It’s affordable, safe, exciting, exotic, and has terrific health care.

Last week I shared with you the top 20 picks for overseas retirement on a budget, according to Live and Invest Overseas.

Six of the countries are located in southeast Asia, which is the cheapest region of the world right now. These countries are:

• China
• India
• Laos
• Malaysia
• Thailand
• Vietnam

What About Residency?

Malaysia is the only country on this list to offer a retirement visa, called Malaysia, My Second Home.

Known as “MM2H,” the visa is good for 10 years and allows you to enter and leave the country as often as you want. It also lets you work part-time while you’re there. At this time, the visa does not lead to permanent residency, so if that’s your goal you should look elsewhere.

You don’t have to buy property to qualify for the MM2H. If you choose to, though, you’re required to spend a minimum amount which varies depending on location. For more details, visit the official website.

While it’s theoretically possible to get a residence visa in Thailand, it’s not practical for most people. (For one thing, they only give 100 of them each year.)

US citizens can stay in Thailand for 30 days without a visa if they arrive by air, but only 15 if they enter by land. That visa can be renewed by leaving the country and returning, but you can’t stay longer than 90 days out of any six-month period. If you’re over 50, you can apply for a one-year visa.

Expats in Thailand can purchase property, but not land. Buying a condo is straightforward, but if you want a house, you lease the land it’s on instead of owning it outright.

Other Asian countries are not so easy, however. In fact, gaining permanent residency is quite difficult. Additionally, restrictions on property ownership make it inadvisable to purchase property in India, China, Laos and Vietnam.

Why Asia?

So why live in Asia if you can’t gain residency or buy property?

Because you won’t find a lower cost, more interesting or exotic retirement anywhere else in the world! The region is quite safe, and you’ll find excellent — and affordable — health care in the major cities.

If you’re the kind of person who needs to put down roots, this won’t work for you. (But then again, if you were that kind of person you probably wouldn’t be reading about retirement in Asia anyway.)

The solution is to move around. Travel within the region is very inexpensive, so spend the time your visa allows in Thailand, then head to Laos for some relaxation. Enjoy the hustle and bustle of Vietnam’s vibrant economy, then head up into China.

In the past two weeks, I’ve met several people who are doing just that.

One couple has been retired for 30 years. They own a home in Argentina, but they spend very little time there. Instead, most of their year is spent in Asia. They believe Chiang Mai, Thailand, where they’ve been living part-time since 1988, is one of the best places in the world to retire.

Another couple started out a few years ago to travel around the world, but got to Asia and decided to stay. They’re back in the US now for a few months, but plan to head to Asia again after that.

A single young woman has been traveling extensively all over the world. I spoke with her last week, and she’s now planning a six-month trip to Asia with her 11-year old niece! They’ll start in Chiang Mai, which is one of her favorite places in the world and a place she feels very safe bringing her young relative.

These seasoned travelers shared some advice about where to go and what to see.

In China, Kunming and Chendu are welcoming and inexpensive.

If you want beaches, go to Vietnam or Thailand, particularly Hua Hin.

Want completely laid back? Then Laos is for you.

If you love big city life, pick Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia or Bangkok, Thailand.

If health care is your concern, the medical facilities in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Chiang Mai are excellent. One of the Asia travelers I met was an RN in the US for 20 years, and he finds their medical care better than what’s in the US. If you’re in a more rural area, though, you probably want an evacuation plan in case you become ill.

photo by docnic on flickr

It’s been a while since I shared some of the expat-related blogs and websites I’ve been reading. Time for another roundup of interesting blogs by and about expats! Here are an even dozen for your enjoyment.

Africa

Africa Expat Wives, a UK citizen moves to Africa two days after her marriage, and raises a family there.

Middle East

Intercultural Meanderings. Lynne Diligent, a long-time expat and Middle Eastern resident since 1990, writes about interesting questions relating to intercultural business, expat issues and multicultural issues.

Asia

Our Big Expat Adventure, moving the family from Australia to Singapore.

The Dropout Diaries. No, not education related, this is one person’s account of packing it all in and going to China to teach. . . and what happens next.

The Sublime Portal, an online community and reference sites for all things Turkey.

Europe

Kitchen Chinese Adventures in Food, France and Beyond with chef and journalist Ann Mah.

Expat-En-Provence, tales of a young American woman in the south of France.

Central and South America

What’s Up El Salvador, an American woman falls in love with El Salvador and moves there with her husband and young daughter.

