The first thing people who are considering moving to Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, mention is the low cost of living.
It is true that the salary level of local people is lower than that of Japan, which ranks among the lowest among developed countries.
The salary level in Thailand is one-seventh that of Japan, and one-eighth that of the Philippines.
It is no wonder that Thailand is popular as a place to move to after retirement, as it is possible to live a normal life on pension income alone.
However, it is easy to imagine that living in a country with a different language, culture, and social environment will cause many problems.
Since you will be living in a place you have never been before, you need to be flexible enough to adapt to the new environment.
If there are a certain number of Japanese people living in the area, I think it would be mentally safe to exchange information.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the number of Japanese living in Southeast Asia in descending order is 81,000 in Thailand, 36,000 in Singapore, 31,000 in Malaysia, 23,000 in Vietnam, and 17,000 in the Philippines.
By city, Bangkok has 58,000, Singapore 36,000, Kuala Lumpur 16,000, Ho Chi Minh City 12,000, and Metro Manila 8,000.
However, when it comes to permanent residents only, the Philippines has the highest number of 6,013. Singapore was next with 3,381. Malaysia, which was once a popular destination for immigrants, has 1,992, Thailand has 1,828, and Vietnam has only 298.
In other words, most of the Japanese living in Southeast Asia are expatriates or their families, and not many have moved there completely.
Among these countries, the Philippines and Singapore are the ones with the largest number of permanent residents.
I think the reason for the large number of permanent residents in these two countries is the language.
In both the Philippines and Singapore, it is possible to live if you can speak at least a little English, but in Thailand and Malaysia, as in Japan, English is hardly understood.
With the exception of Brazil and Argentina, the former destinations of Japanese immigrants, English-speaking countries are by far the largest number of countries where Japanese people live permanently.
Aside from the 210,000 in the United States, Australia and New Zealand have a combined total of 70,000. Canada has 47,000. The UK has 25,000. On the other hand, France, the neighbor of the UK, has only 9,000.
Regardless of the level of English you speak, English is at least a compulsory subject in junior high and high school, so there are many Japanese who understand it a little better than other languages. This may be a criterion for choosing a place to settle.
If you don't understand the language of the country you are moving to, you will have a hard time.
If you can communicate in a language you are somewhat familiar with, the hurdle to immigration will be lowered.
Next to language, money is the most important factor in migration.
The reason why many countries require immigrants to have an income or a certain amount of savings to obtain a visa is because the immigrants need to be able to live without working.
In other words, it is required not to take away the jobs of workers in the host country.
The criteria for a retirement visa in Thailand is quite high. You need to have 800,000 baht (about 2.88 million yen) in a Thai bank account or a monthly pension of 65,000 baht (234,000 yen).
In the Philippines, the hurdle is a little lower, and pensioners can meet the requirements for a visa with a $10,000 (1.13 million yen) deposit in a Philippine bank account and a monthly pension of $800 (90,400 yen).
In this case, a deposit of $20,000 (2.26 million yen) is sufficient to apply.
However, since you can enter the Philippines on a tourist visa and stay for up to two years if you renew it, it is said that there is no need to get a retirement visa.
I think it is possible to do a petit migration on a tourist visa and if there is no problem, then do a full migration.
If you have been a member of the Employees' Pension System for a long time, you can live a normal life with just your pension income.
However, not only in the Philippines but also in Southeast Asia, prices are rising year by year. Considering that Japan has been in a deflationary trend for the past 20 years with almost no increase in prices, I am not sure if I will be able to live a normal life in my new home.
Considering the social infrastructure including medical care, there is a great possibility that the cost of living will be lower in Japan.
So, if you choose to move here because of the low cost of living, you might want to reconsider.
Of course, if your goal is to live a leisurely life without cold winters, I think moving is a good idea.
