married and moving to china

[bullmastiff]

For banking services, you may consider opening an account with International Banks such as HSBC or Standard Chartered Bank .For premier members, they can have accounts anywhere in the world at their finger tips .

In any regard, if you have account with Bank of America , you can use ATM service with CHina Construction Bank without any fee.

 

Malaysia and Thailand are very nice place. Thailand recently has not been very stable unfortunately . They are cheaper and nicer than China but the weather is very humid and hot. I

[dnoblett]

For banking services, you may consider opening an account with International Banks such as HSBC or Standard Chartered Bank .For premier members, they can have accounts anywhere in the world at their finger tips .

In any regard, if you have account with Bank of America , you can use ATM service with CHina Construction Bank without any fee.

 

Malaysia and Thailand are very nice place. Thailand recently has not been very stable unfortunately . They are cheaper and nicer than China but the weather is very humid and hot. I

Yep, opened a B of A account, just for that reason for my wife's trip back to the homeland.

[2mike&jin]

Thank you GDBILL,KYLE and the others for the goodl advice,I dont have any issues living abroad,done it most of my adult life. My take on it is my pension will be more than enough for a comfortable life in china.

My wife (and only one) lives in Nanning a good locality.So there is no resident visa there, what about Malysia or Thailand can you get your chinese wife there ?

 

Well, you have certainly "woke" some of the animals up. But back to your original question about potentially moving to China.

 

1. I assume you retired from the Military, have a retirement pension, and are eligible for all PX, Commissary, and Medical Benefits.

 

A. Others have suggested a bank easy to do business in CHina or other place - that is sage advice. Some suggested HSBC, an option with their Premier Account - last I checked it required about $50K US to have such an account and didn't pay any interest. There were other ways to qualify for the status. I suggest USAA - Checking account - Military Pay to the Checking account - they are easy to get wire transfers and they reimburse ATM fees - up to a point. BofA, also is a good choice.

 

B. There are no PX, Commissary, or other Military facilities or functions in China.

C. Your Tricare and eventually when you mature and age out of Tricare - you will have to sign up and pay for Medicare part B, however you will not be able to use any of it in China. If you don't - if you ever return to the US (or any other place you could use it) you will not be eleigible for it. The free military medical you were promised all your life is not free after 65, and requires you to pay the medicare even if you can't/don't use it ...or you lose the benefit for life.

D. You're military pension and SS cannot be mailed to a Chinese Bank or address - so you need to have it deposited in a US bank with access from China or anywhere else in the world.

 

2. You've stated that "Nanning" is a good locality (not sure what this means -- as it is basically a humid "shit hole", similar to Hanoi). That aside you also state that you have plenty of money to live in China. If you have significant amounts of savings and investment - in addition to your military pension and social security, both indexed for inflation, you might have enough money to live in China - with a modicum of Western Style comforts. (AC, Hot water, Soft Bed, Clean building, No bugs, no shit or garbarge at your doorway). When I lived in China it cost me between $3K-$4K USD a month to live - and my house was FREE - owned by my wife. Albeit, we lived like westerners and not like I did when I was young and naieve and dug into Khe Sanh red dirt....trying to not step on or dig up the land mines the less than bright Marines had left "Unmarked, Unmapped, and Unreported".

 

3. You ask also about Thailand and Malaysia. I have taken my wife from China (prior to her US Green Card) for visits to both places. Thailand was and is going through significant social unrest but is easy for her to visit and "probably live". Malaysia is also easy for CHinese citizens to enter for visits - and the bottom line, they can get a visa at the airport as they enter. I wouldn't advise this method - get it early and save the hassle at the airport. Don't be alarmed if she has to put "deposit" money down to travel outside CHina. My wife deposited 20K RMB for Thailand, and 10K RMB for Malaysia, funds held in her Bank of China Account - untouchable for a year. The advantage with Malaysia is that it is common to speak 3 languages - English, Mandarin, and Malay! We really enjoyed KL, and there are several islands that are really nice for visits. They encourage immigration. Again - take money.

