drbeach

26 minutes ago, elephant45 said:

can you explain this a little deeper? I am 65 so it's of interest.

Do you mean me? I understand Cambodia offers a retirement visa without proof of funds to any foreigner who wants one, provided they are at least 55 years of age. However, you can't work on it and in the future, proof of funds will probably be introduced as a requirement. For now you can rest easy though.

On 2/21/2020 at 11:13 AM, holy cow cm said:

Maybe this is why the Thai government is preparing for stage 3. Because maybe it is already at stage 3 but they still will not refuse their Chinese soo to be owners.

I think it's got more to do with money. Thai tourism's contribution to GDP seems to have grown exponentially in just a few years - I remember reading that just 5-6 years ago, tourism supposedly contributed just 6% to GDP (seems a bit low even for back then), then it became 10%, then 12-15 now it's 20%. Maybe with all the factory closures going on the Thai government hasn't been honest and are hiding the truth about tourism actually being responsible for 50+% of GDP. At least that's the impression one gets both here in Thailand and abroad, when not a day goes by that tourism and the TAT isn't mentioned.

2 hours ago, emptypockets said:

No passport, no hotel room is a distinct possibility. They also usually photocopy the TM 6. At least in the hotels I stay in.

At all the hotels I've stayed at in recent years, not one has ever photocopied the TM6. 95% of hotels accept my driver's license, only a small handful insist on a passport. I think it depends on what the local immigration office wants. Ubon Ratchathani seems to insist on passports, while Tak (Mae Sot) for instance is mostly fine with a driver's license (except one hotel back in 2014 which wanted a passport, but only one for 4 foreign guests). Anyway, even when insisting on a passport, I've only ever seen them photocopy the front page. That's enough for immigration anyway, since all the information they need is on their computer systems.

Also, I thought the TM6 was about to be abolished? It was announced about 4-5 months ago. Why hasn't it happened yet? Even Myanmar now longer issues arrival/departure cards, except at one border: Myawaddy (opposite Mae Sot). Laos and Cambodia have eliminated the departure portion - now they only ask for arrival forms to be filled out. 

28 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

Seems visas in Vietnam are cheap and fast and agents can do all for me for just a minor fee and no TM30’s hassles..

Anyway I already discovered about u thomas that most of ur thai pitching posts  have an high fake content !

There is a TM30 equivalent just that it's not talked about much.

Also, they have relaxed the TM30 here in Thailand quite a bit last year.

16 hours ago, TVUserx said:

I lost mine and was allowed to fly Samui to bkk to get an emergency passport, but the airline weren’t happy about it at all, even with police report, home driving licence etc.

I have read most of the replies on this topic and have taken a look at the Bangkok Airways website but I don't get it. It's a domestic flight - it's always been possible (in my experience) to use a Thai driver's license. Even 7-8 years ago, I had the impression airlines didn't necessary like home (foreign) driving licenses, though they would usually accept them but they would certainly accept a Thai driver's license. Having already possessed a Thai license back then, that's what I used for boarding a THAI Airways Udon Thani-Bangkok flight even though I had just arrived from Vientiane, where I got off a flight from Kunming a few hours earlier and thus had my passport on me.

I don't know about you, but the idea of being "forced" to use a passport for a domestic flight feels a bit creepy and Stalinist to me. Kind of like the old "show me your papers" routine that has become etched in our memories from the Soviet era. That and the fact a passport, unless you absolutely need it, can get lost. It's absolutely needed for crossing borders (of course) but I don't like the fact that in developing countries, especially those that are considered to be "less free" authorities and just about everyone likes to get your hands on this document, even though half of them can't read it (I can't tell you how many times bank officials have photocopied an old Myanmar visa in my passport thinking it's my information page!)

Some people might say "well what about America? They don't accept foreign driver's licenses [anymore] either". True, but they don't discriminate against foreigners - if you hold a driver's license issued in any one of the 50 US states it doesn't matter what your residency status is, provided you were able to legally obtain said license that can be used for boarding a domestic flight in lieu of a passport.

