Retiring in Asia ( pros / cons , options )
Discussion
A con for Indonesia is that they will tax you on world wide income - no special tax status for retirees. Of course, many forget to declare, but the risk is there.
Most retirees go to Bali. But some friends of ours just moved from Jogja to Menado (they are a gay foreign/ local couple, and the local’s gay activism was causing issues) and love it. More tolerant, diving is great. Sulawesi has good scenery for hiking as well. But without Bahasa Indonesia you will struggle - it isn’t exactly cosmopolitan
Medical care in Indonesia is poor to terrible - there is a reason most Indonesians go to Singapore or Penang for treatment...
Yes, East Malaysia has its own immigration control for MM2H
Most retirees go to Bali. But some friends of ours just moved from Jogja to Menado (they are a gay foreign/ local couple, and the local’s gay activism was causing issues) and love it. More tolerant, diving is great. Sulawesi has good scenery for hiking as well. But without Bahasa Indonesia you will struggle - it isn’t exactly cosmopolitan
Medical care in Indonesia is poor to terrible - there is a reason most Indonesians go to Singapore or Penang for treatment...
Yes, East Malaysia has its own immigration control for MM2H
wisbech said:
Most retirees go to Bali. But some friends of ours just moved from Jogja to Menado (they are a gay foreign/ local couple, and the local’s gay activism was causing issues) and love it. More tolerant, diving is great. Sulawesi has good scenery for hiking as well. But without Bahasa Indonesia you will struggle - it isn’t exactly cosmopolitan
Menado is getting off teh grid!!! i can imagine that if you are of that persuasion, Java and Sumatra are not going to be very open minded to you! Gulf of Tomini is on my list of places to go exploring, amazing place to see by boat.
Been looking at Sumba as a long term speculative punt also ..... just early poking about at the moment though
I wouldn't buy off plan in Malaysia, far too many failed developments, I know Malaysians who have lost out where they paid for things not built, as a forigner you don't have to he local knowledge.
My wife is into property in Indonesia, she knows the market and does ok, no way is she prepared to look in Malaysia at doing the same thing as she recognizes she doesn't have the local knowledge.
My wife is into property in Indonesia, she knows the market and does ok, no way is she prepared to look in Malaysia at doing the same thing as she recognizes she doesn't have the local knowledge.
Berw said:
Malaysia has a number of states and they each set a minimum value on what forigners can buy, so it's different in each state, KL 1 million, Penang is 2m, by statute. Some states also take a long time to approve a purchase. Selengor has been known to refuse. Kl took one year to approve my purchase.
I agreed to rent my place while I was seeking approval, as several sellers would not sell to a forigner due to the time delay.
You can pm me if you want advice, I've lived in Kl, Borneo and most of peninsular Malaysia with work.
Thanks for that ... 2m is a reasonably high hurdle ... but quick look at mm2h suggests renting is OK ( though I’d rather own long term).I agreed to rent my place while I was seeking approval, as several sellers would not sell to a forigner due to the time delay.
You can pm me if you want advice, I've lived in Kl, Borneo and most of peninsular Malaysia with work.
Berw said:
. The election last week of Pas on the east coast means it is lickly that alcohol sales will be banned there as they where last time pas run the state.
Oof! If alcohol sales are banned down near Semporna ... that will hit the tourism / diving business (Sipadan is an amazing dive area )... keep selling alcohol and use the tax the clean and tidy the rotting fish smell from the port
Berw said:
I wouldn't buy off plan in Malaysia, far too many failed developments, I know Malaysians who have lost out where they paid for things not built, as a forigner you don't have to he local knowledge.
My wife is into property in Indonesia, she knows the market and does ok, no way is she prepared to look in Malaysia at doing the same thing as she recognizes she doesn't have the local knowledge.
fair comment .... there are some reasonably safe ones in Iskander, which is a combination of Singapore and Abu Dhabi money but then again, do you want to live in Johor? Its basically a sunny Croydon to Singapore .... My wife is into property in Indonesia, she knows the market and does ok, no way is she prepared to look in Malaysia at doing the same thing as she recognizes she doesn't have the local knowledge.
Problem with Iskander is it is not sustainable, looking at Chinese customers and the Chinese banks aren't to interested to loan, and Johor, Im there as i write this its a dump, weekend is full of drunken Singaporeans.
The place I have in KL was a stalled development, we bought of the guy who bought of plan he made no money. But when I bought he never meet me dealt with the wife, my lawyer said I paid 10k less than any other European in the development.
