Cryingdick

All of the countries so far sound like a substantial downgrade.

2 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

When I was working in Kenya, there were serious troubles in one of the African countries & our Project Manager (local guy) was buying up big houses there for peanuts.

 

I caught up with him on another project a few years later & he told me that most of the properties had been "Repossessed" (i.e. stolen from him) by whoever won the "Debate", but they did let him keep a couple of the smaller ones which he estimated were worth 100+ x what he's spent on all of the properties put together.

 

Be greedy when others are fearful 

 

Nah buying in Venezuala is a great idea. What could possibly go wrong?

 

"Price is what you pay, value is what you get."

3 minutes ago, AlexRich said:

 

It wasn't Buffett. I think the phrase was termed by Nathan Rothschild during the Napoleonic Wars ... it's a phrase that's been around a few centuries.

 

 

Okay I stand corrected Buffett brought it back into vogue. Anyway moving to Venezuela where there is literally blood in the streets is a pretty bad idea. Rothschild also never said to move to where there is blood in the streets.

10 minutes ago, Ulic said:

A second thought for the truly adventurous, Venezuela. I have never been, but, investors know, the time to step in and invest is when there is blood on the streets (so to speak). For those who speak Spanish, and are adventurous, and not looking to move immediately, you maybe should check things out. Venezuela should be under consideration. Three million people have left the country (many permanently) leaving lots of accommodation available, some of which should be appropriate. The country, and women are beautiful. Things will in most likelihood be changing for the better soon. When the Asian financial crisis hit there were those adventurous souls who changed their UK pounds at 70-1 during the time of uncertainty. Poms now would cash in their nest eggs and transfer everything to Thailand if the baht dropped back to 60-1. Venezuela could be the same. Beautiful country, beautiful beaches, beautiful women, great cuisine. Even now you can certainly afford to live there like a king with income in foreign currency. It just may be a little too volatile. The time may not be now, but soon, when things settle down a bit, Venezuela may be a great choice for those who speak Spanish and have balls of steel. I remember shortly after the Falklands war you could buy a lovely condo or house in Argentina for 10k USD. Similar opportunities could be available in Venezuela. Just a thought.

 

When Buffett coined the term buy while there is blood in the streets he was talking about stocks. ???? The trouble is there are probably people dim enough to listen to this atrociously bad advice.

 

I am also pretty certain availability of goods would be much better and cheaper than the countries further from the border.

6 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

To correct, I haven't been suggesting Lima. I've been to Lima and the neighborhoods you'd want to live there are rather expensive for housing. The city that I think shows promise there is Arequipa. The initial visa needs to be applied for in Lima and that takes some time so it seems to me people just arriving might be better off renting something temporary in Lima to start. Then if successful move elsewhere.

 

I was just throwing Lima out as an example. Ecuador and Peru in their entirety sound pretty boring to me. Colombia sounds too dicey still.  Also the food isn't of interest to me in these places. That is sort of a big deal. 

 

What might bother me about some of these areas is if you find a pocket but travel isn't safe to wider sections of the country or region. Part of the appeal of SE Asia is that you can tour around so easily. That's where Mexico is appealing easy access to explore America which is one of the most varied and beautiful countries in the world.

 

So I stick with my opinion that out of these the best option is Mexico. The others are scraping the barrel a little too hard. Although for me I have enough of the edgy third world living so not planning on a foray to any of this places except maybe to visit.

30 minutes ago, swissie said:

As I mentioned in post 136, re-locating and re-establishig oneself in a new country may easily cost the equivalent of the 800K Baht required for a retirement extension in Thailand (travel, legal-fees, furniture, car etc etc). Those monies will have to be invested (gone), while the Thai "extension money" will still be here.
As I gather, OP is not pleased by the "volatile" Visa-situation in Thailand. Understandably and he is not the only one.

BUT: Even in SA Countries Visa Requirements can change. (As has happened in certain countries). OP is likely to find himself in a future "volatile" visa situation, resembling Thailand. As Expats, we have no lobby in any country that stands up for "Expats-Rights".

As I understand it, OP leads a comfortable life in Pattaya, owning his own 4 walls, enjoying the phantastic international cuisine present in Pattaya plus the "liberal life style". I doubt if OP would find such a combinaton of "ideal circumstances" in ANY SA country.
Therefore, next to visa-issues, OP may have other reasons fuelling his strong desire to leave Thailand. But that's none of my business. And noboby elses, I find.

 

It seems to me boredom and wanderlust are getting to people these days. When I was leaving Thailand I went through all of the usual lists of these places and just couldn't see it being much better. Also the food in these places seems pretty bland if not just out right bad.

 

Aside from that the more we all scan it doesn't turn up any real new candidate countries. JT's pick of Queretaro is one of the few that actually seem like it might be enjoyable. Lima Peru... not so much. 

 

So that brings us to is it affordable? Looking at Numbeo (which you really have to read between the lines or you can make it seem cheap or expensive.)

 

I am not going to bother breaking down the prices but actually many of the prices listed are much cheaper in Queretaro it seems. Food, drink, place to rent all cheaper there. Taxis are a bit higher but that's about it. Although it is worth noting the cheapest food isn't as cheap as Pattaya.

 

I am guessing a big if for many is if they can sell what they have In Thailand. Anyway if I am American and have not decided yet I would overwhelmingly choose Mexico at this point. So long as I can afford to live in a place that isn't dangerous. 

