Daveyh

Irrespective of all the "Do's & Don'ts in Thailand, plus what the Thai's do in their own country we are guests here! It's a no brainer that "Farangs" whatever nationality have a moral duty to behave. Everyone needs to "sing from the same page" & condemn this blatant disregard for the law & other people's well being here .......... there is no excuse whatever way you twist it. I'm definitely ashamed how my fellow countrymen act when on holiday here in Thailand ........ their lack of manners, selfishness & ignorance of their surroundings really makes me cringe, but it's tolerated here locally as money has been the priority here for years. The damage they've caused to the image of "Farangs" here is at an all time low ......... sadly, it's been well deserved.

I disagree with the original post completely. I love DIY, also you are not waiting around for people to arrive, plus time is your own & not to be wasted on unreliable people. It keeps you mobile & you do not stagnate. Here in Thailand you have to keep active & DIY & housework is an excellent way of doing that & part of living here within the laws. It's very enjoyable to do work at home that is positive/constructive & completion gives me a lot of satisfaction. I'm sure 90% plus of retirees have mastered DIY during their life span & will tackle any small jobs with relish. I don't live in a world where I get my backside wiped by everyone for a few baht. I enjoy being active, but I will gladly pay for someone's help when I need it. Being reliant on someone here period is foolhardy, fact ......... especially retired farangs. As I've said my experiences here has highlighted the fact that the local culture is seriously out if sync with time & dare I say it our culture too. I certainly won't waste my retirement standing around all day waiting for things to happen .......... it's a bit like watching paint dry.  

The numbers I'm seeing in town will not sustain the economy here in Pattaya City. If it's the same here as other venues in Thailand 2020 is heading for a major downturn in tourism. The main problem is definitely the "Baht" ........... too strong, making everything too expensive in Thailand. Most things here cost more now than in their own countries, so going elsewhere is a "no brainer". Thailand needs to stop trying to fudge the issues whilst the rich get richer & start thinking of Thailand's future for it's people, not the chosen few who are buying luxury goods at knock down prices due to the exchange rates around the world ...... a sad fact that's just ignored because the "elitists" in control can.

Why is there a need for a British Ambassador to Thailand at all?? They certainly don't seem to care about the expat community here & I'm sure any gathering chaired by them would give the Ambassador a really hard time if he had the balls to do so! Many British expats, if not all of them are frustrated to the point that they all think having an embassy here is a waste as it's ineffective period. Our government circles have become so inept the whole world is laughing at us. No one looks to us for guidance now ...... Even our embassy in Bangkok has been sold which shows that the UK do not care about it's citizens .......... or serious about having an embassy here. It is a pure waste of taxpayer's money even for the Ambassador to come here, selling "Wireless Road" without thinking about the services that were provided to the expatriate community here was huge mistake. The whole policy thing regarding having a British Ambassador here is now nonsense & he has no clout whatsoever, nor welcome.  ....... fact.

Hi folks .......... Well it's been a run of almost 20yrs for me here on a retirement visa. My visa expires on 20th July & I visited Jomtien to check up on the rules. I don't think many pensioners will like the option of transferring 65,000 Thai baht from their overseas accounts each month, especially with the fluctuation & the strength of the Thai Baht.

Now that my pensions have dipped slightly below the 800,000 baht mark due to the baht being 38/£ I will be forced to open an account here to top up the difference. Due to the time scale I think I will probably leave the country & return on a tourist visa until I can rearrange my affairs. However, I don't wish to change monies by transfer each month so that immigration can see I have this amount each month, it's just not practical. I did use my letters from the Brit Embassy, but they are now as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike as far as immigration is concerned.

My initial thoughts are getting my retirement visa done by an agency, which I've not even considered before. If this fails traveling outside Thailand is my other option until my funds have settled.

Any advice any member can give would be most helpful. I intend staying in the area even if my retirement visa takes a year before I reapply. Thank you for your help it's much appreciated.

2 minutes ago, anterian said:

Quite a few years ago when the interest rate on my UK bank deposits dropped to 0.25 % and my Thai deposit was at 1.9 % I transferred much from England to Thailand, since then the falling value of the Pound has made this an even more sensible decision. I realise that people who have moved here recently may have problems, but I think anyone who has been here more than 10 years should have no excuse. 

