Boy this Thai Visa help section use to be a lively place a few years ago..

[fforest1]

Boy this Thai Visa help section use to be a lively place a few years ago..

 

It looks like most of the post now are mostly about retirement extensions and marriage extensions....

 

Its looking to me like many many under 50s may have said screw it and thrown in the towel....If your under 50 you can only milk the tourist and Ed visas for X number of years before your done...Its sure as hell is no picnick having to renew  tourist visas in a number of different countries every 3 months......

 

I dont really have any big point to make....But the the Thai Visa universe sure seems to me to be shrinking....

[DrJack54]

And your point? You want advise how to stay los? Or just a complain. Cut to the chase. You want ask about options to extend your stay, there is already plenty!

[bbi1]

True, it looks like there's a million page thread for each of the recent threads started about retirement issues or marriage ones. Can't believe how fast those threads get to a crazy length!

[overherebc]

Welcome my son, welcome to the machine

Where have you been, it's all right we know where you've been

You've been in the pipeline filling in time

Provided with toys and visas for boys

You bought a visa to punish your ma

And you didn't like school you know you're nobody's fool

So welcome to the machine.

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, fforest1 said:

Its looking to me like many many under 50s may have said screw it and thrown in the towel....If your under 50 you can only milk the tourist and Ed visas for X number of years before your done...

For ED Visas, there is a limit.  Tourist Visas still work. 

 

Quote

Its sure as hell is no picnick having to renew  tourist visas in a number of different countries every 3 months......

If one can go to their passport-country every 9-months, they can use METVs in place of the double/triple entry TR visas of years past. 

 

But, it is true that many longer-staying expats have packed-up and left.  And in their wake, boarded-up businesses and out-of-work Thais, all thanks to immigration's destructive and pointless policies - especially at some key points of entry (Bangkok airports, at the top of the list). 

 

Clearly, they couldn't care less about the effects on fellow-Thais (though most negatively effected are Issan people - which may be a factor) - only the income from whoever is paying for this policy-shift.  Someone must be paying for this, since it wouldn't make any sense to force-away foreign-funded spenders, otherwise.

[asdfrules]

I've also noticed this change here over the past few years.  It seems less friendly to me as well, as shown by the first response above.  Like it's a crime to start a conversation on a forum.  It feels like any time I ask for help, there is at least one or two comments telling me to go home and stop abusing the system.  Either get old, get married or go home.  And even if you do get married or retire, it seems like the visa situation is still a struggle.

 

But of course, there are some very kind and helpful regulars here too, and I'm very thankful for them.  Ubon Joe and JackThompson (above) come to mind.

 

I'm one of those under 50 guys who has spent a lot of time in Thailand.  I've learned the language and culture and have come to really love this place as a second home.  But unfortunately, I'm not welcome here anymore and will be moving on soon.

 

 

[Lovethailandelite]

1 hour ago, JackThompson said:

For ED Visas, there is a limit.  Tourist Visas still work. 

 

If one can go to their passport-country every 9-months, they can use METVs in place of the double/triple entry TR visas of years past. 

 

But, it is true that many longer-staying expats have packed-up and left.  And in their wake, boarded-up businesses and out-of-work Thais, all thanks to immigration's destructive and pointless policies - especially at some key points of entry (Bangkok airports, at the top of the list). 

 

Clearly, they couldn't care less about the effects on fellow-Thais (though most negatively effected are Issan people - which may be a factor) - only the income from whoever is paying for this policy-shift.  Someone must be paying for this, since it wouldn't make any sense to force-away foreign-funded spenders, otherwise.

Give it a rest with your conspiracy theories in every post. It's becoming boring and predictable. Every hour, every day, you just don't stop. Oh, and it's certainly not going to change anything.

 

[fforest1]

12 minutes ago, Lovethailandelite said:

Give it a rest with your conspiracy theories in every post. It's becoming boring and predictable. Every hour, every day, you just don't stop. Oh, and it's certainly not going to change anything.

 

There are conspiracy theories and there are conspiracy facts.....

 

Fact....Expats in Thailand are given ZERO benefits or help in any way... So the ever tightening visas (which shows no signs of stopping) is reducing income to Thailand at a ever increasing pace by the reduction in the number of long stay tourist and expats.....

For a Thai to voluntarily reduce their income with no compensation would be almost unthinkable.....

