A good suggestion is to tell every single person you meet in another country you are on a budget and can barely afford to travel. When I travel I stay in reasonably priced accommodation, I don't wear jewelry or expensive clothes and most importantly I don't flash money around. If you tell everyone that you are of little means you will be surprised at how easily they will fall for it as long as you play the part. I tell this lie to every woman I meet when travelling and if she asks for money I just tell her I am broke. I can easily afford to spend far more money than I normally do on my trips but I don't see the point as I am there for the experience and the culture, not to be taken as a sucker.
@Mark You're spot on. I'm also elusive to avoid 1) most invitations 2) getting food poisoning from eating people's crap 3) being buttered up knowing a fat pig gets slaughtered eventually 4) a romance proposal 5) being asked for money 6) etc.. etc..
Simon is spot on. I live in the Philippines my wife is 30 I’m 67. What Simon said about infrastructure, food, healthcare Thailand wins but the people in the Philippines are the best by far. There you go.
I’ve been with my wife for ten years. We dated for nine years and married for one. It’s my best relationship I’ve ever had. One day I was walking to my car and saw her walking and I asked her for her number and that’s how it started. There’s a lot of ways to meet a Filipina. Just come here.@@rgasta7765
As someone who lives on and off in Philippines, and also familiar with Thailand, I must say Simon's observations are spot on. I laughed at the subject of food. I think Simon was kind to Filipino food. I am unable to accurately convey how much better Thai food is. Great interview.
There are 82 provinces in the Philippines each has different or have their signature dishes maybe some have not really explore each region or stuck just in 1 palace to really feel or taste real good food, 1 same dish may not be good made by certain chef but taste good when a real good chef cooked it better.
Enjoyed listening to this guy. He is right, no way an older man would be able to have a romantic relationship with a younger girl in his own country. Therefore obviously it is the money they are attracted to.!!!!😅
In the US it was common to see older men with younger women only 30 years ago. Now it's completely reversed. It's become quite common to see older women with younger men (sometimes much younger men), but you only see older men with young women in Hollywood or rich guys like Leo DiCaprio
Nonsense in my mid 40’s from U.K. and routinely dated women in their 20’s. My last relationship, I was 47, she was 28. If, you look after yourself you can date women half your age.
haha, that goes for every relationship all over the world. But yeah, the fairytale of "love till you are in diapers" usually lasts as long the money lasts. So make sure your money will last :-)
If you had a stroke, no one can help you.. Doctors, Insurance, country etc. In many instances, recovery depends on the extent of your injury and damage to the brain. Treatment in many instances is worse that leads to early death. If I stroke out and completely paralyze,d I would rather die then and there than be invalid the rest of my life. Moral of the story, enjoy life and live a good life and always be ready when sheeeets happen.
I'm pretty sure that Steve did want to die then and there but that's the whole point. It wasn't his choice, the stroke didn't take him like that so he had a long drawn out death. Could Western treatment have saved or rehabilitated him I don't know. But I am certain that they would have given him pain killers for the ulcerations on his legs and his bed sores, antibiotics for his infections etc
Thailand it is! I get to keep my spending to a minimum. I don't go to bars and I'm not into prostitutes. Just regular working class friends with benefits for a boom boom session every now and then. Keeping myself busy with hobbies and activities are more important to me along with peace and drama free living.
Simon is spot on when he speaks if the difference between Thailand and the Philippines. I lived in both places, 11 years in the Philippines. Health sent me back to Canada. Living in Manila is no different than back in your home country. 👍👍👍
@@reigninblood123 where do you find non dangerous big cities? I didn’t think you could cram millions of people together and not expect tensions and opportunistic crime. Of course I did grow up in Chicago though
@@charliejackson6192 been to loads of non dangerous big cities - any Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, Chinese, Thai big city. Totally safe. WTF are you even talking about?
@@reigninblood123 you are the one that originally said big cities are dangerous. Was that a setup for you to be indignant about any response? Your reaction is very weird man. I suggest you don’t drink so much if it makes you so disagreeable. Very strange person.
Simon is a good person . He has not lost his accent . Sub titles would be good . The audio is also problem . I enjoyed . But feel that I missed some of the content 😭
@@ThairishTimes I grew up listening to a talk radio station and learnt more about life than any teacher ever taught me. Your style of interviewing reminds me of some of the radio hosts I used to listen to. Also, a lot of the personal stories mention places I've been to in Thailand. Really informative subject matter.
As a "techo" in the Air Force, we didn't always get along with the 'spits'... service police..... but there was always the odd few that we did and I'm thinking Simon was likely one of them :) Great blog, thx to the both of you :)
My Filipina wife is 45 and I am 57. We met 10 years ago in HK, where we both working, purely by chance, so it seems as though I am in the minority regarding hooking up with a Filipina. I wasn't looking for a relationship, it just happened. I didn't come here 'for' a Filipina, I came here 'with' one! Anyway, now we live in the Philippines, we have property, savings, investments, a regular income as well as, most importantly, given the topic of this post, comprehensive health insurance, with an internationally reputable company, for the whole family - me my wife and our kids. It costs us about USD1000 p. a. Money well spent.
