Alternatives to Thailand. Cambodia ? Philippines ?

[Berkshire]

You have to admit that even the Filipinos don't want to live in the PI...at least the ones that I've met. Where do you live, btw?

Incorrect. I know many who have married friends...and myself 30 years ago...and lived in the states. They all want to go back to PI..... with money of course.

same idea as the Isaan gal returning with the fat farang wallet and making her mark.

In the Philippines, it is very tribal... People in a Barrio are like a big family. It is the social interaction that is missing completely where I live in Udon, now. The Filipinos are all out in the streets mingling with neighbors, singing, drinking outside and kind of hanging out. Thai people stay indoors when at home. Filipinos stay outdoors....and group up. It is kind of festive. They organize into Barkadas (packs of close friends) and roam around... They miss that alot

If you ever really talk to a Filipina/Filipino in the USA ....they will seem happy, but you can see they miss their Barrio and Barkada of friends... and will get misty eyed.... You need to see how happy they are when they get back herE..

Understand. Again, I was referring to the Filipinos I've met back in the states and there are tons. I do know that in many US cities, there are large Filipino communities and they do tend to stick together. I suppose if they had the money, they could live like kings back in the PI. But the PI sure isn't the land of opportunity.

[humqdpf]

It would be a good idea to go onto an expat phillopino site and ask the question or better still take a trip for a month or two and see for yourself !

The following was current when I left the Philippines several years ago:

Retirement resident permit was originally intended for those people born in the Philippines but who went to the USA and served with one of the USA's armed forces - they would retire as early as their mid 40s and want to come back but would have by then become American citizens.

As I understand it, the person wanting to avail of this permit will have to invest money in Philippines - I cannot remember how much but I think it was about $20,000 or less. The usual way is to purchase a bond which can be redeemed if you want to give up the resident permit.

The great thing about this resident permit is that it allows you almost all the usual rights of a Philippine citizen - you can work without limit. From memory, you can own property and run a business. I cannot remember the age limit but I think it was 40 or 45 - those interested should check this.

Although all of this sounds pretty good, you have to remember that the Philippines is a very bureaucratic country with lots of hidden costs if you want to run a business.

[watermanII]

Lived 6 years in Philippines.

It is not livable on a day to day bases, hollidays ok.

Never invest in Philippines, there is no market for proprties.

It's just very depressing there (90% of roofs are made from rusty GI sheets, where ever you look) and on top of that quite dangerous (guns, violence)...

NOT A HAPPY PLACE AT ALL

[ehw200]

Philippines,,,Manila is a shit hole,,,many good people live there but you won't meet these people on a vacation as they have their own lives like anywhere else,,,what you will meet are the scammers that are out to meet you

it starts from the second you walk out the door of the airport and will not stop until you re enter the airport to fly out

Cebu is much better,,Boracay is wonderful but much more epensive as it is a tourist spot

Vietnam,,,the street vendors are voracious and do not take no thank you, please leave me alone, go away, piss off and worse

have had some onto me for more than 1/2 hour

also th Tai drivers I have encoutered are the biggest theives in the world

they give you a price and when you arrive to your destineation try to triple it

herd stories of moto taxis in Vung Tau stopping and demanding $80 USD or him and his 8 freinds across the dtreet will beat the crap out of you,,,this was 2 years ago,,,maybe no more???

asides from that made some very nice and good Vietanese friends there

even Ho Chi Minh city was great with parks everywhere

My taje on Cambodia,,,Siam Reap could get boring fast

like PPO,,,don't know why and can't esplain it but I do,,,perhaps because I have some Camodian freinds there

that are wonderful people

also they seem to really understand customer service

I tend to avoid Sihonukville lately as it seems to get sleazier every year and I hear from e pat friends that klive there that the crime is getting worse every year

I love Malaysia,,,people seem very friendly and helpful,,,all good eperiences there for me

a lot less corruption than in neighboring countries (see the country corruption list I think thy are number 40 something

while Thailand has dropped down to over 100 right beside Panama and equador)

great 10 year no reporting visa program

over all Thailand gets my vote,,,ecept of course for the corruption and I do realize I would probably be better off in Mayasia

[weegee]

As I have stated before on a simular post to this one...

