Retirement Visa Changes & Rate of Exchange leaves many expats in a quandary

[Daveyh]

Hi folks .......... Well it's been a run of almost 20yrs for me here on a retirement visa. My visa expires on 20th July & I visited Jomtien to check up on the rules. I don't think many pensioners will like the option of transferring 65,000 Thai baht from their overseas accounts each month, especially with the fluctuation & the strength of the Thai Baht.

 

Now that my pensions have dipped slightly below the 800,000 baht mark due to the baht being 38/£ I will be forced to open an account here to top up the difference. Due to the time scale I think I will probably leave the country & return on a tourist visa until I can rearrange my affairs. However, I don't wish to change monies by transfer each month so that immigration can see I have this amount each month, it's just not practical. I did use my letters from the Brit Embassy, but they are now as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike as far as immigration is concerned.

 

My initial thoughts are getting my retirement visa done by an agency, which I've not even considered before. If this fails traveling outside Thailand is my other option until my funds have settled.

 

Any advice any member can give would be most helpful. I intend staying in the area even if my retirement visa takes a year before I reapply. Thank you for your help it's much appreciated.

[Mitkof Island]

AGAIN nothing has really changed. Its mostly made up drama over a lot of nothing. Put 800,000 in a Thai bank account and leave it there. End of problems.

[sexyman]

Get an agent to do it. 12,500 all done. They even do the 90 day reporting for you. Too easy. 

[connda]

Ya'll need a Plan B.  That may mean getting an agent; it may mean giving up this lunacy and moving to a more expat friendly country. 

[Brickbat]

Thailand going backwards. In Australia now for a visit and I see so much improvement. Might be time to flick the kingdom. Return home. 

[coppywriter]

OP if you have been here on a retirement extension for 20 years, why are you keeping 800,000 bht in the bank. Back then it was much less and was grandfathered, surely.

[dotpoom]

1 hour ago, Mitkof Island said:

AGAIN nothing has really changed. Its mostly made up drama over a lot of nothing. Put 800,000 in a Thai bank account and leave it there. End of problems.

A man after my own heart...that's what I did 19 yrs. ago and nothing has changed one iota for me since then.

..(I better add..except the exchange rate before somebody puts the boot in 555).

[mrmicbkktxl]

17 minutes ago, sexyman said:

Get an agent to do it. 12,500 all done. They even do the 90 day reporting for you. Too easy. 

The agent does what exactly for 12500 Thb?

[gamini]

1 hour ago, Mitkof Island said:

AGAIN nothing has really changed. Its mostly made up drama over a lot of nothing. Put 800,000 in a Thai bank account and leave it there. End of problems.

Its been nearly 20 years at 800k. Nothing has really changed. Regarding exchange rates, the same thing happened in Spain in the 50s. Tens of thousands of Brits retired there when it was one of the cheapest countries in the world. Now it is one of the most expensive. It happens everywhere.

If you want to retire to a country without problems you should invest a considerable sum of your assets in that country so you don't have to suffer from exchange rates. You can't rely on your pension to support you.

Most of my expat friends relish the high baht. Travelling abroad is very much cheaper for us. Also remember that a lot of us didn't come here because it was cheaper than our home countries. we retired here because we love the country and the Thai people. 

[theoldgit]

1 hour ago, Mitkof Island said:

AGAIN nothing has really changed. Its mostly made up drama over a lot of nothing. Put 800,000 in a Thai bank account and leave it there. End of problems.

Easy for those that can, but not everyone is in that fortunate position.

[gamini]

9 minutes ago, coppywriter said:

OP if you have been here on a retirement extension for 20 years, why are you keeping 800,000 bht in the bank. Back then it was much less and was grandfathered, surely.

It actually changed 19 years ago. 

[theoldgit]

As this is more about the OP's position in Thailand, than seriously considering moving to another country, I'll move his post to the Thai Visa Forum.

[stropper]

53 minutes ago, Brickbat said:

Thailand going backwards. In Australia now for a visit and I see so much improvement. Might be time to flick the kingdom. Return home. 

you have got to be fffffff kidding !

 

[Pilotman]

58 minutes ago, Brickbat said:

Thailand going backwards. In Australia now for a visit and I see so much improvement. Might be time to flick the kingdom. Return home. 

I'm a Brit and I only have to read the news from the UK to know that it is the very last place that I  ever want to live.  If you think Thailand has issues, you should see the mountain of them in that crumbling, dysfunctional country that I used to call home. I even hate visiting the pace for a short time. 

