I filed my retirement extension before the March 1 effective date, but honestly I could care.  I'm going back to an extension based on marriage next year.  I believe there will be a bunch of us doing that in 2020. 

43 minutes ago, Tropposurfer said:

I made a raft out of rubber raincoats and glue and a paddle from a fence paling ... I plan to escape the LOS immigration persecution to utopia .. does anyone know which direction utopia is ? ... I plan to make my escape in the dead of night lol lol.

Yeah, there are so many Catch-22s with Thai immigration that maybe it's time to do a Yossarian and strike off for The Philippians.  Just follow the yellow dingy!  

 

2 hours ago, baansgr said:

I think the real exodus was about 4 years ago.....now is the last of the mainstayers clinging on for dear life...no new blood appearing anymore. Combination of XE, visa rules, the opening of places once seen as backward/third world and the general atmosphere of being unwelcome in Thailand has all taken its toll

Thank heavens.

9 hours ago, Thailand said:

General confusion from expats and immigration alike, and this is just the beginning. There will be hundreds who are not aware of the rule changes and how they are being applied.

Know of 2 who have left who did the "honest I have the money" affidavits.

Personally selling up and renting, no plans to leave yet but want to be able to do so if necessary.

I sold up a few years ago as I could see something like this happening. I was going to buy  anew truck this year but not anymore. I rent and will not put any more than I have to in this country 

1 hour ago, natway09 said:

Lipflipper,,,, why ? The big 5 Thai banks in Thailand are a lot safer than most banks in the US

there is always article 44 and the Baht is not the gold standard.????

35 minutes ago, connda said:

I filed my retirement extension before the March 1 effective date, but honestly I could care.  I'm going back to an extension based on marriage next year.  I believe there will be a bunch of us doing that in 2020. 

Me too Yeah I have till January 2020 to find a hot skinny 23 year old wife with a great job who is a gourmet cook, speaks perfect english, and has no gag reflex

What's this nonsense?

2 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

No need to if you use an agent.

 

No reason for people to leave as agents are alive and well, business as usual

 

No way can't be legal or give a agent that can. 

Lets see what the new government can dream up. Glad I have a year to keep an eye on these people. Time to jump if they go any sillier.

1 hour ago, natway09 said:

Lipflipper,,,, why ? The big 5 Thai banks in Thailand are a lot safer than most banks in the US

Can you see the Thai government offering a "bailout" to a Thai bank, because they are deemed "too big to fail?"  I doubt it.

 

Nooooo, what the Thai government would do is change the visa laws to ensure foreigners must bring more money into the Thai banking system.  ????

2 minutes ago, Leaver said:

No, that's a photo of the queue at the voting booth as Thai's wait to be paid their 200 baht to vote for a certain party.  ????

 

2 minutes ago, Leaver said:

No, that's a photo of the queue at the voting booth as Thai's wait to be paid their 200 baht to vote for a certain party.  ????

 

2 minutes ago, Leaver said:

No, that's a photo of the queue at the voting booth as Thai's wait to be paid their 200 baht to vote for a certain party.  ????

They are getting ripped off My wife's village pays 500 baht.

They are getting ripped off My wife's village pays 500 baht.

Yes 500 seems to be the current price of a vote

12 minutes ago, johnmcc6 said:

 

 

They are getting ripped off My wife's village pays 500 baht.

So it's 500 baht now, and people here laugh at Communist countries.  ????

2 hours ago, natway09 said:

Lipflipper,,,, why ? The big 5 Thai banks in Thailand are a lot safer than most banks in the US

A few years ago most banks had a million baht deposit guarantee after the financial crisis they all took it away. It's £85,000 in the UK atm.  A few years back when I queried this at SCB I asked who was guaranteeing the deposit and the girl teller replied The King  !

If there is a new government I really doubt the most important thing on their agenda is farang and immigration......many other issues on their plates.

Many posters on here appear quite smug with their pots of money and their houses, and looking down on their fellow farangs.

i would just keep in mind what happened in Egypt under Nasser, and Uganda under Amin. One fine day they just told all foreigners that had to leave.....no ifs, buts, or maybe's. Many countries might start squawking about this if it happened here, but just look at Putin and his invasion of Crimea. What happened? Absolutely nothing. So keep that passport handy as you never know.

 Chiang Mai Immigration is very organized now.

No need to go at 5 amfor Retirenent Visa to get a Que.

No need for a handful of copies anymore for 90 day.

90 day process very fast and now you can do it online.

 

Much less business for agents....I think.

 

As for people leaving, the aberage man in the street will never notice.

My group of friends been here 20????+ yrs and one guy 50 that was here for Vietnam and never left.

They all have Social Security deposited in Bangkok Bank in N Y City as do I and that more than covers the requirement, so no one going anywhere.

