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wpcoe
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On 6/28/2021 at 7:42 PM, ubonjoe said:
8. I would think a hotel reservation would be enough to upload there.
What if I am going to stay in my own condo? I would legitimately be a tourist, just happen to own a place in Thailand.
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On 5/23/2021 at 11:15 PM, possum1931 said:
Spraying a mix of vinegar and water may help, but not when they keep gathering in my kettle.
Don't discount using vinegar/water in your kettle. I know it's recommended to flush coffee makers out with vinegar/water to remove hard water mineral deposits. I assume it would do the same for your kettle. Just be sure to rinse it out well after any vinegar contact.
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1 minute ago, thaiowl said:
I have used this stuff for years. The ants take the contents back to their nest and then die.
I've been using that stuff for years, and it does work well.
I used to crush into smaller pieces for smaller ants until I saw some tiny ants carrying full-size granules back to the nest. Now, I don't crush the stuff any more.
I have imported the stuff to the USA, Japan and Mexico at various times to handle ant invasions there.
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8 hours ago, Phillip9 said:
Land borders between the US and Mexico have been closed for a year due to covid and no one knows when they might reopen.
Not saying you're wrong, but sometimes the official stance and what actually happens in real-time can be different.
I continue to read reports on a local Yucatan Facebook group of folks driving across the border south in to Mexico all the time. Pretty sure the northbound crossings (into the USA) are happening as well, as folks have pointed out that a pre-trip Covid test is required by the USA only for arrivals by air, and that arrival by land border crossing doesn't need any test.
"YMMV"
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If the son cannot fly, how about overland travel? Cars and trains, perhaps? Orient Express runs from Istanbul to the UK, but not sure how to get to Istanbul from Thailand over land.
I assume air travel issues involve pressurisation/oxygen concentration. Any chance they could find an air ambulance that would fly sub-10,000 feet? Yeah, it would take a long time, but balance the time/money with just being home in the UK.
Are there any cargo ships that would accept them as passengers?
Just tossing out some out-of-the-box ideas.
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12 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:Who remembers the time when there were 36 photos per cartridge?
Heck, most of my first cameras were 12 per roll. I had a really old camera (1930s Graflex SpeedGraphic) that took cut-film negative (i.e. one picture, then change the film.)
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9 hours ago, Jingthing said:
That original signed bank statements thing could be real problem depending on a person's specific situation.
It was a problem for me until I happened to get a credit union supervisor who could think outside the box and came up with a solution that was acceptable to the Bangkok Mexican embassy. She knew a colleague who happened to have a rubber stamp with the name and address of the credit union. He printed off the internet monthly statements and stamped and signed 12 of them with his management title and then FedEx'd them to me.
Another problem I had was that my account was in the format of John Q. Adams, but my passport said John Quincy Adams. To the Mexican embassy those were not equal, so I had a bank letter issued with my middle initial, then I submitted a name change to my full middle name, and had a second letter issued with that. Since the account number & balance on the letters with two "different" names matched, the embassy accepted them. (All the stamped/signed monthly statements all still had just my middle initial.)
It was frustrating and anxiety-inducing, but in the end, it all worked out. The embassy staff were never arrogant or antagonistic. They were sympathetic to my situation but had no flexibility to waive any of the (ridiculous) requirements. They simply collect the documentation and forward it to Mexico City for a "yea" or "nay," and they knew what worked and what wouldn't work.
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On 5/8/2021 at 5:43 AM, Jamin123 said:
Anyone know if US passport can apply for the temporary residence visa at the Mexican Embassy in Bangkok
Unless it has changed since I applied & received my Residente visa in December 2019, yes, you can. (I'm a US citizen with US passport.)
The folks at the Mexican embassy in Bangkok were very friendly, polite and helpful. That said, they are very strict with the documentation they accept to prove income or savings. No statements downloaded from the internet. Must be original statements on bank/brokerage forms and/or (I think it is "and", but my case was unique) a cover letter with original "wet ink" signature from bank/brokerage official.
Once you are approved, they fingerprint you and put the visa in your passport and you have 180 days from the date they do that to enter Mexico. Then, within 30 days of arrival in Mexico, you must go to INM (Immigrations) to exchange your arrival card (the one you get on the plane) for the laminated Residente card. Due to Covid, it took me over five months to get the card in 2020, but I understand they've totally automated the process and you can get the card on your initial visit to INM.
