It gets harder and harder to return to the U.S. after every trip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What country was so magical that it prompted you to post? Truly curious.

Japan. South Korea. Thailand. Singapore.

Zero tipping. Cheap healthcare. Zero gun deaths on the news in Singapore, South Korea, and Japan. Amazing quality food in all of them. Public infrastructure that’s about 80 years more advanced than the U.S. in SK, Singapore, and Japan.

Is this OP? You have the money to travel to all those places on the same trip, or even on successive trips, and you’re whining about the cost of things?

Do you even have a point? Having money to go to all of those places doesn’t mean you still cannot complain about being ripped off in the U.S. It’s the basic principle that’s the problem. In the U.S. you spend $30-40 now buying fast food like chipotle while comparatively in a country like Thailand you could eat far better food, multiple dishes, all with out of this world flavor at a small eatery for $7-10. Even for Thai people making Thai Baht eating out, for example, is just so much more affordable. It’s so affordable many homes and apartments barely have a kitchen. And no to minor amounts of tipping.

Only fools waste their money eating fast food crap. Only the lazy refuse to cook far better and healthier food at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you have to come back to horribly inferior food quality, obscene prices for everything and sooooooo much crime. It’s amazing when you can travel to a major city in the world and see ZERO gun deaths for literally days and weeks on end. There’s better public infrastructure that embarrasses the U.S., things are a lot more walkable, healthcare is way more afford, and things just work. Man, it gets harder and harder to return after every trip abroad. The only thing worth retuning for are the salaries and that’s about it.

I agree with you on healthcare, college, infrastructure and gun safety…the prices doesn’t really make sense. Maybe Thailand, Malaysia are what you are referring? I guess prices are low and while it’s not national healthcare…out of pocket and insurance is very low.

Europe, clearly you pay through the nose for gas, groceries, booze, etc…but that does fund the other social benefits.

Even in Japan, dining out is cheap for the Japanese earning Japanese yen. We literally stayed at our friend’s house there and talked about it. Yes, sure, you can spend a lot on elite dining in Tokyo, but there are soooooooooo many cheap to middle level options fir dining that are out of this world and way more affordable even by Japanese standards. And no tipping. The food quality at the grocery stores in all of those countries is superior, which is inexcusable given that the U.S. has vastly more room to grow food than an island nation like Japan. The quality of fruits in Thailand blows anything out of the water in the U.S., and you can buy like 2 kg of oranges for about $3, which is cheap even by Thai standards.


We also needed an ER visit in Thailand for a broken wrist. The wait time was less than 30 minutes. X-rays, cast, medication and a follow up visit: grand total of $314. And that was completely out of pocket with zero insurance. So, soooooo much better than getting bankrupted for HC in the US even when you have insurance.

Yes, but you are mixing and matching. I get that Thailand is cheap, but the infrastructure is not the same as SK, Japan or Singapore.

I have no idea on out of pocket healthcare in SK or Japan or Singapore. Is it cheap?

You have to admit though that people are fundamentally unhappy about something in the Asian systems when it comes to children. Birthrates are nonexistent and women are always complaining about the inequality they face.

The fertility rate gap vanishes if you adjust for bastard rate for the most part

Having kids out of wedlock is very taboo in Asia

American tfr is 1.6/1.7 but if it had Asian levels of illegitimacy, it would crash down to 1.2/1.3 - similar to Japan

Ok, except you are claiming that life is so great in Asian countries. If that was the case, wouldn’t their birth rates be much higher?

It’s fine as a visitor, but actually being a native is much different. Wages are so low in Japan that a medical professional in Japan can make more as a waitress/waiter in Australia.

Life is so stressful in SK that parents are suing the proctor of an 11th grade exam for ending an 8 hour test 1 minute early. That test basically determines your life and kids starting in 8th grade go to normal school followed by 8 hours of cram school.

I mean the moral of your story is get rich in the US and then move. I get it.

SK is def different than Japan - it’s way worse. I would move to Japan, Thailand, china, and Singapore before SK

Yes, you are right in that the US is just a “bazaar” where the point is to accumulate wealth then bounce

China sucks as well….and certainly is not going to be good for an expat American.

