, which was a great place also.

[travalaska]

Alaska

Its about as good as it gets for me. Good people, guns, hunting, fishing, clean cold air, the sound of silence and land that never ceases to amaze me.

But I would still want to get away sometimes in the winter. Probably be visiting the Cebu island area of Philippines where a fellow Alaskan friend resides.

[jellymeister]

Belize

2nd bottom of my list after korea...lousy food and high crime....Belize City has to be one of the biggest armpits of the planet.....yesyes the islands are ok but very boring....

Ohh… may be you haven’t been to the Caye Chapel island

Still Ambergris Caye is great tho, a good choice for taking tours to the reef---- not far away ---and great for doing some diving and snorkeling there. We happened to stay at Banana Beach, which was a great place also.

been there done that.....but you don't do this everyday...we are talking about long-term living here.....

[wasabi]

With the political turmoil (albeit it could all end positively) and lack of employment here currently where should a person go who's been here almost a couple of decades and for at least 2/3 of that time had a great time but now has a nagging feeling that it might be time to move on??

If you have been here a couple of decades I don't think you are employable in most parts of the world. Best to figure out how to stay here.

[Jingthing]

I assume the OP is looking for a place with a similar cost structure/stage of development/climate as Thailand. That would exclude western Europe, the US, Australia, New Zealand, etc. How about Ecuador?

Edited May 6, 2009 by Jingthing

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

Fiji Islands are nice when they are not having coups.

[MSingh]

US of A.

[mahtin]

Alaska

Its about as good as it gets for me. Good people, guns, hunting, fishing, clean cold air, the sound of silence and land that never ceases to amaze me.

But I would still want to get away sometimes in the winter. Probably be visiting the Cebu island area of Philippines where a fellow Alaskan friend resides.

Guns and the sound of silencers, do you mean?

[mommysboy]

Iraq's on the up!.

[Jingthing]

Iraq's on the up!.

Well, its on the BLOW UP anyway.

[Misplaced]

If you have money, I can't think of a better place than Southern California Dana Point!

Friendly people, great varieties of international food, easy atmosphere, and beach volley ball @ sunrise.

[rvsp]

korea

that would be close to the bottom of my list.....I would only go there in leg irons and cuffs.......why do you recommend it?

There are more than 1 million non Korean peope living in Korea now. Obviously, not everyone is like you.

Here are some of the qualifications that Korea can offers:

1) No one ask you to be a walking ATM

2) You don't hear any sick buffalo story

3) fast internet and WiBro (wireless broadband internet)

4) Efficient national health plan

5) Full democracy

7) Excellent infrastructures

8) Safety

[coconutmonkey]

Korea

Japan

Australia

Taiwan

New Zeal

No particular order

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

Alaska

Its about as good as it gets for me. Good people, guns, hunting, fishing, clean cold air, the sound of silence and land that never ceases to amaze me.

But I would still want to get away sometimes in the winter. Probably be visiting the Cebu island area of Philippines where a fellow Alaskan friend resides.

As I recall summer lasted about one month, August and it never got dark. The rest of the time you froze your butt off and went to work and came home in the dark.

But everything else you said is spot on.

[pnustedt]

Some interesting replies. I've lived in HK and UK and wouldn't choose to go back to live in either of them. The reasons I live in Thailand is due mainly to my wife's family location, weather and very low cost of living.

Top of my list now would be Hawaii - I've been there for hols, guess it may not be so attractive after a few years living there.

[Lord Toad]

I have already decided to upsticks and move: partly because of the value of the £££, partly because I am fed up with visa issues as well as I am not sure what is really going to happen here. I fear certain events could really make LOS unlivable.

I am moving to the Philippines which is much cheaper as Peso 70 to 1£ as well as prices generally lower.

Retirement visa is a one off hoop jumping affair managed by an official agent (in my case a Scot). It means I get a Philippine's ID card and various privileges. The one off cost is $1400, and requires a deposit of $10,000: which is fully refundable upon departure and earns interest.

I know several other Brits are looking at that option.

I am told Malaysia is welcoming as well.

[ihunnieibee]

-indonesia somewhere...either bali, sumatra , or jakarta

-barcelona

-tokyo

-taipei

-southern california

[pattaya_girl]

My second choice if I moved from Thailand would be Turkey.

I loved it there.

[MJP]

Considering the current world problems, i guess any move would be - out of the frying pan and into the fire!!!

I make you right.

It's bad out there.

I'm glad I've settled in the sticks outside (well outside) Roi-Et. Just live real cheap, noodles and chicken and do the garden as a hobby.

I think the UK is probably as unstable (politically/socially/economically), if not more so than Thailand right now anyway.

I'm just gonna grow my olives and my tomatoes.

[Hawkup2000]

If you are European and want great beaches and weather, but tired of bureaucracy (regarding visas, work permits, buying property ect), maybe the Caribbean Island Martinique?

[TaiTaihkt66]

How lucky for all of you to get the better place to stay in the would. Thought most of you come from EU, USA and AUS. I just brooked off with my American bf because didn't get a visa to see there even for travel. I applied a visa to usa for 5 time since we know to each other for 5 year. Sure, his came to visit me every half year.

Lucky on you.

[Jingthing]

How lucky for all of you to get the better place to stay in the would. Thought most of you come from EU, USA and AUS. I just brooked off with my American bf because didn't get a visa to see there even for travel. I applied a visa to usa for 5 time since we know to each other for 5 year. Sure, his came to visit me every half year.

Lucky on you.

Please do not jump to false conclusions about westerners. Thailand is a liberal country for us, visa wise, and yes if we have some money we can easily travel to most of the world for a holiday without any visa or with no trouble to get a visa. However, to move to and live in a foreign country, it is not so easy for most of us. In my case, Thailand is one of very few countries on the entire planet that I am qualified to live in legally. Happily, I like Thailand!

[lazygourmet]

If you are European and want great beaches and weather, but tired of bureaucracy (regarding visas, work permits, buying property ect), maybe the Caribbean Island Martinique?

Are you insane?

French post-colonial administration at its worst...

Did you hear about "beke"?

[Camelot]

Maybe the Afterlife.