5 hours ago, DBath said:I would imagine you can just go to Mexico directly and arrange it,
No. For a Residente visa, the process must begin at an embassy or consulate outside Mexico.
One other thing: I don't know if the Bangkok embassy will process the application if you are not a resident of Thailand. I had a series of retirement extensions that showed them I was a Thailand resident, but not sure if that were necessary. They might not issue a visa for someone in Thailand temporarily, e.g. as a tourist. If they are not answering your e-mail, try calling. I know I talked to them on the phone more than once. (They are fluent in Thai, English & Spanish.)
¡Buena suerte!
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On 5/7/2021 at 4:00 AM, Pilotman said:
I guess that the terror of this, and terror is the right word I think, is that people in a coma, or in a supposed 'permanent vegetative state' may be experiencing this 24/7. That is a truly awful prospect. I'm probably making too much of this, but last night's episode was not a pleasant experience at all.
That is a horrifying prospect (about people in a coma/vegetative state.)
I realize this is a totally different circumstance, but I became alert while under anaesthesia. I was paralyzed -- I couldn't even open my eyes -- but I vividly had all my physical senses including the full physical sensation of the tubes down my throat, my inability to breathe on my own, and the doctor snipping bits of my lungs (it was during a lung biopsy.) I do not wish that upon anybody, but apparently it happens in a small percentage of cases.
In the case of a coma/vegetative state I cannot imagine being mentally alert, fully understanding the situation, and knowing that it is open-ended, i.e. no end in sight. At some point does insanity set in with emotional detachment?
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14 hours ago, Kiujunn said:
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Quality of care in private hospitals in Mexico is good, but not top-notch.
It's waaay more expensive than Bumrungrad etc. Maybe you haven't seen a lot of bills from both locations to compare, outpatient and inpatient, different fields of medicine. I have.
It is generally even more expensive than the USA.
Okay, I was relying on second-hand reports. Now we can get first-hand data from you! Can you share the prices of Thai vs Mexican private hospitals from your experience, please?
My first-hand experience with a cataract operation at IECO in Merida versus what Rutnin in Bangkok charges:
- My cataract surgery in 2021 at IECO was ~US$1,400. (I previously said $1,100 from memory, but I just went back and re-added my receipts.)
- The most recent post I can find (from 2017) quoted Rutnin as THB85,000 (~US$2,725 at today's exchange rate) for a lens that corrects astigmatism (which my IECO lens does.)
- Rutnin would have been about twice the price of my Mexico operation, assuming no price changes at Rutnin since 2017.
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21 hours ago, kingofthemountain said:
Thank you for your very detailed and very intersting post
can you talk about the beaches and the sea?
I see on the map the city is not far from the sea side
the acces is easy? How are the beaches? Clean? Public or not?
no problem for swimming here? (Pollution, dangerous sea currents or waves?)
Also what about the food? there are a lot of markets? The products are cheap?
And the restaurants offer?
In your opinion what is the biggest problem for a westerner living in this city?
tyia for your answer
I can't give any first-hand info about beaches & the sea since I haven't ventured out in that direction. I'm the same guy who lived in Jomtien for 12 years and never once went to the beach.
There are frequent buses from Merida city center to Progreso, the biggest of the nearby beach towns. I believe it's about US$1 for a 50 minute ride. You can Uber to Progreso in about 35 minutes for about US$20, I hear, though you'd need to find one that just came in from Merida in order to return that way. Progreso is where the cruise ships stop (when they are operating.) The pictures I've seen of the beaches there seem nice enough, though occasionally there are issues with sargassum (sea weed) clogging the beaches. The beaches are mostly, if not all, public. Several scandals hit the news recently where folks had erected fences to make the beach in front of their house private, and they've all had to tear them down after public outcry.
There is a foodie scene in Merida, but I don't think it's as large as even Pattaya. Check out https://midcitybeat.com for an idea. There is a nice variety of mid-priced restaurants on Paseo Montejo. Paseo Montejo is a large tree lined boulevard with old mansions and trendy restaurants. I'm not a foodie or food snob. I just like tasty food for US$10 to $20 (or less) per meal, and have a nice selection of options there.
