Reporting from: Bangkok, Thailand I've often said that I love spending time in Asia for one simple reason. While I love the big cities, the hustle and bustle, and the great food,...
Is the Cambodia second passport a scam?
Dateline: Siem Reap, Cambodia In Khmer, Siem Reap literally means "Siam defeated". It's an old tribute to the great expansion of the Khmer Empire, which covered most of...
Why Chinese millionaires are internationalizing their assets
Reporting from: Phnom Penh, Cambodia It's an open secret in many parts of the world that the leaders at the top, and their families, have offshore bank accounts to protect...
Why I choose flight over fight
Reporting from: Phnom Penh, Cambodia Last month in Vietnam, a local business owner told me a story about doing business with the Vietnamese. He talked about just how important...
Investing in Cambodia: as easy as getting washed away?
Reporting from: Phnom Penh, Cambodia It rained yesterday. In most parts of the world, that might not be much of a statement. After all, 242 trillion gallons of rain are dropped...
Don’t let travel warnings stop you from visiting Cambodia
Reporting from: Phnom Penh, Cambodia I believe we are creatures of habit. As human beings, we're easily influenced by what other people tell us. Despite a desire to cater to...
Expat entrepreneurs and venture capital in Vietnam
Reporting from: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Like most entrepreneurs, I still remember exiting my first business. I got what was, at the time, a lot of money for me. While I...
Are white people and expats in Asia really worshipped?
Reporting from: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam I spent Sunday night excitedly watching a discussion unfold on Facebook. The only thing missing was popcorn. (Microwaves aren't so...
Are Taxes the Price We Pay for Civilization?
Last updated October 15, 2020 Dateline: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam US Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. claimed: “Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized...
Americans Renounce Citizenship at Record Levels Now
Reporting from: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam They say water seeks its own level. Perhaps that's why thousands of US citizens are handing in their US passports at the local embassy...
How to get your passport cancelled, courtesy of the IRS
Reporting from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Before the United States failed to stop the spread of communism in the Vietnam War, it also failed to stop it ninety miles off its...
Banking in Vietnam Dong: Fiat Currency Russian Roulette
Reporting from: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam I became an instant millionaire the other day. It wasn’t a particularly momentous occasion. Nor can I remember exactly where I was when...
Bitcoin banned in Thailand: desperate government at work
Reporting from: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam I've told you that throughout history, the players may change, but the playbook of desperate government stays the same. Just a short...
How cheap is the cost of living in Vietnam for expats?
Reporting from: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam It must have been my lucky day. But I'm not a thief, so I left empty-handed. Walking down one of the main streets in Ho Chi Minh City's...
The Best Places in the World for Custom Suits
Last updated September 16, 2020 Dateline: Hoi An, Vietnam There are a few rules I try to live by. One of them is to be well-dressed and presentable, even if it has gone out of...
Nationalism made them slaves in life… and death
Reporting from: Hue, Vietnam The Citadel here in Hue is the central part of the city, and the basis from which the rest of the city grew. As the capital city of Vietnam’s Nguyen...
Why I prefer small countries and limited government
Reporting from: Hue, Vietnam You wouldn't guess by looking at it, but this small city in Central Vietnam was the imperial city of the entire country under the last ruling...
The Hanoi Hilton: why you shouldn’t trust a surveillance state
Reporting from: Ha Noi, Vietnam Some people are willing to forgive anything the government does. While I tend to avoid engaging with a lot of tourists while I travel, I happened...
Vietnam’s entry tax is a more honest tourist tax
Reporting from: Ha Noi, Vietnam I arrived in Vietnam from Hong Kong on Saturday night, just missing the beer fest that seems to take over the central city's bustling Lan Kwai...
Hong Kong Banks don’t want your money
Dateline: Hong Kong I must have passed by a hundred beautiful women on the streets of Hong Kong today. You could throw a stone and hit a dozen Hong Kong banks at any point on...