Do you think a lot of new Expats will move to Thailand once the Pandemic becomes Endemic?

[SiamAndy]

5 minutes ago, LaosLover said:

We planned to move to Ubon from the states, got waylaid by Covid, and ended up in Mexico instead.

 

We're still interested in Thailand, but every day that passes here makes us more prone to stay here. I talk to 4 other formerly Thai-bound expats here and they feel the same.

 

We put in the acculturation time, like the medical situation and the prices, and feel less and less prone to upset this very amenable applecart where the flight home is not a killer and the language is very doable.

 

And if we could go to Thailand tomorrow, there's still going to be a years-long aftershock in Thai expat lifestyle since so much of it is and will remain closed down and likely be very slow to open up. I'm thinking more along the lines of a long stay rather than residence these days. It has nothing to do with visa's etc. 

 

Whereas where we are (mountain town north of Mex City) is 100% fine and getting even more American-friendly by the day. We even have passable Thai food.

I am considering Mexico. Can you give an idea of what a monthly budget would  be like in USD for a low/medium budget? is crime in Mexico not as bad as the media reports?

[LaosLover]

My post, A Long Term Forum Fan wants to answer your questions, answers all your questions to death.

 

 

Short version: $2K on the cheap for a month in a nowheresville, $3K where we are with lots of extra's (for 2). Safer than most of the US with even mild common sense.

 

Downsides: the locals and the culture are much more off limits to you than in Thailand. The locals and the culture are also much less interesting than in Thailand.

 

This is a deeply catholic, stoic, ultra-polite Sanuk-free zone. Mex people love their family, their church, and their already-friends; period. If they never interacted with another yankee, they could def live with that.

 

Prob want to be in Mex City if you want female companionship. Love Mex City to death and will prob relocate there if we stay here long term. Some death by earthquake fears, but whatever.

Edited March 23, 2022 by LaosLover

[SiamAndy]

11 minutes ago, LaosLover said:

My post, A Long Term Forum Fan wants to answer your questions, answers all your questions to death.

 

 

Short version: $2K on the cheap for a month in a nowheresville, $3K where we are with lots of extra's (for 2). Safer than most of the US with even mild common sense.

 

Downsides: the locals and the culture are much more off limits to you than in Thailand. The locals and the culture are also much less interesting than in Thailand.

 

This is a deeply catholic, stoic, ultra-polite Sanuk-free zone. Mex people love their family, their church, and their already-friends; period. If they never interacted with another yankee, they could def live with that.

 

Prob want to be in Mex City if you want female companionship. Love Mex City to death and will prob relocate there if we stay here long term. Some death by earthquake fears, but whatever.

Thanks, what do you think about Guadalajara and do you use the public health system or have Private health insurance? I'll check out your thread on Mexico.

[bojo]

On 3/16/2022 at 1:52 AM, sirineou said:

We are leaving Thailand for Greece April 3rd, We will still keep the house here for a little while to see how things work out. We might be trading one set of problems with another, Time will tell. 

I, and perhaps others would be very interested to hear how your move to Greece goes, it's certainly a place I've had my eye on recently. Which part are you moving to if you don't mind me asking?....................Are you still gonna be on TV and might you consider some regular updates on your new life there? Or are you gonna be too busy with the souvlaki and retsina..!

[LaosLover]

We're on cheapy, Lonely Planet-istic travel insurance at the moment. The ala carte med prices here are fine.

 

We orig came here for surgery for my wife. Can't fault it. A lot of brits use Mex as a med tourism spot, which is very complementary, given that they have E.Europe and Turkey close by.

 

Liked Guad very much, but Mex City has more of everything, specifically international food and shows. We like the idea of being able to see non-Mexican music live and go to a real Indian restaurant.

 

Like I said in the thread, Mex is very mono. How big do you want your town with a nice town square and a market nearby to be?

 

For us, Guad, while more beautiful than Mex City or our town, lacks the boho pleasures of a small uni town and also those of a capitol city, but is also undeniably more exciting than our nowheresville and more livable than Mex City.

 

It's like the Khorat of Mexico. A lot of people love Khorat; a lot of people are happier in Bangkok or Lampang.

 

I could happily kill a year in any of the places I just mentioned.

[SiamAndy]

5 minutes ago, LaosLover said:

We're on cheapy, Lonely Planet-istic travel insurance at the moment. The ala carte med prices here are fine.

 

We orig came here for surgery for my wife. Can't fault it. A lot of brits use Mex as a med tourism spot, which is very complementary, given that they have E.Europe and Turkey close by.

 

Liked Guad very much, but Mex City has more of everything, specifically international food and shows. We like the idea of being able to see non-Mexican music live and go to a real Indian restaurant.

 

Like I said in the thread, Mex is very mono. How big do you want your town with a nice town square and a market nearby to be?

