Long Time Forum Fan wants to answer your Mexico questions

[Mansell]

On 2/4/2022 at 3:11 PM, morrobay said:

Maybe a nice mountain bus ride  up to Oxaca. But do not take the bus down the mountain to the coast from Oxaca

I drove this when it was a dirt road back in 1974……first and second gear the whole way. When we reached the paved road way above Oaxaca I thought the engine had dropped out of the car as it was so quiet. I got out and looked under the car, and was happy to see it was okay. Oaxaca was a pretty sleepy town back then, and was really on the road to Guatemala. Mex 200 the coast road that supposedly went south to Guatemala ended with a sign pointing into the jungle…..and that is why we drove over the mountains.

[LaosLover]

Quoting Swissie:

 

The doors are slamming shut:

 

 

[LaosLover]

If you don't want to watch that nerd, it's $3K a month income next year required to get temporary residency ($2,600 today -it's tied to the Mex minimum wage which is due to raise again next year- was $1,800 last year).

 

Getting a meeting with a Mex embassy to apply is now massively overbooked.

 

And -no more automatic 180 day visa at the airport.

 

Digital nomads, stop pretending to be digital nomads and go home.

[Jingthing]

I'm not convinced yet that Mexico's crackdown on serial 180 day visa runners is a permanent change. My hunch is its more like a shakeout that may last a few years or so. It is true that its very hard to get an appointment at a consulate for temp or perm residence because masses  of visa runners. have indeed been pushed into that.

Yes the financial requirements have gone up but keep in mind you can also qualify by showing money outside of Mexico and my information says funds in retirement accounts such as IRA are accepted.

[LaosLover]

The nerd in the video said you now need to show $170K in a bank or account statement. I think too many people like me (a late adapter) have gotten the same good idea.

 

I remember living in England around 2005 and everyone was suddenly buying property in Bulgaria at the same time (which then skyrocketed).

 

From a Mex point of view, what are they really getting out of deadbeat, tax-avoiding residency foot draggers like me? Not much, so their patience is waning.

 

Tangerine travels is some good mind rot video blogging. The young woman in other videos (they broke up) is the kind of ESL teacher you move your beach table on Ko Chang away from to not hear the sound of her voice.

 

 

[Jingthing]

13 minutes ago, LaosLover said:

The nerd in the video said you now need to show $170K in a bank or account statement. I think too many people like me (a late adapter) have gotten the same good idea.

 

I remember living in England around 2005 and everyone was suddenly buying property in Bulgaria at the same time (which then skyrocketed).

 

From a Mex point of view, what are they really getting out of deadbeat, tax-avoiding residency foot draggers like me? Not much, so their patience is waning.

 

Tangerine travels is some good mind rot video blogging. The young woman in other videos (they broke up) is the kind of ESL teacher you move your beach table on Ko Chang away from to not hear the sound of her voice.

 

 

There is obviously politics involved in any visa crackdown. Political winds change. If short term tourists are good, permanent tourists are good too and they spend on establishing households. That 170 figure was for temp or perm residency? 

[spidermike007]

México does excel on several levels. First, they know how to grill fish, and they do great fish tacos. Second the seafood blows away Thailand by miles and is cheaper. The food can be amazing.

 

The culture is rich. Thailand has very little culture. It has alot of tradition. But, not much in the way of fine art, dance, theatre, jazz, cinema, etc. The people are lovely. The air quality is alot better, outside of the major cities. And the visa policy is liberal and immigration blows away the toxic Thai system. I could go on. 

 

We checked out Baja, as it is close to Los Angeles, where I have alot of business and connections and friends. Way too much Cartel activity, police and army presence, and homicide. But, many parts of the mainland seem fine. 

[Jingthing]

36 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

México does excel on several levels. First, they know how to grill fish, and they do great fish tacos. Second the seafood blows away Thailand by miles and is cheaper. The food can be amazing.

 

The culture is rich. Thailand has very little culture. It has alot of tradition. But, not much in the way of fine art, dance, theatre, jazz, cinema, etc. The people are lovely. The air quality is alot better, outside of the major cities. And the visa policy is liberal and immigration blows away the toxic Thai system. I could go on. 

 

We checked out Baja, as it is close to Los Angeles, where I have alot of business and connections and friends. Way too much Cartel activity, police and army presence, and homicide. But, many parts of the mainland seem fine. 

La Paz Baja is quite popular with expats. Haven't heard too.much about cartel issues there. 

 

Of course while I see the draws for the safest cities in Mexico such as Queretaro and Merida, I don't really think cartel violence is often targeted at gringos. Its more like they sometimes get in the way.

 

I wonder about Morelia, a lower cost big city with wonderful attractions. The city is considered reasonably safe but its in one of the most violent states. Similarly Mazatlan.

[LaosLover]

But really, a monkey could be taught to put a fish on some coals and then turn it over. Away from the beach, your fish taco here will be batter-fried and could any fish at all taste-wise inside the batter. I would rate a local seafood  beachfront dive in a place like Sri Racha, as superior to anything I've had here.

 

Compared to Thailand dining out, the bargain is in upper-range restaurants, partic if you like a steak. At the lower end, it cost more. Six good sized shrimp on a plate in a mid-range place with some rice is about $28. Call it $20 in Sri Racha.

 

People devalue Thai culture because you need to do a bit of a slog to know a bit about their mythology and history to like it; it's not like Impressionism where it's instantly accessible.

 

The art is mostly devotional, it's created to conjure up a bit of spirit or merit, not to entertain you. It's a remix of a remix of Ramayana and spirit worship with Buddha plopped on top.

 

In Thailand and Laos, the remix rules are more relaxed than other Buddhist places. You have to also like Indian, Tibetan, Chinese, and tribal art to appreciate that eclecticism.

 

And like most poor places, there's not a ton of it that's top shelf, just like there aren't that many African masks that hit the genius category. It would also help to know something of how a bronze statue is finished by hand or how colors are mixed from natural sources to see the skill and dedication in making these things.

 

It's also a different musical scale, color palate, and plot development -they favor the stately procession of gods and big events over a plot. In the west, culture is often enjoyed solitarily, like reading a book. For them, it's a part of a larger social setting, tied to worship and the seasons. Things are revered because they have mystical juju power, not because they are beautiful.