The youth unemployment rate is like 20%+, there is absolutely no safety net/good or cheap healthcare and life is very expensive if you want o approximate Western standards

Nobody with $.02 sends their kid to a public school in China. China only scores high on international metrics because they only let private school kids from Beijing and Shanghai take the tests. The average Chinese kid is basically illiterate.

There are all these birth tourist agencies that fly Chinese to the US so their kids can be born here and have citizenship.

Again, there is too much Pollyanna thinking associated with accumulating wealth here and then moving vs the perspective of natives.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/18/opinion/china-education-parenting-culture.html

Expat umc Americans would absolutely do well in China and avoid many of the downsides currently in the 🇺🇸

China in just the last two years is a far different place for an American expat than basically the 25 years prior.

It used to be a coveted corporate assignment….but considering you might get arrested and detained indefinitely…it is off the list.

But hey…go for it if you want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you have to come back to horribly inferior food quality, obscene prices for everything and sooooooo much crime. It’s amazing when you can travel to a major city in the world and see ZERO gun deaths for literally days and weeks on end. There’s better public infrastructure that embarrasses the U.S., things are a lot more walkable, healthcare is way more afford, and things just work. Man, it gets harder and harder to return after every trip abroad. The only thing worth retuning for are the salaries and that’s about it.

Bullshit. You aren't getting better food at better prices. It's one or the other.

Travel the world more and get outta Kansas Dorothy. Food quality sucks in America. It's often way, wayyy better abroad at even more affordable prices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree but no one wants us. I’ve looked into it and it’s really hard to go somewhere else unless you’re extremely wealthy.

New visa gets you in France for 300k euros

Downside:

Living in France is hard unless you really go full francophone

France is very annoying to live in - more annoying than countries that are have reputations for horrible beurocracy like Italy, Spain or Portugal

I don’t have $400,000. Most of us don’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you have to come back to horribly inferior food quality, obscene prices for everything and sooooooo much crime. It’s amazing when you can travel to a major city in the world and see ZERO gun deaths for literally days and weeks on end. There’s better public infrastructure that embarrasses the U.S., things are a lot more walkable, healthcare is way more afford, and things just work. Man, it gets harder and harder to return after every trip abroad. The only thing worth retuning for are the salaries and that’s about it.

I agree with you on healthcare, college, infrastructure and gun safety…the prices doesn’t really make sense. Maybe Thailand, Malaysia are what you are referring? I guess prices are low and while it’s not national healthcare…out of pocket and insurance is very low.

Europe, clearly you pay through the nose for gas, groceries, booze, etc…but that does fund the other social benefits.

Even in Japan, dining out is cheap for the Japanese earning Japanese yen. We literally stayed at our friend’s house there and talked about it. Yes, sure, you can spend a lot on elite dining in Tokyo, but there are soooooooooo many cheap to middle level options fir dining that are out of this world and way more affordable even by Japanese standards. And no tipping. The food quality at the grocery stores in all of those countries is superior, which is inexcusable given that the U.S. has vastly more room to grow food than an island nation like Japan. The quality of fruits in Thailand blows anything out of the water in the U.S., and you can buy like 2 kg of oranges for about $3, which is cheap even by Thai standards.


We also needed an ER visit in Thailand for a broken wrist. The wait time was less than 30 minutes. X-rays, cast, medication and a follow up visit: grand total of $314. And that was completely out of pocket with zero insurance. So, soooooo much better than getting bankrupted for HC in the US even when you have insurance.

Yes, but you are mixing and matching. I get that Thailand is cheap, but the infrastructure is not the same as SK, Japan or Singapore.

I have no idea on out of pocket healthcare in SK or Japan or Singapore. Is it cheap?

You have to admit though that people are fundamentally unhappy about something in the Asian systems when it comes to children. Birthrates are nonexistent and women are always complaining about the inequality they face.

The fertility rate gap vanishes if you adjust for bastard rate for the most part

Having kids out of wedlock is very taboo in Asia

American tfr is 1.6/1.7 but if it had Asian levels of illegitimacy, it would crash down to 1.2/1.3 - similar to Japan

US birth rate would be very low if not for immigrants, and them having babies.