You definitely need a reality check. There are many of us here who are not so "well heeled" as you appear to be & have been here longer than you. This attitude is typical of many of the expats here of "I'm alright jack" & boast about it. We need to pull together & support everyone on this, especially those living on state pensions with Thai families depending on them ..... fact.

12 hours ago, billd766 said:

You described me fairly well though I am probably about 20,000 baht short of the 65,000 per month per year simply due to the forex rate. I am well within the 40,000 per month for a marriage visa.

 

My problem as a UK citizen is that the UK embassy does not give a rats rrrse about me and as my extension is not due for renewal until 23rd August so even if I tried for an embassy letter with a maximum 45 days ahead It still won't work for me.

 

Sure I can get the balance to make it up BUT without an embassy letter it won't work. In fact by that time I will have had a rise in my military pension, a rise in my company pension and with the new tax allowance in the budget I will only be a few thousand baht short of the monthly income.

 

So what will the UK embassy do for me next year?

 

Fark all.

 

But the UK government will still tax me.

 

Barstewards.

Yup ..... you got that right mate! The embassy here do not give a toss about us retired folk living here, although we both have worked & paid tax to the UK government all our working life ........ & we are still paying them, but being ex military too we expect this attitude towards us because it's not ever gonna change. They pay us "lip service" & that's about it. It's "naive" to think that our government will support & protect us, even their embassies around the world are full of "muppets", so don't anyone hold their breath. It's only the charitable organisations that help ex servicemen .... fact. I live a comfortable life here & have sufficient funds to qualify for an "Income Letter", but there is no way I want to have a bank account here with 800,000 baht doing nothing for me, hence it's not an option. I'm a survivor & thankfully still have my health, mobility & a sound mind ...... I don't need these "out of touch" folk with reality in the embassy I'll sort myself out. I'm due to renew in June next year , so I just slip under the wire to renew my retirement visa for another year, but I'll be using this timescale to move on. Sad really ...... been here nearly 16yrs & enjoyed every minute keeping out of trouble! Ha! Ha! Still a great place to retire to for me, but I'll probably live elsewhere in Asia now as back to "Blighty" is not an option. I guess a change is as good as a rest they say? ............. Cheers.

The latest requirements by Thai Immigration, which will come into effect when all "Income Letters" from various embassies cease must surely affect many of us that have retired here & lived here for years ........... some expats in their late 70 & 80yrs will find this a bitter pill to swallow as they have made a permanent home here. Again, we see these embassies here in Thailand not protecting or even thinking about the consequences of their actions, especially the British & American Embassies, who should be doing their utmost to protect us. The well being & quality of life of their compatriots is paramount, but is simply not even considered & gone are the days when these embassies had any "clout" with their host nation. It's evident that no further dialogue is forthcoming & these embassies have left their "expats" hanging out to dry by allowing individuals to fend for themselves.

I expect some TV members will just "glibly" say "suck it up" etc. without the slightest consideration for those living on pensions, but not everyone is fortunate enough to have 800,000 Thai baht that they can leave languishing in a bank account here untouched for three months or more. You can blame these so called "Visa Agents" that still exist here for the latest rule changes due to all the scams & illegal methods that they've adopted over the years to obtain visas., especially the idiots that advertise on Facebook that you don't need to comply with Immigration rules! These are the people that need deporting not the genuine article living here on a pension. Now, the only people that will suffer the consequences are those that genuinely have enough pension each month to qualify for visas to retire here legally, but due to this recent change will be forced to leave when their visa expires. Most came when they were 60 'ish & now are well into their late 70's & 80"s ........ the rate of exchange was 74 baht/£ when they arrived, so they've taken some hard knocks along the way. This change will be dramatic for them, especially as they've stayed within the law for years & now find themselves alone, without help & stranded. It's appalling that these embassies are allowing this change to happen as they must realize the dire consequences of their actions to the less fortunate in their twilight years. This is a change that no one even considered as the rules have been firmly in place for years & I blame our embassies entirely for placing us in this position ............. they have let us down badly. The embassy is there to provide a proper consular service to everyone that needs it ............ I sometimes wonder why we have an embassy at all here with this latest fiasco.