Xpat Escape tells about one woman’s move to Panama, with stunningly gorgeous photos.

Ecuador 4 U, a lovely photo blog about life in Ecuador.

Global Nomads

The Displaced Nation, a site devoted to global nomads.

Unwire Me — Work Anytime from Anywhere. All about portable careers.

If you’d like to see more of the sites I follow, check out my bookmarks page on Delicious.com – it’s all there!

Do you have an expat blog or website you’d like to recommend? You can share it on Facebook, or add it to the Comments below.

Occasionally I reprint articles here that appeared on other expat websites. This one struck a chord with me, and I hope it will with you too. Thanks to Live and Invest Overseas, where you can read the original in its entirety.

“Vicki and I recently returned to Argentina after a six-month absence,” writes Intrepid Correspondent Paul Terhorst.

“The seasons are reversed here, and, like the song says, spring is ‘bustin’ out all over.’ We see new leaves on trees, migrant birds returning, more sunshine, better light.

“The Argentine economy is bustin’ out, too, doing very well. We hear a lot about a worldwide recession, but it seems to me that only the United States and a few other countries struggle. During our recent six-month trip to Asia, Vicki and I saw roaring growth. During our time in Thailand, that country was on the verge of a civil war. Yet Thai economic growth will come in at a healthy 9% this year. To keep inflation in check China has successfully slowed its economy, so growth will be ‘only’ 11%.

“In Latin America, we see the same story, including, in some countries, very strong growth rates. The southern cone countries–Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Paraguay–all enjoy the high soy and grain prices, along with new tourism from Brazil and the United States.

“Even Europe is doing well, led by Germany’s remarkable boom. Most of Scandinavia and northern Europe also enjoy solid growth.

“For sure, we see pockets of weakness. Japan never really recovered from the 1989 meltdown. Greece, Portugal, and other small European countries, along with Spain, have been hard hit. But the main problem continues to be the United States, now barely sneaking out of recession.

“We used to say that when the U.S. coughs the rest of the world catches cold. To a certain extent that may still be true today. The four BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) combined barely approach two-thirds of the U.S. economy. The U.S. consumer drives the worldwide export boom. The United States remains a huge factor.

“Still, I see most of Asia, Latin America, and Europe doing well. I went to China twice last year, and, in rural Yunnan province, saw new bridges, dams, roads, and sewers. China long ago learned that there was more to life than making toys for Wal-Mart.

“I was in the United States last month and flew on one of Jet Blue’s Brazilian-made planes. No longer do Boeing and Airbus split the market. I was in India for two months and saw an improved standard of living over what I saw just two years ago, when I was last there.

“I think we can expect the global boom to continue. Even Marxists these days look to trade and foreign investment to help grow their economies. We’ve all gotten hooked on the benefits of globalization.

“The newfound prosperity means locals go out more and travel more. Thai friends who reached their 40s without ever going abroad now travel to Laos, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Two Thai friends even plan to visit Vicki and me in Argentina. We see new restaurants, especially ethnic restaurants, opening in Argentina and India. Now in Buenos Aires and Chiang Mai we have several choices of Mexican places and Chinese food from different parts of China.

“As locals have more fun, Vicki and I do, too. We enjoy the new vitality, ambition, independence, and enthusiasm.

“Tired of the gloom and recession talk in the United States? Travel abroad. You’ll be surrounded by local prosperity. The challenges facing the U.S. will soon recede into a dim memory.”

Live and Invest Overseas’ publisher is Kathleen Peddicord, who’s been writing about expats and expatriation for 25 years. She also publishes a monthly e-zine called the Overseas Retirement Letter (which covers a lot more than just retirement), and is the author of the book, How to Retire Overseas: Everything You Need to Know to Live Well (for Less) Abroad , which I reviewed here.

For a change of pace today, I thought I’d share with you some YouTube videos about expats and their new homes. A quick YouTube search of “expat” turns up over 4,000 videos. As you’d expect, some are good, some are terrible and most are in between. Some are slick, commercially produced efforts, most are not. The ones I find most interesting are individuals who shares specifics about their new homes.



I’ve chosen 14 videos worth a look. We’ll come back to this from time to time, so please don’t think I’m ignoring large chunks of the world.

