Expats in Thailand considering moving to Latin America prompted by Thai visa changes

[balo]

On 12/22/2019 at 4:33 PM, thailandsgreat said:

wonder how the Pattaya guys would like S.A. The areas where many farlang spend time in Thailand are designed for foreigner. Thai are used to foreigner there. In S.A. you usually end up interacting with locals that are less used to foreigner. 

 

Food in Thailand outstanding and cheap.

 

More tension and less safe in S.A. More strict in S.A. 

You're right.  

I am in my 50's and if I moved to South America I would focus on learning Spanish, I would probably meet a local and end up in a relationship and enjoy the culture,  like I did in Thailand, bur still not on the same level. 

I would probably feel less like a tourist and try to integrate into the community. Which is a hard thing to do in Thailand.

I would probably enjoy the food in Mexico and Colombia so would not miss the Thai food that much. 

But you need to be willing to learn a new language and culture so you can build on that before you get too old, I would never move in my 70's. 
 

[Bournville]

On 12/22/2019 at 10:43 AM, digibum said:

 

You make some excellent points about the scaremongering posts, but, as you say, it's not all roses either. 

 

The wife and I spent about a year trying to decide if we wanted to do Latin America, SEA, or move back to Thailand, doing quite a bit of research on all of the options, including asking lots of friends who have lived in LA or are originally from LA countries. 

 

I have also been to Mexico dozens of times over the years and have many, many pleasant memories.  I have never been shaken down by police or been robbed or had any overly negative experiences.  So, no bone to pick either. 

 

That said, even the people that speak glowingly of LA often caveat it with the fact that things can get dangerous depending on where you are. 

 

That's really not a caution you hear about in Thailand.  Sure, you've got scammers and petty theft but there are no parts of Thailand that are too dangerous for foreigners to visit (that I'm aware of). 

 

Ultimately, it was very difficult to draw apples-to-apples comparisons between Thailand (and much of SEA) compared to LA because LA is, essentially, a part of or an extension of western-culture. 

 

If you came to Thailand because it is so different from western-culture, that's a hard thing to reconcile by moving to a LA country with a western based culture.

 

Of course, if cost or ease of getting a long-stay visa was your major driver, maybe that's less of a concern. 

Hola from San Miguel de Allende. I'm here on a scouting trip. After 4 years in Thailand I decided to check out other places. 

 

The world is changing fast. Here in San Miguel the crime is palpable. Walking just 5 blocks to a freinds house from my airbnb was met with grave concern by my gringo hosts. Killings. Kidnapping and extortion are very common here now.. All have happened in my 2 weeks here. Add to this zero degrees Celsius most of lady week at 7 am... No thanks. 

 

I'm off to Mazatlán in 2 more weeks... Like San Miguel..I've lived there before.. Let's see what changes have happened there. 

 

Finding a place to call home is not as easy as it once was. 

[Jingthing]

16 hours ago, Bournville said:

Hola from San Miguel de Allende. I'm here on a scouting trip. After 4 years in Thailand I decided to check out other places. 

 

The world is changing fast. Here in San Miguel the crime is palpable. Walking just 5 blocks to a freinds house from my airbnb was met with grave concern by my gringo hosts. Killings. Kidnapping and extortion are very common here now.. All have happened in my 2 weeks here. Add to this zero degrees Celsius most of lady week at 7 am... No thanks. 

 

I'm off to Mazatlán in 2 more weeks... Like San Miguel..I've lived there before.. Let's see what changes have happened there. 

 

Finding a place to call home is not as easy as it once was. 

Yeah the news from San Miguel de Allende has not been good. As one of top iconic expat havens in Mexico I don't know what that portends for expats in general in Mexico. 

 

Good to hear from you as a person with boots on the ground there now.

 

I spent some time in Mazatlán too in the old town area. But years ago. It felt plenty safe to me back then but less so in other areas and word is the old town area has become predictably expensive.

Edited December 27, 2019 by Jingthing

[thailandsgreat]

I believe the "colonial pearls" are a reasonable option. A couple preparing for retirement. One year Spanish back home in evening class + 6 mo on site goes a long way regarding language.

