New retirement extension rules forces expat, 90, to leave Thailand

[SheungWan]

15 minutes ago, Henryford said:

Yes many people save up 1, 2, 3 million before they retire. But how long does that last especially with currencies dropping like a stone. It is quite easy for your savings to drop to 800k at age 70 when it is too late to start work again. When i did my financial planning before i retired i didn't expect the Pound to be at 40.

The key to this discussion is exchange rates. Sorry, but the consequences of the volatility of the exchange rate on retirees ability to meet visa requirements is not the responsibility of Thai immigration. Living at the mercy of FX fluctuations has consequences. 

[dontoearth]

2 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

If you really lived here you would know that the amount in the bank is guaranteed and it is easy to make a will for your bank deposits when you die.

  Several people have looked up and quoted the banking laws.  Money deposited in foreign currency is not insured.  I never did open a bank account.  I had an old friend die in Thailand about 2 years ago.  The distribution of the estate was terrible and lots of stuff disappeared.  I know hard to believe!

   My interest is in finding good winter vacation spots.  I like to stay abroad about half a year or a little more at times.  I have been coming to Thailand since 1989 and had 3 retirement visas all obtained at the Chicago consulate.  No problems there.  Worked in Thailand for a year and was here during the economic crisis and the baht devaluation. 

   I would not spend a lifetime in a country that did not allow permanent residency and better rights than what ex-pat's are willing to put up with here.  

   Have two friends that have become permanent residents of Mexico.  Looks like a better deal to me.  So let the free market decide. 

   I will always love Thailand and the Thai people.  Will try to keep up short-time visits when I can.

   Good Luck 2 U.  I always hope for the best for everyone. 

[Road Warrior]

I agree with TRAINMAN  comment

[SheungWan]

17 minutes ago, ginjag said:

Gaz,  you are talking about  todays new rules.....so I agree with you if it were today and I was to retire I would have that amount.  Please think about the forward planning years ago when the baht was 75 to the pound, and near no charges or restrictions to retire/stay here,  NO ONE could have forseen that you would need a spare 800k,  or 65k a month.

Please understand the plight of the oldsters caught in the trap.

If it is a trap, it is one of their own making. So all those years they spent basing their 'retirement' on what? monthly visa runs? As for the word 'plight', they rode the tiger and now some of them may be getting thrown off. So if the figures do not add up, then leave. That has always been the deal, family in situ or no.

[SheungWan]

1 hour ago, Bunbobi said:

it is sad and how you expect a senior go back to their own country in his age? not humane

 

Buy a ticket.

[Pib]

13 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

Cost of caregivers in Thailand 90% less than nurses in USA.  Cost of doctors and medications and intensive care also much cheaper.  Cost of nursing facilities building and staffing a fraction of what it costs in USA.  Cost per day at not for profit hospitals in USA about 30,000 baht. 

Yeap...but not providing Medicare coverage is even cheaper to the taxpayer. 

[stanleycoin]

25 minutes ago, Farang99 said:

If they have survived here on illegally obtained visas, I am happy they got away with it for so long, but now Immigration are starting to enforce the laws it was only to be expected they would  pick the easiest targets.

 

Pity the other laws are still not being rigorously applied - ;like traffic, murder and rape.

Don't worry, they will get round to trying to blame Falangs for all that in due course.

they tried it with the Sex tourist thing a few years back. as we all know, Thai's don't use brothels, it's all only there for us. 

it's all part of the Smoke and Mirrors, Hocus Pocus, blame game,

Pantomime.  

TIT.

 

 

 

 

[SheungWan]

45 minutes ago, Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere said:

Comments reveal that many feel they are no longer welcome in "The Land of Smiles".

The smiles have been long gone except from people that have something to sell you and the hotel hospitality sector. Since this unelected government took the reins it renewed an old effort to drive a wedge between Thai and foreigners first by presenting all most daily stories of foreigners scams (against Thai women and the general Thai public) , illegally owning land, sex tourists, foreigners circumventing the immigration rules by border runs to work in Thailand (teachers) foreigners killing Thai women and stealing from Thai and finally the SOBs that overstay their visas. Then the dog whistle to Thais to be suspicious of these pesty foreigners and report them and with state controlled media in hand they accomplished their objective and got a bonus of even getting foreigners to chastise and report other foreigners. Oh! I can still hear the fading calls of praise for this government and the Biggest joke on ass kissing foriegners..... Big Joke.

