Retiring in Mexico versus Thailand

[quandow]

After nine years in Thailand, I'm moving to Zijuatanejo (Remember "The Shawshank Redemption?). Three reasons:

1. Tourist Visa is ~$25 U.S. Good for six months. No visa runs, no 90 reporting to immigration, unlimited (thought that may change in the future).

2. NO work permit needed to jam with the local musicians in the bars/clubs.

3. Jomtien beach is a sewer. Looks beautiful from a 5th floor condo, but I tried swimming in it recently and thought I might need to get some shots after, just filthy!

I'll be there in six weeks, I'll keep y'all posted on the progress.

Good Luck!

Public health warning closes Mexican beach made famous by Shawshank Redemption

<snip>

Wow, talk about straight-to-the-point bodyslam. You've quashed Mr. quandow's dream of paradise. Wonder what he's going to do now?

Mr. Quandow is still going to Mexico. If the beach is the only problem, I can accept that. Already found an ocean view apartment with a pool, so I can STILL enjoy the other two. Still keeping options open, I MAY be back in a year. I'll never know unless I try.

[Berkshire]

After nine years in Thailand, I'm moving to Zijuatanejo (Remember "The Shawshank Redemption?). Three reasons:

1. Tourist Visa is ~$25 U.S. Good for six months. No visa runs, no 90 reporting to immigration, unlimited (thought that may change in the future).

2. NO work permit needed to jam with the local musicians in the bars/clubs.

3. Jomtien beach is a sewer. Looks beautiful from a 5th floor condo, but I tried swimming in it recently and thought I might need to get some shots after, just filthy!

I'll be there in six weeks, I'll keep y'all posted on the progress.

Good Luck!

Public health warning closes Mexican beach made famous by Shawshank Redemption

<snip>

Wow, talk about straight-to-the-point bodyslam. You've quashed Mr. quandow's dream of paradise. Wonder what he's going to do now?

Mr. Quandow is still going to Mexico. If the beach is the only problem, I can accept that. Already found an ocean view apartment with a pool, so I can STILL enjoy the other two. Still keeping options open, I MAY be back in a year. I'll never know unless I try.

Fair enough. Good luck with that!

[northernjohn]

All of you commenting about Mexico being a shitehole, you do realize it's 4 times bigger than Thailand correct? It's so funny hearing all of the armchair knowitalls living in Asia or wherever talking about a country as if it's all the same/place. Damn right there's dangerous areas, just as there are in any country. Murder rate is higher than Thailand for a few reasons, one definitely being the cartel wars that primarily involved those in the narcos biz, and of course Thailands famous under reporting and mis reporting of violent crimes.

Feel free to go on any forums about Mexico similar to thaivisa and you'll see the reality is quite different from the perception by arm chair sleuths. Pretty much every expat that lives in a nice area there reports that crime is low ( lower than any decent sized city in the US) as well as statistics show this. The key is finding a nice safe place in a country of 2 million square kilometers, as compared to Thailand of 500,000 square kilometers.

For those interested, check out Riviera Maya on the Caribbean in the Yucatan Peninsula close to Belize.

Agree with you.

Also it is subjective. My likes and dislikes al though perfectly OK can vary from another persons who's likes and dislikes are also perfectly OK. Both have attractions for me. I just chose Thailand as I liked it a little better than Mexico.

[fey]

All I'm looking for is a beach, a hammock, and a beer (several) in some place where they aren't killing the Westerner.

Regards

After several years looking that seems harder to find then i thought.

[AZBill]

I've lived both places and I'm back in the US and won't be leaving again anytime soon!

[tailspin]

Surprised no one has mentioned the super high quality tequila at decent prices in Mexico....it is so good, that you can sip it rather than shoot it. Also the various rums from Caribbean and other parts are priced very competitively. Not the only reason to retire there, but a bit of a treat nevertheless.

