My Colombian Girlfriend

utopiacowboy says on Dec 17, 2004, 18:56:

There was another thread on this same topic not too long ago. It seems that the Panamanians feel they have enough Colombiana working girls and are trying to be sure that they don't get any more.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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miamimike says on Dec 17, 2004, 19:49:

Way too much !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 Why don't you go to eltiempo.com(Bogota's largest newspaper) and do an online search? In the sunday edition they always have a travel section-check yourself for prices--these prices shr gave you seem AWFUL high. I know from where I live in Miami-I have seen some really inexpensive flights to panama. Good luck

On Sept 17, 2008: Senator John McCain said, as he had many times before, that he believed the fundamentals of the economy were "strong."Hours later he backpedaled, explaining that he had meant that American workers were Strong.

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JamieJ says on Dec 17, 2004, 21:40:

This is not true unless change has taken place over the last few months but I do believe they need to have a yellow fever shot.
Jamie
Engage The Exotic - Colombian Women

Jamie

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fennell01 says on Dec 18, 2004, 01:37:

Colombian G-F I couldnt go if I wanted to , I live in the States. She has always been up front with me, but I have found that people take advantage of her b/c they know there is a Gringo behind her. As to what this $1000 is for,who ? knows, but I can tell you, I aint payin it...and her family has never seen $1000 so...so much for Panama.

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fennell01 says on Dec 18, 2004, 01:39:

Colombian G-F So Jamie, it should not cost her anything to go to Panama? Besides the Air fare and travel costs? What about a visa? Thanks.R

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EdGunn1 says on Dec 18, 2004, 03:45:

utopiacowboy is right on track, we had some discussion on the same topic around the first of December. At that time i was having the same problem, although I was being told that mi novia needed $500 USD to enter Panama, not $1000. I made a few calls myself and i was told the same thing from various travel agencies. However there was a post that recommended to call Avianca Airlines directly and they ould give you a different story, but I personally never followed up on that one. In the end, I did my business in Panama City and then traveled to Bogota.
While I was in Panama City, I did get some feed back from some of the Panamanian women and they definitely had some issues with the Colombianas. They told me the Colombianas were taking all their men and that there were too many Colombiana working girls there now.

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viewpoint says on Dec 18, 2004, 04:45:

fennell01 Yes, your girlfriend needs US$500 and a return airline ticket to clear Panamanian immigration at the airport in Panama. It doesn't matter if you are an man or a woman the rules are the same. I am sure that the same rule exists for anyone entering Panama on a tourist card but it is more strictly enforced against the Colombians entering Panama (and for good reason).

It is not unreasonable to expect that any tourist be carrying US$500 upon entry into Panama otherwise how would support yourself if you had no money. Sometimes just having a couple credit cards in your possession is enough of a show of financial ability. Hell, it costs $20-$25 just to take a taxi from the airport to town.

There is already about an estimated 100,000 Colombians residing in Panama with almost 40% of them illegally overstaying their tourist card (visa) status and working illegally (many in the constuction trades, merchant stores and other trades not so legal) therefore, Panamanian immigration takes a special interest in making sure they have the US$500 in their possession. Wages in Panama are much higher than Colombia and so is the standard of living for most people in Panama. Many Colombian companies operate in Panama so there are a contant stream of Colombians coming and going.

Foreign bilingual people are taking many of the better paying professional jobs in Panama City. I believe that the Colombian population in Panama will continue to grow as the Colombians have more economic opportunity in Panama than in their own home country (at the current time). Colombian employees that enter Panama simply are advanced US$500 when they are dropped off at the airport in Colombia and the US$500 is retrieved after the employee clears immigration and customs by the company supervisor meeting him at the airport in Panama.

If you can't fund US$500 (or don't want to) for your GF then she won't be traveling to Panama. If your GF shows up in front of the immigration officer in the Panama airport wearing typical Colombian dress (halter top, low cut jeans and bare belly) she won't gain entry without showing the dough but if she comes dressed in business attire looking like a "business" professional instead of a working girl she will probably never be asked to produce the US$500 but she better have it. Chances are that the airline will not allow her to board in Colombia is she doesn't have the US$500.

After all it's not like it costs you US$500 because it is back in your pocket at the airport when she arrives in Panama. You can handle that !!!

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lokipbh says on Dec 20, 2004, 12:06:

Yep, seems the price has gone up. I was the one who asked this same question a month ago. Now today she went to Avianca to get her ticket and they did tell her that now she should bring $1000 when she travels. Although this is not undoable, to me it seems rather unreasonable if only from a safety concern. As the advice was given earlier I plan to show up on an earlier flight and wait for her to arrive and go thru immigration together. My question is: is there going to be any problem waiting around before going thru immgration for like 3 hours. And does anyone know if you could show a bank account balance or anything other than having 1000 cash in your hand????

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