Airalee

I did a little looking into the visa situation. If done through an agency, the DN visa (where one officially needs sponsorship) can be done without said sponsorship. Probably in a way that isn’t much different than how people in Thailand nurse an agent to get around the financial requirements for the “retirement” visa. One Vietnam visa website specifically addresses this in their FAQ section. https://www.getvisavietnam.com/vietnam-business-visa/ Yes, the visa laws can change in a heartbeat although I could see them becoming more open to retirees in the future with an official retiree visa which isn’t currently available…officially. However, Thailands visa laws can also change in a heartbeat as can their worldwide income taxation structure and as they treat capital gains (from non SET listed companies) like income rather than the way the US taxes them (0%….or 15% up to a very high limit), that is a dealbreaker (for me). With regards to their relationship with China, it appears (to me) that Thailand has a similar relationship with China. I see more Chinese tourists in Thailand than I am currently seeing here in Vietnam although I have seen a few of the busses that you mention. It is monsoon season currently so there aren’t that many tourists in general. The honking of horns is definitely an issue here in general but not nearly as bad as Hanoi in the Hoan Kiem area. So far, I haven’t seen any pollution on the beach (My Khe) and much less than I would see in Thailand in general scattered about the city. Let’s see what the future holds. Cheers

Put yourself in their shoes. Way back when, most of us filthy unvaccinated would say things like “up to you…it’s your choice…it’s between you and your doctor”. But the vaxxed would cajole, denigrate and shame all of us unvaxxed. If we, however said our doctor suggested that it might not be good for us we would be told “your doctor is a quack!! Get another doctor!!” culminating in us being told to “get the jab” by quite a few on here (no need to name names) and subsequently shunned by friends and family. I was even invited to have coffee one time by a forum member here…until he found out I was unvaxxed…then I was dropped like a leper. They will hold onto their beliefs until the bitter end because of course, that is better than admitting they were wrong and “having blood on their hands”. And when the time comes for them to “meet their maker”….well… ”There are no atheists in foxholes” And then, it is too late.

The language barrier is actually more of a thing when it comes to business signage. Everything is written in Vietnamese. People working in the fancier hotels (3 star and up) speak pretty good English…perhaps better than what you would see in Thailand at comparable hotels. On the lower end ($10 hotels which are everywhere and comparable to a ฿600-800 hotel in Thailand) they speak next to no English but they all have their translation apps on their phones at the ready and I have seen that the translation works better for Vietnamese than it does for Thai. I have used it with the pharmacists also and have no problem communicating. In general, people seem to speak less English than in Thailand. The customer service is also much better even though most of the people are only making $200-300/month. No standoffish attitudes but not a ton of fake smiles either. Tipping is less of a thing here too but still appreciated and the “thank you so much” seems genuine. I even had a grab driver side-hug me after getting a 40k Dong (50 baht) tip. I’m extremely happy being here and if Thailand actually enacts the income tax on all income and not just what is remitted, the trip pays for itself multiple times over primarily due to how Thailand views capital gains as income vs how the US taxes long term capital gains. From my perspective, Vietnam will eat Thailands lunch for both the budget traveler and the “wealthy” travelers that they (Thailand) are now trying to court.

I haven’t been to Hanoi in 7 or 8 years but when I was there, I did look at apartments for rent and they were substantially less expensive than what I was paying in Chiangmai at the time. I would suspect that Hanoi and HCMC would be more expensive than Da Nang as they are the two major metropolitan areas. How much, I can’t say. The vibe in Hanoi is much different than here in Da Nang (which considers themselves to be “south”) and when I was in Hanoi, the woman who I had befriended spoke very negatively of the south and I suspect that there is lingering resentment from the old days. People are much more laid back and friendly in Da Nang. I’ve never been to any other cities so I can’t speak for them.

Officially, I believe that the 90 day tourist visas can only be extended for 1 month before having to leave the country but I have been told that they can unofficially be extended for 3 months. My brother, who has lived in Vietnam for the better part of 15 years told me that the agents can get things handled so that one doesn’t have to leave the country. This was in Phu Quoc so things may be different there. Probably best to visit different agencies in whatever city you are in to see what the options are. I cannot say for certain but I suspect that the rules are flexible much like the people who pay an agent to handle their “retirement” visas in Thailand when they don’t meet the financial requirements. The real estate agent who found an apartment for me said she could handle things and get a 90 day extension but I’m unaware of whatever the process is on her end. I didn’t ask how much it would cost.

