Expats in Thailand considering moving to Latin America prompted by Thai visa changes

[Jingthing]

No problem if you don't have a vehicle.

 

Again there are a million perhaps many more Americans living in Mexico.

 

If every part of it was the hellscape some people are painting it as I doubt there would be that many living there by choice.

 

Lets compare to Chicago a city I lived in for years.

 

Went out all the time no car late at night. Not threatened even once. No break ins. Yet Chicago is a gun violence and murder hub.

 

What gives?!?

 

Its about where you live in a place more specifically and where you go an don't go specifically.

 

I think tourists are more likely not know those things though compared to residents.

 

Is the feeling of safety in Thailand generally better Yes. Nobody has argued differently.

 

But this topic is about options in Latin America for the people that will be leaving Thailand. Not everyone is going to be able to live in Thailand legally in the long run and others that may be able may just not be willing to comply with the rules here any longer.

 

So this isn't about a literal zero sum game competition. Such as which is better. Instead it's about people dealing with real life personal circumstances and choices realizing there are always pros and cons to any such choice.

 

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[utalkin2me]

17 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

No problem if you don't have a vehicle.

 

Again there are a million perhaps many more Americans living in Mexico.

 

If every part of it was the hellscape some people are painting it as I doubt there would be that many.

 

Lets compare to Chicago a city I lived in for years.

 

Went out all the time no car late at night. Not threatened even once. No break ins. Yet Chicago is a gun violence hub.

 

What gives?

 

Its about where you live in a place more specifically and where you go an don't go specifically.

 

I think tourists are more likely not know those things though compared to residents.

 

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You are right about too grim a picture being painted. But that is essentially because trying to describe getting robbed at gunpoint, something that may happen only once in a decade, would be a life altering, or even deadly experience. 

 

I would have absolutely no problem retiring in Mexico. Zilch. Guess what, retire with my wife there, and I would consider myself absolutely incompetent, because it simply is not safe. 

 

I have friends in Costa Rica... look I am not exagerrating, I wish I were. You know how they have gotten around their car not being broken into anymore?! By leaving nothing in it, driving crap cars, and leaving the windows down. You say you do not need a car but I would hope you can see that is not the point. The point is this stuff is going on all around you. Of course you can minimize your risks, but that necessarily requires you to worry about it pretty much all day, every day. Thailand, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Big difference. 

 

Here is where it sorta gets outta whack comparing USA to Mexico et al. In the US the cops at least have to retain a front that they are not in with crime. And if they get caught taking a piece it is over. Down there there are no boundaries. Cops are working with crime and it is all kosher, no fear of getting caught etc. Really a huge difference that one level up of corruption. There the press can be threatened or killed, the cops can be bought. The US has a bit more stability although i would argue it is just as bad essentially. But yeah I would say you are safer in the states overall though. 

Edited May 5, 2019 by utalkin2me

[Jingthing]

About Costa Rica. I have only visited San Jose. The air pollution was terrible and I didn't feel particularly safe there at night. I don't know why people would focus on that place. The government changed their policy from being very welcoming to retired expats to being somewhat hostile being honest at least about not offering residence security on that status. In other words they have openly said we will probably raise the requirements and the current people there will not be protected so don't get comfortable. Similar to what's happening in Thailand, but more open and honest, so people have been WARNED. The food is super boring as well.

Again my point is that Latin America is not a monolith. Large major countries like Mexico and Colombia are not monoliths either. It's about where you are at specifically.

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Edited May 5, 2019 by Jingthing

[CharlieH]

An inflammatory Troll post has been removed.

 

No one is forced to participate in this or any topic, if it is not to your liking, there are plenty of others on the forum to choose from.

 

9) You will not post inflammatory messages on the forum, or attempt to disrupt discussions to upset its participants, or trolling. Trolling can be defined as the act of purposefully antagonizing other people on the internet by posting controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.

 

[Jingthing]

15 minutes ago, andy said:

Interesting video, and $25/month rent sounds great, but he appears to be living in a concrete hovel with street cats.  Hope I am not that hard up in retirement.

 

Most likely will be going to Mexico City again for a visit in a few months, and I would like to do a day or overnight trip into Puebla just to check it out.

