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

[soalbundy]

6 minutes ago, KhunFred said:

Sooner or later, Thailand will have its hand out again, wanting international funding to help it out of a  crisis. The generous aid they already receive would justify some leninency.

Thailand receives aid ? ? I don't think so. When the tsunami struck, money was given as aid but the Thai government said they didn't want money, they wanted expertise.

[Nong Khai Man]

2 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

In a civilized country your own government would have a duty of care, I think many constituencies take this seriously but there is a lack of funding, no money, no honey.

In a civilized country your own government would have a duty of care......555 !! Sure,That's why Sooooo Many Brits are Sleeping in Shop Doorways....Just Sayin' Like !!

[khunJeroen]

All that complaining about not feeling welcome. Nobody asked you to come so if you don't like it go back home. As a foreigner (please don't talk about expat when you live on a few hundred baths per day) by right you need to have sufficient income to spend in Thailand but also to be able to return if the situation requires. Moreover, 800000 bath is not that much. 

[DPKANKAN]

5 hours ago, Henryford said:

Would be interesting to follow some of these (sad) stories. What does a 90 (or 70 or 80) year old do returning to say the UK.  With limited funds can you rent a home? would any Council provide you with a home? Do you get off the plane homeless (in -9C weather).

Perhaps we should tell our wonderful embassy the problem that now they have left us in the doo doo we are going to go home, get free handouts, medical, bus passes etc and cost the country money. They would just shrug and continue to wash their hands of it the same. Come on home newspaper's and media send out the warning bells!! 

[Nong Khai Man]

4 minutes ago, khunJeroen said:

All that complaining about not feeling welcome. Nobody asked you to come so if you don't like it go back home. As a foreigner (please don't talk about expat when you live on a few hundred baths per day) by right you need to have sufficient income to spend in Thailand but also to be able to return if the situation requires. Moreover, 800000 bath is not that much. 

Moreover, 800000 bath is not that much......O.K I'll send YOU My Bank details so YOU Can transfer it to Me !! After All in your'e OWN Words it's NOT That much.....

[soalbundy]

3 minutes ago, Nong Khai Man said:

In a civilized country your own government would have a duty of care......555 !! Sure,That's why Sooooo Many Brits are Sleeping in Shop Doorways....Just Sayin' Like !!

True !! The duty of care is there (once you have jumped the hoops of form filling ) but if the funding isn't available even Jesus Christ couldn't do much.

[Jingthing]

4 minutes ago, khunJeroen said:

All that complaining about not feeling welcome. Nobody asked you to come so if you don't like it go back home. As a foreigner (please don't talk about expat when you live on a few hundred baths per day) by right you need to have sufficient income to spend in Thailand but also to be able to return if the situation requires. Moreover, 800000 bath is not that much. 

True. It's not that much.

But for one example just try to apply for a combo application without an embassy letter. 

People like you really don't get it. 

These new rules have created countless impossible situations for bona fide expats. 

Supposedly to go after corruption, when the reality is the corruption food chain has already adjusted, and most of the people that are going to get hurt by this are honest, decent, rule abiding foreigners. 

[soalbundy]

Just now, DPKANKAN said:

Perhaps we should tell our wonderful embassy the problem that now they have left us in the doo doo we are going to go home, get free handouts, medical, bus passes etc and cost the country money. They would just shrug and continue to wash their hands of it the same. Come on home newspaper's and media send out the warning bells!! 

555555 free handouts, in your dreams, as an expat you have fallen through the cracks, you would have to prove you have returned permanently to get anything, even medical care, for benefits you need an address and even a hovel in a city is expensive these days.

[Artisi]

5 hours ago, Henryford said:

Would be interesting to follow some of these (sad) stories. What does a 90 (or 70 or 80) year old do returning to say the UK.  With limited funds can you rent a home? would any Council provide you with a home? Do you get off the plane homeless (in -9C weather).

A Thai immigration official commented anonymously (of course) " who cares" 

[scorecard]

5 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

Too late the Hangman cried....they are already the Laughing Stock of The World !

I rather doubt that.

 

Thailand, like all countries is entitled to make policies about who etc., can immigrate here and retire here.

 

In recent months they have been professionalising the rules and the processes to ensure the policies and the regulations are followed.

 

I expect the government of my old country to do the same.

 

 

 

 

[soalbundy]

Just now, Artisi said:

A Thai immigration official commented anonymously (of course) " who cares" 

He is right of course, it's not his job and not his responsibility.

