Which country to live as an ex-pat?

pendragon_arther

Voyager2002 wrote: »

I am baffled. I have also lived in the Philippines, and the cost of living is very low: about as low as you can find anywhere in the world. If you actually enjoy the life there I suggest you adapt, develop skills in bargaining and consuming local rather than imported products to save money.

Costs in Malaysia and Thailand are a little higher, but life is less stressful and crazy while you can certainly get by using only English.

Ah, but did you meet the Filipino women? Phils is quoted by many ex-pats as the Land of Broken Dreams. The ladies first and foremost are only after a foreigner's money. It has been said by elderly women here that as soon as a foreigner goes to Phils they are a target. If you've got an hour or so to spare I'll tell you horror stories of grown men from all over the world, Norway, Denmark, the US and UK who have lost everything. They built homes for their wives, which only belong to the female even if the man's name is on the deeds, then they find the women either have a Filipino husband of boyfriend who they've been bonking all the time. They can lie through their teeth and act the part like an oscar-winning actress. You may think I've said this because of my own experiences but every ex-pat I've befriended or spoken to has similar tales.

Anyway. lots of ideas and many thanks. I have looked at the choice of Belize where you can hop over the border to Mexico to buy cheaper but from the photos I've seen it doesn't look as beautiful as some countries.

Voyager2002

pendragon_arther wrote: »

Ah, but did you meet the Filipino women? Phils is quoted by many ex-pats as the Land of Broken Dreams. The ladies first and foremost are only after a foreigner's money. It has been said by elderly women here that as soon as a foreigner goes to Phils they are a target. If you've got an hour or so to spare I'll tell you horror stories of grown men from all over the world, Norway, Denmark, the US and UK who have lost everything. They built homes for their wives, which only belong to the female even if the man's name is on the deeds, then they find the women either have a Filipino husband of boyfriend who they've been bonking all the time. They can lie through their teeth and act the part like an oscar-winning actress. You may think I've said this because of my own experiences but every ex-pat I've befriended or spoken to has similar tales.

Well, at one stage I was married to a filipina and although the marriage broke down she was consistently honest and faithful. True: there are a minority of gold-diggers but with a little patience and intelligence it is possible to avoid them.

Were you ripped off like this?

PompeyPete

pendragon_arther wrote: »

Ah, but did you meet the Filipino women? Phils is quoted by many ex-pats as the Land of Broken Dreams. The ladies first and foremost are only after a foreigner's money.

Quite common in SE Asia me thinks. A culture thing, you're not just marrying the woman, you'll be expected to care for her family needs too...

http://www.thailovelines.com/Frontinfo/marry-thai-woman.html

And western women looking for a lifetime of love in places like Tunisia and Gambia often get met by the same sort of 'commitment'.

Kernow666

old single men living in thailand malaysia or vietnam raises lots of red flags , especially if you have a sinister white goatee

slinga

This is one thread from a Malaysia forum.

If you are serious about moving overseas permanently then this is worth a read.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/retirement-mm2h-205/mm2h-how-apply-845024/

ttoli

North Cyprus ticks all your boxes , I have lived here 10 years , Very,very low crime rate, very low cost of living, still fairly rural, locals out number the tourists, a very laid back country to live in, Out of the EU, if you want hustle and bustle,South Cyprus and Nicosia is a 30 minute drive across the border or Istanbul a mere 75 minutes by air.
Incl rent/ utility bills it is quite possible to get by on £700 a month

Voyager2002

Kernow666 wrote: »

old single men living in thailand malaysia or vietnam raises lots of red flags , especially if you have a sinister white goatee

Not really: after all Paul Gadd (Gary Glitter) spent a long time in prison. People with those tastes are best advised to make friends with politicians and go to Wales to indulge their preferences...

[Deleted User]

Voyager2002 wrote: »

People with those tastes are best advised to make friends with politicians and go to Wales to indulge their preferences...

Good point.

Sheep don't report you to the police.

Voyager2002

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

Good point.

Sheep don't report you to the police.

Very funny, but I was referring to abuse in children's homes in Wales. One of my friends worked as a lawyer on the prosecution team, and was frustrated that the system made it impossible for justice to be done. Had similar crimes been committed in Vietnam, heads would have rolled.

[Deleted User]

Voyager2002 wrote: »

One of my friends worked as a lawyer on the prosecution team, and was frustrated that the system made it impossible for justice to be done.

I'm not really understanding what you mean.

In what way does the system, make it impossible for justice to be done?