Khaeng Mak

4 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

So, send money to Thailand, get paypal out from thai bank, paypal to uk bank, top up and send again. wonder if the charges beat moving ?  Thai banks paypalable ?

Can't withdraw money via paypal from Thai Bank. You can (of course) deposit it.

2 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

The problem is not what they do so much now, but what they may do in the future. I am quite lucky, I can from this year get enough from renting my uk house out and combine it with my pension to meet 65k a month - and most importantly have an escape route by not madly selling my house and moving 100% to Thailand. This said , I do fear an exodus - from what I read of the poll above 30% would be leaving - that is not a small amount and will seriously impact on the local economy of small businesses. Also I would say at least  - at least - 90% of my friends will fall foul of this demand if they cannot use agents. They are not just Brits, but Aussies, Irish, Europeans and other country citizens - they all have family who are soon going to be potless and there is little they can do to support them. 

And what of the loss of expat "community". How will Thailand attract any new retirees if there is no other expats for them to hang out with. The gradual decline in retirement extension renewals will gain moment quickly and turn into a full blow rush for the exits.  Just the old and sick like me will remain.

20 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

It's like a tax by stealth. They haven't officially changed the minimum fiscal requirements like so many doomsayers say is an inevitability. By asking the retiree to bank the same 800 k and not touch it, they know that in all practicality he/she will need yet ANOTHER 800 k to live on, thus they have covertly doubled the income requirements for long-stayers without having it wrote in any statutes.

Yes. I already posted this on another thread.  That's exactly what this is a "defacto" doubling of the required amount.

42 minutes ago, Khaeng Mak said:

With respect Sheryl, too complicated. Not everyone is as smart as you.

 

Thais authorities and banks will never handle the logistics and the average retiree punter wont understand the details.

 

A simple solution is to just let us use the 800K to purchase a property or a business in our name. And make it retrospective. 

 

That is, anyone who has already purchased a condo (worth more than 800K) in their name need only show their chanote to get their extension.

 

But such a policy would make it easier for many retirees and we all know that that is not the intended outcome of these recent changes.

EDIT:

I have just started a new thread on this idea as I think it is worth exploring.  If the Thai authorities want us to lock up our money all year why can't we lock it up in a the purchase of a condo or business. Your comments and thoughts are welcomed:

Rambo69

Watch this movie right now and you will have all your own answers:

https://putlockertv.ac/?s=beautiful+boy&x=0&y=0

3 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

The more I think about this, the harder it is to understand what these new rules re 800K are expected to achieve.

 

If the problem is foreigners living here without adequate means to support themselves (and I agree that happens and is a concern), how does tying up people's money so they can't spend it under any circumstance help with that? On the contrary I would say that by requiring what amounts to a 400K bond, all you do is deplete people's savings by 400K thereby likely increasing the numbers of people without adequate financial buffer to fall back on.

 

If the problem is illegal extensions being granted, nothing in this law addresses that.  Agents abetted by corrupt IOs will get around these new requirements just as easily as they did the old.

Yes Sheryl I just had the same epiphany also.  If immigration wont let us get at our money why cant we lock up up in a condo or business purchase? That is why I just started the following thread.  I would welcome your comments:

49 minutes ago, ozmeldo said:

High drama here

 

Life is based on similar situations and circumstances.

 

It's what often drives migration, families are routinely broken up so breadwinners can chase money to feed their families.

 

What do you expect from the country? Permanent residency for being broke? That's a serious question, not being flippant.

I'm not broke.  I am just old, sick (cancer) and disabled. Thanks for your input.

35 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Several of the things on your list can be dealt with my being adequately insured.

 

It's not a minimum of 400K year round. It is a minimum of 800K 5 out of 12 months and 400K the rest of the time.

 

And effectively, it is gone unless you later decide to leave Thailand.

 

I'm considering putting 800K into a fixed deposit.  I would not mind that so much if Thai banks had a provision whereby an account can be designated "payable on death to.." because then at least the funds would become immediately available to my Executor/heirs on my death. I'm not going to leave behind less than 800K anyhow.  But they do not, and getting funds  from a  bank account after someone's death in Thailand, even with a Thai will, is a long drawn out affair. Which is a main reason I have for nto wanting to bring in more money than I need to - that and the low interest rates.

 

What the government ought to do is set up, either at the Bank of Thailand or with a designated bank(s) a system for posting a bond wherein the amount is immediately payable to designated beneficiaries upon the holder's death and also guaranteed to be immediately refunded to the holder on request, with any extension of stay granted based on then void  after X (reasonable number) of days.  If they want to make it really attractive, offer a competitive level of interest and allow the interest amount only be withdrawn, either annualy or at will.

 

 

With respect Sheryl, too complicated. Not everyone is as smart as you.

Thais authorities and banks will never handle the logistics and the average retiree punter wont understand the details.

