Retirees living abroad are not expats? So what are they?

[Jingthing]

Could do REM for retired economic migrant but that doesn't work for obvious reasons. Rapid Eye Movements and …

 

Also not all foreigners retiring abroad are in that class. Like truly wealthy ones that could afford to live well anywhere (some migrate to even richer nations than where they come from). 

Edited October 23, 2018 by Jingthing

[rumak]

I"ve been called so many things :   from hippy to entrepeneur to cynic to sexpat to sexy young man

to farang  and all through it all i don't really give a hoot what people think.  

I came to thailand because  it was for me a place of much greater freedom than the West.

Globalization (if we must give a name to it) is pretty much doing a 1984 on everyone in the world now.

Sorry if this seems off topic...but actually my point is I do not want a label put on me.  Just call me Sir.

[lkv]

7 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

Immigrant - a person who comes to live permanently in another country, not a person who is granted residency one year at a time and is not allowed to become resident.

Yep, that's why they call them non-immigrant visas.

 

So to answer's OP's question, maybe the correct term for most Thailand expats would be non-immigrants. ????

[Jingthing]

4 minutes ago, villagefarang said:

Might I suggest, “Poor, lonely, unsuccessful, uncultured, old, white, temporary, invaders of third world countries.”  or perhaps “White trash aliens.”

 

I hate being lumped in with this lot, under the term expat, as I came here much younger and have stayed much longer.  I will never return to my country of origin but I still have a passport and file taxes.  So many of the labels or boxes of the past are no longer valid in this fluid world we presently find ourselves in.

I agree of course that many individuals do not easily fit in any label. For example an expat that has worked for decades abroad and then retires abroad would then LITERALLY be a retired expat (but that's not the type of person people usually think of with that label). So in your case, you be you. 

[CharlieH]

GREMLIN !!! 

 

Gladly Retired Economic Migrant Living in Nervana ! ????

[Jingthing]

7 minutes ago, lkv said:

Yep, that's why they call them non-immigrant visas.

 

So to answer's OP's question, maybe the correct term for most Thailand expats would be non-immigrants. ????

Not really, Non-immigrant O visas cover a range of reasons. Retirement is only one of them.

[Bournville]

It's a silly article.. One of those politically correct thingies. I've been an expat for 25 years.. Working or not working, I'm an expat.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[Jingthing]

Just now, Bournville said:

It's a silly article.. One of those politically correct thingies. I've been an expat for 25 years.. Working or not working, I'm an expat.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
 

For you does "politically correct" mean you're asked to think critically about things you haven't thought about before? 

[lkv]

4 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Not really, Non-immigrant O visas cover a range of reasons. Retirement is only one of them.

Who said anything about retirees or non O?

 

Every foreigner here (unless abusing SETVs like I do ????) is on a non-immigrant of any type, unless they have PR. 

Edited October 23, 2018 by lkv

[Odysseus123]

3 minutes ago, Bournville said:

It's a silly article.. One of those politically correct thingies. I've been an expat for 25 years.. Working or not working, I'm an expat.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
 

Indeed.

 

"ex patria"

[CGW]

3 minutes ago, Bournville said:

Working or not working, I'm an expat.

I would agree, we adapt wording to suit what happens in the world.

I worked for international companies for many years, if you were an "expat" it meant you were on a expatriate salary and package, the meaning has changed as people have become more mobile & affluent.

[rumak]

24 minutes ago, villagefarang said:

Might I suggest, “Poor, lonely, unsuccessful, uncultured, old, white, temporary, invaders of third world countries.”  or perhaps “White trash aliens.”

hahaha   good one !   can we possibly alter  White trash aliens  to  White Trash Farangs ?  <deleted> !

easy to remember and catchy     kinda like buy Nike...<deleted> !

wow, censor has that one covered !   well, use your imaginations   IMO

Edited October 23, 2018 by rumak

[AYJAYDEE]

17 minutes ago, Bournville said:

It's a silly article.. One of those politically correct thingies. I've been an expat for 25 years.. Working or not working, I'm an expat.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
 

yes but are black and asian people expats too? https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2015/mar/13/white-people-expats-immigrants-migration

 

Edited October 23, 2018 by AYJAYDEE

[CharlieH]

Retired Over Active Mirgrants for Economic Reasons

 

"ROAMERS" !! ????