Japan, S, Korea have very strict immigration rules. I realize some Rs like that and want it there, but then we'd also have very low birth rates.

I agree that the US is great for making money, but lmc and mc people in the US struggle a lot. Healthcare costs and cost of education are out of control in this country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you have to come back to horribly inferior food quality, obscene prices for everything and sooooooo much crime. It’s amazing when you can travel to a major city in the world and see ZERO gun deaths for literally days and weeks on end. There’s better public infrastructure that embarrasses the U.S., things are a lot more walkable, healthcare is way more afford, and things just work. Man, it gets harder and harder to return after every trip abroad. The only thing worth retuning for are the salaries and that’s about it.

I agree with you on healthcare, college, infrastructure and gun safety…the prices doesn’t really make sense. Maybe Thailand, Malaysia are what you are referring? I guess prices are low and while it’s not national healthcare…out of pocket and insurance is very low.

Europe, clearly you pay through the nose for gas, groceries, booze, etc…but that does fund the other social benefits.

Even in Japan, dining out is cheap for the Japanese earning Japanese yen. We literally stayed at our friend’s house there and talked about it. Yes, sure, you can spend a lot on elite dining in Tokyo, but there are soooooooooo many cheap to middle level options fir dining that are out of this world and way more affordable even by Japanese standards. And no tipping. The food quality at the grocery stores in all of those countries is superior, which is inexcusable given that the U.S. has vastly more room to grow food than an island nation like Japan. The quality of fruits in Thailand blows anything out of the water in the U.S., and you can buy like 2 kg of oranges for about $3, which is cheap even by Thai standards.


We also needed an ER visit in Thailand for a broken wrist. The wait time was less than 30 minutes. X-rays, cast, medication and a follow up visit: grand total of $314. And that was completely out of pocket with zero insurance. So, soooooo much better than getting bankrupted for HC in the US even when you have insurance.

Yes, but you are mixing and matching. I get that Thailand is cheap, but the infrastructure is not the same as SK, Japan or Singapore.

I have no idea on out of pocket healthcare in SK or Japan or Singapore. Is it cheap?

You have to admit though that people are fundamentally unhappy about something in the Asian systems when it comes to children. Birthrates are nonexistent and women are always complaining about the inequality they face.

The fertility rate gap vanishes if you adjust for bastard rate for the most part

Having kids out of wedlock is very taboo in Asia

American tfr is 1.6/1.7 but if it had Asian levels of illegitimacy, it would crash down to 1.2/1.3 - similar to Japan

Ok, except you are claiming that life is so great in Asian countries. If that was the case, wouldn’t their birth rates be much higher?

It’s fine as a visitor, but actually being a native is much different. Wages are so low in Japan that a medical professional in Japan can make more as a waitress/waiter in Australia.

Life is so stressful in SK that parents are suing the proctor of an 11th grade exam for ending an 8 hour test 1 minute early. That test basically determines your life and kids starting in 8th grade go to normal school followed by 8 hours of cram school.

I mean the moral of your story is get rich in the US and then move. I get it.

My spouse is a dual citizen, and we are thinking exactly this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you have to come back to horribly inferior food quality, obscene prices for everything and sooooooo much crime. It’s amazing when you can travel to a major city in the world and see ZERO gun deaths for literally days and weeks on end. There’s better public infrastructure that embarrasses the U.S., things are a lot more walkable, healthcare is way more afford, and things just work. Man, it gets harder and harder to return after every trip abroad. The only thing worth retuning for are the salaries and that’s about it.

I agree with you on healthcare, college, infrastructure and gun safety…the prices doesn’t really make sense. Maybe Thailand, Malaysia are what you are referring? I guess prices are low and while it’s not national healthcare…out of pocket and insurance is very low.

Europe, clearly you pay through the nose for gas, groceries, booze, etc…but that does fund the other social benefits.