 

4. While I was stationed at Camp Smith - Admiral Crowe set me aside one day and tried to make me understand the concept of "walking a mile in someone's shoes", as we were about ready to entertain a General from Taiwan. He was trying to get me to view the "man" from his culture, his perspective, his daily demands, and from our perspective "what that man needed and wanted".

 

After reading your posts, I'm not really sure what you want or need! We know your married and she is currently living in Nanning. She is your only wife and you have recently retired from the Military. You are interested in living in China with her - but are seeking information about living there - and suddenly when someone say's there is "no permanent resident visa there" you ask about Thailand and Malaysia.

 

What you were told - is that somthing AKIN to a US Green Card to live in CHina is "next to impossible" to get. Most of us here, know of one or two people who have obtained them - but they are special cases. If you would like to read about Prof Bill Brown - who was one of the first to receive one - check out the website amoymagic. So yes, getting a China Green Card is probably not going to happen.

 

However, I lived in China several years, others are living there now, and would be more than happy to share information with anyone that asks and interacts with people in a civil and mature manner. I can tell you two ways to keep a Resident Visa in China. Student and/or Husband. Both ways can keep you with a renewable 1 yr Resident Visa - at low cost, low risk etc. Even if you had to someday revert to a Multiple entry tourist visa - you are so close to Viet Nam and or Macau - you could easily cross the border and reenter every 90 days. So you can live in China indefinitely - many are and have done it for years.

 

Lastly, you might consider getting a multiple entry tourist visa, replacing it with a 1 year resident visa based on Marriage once in China, and living with your wife in China to see how you and or both of you like it. Evaluate the logistics, lifestyle, her abilities to function outside of a Chinese environment, and your ability to cope with a "really different" culture. Some tolerance will be required - and I speak from experience it is not easy in all situations. Being deployed as a military force is not the same as living in a country without the womb of the military - yes many of have done it, and many of us are "retired military".

 

I wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide to do. If I can help with any specific information I would be more than happy to do so. You can PM me if you like - so that all do not see your information. Also, there are others living in the very Southern part of China that know significantly more about the region than I do..they may also be able to help - if they all haven't been turned off, by the negative rhetoric of this thread. I know you don't care...but one never gets a second chance to make a first impression!

Edited May 19, 2010 by 2mike&jin (see edit history)

[dnoblett]

2. You've stated that "Nanning" is a good locality (not sure what this means -- as it is basically a humid "shit hole", similar to Hanoi). That aside you also state that you have plenty of money to live in China. If you have significant amounts of savings and investment - in addition to your military pension and social security, both indexed for inflation - you might have enough money to live in China - with a modicum of Western Style comforts. (AC, Hot water, Soft Bed, Clean building, No bugs, no shit or garbarge at your doorway). When I lived in China it cost me between $3K-$4K USD a month to live - and my house was FREE - owned by my wife. Albeit, we lived like westerners and not like I did when I was young and naieve and dug into Khe Sanh red dirt....trying to not step on or dig up the land mines the less than bright Marines had left "Unmarked, Unmapped, and Unreported".

My wife is from Guilin Essentially the same climate is Nanning! I have been there in July, Yep! HUMID!!! Step ouside and within 5 minutes and the shirt is soaked through.

 

Scenery is great other that the humidity!

[tsap seui]

Thank you GDBILL,KYLE and the others for the goodl advice,I dont have any issues living abroad,done it most of my adult life. My take on it is my pension will be more than enough for a comfortable life in china.

My wife (and only one) lives in Nanning a good locality.So there is no resident visa there, what about Malysia or Thailand can you get your chinese wife there ?

 

Well, you have certainly "woke" some of the animals up. But back to your original question about potentially moving to China.

 

1. I assume you retired from the Military, have a retirement pension, and are eligible for all PX, Commissary, and Medical Benefits.

