Panama vs. UAE Residency: Is Panama Still Worth It?

[Marzio]

"I don't‌ pay ladies to get in bed with me but to get out the morning after‍" this is the answer i got from a guy that only went for "⁠pay to play" ladies.

Interestingly he is a veeery successful guy and understood that⁤ a romantic relationship requires emotional and cerebral effort.

 

[Praetorian]

There's the direct way or the long-term financing option that includes divorce, losing‌ half your assets, her cheating with the plumber, paying child support and alimony so she‍ can get railed by a cuban bartender in a cruise ship, etc

 

[JackAlabama]

hell yeah it indeed does. If one is not ready for this due to⁣ time constraint, better go the prepago option. A lot better.

 

[BalnearioCamboriu]

Why have you put "but they're mostly pay to play" yet in other parenthesis?‍ 😀

What's the difference between:
* there're lots of paid women
* there're lots of (paid)⁠ women

?

I've remembered. Not David, but Colón. The whole city, that is.

 

[jafo]

The first time I heard that was when I overheard something similar in the⁣ lobby of Wilshire Hotel near Rodeo Drive. I was trying to get a summer job⁢ as a busboy there in the early 80s. It was during that scandal of Heidi︀ Fleiss, and supposedly Charlie Sheen used to say it. I can't remember if he did︁ or didn't. My memory is NOT that good, hence why I keep a diary stupi#21

Source: I Don’t Pay Them To Come Over; I Pay Them To Go Away – Quote︂ Investigator®

 

[Radko]

Hollywood Madam (Heidi Fleiss) wasn't that during the early 90's,︀ I was in Santa Monica back then and I remember her and Charlie Sheen.

 

[jafo]

Yeah.... the‌ internet/social media is making losers GREEDY AF! stupi#21

Could be. My memory is really not that good⁤ going so far back, but I think the whole thing started around 87, right?

 

[JackAlabama]

yah colon is pretty ducked. No need to go there really.

 

[Deepbarrels]

oh yeah, Colon is a different story. Even daytime you gotta watch your⁠ back and keep your hands in your pockets. But unless you're running import-export business, there's⁤ no reason to go there.

I'm just quoting this from︁ 2 separate, very experienced immigration lawyers who live in Panama, so that people don't get︂ their hopes up that its a fairly easy process, because it's not.

Have you gotten︃ your Panama citizenship in the last 2 years? If so, please enlighten us.

You mentioned︄ that you left Panama 4 years ago, I was asking where did you move to,︅ if you found a better place than Panama. Closer to the Americas and away from︆ the Carribbean I would guess Mexico?

 

[jafo]

I'll chime in...
This is VERY normal in any country...it's‍ the high priest approach. If the lawyer tells us it's easy, how is he going⁠ to charge us beaucoup money? 🙄

Someone on OCT wrote, a few weeks ago, about how⁤ the billionaire understands & perceives conflicts of interest better than the millionaire etc etc. I've⁣ never heard that before, but it clicked right away.😉

 

[Deepbarrels]

Been living 10+ years in those countries, you build relationships with a few serious professionals‌ that don't try to screw you over because they understand the value of quality work‍ and return business and they get things done, and when they tell me it's going⁠ to be difficult and maybe its better not to waste my time and money on⁤ something, something that would make them more rich if I asked them to pursue, I⁣ listen. Those are not expat lawyer firms with expats youtube channels trying to charge 3-5k⁢ to help you open a corporate account of some other bs like that.

 

[jafo]

NGL, this is VERY difficult for me. stupi#21 At the first sign‍ of disingenuousness, misinformation, or disinformation, I bail! I don't have it in me to be⁠ Janus-faced. 🙄

 

[darkmode]

Not true. This is what I first heard too and it kept me out‍ of Colon for 2 years.

The best beaches are in Colon (Caribbean Sea). I go⁠ there all the time, and have locals take us to the most pristine untouched beaches⁤ in their dingy boats. Never had a problem.

