Expat Corner (part 2)

I also visited Chiang Mai. It's smaller and quieter, but I'm more of a big-city person, so I'm in Bangkok and planning to stay here.

How’s the pollution.

I heard that in addition to usual big city issues, they do a lot of burning in rural areas.

Does the smoke from these burns affect Bangkok?
 
If I understand correctly, the "pensioner" option is the O-X visa, which has the insurance requirement.

That being said, I think the Elite Visa can make sense for people over 50 if they don't want to buy Thai-based insurance (or that's administered under Thailand jurisdiction; there are forums where the pros/cons are discussed), and they have assets but no proof of the specified income, and (if American) don't want to deal with FATCA/FBAR. I think Elite is the only option that gets you out of all of those; the downside, of course, is the cost of the Elite Visa, but I'm OK with it. Again, the good news is that there are options, and everyone can assess what's OK for them.

Are you liable for taxes generated by your retirement assets back in the US?

That’s the case in Europe, where apparently it’s difficult not to have local bank accounts just to pay normal bills. So no way to avoid FACTA and tax liability.
 
How’s the pollution.

I heard that in addition to usual big city issues, they do a lot of burning in rural areas.

Does the smoke from these burns affect Bangkok?
I was in Chiang Mai only during January and didn't notice much while there.

When I flew from there to BKK on Feb. 1, while approaching BKK, I did notice a sea of smog covering the city. Since then, I've been on the ground here and haven't noticed much (not that it isn't there, maybe I just don't notice it because I spent many years living in other big polluted cities).
 
Are you liable for taxes generated by your retirement assets back in the US?

Yes, I'm still liable to the IRS and my state. The forms I fill out are the same, regardless of whether I'm physically located in the US or elsewhere. So far, I've never been required, according to their rules, to do FATCA/FBAR.

If you mean being taxed in Thailand, I don't make any money in Thailand, and the Elite Visa is categorized as a tourist visa, which by itself does not create a tax liability as far as I'm aware (and I think I've been fully briefed on the implications of the visa).

That’s the case in Europe, where apparently it’s difficult not to have local bank accounts just to pay normal bills. So no way to avoid FACTA and tax liability.
I don't avoid tax liability. As I said, I still fill out the usual forms (1040, etc.), as mentioned above.

I haven't run into any situation where I need a local bank account, so I haven't opened one.

Are you asking because you need to figure out how to deal with that?
 
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Yes, I'm still liable to the IRS and my state. The forms I fill out are the same, regardless of whether I'm physically located in the US or elsewhere. So far, I've never been required, according to their rules, to do FATCA/FBAR.

If you mean being taxed in Thailand, I don't make any money in Thailand, and the Elite Visa is categorized as a tourist visa, which by itself does not create a tax liability as far as I'm aware (and I think I've been fully briefed on the implications of the visa).

I don't avoid tax liability. As I said, I still fill out the usual forms (1040, etc.), as mentioned above.

I haven't run into any situation where I need a local bank account, so I haven't opened one.

Are you asking because you need to figure out how to deal with that?


Just wanted to see if things are different in Thailand compared to Europe.

Europe will find a way to tax your retirement income, even if the assets are entirely in the US, as I understand it.

How do you pay electricity, phone, Internet, etc.? In Europe apparently you have to pay out of a bank account, can't put it on a credit card.
 
How do you pay electricity, phone, Internet, etc.? In Europe apparently you have to pay out of a bank account, can't put it on a credit card.

Without giving a comprehensive history, the short answer is that a nomad in Asia might live in hotels (esp. with a long-term stay discount), an AirBNB, a serviced apartment, a spare room in a friend's place (paying them reasonable rent), university housing provided for foreign teachers, and in some cases, a leased apartment with utilities bundled by the owner. And if one wants to be less nomadic, one could do one of those on a long-term basis. Even if one has utility services in their own name, I'm not sure that it always necessitates a bank account (e.g., I saw my friend in Taiwan paying her utility bills at 7-11 with cash). My impression is that some places in Asia have been cash-based societies for thousands of years, and a lot of that still remains.

For phone, I always use a prepaid SIM. I just go to the phone company shop and hand them cash. This works in many countries.
 
