After 5 intense weeks of travel across Turkey, Central Asia, and Prague, I finally made it back to the Expat Money Studios in Panama to bring you a full debrief on the journey. From scouting new destinations to dealing with airline chaos at a level I’ve never seen before (and that’s saying a lot), this trip had a bit of everything.

In this episode, I’m joined by my colleague Marc Clair as we break down the countries I visited, the people I met, the challenges I faced along the way, and why, despite the insanity, travel remains one of the most powerful and important tools for building real freedom.

Enjoy!

IN TODAY’S EPISODE

• Listen in to hear why Turkey has become our seasonal base for European and Central Asian travel
• Find out why Kyrgyzstan shocked me with its mix of friendliness, modern infrastructure, and stunning mountain landscape
• Hear me detail the “Qatar Airways fiasco,” from last-minute ticketing issues to overnight airport chaos and how it nearly derailed the trip
• Get the story behind my keynote at the Free Cities Conference in Prague, delivered despite arriving exhausted and sick

STAY IN TOUCH!

Stay informed about the latest news affecting the expat world and receive a steady stream of my thoughts and opinions on geopolitics by subscribing to our newsletter. You will receive the EMS Pulse® newsletter and the weekly Expat Sunday Times; sign up now and receive my FREE special report, “Plan B Residencies and Instant Citizenships.”

WEALTH, FREEDOM & PASSPORTS CONFERENCE, MARCH 6-7, 2026

Join us in Panama City from March 6-7, 2026, for our second annual in-person event, the Wealth, Freedom and Passports Conference! Get your tickets now, as space is very limited. 

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The post 383: Central Asia: A Chaotic Journey Across An Overlooked Region appeared first on The Expat Money Show - With Mikkel Thorup.

Long-time listeners know I was born in Canada, but it’s been a long time since I’ve considered it “home.” Today’s guest is a lifelong Canadian who has been podcasting for the past six years about faith, family, life in Canada and the topics that divide us. Shaun Newman has spent years questioning the systems around him, from the hockey rink to the political arena, offering his unique perspective from inside a rapidly declining Canada.

In this episode, Shaun joins the show to explain Canada’s horrifying slide toward socialism over the last decade. We discuss Trudeau’s recent “resignation” and why a country so rich in resources struggles under socialism. Shaun unpacks the devastating impact of Canada’s socialist policies and explains how these policies have eroded individual freedoms in the Great White North.

TODAY’S CONVERSATION WITH SHAUN NEWMAN

• Tune in to find out how Shaun convinced me to travel to my native Canada for his Cornerstone Forum last year—it wasn’t easy!
• Hear Shaun’s take on Trudeau’s “resignation” and what we can expect from the next Prime Minister.
• Learn why Canada should be one of the wealthiest countries in the world – and how its descent into socialism has hampered its potential.
• Uncover the truth about Canada’s insane “carbon tax” and all the shocking ways Canadians are being taxed. 
• Will Trump make Canada the next U.S. state? Shaun and I discuss Trump’s claims about the future of Canada’s relationship with the U.S. 
• Shaun and I explore the success of leaders like Nayib Bukele and Javier Milei and whether Canada can find its own visionary leader to guide them toward freedom.
• Listen as Shaun unpacks the UN’s Agenda 2030 and its implications for Canadian sovereignty.
• Hear Shaun’s thoughts on an offshore Plan-B and whether he’d consider the expat life if Canada continues in the wrong direction.
• Learn about Canada’s horrifying “medically assisted dying” (MAID) program and the shocking statistics about how it’s being used. 
• By the end of this episode, you’ll fully understand why so many Canadians are reaching out to craft offshore Plan-Bs or considering leaving Canada altogether.

WHERE TO FIND SHAUN NEWMAN:

Check out the Shaun Newman Podcast 

Follow Shaun Newman On X

THE WEALTH, FREEDOM & PASSPORTS CONFERENCE IN PANAMA CITY, MARCH 14-15

Join us in Panama for the inaugural Wealth, Freedom & Passports Conference, our first-ever large conference event in Panama City, Panama, March 14-15, 2025!

