Thailand vs Panama

[Asiantravel]

I hope this isn't too annoyingly off topic, but have considered Medellin, Colombia? It's becoming quite the popular expat destination and the WEATHER is much more pleasant than Bangkok and especially Panama City.

there was a time when the thought of living in Columbia would have meant you had suicidal tendencies because of the high murder rate. how did they manage to eradicate that problem?

[wanderingstray]

You have the nom de plume of realenglish1, and restrictions, 2 tier, thing, and losing can't be spelled correctly by you? Normally I am tolerant of the illiteracy present on TV; however, this is too much. Realenglish my foot.

Many real Englishmen are illiterate. Richard Branson is dyslexic. (Not that dyslexia is in any way equal to illiteracy.)

Richard Branson is lysdexic

[wanderingstray]

Ever thought of Nicaragua ? Proof of $800/month coming in. Very low cost of living. Little crime (cops after graduation are sent back to where they grew up.) Easy to get citizenship.

I came here for a second time. This time to check out for possible retirement. no thanks. (I wouldn't consider CM cheap) Back to Mexico for me. Don't believe what you read about the violence there. Less violent than Good ole U.S. of A

[dirtycash]

too many americans in panama...

lol, thats the only thing thats putting me off

[Jingthing]

I hope this isn't too annoyingly off topic, but have considered Medellin, Colombia? It's becoming quite the popular expat destination and the WEATHER is much more pleasant than Bangkok and especially Panama City.

there was a time when the thought of living in Columbia would have meant you had suicidal tendencies because of the high murder rate. how did they manage to eradicate that problem?

Places change. Government policies, economic advancement, etc. Medellin has crime but it isn't remarkably high anymore. There are still areas in Colombia to be avoided still though.

[Jingthing]

Ever thought of Nicaragua ? Proof of $800/month coming in. Very low cost of living. Little crime (cops after graduation are sent back to where they grew up.) Easy to get citizenship.

I came here for a second time. This time to check out for possible retirement. no thanks. (I wouldn't consider CM cheap) Back to Mexico for me. Don't believe what you read about the violence there. Less violent than Good ole U.S. of A

Granada Nicaragua definitely looks like a great place for a vacation but some research indicated that it doesn't have quite enough for me to really be happy living there. Many would be though.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/nicaragua/granada-and-the-masaya-region/granada

Edited December 23, 2015 by Jingthing

[dirtycash]

Medellin is a rat hole.

really, an explanation would be helpfull.............. and bkk isnt ?

[craigt3365]

too many americans in panama...

lol, thats the only thing thats putting me off

I met more Canadians there than any other nationality during our 2 month visit. Lots of Americans also. It's an easy option for many as it's not very far away.

[bannork]

You have the nom de plume of realenglish1, and restrictions, 2 tier, thing, and losing can't be spelled correctly by you? Normally I am tolerant of the illiteracy present on TV; however, this is too much. Realenglish my foot.

Many real Englishmen are illiterate. Richard Branson is dyslexic. (Not that dyslexia is in any way equal to illiteracy.)

Richard Branson is lysdexic

no,snarb drahcir si yrev hcir on melbrop tuoba gnidear yonem sklat revehcihw yaw ouy dear

[mpyre]

not sure about panama, but you can rule mexico out.

Why is that? Mexico is a huge country with every kind of climate or topography one could wish for...great food, friendly people, a real sense of history in the architecture, and easy visa terms. Are you referring to the alleged level of violence? Mostly media hype, and never a problem if you mind your own business. A great retirement choice.

[fey]

Ever thought of Nicaragua ? Proof of $800/month coming in. Very low cost of living. Little crime (cops after graduation are sent back to where they grew up.) Easy to get citizenship.

I came here for a second time. This time to check out for possible retirement. no thanks. (I wouldn't consider CM cheap) Back to Mexico for me. Don't believe what you read about the violence there. Less violent than Good ole U.S. of A

You don't think a house for 300-400 usd a month is cheap?

I wuz paying twice that for equivalent places in Mexico.

Edited December 23, 2015 by fey

[spidermike007]

I subscribe to "International Living" magazine -- it's totally devoted to living in

foreign countries for USA people and how to make money in other countries.

The magazine and on-line edition often RAVE about Panama & Ecuador.