A simple solution is to just let us use the 800K to purchase a property or a business in our name. And make it retrospective. 

That is, anyone who has already purchased a condo (worth more than 800K) in their name need only show their chanote to get their extension.

But such a policy would make it easier for many retirees and we all know that that is not the intended outcome of these recent changes.

If his account balance was just 1 satang under 800,000 thb could he have his cake and eat it too?

On 2/2/2019 at 9:29 AM, simon43 said:

I must say that all those female immigration officers look rather 'vicious' ????

Silly you.  They are not Immigration officers. They are a group of North Koreans who just happened to be there for the party.

On 2/2/2019 at 9:33 AM, Briggsy said:

What we see as "irrational behaviour" here is sometimes driven by the relationship between a subordinate and their boss. This relationship is opaque and has very considerable vertical distance in Thailand. That is to say the boss can drastically affect the subordinate's lives either positively or negatively. It is something along the lines of a medieval lord and his serfs.

 

This birthday cake stunt may well have had nothing to do with "Mr John", the Norwegian, and everything to do with trying to project an image to their overlords in Bangkok that Chiang Mai Immigration was no longer hostile to its foreign users.

My thoughts exactly.  But to explain what is going on here in more simple terms:

This is just a PR stunt like all of the stories of a Taxi driver finding 1 million baht cash in his cab then giving it back to the owner.

1 hour ago, thaiguzzi said:

That is a colour retouch up photo.

Every photo i have ever seen from the Wild One has been B/W.

I'm a great Brando fan, but in this movie he played the knob, Lee Marvin played the real great part / proper biker.

Back on topic, long story short, Hollywood actually used between 5-7 Thunderbirds for Marlon's bike, and i had one of them in the early 90's, c/w proper Hollywood & import paperwork.

All original, never restored externally, nice patina, ran great etc.

Paid over 4k GBP for it back then, which was a fair bit of money for a 6T in those days, sold it a few years later for not much more.

Idiot.

Prolly worth 5 figures these days.

Double idiot.

Hindsight is a worthless commodity.

Op.

Good luck.

You need to watch the new movie called "Beautiful Boy" right now.

It is about a family trying to deal with meth addiction.

It is not a glossed over version and pulls no punches.

You can watch it for free on websites such as Putlocker or Sockshare.

One statistic that a doctor quotes is that less than 3% of addicts are successfully rehabilitated.

Please (I beg you) watch this movie as I suggested.  It will help you very much with your clarity of vision to move forward.

Choose your future wisely. And I wish you the very best for your difficult time ahead.

4 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

Since we cannot control events we can't pride ourselves as being doers but merely that which reacts and our reactions are programmed according to genetic makeup and nurture, it is therefore pointless to ponder the question 'what if'.

Epistemology is a noble pursuit. But it won't help me get my retirement extension.

4 minutes ago, thaidrew said:

Actually it is not difficult for immigration to make it a requirement to open a dedicated retirement account, withdrawal from which is blocked below 400k. Or require a term deposit in the amount of 800k with the proviso that more than 400k can't be withdrawn. Malaysia have much the same system but for a higher figure RM150k about usd 35k, you can can withdraw for specified purposes but not more than the minimum allowed, which is about usd12k l think. To withdraw an application must be made, reasons quoted and if withdrawing all visa is terminated. 

If they made such an account/requirement here then then it will cause even further problems for me because I use a fCD for my annual extension.

4 hours ago, rott said:

In another thread is it you that is saying that you are handicapped and could not survive here without the help and support of your family here?

 

If this is the case why would you be grabbing a taxi for the airport and doing a runner to Vietnam.

 

Apologies if it is not you.

So are you telling me I am not allow to get treatment back home if I need it in a hurry. 

36 minutes ago, thesetat2013 said:

You all forget the most obvious one. Gf or wife is angry at you and uses your bank book to take that money for her to leave you. 

Yes...That is a second giant elephant in the room I failed to mention. Betrayal by your wife, gf, or a business partner. Can't ensure against that risk either.

1 minute ago, chrisinth said:

That is information that you voluntarily gave them.

 

The poster I was addressing was suggesting that immigration had access to bank accounts.

 

So no, I wasn't kidding. Read the post I was replying to again. 

How was it voluntary? No documents not extension.

4 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

VISA rules Relationships are a lot easier if you don't try and stay in one place year round.

5 minutes ago, HuskerDo said:

Then what? They moved back to their home country? Moved to another place in SEA? Died?

No.

If they were pals of BritManToo they would have wrote a memoir entitled: Life in a Philippine prison.

On 2/1/2019 at 5:47 PM, sometime said:

Sorry but a load of tosh, most of our time is spent in the garden not the bars.

How do you get your work permit?

Horticulture is a prohibited occupation for foreigners.