perhaps, but I saw patients going in and out pretty much - no waiting.  So I can say that from a service standpoint, definitely much better.

An alternative for a full check up would be the Bumrungrad hospital in Bangkok

Staffed with American qualified doctors, they've got a Full health check up for THB 12,500 - and last year they had a 10% discount if you paid with a HSBC Visa card.

I also did a colonoscopy for THB 22,000 - plus whatever $$ for treatment/clips/coterization etc required during the procedure.

Very efficient, very thorough, English speaking - and the first line staff taking down your details/registration etc. are some of the best looking nurses I've ever seen in ANY hospital!!

And its just catty corner from Nana plaza!!

SEAJ

Hey Mars, I'm ready to bet you've never been out-bid by some flash git who took something you really wanted ... like a nice home, or an exciting car, or ...


without money (lots of it) that's a given!!  OK even with money old age is not guaranteed ... but without it the odds go down quickly ...

with 1 million USD, I will first a buy a house and then invest the rest and I will continue working but with less pressure.

I've never owned a car and never wanted one. Having always lived in big cities, cars are far more trouble than they're worth. I know guys who spend more just on parking fees than I do on food. You want to get across Tokyo, or go from Kowloon to HK Island, the subway is way faster. Yes I have to live somewhere reasonably close to public transportation, but that's no sacrifice for me. In Seattle, I got around on a bike and loved it.

Sure it would be great to have a nice home, but the issue under discussion here is whether or not one million is enough to retire on; in other words, is that enough to stop pissing away your limited time in this world working, and relax and enjoy your life. And for me, even if I were used to a more lavish life-style, the liberation of never having to work again would justify a little belt tightening. And as I've already pointed out, a lot of what people think they need really isn't necessary to lead a satisfying life. The law of diminishing returns kicks in with a vengeance once you've reached a reasonable level of affluence.

In any case, no matter how much money you have, there will always be some guy with more, so if your happiness depends on always having the final word in a bidding war, best to only bid against people who have less than you, and that's going to be just as true if you have 10 million as it is if you only have 1.

I have no intention of doing old age, rich or poor.

But you probably won't have a choice. This is the problem in planning for retirement.

If I save enough to support myself until I'm 80 [about what I expect]. What happens if I live until I'm 90. Old and broke won't be much fun.

But I'm with Mars on this subject. I work to make money to live. When I have enough cash, and US$1M will be fine, I'll never work another day.
But I do need a house, and a car.

i would buy me a condo in HK and go pooning in macau and invest in those Casino with traid at the higher roller table..

pardon my skepticism, but will $1million USD doesnt really do a lot these days. u can buy a condo with it sure, but it sure aint enough to live off. raise that to 10million and i'd choose florence, italy, most beautiful, charming, historic, cultured city in the world.

The average Northern Italian family has a pre-tax income of about 45K US/year.

I lived very comfortably in Rome - a city at least as expensive as Florence - for 4 years (2001 - 2005) on about 40K year - and I only spent that much because I rented a very expensive apartment. If I had contented myself with a typical Italian apt, my total expenses would have been closer to 25K.

[ Last edited by  Marsupial at 31-1-2010 23:48 ]

I've read that less than 1.5% of the population of HK are US$ millionaires. That's based on liquid assests so doesn't
include residence property or other possessions, such as car. I've always been told that, when calculating my net
worth, I shouldn't include my house, car, etc.

i guess we all have different standards, but i'll try to explain where i am coming from.

if i was to take that million dollars, and merely rent a place, and continue on with my existing lifestyle, yes, a million would be very nice bonus play money, assuming i keep my day job and all. but if i interpreted the OP's question correctly, was that to take the million and relocate to anywhere and be able to live off that comfortably? in that case i have doubts because a million wouldnt last too long. on a million dollar budget, i wouldnt be able to quit my day job.

for instance, since i am living there now, lets take vancouver as an example. say i wanted to live in vancouver comfortably.

you cant find a house in vancouver for less than 500k. and these are not new houses, more like fixer-uppers. so lets say a decent sized house with a yard, it would set u back at least 600k. there goes a big chunk. now, add a couple cars, conservatively at 100k and you are now only left with 300k. add in expenses for clothes, daily activities, tax this tax that, pretty soon you arent left with very much over the course of a few years. actually, if u take consider living off of 20k a year conservatively, you would only be able to survive off that for 15 years, assuming no other income.

and lets be honest, 20k a year is not a lot of spending money.

i mean, i did choose my city, but honestly i think to be able to put down any worries and be able to make that jump and live where i choose comfortably, a million just doesnt cut it anymore these days.

This may be true, but if you understand bond math or inflation, both will kill your principal when the economy gets going again.

People should try Mortgage REITs like "NLY".  It trades with a 17% dividend.  It is essentially a leveraged investment in government guaranteed mortgage bonds.  You are still subject to interest rate fluctuations, but you should expect a steep yield curve in the U.S. for years to come.  In a tough equity environment, if you reinvested your money over the last 10 years, you wouldhave $600 for each $100 invested from Dec 1999. :-)

To answer the original question, I would live across from the Mayflower KTV in DG.  Would I have $1mm before or after my wife divorced me and took half?

Just remember - the higher the return, the higher the risk.

SEAJ

Which part???

The one next to the sewage river or the one next to the garbage dump?

You'd retire to Chang Ping???  Omigawd!!

SEAJ

You left out the yacht and the private jet.

Obviously, if you had to make that mil last, you'd rent not buy. Why would a single guy need to own a free standing home and 2 cars? Sure, we'd all prefer 100 million to retire on, but anyone who can't manage to support himself quite nicely on 40K net a year (what you could reasonably expect from a combination of the interest on and drawdown from 1 mil) needs to do a little soul searching viz-a-viz what's really real.

I could live very well here in Taiwan on half that. Berlin would be a piece of cake.

No.... I was just commenting on his choice of towns to chose his place of abode.

I mean Chang Ping is a DUMP!!  It's OK just to go to for mongering - but living there would be hellish IMHO

SEAJ

No what?

I was just offering up two places where a lump sum of 1 mil would enable a very decent life. Both Taipei and Berlin are great places to live.

You had posted it up as a reply to my post #95 - which is when I first chided him on wanting to chose Chang Ping to live at.

SEAJ