Tomtomtom69 Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Had a couple of Gin Slings while thinking about this, don't'cha know?! I think it comes back to two things. If the OP would tell us what is being looked for, then we might make some mores sense . I have lived and worked for 20 years in SE Asia and would agree with many other posters' experience. I like the sea; but in so many places tourism has pretty much wrecked the villages and beaches I enjoyed. When I first went to Patong it was like St. Tropez but with sandy roads and corrugated iron bars and the sea was clean. I like Bali and Lombok. What was once, with Bali, I guess a great experience-only have to read and look at the lives of Covarubbias, Gorer,, McPhee, Spies and others. has probably become totally touristique unless you are interested in Balinese history and culture. So would not live there now. I liked Boracay and Palawan and Mindanao; but the infrastructure is fragile and Mindanao and Palawan became dangerous. Indonesia and Malaysia I ruled out on "Islamic" grounds! Singapore is just a big city and there are better like Vancouver. If you want adventure and "authenticity" and SE Asian culture then Laos and Myanmar are the obvious places to go. The other thing, of course is that you cannot really speak about a country. The diversity even of Thailand is enormous from the hills of the north to the plantations of the south. Hanoi is not Ho Chi Minh. In Thailand you can pretty much choose whether to insulate yourself and live like a westerner or go to the rice fields and 'go native" or even both! I now live on the banks of the Mekong. It is not the sea but a fabulous stretch of water. It has an airport, high speed broadband, 30 minutes to Laos and 3 hours to the sea at Danang. What is depressing about Thailand, if that is what you want, is the philistinism. Vietnam and Singapore have vibrant cultures. Outside of Bangkok and Chiang Mai it is hard to find a book or an Art Gallery! In fact the obsession with food and money is beginning to drive me mad!! I hardly think you're going to find anything more intellectually stimulating in Laos or Cambodia. Both countries are full of mostly simple people with little intellectual curiousity. They are plenty friendly and all, but if you want culture, if you want to find books, Thailand is by far the best country to find it in the region apart from Singapore. Vietnam is OK, but the countryside there is even more simple than what you'll find in Thailand - it's dirt poor (believe me I know, I've been everywhere in Vietnam). Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh are also starting to resemble Bangkok right now so I don't know what you mean by having a "vibrant culture" - yes Vietnamese students are hardworking and like reading but increasingly they're also playing computer games now. Many young people seem to drive around town endlessly, heading from restaurant to ice cream shop to karaoke parlour - things are changing there too my friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomtomtom69 Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Thailand use to be sublime, but now, not as much anymore. If you are just into hanging out and mind numbing comfort, then Thailand is for you. Can you expand on mind numbing comfort? Is comfort not a good thing? Thailand has become an intellectual desert and a playground for nihilists , driving out entrepreneurs and those who would like to make Thailand a better, more interesting place. If you have zero ambition and live a near vegetative, it is a fine place to live. Maybe but I can't see Laos or Cambodia having any more ambition. I've tried to set-up a company in Laos but I can't even find people motivated enough to show up for work. The only people who will work there are foreigners - Chinese and Vietnamese but that entails learning another language. I'm not going to spend a year learning Vietnamese just so I can set-up things that I would have been able to get done in Thailand in just a few weeks. Given how it's actually easier to set-up a company in Thailand I've decided this is the place to do it. Driving back and forth to Laos every few weeks, although fun at times was in hindsight a huge waste of time and money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeyg Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 (edited) I've lived for many years in NYC, then on to Kyoto, San Francisco, LA, Rio and San Juan. I've lectured in many of the major cities in the USA and some in Europe as well as Asia and IndoChina. Love culture and art.. I feel like I'm seeing it, living it, almost everyday now. Books, currently writing one, almost done, E- book actually on the Treatment of Cognitive Decline with Integrated Medicine. Got one on Diabetes, Probiotics and Arthritis in the "pipeline." I like that my biggest decision is, "do I go to the pool or the beach today." My only regret about retiring in Thailand is not having done it sooner... Edited April 4, 2016 by joeyg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeyg Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 In fact the obsession with food and money is beginning to drive me mad!! Tell me about it. My diet is 80% fruit and I'm obsessed with finding the best quality and price. Money? Most people know I'm retired and not a two week millionaire. I try to just throw a little extra around, I've got it and not be stupid. And everybody's happy. Saying no works well too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mesterm Posted April 4, 2016 Author Share Posted April 4, 2016 In fact the obsession with food and money is beginning to drive me mad!! Tell me about it. My diet is 80% fruit and I'm obsessed with finding the best quality and price. Money? Most people know I'm retired and not a two week millionaire. I try to just throw a little extra around, I've got it and not be stupid. And everybody's happy. Saying no works well too... We weren't referring to the expats however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
55Jay Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 I've lived for many years in NYC, then on to Kyoto, San Francisco, LA, Rio and San Juan. I've lectured in many of the major cities in the USA and some in Europe as well as Asia and IndoChina. Love culture and art.. I feel like I'm seeing it, living it, almost everyday now. Books, currently writing one, almost done, E- book actually on the Treatment of Cognitive Decline with Integrated Medicine. Got one on Diabetes, Probiotics and Arthritis in the "pipeline." I like that my biggest decision is, "do I go to the pool or the beach today." My only regret about retiring in Thailand is not having done it sooner... Reminds me of my Dad, who was skeptical about retirement. About 6 months in, he said to me, "Wow! This retirement thing is pretty neat. Everyone should try it at least once in their lives!". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phuketandsee Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 You know what the French used to say - The Vietnamese plant the rice, the Cambodians watch it grow and the Lao listen to it growing. Pretty good summation really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeyg Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 In fact the obsession with food and money is beginning to drive me mad!! Tell me about it. My diet is 80% fruit and I'm obsessed with finding the best quality and price. Money? Most people know I'm retired and not a two week millionaire. I try to just throw a little extra around, I've got it and not be stupid. And everybody's happy. Saying no works well too... We weren't referring to the expats however. I missed that. i think the principles are similar though.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laolover88 Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 OP still quiet on what he wants. Why not take this route? Fly into town Book a decent hotel Ring the local Dial A Wife Hold some interviews Check the husband/brother/children land/liabilities/dependants situation Agree a price and contract for a decent squeeze Give it a go Does not work? Move on! Who cares if its the Mekong or not unless you have some fetish for epicanthic eye folds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussieroaming Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Thailand because of my wife..but i prefer Vietnam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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