If you didn't live in Thailand, had a high income then were else would you live in Asia?

[smotherb]

23 hours ago, BritManToo said:

If I were 'high income' with a wife, why would I come to Asia?

I'd probably live in the Florida Keys, or San Francisco.

 

Asia is a place men go looking for sex.

I agree Asia is a good place to look for sex, but so are Central and South America. There are other reasons for living in Asia. The life-style is more laid-back, the food is great, the laws are largely negotiable, the people are tolerable and the girls are cute.  

 

However, I enjoy the mix of cultures; the different humor, opinions and expectations. I have more friends from Asia, Europe and Australia than I do from the States. You see, we can live well in Asia, take advantage of the lower cost; then, take expensive vacations anywhere we choose. If I lived in the States, I could live well, but would have to cut the budget to take vacations.

 

I do have a wife I love and who takes the best care of me; so, I see other reasons for liking Asia. We have a decent income--she too has an income--and we have lived and still could live in the Keys, but we choose to live in Southeast Asia.

 

I have spent most of my 73 years in Asia, my wife was born in the Philippines and has spent most of her life with me. Most of our friends and relatives live in Asia. I enjoy my Thai in-laws and my Filipino in-laws; I have some very close relationships with each. Perhaps more important for this forum; neither set of in-laws expects me to support them. Why wouldn't I live here?  I enjoy it. 

[Ctkong]

5 hours ago, Farang99 said:

Malaysia. Most speak some English, and Malay is easiest language to learn. Cost of living is moderate, there is still generally a respect for the law and the infrastructure is generally in good nick. Great choice of environments from bustling busy KL to peaceful Cameron Highlands or the East coast

I am a Malaysian spending 2 weeks in Bangkok, Thailand for past 20 years and still going strong. Planning to retire and stay more often in Thailand. Compared to Malaysia, I find Thais more friendly and the lifestyle more ‘sanuk’ than malaysia. Malaysia is going the way of Singapore with the people getting grumpier each day... Of course every country has its wrong sort of people and authorities but I feel that if you are able to avoid entangling with them, life is good in Thailand. Having adequate finance helps a lot too and the money goes a long way in Thailand too. 

[Ctkong]

5 hours ago, suzannegoh said:

I'm very pro-Singapore too but I was surprised to see so many people recommending Singapore in this thread.  Usually farangs in Thailand slag off Singapore.  It makes sense in a way that people who thrive on the disfunctionality and relative poverty of Thailand would dislike the order and affluence of Singapore.

I also stayed a few days a month in Singapore for more than 30 years. Wife is in Singapore but girlfriend is in Bangkok. Singapore is like any cosmopolitan city .safe but sterile. Most things felt artificial here. You feel suffocated after a few days here and wishing for the poorer but more ‘natural’ neighboring countries where you can actually live. 

Compared to Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, I would still vote Thailand for a truly living life as one would live. 

[gamini]

On 9/9/2018 at 12:16 PM, abrahamzvi said:

With that sort of income and assuming they have enough capital to buy a condo or a house, the first choice should be Singapore. Apart from the tropical climate, it is an ideal place from many points of view. In this respect, I would refer your friend to the recent survey by InterNations (see note on today's issue of Thai Visa regarding cost of living for Expatriates -Thailand attractive). Singapore offers a pleasant western style of life. It is expensive, even compared to western countries.

It's a good place to work but hardly the place to live or retire. Accommodation or a car would cost you 10 times what it costs in Thailand. If I had a lot of money I would still live in Thailand.

[gamini]

5 hours ago, suzannegoh said:

I'm very pro-Singapore too but I was surprised to see so many people recommending Singapore in this thread.  Usually farangs in Thailand slag off Singapore.  It makes sense in a way that people who thrive on the disfunctionality and relative poverty of Thailand would dislike the order and affluence of Singapore.

Are you referring to yourself thriving on the dysfunctionality and relative poverty of Thailand?? You must know the wrong people. Thais are far nicer than  Singaporeans who can only talk about money. I lived and worked in Singapore  for more than 15 years. I made a huge amount of money and I disliked living there. So much so that I moved to Malaysia and commuted to my office  in Singapore. 

[HAKAPALITA]

Main USA. Heaven.!.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[Naam]

1 hour ago, Ctkong said:

Wife is in Singapore but girlfriend is in Bangkok.

you wicked man!

[Bogbrush]

2 hours ago, gamini said:

Are you referring to yourself thriving on the dysfunctionality and relative poverty of Thailand?? You must know the wrong people. Thais are far nicer than  Singaporeans who can only talk about money. I lived and worked in Singapore  for more than 15 years. I made a huge amount of money and I disliked living there. So much so that I moved to Malaysia and commuted to my office  in Singapore. 