 

A. Others have suggested a bank easy to do business in CHina or other place - that is sage advice. Some suggested HSBC, an option with their Premier Account - last I checked it required about $50K US to have such an account and didn't pay any interest. There were other ways to qualify for the status. I suggest USAA - Checking account - Military Pay to the Checking account - they are easy to get wire transfers and they reimburse ATM fees - up to a point. BofA, also is a good choice.

 

B. There are no PX, Commissary, or other Military facilities or functions in China.

C. Your Tricare and eventually when you mature and age out of Tricare - you will have to sign up and pay for Medicare part B, however you will not be able to use any of it in China. If you don't - if you ever return to the US (or any other place you could use it) you will not be eleigible for it. The free military medical you were promised all your life is not free after 65, and requires you to pay the medicare even if you can't/don't use it ...or you lose the benefit for life.

D. You're military pension and SS cannot be mailed to a Chinese Bank or address - so you need to have it deposited in a US bank with access from China or anywhere else in the world.

 

2. You've stated that "Nanning" is a good locality (not sure what this means -- as it is basically a humid "shit hole", similar to Hanoi). That aside you also state that you have plenty of money to live in China. If you have significant amounts of savings and investment - in addition to your military pension and social security, both indexed for inflation, you might have enough money to live in China - with a modicum of Western Style comforts. (AC, Hot water, Soft Bed, Clean building, No bugs, no shit or garbarge at your doorway). When I lived in China it cost me between $3K-$4K USD a month to live - and my house was FREE - owned by my wife. Albeit, we lived like westerners and not like I did when I was young and naieve and dug into Khe Sanh red dirt....trying to not step on or dig up the land mines the less than bright Marines had left "Unmarked, Unmapped, and Unreported".

 

3. You ask also about Thailand and Malaysia. I have taken my wife from China (prior to her US Green Card) for visits to both places. Thailand was and is going through significant social unrest but is easy for her to visit and "probably live". Malaysia is also easy for CHinese citizens to enter for visits - and the bottom line, they can get a visa at the airport as they enter. I wouldn't advise this method - get it early and save the hassle at the airport. Don't be alarmed if she has to put "deposit" money down to travel outside CHina. My wife deposited 20K RMB for Thailand, and 10K RMB for Malaysia, funds held in her Bank of China Account - untouchable for a year. The advantage with Malaysia is that it is common to speak 3 languages - English, Mandarin, and Malay! We really enjoyed KL, and there are several islands that are really nice for visits. They encourage immigration. Again - take money.

 

4. While I was stationed at Camp Smith - Admiral Crowe set me aside one day and tried to make me understand the concept of "walking a mile in someone's shoes", as we were about ready to entertain a General from Taiwan. He was trying to get me to view the "man" from his culture, his perspective, his daily demands, and from our perspective "what that man needed and wanted".

 

After reading your posts, I'm not really sure what you want or need! We know your married and she is currently living in Nanning. She is your only wife and you have recently retired from the Military. You are interested in living in China with her - but are seeking information about living there - and suddenly when someone say's there is "no permanent resident visa there" you ask about Thailand and Malaysia.

 

What you were told - is that somthing AKIN to a US Green Card to live in CHina is "next to impossible" to get. Most of us here, know of one or two people who have obtained them - but they are special cases. If you would like to read about Prof Bill Brown - who was one of the first to receive one - check out the website amoymagic. So yes, getting a China Green Card is probably not going to happen.

 

However, I lived in China several years, others are living there now, and would be more than happy to share information with anyone that asks and interacts with people in a civil and mature manner. I can tell you two ways to keep a Resident Visa in China. Student and/or Husband. Both ways can keep you with a renewable 1 yr Resident Visa - at low cost, low risk etc. Even if you had to someday revert to a Multiple entry tourist visa - you are so close to Viet Nam and or Macau - you could easily cross the border and reenter every 90 days. So you can live in China indefinitely - many are and have done it for years.

 

Lastly, you might consider getting a multiple entry tourist visa, replacing it with a 1 year resident visa based on Marriage once in China, and living with your wife in China to see how you and or both of you like it. Evaluate the logistics, lifestyle, her abilities to function outside of a Chinese environment, and your ability to cope with a "really different" culture. Some tolerance will be required - and I speak from experience it is not easy in all situations. Being deployed as a military force is not the same as living in a country without the womb of the military - yes many of have done it, and many of us are "retired military".

