Bali offers TAX-FREE status to anyone who moves there to permanently 'work from home'

[fortunespeculator]

Thank you, very informative and caused me to put a final cross over Bali.

Ya me too on the same boat with Johnny- out goes Bali.

 

[04372]

Better Option will be Property investment visa.
https://immigrantinvest.com/insider/new-thai-visa-en/
Thai Elite visa, MOney you paid is gone. But in property visa , you can get rental income.
Thai elite visa is useless . To just feel VIP paying this much of amount does not make any sense.

I would NEVER recommend anyone to buy stuff in Thailand. You are kinda fucked on the legal side always a a farang. In addition to this, construction quality generally sucks and their RE market is 'deflationary' because they are constantly building new stuff, making the old one cheaper and less attractive.

Do some Googling and you will understand.
Or go to Thailand and see it for yourself.

EDIT: You said 'Thai Elite visa, MOney you paid is gone'
Man it's 20k ‍

 

[FixieHartmann]

Ya me too on the same boat with Johnny- out goes Bali.

YMMV. As someone in this forum once said: „One man’s paradise is another man’s hell“. I would always suggest to review places yourself, you might actually have a completely different impression.

For instance, a lot of people here really dislike the US and Florida, but I enjoyed it a lot. Maybe the same will happen for you with Bali Please don’t just rely on my option.

 

[troubled soul]

"One man’s paradise is another man’s hell“. wise word

 

[benbao]

I spent some time in Bali and Malaysia this year and while I loved Kuala Lumpur I couldn't imagine living in Bali.

The reasons are:
- it is extremely hot and humid, you constantly have a dew point of 26-27° - I mean Malaysia is a tropical country but compared to Bali in KL I actually enjoyed walking around, you can work outside and sometimes turn off A/C etc.
- traffic in Bali is insane, everybody is honking all the time, you are constantly in traffic jams
- even the most "upper class" beaches like Nusa Dua are full of rubbish and not that beautiful
- most regular people don't really speak English
- as I foreigner you are constantly bothered if you walk down the street - for me within 15 minutes I would regularly be approached 7-8 times for sexy massage, taxi, drugs and other shenanigans
- the whole infrastructure is really bad, especially compared to Malaysia, there is a lot of stuff that you simply cannot buy
- it is actually not that cheap
- I got food poisoning in a luxury 5 star hotel

So for me I would take Malaysia over Bali every time. Better infrastructure, less garbage, *far* nicer weather, you can walk down the street and mind your own business, nice malls, online shopping, less traffic, friendlier people, ordering stuff via Grab, awesome apartments with nice amenities etc.

View attachment 3900

Fair points but then again worth to keep in mind about Malaysia and KL specifically:
- its super boring, every mall is the exact same and there is really nothing much else to do besides looking at the twin towers
- you can not walk or enjoy nature, there are no sidewalks and no nature left and no, the 50 meters sidewalk around bukit bintang does not make the city walkable
- the country is constantly working to destroy its advantages with ever growing religious hardliner influence, government trying to force Malay language and trashing use of English etc
- quality of services, condos and products is extremely low, they might look good but trust me there is always some shittery lurking around the corner
- prices are currently suppressed due to government subsidies in many sectors, that will go away and given Malaysias history of knee-jerk decisions it will probably result in a big blow

If one must go to Malaysia (and I really wouldn't recommend it) then Penang is the much better option with the only downside that flight connection are more limited. In return you get a much nicer environment, better food, lower prices and more things to do, also more Chinese people and less Islam pressure.

 

[fortunespeculator]

Fair points but then again worth to keep in mind about Malaysia and KL specifically:
- its super boring, every mall is the exact same and there is really nothing much else to do besides looking at the twin towers
- you can not walk or enjoy nature, there are no sidewalks and no nature left and no, the 50 meters sidewalk around bukit bintang does not make the city walkable
- the country is constantly working to destroy its advantages with ever growing religious hardliner influence, government trying to force Malay language and trashing use of English etc
- quality of services, condos and products is extremely low, they might look good but trust me there is always some shittery lurking around the corner
- prices are currently suppressed due to government subsidies in many sectors, that will go away and given Malaysias history of knee-jerk decisions it will probably result in a big blow

If one must go to Malaysia (and I really wouldn't recommend it) then Penang is the much better option with the only downside that flight connection are more limited. In return you get a much nicer environment, better food, lower prices and more things to do, also more Chinese people and less Islam pressure.

