Experimental Expats
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We're Rob and Diane, an American and a Canadian. After an unexpected layoff we decided on early retirement. It sounds like more fun than work. After we sell our house and stuff, Malaysia is our destination. Our blog is about becoming overseas expats.
Experimental Expats
3y ago
That’s a great question. Upended by a global pandemic, our Experimental Overseas Early Retirement sent us packing from Southeast Asia. Fortunately, we spent the worst of it stuck in a small Thai beach town and came away unscathed. Temporarily neglecting the blog for over a year, it’s time to make amends. Amazingly, it’s been over ..read more
Experimental Expats
3y ago
About three hours south of Bangkok, after navigating the trudge normally associated with highways 35 and 4, most cars exit the junction near Cha-Am Beach and head to Hua-Hin. Overhyped in Thailand but fairly low on the must-do list for international tourists, the late King turned this once sleepy town into a cluster of high ..read more
Experimental Expats
3y ago
Where did all the time go? Like almost everyone on Planet Earth for the last 14 months, I ask that question often but even more so every time I get an email informing me that someone read one of my posts despite an 18 month lapse of current content. Surprisingly, it seems people still find ..read more
Experimental Expats
5y ago
And so after a hectic 24 hours of flying to Malaysia, late-night commuting to the hotel and a stressful morning at both the immigration office and our bank, it was time for some fun. Given Kuala Lumpur’s sweltering climate and lack of enjoyable walks, that means doing two things; eating and shopping. While Diane would ..read more
Experimental Expats
5y ago
And so we arrived at Chiang Mai International Airport, checked our documents at the counter and went right through security without checking any bags. Having never flown in Asia without the hassle of waiting for checked bags, it felt strangely liberating but also like we’d forgotten something. Taking a three-day jaunt to Kuala Lumpur to ..read more
Experimental Expats
5y ago
First off, I want to thank everyone for all the feedback regarding my recent post about expat finances and my subsequent follow up that explained why perhaps finances weren’t something I should include in future posts. Understanding my readers a little better now, most feedback was positive and I learned that many folks regard the ..read more
Experimental Expats
5y ago
Well, folks, money management class is closed for The Experimental Expats. Like a Nate Silver poll of the 2016 presidential election, it appears I drastically misread my readers and got it horribly wrong. Based on the response from an old post discussing investments and the importance of a diversified portfolio, I mistakenly thought now would ..read more
Experimental Expats
5y ago
Despite the obvious importance of financial matters in the success of an overseas early retirement experiment like ours, you may have noticed I generally avoid personal finance posts like the plague. First and foremost, while I did work in the financial services industry for 31 years, I’m not a licensed professional therefore I’d be remiss ..read more
Experimental Expats
5y ago
Oops; I did it again. Having finally conquered the horrible new WordPress Editor, I found myself reinvigorated and ready to share stories of our experimental early retirement once again. Launching into a series of recaps of our Great Smoke Season Escape Tour 2019 that included a trip to the powerfully compelling War Remnants Museum in ..read more
Experimental Expats
5y ago
They say getting there is half the fun. Given Thailand’s dubious status as the world’s most dangerous nation to drive, getting there alive seems more like a more reasonable suggestion. In a nation where 22,941 people die on the roads each year, you might call us crazy for logging almost 4,000 kilometers in this year’s ..read more