There is a big wholesale/retail food market in Merida city center, and Santiago Park near my house has a small wet market with meats, fruits & vegetables. There are two "Slow Food" markets on Saturdays that offer local, generally healthy, food options. Mexican grocery chains are supplemented by multiple Walmart, Sam's Club and Costco locations. And there is a large number of Oxxo and SiX stores, the equivalent of 7-11 and Family Mart.
Generally, prices for stuff I buy range from reasonable to cheap. Basic staples like bread, milk and eggs are cheap. Amazon Mexico continues to grow and bring in more items as an affordable shopping option. Amazon USA also ships more things to Mexico these days, but some things are puzzlingly expensive. I wanted to order a US$20 pack of MiracleGro plant food from Amazon USA but the shipping was over US$130. Go figure.
"...the biggest problem for a westerner living in this city"? Hard to say. For first-time expats from NOB (North of the Border), I'd say culture shock-lets in general ... lots of little things aren't "like they were back home," but folks who are expats living in Thailand already have dealt with that. Maybe the language would be the biggest problem, even though it's easy enough to get around with English only, although maybe not as easy as it would be in Bangkok or Pattaya?
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On 4/27/2021 at 9:02 PM, Jeffr2 said:What about medical? How are the hospitals there?
There is a government health care system with basic hospitals mainly for locals, and then there is a higher level of service/facilities in private hospitals. I understand that the government hospitals are slow, bureaucratic places where you sit and wait for hours in a barren lobby to see a doctor. System is similar to Thailand, I guess. Other foreigners I have talked with/read about have highly favorable reviews on care in private hospitals. Quality of care in private hospitals is top-notch, but cheaper than the Bumrungrads and BNHs of Thailand. And, of course, waaay cheaper than NOB (North Of the Border, as the USA is referred to.)
I haven't any experience with hospitals, but I had cataract surgery earlier this year in a private eye hospital and the experience was top notch. I had eye surgery at Rutnin two years ago and I would call the Merida place on a par with it. I paid out of pocket and it was about US$1100 all-in. Absolutely no wait to schedule the surgery. My initial exam with the doctor was on a Tuesday and when I asked how soon we could do the operation, she said "How about Thursday?" and she wasn't joking. I give the doctor very high marks for both explaining things more clearly than Dr. Roy at Rutnin and also thinking outside the box and suggesting something that Dr. Roy never did that greatly improved my eyesight. I'm not knocking Dr. Roy. I highly recommend him for folks in Thailand with eye issues, but the doctor here was even better.
Out of laziness I renewed my Aetna (previously-known-as BUPA) Thailand policy last November to have some safety net should something go wrong healthwise. This year I plan to use an insurance broker here in Merida to get a local policy, which I believe will be cheaper than the Aetna Thailand for similar coverage. As a Yank over 65, I am now covered by Medicare so also have the option of getting medical care in the USA if I chose to. Houston & Miami are less than two hours away from Merida by air.
On 4/28/2021 at 1:30 AM, Jeffr2 said:I've not really had problems here with bureaucracy here. Having a Thai wife makes a huge difference. To live in Mexico, you absolutely have to speak Spanish. You can get away without speaking Thai here.
In Merida I get around pretty well with limited Spanish. I studied it for four years, but it was over 45 years ago so it's not nearly as good as it should be. I would say that in places like Bangkok and Pattaya it is probably easier to get around on English only, but in Merida (a city of about a million, mainly Mexicans) it's not too bad. In a more touristy place, I think English would be more widely understood.
On 4/28/2021 at 1:59 AM, Jeffr2 said:I'm a sucker for old colonial architecture. I'm sure I'd love visiting Mexico City. But I'm not a big city person. Been there, done that. I like smaller cities now. LOL
As you might have picked up in the various posts above, there is a variety of options in Mexico. Up in the mountains, along the Pacific beaches, the Mexican Riviera, an island like Cozumel, or an inland city -- quite a variety of climates, scenery and things to to do. The bigger small cities all have the old colonial architecture.