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I spent a few months outside of US this year and immediately discovered one problem. I signed up for US Global Mail and did a temporary USPS mail forward to their virtual address. As a result, did not receive PenFed credit card which suppose to replace the expired one. After talking to PenFed got to know that USPS actually does not forward certain letters (such as the one I mentioned). Instead the letter is returned to sender. I wonder did any fellow expat in this thread experience this problem? Does it mean that you have to give up all US credit cards while living abroad?
 
I spent a few months outside of US this year and immediately discovered one problem. I signed up for US Global Mail and did a temporary USPS mail forward to their virtual address. As a result, did not receive PenFed credit card which suppose to replace the expired one. After talking to PenFed got to know that USPS actually does not forward certain letters (such as the one I mentioned). Instead the letter is returned to sender. I wonder did any fellow expat in this thread experience this problem? Does it mean that you have to give up all US credit cards while living abroad?

I have this problem even when traveling from the Islands to the mainland. MANY companies will not forward mail (banks, some credit card companies, etc.) We have settled on an imperfect solution which won't w*rk for everyone. We have such USPS items always delivered to a US Postal Box. When we are on sabbatical, we have a friend check the box once a month. He ditches the junk mail that we've been unable to stop and forwards us a packet of the "good stuff" to our mainland location. Kind of a hassle, but I've never wanted to get into a mail forwarding company or similar.

Advantages: It w*rks for the most part
Disadvantages: Cost of a post office box. Need to check it year round (when we are home) once a week. Have to take advantage of a friend to help us out. It's just possible that the delay could cause problems but we've got some back ups for such eventualities. Have to pay for postage to the mainland whenever a packet is sent.
 
I spent a few months outside of US this year and immediately discovered one problem. I signed up for US Global Mail and did a temporary USPS mail forward to their virtual address. As a result, did not receive PenFed credit card which suppose to replace the expired one. After talking to PenFed got to know that USPS actually does not forward certain letters (such as the one I mentioned). Instead the letter is returned to sender. I wonder did any fellow expat in this thread experience this problem? Does it mean that you have to give up all US credit cards while living abroad?

I guess this happens because some senders mark the mail as "do not forward" or equivalent. I never experienced this problem because I solved it in advance. I simply gave the credit card companies the virtual address as my mailing address (while leaving the residence address unchanged). It works perfectly. My new Schwab card arrived at the virtual address, then I ordered them to remail it to me in Bangkok via Priority Mail (which was a bit expensive, but that's to be expected; regular mail is cheaper and probably slower). It arrived in Bangkok 10 calendar days later.
 
I guess this happens because some senders mark the mail as "do not forward" or equivalent. I never experienced this problem because I solved it in advance. I simply gave the credit card companies the virtual address as my mailing address (while leaving the residence address unchanged). It works perfectly. My new Schwab card arrived at the virtual address, then I ordered them to remail it to me in Bangkok via Priority Mail (which was a bit expensive, but that's to be expected; regular mail is cheaper and probably slower). It arrived in Bangkok 10 calendar days later.
Yes I think this is exactly what happened. It looks like I need to take care about my address change for the banks expected to mail cards. Thanks for the info!
 
wow I cannot believe it's been nearly 4 years since my last post and visit to this site! I've just caught up on my original thread as well as this new one. I'll update you all on our past 4 years.

In April of 2021 I was awarded the Taiwan Gold Card and we were able to make our plans, finally knowing we had an easy path to live in Taiwan. At the end of 2021 we moved out of our Miami home and began our nomadic journey, primarily through Puerto Rico, Mexico, Texas and California. About 9 months in total, but did not manage to learn more than rudimentary Spanish :( Our kids were 6 & 4 that year. Then in August of 2022 we officially relocated to Taipei. My older son immediately began 1st grade in the local school system and my younger son started the equivalent of Pre-K at a private kindergarten.

We're now very settled in Taipei, love our life, love our school (boys are now in 3rd and 1st grades at the same elementary school) and we've gotten back into business after organically finding a business we're passionate about and also seems to be very lucrative. I say seems since we're relatively early in the journey, but all things seem great so far. I'm also pursuing my music career pretty seriously now, and I'm finding things working out as well as I could hope, though perhaps a tad bit slow.