I think her point is valid; it’s not that Thais are nicer people (I’m sure they are), she is basically saying that those who are used to some of the more idiosyncratic aspects of Thai life - and this applies to farangs and locals alike - would not make it in the more ordered and controlled environment of Spore. Imagine riding there without a skid lid; smoking on a beach; causing a ruckus in a bar;  riding around half naked; trying to bribe a cop? Clang - mind your fingers....!

 

Whether that’s good or bad is a discussion for another day.. 

[suzannegoh]

2 hours ago, Bogbrush said:

I think her point is valid; it’s not that Thais are nicer people (I’m sure they are), she is basically saying that those who are used to some of the more idiosyncratic aspects of Thai life - and this applies to farangs and locals alike - would not make it in the more ordered and controlled environment of Spore. Imagine riding there without a skid lid; smoking on a beach; causing a ruckus in a bar;  riding around half naked; trying to bribe a cop? Clang - mind your fingers....!

 

Whether that’s good or bad is a discussion for another day.. 

Thank you, that sounded much nicer than the way that I put it. I can see where "dysfunctional" and "relative poverty" might be interpreted as pejoratives.

 

A component of it is also that farangs, especially farang men, are taking advantage of an economic and social arbitrage when they move to Thailand. 

 

Imagine for a second that the GDP per capita was as high in Thailand as in Singapore. Then the cost of living would be probably be similar too and that would negatively affect the standard living of any farang in Thailand that didn't have more money than God. 

 

And then imagine that as many Thai women were university educated as in Singapore. Then farang pensioners wouldn't seem half as sexy to women 30 years their junior.   That, together with closing the wealth gap, would completely change the character of Thailand.
 

Overall, I agree that Thailand is presently more interesting and more fun than Singapore, and I might go as far as to say that Singaporeans are disturbingly materialist.  So I think I that it's perfectly legitimate and for farangs to like Thailand better than Singapore or even to just plain dislike Singapore.  But I don't think that it's legitimate for farangs to begrudge Singapore its success, as many farangs in Thailand seem to do.
 

Edited September 10, 2018 by suzannegoh

[davidst01]

On 9/9/2018 at 4:22 AM, Dick Crank said:

another high income troll thread...

to be envious is to be the lesser man

[RichardThailand]

On 9/10/2018 at 12:08 AM, manarak said:

 

actually that's not true.

 

there is Thailand Elite and some investment visas give the right to purchase 1 rai of land, etc. Thailand does not tax foreign income that stays abroad for at least 12 months.

 

Can you claify what you mean by

"Thailand does not tax foreign income that stays abroad for at least 12 months."

[manarak]

7 hours ago, RichardThailand said:

 

Can you claify what you mean by

"Thailand does not tax foreign income that stays abroad for at least 12 months."

 

from KPMG:

https://home.kpmg.com/xx/en/home/insights/2011/12/thailand-income-tax.html

 

Quote

Salary earned from working abroad

Is salary earned from working abroad taxed in Thailand? If so, how?

Salaries receive from employment exercises outside of Thailand are exempt from Thai tax, if not paid in or remitted into Thailand within the same calendar year it is received and provided the cost is not recharged into Thailand.

Taxation of investment income and capital gains

Are investment income and capital gains taxed in Thailand? If so, how?

Most types of capital gains are taxable as ordinary income. Capital gains from the sale of shares in a company listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (if the sale is made through a licensed broker) or from the sale of investment units in a mutual fund are exempt from tax. Any capital gain or investment income from sources outside Thailand is not subject to taxation unless a resident taxpayer remitted the process into Thailand within the same calendar year it is received.

Dividends, interest, and rental income

In general, dividend, interest, and rental income from local sources by residents and non-residents are taxable income in Thailand.

Interest earned on savings deposits with a bank in Thailand (which are repayable on demand) is tax-exempt if the interest is below a maximum limit of THB20,000 per year.

A resident of Thailand may elect not to include dividend income in his/her annual tax return provided that a tax credit /refund on dividend are not requested.

Interest, dividend, and rental income derived from sources outside Thailand by resident of Thailand are taxable in Thailand to the extent such income is paid or remitted into Thailand within the same calendar year it is received. Non-resident is not subject to Thai tax on such income from foreign-sourced, in any case.

 

another source:

https://www.pkf.com/media/10028503/thailand-tax-guide-2016-17.pdf

Quote

Resident individuals are subject to income tax on Thai sourced income and income arising or earned overseas if remitted to Thailand in the year in which it is derived.

 

[LongTimeLurker]

I intend to be living in Viet Nam within the next 4 years when the kid finishes school.

 

But with that sort of income I'd live in Singapore.