21 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

You're really out of touch if you actually believe all of the expat popular destinations in Latin America are as dangerous as all that. Have you even travelled there? I don't promote overselling or underselling the idea of moving to Latin America. But posts like yours promoting total ignorance have no basis in facts.

 

That's interesting. In the world news threads people are saying that people are claiming asylum and walking all the way to the USA from some of these places. It is said people are literally afraid for their lives.

 

I guess things must not be that rough? Everybody I know who has gone to Central America has said it is pretty rough. My friend was born down there and has land there and you can not walk the streets at night in a small town. 

 

Here is the consular sheet on Columbia.... Level 2

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Colombia.html

 

Honduras level 3 reconsider

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Honduras.html

 

Mexico level 2

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Mexico.html

 

 

Belize Level 2

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Belize.html

 

Guatemala level 2

 

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Guatemala.html

 

Ecuador is normal

 

Peru is normal

 

Thailand level 1 normal

 

Argentina is normal

 

So saying that the danger is just in people's minds seems a little bit optimistic. "Columbia is cool other than express kidnappings by people dressed like police at the airport it's really nice"

 

But whatever anybody that thinks Central and South America are as safe as Thailand can suit themselves.

 

On 1/27/2014 at 10:13 AM, NCFC said:

For the unitiated, what exactly is a UK style Chinese restaurant ?

 

double post.

On 1/27/2014 at 10:13 AM, NCFC said:

For the unitiated, what exactly is a UK style Chinese restaurant ?

 

A place that serves egg <deleted> young with "proper" chips and gravy.

On 12/9/2018 at 12:03 AM, Naam said:

nice/quality things like our cook, our maid, our gardener and our driver? where are you from? Bangla Desh? Ethiopia? Mali? Central African Republic?

 

next!

 

When you become so out of touch that people become things... lol

1 minute ago, mogandave said:

 

Well last time I looked (this past October) there seemed to still be plenty of trash receptacles.

I’m not saying an attitude adjustment is not needed, but if you don’t want people throwing trash on the ground they have to have some place to throw it.

 

 

Another problem is that say for example they made a campaign and got every Thai to go and pick up every piece of trash. They do not have the capability to do anything with it. 

 

If a small charge on a bag would lead to better incinerators or whatever is best i wouldn't oppose it. However we all know what would happen to that money.

 

I could actually imagine a huge rubbish collection. At the end it all goes in a big conveyer belt straight into the rivers or ocean.

4 minutes ago, mogandave said:

 

One problem is that there are no trash cans anywhere.

 

 

Last I looked the American west isn't full of trash cans either. One problem is that Thais indiscriminately throw garbage of all types out of their car windows. In Tokyo after the sarin gas attacks most public garbage cans were removed. The reasoning was they didn't want places people could hide things. Yet Tokyo doesn't have the garbage problems that say Bangkok has.

 

I was in Laos at a market with a Lao friend one time. There was garbage everywhere like a typical market, rats etc. I threw a can on the ground near a big pile of garbage. My friend jokingly reprimanded me about it. I told him take a look around the entire place was like a big garbage dump. 

 

He happened to also be my driver on this particular trip. Later on he stopped on the road and threw all of the garbage and bags and beer cans directly into a stream. Evidently in his logic this was the natural choice.

 

 

37 minutes ago, canopy said:

Countries that already banned plastic bags are making a laughing stock out of the rest of the world. How lost does that make Britain look who 50 years into the plastic generation rolls out a 25 year plan, (yes a quarter of a century) to get rid of single use plastics. Or how about the other countries like Thailand still hopelessly floundering with the idea of how to "reduce" plastic bag consumption. People scratching their heads how to get from 10 billion bags to 9 billion, BFD. The answer is just so easy and right there in front of everyone and yet no one sees it--ban plastic bags. Why on earth is any concerned person talking about anything other than such a simple, proven idea that completely solves the problem 100% before the year is out?

 

 

The thing is if you have an environmentally conscientious populous you don't really need to ban them. In countries like the USA they aren't banned and present little to no problem. I am sure some municipalities in California and elsewhere may have bans. 

 

However in 99% of the country it is paper or plastic and business as normal. We use plastic bags all the time and our beaches and roadsides are for the most part spotless.

 

As other posters have pointed out plastic bags are actually very useful for household rubbish disposal.  

 

As far as the argument that if you put a value on something Thais will take care of it.... Have you seen how Thais take care of things of value? This is why we can't have nice things or plastic bags apparently. 

 

 

I know it has worked in other places. However wonder if there could be any unexpected repercussions if tasing the value of a plastic bag that much? At 5 Baht a bag that would be a huge huge margin when sold. I can see marketing schemes at 7-11 that give 25 free useless 7-11 points with every bag bought.

 

Business would be great if you could squeeze another 5 or 10Baht out of every customer. Put Hello Kitty on them so kids want them and they double as play toys for toddlers.

16 hours ago, tingtongtourist said:

Yes, how ridiculous it is that you can invest in the condo in Thailand but must worry if they give you the visa.

 

what can you say about this? but to say maybe best to not invest anything in the place.

 

Here is news for you. Thailand isn't the only country that will sell you real estate with out any guarantee of a visa. Many people invest in projects in foreign countries they do not reside in. You seem to be confusing living in some $20,000 shoe box with investing.