Post: #1

Hey guys!

I'm happy to announce that I'm planning on making my first location independent move to work on my business at the end of January - I'm staying here in Canada until then to be with friends and have support as I release my first product and go through the "I'm gonna die, I'm gonna fail" type stuff XD.

It's a bit of procrastination too, admittedly since there's nothing holding me back here from moving but I'd prefer the comfort right now in doing the first steps of the business.

But that's another reason why it's important to buy a fucking ticket NOW. I know I over think, and no matter what my brain will say "I'm not ready" or "I need more research" so I want that cut off.


I love Asian women and want to learn more about Asian culture, so I want to head over to work in SE Asia/Asia proper. I plan on moving to the more expensive places (Japan, Singapore) eventually but not now. Need cheap places to live and grind.

Latin America and Eastern Europe will be later, I just can't get Asia out of my head.


Here is what I'm looking for:

1. Good internet - Everything I do is blogging/writing based, so I need reliable internet.
2. Safety and cleanliness - Pretty self-explanatory.
3. Easy to arrange for a VISA
4. Sexually open women - I prefer to not have extremely socially hindered or closed off women via the culture, such as in China. They don't have to literally jump me in the street, just I don't want them scared when I try to kiss them (it's happened )
5. Good healthcare and can get stuff like a gym membership
6. The cheaper the better - D'uh . Ideally, less than $1K/month, all expenses (living, food, partying, etc.)
7. Location - I like a mix of beach and city life. If I was near a beach I'd probably never work lol.
8. Community - Easy to find people, English, to hang with.
9. Friendly Locals - For international friends and girlfriends
10. English - I plan on learning a new language next year and especially one for wherever I'm heading, but it'd be good if I didn't have to worry too much about nobody speaking English.
11. Good night life and things to do - Again, self-explanatory.


My searching has turned up with the following (oft-suggested) options:

1. Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam
2. Bangkok, Thailand
3. Chiang Mai, Thailand
4. Manila, Philippines
5. Davao, Philippines
6. Guangzhao, China
7. Bali, Indonesia

Guangzhao is only on the list because I have a friend there and the tickets can be FAR cheaper. I have travelhacking points I will be using, but in terms of taxes, going to GZ is $100 and Thailand around 700!!! I've heard you can speed from Asian city to city pretty cheaply though, so might consider that option...


Either way, those that have been to SE cities, where do you think is a good first place to get my feet wet? I plan on staying in cities for 3-6 months at a time.

I'm booking a ticket end of November either way to make sure I don't make any excuses.


Thanks all for your input!

Post: #2

(11-08-2014 12:28 PM)Tesseract Wrote:  Hey guys!

I'm happy to announce that I'm planning on making my first location independent move to work on my business at the end of January - I'm staying here in Canada until then to be with friends and have support as I release my first product and go through the "I'm gonna die, I'm gonna fail" type stuff XD.

It's a bit of procrastination too, admittedly since there's nothing holding me back here from moving but I'd prefer the comfort right now in doing the first steps of the business.

But that's another reason why it's important to buy a fucking ticket NOW. I know I over think, and no matter what my brain will say "I'm not ready" or "I need more research" so I want that cut off.


I love Asian women and want to learn more about Asian culture, so I want to head over to work in SE Asia/Asia proper. I plan on moving to the more expensive places (Japan, Singapore) eventually but not now. Need cheap places to live and grind.

Latin America and Eastern Europe will be later, I just can't get Asia out of my head.


Here is what I'm looking for:

1. Good internet - Everything I do is blogging/writing based, so I need reliable internet.
2. Safety and cleanliness - Pretty self-explanatory.
3. Easy to arrange for a VISA
4. Sexually open women - I prefer to not have extremely socially hindered or closed off women via the culture, such as in China. They don't have to literally jump me in the street, just I don't want them scared when I try to kiss them (it's happened )
5. Good healthcare and can get stuff like a gym membership
6. The cheaper the better - D'uh . Ideally, less than $1K/month, all expenses (living, food, partying, etc.)
7. Location - I like a mix of beach and city life. If I was near a beach I'd probably never work lol.
8. Community - Easy to find people, English, to hang with.
9. Friendly Locals - For international friends and girlfriends
10. English - I plan on learning a new language next year and especially one for wherever I'm heading, but it'd be good if I didn't have to worry too much about nobody speaking English.
11. Good night life and things to do - Again, self-explanatory.