Being based in Taipei but with kids in school full time has meant we only travel during school holidays. Nevertheless it's afforded us family trips to Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines, Hong Kong, Macau, China, England, Vietnam twice, Singapore twice, Japan twice, and Malaysia many times (I have family there and now business too). We've also been back to the US once each year, which will continue with a long trip back this summer (plus a first time to Peru!!)

We plan to stay another 2-3 years but it's possible we'll stay longer. The two major factors causing us to prepare to leave are my parents' health (they live in north FL) and the rigorous school system that likely reaches unbearable levels in middle school. The outlook at the moment for when that time comes is:

1) LA - I think this one is 36% likely. We have lots of friends and family there and the weather is generally great (current crises notwithstanding). I think it's likely my parents would join us AND be happy living there. Cost is a concern but we're projecting to do pretty well and for a temporary stay (6-8 years) it should be manageable for us.

2) SF - 35%. Basically neck-and-neck with LA but I put the former slightly ahead. It's my wife's favorite city in the US, her brother is planting roots there with his family, and we also have plenty of other friends and family in the area. Same cons as LA, except not sure if my parents would join us and also weather not quite as preferable.

3) Vancouver - 20%. This one is kind of a wild card. We both really like visiting the city, and we both have lots of family there. My parents were the only ones among their 13 total siblings to move to the US..most of the others moved to Vancouver. Basically the same for my father-in-law. So my kids would have lots of second cousins. Downsides, in addition to cost somewhat, are weather and needing to navigate the immigration system again. I'd strongly consider the self-employed in the arts visa if Canada indeed brings it back in Jan 2027. However, at the moment our best option would be to start a business...which is a slight hassle but not too off-putting lol. Also, not sure my parents would join.

4) Miami - 5%. Return to our previous home in Miami that's currently rented out. We really don't get excited for this at all, but it would be a very comfortable transition. We already know our home, our town, feel really good about our school options there, and have a good number of friends/family. My parents would probably be fine joining us there too. But man, I'd rather not. It just feels meh (I get that we're privileged)

5) Other - 4%. I dunno...loads of other cities we like but I'm not gonna give them serious thought yet. But I acknowledge there's a chance things shift in the coming years.

Long term we really love Taiwan and would expect to come back after the kids become independent. I plan to get my permanent residence later this year which would allow us to live here anytime in the future (provided "Taiwan" still exists). If things continue on their current trajectory, I think we'll be able to FIRE to most places in the world, but it still feels good to know Taipei is one of our favorite places and it's roughly half the cost of our previous life in Miami.
 
@projectmaximus, you & your family's journey & experiences sound amazing! Congratulations!! As for your likely(?) relocation to North America - let's just say it's nice to have options.
 
We plan to stay another 2-3 years but it's possible we'll stay longer. The two major factors causing us to prepare to leave are my parents' health (they live in north FL) and the rigorous school system that likely reaches unbearable levels in middle school.

You're going to move away because the schools are too good? That's not something we typically here. :D
 
wow I cannot believe it's been nearly 4 years since my last post and visit to this site! I've just caught up on my original thread as well as this new one. I'll update you all on our past 4 years.

In April of 2021 I was awarded the Taiwan Gold Card and we were able to make our plans, finally knowing we had an easy path to live in Taiwan. At the end of 2021 we moved out of our Miami home and began our nomadic journey, primarily through Puerto Rico, Mexico, Texas and California. About 9 months in total, but did not manage to learn more than rudimentary Spanish :( Our kids were 6 & 4 that year. Then in August of 2022 we officially relocated to Taipei. My older son immediately began 1st grade in the local school system and my younger son started the equivalent of Pre-K at a private kindergarten.

We're now very settled in Taipei, love our life, love our school (boys are now in 3rd and 1st grades at the same elementary school) and we've gotten back into business after organically finding a business we're passionate about and also seems to be very lucrative. I say seems since we're relatively early in the journey, but all things seem great so far. I'm also pursuing my music career pretty seriously now, and I'm finding things working out as well as I could hope, though perhaps a tad bit slow.

Being based in Taipei but with kids in school full time has meant we only travel during school holidays. Nevertheless it's afforded us family trips to Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines, Hong Kong, Macau, China, England, Vietnam twice, Singapore twice, Japan twice, and Malaysia many times (I have family there and now business too). We've also been back to the US once each year, which will continue with a long trip back this summer (plus a first time to Peru!!)

