Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???
Oct 27th 2008, 10:13 am
#106
Account Closed
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 395
Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???
Thanks for you compassion and sense of fair mindeness. Heres an example of how it is to live here .. 2 days ago , my neighbor, a high ranking police officer walked up while I was on the lane between out properties and kicked my cat.
Advice from long time residents? Move, immediately . He doesn't like you. You'll end up dead
Advice from long time residents? Move, immediately . He doesn't like you. You'll end up dead
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Thai-N...t-t217546.html
Personally, I liked the advice "get a bigger cat".
Oct 27th 2008, 4:09 pm
#107
Just Joined
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 6
Re: Do NOT move to Thailand
Unless having prostitutes is what interests you , aside from that, there is is very little to offer after you've visited all the temples.
Thailand offers lots of beautiful women who will sell sex for about 1000 baht and that is the only draw , so the vast majority of immigrants " Sex - Pats " are these kind of men to whom this attribute make Thailand a paradise.
Those and the pedophiles.
There is beautiful scenery but it's often spoiled by garbage that Thais routinely dump on the ground.
Beaches on the southwest coasts in spring and summer are encrusted with filth.
You cannot own land, you cannot start a business without having 4 Thai partners. Thai business laws are not always enforced as to ensnare unwary foreigners and then extrapolate monies from them.
Thai people, behind the facade of the famous smile, dislike foreigners intensely and they are incapable of telling the truth.
Very few speak english and it seems to be a matter of pride to not speak it .
Their language is annoyingly infantile and difficult to learn.
You cannot say anything bad about the King or Royal family or risk jail. Not kidding .
After the 1-2 Go crash in Phuket it is painfully clear the Authorities do not enforce safety regulations and it is that way in all sectors. Look down when you walk on sidewalks and risk of electrocution is constant. Huge, unsightly tangles of electrical wiring is everywhere.
Thai drivers are fatalists and believe that accidents are meant to happen, thus they drive very fast and dangerously.
You will pay far more than any Thai for just about everything including entry to National parks.
You will be an alien, stared at rudely and referred to as " Farang" which means " potato" presumably as westerners resemble fat white potatoes.
If you are black or dark skinned you will suffer from bigotry as bad as any where in the world.
There are no laws protecting animals and there are grossly sick and mangy dogs everywhere. Elephants are routinely beaten so as to be subdued and mother elephants shot so as to take their babies away to the beach to pose for pictures with tourists.
Horses are used to death in beach rental operations where they suffer from hideous neglect.
A long term visa is difficult to procure unless you are over 50 and can get a retirement visa. Investor visa now requires 10,000,000 baht in a fixed depost.
Lots of men marry and then support entire Thai families, as the entire immigration system is set up it to marry local women off to foreigners, put everything in her name, only to get ripped off and ousted by her brothers .
The police are corrupt beyond belief and quite above the law
Even if her on a legit visa, you will not be allowed to work and have to ,
" report" like a sex criminal every 90 days to immigration..
Yes, Amazing Thailand
Thailand offers lots of beautiful women who will sell sex for about 1000 baht and that is the only draw , so the vast majority of immigrants " Sex - Pats " are these kind of men to whom this attribute make Thailand a paradise.
Those and the pedophiles.
There is beautiful scenery but it's often spoiled by garbage that Thais routinely dump on the ground.
Beaches on the southwest coasts in spring and summer are encrusted with filth.
You cannot own land, you cannot start a business without having 4 Thai partners. Thai business laws are not always enforced as to ensnare unwary foreigners and then extrapolate monies from them.
Thai people, behind the facade of the famous smile, dislike foreigners intensely and they are incapable of telling the truth.
Very few speak english and it seems to be a matter of pride to not speak it .
Their language is annoyingly infantile and difficult to learn.
You cannot say anything bad about the King or Royal family or risk jail. Not kidding .
After the 1-2 Go crash in Phuket it is painfully clear the Authorities do not enforce safety regulations and it is that way in all sectors. Look down when you walk on sidewalks and risk of electrocution is constant. Huge, unsightly tangles of electrical wiring is everywhere.
Thai drivers are fatalists and believe that accidents are meant to happen, thus they drive very fast and dangerously.
You will pay far more than any Thai for just about everything including entry to National parks.
You will be an alien, stared at rudely and referred to as " Farang" which means " potato" presumably as westerners resemble fat white potatoes.
If you are black or dark skinned you will suffer from bigotry as bad as any where in the world.
There are no laws protecting animals and there are grossly sick and mangy dogs everywhere. Elephants are routinely beaten so as to be subdued and mother elephants shot so as to take their babies away to the beach to pose for pictures with tourists.
Horses are used to death in beach rental operations where they suffer from hideous neglect.
A long term visa is difficult to procure unless you are over 50 and can get a retirement visa. Investor visa now requires 10,000,000 baht in a fixed depost.