My searching has turned up with the following (oft-suggested) options:

1. Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam
2. Bangkok, Thailand
3. Chiang Mai, Thailand
4. Manila, Philippines
5. Davao, Philippines
6. Guangzhao, China
7. Bali, Indonesia

Guangzhao is only on the list because I have a friend there and the tickets can be FAR cheaper. I have travelhacking points I will be using, but in terms of taxes, going to GZ is $100 and Thailand around 700!!! I've heard you can speed from Asian city to city pretty cheaply though, so might consider that option...


Either way, those that have been to SE cities, where do you think is a good first place to get my feet wet? I plan on staying in cities for 3-6 months at a time.

I'm booking a ticket end of November either way to make sure I don't make any excuses.


Thanks all for your input!

I recommend the website nomadlist for points 1,2,6,9,10 & 11 on your list

For 4, searching through the threads on this forum is your best bet IMO to get an insight into how open sexually the women are in each of the cities you have shortlisted. In most cases, the threads/datasheets on cities go into a lot more detail than just the girls & may cover other items on your list. Night & day game spots are usually very well broken down. If a forum member has lived in city in question, they will often provide insight on the best location(s) to live too

For 3, you should just do a search online for "Visa requirements for Canadian citizens"

Best of luck with your search man

Post: #3

If internet is really your #1 priority forget about Phils ... ADSL+4g as backup connection could work but still nightmare(and a lot of apartments don't have ADSL and won't get you one, unless you sign 1-2yrs contract).

Davao has everything else on your list but that + girls on average are not really good looking.

Post: #4

You should move to Chiang Mai, not Bangkok, if you want to live in Thailand.

Bangkok is not that cheap anymore, though our own poster here Afarang (http://afarangabroad.com/), has a post about living on about 1K or less in Bangkok. I personally don't want to live for less than 1500-2000USD in Bangkok, but I have gotten a bit lazy and comfortable in recent years.

Chiang Mai is very cheap, has a large community of digital nomads/affiliates/location independent people. Easy women check, hot weather yes, cooler than Bangkok. Negative side, less nightlife, less big city options. The rest is also there, including gym, healthcare, all kinds of usual amenities.

Ho Chi Minh is cheap. To me it seems like Level 2 of the global expat game though. A little more rough around the edges, less expats, though you will feel more at home in the center, because of the architechture from the french and the overall still remnants of that. Plus side is better reputation of expats among the local women.

Manila is a crazy city full of adventures and likely the easiest access to girls you will find anywhere in the world. If HCM is Level 2 in difficulty and Chiang Mai is Level 1, then Manila is something like Level 2.5 to Level 3, because there is crime and it's poor, really poor. Shit won't work as you think and infrastructure is crap. I don't think Manila is the best place to start out on a small budget. I wouldn't like to be out of money there, where as in Thailand you won't be as worse off.

Those are the ones I know well. I would probably recommend Thailand, but on the other hand, it is also the easy obvious choice, and it depends so much on who you are and your personality. Maybe you're the kind of person who makes 10 new friends in a week and have street smarts, then you can go to less discovered places and have a better time, than someone who takes a bit longer to adjust and would be better of in a place with lots of expat people to show a newb around.

You have the poster Beyond Borders here, who goes beyond the expat track and seems to be able to easily find his way among locals even in poorer places like Cambodja, but that won't be the case for everyone. Of course, you can meet people from this forum too, which is a great resource. We have people in all corners of the globe .

Post: #5

(11-08-2014 07:38 PM)berserk Wrote:  Chiang Mai is very cheap, has a large community of digital nomads/affiliates/location independent people. Easy women check, hot weather yes, cooler than Bangkok. Negative side, less nightlife, less big city options. The rest is also there, including gym, healthcare, all kinds of usual amenities.

Very good insight. I'm thinking of heading to Chiang Mai in the New Year, but hear the air pollution in March and April is brutal (rice farmers burning their fields), have you experienced this?

Interesting to hear you regard the women there as easy.Can you elaborate a little on that? From reading other threads, this is not the impression I got. In particular, I understand the higher quality Thai girls there are often reluctant to get with white guys (I'm from Northern Europe) due to the widespread sex tourism in their country

Post: #6

Good luck brother, I fully respect what you are doing, hopefully one day I can join you.

