• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
FREE REPORT
BEST PLACES TO RETIRE
*No spam: We will NEVER give your email address to anyone else.
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Portugal
      • Panama
      • Belize
      • France
      • Colombia
      • Dominican Republic
      • Thailand
      • Mexico
      • Spain
      • Argentina
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
Live and Invest Overseas
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Portugal
      • Panama
      • Belize
      • France
      • Colombia
      • Dominican Republic
      • Thailand
      • Mexico
      • Spain
      • Argentina
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
No Result
View All Result
Home Travel

See Asia In 2010

Kathleen Peddicord by Kathleen Peddicord
Jan 12, 2010
in Travel
0
the great wall of china
210
SHARES
3k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

See Asia In 2010

“I grew up in the 1950s and 60s, and China was closed, full-stop closed, permanently closed,” writes Intrepid Correspondent Paul Terhorst.

“Mao’s Revolution had taken hold,” Paul continues. “One thing we knew for sure was that we’d never, ever get to travel in China.

“Today I can still hear my older brother saying, with that grave, pontificating voice that 14-year-olds assume, that China, not Russia, looked to be the biggest danger in our future. Remember that, during the Cold War, Russia–actually the Soviet Union, but everyone called it Russia–was Enemy Number One. My brother figured China would be even worse than Russia one day and might even attack us with nuclear weapons. Yikes.

“Then came the Vietnam War. Like the Chinese, the Vietnamese wanted no part of us. Hundreds of thousands of communist Vietnamese went to their deaths to help get us out of their country for good.

“Fast forward to the 21st century. The communists have stuck around but in name only; China and Vietnam now stake their futures on free markets.

“My wife Vicki and I first came to Asia on a pleasure trip more than 20 years ago and have been back to Asia nearly every year since that first trip in 1988. I still feel like Alice in Wonderland at times, with the temples and dances, food and drink, language and laughter, parks and wildlife. I predict you’ll feel like Alice, too, at least part of the time, at least now and then.

“But don’t let that keep you away. Today you can travel almost everywhere in Asia. Vicki and I recommend you do so. As much as possible, we also recommend you travel over land. You want to travel at street level, to take tuk-tuks, to order from street vendors, and to chat with innkeepers. You want to get to know people here, to share in their daily triumphs and to mourn their losses.

“Of the many good reasons to visit Asia now, one of the best is that it’s cheap. The Chinese have undervalued the yuan (called the ‘kwai’ on the streets), the Malays have undervalued the ringgit, all to foment exports. Many other countries have done the same. We travelers enjoy the benefit of export-led growth policies, sort of on the side. Those cheap currencies translate into cheap food and lodging for us.

“The current super-cheap spots in Asia won’t stay super-cheap forever. Again, I say, best to get over to see them now. Start with the least expensive: Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, China, Burma, Cambodia, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Oman.

“And when you come, I suggest an ulterior motive. Consider whether you might want to live in any of the countries you visit. This is what I’ve done during my most recent travels in this part of the world. I’ve talked with expats about getting visas, finding a place to settle in, using the libraries, and so on.

“Southeast Asia, especially China, still has regions so remote that you won’t see expats or, more to the point, anyone who speaks English. Even in those cases, you can try to imagine your life there, as I’ve done. How would you get by? Answer: Pretty well. (See the China chapters of my ‘Around Asia‘ guide for details.)

“Asia opens a whole new world, exotic and cool, glittery and mystic. Languages not only have different ancestors, they have different alphabets, sometimes no alphabet at all…

“Specifically, Vicki and I have decided we’re going to spend more time in Malaysia, India, and southern China. We love all three places–the weather, people, culture, things to do, food, and so on. Those are personal reasons, and you may have other views. But I can point to objective reasons to prefer these countries, too.

“First, India, China, and Malaysia offer low costs of living, at least outside Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and a few other Chinese and Indian cities.

“Second, Americans and many others can enter Malaysia and stay 90 days without a visa. After 90 days, you can cross the border to Thailand, say, or to Singapore or Indonesia, and return for another 90 days. India issues 10-year, multiple-entry visas with each entry good for six months. These India visas cost US$150 plus processing and apparently are available only to Americans who apply in the United States. But once you have the visa, you’re set for a long while. China, too, has been easing visa rules.

“Ease of entry makes a big difference these days. Many Third World countries are increasing visa fees, renewal fees, exit fees, and so on.

“Third, discount carrier Air Asia offers cheap air travel. Air Asia makes its base in Kuala Lumpur and expands its route structure regularly, with more and more flights to India. Tony Fernades, the founder of Air Asia, laughs at the state-owned airlines that provide the so-called competition. Tony runs circles around them. Just to give you an idea of some of the low fares on Air Asia, Vicki and I recently flew from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore for US$8 each, including all taxes and fees. We took airport buses to/from the respective airports, adding another US$5 to our door-to-door trip. Total cost was US$13.

“So I say one more time: Try Asia. Whether you want to run around and have a look or to settle down and stay awhile, Asia makes so much sense right now.”

Kathleen Peddicord

P.S. Paul shares further insights into the delights and the pleasures of life in this part of the world in his Around Asia guide, available starting today in an expanded Second Edition.

 

***

MAILBAG:

“I know that Cyprus is not a country you write a lot about, but perhaps here’s a reason to ban it from everybody’s short list anyway. They seem to be charging really extreme property taxes on real estate.