 

These places do not seem exceedingly dangerous to me. At night you take a cab. If something happens you just hand over your stuff.

 

I have not stayed long in such places. But they look clean and beautiful. In Mexico I remember bubbles in Mèrida and San Cristóbal de las Casas.

 

Cuenca, Lima, Miraflores, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Montevideo, Medellin (much safer now), Buenos Aires. La Habana (frequent visa runs to Cancun I believe). Santa Cruz, Bolivia. And many more.

Food in LA is a little more fattening, a little more monotonous. But good and easy to adapt to. Except for whole grilled guinea pig in Ecuador region. Popayan has a security problem, unfortunately.

 

But to me Thai food is #1. Not oily, fresh, varied and moderately priced.

 

I could see people retire there.

 

Why am I in Thailand? I am not sure. I have lived in Asia long time (other countries) and still fight with Thai language 

As a European, Thailand feels close to home. I once had  tropical infections in Indonesia, managed to get to BKK and easy transport home. It is more costly to fly S.A. to Europe.

When you finally get settled in LA, it may be a little boring. Less varied than SEA, Spanish you learn quicker. SEA cheaper.

 

In Merida I got to know some locals better. They did not say but the feeling was that they didn't like rich foreigners taking over the old houses even though the locals didn't have money for the upkeep. Not always good attitude, but if you are a couple spending time together, maybe it is less important?

 

I dont know Mexico so well. But maybe the Americans should go further than N. Mexico and the problem areas?? But the expat havens quoted are certainly good. (I never visited that.)

 

Except for Costa Rica I am not certain middle America is a good choice. Belize? (I have not visited Belize) But there are probably good places in Middle America I dont know of.

Edited December 28, 2019 by thailandsgreat

[Cryingdick]

11 hours ago, thailandsgreat said:

I believe the "colonial pearls" are a reasonable option. A couple preparing for retirement. One year Spanish back home in evening class + 6 mo on site goes a long way regarding language.

 

These places do not seem exceedingly dangerous to me. At night you take a cab. If something happens you just hand over your stuff.

 

I have not stayed long in such places. But they look clean and beautiful. In Mexico I remember bubbles in Mèrida and San Cristóbal de las Casas.

 

Cuenca, Lima, Miraflores, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Montevideo, Medellin (much safer now), Buenos Aires. La Habana (frequent visa runs to Cancun I believe). Santa Cruz, Bolivia. And many more.

Food in LA is a little more fattening, a little more monotonous. But good and easy to adapt to. Except for whole grilled guinea pig in Ecuador region. Popayan has a security problem, unfortunately.

 

But to me Thai food is #1. Not oily, fresh, varied and moderately priced.

 

I could see people retire there.

 

Why am I in Thailand? I am not sure. I have lived in Asia long time (other countries) and still fight with Thai language 

As a European, Thailand feels close to home. I once had  tropical infections in Indonesia, managed to get to BKK and easy transport home. It is more costly to fly S.A. to Europe.

When you finally get settled in LA, it may be a little boring. Less varied than SEA, Spanish you learn quicker. SEA cheaper.

 

In Merida I got to know some locals better. They did not say but the feeling was that they didn't like rich foreigners taking over the old houses even though the locals didn't have money for the upkeep. Not always good attitude, but if you are a couple spending time together, maybe it is less important?

 

I dont know Mexico so well. But maybe the Americans should go further than N. Mexico and the problem areas?? But the expat havens quoted are certainly good. (I never visited that.)

 

Except for Costa Rica I am not certain middle America is a good choice. Belize? (I have not visited Belize) But there are probably good places in Middle America I dont know of.

 

There are loads of great places in LA. The main problem for many in this thread is they require more money than they have and the visa may not be any easier. If I am completely broke yet able to hang onto my status in Thailand I would not go to some place like Honduras looking for the good life. 

 

Aside from the gringos in Mexico and the fact it borders a very wealthy country like the USA, Mexico itself is richer than somewhere like Thailand. Belize looks very nice indeed and if you can afford it I would say try it.