[rumak]

16 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

For you does "politically correct" mean you're asked to think critically about things you haven't thought about before? 

here we go....... enjoying each miserable day at others expense

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Retired Over Active Mirgrants for Economic Reasons

 

"ROAMERS" !! ????

You're on a roll!

[55Jay]

Tourist+

[Emdog]

4 hours ago, habanero said:

If still paying taxes to your home country. Maintain bank accounts in your home country. I don't feel your really an ex-anything. 

 Just a former resident on extended leave.

For some expats like myself, similar to after a divorce: get to pay taxes (alimony) but get none of the benefits... no pats, squeezes, whatever.. plus something like medicare: get to pay, but get nothing, no coverage here. We have no political clout

[shackleton]

They /you can call me a Expat I don't mind

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, shackleton said:

They /you can call me a Expat I don't mind

Sure we shouldn't mind but perhaps its too flattering a word for the reality (of many of us anyway). 

Edited October 23, 2018 by Jingthing

[wwest5829]

8 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Expat - Expatriate

 

Someone who temporarily or permanently resides in a country other than that of their origin.

 

I sum this up as someone outside of their own country long enough not to pay tax there (though this fits Brits and other nationalities but may not fit others such as citizens from the US).

 

This kind of overlaps with ‘Immigrant’ which has more permanent connotation.

I do count myself an Expat. The case can be made that I am an economic refugee as a retiree seeking a better living standard than I could have in the U.S. (a rusting trailer in Florida or Arizona comes to mind). You rightly point out that U.S. citizens continue to be taxed on all worldwide income, exclusions/deductions notwithstanding.

[Time Traveller]

Can you just refer to them as foreign retirees? 

Expat is generally for working people who were sent to another country for work.

This is also different from foreigner moved to another country to look for work, which would be refered to as migrant workers. 

 

 

Edited October 23, 2018 by Time Traveller

[wwest5829]

8 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Expat - Expatriate

 

Someone who temporarily or permanently resides in a country other than that of their origin.

 

I sum this up as someone outside of their own country long enough not to pay tax there (though this fits Brits and other nationalities but may not fit others such as citizens from the US).

 

This kind of overlaps with ‘Immigrant’ which has more permanent connotation.

Think I will stick with the Latin roots: ex-, "away from," and patria, "one's native country."

[poanoi]

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Again, I think this class is a variation of economic refugee.

that term is far more applicable for 'economic immigrants'

expats dont expect to be fed, while it is the sole purpose for immigrants

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, poanoi said:

that term is far more applicable for 'economic immigrants'

expats dont expect to be fed, while it is the sole purpose for immigrants

I already backed off from the word refugee and suggested economic migrants instead.

I think in reality the vast majority of economic migrants in the world (not the retired kind spending imported money) actually very much want to WORK in their new country.

[Odysseus123]

15 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I already backed off from the word refugee and suggested economic migrants instead.

I think in reality the vast majority of economic migrants in the world (not the retired kind spending imported money) actually very much want to WORK in their new country.

Economic migrants...forsooth...????

[scubascuba3]

I think people in the west refer to them as Sexpats

[1FinickyOne]

5 hours ago, David Walden said:

I seem to remember in my childhood days discussing the topic that "All horses are 4 legged animals there fore all 4 legged animals are horses"  I think I grew up.

And yet are still keeping the conversation going... the jury is out... 

[1FinickyOne]

23 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I already backed off from the word refugee and suggested economic migrants instead.

I think in reality the vast majority of economic migrants in the world (not the retired kind spending imported money) actually very much want to WORK in their new country.

Economic migrants might work until they cannot afford basic medical treatment and the airfare home... then refugee might be better suited. 

[habanero]

40 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I already backed off from the word refugee and suggested economic migrants instead.

I think in reality the vast majority of economic migrants in the world (not the retired kind spending imported money) actually very much want to WORK in their new country.

I never intend to work again.