Post: #26

(05-28-2013 09:37 AM)shibby Wrote:  My intention was not to badmouth BKK so I hope no one takes it that way, actually even though I didn't really do anything there except eat alot and chase girls I feel very fulfilled with the time I spent there, and if the opportunity presented itself I would even consider living there if the weather wasn't so damn hot all the time.

I didn't take it that way at all. I've been thinking about this a lot lately, about how just a couple events or friends can totally change someones perception of a place. So many differing views on the major cities in SEA even from like minded people. Seems it comes down to where you caught some luck and had a good time right out of the gate.

Post: #27

(05-28-2013 11:03 AM)iknowexactly Wrote:  

(05-28-2013 10:07 AM)Sp5 Wrote:  .... In BKK I can rent a decent big room with a balcony and a skyline view near the BRT for 11000 THB a month. Have not found anything like that in Manila yet.

Is that with your own bathroom and kitchen? How's security, like is there a good lock and can you leave your laptop there?

Your own bathroom, refrigerator, couch. Maybe a "kitchen" with a sink but no oven and stove, but there is a cheap good restaurant downstairs, plus food stands on the street.

A coin laundromat downstairs too.

You could buy an electric boiler to boil eggs and make coffee for 300 THB.

Security good, double locks with a bolt, plus a latch you can put your own padlock on.

Post: #28

What part of town is your apartment in Sp5? Sounds like a good deal.

Post: #29

(05-28-2013 03:05 PM)ThailandRockstar Wrote:  What part of town is your apartment in Sp5? Sounds like a good deal.

Near Victory Monument BRT. I sent you a PM with the details.

Post: #30

Yeah got the PM. Cheers. Victory Monument is a good area of town to stay in.

Post: #31

I've been living in Thailand 18 years this Nov. During this time I've been all over SEA and played the game (see parenthesis for number of visits).

Thailand has everywhere beat overall. The country lacks in some ways (it's more mainstream now, more foreigners, rising costs) but for women, IMO it is better than anywhere else.

Philippines (25x) - second to Thailand. I speak Thai so their ability to speak the language does little for me. Also, I find Tagolog irritating. I don't think they're nearly as pretty as Thais on the whole and while there are definitely some sweethearts available, so many of them are dying to get married it puts me off. Also, they tend to be far more clingy than Thais and I've had number girls sit in the lobby of my hotel waiting for me for hours. I don't like this, especially if I'm bringing back a new girl and the old one causes a scene.

Cambodia (40-50X) - Thailand 20 years ago - runs a close second to the PI. Although there is P4P, not nearly as much as in Thailand. Relatively easy to hook up with a low-middle class non-pro. You need to really look to find a hottie.

Indonesia (5x) - I do like this place and have had some stunning women who were top-notch all the way around. My knowledge of Indonesia is less than in many other Asian countries but if you have a fair amount of cash, Indonesia is a good place to live and you can find yourself a gorgeous woman quite easily.

Myanmar (12x) - definitely not a huge whoring scene. You need to know where to go. But if Cambodia is Thailand 20 years ago, Myanmar is Thailand 50 years ago. The people are generally very nice and friendly as are the women. However, I'm not sure it's a place you want to live. Gaming regular women means giving some sort of commitment so if you're going to do this I think it behooves a man to live in the country. Also not the easiest thing to do.

Laos (4x) - Quite a bit of desperation going on here and I personally don't like taking women simply because they're desperate and need a few bucks. If they're that desperate I'd rather give em $5 or $10. The last time I took a girl there, she literally begged me to take her back to Thailand. I finally dodged that bullet and took her home. She lived in a tiny tin shack that sat on a nasty patch of mud. She shared the place with her family and a dozen or so people were crammed into the place. Not my cup of tea.

Singapore (18x) - enough women, low-end at Geylang, but Orchard Towers is the place to go. There and massage parlors. Expensive though. I once saw a Thai girl in Singapore that I had been in Thailand. I asked her to give me the Thai price. "No, can not. I pay too much money come Singapore."

Malaysia (2x) - P4P is readily available in massage parlors. I've only spent a couple of days here in transit so that's all I can say about the place. But there are Chinese, Indian, Malays, Thais...

Post: #32

I'm not sure but I think you may be confused, this is NOT a P4P forum, the guys here are not interested in that scene. Maybe I picked up your post wrong.