Understandable although I for one applaud them. In some ways they have “beaten the system” and most likely won’t have to deal with the onerous income taxes in Thailand. I would however encourage them to check out Vietnam, as here in Da Nang, I’m seeing that the cost of living is 30-50% cheaper than Thailand and none of the constant immigration hoops to jump through. Agents handle the visas for a fraction of the cost too and they appear to be easily renewable every 90 days. Sure, there isn’t as much choice but general basics for day to day stuff is much less expensive. ฿8-20 for a Bahn Mi sandwich ฿20 for a coffee ฿18 for a 330ml beer in the minimarts ฿25 for cigarettes ฿80 for a haircut ฿13/kg at the laundry shops (฿18 if you want pick up and delivery) Fast food (McDonald’s) and wood fired pizza 30% cheaper Cheaper rent (about 30% from what I have seen and more for higher end places) Cheaper healthcare in the international hospital Cooler weather (currently 71 F) Cleaner air (compared to what I experienced 10 years ago) No fat women (for those who are in Thailand for that sort of thing) Next to no police presence (unless they are all plain clothes and I don’t see them) Better footpaths/sidewalks (but more motorbikes parked on them) MUCH cleaner beaches

Call…

I’d bet that the super luxurious condos in Bangkok aren’t any different than the ones in the US. When I lived at the El Royale in Los Angeles for many years, I got to know the doormen quite well and to be honest, you’re more generous (with even ฿1000) than most of the celebs that lived there.

It’s unfortunate that you are so dishonest. It was part of a big steaming pile of word salad. How you can support bills being passed without it being a legal requirement for them to actually be read by the congress members is disgusting. Shame on you.

You really seem to want to pay taxes with no benefits. You’re not playing “devils advocate”. You’re being a shill. Are you on the payroll? Part of the “fabric” that the taxes pay here is healthcare. I’m not interested in hearing what you pay or don’t pay in the UK. The whole point of paying taxes is to get some sort of benefit. Not just to be a cash cow for a government. I don’t live here for free. I pay more in taxes with the VAT than most Thais. No taxation without representation.

I’ll see your Rachel Levine and raise you one Virgie Tovar… https://nypost.com/2024/12/18/health/fat-positivity-expert-hired-by-san-francisco-dept-of-health-to-consult-on-weight-stigma/

Then they shouldn’t have a problem with us getting subsidized healthcare either. Touché

I used to tip 1,000 to everybody. Now that I won’t be there this Christmas I suppose it’ll be nothing and it won’t even phase them. Probably have all new staff by now anyways. I still get great service as if there is ever a problem in my unit, it gets handled immediately and everybody involved gets a few hundred baht as a thanks. My girlfriend is also constantly baking them the Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookies so that helps too.

Actually, I believe it would be guavas. 😁

Ummmm….the quoted material you gave me did give numbers so your claim of going from one patient to eight is quite disingenuous. Carry on. Nothing to see here.

No. People aren’t restricted to the hospital where they are registered if their hospital does not offer what is needed. Referrals can be made. You should educate yourself on how the healthcare here works.

This quote by the OP was comedy gold….

Ok….explain the 800%+ rise now. Has there been an 800% increase in PET scan machines? I didn’t think so. Your quoted figures show a rise of less than 200% from 1997 until 2017. Don’t forget to get your recommended Covid booster. 😘

Ok. I didn’t realize that. I don’t watch TV. Enjoy your meal.

I never claimed that the taxes from the Thai tax evaders was insignificant. But as foreigners are small potatoes in comparison, why include them? Are they really that desperate for money? As I said….penny wise and pound foolish. If they want to tax our income, perhaps we should get some of the benefits that Thais also get such as the opportunity to buy into the Thai social health insurance plans for ฿600/month. If they didn’t have as many foreigners, who’s gonna buy all the empty condos? I suspect that other countries will gladly take our money and be grateful for it.

Yes. I understand what the intention of the law was and that it was aimed at Thais. I also understand that the legislative wheels turn slowly here….but in reality, how hard would it be to just come out and exclude foreigners who are on Non-O visa extensions based on retirement? I would prefer to stay, but if treated like a tax donkey while they drag their feet (and kept in a perpetual state of uncertainty and the accompanying stress)….I voted with my wallet and bailed. Of course….nothing is ever simple here.

There is no official retirement visa option but there are agents who get the 90 day visas renewed without having to leave the country. All completely legit from what I understand. This can be done over and over and over ad infinitum as far as I know as my brother has been doing it for close to 15 years now. Longer “business” visas are also available but I’m not sure what that entails.