I lived out in Guangzhou for a few months last year, so I can give you a brief down on the place.

Guangzhou does have a party, nightlife side. As well as plenty of expats, so you really won't be alone. I spent a lot of time with the Russians when I was over there and actually picked up the language from there.

It is more of a city for business though, don't get me wrong, things are still very cheap in comparison; unless you are going to drinks in the Four Seasons hotel everyday. Guangzhou is my favourite Chinese city, as you have the best of both worlds. It isn't completely saturated by expats like Shanghai, but then again its far from being a third tier city. You will see a lot of foreigners around in the centre, which can be refreshing if you are living away from home for a while.

Post: #7

(11-08-2014 07:09 PM)ballybally Wrote:  If internet is really your #1 priority forget about Phils ... ADSL+4g as backup connection could work but still nightmare(and a lot of apartments don't have ADSL and won't get you one, unless you sign 1-2yrs contract).

Davao has everything else on your list but that + girls on average are not really good looking.

Yes, all of the cable/dsl/fiber lines have 12-24 month or more contracts but what's stopping you from just breaking the contract? The penalty is only like 2000-4000 pesos depending on the company. A small fee to be able to work from home with a good connection.

@OP - if you're working remotely (you're doing more than just surfing and random emails) DO NOT expect those USB sticks to get you by, at least in the Philippines.

Post: #8

(11-09-2014 07:58 AM)YardDog Wrote:  @OP - if you're working remotely (you're doing more than just surfing and random emails) DO NOT expect those USB sticks to get you by, at least in the Philippines.

For "blogging/writing based" work they will. It's everything else where the internet becomes a pain, i.e., downloading, streaming, etc.

That being said, the Phils misses about half of the other requirements on his list.

Post: #9

If you're pulling between $1k-$2k then Chiang Mai is your best bet.
If you earn more than 3k on average then forget Chiang Mai move to Bangkok

It has a much better nightlife, yeah your rent will be more expensive but who cares if you're making a decent sum of money. All other expenses except rent will be more or less the same. Access to more hotties in Bangkok makes it a much better place compared to Chiang Mai.

Post: #10

(11-08-2014 07:38 PM)berserk Wrote:  You should move to Chiang Mai, not Bangkok, if you want to live in Thailand.

Bangkok is not that cheap anymore, though our own poster here Afarang (http://afarangabroad.com/), has a post about living on about 1K or less in Bangkok. I personally don't want to live for less than 1500-2000USD in Bangkok, but I have gotten a bit lazy and comfortable in recent years.

Chiang Mai is very cheap, has a large community of digital nomads/affiliates/location independent people. Easy women check, hot weather yes, cooler than Bangkok. Negative side, less nightlife, less big city options. The rest is also there, including gym, healthcare, all kinds of usual amenities.

Ho Chi Minh is cheap. To me it seems like Level 2 of the global expat game though. A little more rough around the edges, less expats, though you will feel more at home in the center, because of the architechture from the french and the overall still remnants of that. Plus side is better reputation of expats among the local women.

Manila is a crazy city full of adventures and likely the easiest access to girls you will find anywhere in the world. If HCM is Level 2 in difficulty and Chiang Mai is Level 1, then Manila is something like Level 2.5 to Level 3, because there is crime and it's poor, really poor. Shit won't work as you think and infrastructure is crap. I don't think Manila is the best place to start out on a small budget. I wouldn't like to be out of money there, where as in Thailand you won't be as worse off.

Those are the ones I know well. I would probably recommend Thailand, but on the other hand, it is also the easy obvious choice, and it depends so much on who you are and your personality. Maybe you're the kind of person who makes 10 new friends in a week and have street smarts, then you can go to less discovered places and have a better time, than someone who takes a bit longer to adjust and would be better of in a place with lots of expat people to show a newb around.

You have the poster Beyond Borders here, who goes beyond the expat track and seems to be able to easily find his way among locals even in poorer places like Cambodja, but that won't be the case for everyone. Of course, you can meet people from this forum too, which is a great resource. We have people in all corners of the globe .

How is saving potential in Chiang Mai?

Could you save a lot of money if you hustle and bust your ass in freelance work there?

Roughly how much would gym membership, decent studio or one bedroom apartment, and food set you back each month? Also, wouldn't you have to make visa runs every month?

