Leaving Los For Phillipines?

[LongTimeLurker]

only visa but go go for it the girls will like you. I lived there for more then 7 years and its great. People actually understand you lol. Where you plan to go?

Don't know. Someplace clean and quiet. I'd like to build a small bungalow and own the land. Maybe later build a few and rent them as long-term rentals. I'm just tired of LOS.

What about the visa?

If marriage is in the plans then look at Vietnam.

5 year visa if you're married and can own land and house in your own name and can own 100% of a business if that's what you want also.

[rgs2001uk]

The Us. ties with the Philippines is strong being that it was a us commenwealth in the past & #3 largest speaking english country in the world. Why not try to live a few months there , a few months in LOAS & a few months in Thailand see what you like & its cheap for travel inbetween.

visa is easy and cheap, business is possible as well. But go for it the girls will like you. I lived there for more then 7 years and its great. People actually understand you lol. Where do you plan to go? The Philippines are also much cheaper then LOS

Phils used to have strong ties with US till Phils Govt got greedy about the price of Subic and Clark.. also nursing staff had jobs processed in the US. ..now they have to process externally so many went to the UK instead...

I was in the phils when Subic and Clark were busy and then after they closed 200,000 had no jobs....that killed the special relationship

The US will reopen Subic and Clark, and move much of its naval forces to the S. Pacific. It's about China and to some degree, N. Korea.

More American taxpayer dollar about to go down the crapper, if I were Uncle Sam I would charge the Pinoys for being there.

Whats wrong with Okinawa?

[MrWorldwide]

The Okinawans lost interest in hosting the US military when servicemen started raping 12-year old Okinawan girls, Funny how that works,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Okinawa_rape_incident

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/17/world/asia/japan-us-rape-allegations

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/06/world/asia/japan-us-rape-allegations

I spent 4 years in the Australian Army, and I know how easy it is for one or two bad apples to give everyone a bad name, but where the <deleted> did they find these guys - Detroit ? If they cant keep it in their pants around the conservative Okinawans, what hope in PI ?

[bri1guy]

The Us. ties with the Philippines is strong being that it was a us commenwealth in the past & #3 largest speaking english country in the world. Why not try to live a few months there , a few months in LOAS & a few months in Thailand see what you like & its cheap for travel inbetween.

visa is easy and cheap, business is possible as well. But go for it the girls will like you. I lived there for more then 7 years and its great. People actually understand you lol. Where do you plan to go? The Philippines are also much cheaper then LOS

Phils used to have strong ties with US till Phils Govt got greedy about the price of Subic and Clark.. also nursing staff had jobs processed in the US. ..now they have to process externally so many went to the UK instead...

I was in the phils when Subic and Clark were busy and then after they closed 200,000 had no jobs....that killed the special relationship

The US will reopen Subic and Clark, and move much of its naval forces to the S. Pacific. It's about China and to some degree, N. Korea.

Is this True & confirmed, I have only heard rumors of this that US. involvement may reopen & continue at CLARK and am eager to see where this leeds ..

[scorecard]

I saw guns everywhere. The crime level is much higher. Manilla is ridiculous. A guard will come out of the bank and stand next to you while you use the ATM. It's not a peaceful place. Might be the Catholicism? I remember being in a supermarket where everything stopped at 6 PM to say the Lord's Prayer and the Hail Mary. The single worst thing about the Phils is the food. All the Asian nations have wonderful spicy food. The Phils big dish is pork adobo, a vinegar based stewed pork. I'll stick with Thailand as long as the baht cooperates.

Ten years back I went to Manila and upcountry several times on a refinery rebuilding project and I took a team of 5 Japanese petroleum engineers with me.

The trip in a mini-van was about 2.5 hours of very dangerous driving, driver (carried a pistol) made no attempt to cooperate with other drivers. All attempts to get the driver (he was a company employee) to slow down or be more safety conscious were a waste of breath, and company too afraid to fire him.

The JApanese engineers were terrified and just couldn't believe what they were seeing and experiencing.

Company staff and contractors (engineers, tradesmen, and labourers) all carried sidearms on the job.

There had previously been 'wars' on this site between rival gangs of company staff, with bullets bouncing off operational pipes and vessels, vessels ruptured causing massive fires etc.

I was told about this before I went, I didn't say anything but I didn't believe it. It was all true, I saw it with my own eyes.

