ourdon

I appreciate the finesse with which some businesses have handled this.  When paying by card it has been mentioned that there is a X% discount for cash.

It is the same thing,  just worded in a more palatable form and it doesn't irritate me half as much as the add add add to the price.

Diluted common household bleach works just fine.  Make sure all parts of the bottle get doused and let sit for about five to ten minutes.  

Rinse out really well. 

Hi again,

Glad to hear that the film is helpful.  As far as the reflective paint is concerned, I'm not familiar with what is available.  I have tried a white high gloss paint once for its' reflective qualities.  I can't say how effective it was as we did several different things at the same time.  We resolved the tenant issue, but how much each item contributed is difficult to assess.   I tend to agree with Seajaes response concerning paint and brick heat loading.

I'm  not that familiar with LOS building practises.  The Thai climate requires different building practices than I'm used to dealing with so I don't want to steer you wrong. I do know that a heated wall is a large heat sink unless you install a thermal break during construction.

Is this room on the ground floor or ......?  I ask because I can't help wonder if you could set up tarps or awnings or something aesthetically pleasing outside that would block the sun for a few hours.  Check the local open air bars (always a pleasant task) or stores to see if they have any interesting way of keeping the sun off their customers.  Adapt it to your needs.

Let me know how it turns out.  I never asked but is the window single or double glazed?  Here we use triple glazed windows to get a thermal break if we can't get enough airflow in the affected area.

Hi

First off, it's a small room (less than 110 sq ft).  I suggest you try some of the less expensive options before trying an A/C unit.

Try putting some thermal reflective film on the window.  It means that the window should be closed when the sun is on it for the film to be most effective.

Light colored reflective curtains behind this filmed window also would help.

Lastly, anything you can do to increase the airflow to the room from the cooler parts of the house should make a major difference.  Just make sure that you have provided an escape for the the hot room air.  Air flow and good circulation are often all you need.

Any or all of them should help

Regards

Last year in Escondido in Oaxaca state. I had to cut it short as family members parachuted in on me and didn't particularly like the area. I ended up taking them over to Puerto Morelos in the Quintana Roo for several weeks. That seemed to cheer them up though it isn't an area that I would care to revisit. They repaid me by dragging me back to Canada.

There's no 'social embarrassment' factor in Mexico.

For example, if your ordering food at a street stall they are far less likely to 'work things out' if you don't speak Spanish. Condecending laughter and refusing to serve is much more common. The Mexicans are also nastier then Asians if you don't speak the language and if you don't try to speak it they tend to shut down and not want to provide goods and services.

There is also an underlying rift between Mexicans and Americans that makes daily interaction uncomfortable. Certainly not the friendliness stuff you get interacting with Thai's. That's going to take getting used to unless you hide in an expat enclave like most retirees do there.

Wow. We really have had different experiences in Mexico. Almost polar opposites in fact. My experiences have for the most part been very positive. I would go back at any time (between November and April), I just wouldn't buy a house and settle down there. There are too many other countries that I haven't been kicked out of yet. I would like to explore the potential.

55jay, I think you might be on to something with the "hitting a wall" comment. It could be as simple as boredom and needing a change. I completely enjoy myself in the Baja from Magdalena Bay down to San Jose de Cabo. I still wandered away to find another place to discover and explore. I expect that if I'm healthy enough I will wander away from the next one.

"I feel safer on The Yucatan.. was almost a separate country..

Merida has the lowest murder rate in North America. For a town of almost 1 million."

KonaRain you should feel safer. I think the Yucatan and Quintana Roo have crime statistics that are lower than Iowa's (May be wrong...not gospel​)

It is in everyones best interest to keep it that way. The Mexican Riviera is a money pit for the cartels This is one place where they launder their money and introduce it into the Mexican economy. State officials estimate that about 10% to 12% of the hotel rooms are "ghost rooms". I have come across ghost hotels before in other parts of Mexico. Interesting

For residents of the area it is great, they are living in an area with a hugely suppressed crime rate where there is a lot of work.

You know, I'm not so sure it matters that much where you decide to stay. You will pick some place where you feel some comfort and safety. What you do after you have parked your butt is more important.

Several years ago I was wandering down Mexico'a west coast and ended up in San Patricio. Nice little city, a bit rough around the edges, and it had a very small but active expat community. They were actively exploring the unique features of Jalisco culture.

