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

[Jingthing]

28 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Well...let's look at this way-the average latino/latina would eat any expat from SE Asia for breakfast.

 

Whereas the average Thai would look upon the usual expat with puzzled affection until the money ran out.

 

So..the options are to be screeched at in Spanish -Latin based European language which is quite easy to learn.

 

Or be berated in a language which has over 40 consonants,4-5 tones and a written alphabet unknown to any others on the planet...

 

The choice is yours as I couldn't give a flying squirrel on the subject.????

I'm not fully clear on what you're saying exactly but in my experiences traveling including some longer stays in Latin America I feel the locals generally expect people to speak at least some basic Spanish even if it's just polite greetings. I think they would consider a longer term expat not speaking it as both stupid and disrespectful. In Thailand I don't think long term expats not speaking Thai are seen as stupid, they know they have a difficult language, but disrespectful yes. 

[Odysseus123]

22 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I'm not fully clear on what you're saying exactly but in my experiences traveling including some longer stays in Latin America I feel the locals generally expect people to speak at least some basic Spanish even if it's just polite greetings. I think they would consider a longer term expat not speaking it as both stupid and disrespectful. In Thailand I don't think long term expats not speaking Thai are seen as stupid, they know they have a difficult language, but disrespectful yes. 

Hi Jinghthing,

 

I was being light heartedf but in my travels thru' South America my impression was that the middle-class Spanish speaking inhabitants would eat -in terms of culture and education-the average "Farang" living in Thailand for breakfast.

Let's face it-most of them are blue collar industrialised serfs,obsessed with purchaseable sex and cheap food and housing.

 

Chile,for example,has an extremely robust culture which would eviscerate the average American fom Alabama,the Brit from Manchester or the Aussie from Blacktown-leaving them no alternative but to stick with SE Asia,which is sick of them anyway.

Edited October 16, 2019 by Odysseus123

[Jingthing]

24 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Hi Jinghthing,

 

I was being light heartedf but in my travels thru' South America my impression was that the middle-class Spanish speaking inhabitants would eat -in terms of culture and education-the average "Farang" living in Thailand for breakfast.

Let's face it-most of them are blue collar industrialised serfs,obsessed with purchaseable sex and cheap food and housing.

 

Chile,for example,has an extremely robust culture which would eviscerate the average American fom Alabama,the Brit from Manchester or the Aussie from Blacktown-leaving them no alternative but to stick with SE Asia,which is sick of them anyway.

Thanks.
Interestingly as my Spanish improves little by little I am realizing that one of the benefits for me of living in Latin America would be actually relating to their culture and language. I don't really feel that in Thailand. For example one of the cities I'm interested in now has an International Theater Festival. I could see myself attending such events even though I wouldn't understand everything while I would never attend a Thai language theater festival, if it existed. 

I guess this begs the question, yes I did learn some basic Thai but that didn't lead to really relating to the culture here. I don't think that's a right or wrong thing, I just don't. 

Edited October 16, 2019 by Jingthing

[Longcut]

On 3/4/2019 at 3:30 PM, EricTh said:

Thailand is no longer cheap, if you are from America, latin America would  be more sensible to live bcos it's nearer.

 

What is the cost of living there compared to Thailand?

I spent 10 years back and forth from America to Panama. (Job Related) I don't speak Spanish. I thought after a while I would go out of my mind. Some Panamanians speak English, but normally won't. While Panama can be cheap. Living a "gringo" lifestyle will cost you. Getting anything done within any normal timeframe is next to impossible. Service anywhere is very slow. Panamanians are somewhat like the Thai people. You have your haves and have nots. The elite live well, while the others struggle day to day. Panama uses the dollar, so that was pretty good. But, the food is the worst. Almost no taste to it at all. I don't think I would be able to go back and live in Panama. Too boring and I don't have as much hair to pull out anymore.

[Jingthing]

5 hours ago, Longcut said:

I spent 10 years back and forth from America to Panama. (Job Related) I don't speak Spanish. I thought after a while I would go out of my mind. Some Panamanians speak English, but normally won't. While Panama can be cheap. Living a "gringo" lifestyle will cost you. Getting anything done within any normal timeframe is next to impossible. Service anywhere is very slow. Panamanians are somewhat like the Thai people. You have your haves and have nots. The elite live well, while the others struggle day to day. Panama uses the dollar, so that was pretty good. But, the food is the worst. Almost no taste to it at all. I don't think I would be able to go back and live in Panama. Too boring and I don't have as much hair to pull out anymore.