I'd rent to start with, you can rent a decent Condo in KL for 500 pound a month at the moment, and top class duplex for 1,000. I know some one who just rented in 3 Kia Peng, very high end.
I rented in the same condo as Xks owned in at one time, great place, city center nice two bed, I only moved out because the pool wasn't child friendly when the kids came in the summer.
One issue all the retirement visas insist on a medical insurance, which can be difficult to get at 65+ unless you are an existing customer.
The place I have in KL was a stalled development, we bought of the guy who bought of plan he made no money. But when I bought he never meet me dealt with the wife, my lawyer said I paid 10k less than any other European in the development.
I'd rent to start with, you can rent a decent Condo in KL for 500 pound a month at the moment, and top class duplex for 1,000. I know some one who just rented in 3 Kia Peng, very high end.
I rented in the same condo as Xks owned in at one time, great place, city center nice two bed, I only moved out because the pool wasn't child friendly when the kids came in the summer.
One issue all the retirement visas insist on a medical insurance, which can be difficult to get at 65+ unless you are an existing customer.
Berw said:
Problem with Iskander is it is not sustainable, looking at Chinese customers and the Chinese banks aren't to interested to loan, and Johor, Im there as i write this its a dump, weekend is full of drunken Singaporeans.
Oi, we resemble that comment - but yes, it is basically the new Chinese suburbs of Singapore, but the more SG and MY play silly buggers with borders etc the less viable it becomes.
Berw said:
I rented in the same condo as Xks owned in at one time, great place, city center nice two bed, I only moved out because the pool wasn't child friendly when the kids came in the summer.
And we got it at a good price but the ex never did manage to rent it out. Best one was actually the house i got in Horizon Hills, doubled my money, but it as a case of perfect timing. Berw said:
One issue all the retirement visas insist on a medical insurance, which can be difficult to get at 65+ unless you are an existing customer.
- 100% - this catches out so many people, especially those in Perm employment with company policies and suddenly end up on their uppers when they retire. David, if you want can recommend a good broker here in Singapore than can make sure you have a useful insurance policy that also meets the requirements of these visa's. I believe even Thailand is planning on implementing this. XJSJohn said:
Berw said:
Problem with Iskander is it is not sustainable, looking at Chinese customers and the Chinese banks aren't to interested to loan, and Johor, Im there as i write this its a dump, weekend is full of drunken Singaporeans.
Oi, we resemble that comment - but yes, it is basically the new Chinese suburbs of Singapore, but the more SG and MY play silly buggers with borders etc the less viable it becomes.
Berw said:
I rented in the same condo as Xks owned in at one time, great place, city center nice two bed, I only moved out because the pool wasn't child friendly when the kids came in the summer.
And we got it at a good price but the ex never did manage to rent it out. Best one was actually the house i got in Horizon Hills, doubled my money, but it as a case of perfect timing. Berw said:
One issue all the retirement visas insist on a medical insurance, which can be difficult to get at 65+ unless you are an existing customer.
- 100% - this catches out so many people, especially those in Perm employment with company policies and suddenly end up on their uppers when they retire. David, if you want can recommend a good broker here in Singapore than can make sure you have a useful insurance policy that also meets the requirements of these visa's. I believe even Thailand is planning on implementing this. Funny - I went to a sales pitch for buying large plots at Leisure Farm (next to JB) about 5 years ago ... how you could get a Hollywood size mansion built for about $1.5m -2m ... price of condo in SG. I wasn’t hooked - couldn’t see there was much of a liquid market for 8,000 SG foot ‘southfork’ In JB.
I reckon the plots have been flipped around for 15 years with very little actually getting built (at LF). JB has little appeal for me to be honest... like a crappy suburb of Singapore with no SG residency.
... have applied for a role in KL ... so will see how that goes ...
alfaman said:
Funny - I went to a sales pitch for buying large plots at Leisure Farm (next to JB) about 5 years ago ... how you could get a Hollywood size mansion built for about $1.5m -2m ... price of condo in SG. I wasn’t hooked - couldn’t see there was much of a liquid market for 8,000 SG foot ‘southfork’ In JB.
I reckon the plots have been flipped around for 15 years with very little actually getting built (at LF). JB has little appeal for me to be honest... like a crappy suburb of Singapore with no SG residency.
... have applied for a role in KL ... so will see how that goes ...
Leisure Farm was always going to be a big strech, those that have money to buy that in JB can probably already afford something nice in SG. I reckon the plots have been flipped around for 15 years with very little actually getting built (at LF). JB has little appeal for me to be honest... like a crappy suburb of Singapore with no SG residency.