 

For us, Guad, while more beautiful than Mex City or our town, lacks the boho pleasures of a small uni town and also those of a capitol city, but is also undeniably more exciting than our nowheresville and more livable than Mex City.

 

It's like the Khorat of Mexico. A lot of people love Khorat; a lot of people are happier in Bangkok or Lampang.

 

I could happily kill a year in any of the places I just mentioned.

What city is the Chiang Mai of Mexico? Did you get temporary or permanent resident status?

[LaosLover]

I'm going to say that San Miguel is the Chiang Mai-place due to it having the largest expat pop. Rents are high, amenities plentiful, yoga options abounding -but also a little bit of that stuck in an ant farm feeling that expat ghetto's tend to have. Can't fault a single thing about it, but I planned to stay there for a month and left after 8 days.

 

Also, most Mex expats are couples, unlike in Thailand. Then there's a sprinkling of older women who want to really get into their pottery who will view you as seriously guilty until over-proven innocent, who -let's be honest- you're prob not dying to share a cup of herbal tea with.

 

Solo guys are rarer. So a single guy used to a Thailand lost boys club vibe (which I love and miss, even being happily married) will def. need to be more self-sufficient in terms of filling their day up alone. 

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, mstevens said:

Many New Zealanders leave the country to go on their "OE" - overseas experience, where they work for a few years before returning home. It's almost like a rite of passage for many New Zealanders.

 

Being a small country with just 5 million people means a smallish economy and being so isolated means relatively high costs for imported items and a higher cost of living. This can drive some people away.

 

While many New Zealanders do seek employment abroad, a good percentage return home. Most New Zealanders are proud of their country and few consider their homeland a hole.

Many moved to Australia and never came back.

 

I remember when the joke was "would the last person to leave turn off the lights".

 

The NZ I returned to is not the country I grew up in ( and not half as good ), and while I didn't want to leave, the wages I got were too low to live on, so I basically had to leave to have a life.

I won't get into the problems of modern NZ, but far as I'm concerned they were and are created by the politicians, by whom we are not served well IMO.

However, one thing I did learn from my time overseas is that western countries are are basically in the poo for basically the same reasons, and no country is perfect.

I will say though, that I'd rather live in NZ than the UK, though the NHS and welfare for the elderly is far, far superior in the UK than in NZ where the elderly are basically being given the shaft, in my experience.

[LaosLover]

I never met a kiwi who didn't love NZ or an American who wouldn't love to live there.

 

I only hear grief about the place from Aussies, who, let's face it, take the yellow liquid about every place.

[spidermike007]

6 hours ago, LaosLover said:

We planned to move to Ubon from the states, got waylaid by Covid, and ended up in Mexico instead.

 

We're still interested in Thailand, but every day that passes here makes us more prone to stay here. I talk to 4 other formerly Thai-bound expats here and they feel the same.

 

We put in the acculturation time, like the medical situation and the prices, and feel less and less prone to upset this very amenable applecart where the flight home is not a killer and the language is very doable.

 

And if we could go to Thailand tomorrow, there's still going to be a years-long aftershock in Thai expat lifestyle since so much of it is and will remain closed down and likely be very slow to open up. I'm thinking more along the lines of a long stay rather than residence these days. It has nothing to do with visa's etc. 

 

Whereas where we are (mountain town north of Mex City) is 100% fine and getting even more American-friendly by the day. We even have passable Thai food.

Not to mention gorgeous local food, exceptional, wild deep water seafood, friendlier people, a very deep culture and a nice climate. Plus, a government that deos not despise foreigners and makes visa policy simpler. 

 

Thailand is good for those of us on a limited budget. Mexico is more expensive. Also, Thailand is far better for single men. And Thailand is far safer to travel around. 

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

On 3/16/2022 at 8:39 AM, Bohemianfish said:

There's a lot of good places and I'm sure a lot of people have been watching YT to see that places like Mexico, Spain, Viet Nam, even Cambodia, are looking better every day. Or as good.

 

My Thai wife and I were looking at moving to Thailand this year, but after the last couple of years, we are delaying our plans for quite awhile and we are not sure if Thailand is in the cards now. We've really gotten comfortable with living where we are now in the States.

 

My wife was just talking about how much she likes a lot of things here: consumer protection, invariably safe food, no bugs to speak of, no mosquitoes, no snakes, no blistering heat...and its very quiet.

 

We have everything we need within minutes and we have snow in the mountains, sometimes at home, the ocean, moderate weather...

 

I feel people are rethinking their plans now. And some of that has to do with how some countries have dealt with the pandemic. People are rethinking everything.

I'll be signing my new teaching contract soon. The next school year should be my last here. Younger folks like my wife and I (45) still have the rest of our careers to consider. In the States I could get $5k a month rather than barely $2k here. My wife could get $20 an hour rather than $10 a day here. Also retirement benefits we'd never get here. Yeah there's the higher cost of living in the US, but we'll be going to the Midwest and not the crazy coasts, and we'll have the family home to stay at.

