garyk

This is a Thai thing, other countries let you verify a letter of income form SS. It costs about 8 bucks.

Thai government wants the money in a Thai Bank. They are going to do everything they can to get it there at this point.

Who cares? it would be different if all the other countries that want expats did the same thing. But they don't!

Let them have their country, I say good ridden.

19 minutes ago, Russell17au said:

Not everyone wants to go to a place like Panama and not everyone will be forced out as you say, it is only those that will not/cannot abide by the laws of Thailand that will leave.

Very true, I cannot argue with that. It depends on what you want in retirement!

Do you want to be able to own a small place that is legally yours?

Do you want to be considered a citizen with no yearly extensions. So that if something goes wrong you will not be forced out?

Do you enjoy the double pricing that goes on here?

Panama is not the only country wants expats. Personally I have never been to Panama! But, have been to other countrys that want expats. 

As much as I love Thailand, this country does not want us IMO. I truly hope for the sake of the thousands that have made Thailand home it doesn't get any worse.

5 hours ago, vinegarbase said:

I tried to tell people. Every time there is a crackdown on illegal immigration it always comes hand in hand with making legal immigration more difficult and screwing over those just trying to follow the rules. 

 

Thailand is not going back to the Thailand of 5-10 years ago. They are paying tribute to the new emperors in China. "Farang go home" is the new Thai slogan. Good news is that you can free yourselves of the Thailand chains. Go get your Panama permanent residency in about 2 months and enjoy your freedom. You can own land, guns, get permanent residency and enjoy your freedom they way you are supposed to. Forget all this Thai immigration madness.  These are the guys to go through and don't wait before it's too late to make your backup plan. https://www.joyful-feet.com

 

I agree 100%, Not sure about Panama, but many of the countries down south want us.

Unfortunately, after reading these threads, IMO most people here don't want to hear it. And will not leave.

Why? I don't understand it. 

I am out of here in the next month or so, and that is it for me. But, for the majority here, it will be a forced exit and with no backup plan, it will be very painful IMO.

Only thing I can figure is a lot of folks have hefty investments here that make leaving hard?

IO rules have always been a little too doggy for my liking. 

Nice folks for the most part, Love the food and most Thai's.

Living here is dirt cheap, never really understood the 65K Baht rule either. I'm in BKK now for a few days getting the income letter. Cheap as chips to stay here.

Regards.

4 hours ago, wgdanson said:

Come on, the 800k is not 'given away'. It is deposited in a bank which you can get back anytime you want. Yes, HOPEFULLY Immigration will accept the 65k monthly but I am not holding my breath.

Just have to wait and see? As far as the 800K, I'll pass.

1 hour ago, wgdanson said:

Which world have you been living in?

The world i live in is where money is king. Giving away 800K for no reason, even if for only 3 months has got to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard of... haha

Hopefully, the 65K in a Thai bank will satisfy immigration. If not, I say vacate!

2 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

No big deal.  500 baht gives me a bank print out of my direct deposit account for the entire year, showing well over the monthly income stipulation, plus letters every Dec from both VA and SS telling me what my new monthly rate will be.  

As long as you have it deposited in a Thai bank monthly no problems what so ever I would think.

24 minutes ago, overherebc said:

How many expats in Pattaya alone?

Let's say all of them season 800,000 baht + ( Yes I know agents get around it. )

All that money sitting there, guess what the banks can make on it.

There is the real reason behind it IMO. 

The 65K baht/mo. is easily proved. With SS income especially.  And many other countries do it daily. 

Thailand? This move is predictable. 

Since only four nations have stopped the income letter. I am curious how many other embassy's give them? And, what is the difference between them, and the four that have stopped?

Personally I find it kinda of odd other embassy's have not followed suit?

This has special interest group lobbying all over it!

42 minutes ago, Olmate said:

I think I.ll shake hands with my IO next time I extend, according to you that will work out then... moral is moral does ? nope money is money does here! Whether that be to an agent, a bank or direct to IM.Moralising won’t help with the problem but is no less very noble!

Depends on if you want to enable corrupt officials, special interest groups etc. End result is you get poorer, and they get richer. The problem I see now is when the banks get heavily involved, the prices will escalate just like the ATM fees over the years have. After the banks start getting a few billion baht deposited in a 3 months holding account. They will say, well if they can afford 800K they can afford 100K etc. 

It will be interesting to see what is going on here in the next few years. 

Of course just speculation on my part.

Personally at this point I would not bet on any changes.

Letter out, income in bank in!