Your Cambodia point that it is easy to hook up with a non pro...how? You can't find any of them anywhere. The country is too small and conservative. PP is about the only place worth staying as a farang but even there the choices are limited. The non pro girls don't go to bars and clubs unless they are the upper class girls and most of them have upper class boyfriends or are with gangsters and won't look twice at a 'barang' who's passing through or an expat unless he has serious money.

Post: #33

Quote:I'm not sure but I think you may be confused, this is NOT a P4P forum, the guys here are not interested in that scene. Maybe I picked up your post wrong.

Your Cambodia point that it is easy to hook up with a non pro...how? You can't find any of them anywhere. The country is too small and conservative. PP is about the only place worth staying as a farang but even there the choices are limited. The non pro girls don't go to bars and clubs unless they are the upper class girls and most of them have upper class boyfriends or are with gangsters and won't look twice at a 'barang' who's passing through or an expat unless he has serious money.

I'm not confused at all. Perhaps you misunderstood my contrasting the availability of different types of women.

Cambodia - I've been to just about every major city in Cambodia numerous times, some places weeks at a time, so I've had plenty of time to get to know some of the women I was with. Over the years I've built up a network of friends and acquaintances. The girls are conservative, but this certainly doesn't mean you can't hook-up with them. You do need to approach them in a manner that doesn't scare the shit out of them or put them off. They think every barang only wants one thing. For that matter, every male.

I've had several girls who worked in restaurants as waitresses, another who was a cashier, and another who taught English. My Khmer isn't great but after a few days I start to remember enough to make them laugh. My normal approach was to meet them for coffee or lunch or even ice cream and then talk your way into getting them to go out to dinner with you.

Once you establish a pattern of going out with them in the evening, then you work on getting them to come back to your hotel. This was never easy and in one instance the girl came in, sat on my bed for a few minutes, and then said she had to leave. She came back a few days later but it took time and patience before she stayed with me. I always had to put in the time with these girls, which I didn't mind as Cambodia can be boring at times.

Myanmar - In the 12 or so times I've been to Myanmar, I only got one regular chick and that was because of a long-time Burmese friend who vouched for me and coaxed her to go out with me. She had a car, had money, and was decent looking. She was much better in the sack than I thought she was so my time with her turned out better than I expected.

Scoring with upper class Burmese is a pain...middle class, maybe, lower class, easier but still, no walk in the park. There is still a stigma for a Burmese woman to be seen with a foreigner (nanginchada). I took one girl out to a restaurant with a Burmese friend and they politely asked if we wanted to sit in a room away from the other customers. The last time I went I got the phone number of a girl who was around 24 who ran a fruit shake stand. She was on me like white on rice but I'm positive she was looking for a man to help her out and that man wasn't me. My Burmese friend kept telling me to hook up with her but I didn't want to lead this chick on just for a piece of ass and didn't want to deal with a woman there as I was there on business.

Singapore - there are some hot Singaporean women but from what I've seen and heard from Singaporean women, most of them are either more concerned with work or looking for a husband with big dough. Also, they like to try to dominate their men (according to a Singaporean woman). I've went out with a couple of Singaporeans. One in particular was an 8-9, very intelligent, graduated from a good university...but she was way too stuffy for my taste. She turned out to be a good friend after our steamy period. Now she's married to some Austrian guy. Singapore IMO is not an easy place to hook up but it's certainly possible. If not, that's what Geylang and Orchard are for.[/quote]

Malaysia - I have only spent a couple of days there and had no time to go out and pick up women. I did however have time to hit the massage parlor in the hotels.

Post: #34

Sorry for the confusion. I read your post when drunk.

Post: #35

Maybe the secret to happiness is taking a Filipina home to Thailand.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #36

(07-13-2013 04:41 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  Maybe the secret to happiness is taking a Filipina home to Thailand.

Taking any women, to another country, for long periods would be a nightmare for me. I enjoy spending my own time the way I want without having to worry about someone else.

For a week or two, it would be fun but after that she would get on my nerves.

Post: #37

(07-13-2013 04:41 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  Maybe the secret to happiness is taking a Filipina home to Thailand.

I think so. I've been imagining seeing Bangkok through the eyes of a Filipina and it would look pretty good to them.

There are lots of Filipinas in BKK teaching English, I've dated one and have another date in a couple of days. Also working on having a Filipina from Manila get a teaching job here and support me.

I was at the Bastille Day party at Alliance Francaise tonight - it was free entrance, great crowd, I was sorry I brought a Thai woman who had to leave because she's going to work a 6 am. That kind of event does not happen as much in Manila, in Bangkok there is some gallery opening or free cultural event every night.