Here is a free review of living in Ecuador: https://signup.internationalliving.com/X120KJ04/ecuador/ecuador-living

Here is a link for a free review of living in Panama. https://signup.internationalliving.com/X120KQ04/panama/panama-living

+ If you need to get back to the USA quickly (possible consideration) SA is better.

+ Weather - no "heat" all the time - clean air.

+ Many cities & countries to explore from your "base" in either country.

+ Rio is a lot of fun.

+ Go for 3 months - or 6 months - and see what you think.

+ My experience - a "BIT" more English and more respect for USA men and women.

Good Luck with your decision.

Best wishes.

International Living is a bit of a scam. They put on seminars in the US where they make money to get people to go to Panama to buy into their real estate developments. It's all honey and roses in their articles. Very biased. I'd stick with the expat blogs. Seem to have more reliable info.

ehw200's post is what I experienced also during my many, many months of travel in Mexico, CA and SA. Some great places to visit. But nothing compared to here. My wife has a USA visa. So easy to live in various places around the world. We chose Thailand after many years of traveling around and doing research. She asked yesterday if we had a lot of money would we live here? The answer was no. But not sure where as places we investigated were low cost options.

Ecuador is OK. But just so. And it gets cold!!!!!! I'd love to visit Colombia, but not sure I'd like to live there. Hopefully someday, I'll get to go there.

Funny note. I'd read that Boquete was the #1 retirement destination for Americans according to AARP. So, we visited Panama City. No way, for reasons ehw200 pointed out. Bocas del Toro. Nice islands. But spread out, need a boat to go from island to island. A bit dirty. And DEAD during the green season. Visited Anton Valley. Absolutely beautiful, but nothing to do. Then Boquete on our way to Costa Rica. After stepping in dog poop 3 times, struggling to find a nice hotel, failing to find a decent grocery store, and seeing every window covered with iron bars, we left the next day.

I agree. While they are a source for information, in reality they are real estate hawkers, and make their living selling property. Also, many of their monthly expenditure estimates are way, way off the mark.

[spidermike007]

not sure about panama, but you can rule mexico out.

Why is that? Mexico is a huge country with every kind of climate or topography one could wish for...great food, friendly people, a real sense of history in the architecture, and easy visa terms. Are you referring to the alleged level of violence? Mostly media hype, and never a problem if you mind your own business. A great retirement choice.

Mexico is an amazing country, with culture that simply blows Thailand away. And the people there are open to meeting people from all over the world, without hidden motives. Not so here. I am encouraged to hear the security is not as bad as what they say? How about the standard of living? I have not been in quite some time, but many years ago it was getting expensive.

[spidermike007]

Costa Rica doesn't look half bad to me. People change and places change, you must be able to adapt accordingly. Great surf, coastal towns, nature, wildlife, Carribean coast, Pacific coast, mountains, small population(4.8 million), no military, decent health care, easy immigration, ownership laws. Nowhere is perfect. If in South Eastern Asia, Thailand is still number 1.

Costa Rica is beautiful. But it is very, very boring, and vanilla, and it is expensive. Almost as expensive as Los Angeles. I do not get the appeal of living in the third world at the same cost of living back in the states.

[JLCrab]

I speak both Spanish and Thai. I could live in Panama without ever speaking English and can live (and mostly do) live in Thailand without ever speaking English. I like speaking Thai -- I don't like speaking Spanish. Don't cry for me Argentina or Panama.

[craigt3365]

I speak both Spanish and Thai. I could live in Panama without ever speaking English and can live (and mostly do) live in Thailand without ever speaking English. I like speaking Thai -- I don't like speaking Spanish. Don't cry for me Argentina or Panama.

That wasn't my experience. We traveled around a fair amount and Spanish was a must. Luckily, it's very easy to learn. I only speak a bit, but enough to get by. It'd be impossible, IMHO, to get by without knowing Spanish. Even here, if you don't have a partner, it's very difficult at times to get by. At least if you have a house, car, pool, etc.

[spidermike007]

I speak both Spanish and Thai. I could live in Panama without ever speaking English and can live (and mostly do) live in Thailand without ever speaking English. I like speaking Thai -- I don't like speaking Spanish. Don't cry for me Argentina or Panama.

