khunPer

40,000 baht a month sounds like correct rent for an about 5 million baht property. Normally rent is calculated from between 8 percent to 12 percent a year. Some Thais count 6 percent - and some don't include land in their calculation, as they already had the land - the going rate is often 10 percent. So 10 percent of 5 million is 500,000 divided with 12, which equals 41,667 per month. Looked the other way round, you can use your rent to calculate what you can spend on a home to break-even. If one can rent something for 9,000 baht a month then to property value would be around one million baht, perhaps up to 2 million baht if the rent is based on an extremely low percentage, but in that case it will take about 25 years to break-even in a 2 million baht home....????

About foreign children and Denmark, there have been two previous cases that got major public attention, both with Thai children. A problem with a spouse's child from a previous relationship is that it's often the spouse coming to Denmark alone due to marriage, and thereafter the spouse wish to bring a child from a previous relationship in as family reunification, typically a single mother that finds love with a Danish man. The Danish authorities can say, that the child in question has stronger ties to Thailand, having lived there all, or most of, its life there, and also because the mother left the child behind. However, it might not have been an option, or possible at all, to get a visting visa for both mother and child in the first place, as then the mother's ties to Thailand would be to weak to be allowed a visit in Denmark, because the purpose of the visit could be regarded as to apply for residency. Therefore a child from a previous relationship is normally left behind for a period. For the Thai mother such a solution is natural, because it's custom for Thai parents, and especially single mothers, to move out of a village to work somewhere else, and send money home while her parents, or grand parents, takes care of the child. Danish authorities don't view this as normal practice. The two major cases, which both resulted in some changes in law, were the girl Im in November 2013, where both mother and her 8-9 years old daughter left Denmark, and stayed in Thailand for about two months, until the law was changed; it was not an option to stay in Denmark, as they needed to apply for a new visa from abroad. The law-change was called "Lex Im". The second more recent case was about the girl Mint, where the mother left a hardly two years old child alone with the father, her Danish husband, and returned together with her about 12-13 years old daughter that had no relatives in Thailand, but still was expelled from Denmark; how would a girl of Mint's age manage to survive alone in Bangkok, or anywhere in Thailand? There were a number of similar cases at the same time, one or two families moved to Germany. About a year later, after change of government, a law change made it possible for Mint, and her mother, to return. Previous cases, where family reunification had already been applied for, before the new law, would also be accepted. The law-change gives a parent, typically mothers, a time frame of three month to apply for family reunification with a minor child from a previous relationship. The sad thing is that it needs media attention, to get mistakes corrected in a law, but it's sometimes worth the effort, and can end happily...????

Unfortunately not anymore in Denmark - it once was like that, i.e. if you got married your wife had legal requirements to stay in your country, but it changed about 15 years ago - however, Danish partners are free to settle in the spouse's country instead, and that is often how it ends.

The adoption documents, have you read the case in details? Staying as a foreigner in Thailand is easy, very easy, compared to doing the same in Denmark; a Thai citizen cannot live in Denmark due to for example retirement, and it might not be possible to stay based on marriage. Mothers might separated from their children, there have been a number of cases about that. Let me give you an example from the news media: A Danish citizen brought his younger Thai wife and their common children to Denmark to settle, after some successful business years in Southeast Asia. He invested in a food mart, in a major city. His wife wass going to be self supporting - a part of the permission for stay - so the wife would have a job as manager of the new food mart - it's a mall with multiple renters - and she had a contracted annual salary of more than 400,000 Danish kroner (approx $63,500), which is the required minimal salary for her to obtain residency permission. However, the Danish authorities was of an opinion that her educations and qualification did not comply with the size of salary, so they did not accept that she could have that position, and it therefore was fake to get a permission to stay. The wife was given (very) short notice to leave Denmark, even she was married to an ethnic Danish citizen, and even they together had two children with Danish citizenship; and even the family had plenty of funds and were fully self supporting. The whole family sadly left Denmark and moved back to Thailand, as they of course didn't wish to be separated. Sad, but true...

9th September update - remember no alcohol and illegal partying, another birthday got raided last night in Bo Phut with numerous foreigners and Thais arrested...

