OpenTube

I've Been an Expat for 20 Years - Here's What I Got BADLY Wrong

Naked Expat

6,386 views

I've been an expat for over 20 years — Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines — and I still got these badly wrong.

This isn't the usual "top tips" video. This is the most personal I've made. Six actual mistakes that cost me real time, real money, and years I can't get back. I didn't talk about them before because it's easier to sound like you've got it all figured out. I didn't.

If you're thinking about moving abroad, or you're already there, I hope this saves you paying for your own version of the same lessons.

In this video I cover:
→ Mistake #1: Moving too fast — falling for the holiday version of a place
→ Mistake #2: Underestimating what you leave behind — the social connections you can't replace on arrival
→ Mistake #3: Getting the financial architecture wrong — income floor, currency risk, healthcare costs and estate planning
→ Mistake #4: Confusing solitude with strength — and the human connection deficit that follows
→ Mistake #5: Arrogance about culture — mistaking time served for depth of understanding
→ Mistake #6: Waiting too long to address health — what I wasted in my forties that I wish I'd built insteadAnd at the end, what I'd say to my 39-year-old self the day before I left the UK.

No fluff. No fantasy. No agenda except the truth.

🔗 USEFUL LINKS
➡️ Wise (multi-currency Account): https://wise.prf.hn/l/7E9RDR0/
➡️ Wise (multi-currency Card): https://tinyurl.com/4ab92ybb
➡️ Revolut (full UK banking licence): https://tinyurl.com/228rn8ym
➡️ HSBC Expat: https://www.expat.hsbc.com/
➡️ Standard Bank (IoM): https://tinyurl.com/7mjb4mm7

💼 FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR EXPATS
For UK pension planning, tax residency and expat financial advice, contact Jamie Lee: → https://tinyurl.com/4wj66hmx

🏥 INTERNATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE
For expat health cover enquiries, contact Alex Ruth: → https://tinyurl.com/5b5bzdcu

👥 BECOME A CHANNEL MEMBER
Get early access to videos, exclusive content, discounts, perks and 1-on-1 coaching sessions: → @nakedexpat

🎁HELP SUPPORT MY CHANNEL:
Tips & Donations: → https://ko-fi.com/nakedexpat
Or ☕ → https://buymeacoffee.com/nakedexpat

🅿️ PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/WA...

🌐 nakedxpat.com
WEBSITE: 👉 https://nakedexpat.com
EMAIL: 👉 https://tinyurl.com/y89cpt8e

************************************
CHANNEL DISCLAIMER
The information, experiences, and opinions shared on this channel are for educational and entertainment purposes only and should NOT be considered professional advice. The creator is no longer a licensed professional [retired] in areas including but not limited to: immigration law, tax preparation, financial planning, real estate, healthcare, or legal services.

All content reflects personal experiences and research that may not apply to your specific situation. Laws, regulations, visa requirements, tax obligations, and procedures vary by country and are subject to frequent changes. What works in one location or for one person may not work for another.

Before making any major life decisions such as relocating abroad, obtaining visas, making investments, or significant financial commitments, please consult with qualified licensed professionals in the relevant fields and jurisdictions.

This channel may feature guest opinions and experiences that differ from those of the creator. Individual results and experiences will vary. The creator assumes no responsibility for decisions made based on information provided in these videos.

By watching this content, you acknowledge that you are solely responsible for your own decisions and actions.

20 Comments

@nakedexpat Creator 1 month ago Pinned

Which one of these 6 hit you hardest?
For me, #4 took the longest to admit — comfortable solitude is not the same as real human connection.
Be honest below: What's the mistake YOU almost made — or did make — that you'd warn someone else about? I'll reply to as many as I can, and your answer might save someone else a lot of pain.
If you know someone planning a move, send them this one.

@alaskacpu 3 weeks ago

I've went to several countries prior to knowing that the Philippines was home to me. I first started out in the Philippines in 1987 for a few years. I came back prior to 2010 and began my journey.
The biggest thing I learned in my first few years, is that I needed to be humble, respectful - instead of thinking that everyone was out for themselves. It was lesson I learned firmly and willingly.
Swallowing my pride and making sure that my actions were correct. I didn't worry anymore about their actions, but mine alone. It really hit home. I'm a better person because of it. :face-red-heart-shape:
Today I'm happily married to a wonderful Filipina for over a decade, built our dream home in 2012 and loving life with a beautiful family. 💝

@j.w.9598 3 weeks ago

Every place has its pros and cons and hindsight is 20/20, Mate.

Twenty years ago you were a different person and made the best choices at the time with all available information. And then you simply adjusted after. You sharing your best life lessons learned is appreciated.

@matthewlopez4049 11 days ago

Slow drift in a direction I knew was wrong. Powerful words.

@BambooTom 3 weeks ago

#2) as a rolling stone one does leave behind shared memories and ease of communication without the effort to set context

@davehood1514 9 days ago

Andrew that's your best video yet,must have been difficult to be so honest,but really appreciate by your viewers,we will learn a lot from your wisdom.

@paxxop 3 weeks ago

Thank you for sharing your insights. Valuable as always. For me, making new friends in the new country is critical - I need my downtime but I need regular, real human connections. These days it's easy, with social media, video chat and so on, to keep in touch with friends and family in the old country, but that doesn't fully take the place of human interaction person-to-person. And the people I've left behind are moving on with their lives without me being the active part of it that I was before I relocated.