[DPKANKAN]

3 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

555555 free handouts, in your dreams, as an expat you have fallen through the cracks, you would have to prove you have returned permanently to get anything, even medical care, for benefits you need an address and even a hovel in a city is expensive these days.

Don't be silly!! Black up, grow a beard and buy a rubber dingy!!! Simple 5555 ????????????????????????

[Artisi]

5 hours ago, Pattaya46 said:

Without more details, this article is just worthless 

Everyone on Retirement Extension today was supposed to already have 65k/monthly or 800k in bank,

so why exactly can't he stay anymore after these rather small changes in rules ? 

because he was probably using someone else's money, the normal - what should be illegal method and now being terminated by Immigration.

Although I feel sorry for anyone in the same situation, rules are rules and most countries have them and this country is pretty easy to stay in.

[soistalker]

He should just overstay his Visa 5 or 6 years. Then he will get banned 10 years, but he can just wait it out, and come back. 

[Suradit69]

46 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

of course every nation that offers that does it for the perceived economic benefit. But most are more humane than Thailand's system

Possibly, but the money in the bank or provable income amounts haven't been increased, although the methods of "proving" or establishing them have.  I didn't see the specific reason the 90 year old found the changes were forcing him to leave, although I may have missed that.

 

In any event we don't really know how such cases as the 90 year old in the o/p will be handled by immigrations and my post was in response to a comment that seemed to suggest that Thailand ought to welcome people regardless of their financial wherewithal. 

 

I still contend that money is a factor in any country's willingness to accept foreign retirees. No country is simply going to welcome retirees solely out of the goodness of their hearts.

[Docno]

6 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

It's never been the people that's welcome; only the money !

Well, countries do have borders for a reason... some even want to build walls along them

[watcharacters]

5 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

7 minutes ago, Artisi said:

A Thai immigration official commented anonymously (of course) " who cares" 

He is right of course, it's not his job and not his responsibility.

 

Absolutely!   He does not care even a little bit.    He has no reason to care.   He cares only about what impacts him.

[mickyboy]

6 hours ago, Henryford said:

Would be interesting to follow some of these (sad) stories. What does a 90 (or 70 or 80) year old do returning to say the UK.  With limited funds can you rent a home? would any Council provide you with a home? Do you get off the plane homeless (in -9C weather).

Could go to Vietnam if he comes back uk because his age he be on pension uk he be able get room in hostel till he gets a place in retirement place at that age 

[SheungWan]

7 minutes ago, DPKANKAN said:

Don't be silly!! Black up, grow a beard and buy a rubber dingy!!! Simple 5555 ????????????????????????

Apparently some racist contributions think its all made acceptable by adding a string of smileys at the end.

[Docno]

3 minutes ago, soistalker said:

He should just overstay his Visa 5 or 6 years. Then he will get banned 10 years, but he can just wait it out, and come back. 

Yep - at age 90 … excellent plan! 

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, Suradit69 said:

...

 

I still contend that money is a factor in any country's willingness to accept foreign retirees. No country is simply going to welcome retirees solely out of the goodness of their hearts.

I'm not disagreeing with you on that at all. It's obvious. I am saying Thailand's system has developed from not so good to bloody onerous and even hazardous. People really should look elsewhere at this point for their own self protection. 

[cedel]

He could probably stay and retire in one of the neihgbooring countries without such strict resuirements, I think about Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Philippines, maybe Birma (Myanmar). Somebody has an idea of the long term visa resuirements for those countries ? 

[HAKAPALITA]

Does anyone get a STATE PENSION that is near 65K now thee Bhts overvalued.?.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[watcharacters]

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I'm not disagreeing with you on that at all. It's obvious. I am saying Thailand's system has developed from not so good to bloody onerous and even hazardous. People really should look elsewhere at this point for their own self protection. 

 

That's pretty harsh.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

5 hours ago, ChipButty said:

With the help of a few Dodgy immigration guys

 

Based on the level of visa agent activity here and the number of different offices, I'd suggest, more than just a few dodgy ones.... I'd say, a whole corps!

 

 

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, watcharacters said:

 

That's pretty harsh.

Just keeping it real.

Many people already here are invested in Thailand either with assets, relationships, or both. So it's very hard for many of them to leave and disastrous if they're deported on short notice.

Others should be warned away before they make similar mistakes.

This is way beyond the writing on the wall category. It's happening. 

[Artisi]

5 hours ago, wreckingcountry said:

The ignorance of folk on here about the new rules and then commenting is staggering ! Let’s make it clear “the 65k a month retirement extension will no longer be an option “ you all got that ????


