Just need to know EVERYTHING about moving to SE Asia

    Hello everyone, my name is Kevin. The last thing I want is to be a burden to you all, but I keep researching and seem to be going in circles. All I have determined is that the starting point is determining if I can afford to live off what I will have when I board the plane. I believe I cas as I have researched extensively the cost of goods and services, and have developed what I think is a budget that will give me 15 comfortable years. My ultimate goal is Vietnam, but every country there could be a possibility as I learn more and more about them. I figure my next step is visa requirements, but plan on landing in Thailand where US citizens are not required to obtain a Vise, but must show travel itinerary indicating plans to leave within 30 days, with possibility of extending another 30 days. I will figure out the process for obtaining visas for my next destinations while there. Next would be purchasing the flight and getting required and suggested vaccinations. Pretty straight forward. Here is where I'm lost. What I am assuming to be the correct first steps may be totally wrong, or missing vital items. And once there, I can find temporary lodging, but longer term, no clue. I guess what I'm hoping for here is really the do's and don'ts about getting there, and what to do the first 60 days to get acclimated to the area and the processes for what to do the following 60 days to set myself up for success. I will bounce around a lot as is part of the plan. I will leave here 2 rolling duffel bags and a backpack, nothing else. I'll be traveling very light. What those will contain other than clothing, your input will be very valuable to me also. This may or be way to much to be asking from all on this forum so please forgive. I will have lots more questions though I'm certain. Thanks so much for your help and patients with me. Sincerely, Kevin.
   

    -@kevinodprobate

Your very first step in this forum is to avoid reinventing the wheel.

On the main forum page use the search bar to check out the archives on myriad subjects.

You are correct that the very first item you should learn about would be visa regulations.

Actually, visa RESTRICTIONS are most important.

Unless you are a specialist approved by the government for employment, your first stay (and every stay after that) will be limited to 3 months at a time before being required to exit and re-enter the country for another 3 months.

Visas are the number 1 thing to check.

As for costs, that depends mostly on you.

Villages are cheap all over Asia, but living in cities can get pricey.

If you visit Indonesia, alcohol will make life expensive, but it can be cheap in other countries.

   All I have determined is that the starting point is determining if I can afford to live off what I will have when I board the plane. I believe I can as I have researched extensively the cost of goods and services, and have developed what I think is a budget that will give me 15 comfortable years.

Generally speaking, the cost of living for the essentials (rent/food/transport) in much of Southeast Asia is quite low to reasonable, especially Vietnam.  There are tons of videos on this subject on the Internet.

My ultimate goal is Vietnam, but every country there could be a possibility as I learn more and more about them. I figure my next step is visa requirements, but plan on landing in Thailand where US citizens are not required to obtain a visa, but must show travel itinerary indicating plans to leave within 30 days with possibility of extending another 30 days.

• Sounds like a good plan, although spending time in Bangkok might be challenging/get old fast. The old parts of town near the river are nicer.

• It's been reported that the Thailand's visa-free duration has recently been changed to 60 days. You should confirm that and do more research by posting on the Thailand forum:

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewforum.php?id=211

I will figure out the process for obtaining visas for my next destinations while there.

There are travel agents everywhere who assist travelers. Get some word-of-mouth recommendations to ensure reliability. 

I will bounce around a lot as is part of the plan. I will leave here 2 rolling duffel bags and a backpack, nothing else. I'll be traveling very light.

A lot of people do this and post tons of videos about all the places and countries they visit/stay in. Apparently, it's possible to make money this way.

What those will contain other than clothing, your input will be very valuable to me also.

In general, "Less is more." Actually, there was a somewhat recent thread about this. I don't see it now. Can anyone remember/find it?

OK. I was able to find it but only by going through my own activity log.  The search function is not very useful:

Read through this to get started about packing:

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 42#5913408

I will have lots more questions though I'm certain. Thanks so much for your help and patience with me.

Read through all the relevant recent threads, please, and get back to us.
   

    -@kevinodprobate

Thanks so much to all of you. It seems as if I'm off to a solid start. Your replies have given me another level of confidence that I can actually pull this off. I've moved to the research portion of finding the right combination of flights to get me there as economically and comfortably as possible. NOT flying 20 hrs in coach! I'm going to treat myself a bit on the first leg of this adventure. I will contact a trusted travel agent as someone ercommended for help on this, but any insight about your experiences would be appreciated. I'm very interested in what one of you said about documenting my travels and experiences sharing them,  and possibility of generating an income from this. I'd LOVE to hear more about this. I'm technology stupid, but a few key words will point me in the right direction. I've never been on facebook, but know that will be a must just for communication purposes with people here. Thank you all once more for taking your time to reply. 

WhatsApp is pretty much the king of communication in Indonesia, and I gather over most of Asia.

Watch out for use restrictions on imported devices that have SIM cards.

I k ow Indonesia has such a thing, and other countries might well have something similar.

...I've never been on facebook, but know that will be a must just for communication purposes with people here. Thank you all once more for taking your time to reply. 
       -@kevinodprobate

In Vietnam the most popular app would be Zalo.

In Thailand, it is Line.

    ...any insight about your experiences would be appreciated. I'm very interested in what one of you said about documenting my travels and experiences sharing them,  and possibility of generating an income from this. I'd LOVE to hear more about this. I'm technology stupid, but a few key words will point me in the right direction. I've never been on facebook, but know that will be a must just for communication purposes with people here. Thank you all once more for taking your time to reply. 
   

    -@kevinodprobate

Regarding insights about experiences, you have to ask specific questions. What exactly do you need information about or want to know?

As for the videos, go to YouTube and search for "Living in Southeast Asia" or similar queries. You'll find 1000's of videos on various topics/countries on numerous channels. Unfortunately, in my opinion, most of them aren't very watchable but they can be informative if you can sit through the blah blah blah of someone talking, often rambling on, for about half an hour, plus you can see what's happening in the various places as they are filmed on location. People make money from the site by getting subscribers and views. In addition, you can learn some basic Vietnamese/Thai/Lao/Cambodian, etc. phrases on the channels with language lessons. There's also a site called Instagram, where people post photos, which I don't know much about.

Yes, Facebook is handy for keeping in touch with people you meet and those back home, both through their own page where they can post photos, videos, updates etc. and the private messenger function. Also, as I mentioned, you can join communities of people with similar interests and share info. For example, when I lived in Vung Tau, Vietnam, I was active on the The Polite Expats in Vung Tau Forum. Here in Kampot, Cambodia, we have The Kampot Noticeboard.

So, watch some videos if you've got some spare time.

., 

Living in Southeast Asia

It's a big place with a lot of different countries, customs, and languages.

My little corner of the world is, in my most humble of opinions, the best place on our little blue and green ball.

Others hold the same opinion about their chosen country.

Expatriation is a strange thing that a lot can't cope with, or simply choose the wrong place to try.

I recommend a couple of long holidays that don't involve Bali, Puket (Yes, I did miss-spell in order to describe the place), or other places tourists have destroyed.

Get to know the people, the customs, the food, and everything else you need to know before moving.

Toilets are a good start - No toilet paper is standard in many SEA countries.

Now, onto the subject of visas ........