 

However if you are counting to the last satang what street food and baht busses cost I don't think many places are favorable compared to Thailand. 

 

Another factor is outside of expat areas you won't be as welcome as you are in Thailand.

 

 

 

 

[digibum]

On 12/29/2019 at 6:24 AM, Cryingdick said:

 

There are loads of great places in LA. The main problem for many in this thread is they require more money than they have and the visa may not be any easier. If I am completely broke yet able to hang onto my status in Thailand I would not go to some place like Honduras looking for the good life. 

 

Aside from the gringos in Mexico and the fact it borders a very wealthy country like the USA, Mexico itself is richer than somewhere like Thailand. Belize looks very nice indeed and if you can afford it I would say try it.

 

However if you are counting to the last satang what street food and baht busses cost I don't think many places are favorable compared to Thailand. 

 

Another factor is outside of expat areas you won't be as welcome as you are in Thailand.

 

 

 

 

 

You totally hit the nail on the head on the fact that bang for the buck, it's hard to match Thailand.  If you have millions, there are tons and tons of places you can retire to.  But as you start factoring in budgets, Thailand does stands out. 

 

You don't have to be the satang counter, you just need to be someone that is looking to get good value, safety, and so-on. 

 

There are a gazillion things wrong with Thailand too.  But each of those factors is going to have different weight for different people. 

[Mike Teavee]

Top places to retire in 2020... 

1. Portugal
2. Panama
3. Costa Rica
4. Mexico
5. Colombia
6. Ecuador
7. Malaysia
8. Spain
9. France
10. Vietnam

https://www.asiaone.com/lifestyle/portugal-ranked-best-place-retire-2020 

 

LATAM scores 5 out of the top 6 spots, IIRC Thailand came in at 17th but I can't find that link now... 

 

[Jingthing]

On 1/1/2020 at 12:13 AM, digibum said:

 

You totally hit the nail on the head on the fact that bang for the buck, it's hard to match Thailand.  If you have millions, there are tons and tons of places you can retire to.  But as you start factoring in budgets, Thailand does stands out. 

 

You don't have to be the satang counter, you just need to be someone that is looking to get good value, safety, and so-on. 

 

There are a gazillion things wrong with Thailand too.  But each of those factors is going to have different weight for different people. 

Yes I agree Thailand is one of the more affordable expat destinations. I don't really think it's the most affordable though largely because of rising prices, exchange rate issues, and visa issues that hit some people much harder then others.

[Jingthing]

2 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

Top places to retire in 2020... 

1. Portugal
2. Panama
3. Costa Rica
4. Mexico
5. Colombia
6. Ecuador
7. Malaysia
8. Spain
9. France
10. Vietnam

https://www.asiaone.com/lifestyle/portugal-ranked-best-place-retire-2020 

 

LATAM scores 5 out of the top 6 spots, IIRC Thailand came in at 17th but I can't find that link now... 

 

I find that a "fun" thing to do with such lists is consider what to me is the highest priority -- do they offer formal retirement status and do I personally qualify financially? Of course the results will vary based on the individual but I never understand why such lists include countries that have no formal program.

 

So for me:

 

Portugal NOT qualified

Panama QUALIFIED

Costa Rica QUALIFIED

Mexico QUALIFIED (show money method)

Colombia QUALIFIED (for now, will not if proposed changes are passed)

Ecuador QUALIFIED

Malaysia NOT qualified

Spain NOT qualified

France NOT qualified

Vietnam NO SUCH VISA STATUS OFFERED!

[Mike Teavee]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

I find that a "fun" thing to do with such lists is consider what to me is the highest priority -- do they offer formal retirement status and do I personally qualify financially? Of course the results will vary based on the individual but I never understand why such lists include countries that have no formal program.

 

So for me:

 

Portugal NOT qualified

Panama QUALIFIED

Costa Rica QUALIFIED

Mexico QUALIFIED (show money method)

Colombia QUALIFIED (for now, will not if proposed changes are passed)

Ecuador QUALIFIED

Malaysia NOT qualified

Spain NOT qualified

France NOT qualified

Vietnam NO SUCH VISA STATUS OFFERED!