Post: #11

HCMC isn't a bad option.

Vietnam is really cheap and HCMC seems pretty happening, certainly more than in Hanoi. Find an expat FB group such as this one to find cheap rents and other invaluable information.

I would say Vietnamese girls are not as open as most other women to sleeping around. Also be careful if a Viet girl finds out you've been cheating on her. It's definitely not the best place in Asia to smash through a lot of numbers.

Vietnam isn't exactly clean, but no worse than other countries in this part of the world. Food cleanliness practices do need improvement. You can't just eat anywhere you want, and you will get sick at some point.

Healthcare isn't the greatest here. You'll get your basics taken care of, but any surgery, chronic or emergency care will best be dealt with in Singapore, KL, BKK or HK.

You will be pressed and stressed to learn Vietnamese. The tonal aspects make it near impossible for conversational fluency, let alone in one year. Thankfully, the phonetic alphabet can be figured out in a few months time which makes reading possible, even if you don't know what you're saying.

Work takes care of my visa processing here so I'm not an authority, but i've heard it can be challenging to get visas, especially if you don't have some sort of company sponsoring you. Could add an extra bend if you're working independently. But like I said, investigate this on your own.

Post: #12

A lot of people are recommending Chiang Mai. What's the one thing that makes it stand out from the other cities in this list? The size.

There are plenty of other cities in the world that fit the bill just as well as Chiang Mai - and that are perhaps less on the digital nomad map, as I believe Chiang Mai is well on its way to being cliche if not already there. Just replace some of those major cities in your list with 2nd or 3rd tier alternatives and pick one.

If you don't like it, you can always try another later. The fun is in the discovering anyhow.

I love Chiang Mai - lived there for over 3 years. But the one thing is missing is that it isn't a coastal city. If it was, I probably never would have left. If you're drawn to the ocean, that eventually will wear on you. When I live on the coast, I'm about 5 times as active, getting up every morning for a swim and often swimming in the evening as well. Hard to do that in a mountain city - pools just don't draw you in like the ocean does.

Every online discussion I come across discussing location independence touts Chiang Mai these days. I can only imagine how much it has changed just in the past couple 2 or 3 years since I've seen it. At this point, and this from someone who was very stoked on that city, I'd say give it a miss and discover a new place where you'll be a bit more of a novelty.

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: #13

(11-09-2014 07:39 AM)Truth Seeker Wrote:  

(11-08-2014 07:38 PM)berserk Wrote:  Chiang Mai is very cheap, has a large community of digital nomads/affiliates/location independent people. Easy women check, hot weather yes, cooler than Bangkok. Negative side, less nightlife, less big city options. The rest is also there, including gym, healthcare, all kinds of usual amenities.

Very good insight. I'm thinking of heading to Chiang Mai in the New Year, but hear the air pollution in March and April is brutal (rice farmers burning their fields), have you experienced this?

Interesting to hear you regard the women there as easy.Can you elaborate a little on that? From reading other threads, this is not the impression I got. In particular, I understand the higher quality Thai girls there are often reluctant to get with white guys (I'm from Northern Europe) due to the widespread sex tourism in their country

There's plenty of discussions on girls and game in Thailand which goes into this in specifics. 'Higher quality' girls is subjective. There are still tons of girls anywhere in Thailand who want a foreign boyfriend.

(11-09-2014 08:52 AM)Global_Cocksman Wrote:  

(11-08-2014 07:38 PM)berserk Wrote:  You should move to Chiang Mai, not Bangkok, if you want to live in Thailand.

Bangkok is not that cheap anymore, though our own poster here Afarang (http://afarangabroad.com/), has a post about living on about 1K or less in Bangkok. I personally don't want to live for less than 1500-2000USD in Bangkok, but I have gotten a bit lazy and comfortable in recent years.

Chiang Mai is very cheap, has a large community of digital nomads/affiliates/location independent people. Easy women check, hot weather yes, cooler than Bangkok. Negative side, less nightlife, less big city options. The rest is also there, including gym, healthcare, all kinds of usual amenities.

Ho Chi Minh is cheap. To me it seems like Level 2 of the global expat game though. A little more rough around the edges, less expats, though you will feel more at home in the center, because of the architechture from the french and the overall still remnants of that. Plus side is better reputation of expats among the local women.