I find Spanish to be infinitely more poetic, fluid, gorgeous and sexy to listen to, and easier to speak and to understand. I also find most people in Latin America to be linguistically inclined, in that they have the ability to figure out what you are trying to say, if you do not speak perfectly. Absolutely the opposite in Thailand. The Thais do not have an ear for language, one iota.

[mesquite]

I speak both Spanish and Thai. I could live in Panama without ever speaking English and can live (and mostly do) live in Thailand without ever speaking English. I like speaking Thai -- I don't like speaking Spanish. Don't cry for me Argentina or Panama.

That wasn't my experience. We traveled around a fair amount and Spanish was a must. Luckily, it's very easy to learn. I only speak a bit, but enough to get by. It'd be impossible, IMHO, to get by without knowing Spanish. Even here, if you don't have a partner, it's very difficult at times to get by. At least if you have a house, car, pool, etc.

Didn't he say that he spoke Spanish in Panama?

[craigt3365]

I speak both Spanish and Thai. I could live in Panama without ever speaking English and can live (and mostly do) live in Thailand without ever speaking English. I like speaking Thai -- I don't like speaking Spanish. Don't cry for me Argentina or Panama.

That wasn't my experience. We traveled around a fair amount and Spanish was a must. Luckily, it's very easy to learn. I only speak a bit, but enough to get by. It'd be impossible, IMHO, to get by without knowing Spanish. Even here, if you don't have a partner, it's very difficult at times to get by. At least if you have a house, car, pool, etc.

Didn't he say that he spoke Spanish in Panama?

"I could live in Panama without ever speaking English"

[mesquite]

I speak both Spanish and Thai. I could live in Panama without ever speaking English and can live (and mostly do) live in Thailand without ever speaking English. I like speaking Thai -- I don't like speaking Spanish. Don't cry for me Argentina or Panama.

That wasn't my experience. We traveled around a fair amount and Spanish was a must. Luckily, it's very easy to learn. I only speak a bit, but enough to get by. It'd be impossible, IMHO, to get by without knowing Spanish. Even here, if you don't have a partner, it's very difficult at times to get by. At least if you have a house, car, pool, etc.

Didn't he say that he spoke Spanish in Panama?

"I could live in Panama without ever speaking English"

Exactly. His experience was he spoke Spanish. Your experience was you spoke Spanish. The experiences were the same.

[craigt3365]

Sorry, not getting myself across properly. The point I was trying to make is that speaking Spanish there is a necessity. You can't live/travel there without speaking at least a bit. That's just my experience. But I traveled extensively and to many out of the way places. Even here in Thailand, get off the tourist path, and little English is spoken and definitely not understood. But you can still get by...

[Jingthing]

Yeah, that's one of the advantages of Thailand for Americans those weak in learning foreign languages. Thais generally don't EXPECT expats to really learn Thai (excepting work situations where needed, etc.). In Spanish speaking countries, you are expected to learn and things like banking websites are not translated to English, etc. So either learn or have translators on call.

Edited December 24, 2015 by Jingthing

[JLCrab]

I didn't mean to create any confusion. I speak Spanish and Thai and several other languages but I enjoy speaking the Thai language. I do not so much enjoy speaking the Spanish language. I have never been to Panama. If I ever moved to Central/South America, I would move to Brazil and speak Portuguese.

My line while living in Orlando, FL, where there was a large Brazilian tourist population, was that the Brazilians come to Orlando to visit their money.

Edited December 24, 2015 by JLCrab

[fey]

not sure about panama, but you can rule mexico out.

Why is that? Mexico is a huge country with every kind of climate or topography one could wish for...great food, friendly people, a real sense of history in the architecture, and easy visa terms. Are you referring to the alleged level of violence? Mostly media hype, and never a problem if you mind your own business. A great retirement choice.

Mexico is an amazing country, with culture that simply blows Thailand away. And the people there are open to meeting people from all over the world, without hidden motives. Not so here. I am encouraged to hear the security is not as bad as what they say? How about the standard of living? I have not been in quite some time, but many years ago it was getting expensive.

Mexico is a toilet and has nothing to offer me except reasonable priced seaside accomodations during the low season and interesting inca stuff.

The food was good, but to unhealthy long term compared to what I'm used to. Expats were normal for a us citizen. Hated the Mexicans, stopped analyzing why and just cut my visit short. Won't be going back.

