Giving it up & going Back

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Not going back anytime soon. Just loving  it too much  here in Asia!

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Yes, Houston and Texas in general is very cheap (expect for property tax) and you can have a nice life there. I lived in TX for many years. It's very much a real alternative. Even the property tax is manageable if you're buying a lower priced house.

Scott, don't forget, every move you make in a place like the UK costs a bomb. There are a thousand things that all add up. If you're stable, in one place, with everything sorted you can get by on a budget. But...

And is NHS really all that better than paying for your own health in MY? Dunno. That'd be an interesting pro/con cost/benefit study for someone to do.

And in MY you can always find a way to do things cheaper.

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As someone in the UK with aspirations to re-locate to My., here are a few thoughts about some of the points made in this thread. I think some of the comments about the state of the UK are over-stated and read like Daily Mail headlines.

What I would agree with, however, is that the UK is a very expensive place to live, particularly housing costs. The economy is going to go through some tough times in the next 3-4 years which will make things worse. The decision to live in another country, to me is a massive decision to make. My reasons for re-locating are not negative in terms of wanting to escape but rather positive reasons based on the attractions of living in a particular culture. Finances are important in so far as making this possble, but for me the reasons for re-locating cannot be just based on economics. The current state of the economy and the value of the pound etc puts a bit of a spanner in the works but I hpe to find a way through this so that my goal of living in My and and My culture acome to fruition.

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Hi Scott,

I wish you the very best whatever you decide.

I shortly commence an extensive trip of Malaysia & will provide honest objective feedback i.e. which may assist those considering the MM2H Scheme.

Cheers,

James

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Hi Scott,
From a purely selfish point of view I hope you stay on  . This site was a very large part of my armchair research on suitable places to retire which included locations such as Oz, Panama, Thailand, Indonesia (Bali), Southern China, Hong Kong and Singapore and I hope it carries on this fantastic service. I lived in the UK for 10 years many years ago and have very fond memories of the place and of course numerous friends there. Not a single one of my mates in the UK recommends me to retire there due to costs. The reason they have not moved in general is work/family ties, neither of which applies in my case.

You have such a great depth of info. and a facility with communication; have you not considered running a small MM2H company yourself or being part of one of the more reputable ones. Your sense of fairness, humour and knowledge of what "western" MM2H retirees want is a valuable asset that could generate an income especially if you had a local partner to do the running between govt. depts?

If you love your lifestyle and environment I'm sure you will come up with great ideas to make it work for you. I don't mean to intrude on what is a very personal decision of course. Whatever you decide, I sincerely wish you nothing but the best especially in view of the wonderful commuity you have been instrumental in creating! Cheers RMG

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Hi Scott

I echo the sentiment of the others and hope you will decide to stay on for Malaysia is pretty much home to you.

With all the rain Sydney is getting last week and predicted for this week, it is hard to stop myself from booking a flight out to Malaysia. I have found myself surfing the website of different airlines hoping to find the deal of the century so that I can tell Mr C this is it, I am heading off to Malaysia for some relief from the cold wet wintry weather and a much needed gastronomic delights of roti and char koay teow. 

My suntan from my trip in April has not faded but I am missing Malaysia like crazy. I have booked a flight to Malaysia in Feb 2011 but that is much too far away. 

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Hi, Cupert,

I made the mistake of being in Malaysia during the 2009 Chinese New Year (I did not know), it was very busy and I found it very difficult to travel anywhere as everything was fully booked up. I would strongly recommend that you book your hotels well in advance (mistake I made) as you may find it very difficult to find rooms in good hotels.

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Hi Scott, Sukhi

Thanks for the warning. I was hoping to get there before the first day of Chinese New Year but it will now be three days later as that was the best fare I could snapped up with Air Asia. Love that airline. AA plus MM2H program do much to promote Malaysia. Heard that KL is a great place to be in, in Chinese New Year - quiet and traffic wise less congested. 

Mr C and I haven't firm our itinerary but checking out the east coast is also one of the ideas we are exploring especially some of the beautiful islands such as Pulau Tioman, Pulau Perhentian and the lovely city/town of Pahang. I also hope to stop in Teluk Intan, a place I lived for a few years but never called home as it was such a small town. For a young teenager, it was hell as it was rural. We lived approx 1.6km out of town and it was considered that we lived out in the sticks! Strange how things changed. LoL!

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I have had reason to use the medical system here (even though I thought I was fit as a Malley Bull).

Since I have not been in hospital since I was eleven and I am now almost fifty years older, I have little to compare with but so far as the medicos and the treatment, it was excellent. I would say as good as say the Rosebud Hospital in Australia where my mother was.

The doctors are generally all trained overseas. The guys I had looking after me, a neurosurgeon and a Urologist (you know now where my brain is) were trained in Melbourne and Scotland respectively.

Can't speak highly enough. No more headaches and no more fluid on the knees.

I should add, I have been working overseas in some places where there has been no medical service other than the military doctors so I had been putting the prostate problems off for ten years mainly because when I went back to Melbourne for a yearly visit, there was at least a three month wait to see a specialist and I didn't have that time. Here I walked in, took a number and sat in the waiting room until it was my turn. Did that on a Tuesday and was under the knife on the Thursday and out five days later

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Out of curiosity did you go private or as a local patient?

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I went as a walk in patient off the street. I paid as I went. 7 days in hospital, a bunch of tests and and two operations cost around 8000RM

My father tells me that the residual amount he paid for the prostate operation was as much as I paid in total, and then he had highest level private insurance paying for the rest.

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I concur. The residual for my prostatectomy was just over A$8000.  By the way, can I take it that is not you in the photo attachment?

Tink

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Hi Scott,

Just wondering when the final verdict might be handed down i.e. Georgetown, Lincolnshire, Monte Carlo or Ballyjamesduff ??

Cheers,

James

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hi,

It'll be Penang next year for a few years and then the usual quinquennial re-think, I think.   

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Hi Scott,

Just wondering when the final verdict might be handed down i.e. Georgetown, Lincolnshire, Monte Carlo or Ballyjamesduff ??

Cheers,

James

How about you, James?