In my experience, up until I read this post, I was well aware of Thailand's neighbors, including China, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia generally accepting ONLY a passport for domestic travel for foreigners (including expats) but got the impression Thailand was a little more "free". I guess times are changing, or it depends on the airline/official on duty.

Anyway, all of this doesn't affect me really since I haven't flown domestically in many years. I prefer driving - besides, Thailand isn't a very big country. I've even driven Bangkok-Chiang Mai-Bangkok for one night to Chiang Mai. Beats flying cost-wise, since I don't have to pay for a taxi to get to/from the airport and also pay for a rental car during my time away. But hey, that's me.

On 1/31/2020 at 8:40 AM, GeorgeCross said:

there's always Cambodia

 

and if that goes down could try Bangladesh, i hear the women are a bit ropey there though ????

 

 

Cambodia is 6 months now (technically 7, initial entry + a 6 month extension) and then a visa run required (except if over 55 and retired). Still not too bad if you're just "hanging around" but will undoubtedly be heading the way of Thailand eventually.

On 2/24/2020 at 3:40 PM, Aussieroaming said:

No, my medicare card expired a long time ago and I don't have any residential connection to Australia, so I would have to go through whatever government regulations there are in order to re-qualify. Having said that, I have made contingency in my savings to cover illness and presently I have comprehensive private health insurance. If I take into account the costs of residing in Australia (I own my apartment in Bangkok) and the cost of supporting myself in Australia, when I don't want to live there anyway I can't see an upside to going back just in order to qualify for a future pension (10 years away). I still work and I've already got enough saved to live a reasonable lifestyle, but I will keep working and saving for as long as possible in order to give my wife a good life.

I find it disgusting the way our western governments treat our own citizens. Refugees can get treatment on day 1, but Aussies have to wait a month before they get their entitlements back, after an absence of 5 years or more. Thais who live abroad can come back home and go to a public hospital on day 1 and get to pay the Thai price or use the 30 Baht scheme, if they can prove they are Thai (just need to present a Thai ID card or passport if the former is unavailable).

The Thai government treats even "long lost" Thais who have never lived in Thailand and are coming for the first time, the same as Thais who have never left the country. Meanwhile, in the west, foreigners quickly receive the same (or better) treatment as locals. Sort of makes you wonder what good is Australian citizenship (or any other western citizenship) if foreigners get the same rights as locals.

On 2/18/2020 at 1:20 PM, holy cow cm said:

Yes but you do not own the plot as you are a foreigner. Yes I have been to cremations here before. Same way I will go. 

Well if you're dead, you can't really "own it" either, irrespective of your nationality when you were alive. Unless your surviving relatives or family can put up the money, you will most likely end up choosing a burial method similar to deceased locals around you. Donations to temples usually allow one to have their remains interned inside an urn located on temple grounds. Most Buddhists however seem to choose cremations and have the ashes strewn over a natural body of water or a forest or something with no burial plot. Probably because for one, it's cheaper. Muslims and Christians tend to bury their dead - Christians on church grounds, Muslims in their cemeteries or sometimes in their own backyards.

1 minute ago, BritTim said:

The problem is that the "rule" that supposedly exists limiting time on tourist visas is not specified in any official law or regulation. Further, the rule only applies at certain entry points into Thailand. Expecting, say, snowbirds to be aware of the entry points where the "rule" applies, and the precise limits at each entry point that impose limits does not seem to me reasonable.

It's no different from the USA, UK, Canada, New Zealand or Australia. I have watched many episodes of "border security" from all 5 countries to know of examples of travelers who were denied entry on their second visit. The usual scenario is - stay almost as long as your visa allows (3-6 months), then leave for a short period and attempt to come back for the second time on a multi entry visa. Then they get denied and banned from re-entering for 3 years or so. Where's the "official" time limit that tourists can spend in these countries? Doesn't exist either. Depends on the officer.

On 2/17/2020 at 6:18 PM, donnacha said:

And zero "you come too many times" nonsense.

Just imagine how useful that would be for other S.E. Asian countries hoping to boost their tourist industries in the face of a rising currency and a fatal pandemic. Not thinking of any country in particular, of course.

