45

You own land in Thailand? And you 'own(ed)' a business there as well?

Are you sure about the definition of 'own'?
+++++

46

The fact is that if you are employed or engaged in business in the Philippines on a tourist visa, you are in violation of the terms of your visa, period. You can get away with it up to a point, unless someone complains, but that doesn't change the fact, and if you're involved in a dispute or if someone wants to give you a hard time, you are vulnerable. That doesn't mean it will necessarily happen, but the risk is there.

I'm more familiar with Philippine rules than Thai rules, but I don't believe that Thailand permits ownership of land by foreigners, though they can own condos.

47

Best get a reliable trustworthy Filipino as a front, pay him/her well and keep your distance.

48

I have a different idea.

How about you tell us about your life on usd $1380 in the USA and we will tell you if you can live better than that in the Philippines.

Regards: Jim

49

OP I suggest you join in, in the conversation, that way we can give you precise information and answers.

I am also intrigued as to how well you live in the USA on $1,380 a month for two people? As I spend $1,500 a month and I only support myself.

50

not everybody is going to be happy living in the PI no matter the money involved. It can be very difficult, leaving everything your familiar with and moving to a strange country. the insecurity is significant. I do not discourage anyone nor would I encourage them, its a very personal decision

51

One way round the business/working problem would be to go into it with a PI national. Most of the "foreign" busineses I have seen, the wife is Filipino. You may want to check out the laws, I find PI laws complex, check their inheritance for instance. To be honest I would not choose the PI to live mainly because of the climate and culture but coming from the USA you may like the culture, some people love the PI but others dont. HAving said that I quite like Pangasinan which is about 150 miles north of Manila, mainly rural with beaches nothing special, new roads are being built and also a railway I believe, think there is Hospital in Dagupan. The area around Hundred Islands either way along the coast might be worth a look. If I were you I would live there for at least a year before committing yourself, the PI canbe a frustrating place esp. coming from somewhere like the USA, having said that there a quite a few Americans living there.

52

Try an extended vacation in the Philippines going around to the different regions to get a taste of each area.

Then once you have an idea of which city/province/region you would like to live in, spend a further 3 months only in that place without leaving it. If you enjoy it after the 3 month 'trial period' then uproot and move you, your wife and everything you own to that place.

The Philippines is an extremely poor and corrupt country, which makes people desperate, so desperate they are willing to murder anyone in cold blood for only 500 pesos (around $10) I have seen it and heard about it. True most Filipinos are not like this but you never know who'll you'll run into. There are many beautiful area's in the Philippines, but equally many ugly ones. There are pros and cons to any situation, as there is to this one.

Best not going into the deep end before learning to swim. Take it one step at a time, go slow so you won't have regrets.

Best of Luck.

53

Food is cheap, just make sure you don't get scammed by the locals selling goods at the market. There is two prices anywhere you go, the regular fee (Filipino rate) and the white guy rate"
Very true, but can be avoided somewhat if you do your main shopping in one of the large mall supermarkets where prices are all labelled, obviously in the markets there are no labelled prices.

I don't agree with this at all. It's very easy to do your own shopping in markets without getting scammed. You should try it sometime. All you have to do is know what the prices are, which is not difficult because all you have to do is ask another customer in the market, same way as you would ask anther customer in a jeepney what the fare is. It can be somewhat confusing, as prices are very volatile and can vary not just from island to island, but from week to week. The price of potatoes for example, can vary in the same market from between 50 to 100 per kilo within a two week time frame.

only a total idiot buys their fruit and vegetables in the big supermarkets, where the prices are much more than in the normal markets, up to half as much again. The scale of the extortion in supermarkets is quite breathtaking actually and now I avoid supermarkets really, even if there is one, which there usually isn't. I'm now able to keep myself adequately nourished on what is available just in normal sari saris. It really is not difficult to shop in markets in the Philippines without getting ripped off. More and more I've taken to doing my own cooking and shopping as I travel around, and I honestly don't think I was ripped off buying onions garlic, or cabbage etc last time.