I highly recommend gallery openings, btw - usually free beer and wine and an interesting crowd with approach opportunities galore.

Post: #38

I have thought about that too. There are a lot of beautiful, sexy, smart and fun Pinays in the Phils. Find one you like and vibe well with, preferably one with an education and some skills. I wouldn't take a dirt poor girl as you would be bored out of your mind in less than a day with her. Good luck man if you do it, report how it goes.

(07-13-2013 04:41 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  Maybe the secret to happiness is taking a Filipina home to Thailand.

Post: #39

Dan Brown had a scene set in Manila in his latest novel Inferno and described it as "the gates of hell." So the shit has hit the fan about that.

http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2013/07...of-manila/

http://www.spot.ph/the-feed/53529/author...escription

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnew...ferno.html

The difference between Manila and Bangkok is that in Manila, you go between upper class bubbles like Fort Bonifacio, parts of Makati, and Ortigas, and in between it seems hellish, while in Bangkok, the whole city seems more like an integrated organism that's never too bad, even though it gets a bit more grim in some parts.

Post: #40

Quick question. I'm dying to get out of Hanoi and the internet stopped working in my apartment so I'm breaking my lease and getting a refund on the remainder of my time here and trying to figure out my next place to go.

Mid-forties, often told I look 5 to 10 years younger because I'm slim and dress youngish and frankly just all around act half my age. My income took a big haircut after I got here so I'm on a super-tight budget and need to live a cheap lifestyle for the next month or two while I get my income back up. I'm basically looking to post up somewhere that I can focus on my work for while and meet some girls to hang out with. Don't need a new bang every two days. I'd be fine with one good one I can enjoy my time with and do the gf thing for a bit. Maybe a bit on the side here and there. Whatever. Mutliples aren't my priority but having some company that doesn't bore me and I don't have to work at too too hard is. I need something to take my mind off my financial situation a few times a week.

Been to Philippines a few times and I like it there. Even Manila is fine with me. Lots of girls to choose from, they are generally good-humored and fun to be around and the romance escalation happens very naturally. The interaction on the way is fairly enjoyable. (In contrast to Hanoian girls which are just fucked up but that's for another thread.) I like that Filipinas know how to flirt. When they want you they don't play all these stupid games. It's not because it's easy as much as because it's enjoyable.

If money wasn't a factor I'd go straight there to Manila (or anywhere in the Phils, actually). But I noticed that you can get much more bang for your buck with apartments in BKK. Quite nice places for $350/mo. Something similar in Manila would cost $600+ or so it seems. So for money reasons, I'm thinking of BKK.

But what's the game there? I'll do online, that's fine. I don't care. Don't have the money to go out clubbing anyway. And I don't want to spend that much time day gaming. But what's the standard MO?

For me, in the Phils, when I meet a girl from online, 90% of the time we'll go out for a juice or whatever, maybe a cheap dinner, I'll suggest we watch TV in my room and then we'll go and then it's game over. Rarely has it not worked out this way.

Can I expect the same progression to work in BKK or will it generally take longer? Is the progression natural and flowing or do they tend to do weird shit like tell you they just want to be friends after spending all night practically sitting in your lap? Do they expect you to take them out all the time? In the Phils I've had no problem meeting girls and I've never felt like I had to spend money on them for them to stick around. I would do so if I wanted to and that was it. Even then it was never very fancy.

Right now I'm just not in the mood to deal with bullshit at all and wondering if I'd be adding a lot of stress with the girl chasing by going to BKK instead of Manila. I want to save myself some money but it's not worth it if it's not fun. Too much to worry about right now.

Post: #41

If you want to focus on work BKK is probably the more ideal location because its cheaper and girls will require more work (less distraction). Cleaner city but much less english.

Manila for me would not be ideal because girls would take up too much of my time. Crap city but easier girls.

There are MANY more foreigners in BKK than Manila......I have been surprised how many more foreigners are going to Manila the last few years.
Its becoming more like BKK.

It would depend how important the budget is. BKK wins in budget, better city/infrastructure.....

Higher income girls I know in Manila fly to BKK for foreign hook ups.
Basically they are swooping BKK. Another I met was swooping Singapore
for the same reason.

Being in your 40's Phily would be easier for girls. Girls vs. budget vs. City.
Your choice.

