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Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???

Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???

Old May 4th 2007, 8:01 am
  #46  
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Default Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???

re Dengue, I've heard of people getting the fever here but they usually recover in a couple of weeks. The deaths tend to be the old an infirm (much like getting flu in the UK - dangerous for older folks). Think the OP before must have been very unlucky... having said that, think I'll be doubling up my insect repellent from now on

and re squeaky clean... agree your comments - Katong is a bit like Geylang too!! But it's not the worst place to be.
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Old Jun 4th 2007, 1:45 pm
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Default Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???

Originally Posted by Mayahani
I would like an honest opinion between Malaysia, Thailand and Phillipines which is a better place for retirement?? which country is offer better health treatments, education and etc.

Your suggestions is much appreciated.

Thanking you in advance.
Depends what you want. If you want law and order, condos, good schools etc. and reasonably cheap living then Malaysia might suit. Here you can buy a house or condo without marriage to a local. The best and most beautiful place in Malaysia to live(I think) is probably Kota Kinabalu(KK) in Sabah. It is a very up and coming modern town/city in Malaysia and the unspoilt jungle is all around you. Very modern yet very close to nature.Check it out on the internet.

Thailand, well, is Thailand. Same as above, but less modern and less order. Much cheaper than KK or Malaysia, wonderful food, but a wee bit more dangerous. Corrupt govts with a high crime rate against tourists which is the price paid when you sacrifice order. I have email friends there, they tell me all about their news.

I live in the Philippines(...so I admit that I am biased here !!). I retired here in 2006 and I am very happy. It is the cheapest of the three. I am not so concerned with order and modernity - but I live in a lovely, 3 bedroomed bungalow(+aircon+garden+garage) near the beaches and near the mountains. I rent it and it costs me £80 per month. Things are very cheap here. A heavy weekly shop for two people costs about £20 per week(real markets with local produce abound here !!). Beer is 27p per bottle. A meal for two at a good restaurant will cost £4-£8(with wine or beer). To tax AND Insure my Mitsubishi Lancer car costs £30 per annum. Cable TV is £3.50 per month. These prices might be higher if you lived in Manila or Cebu.

I live in San Fernando, La Union, Illocos Sur in Luzon(quiet and very provincial) and have been hear a year now. And I don't regret it. Other places in the Philippines you can search for are Boracay, Cebu, Naga City, Tagaytay and Baguio.

Best Regards and Good luck !!

Bill
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Old Jun 5th 2007, 3:06 pm
  #48  
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Default Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???

I am just curious Bill, are you thinking to move to Kota Kinabalu?


Originally Posted by slowsmile
Depends what you want. If you want law and order, condos, good schools etc. and reasonably cheap living then Malaysia might suit. Here you can buy a house or condo without marriage to a local. The best and most beautiful place in Malaysia to live(I think) is probably Kota Kinabalu(KK) in Sabah. It is a very up and coming modern town/city in Malaysia and the unspoilt jungle is all around you. Very modern yet very close to nature.Check it out on the internet.

Thailand, well, is Thailand. Same as above, but less modern and less order. Much cheaper than KK or Malaysia, wonderful food, but a wee bit more dangerous. Corrupt govts with a high crime rate against tourists which is the price paid when you sacrifice order. I have email friends there, they tell me all about their news.

I live in the Philippines(...so I admit that I am biased here !!). I retired here in 2006 and I am very happy. It is the cheapest of the three. I am not so concerned with order and modernity - but I live in a lovely, 3 bedroomed bungalow(+aircon+garden+garage) near the beaches and near the mountains. I rent it and it costs me £80 per month. Things are very cheap here. A heavy weekly shop for two people costs about £20 per week(real markets with local produce abound here !!). Beer is 27p per bottle. A meal for two at a good restaurant will cost £4-£8(with wine or beer). To tax AND Insure my Mitsubishi Lancer car costs £30 per annum. Cable TV is £3.50 per month. These prices might be higher if you lived in Manila or Cebu.

