I would highly recommend east Asia as a place to reside, especially the
developing countries. I have several friends (as well as myself) who have
property interests in various developing Asian countries. Many are slowly
moving their assets overseas. Most of the developing Asian countries are
friendly to Americans and Europeans. Often the government in these
countries is effectively non-existant, and generally won't bother you.
Probably the two best (IMO) east Asian countries to reside are
1) Thailand: Anarchy for all intents and purposes. However, a little
underdeveloped technologically and economically for my tastes. I know
people who love the place though. Probably the closest thing to usable
freedom you'll find.
and,
2) The Philippines: A cleaner, better run country than Thailand, with a more
developed economy and technology base (e.g. they have a decent Internet
backbone). The government is a little more prevalent than in Thailand, but
is generally minimalist and non-intrusive. Most government presence is in
the resource monopolies (energy, water, etc.), which are being privatized as
I write this.
I have actively investigated many Asian countries for moving my residence
eventually, and my personal choice has been with the Philippines. I just
acquired 3 nice houses on the island of Cebu for minimal cash (which I am
renting out currently). I am actively pursuing the purchase of an entire
island that I intend to develop from the ground up per my design (the
Philippines has 7000 islands, the majority of which are uninhabited).
Prices are cheap. You can purchase a large, gorgeous estate with an
enormous house on a private beach for less than USD $100k. A very nice
house in the cities shouldn't cost you more than USD $50k. I plan to start
actively developing that country sometime in the next 5 years. In 5 years
or so, I may permanently move my residence overseas.
-James Rogers
jamesr@best.com