Sadly, I can foresee many expats leaving here now as some will not want to have 800,000 Thai Baht languishing in an account here earning very little interest or are pensioners that do not have this to qualify for a Retirement Visa. Of those that do leave I expect them to move elsewhere in the region, especially Philippines for Brits as they have a reciprocal agreement with the UK regarding pensions etc, whereas here in Thailand they don't, it's not index linked ........ another £40+ per week (£160/mth) since their pensions were frozen here in 2003 would be most welcome for those able to move on there. No one I'm sure wishes to move back to the dampness, cold, miserable existence of Blighty ........ plus fish & chips in newspaper. I wish everyone well & good luck to those that find themselves in this appalling situation ........ blame your "limp wristed" governments for this. I suspect there are a lot of ex servicemen here affected by this .................. hence, this latest "balls up" by these spineless individuals representing our countries will come as no surprise. Time to move on I guess ............. fact.

Better the devil you know than the devil you don't right? .......... I've been here now for 15yrs. It's been relatively trouble free visa wise as I'm here on a "retirement visa". Also, I arrived when the baht was around 74-78baht/GBP so life was really good cash wise doing almost anything that took your fancy in "tinzeltown". Now it's around the 43-44 baht/GBP I'm still very fortunate to qualify for the yearly visa from the pensions I accumulated during my working life. I've considered leaving Thailand many times, but other expats I've known over the past years have tried it, returned with horror stories, hence I've remained here & just travelled to PI, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam etc on trips using a multiple entry visa.

These past years I've seen many changes too. Most of us do not like change as it interferes mostly with our daily lives. However, many farangs have indeed now left, which really has hit the quality of life here for the retirees who remain. All the mates, friends & social gatherings have disappeared & this is a great shame. I think in the main the exchange rate was largely to blame for pensioners, but the stringent Immigration requirements for visas here also add to the difficulties of living here, hence we have lost a major part of our expat community.

Quality of life here is still "what you make it". That's one thing Thailand allows you to do ............ make your own way & do what you want. It's a country where infact "anything goes" ......... as long as it's legal. As long as you have your licence to drive & tax/insurance is up to date I've found the police very easy to deal with when stopped at a check point. If I'm speeding etc I pay the fine & move on ........... problem dealt with ........ no lengthy wait for a court appearance. Brilliant.

I do however, find that society here has changed dramatically over the years & although the "loss of face' has been with us for as long as I can remember it's evident that politeness is definitely "out of the window', especially in Pattaya with the general public. I avoid shopping like the plague as shop keepers seem to be so aggressive towards foreigners ....... "what you want" or "up to you" & seem to resent the fact of you being there. It's as if they are saying ......... " don't waste my time, get what you want .... I'm in the middle of a game on my ipad"! If you ask for anything it's a "no have" or you are being troublesome ............. my time to leave! Ha! I realise that this is mostly due to the mindset of these people, but it does annoy you. Hence, I give it a miss.

Thai's are definitely fun loving people if you want to throw a party. Depending on how much you are going to spend it can turn a quiet gathering into a riot within minutes as Thai girls cannot hold their liquor! If you are lonely at home you can always find female company downtown to brighten up the day. I think going out, being polite to everyone & generally being kind to those you meet will stand you in good stead here ............. seldom will you fall foul of the aggressive behaviour that's so easy found if you don't stay alert. Getting really "pissed out of your head" is a "no no" as you are quaranteed to end up without cash & sleeping it off somewhere. It's a really great place to retire to & I have absolutely no regrets moving here ........ long may it continue.

I'm a Brit, served my country for 30+yrs in the military, plus other HMS jobs & retired here. I've not been back to the UK at all & I have no intention of doing so. Too many bad memories, which I'm reminded of daily due to the unfair judicial system there. The country seems to have gone completely downhill since & is in crisis now more than ever. My only regret is that I must continue to pay tax on all my UK earnings, which then seem to be continually squandered in benefits to all the " wafes & strays" that enter the country, who do not deserve it, but it's sanctioned by an inept government. I honestly regret serving my country now ..... what a complete waste of time that was! I may be a bitter Brit, but I'm proud to be an expat. I voted with my feet ............ I wish everyone would threaten to leave the UK unless the government starts to "get their shit together" ......... then perhaps I'd consider coming home to visit.