people that live in panama..
 

what part do you live in? and what did you do about visa?

also will it be fun for a 23/yr old.. I dont know anyone there so if i move im looking to make friends and have fun..

Also, for those of you that leave the country every 3months, how did you get a driver license?

I spent a week in Panama last year... it was lots of fun, but unfortunately never got a chance to explore Panama City. I was at a resort about two hours away from the city. I'm planning to go back there this year and spend a little more time.

I'm 21 btw.

From what I heard I think they made some new law that prevents people from leaving and re-entering every three months. Also from what I've heard, getting a visa shouldn't be that difficult as long as you can prove an income of at least $500/month. It doesn't matter how much $$ you have stashed away, it's income that counts from what I was told.

Don't quote me on that though, can't remember the source(s) of my info, it's been a while since I was looking into Panama stuff.

There was a time I was thinking of moving there. Then I went out in the day and changed my mind.

web what was wrong when you went out during the day?

Panama was LOTS of fun for me when I was there :)

bump again yo.. need more info on panama.. thinking of moving there soon

Living in Costa Rica and having visited Panama on several occasions the best advice I can give for moving to a new country (especially if it's very different from the one you currently live in) is to set up an extended type of trip -- 3 months in town, furnished apartment, and see how it's like.

I live in Panama (Panama City), and I really like it (including during the day).

Drivers License -- You can't get a Panamanian drivers license unless you have residency, in the process of getting residency, etc. However, all foreign drivers licenses are valid for three months after your date of entry.

Visa -- There are lot's of different ways, which pretty much depend on how much money you are willing to throw at the process. A bunch of people stay for three months, leave to CR or Colombia for a couple days, re-enter, etc. I would suggest doing that at first to see if you like it.

If you have any other questions, let me know!!!

I agree with the statment of taking an extended vacation. You wont be in kansas any more. While Panama is a lot like the states, with Mc Donalds and things like that, it is another country. Things are not the same.

bump.....

hit me up... i have a solution.

get your shots, and prepare to breath in water every day even in your house. And I found myself changing my drenched clothes 3 times a day from the humidity.

lol. It is NOT that bad.

Hit me up man, I've lived here for 2 1/2 years now. This country is 110% about WHO you know, not what. Don't sweat the visa issue, if you've got a few bucks.

doesnt it rain too much?

i checked weather forecast.. rain all week.lol

I've been here for about 7 months and the longer I stay the more I like it.

It takes a while to get used to the differences.. attitudes are very different here, the traffic is ... insane.. and yeah, it's pretty hot and humid most of the time. And, it's always noisy if you live in the city - new construction everywhere, horns honking, car alarms going off all day long - it's crazy :)

Be prepared to be frustrated a lot. People move slowly here, and you can't get mad and try to rush them - they'll think you are a mad man :)

But, once you accept the differences, life here can be very good.

Is it fun? Hellz yeah it's fun!

what do you like about it fusionx?

give me the pros of living there? you gave me the cons only.lol

I was there for 2 weeks and my #1 recommendation is move to David rather than Panama City. A lot cheaper, less noisier, less construction, no highrises near the city area at least.

Here's some tips and pros and cons:

- Tap water drinkable but it has to be cooled first and it tastes weird.
- Address system is crappy but the taxi system is still decent and definitely cheap.
- Practically no-one there speaks English. Especially not outside Panama City and even there you have to speak Spanish to be able to talk to anyone.
- An absolute shit load of ads on tv, not very useful and all they seem to listen to there is rap.
+ In David, $4 - $5 will get you a Filet Mignon at a decent restaurant, more expensive in Panama City though.
- Government officials, including the police, can be bribed for $20 - $30. In most cases.
- The banks there are bureucratic and not very trustworthy.
+ People seem friendly and it seemed safe everywhere I went, even in the slums (there during daytime only though).
+ Very cheap to hire someone to do something here.
+ Very low taxes
- short distance buses are absolutely terrible quality but long distance ones are good.
- Hard to find anything to rent there except with gringo prices, everything is for sale.
- Most people there are idiots.
- Most girls are fat but they have better looking faces generally.
- Lots of stray cats/dogs and beggars.
+ The police are actually nice to tourists generally.
- The streets will flood and be unpassable while raining and practically the only thing you can do while raining is watch the rain, the noise is so loud.
+ 200 km by bus costs about $5
+ $30 per 30 minutes in whorehouses.
+ HQ hospitals
- trash everywhere.
- post system is a piece of shit. No mail delivered to normal homes for example.

I also may be moving there so if anyone else can tell me if that border hopping in and out of Costa Rica works reliably, let me know.

Btw, I forgot to mention that every "city" other than David and Panama City is almost certainly just a worthless little village with very few shops, even if the population of that village was 200,000. Based on personal experience visiting such "cities".

after all the cons.. why do u wanna move to panama?lol

- Most girls are fat but they have better looking faces generally.

Good one lol.

Generally, why do people from US want to move, specially adult webmasters? I mean you don't have super high taxes, everything is cheap (if you compare to some european countries) and the chicks is quite hot too.

Sure, Bush isn't the best pres. aka he's sucking out money from US with vacum cleaners, but but but.... can't you wait til the next president?

I've heard on some mainstream webmaster boards that bush is corrupt, evil and he do lots of propaganda and "mind control" to control the public.