Lots of men marry and then support entire Thai families, as the entire immigration system is set up it to marry local women off to foreigners, put everything in her name, only to get ripped off and ousted by her brothers .
The police are corrupt beyond belief and quite above the law
Even if her on a legit visa, you will not be allowed to work and have to ,
" report" like a sex criminal every 90 days to immigration..
Yes, Amazing Thailand
Oct 27th 2008, 4:56 pm
#108
Banned
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 30
Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???
come on i think we can all admit thailand is one place to avoid like the plague everyone knows the drug problem the gangs the corruption is out of control the place is filthy and only really a hot spot for druggies and sex tourists lets all be honest here. malaysia on the other hand does have some good things oging for it i have a close friend who is half malaysian and his parents just retired back there but again it is very muslim and in the world now with all the terrorists not exactly the place to feel really secure is it. so that leave the Philippines but again yes coruption and abject poverty outside the cities but its growing fast and will be hitting a property boom and tourists are begining to flock here for the beaches and scenery . the choice is yours look me up if you make the right choice 
Oct 27th 2008, 11:02 pm
#109
Auntie Fa
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Seattle
Posts: 7,344
Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???
Oh come on. There are good and bad places, good and bad people, wherever you go. Anybody planning to live in Asia needs to weigh up the pros and cons, go into it with their eyes wide open, for sure, but you can't just write off a whole nation.
As for all views being valid - definitely, so long as they don't cross the line into racism.
Ryantalk, your comment about Malaysia being "very Muslim" is valid - IMHO it's becoming increasingly so, and has some issues that concern me, as a woman - but I think you're more likely to get blown up on the London tube than you are in KL. Please, don't think all Muslims are terrorists.
Chris is obviously a well-balanced person; got a chip on both shoulders.
As for all views being valid - definitely, so long as they don't cross the line into racism.
Ryantalk, your comment about Malaysia being "very Muslim" is valid - IMHO it's becoming increasingly so, and has some issues that concern me, as a woman - but I think you're more likely to get blown up on the London tube than you are in KL. Please, don't think all Muslims are terrorists.
Chris is obviously a well-balanced person; got a chip on both shoulders.
Oct 28th 2008, 12:27 am
#110
Banned
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 30
Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???
i agree not all muslims are terrorist but all terrorists are muslims LOL my greater concern for that area is not so much the terror aspect but the kidnaping to fund terrorism
Oct 28th 2008, 12:51 am
#111
Auntie Fa
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Seattle
Posts: 7,344
Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???
Ach, if you thought like that you'd never get out of bed. 
Oct 28th 2008, 4:31 am
#112
Account Closed
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 395
Re: Do NOT move to Thailand
quote
Thailand offers lots of beautiful women who will sell sex for about 1000 baht and that is the only draw
unquote
Think about it.
Oct 28th 2008, 4:47 am
#113
Account Closed
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 395
Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???
come on i think we can all admit thailand is one place to avoid like the plague everyone knows the drug problem the gangs the corruption is out of control the place is filthy and only really a hot spot for druggies and sex tourists lets all be honest here. malaysia on the other hand does have some good things oging for it i have a close friend who is half malaysian and his parents just retired back there but again it is very muslim and in the world now with all the terrorists not exactly the place to feel really secure is it. so that leave the Philippines but again yes coruption and abject poverty outside the cities but its growing fast and will be hitting a property boom and tourists are begining to flock here for the beaches and scenery . the choice is yours look me up if you make the right choice
There are drugs too in Philippines and Malaysia and some appalling crimes in both countries. I think you should get real. There is no perfect place - no Utopia - it does not exist.
As for the muslim question - yes, I had some similar concerns to Seasider's re moving to Malaysia (which we considered before Thailand) but go meet some Singaporean muslims down in Singapore please - some great people and yes some will enjoy a beer with you too. And I think the political changes taking place in Malaysia at the moment are very, very interesting indeed. If the reforms go through, it will become a large Singapore won't it?
Getting back to topic - retirement - we have some German friends we met last year and they have now been retired in southern Phuket for about 18 years and still happy. That to me speaks volumes. No, of course it is not perfect. There is crime and IMHO no worse than other Asian countries (with the exception of Singapore). But you take your pick and make your choice.
Ryan, instead of slagging off other countries, why not go into more detail about life in the Philippines - the good points - as you are there. Would love to have a holiday there one day. Where's the best places? Where to avoid weather-wise? (typhoons, earthquakes . C'mon, be positive.
Oct 28th 2008, 4:53 am
#114
Banned
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 30
Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???
And you are not selling properties of course?
There are drugs too in Philippines and Malaysia and some appalling crimes in both countries. I think you should get real. There is no perfect place - no Utopia - it does not exist.