We plan to stay another 2-3 years but it's possible we'll stay longer. The two major factors causing us to prepare to leave are my parents' health (they live in north FL) and the rigorous school system that likely reaches unbearable levels in middle school. The outlook at the moment for when that time comes is:

1) LA - I think this one is 36% likely. We have lots of friends and family there and the weather is generally great (current crises notwithstanding). I think it's likely my parents would join us AND be happy living there. Cost is a concern but we're projecting to do pretty well and for a temporary stay (6-8 years) it should be manageable for us.

2) SF - 35%. Basically neck-and-neck with LA but I put the former slightly ahead. It's my wife's favorite city in the US, her brother is planting roots there with his family, and we also have plenty of other friends and family in the area. Same cons as LA, except not sure if my parents would join us and also weather not quite as preferable.

3) Vancouver - 20%. This one is kind of a wild card. We both really like visiting the city, and we both have lots of family there. My parents were the only ones among their 13 total siblings to move to the US..most of the others moved to Vancouver. Basically the same for my father-in-law. So my kids would have lots of second cousins. Downsides, in addition to cost somewhat, are weather and needing to navigate the immigration system again. I'd strongly consider the self-employed in the arts visa if Canada indeed brings it back in Jan 2027. However, at the moment our best option would be to start a business...which is a slight hassle but not too off-putting lol. Also, not sure my parents would join.

4) Miami - 5%. Return to our previous home in Miami that's currently rented out. We really don't get excited for this at all, but it would be a very comfortable transition. We already know our home, our town, feel really good about our school options there, and have a good number of friends/family. My parents would probably be fine joining us there too. But man, I'd rather not. It just feels meh (I get that we're privileged)

5) Other - 4%. I dunno...loads of other cities we like but I'm not gonna give them serious thought yet. But I acknowledge there's a chance things shift in the coming years.

Long term we really love Taiwan and would expect to come back after the kids become independent. I plan to get my permanent residence later this year which would allow us to live here anytime in the future (provided "Taiwan" still exists). If things continue on their current trajectory, I think we'll be able to FIRE to most places in the world, but it still feels good to know Taipei is one of our favorite places and it's roughly half the cost of our previous life in Miami.
Amazing success story. Thanks for sharing. I admire people who are so adventurous and brave to launch out in such a way. I hope your eventual plans w*rk out for your family.

Please do not wait so long for your next report!!
 
(It appears that the Expat Corner thread got locked, due to being 345 days old.)

Greetings from Bangkok, and happy Year of the Rabbit (2023)!

I accomplished the following:



I obtained the Thailand Elite Visa, left LA at the end of December, and arrived in Bangkok on January 1, 2023. I consider myself as living in Thailand now. If I feel like life is working out OK here, then maybe I'll stay permanently.

How's everyone else doing? Any news?

Excited to hear your update on Thailand!

I think of myself as having "cheated" in the Expat World. I moved to Hawaii - which is still the USA but it's "not America" as we think of it. Culture, food, life-style, national-origins and people groups, etc. are all so different here - in a good way! I have most of the advantages of USA living and I get the advantages of a very different culture. The cost is substantial which is, of course, one of the big reasons many folks choose ex-pat life. But unless my fortunes changed radically, I would consider the cultural expansion more important than money savings - no matter where I considered as an Expat move. It's a life-style and it's an adventure. It's not just about affordability in my humble opinion but YMMV.

I've not been to HI still after all these years (except for a few hours at the HNL airport when I was a young kid), but on paper I think it's definitely a possibility for more permanent retirement years. We'll see!!

You're going to move away because the schools are too good? That's not something we typically here. :D
haha, well it's all in the eye of the beholder. some folks think the schools are way too strict already beginning in 1st grade. I'm personally ok with it, but I do see how my kid (and others) feel slightly stressed already with their workload. Accounting for the modest number of after school extra curriculars he does, he already has to rush to get his homework done and barely has time to do any of his hobbies during the week. That said, man they've really excelled in a lot of things and I'm very proud. Hopeful that the work ethic and self-discipline they're developing now will pay off in the long run, especially when school gets easier and looser in America. My wife came to America from Macau in the middle of 7th grade. Despite speaking zero English at the time she found school to be super easy and was salutatorian in high school.
 
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