(11-03-2015 08:11 AM)tatami Wrote:  Quick question. I'm dying to get out of Hanoi and the internet stopped working in my apartment so I'm breaking my lease and getting a refund on the remainder of my time here and trying to figure out my next place to go.

Mid-forties, often told I look 5 to 10 years younger because I'm slim and dress youngish and frankly just all around act half my age. My income took a big haircut after I got here so I'm on a super-tight budget and need to live a cheap lifestyle for the next month or two while I get my income back up. I'm basically looking to post up somewhere that I can focus on my work for while and meet some girls to hang out with. Don't need a new bang every two days. I'd be fine with one good one I can enjoy my time with and do the gf thing for a bit. Maybe a bit on the side here and there. Whatever. Mutliples aren't my priority but having some company that doesn't bore me and I don't have to work at too too hard is. I need something to take my mind off my financial situation a few times a week.

Been to Philippines a few times and I like it there. Even Manila is fine with me. Lots of girls to choose from, they are generally good-humored and fun to be around and the romance escalation happens very naturally. The interaction on the way is fairly enjoyable. (In contrast to Hanoian girls which are just fucked up but that's for another thread.) I like that Filipinas know how to flirt. When they want you they don't play all these stupid games. It's not because it's easy as much as because it's enjoyable.

If money wasn't a factor I'd go straight there to Manila (or anywhere in the Phils, actually). But I noticed that you can get much more bang for your buck with apartments in BKK. Quite nice places for $350/mo. Something similar in Manila would cost $600+ or so it seems. So for money reasons, I'm thinking of BKK.

But what's the game there? I'll do online, that's fine. I don't care. Don't have the money to go out clubbing anyway. And I don't want to spend that much time day gaming. But what's the standard MO?

For me, in the Phils, when I meet a girl from online, 90% of the time we'll go out for a juice or whatever, maybe a cheap dinner, I'll suggest we watch TV in my room and then we'll go and then it's game over. Rarely has it not worked out this way.

Can I expect the same progression to work in BKK or will it generally take longer? Is the progression natural and flowing or do they tend to do weird shit like tell you they just want to be friends after spending all night practically sitting in your lap? Do they expect you to take them out all the time? In the Phils I've had no problem meeting girls and I've never felt like I had to spend money on them for them to stick around. I would do so if I wanted to and that was it. Even then it was never very fancy.

Right now I'm just not in the mood to deal with bullshit at all and wondering if I'd be adding a lot of stress with the girl chasing by going to BKK instead of Manila. I want to save myself some money but it's not worth it if it's not fun. Too much to worry about right now.

Post: #42

(11-03-2015 08:44 AM)dalbroker Wrote:  If you want to focus on work BKK is probably the more ideal location because its cheaper and girls will require more work (less distraction). Cleaner city but much less english.

Manila for me would not be ideal because girls would take up too much of my time. Crap city but easier girls.

There are MANY more foreigners in BKK than Manila......I have been surprised how many more foreigners are going to Manila the last few years.
Its becoming more like BKK.

It would depend how important the budget is. BKK wins in budget, better city/infrastructure.....

Higher income girls I know in Manila fly to BKK for foreign hook ups.
Basically they are swooping BKK. Another I met was swooping Singapore
for the same reason.

Being in your 40's Phily would be easier for girls. Girls vs. budget vs. City.
Your choice.

(11-03-2015 08:11 AM)tatami Wrote:  Quick question. I'm dying to get out of Hanoi and the internet stopped working in my apartment so I'm breaking my lease and getting a refund on the remainder of my time here and trying to figure out my next place to go.

Mid-forties, often told I look 5 to 10 years younger because I'm slim and dress youngish and frankly just all around act half my age. My income took a big haircut after I got here so I'm on a super-tight budget and need to live a cheap lifestyle for the next month or two while I get my income back up. I'm basically looking to post up somewhere that I can focus on my work for while and meet some girls to hang out with. Don't need a new bang every two days. I'd be fine with one good one I can enjoy my time with and do the gf thing for a bit. Maybe a bit on the side here and there. Whatever. Mutliples aren't my priority but having some company that doesn't bore me and I don't have to work at too too hard is. I need something to take my mind off my financial situation a few times a week.

Been to Philippines a few times and I like it there. Even Manila is fine with me. Lots of girls to choose from, they are generally good-humored and fun to be around and the romance escalation happens very naturally. The interaction on the way is fairly enjoyable. (In contrast to Hanoian girls which are just fucked up but that's for another thread.) I like that Filipinas know how to flirt. When they want you they don't play all these stupid games. It's not because it's easy as much as because it's enjoyable.

