Retired veteran planning a move to Vietnam with 2 felines

i am a retired veteran. i currently live in PA / USA. i am making a long term plan to get to viet nam. i am hoping to be there for my 61st birthday, and christmas. yes, i am a christmas baby. i have 2 felines, checkers and sandy, coming with me. i literally have just learned about retired veterans living in viet nam.
my 1st steps are going to be mostly documentation. LMFAO, my class A CDL, with hazmat, tanker endorsements, expired this past christmas, and my passport lapsed in feb. of this year. all i have for ID currently, is my VA card.

my local VA is absolutely useless, and i expect no help from that quarter. any vets here will have more trust than my local VA! lol

i have done some research, and it looks like my SSDI follows me, my SNAP will not, and my humana visa card may be limited. (humana card gives me 125 / month for food and kitty supplies, and 1000 / month for dental and vision in addition to medical.)

looks like my 1st steps are a new passport, and an ID that lets me get on a plane!! I SURE HOPE THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IS OVER BY THEN!!! ha ha ha!! - @benh1965

Welcome to the expat.com Vietnam forum, benh1965. Nice to have you with us.

Feel free to ask any questions you might have. Lots of helpful folk here.

Hellobenh1965,

Welcome to Expat.com  😀

We are glad to have you here. I suggest you check out our guide, Living in Vietnam: the ultimate expat guide. It is full of helpful information.

As Aidan mentioned, feel free to ask any questions. This forum is very responsive, so you will get answers quickly!

Cheers,

Cheryl

Expat.com team

my local VA is absolutely useless, and i expect no help from that quarter. - @benh1965

What is your V.A. Disability rating?

@OceanBeach92107

  you mean my %?  75.

@Cheryl

yup.  thanx.  1st steps are new ID.  renew passport.  start saving money.  gonna have to cut that beer fund in half, at least!  ha ha

@OceanBeach92107
you mean my %? 75. - @benh1965

I asked because of the VA Foreign Medical Program. It might be interesting for you

https://www.va.gov/health-care/foreign-medical-program/

You're gonna love it there. A tourist visa in Vietnam is only good for 3 months. Then you'll have to leave the country and re-enter with a new visa. I used that requirement to see a lot of Southeast Asia - Cambodia, Thailand, Lao, Malaysia, Macau, Oz...

The heat and humidity can be stifling there. With COPD, I could only breathe comfortably for a couple months a year. I lasted two years, '16 to '18. Id still live there otherwise.

A suggestion: open a Charles Schwab investment checking account in the States with direct deposit of your VA checks. You'll have access to your money at most ATMs with no currency fees and all ATM fees refunded at the end of every month.

Enjoy your retirement.