falang07

OK, easy access is 500,000 for 5 years. At 1k per year, still quite overpriced, I can get ED visa for 20k including language courses with nice teachers which is much more fun and 80,000 to spend for trips etc. Anyway, I agree it is one of the options and might be of interest to some.

Some might be rich, but not stupid. The elite card is a big joke (and I thought if was 2M, not 500k). Remember, the more money one has, the less he/she wants to waste it on stupid and overpriced things

1) if the above resources stem from a state pension you might be able to get a Non-Immigrant "O" visa even if under 50 (not the Non-O "A", you'll have to quit the country every 90 days)

2) enough resources will definitely help you in getting a chain of ED-visa until you are 50. You might actually have to study, especially for Thai courses, but you got plenty of time on your hands anyway

3) invest some 1 million Baht and start a business with 51% of shares in the hand of Thai partners for a Non-B-Visa. Doesn't get you a working permit, two very different things, might take the right contracts to work with the right Thai employees, but would work. Would need a lot of research on how to go about this and additional costs for accountants and the like, and sure be risky.

4) feed the government 2 million Baht and 20 k Baht a year for "Thai Elite Status" for extendable 1-y-stays with no border-runs. Might be rather desperate, but if you've got the money....

5) If you got the funds, you can potentially use tourist visa. Break the chain of "back-to-back" visa by staying in Cambodia for a month or two, travel around, return to your home country periodically, where the chances of getting triple-entries are much higher than in the neighbourhood of Thailand. Costly though, accommodation, storing and hauling round stuff will be the most costly factors.

1. who would want to quit the country every 90 days, so a big NO

2. YES, this is the one we are speaking about, the one and only

3. I do not want to work, and do not want to invest in some non-performing business either so a big NO

4. NO WAY, desperate way really

5. tourist visa is out of question since I do not like to travel and leave the country every 3 months

If someone has enough resources to "enjoy the life and not have to work", they have enough to get a proper visa. If they don't get a visa appropriate for their situation, it's either because they choose not to follow the rules and make the required investment ($$$ or classroom time) into their new country of choice, or they really don't have the resources.

OK, give me your suggestion for someone who has enough money, is under 50, does not want to work in Thailand, does not want to get married, and has no Thai child. Looking forward to your answer. And please give me one that does not "abuse the system"

Paypal = the worst exchange rates! Avoid in any case!

I've just got back from class and the teacher pointed out that if I want to leave the country one has to go to Immigration as normal but also apply for a student ID card and sit a test?

Is this fact?

Fiction, all you need is a reentry permit, 1000 baht at the immigration.

Of course he needs to be in Thailand, or can you practice Thai in Germany? You learn by reading signs by the road, in the shops, speaking with the merchants, girls in the bars, etc. Stop whining, topic closed!

BTW, these Step Up Time Deposit Accounts with gradually increasing interest rates seem to be the newest marketing trick of Thai banks, I am sure many Thais with basic school education only will be easily fooled by it

what would prevent you withdrawing the money, and putting back as "new"?

jellyfish is a seasonal thing and a real jellyfish free swimming is available only in the swimming pool

Why should there be any change? ED visa is a very positive thing for the Thai economy, students pay the fee for the courses, accommodation, 1900 Baht every three month at the immigration, spend their money for food, entertainment, etc. Why on Earth would Thailand even consider cancelling ED visa?

Since it is impossible to wire money out of Thailand that you have not before wired in, it is clear why he wanted to "export" these gold bars. Remember to keep those foreign exchange forms if remitting bigger amounts to Thailand and expect to take it out of Thailand in the future otherwise smuggling gold will be your only option, too.

e.g. http://www.contractortaxation.com/Thailand/Umbrella-Company-Thailand

Basically, an Umbrella Company acts as your full-time employer, even though you maintain your independence as a contractor. They collect and filter payments from your clients, filtering out the necessary social security and fees. You send them your timesheets, and they send you payments.

Because they act as your “employer,’ they can sponsor you and provide a single work permit for multiple contracts.

https://www.google.com/search?q=thailand+umbrella+companies

OK, I was too quick:

http://www.scb.co.th/stocks/media/ratesfees/deposit-en-57-70.pdf

Fixed Rising rate 15 Months

SCB fixed deposit at 4% for 15 months

You're right to pursue it.

Close friend of my wife got lymphoma and chemo and care cost about 1 1/2 million baht....in fact they sent her to private hospitals paid by govt.

Sadly unsuccessful in her case.

It is really sad that in today's world the big pharma is selling these killer chemicals as a "cure" and puts this hefty price tag on them. Chemotherapy causes cancer in healthy humans and animals so the treatment is based on the absurd expectation that the patient's body does not get killed before the cancer does. You are better of if you can not afford such "great" medical care.

even 60 years would do for most of us

well, once it crosses the psychological barrier of 30 Baht, I doubt it will stop at 1 Baht per liter only

Indeed, this is what I was thinking about, after a few years the ID cards will be expired. Therefore, it is necessary to renew the share transfer certificates just before the ID card expires, or simply fire that transfer and change the shareholder, if he/she would not agree to renew it.

If the company is legit (i.e. trading and active), this is perfectly safe and OK since any company has the right to have its own premises. If it is just a sleeping company created just to buy the house, there could be problems in theory. But I doubt it will happen unless you have a large beachfront plot in Phuket.

there are many umbrella companies that provide this service

if it would not be required, anyone willing to buy a condo would simply make a "temporary" work permit to avoid it.