... have applied for a role in KL ... so will see how that goes ...
Horizon Hills was nice to start with until the place got taken over by the Singaporean's ... horrific thought to stay, great opportunity to sell.
Yesterday the press announced that Malaysia would be opening the Mmh2 retirment visa for new applicants sone, only awaiting cabinet approval of the new terms.
Looks like the only condition if your over 50 is to deposit 150,000 RM around 30k pounds into an interest earning deposit account.
I'm told that there is no longer the right to import a car duty free, and the insistance on expensive medical cover had been dropped.
It's a good deal because as a resident you only pay tax on money make in Malaysia, you will be able to work 20 hours a week.
Looks like the only condition if your over 50 is to deposit 150,000 RM around 30k pounds into an interest earning deposit account.
I'm told that there is no longer the right to import a car duty free, and the insistance on expensive medical cover had been dropped.
It's a good deal because as a resident you only pay tax on money make in Malaysia, you will be able to work 20 hours a week.
some great information on this little thread... Thanks
Our home is on the Downs in Sussex and we arrived in KL for a 3yr freelance contract in April '21 as I'm managing a new power station project near Port Klang West Port. We have worked in MY & SG previously and are looking at our options as we are mid-late 50's.
The HSBC manager in Mont Kiara tried to get a good nose around our options with our retirement funds when we opened an a/c
so we did start to give some thought about possibilities here.
I first came here in the mid-90's with YTL doing a power plant at Paka on the East coast in Tengganu state. The country was buzzing those Mahatir days and rise of Petronas, new Proton cars, Vision2020, Sepang airport & F1 etc. Shah Alam race track was buzzing with car and bike track sessions for peanuts - it got me thinking I could dismantle the Caterham and get it in under the companies 1/2-ton personal shipping allowance...
Things are a bit flat now in comparison - the buzz has gone as has Shah Alam circuit, but its still a liveable place, esp. around nice parts of KL. A lot more Bumi-sation and more Islamisation for sure.
Anyhow, I'm rambling-out-loud. Good food-for-thought you guys have given - thanks again
Our home is on the Downs in Sussex and we arrived in KL for a 3yr freelance contract in April '21 as I'm managing a new power station project near Port Klang West Port. We have worked in MY & SG previously and are looking at our options as we are mid-late 50's.
The HSBC manager in Mont Kiara tried to get a good nose around our options with our retirement funds when we opened an a/c
so we did start to give some thought about possibilities here.I first came here in the mid-90's with YTL doing a power plant at Paka on the East coast in Tengganu state. The country was buzzing those Mahatir days and rise of Petronas, new Proton cars, Vision2020, Sepang airport & F1 etc. Shah Alam race track was buzzing with car and bike track sessions for peanuts - it got me thinking I could dismantle the Caterham and get it in under the companies 1/2-ton personal shipping allowance...
Things are a bit flat now in comparison - the buzz has gone as has Shah Alam circuit, but its still a liveable place, esp. around nice parts of KL. A lot more Bumi-sation and more Islamisation for sure.
Anyhow, I'm rambling-out-loud. Good food-for-thought you guys have given - thanks again
Edited by ggdrew on Monday 9th August 17:43
Hi, Retiring is not so good after last Thursday, you need a 1/4 Million US$ in a local bank, looked up for 5 years and a pension of 120K US4 per annum. But there is aback lash against that so we'll see if it will change this week, or even today when the PM changes.
Shah Alam and Johor, are well gone but lots going on at Sepang, actually more now F1 is gone. MSF is the local series, 60 car grids, its a bit of a shambles but good fun, Malaysian Super Bike is a good weekend, you can get paddock passes for these on the day.
KL is a great place for classic cars, as maintenance is so cheap, there are some great deals around if you look, and take you time, a decent classic mechanic will be about 7 pound an hour. I'm in to classic racing at Sepang, and if I race next year your welcome to come along a few people on here have been.
I live in BB area of KL so I'm up for a pint when we can.
Shah Alam and Johor, are well gone but lots going on at Sepang, actually more now F1 is gone. MSF is the local series, 60 car grids, its a bit of a shambles but good fun, Malaysian Super Bike is a good weekend, you can get paddock passes for these on the day.
KL is a great place for classic cars, as maintenance is so cheap, there are some great deals around if you look, and take you time, a decent classic mechanic will be about 7 pound an hour. I'm in to classic racing at Sepang, and if I race next year your welcome to come along a few people on here have been.
I live in BB area of KL so I'm up for a pint when we can.
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