Thanks for that account about your time in Panama. I haven't been to Panama but I suppose Costa Rican food is similar and it was the most boring food country I've ever visited. Were you in the Panama City area? Panama City is definitely an expensive place to live in Latin America. More provincial areas of course more affordable. 

You were responding to a question about costs in Latin America. It's a very big place. It really depends on which country and where in that country.

It's no secret I've become very interested in Colombia. Right now their currency is super weak compared to the dollar. In provincial cities very nice modern places in good neighborhoods can be rented for 300ish dollars. That wouldn't be possible (not even close) in Panama City.

[Destiny1990]

7 hours ago, Longcut said:

I spent 10 years back and forth from America to Panama. (Job Related) I don't speak Spanish. I thought after a while I would go out of my mind. Some Panamanians speak English, but normally won't. While Panama can be cheap. Living a "gringo" lifestyle will cost you. Getting anything done within any normal timeframe is next to impossible. Service anywhere is very slow. Panamanians are somewhat like the Thai people. You have your haves and have nots. The elite live well, while the others struggle day to day. Panama uses the dollar, so that was pretty good. But, the food is the worst. Almost no taste to it at all. I don't think I would be able to go back and live in Panama. Too boring and I don't have as much hair to pull out anymore.

And now you’re in Thailand where all is perfect for you is it?.

 

[Iren1cuss]

22 hours ago, Odysseus123 said:

Hi Jinghthing,

 

I was being light heartedf but in my travels thru' South America my impression was that the middle-class Spanish speaking inhabitants would eat -in terms of culture and education-the average "Farang" living in Thailand for breakfast.

Let's face it-most of them are blue collar industrialised serfs,obsessed with purchaseable sex and cheap food and housing.

 

Chile,for example,has an extremely robust culture which would eviscerate the average American fom Alabama,the Brit from Manchester or the Aussie from Blacktown-leaving them no alternative but to stick with SE Asia,which is sick of them anyway.

As a Chilean, I would agree to some extent. Having said that I think the reason most foreigners with little education would prefer Thailand is because It's a country that's made for tourism(Hot weather all year round, beautiful beaches, kinda cheap housing/food as you said, "special" nightlife, etc.). Most countries in South America are not catered towards western expats or tourists as much as Thailand, so in the long term, it would be harder for them to adapt if they don't speak Spanish. 

 

Latin America, in general, is also not nearly as cheap as Thailand(I've been to Argentina, Panama, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Uruguay). I can't talk about Colombia or Ecuador but I would guess that they shouldn't be much cheaper than the countries I mentioned. One of the reasons I travel so much is because it's cheaper for me to travel outside of my country than to vacation in it(even going to Europe or the US can be cheaper than visiting San Pedro de Atacama if you want any decent accommodations these days). 

 

To anyone thinking about moving to Latin America, I would recommend to make some deep research on the real cost of living here(if you want any kind of decent life). Learning Spanish would also help as most people won't speak English outside of Hotels or tourist areas, and they are not expected to do so either.

[Jingthing]

A generality that can be made is that major cities are going to be more expensive than provincial cities pretty much everywhere. As I've been focused on Colombia the bigger tourist draws of Medellin, Bogota, and Cartagena are among the highest cost places. Get into cities most foreigners haven't ever even heard of and the costs do drop dramatically (at least based on my research which at this point is pretty significant). For example try Santa Marta on the Caribbean instead of Cartagena and save a bundle. 

 

As said before Panama City is an expensive place.

Costa Rica now has a reputation as getting too expensive for many expats.

Argentina even though I have been there you've got the crazy cyclical financial crises there so I guess that depends on when you go, whether you're bring in dollars, etc.

 

As far as Thailand being much cheaper, as in Latin America that is location specific but as a generality Thailand has become significantly more expensive for many in recent years because of the absurdly strong baht, massive medical care inflation, and for long term people onerous visa rule changes increasing those costs as well for many. 

Cheers. 

Edited October 17, 2019 by Jingthing

[grifbel]

https://www.businessinsider.com/latin-america-is-the-worlds-most-violent-region-crime-2019-9?r=US&IR=T

 

400 murders a day: 10 reasons why Latin America is the world's most violent place

Outside of active war zones, Latin America is the world's most violent region, despite some variations among countries there.

No single thing explains why there's so much bloodshed, but there are several factors common throughout the region.