Manila is a crazy city full of adventures and likely the easiest access to girls you will find anywhere in the world. If HCM is Level 2 in difficulty and Chiang Mai is Level 1, then Manila is something like Level 2.5 to Level 3, because there is crime and it's poor, really poor. Shit won't work as you think and infrastructure is crap. I don't think Manila is the best place to start out on a small budget. I wouldn't like to be out of money there, where as in Thailand you won't be as worse off.

Those are the ones I know well. I would probably recommend Thailand, but on the other hand, it is also the easy obvious choice, and it depends so much on who you are and your personality. Maybe you're the kind of person who makes 10 new friends in a week and have street smarts, then you can go to less discovered places and have a better time, than someone who takes a bit longer to adjust and would be better of in a place with lots of expat people to show a newb around.

You have the poster Beyond Borders here, who goes beyond the expat track and seems to be able to easily find his way among locals even in poorer places like Cambodja, but that won't be the case for everyone. Of course, you can meet people from this forum too, which is a great resource. We have people in all corners of the globe .

How is saving potential in Chiang Mai?

Could you save a lot of money if you hustle and bust your ass in freelance work there?

Roughly how much would gym membership, decent studio or one bedroom apartment, and food set you back each month? Also, wouldn't you have to make visa runs every month?

Gym membership is the most relatively expensive. I don't know which gyms are there but a membership in one of the chain gyms is probably around $50/month and you need to pay in advance or pay by credit card. I would probably just look for cheap local gym if saving money. Such as in a university or sports complex.

Decent studio can be had for $200-$300. One bedroom a bit more.

Visa runs have been cracked down on, but if you get a Visa in your own country you can likely get a triple entry tourist visa good for 3x2 months. Or a tourist visa good for 2 months with one month extension and then you can go to Laos for another one. They are cracking down on too many tourist visas, so no saying how long you can do this now. Might want to sign up for language school, which is about 500 USD a year.

Post: #14

I am a location independent traveller working online too and have visited most of the places you listed:

1. Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam - Great city for networking and getting help with your business. Many DCers there (http://www.dynamitecircle.com/) which would be invaluable for your business, especially during the beginning stages. Many people hustling on the net too getting things off the ground. Very cheap to live so you have a long runway. Amazing internet in HCM btw (20Mbps up/down).

2. Bangkok, Thailand - Very hectic and expensive, I would not recommend BKK as bootstrapping a business. Its crazy, busy and many tourists here. I find it difficult to concentrate in this city but this is just my opinion/problem.

3. Chiang Mai, Thailand - same vibe as HCM, many DCers, but more tourists which could be distracting. Very reliable internet and cheap to live.

4. Manila, Philippines - dump, avoid, unless you're living somewhere like the fort, but that will be a little expensive compared to Chiang mai or HCM. Philippines has terrible internet in most places, Manila included.

5. Davao, Philippines - good place if you already have an established business, you can hire local talent here as I have done for the cheap, but not so many people to network with. Davao is out in the sticks and its boring after a few weeks. Shocking internet. You'll need a backup source of internet to stay productive. Power outages are very common.

6. Guangzhao, China - never been
7. Bali, Indonesia - never been

If you're just getting started then I would put your business first, get some income coming in very quickly, this is what will keep you going. For that reason, I recommend places that are 1) cheap to live and 2) have many people to talk about your business and your ideas. Having a nice lifestyle, meeting awesome cute asian girls and enjoying the epicness Asia has to offer will come down to you having a regular income to sustain yourself.

As with the girls, they will come anywhere in Asia. 50% of the population are women so thats several hundred million to choose from. I wouldn't make this your first choice where you decide to live. Your first choice should be maximising your business potential. In 10 years time you might still be travelling because of it.

Getting burnt out is also something you need to avoid. So I recommend Chiang Mai, its cheap, plenty of other people working online, awesome countryside to explore and lush beaches to visit only a few hours flight away when you need a break.

Post: #15

(11-09-2014 10:52 AM)berserk Wrote:  

(11-09-2014 07:39 AM)Truth Seeker Wrote:  

(11-08-2014 07:38 PM)berserk Wrote:  Chiang Mai is very cheap, has a large community of digital nomads/affiliates/location independent people. Easy women check, hot weather yes, cooler than Bangkok. Negative side, less nightlife, less big city options. The rest is also there, including gym, healthcare, all kinds of usual amenities.