Filos invented Scams

Thais bettered it

Vietnamese perfected it.....

BUT

By far the Vietnamese women are much prettier than a Thai or Filo....

Good rule of thumb is the further you move away from the equator, the prettier the women.....

China is to die for, if your young and got sense enough to choose right.....

[MrWorldwide]

Philippines,,,Manila is a shit hole,,,many good people live there but you won't meet these people on a vacation as they have their own lives like anywhere else,,,what you will meet are the scammers that are out to meet you

it starts from the second you walk out the door of the airport and will not stop until you re enter the airport to fly out

Cebu is much better,,Boracay is wonderful but much more epensive as it is a tourist spot

Vietnam,,,the street vendors are voracious and do not take no thank you, please leave me alone, go away, piss off and worse

have had some onto me for more than 1/2 hour

also th Tai drivers I have encoutered are the biggest theives in the world

they give you a price and when you arrive to your destineation try to triple it

herd stories of moto taxis in Vung Tau stopping and demanding $80 USD or him and his 8 freinds across the dtreet will beat the crap out of you,,,this was 2 years ago,,,maybe no more???

asides from that made some very nice and good Vietanese friends there

even Ho Chi Minh city was great with parks everywhere

My taje on Cambodia,,,Siam Reap could get boring fast

like PPO,,,don't know why and can't esplain it but I do,,,perhaps because I have some Camodian freinds there

that are wonderful people

also they seem to really understand customer service

I tend to avoid Sihonukville lately as it seems to get sleazier every year and I hear from e pat friends that klive there that the crime is getting worse every year

I love Malaysia,,,people seem very friendly and helpful,,,all good eperiences there for me

a lot less corruption than in neighboring countries (see the country corruption list I think thy are number 40 something

while Thailand has dropped down to over 100 right beside Panama and equador)

great 10 year no reporting visa program

over all Thailand gets my vote,,,ecept of course for the corruption and I do realize I would probably be better off in Mayasia

Interesting perspective on Malaysia - I'll find out for myself soon enough, but my gut feel is that sooner or later the cracks in any society start to show. I grew up in Sydney, had an absolute blast in my teens and early 20s - still enjoy central Sydney for a weekend - but I would never advise anyone to move there (regardless of their income). Some places are simply victims of their own success - Sydney, Melbourne, SE Queensland, even Patts. Like your good self, I've had nothing but positive experiences in Malaysia, but it will be interesting to revisit this post in 12 months time - every country has a criminal element and I dont share your optimism re the level of corruption in Malaysia. That said, I'll never know if I never go, and Cambo/Laos/Vietnam wont be going anywhere over the next 13 or so months

[MrWorldwide]

For those who are contemplating Indonesia as a retirement destination, there is a very active Indo forum - board rules prohibit me from linking to it, but we all have Google. My Malaysia forum, by contrast, has very little traffic and none of the regulars are prepared to offer any criticism of the country - apparently its one of the conditions of your stay under the MM2H visa. Fine with me, but the Indo guys pull no punches - if anyone here wants the dirt, that's a great place to start digging

[MrWorldwide]

As I have stated before on a simular post to this one...

Filos invented Scams

Thais bettered it

Vietnamese perfected it.....

BUT

By far the Vietnamese women are much prettier than a Thai or Filo....

Good rule of thumb is the further you move away from the equator, the prettier the women.....

China is to die for, if your young and got sense enough to choose right.....