This is your chance to gain invaluable insights, connect with like-minded freedom seekers, and, most importantly, connect with 15+ of the most trusted partners necessary to secure a prosperous life offshore.

Head to ExpatMoney.com/Conference to learn more and secure your spot right away!

STAY UP-TO-DATE ON THE EXPAT WORLD

Sign up for any of our newsletters, like the EMS Pulse and the Expat Sunday Times, to stay up-to-date with a steady stream of news and my opinions on the expat world. Download my FREE special report, “Plan B Residencies and Instant Citizenships,” today, and you’ll be signed up for both!

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The post 335: Canada: How Socialism Is Destroying The Great White North – Shaun Newman appeared first on The Expat Money Show - With Mikkel Thorup.

Often I get asked by subscribers and clients, “Hey Mikkel, What Are You Doing?”

So I thought it would be helpful to record a quick episode on what I am doing with my own money to protect myself and my family from the financial armageddon that is on the horizon.

This episode should give you a bit of insight into the way my brain works and what I think is important for us to defend ourselves.

I don’t expect my opinions to be popular, but at least I am honest.

Enjoy,

Mikkel

The post 239: Safeguarding Wealth Beyond Borders: My Offshore Journey appeared first on The Expat Money Show - With Mikkel Thorup.

John Perkins is the author of the legendary book Confessions of an Economic Hitman, which first appeared on the show in Episode 71.

He has now published an updated version of the book titled Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, 3rd Edition – China’s EHM Strategy; Ways to Stop the Global Takeover, featuring 12 new chapters breaking down how China has essentially become the world’s “economic hitman.”

Longtime listeners will surely recognize that John and I share some differing world views, and I certainly do not endorse his beliefs on things like white supremacy, climate change, vegetarianism and feminism, to name a few. Nonetheless, his experience and insights are incredibly valuable, and you will certainly learn a ton from this conversation. 

TODAY’S CONVERSATION WITH JOHN PERKINS:

• Listen in to hear John explain in detail what an “Economic Hitman” – or “EHM” strategy is from his own personal experience implementing it on behalf of first-world nations and banking elites and how he came to understand the dark side of what he was doing. 
• John details the predatory nature of the EHM strategy and the devastating effects it has had on third-world nations. You won’t believe the shocking statistics about the average age in Africa.  
• Hear John reveal the nefarious methods the EHM strategists use to manipulate statistics like GDP to display positive effects on the economy while the underlying reality paints a much bleaker picture for the citizens of the nations targeted by it.
• Then we discuss  the difference between honest entrepreneurship – the kind that I practice in my business – and “cronyism” or “predatory capitalism.”
• John explains how China has shifted its own economic hitman strategy under President Xi Jinping over the last ten years and their nefarious motivations for doing so. 
• We dig into what John describes as the “death economy” – as the EHM competition between the leaders of China and the United States wreaks economic havoc across the globe.
• John and I further discuss current global political issues and the different levels of attention conflicts in Ukraine and Yemen receive from the media and the general public.
• John drives home how many individuals have embraced changes in the last three years and the need to change our perception of our current socio-economic and governmental systems.
• We discuss the very different perceptions of “success” in Latin America and how things like spending time with family and friends often take higher priority than the gain of material goods in that region. 
• Lastly, we discuss China’s increasingly interwoven relationship with Latin America and the impacts, both positive and negative, on the region.

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HOW TO REACH JOHN PERKINS

https://johnperkins.org

CONCLUSION

I hope you enjoyed my conversation with John Perkins as much as I did. While we have very different worldviews, and I certainly don’t endorse all of his beliefs, John is an absolute hero for the work he has done exposing the nature of our corrupt global systems of banking and government.

When it comes to the nature of our global systems, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better expert than John Perkins. I know you’ll get great value from this conversation!

The post 238: Inside the Dragon’s Strategy: John Perkins on China’s Global Impact appeared first on The Expat Money Show - With Mikkel Thorup.

