1 minute ago, at15 said:

malaysia is a good option. 90 day free entry for a lot of western countries. i have stayed in nice apartments outside of kl, in the 10,000 baht a month rent range. But you get a much larger place than thailand with a western kitchen, laundry room, den, etc. 

And you can just do a visa run to neighboring Thailand 

14 minutes ago, KevinboyCM said:

Depends what country you apply from.  You can get 9 months from many countries.

Its not about the country. Triple entry ended couple years back. You now can obtain setv or METV. By the way, this is not point of thread. Thai imm seem to be not so happy issuing back to back tourist visas. Note METV only available in home country.

I wonder how many people here that are annoyed at Thailand for enforcing its own border control laws are the same ones who complain on Facebook about their own home countries letting anyone in (Seems about half of my older Western ex-pat Facebook friends do). 

 

There aren't many countries in the developed world that just allow people to stay long term without fitting the working/retirement/education visa role. Plenty of countries around the world bounce people who abuse the visa on arrival or tourist visa scheme. Especially those who work while on tourist visas. 

 

This is a bit of a non-event really. I'm sure Thailand won't miss those who work here long term on tourist visas, no matter how much they claim they stimulate the local economy. 

Edited December 17, 20187 yr by SammyT

The last time the Thai embassy in Vientiane posted a notice with the same tenor, in September 2009, it had the official stamp of the embassy.

 

 

I realize I'm comparing apples to oranges, however....for sometime (years) airlines have been saying carry on luggage strictly limited to 7kg. Next step was routine announcements at boarding. Then finally a week ago, announced in au domestic flights all carry on will be weighed. So to the point.....maybe Thai are actually going to get serious. Particularly with backdrop of embassy income affidavit letters from some embassies ceasing. Yes all unrelated directly to this thread, but perhaps change is in the air, or means nothing and just repeating the cycle that occurs.

1 hour ago, gamini said:

I often wonder how they live here. They must be very wealthy or have inherited money to be able to stay here for long periods without working. I think many of them perhaps have saved up a bit of money and try to stay here as long as possible to avoid doing an honest days work. Naturally Thailand is not very keen on these type of tourists.

Or, work like crazy during your best years, do not buy the BMW and don't waste your money on alcohol and pleasure. Instead, put your money into the stock market, and let the dividends snowball and roll ???? Capital income! Don't burn your savings.

Based on the building reflected in the glass pane of the notice board I would say that the photo shown in the OP was indeed taken from the notice board on the exterior wall of the Thai consulate in Vientiane.

 

www.google.com/maps/@17.9647409,102.6243985,3a,75y,13.04h,93.27t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sWkVmb1K0G7qQb9jPv4rp0A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

 

Pasted on the notice board courtesy of the folks at Koh Tao Big Blue Diving.

Edited December 17, 20187 yr by JLCrab

21 minutes ago, somtumwrong said:

Or, work like crazy during your best years, do not buy the BMW and don't waste your money on alcohol and pleasure. Instead, put your money into the stock market, and let the dividends snowball and roll ???? Capital income! Don't burn your savings.

Or perhaps stay single......

19 minutes ago, somtumwrong said:

Or, work like crazy during your best years, do not buy the BMW and don't waste your money on alcohol and pleasure. Instead, put your money into the stock market, and let the dividends snowball and roll ???? Capital income! Don't burn your savings.

Or do what I did recently - access your Super early (medical reasons) and live off the dividends with a pension. It now gives me more than enough to live on. I ran visas for years before I got married. I never really had any big problems. It takes time to know the person you are with is going to suit you and I did not rush off to get married just for a visa. Took me seven years of running visas before I was comfortable.

11 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

Pasted on the notice board courtesy of the folks at Koh Tao Big Blue Diving.

 

That looks like spam: a circular sticker affixed to the outside of the glass pane. 

 

1 hour ago, gamini said:

I often wonder how they live here. They must be very wealthy or have inherited money to be able to stay here for long periods without working. I think many of them perhaps have saved up a bit of money and try to stay here as long as possible to avoid doing an honest days work. Naturally Thailand is not very keen on these type of tourists.

Many of us just dont need to work.. 

