GeorgeCross

22 minutes ago, Hockeybik said:

38 million is more than half the population of Thailand? Not possible. Someone needs a fact check. IF there are 38 million add 10 baht to every visa app and it more than pays for the unpaid med bills. Hell, add 100 baht no one will notice. 

by that logic might as well add 100,000.. oh wait..$%$#%##

56 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

This article should begin with an apology something like this: "We sincerely apologise for the previous article which was misleadling, uninformed and complete crap."

ah i don't know the original article seemed clear enough to me..

the comments after it not so much ????

3 minutes ago, Inn Between said:

I'd like to see the demographics by nationality of foreigners that don't pay their hospital bills. Is it usually people from Western nations or more likely to be a poor Cambodian, Laotian, or Burmese immigrant? How are immigrant workers treated in this area? Do they get basic Thai health care, or will they be required to have the same type of insurance as say a Brit coming into Thailand? 

 

It will be interesting to see how this is all handled once the rules are fully in place and how much effect it will have on tourism numbers.   

not seen many 90 year old burmese migrants around - maybe they went home.. or the work killed them, who knows

7 minutes ago, lordmullin said:

This might be in the wrong bit, but I am thinking about a trip to Hua Hin, maybe in Sept. I would prefer a quieter place, less noise, fewer bars/clubs, but still the usual attractions like girls and massage, etc. - any advice?

I've also looked a condos, for a couple of years hence, and they seem quite cheap in Hua Hin.

Thanks.

hua hin, cha-am or kanchanaburi all fit that description

ask if can accept a certified translation of utility bill plus original. a local lawyer can do this for around 500-1000 baht.

this was acceptable for standard bank, lloyds and hsbc offshores and also IB, saxo offshore investment accounts (pea electric bill in my case)

if not ask them why they expect utility bills to be in english considering you LIVE IN THAILAND and they use THAI LANGUAGE! can they provide bank statements in thai for use here?

that usually forces their hand ????

caveat: your name should of course be on the bill and would normally be in english

23 minutes ago, sumrit said:

The possible interest gained by investing (some of) that 800k baht into a higher interest account of your choice anywhere in the world would more than compensate for the minimal transfer fees using a company like Transferwise. Plus you have the flexibility to use that money exactly the way you want and not be dictated to by Thai Immigration on where to put it.

thanks but my money is here and i am happy it is having earned a large chunk already against the pound over the years. i have no interest (lol) in chasing interest rates in a country i haven't even been in for 20 years and which i couldn't even open an account in now as i am non-resident. not to mention the currency risk (cough brexit) associated with that decision. hence 2% here i am happy with.

23 minutes ago, sumrit said:

I'm not throwing anybody under a bus. The 800k baht is dead money so you still need to transfer more money into Thailand for your living expenses on a regular basis. My way you still bring your living expenses over PLUS have your 800k freed up and available to use as you please.

my money is already here i don't transfer anything and as for dead money it earns a stable interest rate with no currency risk. as you say i am free to do with it what i want. that is what i choose to do with it.

23 minutes ago, sumrit said:

By contrast, your 'put everybody onto the combo method' would cause untold problems and throw many expats under your bus

for me and most of us the best solution is just to meet the 400/800 figure in either balance OR transactions over the course of the last year on day of application and be done with it regardless of whether its 12x65 or 4x200 or 1x800 or just the same 800 from last year. any combination.

how? whether (hypothetically) its transferred in monthly, quarterly, bi-annually or 10 years ago and just stayed here as long as it totals 800K by the end of the year as balance or TRANSACTIONS IN it would qualify. everybody would. 

23 minutes ago, sumrit said:

A lot of expats, many married with families, have lived in Thailand for many years. Over those years they have used their 'nesteggs' to build a house, buy a car, pay for their children's educations, helped out their Thai families at times, etc, etc. Over those years their nest eggs have well and truly gone on the more important things in their family lives. They simply would not be able to come up with the necessary lump sum required.

this group includes me but i kept my nest egg aside. but it wouldn't matter if i didn't and had a pension instead because under my method no-one would need to worry, you either have the lumpsum or you transferred it over at your own leisure over the previous year.

once again everybody covered and no busses bothered. 

anyways no more of this from me, we obviously have our own crosses to bear, lets just put it to bed now and move on before we both look like idiots! 

good day ????

getting rid of the money in the bank option and then saying it won't cost us anything more is a ridiculous suggestion

how can sending 12 x 65K cost the same as just leaving the 800K in the bank where we pay no transfer fees at all ???!!

just consolidate it all to the combo method, rather than throwing half of us under a bus, then everybody can be happy

or better yet scrap the 65K month method and just have those that can keep 800K in a bank all year round? that would be easiest for IO's AND me ????

but NO. that would be selfish of me.

36 minutes ago, sumrit said:

You obviously don't understand what I am trying to suggest.