— Bert S., United States

Resident global real estate investing expert Lief Simon replies:

“In fact, the article piques my interest. The report indicates that real estate prices are down in this country and that there’s a glut of properties on the market. More people sold than bought in 2009, and the article implies that people who sold left the island.

“Of course, this could all be so much journalistic hype, and I don’t know enough about this market to make any determination one way or another, but here’s how I’d process the data on the table at a glance:

“First, note that real estate valued up to €170,860 is exempt from tax. Also note that the tax percentages charged are applied to bands of value, not to the total value of the property. In other words, you pay no tax up to €170,860 and then 2.5% tax on the value between €170,860 and €427,150.

“The article states that property valuations haven’t been updated since 1980. However, I would guess that most properties purchased by foreigners in the last decade were new-built. The valuation would have been made at the time of construction and would be relatively current. And who is to say that new valuations would match current sales values?

“With property prices down 25% from their peak, I’d guess that most one- and two-bedroom apartments on the market will fall below the tax-exempt threshold. A quick search on a Cyprus real estate site shows 950 properties priced at €200,000 or less and 1,950 priced at €200,000 and more. The selection in the tax-exempt range seems plentiful.”

Tags: travel to asia
Share84Tweet53
Previous Post

Devil’s Island

Next Post

Black Gold Brings Good Fortune To The Port Of Spain

Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord has covered the live, retire, and do business overseas beat for more than 30 years and is considered the world's foremost authority on these subjects. She has traveled to more than 75 countries, invested in real estate in 21, established businesses in 7, renovated historic properties in 6, and educated her children in 4.

Kathleen has moved children, staff, enterprises, household goods, and pets across three continents, from the East Coast of the United States to Waterford, Ireland... then to Paris, France... next to Panama City, where she has based her Live and Invest Overseas business. Most recently, Kathleen and her husband Lief Simon are dividing their time between Panama and Paris.

Kathleen was a partner with Agora Publishing’s International Living group for 23 years. In that capacity, she opened her first office overseas, in Waterford, Ireland, where she managed a staff of up to 30 employees for more than 10 years. Kathleen also opened, staffed, and operated International Living publishing and real estate marketing offices in Panama City, Panama; Granada, Nicaragua; Roatan, Honduras; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Quito, Ecuador; and Paris, France.

Kathleen moved on from her role with Agora in 2007 and launched her Live and Invest Overseas group in 2008. In the years since, she has built Live and Invest Overseas into a successful, recognized, and respected multi-million-dollar business that employs a staff of 35 in Panama City and dozens of writers and other resources around the world.

Kathleen has been quoted by The New York Times, Money magazine, MSNBC, Yahoo Finance, the AARP, and beyond. She has appeared often on radio and television (including Bloomberg and CNBC) and speaks regularly on topics to do with living, retiring, investing, and doing business around the world.

In addition to her own daily e-letter, the Overseas Opportunity Letter, with a circulation of more than 300,000 readers, Kathleen writes regularly for U.S. News & World Report and Forbes.

Her newest book, "How to Retire Overseas: Everything You Need to Know to Live Well (for Less) Abroad," published by Penguin Random House, is the culmination of decades of personal experience living and investing around the world.

Related Posts

Male dentist treating female patient
Health Care

The World’s 7 Best Countries For Dental Tourism

by Live And Invest Overseas
May 9, 2022
0

What Is Dental Tourism? Dental tourism means a patient travels overseas for dental treatment. This is often combined with a...

Read more
And old yellow school bus on a dirt road in Belize

Tales From The LIOS Archives—Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day

April 28, 2022
A view of Paris with the Seine River and the Eiffel tower in the background on a sunny afternoon

My Paris Bucket List: 7 Things To Do In The City Of Light

April 24, 2022
Rossio Square, Lisbon, Portugal

History And Culture In Lisbon, Portugal

April 19, 2022
A town in the Algarve, Portugal right next to a bright blue ocean

11 Reasons Why Living In The Algarve Region Has No Match

April 15, 2022
A white sand beach in the Caribbean

Find Out How This Method Is Helping Single Women Travelers

March 22, 2022
Portuguese grilled sardines

Food, Wine, Customs, And Culture In The Algarve, Portugal

February 24, 2022
Next Post
Trinidad overlooking the blue caribbean sea

Black Gold Brings Good Fortune To The Port Of Spain

A world full of fun, adventure, and profit awaits! Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we'll send you a FREE report on the 10 Best Places To Retire In Style Overseas Today.

Start Your New Life Today, Overseas

LIOS Resources


  • New To LIOS
  • Ask An Expert
  • Media Center
  • Contact Us
  • FAQs

Quick Links


  • Best Places To Live
  • Best Places To Retire
  • Finding A Job Overseas
  • Real Estate

Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and get your FREE report: The 10 Best Places To Retire Overseas In 2022

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe

© 2008-2021 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Countries
  • Budgets
  • Archives
  • News
  • Events
  • Bookstore
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Members Area
  • Contact Us

© 2008-2021 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

The World’s Best Places To Be In 2022?

Discover Them Here…

WANT TO RETIRE OVERSEAS?

Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we’ll immediately send you a free report on the 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE in style overseas. Each day you’ll learn about the best opportunities for international living, retiring overseas, offshore diversification and asset protection, and investing in real estate around the world.