54

tools4FOOLS.Yes I own the property, it simply required depositing 800,000 bahts in a Thai bank . Changes .everything, . If you can't do that that, then you are in the minor leagues. Nothing more from you,please, Hasta La Vista

55

I don't agree with this at all. It's very easy to do your own shopping in markets without getting scammed. You should try it sometime.

I have tried it, many many times. When you are a tourist in an unknown country, not being able to speak the local or national language you are prone to being scammed, its common sense. Being a tourist can sometimes be daunting, and quite frankly difficult sometimes. When you are new to a place and don't know how things work you are shy, and can make mistakes very easily. It is quite easy to do your own shopping and not get scammed, I know this because I have done it myself. I lived in an town outside of Cebu for close to 4 years, within a few months everyone knew my family and I as the white guys from Lacdon (the street we lived on) so they knew they could not scam us, because we had lived there for awhile and by then could already speak decent Bisayan, and Filipino. But when I visited new places/towns/cities/regions there were always locals trying to scam me, until I opened my mouth and started speaking to them in their language, telling them I'm not stupid, I know the correct prices. Even then they were quite shocked but still admit to trying to scam me, so I moved onto the next vendor or someone else who was willing to sell me the goods I wanted to buy for the correct fair price.

Its common sense, and you should know this after living in the Philippines for sometime, that when vendors or locals selling goods see a white person roaming the streets aimlessly they are prone to being scammed. Simply because they are easy targets, some tourists fall for the trap, I've witnessed it many times.

only a total idiot buys their fruit and vegetables in the big supermarkets,

I've seen white families and tourists, Families who have a foreign father and filipino mother who go to private international schools etc. Shopping at Rustans or SM hypermart picking out fresh fruit and veggies there many times. Some are oblivious to the deals they are missing out on in the local markets, others simply think they are just 'too good' to go down to these markets and buy the produce at a cheaper rate. I have known people, and have gone to school with foreigners or half filipinos half foreigners who think they are too good to buy things in the slum areas. I sometimes questioned them at why would they buy a certain thing at this store for 1,000 pesos when they can go somewhere else and get the same thing for half the price, even less. They simply replied, "Why would I do that?" or "No, because its dirty there" I just laughed at these spoiled brats.

56

#54 - As if you have never been scammed before simply because you were obvious or a unaware foreigner in a foreign land. Maybe not anymore as you have probably lived in the Philippines for awhile or have Filipinos who go and take you places. You can probably speak a bit of Filipino and can understand some.

But look back when you were new to the country, were you ever approached to buy a mango that should cost 50 pesos but the vendor tried selling it to you for a 'discount' price at 200 pesos only? Or potatoes that cost 70 pesos a kilo but they try to sell it to you for 150 pesos.

I am sure you have been offered these 'awesome' deals before, and I am just as sure you have been scammed in some way or another at least one time during your stay in the Philippines.

57

It is not just white people who get higher prices, I have seen it at roadside stalls, if you have a posh car they will try to charge you more, if you are white they will think you are rich and try it on, but if you know the prices and get to know people you should be fine. The prices in supermarkets is like western prices for fruit, I think bananas are cheaper here than in Manila supermakets, I pay £0.68 a kg here in supermarket which is about 100p, meat is also very expensive. Eating out is not so cheap now.

58

• it simply required depositing 800,000 bahts in a Thai bank

Sounds like the requirement for retirement visa.
Still cannot own land or business however.
+++++

59

a mango that should cost 50 pesos but the vendor tried selling it to you for a 'discount' price at 200 pesos only?

A mango, as in one mango, for 50 pesos? That would be a quite good price for a kilo of mangos, can't imagine anyone paying it for one.

it simply required depositing 800,000 bahts in a Thai bank

I was just chatting with a guy who's a property developer in Thailand. He said no, not happening. Can't own land no matter what you deposit. Sales to foreigners typically involve renewable 30-year leases, maximum law allows. My personal guess is that "salud" is full of it. Wonder if it's accident that his name backwards is "dulas"...?