Rob Browder

Just lower wages until locals refuse to work for what is offered - only possible because people from poorer nations will accept the lower wage, and are allowed to work here (legally or illegally). The restrictions on Westerners applying for work-permits prevents this - but that higher-bar does not apply to those from neighboring countries, much less the illegal workers.

They deny people with Tourist Visas also, if they think you are here "enough / often" to force you to pay their agent to get in. And, no, there is no "official line" that you can only use 2 VEs per-year.

That info is incorrect - confirmed by multiple reports. The information on Thai-Consulate websites is often incorrect.

If IOs want to force you to pay their agent to enter trouble-free, they will make up all sorts of things like this. The stamp they put in the passport of someone denied-entry, however, is "Didn't have the money" - because there is no legal reason to deny-entry based on "in Thailand too much/often."

Use an agent border-run service by land and no problem - there is no longer a limit. The agent will let you know if there would be a problem, but we have many reports of folks with two back-to-back 30-day + 30-day-extended Visa-Exempts able to get a 3rd Visa-Exempt entry for 60 days now. If one uses the Airports, that is another thing. I never would, unless I only rarely came to Thailand - OR, I would pay an agent-service which facilitates entering by air, which allows back-to-back Visa-Exempt by air.

Because they rip you off if you do it that way.

Yes, if you go in-person, you have up to 7 days after the due-date w/o a fine.

I doubt that - those already here are likely "set up" - and will primarily be remitting living expenses. That is true - and makes the policy foolish - and will deter some future retirees.

Yes, that was my thinking - and agree the DTV doesn't grant any special tax-benefit. What you describe is a good way to do it, also - but this foolish policy will deter many from making the move. Consider, they can't easily open a bank-account if coming in-advance on a Tourist-Visa in the preliminary-step for their planned retirement here. Even a "one time / one year" tax-exemption policy on bringing in a lump-sum would help.

A "significant portion of the total cost" would be a better description. I do not remember exactly, but was hundreds of baht, which I would rather spend on lunch or similar - plus the satisfaction of not being "ripped off" on an exchange-rate by crooks.

Temple of Preah Vihear. Dean Acheson got involved in 1962, representing Cambodia at the ICJ. Cambodia was given the temple in a ruling at that time, based on a French map. Land around, and a nearby pagoda remained contested, with a border dispute going hot in 2008.

It wasn't pointless when I did it, because it saved a significant sum over Lao Immigration's "conversion" rate. That is why folks did it.

I used to buy dollars from the money-exchanges before my Lao visa runs.

It would suck if in, say, 3 years from now, they put AI to work on all the OECD mandated data of atm-money per foreigner, then hit them with a back-tax bill. Much better not to bet on them "not finding out," IMO.

Similar with the USA's dual-tax agreement (DTA) - I will pay no taxes on Social Security income, remitted to Thailand. Deposited directly will make an easy paper-trail. All with pension income, who are worried about paying Thai taxes, should look up their DTA. They may be able to rest-easy, after that. The tricky part will be for new arrivals and the initial "set up money" they bring in - to buy a condo, car, etc. If I were in that situation, I would get a DTV, then have 5 years to bring it in - minimizing tax due each year on any amount remitted above their pension income.

No chance of that happening, regardless. 🙂 A wife with no income of her own = you support her. If she has income, it will be added to the filing-jointly income. I stand to be corrected, but that is how I read it.

Lao immigration will take a pic of your passport photo and use that on their form for a fee - or has done this in the past - probably what his "agent" arranged, in addition to filing out the form for him.

If this is the case I recall from earlier, the financials were the issue - a screenshot of a Thai banking-page was not good enough. A PDF downloaded / printed might have worked. And a bank-letter signed/stamped by the bank would have surely worked. Maybe even a bank-book shown, along with copies.

I've heard that before - like when I and my co-workers (in my first career) worked "those jobs" in the West, right up until the day we were replaced by those who would work for less than half our wage. It's the same in Thailand now, with "those jobs" - even more so with the manufacturing / export slow-down. And given the cost of labor in a square-meter of building or in a manufactured good, is trivial, it is only for profit-taking at the top - not because it would significantly affect the consumer's price. The DTV specifically allows only foreign-work - not work in Thailand. There is more you wrote I would address, such as whether "married to a Thai" should have exceptions, vs other imported labor - but we are getting too far afield from the DTV, which I think is a great idea, including because it only allows remote work - so opens a pipe to foreign money flows into Thailand. Hopefully, this visa, and less scrutiny of Visa Exempt entries (remains to be seen) can help provide opportunities for those denied the other careers, where they were replaced.

Yes, and now land-borders will be like airports for visa-exempt entries - no "hard limit" + "immigration scrutiny." Therefore, i would be surprised if a similar "agent service" for repeat-bouncers is not employed at land-borders, as it has been the case in airports. The only question is, will previously "friendly" borders like Nong Khai not require agent-service for perpetual border-bounces? Will they simply revert to "how it always was" before the "crackdowns" started? We can only wait and see.

To spite overlap in rhetoric / ideological messaging, I would be surprised if they flip to backing the other superpower, but anything is possible. Watching the Nationalists make a pact with the Chinese-aligned party, which they had fought with for years (including banning previous incarnations and even couping them), in order to stop the Western-aligned party, was quite the thing to see.

That party touched the 3rd Rail in Thai politics, and got what would be expected. Qui Bono attacking on that front? Speaking of which ... the USA always prints more money to fund their "color revolution" activities and forever-wars. I hope Thailand can be independent from meddling from China AND the USA. I listen to podcasters who take one side or the other - accusing one or the other of meddling, but few who are even-handed on this. Regardless, I wish the USA would ST(hell)Up, and not screw things up for Americans living in Thailand by meddling in Thailand's affairs. I don't think the damage from James Baker III's involvement with the temple on the Cambodian border can ever be fully un-done. And, they lost sway in Cambodia to the Chinese, regardless - to spite all the "US Aid" (CIA) funds they poured into Cambodia and souring relations with Thailand with their failed strategy.

If you apply for the first year using the 800K method, the terms state you will follow the 800K / 400K rule for the duration that year. You would not need to "top up" to 800K again, to apply for the Year Two application, if you have a full year of qualifying bank-xfers. Just remember - miss a monthly-transfer by one minute, and it's agent-time, even if you are transferring 2x+ the minimum required.

Many sad tales of this happening at Western entry-points - not at all funny for those denied-entry.

... and if it is the latter, you may not be present when you need to return for the final stamp after "consideration" - so be sure to address this with Immigration, and see if they can make it work. If a short-trip, you could get a re-entry permit for your "under consideration" time - provided you will be returning to Thailand before their "return to immigration" date.