3 hours ago, malibukid said:

 deposit 800K into a third world bank with a uncertain future and unstable currency

 

I don't know about that.     The Thai baht seems pretty resilient to me in the Forex community.

 

 

16 minutes ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

A few years ago most banks had a million baht deposit guarantee after the financial crisis they all took it away. It's £85,000 in the UK atm.  A few years back when I queried this at SCB I asked who was guaranteeing the deposit and the girl teller replied The King  !

 

Don't worry, there's an election coming up , soon there will be "No Ploblem"

Just remember to vote for the Chartpattana Party. 

 

1 hour ago, Mansell said:

If there is a new government I really doubt the most important thing on their agenda is farang and immigration......many other issues on their plates.

Many posters on here appear quite smug with their pots of money and their houses, and looking down on their fellow farangs.

i would just keep in mind what happened in Egypt under Nasser, and Uganda under Amin. One fine day they just told all foreigners that had to leave.....no ifs, buts, or maybe's. Many countries might start squawking about this if it happened here, but just look at Putin and his invasion of Crimea. What happened? Absolutely nothing. So keep that passport handy as you never know.

article 44

2 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

No way can't be legal or give a agent that can. 

anything is possible here.  you forget where you are.  the beauty of the EAST

5 minutes ago, malibukid said:

anything is possible here.  you forget where you are.  the beauty of the EAST. its all about money,  the banks make money, the agents make money, farang happy,???? everyone happy. 

 

This year ( Feb '19)  - 800k in the bank , and 300k "allowance"  for the 3 months the 800k  had to remain untouched ( I didnt always spend it all , but no way I was going under  800k ! ). Total about 1.1 million.  Zero interest.

Next year ( Feb '20 ) - 800k in the bank and 500k "allowance"  for the 5 months the 800k has to remain untouched.  ( I hope not to spend it , but no way Im going under 800k  !) Total about 1.3 million. Hopefully 1.5% interest.

 

But wait ! Theres more !!

400k  of this money  must stay  in a Thai bank  I can NEVER spend it ( unless I plan on leaving )  ?

1.7 million in the bank here ?

Sorry , Im not that enamoured .

 

The real issue for most of my friends and myself , is that we have Thai partners and a kid or 2 to take care of and those kids are not often our own. 

I cant pick up and go to Indo or Vietnam and just leave them as their  fathers have before  , unwilling as I am to even deposit even 1 million in Thai  banks.

 

Most of us have decided to go the 65k ( or more ) route ... and all of us will be a month or 2 late on the 'proven 12 month of deposits rule' and just have to see what happens I guess.

 

So we  watch with interest/dread as to what is reported on this thread..

One effect is that it has ruined the Farang Pub.

7 hours ago, Leaver said:

You make an interesting point in so far as you mention you scrambled to get the 800k on it's way, so you could remain here.

 

I do not wish to ask of your personal finances, but at what figure would you say enough is enough and look at leaving.  i ask this to other readers as well. 

 

My question isn't about what can you afford.  My question is about what amount of money would you not be prepared to pay to remain here?  Eg. 1million, 1.5 million.  

 

 

The Thb 800 k is still yours. Immigration just want to make sure you have it. You can leave it to your next of kin or any flavour of the month bar girl. It's still yours! It's not a "cost".

6 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

No need to if you use an agent.

 

No reason for people to leave as agents are alive and well, business as usual

 

For now. Imagine how much capital a "visa-agent" would need to park 400K for every customer in a Bank year round.
Even if visa-agency has "somebody" at Immigration, you can't fake Bank-Statements covering the whole year /month by month. A seasoning of the money problem. Spot checks of of the files will reveal if money was in Bank year round. Not sure an Immi-Officer will risk his job, knowing that the funds haven't been in the Bank year round.
Knowing "Big joke", there will be some "controlling" once the new rules take hold. (Date-wise).

12 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

How an agent help when you have to show 400,000 baht in the bank all year.?? 

An agent bypasses this issue with a "bribe" end of!

 

13 minutes ago, swissie said:

For now. Imagine how much capital a "visa-agent" would need to park 400K for every customer in a Bank year round.
Even if visa-agency has "somebody" at Immigration, you can't fake Bank-Statements covering the whole year /month by month. A seasoning of the money problem. Spot checks of of the files will reveal if money was in Bank year round. Not sure an Immi-Officer will risk his job, knowing that the funds haven't been in the Bank year round.
Knowing "Big joke", there will be some "controlling" once the new rules take hold. (Date-wise).

It’s parked there for a few hours

2 minutes ago, Searat7 said:

It’s parked there for a few hours

Not if 12 Bank-Statements per year must be part of the file of the applicant.

We have entered the age of "Big Joke". He means business. Read post 59.

6 hours ago, swissie said:

We have entered the age of "Big Joke".

That might be, but still I believe the immigration officials will be as corrupted as it gets , unless they suddenly decide to raise their salaries.