CaptainJack

35 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Yes these decisions are so specific to individuals. I liked that quote of being more of a traveler than an expat. Well I used to be passionate about traveling but at this point I'm more of an expat than a traveler.

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Jingthing, 

 

Life is definitely an adventure in self discovery and awareness.  Some of us are slow learner's (lol). Thank you for keeping this topic alive.......

 

CJ

46 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Hi Seasia,

 

I think that "re-locating" has a lot to do with age and level of fitness-possibly mental toughness as well.

Different strokes for different folks.

My friends have just pulled out after 10 years in Yucatan.They got totally fed up with the place and re-retired back to Kent!

Odysseus123,

 

That is a very accurate statement.   I might add that as I enter my 6th month back in the USA,  even though there have been many costs to move back, mentally,  emotionally and financially,  I more everyday recognize that at 66 years old, when I moved to Thailand,  and after 9 months made the decision to abandon that path, now 67, I am steadily finding the challenges coming home easier.

 

What I had to do was trust my own instincts and look at what is involved moving to Latin America,  a non Spanish speaking American,  how well I felt I could navigate that flying solo, and what would be the risks to try another country,  and possibly decide it was not for me, at perhaps 70 plus years old.

 

I am on a slow and steady pace to have a decent life here in the USA,  albeit,  I will likely be alone the rest of my life.   That is truly how I feel.  But! Just going to the gym everyday,  I am making new male friends,  have reconnected with a few others,  and see a light at the end of the tunnel. 

 

I will likely continue to travel,  spending months at a time away from home in the USA,  but will not cut ties again.   

 

Ironically,  my physical,  financial,  mental and emotional endurance is up to the task to try retirement outside the USA again.  What is now the major consideration is my age and medical care.   The other is the instability in other countries governments.   

 

I will go to Colombia with my friend in a few months,  and return to SE Asia to visit and possibly do more volunteer work,  but risk restarting a life and foundation back home in the USA again? No. I've made a decision.  I don't want to go through this again in my 70's.  

 

I appreciate your comment.  It really resonates with me.

 

CJ

BBC News - Colombia ex-Farc rebel Iván Márquez issues call to arms
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-49508411

I was thinking about the comment,  this thread is dying a painful and slow death, and about CDMX.  A few thoughts came to mind.  One, I just spent 3 weeks in CDMX in February with my friend Gustavo.   Never once felt unsafe,  and it is an amazing cosmopolitan city.  Unbelievable diversity.  A bit too expensive for me,  but really a very cool city.

 

The other about this thread.  Personally,  I think after many others have come and gone, this thread will be a reference topic that people from many countries will come to read.  You know, there is always someone who will try and tear down others, for their own selfish and twisted satisfaction.   

 

Anyway,  my post in one of the TM30 threads was my genuine opinion of how things really are.  When we look around the planet and see all that is currently taking place, on about every socioeconomic,  geopolitical and territorially,  it is easy to see, there is nothing for certain right now.  

 

I don't see things settling down for a few years, at best.  This thread is about being proactive and not just waiting and hoping for the best. 

 

So, for the sake of sharing my thoughts,  whether right, wrong,  good or bad, here is what I wrote yesterday. 

 

I think we are at a crossroads globally regarding immigration.   There is just too much change in the system to be one off occurrences. 

 

My comment was:

 

The reality is finally setting in. Last November,  when I went for my first 90 day and and got questioned about the TM30 rule,  and asked for advice from friends and then TV, it was the norm for people to put me down.  I saw the handwriting on the wall on so many levels,  I abandoned my plans to live, "happy ever after", before my next 90 day. 

 

I left, went back to the USA,  via a nice trip through New Zealand,  Australia and Mexico City.   WHY?

 

I don't want to live under the ever increasingly oppressive rules.  But again,  why did it really effect me?  That is simply.  I did not move to Thailand to just sit at home with my girlfriend and watch television.   We were taking weekend trips all over Thailand,  staying at local cottages she knew about and the occasional hotel.

 

I had planned to make Thailand home and homebase to continue to travel and explore Asia.   This is exactly where the entire TM30 rule has broken so many expatriates,  including those that live far from an immigration office.  

 

Everyone needs to get a grip, quit fighting each other, and understand,  Thailand has changed for many, many expats.   For those that never go anywhere,  have the system down pat for 10-30 years, no worries.   For everyone else that had a vision of living their lives here and enjoying their retirement? For many, including me, it is gone.  Why is it so hard for the "old timer's " to understand this.  And why, are those who fall somewhere in my world view, still fighting this.  It is not going to change,  and will only get worse. 

 

I stayed on the forum for two reasons. 

 

One, I made forum friends and it has been an amazing place to learn.

 

Two, I waited to see if things might improve and I might come back to be with my gal.

 

It is time to decide.  Live under the Thai rules and accept your limitations,  restrictions and life as they decide it is to be, or go home or somewhere else. 

 

Can this be any clearer?

 

PS. I can still travel, volunteer and have a great life.  But come back to Thailand and have to worry I'll be detained or hassled. NO! I have traveled all over China by myself with zero problems.  Really! China is easier to travel in then Thailand? Give me a break. 

 

That was my comment.  I stick by it, with one caveat. 

 

There are few guarantees in life, to be sure. There are even fewer when living as a guest in another country.   That ship has already sailed for many. They have no choice but to ride out the storm,  maybe better weather,  or hopefully not, go down with the ship.  There is a time to abandon ship.  We all need to know when.....

7 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Well, I am a homo as you put it, but partnering up for mutual support doesn't necessarily need to have anything to do with sexuality. 

As a rough generality, women seem to be much better at that kind of thing than men. 

But you need to spell Colombia correctly. It doesn't matter here, but it does there. 

