Bangkok vs. Mexico City

[Kiujunn]

6 hours ago, wpcoe said:

 

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.

It's not that  easy.

In Thailand,  there is a certain price level that you get used to. (And a certain standard of care.)

In Mexico,  many of their bills just make you faint.

It's mainly a problem in the tourist traps of the Yucatán, but  look at the DF:

 

https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/coronavirus/coronavirus-test-costs-up-to-10000-pesos-in-private-hospitals/

 

So what did they do? First,   they charged people way more (almost 500 USD) than in Thailand for tests. Second,  they didn't even have those tests, so they charged people still 4 times more, and people got nothing in return. 

 

This is very typical for medicine in Mexico. For 2000 USD, you got friendly talk. And these were reputable big hospitals in the DF, not some sleazy private clinic in the Yucatán selling you brain surgery (that you won't survive) for a couple of hundred thousand dollars. 

[Jeffr2]

On 4/29/2021 at 2:44 PM, Kiujunn said:

A friend of mine (gringo, well-off) had Covid19 in Barranquilla, just last week.

Against my advice he went to a government hospital, because he felt too sick to stay at home.  He waited in a crowded area, not very clean, on a camping chair for 2 hours,  no doctor to be seen, nothing happening. So he asked the others how long they had been waiting. 6 hours.  He went home and cried.

 

2 days later he was brought to a private hospital.  A much more comfortable experience. 

They did lab tests, x-ray and a troponin test (that's a test you do either to rule out myocardial infarction or to pad the bill).

Treatment was amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. He was smart enough not to take it.

Sounds like some of the provincial hospitals here. My wife's mother use to get up at 5am to get to the hospital early and be first in line. Many times, 4 hours later, she'd go home as the doctor never showed up. She now goes to the private hospitals.

[Jeffr2]

On 4/30/2021 at 9:55 AM, Iron Tongue said:

I'm a California boy and I've been to Mexico an unknown # of times as a tourist.  Mostly along the western seaboard.  I don't think too highly of living in Mexico City unless you have serious connections & money.

 

Mexico City's pollution used to be so bad that they'd left the streetlights on during the daytime.  It has improved.

 

In 2001, my company held a corporate meeting in Mexico City where all the country managers got together.  For some reason, the country manager of Mexico never showed-up and nobody could find him.  Two weeks later, we were informed that his body had been found.  Apparently he was killed in a botched kidnapping attempt and his body was left in a field until people found him.

 

Thailand is better, Bangkok is safer.

 

 

My cousin use to work in Mexico city. He and his wife were not allowed to drive or leave their guarded housing project alone. Only with an armed driver.

 

Kidnappings are very common.

[Jeffr2]

10 hours ago, olfu said:

After two pages of reading I understand Mexico and me are not compatible.

I rather be in Italy or Tokyo as I normally do.

Love Tokyo. But it's massively expensive. Not the best weather either. Great food. But not cheap.

 

Parts of Italy are great. Some parts are not. We like Italy a lot. Been many times.

[Britman Free]

The fact that there are no daft covid restrictions in Mexico is also a massive bonus 

[Jeffr2]

9 hours ago, Britman Free said:

The fact that there are no daft covid restrictions in Mexico is also a massive bonus 

That's not true.  There are plenty of restrictions depending on the state.  And the virus is raging there.  And they readily admit the numbers are an under count.

[Jeffr2]

54 minutes ago, andy said:

 

Also has one of the highest per capita Covid death rates in the world, on par with the US.  Is there a connection here? ????

 

Moving or visiting there without being fully vaxxed is far more dangerous than any of the cartel or kidnapping hysteria that comes out on every single thread about Mexico on this board.

 

Not to mention the possibility of the Brazilian variant getting there.  It's raging through South America.  Central American are Mexico seem logical next steps.

[edgarpo]

Hello. Recently vacationed in Bangkok. Had a great time, fully rested! Nightlife in Bangkok is something! I also really liked the rest in Thailand in general, restaurants, entertainment, service, nature. I Will definitely come back here!)