 

That's pure speculation. How many westerners spend most of their time living in Malaysia on tourist visas or exemptions? I'm quite sure if you were to make Malaysia your home on 30-90 day visa waivers, eventually immigration will pull you aside.

This forum is Thaivisa, not Malaysiavisa, hence we don't know how many westerners are getting denied entry into Malaysia. However, anecdotal evidence from Singapore shows it's quite easy to get denied - read here on TV about a Thai lady who had spent 3 weeks out of a 30 day visa waiver in that country. After a few weeks, she comes back for a proposed stay of a few days and gets denied entry. She NEVER overstayed nor did she spend "too much time" in Singapore. Yet she was denied. That's far worse than what Thai immigration is doing. Indeed, no foreigner who only spent 3 weeks in Thailand gets denied entry on their next visit, if they don't have a documented record of spending lots of time in Thailand recently.

On 2/17/2020 at 4:27 PM, donnacha said:

Bangkok can no longer fulfill the role of regional air hub.

Regardless of the reasons for the current bias against Westerners, the practical reality is that even Westerners with valid visas are frequently being denied entry at both DMK and BKK. The risk is low but high enough to make it unwise to get a long distance flight to either airport.

For about three years, I have been suggesting that Westerners visiting Thailand should fly into one of the more professional regional hubs - such as Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, or Singapore - and catch a connecting flight to their destination in Thailand. If you do get stopped in Bangkok, you will at least only have to buy a relatively cheap last-minute ticket back to your last point of departure.

Your best bet is to skip Bangkok entirely. For example, you can fly directly to Chiang Mai from almost every other major city in the region, or even Qatar.

Hopefully attitudes will change after the junta falls but, for now, avoiding direct long distance flights into Bangkok is the smart play.

What "bias" against westerners? Against western governments maybe, but certainly not against your average western tourist.

However, I can see where the government might be concerned - western "tourist" who has spent 90% of his time in Thailand over the past 2 years wants to convince immigration he's "just a tourist". Try that in any western country, you'll be deported pronto.

Although if you're in the category of "might have spent a little bit too much time here" then getting a flight to a "friendlier" airport is an idea, I'll give you that.

On 2/18/2020 at 3:39 PM, pookondee said:

Its a good point.

You see folks on here hanging around in Thailand until they are absolutely bitter and negative about everything Thailand.

And a mindset like that can follow you around everywhere in the end.

 

Much better scenario is, like you said, spend time back home, (or various other places) and cut down on time in LOS if its giving you grief.

 

Its a ++ idea really.

Cutting ties to your homeland is a bad idea these days, since Thailand feels the need to change immigration laws willy-nilly.

The next change might be the one that prices you out of the market.

 

The guys with family ties (stuck) i feel sorry for.

Essentially they are kow-towing to the whims of a few very ignorant, nationalistic, rich xxxxs, who

really dont give a fig about anyone but themselves. 

Certainly not their own poor country-men, whom farangs are supporting.

 

As for getting denied, I still cannot believe you will be denied if you only go there 6-9 months per year,

get a visa from your own country..

 

Provided you have no shady history and your country isnt one that gets "scrutinised" more than others.

 

If they send you back, just wipe 'em.

 

Who wants to stay in a country that does that to you?..

when you are doing nothing wrong, just spending and bringing in foriegn $.

 

They will learn eventually.

 

 

 

Thai immigration isn't really changing the rules so much as enforcing the rule that someone who is a tourist can't spend an indeterminate amount of time here living on visa waivers or tourist visas. Almost every case I have read about here, is from someone like that.

I too would NEVER cut ties with my home country to "reside" somewhere permanently or semi-permanently on tourist visas, even if it looks like the authorities in that country tolerate it. Sooner or later, laws will change and it won't be possible anymore. Vietnam is the next country that's going to apply to - tourist visas only 30 days starting in July.

I keep hearing the "I'm spending $" but the problem is...you're here permanently on a tourist visa. Get the right visa and then you can spend all you want. Or spend 2 months a year here like legitimate tourists do. If you're married to a Thai you can get a marriage visa. Then you can live here. If you're old (50+) you can get a retirement visa.