Eye of the beholder and all, but any of the locals (Indo, Malay, Thai, Viet, Fili) mixed with Chinese features do it for me everytime. You clearly have a preference for Northern Chinese (Han ?) women - I was always a huge Gong Li fan but one or two since are even more stunning. End of the day, I'm a realist - I have as much chance of waking up with Gong Li as Scarlett Johansson

(China - like Thailand - has an endless string of provinces where the locals will gleefully tell you that their women are 'the most beautiful in China'. About the only place in Southern China where I thought they may have a point was in Guanxi, but I still prefer the above mixed race women to the Zhuang beauties I encountered in Nanning and Guilin - YMMV)

[slipperylobster]

Good rule of thumb is the further you move away from the equator, the prettier the women.....

China is to die for, if your young and got sense enough to choose right.....

Sorry...Laplanders and Siberians....along with the Inuit Eskimos, are not prettier....and that is as far North as I been.

You find the cutest as being a mix of polynesian, asian and caucasion..

go to Hawaii..... Do not look at the Samoans nor the few original polynesians....look at the staff in the good hotels....and the waitresses... it is in the mix.

And it is not North.

[rockdog]

Recently spent a year in the PI... northern Luzon. Around Baguio is fine, nice mountain climate, cold in winter, a few typhoons, otherwise pleasantly hot,

People were congenial, like to socialise, party, sing a song. Property-rich, cash-poor for the most part.

Quality of life OK. Scenic roads up to the rice terraces or down across to beaches on the west coast in a day. Outside city centres it feels quite healthy. Laid-back lifestyle, the few westerners there seem content. For us Joes it's probably more 'comfortable' culturally than the rest of east Asia, similar to Malaysia in a way except church bells instead of muezzins..

Been a few times in Boracay, Cebu and such islands...good for a holiday. Angeles city just on the way to Clark airport, nightlife fairly low-key, a good laugh all round. Try a Red Horse beer before you leave Thailand and find out why the food doesn't need to be on a par with Thai or whatever...chicken, pork, potato 'adobo', usual noodles, rice, fish and veg dishes...plenty of devil sauce if it's too bland.

Definitely worth a visit as it's so near; you won't regret it...better to have seen it even if you come back, than not to have seen it at all.

I'm going back eventually, want to visit Mindanao and the southeast next time.

Happy trails.

[jobin]

I can tell you that after my recent 2 weeks in Angeles City, PI, i would be very pleased never to return to the Phills. Dirt city for sure and loaded with beggars, kids unwashed for 3 years sleeping on the sidewalk, streets nothing but pot-holes and dust and filled with wild driving Trikes (stoopid 3 wheeled motorcycles) with garbage just everywhere, including burning garbage which is about as stinky as humanly possible. I was embarrassed to be a yank who contributed for years to the Clark Air Base which pumped civilization and money into the city and now i see hardly any direction but backwards. The yanks also brought, unfortunately, guns and now guns can be found on every corner held by 'security' guards who may only 22 years old. On Fields St, i saw only skinny whores who looked like brown sticks with chest bumps and the local food is an ugly joke. But worst of all the govt piles on a horrid 12% tax on all imported goods, including food. So when they start to add 12% onto my Doritos, i am gone.

[JSixpack]

Go to Fillys.

Meet a girl who is educated and bring her here to live.

Where and how?

[Shancloudy]

Oh ok. I thought the Philippine government is asking for 800,000.

Just wondering how you thought he meant that when he wrote...................."No 800.000 Needed ?"

That's why I'm asking because I don't know that No 800.000

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Go to Fillys.

Meet a girl who is educated and bring her here to live.

Thats the perfect solution.

Fillys is a shit hole.

Thats why all the Pinos want to leave!

+1

There is a good reason why so many westerners take their filipinas to live in thailand.

PI is a complete dump......I don't know how they messed it up so bad, but they have.

The food is some of the worst in the world.

Next time if you'll travel to Philippines kindly bring your own food.

:)

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Shancloudy]

Go to Fillys.

Meet a girl who is educated and bring her here to live.

Where and how?

1. Use facebook to know and meet Filipina. ( be friendly )

2. Use dating site and check the background of a girl carefully.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Shancloudy]

+1

There is a good reason why so many westerners take their filipinas to live in thailand.

PI is a complete dump......I don't know how they messed it up so bad, but they have.