[maturebrit]

The Us. ties with the Philippines is strong being that it was a us commenwealth in the past & #3 largest speaking english country in the world. Why not try to live a few months there , a few months in LOAS & a few months in Thailand see what you like & its cheap for travel inbetween.

visa is easy and cheap, business is possible as well. But go for it the girls will like you. I lived there for more then 7 years and its great. People actually understand you lol. Where do you plan to go? The Philippines are also much cheaper then LOS

Phils used to have strong ties with US till Phils Govt got greedy about the price of Subic and Clark.. also nursing staff had jobs processed in the US. ..now they have to process externally so many went to the UK instead...

I was in the phils when Subic and Clark were busy and then after they closed 200,000 had no jobs....that killed the special relationship

The US will reopen Subic and Clark, and move much of its naval forces to the S. Pacific. It's about China and to some degree, N. Korea.

They will not be able to open subic as base or clark as they are both money making operations.... Subic being a free port and Clark is an international airport....not like before... I lived in Balibago which was the strip along side Clark.... The local filipinos had to endure the abuse of the American forces similar to what is going on in Okinawa...

[NeverSure]

The US will reopen Subic and Clark, and move much of its naval forces to the S. Pacific. It's about China and to some degree, N. Korea.

Is this True & confirmed, I have only heard rumors of this that US. involvement may reopen & continue at CLARK and am eager to see where this leeds ..

I gave a very credible link to it and there are many more.

The US signed treaties with several SE Asia countries to defend them in case of attack. Phil is one, Japan another and there are others. China has been making rumblings about "owning" parts of some SE countries, and in general doing some saber rattling. Of course other than nukes, China's military, especially on the water and in the air, is a joke compared to the US. It's a matter of money partly. The US spends almost as much as all of the rest of the world combined on military. No one else has the carrier groups, the specialized planes, the exacting missiles, the drones, etc. etc.

The US and the Phils had a rift, but it appears to be patched up. The US wants to cruise those waters and I'm not sure why. India is a huge threat to China. They don't get along at all. China should be watching its back door.

Did I already post this vid of the US's new fighter, the F-35? This is a mistake where when hovering the wrong jet is fired and the plane goes nose down, looking like certain death. But the plane is so agile the pilot was able to recover.

Again, this is an error and a recovery.

[HeijoshinCool]

The US will reopen Subic and Clark, and move much of its naval forces to the S. Pacific. It's about China and to some degree, N. Korea.

Is this True & confirmed, I have only heard rumors of this that US. involvement may reopen & continue at CLARK and am eager to see where this leeds ..

I gave a very credible link to it and there are many more.

The US signed treaties with several SE Asia countries to defend them in case of attack. Phil is one, Japan another and there are others. China has been making rumblings about "owning" parts of some SE countries, and in general doing some saber rattling. Of course other than nukes, China's military, especially on the water and in the air, is a joke compared to the US. It's a matter of money partly. The US spends almost as much as all of the rest of the world combined on military. No one else has the carrier groups, the specialized planes, the exacting missiles, the drones, etc. etc.

The US and the Phils had a rift, but it appears to be patched up. The US wants to cruise those waters and I'm not sure why. India is a huge threat to China. They don't get along at all. China should be watching its back door.

Did I already post this vid of the US's new fighter, the F-35? This is a mistake where when hovering the wrong jet is fired and the plane goes nose down, looking like certain death. But the plane is so agile the pilot was able to recover.

Again, this is an error and a recovery.

Nothing cooler than making a total screw-up look intentional.

[MrWorldwide]

There IS one thing 'cooler' - quoting half a page of text, complete with vid, for a single sentence in reply to the post above yours.

[OldSalty]

I do not understand why a simple question of "Leaving LOS for Phillipines" is turning into a political debate. It is all soooo simple, buy your own island in the Phillipines, which is possible, built a house on it with cabins for your guests, surround it all with a high wall and razor wire, put landmines on your beach, get your own private army to protect you, fly the American flag, so that the US Marines will rescue you when you have problems, like they "rescue" everybody else in the world, and live happily ever after.

[HeijoshinCool]

There IS one thing 'cooler' - quoting half a page of text, complete with vid, for a single sentence in reply to the post above yours.

Gee, sorry. How many times did you have to read it all, and watch the video, before you realized you'd already read it all and watched it four times?

[MrWorldwide]

Ouch - such sarcasm - beat me, whip me, make me feel cheap ....

Now that we've established that you are the Alpha male in this relationship, it has nothing to do with my willingness or otherwise to watch a video 15 times - there was already a perfectly good post containing that vid - but everything to do with your consideration for those of us who dont have blindingly fast internet connections. I'm not asking you to give up beer or chasing younger women - just asking you to exercise a little restraint when the post you are referring to is directly above you. Capiche ?

