New member looking for infos...

Hi AlanMcJ, welcome on Expat-blog!

Thank you for your introduction.

I hope you receive replies very soon.

I wish you good luck
Christine

Ciao Maurizio,

Thailand is a country that you may like to consider and depending on what you like to do.

As you had mentioned, you dislike big city, then you can just live at the outskirts of the city, whereby its quiet, nature around and pollution free.

Living at the outskirts of the city is convenient like you wish to grab some stuff once a week or fornight.

I am living at the outskirts of the city in a house with 3 bedrooms, dining room, kitchen, living room.  There is another small room building at the garden and its for maid.  One can use this room for workshop or whatever you wish.  Garage can park 2 cars.

When one lives outside the city, rental cost is always cheaper.  One need to think like do you need to travel everyday to the city.  If you are working from home then its not a problem at all.

Write to me and will give you more detail information.

Cheers

Thanks Christine ;D

Hi Jcshine and thanks for your reply
You kow, my brother that lives in New Zeland loves thailand and he lives with his adorable thai girlfriend.
They like places like Chang mei. I m pretty sure it s a fantastic place but me and my girlfriend prefer to live in a city near the sea.
Cheking online looks like the best places are Ko Samui, Phuket and Krabi. The first 2 are probably too expensive(?). At the

Ciao,

Chiangmai is in north Thailand, mountain region and cool during winter.

If you like the sea, there are many cities such as Chaam, Hua Hin, Pranburi, Rayong, Phangna, Khao Lak. 

Chaam, Hua Hin is about 2 - 2.5 hours drive from Bangkok while Pranburi is another 1 hour from Hua Hin.  Further down Pranburi there is a small city and you find many Scandinavians retirees there.  They live 6 months in Thailand and 6 months in their home country.

Rayong is about 1 hour drive from Pattaya.  Oh forget about Pattaya as lots of bars there and Pattaya is 2 hours drive from Bangkok.

As for Phangna and Khao Lak, its near Krabi and on the main land of Thailand.

If you are looking for business with tourists, then you are not the only one, hahaha....  There are lots of expats doing it and perhaps you have some service or product different from them.

The locals are into ski jet, para sailing, speed boat, banana boat, biking, snorkeling and kayaking.  I am not sure if this business is allowed for foreigners.

There are some business that Thai law protects for the Thais and foreigners are not allowed to do.

If you live in a small city or away from a big city, you may rent a house with garden cheap.  To do this is to be present and go around.  The locals will put up signs in thai for rental and that is cheap.  If the signs are in English, then it will be expensive as they know foreigners will pay.  You need a local to talk and find for you.

As to italian restaurant, there are so many in Thailand and almost every city.

If you are really interested in doing business for tourists, spa and household, then write to me privately and will give you the information.

My friend, prostitutes are in almost all countries, whether in Thailand or Philippines or Indonesia etc and all depends on the city and where in the city.

Central America also have prostitutes too and one could see them on the streets.

Its where you live and where you go.

There is no perfect place but what makes your heart happy and peaceful.

AlanMcJ,

I used to live in Queensland and can relate to what your looking.

Ko Samui is not that expensive and I love that place... but its crowded and your gf may not like the prostitutes around.

If you love more flora and fauna - then there is Palawan - a breathtaking island. I backpacked the island for 2 months. It is not expensive there at all. A lot of European investors were already there but its nothing like pricey Boracay. Palawan locals and expats are super friendly. You will be surprized that most European who visited PH end up staying longer in Palawan. The electricity in PH is not cheap though but in Australia its not cheap either. You will be able to do your kind of activity like kayak, riding around with bikes, snorkeling and long walks. Palawan is great for kayak, snorkelling and mountain biking. It is the only island in PH with the best diving, it can rival the great barrier reef of Queensland. Solar panels are now affordable and you can install something like that in Palawan, just to cover your area in case the power goes off. Anywhere in South East Asia you have to be aware about malaria. Be sure to check with your doctor what to do before moving.

Cambodia - you need to learn to zip your mouth before moving to the country... there is no freedom of speech.

Costa Rica is also another nice place but its pricier than any Southeast Asian nation. A lot of people love pilates there though.

Alan,

As a foreignor, you cannot invest in Philippines, its very difficult to start your own business or own land. Thailand is great, but English is not spoken everywhere.  You may get tired of the beaches after a while, all other activities cost a bit of money.  Also, are you very secure in your relationship? Some girlfriends will not like Thailand or Philippines as there are too many pretty young girls who will love to have an Italian bf.

For a good mixture of sea, nature and outdoor activities, look to New Zealand. I dont know about investing, but the people do enjoy their relaxed lifestyle. Even in the major city of Auckland, its only a few minutes to get out of it. It will be difficult to import your cats though, its as tough as Aus.