On 2/17/2020 at 9:08 PM, rabang said:

 

 

This is why I would avoid flying from countries that I can't access without a visa if I am denied entry. Next time I will go to Vietnam I will probably return via Malaysia or Singapore to Thailand due to this 30 day gap requirement.

You might want to consider entering Thailand by land, or flying to an entry point close to the Thai border (such as Vientiane) and then entering by land from there. If you then need to fly within Thailand, Udon Thani airport is located just 50km south of the Thai-Lao border.

SE Asia isn't very big so I fail to see the need to fly HCMC-BKK or SIN-BKK. Since avoiding scrutinizing immigration authorities is the domain of those on tourist visas or exemptions, and by definition a tourist in this case is someone with time (short-term tourists don't have to worry as only long-term ones are stopped by Thai immigration), there is little excuse for not going the land route or another more circuitous method of entry, even if a little inconvenient, it's hardly that bad.

Entering by land also eliminates the problem of what to do in the unlikely event you're refused - the other side simply cancels the exit stamp and you're free to remain in that country until the original permitted to date.

7 hours ago, Denim said:

TIT where ugly is beautiful.

 

Everything the OP says is true and nothing can or will be done about it. On the plus side , when you come to sell prospective buyers don't seem to care much being more interested on the inside than out. They grew up in places like this so it is normal for them . They can blank out ugliness and focus on other things.

 

Go to any of these villages and you can see plant lovers with a display of flowering plants. Nice plants sitting on old tyres or broken cinder blocks. They only see the pretty flowers and not what they are placed on.

 

The front of the house is where you pile up your discarded items like old electrical appliances and unwanted broken furniture etc.

That's your opinion.

I find the houses in my moo baan to look quite lovely and in fact, much nicer than some of the dumps back home.

Making a blanket statement like you did is ridiculous in the extreme. There's both beautiful and ugly architecture in Thailand just as there's beautiful and ugly back home.

AND BTW, in Australia, garbage like discarded electrical items and old furniture is dumped on the side of the road for the council to pickup a few days later. No different to Thailand in that sense.

On 2/20/2020 at 1:23 PM, BuyHouseBowin said:

 

Also wondering.

So you think that it's a great idea to let Thai do all the wrong things that they want and then live in a village that look like a dump ?

I guess that you just rent ?

 

What do you mean "wrong things"? If it's their property, they can do what they want. As long as they aren't making unreasonable amounts of noise or dumping toxic waste into the drain, why should I care, it doesn't affect me. And no, my wife owns our property and we're happy here.

On 8/19/2019 at 12:00 AM, Traubert said:

Been to Vietnam five times. I only live 100km from the border.

 

Very underwhelming and quite scruffy except round the lake in Hanoi.

 

$17 for a semi decent cigar. Food reasonable, coffee magnificent, the rest, meh...

Northern Vietnam in winter (which is now) experiences terrible, depressing and cold weather. No sun for 3 months. Meh...

But overall I enjoy visiting Vietnam (been there 30+ times mostly to the south, including having lived there for over a year). Just that I know living there, is not nearly as good as in Thailand. For starters...living standards are considerably lower. The houses are smaller, the roads are narrower and only rich people can afford a car, even a Toyota VIOS, which is like twice as expensive as in Thailand. So for the average expat who has a car in Thailand, you'll be trading that for a scooter should you move to Vietnam.

On 2/23/2020 at 5:43 PM, bkk6060 said:

Yes.

It is something I do not get.

Talking and bragging about a place that has hills, grass, nature and maybe some waterfalls. So what.

All seems a total bore after an hour.

 

Also, about Vietnam and its rip off.

I will not say the word they are known for, not PC.

But amongst those that know the place they in fact are well known for scam and rip off.  The whole country reminds me of a few days in Phuket. 

Fake smiles and scam a buck. Those that say No, probably have no idea they are being ripped.

 

 

Those limestone hills in the photo will soon be mined to make cement. Look at Google Earth near Phu Ly just south of Hanoi - the entire limestone hill chain is being destroyed to satisfy the insatiable demand for concrete.