1 hour ago, Acharn said:

For what it's worth, I was at the Nakhon Sawan Immigration Office this morning for my 90 day report and asked them. Their belief is that after January you must have the ฿800K. No way to verify the monthly income. They may not have yet received the updated policy, or the policy may be changed, but they said that I'm going to have to have the ฿800,000. When I said there was no way I could, they smiled sympathetically.

Personally I would not doubt it. But, in less than a month the reports will be coming in.

If I can get by with another year on the letter fine. If not fine.

Does not affect me either way. As I am not invested in Thailand.

I have an old pickup here and I signed it over to my Thai GF. So which ever the wind blows I am set. 800K in a Thai bank is not going to happen with me. Nor is the 65K / mo. coming into a Thai bank. Luckily I don't have to put up with it so I am happy either way.

If you have a wife here head to Malaysia, you can do visa runs their no problem and I think you get 3 months at a time. I did. No problems what so ever. Then you can hop into Thailand when you want for a visit. The bad thing is you will have problems with a Thai wife or GF there. Mine only got one month, and had to stay out for one week before she could return.

Penang is a lovely place to hang your hat. Great food, and public transportation is great. Much better than Thailand IMO.

Best of luck to you.

9 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

Do many people do that? I know many people who spend half the year here, and of those about half seem to find a retirement extension preferable to getting a new visa every year at home.
And for people who spend most of the year here the percentage increases a lot, with very few preferring to get a visa at home.

No police check for a standard retirement extension here, of course.

I think you are correct. I have chatted with dozens of guys getting their retirement extension done at immigration over the years. About half of the ones I talked to go back home regularly through out the year. I do the same. This 10 year visa is not for me. I don't know about anyone else but not for me. Personally before I would go this route I would buy the 20 year elite. If I am not mistaken it can be had for about a million baht.

Good thing is we will be hearing reports after the 1st on what is going to happen.

I just left Immigration doing my 90 day report and asked about my extension next March.

The guy told me I only needed to bring the paper from the American embassy? Hope he is right.

Just read the rules, wow they don't want much from you do they... Hahahaha

Who in the world comes up with this stuff!

3 hours ago, cyberfarang said:

Chumps that don`t have enough funds to meet the immigration requirements.

 

Chumps using corrupt agencies run by corrupt officials and criminal gangs to be able to stay in the country illegally. The worst part is; those that are going via illegal channels to remain in Thailand are actually boasting about it. 

 

But if it were me using these agency/loan sharks to obtain my yearly extension, I wouldn`t be so smug about it, I would be afraid, I would be very afraid.

 

 

Chump, haha. Anyone going the legal route is just as big a chump as the one going the illegal route.

You are a Chump either way.

If it ain't the corrupt officials calling you a chump, it is the government and the banks calling you a chump. Actually i think going the legal route you are the biggest "chump" by a long shot.

This whole thing has opened a can of worms that is going to take years to fix, if ever! IMO.

Regards.

5 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

 I spend about 65k-70kusd here every year. I still seek out cheap accomm and cheap bars etc. 

This will get censored but, I call BS to that. 

"I still seek out cheap accommodation and cheap bars"  Give me a break!

Unless a complete idiot, for 65-70K/yr in LOS's you can live like a rock star!

2 minutes ago, CMNightRider said:

I use Schwab.  It's an excellent card to have for foreign travel.  They refund the fees.  

Shuuuuuuush, lol

10 minutes ago, Olmate said:

Exactly, and when we brought along supporting documents to TI (in my case Phuket) they were brushed aside...no need!

I'll wait a year or two to see what is the end result of all this.

But, looks like the easy days of picking up a 1 year extension is basically over.

After the dust settles, in a year or so, then we will know what is going to be the norm for a while.

Never a dull moment in the LOS's..

9 hours ago, CMNightRider said:

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.  No foreigner in their right mind would put 800,000 baht in a Thai bank just to obtain a one year visa.  Someone must have bumped their head when they came up with this idea.

 

Yea, I agree 100%. Most countries that actually want you there. Have a simple rule. Show the minimum net income coming into your account they require, and you are set to go.

29 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

Why always someone to post such a message in every thread about the "800k" ? 

My friend has 2 good pensions (in his home country) and qualify easily to retire here... as long as he get his embassy letter... and as long has he doesn't need to have his pensions paid in Thailand.

He is one of people who mainly use a credit|debit cards from his country, and - for his own reason - don't want to bring 800k here.

 

My OP was with a lot of conditional inside. A try to find another solution in the case rules become stricter (being due to Embassy or TI).

Sad to see that half posts are going to the Agent's route... but yes, could be the best option for many people in a few months.

I could not agree more. 

This whole thing stinks to high heaven!