Very good insight. I'm thinking of heading to Chiang Mai in the New Year, but hear the air pollution in March and April is brutal (rice farmers burning their fields), have you experienced this?

Interesting to hear you regard the women there as easy.Can you elaborate a little on that? From reading other threads, this is not the impression I got. In particular, I understand the higher quality Thai girls there are often reluctant to get with white guys (I'm from Northern Europe) due to the widespread sex tourism in their country

There's plenty of discussions on girls and game in Thailand which goes into this in specifics. 'Higher quality' girls is subjective. There are still tons of girls anywhere in Thailand who want a foreign boyfriend.

I'm not disputing the fact that there are many girls in Thailand who would like a foreign boyfriend. Your comment was that women in Chiang Mai are easy. As I said, from reading the other Chiang Mai threads, this isn't the impression I get.

Post: #16

I fucking love this forum and its members.

Seriously guys, thanks so much. I am really grateful for everyone who took the time to reply and gave me resources/feedback.

After talking with a mentor and reading the stuff here, my choice will be to move to Chiang Mai, unless I find something really pulling me to HCMC over the next few days.

Should also provide a bit of backstory to myself .

I'm 26. Went through engineering school and got a Master's degree. Discovered pick-up, self-improvement, etc. Said fuck office jobs, started my own freelance writing business. Made money, but realized I didn't care about writing sales pitches etc. and hated having bosses. So, only obvious option - run my own game .

Going to answer everyone who posted:


Truth Seeker
Yeah my bad if it came across like I was asking the forum to wipe my own ass for me. I was more looking for the "I've lived in a bunch of places and have been location independent for a while. For a noob, I'd recommend you go to X place first", which some awesome people have provided . Love those fucking datasheets. Thanks for the Nomad List site though, that thing provides excellent information and really breaks it down.

Re: your burning fields question to beserk, I was reading the Chiang Mai Wiki and they say this happens towards end of dry season between Feb and April. I'm hoping it will be towards the end of April so that I can stay for a bit, then leave to somewhere else for a reprieve till the air quality increases (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiang_Mai and the Air Pollution section).

And re: easiness of girls, I hear it isn't that bad from reading the threads around and afarangabroad, especially via pipelining and internet dating. It seems that if you go aggressive and try to make out/grab them like you might do in the West, THAT is no good and will lead to many lonely nights. If you play and flirt and touch and then bring them back home, supposedly it's A-OK. I still got more reading to do on this.


ballybally
I've heard too many downsides about the Phils. Cleanliness and internet along with poorness etc. so yeah, they got removed. May go there someday to visit/party, or maybe live for a bit, but not as a first location.


berserk
Awesome breakdown, thanks man. Yeah I'm looking for an easier lead in to the lifestyle now, so the more comfort the better. Also, less distraction the better. Yeah I want to date, see cool sites, and party... but I'll be working full-time on my business. The boys and I are planning a sex trip later on which will just be doing the "butterfly circuit" (Naughty Nomad style, e.g. lots of SE Asia) and banging all night long... repeatedly.

Can you explain what you mean by your level 1, 2, 3 etc. game? You say easy girls in Chiang Mai, but also in Manila?

Also much thanks for the afarangabroad site recommendation... I was reading that shit for HOURS yesterday!


Constitution45
Message me when you start my man, hope to meet you on the tracks XD.

Funny you mention Russians! My friend in GZ now has been there for a few months, knows some Mandarin... but has mainly hooked up with Russian chicks XD. My other friends said Shanghai and Shenzen are good options for China, but I may save those for later. Either way, I'll be eventually visiting my friend in GZ to get a feel for China.


YardDog & Enigma
Yeah mostly everything I do is WordPress or publishing to Amazon kindle, but I'll eventually be doing online courses requiring uploading. That, and I DESPISE slow or spotty internet. So yeah, fuck that .


CimbomluBkk
No profit right now, it's grind and hustle time. Definitely will stop over in BKK for partying sometime and perhaps for living when finances go up. Right now, less expenses the better.


MaleDefined
My friend did an Asia trip himself and spent most time in Vietnam. According to him, visas aren't that hard to come by but, he didn't look much into it because he was a tourist. Seems like more negatives than the positives here.


