Where to retire?

An American sight lists the top five retirement places in the world. Only one of them is in South East Asia and it isnt Thailand

Obviously the AF* Index was left out http://www.nextavenue.org/article/2013- ... ire-abroad (http://www.nextavenue.org/article/2013-11/5-most-enticing-countries-retire-abroad)

* Available Fucks

[TravellerDave]

Interesting question Which is currently occupying my mind, although I cannot make a decision just now as I still work part time and don't want to stop just yet. I'm back home in England and the winter is about to start with cold winds and rain and later snow and ice.
Many of my contemporaries retire to Spain and that has its attractions - I was there last week catching a few rays of sun in Benidorm. I used to holiday in Gran Canaria and that has year round sunshine, before I discovered Pattaya.
I now go regularly to Pattaya and am due there again in January for 4 weeks, and enjoy these trips very much. However I am very conscious that holidays and living there are two different things. Also I am sure my health would suffer with too much drinking, which in the party atmosphere I couldn't resist. I would have to find a boyfriend to settle down with, rather older than the 18-27 aged prostitutes I sleep with on holiday.
I've never been to South America or Malaysia, but I would not think that the latter would make a good retirement location for gays.

[Sooty]

Thee are a couple of good, cheap books on Amazon by someone called Bill Dean about the how and where of retirement in SE Asia. They're e-books, so available only for download to your Kindle or Kindle reader on your computer or iPad. As I've now mentioned something for the iPad I guess that means bucknaway will hurry off and buy them! You just type "bill dean SE Asia" in the Search bar and it will find them.

[Surfcrest]

This appears to be based on a "get it while it is still cheap" philosophy. I know the Central American countries quite well, Nicaragua, Panama and Costa Rica. Panama is still quite new, certainly not well established...which is important in that volatile Region of the world. Nicaragua can still be quite dangerous...a very new start up since the turbulent 80's and dangerous 90's. Costa Rica has been an ex-pat destination for quite some time, more for those looking for beach and jungle. Life in San Jose would be rather bleak although Alajuela way out in the burbs is quite nice. As for Managua...no thanks! Panama City has to be one of the most improved cities in CA, pretty enough and some good real estate available in and around the city...but it's not as cheap as Thailand.

I bought some property in Guatemala a few years back, again...another country that went through a lot of turbulence right up to the late nineties. Guatemala City is a shithole, although there are quite a few ex-pats living in the city. There's a small ex-pat community in many parts of Guatemala, from the small indian communities in the Peten, to the remote villages in the Highlands...there are even a few crazy people down on the coast getting eaten alive by mosquitos. There's somewhere for everyone there and I chose what I think is one of the prettiest spots on the planet, Antigua. There's a large ex-pat community, decent facilities....my elderly mother lives down there several months of the year with very affordable assisted living arrangements. While the cost of living is quite affordable in Antigua, the real estate is not. And unfortunately, when it's wet in Thailand, it's also usually wet in Guatemala. Thankfully Vancouver has the opposite weather :)

Here's a few photos of Antigua from Easter.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/Surfcrest/316.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/Surfcrest/315.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/Surfcrest/295.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/Surfcrest/376.jpg

Surfcrest

[Khor tose]

I have a friend in Panama and he says it is heaven on earth and he is not easily pleased. Surf, when were you there last? He says not only are all the conveniences there--especially English, living accommodations, good shopping, restaurants, and hospitals but the gay scene is vibrant and expanding at a rapid rate. Yes, some bars are closing, but others open and the regulars can take you to the ones that do not advertise. According to my friend, for every step back Panama makes on gay issues there are three steps forward. If anyone has been to Panama recently I would love to hear more about it.

[Surfcrest]

Khor tose, I was in Panama City last year and before that in 2010. My opinion of Panama was more in respect to the OP, retiring in Panama and perhaps buying a retirement property.
Indeed it is a nice enough country now, but it hasn't always been. The Region is fairly volatile, while things look good now...they could turn on a dime. Venezuela is a good example of that. Vacationing in Panama would be good, the Pacific coast is quite nice. Real Estate, I think is pretty pricey....a little bit of a risk if you ever had to leave it all behind someday.

Surfcrest