Of course I can disagree with you, if I so wish - but I said was "Denmark sometimes asks for the impossible, Thailand don't". In the actual case the required documentation is "impossible" - according to what the Danish newspapers writes - that's why...????

Sweden is not Denmark, but numerous Danes use Sweden as kind of refuge, stays there for about six months, and then use EU-rules to re-enter Denmark as family; also Germany is sometimes used.

I use to pay 250 baht for a medical certificate in a private hospital, so around 250 baht is a fair suggestion, not a fortune even for those with a tiny budget...????

A comment about property ownership vs. renting. If you have decided to be a long term resident in Land of Smiles - preferably after testing it for a while - then approximately 15 years of rent often equals what you shall invest in similar kind of property and location, including interest and maintenance. The point being, that after around 15 years you have "not invested more than you can afford to lose in Thailand", as you would already have paid the sum in rent; so OP is very right in his view of buying, instead of renting. In some cases the period might be a few years shorter, and in other cases some years longer, depending on property a market prices for renting/leasing. In other words, after the approximately 15 years are your costs to live in the property you "own" - one or other way - is down to maintenance costs, i.e. it's not free, especially as some things last less due to weather, wear and quality, than in many of our home countries, but it's often not more expensive than renting, rather a little cheaper; and as owner you have the benefit of freedom to do whatever you wish with the property. In some cases you might be able to sell and get your funds back, remembering that in Thailand it's the land that increase in value, while buildings normally decrease in value. Don't look at property in Thailand as "investment" - you might too easily bee disappointed - but be happy if you can get your "invested money" back - eventual adjusted for inflation, for example increasing with the consumer price index - that's what I'm counting with, and will be happy with, if I ever sell "my dream house in paradise"...????

No, not anymore, if the functions are limited to board member like overall decisions, and no physical work as for example a managing director...???? Nominee shareholders is another, too often overlooked point...????

A few comments to the company limited-method. A better option might sometimes be to let a company own the land only, while the house is owned by the foreigner, which is possible and legal. Be aware that Thai shareholders can be asked to document that they have funds to obtain their shares, proxy/nominee shareholders are illegal. If you gift a wife or girlfriend to buy shares, the gift is in principle income taxable. Having a less familiar Thai as owner of the 2 percent might be a better option than having 51 percent, which in worst case scenario, can vote against the foreigner; voting majority by preferred shares to a foreigner is not the intention of the law, but it has to my knowledge so far not been tested in a court. Power of attorney for votes to a foreigner are not legal anymore; i.e. proxy/nominee shareholders are illegal. Some suggests to let 3 percent be the preferred shares, which pays a guaranteed annual dividend of for example 4 percent of the registered 3-percent share capital in return for no voting rights; then the foreigner has 49 percent shares and votes, and Thai individual(s) 48 percent shares with voting rights. A minor child can also be shareholder under guardianship. An often used trick when registering property to a company limited is to reduce foreign shareholders to under 30 percent ownership of the total shares, when registering property at the land office, and thereafter transfer another up to 19 percent of the total shares back to the foreigner. To separate a house from the land it needs to be new build, and the architect drawings must include the house owner's name; the building permission must be in the house owner's name; and to obtain the building permissin the house owner needs a superficies servitude, or similar document, from the land owner; finally all payments to building contracter(s) shall be made by the house owner. These points are important, as they are the first house-owner's documentation of ownership. The land is leased from the company for up to 30 years, and a lease sum is going to be paid to the company; the company needs income as it has running cost to accountant and auditor to deliver the annual reports and tax statements. The best is, if the company also includes other activities than being an empty shell for foreign property ownership; the latter is in principle illegal. For a lease agreement running a longer period than 3 years to be legal, it shall be registered at the land office, and tax for the whole lease-period shall be paid; i.e. the land title deed might have two servitudes, an up to 30-years lease, and a separate ownership of the house on the leased land. Land and house can be sold individually; for example can the house be sold, and shares of the company transferred without transferring the land. When selling property, income tax shall be paid, the sum is dependent of use - for example home or business - and lengths of use. The company land for lease might be regarded as business, and therefore business tax applies, same for the newer annual property tax. The house can be separated as home for a lower taxation, if the owner lives in the house, i.e. has a yellow house book; however, if having permanent residency permission the owner will be listed in the blue house book. The new annual property tax will not apply for a building registered as home, if the appraised value is under 10 milion baht. If the house is not separated ownership, my property specialist lawyer mentioned that a loan could be made from the "house owner" to the property owner on a value of the building - or any value of total property higher than the registered company capital - and registered in the land office as servitude, like an mortgage. Nothing can be sold, or transferred, without the full mortgage sum, and eventual agreed interest, has been paid. ????