 

I wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide to do. If I can help with any specific information I would be more than happy to do so. You can PM me if you like - so that all do not see your information. Also, there are others living in the very Southern part of China that know significantly more about the region than I do..they may also be able to help - if they all haven't been turned off, by the negative rhetoric of this thread. I know you don't care...but one never gets a second chance to make a first impression!

 

Damned good post Mike, you laid it on the line...and cracked me up, all at the same time. "Womb of the military"...too true and too funny.

 

tsap seui

[GDBILL]

Thank you GDBILL,KYLE and the others for the goodl advice,I dont have any issues living abroad,done it most of my adult life. My take on it is my pension will be more than enough for a comfortable life in china.

My wife (and only one) lives in Nanning a good locality.So there is no resident visa there, what about Malysia or Thailand can you get your chinese wife there ?

 

 

By resident visa I assume you mean for yourself. They have a relatively new concept here called permanent residency, but don't count on it for at least 5 years. The requirements are tough and not very transparent.

 

What you can get is a special kind of tourist visa which allows you to stay for one year with multiple entries. It is renewable for equal one year (or sometimes longer) periods. It'd be more than enough to let you remain and with a degree of certainty not have to worry about immigration issues.

 

Thailand is a nice place (but just not right now) and based on retirement income you can get a type of residency, but they are really a pain in the neck to deal with and even with residency I hear you have to leave the country every 90 days or so. Also, non-Thai citizens are not allowed to own property. Your wife having a Chinese passport may be a problem, but I'm not sure.

 

On a temporary basis your wife would have no problems in Malaysia, but not sure about long term.

 

China is an ok place to be. Don't let others try to b.s. you into thinking otherwise.

[GDBILL]

Thank you GDBILL,KYLE and the others for the goodl advice,I dont have any issues living abroad,done it most of my adult life. My take on it is my pension will be more than enough for a comfortable life in china.

My wife (and only one) lives in Nanning a good locality.So there is no resident visa there, what about Malysia or Thailand can you get your chinese wife there ?

 

1. You're military pension and SS cannot be mailed to a Chinese Bank or address - so you need to have it deposited in a US bank with access from China or anywhere else in the world.

 

2. You've stated that "Nanning" is a good locality (not sure what this means -- as it is basically a humid "shit hole", similar to Hanoi). That aside you also state that you have plenty of money to live in China. If you have significant amounts of savings and investment - in addition to your military pension and social security, both indexed for inflation, you might have enough money to live in China - with a modicum of Western Style comforts. (AC, Hot water, Soft Bed, Clean building, No bugs, no shit or garbarge at your doorway). When I lived in China it cost me between $3K-$4K USD a month to live - and my house was FREE - owned by my wife. Albeit, we lived like westerners and not like I did when I was young and naieve and dug into Khe Sanh red dirt....trying to not step on or dig up the land mines the less than bright Marines had left "Unmarked, Unmapped, and Unreported".

 

3. What you were told - is that somthing AKIN to a US Green Card to live in CHina is "next to impossible" to get. Most of us here, know of one or two people who have obtained them - but they are special cases. If you would like to read about Prof Bill Brown - who was one of the first to receive one - check out the website amoymagic. So yes, getting a China Green Card is probably not going to happen.

 

4. However, I lived in China several years, others are living there now, and would be more than happy to share information with anyone that asks and interacts with people in a civil and mature manner. I can tell you two ways to keep a Resident Visa in China. Student and/or Husband. Both ways can keep you with a renewable 1 yr Resident Visa - at low cost, low risk etc. Even if you had to someday revert to a Multiple entry tourist visa - you are so close to Viet Nam and or Macau - you could easily cross the border and reenter every 90 days. So you can live in China indefinitely - many are and have done it for years.