Even in Japan, dining out is cheap for the Japanese earning Japanese yen. We literally stayed at our friend’s house there and talked about it. Yes, sure, you can spend a lot on elite dining in Tokyo, but there are soooooooooo many cheap to middle level options fir dining that are out of this world and way more affordable even by Japanese standards. And no tipping. The food quality at the grocery stores in all of those countries is superior, which is inexcusable given that the U.S. has vastly more room to grow food than an island nation like Japan. The quality of fruits in Thailand blows anything out of the water in the U.S., and you can buy like 2 kg of oranges for about $3, which is cheap even by Thai standards.


We also needed an ER visit in Thailand for a broken wrist. The wait time was less than 30 minutes. X-rays, cast, medication and a follow up visit: grand total of $314. And that was completely out of pocket with zero insurance. So, soooooo much better than getting bankrupted for HC in the US even when you have insurance.

Yes, but you are mixing and matching. I get that Thailand is cheap, but the infrastructure is not the same as SK, Japan or Singapore.

I have no idea on out of pocket healthcare in SK or Japan or Singapore. Is it cheap?

You have to admit though that people are fundamentally unhappy about something in the Asian systems when it comes to children. Birthrates are nonexistent and women are always complaining about the inequality they face.

The fertility rate gap vanishes if you adjust for bastard rate for the most part

Having kids out of wedlock is very taboo in Asia

American tfr is 1.6/1.7 but if it had Asian levels of illegitimacy, it would crash down to 1.2/1.3 - similar to Japan

Ok, except you are claiming that life is so great in Asian countries. If that was the case, wouldn’t their birth rates be much higher?

It’s fine as a visitor, but actually being a native is much different. Wages are so low in Japan that a medical professional in Japan can make more as a waitress/waiter in Australia.

Life is so stressful in SK that parents are suing the proctor of an 11th grade exam for ending an 8 hour test 1 minute early. That test basically determines your life and kids starting in 8th grade go to normal school followed by 8 hours of cram school.

I mean the moral of your story is get rich in the US and then move. I get it.

My spouse is a dual citizen, and we are thinking exactly this.

Nice. Wreck the place and then leave.

Gotta love it. (No, not really.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:. I dunno even know if the country can even survive another Trump presidency before he starts WW3 with Iran and North Korea.

Joe seems to be far more effective at starting WW3, given the wars aging right now that weren’t occurring when Trump was in office. That guy sucked at starting wars. Bigly.

Get a grip. Joe didn't start any wars. Russia invaded Ukraine, the US didn't invade or threaten anyone on that one. Hamas attacked Israel, the US didn't invade or threaten anyone on that one either. Houthis attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea, the US didn't invade or threaten anyone to make that happen either.

We didn't start any of those wars. We are responding to aggression by others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:. I dunno even know if the country can even survive another Trump presidency before he starts WW3 with Iran and North Korea.

Joe seems to be far more effective at starting WW3, given the wars aging right now that weren’t occurring when Trump was in office. That guy sucked at starting wars. Bigly.

Let's see;

1 Who invaded Ukraine. Putin not Biden.
2.who attacked Israel on Oct. 7.. Humas not Biden.

Which wars did Biden start,? Put up or shut up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you have to come back to horribly inferior food quality, obscene prices for everything and sooooooo much crime. It’s amazing when you can travel to a major city in the world and see ZERO gun deaths for literally days and weeks on end. There’s better public infrastructure that embarrasses the U.S., things are a lot more walkable, healthcare is way more afford, and things just work. Man, it gets harder and harder to return after every trip abroad. The only thing worth retuning for are the salaries and that’s about it.

I agree with you on healthcare, college, infrastructure and gun safety…the prices doesn’t really make sense. Maybe Thailand, Malaysia are what you are referring? I guess prices are low and while it’s not national healthcare…out of pocket and insurance is very low.

Europe, clearly you pay through the nose for gas, groceries, booze, etc…but that does fund the other social benefits.

