Visa on arrival
Oct 15th 2010, 2:38 am
#16
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Re: Visa on arrival
Originally Posted by britishbull
I think the Philippines and Cambodia are the easiest on visas if you are on a low fixed income, Malaysia seems fine from the above but I think general living costs will be a bit higher. Also depends how old you are and how high your fixed income is. I would say the best place to live would be Thalland as long as you don't get involved with bargirls (nearly all have local husbands, many with connections to the Mafia) both PI and Cambodia can be very violent places. But Thailand is a bit awkward for visas and getting expensive as the baht gets ever stronger.
Basically, the real third world in Asia isn't a very nice place to live and the countries that are powering ahead out of developing world status are tightening up their visas whilst their currencies improve, so you probably have to go off the radar somewhere and keep your mouth shut about it, as too many people heading there will soon ruin it. Which means, take six months out to travel around trying to find somewhere newish.
Basically, the real third world in Asia isn't a very nice place to live and the countries that are powering ahead out of developing world status are tightening up their visas whilst their currencies improve, so you probably have to go off the radar somewhere and keep your mouth shut about it, as too many people heading there will soon ruin it. Which means, take six months out to travel around trying to find somewhere newish.
If you want to start a business which is 100% export or find local partners if not high export, you can apply for licence and a work permit.
Sarawak and Sabah have different criteria for MM2H and may be worth exploring.
Oct 15th 2010, 8:37 am
#17
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Re: Visa on arrival
Originally Posted by Strider24
Just got back from Cambodia yesterday and it is more expensive than Malaysia, so is Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand is at best on par. You don't have to get MM2H status in Malaysia and a great many who enjoy 90 day visa's on arrival, do just that and travel out of the country 4 times a year.
If you want to start a business which is 100% export or find local partners if not high export, you can apply for licence and a work permit.
Sarawak and Sabah have different criteria for MM2H and may be worth exploring.
If you want to start a business which is 100% export or find local partners if not high export, you can apply for licence and a work permit.
Sarawak and Sabah have different criteria for MM2H and may be worth exploring.
Can you rent a condo easily despite of being on a tourist Visa? Is it quite hard to get around without a car in Malaysia? How do you manage that on a tourist visa?
Oct 15th 2010, 9:53 am
#18
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Re: Visa on arrival
Originally Posted by lastresort
Can you rent a condo easily despite of being on a tourist Visa? Is it quite hard to get around without a car in Malaysia? How do you manage that on a tourist visa?
Oct 21st 2010, 6:28 am
#19
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Re: Visa on arrival
Originally Posted by lastresort
Is it quite hard to get around without a car in Malaysia?
Oct 26th 2010, 3:42 pm
#20
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Re: Visa on arrival
When I was in KL a couple of months ago, I popped into a motorcycle shop to see what you needed to buy and register a new motorcycle - money! According to the sales lady you can register a new motorcycle without needing any kind of long-term visa or even proof of address or licence and it would only take a couple of days to get the bike on the road, legally registered and fitted with a new numberplate. So compared to say Thailand dead easy.
On the other poster who wanted to set up a small company and get a visa that way - possible in many places but they usually require you to have a number of local employees as well (Thailand is five locals for one foreigner, I think). Have not looked into Malaysia but probably the same. On the upside, none of these countries tend to tax overseas income so you run an internet company nominally based in say the USA and get all that money tax free, same for rental income or pension income etc. You just have to be a bit clever about things (renting out a single property in the UK you still retain your personal allowance to set against rental income and a ten percent allowance for depreciation of furniture etc so you can end up paying just a little bit of tax, can also move personal pension offshore).
The other guy saying Cambodia is more expensive than KL - surely largest cost will be renting an apartment which is circa 200 dollars a month in Phnom Penh - can you get anything decent in a reasonably central KL area for that?
On the other poster who wanted to set up a small company and get a visa that way - possible in many places but they usually require you to have a number of local employees as well (Thailand is five locals for one foreigner, I think). Have not looked into Malaysia but probably the same. On the upside, none of these countries tend to tax overseas income so you run an internet company nominally based in say the USA and get all that money tax free, same for rental income or pension income etc. You just have to be a bit clever about things (renting out a single property in the UK you still retain your personal allowance to set against rental income and a ten percent allowance for depreciation of furniture etc so you can end up paying just a little bit of tax, can also move personal pension offshore).
The other guy saying Cambodia is more expensive than KL - surely largest cost will be renting an apartment which is circa 200 dollars a month in Phnom Penh - can you get anything decent in a reasonably central KL area for that?
Oct 27th 2010, 5:47 am
#21
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Re: Visa on arrival
Originally Posted by Strider24
Just got back from Cambodia yesterday and it is more expensive than Malaysia, so is Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand is at best on par.
Oct 28th 2010, 1:36 pm
#22
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Re: Visa on arrival
Originally Posted by britishbull
When I was in KL a couple of months ago, I popped into a motorcycle shop to see what you needed to buy and register a new motorcycle - money! According to the sales lady you can register a new motorcycle without needing any kind of long-term visa or even proof of address or licence and it would only take a couple of days to get the bike on the road, legally registered and fitted with a new numberplate. So compared to say Thailand dead easy.