So only Phillipines and cambodia are worthwhile

 

[Samman Kaseeb Sleiman]

Fair points but then again worth to keep in mind about Malaysia and KL specifically:
- its super boring, every mall is the exact same and there is really nothing much else to do besides looking at the twin towers
- you can not walk or enjoy nature, there are no sidewalks and no nature left and no, the 50 meters sidewalk around bukit bintang does not make the city walkable
- the country is constantly working to destroy its advantages with ever growing religious hardliner influence, government trying to force Malay language and trashing use of English etc
- quality of services, condos and products is extremely low, they might look good but trust me there is always some shittery lurking around the corner
- prices are currently suppressed due to government subsidies in many sectors, that will go away and given Malaysias history of knee-jerk decisions it will probably result in a big blow

If one must go to Malaysia (and I really wouldn't recommend it) then Penang is the much better option with the only downside that flight connection are more limited. In return you get a much nicer environment, better food, lower prices and more things to do, also more Chinese people and less Islam pressure.

What a gibberish you're saying

* there's nature - trees and grass, in the city; and there're sidewalks everywhere
* what's your claim based on? Examples? And even if that's true, Malaysia doesn't owe you English fluency. Better you'd have to adapt and learn Malay

* KL is a clean city
* prices are low, sometimes even lower than in Thailand


In Penang the prices, food and people are precisely the same as in KL.

 

[benbao]

So only Phillipines and cambodia are worthwhile

I actually haven't been to either but I hear a lot of good things about Cambodia and know many people who recently went and said the development is rapid. Planning to check it out in the next few weeks for a short first trip

 

[fortunespeculator]

I actually haven't been to either but I hear a lot of good things about Cambodia and know many people who recently went and said the development is rapid. Planning to check it out in the next few weeks for a short first trip

Ok if you are going let me know how the experience was.

 

[RealDude]

I actually haven't been to either but I hear a lot of good things about Cambodia and know many people who recently went and said the development is rapid. Planning to check it out in the next few weeks for a short first trip

I had food poisoning in Cambodian, diarrhea and vomiting for two full days. The worst time of my life. Have fun there.

 

[benbao]

What a gibberish you're saying

* there's nature - trees and grass, in the city; and there're sidewalks everywhere
* what's your claim based on? Examples? And even if that's true, Malaysia doesn't owe you English fluency. Better you'd have to adapt and learn Malay

* KL is a clean city
* prices are low, sometimes even lower than in Thailand


In Penang the prices, food and people are precisely the same as in KL.

I'm living on and off in KL for 8 years so I think I have a pretty good grasp on what the city is and how it compares.

- there is no noticeable nature or walking infrastructure, everyone who has been to KL will see that so lying here has no point
- My claim for religious hardliners and push against English, and even returning to scripts no one can read, is based on many long standing developments that are intensifying in the past years
- I addressed why prices are low so what is your point?

Your suggestion to learn Malay and adapt suggests to me you may be harbouring mindsets similar to what is ruining Malaysia. This forum is a place for people to find good places to live well without giving their money to greedy governments, not a place to pick a random dipshit language to learn. Maybe keep that in mind next time you want to convince people to adapt.

 

[fortunespeculator]

I had food poisoning in Cambodian, diarrhea and vomiting for two full days. The worst time of my life. Have fun there.

I think you can have food poisoning anywhere in the world.Singling a country out for food poisoning is stretching it a little bet ,ain't it eh?

 

[dread pirate]

These are typical visa runs. It involves a lot of hassle, is getting more and more under scrutiny by the Bureau of Immigration and does not help with legal permanent residency.
Btw., the Philippines has no multiple re-entry option if you are going the route @dread pirate explained. Everytime you want to stay for more than 30 days in the Philippines you will have to apply for a new extension of stay. Not a serious option, if you ask me.

Going to HK these days is rather inconvenient. And for electronics, savings are irrelevant if you are into low and middle price segment. A lot has changed since Lazada, Shopee and the likes struck deals with BOC in order to get special tariffs for direct market access of their Chinese sellers.

Might be inconvenient for some but thats what people do (at least what I was told to do when I was there - I actually didn't like Mn and escaped to Bkk). Of course, if you are of retirement age than get a retirement visa. if you are younger and not sure if you want to live there and prefer to check out what the region offers then an extension is the better option whether or not you fly out - its 59 days on arrival for most and then u can extent that.
As for immi tightening up, its not exactly thailand in that regard, the visa nazi's aren't yet out in force but it will likely come to that sometime in the future. I don't fully get your meaning on low and middle price segment - you mean the people potentially reading this in the low price segment? I'd hope not, LOL.
From memory, an iphone was roughly 100 USD more and in pre-covid that was close to the cost of the cheapest flight to h.k. A new laptop or camera would be similar cost difference if not much more, thats what I meant.
Cheers

 

[backpacker]

Of course, if you are of retirement age than get a retirement visa.

Well, that retirement visa has not much to do with retirement age:
You can get one, eve with the new rules, once you are 59 years old.
Before the Yellow invasion it was 35. Unfortunately, our friends from the Yangtze misused this option to an excess which even Philippine government could not tolerate anymore ).

its 59 days on arrival for most and then u can extent that.