[HeijoshinCool]

Ouch - such sarcasm - beat me, whip me, make me feel cheap ....

Now that we've established that you are the Alpha male in this relationship, it has nothing to do with my willingness or otherwise to watch a video 15 times - there was already a perfectly good post containing that vid - but everything to do with your consideration for those of us who dont have blindingly fast internet connections. I'm not asking you to give up beer or chasing younger women - just asking you to exercise a little restraint when the post you are referring to is directly above you. Capiche ?

Ah, slow speed. Now that you have clarified your earlier sarcasm, I apologize and will be much more considerate for those who are slower than me.

[MrWorldwide]

Way slower - think Brad Pitt in Legends of the Fall : gorgeous but not overly bright. Its a curse

[Norrad]

That's from Battlefield 2, a video game, it's not real.

Sent from my GT-S5300 using Tapatalk 2

[HeijoshinCool]

That's from Battlefield 2, a video game, it's not real.

Sent from my GT-S5300 using Tapatalk 2

Oh, no, I'm sure it's very real.

[Norrad]

Oh, no, I'm sure it's very real.

As real as Santa and the Tooth Fairy

Sent from my GT-S5300 using Tapatalk 2

[NeverSure]

That's from Battlefield 2, a video game, it's not real.

Sent from my GT-S5300 using Tapatalk 2

I apologize if it is. It was sent to me as real, and it's on YouTube as real.

The F-35B can in fact do the vertical hovering takeoff and landing, can then accelerate like that, and its power to weight ratio allows it to climb vertically. It is also a stealth design and can't be seen by radar. Its maneuverability is astounding compared to earlier fighters.

As to that stunt, If you say it's not real, I believe you.

[HeijoshinCool]

That's from Battlefield 2, a video game, it's not real.

Sent from my GT-S5300 using Tapatalk 2

I apologize if it is. It was sent to me as real, and it's on YouTube as real.

The F-35B can in fact do the vertical hovering takeoff and landing, can then accelerate like that, and its power to weight ratio allows it to climb vertically. It is also a stealth design and can't be seen by radar. Its maneuverability is astounding compared to earlier fighters.

As to that stunt, If you say it's not real, I believe you.

Oh, no! And Santa? Wait, don't tell me.

[bri1guy]

i agree with some of the posts, yes phills is corrupt, dirty, the food sucks, and yes 25 years behind thialand in many ways, but get away from the big towns and cities, no different from thailand, and 1 thing i noticed was the dog problem, which thailand has and the phils don't, the one big issue for me was the ease in which u can stay there, , thailand is not an option for me with the "showing of money in the bank" and 3 month reporting, how can that be a retirment???

Are you american? Its way easier to retire & stay in the Philippines but just to be easier isnt better.. If you like either place its worth the hassles.. I do think the Philippines is better for retirement & living day by day. Thailand is better for Vacations and for overall fun but then they want you to leave... Its a place to spend money have fun & leave... The Philippines has over 7100 Islands to Be the ultimate paradise on Earth...

[Tomtomtom69]

The PI's were my second choice for retirement. Cambodia was third. The natural disasters and VERY poor infrastructure of the PI's were enough to discourage me. Seeing that situation and talking to guys who tried it prompted me to choose Thailand. The guys I know who tried it are now back in Thailand. I would choose Cambodia over the PI's as far as the cost of living. The major problem with Cambodia for retirees is the serious lack of medical care. I had two friends who died there. Both had pre-existting medical problems and both were younger than I am.

Yes that's true. If something goes wrong medically in Cambodia - immediate evacuation to Bangkok is necessary (although Ho Chi Minh City's FV hospital will do if you are closer to there than to Thailand).

[Tomtomtom69]

only visa but go go for it the girls will like you. I lived there for more then 7 years and its great. People actually understand you lol. Where you plan to go?

Don't know. Someplace clean and quiet. I'd like to build a small bungalow and own the land. Maybe later build a few and rent them as long-term rentals. I'm just tired of LOS.

What about the visa?

"...I'd like to build a small bungalow and own the land."

Ecuador? Can own land, easy visa, no retirement age limitation, lower financial requirements, similar cost of living, tropical, lots of beaches, land cheaper, good food but more Mexican, language much easier to learn than LOS.

