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Best expatriate countries for smokers?

Loc Dog

Hobbies include "drinkin', smokin' weed, and all k
Veteran
I have been looking for some place cheap to move to and semi retire from USA. Have friend pushing expatriate areas (concentration of English speaking people) in Cambodia, and says cannabis is not enforced. Also seeing a lot of cheap property throughout Central America. Currently looking at Costa Rica, but also thinking Bolivia or Peru.

I know visas and lengths of stay are big issues.

Anyone have suggestions or warnings?
 

Gypsy Nirvana

Recalcitrant Reprobate -
Administrator
Veteran
Laos and/or Cambodia (they are next door to each other)....too much crime in SAmerica for me, although I have some mates that are in Colombia and like it.
 

Loc Dog

Hobbies include "drinkin', smokin' weed, and all k
Veteran
Laos and/or Cambodia (they are next door to each other)....too much crime in SAmerica for me, although I have some mates that are in Colombia and like it.

You have to leave every 6 months. Not sure for how long. He got me into local bulletin boards where stuff is dirt cheap without realtor. Very basic hotel room apt's as cheap as $80 a month.

Raining and flooding like hell last few weeks.
 

Gypsy Nirvana

Recalcitrant Reprobate -
Administrator
Veteran
Yeah well you are always going to have a rainy/monsoon season in the tropics, so try and rent or buy somewhere to live that is at a higher elevation that drains well and is not susceptible to mud slides or subsidence. There are other visas you can apply for if you would like multiple entry other than the bog standard tourist visa.....

Many of the SEAsian countries do a retiree and a business visa that would enable you not to have to leave the country every 6 months, but that doesn't have to be a problem either because usually you can just pop over the border into a neighboring country for a day or so, or even less, then you will get a new visa on re-entry..

You have to leave every 6 months. Not sure for how long. He got me into local bulletin boards where stuff is dirt cheap without realtor. Very basic hotel room apt's as cheap as $80 a month.

Raining and flooding like hell last few weeks.
 

Loc Dog

Hobbies include "drinkin', smokin' weed, and all k
Veteran
Kampot which is mostly Australian, is real close to Thailand or Vietnam. Facebook friend just winters there for 6 months then back to Queensland in Southern Australia. Many of the cheap rooms are second story. Really does not make sense to buy for older people. Jesus Christ, our property tax in USA is $12K a year, for nothing but putting snobs kids through public school that is like private school.
 

Green Squall

Active member
SEA sounds like fun and it has a more enriching culture in my opinion. Cheaper and less crime too if I'm not mistaken? Although, its halfway across the world, so there's that to think about. I'd like to visit myself and I plan to at some point in the near future. Good luck and let us know what you decide.
 

Loc Dog

Hobbies include "drinkin', smokin' weed, and all k
Veteran
SEA sounds like fun and it has a more enriching culture in my opinion. Cheaper and less crime too if I'm not mistaken? Although, its halfway across the world, so there's that to think about. I'd like to visit myself and I plan to at some point in the near future. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

It is about a 23 hour flight for me. Very cheap rentals and food. Gourmet meals for under $5. Saw someone selling passion fruit for $1 a kilo, which would be about $30 in USA. Crime I have heard about is snatch and run in city areas. Flooding is major concern. Spring and Summer are very rainy.
 

Elmer Bud

Genotype Sex Worker AKA strain whore
Veteran
G `day LD

I visited Phnom Penh a cpl of years back .
Enjoyed the trip . Ganja is cheap and easy to score . Locals speak English ,they use US dollars and drive on the right .

Thanks for sharin

EB .
 

djimb

Active member
Veteran
I can't speak to SE Asia, as I haven't been there yet, but in all the Latin American countries I've visited (Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Dominican Republic), people have been friendly and helpful, food and lodging have been super inexpensive (avocados as big as your face are still only 25 cents at the gringo rate. If you haggle, or you're a regular, the price will come down), and I've never felt like I was in danger.

As long as you practice the same caution you would in the US, you Won't be victimized. Don't flash a wad of cash, keep a hand on your $500 camera, and don't let the dude who offers to help you find your bus carry your bags, no matter how strongly he insists, but maybe tip him if he's actually helpful.