On the other poster who wanted to set up a small company and get a visa that way - possible in many places but they usually require you to have a number of local employees as well (Thailand is five locals for one foreigner, I think). Have not looked into Malaysia but probably the same. On the upside, none of these countries tend to tax overseas income so you run an internet company nominally based in say the USA and get all that money tax free, same for rental income or pension income etc. You just have to be a bit clever about things (renting out a single property in the UK you still retain your personal allowance to set against rental income and a ten percent allowance for depreciation of furniture etc so you can end up paying just a little bit of tax, can also move personal pension offshore).
The other guy saying Cambodia is more expensive than KL - surely largest cost will be renting an apartment which is circa 200 dollars a month in Phnom Penh - can you get anything decent in a reasonably central KL area for that?
On the other poster who wanted to set up a small company and get a visa that way - possible in many places but they usually require you to have a number of local employees as well (Thailand is five locals for one foreigner, I think). Have not looked into Malaysia but probably the same. On the upside, none of these countries tend to tax overseas income so you run an internet company nominally based in say the USA and get all that money tax free, same for rental income or pension income etc. You just have to be a bit clever about things (renting out a single property in the UK you still retain your personal allowance to set against rental income and a ten percent allowance for depreciation of furniture etc so you can end up paying just a little bit of tax, can also move personal pension offshore).
The other guy saying Cambodia is more expensive than KL - surely largest cost will be renting an apartment which is circa 200 dollars a month in Phnom Penh - can you get anything decent in a reasonably central KL area for that?
Nov 1st 2010, 5:23 pm
#23
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Re: Visa on arrival
Hi Strider, sorry to take it off topic but any hints on where to start looking for these US200 apartments in KL, I am seriously thinking about using KL as a base for travelling around the region, am semi-retired and self-funded so don't won't to waste too much money on rental... in PP it is relatively easy to wander around in the day looking for rental adverts on likely buildings but I have not really seen any likely contenders whilst wandering around central KL. A room with its own bathroom that is clean and in a central location is what I am looking for, don't want serviced apartment or condo.
Nov 2nd 2010, 7:53 am
#24
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Re: Visa on arrival
Originally Posted by britishbull
Hi Strider, sorry to take it off topic but any hints on where to start looking for these US200 apartments in KL, I am seriously thinking about using KL as a base for travelling around the region, am semi-retired and self-funded so don't won't to waste too much money on rental... in PP it is relatively easy to wander around in the day looking for rental adverts on likely buildings but I have not really seen any likely contenders whilst wandering around central KL. A room with its own bathroom that is clean and in a central location is what I am looking for, don't want serviced apartment or condo.
Centre KL is not an area I know housing. I live on the outskirts with direct bus link to the city centre and close to rail. Its on the north side in the Batu Caves/Selayang region and has decent supermarkets and shops close at hand, much cheaper (and better) stall food than centre KL and I rarely find a need to raise my blood pressure in the city/PJ region. If you would like me to do a bit of a search, email me [email protected]
Nov 2nd 2010, 12:44 pm
#25
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Re: Visa on arrival
Originally Posted by Strider24
Hi Britishbull,
Centre KL is not an area I know housing. I live on the outskirts with direct bus link to the city centre and close to rail. Its on the north side in the Batu Caves/Selayang region and has decent supermarkets and shops close at hand, much cheaper (and better) stall food than centre KL and I rarely find a need to raise my blood pressure in the city/PJ region. If you would like me to do a bit of a search, email me [email protected]
Centre KL is not an area I know housing. I live on the outskirts with direct bus link to the city centre and close to rail. Its on the north side in the Batu Caves/Selayang region and has decent supermarkets and shops close at hand, much cheaper (and better) stall food than centre KL and I rarely find a need to raise my blood pressure in the city/PJ region. If you would like me to do a bit of a search, email me [email protected]
Nov 3rd 2010, 8:57 am
#26
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Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Far North Queensland
Posts: 17,625
Re: Visa on arrival
Hi guys 
I know that you two are a bit new to this forum, so you may like to know that some of the functionality on this forum is different to others. If you click on a person's name, like Strider or me Bakedbean, you'll get a pop down menu and can View Profile, send a PM, send an Email, and even be generally nosey 
and see all Strider's postings. Have fun.
I know that you two are a bit new to this forum, so you may like to know that some of the functionality on this forum is different to others. If you click on a person's name, like Strider or me Bakedbean, you'll get a pop down menu and can View Profile, send a PM, send an Email, and even be generally nosey and see all Strider's postings. Have fun.
Nov 3rd 2010, 9:00 am
#27
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Re: Visa on arrival
Originally Posted by bakedbean
Hi guys I know that you two are a bit new to this forum, so you may like to know that some of the functionality on this forum is different to others. If you click on a person's name, like Strider or me Bakedbean, you'll get a pop down menu and can View Profile, send a PM, send an Email, and even be generally nosey and see all Strider's postings. Have fun.
I know that you two are a bit new to this forum, so you may like to know that some of the functionality on this forum is different to others. If you click on a person's name, like Strider or me Bakedbean, you'll get a pop down menu and can View Profile, send a PM, send an Email, and even be generally nosey and see all Strider's postings. Have fun.