Yeah I wasn't suggesting that his level of accommodation is something that the general public should or will aspire to! It's not clear the concrete hovel is actually his room and on the video he doesn't describe it that way, but really what can anyone expect for that rent anywhere in the world? But if not why did he choose such a backdrop? He's hardly working for the tourism board with that view. There are modern neighborhoods outside the center there but he's quite far out (it's a large city) and it seems clear to me one of the negatives of that city and perhaps many cities in Mexico is that the taxis aren't all that cheap. I have used the cheap combis in Mexico before (the share vans) and yes, they're uncomfortable and crowded. I remember people even smoked in them! So location would really matter if you want to keep transport costs down. I'm hearing about rentals on decent one bedroom places about 300 USD, not sure how close to the center. BTW, for buying a home there which foreigners can do and fully own as it's not near a coast or border, values can be as low as 25 percent what an equivalent property would cost in the U.S.  I posted this video both for entertainment value and also for some practical clues about life in Puebla. I do have some admiration for people that are living kind of "off the grid" like that, in his case, in an urban way, but personally I like a lot more comfort.

 

To add once in my life I did stay in a kind of Mexican concrete bunker room in a hotel. I don't remember all the details but I arrived in Puerto Vallarta in high season and probably had a booking but that was the "room" they gave me and it wasn't as if there was anywhere else to go. It was filthy too and lots of lizards.

Edited May 5, 2019 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

Dated but romantic sounding.
 

Quote

Savoring the Pleasures of Puebla, Mexico

 

There are places to which we travel, and imagine staying. Why not just quit our job, rent a little apartment, tell the folks at home we’ll be back when our money runs out?

For me, one such place is Puebla

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/15/travel/savoring-the-pleasures-of-puebla-mexico.html

 

[seasia]

Cartagena Colombia Pros and Cons Living in Colombia.

 

I think this guy is fairly well balanced.

 

Cartegena not for him but might be for others. He covers that.

 

I  think the mix of old town and Carribean style  coast is appealing

 

 

 

[losworld]

very interesting topic with a lot of good posts:)

[Jingthing]

An app to use most efficiently if you've finished the Duolingo (or another) course to learn Spanish is CLOZEMASTER.

It's another game model program but it's not a formal structured comprehensive course like Duolingo.

So it's more of a review, drill, self testing, keeping the Spanish active in your brain and also learning lots of new vocab and more about grammar.

If you already speak Spanish but could use a tuneup, I reckon it would be good for that too.

Lots of options to configure. Not sure which are best. You can play one game a day free with premium option if you want more.

 

https://www.clozemaster.com/

 

 

 

Edited May 5, 2019 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

Cartagena Colombia Pros and Cons Living in Colombia.

  I think this guy is fairly well balanced.

 

Cartegena not for him but might be for others. He covers that.

 

I  think the mix of old town and Carribean style  coast is appealing

 

 

[/url]  

 

Yeah I agree. That How to Expat Swiss couple in Medellin are clearly working very hard to create valuable and objective content. Of course they are selling expat helper services on the ground as well. Their videos give the impression that they can be trusted but the proof is in actually trying them. It's encouraging that they claim to have learned Spanish via Duolingo.  

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[Cryingdick]

There are millions of Venezuelans fleeing is Colombia really where you want to set up shop?

[Gecko123]

I'm starting to worry that climate change and ground water depletion alone are going to cause so much population displacement and social unrest that many areas, including much of Latin America and SE Asia, will soon be unattractive as expat destinations. This film really scared the bejezus out of me:

 

 

Edited May 6, 2019 by Gecko123

[gk10002000]

I personally have little interest in the Latin American cultures, language, religion, music.  I can live cheaply in the USA when I retire at the end of this year.  Thailand, food, religion, physical apperances are much more attractive to me.  But the immigration nonsense really is nonsense.  It is workable, but still nonsense and requiring more and more reporting and paperwork which are just the things I hate and try to avoid. 

[marcusarelus]

7 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

I personally have little interest in the Latin American cultures, language, religion, music.  I can live cheaply in the USA when I retire at the end of this year.  Thailand, food, religion, physical apperances are much more attractive to me.  But the immigration nonsense really is nonsense.  It is workable, but still nonsense and requiring more and more reporting and paperwork which are just the things I hate and try to avoid. 

Ya, 20 minutes a year is too much to handle for most retired minds. 