@Sherman30ALB 1 month ago

Sound and insightful advice. Excellent.

@trevorharvey105 3 weeks ago

After 30 years as an expat I certainly understand understand the health but maybe the same every where. I would add I wish I had not been in such a hurry to make friends. I wasted time on too many transient people who were always going to leave. As I moved to Australia first it wasn't much different culturally to England. It was a stepping stone to Japan my ultimate destination. I have always worked as an expat so I never faced the boredom issue which creates loneliness. The choice of country as an expat is critical. Living in Thailand or Philippines the biggest problem must be how to pass your time every day.

@TheStoicScout 12 days ago

Second video of yours, in a short period, that absolutely nails the important things. I am 3 weeks out from launching my own version and have already duplicated your "moving too fast" mistake, because instead to slowly visiting each candidate country then deciding, I have already invested in Chilean Residency before I have even tested SEA or other potential locations. The heath issue, yep, a slow drift is easy is easy to fall into as I have done that the last 3 months due to an Achilles injury. The last one for me is my biggest worry, the currency risk as my income is dollar based and let's just say I don't have much confidence in American leadership currently. Salamat for the video!

@TheAntiAAConcept 3 weeks ago

He is right on that testing things out for months at a time. I've done that in Latin America in various countries and other asian countries and am doing so in the PH. I was sure I was going to leave about two months ago NE, but things seem a little better in Palawan than Vigan City. I really hated Cebu, lived there for five months and the constant street nonsense irritated me daily. But now I know that. Baguio was actually ok and Palawan seems ok. I won't go on and on why I may not be a good fit here as I already did that so it's out. May look into Davao as I hear it is a different PH. But it is foolhardy to just up and leave on one jump before if you even know you like the place.

@kenbaustin4533 1 month ago

Nice layout of the possible hurdles! Not having made the plunge yet so just guessing here that numbers two and six would be most important to me. I think the mental/social challenge of how to fill your retired days is of upmost importance to anyone's happiness in a new location, especially cross culturally. And obviously, making any adaptations from a hospital bed would be the worst!

@Phiyedough 3 weeks ago

One of the advantages of choosing Croatia is that it has universal health care that runs on similar lines to the NHS. I rejected France because their health system is less comprehensive and you really need a certain amount of private health insurance. If you have existing health issues, as I did, such insurance could be expensive. My mistake was that I moved to Hungary before ending up in Croatia. There the language barrier made me feel very isolated. I tried to learn Hungarian but was too old for effective language learning. Not sure where I should have gone in 2011 though as Croatia was not an EU member back then.

@Orion_Darkstar 1 month ago

It is hard to slow down. In my line of work guys who retire seem to die withing 5 years or so. One of the reasons I am trying to retire early and change things... You could slow down, plan better and die 6 months into your retirement. The Philippines Life has a video about exactly that happening to one of his friends. I think all of us want to make calculated, deliberate, wise decisions, but sometimes you have to harness the motivation to make things happen before depression, exhaustion, or the vagaries of life quietly steal it away from you...

@70PlusMyLifeinThePhilippines 3 weeks ago

Youth and inexperience are inseparable companions; they shape us through missteps and the course corrections that follow. There is truth in the adage that a life without mistakes is a life that never reached beyond its comfort zone. For nearly seventy years, I charged headlong into my fears, setting ambitions far beyond my proven abilities—not out of recklessness, but as a deliberate test of my true capacity and identity. Now, at seventy-plus, here in the Philippines 🇵🇭, I have come to know myself. I have tempered my goals with realism, honed the skills that matter, and set my sights on the next twenty-five golden years—lived deliberately, and with no regrets.😊🙏

@KenBAustin3 3 weeks ago

Unless one is an complete introvert, making human connection and friends where you decide to relocate to is paramount to me.

@MichaelSmittySmithScottsdaleAz 3 weeks ago

This is a great video and I hope it gets a lot of views. I am back from a month in Thailand and the Philippines. Living in Usa at 61. I have been traveling to SE Asia on and off for 20 years but more seriously the last 2 checking out possible places. I have a heart failure but have been managing it and want to retire early. I realize that you do need more time in each place. This trip I did Angeles in the Philippines which I had done 20 years ago. I had friends living there so I went back. Not a bar person but this trip was much better. My friend gave me a list of places to eat, shop,etc so I settled into a routine rather quickly. It made the trip much more enjoyable. Would I live there long term? Probably not as Thailand with better infrastructure and healthcare seems a better option. But. The Fhilpinas are amazing women. Date a Filipina and live in Thailand? So many options. I don't know if I am ready to leave the USA for good but it's very expensive and with decent savings but no pension, it wouldn't be a great retirement. Through my last few trips I was able to check off South America, Europe and cities like Manila, Dumaguete and maybe Cebu. Looking forward to my next trip. I am fighting off the ease of dating in the Philippines because it may scew my decision.

@nyegye1606 3 weeks ago

Love your videos. Genuine question. If you didn't have your kid in the Philippines would the Philippines still be your number 1 country to retire early abroad? If not, where would you recommend instead?

@robertmorison3137 3 weeks ago

as someone that is comfortable with their own company and 31 yrs expat 3 countries it is not a mistake to be happy without interaction of most of the people out here. If you have a partner thats fine but being able to navigate without a circle of so called friends I would call an advantage, not a mistake.