The rules say an expat mush show money in Thailand of 800/400k baht per year, either by keeping most of that money permanently in a Thai bank OR transferring 65/40k baht into a Thai bank during the course of the year (equal to 780/480k baht per year).

Regardless of what an individuals personal circumstances are, the rules say that money must be in a Thai bank for that year whichever method is used.

With the money in the bank method most of that money must remain permanently in a Thai bank and can't be used. Whatever your circumstances, you must keep a lot of money in Thailand unusable and unable to transfer it back to your home country (or anywhere else) regardless of your particular needs.

With my suggested monthly version, yes, the rules say you must transfer an equivelent/average of 65/40k baht per month into Thailand, then then you can use it as you please - without any restrictions. If you want to keep any excess in your Thai bank you can (it's similar to keeping 800k in the bank) but this time you have full control and can use it. Or, if you prefer, you can send money else where (your home country?) using somebody like Dee Money.

Much more flexibility plus you would still have your original 800k baht to use, invest, spend as you pleasewith no restrictions whatsoever.

Although you didn't highlight it, I also said: a more flexible proof of the source of the income is required. Not everybody has a pension but many have an investment/rental income etc, or even just a large bank balance to use. As long as its source can, if necessary, be proved that’s all that should be required.

 

I didn't mention the combo method because there is some debate as to how usable it will be under the new/current rules anyway, and for many appears to be on the back burner.

But yes, for some people with lower incomes that has been a viable option in the past. But a larg(ish) lump sum still had to remain, unusable, in a Thai bank. My suggestion means that money could be invested/used to help make up the shortfall in their income.

 

I've covered that by suggesting the new rules are much more flexible and state pension and/or other income such as investments, rental income, etc.

 

Just a basic idea at the moment but my suggestion would be to give expats the same/similar care that a Thai National would receive in a Governmet Hospital, with a (Government run) type of insurance (that doesn't need to factor in profits that private schemes do) to pay for the cost of Government Hospital (not private hospital) care.

yes well thanks for your 'suggestion' but i'd rather just keep my money in a thai bank all year earning a small but acceptable amount of interest rather than transfer some of it back to the UK just so i CAN SEND IT BACK 12 TIMES and pay all those fees nevermind remembering to do it every month!!!

forcing all of us onto the income only method will mess a lot of people up. thats why they have the money in the bank option in the first place.

just leaving the money in the bank gives me peace of mind each year that everything (under the current rules) is already covered.

for me and most of us the best solution is just to meet the 400/800 figure in either balance OR transactions over the course of the last year on day of application and be done with it regardless of whether its 12x65 or 4x200 or 1x800 or just the same 800 from last year. any combination.

and get rid of the blooddy agents

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Yeah, no drugs available in Thailand, that's what they say.

haha got me before my edit 

14 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Colombia, here we come?

 

Show pension income document under 25K Thai baht per month. 

 

U.S. embassy helps verify.

 

No import into Colombia required whatsoever.

 

No Colombia bank account required whatsoever.

 

Three years visa initially.

 

Then later permanent residence.

 

National health program buy in.

 

isn't it a little bit errr dangerous there?

guess no improvement post big joke then ????

well this thread went downhill quickly ????‍♀️

really needs a redesign of the chasis its starting to look a bit 'meh' these days

not tempting me to upgrade my 2014 imac to it 

in fairness to the guy there are MANY villas on koh samui being offered on airbnb and all over thailand for that matter with a very similar (if not the same) business model.

seems he was renting the whole villa out (villa rental) on at least one of them so the moral of this story is airbnb (for villas now not just condos) makes you a target and is now illegal?

doesn't seem like he had a check in desk and multiple rooms for rent (like a hotel) but the whole villas for rent unless i am reading this wrong??

myself and my wife have stayed in multiple villas on the island with the big villa business model of a homestay (owner lives there but rents a room out which is what airbnb was originally made to do) going back as far as i've been here which is nearly 20 years

i wouldn't call him stupid but maybe unlucky - definately will be some 'squeaky bums' with some of my old friends there though!

22 minutes ago, leosurin said:

Really...i don't understand what we still doing in this country..?!

Been here 20 years got a daughter brought in this land millions and millions bath...and still be treated less then dogs.

Wake up guys...have some pride...

when are you leaving?

25 minutes ago, RobbyXNorway said:

Yepp, sounds like Thai authorities are cracking down on AirBnB and consider the mansions/villas rented out as illegal hotels. For those who are neighbours to these AirBnB rentals they will probably sigh in relief. Going to be interesting what the consequence will be.

agree there, we had one in our village once and it was a massive PITA at weekends

these days they go for the 2 week+ holiday rental crowd and to be honest most of the guests are quite pleasant.

just as profitable i hear too.. sshhh!

1 minute ago, Justgrazing said:

" Joint forces " following on from " Taskforce " towing alleged illegal buoy the other day .. Just waiting now for the Special Forces storm unlicensed massage parlour headline .. 

haven't they tried that a few times already and on the day 'everybody holiday'