[Mike Teavee]

On 5/4/2019 at 8:38 PM, grifbel said:

Very little incentive for any country to offer permanent residence to retirees, in their final non income-producing years.  In most cases, they are not paying income taxes and are using social infrastructure free of charge.  It is a net negative economically.  Why would any country offer this?  Better hit your economic text books! A long term visa is more than sufficient.

If you accept the argument that Retirees are a good market to try to attract as they bring in foreign currency & provide employment for locals then PR is just one of the carrots to dangle to attract them.

 

I think Panama has been very successful in doing this & maybe the surrounding countries are following their example.

 

 

[utalkin2me]

On 5/5/2019 at 12:15 PM, Jingthing said:

About Costa Rica. I have only visited San Jose. The air pollution was terrible and I didn't feel particularly safe there at night. I don't know why people would focus on that place. The government changed their policy from being very welcoming to retired expats to being somewhat hostile being honest at least about not offering residence security on that status. In other words they have openly said we will probably raise the requirements and the current people there will not be protected so don't get comfortable. Similar to what's happening in Thailand, but more open and honest, so people have been WARNED. The food is super boring as well.

Again my point is that Latin America is not a monolith. Large major countries like Mexico and Colombia are not monoliths either. It's about where you are at specifically.

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Yep, foodwise it is all about Mexico, Ecuador and Peru for me. I ate something on an Ecuadorian bus once that belonged in a five start restaurant. I mean the thing was heaven... some ball with fish in the middle. Sounds scary but it was sublime. 

[Mike Teavee]

On 5/4/2019 at 8:53 PM, Jingthing said:

Thanks for sharing.   Nobody travels or moves only for a cup of fruit security risks or not.

 

As the cup of fruit you refer to was in. Colombia perhaps you will find this item of interest. Or maybe not. It's all good.

 

 

7 Reasons Everyone Should Consider Retiring In Colombia

 

 

 

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_8098436

 

 

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Interesting article, especially the point about healthcare... 

 

By the way, the World Health Organization rates healthcare in Colombia as better than the U.S. or Canada and far more affordable. Colombia’s healthcare system, in fact, ranks as the best in all of the Americas. Four Colombian hospitals are listed in the top 10 in all of Latin America. That’s the most top 10 rankings of any other country in the region.

 

Colombia’s healthcare is so good, in fact, medical tourism increased by more than 60 percent between 2012 and 2013. Hospitals and clinics have modern medicine, trained doctors, and up-to-date technology and equipment.

 

[gk10002000]

21 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

Ya, 20 minutes a year is too much to handle for most retired minds. 

20 minutes?  Not a concern.  But setting up transfers, paying for transfers, establishing banking setups in a place people should not or may not want to establish.  Many people do NOT get monies in regular fashion back in their own country and will now have to setup buffer accounts in their home country to handle such things.  Ill get n my case, while I do qualify for social security benefits this month should I decide to take them, I sure won't be sending them to Thailand for direct deposit.  I have had enough electronic issues over the years with USA banks so my direct deposit will go to a USA bank and then I will work things from there.  In addition, most of my income will be from dividends and interest.  While those monies will average well over $5,000 USD each month, those monies are NOT all in the same account.  Some are in my ROTH IRA, some are in my Traditional IRA, and some are in my regular Brokerage account.  Which dividends or interest I decide to not re-invest and instead use for spending should be up to me!  And I distribute or withdraw as my tax situation or market conditions warrant.  Having to regularly take $2,000 from somewhere and send to Thailand, while certainly doable, will make me fiddle with my finances more than I want to.  Again, doable, but not desirable.

Edited May 7, 2019 by gk10002000
add

[Jingthing]

A couple of very interesting and useful links for anyone that might be interested in the COFFEE REGION of Colombia (Armenia, Pereira, Manizales). 