 

I 'retired' the first time at 28.. Boredom and a desire to stop boozing etc and I have temporarily unretired, but only becuase I actually enjoy working and building companies. 

1 hour ago, SammyT said:

 

This is a bit of a non-event really. I'm sure Thailand won't miss those who work here long term on tourist visas, no matter how much they claim they stimulate the local economy. 

I do think that some Schools will suffer when they have to hire non English speaking Thais to teach kids English 

4 minutes ago, Maestro said:

That looks like spam: a circular sticker affixed to the outside of the glass pane. 

Well maybe so but, as you noted earlier. that doesn't look like the usual garuda-type official notice posted by a Thai Embassy.

I had an issue with this the last time I flew into DMK from Vietnam. I got held and told I needed to purchase a return ticket back home for them to allow me in. I got the ticket and they let me back in on the visa exemption. I then decided to apply for the ED visa. When I went to extend my visa for another 30 days while Waiting for the ED visa to process immigration told me that I had to immigration at the airport that I would fly back to my country on a certain date so they only gave me 6 day extension till I had to leave. Lucky for me I had the copies of the paperwor, recipt showing I paid the school to start My ED visa application. I told them that I was just waiting for it to get approved so I could start class and that’s why I wanted the extension. The amended the 6 days and gave me a full 30 days. So right now I’m just waiting for the ED visa approval. I hope everything goes well.

Edited December 17, 20187 yr by BobbyBilly

20 minutes ago, Maestro said:

 

That looks like spam: a circular sticker affixed to the outside of the glass pane. 

 

So , the Thai Embassy in Vientiane send a message to Koh Tao divers who then typed that message on a piece of paper and stuck on the outside wall of the Thai Embassy ?

1 hour ago, somtumwrong said:

Or, work like crazy during your best years, do not buy the BMW and don't waste your money on alcohol and pleasure. Instead, put your money into the stock market, and let the dividends snowball and roll ???? Capital income! Don't burn your savings.

Snowball?. I'm au, most have superannuation. That is invested in shares etc by your respective fund. Recently my super dropped $30k aud over 3 week period. . Thanks for advice.

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

I do think that some Schools will suffer when they have to hire non English speaking Thais to teach kids English 

That's the most funny one I have heard today. As far as understanding the "Queens English"

Americans I can understand. Most of uk, esp north england and many other regions, throw in the Welsh, Scotts, Irish....your kidding me. 

The best non native English speakers in Thailand are people from the Philippines. Also they are not pi**pots like most farang teaching English in Thailand and Vietnam.

Edited December 17, 20187 yr by DrJack54
Error

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

That's the most funny one I have heard today. As far as understanding the "Queens English"

Americans I can understand. Most of uk, esp north england and many other regions, throw in the welsh, Scotts, Irish....you kidding me. 

The best non native English speakers in Thailand are people from the Philippines. Also they are not pi**pots like most farang teaching English in Thailand and Vietnam.

Yes, its quite clear that you have difficulty understanding English because you didnt understand my post .

  Filipinos teaching English in Thailand on tourist visas are included in the people who will not be teaching English in schools in future.

  You misunderstood my post  and you thought that I was talking about British people teaching English . 

17 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Yes, its quite clear that you have difficulty understanding English because you didnt understand my post .

  Filipinos teaching English in Thailand on tourist visas are included in the people who will not be teaching English in schools in future.

  You misunderstood my post  and you thought that I was talking about British people teaching English . 

No need to get your knickers in a twist. Where in my post did I exclude teachers from the Philippines. My point was that Thailand would be best served by allowing people from many countries to teach English in Thailand.  I simply stated that many people, especially Thai, cannot understand one word from some native English speaking countries. Nor can I.

Edited December 17, 20187 yr by DrJack54
Error

Just now, DrJack54 said:

No need to get your knickers in a twist. Where in my post did I exclude teachers from the Philippines. I simply stated that many people, especially Thai, cannot understand one word from some native English speaking countries. Nor can I.

Better for you to stick forums then , where you can read things without any accents

4 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Which "right visa" would that be. The folk living here on back to back tourist visas are in the main under 50. Other than the elite visa I don't know of many other visas available to that group. I'm excluding all the sidestep ones like ed visa etc.

