Retired AMERICAN turns to the Philippines after 6 years in Thailand (Tagalog Subs) 

Do you think Dave made the right choice?

Everyone are welcome ❤❤.. Philippines are very humble people to other people 😊😊.. enjoy life in Philippines

I miss 20th century Americans. We used to have such good manners and speak well. The biggest reason I won't go back to the US is because there's so many low-class people. I might try to stick it out there even though the economy is collapsing if the culture was still old school. 21st century USA is not the place I grew up in anymore, though. Why deal with the inflation and taxes if there are so many angry, depressed, and ignorant people around.

There is no perfect place ... but I can say Filipinos are unique people.... not all , but the kindness and warmth of people is amazing...

This guy has got it together mentally and that is the number one hurdle when you decide to move to Thailand and the Philippines. Its a tall mountain to climb, your not in Kansas anymore.

I lived in Bangkok for 6 years and now in the Thai countryside for 1 1/2 years. I have experienced nothing but great healthcare here in Thailand. I use private hospitals and occasionally small street clinics. I've always had English speaking doctors. I've had great dental care, emergency room visits (kidney stones), and care by a neurologist, oral surgeon, and a dermatologist. I spent 2 nights in a private hospital, private room, in Ubon Ratchathani with Dengue fever. That was my biggest hospital expense ever at $550. If you want to see a specialist you contact them yourself and get an appointment the next day. There is always that possibility of substandard care here or in the US but I am glad I am here in Thailand.

I love the honesty from somebody that is clearly intelligent. You find great people to talk with and let them talk. Keep it up.

This guy is so smart and thoughtful. Honestly, he could live anywhere in the world and be okay because of his intelligence and mindset.

Dave said one of his biggest concerns in air quality. As someone who loved the conveniences of living in a big city but hated the air quality, I couldn't agree more. That's why I moved to Baguio, Philippines... built a home on top of a small mountain and have all the fresh air I could ask more while still being only 15 minutes from the city center

My uncle from US has been retired for more than 20 years now. And he's coming here every 6 months. He told to her daughter, that after their granddaughter will be graduating in high school, he would permanently retire in the Philippines.

I like that smart guy, bet he would be great as a friend

Ha, its incomparable. In my observations, Thais may be a bit introverted and spiritual and Filipinos are more playful. Most Americans prefer Philippines due to its been colonized by them whereas a lot of Europeans may prefer Thailand. To me, people from both countries are friendly and both are amazing places.

public transportation is much better in Thailand and for us older guys, the most important thing is health care for which Thailand is worlds better.

I have been several times in Thailand. To be completely honest. I think communication would be one of the factor i would choose Phlippines over Thailand. It is just so frustrating. Most of them doesn't really speak english. How am i supposed to settle down in a country if first of, I am not able to communicate properly with the people. How am i suppose to make and build a relationship with the people for friendship or relationship if in the first place we can't understand each other. But for sure. Thailand is definitely a great place to spend a vacation from time to time.

I was recently in Thailand I hadn’t been there in over 30 years. The language barrier is somewhat of an obstacle. From my experience many of the people in Thailand were friendly but not genuinely friendly. In the 🇵🇭 there are genuine friendly faces wherever you go. That’s the deal breaker for me 🇵🇭 over Thailand any day! Thanks for sharing a very interesting story ✌🏾.

Thats 1 good interview Bro. It feels like free flowing & authentic.

The most important thing for me to consider when travelling is the communication and the Philippines have it. English language gives me peace of mind and it comes naturally anytime with ease when talking to the local people (Filipino). I do not need a translator especially during emergency situation which helps a lot.

This guy is cool. He seems smart, well spoken, likable and goes with the flow. he can live anywhere and make the best out of things and live a fulfilled life no problems.

Appreciate your good compliment to my country ❤❤ enjoy and have fun staying in the Philippines 😊😊

Another excellent interview! I like this guy, he is very very wise. Everyone watching this video is fortunate to have heard his insights and pearls of wisdom. P.S. I like seeing a good decent man happy in the retirement life he has chosen.

We welcome pleasant foreigners like you here. With an open heart

Great interview. You can't beat honesty and this guy oozes it >>>

this was a good interview. thanks!

Renewing a Thai retirement visa is pretty simple once you've done it a few times. Whole process took 3 hours which included the trip to the Bank. Knowing when the immigration office is not overwhelmed with tourist can save you an entire day of your life. Knowing which immigration offices to avoid is the biggest time saver. Living in Pattaya or Bangkok is a huge mistake.

