Dumaguete Info Search


KEY Thread If not Dumaguete then where?

Discussion in 'Dumaguete City' started by Billybob, Mar 17, 2016.

  1. Dave_Hounddriver

    Dave_Hounddriver DI Forum Luminary Highly Rated Poster

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    So I looked it up and its interesting that Google has a 360 pic of that location. Click to see if the link to it works.
     
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  2. robert k

    robert k DI Forum Patron Highly Rated Poster Veteran Army

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    That is the place to go if you just need general hardware. Common steel hinges, nails, padlock hasp, pvc solvent, paint. I found the service good and the prices even better. They even opened the can of pvc solvent to make sure it hadn't jelled up without me asking.
     
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  3. Rye83

    Rye83 with pastrami Admin Secured Account Highly Rated Poster SC Connoisseur Veteran Army

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    If I remember correctly Thailand has a pretty restrictive visa system for tourists, which requires a visa run to a bordering country every 3 months or so. Not a good setup for a whole lot of expats and it is one of the main reasons why I wouldn't make the move to Thailand.

    Another option I've heard of was Cambodia......but if a person has problems with the "undeveloped nature" of the Philippines they most likely would not be even remotely interested in that country. Myself: if I wanted to live in a modernized Western culture and city I would just move back to the US, and save myself a bit of money while doing so. Of course if one wants to live in or very near a metropolitan area in the US they are going to spend more than they would in Philippines......but I'm not one of those people. In the US I much prefer the larger cities to be at least 3 hours away from where I live and then make trips every couple months and stay in a hotel (because the only thing to do in a larger city is to get sh*t-faced drunk and "try" (key word there :wink:) to pick up women anyways....right?). I'm in the Philippines (and Dumaguete) because I don't want to be burdened with all the rules, law, and expectations that come along with having a clean, organized and disciplined society.

    If someone came here expecting to save a bunch of money while maintaining their standard of living and on top of that still having access to Western quality infrastructure, medical care and culture, well.....chances are they aren't the sharpest tool in the shed and they put absolutely no real effort into doing a bit of research into the Philippines.
    I wouldn't consider myself a homebody and I'm content with Dumaguete. The nightlife isn't the best in the Philippines, but it certainly isn't the worst (and by a long shot) and there are more restaurants and bars popping up all the time.

    I think a lot of people just have ridiculously high expectations that are completely detached from reality when it comes to the Philippines, which is a "developing"/3rd world country. I also think a lot of people become quite bitter when they finally figure out that:
    1. the Philippines didn't turn out to be the pot at the end of the rainbow.
    2. the rent is cheaper.....but so is the standard of living.....and they could have a better life for the same price back home.
    3. the loud, demanding, "I'm always right" attitude that is so widely accepted in the West is not tolerated here for very long.
    4. they are only a "ladies man" when their wallet is full of cash.
    5. being issued the status of god/king comes at hefty a price.
    If I don't know where to find something I:
    1. ask the magic bookmark (which is d*mn near omniscient)
    2. ask the backup bookmark
    3. ask on a website that exists because of Dumaguete
    Not going to risk putting my self through driving in Dumaguete during the rush hours or risk having to interact with the completely inefficient and useless "customer support" at the local stores (these problems are not unique to Dumguete though). Asking questions online or to a network of friends is about the only thing one can do to avoid those annoyances (this forum is proof that it matter not how much you complain about the cultural differences....nothing is going to change it. The only way to not go insane from it is avoidance. :drowning:). That being said, the Philippines has really done a good job at hammering in and reinforcing what my mother always told me when I was a child, which was, "You don't 'need' that, you want it." Turns out that it is only my "wants" that really require searching or asking around for.
     
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  4. Dave_Hounddriver

    Dave_Hounddriver DI Forum Luminary Highly Rated Poster

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    So Dumaguete is too expensive? Try Nepal
    The Cheapest Places To Live In The World - 2016

    The author of that site is not a fan of Philippines and gives many other options. As to Philippines, he says:
     
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  5. robert k

    robert k DI Forum Patron Highly Rated Poster Veteran Army

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    He didn't mention Mongolia. I watching a travel video about it and it sounded interesting. They don't eat fish (generally) so to not anger the water spirits. For meals the appetizer is meat followed by a meat entrée with, you guessed it, meat for desert. I have not a clue as to the cost of living there though.

    The author of that site is saying you should consider living places where most of them require more hoop jumping than the Philippines! Maybe we should count our blessings?

    Personal observation, where I am now North central Texas it isn't as expensive as he is saying you need for his top picks (not the cheapest places) but it is about 20 C here right now and I have the heat running because I have not yet re-acclimatized. Damned if I want to live anywhere cold again. Nepal can't be all bad, there is a woman who works at a gas station 5km from me who is from Nepal and her English is better than mine. :smile:
     
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  6. MIDNITERIDER

    MIDNITERIDER DI Junior Member

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    No third, I misspoke. Guam itself is definitely a great alternative though that few have ever thought about. I've heard the people are great and so is their cuisine. Just no real public transport and the taxis are all a ripoff. Have to buy a "Guam bomb" or can't get around. For any military retirees it's a no-brainer.
    Medicare can be used there, your taxes can just be a Guam federal return, no state taxes, and most importantly POLLUTION FREE both air and water are pristine. Not expensive like Hawaii either. The asawa is just tired of island living where you can't get much except by expensive air or slow boats from China. So we'll wind up on the mainland.
     
