[Triggerhippie]

That sounds pretty good, but what do you do about medical care? Hospital trips seem like they might be worse than any disease you might normally get. Isn't the HIV rate in Thailand incredibly high? Hepatitus? I think being at least one day's travel from an American ER would be too damned scary to contemplate. What has your experience been like?

[JimSEA]

The local health care is excellent. Many of the Physicians speak English and the country has become sort of a health tourist spot for orthopedic, cosmetic and lasic surgery. I have had the misfortune of having to be hospitalized there and the care was excellent (the endocrinologist I saw was a product of UC Davis). The cost at private hospitals is a fraction of what it is in USA. A private room was US$32 a night and my total bill was about what my deductible would be in the USA. Go to the web sight in my first post and you can get an Idea of prices.

In general, food borne or mosquito borne diseases are not a concern. The AIDs situation is of concern but not to us (the sex trade and young men in the military are the big at risk groups -- also middle aged men who stray and their wives). It is heterosexually transmitted.

[Sam the Sham]

Yes. Forget about high quality medical care in the Third World.

But what about 10 years from now building an enclosing, heated dome over some ghost town on the Great Plains and turning it into an all-weather retirement community ? That has been a theory of mine.

[BJungNan]

I think being at least one day's travel from an American ER would be too damned scary to contemplate. What has your experience been like?

I can't speak for Thailand, but in China that I definately know about, medical would seem to be concerns. It does have very good hospitals now and excellent equipment. But, the doctors are not yet well trained.

I'd think twice about surgery in Mainland China (and absolutely would never go to a hospital in Hong Kong).

But, in Mainland China you can get a top quality CAT SCAN and MRI (both) for about $300 (that's U.S. dollars). And on new, state of the art GE or German made equipment.

[Paulus Invictus]

Mexican hospitals and medicos are among the worst we have seen. Dirty, poorly trained staff and spotty services are normal. The smaller the city, the worse they are. Not for me!