[Bulldozer Dawn]

After nine years in Thailand, I'm moving to Zijuatanejo (Remember "The Shawshank Redemption?). Three reasons:

1. Tourist Visa is ~$25 U.S. Good for six months. No visa runs, no 90 reporting to immigration, unlimited (thought that may change in the future).

2. NO work permit needed to jam with the local musicians in the bars/clubs.

3. Jomtien beach is a sewer. Looks beautiful from a 5th floor condo, but I tried swimming in it recently and thought I might need to get some shots after, just filthy!

I'll be there in six weeks, I'll keep y'all posted on the progress.

Good Luck!

Public health warning closes Mexican beach made famous by Shawshank Redemption

By SARAH GORDON

PUBLISHED: 09:41, 9 April 2014 | UPDATED: 09:42, 9 April 2014

The beach that Tim Robbins dreamed of escaping to in the 1994 film Shawshank Redemption has been closed to the public due to contamination.

The Mexican beach of Zihuatanejo, on the Pacific Coast, is where Robbins' character, wrongly-convicted Andy Dufresne, dreams of seeing out his days, fixing up a boat and taking tourists out for trips.

But anyone hoping to follow in his footsteps is advised to stay out of the water, due to high levels of pollution in the water which are causing health problems among the locals.

A sign has been placed on the sand, reading: 'Dear tourists, the quality of the water is not suitable for recreational swimming. Please avoid swimming in this area.'

Levels of the enterococci bacteria equal 399 per 100ml of water on the beach, significantly higher than the 200 per 100ml limit imposed by the Mexican authorities.

Zihuatanejo is in Guerrero state, about 150 miles north of Acapulco, and is where Dufresne talks to veteran inmate Red (played by Morgan Freeman) about escaping to in Shawshank Redemption.

Local authorities claim that each year contamination levels soar, before dropping back to normal levels again, but there are claims that the beach is worse this year - just ahead of the peak Easter holidays.

Local fishermen who use the beach frequently complain of skin problems and wounds getting infected due to the polluted water, while one dive instructor claims it's easy to tell each evening who has been swimming in the waters as they have red, blood-shot eyes

Wow, talk about straight-to-the-point bodyslam. You've quashed Mr. quandow's dream of paradise. Wonder what he's going to do now?

I have friends living in Peru. They like it.

Stupid Mexicans. Why don't they just follow Phuket's lead. Test the water and then never release the analysis report to the public.

[ourdon]

Surprised no one has mentioned the super high quality tequila at decent prices in Mexico....it is so good, that you can sip it rather than shoot it. Also the various rums from Caribbean and other parts are priced very competitively. Not the only reason to retire there, but a bit of a treat nevertheless.

One Tequila.....Two Tequila.....Three Tequila.....Floor

Ahhh the memories

[bendejo]

Guadalajara. American Legion there a great watering hole. You must do a 2 hour drive each way for decent shopping in Guad. Guad is a noisy dirty overpopulated place with lots of poverty.

...

I recall walking around Guadalajara for a few hours and spitting black, from the air polution.

[mgjackson69]

Surprised no one has mentioned the super high quality tequila at decent prices in Mexico....it is so good, that you can sip it rather than shoot it. Also the various rums from Caribbean and other parts are priced very competitively. Not the only reason to retire there, but a bit of a treat nevertheless.

Unlike the "high-quality" El Toro that is widely available in Thailand.

It is palatable with soda and lots of lime.

[Roman51]

What about Mexico? Obviously some security issues there

Hmm.. how about Jukatan and Cancun? Maybe it's not the cheapest place. Crime is not there at a high level. It's very touristy area so it is certainly more expensive there. But I think still quite cheap for the European earner in euros or well-to-do American?

Edited September 22, 2015 by Roman51

[lostoday]

Donald Trump should read and make a copy of this thread and give it to the 12 million Mexicans escaping their paradise heading North to the US. The Mexicans don't know how good they got it.

[ZuluSixNine]

Anyone been to Aruba?

[fey]

Guadalajara. American Legion there a great watering hole. You must do a 2 hour drive each way for decent shopping in Guad. Guad is a noisy dirty overpopulated place with lots of poverty.