If money wasn't a factor I'd go straight there to Manila (or anywhere in the Phils, actually). But I noticed that you can get much more bang for your buck with apartments in BKK. Quite nice places for $350/mo. Something similar in Manila would cost $600+ or so it seems. So for money reasons, I'm thinking of BKK.

But what's the game there? I'll do online, that's fine. I don't care. Don't have the money to go out clubbing anyway. And I don't want to spend that much time day gaming. But what's the standard MO?

For me, in the Phils, when I meet a girl from online, 90% of the time we'll go out for a juice or whatever, maybe a cheap dinner, I'll suggest we watch TV in my room and then we'll go and then it's game over. Rarely has it not worked out this way.

Can I expect the same progression to work in BKK or will it generally take longer? Is the progression natural and flowing or do they tend to do weird shit like tell you they just want to be friends after spending all night practically sitting in your lap? Do they expect you to take them out all the time? In the Phils I've had no problem meeting girls and I've never felt like I had to spend money on them for them to stick around. I would do so if I wanted to and that was it. Even then it was never very fancy.

Right now I'm just not in the mood to deal with bullshit at all and wondering if I'd be adding a lot of stress with the girl chasing by going to BKK instead of Manila. I want to save myself some money but it's not worth it if it's not fun. Too much to worry about right now.

yes supply and demand. 2nd tier or 3rd tier Brazil is pretty good....if you speak Portuguese. But for English speakers....nothing beats the Phils.

Post: #43

Why not a second tier city in the Philippines? I think dreambig mentioned Dumaguete being extremely cheap. Plus, it is near a beach. Only downside are the girls there, as it seems. Or maybe Cebu, which his a smaller version of Manila and should be cheaper as well.

Post: #44

(11-03-2015 09:46 AM)Dipar Wrote:  Why not a second tier city in the Philippines? I think dreambig mentioned Dumaguete being extremely cheap. Plus, it is near a beach. Only downside are the girls there, as it seems. Or maybe Cebu, which his a smaller version of Manila and should be cheaper as well.

I cannot say enough about the Phils. Yes they are tricky women...when are they not?.... but the easiest. Though if you speak Portuguese, Brazil is better, though you have to make a point of avoiding fat girls.

Post: #45

How much does a decent studio/1 BR go for in Davao and Cebu compared to Manila and BKK?

Also, can one get by with only English in BKK?

Post: #46

(11-03-2015 09:51 AM)chochemonger1 Wrote:  

(11-03-2015 09:46 AM)Dipar Wrote:  Why not a second tier city in the Philippines? I think dreambig mentioned Dumaguete being extremely cheap. Plus, it is near a beach. Only downside are the girls there, as it seems. Or maybe Cebu, which his a smaller version of Manila and should be cheaper as well.

I cannot say enough about the Phils. Yes they are tricky women...when are they not?.... but the easiest. Though if you speak Portuguese, Brazil is better, though you have to make a point of avoiding fat girls.

My reply was meant as a suggestion to the user tatami. With girls being the downside I wanted to say that girls in Dumaguete are not the easiest.

@CleanSlate: You can easily get by with only english in BKK as long as you are not living in parts of the city that are not frequented by any foreigners.

Post: #47

If you are on a tight budget nothing beats Chiang Mai for value and quality of life.

Post: #48

(11-03-2015 01:47 PM)DirectDanger Wrote:  If you are on a tight budget nothing beats Chiang Mai for value and quality of life.

did you get regular bangs like in Bangkok? It comes down to only that

Post: #49

Thanks for all the replies guys.

I think maybe I tried to stuff too much into my last post and I know my writing is a bit all over. I'll try to be a bit more succinct here.

1) If Manila is a 10 and UAE is a 1 (10 being supereasy and 1 being nearly impossible), where does BKK fall in "ease of hooking up for a mid-40's guy who looks a bit younger and has a much younger attitude and personality?" Is it "harder" than Manila comparatively speaking but still very easy at 9.5? Or is it significantly harder and closer to 7 where I'm going to have to spend significant amounts of time and money chasing girls just to get a little action? I can tell you that I have no issue scoring cute 6s and 7s in the Phils between 18 to 25. How does this translate to BKK?

