Which country in SE-Asia would you like to live in and why?

[World traveller]

It was Hiroshima not Osaka.

Sorry, my mistake.
Stand corrected.

[World traveller]

Life's a ride and the world is fun, enjoy it boys.
Take memories to the grave not regrets.
YOLO.

I am 71 years old and regret that I did chose to stay in Thailand for my kid.
Many people called me an "Old Fool" because I was taking care of my daughter at my age.
"Send her to the mother and enjoy your older days" was the common sentence, and I should have listen to them.
The "Golden Age" where I could be enjoying my life as a Retiree.
Having free time and money.
Go on a cruise, enjoy my days at a bar in Soi 6, etc.
I try to enjoy the years of life I have left and "go with a bang" when my time on this planet is over.

[Joe 90]

Why choose one country to live or retire in?

If there are no family ties to a certain country then why not spend as long as you want wherever you want?

[MarilynMonroe]

South Korea worth seeing for sure.

Vietnam for sure, many things to see and do. The beaches are nice, and it is quite cheap to visit. Vietnam is on the up and up.

[Joe 90]

Vietnam is on the up and up

Looking good!

Danang in particular, for the waves and climate plus it's really cheap.

[david44]

Da Nang is a huge city with huge waves of water and Chinese tourists.
Nearby $10 taxi S along the beach is old Japanese and Chinese trading colony of Hoi An, on a lovely island in a delta packed with trippers in the day but pleasant at night with lots of modest hotels and guest houses great bars cafes restaurants, a bit touristy like Chiang Mai used to be pleasant.

Along with old cool resort Dalat one of nicest towns in Vietnam.

[Edmond]

Chinese tourists.

Worth considering nowadays.

[pickel]

^
I was in Danang 5 years ago and it was mostly Korean.

[Edmond]

regret that I did chose to stay in Thailand for my kid.
Many people called me an "Old Fool" because I was taking care of my daughter

Even with your regrets it sounds like you did the right thing Smeg.

[Edmond]

Vietnam for sure, many things to see and do. The beaches are nice, and it is quite cheap to visit. Vietnam is on the up and up.

And long term visas for retired expats?

[Norton]

Happy here in Isaan but I would be quite happy in Taiwan as well.

[Stumpy]

I am 71 years old and regret that I did chose to stay in Thailand for my kid.

Ya know WT, your story is not uncommon here. Outside the TD posters whom have posted they have children, I know a few others who decided to either have a child or adopt their new spouses children and then everything changes. While we do what we do for our own reasons, I came here with absolutely no intention of having a child or 2 or however many nor was I going to date or marry a woman with someone else's child. Children are great when you are younger. Older you want to have done your children raising and see them off and then go live it before you bite the bullet.

Why choose one country to live or retire in

My rebuttal to that Joe is to find a home base then go off and travel. When you get older you want a reasonable amount of stability and not stay in 300 bht hostiles with stinky backpackers or drunk asshats. Thailand really is a central type location for SEAsia with a low cost of living and a very manageable infrastructure. Early on, before I met my now wife, I thought about Malaysia or Vietnam but at that time I was working and residing in SZ China and those were my get away places. S Korea is very nice as is Taiwan or even Singapore but they aren't low cost.

[Edmond]

Happy here in Isaan

I spent a year near you before being transferred to Big Bad Bkk, almost 20 years ago now. I remember a big TD/TV meet up of around 40 people at a buffet and after everyone chipped in the bill was still hundreds of baht short and there was a great silence when everyone was asked to throw in a bit more probably a dozen of us ended up in a uni bar doing shot games til the early morn.

I can see the attractiveness of it for retirement but the sweltering season is just too sweltering for just too long and the land far too undulating. It does seem to breed the best and the worst of humanity though, from some of the kindest most hardworking people you will meet to the laziest and pure evilest. Whilst also being a very large production facility of ladyboys.

[S Landreth]

I would like to explore other SE-Asian countries.

I dreamed always to visit Vietnam, Japan,........

If you had the choice to live in one of the SE-Asian countries, which country would be your favourite and why?

Suggestion. Move to Japan (if you can afford it). Just avoid the fault lines.

Following Cherry Blossoms in Japan

Skip Vietnam. You are going to need the money if you retire in Japan.

A short holiday in Vietnam (Saigon, Da Nang and Hanoi)

[World traveller]

Even with your regrets it sounds like you did the right thing Smeg.

Well, I did the right thing for my daughter.
Otherwise she would have no future.
Working long days in the rice fields or the sugar canes from Chaiyaphum and taking care of her grandmother.

But for me, I wasted the best years of my life.

Thanks anyway for your supporting words.

[World traveller]

Vietnam for sure, many things to see and do. The beaches are nice, and it is quite cheap to visit. Vietnam is on the up and up.