The food is some of the worst in the world.

Oucchhhhh.....

I think much better for me to leave this forum now. I don't want to read any comments against Philippines.

You have to admit that even the Filipinos don't want to live in the PI...at least the ones that I've met. Where do you live, btw?

I live in Thailand.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[slipperylobster]

I can tell you that after my recent 2 weeks in Angeles City, PI, i would be very pleased never to return to the Phills. Dirt city for sure and loaded with beggars, kids unwashed for 3 years sleeping on the sidewalk, streets nothing but pot-holes and dust and filled with wild driving Trikes (stoopid 3 wheeled motorcycles) with garbage just everywhere, including burning garbage which is about as stinky as humanly possible. I was embarrassed to be a yank who contributed for years to the Clark Air Base which pumped civilization and money into the city and now i see hardly any direction but backwards. The yanks also brought, unfortunately, guns and now guns can be found on every corner held by 'security' guards who may only 22 years old. On Fields St, i saw only skinny whores who looked like brown sticks with chest bumps and the local food is an ugly joke. But worst of all the govt piles on a horrid 12% tax on all imported goods, including food. So when they start to add 12% onto my Doritos, i am gone.

So now you think the entire Philippines is exactly the same as Fields Avenue....a relatively small area of Angeles City.

It is possible to walk the length of that Red light district you bee-lined for, in twenty minutes

Do not tell me you thought the cities of the Philippines were going to on par with those of Western Nations. I ought to take you for a walk in the Bronx, NYC....and a few other lovely places...even a few cities in England had their seedy parts.

Next time ..get away from the cat houses...go to a beach, boracay, palawan, dumuegete, Bohol...etc...etc.

[MrWorldwide]

Go to Fillys.

Meet a girl who is educated and bring her here to live.

Where and how?

1. Use facebook to know and meet Filipina. ( be friendly )

2. Use dating site and check the background of a girl carefully.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Be friendly ? I'm not sure exactly how others here approach their interaction with a (presumably) intelligent and attractive woman, but I would have thought that was a given ....

As for checking her background, I believe you may be a little naïve - I'll leave it there.

[Shancloudy]

Go to Fillys.

Meet a girl who is educated and bring her here to live.

Where and how?

1. Use facebook to know and meet Filipina. ( be friendly )

2. Use dating site and check the background of a girl carefully.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Be friendly ? I'm not sure exactly how others here approach their interaction with a (presumably) intelligent and attractive woman, but I would have thought that was a given ....

As for checking her background, I believe you may be a little naïve - I'll

leave it there.

That's what I know.... 555

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[mrfaroukh]

I think I can give you all the details and you think for yourself. Few months back I was in Angeles City in Philippines. My experience.

Very poor country, not safe as any business making some money had an arm man in front of the door even most hotels. I have even seen a man with machine gun in front of the hotel door. My hotel also had a gun man behind the door. Very difficult to find a decent food except in one mall in the city with few restaurant. Nothing really to do. I asked a German the reason why he moved from Thailand to Philippines. He said because the beer is cheaper here. There are only close entertainment meaning it is not like Thailand where you have open bars and music is everywhere. Very few expats over there. The city was very small and dirty too. Beggars everywhere. Hotel were more expensive. The only positive thing there was it is good for English speaking people as everyone almost speak English. Also I heard it is easier to get long term visa and do business or work.

I came back 3 days ago from Phenom Penh Cambodia. My experience.

It was quite dirty except some places where most tourist where staying that is River Front and around the Casino. Very poor country. Very difficult to find food after 10 PM. All the bars that also sell food will stop selling it after 10 PM. Entertainment is not at all good and can not be compared with Thailand. Everything was more expensive except Cigarates and drinks. It was very hot and you could get sick if stay out door for couple of hours in the afternoon. Not many tourist or expats so probably you get bored if you like to be with your own kind. The only positive things was I heard that it is easy to get long term visa and people were very nice and polite. Someone told me there is a law recently in Cambodia that if a Cambodian fight with a foreigners and beat them they can be imprisoned for 15 years (not sure if true or not).