Best interview. This guy is obviously a high functioning bright happy guy not just going for the low hanging fruit

A pragmatic and smart gentleman Dave is. Thanks for sharing his story and insights.

He made the right choice for him. It worked for him and he's happy, you can't put a price on happiness.

Excellent interview. Keep em coming.

When you're in the Philippines. Just go with the flow simple as that. If you can do that, you will have no dramas.

Burning season in Thailand is always a challenge, but if you're willing to endure it, you can get great deals starting in June. I absolutely LOVE Thailand, top qusine in the world, however, for me, I can only handle about a month in Thailand before wanting to move around. This feeling extends to other Southeast Asian countries as well, although the Philippines is easier for me due to the ability to communicate more easily. The language barrier in Thailand and other countries can be taxing. Overall, I would prefer to be back in Hawaii or the US during the monsoon season, and spend only a portion of the year in Asia, traveling around but primarily staying in the Philippines. It's also good to have an alternative place to go if a large typhoon is inbound.

I find everywhere outside USA 🇺🇸 is excellent, primarily because the people in countries outside USA 🇺🇸 is loving, kind, friendly, caring

Great interview. Lots of interesting insights. Dave should have his own channel!

Welcome to the Philippines Dave. We want you here too. Enjoy your stay. Thank you for choosing the Philippines in spite of our flaws we strive for the best.

I love the statement not one of his 200 expat friends would ever date another western woman,very true.

One of the best interviews! I lived in Thailand for almost 6 years also and it's good to be back in my home country! ❤😊

Thailand and Philippines are like a twin in many things. Both choices are good for him.

I 'd love to have friends like David, he seems very balanced in his life approach.

Where he talks about "retirement visas" - be aware that the Philippines has a really good visa program for US and other military Veterans. Bottom line: where others must have a sizable amount of US dollars on deposit, for the qualified military Veteran only $1500 USD on deposit is required. Here's the details: "Special Resident Retiree's Visa - Expanded Courtesy" This non-immigrant visa is specifically for those with prior military service (aka "military Veterans"). The application process inexpensive and easy - $1,500 to apply for the visa from the Philippine Retirement Authority. There are several requirements to get this visa: - Security deposit of US $1,500; - Proof of $1,000 USD minimum monthly pension; - Must be 50 years old or over; - If a US military Vet, for example, your DD-214 must show an Honorable Discharge AND two years minimum service. This SRRV allows the qualified military Veteran to stay in the Philippines indefinitely, there's no visa renewal requirement, and you can travel out of the Philippines and return without limitation or restriction.

Welcome to the Philippines Dave....hope you enjoy here.❤❤❤

I’ve been in and out of the Philippines for the last 12 years. Married to Filipina 10 years ago. No complaints there. One thing Dave did not mention in this video is the heat. It’s really hot in the Philippines beginning mid March.… Really really hot. You just can’t go out during the day. The chickens lay hard boiled eggs. I go back to the states in March. So that’s something to consider.

very nice interview i really appreciate it God bless us both 💖

The guy in the gray shirt in the back on the right was interviewed a long time ago by the Filipina Pea video titled 9 YEARS IN THE PHILIPPINES - A Foreigner's Perspective on Living The Life!..Small world

Excellent vid.......great insight......thanks from North Carolina

I had no problem with the internet during my vacation in the Philippines. I registered my SIM card and bought a load for my entire vacation and that was really reliable.

This person really knew how to speak in details.

Good interview off the cuff frank discussion and sharing of the realities of Thailand and the Philippines

I lived in the Phillipines for 6 years, I have been living in Thailand for 5 years now

I think the most insightful and informative interview i've heard on the subject. Regarding the birth rate here in PH, it has actually declined drastically. It was 2.75 births per woman in 2021 and i think continues to go down.

that is one person i would like to have a long talk with..so knowledgeable

Both countries are good choices, pros and cons, probably Thailand have more advantages (infrastructure I guess is one big thing from what I’ve heard). For me, try both for at least a month before deciding..stay longer if possible

In the Philippines, you can go around to EVERY province without having to worry about language barriers (and get away with it 100 percent) Majority of the locals aren't fluent, especially in the rural areas, but they can understand you and vice versa...That's just not the case with Thailand, Vietnam, OR ANY OTHER Asian countries, even India.. But Expats don't want no part of India lol

enjoyed watching thanks !