[from the home of CC]

wouldn't live in either, big city life for me is a non starter. Mexico like Thailand has many charms, but imo personal security is greater here than there. I spent a couple years total in Barra De Navidad/PV, Jalisco, and loved it but due to the American war on drugs and their appetites, Mexico is an intermittent conflict zone and it just became too easy to be in the wrong place at the wrong time..

[kingofthemountain]

48 minutes ago, edgarpo said:

Hello. Recently vacationed in Bangkok. Had a great time, fully rested! Nightlife in Bangkok is something! I also really liked the rest in Thailand in general, restaurants, entertainment, service, nature. I Will definitely come back here!)

hi

are you by any chance just making some disguised advertising for an internet site?

i am asking because your first post on this forum sounds exactly like it's that

[Jingthing]

32 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

wouldn't live in either, big city life for me is a non starter. Mexico like Thailand has many charms, but imo personal security is greater here than there. I spent a couple years total in Barra De Navidad/PV, Jalisco, and loved it but due to the American war on drugs and their appetites, Mexico is an intermittent conflict zone and it just became too easy to be in the wrong place at the wrong time..

Even PV?

[from the home of CC]

Just now, Jingthing said:

Even PV?

use to love PV, but then, so do the gangsters. There has been many assassinations there (with a slew of foreign national criminals also killed there).  It's that 'wrong time, wrong place' scenario exemplified,  -a real shame because the Mexican people are great people. But I won't live in a place where when out you always need to have your head on a swivel for the possibility of stray lead.  Mexico has very strong gun laws but unfortunately there's no shortage of Americans flooding the country with arms so guns are commonplace now. When the money is removed from drug trafficking, the deaths will slow but many political dinosaurs need to be fossilized prior to that ever happening..  

[edgarpo]

53 minutes ago, kingofthemountain said:

hi

are you by any chance just making some disguised advertising for an internet site?

i am asking because your first post on this forum sounds exactly like it's that

Hi. Definitely not. I just decided to share my impressions and indicated the site that I used) If you don't like my post, I can delete it)

[kingofthemountain]

2 hours ago, edgarpo said:

Hi. Definitely not. I just decided to share my impressions and indicated the site that I used) If you don't like my post, I can delete it)

thank you for your answer

and no, don't delete your post

these informations could be usefull for someone

(Even if now with the last ''lockdow'' that is not a lockdow but is something similar to a lockdown there is near to nothing remainaing of what was the night life )

Edited May 4, 2021 by kingofthemountain

[BritManToo]

Just now, kingofthemountain said:

thank you for your answer

and no, don't delete your post

these informations could be usefull for someone

(Even if now with the last ''lockdow'' that is not a lockdow but is something similar to a lockdown there is near to nothing remainaing of what was the night life )

Still plenty of 'nightlife' on ThaiFriendly, and all the short-time hotels have survived the lockdowns and lack of tourists.

So a friend tells me ...............

 

It's sort of odd, they've closed all the other massage/soapy/bar/go-go/gym entertainment venues but left short-time hotels alone.

Edited May 4, 2021 by BritManToo

[hotandsticky]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

Still plenty of 'nightlife' on ThaiFriendly, and all the short-time hotels have survived the lockdowns and lack of tourists.

So a friend tells me ...............

 

 

A friend told me that, last night, he had to queue to get into the Viva Luv Motel on soi Yumi.

[kingofthemountain]

8 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Still plenty of 'nightlife' on ThaiFriendly, and all the short-time hotels have survived the lockdowns and lack of tourists.

So a friend tells me ...............