Not really, Denmark sometimes asks for the impossible, Thailand don't.

The Danish immigration authorities have the opinion that if an ethnic Dane falls in love with someone from outside EU, then he or she can live with the loved one in the loved one's home country - unfortunately the opinion is different when migrants, or economic refugees, wish to have their family brought to Denmark. The are a number of Danes living with their family in Thailand due to this, simply because it either too difficult to get the family to Denmark, or simply impossible. Even that many complains about it's difficult to stay in Thailand - financial demands, 90-day reports, and annual paperwork when applying for extension of stay - it's in fact more easy for some Danes to stay in Thailand, than getting their loved ones, or family, to Denmark. Sad but true...

No Yes.

The asymptomatic cases - or the gray number, as it's also called at some places - have been known about since the beginning of the pandemic. A good questions is, do they matters? Denmark is the nation that has performed the highest number of test in their population, in fact the number equals testing the whole population of 5.8 million population more than 12 times, and still there are about 20% Danes that has never been near a test station. If you need to find all asymptomatic cases, you need to test the entire population with a very short time frame; a good questions is, if can change anything? It's mentioned in the media that Covid-virus can still spread even from vaccinated people - what about those that have already been infected, can they also still spread the virus? - and a number of countries now says that Covid is something we are going to live with in the furture, just like influenza, but only few will get sick if the majority of the population have been vaccinated. One of these countries is Denmark with 70+ percent of it's population vaccinated, and now fully reopened with all restrictions removed. But Denmark still reported 557 new cases yesterday - 10th Sepember, no numbers yet for today, time difference - which relative to size of population would equal 6,700 new cases if it's population was of Thailand's size, i.e. 70 million; Thailand had 14,403 new cases yesterday. Denmark still has 8,725 active cases, i.e. 105,000 if it's population was 70 million - Thailand has 141,602 - of which 29 are serious or critical cases, i.e. 348 if Thai-size population, Thailand has 4,387 serious or critical cases, which might well be caused by a much lower rate of vaccination. Looking at fatality rate, denmark has 448 deaths per million - Thailand is so far only 199 deaths per million - and a total of 2,608 deaths with Covid during the epidemic, which started in February 2019, so during 1½ year. A serious influenza season in Denmark takes about 2,500 lives within a year, a normal unfluenza season takes around 1,500; it 2018 there were 2,118 deaths. For comparison, vulnerable people are offered influenza-vaccination, there were no vaccine available in the first half of the Covid pandemic. The effects of lockdowns and use of face masks are unknown, they probably had great protective effects, but in numbers Covid has not been worse than influenza. For comparison I quote from World Heath Rankings: According to the latest WHO data published in 2018 Influenza and Pneumonia Deaths in Thailand reached 44,549 or 9.11% of total deaths. The age adjusted Death Rate is 47.82 per 100,000 of population ranks Thailand #70 in the world. Note that 44,579 died from Influenza and pneumonia in 2018, so far 13,920 have died from Covid. My modest point is, that massive testing in search for some asymptomatic cases at this point of the epidemic might well be waste of resources - they might just be a fairly useless number in the statistics, if not the whole population is tested within a very short time-frame - whilst vaccination efforts matters to reducere serious and critical cases. The local outbreak on Koh Samui, the so-called "Black Club cluster", showed that vaccinated people only got mild symptoms or no symptoms - i.e. they were not really sick - and it was both those vaccinated with Sinovac, and those with only one jab AstraZeneca. We might have to get used to that Covid exists, just like influenza. Source links: WorldOMeter; World Health Rankings.

