Seadog,
Great point that unless one can speak the local lingo fluently, one cannot really converse or have a meaningful converstaion/relationship and friendship with the locals. I know you're asking about Asia, but let me offer you another great if not outright fabulous alternative, Brasil.
As much as I love Asia, it's fun, it's wild, it's cheap and it's got that everything goes kind of wild wild east feel to it, I wouldn't live there long term since the local languages are too difficult to learn. And even if one were to make the necessary sacrifices to learn one of the languages, you'd still be considered an outsider and would never integrate into the local community. You'd be always regarded as the farang/foreigner and be used by leeches all around you. For me, the ideal place to semi settle or at least, make my base would be where I can speak the local language, communicate and connect deeply with the locals. And that would be somewhere in Latin America and mainly Brasil. I speak the lingo fluently, know the culture, love the culture and have plenty of local friends all over the country.
What I'd suggest is make some trips there, invest the time to learn the language, which to be honest, won't be as hard or long as any of the Asian languages. And the ROI will be tremendous as Brasil is by far, the country that comes closest to the complete and total package. It has tremendous resources and thus, business opportunities, specially for someone like you working in the energy sector. Even in other sectors, it's booming like crazy! The culture is simply fascinating, the music is the best in the world, the joie de vivre is unrivaled around the world, the girls are the most passionate and coolest and among the hottest in the world, specially once you get to speak the language fluently, have a decent local social circle and get outside of the touristy places away from Rio and SP. Lifestyle is fabulous specially if you're not a broke backpacker. Provided you have a decent bankroll, I don't see any country who can provide you with the same lifestyle in a more beautiful setting and social fabric than Brasil.
Another thing I didn't like about Thailand/Phils is that over there, people are lacking in the intellectual curiosity area. They don't care or aren't able to talk about anything intellectual for the most part. It's hard to find people there, who are not foreigners, to stimulate your mind and brain. In Latin America and Brasil, it's a different culture, different approach, people are very curious about you, about things in life, and you can have stimulating conversations with people there, even the girls are quite brainy there yet still feminine (if you look in the right place that is). Add to that, this typical Brasilian thirst for life, for truly living it up and enjoying every waking moment, then it makes it for a truly incredible experience, every day there.
Asia is good for when you're broke or are just starting and want to bootstrap your expenses until you start to make some decent profits. Once you reach a monthly budget of say over 5K/month, then Brasil is simply unbeatable. And if you're from Canada, it's in the same timezone or almost (only 1-3 hours difference depending on the season and where in Canada you're from) so that makes it another great perk for if you want to keep in touch with family and or have business to run and contact your clients within the same time frame as them. Which is quite a challenge if not impossible from Asia due to the the average 12 hour time difference.
All in all, if you want to make a long term investment of not only money but also your most valuable asset, your time, then I'd strongly recommend Brasil. Lifestyle wise, nothing comes even close to Brasil specially if you have more than a couple nickels to rub together. Asia, while awesomely fun, doesn't have the same vibe than Brasil. Plus, in Brasil, you'd be hard pressed not to make any real, meaningful, life long friendships with the locals specially once you live there. In the 5+ months that I lived in BKK, I didn't make one real local friend. Conversely, during my travels to Brasil, I've made more life long friends than almost 2 decades living in Canada.
Don't get me wrong: I had a total blast in Asia and love to death Asia and I can't wait to return there. However, my heart, mind and soul are in Brasil and this is where I will be making my long term base as soon as I get things under control here. I'd strongly recommend you to make a trip or two or five there first. Let me warn you tough: once you get a taste of Brasil, of how geniunely warm, friendly and passionate the people there, and I'm not even bringing the beautiful and uber passionate girls into the equation here, then you will be hooked for life.
I've been around the world with the exception of Australia and Oceania, lived in various countries on 3 continents, but the one country that truly captured my heart like no other one, has been Brasil. As a matter of fact, my heart has never left Brasil since my first time there in 2005. And let warn you once more: Brasil is definitely a very dangerous country in that it stole and captured my heart like no other country. And it will do the same to you as well once you go there. And even more so if you learn the language, then it will be an experience like no other.
