Trujillo

All this speculation is mildly amusing, but is there an official statement on this topic? 

Ah, how long does the sign-up last? 

And you can get multiple stickers for all your vehicles? 

When are they opening again for applications? 

Hang on...

 "The Police photographed the queue jumpers holding up their clients passport"

What are we talking about? Are you talking about people cutting in line (queue jumpers) or agents securing a place in line for someone else (without cutting in line)? 

And what did they do with this information? What "clamping down" did you see, beyond photographing people? 

"Highly Recommend Payap intensive Thai...."

The teachers (they call themselves "professors") are incompetent, but if you can force yourself to endure, you will eventually learn something, it's true. 

*I too learned how to read and write Thai, although the writing part is mostly history. 

*I have learned just how unreliable Thais actually are and how shoddy the workmanship is here. 

*I've learned about some nice Northern Thai cuisine I didn't know about before. 

* I learned how to get pain pills for my dog that are over the counter in the USA but treated like heroin here.

"US consult never vouch for anything."

Perhaps I used a word not quite on the mark. You go to the US consulate and swear that you are telling the truth. They have you raise your hand and swear it in front of an officer of the consulate. 

I guess what I mean is that you can't do that at 7-Eleven or Immigration or anywhere else. The idea is that you are stating what you feel is the truth and the US consulate is sort of the Bible you are putting your hand on. Yes, the Bible doesn't vouch for you, but the consulate is the touchstone that should indicate that you are truthful. 

Being a landlord of your own condo properties is clearly not "investing in a Thai business." And more to the point, isn't being a landlord an occupation? 

I think the thing is, if I recall correctly, that the US consulate here has stopped vouchsafing for swearing by its citizens that they actually are getting money (pension, etc) sent to them here in Thailand to meet the immigration requirement. 

I know that because of someone who had been doing that for many years, even though it was not true. He has lots of money from prior businesses (he's stopped working long ago), but was retaining the retirement visa on the strength of his swearing at the consulate that he was in fact receiving whatever it was that immigration required. He will now have to salt 800K away in a bank. 

But this still doesn't really address head on the question of the definition of work as it relates to being a landlord of condos you own. 

I am starting to lean now toward this being illegal, in the strict sense. 

By the way, some posted that they are moving to a province where the immigration staff actually like us. Would you care to share where that might be? I can tell you a place or two where that's not true....

"Foreigners may receive profits from a business, so they can invest in Thai businesses, ..."

This seemed like it was copy and pasted from something but I am not sure. 

However, as ...was it Seadog? asked, what do I make of this? 

Yes, I agree with the quoted statement but it doesn't apply here. The OP clearly is "receiving profits from a business," (his own self-generated income from "properties" he possesses) but not to invest in a Thai business. He's putting it in his own coffers. 

Again, we need a real government definition of "work." 

It seems to be that if you set up a "business," but didn't do anything yourself afterword (all without a work permit) and left everything to someone else, and all you did was take the money from that someone and put it in your bank account...isn't that work? I mean you are not investing, per se, since you are in essence providing a service (living quarters) for others. Isn't that one definition of work? 

Anyone have any experience with a firm called ICO? 

I live in Chiang Mai, not Bangkok, thanks. 

Anyone have a good one to recommend? 

The OP said: 
My question is, why isn't income made in Thailand considered to be viable income by Thai immigration? 

So, this whole thread revolves around this question. Can anyone competently answer this? 

We have Grab now.  Nearly useless map, but it's something. 

Can you post some photos of Promenada "coming alive"? 

And I mean inside the mall, not on some live music outside night. 

Could be condos, but he specifically said properties, more than once, I think. 

It's an interesting question. Is income generated in Thailand on a retirement visa allowable? 

The OP said: 

"I own property in Chiang Mai,..."

Unless you are a Thai citizen with an ID card, you don't own property here. I assume you mean that your girlfriend or wife owns "your" property. 

With this in mind, I am not sure if you are technically working or not. But it might raise some eyebrows if they investigated. If the actual owner of record just gives you the rent money and you do not have any involvement whatsoever, you might be fine. 

It does, however, seem to run counter to the spirit of the granting of a retirement visa, ie, you are supposed to be living off of your retirement funds (earned not from anything you did in Thailand). 

By the way, you are never too old to move somewhere else. 

I don't see the full view, so I can't say anything about the "closeness to the road." 

Any other pics? 

Looks like a lot of Celestials...

So...all this time and money to make a new immigration hall and we have to stand outside unprotected from the elements? What happens if it rains? At least Promenada had a covered breezeway.

You have to wonder if this is just incompetence or simply not giving a krap about the customers (or both?). 

My understanding is that immigration doesn't give a hoot about what goes on in the lines. 

If the Chicoms want to gang up and take over the lining up procedure, then that's a matter for you and me, not for immigration officials. 

But let's be clear; if they tried that with me or like-minded people, there will be trouble. 

"Personally, I think that the new building is OVER-loaded and can't handle the load of people and car traffic. The queue is just unbelievably long."

I haven't been there yet, but are you telling me that after all this wait and construction the place isn't big enough? Photos? 

Zenni

Oh, my...

"I'm sorry, sir, do you have the time?"

"Yes I do.

However, I never give out the time and don't really feel like starting. (Or anything else like that.)"

...won't you be my neighbor?

Really, you can just mix mayonnaise with blue cheese and stir and crush the cheese with a fork. Add a little water for more liquid texture. It will taste better and more intense than any commercial product. Cheaper too.