Move to South East Asia without the guesswork.
Visas, healthcare, pensions and real costs, checked against official sources and written by someone who did it and stayed.
Read the guidesPick your corner of South East Asia
Each country suits a different kind of move. Start with the one you're leaning towards.
Thailand
Bangkok energy or Chiang Mai calm, world-class private hospitals, and the most visa options.
Moving to Thailand →Vietnam
Saigon, Da Nang and Hanoi: fast-moving, great food, and lower costs than most expect.
Moving to Vietnam →Cambodia
Kampot, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh: quieter, slower, and a growing expat scene.
Moving to Cambodia →Philippines
English widely spoken, island living, and a dedicated retiree visa.
Moving to Philippines →Recently updated
Thailand
Aged care in Thailand
Aged care in Thailand for foreigners: care homes, dementia care and home carers, published prices, how to check a licence, and the visa and insurance side.
11 min read
South East Asia
Before you move abroad
What to sort out in the six months before you move or retire abroad, in order: visa, tax, pension, health cover, banks, licence, voting and the offices to tell.
12 min read
Thailand · Vietnam · Cambodia · Philippines
The Age Pension in South East Asia
Can you get the Age Pension in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia or the Philippines? What stops at 6, 12 and 26 weeks, the 35-year rule, and claiming first.
9 min read
Cambodia
Cost of living in Cambodia
What it costs to live in Cambodia each month in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Kampot and Kep, and Sihanoukville, for singles and couples, line by line.
7 min read
Thailand · Vietnam
Thailand vs Vietnam cost of living
Thailand vs Vietnam cost of living: monthly budgets for Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, plus the costs newcomers forget.
5 min read
South East Asia
Banking when you move to Asia
The bank setup I'd use leaving Australia for Thailand or Vietnam: which accounts to keep, which card to use overseas, and how to open a local account.
5 min read
Three steps most people take
- 1
Choose where
Answer five plain questions and see which country fits your age, budget and health.
Which country suits you? → - 2
Check your visa
See which retirement visas your pension and savings qualify for, then what your life would cost.
Visa finder → - 3
Plan the move
Visa, banking, tax, housing and insurance, month by month, in the order that saves you money.
Make your moving plan →
"Saigon was supposed to be three days. That turned into three months, then eight months, then I quit work and stayed longer."
Hi, I'm Felix.
I'm an Australian whose spur-of-the-moment trip to Indonesia in 2017 turned into years of living across South East Asia. I kept watching people get scammed, misled or lost in bad information, so I started writing the guides I wish I'd had.
Read my storyRules change. I'll tell you when they do.
One email when visa rules, costs or tax settings shift, plus new guides as they're published.
Tell me where you're at.
If you want help with your own move, whether that's choosing a country, budgeting or the whole plan, send me a message. I reply personally.
- Planning help for retirees, remote workers and couples
- Introductions to trusted local specialists
- No hard sell: if the guides are enough, I'll tell you