What country in asia I can buy a house and start a new life? (travel, places)
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I don't get why most Americans feel absolutely COMPELLED to blind movely AND buy property when they do so?
Why not just rent? It's cheap, and gives you mobility, for the next time the person gets another whim like that?
I agree with you with regard to people who are on the go and want the freedom of mobility. In that case, blindly buying does seem pretty senseless. Renting makes more sense.
On the other hand, for people who aren't especially interested in moving around and just want some degree of stability by setting down roots somewhere and being a part of a local community. It can also be an investment for those with families and children (especially native born) to pass on to, regardless of whether those who ultimately receive it choose to live there or sell it in the future.
Some people move for a variety of reasons. I know of some Japanese buyers buying properties in Malaysia because of golf! In Japan, golfing memberships and fees is so high that it pays to invest to buy a house here which is part of the Malaysia 2nd home program. Actually, it become the "1st Home" for many Japanese as they are only flying back to Japan occasionally as some have sold thier properties in Japan and fully retired here. At one of their own Expat enclave, they even have the large Japanese International school. Japanese typically likes to live in thier own "Japan community".
The others like the Australians or British retired here for lower properties pricing and able to retire here for less expensive reason in medical bills. Even my brother who has been a New Zealand resident since he graduated there in 70's, always return to Malaysia for one big reason -He have perfect smiles as he always have his teeth fixed here by his dental surgeon. Root canal - RM800 , tooth extraction -Rm50.
Still my advice is - dont just pack up everything for country unless you have been for at least 1 year unless you are on the run or political persecution. You might miss your MCD, KFC, NFL or Thanksgiving Turkey in USA especially in some remote Asian village!
I just visited Vietnam, it was awesome. Definitely woudl take some adjustments, there aren't modern highways like we have, people are very poor, and obviously the culture is a complete 180 from western culture. but it was a nice place and if you don't mind crowded areas, traffic, etc. it's a nice place.
I haven't been back to HCMC since 2003, but i just saw a recent video and it looks traffic is just as bad or probably worse. A Korean guy in Vietnam posted this recently. I was listening to the female voice on the radio of this cab and it appears she said current time was 17:12 , so 5:12pm . Check out the near minor collision miss at 4:08...lol
I would go with China....A southern City like Shenzhen or Guangzhou where its big enough to have a variety of things and other foreign friends, but its not as expensive as Shanghai or Beijing. Weather is good, local food is great, Health care is cheap plus Hong Kong is a two hour train ride if something very serious happened. You could teach English first to get your feet wet and network within the Expat community. Plus China law is fairly direct compared to other Asian countries. Also if your single its a nice dating scene if you like local Chinese chicks.
I'd stay away from SE Asian countries like Thai, Cambodia and Vietnam. Good places but the expats who live there tend to be a little strange. Usually older guys who are single and want to taste the local females.
Japan is great but way too expensive and foreigners aren't treated as great as other Asian countries.....
I would go with China....A southern City like Shenzhen or Guangzhou where its big enough to have a variety of things and other foreign friends, but its not as expensive as Shanghai or Beijing. Weather is good, local food is great, Health care is cheap plus Hong Kong is a two hour train ride if something very serious happened. You could teach English first to get your feet wet and network within the Expat community. Plus China law is fairly direct compared to other Asian countries. Also if your single its a nice dating scene if you like local Chinese chicks.
I'd stay away from SE Asian countries like Thai, Cambodia and Vietnam. Good places but the expats who live there tend to be a little strange. Usually older guys who are single and want to taste the local females.
Japan is great but way too expensive and foreigners aren't treated as great as other Asian countries.....
As a person who has predominately lived in Northeast Asia and visits Southeast Asia. I agree with you about Southeast Asia. It seems the expats just get too warped. I prefer being up here in Northeast Asia.
Japan, foreigners are treated fine. It's very comfortable here for me. I'd rather be here than anywhere else in Asia. I've always felt that in many other parts of Asia, there is a strong possibility that we're just seen as a walking ATM machine. I much prefer people just treating me more human and less as a dollar sign.