Being from the UK, I'm (currently) qualified for the EU countries, need to make a big decision (soon) about whether to capitalise on that while I still can & Portugal would be my favourite...

 

 

 

[Jingthing]

I really enjoyed my long trip to Portugal years ago and if qualified it would definitely be up there for me. However the only times I've ever been robbed have been in Portuguese speaking countries (Portugal and more predictably Brazil) and also I find the sound of old country Portuguese grating to my ear.

[EdrigoSalvadore]

4 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

Top places to retire in 2020... 

1. Portugal
2. Panama
3. Costa Rica
4. Mexico
5. Colombia
6. Ecuador
7. Malaysia
8. Spain
9. France
10. Vietnam

https://www.asiaone.com/lifestyle/portugal-ranked-best-place-retire-2020 

 

LATAM scores 5 out of the top 6 spots, IIRC Thailand came in at 17th but I can't find that link now... 

 

It seems they only compared 24 different countries in the world.

[Jingthing]

3 hours ago, EdrigoSalvadore said:

It seems they only compared 24 different countries in the world.

Well the vast majority of countries have no retirement visa programs and/or wouldn't really interest anyone sane. 

 

Lists like that are way too general anyway. So much depends on WHERE exactly in any country including home countries that you retire in. 

 

 

Also people should remember to compare like places to like places especially when trying to figure out the affordability factor.

 

For example you might compare Miami to Panama City and learn something but comparing a small town in Iowa to Panama City would be silly.  

 

Edited January 9, 2020 by Jingthing

[thailandsgreat]

10 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

Top places to retire in 2020... 

1. Portugal
2. Panama
3. Costa Rica
4. Mexico
5. Colombia
6. Ecuador
7. Malaysia
8. Spain
9. France
10. Vietnam

https://www.asiaone.com/lifestyle/portugal-ranked-best-place-retire-2020 

 

LATAM scores 5 out of the top 6 spots, IIRC Thailand came in at 17th but I can't find that link now... 

 

Any list you see you will not agree with, but only 1-3 "maybes" here, imho.

 

OK many Europeans retire in Spain and Portugal for the climate. Also S. France.

 

Costa Rica, Colombia  Ecuador OK.

But Panama?

Mexico close for US citizens.

 

Malaysia was throwing retirement visas after you but KLIA still looked empty when I have been there. Muslim country not easy to adapt to. Vietnamese not so fond of foreigner, esp north. So apart from those two and maybe Panama, list is OK. But foreigners retire in all of them, admittedly.

 

Cambodia definitely above Vietnam, imho. Indonesia, but visa struggle. India. Peru.

 

Thailand definitely beats those countries. But Asia is further away for US people and culture takes a little longer to adapt to than LA. And language takes more time to learn by a factor 2-3, partly due to difficulties finding practice.

 

 

 

Edited January 9, 2020 by thailandsgreat

[SCOTT FITZGERSLD]

On 3/4/2019 at 6:56 AM, Gecko123 said:

Would be interested in hearing from anyone venturing an opinion about the ease of making friends with locals (Thailand vs Latin America).

do you, seriously, have any thai friends (excl. working girls)? south americans are usually lovely

friendly people, who are very similar in mind to farang.

[thailandsgreat]

9 minutes ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

do you, seriously, have any thai friends (excl. working girls)? south americans are usually lovely

friendly people, who are very similar in mind to farang.

You have an important point. But in some areas of Latin America unknown people also give a cold shoulder to gringos, but friends are easier to make there, agree.

Edited January 9, 2020 by thailandsgreat

[pauleddy]

On 3/4/2019 at 3:29 PM, Snow Leopard said:

What some 60 years old 2 times divorced woman from Sheffield not good enough for you? ???? We all know why we are in Asia. The culture. 

I am here for the temples. Sorry.

[Mike Teavee]

1 hour ago, thailandsgreat said:

Any list you see you will not agree with, but only 1-3 "maybes" here, imho.