Latin America

1. Retire Early in Mexico

2. Live, work and retire in Mexico. This video looks specifically at Merida, on the Yucatan Peninsula.
3. Living in Mexico, Moving to Mexico and Retiring in Mexico. An American couple moves to San Miguel de Allende.
4. A Retirement in Panama: Everything Under the Sun. This is a professionally created video by International Living.
5. Ecuador – One Man’s Dream
6. To Live in Cuenca, Ecuador
7. Cuenca Day and Night
8. Costa Rica Expat interviews w/Wayne

Asia

1. The Expat Life: Dumpling 101 An adventure in Chinese cooking. This is a really cute video of a US expat in China trying to make Chinese dumplings, to his daughter’s disapproval.

2. Life in Korea. The first month’s of a young American teacher’s adventures in Korea.
3. Life as an Expat in Thailand: Getting a Job
4. How to Live and Work as a Teacher in Thailand
5. Why Malaysia? A British expat explains his reasons.
6. Expat Women in Hong Kong Society. This video gives a glimpse of the down side of expatriation — what do you know when the society you’re living in doesn’t want to mingle with you?

A Review of the Movie Flower Drum Song

“A hundred million miracles are happening every day.”

That’s the opening song in the movie, Flower Drum Song, and the theme that sparkles throughout the entire musical. Flower Drum Song is also the story of cultures on collision courses with each other – East vs. West, traditional vs. modern, elegance vs. tawdriness, classical music vs. rock ‘n roll – and the resolution of those cultural conflicts is the real miracle.

Mei Li and her father arrive in San Francisco as stowaways on a ship from Hong Kong. She is a “picture bride,” contracted by Mrs. Fong to marry her son, Sammy. Sammy has other ideas, however, and persuades Madame Liang to introduce Mei Li to her brother-in-law Mr. Wang as a potential bride for the son of the house, Ta.

Mr. Wang is a very traditional Chinese man, a widower raising his two boys with the help of his wife’s sister. Ta, the elder son, is about to graduate from college and plans to attend law school. The younger son, San, speaks American slang and loves baseball and rock ‘n roll. When a girlfriend observes that Mr. Wang “sounds very Chinese,” Ta explains:

“He is. Completely Chinese. And that’s good. It’s good for my brother, ‘cause he’s completely American. And I’m both and sometimes the American half shocks the Oriental half and sometimes the Oriental half keeps me from showing a girl what’s really on my mind.”

The Wang home appears very traditional, with a peaceful garden and gorgeous Chinese furniture and art. The contrast with the busy streets of Chinatown and Sammy Fong’s exuberant and slightly risqué nightclub is palpable. But inside the home, the famous Generation Gap of the 50’s and 60’s makes it appearance. “What are we going to do about the other generation?” sings Mr. Wang in exasperation? Meanwhile, San asks the same question out in the garden.

Mr. Wang wants to choose a bride for Ta, who tells him,

“This is not China. This is a different world. And here a man has the right to choose his own wife.“

“When that day come when you can think for yourself, I will let you know”

snaps his father.

There’s a big divide between the nightclub culture and the Wang family as well.

Sammy’s girlfriend Linda, the headline dancer in the club, is secretly dating Ta and
Sammy has tried to offload Mei to the Wangs. Sammy makes no attempt to disguise who he is, but Linda acts very demure and polite when she’s with Ta and his family. The two cultures collide dramatically when Sammy invites the Wangs to dinner at the nightclub and Linda performs.

Of course, because it’s a musical, all the conflicts are happily resolved by the end. The right people marry each other and parents are satisfied with their children – at least for the moment. It’s a miracle!

According to a survey by Mercer, it’s not who you might think! By looking at a country’s statutory annual leave, statutory holidays and public holidays, they compiled a list of where employees get the most time off. One caveat: it’s based on what an employee working a five-day week for 10 years is entitled to.

At the top? Brazil and Lithuania, with 41 days annually. Finland, France and Russia follow, with 40 days. The rest of Europe gets 33-38 days.

Where does the US fit? At the bottom with 10 days, because the US has no statutory vacation requirement. (They do note that many employers give 15 days of vacation after 10 years of service.) China beats the US, with 21 days off. Interestingly, Hungary calculates mandatory vacation time based on the age of the employee, with more time off as you age.

Do you have an experience or story about time off from work you’d like to share? Click the Comment link below.

International Living’s annual Quality of Life Index. Every year, IL produces a Quality of Life index, which usually differs quite a bit from their recommendations on best places to retire. France has topped the list for several years running.