We went through our bank. We have a good relationship with the customer service department, starting 10 years ago. All of our property purchases have been dealt with through the same team, as have the educationl plans for the kids and our health/life insurance policies, i addition to our investments in stocks/shares.@@GlasgowToPhilippines
Hi Pete, good one! I am watching this vid from BGC Manila, comparing The Philippines and Thailand myself currently. BGC is an upscale enclave of expats and upper middle class Filipinos. It’s very nice, nothing like the provinces.
Really worrying story about the guy who had the stroke. The lack of viable health insurance for a 70 year old like me is the reason why I could not retire permanently to Thailand. I am going for six weeks in April and may take out temporary insurance, even though it will cost me an arm and a leg.
What about the grimm reality of being a senoir in the USA today ...seiously .. Im a early retire MSW social worker with a concentration in poverty and economics. Its real, seniors are hurting bad in the worlds richest country .
That’s your problem , I came to US with nothing, retired with 2 homes , nice pension , and my wife became a Dr. You didn’t realize that you were born with silver spoon by virtue being born in US, that’s why millions want to move to US. Look in the mirror , that’s why you failed , you didn’t want to put the work in
I was first in Thailand as a young lad in 1988. Back then it wasn’t unusual to see a young Thai girl with an old man. I find nowadays the younger Thai generation are getting college and university education and the majority of them want and can have a career. Phillipines is still 20 years behind
I’m 68 and my filipina is 57, she treats me like a king 😊, as someone who worked in Thailand for 2 years, you date and trust a thai lady, at your own risk , ive seen expat get wiped out of their debt card
Was in Siquijor january 2020 before covid, what an amazing island..i will be back there in the next few years 😀 Great stories and a life to remember by the sounds of it! I cant wait to make the move yo south east asia one day
Watch many vloggers from Philippines and Simon is spot on about the characters that arrive in Philippines looking for a relationship 😅. The misfits Great interview 🇮🇪☘️🇮🇪
You should not only have medical insurance but have a serious emergency fund. People watch videos on You Tube and think that they can move over there and make it on a small pension and a few dollars set aside. One thing goes wrong and it is game over. I wouldn't move over there unless I had a few hundred thousand dollars minimum in savings.
The Filipino people is what makes the Philippines great i was living in thailand from 2008-2010 came to philippines in 2010 i've never been back to thailand i don't see the point Philippines wins easily
Its very sad for some foreigner not thingking the consecuenses of going other countries bringing all their savings married to a young girl not knowing her backround ended in divorce, with no work No health insurance and some are ended in homeless in the street in the phil, its horrible situation and some are not interested of going back in their own coutry
The food in any urban area of the US is generally pretty good. I live in a college town in Illinois (Normal, Il) only 70,000 people and the food is pretty good here and Chicago in only a day trip away on the train
Your spot on I'm in a 55sq mt 1 bed 2 ba condo in Makati Philippines Greenbelt area and I'm averaging $2200 to $2500 never more than $2500 so far these last 8 months.
@@GizmoMaltese True but I have 2 iron clad rules of money for the last 25 years never to be breached 1# no consumer debt ever! 2# never spend more than 40 cents of each dollar earned for monthly expenses, I'm on cruise control.
I have lived in both the Phils and Thailand and I can tell you with 100% confidence that Thailand is a much nicer place to live. My gut tells me the only reason why foreigners go to the Phils is because they can't afford Thailand and are lazy to learn a second language. As far as the people are concerned, I don't see much a difference in terms of being nice...of course, if you live in a touristy area - Pattaya and Phuket - often the locals will try to fleece you. The food in the Phils is disgusting and the women are so desperate they will be dishonest and deceptive. If you're a cheap ass monger on a shoestring budget that can't afford Thailand then the Phils is for you.
I agree that Philippines is better choice if you are on a shoestring budget, nothing wrong with that. You should still learn Tagalog though, saved me a lot of small troubles when the locals try to rip you off by pretending not to speak English. Once they realize that you can speak Tagalog, they quickly give up. BTW, most of the basic ingredients for cooking are available in Philippines. You can quickly to learn to cook yourself. There may not be quite the variety of meals there, but food was never a big deal to me.
Actually the Philippines has many upscale areas from Nuvali, Alabang, Makati, Tagaytay, Cebu, etc. I had a few medical procedures done in the Philippines compared to the States and was fine. You have to weigh deductibles and transport costs too. Also Bangkok might have a nice MRT subway. However the weather is extremely humid to the point you can't be outside more than 30 minutes. Very few people there speak English compared to the Philippines. We built a custom home in the Philippines going on 7 years living here and we travel a bit. There's plenty of good Thai restaurants here and I'll take living and driving our sports car in the Philippines to Thailand any day. Bangkok is home to many online clothing sellers and the cloths there are reasonable and beautiful. We go there once a year
If your an old fart with a pension, you ain’t got much choice, why the hell would you even complain. Just shut up and pay up, there are 7-10 mouths attached to that poontang. That’s part of the deal. Just throw them $500 a month and let them fight over it
I stayed in the Phils for 4 years in my 20's , after coming out of a long relationship at home, seeing a travel documentary on TV and booking a ticket the next day. I travelled to all the main islands and realised how much further my money could stretch and the high quality of life compared to London. I used to rent a cottage on the beach on my second trip, eating fresh fish every day. Fun girls hanging out , foreigners wirh bars everywhere. One difference is that a Filipina, while naturally wanting to escape a life of poverty won't be greedy about it. If she makes a commitment, she will be loyal and caring, they have big hearts for sure. Just avoid the police at all costs, even being friendly with them. Their salary is low and majority are corrupt. Don't ever get involved in a fight or any trouble as those dolar signs quickly appear in the eyes and you will end up paying. Later I saw a darker side to the country, rented a condo on the same street as one of the 9/11 pilots but that's another story!