 

OK many Europeans retire in Spain and Portugal for the climate. Also S. France.

 

Costa Rica, Colombia  Ecuador OK.

But Panama?

Mexico close for US citizens.

 

Malaysia was throwing retirement visas after you but KLIA still looked empty when I have been there. Muslim country not easy to adapt to. Vietnamese not so fond of foreigner, esp north. So apart from those two and maybe Panama, list is OK. But foreigners retire in all of them, admittedly.

 

Cambodia definitely above Vietnam, imho. Indonesia, but visa struggle. India. Peru.

 

Thailand definitely beats those countries. But Asia is further away for US people and culture takes a little longer to adapt to than LA. And language takes more time to learn by a factor 2-3, partly due to difficulties finding practice.

 

 

 

Agree, any list needs to be tempered with your own personal requirements/circumstances but just to call out a couple of places that you sort of "dismissed"...  

 

Panama for a long time held the crown for retiring to with guys from the US (I'm from UK BTW) & actively encouraged retirees to move there...  However, in recent years it has tightened things up so a lot of guys have maybe missed the boat, hence the neighbouring countries are now more viable options. 

 

Malaysia is an awesome place to visit/live, It may technically be a Muslim country (Indonesia, outside of Bali, being much bigger & more "Strict"), but KL is a party town & Malacca (1 of my favourite places) is very Chinese dominated so you certainly don't feel like you're in a Muslim country there (indeed it's most famous dish is probably Bak Kut Teh - Pork rib soup!) 

 

We all have our personal considerations (main one of mine being my 75yr Father & 71yr Mother) to take into account when deciding to retire somewhere, long before I saw this article I was interested about the option to move to Portugal because if I don't establish somewhere close to the UK, after Brexit, I'm going to have to move back there at some point & Portugal seems to be the best place for me (despite speaking very little Portuguese & quite a lot of French) 

 

NB I'm not saying Portugal is better than Thailand, if I honestly thought that then I would have moved there instead & it probably would have been much easier to do... But personal circumstances might mean that's it's a "Better" place for me this year (once established residency I believe I'd only need to visit for a couple of weeks a year to maintain it so feels like the right thing to do) 

 

 

Edited January 9, 2020 by Mike Teavee

[Jingthing]

I'm not clear that Panama has tightened things up for retired expats.

 

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/020116/retiring-panama-pros-cons.asp#retirement-visas-perks

 

I have heard that about Costa Rica which toned down it's incentives to retired expats though.

 

My issue with Panama is that the only place there that really interests me to live at is Panama City but the cost of an apartment is not really affordable for most budget oriented retired expats. In other words more like 1000 USD per month when I'm comparing it to places where a similar unit would be 250 to 500 per month. 

 

[bwpage3]

On 3/4/2019 at 5:12 AM, marcusarelus said:

Getting an O-A visa for Thailand works out to $100 dollars a year.  What Latin American countries are lower than that?

What does the cost of a visa have to do with anything?

[Jingthing]

5 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

What does the cost of a visa have to do with anything?

Usually not much in the context of the total cost of living in a place but it is true in some cases visa processes can cost thousands of dollars and involve necessary lawyers.

[Mike Teavee]

8 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I'm not clear that Panama has tightened things up for retired expats.

 

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/020116/retiring-panama-pros-cons.asp#retirement-visas-perks

 

I have heard that about Costa Rica which toned down it's incentives to retired expats though.

 

My issue with Panama is that the only place there that really interests me to live at is Panama City but the cost of an apartment is not really affordable for most budget oriented retired expats. In other words more like 1000 USD per month when I'm comparing it to places where a similar unit would be 250 to 500 per month. 

 

Sorry, I didn't mean to suggest that the government had changed the rules to tighten things up, I meant that the natural result of it being successful in attracting retirees has "Tightened Things up" by causing the price of things to rise (as you say, rent being a prime example)

 

 

 

 

[Momofarang]

On 12/22/2019 at 11:43 PM, digibum said:

Ultimately, it was very difficult to draw apples-to-apples comparisons between Thailand (and much of SEA) compared to LA because LA is, essentially, a part of or an extension of western-culture. 