 

Farang: "They (Thai economy need us. Thailand will die without the Farang side of donations to prostitution" Enter stage right... The Chinese. 

 

The Elite Thai "Give us back our Thai women and leave your kids behind and get out Farang! You were only our guests but now you've overstayed your WELCOME!!

 

"Because of a few many will suffer"

 

No longer welcome and yet you are still here.

[dontoearth]

26 minutes ago, ginjag said:

Gaz,  you are talking about  todays new rules.....so I agree with you if it were today and I was to retire I would have that amount.  Please think about the forward planning years ago when the baht was 75 to the pound, and near no charges or restrictions to retire/stay here,  NO ONE could have forseen that you would need a spare 800k,  or 65k a month.

 

Please understand the plight of the oldsters caught in the trap.

   Two words about retirement abroad currency fluctuation and the inevitable worldwide global inflation.  If you are feeling sassy and rude now think about having about half as much money as you have now in 10 years.  20 years from now you will have half of that.  That is just inflation.  Add a little currency fluctuation and you will be experiencing pretty serious financial insecurity.  I know my hotel in Thailand has doubled my monthly room rate in the last 10 years.  Anybody notice food is twice as expensive as 10 years ago?  

    Retirement is difficult in your country of birth.  Abroad you have many unanswered questions and many surprises (some very unpleasant.) 

[Peterw42]

46 minutes ago, gaz3443 said:

It amazes me how many people have retired in thai but dont have 800,000 bht , if i didnt have 800k to my name i certainly would not  have retired !!!!!

Even back in home country, you dont qualify for a pension if you have a large sum in the bank. Many will structure their retirement accordingly.

[Mister Fixit]

50 minutes ago, ginjag said:

Gaz,  you are talking about  todays new rules.....so I agree with you if it were today and I was to retire I would have that amount.  Please think about the forward planning years ago when the baht was 75 to the pound, and near no charges or restrictions to retire/stay here,  NO ONE could have forseen that you would need a spare 800k,  or 65k a month.

 

Please understand the plight of the oldsters caught in the trap.

Unfortunately quite a lot of people don't have that level of insight and they make it plain whenever they post.  

 

I am just like you Ginjag  - came here 15 years ago, not to retire but to teach, had enough money in the bank and all was well with 75 baht/£.  I had not thought of retiring here then aged 55 but met my wife and so stayed and I will continue to stay as long as I can.  I may die here, but I may end up back in the UK scrounging a sofa for the night from family and friends and separated from my wife  - who knows?  

 

However, with an elderly mother who turned 100 last July and my 4 kids + grandkids in the UK, it cost me a mint to go back most years to visit everyone. My mother is still in pretty good health for her age, but nevertheless I never knew if she might suddenly pop off with a heart attack so felt I needed to go back as often as feasible.  Also I think it's good to leave Thailand for a short while every so often just to get some perspective back into your life.  

 

I calculate that I have spent pushing £50,000 for my 10 return trips in 15 years.  It's about £5,000 if I stay about a month with my wife, or about £3,000 if I go alone for a couple of weeks.  It's not really worth going for less than 3-4 weeks if I want to spend some meaningful time with everyone but sometimes it can't always be done.

 

So what do I do?  Not bother visiting my family and remaining friends just to  keep my money stashed away here where I can't even touch much of it?  Hindsight is a wonderful thing, especially to those not affected by circumstances, but as Ginjag insightfully says, current circumstances aren't the circumstances of 2004.

 

My choice, based on circumstances at the time, was to visit my family and recharge my batteries.  Now circumstances have changed but no one was to know what would happen then.  I am not complaining but I do have a certain level of anxiety about the future but as it can't be changed, I just accept it and plod on.  

 

[Mister Fixit]

17 minutes ago, SheungWan said:

Buy a ticket.

Well we can all see your level of humanity, Mr I'm-all-right Jack ...

[Mister Fixit]

16 minutes ago, SheungWan said:

No longer welcome and yet you are still here.

And apparently, so are you ...  

[SheungWan]

20 minutes ago, SheungWan said:

Buy a ticket.

 

3 minutes ago, Mister Fixit said:

Well we can all see your level of humanity, Mr I'm-all-right Jack ...

He can ask for an escorted wheelchair at the airport. 

[SheungWan]

20 minutes ago, SheungWan said:

No longer welcome and yet you are still here.

 

2 minutes ago, Mister Fixit said:

And apparently, so are you ...  

I don't run around like a lost provincial sheep worrying about whether the locals don't love me too much.