Down where I am on the Yucatan Peninsula there is also a ton of Mayan sites to explore. A TV documentary did an aerial survey of the area with some camera that can see through the jungle cover and the sites that have been uncovered so far are just the tip of the iceberg. The area was much more widely populated in the Mayan era than previously thought.
On 4/28/2021 at 3:43 AM, J Town said:The infrastructure in Mexico is just plain bad, internet service has to be inherited by someone leaving or dying, electricity is CRAZY expensive, as is the rent. In the six weeks I was there I saw only one woman I'd even THINK of poking. I am very happy back in LOS.
YMMV applies in Mexico, like it does in Thailand.
New Internet accounts are widely available in most parts of the country, but within a city it can vary. Parts of Merida, where I am, have fibre optic internet, others have 30Mbps cable internet, but at least in Merida things are improving quickly. The house I rented in 2014 only had 10Mbps internet from TelMex (the national telephone company) and now the same house, same internet package, is 50Mbps service -- about US$20/month including a landline phone.
I've heard of some pricey neighborhoods in DF (Mexico City) but in general I think rent is reasonable. Maybe not as cheap as rural Thailand, but also rural Mexico is cheaper than big cities, too. If you rent a local house from a local Mexican (versus from one of the glitzy web sites catering to foreigners) you could get a nice house in Merida for between US$500 and US$1000 depending on location, level of upgrading, etc. I bought, and am renovating, an old (records date back to 1907, but we think the house is actually older) colonial for ~US$40,000. The renovation will cost me about another US$60,000 and I'll have a 2-bed/2-bath house in one of the areas highly sought after by gringos in Merida: 2.5 blocks from Santiago Park. Like in Thailand, construction labor is rather inexpensive in Mexico.
Other infrastructure notes:
The roads for the most part are well maintained.
Water where I am is from a basically unlimited underground water table. I don't actually know about the rest of Mexico, but I've never heard of water rationing. The municipal water is technically drinkable from the tap, but there is a high calcium content and some stomachs can't handle that.
My electricity, living in the hot climate of Merida for the past 14 months has averaged about US$14/month. nb: I'm not a huge fan of air con. I live in an old colonial house with two-foot thick rock ("mamposteria") walls and high (18-foot) ceilings which helps. This compares favorably to my Thailand PEA bills which averaged about B1200/month for the last several years I lived in my Jomtien condo. The billing system for electricity almost requires advanced algebra to understand. There are government subsidies for the six hottest months of the year for homes with moderate use. Once you exceed the subsidized amount, the price jumps dramatically. (If you research online and see folks moaning about "DAC" that's the unsubsidized rate that kicks in for higher use.)
On 4/28/2021 at 5:21 AM, smutcakes said:Surely its only a matter of time that the cartels do move in? If its that nice it will attract wealthy people and one would think following that would be demand for drugs....
Just like there are hushed conversations about a certain unmentionable prominent family having its fingers in many pies in Pattaya/Jomtien, there are rumors that the cartels have put their families in Merida and have and unwritten code to keep trouble away from them. Those rumors aside, Merida is off the "Narco Trail" of drug trafficking. Merida does not generally attract a party crowd of tourists, unlike Cancun just a few hours drive away. Cancun, and recently Tulum, attract younger, richer partiers and so the drugs are there, therefore so are the cartels, and so is cartel violence.
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10 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:Love the central plaza in Merida. Beautiful town. And from what I've heard, very safe.
So far, how are you liking the transition? We're considering something similar.
Yes, the central plaza is historic and beautiful. Nice park with big trees to sit under. Throughout Merida are the typical Mexican parks anchored with the local Catholic church,.
I had done a trial run, my "Merida Experiment," in 2014 to see if I would like living here. I rented a house from a friend for nine months. I was very happy & comfortable here. The only reason I returned to Thailand was inertia: I had a condo and all my belongings there. The "new & improved" financial requirements in 2019 for a Thai retirement extension were the straw that broke my back. That said, I plan to keep my Jomtien condo and spend a couple months there each year. Until I tire of that, too. LOL
In my post above, I forgot to touch on home ownership. Foreigners can own a house, condo, and land outright. The exception is: foreigners are not permitted to own property within 100 kilometers of foreign borders or within 50 kilometers of the sea. The entire city of Mérida falls into that exclusion zone.