 

Armenia Expats group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/413620685496301/

 

Gets into the nitty gritty not always so fun stuff of becoming an expat in this region

http://coffeeaxistravel.com/life-as-an-expat/

 

 

 

Edited May 8, 2019 by Jingthing

[marcusarelus]

On 5/8/2019 at 4:13 AM, gk10002000 said:

20 minutes?  Not a concern.  But setting up transfers, paying for transfers, establishing banking setups in a place people should not or may not want to establish.  Many people do NOT get monies in regular fashion back in their own country and will now have to setup buffer accounts in their home country to handle such things.  Ill get n my case, while I do qualify for social security benefits this month should I decide to take them, I sure won't be sending them to Thailand for direct deposit.  I have had enough electronic issues over the years with USA banks so my direct deposit will go to a USA bank and then I will work things from there.  In addition, most of my income will be from dividends and interest.  While those monies will average well over $5,000 USD each month, those monies are NOT all in the same account.  Some are in my ROTH IRA, some are in my Traditional IRA, and some are in my regular Brokerage account.  Which dividends or interest I decide to not re-invest and instead use for spending should be up to me!  And I distribute or withdraw as my tax situation or market conditions warrant.  Having to regularly take $2,000 from somewhere and send to Thailand, while certainly doable, will make me fiddle with my finances more than I want to.  Again, doable, but not desirable.

20 years ago I put 16 grand USD in a Thai bank account 800k.  I've been withdrawing the interest payments every year.  The positive currency changes have made the 16 into 27.  But I'm a simple guy.  Not nearly as complicated as yourself.  SS costs me a pittance to transfer and the bank fee is 200 baht a month.  But I'm a simple guy.  If you have electronic issues with USA banks why not try Thai banks.  I've had no problems. 

 

Since you are posting in the, Move to Latin American forum I'd consider "Over the past five years, Latin American economies have lagged emerging-market peers. It’s the only region where living standards actually declined."  Emerging Asian economies have gone up 30% and Latin America dropped 10 %  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-08/as-latin-america-gets-poorer-democracy-itself-is-now-questioned

 

Since you have all that fancy IRA and brokerage accounts stuff surly you can free up 27 grand for a fixed deposit account earning the same as what you'd get at home.  I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill.

 

I would however caution you about putting money into a Latin American bank as the economic picture for that area of the world looks grim compared to Asia. 

[gk10002000]

Just now, marcusarelus said:

20 years ago I put 16 grand USD in a Thai bank account 800k.  I've been withdrawing the interest payments every year.  The positive currency changes have made the 16 into 27.  But I'm a simple guy.  Not nearly as complicated as yourself.  SS costs me a pittance to transfer and the bank fee is 200 baht a month.  But I'm a simple guy.  If you have electronic issues with USA banks why not try Thai banks.  I've had no problems. 

 

Since you are posting in the, Move to Latin American forum I'd consider "Over the past five years, Latin American economies have lagged emerging-market peers. It’s the only region where living standards actually declined."  Emerging Asian economies have gone up 30% and Latin America dropped 10 %  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-08/as-latin-america-gets-poorer-democracy-itself-is-now-questioned

 

Since you have all that fancy IRA and brokerage accounts stuff surly you can free up 27 grand for a fixed deposit account earning the same as what you'd get at home.  I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill.

 

I would however caution you about putting money into a Latin American bank as the economic picture for that area of the world looks grim compared to Asia. 

I certainly could put 27K USD in a fixed deposit account.  I don't trust Thai banks much at all and would prefer to leave my money fully invested in my USA assets.  Why you call IRA accounts "fancy" is silly.  Roth IRAs are very important accounts and they earn and distribute monies tax free.  anything earned overseas in Thailand would be reportable to the IRS as income.  So that is another reason I would not want lump sums "invested" in Thailand.  And the latest immigration policies are far from clear how that 800k baht on deposit will be used.  Some say timed accounts are OK.  Others say you should periodically withdraw some monies to show you are living on them, yet at the same time told to refresh them up to 800 K baht two and three months here and there.  I have read posts where even though people had 800k Baht on deposit, now some immigration officers are asking what they are living on and still asking for proof of income or transfers into Thailand!  It will be a while before all that shakes out.   I prefer to not put any substantial sums of money overseas anywhere.  I prefer to not have to file any paperwork for having 10K USD in accounts overseas.  A mountain out of a molehill you say?  Not at all.  But for income purposes one would have to do a lot of steps.  