And now Thailand you have everything available 24/7, much cheaper than other places and you all kinds of food etc. Lots of expats with different clubs, All in all everything is better in Thailand except the visa problem that you have to apply once a year at least and other problems like work permit etc . Though Thai people are nice still we hear that they fight with foreigners for small problems and beat them to dead sometimes.

Now choice is yours

[seasia]

Take time to visit Vietnam...you may be pleasantly surprised...as I was...

I visited earlier this year, got the same impression, really liked it.

I don`t know about long term stay visa requiremensts etc but it would rank strongly as an alternative to Thailand for me.

[Sheryl]

... If all you want is cheap beer and company, I'm not aware of a better option than Cambodia and the corruption reportedly makes it very easy to get a 12-month business visa....

Plenty of corruption in Camb but that has nothing to do with the visa. It is a straight forward and perfectly legal matter. Anyone (unless the govt has for some reason made you persona non grata) can get a one year extension to an ordinary (non-tourist) visa. No requirement other than the fee (about $260, may have gone up a little since last I did this), the form, your passport and photo. You don't even have to go to immigration, travel agencies and the like will do it for you for a nominal additional charge. The visa is good for unlimited multiple entries, and can be extended year after year.

Note that the visa you can get online is a tourist visa, and this cannot be extended for a year. Has to be an ordinary visa (previously called a "business visa" but never limited to people traveling for business) which can be gotten on arrival or at a Cambodian Embassy/consulate.

Visa-wise, nowhere easier than Camb. Attitude towards foreigners is also very good, much more welcoming/inclusive than in most places. (unless you give reason for it to be otherwise).

Quality of life in PP is IMO quite good, and I think it's OK in Siem Reap and Battamabang (though a bit dull in the latter).. But big step down elsewhere in the country, and still far from comfortable in most rural areas.

Everyone has their own viewpoint depending on what their personal priorities are. To me, if I were going to live in a major city, I'd choose Cambodia over Thailand hands down. But for living in the countryside, quite the opposite.

[questionsreplies]

Hello,

Where to find in philippines an island where i can be almost alone on a 2 kms beach as on Koh Phangan during low season ?

And how much for a frontbeach bungalow ?

Thanxxxx

[CharlieH]

MOVED to SE Asia Forum

[Aussieroaming]

PI great..I worked and lived in Manila. If I wasn't married to a thai I would be there now. Nice people, always smiling, always friendly and welcoming. I like Thailand but it isn't my dream destination by far.

[londoedan]

Hello,

Where to find in philippines an island where i can be almost alone on a 2 kms beach as on Koh Phangan during low season ?

And how much for a frontbeach bungalow ?

Thanxxxx

Lombok, Indonesia is like that. Some of the beaches on the S of the island are near deserted in the High Season.

Bali is pretty quiet at the moment also.

[fey]

negatives for flipper are much more crime and problems with police, bribes, thefts and scams. also danger to person, people carrying wespons willing to use them etc.

negatives for cambodia include not much to do, boredom, other foreigners who are genuinely down and out, not just complainers, drug addicts, not much to do. constant nagging by hawkers, motos who will follow you slowly down the street as you walk and not take no for an answer or who will wait outside youf hotel or apt all morning until you come out. homosexual vibe to many of the cambofian men imo.

the food also sucks in both countries. thai street food is excellent in comparison.

[MrWorldwide]

....