The workaround is a (totally legal) system of placing a property in a trust, or fideicomiso. A fidei is not to be confused with the "company ownership" sham in Thailand. With a fidei, you have full rights of sole ownership and can legally sell to either another foreigner or a Mexican.
Also, with a Resident visa, I understand that under the Mexican Constitution you have all the same legal rights as a Mexican citizen except the right to vote. I don't know if that is absolutely true to the smallest detail, but from what I've heard, in general it seems to be true.
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A couple of "high crime" sterotypes aside, a couple of good representations above.
I left Thailand last year in February and moved full-time to Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. VERY low crime. Often the #1 on lists of safest cities in N.America and in the top 10 of safest cities in the world. Police here are well-paid and not corrupt like in some other places we all know.
(Whoops, accidentally posted prematurely...)
The visa situation is boatloads better than Thailand. You can either get Temporary Resident visa or Permanent Resident visa. After four years of annual Temporary renewals, you get Permanent, or if you meet the higher criteria, you can get Permanent in the beginning. Once you have Permanent, it's permanent: never have to apply again. No 90-day reports, no re-entry permits, no nothing. If you are going for retirement, many Mexican embassies/consulates will only give you Permanent. I got mine at the Mexican Embassy in Bangkok in late 2019, and after some initial hiccups, it went smoothly.
Of course, local food is quite different. What most folks from the USA call "Mexican food" is actually "Tex Mex" and is a US invention. Different areas of Mexico have different local dishes. Where I am there is a healthy Mayan influence in the cuisine. Don't expect to find much "authentic" Thai cooking like SWMBO would make.
Overall, I spend a little less in Merida than I did in Jomtien or Hua Hin.
The seasons where I am pretty much parallel central Thailand. We're entering a brutally hot period, and will enter the rainy season around June and it lasts until about November. Very similar to Thailand.
Some of the borders with Central America are closed now, due to Covid, but pre-Covid I understand border crossings were easy.
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10 hours ago, webfact said:
He called on the authorities to get their fingers out.
As in, pointing at the problem for a photo op, or as in, out of their a**es?
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http://v.pinimg.com/videos/mc/720p/f4/b2/58/f4b25843d64b06fe4120f2536c3afc1d.mp4
(Watch the big dog's front left paw. I missed it the first time.)
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Surely the best pork pies are the ones emanating from City Hall being told by the Mayor's office?
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So, I could be driving around Thailand on my license that expired in 2007?
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In case the sales folks at the store don't know what an awl is:
It's great for punching an extra hole in a leather belt, holes in the bottom of a plastic flower pot, chipping ice ... that sort of thing. And, yeah, mine is a little corroded but it still works.
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I bought an awl at Home Pro. Does all the little things you can do with an ice pick.
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The next time they allocate beach sections to chair/umbrella concessions, they should put 2m wide trenches between each one.
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6 hours ago, Jeffr2 said:
I use Schwab. No wire fees, great conversion rates, ATM card with no fees nor international charges. Tough to beat.
Wise is pretty good, but last time, took almost 10 days to get my money. Not sure what the problem was. Time before was about a week.
5 hours ago, rwill said:I agree with Schwab. Hard to beat free.
Does Schwab have any problem with you living overseas? Or, do you maintain a USA address for Schwab?
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I don't know if this is specific to one particular Thai post office, but when I lived in Hua Hin, it was mentioned on an online forum that when a mail carrier went on vacation nobody was assigned to cover their route, so mail for customers on the route just stacked up until their return.
Even worse, on one route the carrier quit and wasn't replaced for a long time and, again, mail piled up.
On the second floor (I think it was...) of the main post office was a mountain of mail you could paw through looking for yours.
It was speculated that when mail delivery resumed (on a route where the regular carrier was either on vacation or had quit) that the stockpile of undelivered mail was never tackled. i.e. The undelivered mail was never delivered. Ever.
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5 hours ago, Oxx said:
They are still perfectly capable of keeping their legs crossed.
There are other ports of entry while those legs are crossed.
Trying to apply for Tourist Visa(TR) but Visa site wants proof of residence and invite!
in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits
Posted
Well, duh. I sometimes miss the obvious answer. Thanks!