Edited December 24, 2015 by fey

[ClutchClark]

Ever thought of Nicaragua ? Proof of $800/month coming in. Very low cost of living. Little crime (cops after graduation are sent back to where they grew up.) Easy to get citizenship.

I came here for a second time. This time to check out for possible retirement. no thanks. (I wouldn't consider CM cheap) Back to Mexico for me. Don't believe what you read about the violence there. Less violent than Good ole U.S. of A

Yeah, all sorts of mass graves found in the US regularly, busloads of students driven to a remote spot and massacred, headless torsos swinging from bridges.

Lets see, two Aussie surfers bodies found in their torched van in a sugarcane field...

Oh yeah, Mexico is such a safe destination.

i have been going down to Mexico since the early 60's and I can genuinely say your post is nonsense.

[craigt3365]

Portuguese is a very sexy language. Love the country. But not sure I could deal with the crime. Some of the most beautiful coastline in the world.

[JLCrab]

Portuguese is a very sexy language. Love the country. But not sure I could deal with the crime. Some of the most beautiful coastline in the world.

I have never been to Brazil but I love the music and the language and I guess would love this:

[spidermike007]

not sure about panama, but you can rule mexico out.

Why is that? Mexico is a huge country with every kind of climate or topography one could wish for...great food, friendly people, a real sense of history in the architecture, and easy visa terms. Are you referring to the alleged level of violence? Mostly media hype, and never a problem if you mind your own business. A great retirement choice.

Mexico is an amazing country, with culture that simply blows Thailand away. And the people there are open to meeting people from all over the world, without hidden motives. Not so here. I am encouraged to hear the security is not as bad as what they say? How about the standard of living? I have not been in quite some time, but many years ago it was getting expensive.

Mexico is a toilet and has nothing to offer me except reasonable priced seaside accomodations during the low season and interesting inca stuff.

The food was good, but to unhealthy long term compared to what I'm used to. Expats were normal for a us citizen. Hated the Mexicans, stopped analyzing why and just cut my visit short. Won't be going back.

Yes, what is described is not the Mexico I know. It is the deepest culture in Latin America, in my opinion. Theatre, literature, filmmaking, dance, music, ballet, jewelry, handicrafts, etc, etc. The museums are world class, and with Mexican Masters like Kahlo, Rivera, Tamayo, Toledo, Orozco, Siqueiros, Merida, Varos, Carrington, and many more, the fine art is amongst the best in Latin America. Of course you won't find much of that in a seaside town. But, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Guanajuato, Oaxaca, and a few other spots are amazing, in terms of sophistication. The kind of refinement that even the hi-so here will take another 50-100 years to develop, in my opinion, if it ever happens.

I do agree that most of the food is unhealthy. Most Mexicans have no idea how to eat, or what is healthy, or why healthy food is necessary. But healthy food can be found all over Mexico if you know where to look. I love the Mexicans. I have adored them for decades. I have such respect for them and their culture.

Edited December 24, 2015 by spidermike007

[bannork]

I speak both Spanish and Thai. I could live in Panama without ever speaking English and can live (and mostly do) live in Thailand without ever speaking English. I like speaking Thai -- I don't like speaking Spanish. Don't cry for me Argentina or Panama.

I find Spanish to be infinitely more poetic, fluid, gorgeous and sexy to listen to, and easier to speak and to understand. I also find most people in Latin America to be linguistically inclined, in that they have the ability to figure out what you are trying to say, if you do not speak perfectly. Absolutely the opposite in Thailand. The Thais do not have an ear for language, one iota.

On the contrary, the Thais have an acute ear for language, use the wrong tone and they're laughing because the meaning has altered fundamentally. They're just not familiar with non- native speakers speaking Thai so mispronunciations throw them.But they soon adapt when a foreigner in their circle speaks Thai with an accent, before long they're working out what he is trying to say.

Thai is wonderfully poetic in the right hands- read the poet Sunthon Pu, melody and meaning with alliteration and rhythm flowing seamlessly.

[KittenKong]

Given the choice of having to learn Thai or Spanish I know which I would choose: Spanish without a doubt.

Spanish is much easier to learn (similar alphabet and quite similar pronunciation to other European languages, including English) and of much more use (the official language of 21 countries), whereas Thai is only useful in Thailand. Personally I also think that Thai can be quite unpleasant on the ear.