Great point that unless one can speak the local lingo fluently, one cannot really converse or have a meaningful converstaion/relationship and friendship with the locals. I know you're asking about Asia, but let me offer you another great if not outright fabulous alternative, Brasil.
As much as I love Asia, it's fun, it's wild, it's cheap and it's got that everything goes kind of wild wild east feel to it, I wouldn't live there long term since the local languages are too difficult to learn. And even if one were to make the necessary sacrifices to learn one of the languages, you'd still be considered an outsider and would never integrate into the local community. You'd be always regarded as the farang/foreigner and be used by leeches all around you. For me, the ideal place to semi settle or at least, make my base would be where I can speak the local language, communicate and connect deeply with the locals. And that would be somewhere in Latin America and mainly Brasil. I speak the lingo fluently, know the culture, love the culture and have plenty of local friends all over the country.
What I'd suggest is make some trips there, invest the time to learn the language, which to be honest, won't be as hard or long as any of the Asian languages. And the ROI will be tremendous as Brasil is by far, the country that comes closest to the complete and total package. It has tremendous resources and thus, business opportunities, specially for someone like you working in the energy sector. Even in other sectors, it's booming like crazy! The culture is simply fascinating, the music is the best in the world, the joie de vivre is unrivaled around the world, the girls are the most passionate and coolest and among the hottest in the world, specially once you get to speak the language fluently, have a decent local social circle and get outside of the touristy places away from Rio and SP. Lifestyle is fabulous specially if you're not a broke backpacker. Provided you have a decent bankroll, I don't see any country who can provide you with the same lifestyle in a more beautiful setting and social fabric than Brasil.
Another thing I didn't like about Thailand/Phils is that over there, people are lacking in the intellectual curiosity area. They don't care or aren't able to talk about anything intellectual for the most part. It's hard to find people there, who are not foreigners, to stimulate your mind and brain. In Latin America and Brasil, it's a different culture, different approach, people are very curious about you, about things in life, and you can have stimulating conversations with people there, even the girls are quite brainy there yet still feminine (if you look in the right place that is). Add to that, this typical Brasilian thirst for life, for truly living it up and enjoying every waking moment, then it makes it for a truly incredible experience, every day there.
Asia is good for when you're broke or are just starting and want to bootstrap your expenses until you start to make some decent profits. Once you reach a monthly budget of say over 5K/month, then Brasil is simply unbeatable. And if you're from Canada, it's in the same timezone or almost (only 1-3 hours difference depending on the season and where in Canada you're from) so that makes it another great perk for if you want to keep in touch with family and or have business to run and contact your clients within the same time frame as them. Which is quite a challenge if not impossible from Asia due to the the average 12 hour time difference.
All in all, if you want to make a long term investment of not only money but also your most valuable asset, your time, then I'd strongly recommend Brasil. Lifestyle wise, nothing comes even close to Brasil specially if you have more than a couple nickels to rub together. Asia, while awesomely fun, doesn't have the same vibe than Brasil. Plus, in Brasil, you'd be hard pressed not to make any real, meaningful, life long friendships with the locals specially once you live there. In the 5+ months that I lived in BKK, I didn't make one real local friend. Conversely, during my travels to Brasil, I've made more life long friends than almost 2 decades living in Canada.
Don't get me wrong: I had a total blast in Asia and love to death Asia and I can't wait to return there. However, my heart, mind and soul are in Brasil and this is where I will be making my long term base as soon as I get things under control here. I'd strongly recommend you to make a trip or two or five there first. Let me warn you tough: once you get a taste of Brasil, of how geniunely warm, friendly and passionate the people there, and I'm not even bringing the beautiful and uber passionate girls into the equation here, then you will be hooked for life.
I've been around the world with the exception of Australia and Oceania, lived in various countries on 3 continents, but the one country that truly captured my heart like no other one, has been Brasil. As a matter of fact, my heart has never left Brasil since my first time there in 2005. And let warn you once more: Brasil is definitely a very dangerous country in that it stole and captured my heart like no other country. And it will do the same to you as well once you go there. And even more so if you learn the language, then it will be an experience like no other.