 

Outside of Asia - Cyprus, Greece or Italy

Edited October 2, 2018 by LongTimeLurker

[KhunFred]

I might live in India or Cambodia. India has first-world hospitals. Cambodia has problems unless you have the funds to be airlifted to Singapore or Bangkok.

[LongTimeLurker]

On 9/9/2018 at 3:20 PM, Postmaster said:

recommend a seaside location in Vietnam in the warmer south part of the country ?

Da Nang

 

Hoi An

[LongTimeLurker]

Maldives??

 

It's in Asia.

 

Visas would be an issue though

Edited October 2, 2018 by LongTimeLurker

[bwpage3]

If he was smart enough to make $260,000 a year, he must be smart enough to use Google.

 

So why exactly is he asking you? 

[Naam]

1 hour ago, KhunFred said:

I might live in India or Cambodia. India has first-world hospitals. Cambodia has problems unless you have the funds to be airlifted to Singapore or Bangkok.

India has no retirement visa scheme.

[Naam]

1 hour ago, LongTimeLurker said:

I intend to be living in Viet Nam within the next 4 years when the kid finishes school.

 

But with that sort of income I'd live in Singapore.

 

Outside of Asia - Cyprus, Greece or Italy

with only US$260k income you can't obtain permission to live in Singapore. in Greece and Italy the taxman would claw nearly 50% of your income! back to reality please.

[RichardThailand]

5 hours ago, Naam said:

with only US$260k income you can't obtain permission to live in Singapore. in Greece and Italy the taxman would claw nearly 50% of your income! back to reality please.

 

Very true.  Unfortunately I many posters here seem unaware of how difficult it is to live in countries that have strict visa policies.  Money might buy a lot of things but it doesn't always buy people permission to retire in a country forever.  

[RichardThailand]

5 hours ago, bwpage3 said:

If he was smart enough to make $260,000 a year, he must be smart enough to use Google.

 

So why exactly is he asking you? 

 

Because I have the time to post and to sort through many replies and Google does not always give answers to everything ???? 

[j8k]

I would not stay anywhere.

 

With that sort of cabbage I'd move around with the high seasons.

 

Jan - Mar Aus,NZ or SE Asia

Apr - May Vietnam, Bali

Jun - Aug Europe/USA

Sep - Japan, Taiwan, HK

Oct - Dec , Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia 

[metisdead]

A troll post has been removed. 

[JimmyJ]

On 9/9/2018 at 4:24 PM, MaiChai said:

This is almost clickbait...

 

Exactly.

 

Prior to your post I wondered if he's writing travel articles and looking for material.

[JimmyJ]

On 10/2/2018 at 3:14 AM, KhunFred said:

I might live in India or Cambodia. India has first-world hospitals. Cambodia has problems unless you have the funds to be airlifted to Singapore or Bangkok.

That is what worries me about Cambodia.

 

Sheryl has posted that the healthcare is not just subpar in Cambodia but dangerously bad.

[RichardThailand]

9 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

Exactly.

 

Prior to your post I wondered if he's writing travel articles and looking for material.

 

Oh geez, I've been found out.  

[RichardThailand]

On 10/2/2018 at 8:41 PM, bwpage3 said:

If he was smart enough to make $260,000 a year, he must be smart enough to use Google.

 

So why exactly is he asking you? 

 

My guess would be that he doesn't have the time to sit for hours in front of the computer using Google.

[balo]

If the salary is high I would choose SIngapore. But its boring so would jump on a plane every weekend to Thailand. 

 

[tutsiwarrior]

On 10/29/2018 at 1:22 PM, balo said:

If the salary is high I would choose SIngapore. But its boring so would jump on a plane every weekend to Thailand. 

 

yeah, me too...the place so clean that you can eat off the sidewalk, don't look like any place in asia that I know of and I was there over 20 years ago...

 

that bein' said the noodles are mighty fine at the cheap sidewalk eateries...some of the best food in SE Asia with chinese, malay and indian influences...beats thai food any day...

 

 

[fusion58]

On 9/9/2018 at 1:11 PM, ELVIS123456 said:

Winner!!   Singapore by a mile.   Japan is great, but there is very little 'farang' options and the culture is very 'singular' - best place to visit, but not best to live without a Japanese wife/GF.

 

There aint no better option in Asia when it comes to a high standard of living, law and order, banking system, medical system, food (being OK to eat), restaurants, transport (including the roads and airports themselves), entertainment, building construction, weather,  legal rights, land and property ownership is similar to Thailand but you can get residency in a few years and citizenship is possible (dual citizenship allowed), and I could go on and on.

 

English is the official language of Singapore.  Plus, it is a genuine 'hub' for airline transport and from there you can go anywhere in asia in a short time. 

Who qualifies? IIRC, Singapore doesn't have a long-stay visa option for retirees.