So Jack is right that some one some where is being very richly compensated for the reduction in Thailands income... 

 

But I do agree with you talking about it probably will not change any thing.....But it is kind of fun to try and figure out witch levers the wizard behind the curtain is pulling....lol   

[balo]

1 hour ago, asdfrules said:

But unfortunately, I'm not welcome here anymore and will be moving on soon.

Where will you be going ? Cambodia ? 

[JLCrab]

Yes -- things were much more fun when a typical post was (my all-time favorite):

 

I don't qualify for any long-term stay option in Thailand so how can I stay long-term in Thailand?

[KiChakayan]

Actually I am quite surprise this thread hasn't been moved to another section, as this one is dedicated to dead serious immigration issues.

[overherebc]

14 hours ago, overherebc said:

Welcome my son, welcome to the machine

Where have you been, it's all right we know where you've been

You've been in the pipeline filling in time

Provided with toys and visas for boys

You bought a visa to punish your ma

And you didn't like school you know you're nobody's fool

So welcome to the machine.

Meant to add as an edit last night.

Anyone who doesn't realise the original words are from Pink Flloyd must be living under a rock. ????????

[poohy]

2 hours ago, JLCrab said:

Yes -- things were much more fun when a typical post was (my all-time favorite):

 

I don't qualify for any long-term stay option in Thailand so how can I stay long-term in Thailand?

I remember  2003 i had 45  tour leaders (non thai) on tourist visas/extensions working for me, passports sent to hull for visas, jack golf doing visa runs

 

My how things have changed

[JLCrab]

Yes and one month visa exempts every month at the Nong Khai bridge for years on end and the biggest problem was running out of passbook pages.

[overherebc]

5 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

Yes and one month visa exempts every month at the Nong Khai bridge for years on end and the biggest problem was running out of passbook pages.

Or Poipet. ????????

[Justin Side]

42 minutes ago, overherebc said:

Meant to add as an edit last night.

Anyone who doesn't realise the original words are from Pink Flloyd must be living under a rock. ????????

Wish You Were Here.

[overherebc]

8 minutes ago, Justin Side said:

Wish You Were Here.

Wishing I wasn't. ????????

Mind you going back to the land of no bum guns for the compulsory reality check that's well overdue. ????????

[Myran]

Not sure what you're whining about. Is the forum more "lively" because people are regularly asking about 6 different extensions of stay instead of 4?

[overherebc]

33 minutes ago, Myran said:

Not sure what you're whining about. Is the forum more "lively" because people are regularly asking about 6 different extensions of stay instead of 4?

I think it's more a case of the ones who are married and are retired here, and have been for a good few years are now, I have to add 'are not a financial burden on Thailand,' being faced with changes that in some cases can threaten to derail their whole way of life.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, told their income is not enough to stay here and their income/savings are not enough to take their family back to UK or wherever.

 The 'I'm all right Jacks' are probably finding amusement in it, serves you right, should have saved more blah blah.

Only one of the reasons why many of the posts are getting more serious, for some it really could not be more serious.

 

[whitefarang]

I would not recommend anyone coming here . I stay on a marriage visa . Been here around 15 years . Came here when my Thai wife and Thai son when he barely could walk . He had to fight his way through education , completed his Mattayom not long ago and is on an international university now . And he got in not because he had such excellent teachers at school . That came from him and I doing what those " teachers " refused to do . To educate . 

 

Fifteen years of troubles with immigration . Every time there hassles with having to hand in extra non required documents . I been asked how many times a week I have sex with my wife . The freaking brutality . Been asked to hand in old passports . For what ? They refused to tell me . The abuse of power . Translation of my foreign marriage certificate refused suddenly , having to go head over heels to some ministry of foreign affairs to get a Thai marriage certificate with the expiration date of my visa near . Maps of the way to my home not good enough anymore . Messing with my file , altering it . 

 

Asylum seekers get a better treatment than guys here bringing in money and good will here . My son fully agrees with me . This country doesn't like Farangs . When he finishes uni we are out of here .

 

Done with the never changing bull .Below I see a link to some article...Thai immigration reveals new requirements for.... There we go again and that raises a question I would like to ask . I am on a marriage visa . 400,000 on the bank . In case immigration ever raises that amount let's say from 400 to 500 thousand are guys like me exempted ? 

