holadebeto
American expat in Panama
Forum posts
24
About me
American
Lives in near Las Tablas
Registration: 08 September 2011
Hello From Panama! by TheGasman
Just wanted to give a little info and say howdy to everybody. I've been married to a Panamanian lady for 20 years now and we've been living in the states but I've recently went through all the disability stuff in the states. So after a year and a ...
Hello and welcome back to paradise! Just a note about licenses - the last time we got our licenses (due again this year) we had to take a hearing test as well as an eye test. I don't know what the standards are and I didn't hear some of the ... Read More
ATM s in Panama by David1946
Hi my name is David and i live in East texas USA and i would like to know if my ATM cards will work in Panama because i am thinking of visiting there in the future. Thanks: ...
That's right, Kathy, We've been using my cards from our US credit union and after ten years have used many ATM's from many banks, and have not had a problem. I think that's why they charge $3 each withdrawal, to cover the expenses of the ATM's? You ... Read More
ATM s in Panama by David1946
Hi my name is David and i live in East texas USA and i would like to know if my ATM cards will work in Panama because i am thinking of visiting there in the future. Thanks: ...
The Gasman, Make sure to ask the HSBC here in Panama if you can access your account and transfer money to/from your US account. There used to be some restrictions - it was as if the two HSBC's were different banks in some ways. There have been some ... Read More
ATM s in Panama by David1946
Hi my name is David and i live in East texas USA and i would like to know if my ATM cards will work in Panama because i am thinking of visiting there in the future. Thanks: ...
yes, our bank does also, but there is more....there is also a $3 charge added to your withdrawal of funds from an ATM in Panama. I believe it's a government thing. Our credit union reimburses our atm fees imposed by our bank by using a no paper ... Read More
Is it really a lot cheaper living there? by holadebeto
This is a very complicated question, because it depends on so many things. I am assuming that you are using the US as a reference. Everything that includes a significant amount of labor involved is cheaper. For example, Panamanians get around ...
What I was referring to was comparing a house in, say, rural Missouri or Michigan with a house in rural Panama. Here,the price of a 3 bedroom common ranch style anywhere from about $120,000 more or less. Beachfront houses here rarely have titles, ... Read More
Is it really a lot cheaper living there?
This is a very complicated question, because it depends on so many things. I am assuming that you are using the US as a reference. Everything that includes a significant amount of labor involved is cheaper. For example, Panamanians get around ... Read More
Christmas events in Panama?
I think that this should be under a different subject, so I'll start a new thread.... Read More
Christmas events in Panama?
Actually, we are originally from California and so it's difficult to say that these are mountains - they are actually good sized hills, just south of Las Tablas, Los Santos. The hills are about 2000 feet or so. The hill we live on doesn't have a ... Read More
ATM s in Panama by David1946
Hi my name is David and i live in East texas USA and i would like to know if my ATM cards will work in Panama because i am thinking of visiting there in the future. Thanks: ...
Yep, we've been using our cards from the USA since 2001 - haven't ever had any problems. Just be careful like you would anywhere. Read More
suplementary health insurance
Not from Cuba ??? Where'd you get that? I'm from California - I moved to Panama about 10 years ago - haven't been back.:) Read More
suplementary health insurance
At 65, Tricare becomes your supplementary to Medicare, but you first must have registered and have received part B medicare. You will then file your claims as usual to Tricare and they will forward them on to medicare to get paid first. You won't be ... Read More
Christmas events in Panama?
We live in the mountains in a very small community (15 kids), so it is a bit like a normal day except a little more laid back, no cutting rice, not much work, but there is a really nice Christmas party for the kids. Everybody participates with ... Read More
Immigration lawyer by k1313
Looking for a reputable, honest & reasonable immigration lawyer in Boquete or David to help with all the legalities of becoming a Pensionado. Unfortunately needs to be English speaking since we do not yet have any proficiency in Spanish.
All of the good immigration lawyers that I have met speak English very well. My suggestion is to wait until you get to Panama and then ask a few gringos for a reference. The good ones stand out. Some of those with web pages are good, but the costs ... Read More
PANAMA CITY
The Maple Leaf is falling all over Panama it seems. :) In Los Santos province, there are quite a few Canadians in Pedasi (as well as French (not Canadian)and surrounding area. There's a few also in Las Tablas area. Don't know about the rest of ... Read More
Successful job interview in Panama by Julie
Hi, passing a job interview in Panama can be a stressful moment, especially you are not familiar with the cultural and professional codes of the country. How to successfully pass a job interview in Panama ? What happens during the interview ...
Michael's post covers it really well. I might point out that speaking Spanish is very, very important. If you have a really unique skill that is in really high demand here, such as some highly skilled job on the canal zone widening, you might get by ... Read More
Opening a bank account in Panama by Julien
Hi all, is it difficult for expats to open a bank account in Panama ? Which documents are required to open a bank account in Panama ? How long does it take to open it ? Is there any restriction for expats regarding the services (loans ...
Flavioapanama, Which other banks are local? I know there was one that was a spin off from a Banco Nacional officer, but they came and disappeared from Las Tablas anyway. Read More
Opening a bank account in Panama by Julien
Hi all, is it difficult for expats to open a bank account in Panama ? Which documents are required to open a bank account in Panama ? How long does it take to open it ? Is there any restriction for expats regarding the services (loans ...
oops, I forgot to add a recommendation. Since Banco Nacional is the center of all government banking, it is convenient to use their services. However, (!), the lines are always very, very long to the tellers and assistance desks. Banco General and ... Read More
Opening a bank account in Panama by Julien
Hi all, is it difficult for expats to open a bank account in Panama ? Which documents are required to open a bank account in Panama ? How long does it take to open it ? Is there any restriction for expats regarding the services (loans ...
I believe there are just three local banks, Banco General, Global Bank, and Banco Nacional, the government bank. My experience is with two of these, Banco Nacional and Banco General. To open a passbook style bank account, you need TWO letters of ... Read More
World Traveller Wants to Move to Panama by leones1948
Hi, My name is Samuel Colon and I'm originally from Puerto Rico (Ponce), but for the past 33 years I have been living in the USA. I'm retired now and looking to move again, this time to Panama. I have been all over the world, first with the ...
Hello Samuel, To run down your list.... 1. The only place in Panama with excellent hospitals is in Panama City. There are good hospitals in David, but they refer many cases to Panama City, because they don't have the facilities. There are movie ... Read More
I want to live in the mountain area of Panama by greatwhite777
Hi, I just retired on about 1300 a month.I want to live in the mountain area of Panama.Im looking for a nice 1 bedroom 1 bath apartment.Also will I need transportation? I have been trying to find out about Boquete.I hear its really beautiful and not ...
oldsalt, you are funny. 60lb shit machine. jajajajaja Your definition of the word Gringo or gringo is the same as mine and of all my neighbors here. Actually, It seems to be their nickname for any non-latino extranero. I know a Canadian guy in Las ... Read More
I want to live in the mountain area of Panama by greatwhite777
Hi, I just retired on about 1300 a month.I want to live in the mountain area of Panama.Im looking for a nice 1 bedroom 1 bath apartment.Also will I need transportation? I have been trying to find out about Boquete.I hear its really beautiful and not ...
Hello folks, I'm new to this forum (the only forum cause it seems like a good one) For you folks that are considering moving to the mountains in Panama, I think you should know that there are so many more options in the mountains besides the ... Read More