Today, I am going to share a conversation I had on The Tom Woods Show. This interview has gotten such a great response since it first aired that I wanted to share it here with you to make sure you didn’t miss it.

Tom didn’t let me off easy and really put me on the hot seat, bringing up a ton of objections that many who are first hearing about the expat lifestyle tend to come up with.

Answering Common Expat Objections

• In this discussion, I respond to some common “black pilled” takes that Tom has heard about the negative side of expatriation, dispelling the notion that the advantages you can achieve outside your country of birth aren’t all that great when you break it down.
• There is no Shangri-La – no perfect libertarian country in the world. It does not exist. But that’s not to be said that we can’t get more freedom in our lives by being overseas or by jurisdiction shopping.
• I explain to Tom exactly what FATCA – the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act –  is and how it works, and why it’s even caused some Americans to go as far as to renounce their U.S. citizenship!
• I address Tom’s concern that whatever problems you have in the U.S., they may very well be worse outside the U.S., as was the case in certain countries when it came to COVID restrictions.
• Tom and I talk about how Americans can utilize the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion to greatly reduce their tax burden while living overseas.
• I break down the concept of citizenship by investment and how the process typically unfolds for those with substantial funds to invest overseas.
• I lay out the many reasons to have a second passport, even if you do not plan to live outside your home country!
• I provide some definitive first steps to take for those that have caught the expat bug and are ready to take their expat journey to the next level.

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PURCHASE THE EXPATS GUIDE TO MOVING TO MEXICO

Get your own copy of the Expats Guide on Moving to Mexico and after you read the book, do us a HUGE favour and leave us a great review on Amazon! This is a huge help in getting the book in front of more people.

THE EXPAT MONEY SUMMIT

We also discussed the Expat Money Summit a bit, and even though this was from last year, we will be doing another summit this year, so you can head to this link and grab a FREE ticket to the largest expat event of the year.

CONCLUSION

I hope you enjoyed today’s conversation on The Tom Woods Show. Tom is an excellent interviewer, and I loved how he pressed me on some of the common objections people who are first learning about the expat lifestyle often hold. These are questions that don’t often come up here on the Expat Money Show, where I primarily interview those who are already on the expat journey, so it was a great change of pace.

This is the perfect episode to share with a friend or family member who has expressed interest in the expat lifestyle but has been hesitant to pursue it further due to many of the objections addressed in this conversation.

See you all next Wednesday on the podcast!

The post 236: Debunking Expat Myths: Mikkel Thorup Sets the Record Straight on The Tom Woods Show appeared first on The Expat Money Show - With Mikkel Thorup.

Today I am going to recap the last incredible week in Panama, beginning with a hugely informative conference for private clients and culminating in my 40th birthday party.

The last week has been unbelievable. Clients flew in from every corner of the world, literally from everywhere.

I am still decompressing from a busy and eventful week, but I wanted to first stop and take the time to record this episode for you and update you all on some other goings on here at Expat Money while everything is fresh on my mind. 

PANAMA CONFERENCE AND BIRTHDAY PARTY RECAP

• I recap the start of the week with the investor’s conference I put on in Panama with private clients from diverse places like Germany, Thailand and New Zealand attending.
• I explain the difference between my “private” clients and my “regular” clients and how you can become one!
• This week highlights why I like to get to know my prospective clients personally before I take them on  – because I spend a LOT of time with them!
• The type of information provided at this conference would literally take months or even years of research to acquire on your own – offshore investing and residency is definitely not a ‘DIY’ type of thing.
• Meanwhile, we also formally launched The Expats Guide on Moving to Mexico, which has already launched to #1 in the “libertarianism” category on Amazon!
• I also provide a preview of the upcoming trips I am planning in the next year for private clients. If these sounds interesting to you, read this important letter and consider if becoming a private is a good fit for you.
• Finally, I reflect on my 40th birthday party that was made so special by the 150 + attendees who travelled from places like Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, the UK, Brazil, Colombia, Canada, USA, etc. – all culminating in an amazing fireworks display!
• Ultimately, these events are about building a community and realizing that we aren’t the crazy ones out there. We in the Expat Money community are building a better and brighter future for ourselves while much of the world goes mad.