 

Despite Thailand's benefits, lower cost of living, lovely country, they're not compelling enough to spend too much more time here. There's also losing the many drawbacks, visa hassles, 90 day reports, mosquitoes and heat. Wife's been to Japan before, and is looking forward to seeing snow again.

[LaosLover]

Mex is much less friendly than LOS. The Gov is slowly turning the screws on expat tax dodgers like myself and rightfully so from their standpoint. I'd much rather be a single man in Thailand. Def better climate here. All in, Thailand is a better fit for us, but proximity to home for family stuff keeps us here. For now.

 

Price-wise, I'm going to guess 20% more expensive overall, but to eat in a 4*+ restaurant,  20% cheaper than Thailand. Seafood, unless you're eating on a pier and maybe even then too, is frozen stuff out of a bag like most of the world.

 

Medical is Bumrungrad prices for less than Bumrungrad plushness, and more variable in quality, with less English spoken. Medical tourism here is like Thailand 20 years ago, but will evolve fast.

 

So if you're on $2K a month in Thailand, you could be here for another hundred a week. An additional  $100 a week in Thailand at the grocery/wine store would prob make for a richer lifestyle.

 

Mex has very drinkable wine. That was a shock. A bottle of local or Cuban rum is a steal at about $15-20 for a premium brand like Havana Club (the king of all alcohol). I was surprised at how quickly I got completely sick of tequila.

 

Bottom line: less intercultural friction here, but less interesting. Less joyous, but more stable/reliable. If I hadn't been to Thailand, I'd rate Mex as perfection.

 

Thailand is still the best place on earth due to the whole sanuk vibe, unparalleled still, even if it aint what it used to be.

[falangUK]

On 3/18/2022 at 2:09 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

I understand that you dislike the present government, but your hatred for them is not born out in the reality of life such as I experienced when living in LOS. Certainly not as bad as when Thaksin was in charge. That really was a low point for LOS IMO.

 

If expats want to leave that is up to them, but IMO they won't find it any better when they get back to where they belong. Doesn't matter how bad it gets in LOS, it can't be worse than where I am now, and at least it's hot there.

Why and how was it bad when Thaksin was in charge?

Some of my Japanese friends are still benefitting from the 1M THB Elite Visa Taksin created, with free unlimited massages at luxury spas etc

 

[thaibeachlovers]

22 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Thailand is good for those of us on a limited budget. Mexico is more expensive. Also, Thailand is far better for single men. And Thailand is far safer to travel around. 

Had you not written that I'd be wondering why you were not off to Mexico.. I never felt unsafe in LOS, unlike NZ, which has a huge gang problem.

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, falangUK said:

Why and how was it bad when Thaksin was in charge?

Some of my Japanese friends are still benefitting from the 1M THB Elite Visa Taksin created, with free unlimited massages at luxury spas etc

 

Because he divided the population against itself, plus his excessive corruption.

 

BTW I care not a whit for rich Japanese or anyone that uses "luxury" anything in LOS. Don't know any, don't want to. If none of them ever came to LOS it would make not a jot of difference to my experience there.

[thaibeachlovers]

21 hours ago, LaosLover said:

Mex is much less friendly than LOS. The Gov is slowly turning the screws on expat tax dodgers like myself and rightfully so from their standpoint. I'd much rather be a single man in Thailand. Def better climate here. All in, Thailand is a better fit for us, but proximity to home for family stuff keeps us here. For now.

 

Price-wise, I'm going to guess 20% more expensive overall, but to eat in a 4*+ restaurant,  20% cheaper than Thailand. Seafood, unless you're eating on a pier and maybe even then too, is frozen stuff out of a bag like most of the world.

 

Medical is Bumrungrad prices for less than Bumrungrad plushness, and more variable in quality, with less English spoken. Medical tourism here is like Thailand 20 years ago, but will evolve fast.

 

So if you're on $2K a month in Thailand, you could be here for another hundred a week. An additional  $100 a week in Thailand at the grocery/wine store would prob make for a richer lifestyle.

 

Mex has very drinkable wine. That was a shock. A bottle of local or Cuban rum is a steal at about $15-20 for a premium brand like Havana Club (the king of all alcohol). I was surprised at how quickly I got completely sick of tequila.

 

Bottom line: less intercultural friction here, but less interesting. Less joyous, but more stable/reliable. If I hadn't been to Thailand, I'd rate Mex as perfection.

 

Thailand is still the best place on earth due to the whole sanuk vibe, unparalleled still, even if it aint what it used to be.

Great post. It amazes me how many think anywhere else will be sooooo much better than LOS.

As you say, LOS ain't what it used to be ( which was as close to paradise as ever I found on earth ) but IMO it is still better than anywhere else I've been ( except Antarctica but no one retires down there ).