 

Latin America is home to about 8% of the world's population but has about one-third of its homicides — in 2016, that meant some 400 homicides a day, or roughly 146,000 a year. But the bloodshed is not evenly distributed. 

 

.......

Edited October 18, 2019 by grifbel

[Jingthing]

The safety and violence issue in Latin America is always a big bugaboo but consider these points:

 

-- Latin America is a big place with lots of diversity among countries and within countries

-- Expats generally (and wisely) choose to live in safer areas whether at the macro or micro level. For example if moving to Lima you will find most in Miraflores (micro). If moving to Mexico, choosing the Lake Chapala area over Veracruz (macro). And on and on. 

-- There are irrational extremes in the characterization of violence. At the one end over the top fear mongering and at the other ridiculous defensiveness of some expats saying there is no problem at all. The reality in my opinion is somewhere in the middle especially considering my point that naturally most expats choose relatively safer locales.

-- Adjustment in behavior. An expat moving from a safer country and I would include most areas of Thailand and places like small town Canada for example would need to become more security conscious. Good locks on doors, doormen in buildings, not wearing flashy clothes or flashing cash, learning the dodgy neighborhoods, not leaving their phone on restaurant tables, not even using their phone in public in many locations, usually taking taxis at night especially when alone and then knowing the safer methods of getting the taxis, etc. A person coming from a more typically violent city in the U.S. probably has much less of an adjustment to being security conscious. For some people that could be a deal breaker and for some people maybe it should be. It is no doubt a negative. But the flip side in my view is that many people are irrationally overly afraid of Latin America so that serves to keep many more locations "virginal" as far as not being corrupted by an oversaturation of expats.

 

Edited October 18, 2019 by Jingthing

[JaiLai]

The safety and violence issue in Latin America is always a big bugaboo but consider these points:
 
-- Latin America is a big place with lots of diversity among countries and within countries
-- Expats generally (and wisely) choose to live in safer areas whether at the macro or micro level. For example if moving to Lima you will find most in Miraflores (micro). If moving to Mexico, choosing the Lake Chapala area over Veracruz (macro). And on and on. 
-- There are irrational extremes in the characterization of violence. At the one end over the top fear mongering and at the other ridiculous defensiveness of some expats saying there is no problem at all. The reality in my opinion is somewhere in the middle especially considering my point that naturally most expats choose relatively safer locales.
-- Adjustment in behavior. An expat moving from a safer country and I would include most areas of Thailand and places like small town Canada for example would need to become more security conscious. Good locks on doors, doormen in buildings, not wearing flashy clothes or flashing cash, learning the dodgy neighborhoods, not leaving their phone on restaurant tables, not even using their phone in public in many locations, usually taking taxis at night especially when alone and then knowing the safer methods of getting the taxis, etc. A person coming from a more typically violent city in the U.S. probably has much less of an adjustment to being security conscious. For some people that could be a deal breaker and for some people maybe it should be. It is no doubt a negative. But the flip side in my view is that many people are irrationally overly afraid of Latin America so that serves to keep many more locations "virginal" as far as not being corrupted by an oversaturation of expats.
 

Now you’ve done extensive research and had great input on this thread ( good and bad ) have you decided when you’re leaving?

Also pls report back with your transition.


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[grifbel]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50092641

El Chapo: Mexican police free drug lord's son as Culiacán battle erupts

 

 

 

Heavy fighting broke out in northern Mexico on Thursday after security forces detained a son of the jailed drug kingpin Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.

Fighting raged for several hours after Ovidio Guzmán López was found during a routine patrol in the city of Culiacán.

Footage showed heavily-armed men firing on police, with cars, bodies and burning barricades strewn in the road.

Police withdrew without Mr Guzmán in their custody to avoid further violence, officials said.

• How Mexico's drug kingpin fell victim to his own legend
• El Chapo: Five things to know
• Shocking allegations in 'El Chapo' trial

Mexico's security minister, Alfonso Durazo, told Reuters news agency that a patrol of National Guard militarised police came under intense fire from outside the house where they had located Mr Guzmán, forcing them to retreat from the building for their own safety and "to recover calm in the city".

A lawyer for the Guzmán family told the Associated Press, "Ovidio is alive and free."

Mexico's President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said he would hold a meeting of his security cabinet to discuss the incident.

Edited October 18, 2019 by grifbel

[Jingthing]

Maybe a new topic is needed to dump all the sensationalist blood and gore news stories in areas where tourists and expats generally don't go?