I got in the habit of a morning beach walk to the next town for an early lunch. Now this is highly NOT recommended at night but I always felt safe during the day. As I walked through Barra de Navidad (the next town) I kept seeing unkempt, unshaven expat barflys working their way through their morning bottle of ... Mescal seemed to be favored. It seemed like each bar had their own pet expat barfly.

There it was, the positive and the negative of epat living side by side. I"m sure you could put that scene almost anywhere in the world. There are expat communities almost everywhere. It doesn't matter where you are (if you are somewhere you want to be). Your time is the most important thing you have left to spend.

Sorry for the meander

"...that was years ago, try an go to Canada or Mexico now without a passport"

American citizens don't need a passport to travel to Canada or Mexico.

They can use a passport card. $30.00, plastic and about the same size as a credit card. You don't need a passport to get one.

\

Hmmm. I'll let Border services know they are doing it wrong. I think you will find that a passport is now required from everyone at least for entering Canada.

For some reason I have to show both my NEXUS trusted traveler card ($50 US and a four month security clearance investigation to receive) AND my passport when crossing the border to the US. CBS still wants to see my passport when I return to Canada from the US or Mexico.

Showing up at ANY border without proper documentation is a quick way to get a thorough medical including a complete colonoscopy.

Those lit bug zappers will work well on various insects that mate and hunt by the light of the moon. The light fools them into thinking that it is the moon. They fly towards it...(we aren't talking mensa candidates here). The zapper takes care of the rest.

That unfortunately is NOT how mosquitos hunt. They are primarily scent hunters. Mother Nature has taught them that at the end of that enticing CO2 scent trail will be a fabulous blood sac for them to feast on.

Anyone tried the CO2 emitting traps? One brand available in Thialand is 'Black Hole'. Expensive but would be worth it if it works.

Don't know these types but they should work.

Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide. We exhale carbon dioxide. Attract them somewhere else with a largish amount of CO2 (killing them at that point is handy otherwise they just come back hungry for blood).

Here is a web page that should be of interest to the security conscious and those that want the peace and serenity of Mexico. Click on their little red report.

https://justiceinmexico.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2015-Drug-Violence-in-Mexico-Report.pdf

The nice thing about stats is that you can make them mean anything you want. These are mostly just the cartel related murders etc. and only in Mexico They don't mention the really hard places further South.

Add all the rates up and then if you do a little more digging you will find that Mexico is not the most violent place in Central or South America. Mexico is the southernmost country in North America. As such it acts as a funnel for the thousands of Central and South Americans heading North for a chance of a better life. Many die. Think of newborn turtles trying to make it to water when a large flock of seagulls has noticed them. It is the casual brutality that really gets to me.

Here is a web page that should be of interest to the security conscious and those that want the peace and serenity of Mexico. Click on their little red report.

https://justiceinmexico.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2015-Drug-Violence-in-Mexico-Report.pdf

The nice thing about stats is that you can make them mean anything you want. These are mostly just the cartel related murders etc. and only in Mexico They don't mention the really hard places further South.

Add all the rates up and then if you do a little more digging you will find that Mexico is not the most violent place in Central or South America. It is the casual brutality that really gets to me.

Surprised no one has mentioned the super high quality tequila at decent prices in Mexico....it is so good, that you can sip it rather than shoot it. Also the various rums from Caribbean and other parts are priced very competitively. Not the only reason to retire there, but a bit of a treat nevertheless.

One Tequila.....Two Tequila.....Three Tequila.....Floor

Ahhh the memories

I'm one of the people that Rumblecat described. I've used jet skis in many different places with no problem. It looks like Thailand won't be one of them. Thanks for the thread cause I never heard anything about this being a problem til now.

Now, is it possible to rent a 16 to 20 foot day cat without being scammed, robbed or beaten up???

Mexico is not that horrid folks. Over the years I've done the rubbing the whales in Magdalena Bay to swimming with the porpoises in Cozumel. I plan on taking a look at Phuket this winter.

On the Pacific side (Pta Escondido) I rented a North American style two bedroom condo (with pool access) for $2300.00 USD per month. On the Gulf side (Pta Morelos) the rent was triple the Pacific rate. Honestly, I could have found cheaper places but I had family visiting on both sides and did not wish to move to areas where old Gringos are thought of as "financial opportunities".

I had thought of going back to the Med but.......modern times are brutal. All I'm looking for is a beach, a hammock, and a beer (several) in some place where they aren't killing the Westerner.

Regards