for the old guys, if you think you cannot Adjust living in asia considering your age and health condition, then dont go and dont try to live in asia and just stay in your homeland.. someone will take care of you there...there are nursing homes in your western homeland.. dont go in asia if you Cannot Adjust to the Climate, culture, Food, and the people there...common sense
Marriage is transactional, esp when one is dirt poor. So if you are 70 years old, what do you think your attractive figures are? Not your look, usually. Ofcourse, there will always exception to the rules. Don't think of these young women terribly if they let you go once you can no longer provide the financial security, it was part of the deal.
True about some expats. I notice a lot like to draw you in with drinking, business ideas, weed, women etc. Living in Bangkok i've never met so many guys who completely normalise spending 6000 baht per week on "freelancers".
Used to go over to Samui to see an old friend who had a bar, he'd been there 15 years, last time i saw him he'd got bitten by a dog, it got infected he was in a local hospital with no insurance for a few weeks and died.
He is honest I live Thailand over a decade he is telling the truth on everything, The ending is brilliant, I’ve been with my lady for 7 years now we are rock solid but every now and then she has mentioned land , I just say I can’t if you die first how do I get the house , it’s your money guys , of course love your partner but never put it all in her name , things go wrong don’t do it
Yes I say that to my wife don't die before me! She is 12 year younger but ppl die in traffic accident here in Thailand 24/7! 60 every day on the streets but who die in ambulance and hospitals after is not counted!
Simon reminds me of Lance (Paul Whitehouse) in the Lee and Lance sketch from The Fast Show. But he's certainly experienced, which is shown from his observational comparison's, between Thailand and The Philippines. I would say that The Philippines travel infrastructure is improving quickly and chicken adobo is about the only Tagalog cuisine which is genuinely delicious, besides the wonderful fish dishes.
The beaches in the Philippines are about a thousand times cleaner than Thailand. They are much less crowded as well. Thailand is for ex-pats who want the easy life. The Philippines is much more challenging in every respect. The beer is cheaper though ;)
I lived and worked across Asia for decades. I met this type of guy all over the place. In love with cheap beer and hot girls. But they get old..... David Jardine was a classic example. After arriving in Indonesia to teach English in the 1980s, he died penniless in a Bogor flop house. Whne he died in 2011 his family and friends had to pay his funeral expenses. He had no visa or passport for at least 10 years. His health was poor, he was begging for beers in bars.
You guys are still very young. Saying that people should just get medical insurance, makes it sound like it's a no-brainer for retirees. As you get older, it gets more and more difficult to even find medical insurance, and if you do, it gets more and more expensive each year. £8,000+ per year for early 70s currently, and it's going up each year. Suddenly it's not such a cheap retirement destination.
This is a misconception i dare you to go to the nearest hospital in your country and you will find filipino health workers and carers its a matter of where to find find the best.
@@Kenjikah as far as landscapes and beauty there's beautiful mountains where I live but nope I don't like being ruled over by these parasitical criminals... But meeting a female where I live is impossible been on a few dates but nothing for 6 years!!! Can't believe this
No insurance company will cover a 65 year old plus for less than $8,000 to $10,000 plus a year. And if you have had prior heath issues, the insurance company will not insure you. Fact!
With all due respect for us Americans and Canadians could you please have subtitles when interviewing the following nationalities..... Irish British Scottish and Aussies otherwise all we hear is oiy oiy oiy oiy can only understand about 50% of what is said.
The daughter hanging up got me. However can you blame the children whose fathers are going with girls younger than themselves? Embarrassing and shameful that someone could be so gullible to think that's normal. It's exploitive and unnatural and the old guy looks like a fool. But still I wouldn't hang up on my Dad.
*Message to the host.* I own the same microphone you are using and, with all due respect, you're not using it quite properly. The Blue Yeti is a side-address microphone as opposed to a front-address mic -- which means you shouldn't be speaking into the end but, rather into the side of it. If you make the adjustment, it will improve your audio quality. 🎤
@@ThairishTimes Ah, I see. Did you know that the Fifine K678 has been called a "Baby Blue Yeti" because they are so similar? Have you checked to see if yours is side address or front address? I'll share a link with your of a review that compares these two mics (I'll put it in a subsequent comment, in case RU-vid decides to delete it). You will see that the reviewer uses the Fifine like a *side address* mic -- just like a Blue Yeti. So you may still want to check your manual.