Moving or retiring to South East Asia, step by step
26 guides on visas, money, healthcare and housing for Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines. Each one is checked against official sources and dated.
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Thailand · Vietnam · Cambodia · Philippines
Where to retire in South East Asia
Where to retire in South East Asia: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines compared on retirement visas, monthly costs, healthcare and English.
9 min read
All 26 guides, starting with the countries.
Where to retire in South East Asia
Where to retire in South East Asia: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines compared on retirement visas, monthly costs, healthcare and English.
Moving to Thailand
How to move to Thailand in the right order: pick the visa first, then sort tax and paperwork at home, housing, a Thai bank account and health insurance.
Thailand retirement visa
Who qualifies for a Thailand retirement visa at 50 and over, how much money and insurance you need, which route to apply by, and how to renew each year.
Thailand or Vietnam?
Thailand or Vietnam to live in? How they compare on visas, monthly costs, hospitals and daily life, and which one suits retirees and remote workers.
Moving to Vietnam
How people actually live in Vietnam long term: the 90-day e-visa, who can get a residence card, police registration, renting, banking and health cover.
Retiring in Vietnam
Vietnam has no retirement visa. How retirees live there on 90-day e-visas, who can get a residence card, what it costs and where the good hospitals are.
How to move to Cambodia
How to move to Cambodia, in order: the US$35 E visa and its extensions, address registration, banking, renting, property rules and a six-month timeline.
Retiring in Cambodia
Retiring in Cambodia: how the ER retirement extension works from 55, what it costs, monthly budgets by town, and the catches with healthcare and the border.
Cost of living in Cambodia
What it costs to live in Cambodia each month in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Kampot and Kep, and Sihanoukville, for singles and couples, line by line.
Living in Kampot
What living in Kampot, Cambodia is like for retirees: monthly costs, the nearest hospital, where people live, getting there, visas and the wet season.
Healthcare in Cambodia
What healthcare in Cambodia is like: the main hospitals in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Kampot, paying up front, medical evacuation and the insurance you need.
Moving to the Philippines
Moving to the Philippines: stretching a 30-day entry to three years, the SRRV and 13A visas, where retirees live, monthly costs, hospitals and typhoons.
The Philippines retirement visa
The Philippines SRRV retirement visa after the 2025 overhaul: who qualifies from age 40, the deposits, fees and documents, and how it compares with Thailand.
Philippines tourist visa extensions
How to stretch a 30-day visa-free stay in the Philippines to 36 months: each extension, BI fees in pesos and A$, the ACR I-Card, the ECC and overstays.
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.
Healthcare and health insurance
How good the hospitals are in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines, what treatment and insurance cost, and the cover the Thai visas require.
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.
UK State Pension in South East Asia
Where your UK State Pension keeps rising and where it's frozen in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines, plus claiming, life certificates and tax.
Tax when you leave Australia
What happens to your Australian tax when you move to Thailand or Vietnam: residency, the 30% foreign resident rate, your home, super, HELP and Thai tax.
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.
Sending money from Australia
The cheapest ways to send money from Australia to Thailand or Vietnam: what a bank transfer really costs, and how Wise, OFX and Revolut compare.
Renting in Thailand and Vietnam
How to rent in Thailand or Vietnam without losing money: where to search, what neighbourhoods cost, red flags, what to check and the paperwork.
Five seaside towns worth a look
Vung Tau, Hua Hin, Pattaya, Hoi An and Nha Trang: five seaside towns for retirees who want somewhere smaller, with rents, budgets and nearby hospitals.
VPNs in Thailand and Vietnam
Is a VPN legal in Thailand and Vietnam, why expats use one, and how ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, Proton and Mullvad compare on price.
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.
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.
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