My taje on Cambodia,,,Siam Reap could get boring fast

like PPO,,,don't know why and can't esplain it but I do,,,perhaps because I have some Camodian freinds there

that are wonderful people

also they seem to really understand customer service

I tend to avoid Sihonukville lately as it seems to get sleazier every year and I hear from e pat friends that klive there that the crime is getting worse every year

...

over all Thailand gets my vote,,,ecept of course for the corruption and I do realize I would probably be better off in Mayasia

Interesting perspective on Malaysia - I'll find out for myself soon enough, but my gut feel is that sooner or later the cracks in any society start to show. I grew up in Sydney, had an absolute blast in my teens and early 20s - still enjoy central Sydney for a weekend - but I would never advise anyone to move there (regardless of their income). Some places are simply victims of their own success - Sydney, Melbourne, SE Queensland, even Patts. Like your good self, I've had nothing but positive experiences in Malaysia, but it will be interesting to revisit this post in 12 months time - every country has a criminal element and I dont share your optimism re the level of corruption in Malaysia. That said, I'll never know if I never go, and Cambo/Laos/Vietnam wont be going anywhere over the next 13 or so months

And here we are, ~12 months on, and I'm packing my bags for PP. I dont have a problem with Pattaya beyond the traffic/idiot bike riders, and I know I'll miss the sheer convenience of the town - it's simply time to move on. I should have left 6 months ago, but it didnt work out that way - c'est la vie. Onward and upward - I doubt that the genuine 'old Asia hands' spend too much time looking at maps and thinking 'Man, I hope the food is as good as Thailand !'.

(FWIW, it didnt take long for me to realise I may as well have stayed in Oz as live on Penang, but others love the place - its all about finding the right fit)

[thehelmsman]

You have to admit that even the Filipinos don't want to live in the PI...at least the ones that I've met. Where do you live, btw?

Incorrect. I know many who have married friends...and myself 30 years ago...and lived in the states. They all want to go back to PI..... with money of course.

same idea as the Isaan gal returning with the fat farang wallet and making her mark.

In the Philippines, it is very tribal... People in a Barrio are like a big family. It is the social interaction that is missing completely where I live in Udon, now. The Filipinos are all out in the streets mingling with neighbors, singing, drinking outside and kind of hanging out. Thai people stay indoors when at home. Filipinos stay outdoors....and group up. It is kind of festive. They organize into Barkadas (packs of close friends) and roam around... They miss that alot

If you ever really talk to a Filipina/Filipino in the USA ....they will seem happy, but you can see they miss their Barrio and Barkada of friends... and will get misty eyed.... You need to see how happy they are when they get back herE..

The part about Thais staying indoors is not the way it is where I'm at. We're always outdoors in the village way up north. Only go inside for sleeping and bad weather.

[siam2007]

Hello,

Where to find in philippines an island where i can be almost alone on a 2 kms beach as on Koh Phangan during low season ?

And how much for a frontbeach bungalow ?

Thanxxxx

BANTAYAN ( check wowbantayan.com )

very little tourism and the tourism that is there is low-profile, has been devastatetd by the Typhoon 2 years ago but recovered reasonably. Just make sure you can entertain yourself as it can get very boring with no nightlife whatsoever (the streets - or rather small lanes - are completely dark after 8 pm but unlike in cebu or manila, they are safe). The clearest water and the most beautiful deserted beaches of the PH.....

[JB300]

I like the Philippines but retirement in Thailand is much easier, with respect to visas. I don't keep 800k in a Thai bank, I get a Verification of Pension letter from my embassy, thai immigration accepts it in lieu of money in the bank. As I recall the Philippines requires $10,000 US in one of their banks with a verified pension.

Alternatives to SE Asia? Back to the USA for me

There are a few options around the Philippines SRRV, only one of which requires any pension/proof of income http://www.pra.gov.ph/main/srrv_program?page=1, and are available from the age of 35.

But if you don't want to go down that route, you can renew your 30 day Visa on Arrival for an extra 29 days at the Airport on arrival, then 2 months at a time until 16 months (technically you can go to 24 months but this needs approval from the Chief of Immigrations office) at which point you fly somewhere, come back & do it all again... Though you're most likely to have found a Filipina wife by then so yearly marriage visas.

Re Safety, check out Davao City... Despite being in the "No Go" Mindanao area it's the safest city in the Philippines & the people are really friendly (though a bit shy as they don't get anywhere near the number of foreigners as Manilla/AC/Cebu etc...)