Most South American countries have a pensioner visa that will grant you residency as long as you can prove you have a place to live in the country, that you spend most of the year there, and that you have enough income to support yourself (usually around $1k per month). If you have investments, rental property, or even a good payout on a retirement account/Social Security, it should be pretty easy.

Gypsy's mention of Colombia is a good suggestion. As I understand it, a person can legaly grow 20 plants on their property. You can choose your climate based on altitude, and the people are wonderful. Colombia is high on my list of countries to end up in.

Otherwise, Ecuador loves tourists and expats right now. The visa process is pretty straightforward. I lived there for a year on a volunteer visa, and only had to visit the office two or three times to submit paperwork and get my visa sticker. They use USD as their currency, which makes things even easier if you have passive income in the US.

If progressive politics and a more developed nation is your preference, Chile and Uruguay are great options where you should be able to grow your own legally, though they're more expensive and more temperate.

I've also heard that the incoming Mexican president is interested in full legalization and a Colombia/Farc style amnesty/reintegration program for cartel members to try to curb the effects of their drug war. Even still, growing Cannabis may have been de facto legalised by the supreme court some time ago, and as long as you're not a journalist, politician, or a farmer in Sinaloa, you don't have to worry about violence or the cartels. If you're looking for a strong expat community, this is probably your best option. A big plus is that the standard tourist visa for US citizens is 6 months, where most other Latin American countries give you 3.

One final piece of advice, should you choose to go this route: if someone asks you where you're from, say the US, not America. You'll catch some shit, as they are also from the Americas. "Somos todos Americanos."
 

Satyros

Member
Europe is not cheap...I also get the sense that they are a bit tired of people from the States.


I once thought of Bhutan, and, I'm not sure about a visa, but for citizenship you would have to go in with $ 25k. Door is closed to poor drifters.


I have no idea about Africa...it seems to work for Indians and Chinese, but for retirement purposes, nothing about it jumps out.
 

green404

Member
I have been looking for some place cheap to move to and semi retire from USA. Have friend pushing expatriate areas (concentration of English speaking people) in Cambodia, and says cannabis is not enforced. Also seeing a lot of cheap property throughout Central America. Currently looking at Costa Rica, but also thinking Bolivia or Peru.

I know visas and lengths of stay are big issues.

Anyone have suggestions or warnings?

Central America has cheap weed. Do use caution when buying.

You can buy a lb/large bag of sativa for cheap.. under $50. or smaller bags like an oz for $3-$7 if they think they are dealing with a tourists they will try to get more. It is awesome buying a bag of weed the size of a shopping bag for like $10. :biggrin:

Costa Rica is Jaded they will always try to over charge gringos in anything they love USDs and will price you in $20,$100 increments. They also think it is easy to riff off gringos.

One danger is sometimes the police will set up gringos. They will have Jose sell someone a bag then bust him around the corner and demand money. Be careful in downtown areas, if it doesn't feel right don't do it.

The further you get from tourist areas the cheaper it is. If you need to live by expats it will cost much more. Many people will move to expat areas practice Spanish and explore the area after a year they know the language and area and can live for much cheaper.

I would check out Honduras or Colombia. Mexico is very dangerous these days. I like Nicaragua but at the moment it is not safe.
 

Loc Dog

Hobbies include "drinkin', smokin' weed, and all k
Veteran
Anyone have knowledge of drug laws in Thailand?? Phuket looks beautiful and is supposed to be party town. Someone mentioned in another post about Malaysia, which has death penalty, to just have lots of bribe money available.
 

mowood3479

Active member
Veteran
I need cheap, weed, and expatriate area so they speak English.

I think this succinctly as possible sums up my needs also.
Made me chuckle.
No Input than I’ve had a few friends move to Columbia recently and are really liking it so far.
 
What about Canada? That's my USA fallback (cuz idk if I'll ever make it to Russia due to me being poor). Canada is gonna be legal soon.

I emailed a homeless shelter in Canada a couple weeks ago. They didn't say yes buuut they didn't say no either...lol... ;)
 

Elmer Bud

Genotype Sex Worker AKA strain whore
Veteran
G `day LD

Thailand ; ganja is illegal .
They have piss tests . Cops are corrupt . Brick weed ...

I see the Nth Marianas are looking to legalize ?

Thanks for sharin

EB .
 

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