I live in Thailand, it's not great. I'm a single mom working hard in Thailand. It's so expensive, and the salary is so little. I don't wish to stay long. God Bless you all.

I don't mind foreigners staying here..but please, be at.least respectful to locals. I used to have an American neighbour who throws fireworks to my dogs. I reported him to the police and he moved out. Some foreigners keep cursing to workers too

In every city anywhere across the globe, air and water pollution has become one of the major problems. You can have choice to live in the province away from the city and there you can feel the freshness of the air and water ❤

Good interview. Welcome to our country.

The Philippines does have a generous tourist visa but you have to extend that at least a couple of times per year (?) and have to do a border run after three years and need exit permission if you've been in the country 6 months. In Thailand you can stay indefinitely on a nonimmigrant O visa but you do have to extend it yearly to show you meet the financial requirements and you do have to check in with immigration every 90 days (which is free and uncomplicated but is still something you have to do). The Thailand O visa is probably most similar to the Philippines SRR visa. I congratulate your guest on his Thailand LTR visa. I also got a ten year pensioner LTR visa in January 2023. It requires an $80,000/year passive income. It also requires health insurance but no money in the bank requirements. LTR visa holders also don't have to pay tax on any income they bring into Thailand. Currently there is a great deal of uncertainty about if a new Thailand tax rule will subject individual expats to start paying taxes on money the bring into Thailand.

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He calls it pretty sizable. Annual retirement income is $80K /yr. In New York City, you will barely survive with that income a year but in Thailand you are considered wealthy. That's why tehy flock to Thailand becayse you can live like a king vs the USA/Europe.

Thank you for you going to be in philippine bcoz these day I hardly seen Thai people thank you so much more.

Never been to Thailand but the Phillipines was great and will be going there every year now for several months

agricultural burning And the wind blowing in from Bangkok is from Cambodia. But now everything is back to normal due to the rainy season.

I move there in 2 weeks. Thank God I have a girl friend there. She will make this process much better.

Im a Filipino worked and lived in the US for 37 years. I love it here. Got a house actually my cousin's but where else can you get a complete meal delicious one for less than $2!?

Cool interview. Cool guy. Always appreciate you, brother. Hope we cross paths later this summer. God bless.

For me, Thailand is the place to visit or stay for a while but PI would be my choice of place to live. I know many Koreans move to PI. From my experiences, PI had more diverse food of my liking.

Burning seasons require reginal collaboration among Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Burma. Thailand alone can not control the pollution in the region. Philippines is islands so it has lower air pollution but it has more risk about typhoon.

Good content. Thank you. Never thought about living in Thailand because of the language. Have been in PHP for 2+ years.

What an honest guy..

Another great video.❤

He is correct that the air quality index is complicated. Bangkok is a very big city with big city air problems the same as anywhere due to traffic and manufacturing. The crop burning is a regional problem including Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia. It is the worst in the north of Thailand around Chiang Mai. Bangkok has a few bad days but the AQI is mostly in the 50-100 range. I look at it every day to compare to where I live in the countryside. Today at my house the AQI is 62 and in Bangkok it is 56. It will always be better at Thailand’s beaches. I’m not surprised if Philippine island air is clean. My AQI app says the AQI is 75 in Manila.

The population of the Philippines was about the same with Thailand back in 1975 at around 41 or 42 million. But then it implemented a good family planning system which coupled with attracting huge amounts of foreign investments over the years that created millions of manufacturing jobs eventually cut their poverty level and improved their standard of living tremendously. The Philippines is going in the same direction as population growth rates have slowed down to 1.75% which is considered below the ideal replacement level of 2%. Although by regional standards this is still a bit high it's been a long time coming and definitely a welcome development. The IMF has also projected that our country will surpass Thailand's GDP in 5/6 years making it the 2nd biggest in economy in ASEAN after Indonesia. Although in per capita terms Thailand would still be ahead due to a smaller population.

Awesome interview bro. I love both but i speak Tagalog so i wanna retire in the Philippines. Moe years to go cus im still in early 40s, bit I've been in the states for 30 years. What i will miss if i ever retire thete is centralized AC

Great video but you have lots of sound issues. I'd suggest you look into getting some better sound gear with noise canceling.

David is a true gentleman and a scholar.😊😊😊

Good move Dave. Enjoy and be happy! We warmly welcome your presence. Hope you get a Filipina wife!