I hear ya on Japan. Great place but its pricey. I guess if you wanted you could budget yourself but I just feel so much happier when I am financially secure and can buy almost anything I need (out to dinner, imported groceries, booze/beers).
Yes, living in certain Asian countries where they look at you like this wealthy American and try and take advantage of you is annoying, but that's not so much the case anymore in China with the locals having more money than us expats these days.
One thing that gets me in Japan is on the surface, they are super friendly and well mannered, but deep down I feel like they look down on foreigners. They would never admit it, but I've heard stories of American's living in Japan who speak the language and they just don't fit into Japanese society. There's always this divide between locals and expats, yet both groups are educated people who are from developed places.
One thing that gets me in Japan is on the surface, they are super friendly and well mannered, but deep down I feel like they look down on foreigners. They would never admit it, but I've heard stories of American's living in Japan who speak the language and they just don't fit into Japanese society. There's always this divide between locals and expats, yet both groups are educated people who are from developed places.
I've heard that many times as well. But I experienced that a lot more in South Korea than I ever did in Japan. I haven't really experienced that here in Japan.
I do know that Japanese really expect and assume that I'll know the Japanese language, where Koreans expected and assumed that foreigners knew absolutely nothing about Korea. I always felt it was more disrespectful to assume a foreigner knew absolutely nothing about their country after living there for 5+ years, than to assume that they would.
I'm surprised how often I get Japanese people asking me directions in Japanese, assuming that I can easily answer them. In Korea, I never would have got that. They'd always assume that no matter what, I just arrived yesterday, and assume that I'm clueless about all things.
I much prefer living in Japan as a foreigner over Korea. I can't relate it to China though.
China is like Korea then, Chinese think you can't speak a lick of Chinese but when they start to talk about you and you call them on it, its pretty funny. Japan and Korea have great advantages over China as they are developed places, but I like the financial aspects of China as things are cheaper here and you can save more.
I haven't been back to HCMC since 2003, but i just saw a recent video and it looks traffic is just as bad or probably worse. A Korean guy in Vietnam posted this recently. I was listening to the female voice on the radio of this cab and it appears she said current time was 17:12 , so 5:12pm . Check out the near minor collision miss at 4:08...lol
China is like Korea then, Chinese think you can't speak a lick of Chinese but when they start to talk about you and you call them on it, its pretty funny.
I had the same thing done to me in Ayutthaya Thailand. We were at the Night Market and went over to a row of taxis to head home. I saw one guy, but my wife thought we shouldn't disturb him because he was eating. A woman at another vehicle wanted too much for the short distance. My wife said no and staarted to bargain for a lower price. The woman (her husband was the driver) attempted to slyly tell my wife (in Thai) "Little sister, don't worry about it. These westerners are all rich." At that point, I ignored the woman, and told my wife (in Thai) that we should find another driver who's more polite. The woman stood there with a shocked and embarrassed look realizing I understood every word she said.
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Japan and Korea have great advantages over China as they are developed places, but I like the financial aspects of China as things are cheaper here and you can save more.
I admit to being rather baised about Thailand, but there are plenty of cities, not to mention Bangkok, that are also quite developed. Bangkok has been on a big development kick over the past few decades, and especially the last few years. I don't know how economical it is in comparison to China though. Bangkok can be more expensive in comparison to other places around the country, but that's pretty much in the shopping and tourist districts. Most of the area around Bangkok and elsewhere in the country is still very cheap.
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I had the same thing done to me in Ayutthaya Thailand. We were at the Night Market and went over to a row of taxis to head home. I saw one guy, but my wife thought we shouldn't disturb him because he was eating. A woman at another vehicle wanted too much for the short distance. My wife said no and staarted to bargain for a lower price. The woman (her husband was the driver) attempted to slyly tell my wife (in Thai) "Little sister, don't worry about it. These westerners are all rich." At that point, I ignored the woman, and told my wife (in Thai) that we should find another driver who's more polite. The woman stood there with a shocked and embarrassed look realizing I understood every word she said.