RELATED EPISODES

234: The Expats Guide on Moving to Mexico Is Here

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207: From Arizona to Panama An Expat Story – Keith & Yvette

PURCHASE THE EXPATS GUIDE TO MOVING TO MEXICO

Get your own copy of the Expats Guide on Moving to Mexico and after you’ve purchased and read the book, do us a HUGE favour and leave us a great review on Amazon! This is a huge help in getting the book in front of more people.

CONCLUSION

I hope you enjoyed today’s episode in which I’ve provided just a small glimpse into the type of conferences, tours and celebrations I put together for my friends and clients in the Expat Money community.

I want to once again thank everyone who joined us in Panama and came out to celebrate my birthday.

And as I said earlier, and it really is worth repeating; this party is not about me…

It’s about you.

We are not just some online group or a podcast, no. We are a real-life community of people who understand what is going on in the world and will actually do something about it.

Our plan is to do many more private events this year for clients, so I hope this episode will serve as a great preview of what’s to come should you decide to become one. Enjoy!

The post 235: Panama’s Offshore Scene: A Deep Dive into Global Strategies appeared first on The Expat Money Show - With Mikkel Thorup.

Today’s guest on the Expat Money Show is Johnny FD from Travel Like a Boss Podcast and the founder of the Digital Nomad super conference, the Nomad Summit. Johnny is a location-independent entrepreneur who began travelling the world in 2008.

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WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN THIS INTERVIEW:

• How to go from corporate America and making $50 K a year to being a Scuba Dive Master and then to a Profession Muy Thai Fighter – How does that happen!!
• Visa’s and work permits around the globe
• The process of how to open and run a successful business
• Creating good karma
• What it was like living and working in Thailand in 2008
• Up & coming countries that are like Thailand
• Tbilisi, Georgia
• 8 years of running a Digital Nomad Summit around the globe and what that looked like in 2020
• What will happen in 2021 with the Digital Nomad Summit
• and tons more…

HOW TO FIND JOHNNY’S WORK

• Travel Like a Boss
• Johnny FD YouTube

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

If you’d been receiving the EMS Pulse newsletter and the weekly Expat Sunday Times, you would have already read the basics of today’s story! Sign up now, and you’ll also receive my FREE special report, “Plan B Residencies and Instant Citizenships.”

CONCLUSION

2020 has been a really tough year for so many people and businesses. As we know, travelling has almost come to a complete halt, but that’s not going to go on forever. Listen to this episode with the mindset that 2021 and going forward will be awesome years. Reach out to Johnny if you love the idea of having a Digital Nomad Summit in 2021, I know he would love to hear from you!

The post 109: Travel Like a Boss: Strategies for Freedom and Adventure – Johnny FD appeared first on The Expat Money Show - With Mikkel Thorup.

Michael Michelini started his career out of college on Wall Street and soon realized that entrepreneurship was his calling. 11 years later, his business, Global From Asia, calls Chiang Mai, Thailand home.

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WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN THIS INTERVIEW:

In this Interview with Michael Michelini, we chat about:

• How to Run an International Business
• Best way to meet Expats in China
• The Cross-Border Summit
• Being an Expat in Chiang Mai
• Cross-Border Match Maker
• Canton Fair
• and so much more!

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

If you’d been receiving the EMS Pulse newsletter and the weekly Expat Sunday Times, you would have already read the basics of today’s story! Sign up now, and you’ll also receive my FREE special report, “Plan B Residencies and Instant Citizenships.”

CONCLUSION

I hope you got as much value from this interview as I did… and if you would like to stay up to date with all new content that comes out at The Expat Money Show make sure you sign up below for our newsletter; EMS Pulse. – my behind the scene daily correspondence where I give you all the intel as I travel the world and build my business, develop key relationships and invest in non-traditional investments overseas (very profitably I might add!)

The post 052: Building a Global Business Empire from Chiang Mai – Michael Michelini appeared first on The Expat Money Show - With Mikkel Thorup.