 

 

That said I do think crime news from areas where there ARE a lot of tourists and expats are indeed on topic here.

 

For example in San Miguel de Allende and Medellin.

 

 

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[Jingthing]

Panama remains popular with expats. It's my impression that it beats Costa Rica in that regard in Central America. 

 

As mentioned before Panama City is quite expensive but there are other options.

 

Boquette is a famous smaller town expat ghetto area and it's a one hour bus ride to a bigger (hot) city of David.

 

This is a very commercial oriented site but I see they have an overview of all the typical practical expat related topics so I see some free value offered there:

 

https://panamarelocationtours.com/living-in-panama#tab-con-19

 

This lady appears content living in the Boquette area.

 

 

Z

Edited October 18, 2019 by Jingthing

[Destiny1990]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Panama remains popular with expats. It's my impression that it beats Costa Rica in that regard in Central America. 

 

As mentioned before Panama City is quite expensive but there are other options.

 

Boquette is a famous smaller town expat ghetto area and it's a one hour bus ride to a bigger (hot) city of David.

 

This is a very commercial oriented site but I see they have an overview of all the typical practical expat related topics so I see some free value offered there:

 

https://panamarelocationtours.com/living-in-panama#tab-con-19

 

This lady appears content living in the Boquette area.

 

 

Z

So when are you going to buy your plane ticket?

[JaiLai]

7 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

So when are you going to buy your plane ticket?

i asked the same question, no answer.

 

after the coniderable research the transition should be a breeze..

[simon43]

So when are you going to buy your plane ticket?

 

I assume that the answer to that question really depends upon when 'push' changes to 'shove'.  Relocating between countries is a stressful experience (I know, I just did it!), and surely no-one wants to make that move unless it is really necessary or sought-after.

 

In my case, my visa was coming up for renewal, so it seemed a good time to move.  But I only moved across the border.  To relocate from Thailand to south/central America? I wouldn't want to even think about the planning/hassles/stress/cost.....

[Jingthing]

Thanks Simon.

 

I have previously summarized my policy about responding to baiting posts about my personal plans concerning consideration of expatriation to Latin America multiple times before in this thread. 

 

But I will summarize for the convenience of readers now as I understand they were old posts --

 

Don't bother with such baiting posts. I will not directly respond to them. 

 

This topic is about CONSIDERATION of expatriation to Latin America. For me. For you. For anyone that is interested in the topic.

 

Starting and continuing this topic in no way represents a personal commitment to EVER leave Thailand to move to Latin America, or anywhere else. Or even to travel there again. 

 

In general I consider some nations in Latin America a potentially viable PLAN B for many expats that may be getting pushed out by changes in Thailand (visa policies, health insurance requirements, strong baht, etc.). Especially those of us from the USA and Canada. I suppose that also includes potentially new expats to Thailand that might be having second thoughts after hearing about all the hassles expats have had here in recent years. The majority assumption on this forum appears to be the alternatives to Thailand are also in Southeast Asia. But that's not true. There are other options largely in Latin America and Europe. This thread is only about options in Latin America though. 

 

If (not when, IF) I do personally take this consideration to more concrete steps, members won't need to bait me here to know about it. Of course, I would post updates IF that ever happens.

 

Cheers.

 

 

Edited October 19, 2019 by Jingthing

[Destiny1990]

26 minutes ago, simon43 said:

 

 

 

I assume that the answer to that question really depends upon when 'push' changes to 'shove'.  Relocating between countries is a stressful experience (I know, I just did it!), and surely no-one wants to make that move unless it is really necessary or sought-after.

 

In my case, my visa was coming up for renewal, so it seemed a good time to move.  But I only moved across the border.  To relocate from Thailand to south/central America? I wouldn't want to even think about the planning/hassles/stress/cost.....

Well you can bring 30 Kg in a suitcase moving countries is rather easy i talking from my own Experience here. but the selection of a new destination takes more research and involves going there for short trips first !

Has the OP even been in Colombia or SA? Oh i now read his posts that there are no concrete plans in his case.

Edited October 19, 2019 by Destiny1990

[Jingthing]

4 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

...

Has the OP even been in Colombia or SA?

I have discussed my previous travel history to several nations in Latin America many many times on this thread (including longish stays in Argentina and Mexico) and if you had followed the thread you would already know I have not been to Colombia. Keep in mind most people were avoiding Colombia in the past due to the narco violence and civil war. 