Help yourself. I like Thailand.

i moved back to Malaysia....100% my own (second home) free residence visa after completing purchase formalities...KL isnt as cheap as Thailand but far fewer scams and they treasure investors instead of screwing them

I found KL to have roughly the same cost of living as Thailand, at least as a tourist. Food in hawker centers? 5-10 Ringgit, which is like 50-100 Baht hardly much different to Thailand and I am comparing the KLCC hawker food to say Paragon, a similar shopping mall in the middle of the city. 5 star hotels? Only about US$75 or equivalent booked online (payable in your card currency), again similar to Bangkok at the time (this was in 2007). Maybe living there is different, but as a tourist the cost of travel, food and accommodation is about the same as Thailand in my experience, which is not bad given how much more the locals earn compared to here. Oh and if you rent a car, fuel in Malaysia is much cheaper than in Thailand, only about half the price!

[doggie888888]

Been to kl a few times now. Love it. Am seriously considering moving there or Penang or some other city in Malaysia.

Ph is ok, but not Manila. Cebu seems lovely enough. Other places maybe a little too underdeveloped for me. Worry about the typhoon, earthquakes and volcanoes though.

[MrWorldwide]

Its not carved in stone that Bule *have* to drink in the bars on Jl P Ramlee, but I tend to find myself there everytime I visit KL. On one such trip, I found myself chatting to another Aussie - he was fresh form several months in PI and told me about his 'farewell party' - all up, the equivalent of 200 AUD paid for everything.

He obviously liked the bar we were in, but I could only smile and nod when he said '200 dollars goes nowhere here !'. Granted, those clubs are the equivalent of Kings Cross in Sydney, but it still comes as a bit of a shock when almost everything else in Malaysia is so cheap. I'd love to know what the owners are pulling down each year, even with the astronomical rents that must go with a location like that. At least they have the good grace to sell beer by the pint !

[poanoi]

The US will reopen Subic and Clark, and move much of its naval forces to the S. Pacific. It's about China and to some degree, N. Korea.

Is this True & confirmed, I have only heard rumors of this that US. involvement may reopen & continue at CLARK and am eager to see where this leeds ..

I gave a very credible link to it and there are many more.

The US signed treaties with several SE Asia countries to defend them in case of attack. Phil is one, Japan another and there are others. China has been making rumblings about "owning" parts of some SE countries, and in general doing some saber rattling. Of course other than nukes, China's military, especially on the water and in the air, is a joke compared to the US. It's a matter of money partly. The US spends almost as much as all of the rest of the world combined on military. No one else has the carrier groups, the specialized planes, the exacting missiles, the drones, etc. etc.

The US and the Phils had a rift, but it appears to be patched up. The US wants to cruise those waters and I'm not sure why. India is a huge threat to China. They don't get along at all. China should be watching its back door.

Did I already post this vid of the US's new fighter, the F-35? This is a mistake where when hovering the wrong jet is fired and the plane goes nose down, looking like certain death. But the plane is so agile the pilot was able to recover.

Again, this is an error and a recovery.

Oh my, that is fake, i think its a trailer from a video game

[deesamui]

easy visa, no visaruns for 2 years if you are smart, pretty girls, housing cheaper, everything cheaper in price but also less quality , like infrastucture, airports, food, about guns everywhere get a glock with two spare mags like in the us, guns are everywhere even in los, best beaches, much much better than in los, english gets you everywhere, great potential for the future much more potential as los, thats why i am there for 6 out of 12, btw davao rocks, not many beautyful hookers, just fly them in just being funny!

[watcharacters]

.

Foreigners owning Houses in the Philippines

Foreigners owning a house or building in the Philippines is legal as long as the foreigner does not own the land on which the house is build.

[lopburi3]

Several posts removed as off-topic.

[JDGRUEN]

OP -- try joining this Yahoo Group of about 600 Expats who are mostly small farmers and businessmen in the Philippines. Their perspective is 'realistic' and sobering I would call it. If any one group of Expats can tell you about what it is like to live in the Philippines with all the good - the bad and the ugly - then this group is it. You can join and read a bunch of the past posts on the subjects you think are pertinent...

http://asia.groups.yahoo.com/group/philventures/

[NeverSure]

If you were new to ThaiVisa you'd think Thailand sucks too, haha.

Never heard so much bitching in my life, since I was married that is.

The apparently happiest and most laid-back expats I know of in the area are in Cambodia. Don't ask my why. They just seem like a bunch of regular guys to me, but with all the same issues of being expat.

I'm sure there's no perfect place.