Most guys Google the Philippines. I live here.
Fishtank Media is a no-nonsense channel for men who are seriously thinking about retiring in the Philippines — or already here and figuring it out the hard way. No highlight reels. No brochure version. Just real numbers, hard lessons, and honest intel from someone who's actually in it.
I cover the real cost of living, retirement budgets that actually hold up, SRRV and visa reality, expat healthcare, banking, and money transfers — plus the relationship dynamics and in-law truths nobody else will say out loud.
I'm in provincial Samar with my Filipina wife and kids. I hold a 13a marriage visa. I've been here long enough to know what they left out of the brochure.
If you want the polished version, there are a million other channels.
If you want the brutal, boots-on-the-ground version — you're home.
New videos every Wednesday and Saturday.
Be excellent to each other.
Fishtank Media
New video's up. This is the story behind something I've said a hundred times on this channel and never actually explained — why I tell every single one of you to skip the airport taxi. It cost me 2,000 pesos to learn it. Watch it so it doesn't cost you anything. 🇵🇭
1 month ago | [YT] | 0
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Fishtank Media
Back this week, getting over the climate shift crud...Thank You and my apologies.
1 month ago | [YT] | 14
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Fishtank Media
My Apologies have been down for the count with a bit of Jungle fever that last week.
You have not been forgotten
1 month ago | [YT] | 28
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Fishtank Media
Your Social Security check could shrink up to 28% starting in 2032. Not a guess — that's the government's own numbers.
New video breaks down exactly what's happening, why Congress hasn't fixed it yet, and what's actually worth doing about it if you're living here on a fixed income.
1 month ago | [YT] | 1
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Fishtank Media
Thinking about doing something different — sitting down with a few other guys actually living here and comparing real numbers. What you actually spend, not the "how to retire on $800" fantasy version.
If you're a fellow American expat here in the Philippines and wouldn't mind sharing a real monthly budget on camera (or even just a quick clip), drop a comment or shoot me an email at fishtankmedia.global@gmail.com. Looking for 2-3 guys, real numbers, no judgment either way.
1 month ago | [YT] | 11
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Fishtank Media
Vietnam looks like a bargain online — until you dig into the visa and tax rules nobody's Instagram post mentions.
There's no retirement visa. None. And a simple apartment lease can flip your Social Security into a 35% tax bracket without you even hitting the residency day-count.
1 month ago | [YT] | 2
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Fishtank Media
New video: Thailand makes you report to immigration every 90 days. Forever. No grace period, no exceptions. Here's what that actually costs you against the Philippines. 🇹🇭🇵🇭
2 months ago | [YT] | 3
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Fishtank Media
Before you sign anything for Portugal — they make you pay a full year's rent before you're even approved for the visa. New video breaks down the real numbers.
2 months ago | [YT] | 2
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Fishtank Media
Mexico almost won.
Getting my family in would've been easier than the US ever was. So why am I still here in the Philippines and not writing this from a beach in Quintana Roo?
New video's up — real numbers, no highlight reel. Link in the first comment. 👇
2 months ago | [YT] | 6
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Fishtank Media
New video's up 🎬
This one's not about bugs or budgets — it's about the people. Getting stared at in the deep province, why locals laugh when you try the dialect, and the tricycle "tax" that nobody flags for you until you've already overpaid a dozen times.
If you're actually planning this move, the free checklist is linked in the description. Slap a like if this is useful — that's the only way it reaches the next guy scrolling at 2am wondering if he's crazy for considering this.
2 months ago | [YT] | 5
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