Life for expats living in Southeast Asia can be exhilarating, comfortable and affordable. In Chiang Mai, Thailand, $2,000 a month buys you royal treatment. And delivers a relaxed lifestyle among a friendly local population, a vibrant expatriate community, low crime rate, cool “winters,’’ and excellent medical care.

Malaysia flies under the radar for most Americans, but it, too, deserves your attention. Where else can you live in a high-rise that looks and feels like high end Miami…but pay less in rent than you would in Boise, Idaho? Nowhere else we know.

Where the exotic is an everyday offering, it’s easy to assume you’d never fit in. But, as our writers report in your issue this month, they’ve found just the opposite to be true. Locals are welcoming, warm and generous. So don’t resist the tug of exotic Asia. Instead, explore. You can start by reading the articles in your July 2013 issue, below. If you’d prefer to read your issue in PDF format, click here.