 

 

1. It is possible to have your check (after fighting them on the direct deposit requirement) mailed to the US Embassy's street address in Virginia and forwarded to you here. You'd need to develop a contact to assist you, but it is done. That said, DD into USAA or NFCU is the better option. Cashing your check here in China will put an up to 6 week hold while it clears.

 

2. There is no place in southern China that is not humid. Other than that, Nanjing isn't bad.

 

3. For at least 5 years.

 

4. The visa available to spouses of Chinese nationals is not and never has been a resident permit. It is an "L" visa (L = Tourist) which gives you a longer period of stay than your typical tourist visa. You cannot work. A resident permit is available only on an "X" (student) or "Z" (employment) visa and a couple of other types not available to mere mortals.

[shenzhen]

Not going to respond to those f#$$$g weird posts that have nothing to do with me. I have no interest in the soap opera here, just here for information, nothing more.

 

Yes I have little time for short timers that whinge, lets just leave it at that, you made a choice to serve be proud of that, dont complain after the fact that war is war.

So back on topic ?

Not much to disagree with here. He asked for advice and clearly made it plain he did not want personal questions. I don't see the issue here but I must have missed the fireworks that are deleted by now.

Edited May 20, 2010 by shenzhen (see edit history)

[shenzhen]

2. You've stated that "Nanning" is a good locality (not sure what this means -- as it is basically a humid "shit hole", similar to Hanoi). That aside you also state that you have plenty of money to live in China. If you have significant amounts of savings and investment - in addition to your military pension and social security, both indexed for inflation - you might have enough money to live in China - with a modicum of Western Style comforts. (AC, Hot water, Soft Bed, Clean building, No bugs, no shit or garbarge at your doorway). When I lived in China it cost me between $3K-$4K USD a month to live - and my house was FREE - owned by my wife. Albeit, we lived like westerners and not like I did when I was young and naieve and dug into Khe Sanh red dirt....trying to not step on or dig up the land mines the less than bright Marines had left "Unmarked, Unmapped, and Unreported".

My wife is from Guilin Essentially the same climate is Nanning! I have been there in July, Yep! HUMID!!! Step ouside and within 5 minutes and the shirt is soaked through.

 

Scenery is great other that the humidity!

If Nanning is a humid "Shit hole" what does that make New Orleans?

[tsap seui]

If Nanning is a humid "Shit hole" what does that make New Orleans?

 

Well suh....near as I kin figger...shithole is as shithole does. No matter where ya go, sweltering hot and humid, sucks Glad my wife is from northeast China with four seasons, none of them tropical or even sub-tropical.

 

I kin put on enough clothes to keep warm, but I can't take off enough to stay cool, even if the law allowed me to run around nekked.

 

When I left Vietnam, I swore I would never live in another place where when I took a shower I couldn't get dried off. No more everyday high humidity, or f'ing torrential rainy season for this kid, I like to enjoy summer.

 

tsap seui

[shenzhen]

If Nanning is a humid "Shit hole" what does that make New Orleans?

 

Well suh....near as I kin figger...shithole is as shithole does. No matter where ya go, sweltering hot and humid, sucks Glad my wife is from northeast China with four seasons, none of them tropical or even sub-tropical.

 

I kin put on enough clothes to keep warm, but I can't take off enough to stay cool, even if the law allowed me to run around nekked.

 

When I left Vietnam, I swore I would never live in another place where when I took a shower I couldn't get dried off. No more everyday high humidity, or f'ing torrential rainy season for this kid, I like to enjoy summer.

 

tsap seui

Hey .. not everybody is like that .. give me a humid shit hole any day of the week over a frigid tundra like northeast china in the winter...

 

Hot and moist beats frigid and cold everytime ....

[warpedbored]

I don't see the issue here but I must have missed the fireworks that are deleted by now.

Nothing has been deleted from this thread.

[GDBILL]

If Nanning is a humid "Shit hole" what does that make New Orleans?

 

Well suh....near as I kin figger...shithole is as shithole does. No matter where ya go, sweltering hot and humid, sucks Glad my wife is from northeast China with four seasons, none of them tropical or even sub-tropical.