Visas and permits are issued for specific reasons. Tourist visas are for short term tourism; they are not the "right visa" to live in the country for months/years. Sometimes there is not a "right visa" or affordable visa available.

43 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Visas and permits are issued for specific reasons. Tourist visas are for short term tourism; they are not the "right visa" to live in the country for months/years. Sometimes there is not a "right visa" or affordable visa available.

I wrote long reply and i by accident didn't post. Ha. Anyway elviajero, perhaps my post was bit cryptic. I agree 100% about not abusing TV for living here. I came Los late in life so the retirement option best for me. If I was 30, I would obtain 20 yr elite visa in a blink.

Edited December 17, 20187 yr by DrJack54
Error

I came back from Myanmar few days ago, I have a 6 months visa,,, the immigration officer gave me a very hard time with many questions , and ask the same questions over and over again,,,  I finally toll him that I had no money on me,,,  a few minutes later he let me go,  My sister was with me,   the same scenario  for her,,,

7 minutes ago, high plane drifter said:

I came back from Myanmar few days ago, I have a 6 months visa,,, the immigration officer gave me a very hard time with many questions , and ask the same questions over and over again,,,  I finally toll him that I had no money on me,,,  a few minutes later he let me go,  My sister was with me,   the same scenario  for her,,,

You "came back" meaning your Myanmar trip originated in Thailand. To some this may suggest that this is only your second visit to Thailand.

 

What's you're Thailand visit history beyond the current METV?

 

Lucky he let you in since the lack of 20k baht (or equivalent) cash is the only legal show-stopper for digital pikeys, hangers on and long-time Thailand lurker. Since they can't easily prove one is working illegally or otherwise, they use the cash test and either you have it or you don't and usually the latter get shown the door.

2 hours ago, sanemax said:

So , the Thai Embassy in Vientiane send a message to Koh Tao divers who then typed that message on a piece of paper and stuck on the outside wall of the Thai Embassy ?

No. The diver thing is a transparent, stick-on advertising decal placed on the glass front of the notice board. The immigration letter is pinned inside the box, behind the glass and thus behind the transparent, stick-on decal.

4 hours ago, sanemax said:

But I wont spend the money on an elite visa , main reason being that I dont want to commit to staying in Thailand for 5 more years .

And like many others, you've been saying that for maybe 8 or 10 years already?

As a Canadian I applaud the Thai government.  They are attempting to do what the Canadian Government has done for a long time (at least 20 years)

They are stopping people that abuse the passport system.  It is no different than anyone trying to get into the country on back to back in Canada.  Most of them are refused.  Aus and NZ also are very much stopping it.  The only countries that have no borders security are the US, UK and EU.

 

Try breaking immigration rules in Russia.

 LOL

Instead of griping why not lobby the embassies or the Thai government to come up with a 1-year visa that requires the visa holder to have 1 mill baht in a Thai bank 

 

6 hours ago, darksidedog said:

I know a few people who had been popping in and out for tourist visas, but essentially living here, who have been refused a new one, or on one occasion, entry at Don Mueang with a visa from KL, because he had had too many repetitive stays. It's funny that they are worried about dropping tourist numbers, while at the same time making it harder to visit.

Having said that, such notices do serve as good advance warning, that if you want to stay here, then you do need to get the right visa, which most people shouldn't really complain about.

So What's the right visa for someone under 50 who is retired and wealthy enough to stay in Thailand? I'd be interested to know..

13 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I wrote long reply and i by accident didn't post. Ha. Anyway elviajero, perhaps my post was bit cryptic. I agree 100% about not abusing TV for living here. I came Los late in life so the retirement option best for me. If I was 30, I would obtain 20 yr elite visa in a blink.

I moved the Thailand when I was 30 and spent many years as a 'tourist', but I always accepted that I was 'playing' the system. I doubt many 30 years olds could afford the PE visa.

 

Thailand's historical tolerance of long term tourism lulls people in to believing it's ok. So I understand the confusion/frustration. However, as the numbers of long term tourists grew the authorities had to keep the numbers in check, and they've been doing that since 2006.

 

IMO and understanding the authorities are ok with a small number of long term tourists -- especially the 40 somethings -- but they will always be suspicious that the 20-30 somethings will be working. And the ability to work remotely has put a big spanner in the works too.