# retirement in Phillipines and Thailand



## Davidseattle (Aug 9, 2009)

Hello out there,
Any seasoned Expats with Knowledge of these Topics? Is the Phillipines easier for Americans?


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## gino (Jul 20, 2009)

Much depends on your personal tastes, aptitudes, goals and so forth. There are people who can rebuild an automatic transmission blindfolded, but can’t carry a tune. 

There are some similarities. The climate and weather are similar. Both countries have large working classes, relatively small aristocracies and rising middle classes. Both countries have a lot of pretty girls who would love nothing more than to find a rich Western guy to support them. 

But there are also a lot of differences. 

Language. A much larger portion of the Philippine population speaks English than is true of the Thai population. However, I find Thai much easier than Tagalog, even though Tagalog uses a Roman alphabet. The word order can be a bit goofy, verbs change form and you have to throw “ng” into every sentence at least three times. I find Tagalog tougher to speak than Mandarin or Japanese, although I’m sure writing is quite a different story. 

Culture. Thailand has a much richer and more varied culture, from food to religion to architecture to literature. 

Infrastructure. Thailand has a much better infrastructure. The electricity is more reliable and the roads and rail system are better. 

Crime and Corruption. These are much larger issues in the Philippines. 

Work. Employment options are limited in Thailand, but even more so in the Philippines. 

Beaches. There are 7,107 islands in the Philippines. Do the math.


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