[marcusarelus]

18 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

I certainly could put 27K USD in a fixed deposit account.  I don't trust Thai banks much at all and would prefer to leave my money fully invested in my USA assets.  Why you call IRA accounts "fancy" is silly.  Roth IRAs are very important accounts and they earn and distribute monies tax free.  anything earned overseas in Thailand would be reportable to the IRS as income.  So that is another reason I would not want lump sums "invested" in Thailand.  And the latest immigration policies are far from clear how that 800k baht on deposit will be used.  Some say timed accounts are OK.  Others say you should periodically withdraw some monies to show you are living on them, yet at the same time told to refresh them up to 800 K baht two and three months here and there.  I have read posts where even though people had 800k Baht on deposit, now some immigration officers are asking what they are living on and still asking for proof of income or transfers into Thailand!  It will be a while before all that shakes out.   I prefer to not put any substantial sums of money overseas anywhere.  I prefer to not have to file any paperwork for having 10K USD in accounts overseas.  A mountain out of a molehill you say?  Not at all.  But for income purposes one would have to do a lot of steps.  

1.  27 grand is not substantial to anyone who chooses to live in a foreign country it's like a bare minimum.  2.  The immigration policies are clear and you can use a Fixed Deposit account.  Check with your local Immigration office to confirm.  3. The FBAR account filing is done by computer and takes me approximately 3 minutes per year.  4.  I'm switching to the income method this year and the steps for me are quite simple.  Get a 12 month statement and just before extension time get a 6 month statement.  Total costs 300 baht.  How many income sources do you haves to use to make up 65k per month?  

 

Sounds to me like you have been reading Thai Visa and not actually experiencing the process of living in Thailand.  Compared to other countries with the same infrastructure and economic outlook it is simple and cheap. 

 

There are a lot of negative posters on Thai Visa about immigration.  One has to sift through the dreck to get at the truth sometimes.  I've never used an agent or interpreter or wife to help me at Immigration and I've had no problems for 20 years.  It's not that difficult as I'm a typical old guy living on Social Security.  How to fund medical insurance now there's a problem and I'm the first to admit it.  Columbia might be a better choice as far as that goes or even Mexico.  

 

But if you don't like dealing with problems or a bit of adventure - stay home. 

[Mike Teavee]

Out of curiosity I did a Numbeo comparison Colombia & Thailand... 

 

Indices Difference
Consumer Prices in Colombia are 39.34% lower than in Thailand
Consumer Prices Including Rent in Colombia are 40.84% lower than in Thailand
Rent Prices in Colombia are 45.57% lower than in Thailand
Restaurant Prices in Colombia are 10.91% lower than in Thailand
Groceries Prices in Colombia are 52.05% lower than in Thailand
Local Purchasing Power in Colombia is 15.76% lower than in Thailand

 

Then compared specific cities starting with the capitals...  

You would need around 34,868.78฿ (3,621,292.03Col$) in Bogota to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with 65,000.00฿ in Bangkok (assuming you rent in both cities). This calculation uses our Cost of Living Plus Rent Index to compare cost of living. This assumes net earnings (after income tax). You can change the amount in this calculation.

Indices Difference
Consumer Prices in Bogota are 42.78% lower than in Bangkok
Consumer Prices Including Rent in Bogota are 46.36% lower than in Bangkok
Rent Prices in Bogota are 54.70% lower than in Bangkok
Restaurant Prices in Bogota are 14.46% lower than in Bangkok
Groceries Prices in Bogota are 56.77% lower than in Bangkok
Local Purchasing Power in Bogota is 22.02% lower than in Bangkok

	Bangkok		Bogota
Purchasing Power Index	Very Low	40.05	Very Low	31.23
Safety Index	Moderate	55.68	Low	39.65
Health Care Index	High	78.07	High	65.67
Climate Index	Moderate	58.39	Very High	97.12
Cost of Living Index	Low	56.02	Very Low	32.06
Property Price to Income Ratio	Very High	24.20	Very High	23.89
Traffic Commute Time Index	High	45.35	High	47.75
Pollution Index	High	75.94	High	68.92
Quality of Life Index	Moderate	91.44	Moderate	94.04
Minimum contributors in an underlying section:	84		111
Maximum contributors in an underlying section:	448		406
Last Update:	May 2019		May 2019

 

Index	Bangkok	Bogota
Quality of Life Index:	91.44	94.04

 

And then 2nd Cities... 