Was just browsing, but after five years in Thailand I am longing for interactions with people that have a rational way of thinking. Even my beloved wife, who makes great efforts, gets me frustrated once a day. Now imagine doing a "7 Whys" session with Thais.. So yes, I should have move Latin America, but she is Thai.

[seasia]

Hi

 

Link to the international living article from which the list was sourced.

Has a short report on the 10 countries mentioned.

 

Brief extract from the Ecuador correspondent

 

"For me, the number one thing about Ecuador is that it offers so many different types of places to live; you can have warm weather year-round on the coast, a more temperate climate in the Andes, small village life, big-city conveniences, and everything in between.

Quite simply, some of the best weather on the planet can be found in Ecuador. The unique combination of its position on the equator, the cooling sea breezes from the Humboldt Current, the Andes mountain range, and the Amazon basin have conspired to create a variety of climates. There are beaches that are warm year-round but rarely muggy (and are too close to the equator to ever have hurricanes or tropical storms), and places in the hills where you do not need a heating or cooling system. Lush, green hills and fertile valleys are the norm in Ecuador........"

 

Sounds like a very good value country to live in.

 

Link

 

https://internationalliving.com/the-best-places-to-retire/?utm_source=pr&utm_medium=pr-organic&utm_campaign=press-release

[Snow Leopard]

16 hours ago, pauleddy said:

I am here for the temples. Sorry.

Me to

[pauleddy]

How do we know if we can move back to Spain or anywhere?

 

Boris has yet to tell us if we need special visas, or that nothing has changed.

[kingofthemountain]

First the uncertainty about the renew of my extension of stay in next

october (I am on an old OA retirement extension and i refuse to go in

the insurance scam, and for some reasons the move to an O visa is not easy for me)

i was thinking about a plan B.

 

But since some weeks this plan B sound like a plan A because of the air pollution.

I can see everyday the pollution fog from my balcony and the occasional sore treat

is now becomes permanent.

 

I was at the begining interested to move to a neighbour country (Cambo, Laos or Vietnam)

but they all have some major issues for my point of view, and still the air pollution.

 

I am now looking forward for a move to Mexico

my 24 years old daughter live in the country, and i can have a 6 months

visa on arrival, without any money in bank or immigration hassle, And you

can esealy renew your 6 month visa with a visa run to a neighbour country.

 

The beaches and the sea on the gulf of mexico are far better than the ones on

the gulf of Thailand, and the cost (If you not stay in the most touristics cities)

seems to be better too.

 

Plus it's much more easy to talk in spanish for me (I can read, write and speak it)

my thaiglish and the english level in Thailand aren't the best way

to communicate with the locals, I have tried to learn Thai language, but it's a

too difficult task for me.

 

If someone has alredy tried the mexican coast, your experience is welcome.

(With the good and the bad sides of course)

 

[zyphodb]

On 3/4/2019 at 7:14 PM, spidermike007 said:

I have friends who spend alot of time in Colombia, and they love it. The latin culture blows away Thailand, on nearly every level. Spanish is so much easier to learn, and when you do learn it, the locals try so much harder to understand what you are trying to say, have a far better ear than Thais do, for someone not native who tries to speak their language, and are infinitely more creative in their ability to understand and extrapolate your meaning. 

 

The women in Colombia are also amazing, if that is of interest. It is more expensive than here, but not by much. And generally, Latin women are far, far, far more passionate than Thai women. 

 

So, Prayuth and the biggest joke, are you listening? Do you ever listen to anybody? Ever? We have alternatives! 

I've not been there, but I have been to other Spanish speaking places including Spain/Portugal and agree with everything Mike says, An easily acceptable alternative if you not tied here...

[thailandsgreat]

10 hours ago, Momofarang said:

Was just browsing, but after five years in Thailand I am longing for interactions with people that have a rational way of thinking. Even my beloved wife, who makes great efforts, gets me frustrated once a day. Now imagine doing a "7 Whys" session with Thais.. So yes, I should have move Latin America, but she is Thai.

