Is Venezuela the new Thailand?

[JakeSully]

I see posts all too often about how it's becoming too expensive but I came across this today..

A guy was sent a 100 Euro note in Venezuela.. Dollars and Euros are in such short supply in Venezuela that their value has become amazing. Combined with the heavy government control on prices it is crazy how far that money will go.. He decided to splurge and live like a king for a month. He put an ad on craigslist to sell the 100 Euro note and this is what he got in Bolivars:

So what did his 100 Euros (about 115 Dollars) get him in Venezuela?

- An apartment for an entire month $13.70

- A night at five star a luxury hotel $9.93

- A plane ticket to visit another area of Venezuela $9.00

- The lease of a restored 1956 Cadillac to drive back $3.40

- 34 crates (238 bottles) of bear $12.34

- Three grams of Cocaine $5.72

- Twenty Grams of Weed $8.00

- Dinner at five top rated restaurants $10.26 (that's for all five meals and drinks combined)

- two hour massages and acupuncture at the finest parlor in town $2.86 (went three times)

- Filled the tank of 32 cars (everyone in his building) $3.00 (gas is under a penny a gallon)

Read the details and see the photos here: http://www.vice.com/read/i-lived-like-a-king-for-a-month-in-venezuela-on-100-euros-876

And now to consider the cons.. crime.. well if you watch the news in Thailand.. it's full of Crime and 45 minutes of every 60 is filled with who stole what and how with endless videos. So I think that's the same.

Any other things to consider?

[lovelomsak]

What is the women situation like? Do they like foreigners?

[KhunBENQ]

I just read through the lengthy travel advisory on this country from German and Swiss foreign office.

Comparing criminality with Thailand?

Seems like a nightly walk to the Pattaya darkside is safer than traveling by car on a Venezuela motorway in the dark?

I remember the news of riots, empty shelfs in the supermarkets, hoarding.

No, thanks.

Edited October 16, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[lovelomsak]

I just remembered Venezuela has all inclusive resorts where your room comes with girlfriend of your choice. you pay one price for a week or 2 and everything food,beer,room and GF.

[TheCruncher]

So why do the people need the 100 Euro, if everything can be bought in local money, which is obvious from the OP?

When I am in Euroland I don't need Dollars or Pounds for any reason.

[Berkshire]

Interesting...but I don't see how this is remotely similar to Thailand. US$100 will get you three 1,000 baht notes and a 500 baht note, not a big stack of paper as in Venezuela. So what's the OPs point with regards to Thailand?

[eldragon]

I just remembered Venezuela has all inclusive resorts where your room comes with girlfriend of your choice. you pay one price for a week or 2 and everything food,beer,room and GF.

Thailand has those too. Or they did.

[KhunBENQ]

I just remembered Venezuela has all inclusive resorts where your room comes with girlfriend of your choice. you pay one price for a week or 2 and everything food,beer,room and GF.

OK, that would be for a holiday in a hopefully closely guarded resort.

My comment was from an expatriate view.

And for this I would prefer other central/south American countries.

[KhunBENQ]

So why do the people need the 100 Euro, if everything can be bought in local money, which is obvious from the OP?

At an inflation rate of more than 60% the answer is quite easy. Its the same in all these countries.

When people have excess local money they rush to change it for something of lasting value.

Even the Euro looks good in this situation

The stack of V. money you get has to be spent quickly.

Edited October 16, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[petedk]

You forgot to mention the 20 years free accommodation if he ever gets caught with the cocaine or weed.

[swissie]

What about visa's ? Long term visas for expats available?

Cheers.

[Squeegee]

Just for the novelty of it, especially the 5* cocaine lifestyle, this topic wins today's internet.

[tailspin]

How did they get the bears into those bottles???

[mesquite]

Venezuela is one of the most dangerous countries on the face of the earth. Don't go there.

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

Can you Google, if so, you would have noticed that you will not be able to buy toilet paper in the shops. You will be killed for the $ 100 note. Your free gf in the hotel will be the police chiefs daughter and you will leave the country without nuts. But please go there and report back to us via the postal dove system.

[Deli]

Chicas are stunning beautiful and yes, they like gringos - as long as they have cash. Same same, they just look better than here.

[1FinickyOne]

Yeah, Thailand was last that cheap in the 1930s - - maybe…

From the little i have read some of the expats here whine when they pay an extra couple of baht at a food vendor or national park - how will they feel if they get kidnapped or robbed at gun point if they go out?