Edited October 19, 2019 by Jingthing

[Matzzon]

On 3/4/2019 at 9:34 AM, Jingthing said:

Brazil's cities do have high crime but I really have personally rules out Brazil anyway based on their financial requirements.

There are much safer specific choices in various Latin American choices, so please people that come on here saying you will definitely be murdered if you move anywhere in LA, that's just wrong. Totally wrong. 

If we go to the pure facts instead and compare Thailand with most of the Latin American and South American coutries, it´s actually pretty easy to find a deterrent to move from Thailand to any of those countries. As you clearly stated, we do not have to bring L.A. into the discussion, right?

First, take a look at this link: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/murder-rates-by-country.html

Here we have murder rate per capita compared per 100 000 people i all countries. Most of the Latin American and south American countries seems to be more dangerous than Thailand that actually places 107.

After that we will take a look at this link: http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/crime-rate-by-country/

The link above represents the crime rates in different countries. Also here it seems like Thailand will be a better choice than most of the above mentioned countries.

Here we have the third link: http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/most-corrupt-countries/

This one represents the corruption index by country. Everybody knows that it´s high corruption in Thailand, but compared to many South American and some Latin American countries they are still a better choice. However, here there are more even, so let´s say it´s almost even.

At last we can take a look at the safety index for the common person. The below little infographic will fix that little trick:
 

 

As you can clearly see, there are many reasons to not move from Thailand. At least not to South America or Latin America. Just take a look at the infographic. It really looks like Siberia is right on track. ????????

[Jingthing]

I'm not super interested in Panama but it's still not totally off my list. For those that know that they are super interested in Panama, I wonder about the value of this quickie expat tour there. It actually sounds pretty good to me as a "sampler" and also all the supposedly insider info they're promising plus even helping you open a bank account there, which based on my reading in the past isn't very easy to do there. 

 

I know that Panama City and the beach city not far from there Coronado is way too expensive for me. David is too hot for me. Don't need to travel to those places to know that already.

 

So Boquette seems the natural place.

But I think it's interesting to know the other places they go to on their quickie tour. I haven't even heard of all those places so short of going on their tour, might be fun to look up more info about that. 

https://panamarelocationtours.com/tours

 

Quote

Visit the following areas: Coronado or Gorgona, Chitre, Las Tablas, Santiago, Las Lajas, David, Boquete, Volcan, Bambito, and Puerto Armuelles

 

I reckon for those that are super serious about Panama a cool thing to do might be to take such a quickie tour and then stay much longer in the place or places that clicked with them from that experience. 

Edited October 19, 2019 by Jingthing

[JaiLai]

I'm not super interested in Panama but it's still not totally off my list. For those that know that they are super interested in Panama, I wonder about the value of this quickie expat tour there. It actually sounds pretty good to me as a "sampler" and also all the supposedly insider info they're promising plus even helping you open a bank account there, which based on my reading in the past isn't very easy to do there. 
 
I know that Panama City and the beach city not far from there Coronado is way too expensive for me. David is too hot for me. Don't need to travel to those places to know that already.
 
So Boquette seems the natural place.

But I think it's interesting to know the other places they go to on their quickie tour. I haven't even heard of all those places so short of going on their tour, might be fun to look up more info about that. 
https://panamarelocationtours.com/tours
 

Visit the following areas: Coronado or Gorgona, Chitre, Las Tablas, Santiago, Las Lajas, David, Boquete, Volcan, Bambito, and Puerto Armuelles

 
I reckon for those that are super serious about Panama a cool thing to do might be to take such a quickie tour and then stay much longer in the place or places that clicked with them from that experience. 

Have you considered a ‘quicky tour’ at any of your preferred options to see what it’s like in real life?


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[Jingthing]

I've posted similar items before about Colombia and the coffee region of Colombia, but I don't think I've posted this before.

 

It's from the "notorious" International Living site that is justifiably criticized for promoting overpriced real estate and seminars and never having a negative word to say about any place. 

 

However, an interesting thing to me is that based on my research the positive stuff they say in this puff piece is actually probably true. In fact on the health care part of it, my research says it's even better than they're saying because you can get the basic government program for about 35 dollars a month that covers a primary doctor, specialists and procedures with unfortunately a long wait by reference, prescriptions meds, and dentistry (for tiny copays). 

Obviously private insurance if you can get it costs more (and better) but on the basic program you can always choose to pay retail to speed up seeing specialists and procedures.

