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teretere
Joined: 26 Mar 2010
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 Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 9:54 am Post subject: Living half the year in...Palawan, Penang, Chiang Mai, Laos? |
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I'm giving serious thought to escaping Seoul and living at least 3-4 months a year somewhere more beautiful and affordable than Seoul.
Anyone who has traveled through SE Asia run into a place that they thought would be a perfect place to be based during the better weather months of the year?
Palawan sounds like paradise, but I'm not sure being stuck on an island for that long would get claustrophobic.
Penang seems a bit better due to the amenities offered there as a "city" vs just a tropical island.
Chiang Mai, I hear, is just a regular Thai city with no "beauty" to speak of...but perhaps there is beauty and wonder to be found in the countryside just outside the city proper?
Laos just sounds interesting because of the French influence, esp. in Luang Prabang.
I've ruled out major cities like Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Bangkok, Manila, Singapore, and Saigon/Hanoi because of the traffic, cost of living, and big city hassle factors.
Also, I have a woman and a small kid, so I don't need superb nightlife options. Rather, charming low-key entertainment/artsy stuff and fine dining would be perfect.
Would be great to hear your thoughts. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 6:26 pm Post subject: Re: Living half the year in...Palawan, Penang, Chiang Mai, L |
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| teretere wrote: |
I'm giving serious thought to escaping Seoul and living at least 3-4 months a year somewhere more beautiful and affordable than Seoul.
Anyone who has traveled through SE Asia run into a place that they thought would be a perfect place to be based during the better weather months of the year?
Palawan sounds like paradise, but I'm not sure being stuck on an island for that long would get claustrophobic.
Penang seems a bit better due to the amenities offered there as a "city" vs just a tropical island.
Chiang Mai, I hear, is just a regular Thai city with no "beauty" to speak of...but perhaps there is beauty and wonder to be found in the countryside just outside the city proper?
Laos just sounds interesting because of the French influence, esp. in Luang Prabang.
I've ruled out major cities like Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Bangkok, Manila, Singapore, and Saigon/Hanoi because of the traffic, cost of living, and big city hassle factors.
Also, I have a woman and a small kid, so I don't need superb nightlife options. Rather, charming low-key entertainment/artsy stuff and fine dining would be perfect.
Would be great to hear your thoughts. |
The Phils are nice because of the ease of extending your tourist stays from as little as 21 days on an arrival stamp to
60 days on a tourist visa and then extending every 2 months for up to 2 years. This is not really an option in Thailand although you can get a dual entry 60-day visa and extend your stay by making a quick visa run across the border and back.
Unless you really like the quiet/rural life then even places like Purto Princessa are pretty quiet. Artsy isn't going to happen. As to being just a tropical island, it is pretty big and , if you are into treking there is lots to do.
Other somewhat more metropolitan options in the Philippines would be the outlying areas of Cebu city, or Tagbilaran. The living is still relatively cheap (easy to do on a 3-5 hundred per month with a small family) and still have access to the creature comforts that westerners like.
Housing can be affordable (studio apartment from $75 mo., 1 bedroom apartment from $120.mo., house from $200.mo). Add your electric, cooking gas and water to the above rates.
Rates are similar in other SE Asian countries. In Thailand you can get a nice, 3-bedroom house (outside of central BKK) for about $150 per month, Utilities are about $100/mo. and food/entertainment runs about another $200-300.
If you do the hotel thing you can pretty much double or triple those costs.
If you don't mind a little bit of roughing it you can live for next to nothing in a nipa hut on the beach, use LPG (p800 per tank) for cooking and have your bottled water delivered (p35/20 liter bottle) once a week. Fresh food from the local market and just relax and watch the sunsets.
Stay away from anything north of southern Luzon (the bottom edge of the typhoon belt). If you get below 12 degrees N. latitude you will be fine and not have to worry about typhoons (goes for anywhere in SE asia).
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teretere
Joined: 26 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 5:45 am Post subject: |
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Thanks a lot.
I am focusing most of my search on Chiang Mai and its environs at the moment, particularly because it seems like it has good schools, plenty of amenities, yet is in close proximity to nature... |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 6:56 pm Post subject: |
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| teretere wrote: |
Thanks a lot.
I am focusing most of my search on Chiang Mai and its environs at the moment, particularly because it seems like it has good schools, plenty of amenities, yet is in close proximity to nature... |
You'll find prices are similar for long term stays. Chiang Mai is a tad more expensive than other places because of the large number of tourists and long-stay pack-packers but it is still quite affordable. |
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Louis VI
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
Location: In my Kingdom
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| Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 11:27 pm Post subject: |
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I couldn't diagree more with the last poster. (His reasoning applies to Laos, not Chiang Mai.)
Chiang Mai is incredibly cheap for longterm stays because there is so much overdevelopment of modern apartments that the average monthly rent is half that of nearby Cambodia and much less than Bangkok. For $200 u.s. a month you can get yourself a NICE newer furnished apartment with a view, a swimming pool, weight room, security guard, Internet. You can pay half that and easily find a place! Monthly rates are obscenely cheap there. (Hell, if you want, you can buy a nice apartment for 100,000 baht (about $30,000). The occapancy rates are low though so it'd better be more for your own use than as an investment.) |
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Harpeau
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
Location: Coquitlam, BC
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 4:36 am Post subject: |
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| I love Chiang Mai. It's a magical city! Very artsy and lots of culture. I think Penang might be interesting as well. (Though, I've never been.) |
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teretere
Joined: 26 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 9:55 am Post subject: |
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| Harpeau wrote: |
| I love Chiang Mai. It's a magical city! Very artsy and lots of culture. I think Penang might be interesting as well. (Though, I've never been.) |
Chiang Mai really looks the best in terms of the quality of housing available at very affordable rates.
Plus, I just love Thai food. Shame I won't have access to cheap seafood that the Philippines offers though. |
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dumpring
Joined: 06 Apr 2010
Location: Auckland, NZ
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| Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 9:41 pm Post subject: |
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| I liked Chaing Mai but honestly found it to be really small. Nice to relax but for 3 months I think it would be too dull. |
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