1. France (was #1 last year as well)
2. Australia (moved up from #5 in 2009)
3. Switzerland (down one spot)
4. Germany (up from the #8 spot in 2009)
5. New Zealand (up from #9)
6. Luxembourg (down from #4)
7. USA (down from #3)
8. Belgium (down from #6)
9. Canada (a big jump up, from #19)
10. Italy (down from #7)

Top Ten Retirement Havens from Live and Invest Overseas

1. Argentina
2. Belize
3. Chile
4. Croatia
5. Dominican Republic
6. France
7. Malaysia
8. Panama
9. Uruguay
10. Vietnam

Mercer’s Best Cities for 2009:

1. Vienna, Austria (1st)
2. Zurich, Switzerland (2nd)
3. Geneva, Switzerland (3rd )
4. Vancouver, Canada (tied 4th)
5. Auckland, New Zealand (tied 4th)

Forbes list of The World’s Most Expensive Cities to Live. According to Forbes, the 10 most expensive cities are:

1. Tokyo, Japan
2. Osaka, Japan
3. Moscow, Russia
4. Geneva, Switzerland
5. Hong Kong, China
6. Zurich, Switzerland
7. Copenhagen, Denmark
8. New York, USA
9. Beijing, China
10. Singapore

2009 Best Retirement Havens, according to International Living:

1. Cuenca, Ecuador
2. Merida, Mexico
3. Coronado, Panama
4. Punta del Este, Uruguay
5. Calitri, Italy

So there you have it. Some highly respected lists from 2009, and one for 2010.

Best wishes for a happy expat New Year!

Desi Downey is the author of the book NiHowdy, her recently published account of her six years in China as a trailing spouse. We appreciate Desi sharing her first impression of her adopted country. Scroll down for a link to purchase the book.

Neon.

Neon Lights in China

Lots and lots of neon.

That is one of the first things I remember about China.

When I was presented with the opportunity to live and work in China I jumped at the chance, even though I was both terrified and thrilled. And maybe just a little bit deluded.

I thought I would throw myself into this new reality lock, stock and barrel! I would get to know the Chinese people and learn to understand them. I would talk like they talked, walk like they walked, think like they thought, dress like they dressed, dance to their music, ride a bicycle, devour their food, drink their warm beer, live like they lived and sleep on a bamboo-grass mat.

I couldn’t wait to get started.

I’d been off the plane about six minutes that first night when I realized that the natural order of things in the Far East did not carry on in quite the same manner as it did back home in the good old American Midwest.

Oh my. What had I done?

Forget the Customs guys chattering nonstop at me in a language I didn’t understand while ransacking my bags.

Forget the horror of my first encounter with the squatty potty at the airport.

Forget the fact that all the men carried purses and the women held hands.

And once outside the airport, forget the walls of people, the constant car-horn honking, the incessant bicycle-bell ringing, the smells, the mist, the fog, the noise. All that noise. There was so much noise. I’m from Nebraska. I was used to wide-open spaces and quiet. Lots and lots of quiet.

Oh my. What had I done?

I remember pink. Hot pink. Lots and lots of hot pink neon, set against a black, black Chinese sky. Eerie pink neon, wavering in that misty night sky, written in a language of characters I didn’t understand, in a foreign country that was, for me, just about as foreign as it gets. For the first time in my life, I was illiterate. I couldn’t read their signs, and I couldn’t understand their words.

Oh my. What had I done?

My romantic delusions about living and working in a foreign country were quickly shattered. This was my new reality, and I had to get real, real fast.

I did.

I lived and worked in China for six years. I lived it, loved it, thrived in it. Sometimes it was hard. Sometimes it wasn’t. All times, it was incredible.

If you choose expatriate life, choose realistically. There will be fantasy and frustration, ups and downs, trials, tribulations and triumph.

And that is all part of the charm.

Buy the Book Ni Howdy!: An American Woman’s (Mal)Adaptation to Life in the People’s Republic of China.

Decorated China Olympics car

• Honeymoon/Tourist
• Irritation-to-Anger
• Rejection/Regression
• Integration/Assimilation
• Reverse or Reentry

You can read the entire article here

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Finance Your Life Overseas

“One of the first things I noticed about China was that all the men carried purses and the women held hands. This phenomenon shot straight to the top of my list of “Weird World Wonders” and stayed there until a mere five minutes later, when I went looking for a bathroom at the airport and came face to face with my first squatty potty.

This was culture shock, pure and simple, and I was already moving from the first stage of it – the honeymoon, or tourist, stage, which I had entered before we ever left the States – into the second, the irritation-to-anger stage. “

The article is amusing and informative, and I highly recommend reading it.