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

So bloody polite and seems that may be wrong anyway -  "you got that"

[peterb17]

5 hours ago, Kasset Tak said:

Well, as usual with all these changes much of it comes back to all the people abusing the system! I have friends that complains that they can't get their visa extensions as they don't have the savings, don't have enough income and now they can't get agents to forge/fake bank accounts for them... it's thanks to this kind of people and all these Indians with just "paper" marriages that these new rules have come in place (at least according to my Thai drinking buddy who is immigration office).
It's the same as it was with people on ED extensions, people used to get a year extension but because too many abused the system, even those who were legit students got affected by the changes. And again now we have the blacklisting for overstaying your visa... in the past it wasn't a big deal so some people were abusing that too (we have all read the stories of people leaving with 20 year overstay...) and that made them put the blacklisting in effect.

So, don't blame the government for changing the system, blame all the people who have been abusing the system and by doing that forced the government to change the system!

Personally I have a suspicion the whole income letter fiasco was do with Americans- all they had to is stand there ( lie through their teeth) and declare an income. No checks whatsoever. 

At the British embassy they required copies of your bank statements and income letter clearly stated that the information was supported by bank statements 

 

Of course I may be wrong , but I doubt it. I think you are correct- it’s always the few rotten apples that make things more difficult for the rest of us. 

[Sonhia]

Poor fella. How much did he spend/loose/ was cheated out of, during his duration within Thailand? My guess a hell of a lot more than a Thai of his age group.

 

Most, not all, Thais are very good at sweet talking, honey potting, giving the impression all is good, easy and well when it comes to dealing with falang, but the truth is most falang are simply cheated and in general not welcome or liked at all.

 

For a nation to accept the many handouts over decades to then bite the many hands that have fed them is dispicable. They should step back and take a close look at themselves...It takes just a glance to see the way in which they live. Disgusting.

 

What about falang fathers with dependants or falang husbands?

 

Giving foreigners false impressions by means of extortion is an obvious slap in the face and in my opinion a disgrace.

 

Thailand transliterated simply means land of the free, but for many falang who have resided within the Kingdom, they know far too well the real truths: Visa's, lost properties and soooo on, with no or very little support from the authorities, not unless money is offered up in some or most cases.

 

I have dependants but sadly I will have to leave them simply because I'm a foreigner with limited rights in what I can achieve in an open prison in order to provide for my dependants.

 

I wish my government would impose the same restrictions as do the Thai.

 

Not wanting to sound vindictive, but the real truth is falang are only welcome for a short period, to spend as much as they can, especially within the sex industry, which is illegal, to be cheated and gently forced to get lost. The smiles turn into serious stone faced looks.

 

Land of fickleness, extortion and lies with prices, in real terms, the same or more than European pricing! Crazy!!

 

The writing is on the wall. Get out while you can!

 

The Mediterranean is a great place for most Europeans, with far better service, prices, cleanliness, less roaming packs of filthy dogs that spread bacteria, especially in such a humid climate as found in Thailand, and so on.

 

The grass is greener. 

 

 

[tracy3eyes]

7 hours ago, Pattaya46 said:

Without more details, this article is just worthless 

Everyone on Retirement Extension today was supposed to already have 65k/monthly or 800k in bank,

so why exactly can't he stay anymore after these rather small changes in rules ? 

You have no idea!

I have a net pension of 100k baht plus a month and it is going to be difficult for such as me for the following reasons

1. All my spare cash is invested in property and yes in Thailand also.

2. I have monthly commitments to meet each month in the UK and Spain which makes it impossible for me to transfer 65k-70k baht to Thai each month and this goes for so many who retain strong ties with the UK and have commitments back home.

3. Some on a pension only just manage the 65k baht so many of them are screwed for numerous reasons. Also, many have a gross income/pension of 65k baht which enabled them to get their income letter and the funds they did have was sufficient.

3. I have stayed in Thai since 2003, had businesses, employed Thais, paid my taxes and always done my visa's correctly and renewals with my genuine pension have always been smooth.

 

The changes made assume that people only have commitments to cater for in Thai which is so shoe box narrow minded and to be honest, very stupid!

 

So many expats who do have a genuine pension of 65k baht are going to be hit which is crazy. It is one thing have the genuine 65k baht and another also have all the 65k baht available to transfer!!

 

It is unlikely that I will be able to renew in Sept 19.

 

Just wait until to you see the decline in renewals.

 

All Thai immigration had to do is get people to provide other documentary evidence to show that peoples pensions were genuine. e.g. UK bank statements, P60's, Annual Tax Payments, Annual Pension increase letter etc.