I honestly don't think that really rich people would be able to survive a month for 65k baht, perhaps not even a week - 65k baht will pay bed & breakfast for little more than 12 hours in a Four Sesons-hotel in Thailand (I once checked their B&B low-season bargain offer of curiosity) - but perhaps a few days if they reduce their life-style to an absolute minimum...????

Several posters have mentioned Grap - I've never used the personally, so can only refer to posters - little cheaper than quoted fixed price runs, probably very close to a meter price. 600 baht is a fair price for that distance on Samui, it's about $20 for comparison.

Same meter as everywhere, but slightly different adjusted, mainly to the benefit of the taxi...????

Ladyboys with stretch marks on their bellies...????

Isn't that what I'm saying, but backed with some details...????

Yes, and I say average - some spend little less, and others spends a lot more - but the comment is not aimed at those that is already here, or has already been here, but at getting potential future retirees to settle in the Kingdom...????

You don't need to settle here to use the action-option, some months a year might do it, and other parts of the world also offers action to play around with, if you have the funds so why get bored staying only one place.

Apart from the Joker - the wealthy Chinese, who's preferences I don't know much about - I don't think the number of wealthy expats preferring Thailand will be huge; however, some might settle on mainly Phuket, and probably also on Samui, both places have a number of private high end villas, but Phuket has a preference with a marina, which includes some higher end boats and yachts. More average retired expats might be a lot more worth aiming at. Those that are a kind of "economic refugees", seeking a little more value for limited retirement pensions and other savings, but still having more than those with only a small government pension. That's the kind of folks that can afford an 800k baht deposit, and also can afford to live in a fair home, and spend the average 65k baht or more each month. There are likely plenty of them, but Thailand might be too difficult to settle in, and is therefore lower on the preference list, if not avoided from the beginning. Easing restrictions for "the good guys" and let them in, could make Thailand a lot more attractive. Easing the terms could be removal of the for many irritating 90-day reports, and less demanding paperwork when applying for annual extension of stay, perhaps more or less kept to only keeping the deposit intact. There could for example be a kind of approval period for a couple of years, or three - where the documentation is little more restrictive, but not as difficult as now - after which permission to stay as retired is made simple for "the good guys" that have performed during the previous years, a kind of "permanent retiree residency". Also optional, or mandatory, acces to the public health system, could be of general interest, if the individual don't have a private health insurance. It's been mentioned before, and it would also benefit those expats staying under other kind of annual extensions. Terms and offers same as for the citizens of the nations. A few years back an annual cost for handling foreigners in public hospitals were mentioned as 7,000 baht to 10,000 baht per year (the around 3,000 baht amount was for migrant workers from neighboring countries). In today's IT-era it must be easy to keep data and generate reports, so a kind of public health insurance, based on actual treatment expenses plus an overhead for unforeseen, which might all together be between 1,000 baht and 1,500 baht a month - including for example a 10 percent overcharge to benefit the public health system - annually adjusted. It might also help those retirees of age, that cannot enter a new health insurance, and thereby refrain from moving to Thailand, even they have funds enough for deposit and annual spending. We don't seem to have statistics over the number of retired expats, but a 2010-study form Mahidol University concluded that there were 2,581,141 foreigners living in Thailand, and when disregarding South East Asians, i.e. numerous migrants workers, about 720.000 were so-called "expats". The major groups were 141,000 Chinese, 85,000 Brits, 80,000 Japanese, 46,000 Indian, 40,000 Americans, 24,000 Germans, and 23,000 French. But they are likely far from all retirees. The financial magazine Bloomberg reported that in 2018 there were issued 80,000 retirement visas (? -or perhaps combined with extensions of stay based on retirement?), where Brits accounted for 16 percent, Americans for 12 percent, Germans for 9 percent, Chinese for 7 percent, and Swiss for 6 percent; perhaps that figures more reflect the mix of retirees measured on nationality. If there are approx 80,000 people staying on retirement conditions, and if they in average each brings 65,000 baht per month for consumption, i.e. circa 800,000 baht per year, into the country, then we are talking about a 64 billion baht "turnover"; it's more than 30 times as much as so far generated from the combined Sandbox-programs; not including any one-time investments in condos, houses, cars, and other items. Many retirees invests in the level of average 1 million baht for a vehicle, and a number also easily invests 3 million baht, or much more, in property; easing property investments, i.e. ownership for retired foreigners, might increase the interest and boost these figures; it could be several hundred billions baht inflow in foreign currency. Retiree residents bring their consumption in every year, i.e. for just 80.000 persons it's 64 billion baht or more per year, so it's worth keeping these people, and worth making sure that they are replaced when passing away, preferably that the number increases instead of decreasing. Retirees don't costs expensive campaigns, and other costly arrangements, when they once are happily settled in the nation - and continue to be happy - then they just keep on spending. If you consider the target to be among the 10 percent richest people in the World - $93,000 or more in savings, according to Credit Suisse in 2018 - i.e. 10 percent of 7.8 billion, then it's approx 780 million people of which at least 1/3 are in retiring age - there might be more wealthy people in the retiring age than young folks that are in the beginning their career, typically people will be 35 years or older when having $93,000 in savings - so there is a target on at least 260 million retirees, probably many more, that fits into the financial level; it could easily be around 400 millions to 500 millions. How many of these at least 260 million retirees would love to spend the remaining years, with a little more quality of life in a "whole year summer and barefoot Xmas"-destination, if it's within financial reach, and with reasonable conditions? It might be a lot more easy to double that amount of retirees in the 800,000 baht financial level, than to find a similar amount of money for spending on annual consumption among filthy rich retirees, who would prefer Thailand as residence in front of other attractive destinations. How many filthy rich retirees are needed to equal 64+ billion baht in spending, i.e. how much do a rich person spend in average per month, when investments are not included, 10 times as much as a 65,000-baht mob-retiree, or...????