 

good luck everybody .

 

[JLCrab]

8 minutes ago, whitefarang said:

I would not recommend anyone coming here .

Well I guess that settles that.

[tabarin]

Having been here 5-6 years and still being under 30 it is pretty much getting too much hassle. If it wouldn't be for having a son now (which basically gives me a visa until retirement age), I would have left Thailand for Vietnam or elsewhere already. 

Have to conclude that the EX rates are bad, prices locally inflated a lot, girls are asking much more in the (in)famous nightlife and all the raids and visa crap + costs. 

Also rarely see people that are left from the moment I came here as a new expat generation / online worker. Mostly new people or the ones that are here for around 2 years now and then eventually go home or elsewhere again.

Doesn't always got everything to do with a visa though, most of them simply can't sustain and grow their business here.
Last but not least, the new generation often just goes to a visa agent and doesn't bother being on an old school forum.

[ThomasThBKK]

Everyone i know here that is under 50 yo either has a work permit plus visa and earns his money in thailand or earns it ouside and just bought an elite visa.


There's just not much to write about here, so why would they post?

Everything about these visas has been discussed to death and they just work fine so not much discussion is needed.

Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk

[asdfrules]

13 hours ago, balo said:

Where will you be going ? Cambodia ? 

 

I'm looking for somewhere with a good balance of first and third world conveniences.  Thailand has nailed it.  Easy to find a short or long term rentals.  Food.  Grocery stores.  Malls.  Sky trains.  Stuff like that.  And of course, a more welcoming Visa system.

 

More developed countries like Taiwan, you'll end up paying more to get less.  And less developed countries, like Cambodia, might have any or enough things like grocery stores or fairly priced accommodation that isn't old and gross.

 

So now I'm looking at HCMC Vietnam or Philippines.  Less developed, and not as many conveniences, but I think it might be okay for me.

[asdfrules]

5 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

Everyone i know here that is under 50 yo either has a work permit plus visa and earns his money in thailand or earns it ouside and just bought an elite visa.


There's just not much to write about here, so why would they post?

Everything about these visas has been discussed to death and they just work fine so not much discussion is needed.

Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk
 

We are on the third page of replies now, clearly people are interested in talking about this, so give it a break already.  Why almost every single thread on this site has to have grumpy people nit picking and complaining.

[JackThompson]

1 minute ago, asdfrules said:

So now I'm looking at HCMC Vietnam or Philippines.  Less developed, and not as many conveniences, but I think it might be okay for me.

Can't speak to HCMC, but I would try Cebu (warmer, like here) or Bagio (cooler but rainy) for the PI.  Both have malls, decent housing and such - and generally safe. 

[asdfrules]

3 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

Can't speak to HCMC, but I would try Cebu (warmer, like here) or Bagio (cooler but rainy) for the PI.  Both have malls, decent housing and such - and generally safe. 

Good advice I think.  I looked at both Cebu and Bagio while I was staying in Manila for a few months.  Ended up being to lazy to relocate for the short time I had.  But deff would consider either city for a longer stay.

[asdfrules]

The thing that turns me off of the Elite thing is the time frame.  5 years is too long.  I don't plan that far ahead.  If they had Elite pass at the same rate of 100,000 THB for 1 year, that is an option I'd likely consider!

[ubonjoe]

I just did a clean up of this topic to remove some off topic inflammatory posts and replies to them.

I will watch it a bit and if it goes off the rails again I will close it.

 

[rott]

15 hours ago, asdfrules said:

I've also noticed this change here over the past few years.  It seems less friendly to me as well, as shown by the first response above.  Like it's a crime to start a conversation on a forum.  It feels like any time I ask for help, there is at least one or two comments telling me to go home and stop abusing the system.  Either get old, get married or go home.  And even if you do get married or retire, it seems like the visa situation is still a struggle.

 

But of course, there are some very kind and helpful regulars here too, and I'm very thankful for them.  Ubon Joe and JackThompson (above) come to mind.

 

I'm one of those under 50 guys who has spent a lot of time in Thailand.  I've learned the language and culture and have come to really love this place as a second home.  But unfortunately, I'm not welcome here anymore and will be moving on soon.

 

 

If you are under 50 and single I do not see the problem, up to six months here and six split between Laos/Cambodia/Vietnam. (or wherever).

This aint the only place in the world.