Beyond Borders
Funny enough you say the "try and worst case you can change later" phrase... I was stressing after finishing school and a trip around Europe about how the fuck I was going to make money... Eventually after spinning my wheels I made the part freelancing part blogging option and told myself worst case, I could change. 'Lo and behold I said fuck freelancing. So yeah, best way to live life. Apply to job, girls, workout routine, place you live, blablabla .

Having a coast nearby is cool, but not necessary for me... If I can fly over to get to a cool beach, that's good. I'll take a better overall city and people instead. I know for sure after getting the business set up though I will move to a coastal city some day down the line, because hell, that is pretty awesome!


UberBicep
100% agreed.

I plan on giving myself at least 2 weeks to "live like a tourist" and try to bang some chicks, meet people, and do touristy stuff... but then it's grind time. I know I'll have plenty of time for adventure once things are set up, but I need my products giving me income. Otherwise, I might have to return home. It wouldn't be terrible because I can still work towards my dream, but I'd obviously prefer getting things going and not having to come back prematurely!

Thanks for the breakdown on each city and your input .

Post: #17

There is absolutely zero reason why most people cannot be making $1000/month (which is just about a liveable amount in CM, definitely in HCM) in a short space of time. Knowing the right people, hard grind and a bit of luck will get you there. Get yourself into some masterminds in these cities, with people with various skill sets, like developers, marketers, copywriters or currency traders... its really easy to do so. Masterminds are a great way to discuss business problems in detail with people doing the exact same thing as you.

Once you're setup with decent income the location isn't really an issue since you can hop on a plain and go meet some people, like for e.g. masterminds.

Post: #18

Beyond Borders Wrote:Every online discussion I come across discussing location independence touts Chiang Mai these days. I can only imagine how much it has changed just in the past couple 2 or 3 years since I've seen it. At this point, and this from someone who was very stoked on that city, I'd say give it a miss and discover a new place where you'll be a bit more of a novelty.

This is precisely the reason I am about to skip on Chiang Mai. I had planned on setting up shop this winter there to get an ecommerce biz off the ground as there are a lot of like minded people (mainly from the DC). However, after having done more research and talking to guys who have been living there and elsewhere, specially in Vietnam, I'm more and more looking like posting up in Vietnam. Even more so after this fantastic Da Nang data sheet posted recently by Papi Rico:
/thread-41638.html

From the looks of it, Da Nang has everything someone bootstrapping or working on getting a new biz off the ground would be looking for: cheap cost of living, high quality of life, clean, a beach, not too much pollution, safe, decent night life but not too big to be a distraction and a decent enough community of expats and DCers. The kind of people you'd be looking to interact and network with.

Teeseract, give that Da Nang data sheet a good read and I'm sure it'll make you at the very least, reconsider your decision to post up in Chiang Mai. Btw, when is your departure date?

Could Da Nang be the Chiang Mai on the beach? From the sound of it, it does look like it is.

All the best and keep us updated man!

Cheers.

Post: #19

I've never been to Vietnam, but why do so many folks recommend Ho Chi Minh City and leave out Hanoi? Most of what I've read about the two suggests that Hanoi is a nicer city. What's the draw to HCMC? Better business contacts/connections/opportunities? Better women? Cheaper to live?

Thanks.

Post: #20

^ I haven't been to the south, but as I understand it, the food is better in HCMC. More importantly, the people are more accommodating. There is still a lot of anti-Westerner (especially anti-American) sentiment in the North, as they've essentially been led to believe that all their problems are our fault, which couldn't be farther from the truth. This creates some animosity and a sense of entitlement that underlines a lot of interactions.

The Southerners, on the other hand, generally love Americans and other Westerners.

That's not to say that there aren't plenty of great, hospitable people in the North, as there are. I made some great friends there. But it has its challenges.

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: #21

(11-08-2014 12:28 PM)Tesseract Wrote:  4. Sexually open women - I prefer to not have extremely socially hindered or closed off women via the culture

Then don't choose Vietnam -- nor Cambodia.

Post: #22

Nam does't seem so bad, got plenty of new girls wanting to meet everyday just from VietCupid and some badoo ... Not sure how many use tinder but it could add a lot.

And those girls are a lot better looking then Filipinas that usually initiate contact, so it's pretty fair tradeoff imo.