Where do you think you might check out in Colombia?

Bogota and Medellin as before or are you now considering other places there?

Lol. One of these days I will spell it correctly.  We are planning on going in December.   I stay on this topic only.   It has been a good one for us to share and exchange ideas.

Staying clear of the TM30 discussion.  Latin America and Mexico.  Not completely off my radar. I finally (took 5 months to get a proper place to live and a good car) got settled sufficiently back in the USA to save money and have a plan going forward by the end of the year.

 

Stay in the USA or somewhere south?

 

Here's my perspective now......

 

It does not matter where, except you home country,  you can have much certainty right now.  Rules are changing geopolitical at a rate I've never seen.  Everyone that lives or works internationally does or should be keeping up.

 

My friends in Mexico are in their keep you heads down mode, because Mexican immigration is starting to question border runner.

 

My guess on all the changes and shifting geopolitical power, economics and immigration will go, is I don't have a clue, but I expect harder and tighter. 

 

The latest from Trump referenced here is just another example.  

 

Until the USA and China trade war alone settles down, nothing else is really going to matter.  That alone will keep everything else unstable and shifting. 

 

I've got a good feed on the inside in Mexico now.  He gets his PR next year.  And going for citizenship after that. 

 

As many have said in countless topics, have an exit plan.  I'm thinking now it needs to be how to return home.  Options could close in a lot of places at one time, except for the wealthy. 

 

BBC News - Trump targets legal migrants who get food aid
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-49323610

I've been off this thread for quite a while.  A friend who lives in Cabo sent this to me.  The talk there, according to him, is the Mexican government may use immigration and Americans illegally living there as a political tool now with Trump and his anti Mexican immigration rhetoric. 

 

 

Hi everyone, 

 

I wanted to try and recap my last experiences here in CDMX and my future plans. 

 

CDMX is an amazing city.  It is Cosmopolitan and there is always something going on.  The weather is really nice and the cost of living less than the USA. 

 

There is one big drawback I see, and that is the expatriate community here are all very young.  There is not much opportunity to meet many older westerners here.  My go to group I have been a member of, Internations, which has been a great resource for meeting other western expats here is comprised of mostly 20 and 30 year olds.  They even have social events that are age restricted. 

 

But, to this being my last post regarding moving to a Latin American country. I have decided to repatriate back to Austin,  Texas.  I made this decision as I have been gathering information on the issues of repatriation, should I make that choice.   

 

Why have I decided now to go home?  There are a few, but important reasons.  At my age, I have found it really difficult to make western friends here.  For that matter, Bkk was not easy.  My ability to reconnect with social circles back home is supported by many organizations.   I have grown very weiry of the social isolation.   I did not have that problem in Austin. I can rejoin the social groups and there are still people there I know.  And they are in my age range.  Another is learning Spanish.  I don't think I am wired to really learn it fast enough to be functional in a Latin Country.  If you don't know Spanish,  I'd say think seriously about not moving here.  

 

But the big reason is about reentry in American society and their rules.  My research and now actually calling back to the USA and talking with car dealers and apartment leasing agents have supported what I read from expats that have gone home.  The problem is simple.  The longer you are gone, and the more ties you cut, the more difficult it will be, if not approaching Impossible. 

 

I never changed my financial matters to Thailand.   I simply opened a Thai bank account and got a debit card and transferred money every month to live on.  That was my smart move.  

 

Because I had not intended on living back in the USA,  I sold my car.  I read and find out that because I don't have a physical address (apartment) to list, I may have problems obtaining financing.   I won't know for sure until I return. 

 

Then there is renting a small studio apartment.   I may have problems meeting their screening requirements because I won't have any verifiable recent rental history.  The proverbial chicken and egg.

 

This also I won't know until I return,  which is set for May 3rd.  I have a rental car for two weeks (expensive) to sort these issues out.

 

It was when I realized that if I were to decide to repatriate,  the longer I am away from the USA,  the harder it will be.  I decided it is better to pull the plug now then wait.   I've been gone from the USA now for 13 months.  

 

For those who are considering repatriation,  there are numerous web sites and stories which talk about the challenges of repatriation,  both logistically, financial and emotionally. 

 

In my own self assessment,  I waited to long, am too old to have decided to move to Thailand.  Some guys can do it.  I did not succeed.  Now? To try and move to Latin America, at 66 and single is just another recipe for disaster.   At least it feels like it would me for me.  Oh, my success at traveling all over this planet I now understand does not translate into being a successful expatriate.  Another lesson learned.

 

My future plans? Well, I learned a lot the less then a year I did living in Bangkok.  I don't need all that much to be happy. A small studio apartment in a good community, a decent and reliable used car and the minimum in furnishings.   And after awhile, being settled and not such a basket case with all these changes?

 

One other thing I think out to be a "sticky" topic on TV.  That would be "Why you should not consider moving to Thailand after 60 unless you have 100k USA dollars to spend ".  Money is everything here, especially if you are older.   One needs to be able to pay their way in every aspect.   This rule, I think applies to moving to any foreign country.   Age, well, it is our biggest challenge,  especially when taking on a challenge like this.

 

Who knows? Maybe I'll come back for a long visit, especially if Thailand makes visiting as a tourist easier, and not harder.

 

Thats it.

 

Oh, I have one thing to say to the poster that ripped into me on my comparison of CDMX and Bkk.  

 

You called where I'm renting "a dump".

I was really happy to be able to rent that here in CDMX for what I am paying.   What gives you the right to degrade me by calling where I stay a "dump"? 

 

You know that old saying,  "Karma is a b**ch"! You may have your day where you are grateful to have something as nice as I have.  My "dump", is my "palace".

 

Good luck everyone, and thanks for your support and encouragement.....

 

Captain Jack......