You would need around 41,745.92฿ (4,335,516.89Col$) in Medellin to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with 65,000.00฿ in Chiang Mai (assuming you rent in both cities). This calculation uses our Cost of Living Plus Rent Index to compare cost of living. This assumes net earnings (after income tax). You can change the amount in this calculation.

Indices Difference
Consumer Prices in Medellin are 37.27% lower than in Chiang Mai
Consumer Prices Including Rent in Medellin are 35.78% lower than in Chiang Mai
Rent Prices in Medellin are 29.76% lower than in Chiang Mai
Restaurant Prices in Medellin are 6.94% higher than in Chiang Mai
Groceries Prices in Medellin are 50.09% lower than in Chiang Mai
Local Purchasing Power in Medellin is 7.12% lower than in Chiang Mai

	Chiang Mai		Medellin
Purchasing Power Index	Very Low	38.01	Very Low	35.30
Safety Index	High	75.23	Moderate	53.53
Health Care Index	Very High	85.69	High	77.21
Climate Index	High	75.93	Very High	99.76
Cost of Living Index	Low	46.37	Very Low	29.09
Property Price to Income Ratio	Very High	17.89	Very High	17.09
Traffic Commute Time Index	Low	31.15	Moderate	37.42
Pollution Index	High	75.17	High	65.19
Quality of Life Index	High	124.19	High	122.85
Minimum contributors in an underlying section:	15		32
Maximum contributors in an underlying section:	149		185
Last Update:	April 2019		May 2019

Index	Chiang Mai	Medellin
Quality of Life Index:	124.19	122.85

 

 

There's not actually much difference between the 2 

 

Edited May 9, 2019 by Mike Teavee

[Jingthing]

Medellin is a higher priced city in Colombia. 

Cartegena would even be higher, and the coffee triangle cities would be lower.

Edited May 9, 2019 by Jingthing

[pepperhope]

thanks for this information. I had some doubts towards my visa but your discussion clears my all doubts. Thank you once again.

[Jingthing]

Fears (so many!) vs. reality in Mexico.

This couple in various videos share a lot of information about DRIVING in Mexico and the legal issues with bringing a car from the U.S.

 

 

Edited May 9, 2019 by Jingthing

[gk10002000]

14 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

1.  27 grand is not substantial to anyone who chooses to live in a foreign country it's like a bare minimum.  2.  The immigration policies are clear and you can use a Fixed Deposit account.  Check with your local Immigration office to confirm.  3. The FBAR account filing is done by computer and takes me approximately 3 minutes per year.  4.  I'm switching to the income method this year and the steps for me are quite simple.  Get a 12 month statement and just before extension time get a 6 month statement.  Total costs 300 baht.  How many income sources do you haves to use to make up 65k per month?  

 

Sounds to me like you have been reading Thai Visa and not actually experiencing the process of living in Thailand.  Compared to other countries with the same infrastructure and economic outlook it is simple and cheap. 

 

There are a lot of negative posters on Thai Visa about immigration.  One has to sift through the dreck to get at the truth sometimes.  I've never used an agent or interpreter or wife to help me at Immigration and I've had no problems for 20 years.  It's not that difficult as I'm a typical old guy living on Social Security.  How to fund medical insurance now there's a problem and I'm the first to admit it.  Columbia might be a better choice as far as that goes or even Mexico.  

 

But if you don't like dealing with problems or a bit of adventure - stay home. 

If you don't like what I write then don't read it.  To say that 27,000 is not substantial is just plain stupid.  I am a millionaire and I find it funny how often people are so quick to give financial advice, and tell others how to spend their monies.  And as far as filing fbar, who said the time to do it was an issue?  There are many reasons why establishing finances in another country are not desired.  One, which I doubt you would understand is that now such things have to be reported on security clearance forms, special program access questionnaire forms, etc.  Things you probably have no idea about.  In my occupation those things are very important.  So go back to your paper route and worry about your situation, not somebody else's.    Your comment about "stay home" is childish.  Classic example of hasty generalization and somebody that just wants be argumentative.  Really inane

[gk10002000]

14 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

Out of curiosity I did a Numbeo comparison Colombia & Thailand... 

 

Indices Difference
Consumer Prices in Colombia are 39.34% lower than in Thailand
Consumer Prices Including Rent in Colombia are 40.84% lower than in Thailand
Rent Prices in Colombia are 45.57% lower than in Thailand
Restaurant Prices in Colombia are 10.91% lower than in Thailand
Groceries Prices in Colombia are 52.05% lower than in Thailand
Local Purchasing Power in Colombia is 15.76% lower than in Thailand

 

Then compared specific cities starting with the capitals...  

