Never Buy (Asia), Always Rent
I'm someone who plans to retire in SEA and I would say for anyone who coming from the western world, please do not buy condos/houses over here. It playing a dangerous game with your savings and funds, rent is so damn cheap over there, simply being invested in index funds will cover your rent and more. Also certain countries are already cracking down on the nominee arrangement that so many expats thought they were safe from.
But trying to own property in places in SEA or most of Asia is like playing with a live grenade. If you wanna buy a condo you pretty much get treated as second class citizen, good units are allocated to the locals with preferable pricing/financing. realistically yields are less than the S&P 500. Foreigners are prevented from buying a house.
Another thing i've seen so many expats get ruined because of either using a local to buy land for them or starting a business where you own 49% and the local owns 51%. Don't do it, go get a hobby.