Be aware of box jelly fish - by some mentioned as the most poisonous creature on Earth - especially in calm weather and after rain, or during soft rain, some experts warns. Sadly, a 9-year-old Israeli boy has died after he was stung by a box jellyfish while swimming at Haad Rin beach on Koh Phangan even he was given immediate first aid and rushed to hospital... You can read more in Thai language at Mathicon Online'a article (29th August 2021) HERE. 7 years ago we there was a similar sad accident with a French boy, The Guardian article from August 2014 is HERE. In case of being stung by Box Jelly Fish, some beaches on the islands have emergency posts with vinegar - looks for example like in my photo hereunder - vinegar is the best instant cure while waiting for an ambulance... Here is an emergency first aid guide in both Thai and English... Samui Rescue might also be a source for instant ambulance help, their phone number is 077 421 444. This is what a Box Jellyfish looks like in Wikipedia...

This thread is ment to share information about Covid-19 vccinations on the islands, perhaps a moderater would pin the tread, so we only have one place to share information about vaccination, making knowledge distribution, questions and answers more easy. Please note that "the Ministry of Public Health affirmed that all people who reside in Thailand, regardless of their nationality, are eligible to receive the vaccine under the government’s plan." PR Thai Government says... The Government has ensured that Thailand will begin a mass COVID-19 vaccination campaign, starting 1 May 2021, by prioritizing people aged 60 years and older, as well as people having certain underlying diseases or conditions, followed by citizens aged 18-59 years. During the CCSA meeting, the Ministry of Public Health affirmed that all people who reside in Thailand, regardless of their nationality, are eligible to receive the vaccine under the government’s plan. The first phase of COVID-19 vaccination campaign will start with Thai people aged 60 years and older, as well as people who have certain medical conditions: (1) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), (2) chronic kidney disease (CKD) in 5th stage, (3) coronary artery disease (CAD), (4) stroke, (5) obesity, (6) diabetes, and (7) cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. These groups are required to register to receive the vaccine, with a choice of three methods. Registrations may be done on (1) the Mor Prom ("Doctors Ready") app, a new platform that was specifically designed to facilitate the Government's vaccination program, (2) a nearby hospital, or (3) a village health volunteer or health promotion hospital in your area. The registration opens on 1 May 2021 and vaccinations will begin on 7 June. Other groups will be vaccinated in another phase. The registration for citizens aged 18-59 will be open in July 2021, and they will start to be vaccinated in August. PR Thai Government sources: 1. https://www.facebook.com/fanmoph 2. https://www.facebook.com/ddcmophthailand