Maybe they have a forum too for people to vent - but I do not think there is a large expat community there - and likely for a reason.

[Ulic]

I call bullshit. Just another friend of a friend, I got a better deal than you, faster, higher, bigger,

better, more beautiful, etc... etc..... Now if this were an actual Thai Visa reader, I would take note.

Yes I know there are problems there, yes the black market exchange is much higher. But

I wan a reliable source. Leave out the drugs and give me the investigative report.

[willyumiii]

What does the government think of foreigners?

As an American, I don't think government relations are very good and wonder how dangerous it is for Americans in Venezuela.

The Thai government treats Americans well.

[clasship]

I have spent some time in Venezuela, I lived on a yacht for six years in the Caribbean, and it’s simply a very unsafe country and getting worse. The second time I sailed in, the owners of the marina who I had spoken to only a few days before were both dead, they had reported a yacht to the police they suspected of having drugs on board, the husband and wife were stone dead within the hour. The local bank in the perceived safe marina had a pill box inside the banking hall; the guard had a machine gun. I say safe, it was safe in the day. At this point I shall recall what happened the first time I sailed to Venezuela, we dropped anchor 200m off shore so I we could visit a boat repair yard, I met the owner who explained that although he had 30 foot high walls, and two guard towers, that during the re-fit no one should stay on board. For it was 100% certain the guards would either be threatened, or take a bribe, or both and let the criminals in to take whatever they wanted. He further added that that may well include moi as a kidnap victim. He then asked where my yacht was and promptly told me to move it into the marina well before dark, as it would be a race to see which gang of thugs came on board tonight to ransack the yacht. Even the insurance company for my yacht changed to letting us sail to Columbia, but refrained from insuring the yacht for Venezuela, so that tells you everything you need to know. The pilot books informs one to sail with no lights, not even navigation lights, and stay ten miles of shore when sailing anywhere along the coast. We kept twenty miles off, and still had the company of pirates one night, but that's another story.

Yes it's cheap after Chavez screwed up the economy, all imports are very expensive because their currency fell through the floor, and there are some items you cannot buy. There is corruption on a scale Europeans can find hard to believe. Life is cheap, be warned, you just don't hear about crime in that country, but it's rife.

It's worth noting the women in general are beautiful, it's no wonder a Miss Venezuela is usually in the top five of the Miss World competition, however few speak English. Would I live there, no I would not. Having lived in that general area, I used to wonder why in particular Europeans did not go to Asia instead.

[OmarZaidMD]

One of my students is Venezuelan ... he and his family left the country because it is filled with gangs and is too dangerous . . .

[b4n9]

If you do not mind to be assassinated. Go and see the chaos by yourself. The situation in the country is poor and unhappy. The Venezuelan Government has trapped their own people in slavery and poverty. A good friend of mine, went to Caracas last moth, she sad it is a mad country with a mad leader. Sorry that venezuelans living in Thailand, but if you are here you know what I'm talking about. No way it can be compared to Thailand.

[bartender100]

You forgot to mention the 20 years free accommodation if he ever gets caught with the cocaine or weed.

Just keep another $100 hidden in your shoe, should work, does here

[lovelomsak]

Maybe Thailand is on its way to become the new Venezuela

[Thongkorn]

Just another opening for Exploitation for people from a wealther Country

Edited October 16, 2015 by Thongkorn

[JHolmesJr]

Damn....some average benezuelan milfs in singapore charge $500sgd for a 2hr tryst.....they must be instant millionaires back home.

[Jeffkp]

Quite simply, Venezuela is in a state of collapse, both economically and politically. Cancer patients are dying because of a lack of drugs. I think comparisons to the Wiemar republic of the late 1920's might not be out of order.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/10/opinions/ghitis-venezuela-woes/

[ezzra]

How much milk and toilet paper can you but there for a 110 Euros? I hear that very basic

commodities are in very short supply or not available all together....

[bangkapi]

Coming to a country near you soon.

I doubt if it can last long.

[fey]

Crime in south american countries is much more serious then what you are used to in se asia.

Were talking places were you can get kidnapped fairly easily and people are inclined to use firearms fairly easily. Acting like a goofball like you would in Pattaya or Bangkok it would not take long before your targeted and cleaned out.

Thats not the case in Thailand at all.

* and like always there's a reason these places are still so cheap. nobody wants to live there.