Ecuador or Thailand? A Much-Traveled U.S. Gringo is Making the Choice

The Largisimo told me he thinks that getting a residency visa would be a slam-dunk in Thailand, but much more difficult in Ecuador.  Tying up a lot of money in an investment visa is his last-resort choice.

Requirements for an investment visa in Ecuador (a single person):

   A bank CD or real-estate purchase worth $25,000 or more...or pension-type monthly income of $800.
  source: The Cancillería (EC foreign ministry), cancilleria.gob.ec/visas-inmigrante/?lang=en

Requirements for an investment visa in Thailand:
  A settled amount in baht worth about $25,300 deposited in a Thai bank...or pension-type monthly income of $2,000.  A combination of these at lower amounts is possible but not certain, and depends on the interpretation of Thai visa law at the office where the visa application is submitted. 
source: The 2014 book* "Why You Shouldn't Retire to Thailand"

Expats who have hired an experienced lawyer have historically been successful in obtaining an EC residency visa, provided they follow the instructions concerning what papers to bring to Ecuador.  Check Expat.com's Thailand forum for information from Expats who have experienced the Thai visa process.

But now, hold everything...

Do you really need to tie up 25K?  Do you really need to subject yourself to the visa process if your projected stay is about two years?

Maybe not.  If coming to Ecuador, you may be able to arrange to stay for the first nine months on a T-3 tourist stamp and an extension visa.  It's possible you would then have to exit the country for three months or so before returning and repeating the 9-month-stay process.  But that might be worth it to avoid the 25K requirement, and allow you to be in Ecuador for 18 of 21 months, perhaps close enough to your two-year window.

You also mentioned in a PM that your university is on Ecuador's list of acceptable schools for a professional visa.  Technically, that's for someone who plans to work in Ecuador and who would need to pass the comparable Spanish-language test (such as a bar exam) if such is available in your (unnamed on this blog) field.  You might check with an EC attorney about the 'inside baseball' involved in this scenario.

cccmedia in Quito

*This book, available inexpensively on amazon.com via free Kindle reader, is probably a no-brainer purchase for you.  It's a short but information-packed read from an Expat living in Thailand who writes under the pseudonym The Blether.  The Largisimo,  meet The Blether

(correct me if I'm wrong)
The gist of his considerations seem to be:
-money
-crime
-language
-climate

And which place would be easier, cheaper, safer.

Of course no one would discount these concerns, but *I* might place importance on more esoteric elements than these practical considerations.

I personally think that whatever challenges face the still-developing S. America it has a lot going for it. Plenty of space, plentiful natural resources, a low population density overall, a culture fairly copacetic and comprehensible to the western tradition. I think it really is a land of opportunity with a future. I also loved that all of central and S. America spoke basically the same language. Such a widespread commonality over such a huge area I have never met before. I thought it exhilarating. A brotherhood of sorts.

(I have never been to Thailand)
Asia is the most densely populated area in the world. Their cultures are the antithesis to western familiarity. China as the bully next-door-neighbor is a great[er] engine of asset stripping than anything that S. America has ever witnessed. Asia is in imminent danger of freshwater shortage, extreme environmental contamination, and utterly out-populating the available resources.

And when the great meltdown finally comes, south America will be a world away, as it has been before. South Asia will be square in the sights.

It's not always about the money.

And as you can see, I don't necessarily order my life by a list practical evaluations. I have always been and will remain, a traveler and a dreamer.

Your correspondent does not sound like a dreamer.   

gardener1 wrote:

It's not always about the money.

Your correspondent does not sound like a dreamer.

My take is different from Top Cat's.

Said 'correspondent' has been vacationing overseas for years and is pining for a place where romance in a foreign language is possible.

He's willing to leave the comforts of home for two years, to experience a better place.

I'd put him in the 98th percentile of dreamers.

'Cat's probably in the 99th

cccmedia in Quito

gardener1 wrote:

Asia is the most densely populated area in the world. Their cultures are the antithesis to western familiarity. China as the bully next-door-neighbor is a great[er] engine of asset stripping than anything that S. America has ever witnessed. Asia is in imminent danger of freshwater shortage, extreme environmental contamination, and utterly out-populating the available resources.

And when the great meltdown finally comes, south America will be a world away, as it has been before.

It's a sad commentary on the Chinese Century that the majority of the world's most polluted cities are in China.

In Thailand, however, you can leave metro Bangkok and find many lower-population places.

Chiang Mai, the "Rose of the North," has 1/20 the population of BKK, and due to its northern location with reduced heat in the cooler months, is actually habitable for Westerners several months of the year
 
Miss that window by a few weeks, however, and you enter "burning season."  Now we're talkin' pollution!

cccmedia in Quito

If you want to buy property Ecuador wins hands down over the complex system in Thailand.

I spent most of my time in Thailand in the Krabi area. I loved the laid back anything goes culture and the food. I hated the heat, mosquitoes, frequent food poisoning, and the in your face sex trade.

For me, both Ecuador and Thailand are livable places. I could easily have seen myself moving to Tonsai.

jessekimmerling wrote:

If you want to buy property Ecuador wins hands down over the complex system in Thailand.

Good to see you're back Jesse.

Foreigners can't actually even legally own land in Thailand can they?  Even owning something like a condo is strange. If I recall correctly the building units have to be at least 51% Thai owned. Am sure there are loopholes, and ways around things, but seems odd why you would want to take that risk when there is so many other places in the world that you can simply, and legally own things outright.

j600rr wrote:

jessekimmerling wrote:

If you want to buy property Ecuador wins hands down over the complex system in Thailand.

Good to see you're back Jesse.

Foreigners can't actually even legally own land in Thailand can they?  Even owning something like a condo is strange. If I recall correctly the building units have to be at least 51% Thai owned. Am sure there are loopholes, and ways around things, but seems odd why you would want to take that risk when there is so many other places in the world that you can simply, and legally own things outright.

Several of my friends from from back in my Afghan contracting days moved to Thailand. They all married Thai women. I guess that's the way around the 51% Thai ownership rule, but I'd hate to put myself in that position. Can you imagine how that divorce might play out?

Ecuador v. Thailand...long story (and I do mean loooooonnnng), short, when I whittled down 25 potential countries down to two...those were my two. Had visited both extensively prior and did a lot more research. Chose Ecuador by a razor's edge. Been happy with that decision for the last 6 years. Why? Really marginal issues separate the two. Eventually, the peaceful backdrop of life in Ecuador vs. Thailand's penchant for the "military coup of the month" club gave the edge to Ecuador. Since...peaceful here. Thailand had their coup. All looks clear in the rear view mirror. Can't go wrong with either.

In my opinion Thailand is never truly "Coup Clear." EC is a much more stable country I believe. In Thailand when things happen; they happen fast!

Before I was in Hainan island, Wuzhisan city, south of China, it's the best weather. whole year warm, in the hottest season, it's cool at night & inside house. As it's elevation is 300-600 meter, it's between 10-30C, people don't need A/C, natural a/c here.

How long were you there? I assume China had pretty stiff restriction on lengths of stay etc?

An I just have a moral issue with contributing to ANY economy which has pretty much developed a niche tourism trade based the "Child sex trade."