Amazing.. very well said 😊

I lived in the Philippines and my neighborhood had a garbage pile they would burn for days at a time. A lot of it was plastic. It blew right in my window. 5 blocks away the air quality was okay. I’m in Cambodia now and everyone I talk to speaks English. There are a few that don’t. But I have no issues when shopping or dating or meeting locals. I think that’s old news that only the Philippines knows English. Since the smartphone, all these other countries are learning English FAST.

I have 100-200 expat friends and non of them care for western women says a lot

Nice interview there you got my friend.

Good person.God Bless.

Thais are terrific people, although they have their own idiosyncrasies just as any nationality would. I lived in Thailand for just over a year, but finally had enough of the air pollution, just as David discussed. That was the number one issue. Living 150 km from Bangkok and the air was still almost as bad as Bangkok. Will be going to Manila very soon, and plan to stay 16 days (many trips there over the decades). Just got back from Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta. Love both places, but actually prefer Jakarta, but they also have pretty high AQI and PM 2.5 issues (Particulate Matter, or dust). I realize that air quality is very good in Phuket or Koh Samui, but for a few reasons I choose not to live there. Good conversation in this video. Well done.

Great and informative video. I am trying to decide between the two countries myself. The ease of visa process will be the determining factor. Which city is best of expats in Philippines though?

Hello hi is a smart guy hello from the Phil watching from hk.thanks for sharing Ur nice vedio I just knew subscribers

The key would be not to stay in smoggy city ? Nicest people hard working and happy if you go abroad for the right reasons you take the rough with the smooth

The 13:30 is important thing that us Filipinos know what makes a country not progress. The bad service and red tape. You need to put more money just to have a good services which both government and big business deny.

Good video but you might want to do something about your mic set up. Your current set up seems to be picking up a lot of background noise.

Great and amazing video

If you can't adapt to the local people, you should go to the Philippines. Countries where your language and religion are spoken We welcome you to our country when you want to travel.

His comment about religion being an important difference is spot on. I am an American expat that has lived in Thailand for 7 years and I am married to a Thai. Marriage is important here in Thailand but divorce is allowed. You have to register marriages and divorce with the government but there isn't a religion barrier either way. The Philippines is the outlier in the world by not (effectively) allowing for divorce. That's a BIG negative for me. No one, of course, wants to think about divorce but, for me, it needs to be an option. This other thing that was surprising to myself is that I, as a non-religious person, very much enjoy not living in a Christian country. It's not as if anyone ever ask me about religion in the US but it is always part of the societal background noise. I found that I really like not having that here in Thailand. When there are holidays and festivals here they are Buddhist events. In the Philippines many holidays would be Christian events of which I have absolutely no interest.

Everything is affordable in the Philippines for expats. 😊

Philippines is not perfect, but our genuine character wins over. once you win over it you will receive genuie love

Dave should have went to Siem Reap 1st - a great retirement destination for many (?) - if he wanted to 'settle' somewhere (?) - but maybe he wants to travel and explore since he appears young enough ? -- The Khmer people there speak more English & are super friendly. Visa laws are much easier over 55. -- He's right about the adventurous people being expats - it's harder than you think - and requires you being 'resourceful' ! - - - Good interview. - - - The so called - "right choice" is up to Dave. ( ? )

i've found language barriers ANYWHERE disappear depending how you look

Specially filling out Documents in the Philippines they want it really in detail and signatures need to match and also they don't accept refunds on some stores like SM.

Good choice of an interview subject Alex, thanks !!

Hey, Alex! Great video! 👍 He did it right. Thailand is a holiday destination. Too much tourism, rip-offs and cannabis. Filipinos are more open to getting to know foreigners. The only question is what the situation is regarding short-term romances. What do you think Alex: What percentage of young Filipinas are interested in short love adventures instead of just looking for the great love of life?

I don’t know why some say internet sucks in the Philippines. We have starlink mf! Haha! Our internet is better than most asian countries. You can have good connection even in a small island in the middle of nowhere!

Man I was boots on the ground in the Philippines and wow I was so spoiled I was really sad to leave

He went to the wrong hospital. I've had amazing care in TH. It's who you know and the recommendations that come from those relationships. I've always gone to the private hospitals when necessary and I've seen ENT's educated in Germany. There are hospitals with doctors from the US as well. Have to be a little careful.