...

I recall walking around Guadalajara for a few hours and spitting black, from the air polution.

Pls add to your report. What were you doing there? Want to know everything. Edited September 22, 2015 by fey

[taiwangirl]

Anyone been to Aruba?

I have not lived there, but visited there a couple of times. It is a relatively small island, and the first time I went, i was surprised that it does not have a tropical landscape but is almost more desert-like. Pretty barren. It is outside the hurricane paths, so there are no worries about that, though it is close to the equator so hot all the time. Very little rain there.

Casinos are a big business there. There used to be a big refinery on the north west side of the island, but it has since closed down (I believe).

I think there is good diving nearby and it is part of the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao), which are all Dutch territories.

[ZuluSixNine]

Anyone been to Aruba?

I have not lived there, but visited there a couple of times. It is a relatively small island, and the first time I went, i was surprised that it does not have a tropical landscape but is almost more desert-like. Pretty barren. It is outside the hurricane paths, so there are no worries about that, though it is close to the equator so hot all the time. Very little rain there.

Casinos are a big business there. There used to be a big refinery on the north west side of the island, but it has since closed down (I believe).

I think there is good diving nearby and it is part of the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao), which are all Dutch territories.

Thanks for the reply, a good and honest review and reply.

Unlike the other trolls that replied, who have nothing better to do.

[bendejo]

If Trump becomes the US President, I would think that, if you are American, Mexico should not even be on your list. If you like latin flavor, try Ecuador or Panama..

I recently read a story on Bloomberg.com on the top 5 places to retire

and Ecuador was at number 1, it surprised me, i'm seriously thinking

of a holiday there, Panama was also there, we hear that Colombia is

also a nice country to live but what worries me is what the country is

famous for so i pass, don't want any red flags on my passport.

I agree with your remark.

One of the main industries in Ecuador is theft. They need tourists, otherwise they just steal the same stuff from each other, back and forth. Now, when the thieves rob buses in the countryside they just go right up to the tourists, they don't bother with locals. They already know where the tourists are sitting, it's probably the driver that calls ahead. Even in the Galapagos it isn't safe these days, I hear.

I knew one guy, 7 ft tall Norwegian, he was jumped by a bunch of kids who held him down while one went through his pockets.

Great country, recommend it to someone you hate.

[tailspin]

No offense, but this thread is about Mexico and Thailand...asking about Aruba is like asking whether someone has been to Kazakhastan....maybe you could start a different thread

Anyone been to Aruba?

I have not lived there, but visited there a couple of times. It is a relatively small island, and the first time I went, i was surprised that it does not have a tropical landscape but is almost more desert-like. Pretty barren. It is outside the hurricane paths, so there are no worries about that, though it is close to the equator so hot all the time. Very little rain there.

Casinos are a big business there. There used to be a big refinery on the north west side of the island, but it has since closed down (I believe).

I think there is good diving nearby and it is part of the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao), which are all Dutch territories.

Thanks for the reply, a good and honest review and reply.

Unlike the other trolls that replied, who have nothing better to do.

[fey]

No offense, but this thread is about Mexico and Thailand...asking about Aruba is like asking whether someone has been to Kazakhastan....maybe you could start a different thread

Anyone been to Aruba?

I have not lived there, but visited there a couple of times. It is a relatively small island, and the first time I went, i was surprised that it does not have a tropical landscape but is almost more desert-like. Pretty barren. It is outside the hurricane paths, so there are no worries about that, though it is close to the equator so hot all the time. Very little rain there.

Casinos are a big business there. There used to be a big refinery on the north west side of the island, but it has since closed down (I believe).

I think there is good diving nearby and it is part of the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao), which are all Dutch territories.

Thanks for the reply, a good and honest review and reply.

Unlike the other trolls that replied, who have nothing better to do.

I just checked Aruba and it's pretty damn expensive approx 1500-2000 usd a month for a place.

There are plenty of nice places to go if you want to spend that much.