I live in San Fernando, La Union, Illocos Sur in Luzon(quiet and very provincial) and have been hear a year now. And I don't regret it. Other places in the Philippines you can search for are Boracay, Cebu, Naga City, Tagaytay and Baguio.

Best Regards and Good luck !!

Bill
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Old Jun 5th 2007, 5:01 pm
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Default Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???

Originally Posted by maria-g
I am just curious Bill, are you thinking to move to Kota Kinabalu?
I certainly was thinking of moving to KK. But in the end, I decided against this, because it would have cost more money to live there. A Thai expat friend from Canada was going to buy a condo there and it was very beautiful and natural - he sent me all the pics. But when I researched the condo he was in, the ground the condo was built on was owned by a Muslim Land Association. This was one reason not to buy. The other reason was my original determination(begore I left UK) to live more primitively - necessary for what will happen when Peak Oil hits and prices for everything will skyrocket. In the 1970s oil went up 5% and petrol prices in UK tripled. Imagine the effect on UK when oil prices go up between 3% - 8% every year after Peak Oil until there is no more gas or oil.

Where I live now, all my food I get from markets, all cheap, natural and grown locally. I could, if necessary, live without a car and even live with candlelight in the evenings. Aircon might be difficult but I only use it in the evenings now. It is beautiful here, and I really have all I need.

The real point of me moving here was to adapt a deliberately more primitive lifestyle and be less dependent on a wasteful western lifestyle. When Peak Oil hits there will probably be panic in the western developed countries. The price of everything will go up hugely, especially utilities. How much does electricty, gas and water cost in UK now ? Is it reasonable ? They will all go up much, much more after peak oil. And what will happen to society in UK ? There is nothing worse than being forced to move to a poorer lifestyle. I'm just practising now !!

So to move to KK would be going against that - it is very modern there, very up market and relatively cheap. But if you like your western comforts, it could become very expensive to live there after Peak Oil.

I could, of course, be all wrong. But this is why I prefer the Phillies. I am not a Green person and I'm not scaremongering, I honestly believe that Peak Oil will happen soon(...just type Peak Oil into Google and read what comes up).

Sorry, but you did ask !!

Bill
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Old Jun 6th 2007, 3:18 pm
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Default Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???

That's okay, good to know you are happy where you are. What is the visa situation there, can you get a resident visa?
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Old Jun 6th 2007, 4:10 pm
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Default Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???

Originally Posted by maria-g
That's okay, good to know you are happy where you are. What is the visa situation there, can you get a resident visa?
Yes you can get a residency visa if you are retiring. Try this site:

http://www.livinginthephilippines.co...etirement.html

It's a good all round site if you're thinking of going to the Philippines and explains alot. Personally, I don't have a residency visa, which means I can get either a yearly or bimonthly visa and must leave the country once a year. It's either that or put $50K or £25K into a government bank in the Philippines for a residency visa. Too much paper work for me that and I prefer my money somewhere offshore.

A bimonthly visa costs about £21 per two months - which is £126 per annum.

You can also get a year's visa - But only in Manila(Makati) for $200 or £100. I will be trying this soon.
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Old Jun 20th 2007, 10:21 am
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Smile Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???

The Philippines is an obvious choice if I were you. First of all everybody speaks English and it would be so easy for you to have everything done since business and trade are all in English. The Philippines is the third largest English speaking country in the world next to the US and the UK (in terms of population).

With regards to crime rate, unless you live in Manila which is the capital, the country is generally quiet and peaceful especially the provinces. Manila,just like any other big cities in the world has crimes, etc.so If you want peace, go to one of the 7, 100 islands that you can choose from.

The country is predominantly catholic and the concentration of Muslims is in the island of Mindanao, which is further north, almost near Malaysia.