[SheungWan]

16 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Even back in home country, you dont qualify for a pension if you have a large sum in the bank. Many will structure their retirement accordingly.

State Pension in UK irrespective of personal savings.

[Mister Fixit]

11 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Even back in home country, you dont qualify for a pension if you have a large sum in the bank. Many will structure their retirement accordingly.

WHAT?  Well, not so in the UK. 

 

EVERYONE qualifies for the basic State pension (small as it is) no matter their savings.  If they have over a certain amount then they won't qualify for additional benefits that others with less savings may be entitled to.

[Khaeng Mak]

1 hour ago, Boatfreak said:

Really? Name one country that sees the benefits? 

Depends on the nature of the immigrants does it not?

 

Australia, for example, benefited greatly from post WWII migration (white only policies).  Hard working "New Australians" contributed greatly to that countries culture and industries such as wine and cheese. Massive infrastructure projects such as the Snowy River hydro electric scheme were staffed almost entirely with skilled immigrant workers.

 

 

[Mister Fixit]

7 minutes ago, SheungWan said:

 

He can ask for an escorted wheelchair at the airport. 

You need to Google Anti-social Personality Disorder.  

[Mister Fixit]

9 minutes ago, SheungWan said:

 

I don't run around like a lost provincial sheep worrying about whether the locals don't love me too much.

And Narcissistic Personality Disorder. 

[SheungWan]

3 minutes ago, Mister Fixit said:

You need to Google Anti-social Personality Disorder.  

I need to go shopping.

[Spidey]

21 hours ago, Pattaya46 said:

The "90yo expat who has to leave" is from USA

Until now he was using his embassy income letter (affidavit).

He doesn't want keep money in Thailand

and says that monthly transfer is too much hassle for a 90yo

(How I know? he contacted me)

So clearly he's been telling porkies when obtaining his affidavit.

[SheungWan]

1 minute ago, Mister Fixit said:

And Narcissistic Personality Disorder. 

Hello! Its The Provincial Self-Appointed Mother Theresa Team just rode into town.

[garyk]

1 hour ago, marcusarelus said:

Ah, no.  I think they are all still posting. 

No not all, only you and a few others... haha

[Khaeng Mak]

So what happens if Don does fly back to the UK. Get an escorted wheelchair from the plane to inside the airport, and then says I can't get out of the chair. 

 

When questioned about family he says. I have none.

 

When asked where he lives he says, I am homeless.

 

When asked who should we call to help you, he says I don't know anyone.

 

WHAT THEN HAPPENS?

 

Genuine question by the way. Can anyone map out the most likely course of events?

 

Or will Don just be tipped out of his wheelchair outside of the airport terminal and left to die?

 

 

 

[Mister Fixit]

1 minute ago, SheungWan said:

Hello! Its The Provincial Self-Appointed Mother Theresa Team just rode into town.

Ha!  You couldn't be more wrong, but what's with all the 'provincial' used as some sort of epithet?  And 'Mother Theresa'?

 

It looks like you consider yourself better than someone you consider beneath you, which is of course, classic NPD.  

[Spidey]

14 minutes ago, SheungWan said:

State Pension in UK irrespective of personal savings.

For what it'[s worth.

[marcusarelus]

46 minutes ago, dontoearth said:

  Several people have looked up and quoted the banking laws.  Money deposited in foreign currency is not insured. 

Money can be insured whatever currency it is in.  What is a foreign currency?  If you are from the UK US dollars would be a foreign currency and I'm sure you know it is insurable. 

[Olmate]

7 minutes ago, Spidey said:

For what it'[s worth.

In AU you can have over 400k and receive full OAP, 25k annually plus benefits medical etc

[Spidey]

3 minutes ago, Khaeng Mak said:

So what happens if Don does fly back to the UK. Get an escorted wheelchair from the plane to inside the airport, and then says I can't get out of the chair. 

 

When questioned about family he says. I have none.

 

When asked where he lives he says, I am homeless.

 

When asked who should we call to help you, he says I don't know anyone.

 

WHAT THEN HAPPENS?

 

Genuine question by the way. Can anyone map out the most likely course of events?

 

Or will Don just be tipped out of his wheelchair outside of the airport terminal and left to die?

 

 

 

If he were British, he would receive all the assistance that he needed. Sheltered accommodation, regular visits from carers, state pension plus allowances, free healthcare, free TV licence, meals on wheels, regular trips to a day centre, even a Christmas bonus. The life of Riley.