Even in Japan, dining out is cheap for the Japanese earning Japanese yen. We literally stayed at our friend’s house there and talked about it. Yes, sure, you can spend a lot on elite dining in Tokyo, but there are soooooooooo many cheap to middle level options fir dining that are out of this world and way more affordable even by Japanese standards. And no tipping. The food quality at the grocery stores in all of those countries is superior, which is inexcusable given that the U.S. has vastly more room to grow food than an island nation like Japan. The quality of fruits in Thailand blows anything out of the water in the U.S., and you can buy like 2 kg of oranges for about $3, which is cheap even by Thai standards.


We also needed an ER visit in Thailand for a broken wrist. The wait time was less than 30 minutes. X-rays, cast, medication and a follow up visit: grand total of $314. And that was completely out of pocket with zero insurance. So, soooooo much better than getting bankrupted for HC in the US even when you have insurance.

Yes, but you are mixing and matching. I get that Thailand is cheap, but the infrastructure is not the same as SK, Japan or Singapore.

I have no idea on out of pocket healthcare in SK or Japan or Singapore. Is it cheap?

You have to admit though that people are fundamentally unhappy about something in the Asian systems when it comes to children. Birthrates are nonexistent and women are always complaining about the inequality they face.

The fertility rate gap vanishes if you adjust for bastard rate for the most part

Having kids out of wedlock is very taboo in Asia

American tfr is 1.6/1.7 but if it had Asian levels of illegitimacy, it would crash down to 1.2/1.3 - similar to Japan

Ok, except you are claiming that life is so great in Asian countries. If that was the case, wouldn’t their birth rates be much higher?

It’s fine as a visitor, but actually being a native is much different. Wages are so low in Japan that a medical professional in Japan can make more as a waitress/waiter in Australia.

Life is so stressful in SK that parents are suing the proctor of an 11th grade exam for ending an 8 hour test 1 minute early. That test basically determines your life and kids starting in 8th grade go to normal school followed by 8 hours of cram school.

I mean the moral of your story is get rich in the US and then move. I get it.

My spouse is a dual citizen, and we are thinking exactly this.

Please leave sooner rather than later and absolutely renounce your US citizenship for yourself and your children. This way you can't come running back to to US safety when whatever county you move to is invaded by Russia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:. I dunno even know if the country can even survive another Trump presidency before he starts WW3 with Iran and North Korea.

Joe seems to be far more effective at starting WW3, given the wars aging right now that weren’t occurring when Trump was in office. That guy sucked at starting wars. Bigly.

Let's see;

1 Who invaded Ukraine. Putin not Biden.
2.who attacked Israel on Oct. 7.. Humas not Biden.

Which wars did Biden start,? Put up or shut up.

Biden doesn’t have Trumps genius for keeping the world under control. But then again Trump is the only President in the 22nd century smart enough. All the rest were stupid. The swamp is even stupider

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:. I dunno even know if the country can even survive another Trump presidency before he starts WW3 with Iran and North Korea.

Joe seems to be far more effective at starting WW3, given the wars aging right now that weren’t occurring when Trump was in office. That guy sucked at starting wars. Bigly.

Let's see;

1 Who invaded Ukraine. Putin not Biden.
2.who attacked Israel on Oct. 7.. Humas not Biden.

Which wars did Biden start,? Put up or shut up.

Biden doesn’t have Trumps genius for keeping the world under control. But then again Trump is the only President in the 22nd century smart enough. All the rest were stupid. The swamp is even stupider

Not so stupid that they don't know which century in which they are living. Look at a calendar Dumbo, it's the 21st century.

[Anonymous]

Sort of relate. When I was standing in US Customs return from 2 weeks in France, they announced rolling back Roe v Wade. I totally wanted to get back on the plane and go back to France. The mass shootings crime has made me numb to crime. As for prices, meh.

[Anonymous]

I am an immigrant and I love this country. I have travelled the world but there is no greater country than the USA. I would have never had the same opportunities anywhere else in the world. Even if Paris metro is better and Spain has nicer beaches, you all can keep it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am an immigrant and I love this country. I have travelled the world but there is no greater country than the USA. I would have never had the same opportunities anywhere else in the world. Even if Paris metro is better and Spain has nicer beaches, you all can keep it.

Yes, the US is great for making money. No argument there. It's the cost of healthcare, gun violence, state of our education, that makes it harder to live here.