I am no expert on Thais but I find them rational in their way. As a farlang I often get put on the side a little. One has to try not to be affected. But in LA you will make friends easier.

 

 

10 hours ago, seasia said:

Hi

 

Link to the international living article from which the list was sourced.

Has a short report on the 10 countries mentioned.

 

Brief extract from the Ecuador correspondent

 

"For me, the number one thing about Ecuador is that it offers so many different types of places to live; you can have warm weather year-round on the coast, a more temperate climate in the Andes, small village life, big-city conveniences, and everything in between.

Quite simply, some of the best weather on the planet can be found in Ecuador. The unique combination of its position on the equator, the cooling sea breezes from the Humboldt Current, the Andes mountain range, and the Amazon basin have conspired to create a variety of climates. There are beaches that are warm year-round but rarely muggy (and are too close to the equator to ever have hurricanes or tropical storms), and places in the hills where you do not need a heating or cooling system. Lush, green hills and fertile valleys are the norm in Ecuador........"

 

Sounds like a very good value country to live in.

 

Link

 

https://internationalliving.com/the-best-places-to-retire/?utm_source=pr&utm_medium=pr-organic&utm_campaign=press-release

That is good description. A bus ride takes you from rain forest to mountains. I have visited a couple of times, but not the coast. I am sure there are good places, but Guayaquil dangerous.

 

US "overthrew" the govt. New US puppet pres. took IMF loan and big riots ensued. I dont know how it is  now.

 

Pleasant country.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, kingofthemountain said:

First the uncertainty about the renew of my extension of stay in next

october (I am on an old OA retirement extension and i refuse to go in

the insurance scam, and for some reasons the move to an O visa is not easy for me)

i was thinking about a plan B.

 

But since some weeks this plan B sound like a plan A because of the air pollution.

I can see everyday the pollution fog from my balcony and the occasional sore treat

is now becomes permanent.

 

I was at the begining interested to move to a neighbour country (Cambo, Laos or Vietnam)

but they all have some major issues for my point of view, and still the air pollution.

 

I am now looking forward for a move to Mexico

my 24 years old daughter live in the country, and i can have a 6 months

visa on arrival, without any money in bank or immigration hassle, And you

can esealy renew your 6 month visa with a visa run to a neighbour country.

 

The beaches and the sea on the gulf of mexico are far better than the ones on

the gulf of Thailand, and the cost (If you not stay in the most touristics cities)

seems to be better too.

 

Plus it's much more easy to talk in spanish for me (I can read, write and speak it)

my thaiglish and the english level in Thailand aren't the best way

to communicate with the locals, I have tried to learn Thai language, but it's a

too difficult task for me.

 

If someone has alredy tried the mexican coast, your experience is welcome.

(With the good and the bad sides of course)

 

Just off hand I remember Cancun, Merida/Progreso, Campeche, Carmen, and west: Salina Cruz, Puerto Escondido.

 

All of them did not have super beaches as I remember but for me it is ok. Tourist places like Cancun, P Escondido have good beaches of course but naturally many foreigners. Mexican laws say that all beaches are "public" so you can sneak through hotels to get there ????

 

I can not say for others. Definitely worth checking out for yourself. People's attitudes variable.

 

 

 

Edited January 10, 2020 by thailandsgreat

[Enki]

On 1/9/2020 at 11:58 AM, Jingthing said:

I find that a "fun" thing to do with such lists is consider what to me is the highest priority -- do they offer formal retirement status and do I personally qualify financially? Of course the results will vary based on the individual but I never understand why such lists include countries that have no formal program.

 

So for me:

 

Portugal NOT qualified

Panama QUALIFIED

Costa Rica QUALIFIED

Mexico QUALIFIED (show money method)

Colombia QUALIFIED (for now, will not if proposed changes are passed)

Ecuador QUALIFIED

Malaysia NOT qualified

Spain NOT qualified

France NOT qualified

Vietnam NO SUCH VISA STATUS OFFERED!

How can you not be qualified for Portugal, Spain or France?

Edited January 10, 2020 by Enki