As for the muslim question - yes, I had some similar concerns to Seasider's re moving to Malaysia (which we considered before Thailand) but go meet some Singaporean muslims down in Singapore please - some great people and yes some will enjoy a beer with you too. And I think the political changes taking place in Malaysia at the moment are very, very interesting indeed. If the reforms go through, it will become a large Singapore won't it?
Getting back to topic - retirement - we have some German friends we met last year and they have now been retired in southern Phuket for about 18 years and still happy. That to me speaks volumes. No, of course it is not perfect. There is crime and IMHO no worse than other Asian countries (with the exception of Singapore). But you take your pick and make your choice.
Ryan, instead of slagging off other countries, why not go into more detail about life in the Philippines - the good points - as you are there. Would love to have a holiday there one day. Where's the best places? Where to avoid weather-wise? (typhoons, earthquakes . C'mon, be positive.
There are drugs too in Philippines and Malaysia and some appalling crimes in both countries. I think you should get real. There is no perfect place - no Utopia - it does not exist.
As for the muslim question - yes, I had some similar concerns to Seasider's re moving to Malaysia (which we considered before Thailand) but go meet some Singaporean muslims down in Singapore please - some great people and yes some will enjoy a beer with you too. And I think the political changes taking place in Malaysia at the moment are very, very interesting indeed. If the reforms go through, it will become a large Singapore won't it?
Getting back to topic - retirement - we have some German friends we met last year and they have now been retired in southern Phuket for about 18 years and still happy. That to me speaks volumes. No, of course it is not perfect. There is crime and IMHO no worse than other Asian countries (with the exception of Singapore). But you take your pick and make your choice.
Ryan, instead of slagging off other countries, why not go into more detail about life in the Philippines - the good points - as you are there. Would love to have a holiday there one day. Where's the best places? Where to avoid weather-wise? (typhoons, earthquakes . C'mon, be positive.
As for the nice places anywhere on the main 2 islands the 3rds island in the south you should avoid but pangasinan is a nice province and the beaches there are untouched no tourists yet!
Oct 28th 2008, 5:26 am
#115
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,809
Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???
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Oct 28th 2008, 6:03 am
#116
Auntie Fa
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Seattle
Posts: 7,344
Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???
Thanks, Polly - it wasn't a big deal but as the thread has recently had a new lease of life, I re-read it and thought all that was a bit, erm, superfluous.
Oct 28th 2008, 6:11 am
#117
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,809
Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???
I've bumped the whole lot into their own (closed) thread Not saying there isn't a place for that kind of chat on BE, but I agree it didn't quite "fit" here, did it.Wish I'd found this thread before actually, its very interesting!
Last edited by Pollyana; Oct 28th 2008 at 6:19 am.
Oct 28th 2008, 10:10 am
#118
Account Closed
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 395
Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???
Now I just think this is an interesting response to negative views on Thailand. Hope it's OK to post the link (guess Polly will intervene if it's not).
Oh and the subject matter is a little familiar too
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/print.php?id=6507
And, strangely enough, the person named seems to do a really commendable "job" with animals - so, why oh why, does she want to alienate people - rather than getting them "on her side". Maybe finding some funding for her good cause at the same time? I just don't understand some people.
Oh and the subject matter is a little familiar too
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/print.php?id=6507
And, strangely enough, the person named seems to do a really commendable "job" with animals - so, why oh why, does she want to alienate people - rather than getting them "on her side". Maybe finding some funding for her good cause at the same time? I just don't understand some people.
Oct 28th 2008, 11:18 am
#119
Auntie Fa
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Seattle
Posts: 7,344
Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???
I think Ann Kinsey has a rival.
Oct 29th 2008, 12:18 am
#120
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: San Fernando, La Union, Illocos Sur, Luzon, Philippines
Posts: 41
Re: Retirement - Malaysia, Thailand or Phillipines???
Hi Slowsmile (Bill),
Nice info on the San Fernando/Baguio area.
Im particuarly interested in Baguio due to the amazingly consistent mild climate.
Can you tell me something about the costs of long term living there ?
Is Baguio more expensive to live than San F on a long term basis ?
Thanks again for the insight Bill.
PS.....can anyone help me out on the Baguio questions I have ?
Nice info on the San Fernando/Baguio area.
Im particuarly interested in Baguio due to the amazingly consistent mild climate.
Can you tell me something about the costs of long term living there ?
Is Baguio more expensive to live than San F on a long term basis ?
Thanks again for the insight Bill.
PS.....can anyone help me out on the Baguio questions I have ?
Baguio - Advantages: Cooler mountain climate; good mall(SM); wonderful market(Maharlika market); cheap fruit and veg which is grown there; lovely golf courses; pinetrees everywhere.
Baguio - Disadvantages: Bad car smog and pollution; there is a curfew at night; not a very lively place for nightlife;all property is more expensive to rent than SF.