RecklessRon Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 (edited) I've been a long time fan of Chiang Mai, Thailand. Last year I moved here and planned to retire. I obtained my Retirement visa and was planning to buy 3 rental condos to provide a basic income. Then the military decided to clamp down on multiple tourist runs, those here on bogus student visas, all ex-pats working illegally and other things that have, and will continue to, IMHO, increase the vacancy rate. So, again IMHO, I don't feel comfortable risking all my retirement funds, which are insufficient for me to live out my life on without earning anything from a business or several rental units. I ran across an article claiming that Dumaguete was a great place to retire so I checked out the cost of living and it appears to be even lower than in CM. Mostly I'm interested in retirement and visa issues for British citizens, custom clashes, language problems, racial and religious hassles, travel restrictions, health care, insurance, banking, elderly issues, etc. I've also been know to smoke the occasional joint so I'm wondering about the legal penalties (both as written and as actually implemented) on pot. Can anyone give me details on this? Edited September 8, 2014 by RecklessRon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loptr Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 Here is a link to retirement visa types and requirements for the PI... http://www.pra.gov.ph/main/srrv_program?page=1 Dumaguete is a nice town... Not too big, not too small, a few universities, malls and beach... I couldn't live there, but to each his own... As far as smoking dope, that's a no-go in the PI... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worgeordie Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 One advantage of retiring to Philippines is that you UK pension is not frozen,like in most other countries in Asia, so that extra couple of quid could mean an other couple of joints for you. regards worgeordie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigt3365 Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 I spent about 2 weeks there several years ago. Bumming around, scuba diving, and hanging out with a guy I met while walking along the beach. He turned out to be a total nutter who was on the run, but he did introduce me to the area. As mentioned above, it's a very small college town. Not much to do at all. A few foreigners there, but I hardly saw any. Crime is an even bigger problem there. Guns are everywhere. Food is lousy, IMHO. And to get to the big city of Cebu takes a long time as you'll have to go by boat. Storms are a big deal there. Do some research on the last hurricane. Pretty scary. Owning condos now is a bit of a problem. I know several who's units are now empty, and have never been empty over the past 6-7 years. I'm sure that will turn around in the next few years, but it's going to take a few years. I don't know about condo ownership there, but if you think doing business is tough here. Wait till you get there. Corruption is terrible. CM is a wonderful city. Sure, it has issues, as does every city in the world. But it's nothing compared to Dumaguete. And it's even hard to compare Thailand to the PI. You should head over there for a recon trip. Spend 3-4 days in Manila (if you are like most, you'll be anxious to leave). Visit Cebu, Dumaguete and even Boracay. If you want some adventure, visit Palawan. Amazing island. There are some fairly good ex-pat forums for the PI. I think there's even one for Cebu. Might be worth checking them out. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Duma is not a very small town (say I who comes from a town of 1,500) but a small city of some 120 thousand and has the normal facilities of such (but not the tourist infrastructure found in Thailand). There are shopping centers/fast food/medical university with probably the best facilities outside of Manila/Cebu (but that is not saying that much). It is indeed popular for economical retirement - but unfortunately also for those with less than stellar pasts (and for that reason there seems to be more bias towards foreigners than some other locations and being a young collage town retirement age foreigners also stick out). Cebu is only a few minutes flight - or you can drive/bus/boat there for major shopping trips. American food seems to be easily available in supermarkets but UK foods are likely not as easy to locate (have no knowledge). Rent will be a lot cheaper than Cebu (probably on par with Chiang Mai. But food choice will not be nearly as good. As mentioned it is a land of the gun and personal safety is always at risk. It is also much, much more subject to corruption - not really great for a stress free retirement IMHO. Storms are not a serious issue there (it is well below the normal typhoon alley paths and far to West of islands so any storms have already unleashed over major land areas before they get there). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RecklessRon Posted September 9, 2014 Author Share Posted September 9, 2014 Can someone post links to the "fairly good ex-pat forums for the PI"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 Can someone post links to the "fairly good ex-pat forums for the PI"? 13) You will not post links to other Thailand forums, or forums which could reasonably be construed as competition to Thaivisa.com or its sponsors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 (edited) I spent some days there. The town itself was pretty dreary except for the waterfront area. The food as stated above was HORRIBLE. Better in Cebu and Manila by far. I found the general mood on the street as JOYLESS (even on the large campus). For me also, it's too isolated. The surrounding areas and beaches were varied, tropical, lovely, and interesting. One town reminded me of Mexico (not a bad thing for me), Overall, no, I wouldn't suggest wasting time and money on an exploratory trip there ... but you never know, everyone's different. Edited September 10, 2014 by Jingthing 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norabone Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 Read livinginthephillipines.com then go for a drive around the different areas. The food is awful or brilliant nothing in between. The people love you ( honestly you not just your wallet ) and want to be near you so that your luck will rub off you to them. Retirement will cost about £10 a year and can be renewed at the local bank. If you keep a low profile government official will leave you alone. The language is easy to pick up being a mixture of Spanish, Malay and American. All business is done in English. If you don't like the weather where you are go round the corner find a different beach the sun will shine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RecklessRon Posted September 10, 2014 Author Share Posted September 10, 2014 Can someone post links to the "fairly good ex-pat forums for the PI"? 13) You will not post links to other Thailand forums, or forums which could reasonably be construed as competition to Thaivisa.com or its sponsors. The Philippines are only competition to Thaivisa if you imagine South America and Europe forums are also. Personally I do not see regional forums as being in competition with other regional forums from different countries! What goods or services do you imagine I, living in Chiang Mai, would buy from the sponsors of a forum in the Philippines instead of buying locally? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RecklessRon Posted September 10, 2014 Author Share Posted September 10, 2014 Read livinginthephillipines.com then go for a drive around the different areas.... That's a bad link - it goes to a generic search site and offers that domain name for sale. Maybe you spelled it wrong? Could it be an org or net or gov or ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigt3365 Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 A simple Google search should give all you need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RecklessRon Posted September 10, 2014 Author Share Posted September 10, 2014 A simple Google search should give all you need. Thanks however I was hoping someone who knew would point me to a good one rather than rely on random luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norabone Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 http://www.livinginthephilippines.com 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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