Anyway, Thailand has hills, grass, nature and waterfalls too. And, it's a little less crowded - Thailand, 130 people per sq km, Vietnam, 300. It's like Vietnam is one collection of villages all the way from Saigon to Hanoi. Pure unspoiled nature seems to be rare - you have to head to the hills of central Vietnam to get a glimpse of somewhere without hordes of people.

I generally like Vietnam (although it's officials - immigration, customs are fierce and you won't see them smiling like Thais do). There are more scams and annoyances than in Thailand in my experience, but that's to be expected since it's a poorer country. Stay away from wet markets as they'll definitely rip you off there unless a local joins you or you speak the language very well. However, one will be pleasantly surprised that official dual pricing is rather limited nowadays in Vietnam, which is something richer Thailand could learn from.

21 hours ago, alex8912 said:

Oh God. ....then when you get to the border the sky could fall in on Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Myanmar!! Then your only choice is back to Thailand!! What to do then??

I find it hilarious when farang on here say that Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Myanmar are friendlier towards farang than Thailand is! Absolute nonsense, as I will point out:

Myanmar - many areas closed to farang. Farang will be harassed and threatened with expulsion if they try to enter restricted areas. Shwe Koko new Chinese city right on Thai border - closed to farang. Signs state "NO FOREIGNERS" in English, which is ironic, given that technically, the Chinese are foreigners in Myanmar too, but the point is they are saying they don't want westerners snooping around before the city is completed. Also, foreigners can't get any sort of loan in Myanmar, permanent residency is impossible and forget about citizenship. Dual pricing - widespread even at hotels (foreigners pay more than locals).

Laos - authorities tolerate farang but prefer Vietnamese and Chinese. The day will come when farang visa runners will no longer be afforded entry. For now, Lao authorities accept it because it's still poor and needs the cash.

Cambodia - Sihanoukville is basically off-limits to non-Chinese now (some Chinese-owned casinos and restaurants bar farang customers outright). Authorities taking an increasingly dim view of farang (barang) overstayers and no longer issuing 1-year visas to drunk, unemployed dead beats. The most you can get now is 6-months, but that too won't last forever. Unfriendly and corrupt immigration officials at the borders. Pay up or you don't get your visa. Passport is thrown back at you, even if you pay up without making a fuss. Forget about a "hello" or "welcome". Cambodia expats online is a good forum for seeing all the exploits of barang "at the end of the road".

Vietnam - about to end tourist visas longer than 30 days. Mass exodus of foreigners could ensue. Need to wait until July to see what happens. Incredibly rude and even hostile customs officials. Passports are thrown back at you, forget about trying to bring in any sort of vehicle larger than a motorcycle.

Malaysia - sort of tolerates farang, but only if they don't complain or do stupid things like go nude on a mountaintop. Disobey any laws and you're in a world of trouble (mandatory death sentence for drug traffickers, for instance). Strict Islamic culture and locals tend to look down on farang habits and ways. I see very few Thais complaining about farang on social media the way I see complaints from Malaysians about how bad farang are. Bangkok Post comments section a guy called "unig" every post is anti-farang even if the topic has no relation to farang whatsoever. He's Malaysian. Little surprise there.

21 hours ago, SteveK said:

What you say is true. However, if you were retiring in Thailand today as opposed to 20 years ago, would you still be willing to chuck down a huge chunk of your savings to purchase a property with so many potential risks on the horizon? I suspect that someone who is obviously intelligent such as yourself would think long and hard about doing so in the current climate, there are just so many unknowns for ex-pats in Thailand today and in the short/medium-term future.

 

Just because you did well in the last 20 years or so, presumably because you were cautious and careful as shown by your supervision of your property construction, does not mean that someone coming here now and building a house will have the same fortunes, far from it in my opinion.

 

20 years ago you could open a bank account on a visa-exemption. Try doing that now. And you could come in and out as many times as you wanted without getting the third degree or even sent back home. And 20 years ago I doubt very much that you would have seen a very senior government minister on the TV talking about "f***ing farangs" - things have changed a great deal in what is a relatively short period of time, and these are but a few examples.