2) What are the girls like? Are they fun and enjoyable to be with before and after we get naked? Most girls I've met in the Phils have been decent enough fun. They're generally pleasant, like to laugh and their English is not hard to understand. Here in Hanoi, I haven't enjoyed the female company at all except for one who was alright but then she turned out to act batshit later so... Even if it was as easy to get laid here as MNL, I wouldn't be having much fun anyway because I just haven't found any whose company I really enjoy all that much.

There's always the danger of not being able to turn the phone off and letting it become a distraction, of course, but I'd rather that than go where the distraction is being frustrated by how much harder it is to get a girl and/or hating their company.

Choche, would love to go to Brazil but it's way to far for me right now and would kill my budget. And I don't speak Portuguese (although I'm sure I could pick up enough within three months to hurt myself. LOL)

Dipar, I'm not opposed to a smaller city but I need a solid internet connection that I can rely on. I've never been to Dumaguete but Boracay was fucking horrible for net and I couldn't do any work while I was there. Bohol was the same when I was there. If I could be near the beach somewhere and have solid net, maybe I would go there. And Cebu, well, I can't say I'm that big a fan. I often read about others loving it and hating on Manila but I find Cebu no better. It's even worse to me because there are no "nice" places. There is no Makati or Fort to go to. And the quality of girls there didn't impress me any more than Manila. I feel like I tend to do better in Manila overall, actually. I'm not saying I hate it or that I'l never go back. Just that I don't see how it's better than Manila except maybe that it's (apparently) safer. However, I am considering Davao. Safe and clean from what I hear.

CleanSlate asked "How much does a decent studio/1 BR go for in Davao and Cebu compared to Manila and BKK?" I'd love to know too.

DirectDanger, ah yes, I've heard about Chiang Mai too. How do the women there fit into my criteria 1 & 2 above? (Normal women. Not p4p.)

Post: #50

(11-03-2015 02:52 PM)tatami Wrote:  Thanks for all the replies guys.

I think maybe I tried to stuff too much into my last post and I know my writing is a bit all over. I'll try to be a bit more succinct here.

1) If Manila is a 10 and UAE is a 1 (10 being supereasy and 1 being nearly impossible), where does BKK fall in "ease of hooking up for a mid-40's guy who looks a bit younger and has a much younger attitude and personality?" Is it "harder" than Manila comparatively speaking but still very easy at 9.5? Or is it significantly harder and closer to 7 where I'm going to have to spend significant amounts of time and money chasing girls just to get a little action? I can tell you that I have no issue scoring cute 6s and 7s in the Phils between 18 to 25. How does this translate to BKK?

2) What are the girls like? Are they fun and enjoyable to be with before and after we get naked? Most girls I've met in the Phils have been decent enough fun. They're generally pleasant, like to laugh and their English is not hard to understand. Here in Hanoi, I haven't enjoyed the female company at all except for one who was alright but then she turned out to act batshit later so... Even if it was as easy to get laid here as MNL, I wouldn't be having much fun anyway because I just haven't found any whose company I really enjoy all that much.

There's always the danger of not being able to turn the phone off and letting it become a distraction, of course, but I'd rather that than go where the distraction is being frustrated by how much harder it is to get a girl and/or hating their company.

Choche, would love to go to Brazil but it's way to far for me right now and would kill my budget. And I don't speak Portuguese (although I'm sure I could pick up enough within three months to hurt myself. LOL)

Dipar, I'm not opposed to a smaller city but I need a solid internet connection that I can rely on. I've never been to Dumaguete but Boracay was fucking horrible for net and I couldn't do any work while I was there. Bohol was the same when I was there. If I could be near the beach somewhere and have solid net, maybe I would go there. And Cebu, well, I can't say I'm that big a fan. I often read about others loving it and hating on Manila but I find Cebu no better. It's even worse to me because there are no "nice" places. There is no Makati or Fort to go to. And the quality of girls there didn't impress me any more than Manila. I feel like I tend to do better in Manila overall, actually. I'm not saying I hate it or that I'l never go back. Just that I don't see how it's better than Manila except maybe that it's (apparently) safer. However, I am considering Davao. Safe and clean from what I hear.

CleanSlate asked "How much does a decent studio/1 BR go for in Davao and Cebu compared to Manila and BKK?" I'd love to know too.

DirectDanger, ah yes, I've heard about Chiang Mai too. How do the women there fit into my criteria 1 & 2 above? (Normal women. Not p4p.)

I would still go to Davao. Better women there than in Manila or Bangkok