If cheap is not a consideration, mexico's not even on my list. It's in the toilet!

Edited September 23, 2015 by fey

[bendejo]

Some years back there were a lot of working girls from Aruba in San Jose, Costa Rica. All were married, their hubbies back in Aruba, in prison. Or so they said. I think in Latin American countries "criminal" is an accepted occupation.

[ourdon]

Here is a web page that should be of interest to the security conscious and those that want the peace and serenity of Mexico. Click on their little red report.

https://justiceinmexico.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2015-Drug-Violence-in-Mexico-Report.pdf

The nice thing about stats is that you can make them mean anything you want. These are mostly just the cartel related murders etc. and only in Mexico They don't mention the really hard places further South.

Add all the rates up and then if you do a little more digging you will find that Mexico is not the most violent place in Central or South America. It is the casual brutality that really gets to me.

[derble]

Aruba is not in Latin America, from wiki "Collectively, Aruba and the other Dutch islands in the Caribbean are often called the Netherlands Antilles or the "Dutch Caribbean"."

I don't think they speak Spanish at all there.......

[55Jay]

[Jingthing]

Mexico is a NORTH American nation.

Edited September 23, 2015 by Jingthing

[ourdon]

Here is a web page that should be of interest to the security conscious and those that want the peace and serenity of Mexico. Click on their little red report.

https://justiceinmexico.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2015-Drug-Violence-in-Mexico-Report.pdf

The nice thing about stats is that you can make them mean anything you want. These are mostly just the cartel related murders etc. and only in Mexico They don't mention the really hard places further South.

Add all the rates up and then if you do a little more digging you will find that Mexico is not the most violent place in Central or South America. Mexico is the southernmost country in North America. As such it acts as a funnel for the thousands of Central and South Americans heading North for a chance of a better life. Many die. Think of newborn turtles trying to make it to water when a large flock of seagulls has noticed them. It is the casual brutality that really gets to me.

[simon43]

A country may have a high murder rate, but that doesn't always mean that it is dangerous for tourists. Take Thailand as an example, where the murder rate/1,000 of population is very high. But that is mostly Thai kill Thai murders - foreign tourists are generally not the victims.

In my locality of Phuket, I know of quite a few murders that were swept under the carpet. All Thai kill Thai, all either drugs or romance-related.

[fey]

Here's a good video on moving to Mexico:

Edited September 24, 2015 by fey

[CaptHaddock]

I stopped listening to this bozo when started on about the coming end times and collapse of the US.

[zurgos]

Don't overlook traffic fatalities either...any stats on Mexico?

A country may have a high murder rate, but that doesn't always mean that it is dangerous for tourists. Take Thailand as an example, where the murder rate/1,000 of population is very high. But that is mostly Thai kill Thai murders - foreign tourists are generally not the victims.

In my locality of Phuket, I know of quite a few murders that were swept under the carpet. All Thai kill Thai, all either drugs or romance-related.

[californiabeachboy]

I have never been with a Latino woman. However I would like to tick it off my bucket list. Can we discuss here, politely please, the pros and cons between Latino and Thai girls?

If you like 'plump', Latinas do tend to plump up as they age. Not bad if your into the 38 to 42 range, and I don't mean age. Lol Lot's of loving to be had. And you can pick up spoken Spanish in about a year. Predominately Roman Catholic if Buddhism isn't your thing. Family oriented and probably a lot less likely to have a gik on the side. If you enjoy Mexican food (I do) you'll plump up too.

Although I am no expert (sadly), I have spent time with both and I agree with the "plump as they age" comment. I think youngish (25 to 40) Mexican women are some of the most beautiful women in the world, but ohhh that diet. Think frijoles and carnitas vs khao soi and laab muu.

As to personality, I have found that the Mexican women are more reserved around foreigners - maybe it is the Catholic upbringing, I don't know. But in my trips to Thailand and Mexico, I have had many more casual conversations with a Thai women (not in a bar) than I have had with a Mexican woman.

In my opinion, they are both wonderful.