Also got very flirty looks from some girls on the streets, some clerks ... Not as bad as some paint it.

Gonna test today if they will let me bring one to the hotel room

Post: #23

How is the healthcare of Vietnam compared to say Thailand or any of the other places listed? OP is a young guy but even one serious accident could F up everything..

Post: #24

I may have been a bit to rash in my moving to CM statement.

Realized if I go there at the beginning of February I have one month before they start burning the fields and pollution sky rockets. No interest in having to move after a month, because fuck shitloads of pollution.

Chiang Mai sounds awesome and I want to go, but I may leave it until later.

Going to PM some guys in this thread who have been there, but can anyone comment about air pollution in the dry months (February to April)?

(11-09-2014 10:06 PM)UberBicep Wrote:  There is absolutely zero reason why most people cannot be making $1000/month (which is just about a liveable amount in CM, definitely in HCM) in a short space of time. Knowing the right people, hard grind and a bit of luck will get you there. Get yourself into some masterminds in these cities, with people with various skill sets, like developers, marketers, copywriters or currency traders... its really easy to do so. Masterminds are a great way to discuss business problems in detail with people doing the exact same thing as you.

Once you're setup with decent income the location isn't really an issue since you can hop on a plain and go meet some people, like for e.g. masterminds.

Excellent .

Yeah we actually have a Mastermind group going on here in Toronto - bunch of guys trying to get location independent businesses off the ground, though I think I'm the one taking it the most seriously (some guys have school, one does work part-time for another biz that is not location independent, and another has commitment issues ). But I also have a surrounding of guys in copywriting and marketing. Once my first book is written (planning to finish it end of November), I think I've got a fair shot of success. And even if it fails, I've got a few months before I get into the bad zone and need $$ lol.

It's a blast though, and I'm working on something I love... So it's easier to grind day in and day out.

(11-10-2014 01:49 AM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  

Beyond Borders Wrote:Every online discussion I come across discussing location independence touts Chiang Mai these days. I can only imagine how much it has changed just in the past couple 2 or 3 years since I've seen it. At this point, and this from someone who was very stoked on that city, I'd say give it a miss and discover a new place where you'll be a bit more of a novelty.

This is precisely the reason I am about to skip on Chiang Mai. I had planned on setting up shop this winter there to get an ecommerce biz off the ground as there are a lot of like minded people (mainly from the DC). However, after having done more research and talking to guys who have been living there and elsewhere, specially in Vietnam, I'm more and more looking like posting up in Vietnam. Even more so after this fantastic Da Nang data sheet posted recently by Papi Rico:
/thread-41638.html

From the looks of it, Da Nang has everything someone bootstrapping or working on getting a new biz off the ground would be looking for: cheap cost of living, high quality of life, clean, a beach, not too much pollution, safe, decent night life but not too big to be a distraction and a decent enough community of expats and DCers. The kind of people you'd be looking to interact and network with.

Teeseract, give that Da Nang data sheet a good read and I'm sure it'll make you at the very least, reconsider your decision to post up in Chiang Mai. Btw, when is your departure date?

Could Da Nang be the Chiang Mai on the beach? From the sound of it, it does look like it is.

All the best and keep us updated man!

Cheers.

Actually as I was trolling RooshV randomly I saw that datasheet. Cost of living looks good too! You say there's a good community of expats? Where did you hear that from? I haven't heard much about the city anywhere else so no info to compare it to .

Like I mentioned, planned departure date is end of January 2015 . Buying a ticket end of November to make sure I get my ass going (I like to procrastinate on things that give me anxiety - but two months to prepare is plenty - already did a HUGE purge of stuff and moved everything online before starting my business).

(11-11-2014 07:04 PM)fucksong Wrote:  How is the healthcare of Vietnam compared to say Thailand or any of the other places listed? OP is a young guy but even one serious accident could F up everything..

Would like to know this too!



Choices now are between:

1. Chiang Mai (if the pollution isn't ridiculous in dry months)
2. Ho Chi Mien
3. Da Nang?
4. Guangzhou (could start off here with my bud and move on thereafter - also results in cheaper airfare, I think like $100 vs. $600 after using travelhacking)

Post: #25

Im planning a move to Chiang Mai in the next week or so. But Im also concerned about the "burning season".

Can anyone with personal experience comment on how bad it is?