The cost of living is low (Thai baht is higher than the Philippine peso)) and the culture is very westernize. VERY American because of the strong american influence when they colonized the country in the 1940's. A lot of Filipinos speak better English than the Americans, if you know what I mean.

Anyway, I hope this has been useful to you. Good Luck!

Jeno
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Old Jun 20th 2007, 11:28 am
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Default Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???

Originally Posted by jenospain
The country is predominantly catholic and the concentration of Muslims is in the island of Mindanao, which is further north, almost near Malaysia.
Just a correction, Mindanao is further south. Do you know what is it like North of the Philippines?
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Old Jun 20th 2007, 4:36 pm
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Default Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???

Originally Posted by maria-g
Just a correction, Mindanao is further south. Do you know what is it like North of the Philippines?
Mindianao is the largest southern island of the Philippines. When you say "North of the Philippines" do you mean Taiwan ? Or do you mean the northernmost Philippine island of Luzon. I live in Luzon. Very cheap, quiet and beautiful beaches and mountains....
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Old Jun 21st 2007, 12:13 pm
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Default Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???

Originally Posted by slowsmile
Mindianao is the largest southern island of the Philippines. When you say "North of the Philippines" do you mean Taiwan ? Or do you mean the northernmost Philippine island of Luzon. I live in Luzon. Very cheap, quiet and beautiful beaches and mountains....
I mean north of Luzon. How's the area that side of the island and also the people?
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Old Jun 21st 2007, 3:26 pm
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Default Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???

Originally Posted by maria-g
I mean north of Luzon. How's the area that side of the island and also the people?
...San Fernando, where I live, is on the west coast of Luzon Island - about hafway down. It is a lovely place and you are very near the Cordillera hills and mountains. The people are very friendly and there is no hustling here (like Manila or Cebu). Why I like it is because :

1. It is on the coast, lovely beaches and lots of hotels. Surfing in San Juan - just north of SF.
2. Lots of expats from UK, Germany, Holland, Australia and US.
3. The native people seem friendly and happy.
4. Aircon bus to Manila(Cubao) cost £3.75 - to travel 264 kms.
5. Weather is very sunny here. The clouds come from the east and usually the typhoons dissipate themselves over the mountains before reaching SF. It does rain here though.
6. Large market in San Fernando town and a huge market in Baguio City(..an hour away).
7. Peaceful and safe - low crime.
8. Local domestic airport (you can fly to Manila).

Hope it helps,

Bill
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Old Aug 4th 2007, 5:39 pm
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Default Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???

Originally Posted by maria-g
I mean north of Luzon. How's the area that side of the island and also the people?
Hi maria,

I am from philippines, but im here in Uk already. But i would definitely recommend you to go or if u have any plans to live in in philippines CEBU is the best (queen city of the south) rather than manila...... they have everything u needed so im very sure u will love the place and they have loads of luxury's beaches.nice climate,nice city,nice people!Lots of tourist spots,main destinations of tourists, and real estate is amazing!

You can find them here http://www.cebucity.gov.ph/
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Old Aug 4th 2007, 7:09 pm
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Default Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???

Originally Posted by aberdonian
Hi maria,

I am from philippines, but im here in Uk already. But i would definitely recommend you to go or if u have any plans to live in in philippines CEBU is the best (queen city of the south) rather than manila...... they have everything u needed so im very sure u will love the place and they have loads of luxury's beaches.nice climate,nice city,nice people!Lots of tourist spots,main destinations of tourists, and real estate is amazing!

You can find them here http://www.cebucity.gov.ph/
Where about are you aberdonian, are you in aberdeen?
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Old Aug 4th 2007, 7:19 pm
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Default Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???

Originally Posted by maria-g
Where about are you aberdonian, are you in aberdeen?
Yes im in aberdeen now... yoursel?
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Old Aug 5th 2007, 11:03 am
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Default Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???

Originally Posted by aberdonian
Yes im in aberdeen now... yoursel?
Down here in Selkirk, Scottish Borders. Glad to hear from someone in Aberdeen
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