 

It's sort of odd, they've closed all the other massage/soapy/bar/go-go/gym entertainment venues but left short-time hotels alone.

aha yes of course

even here in Pattaya i can assure you first hand (No pun intented)

you can find what you want, on line of not,

Of course all the venues are officially closed, however

a lot of the girls live in the rooms above the bar or in the massage shop

so you just have to stay in front of the door and few minutes later someone

invite you to come inside (Again no pun intented ahaha)

[hotandsticky]

10 minutes ago, kingofthemountain said:

aha yes of course

even here in Pattaya i can assure you first hand (No pun intented)

you can find what you want, on line of not,

Of course all the venues are officially closed, however

a lot of the girls live in the rooms above the bar or in the massage shop

so you just have to stay in front of the door and few minutes later someone

invite you to come inside (Again no pun intented ahaha)

 

 

... and yet you keep claiming "lockdown".

[kingofthemountain]

6 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

... and yet you keep claiming "lockdown".

i just try to adapt to the situation, like most of the Thais do

[hotandsticky]

1 minute ago, kingofthemountain said:

i just try to adapt to the situation, like most of the Thais do

 

 

No problem with that - but skanking around like you, and I, do means that it is not a lockdown. That's all.

[kingofthemountain]

21 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

No problem with that - but skanking around like you, and I, do means that it is not a lockdown. That's all.

It's clearly a lockdown on the business

all the entertainement venues (Bars, discos, karaoke, massages) are closed

fortunately the individuals are still free to skanking around, for now....

[Neeranam]

Better food in Mexico

[Neeranam]

Sexier women in Mexico.

[Jingthing]

7 minutes ago, andy said:

 

PV just too touristy to live there IMO.  I know there are other beach towns in the general area that are supposed to be less touristy, so maybe should make a visit to check those out. 

 

In my lockdown Youtube binges I'm seeing and hearing really good things about coastal Oaxaca.  I've only been to Oaxaca city so definitely need to check out the coast there next time.

 

 

Yeah I agree PV is very touristy but there are very local areas going inland from the  beach from Zona Romantica far example. I have a special place in my heart for PV. It was my first trip abroad except for Canada with my family which doesn't count. It was the first place abroad where I was invited into locals homes, don't ask. So I really can't be objective about it. But if I did ever move to Mexico it would probably be to Merida, Queretaro, or Guadalajara. 

Edited May 5, 2021 by Jingthing

[Jeffr2]

19 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Better food in Mexico

 

Not sure most would agree with you on that.  I love the food there, but it gets old quickly.

 

19 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Sexier women in Mexico.

 

Under 25, perhaps.  Over 25, no way.

[Jingthing]

6 hours ago, Jeffr2 said:

 

Not sure most would agree with you on that.  I love the food there, but it gets old quickly.

 

 

Under 25, perhaps.  Over 25, no way.

The longest I've stayed in Mexico is six weeks and I was cool with eating local for that time period but people that have international palates would eventually get tired of the local food anywhere. So for the food obsessed living in bigger cities where there are more international options is worth considering.

Edited May 6, 2021 by Jingthing

[moontang]

Mexico has Costco, Thailand has Big C. 

[Susco]

 

I really wonder why people can like Mexican food, which is so greasy, it's disgusting at times.

 

Look at Taco Bell, which fails in most countries outside the US, and that isn't because it is Tex-Mex, because Mexican restaurants in Thailand are also hardly a success.

 

I can understand that Americans think Mexican food is delicious, for the same reasons that McD and Burgerking are an important part of their menu

[Britman Free]

Apartment search in Mexico City: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPDpHWE7mzc

 

Edited May 6, 2021 by Britman Free

[moontang]

7 hours ago, Susco said:

 

I really wonder why people can like Mexican food, which is so greasy, it's disgusting at times.

 

Look at Taco Bell, which fails in most countries outside the US, and that isn't because it is Tex-Mex, because Mexican restaurants in Thailand are also hardly a success.

 

I can understand that Americans think Mexican food is delicious, for the same reasons that McD and Burgerking are an important part of their menu

Carne asada or ground pork in palm oil... Taco Bell, McDonald's??  Pretty much for low class in America, pretty much for HiSo and EuroTrash in LOS. 

Edited May 7, 2021 by moontang