 

Anyway, here is that "new" puff piece. The quoted cost is based on two people so reduce for one of course.

 

Quote

 

Great Living On $1,500 A Month In Colombia’s Coffee Triangle

 

Each of us has our own priorities, but to find a place that ticks the boxes on nearly everyone’s list is something special. A perfect climate that’s neither too hot nor too cool (60 F to 80 F all year); amazing natural surroundings; plenty of cultural events; history-filled cities; superb healthcare; friendly people; and a welcoming country ... all with a fantastically low cost of living — figure $1,500 a month for a couple, all in.

 

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/retire-in-colombia_b_10320998

[Cryingdick]

On 10/18/2019 at 9:29 AM, Jingthing said:

Maybe a new topic is needed to dump all the sensationalist blood and gore news stories in areas where tourists and expats generally don't go?

 

 

That said I do think crime news from areas where there ARE a lot of tourists and expats are indeed on topic here.

 

For example in San Miguel de Allende and Medellin.

 

 

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Not sure we need a curated censored version of this thread tailored to suit your opinions while leaving others contributions out. I did however suggest a long long time ago that maybe it could just be a sticky.  At the time you scoffed and said you weren't willing to cut the <deleted> out so not sure why the change of heart now?

 

I wouldn't mind a locked sticky that could be updated by somebody. No youtube clips no opinions just facts from sources. Ideally it would be one or two pages long and stay in the visa sub-forum. 

[Destiny1990]

16 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I have discussed my previous travel history to several nations in Latin America many many times on this thread (including longish stays in Argentina and Mexico) and if you had followed the thread you would already know I have not been to Colombia. Keep in mind most people were avoiding Colombia in the past due to the narco violence and civil war. 

What is still keeping you here?

 

[Jingthing]

5 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

What is still keeping you here?

 

It's up to me when or if I choose to talk about such PERSONAL matters (again). I've made that crystal clear so don't feign ignorance. 

 

So -- Goodbye.

 

I'm not interested in engaging with you or anyone that persists with personally BAITING posts.  

 

This is a general topic for all that may be SINCERELY interested in good faith about the actual topic.

 

See headline for the actual topic.

 

Quote

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

 

I am not the topic.

Edited October 20, 2019 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

(Back to actual topic.)

 

This is more of a theoretical musing than based on facts.

 

Thailand as we all know is among the most major tourist attractions in the world. 

 

At least in the tourist and expat oriented hubs the infrastructure supporting English speaking foreigners is remarkable. 

 

Unless you want to you don't really need to learn any Thai at all. 

 

You can do important business such as banking completely in English.

 

But then there can be a downside to all that. I think so many of us don't get beyond being seen as "walking ATMs" that are still "temporary" tourists even if we've been here for 20 years.

 

Yes of course many expats here have gotten beyond that at least with their immediate circles.  But as a generality, plenty have not and never will.

 

Contrast of many places in Latin America that do not have such an incredible infrastructure for Anglo foreigners.

 

Some expats may choose to live in "gringo ghettos" like Poblado Medellin, parts of Cuenca Ecuador, or Boquette Panama etc. and not really mix with the locals. So their experience as far as how they are perceived may not be very different than the expats in Thailand type thing described above.

 

But it's my theory anyway that there are more opportunities in Latin America to become just another person living there but is a foreigner 

 

That would be more provincial cities or local areas of large famous cities.  It would necessitate speaking some Spanish. It would mean making a large effort to not being an "ugly American" type throwing your money around with big tips as if you're on permanent vacation. But I really do think (maybe I'm wrong) that it's a much more achievable status than in Thailand.

 

Think about how you regarded foreigners living in your home country that spoke your language poorly but were making an effort to be part of the majority community. I think most people would consider such people in a positive light, whether they are rich or poor. 

 

Probably not everyone cares at all about whether they are seen as a regular person rather than a permanent tourist, but again I think for people that do think the former is desirable, Latin America is a better bet.

[Jingthing]

What was involved for this couple (and dog) to get settled into a very nice little house in Guadalajara Mexico. As the second largest city in Mexico yes they do have lots of crime and security issues. Frankly. what they went through sounds like a major PITA and one of them is fluent in Spanish. But I think there may be some useful background in their video for renting in Mexico in general.

 

 

[fhickson]

the poverty aspect is much different in latin america then asia.

 

in latin america people KNOW they are poor and hate you for it. in asia they are poor but they dont really know how the better half is living.