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  7. MIDNITERIDER

    MIDNITERIDER DI Junior Member

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    I see on the surface of it Thailand is not really that hard and it's easy to get a one year multiple entry visa with each entry allowing 90 days as previously stated. I had the Philippines version but there's other benefits here they grant such as the BB which is peculiar to the Phils and I do appreciate that.
    Thailand also has an expensive retirement residency deal but it's still cheaper than the general other-than-Sarawak Malaysian plan. The Philippines SRRV is cheap now for military personnel only.

    This private agency doesn't have to be used, just go the the Thai embassy/consulate yourself.
    Thai 1-Year Non-Immigrant Visa for US Citizens | Siam Legal International

    How to Become a Thai Resident: 9 Steps (with Pictures)

    Thai Retirement Visa for US Citizens| Siam Legal International
     
  8. Rye83

    Rye83 with pastrami Admin Secured Account Highly Rated Poster SC Connoisseur Veteran Army

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    Guam? Kinda expensive and it's part of 'Muricah......and 'Muricah has lots of rules and laws....and they actually enforce them.
    Wait, what? Guam not expensive? I suppose if we are comparing it to Hawaii maybe not, but here in the real world "expensive" doesn't even begin to describe Hawaii.

    Note: I visited Hawaii 6 years ago and I absolutely DESPISED everything about the place. One night in Waikiki I was approached while getting money out of the ATM by the most nasty, smelly, malnourished, body sore infested, methhead of a hooker I've ever seen in my life and asked if I would like a bit of fun for $300........per hour. :2rofl:After I caught my breath from LMFAO I told her to lay off the pipe and to FO.....then I went the nearest hole in the wall dive bar and bought myself a $10 rum and coke (you know, the cheap stuff in Hawaii :shifty:).....where I was later presented with the same business proposal I had at the ATM earlier from 4 more equally nasty and obviously AIDS infested methhead hookers. This lovely evening happened the night after I had to pay a $75 entrance fee to get into a club, only to find out, once inside, that the place was completely empty.....and the drinks were $18+. :meh: Did I mention that the $300 a night hotel I was staying at had stinky black water coming out of the shower......and when they moved me to a new room, 3 nights before my flight out, I had my first experience with bedbugs? Yeah.....Hawaii is awesome and totally a great value! :shifty:

    A person who considers Hawaii and Guam plans "A" and "B" for retirement/relocation should probably put the Philippines around plan "P" or "Q". The Philippines should not be compared to Guam.....and never even mentioned in the same breath as Hawaii.

    Hawaii - Guam - Philippines = Apples - Oranges - Microbial alien life on Mars

    That is not easy, convenient or affordable for the vast majority of expats. I have not heard of a country anywhere that is so welcoming and accommodating to tourists when it comes to visas as the Philippines is. If you are single, not expected to die in the next 20 years and have absolutely no intentions of getting married, the Philippines is about the only options out there for long stays in a foreign country. If there is another country out there that will let a single tourist in his 20's, 30's or 40's stay for 3 years straight without any type of financial "investment" obligations I'd be very interested in hearing about it. To my knowledge no such pace exists other than the Philippines.
    Step 1: "Currently hold a passport of his/her nationality with a non-immigrant visa type that allows him/her to stay in Thailand on the basis of a one year visa extension for a total of at least 3 years up to the submission date at submission of the application."
    Out at step one.....but let's assume that I have already obtained this mysterious 1 year visa and have extended it a few times (which I'm guessing costs significantly more than "free"):
    Application fee - 7,600 THB
    Not
    (and never will be) married to a Thair residence book - 191,400 THB
    Multiple re-entry permit (good for one year) - 3,800 THB
    Endorsement in residence book for temporary departure - 1,900 THB
    To re-apply for residence permit when revoked due to late return to Thailand or departure/return without re- entry permit -(i)Application fee – 7,600 THB
    If application approved, or reissue of residence book – 95,700 THB
    Total - 308000 THB = $8840.42 USD = No thanks

    1. Applicant must be 50 years of age or over.
    Crap, didn't even get past the first requirement. Guess I'll get around to reading step 2 in another 17 years. :meh:
     
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  9. robert k

    robert k DI Forum Patron Highly Rated Poster Veteran Army

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    In my opinion the Philippines is ahead with the LSVV. It might be interesting to visit Cambodia and Laos for long visits but I don't think I would want to live there.
     
  10. osodelnorte

    osodelnorte DI Forum Adept Restricted Account Showcase Reviewer

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