I hear so many people talking only good about "Nam" and never went to visit it.
Sure it's one of my top destinations before kicking the buck.

[World traveller]

Ya know WT, your story is not uncommon here. Outside the TD posters whom have posted they have children, I know a few others who decided to either have a child or adopt their new spouses children and then everything changes. While we do what we do for our own reasons, I came here with absolutely no intention of having a child or 2 or however many nor was I going to date or marry a woman with someone else's child. Children are great when you are younger. Older you want to have done your children raising and see them off and then go live it before you bite the bullet.

When I came to Thailand, early 2000, I came to do a job for my employer in Rayong.
I was already retired, but wanted to continue working to make money.
My dream was at that time to work and make money a few years more and the retire on a farm in Spain (a vinca).
I meet my girlfriend, and told her very clear that I didn't want anymore children.
She told me that she was "CUT (sterilized)" and she could not have children anymore.
But about 2 years later, she was praignant.

I have a "friend", living now in Rayong, who is about my age.
After 2 failed marriages in Thailand, he meet a "girl" in Rayong, married again and made a daughter.
He spend his days in taking care of his daughter and spend rarely a few days in Rayong.

So, you are right in your decision.
But somehow, things don't go always as planned.

My rebuttal to that Joe is to find a home base then go off and travel. When you get older you want a reasonable amount of stability and not stay in 300 bht hostiles with stinky backpackers or drunk asshats. Thailand really is a central type location for SEAsia with a low cost of living and a very manageable infrastructure. Early on, before I met my now wife, I thought about Malaysia or Vietnam but at that time I was working and residing in SZ China and those were my get away places. S Korea is very nice as is Taiwan or even Singapore but they aren't low cost.

That's what I try to do now.
i have created a "home base" in Spain where I am assured of my healthcare and other basic needs and I will travel to places I always wanted to see before I will be too old to travel or dead.

[Neverna]

I am 71 years old and regret that I did chose to stay in Thailand for my kid.
Many people called me an "Old Fool" because I was taking care of my daughter at my age.
"Send her to the mother and enjoy your older days" was the common sentence, and I should have listen to them.
The "Golden Age" where I could be enjoying my life as a Retiree.
Having free time and money.
Go on a cruise, enjoy my days at a bar in Soi 6, etc.
I try to enjoy the years of life I have left and "go with a bang" when my time on this planet is over.

In my opinion, you did the right thing staying in Thailand to take care of your daughter. It's possible to enjoy your life and be a parent at the same time, although you will have less time to be alone and do single guy stuff, but surely that's part of the responsibility of being a parent.

[CalEden]

Caveeat: to benefit the European healthcare and assistance, my trips to SE-Asia and any country outside Europe need to be a "Tourist vacation" (< 3 months).

Is this less than 3 months an annual cap? Can you do multiple 89-day Tourist vacations a year?

[World traveller]

Is this less than 3 months an annual cap? Can you do multiple 89-day Tourist vacations a year?

A little bit "Off topic" but here is the EXACT description (translated of the email in Dutch) I received from the Social Security:

"The holiday trip or vacation" need to have the nature of a holiday.
Examples of what does change the nature of a holiday is:
- Changing residence;
- Staying more than 180 days in an other country;
- Settling in an other country;
- Terminate your residence in Belgium whilst going on holiday.

The length of the holiday trip/vacation can be longer than 180-days when making a "Cruise" or a "World trip", but this has to be declared to the Social Security BEFORE subscribing to such trips.

Also, it is perfectly possible to spend the winter in an other country whilst living in Belgium, but this has to be declared to the Social Security BEFORE going on a holiday.

[MarilynMonroe]

And long term visas for retired expats?

I don't think he wants to retire there, but from what I have read there is no retirement visa in Vietnam. In order to stay up to five years you need to invest in a Vietnamese company and have about 10 thousand dollars in the bank. You can also get a business visa. It could be a good place to work for a year or two, which to me is the easiest way to explore Vietnam. There are many ESL and International school jobs there as it is really booming. Vietnam also wants to get foreigners in their public schools within the next three to four years. I think I may just go visit as I can stay up to 90 days. If you get a job while in the country you can change your visa.

[Norton]

there is no retirement visa in Vietnam

None and like Taiwan if you want to live full time you will need a bunch of cash.

[MarilynMonroe]

^Or marry a national I guess. I was reading that foreigners can buy property there, but can't own land. Seems a bit odd.

[HuangLao]

^Or marry a national I guess. I was reading that foreigners can buy property there, but can't own land. Seems a bit odd.

How is this odd [the policy]?

[BLD]

It probably seems odd from.a western perspective
In Oz canada, nz UK etc we let foreigners own land 100%Same same.The thais will let us buy as long as its a condo and not the ground floor.but you don't really own it. Maybe it's a similar thing in Taiwan?wouldn't surprise me