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Post by jaywalker on Dec 15, 2015 12:27:34 GMT 7
I've been chatting w/ more than one expat who is looking to move on from Thailand, a country I dearly love and always will, but, well, the world is a big place and I foresee lots of further turmoil in Thailand, especially when the Big Event happens. Nobody lives forever. Panama - - English is widely spoken & Spanish is not a tonal language, making it far easier to learn (I learned basic Spanish long ago too so it's just expanding my vocabulary for me, instead of learning the tones that separate glay and glai [near and far] in Thailand). - Primary government income is from the canal and is not dependent on agriculture or tourism or taxes. - Has no military. - 40+ nationalities can easily get permanent residency, own property, and get a passport after 5 years. - About as tropical as tropical gets. - Property prices are FAR more reasonable than Thailand.....I just saw a fenced cattle ranch of 160 acres (65 hectares) priced at $6800 USD/acre. - 6100 sq. ft./557 sq. meter house in Boquete priced at $1,145 per sq. meter/$106 per sq. ft. Anyhow, I stumbled across this website today by Bob Adams retirementwave.com & it's all about Panama. I found it to be quite in depth in many areas and very professionally written in a non-biased manner. It has a "Members" section, but it's free to sign up. He sells nothing and has no ads on his site. I guess he just wants us to sign up for some reason?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2015 13:11:49 GMT 7
Ecuador seems to attract rave reviews too.
I'd also have a look at Colombia and Uruguay.
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Post by rgs2001uk on Dec 15, 2015 14:02:45 GMT 7
The only ones I know who talk about relocating are the ones who are skint or who should never have moved here in the first place.
To any reading this who knows me, if I ever start talking like this, point me in the direction of the top floor.
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smokie36
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Post by smokie36 on Dec 16, 2015 13:05:01 GMT 7
There are some nice council houses in East Kilbride.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2015 13:31:43 GMT 7
The only ones I know who talk about relocating are the ones who are skint or who should never have moved here in the first place. To any reading this who knows me, if I ever start talking like this, point me in the direction of the top floor. Break it down into who actually settles in Thailand for the long run. ...and who ends up skint and desperate to get out.
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Post by rgs2001uk on Dec 16, 2015 22:58:14 GMT 7
^^^^ Issan is nice this time of year, especially if you have spunked your goat cheese pension into it.
Taxi drivers and brickies labourers swear by the place, its the proper Thailand in tit.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2015 2:15:38 GMT 7
You could sell panama hats on ebay if it all goes wrong
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2015 10:27:32 GMT 7
The Taylor of Panama was an enjoyable movie.
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smokie36
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Post by smokie36 on Dec 17, 2015 13:16:53 GMT 7
Try telling people you're Panamanian after a few drinks!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2015 13:20:29 GMT 7
Depending on your pronounciation, try saying 'Far canal' three times or more.
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Post by jaywalker on Dec 17, 2015 15:02:13 GMT 7
The only ones I know who talk about relocating are the ones who are skint or who should never have moved here in the first place. To any reading this who knows me, if I ever start talking like this, point me in the direction of the top floor. Well, I wouldn't be talking about investing in a home in Panama if I were skint. I hold a US passport, and it has gotten to the point that my government sickens me. It is $20 trillion in debt, and cannot maintain its status as the world's reserve currency forever. Thailand is what it is, but will NEVER allow me to get permanent residency nor a passport. Panama will. Rice schemes in Thailand and a coup every 4 years vs. canal income & a stable gov't since 1989??? HMMMM. No brainer there. Colombian residency (as somebody mentioned) is about the same, and I may very well pick up some property in Medellin. It's DIRT CHEAP right now (as low as $55/square ft in El Poblado - The Village [upscale] section of Medellin), as the USD is seriously overvalued. Option is there to get a passport after 5 years, just need a visa to go to the US or Thailand (same w/ Panama), though both are approved for Shengen visa-free travel. Chile is 5 years to get citizenship too, though I hear conflicting and dated reports about how many days per year one must spend in country. Panama & Colombia are just "a few days" per year, & I've read Chile is 185 days a year, for 5 years. Chilean Passport is Visa-free travel to the US, Canada, EU & most of Asia, just need an ID card for all of S. America. The world is getting to be a crazy place, and productive real estate in foreign countries is a 100% legal way of "hiding" (= keeping my government from STEALING) my $$$. Obama is already putting plans in place to convert IRA's into gov't Treasury bonds = stealing pensions. My daughter already has 2 passports, Thai and US. She will just have more options with a third or fourth.
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Post by jaywalker on Dec 17, 2015 15:20:12 GMT 7
Yes, eastern Uruguay (Montevideo) is pretty cool, and citizenship is attainable via economic investment, as is Argentina.
Not sure why anybody thinks a person must be "skint" to get fed up with Thailand. The world is a pretty big place.
Buenos Aires is one of the very few big cities that I really, really liked.
Chicago, Atlanta, BKK, Dubai, Miami, Seoul, Taipei, Athens, Mexico City, Seattle? Nah...
B.A. has charm. It has class. Can't explain it.
I enjoyed Madrid. BA is 10 times better.
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sl
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Post by sl on Dec 17, 2015 15:24:51 GMT 7
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Post by rgs2001uk on Dec 17, 2015 21:49:23 GMT 7
If you aint skint maybe consider Barabdos.
If my situation was different I would be considering Trinidad & Tobago.
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smokie36
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Post by smokie36 on Dec 18, 2015 9:29:18 GMT 7
If you aint skint maybe consider Barabdos. If my situation was different I would be considering Trinidad & Tobago. Trinidad is too dangerous for my liking....heavy gun culture. Tobago is if course paradise.
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