You can still open a bank account with a visa exemption in some places. There has not been any official change in policy.

Not sure about your last quote - social media didn't exist back then. Pretty sure there were grumbling anti-farang ministers around 20 years ago. Just that you weren't around to know about it. That being said, previous governments were western backed. The current one obviously isn't.

19 hours ago, CGW said:

My circumstances were a little different to most, my main reason for moving to Thailand was I needed to escape the UK taxman, I used Thailand as a base starting 30+ years ago. When I bought my first house I set it up using a company name, a definite no,no according to many on TVF, it worked for me, listening to others is not always wise. Would I buy now as a retiree, don't know ???? Some of the other country options being touted for retirees I would not consider, like the PI, lived there for three years, if you think Thailand is bad the PI is worse but in a western setting with guns & gratuitous violence!

Property? buyer beware! your not in the West, you have to take the time and trouble to thoroughly research, then make sure you have a contract to CYA! Took me three houses to get it right, lucky I was able to sell the others easily enough, location always sells. 

The "politics" here have certainly evolved, for sure no government minister would go on TV 20 or 30 years ago and spout of about Farang, but back then they had less than 5 million visitors a year & governments were just "temporary". Thaksin was the first PM to serve a full term in Thailand - Ever! all the previous governments were thrown out for either corruption or 'Big Yellow" instigated coup!

As you rightly state, times have changed! from where I am sitting not for the better.

How do you know no government minister would say "ai farang" 20 or 30 years ago? Social media didn't exist back then and media coverage was probably more selective than it is now.

The main difference between then and now is that back then, governments were mostly western-backed. The current government is more closely aligned to China and Russia, but still has one foot in the west. Of course it doesn't help that western governments have had nothing good to say about Thailand since 2014's coup and BTW I'm not pro-military, I'm just trying to put things into perspective.

However, I don't think Thai governments really liked farang any more in the past then they do now. Big difference is that nowadays, farang don't seem to have any money anymore, while Chinese, Russians and Indians do and their numbers combined are far larger than all farang countries put together.

I still find there is far more anti-white, anti-western rhetoric coming out of any western country than there is out of Thailand. Unless you are so deeply offended by the word "farang" that you can't bear it anymore and choose to leave the country, you'll quickly find anti-western jokes being hurled your way as soon as you make it back to farangland that are far more insulting than anything you'll experience here.

Personally, I find Thai people quite lovely overall but not everyone has time to smile at you just because you're a farang. I don't mind that - people have busy lives and just being a farang is no reason to attract unnecessary attention (20-30 years ago, the sight of a farang might have attracted attention, at least out in the villages). Thai immigration generally treat me with courtesy and respect, and I also engage them in conversation. The smaller offices/immigration checkpoints are particularly friendly. I've passed through most of the Thai overland checkpoints with neighboring countries over the years and can state that overall, Thai officers are the friendliest out of all the neighboring countries.

What is an 18 year old foreigner doing manual labor in Thailand? Why isn't he getting an education back home? Also, 18-year olds are the bottom of the barrel. Zero skills or experience. There's no way I'd hire an 18-year old for my business - too risky.

6 hours ago, elgenon said:

I was told by an expat that Thais don't care about the price as much as farangs because they plan to keep the property for a long time.

Yeah but Thais earn nothing - apparently the average wage in Bangkok is a paltry 22,500 Baht per month! On such a low salary, you can't afford much, much less shoe box sized condos that are priced from 5-10 million Baht!

An average Thai should be looking at the price point and comparing it to it's value for money. I'd say it's well worth spending 5 or 8 million on a 3-4 bedroom house out in the suburbs and commuting to work, than live in a 30m2 shoe box in the middle of the city that costs as much. That's real planning for the future, because it's unlikely you'll be working the same job in the same location forever.

20 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

If you are white and taking a kid who's asian with you, I wouldn't do it. A lot of people walking by you will probably think you're a pedo.

Nonsense. In the west, maybe. But I think it's strange if the kid is not yours and that's when some people might question it, but you're probably going to receive more weird looks back home than here.