 

I kin put on enough clothes to keep warm, but I can't take off enough to stay cool, even if the law allowed me to run around nekked.

 

When I left Vietnam, I swore I would never live in another place where when I took a shower I couldn't get dried off. No more everyday high humidity, or f'ing torrential rainy season for this kid, I like to enjoy summer.

 

tsap seui

Hey .. not everybody is like that .. give me a humid shit hole any day of the week over a frigid tundra like northeast china in the winter...

 

Hot and moist beats frigid and cold everytime ....

 

 

Beijing winters aren't that bad. Sure beats the hell out of NY winters.

 

Not sure about further north though. I bet Harbin could be a real pain in the neck. And in Shenyang it was the first time I saw black snow.

[tsap seui]

If Nanning is a humid "Shit hole" what does that make New Orleans?

 

Well suh....near as I kin figger...shithole is as shithole does. No matter where ya go, sweltering hot and humid, sucks Glad my wife is from northeast China with four seasons, none of them tropical or even sub-tropical.

 

I kin put on enough clothes to keep warm, but I can't take off enough to stay cool, even if the law allowed me to run around nekked.

 

When I left Vietnam, I swore I would never live in another place where when I took a shower I couldn't get dried off. No more everyday high humidity, or f'ing torrential rainy season for this kid, I like to enjoy summer.

 

tsap seui

Hey .. not everybody is like that .. give me a humid shit hole any day of the week over a frigid tundra like northeast china in the winter...

 

Hot and moist beats frigid and cold everytime ....

 

Now cuzin', sorry if'n I done stepped on yore hot moist toes.

 

I like that 4 months of cold in Liaoning Province, haven't experienced it as being frigid tundra, though...just like I enjoy the winters here in the mountains of Pennsyltucky where it's pretty much the same as Liaoning Province. I love the beauty of fall and spring, and I really like to enjoy summers, instead of dreading them.

 

I like change, and the beauty of each season. Having it hot and humid year around, except when the season change is when it's hot and raining is like reading the same book, over and over.

 

Disclaimer: I am only speaking for my hillbilly four seasons lovin' self.

 

tsap seui

[Guest Tony n Terrific]

If Nanning is a humid "Shit hole" what does that make New Orleans?

 

Well suh....near as I kin figger...shithole is as shithole does. No matter where ya go, sweltering hot and humid, sucks Glad my wife is from northeast China with four seasons, none of them tropical or even sub-tropical.

 

I kin put on enough clothes to keep warm, but I can't take off enough to stay cool, even if the law allowed me to run around nekked.

 

When I left Vietnam, I swore I would never live in another place where when I took a shower I couldn't get dried off. No more everyday high humidity, or f'ing torrential rainy season for this kid, I like to enjoy summer.

 

tsap seui

Hey .. not everybody is like that .. give me a humid shit hole any day of the week over a frigid tundra like northeast china in the winter...

 

Hot and moist beats frigid and cold everytime ....

 

Now cuzin', sorry if'n I done stepped on yore hot moist toes.

 

I like that 4 months of cold in Liaoning Province, haven't experienced it as being frigid tundra, though...just like I enjoy the winters here in the mountains of Pennsyltucky where it's pretty much the same as Liaoning Province. I love the beauty of fall and spring, and I really like to enjoy summers, instead of dreading them.

 

I like change, and the beauty of each season. Having it hot and humid year around, except when the season change is when it's hot and raining is like reading the same book, over and over.

 

Disclaimer: I am only speaking for my hillbilly four seasons lovin' self.

 

tsap seui

I have been to Shenyang in Dec/January it does get cold there. It is like Canada or International Falls, Mn. The high was 1 F during my stay there. However you dress for the cold weather. Long underwear with woolen pull overs a thermal t-shirt and double socks with an artic coat. Fully dressed you gain 20 lbs when you go there in the winter. It was not all that bad.

Ps. It starts getting dark there by 4PM in the winter.

Edited May 20, 2010 by Tony n Terrific (see edit history)