Is that what adult webmasters see's to and that's why you want to move from US?

Sorry, lots of babble and questions lol.

Peace
Peace

To avoid taxes mainly, you don't have to pay any taxes for income earned out of the country and you sure as hell won't be paying any taxes except VAT and property taxes as a perpetual tourist.

Well the two people I was going to suggest talking to are already in the thread so... hehe:winkwink:

had a few days stay in panama recently and for the short time we were there Z showed us the best parts of panama :thumbsup . Now I want to move down there and Its not a matter of if, just when.

I would love to visit Panama soon. I've lived in Costa Rica now for almost 5 years.

how was it?

I couldn't agree more with the advice to stay a few months there on an extended vacation and see what it's like first before actually moving there.

the country is more like 30000% of who you know
i was born and raised in panama(still live here), 3 months off the year i would go to florida, and when i was 16 i ran off to costarica everychance i got.

like Z said, about the visa all u need is contacts, same with drivers licence. come on over visit the different places and locations and chose were u want to live...
if ur looking for crazy random people u must visit bocas del toro thats were im looking to move to right now..

and it IS fun if ur 23, "american looking", ud have half the girls running after you trying to "teach you spanish"

lol do they like blacks?

Pros?

Oh yeah

Lots of prostitutes. Many hot Colombiana's running around with their silicone tits and silicone asses.

Oh - you mean the other kind of pros?

Well, the people are generally really friendly.

Drugs are cheap (from what I've heard :2 cents: )

You can find great deals on everything/anything, as others have said, depending on who you know. I have a huge apartment - it's an entire floor of a building above a trendy resturant - for $1,100 a month. It's a five minute walk to my office building on the bay.

Banking laws are good. Privacy laws are good. Tax rates are low. Money made off shore is not taxable (in Panama). It's trivial to incorporate a business.

Skilled workers are cheap. Not terribly plentiful, but this is another area where who you know really matters.

Chicas dig americans. I'm 47, fat and lazy, but since I'm a gringo and have blond hair/blue eyes, I get plenty of play.

It never gets cold, unless I turn the AC down too low.

I have 3 strippers living at my apartment. They cook and clean, give me massages, and run errands for me. And they pay rent. I had 5, but two went back to Colombia. I'll probably have two more within a week or two.

Here's one of them relaxing on my sofa:

http://www.primanudes.com/hotlink/relax-on-couch.jpg

There are some good resorts/beaches, etc. Good prices. Check out the Decameron. Something like $80 a day, all inclusive. Food, booze, even single cigarettes.

I don't hit the clubs anymore, but there are some good ones here.

And there's more...

:)

Z hit me up on iCQ i need your phone number.,


thax

after the last post.....

I'm sold. Can I be one of the strippers on your couch perhaps? Possibly?

Please?

I'll be doing the extended stay for Costa Rica and Panama not sure which I'll like better.
How do you handle cashing US checks from adult companies? Anything special with the banks?

No problem! Welcome to Panama :)

I've never tried to cash a US check here. I don't think I ever will.

The best bet is to have your money deposited for you, eg, direct deposit, or fedexed to your bank, etc, then use your debit card for cash and credit cards for larger purchases. I fedex mine once a month, and I have other money going directly into my bank in the US, so no worries. I'll have a fully functional account here next week, though I doubt I'll really use it that much.

I think that the banks here would hold your money until the check cleared. With these banks, that could take many days :)

I don't know much about Costa Rica, so can't help ya there.

Did I mention that driving in Panama is insane?
 

Here's a tame moment that I just captured:

http://www.primanudes.com/hotlink/panama-driving.jpg

i love panama, if i had direct flights to panama city i'd visit more often than just once a year.

traffic didnt bother me much
it didnt seem any worse than downtime of a typical american city during rush hour.

it sure wasnt as bad as what i witnessed in china.

i met lotsa Canadians there, i came to realize all Canadians hate their country.

nice nice

Penny, I don't know about Jeff...but I've got a few extra rooms. You're welcome any time.

SP, you and your boy are welcome back any time. It was great seeing you. :thumbsup

He's right about David for all these reasons, what he's leaving out is that there is NOTHING to do there and shit restaurants. If you're cool with that, go for it.

This is nothing, the fuckin' traffic here is INSANE. It's worse than when I lived in Japan, worse than Italy, but nothing compared to China.

It's not even the amount of traffic - it's the way these boneheads drive!

Of course, I never even attempt to drive at lunchtime or 4:45 - 6:30 pm..

I'll get some pics of Calle 50 at rush hour Monday night.. Maybe I'll get some fender benders :)

I was 23 when I moved to latin america and it was a perfect age :thumbsup

(if you're into hot girls and heavy partying that is)

thats all u had to post... i live here and she made me want to move out just to come back!! gotta give me her number ;)

@xxweekxx
traffic.. is hell jsut avoid calle 50 at 8am and 5:04pm and ur good to go.

clubs... since ur from the US the first club u should hit is Club One , then Red Devil ... and for some fast colombians.. La Bodeguita

ohh and if ur a beer drinker ud LOVE it here... in some "raunchy" places u can even get good beer for 50 cents :) 25c if ur not in the capital.

what else do you want to know?:thumbsup

anything else!!

I have only seen panama in the movies, but it looks very nice!

yeah im still taking suggestions..

Niiiiiiiiice
 

Dude, you are living the expat dream.