You would need around 34,868.78฿ (3,621,292.03Col$) in Bogota to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with 65,000.00฿ in Bangkok (assuming you rent in both cities). This calculation uses our Cost of Living Plus Rent Index to compare cost of living. This assumes net earnings (after income tax). You can change the amount in this calculation.

Indices Difference
Consumer Prices in Bogota are 42.78% lower than in Bangkok
Consumer Prices Including Rent in Bogota are 46.36% lower than in Bangkok
Rent Prices in Bogota are 54.70% lower than in Bangkok
Restaurant Prices in Bogota are 14.46% lower than in Bangkok
Groceries Prices in Bogota are 56.77% lower than in Bangkok
Local Purchasing Power in Bogota is 22.02% lower than in Bangkok

	Bangkok		Bogota
Purchasing Power Index	Very Low	40.05	Very Low	31.23
Safety Index	Moderate	55.68	Low	39.65
Health Care Index	High	78.07	High	65.67
Climate Index	Moderate	58.39	Very High	97.12
Cost of Living Index	Low	56.02	Very Low	32.06
Property Price to Income Ratio	Very High	24.20	Very High	23.89
Traffic Commute Time Index	High	45.35	High	47.75
Pollution Index	High	75.94	High	68.92
Quality of Life Index	Moderate	91.44	Moderate	94.04
Minimum contributors in an underlying section:	84		111
Maximum contributors in an underlying section:	448		406
Last Update:	May 2019		May 2019

 

Index	Bangkok	Bogota
Quality of Life Index:	91.44	94.04

 

And then 2nd Cities... 

You would need around 41,745.92฿ (4,335,516.89Col$) in Medellin to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with 65,000.00฿ in Chiang Mai (assuming you rent in both cities). This calculation uses our Cost of Living Plus Rent Index to compare cost of living. This assumes net earnings (after income tax). You can change the amount in this calculation.

Indices Difference
Consumer Prices in Medellin are 37.27% lower than in Chiang Mai
Consumer Prices Including Rent in Medellin are 35.78% lower than in Chiang Mai
Rent Prices in Medellin are 29.76% lower than in Chiang Mai
Restaurant Prices in Medellin are 6.94% higher than in Chiang Mai
Groceries Prices in Medellin are 50.09% lower than in Chiang Mai
Local Purchasing Power in Medellin is 7.12% lower than in Chiang Mai

	Chiang Mai		Medellin
Purchasing Power Index	Very Low	38.01	Very Low	35.30
Safety Index	High	75.23	Moderate	53.53
Health Care Index	Very High	85.69	High	77.21
Climate Index	High	75.93	Very High	99.76
Cost of Living Index	Low	46.37	Very Low	29.09
Property Price to Income Ratio	Very High	17.89	Very High	17.09
Traffic Commute Time Index	Low	31.15	Moderate	37.42
Pollution Index	High	75.17	High	65.19
Quality of Life Index	High	124.19	High	122.85
Minimum contributors in an underlying section:	15		32
Maximum contributors in an underlying section:	149		185
Last Update:	April 2019		May 2019

Index	Chiang Mai	Medellin
Quality of Life Index:	124.19	122.85

 

 

There's not actually much difference between the 2 

 

A fine post.  Good details.  I am not so much worried about the monies, I just prefer Asian things. 

[Jingthing]

How many U.S. expats in Ecuador?

The ambassador says 100,000 but the expats so no way.

 

https://cuencahighlife.com/u-s-ambassador-says-relations-between-the-u-s-have-never-been-better-praises-expat-contributions/

 

As Ecuador is one of those apostille-centric Latin American nations here's an interesting clue. Canada, like Thailand, is not an apostille treaty country. For Canadian documents for Ecuador as you can't get an apostille, there are two steps needed -- certification by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and after that the Ecuadorian embassy/consulate in Canada. For a criminal background check for Thailand, perhaps it would be a similar process, but in Thailand. 

 

 

Edited May 9, 2019 by Jingthing

[DingDongLing]

Latin america is nice if u are away from the cartels influence