The Asian island where retirees from around the world are starting over

Tech Insider : Business
A collage of images on polaroid featuring Penang landmarks and portraits of the individuals within the stories
The Malaysia My Second Home visa program attracts foreigners to live in Malaysia.

Paul and Ellen Eggers, Jill Tozer, Adrian Spencer; Getty Images; Tyler Le/BI

I never imagined retiring abroad. Life on a Southeast Asian island feels like a permanent holiday.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
A woman leaning against a stone railing in Penang, Malaysia.
Lisa Williams moved from Australia to Penang, Malaysia, when she retired.

Thinnesh Kumar for Business Insider.

I've lived and worked in 5 countries. After becoming an empty nester, I built my dream retirement in a new city.

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
A woman posing with the veiw of the ocean.
Jessica Khine lives in Penang, Malaysia as an empty nester.

Jessica Khine.

She moved to Seoul to build a new life — and learned how to feel comfortable being alone

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
A woman posing in front of cherry blossom trees.
Stéphanie Guillaume left Switzerland and moved to South Korea in 2022.

Stéphanie Guillaume.

I left a corporate job in Canada to spend more time with my family. It took moving to 2 countries to get it right.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
A man posing in front of gacha machines in Japan
Brendan Pon and his family moved from Canada to Thailand and then to Japan in search of a slower life.

@BrendaninJapan

How 3 millennials built a business turning Malaysia's iconic shophouses into heritage stays

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
Exterior of one of the heritage homes managed by Aayu Homes in Penang, Malaysia.
Low hopes to make heritage living more accessible to travellers who visit his hometown of Penang.

Amanda Goh for Business Insider.

The new passport gold rush: Wealthy Americans flock to Latin America and Asia for citizenship

Tech Insider : Economy, Business, Sports
View of the city of Santiago and the Andes Mountains, taken from the Metropolitan Park on July 2, 2024.
Latin America is emerging as a key destination for wealthy Americans seeking second passports.

RODRIGO ARANGUA/AFP via Getty Images

She fell in love with traditional Japanese homes during a high school trip. At 24, she bought one in the countryside.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
A traditional Japanese farmhouse covered in a blanket of snow during winter.
Coline Aguirre, originally from France, bought a traditional house in Japan when she was 24 years old.

Coline Aguirre.

I moved to Malaysia in my 30s. I didn't know where to go or what to do, so I started a club to connect the expat community.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
A man posing in front of a street hawker in Malaysia.
Joshua Webley settled down in Malaysia last year and started an expats community to meet new people.

Provided by Joshua Webley.

She got in trouble as a teen in New York City, but in Bangkok, she became a beauty queen

Tech Insider : Business
Metinee Kingpayome sitting on the edge of a couch in a white suit.
Metinee Kingpayome

Natthawut Taeja for BI.

Metinee Kingpayome arrived in Bangkok on her 20th birthday.

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