Introduction to Asia and Retire-Asia.com

Asia covers a vast area with different geographical regions and peoples with differing cultures and traditions. Retire Asia cannot provide full coverage, but on the right (or the interactive map below) and whether you are thinking of retiring in Asia or just going on vacation, you can click on any name or area to get comprehensive information for visitors and travellers to every Asian country and region.

Retire-Asia is a site not only about retirement in the exotic tropical locations of Southeast Asia, but also ways of increasing the important issue of income that usually goes with retirement, no matter which country you live or retire in. The majority of site traffic is from the USA, followed by United Kingdom, Canada and Europe.

Since its launch in August 2005, Retire-Asia.com had over one million visitors by early 2010. Many of them find it of interest as they return time and time again!

Why do so many people want to move from the place they grew up in and know best, and risk starting a new life in a foreign country? Life in the West is not necessarily the best. Debt is increasing, so much so it is becoming evident that more and more people are struggling to cope. People are not only learning  how to move money offshore to avoid taxes, they want to live in a better place with lower cost of living. There are companies that specialise in international investing, offshore banking, foreign business address etc. Retire-Asia attempts to give you useful information about the realities of living abroad, especially in a Southeast Asian country. We suggest you start on our Home Page or you can choose a topic from the menu bar on the left.

Many people from their mid-thirties and upwards experience what is popularly called a mid-life crisis. The word 'crisis' is misunderstood to mean pressure that has built up to breaking point. It is usually associated with a career, but it can also be aggravated by a relationship. Basically it's the feeling that things must be changed in one's life. 'Crisis' literally means a turning point or 'crossroads'. Learn more and find solutions.

This feeling can also contribute to the onset of depression which makes it more difficult for someone to move in a different direction because of a feeling of hopelessness or belief that things cannot be changed for various reasons, very often involving finances.

Get a taste of life in Asia by reading our review of "Retire to Asia!", the excellent and concise guide written by Ken Silver, an American who has spent the last ten years visiting and learning how to get the best out of life in many different locations in India and South East Asia.

Some will leave so-called 'civilised' environments with good, secure jobs, for places they believe offer a better quality of life. And it happens, but probably not without a learning curve and some 'culture shock' (a much used expression, especially in Asia, but nevertheless true). There are different laws, traditions, social behaviour, religions, life styles, and a host of other issues that will affect the daily lives of newcomers, most noticeably the cultural differences between East and West.

Thousands are searching the internet every day, looking for the 'best' or 'cheapest' places to live or retire in Asia (and elsewhere). We know this, as we are interested in what people are actually looking for when they find our site through Google, Yahoo, MSN and a host of others, and while there's no way of knowing who they are, we can see what words and phrases they use for their searches. Look who's got the first listing out of nearly 400,000 pages for "retire on limited income"!

The ones whose primary concern is enough income are possibly in for a rude awakening. There are alternatives to the USA; in fact many Americans won't find a suitable retirement location if they don't start searching for it early enough. Why does Google list our site at #1 (after paid advertising) for this topic out of over 700,000 pages? We are at #2 even when 'USA' is included in the search! So there must be something good about retiring in Southeast Asia... and there is!

'Best' or 'cheapest' are relative terms. Compared to what or where and judged by what criteria? It's an entirely personal concept. What would make a place best for you? It depends on your own concerns and the priority you place on them. The only way you will ever find out is by experience.

While some basic issues are important to almost everyone (cost of living, accommodation, shopping, food, infrastructure, utilities, internet access, public transport, medical facilities, transport, legal system, security and personal safety, crime rate, banking, taxes etc.), there are other, more 'people-related' issues like hospitality, friendliness towards strangers, entertainment, culture, traditions, social behaviour to consider.

Quite obviously, there is no single location where all foreigners would be happy and therefore call it the best. If it existed, it wouldn't stay that way for long as hordes of foreigners moved there and made it 'just like home'. Can you imagine how awful that would be – especially for the local inhabitants?

Some locations people choose are described in travel brochures appear to be almost 'Paradise on Earth'. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as they say, but in reality Paradise simply does not exist – on this earth, anyway! Nowhere is perfect. People on vacation simply want to enjoy themselves and forget about the drudgery of work and paying the bills back home. They understandably tend to see only the more positive aspects of a holiday destination, such as lazy days spent relaxing in a warm sunny climate, near beaches or beautiful rural scenery, and all the trimmings of holiday hotel accommodation – swimming pools, cocktails, exotic food and even more exotic but friendly people who seem to welcome foreigners with smiles and open arms.

That first visit can be a powerfully motivating factor for wanting to sell up back home and move, but there is a big difference between an enjoyable but relatively brief holiday and the realities of long-term residence in a foreign country – in Asia or anywhere else, for that matter.

This web site has straightforward objectives: to make people aware of opportunities for living a better life 'beyond borders'. We try to illustrate the more important differences of living in another country or society in informative and interesting ways. It's a place where readers can get information about some recommended destinations and read stories and reviews from people who have 'been' and 'done'.

Secondly, people who want to start a new life, but don't have sufficient financial resources to retire fully, can learn about many new opportunities of earning extra income. Many are using the internet for business.

Many find themselves alone for one reason or another, but not usually by choice. Starting a new life in a new country with a new partner might also be the beginning of an exciting new adventure, whatever your age or inclinations! If you're looking for a mature type of relationship, try here – free:

Retire-Asia.com is a site we hope you find useful by being different in its approach to life as well as earning extra income abroad, and one you will return to, so please bookmark it!

You can access all the topics we cover from the menu bar on the left. Did you arrive here and perhaps miss our Home Page?

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Contact about custom pages with reviews and links to your products or services. Providing there is some potential benefit for us we will create these pages free of charge with very reasonably priced links to your sales page or product on a monthly or annual basis.

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