This confuses other readers!
Most people will want to enter on the visa-free-regime which grants 30 days. Only then you extend for another 29 days, if you are eligible.
The old and not well known possibility to apply for 59 days visa-on-arrival is suspended indefinitely due to the new BOQ facilities.
Aside from that, again, may nations are anyway not eligible for visa-on-arrival: The following (incomplete) list gives an idea:

• Afghanistan
• Albania
• Algeria
• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Bangladesh
• Belarus
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• China
• Cuba
• Egypt
• Georgia
• India
• Iran
• Iraq
• Jordan
• Kosovo
• Lebanon
• Libya
• Moldova
• Montenegro
• Nauru
• Nigeria
• North Korea
• North Macedonia
• Pakistan
• Palestine
• Sierra Leone
• Serbia
• Somalia
• South Sudan
• Sri Lanka
• Sudan
• Syria
• Taiwan
• Timor-Leste
• Tonga
• Ukraine
• Yemen

I don't fully get your meaning on low and middle price segment - you mean the people potentially reading this in the low price segment? I'd hope not, LOL.

Meaning: If you want to buy gadgets in the low and middle-price segment.
Buying an iPhone in the Philippines is nonsense since it is taxed heavily. Whereas Korean, Finnish and bloatware-filled Chinese brands are reasonably priced on Lazada. I expained the reason above.
Moreover, we are no longer in 2019! It is mid-2022, post a so-called "pandemic" and regional flights are prohibitively expensive. The times of easy/cheap visa-runs are gone.
I would also suggest to study quarantine regulations which are still in place in many parts of Asia.

You can get one, even with the new rules, once you are 59 years old.

Typo. Correct sentence:
You can get one, even with the new rules, once you are 50 years old.

 

[benbao]

Ok if you are going let me know how the experience was.

I just completed a 4 days stay in Phnom Penh and had mixed impressions. There is/was a lot of property development in the city, mostly from China. I found the level of English surprisingly good, similar to Thailand. Traffic and distances are manageable, much better than in the other larger capitals in SEA.

However I don't think I will return anytime soon, mainly because of the mismatch of pricing and quality of life. Cambodia is significantly more expensive than Thailand or Vietnam at a fraction of the quality, some things were equal or more expensive than cheap EU countries (Hungary, Romania) while the country overall has a very clear lack of development. They also manage to have absolutely no good food and the culture seems overall less warm and friendly compared to its neighbours. In summary I felt like Cambodia did nothing really horribly wrong, but is priced way too expensive for what it is while providing no noticeable advantage over the surrounding countries. I would not feel comfortable being there long term or having my money in the country.

 

[JackAlabama]

I just completed a 4 days stay in Phnom Penh and had mixed impressions. There is/was a lot of property development in the city, mostly from China. I found the level of English surprisingly good, similar to Thailand. Traffic and distances are manageable, much better than in the other larger capitals in SEA.

However I don't think I will return anytime soon, mainly because of the mismatch of pricing and quality of life. Cambodia is significantly more expensive than Thailand or Vietnam at a fraction of the quality, some things were equal or more expensive than cheap EU countries (Hungary, Romania) while the country overall has a very clear lack of development. They also manage to have absolutely no good food and the culture seems overall less warm and friendly compared to its neighbours. In summary I felt like Cambodia did nothing really horribly wrong, but is priced way too expensive for what it is while providing no noticeable advantage over the surrounding countries. I would not feel comfortable being there long term or having my money in the country.

That price / quality can be found in africa as well due to absence of local producing industry.
Vietnam for example produces a lot of what you need daily locally, thats why its dirt cheap. Except stuff like iphones etc. which are cheaper in the developed places.

 

[benbao]

That price / quality can be found in africa as well due to absence of local producing industry.
Vietnam for example produces a lot of what you need daily locally, thats why its dirt cheap. Except stuff like iphones etc. which are cheaper in the developed places.

You're absolutely correct. But at the end of the day it just doesn't make sense then for most people. Cambodia has few flights, they are expensive, you need a visa to go, everything is more expensive inside than the countries around it and to top it off it can't compete with quality and lifestyle.

So in the end you need a strong reason why Cambodia and nowhere else or you just are better served with Vietnam, Thailand etc

 

[RealDude]

Most "single" men go to SEA primarily because of (underage) prostitutes.

 

[benbao]

Most "single" men go to SEA primarily because of (underage) prostitutes.

Maybe a decade or so ago, I have heard that is still going on in Cambodia but haven't seen it at all. Doubt it's much of an issue in Thailand and Vietnam, at least I never once came across it in my 8 years here. There is also not much point to go for underage girls or prostitutes if you're willing to invest any time and effort into dating. I'd say the classic sex holiday in Phuket or Pattaya is the closest to the stereotype you will find in real life.

 

[wellington]

Bali is pretty amazing if you want laid back, if you want something busier then Phuket, if you want something cheap - Pattaya, if you want something more in-tune with the west i.e cultural - Bangkok