This is also Colon: Playa Escondida Resort⁣ & Marina · C6RF+P82, Maria Chiquita, Panama

Does it look dangerous to you?

It's not a fairly easy process. Why should it be?︂

Should Panama give citizenships to every immigrant like a lot of Western countries did and︃ go down the gutter?

If for any country, you can't speak their language, have no︄ investments there, don't physically live there, and have no clue about their history - should︅ you get citizenship?

Of course, you "can" with citizenship by investment, but it doesn't mean︆ you "should". Maybe it was too easy before and the Panamanian government smartened up.

If anything, it's a good thing that they tightened the process, since Panama won't go the︇ way of other citizenship-by-investment countries.

Dominica nationals lost travel privileges to U.K., while Panamanians can︈ now travel visa free to Canada.

I've only been︊ in Panama for ~4 years.

You need to be here for 5 years to gain︋ citizenship.

You're talking based on what two "experienced" lawyers are saying. I am quoting government︌ documents where you can see the number of naturalizations.

It's 25 naturalizations per month:
- https://www.gacetaoficial.gob.pa/pdfTemp/29745_A/GacetaNo_29745a_20230322.pdf
- https://www.gacetaoficial.gob.pa/pdfTemp/29741_A/GacetaNo_29741a_20230316.pdf

Lawyers are incentivized to drag the process along and drown you in︍ fees. Even then, naturalization needs the President to sign.

If you're just a random foreigner︎ with no ties, looking to gain citizenship, Panama isn't the right option for you. If️ you're actually assimilating, you should be able to get your citizenship.

But to the core‌ question, which was a comparison between U.A.E. and Panama - of course Panama is the‍ better option.

With one, you're at the whim of a dictatorship and can get deported⁠ at any time. You will never be an Emirati.

In the other, you have an⁤ actual path to citizenship.

So, Panama wins.

No, I said I've "lived out of Panama" for the︁ last ~4 years. Meaning, I live in Panama.

I said I moved to Panama because︂ it's close to the Americans and not as small as the Caribbean countries.

 

[Deepbarrels]

gotcha.

As for Colon I was talking about the city of Colon, not the province of Colon.⁠ The city of Colon is sketchy in the daytime. You can go there by taking⁤ the train from Panama City. You'll get the vibe when you get off there.

A whole province couldn't be all sketchy (maybe the darien, but i haven't been yet.)

Passport & citizenship: when you comply your 5 years, start the process and let us know⁣ how it goes?

 

[darkmode]

Yes, of course. 😉 I will update‍ in a year.

 

[BalnearioCamboriu]

No. But⁤ I'm asking about the whole city rather than a luxury part of it, or a⁣ beach.

 

[darkmode]

You said the whole city before.

As I said, it's relatively safe. I go to random beaches in Colon all the time‍ and never had any issues. You get to the beaches by going through the city.⁠

It's much more dangerous pissing off an Emirati. Just ask King Rashid's daughter 😛

 

[jafo]

That's no joke. 😳 I mean who would dare to mess with that‍ girl knowing full well who her father is? By the way, has she ever surfaced?⁠ 🙄

 

[BalnearioCamboriu]

baw3##

But I'm asking about‌ the whole city rather than a luxury part of it, or a beach.

is equal‍ to

But I'm asking about the whole city rather than a luxury part of it⁠ [, or a beach.]
+
But I'm asking about the whole city rather than [a⁤ luxury part of it, or] a beach.

 

[darkmode]

I'm of the opinion that public beaches anywhere have a higher likelihood of crime⁣ than the city.

When you're in the water and in your trunks, good luck catching⁢ up to anyone that's running off with your things.

I've gone through the city multiple︀ times and never been robbed, so not sure what more I can say. Believe what︁ you want (or what the media tells you).

Obviously not everything in Panama is safe.︂ I've never gone to the Darién Gap. I am sure there's areas that are "protected"︃ by narcos.

But why would you go there?