[CharlieH]

If you havnt been for awhile, or only made brief visits to the UK you are in for a hell of shock if you go back for any lengthy period of time. I suggest the place anyone once knew and called home has been consigned to history. Its a different place now and an expensive, damp miserable place to be in retirement.

Think very hard before making that backward move. Its the reason I burnt that bridge, not a nice realisation, uncomfortable and sad too, but it is reality there now.

[Farang99]

1 hour ago, coppywriter said:

OP if you have been here on a retirement extension for 20 years, why are you keeping 800,000 bht in the bank. Back then it was much less and was grandfathered, surely.

It was only grandfathered if you did your first extension (not the visa, but the extension) on or before 20 October 1998

[geoffbezoz]

2 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

If you havnt been for awhile, or only made brief visits to the UK you are in for a hell of shock if you go back for any lengthy period of time. I suggest the place anyone once knew and called home has been consigned to history. Its a different place now and an expensive, damp miserable place to be in retirement.

Think very hard before making that backward move. Its the reason I burnt that bridge, not a nice realisation, uncomfortable and sad too, but it is reality there now.

And will get even worse very quickly if it ever leaves the EU. As I said in another thread it will be on a par with Greece so certainly no place for retirement or care as we once assumed it would be in our youth.

[CharlieH]

6 minutes ago, FredGallaher said:

Many people complain about Thailand and everything Thai. Things aren't perfect but the positives out weigh the negatives for sure.

Yes, but often those that do have general issues, its their attitude toward things that needs changing, not the issue in most cases. If you approach something as hassle and difficult and inconvemient etc because you are in a foreign environment, then it will be, and will upset you etc. Accept it as they way it often is and roll with it and its not such a big deal.

 

A Positive mental attitude, not a whining moaning "this isnt right" or a paranoid stance convinced everyone is ripping you off or trying to manipulate you.

Its not the problem, its your attitude toward it that needs changing.

 

[Jumbo1968]

1 hour ago, mrmicbkktxl said:

The agent does what exactly for 12500 Thb?

If the OP arrives with a Non O Single Entry Visa from the U.K. providing there is 15 days left on it the Agent will get the OP an Extension of Stay/Retirement Visa irrespective if he has the funds or not.

Agents openly advertise on the net they can do this.

[mrmicbkktxl]

Do you know anybody who did it before?

[Jumbo1968]

Just now, mrmicbkktxl said:

Do you know anybody who did it before?

If you come to come too Pattaya just have walk round the Agents Offices they will tell you.

[Pilotman]

27 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

If the OP arrives with a Non O Single Entry Visa from the U.K. providing there is 15 days left on it the Agent will get the OP an Extension of Stay/Retirement Visa irrespective if he has the funds or not.

Agents openly advertise on the net they can do this.

It's not legal. Do it if you want, but one day, it's all going to end in tears for someone. Use an agent by all means, if you can't be bothered to do the leg work yourself, many do that,  but the funds must be yours.  Any getting around that is some form of corrupt practice.  Not unusual here, but corrupt nevertheless.  

[fishtank]

^Yes illegal and will all come crashing down one day.

[Jumbo1968]

4 minutes ago, fishtank said:

^Yes illegal and will all come crashing down one day.

Too many snouts in the trough !

[The Cobra]

12 minutes ago, fishtank said:

^Yes illegal and will all come crashing down one day.

Can someone please explain how this is illegal ?

 

• The agents are clearly visible and advertise what they do.
• The Visa is issued by the required authority, and by a an immigration officer who has the authority to issue such a visa.
• The Senior Officer has the discretionary power to issue such a visa without ANY financial proof if he deems appropriate

So, given the above, how the heck is it illegal ???

 

Manipulating the regs, yes, taking advantage of a situation, yes, illegal ? cant see it.

 

The only possible recourse would be against the issuing officer, not the recipient, and that aint gonna happen, he may get moved to open seat, but another would soon takeover, its too big a money generator to ever get stopped. imho.

[luckyluke]

1 hour ago, connda said:

moving to a more expat friendly country. 

I consider, personally, Thailand as a very expat friendly country. 

 

I am permanently here since 2000 on base of an extension based on retirement. 

 

Till now I never had to put any money in a Thai bank account, neither transfer monthly a minimum of 65000 Thb. 

 

Of course this being Thailand it can change Monday. 

 

In fact nothing is sure here, everything is subject to change. 

 

Since 2000 I have a plan B, even C. 

 

I hope I won't have to recourse to. 

[bkk6060]

6 minutes ago, fishtank said:

^Yes illegal and will all come crashing down one day.

Wrong.

Never ever will happen.

It is encouraged and supported by immigration as it is huge money spread throughout the entire system.

Not going away.

[ManilaJoe]

 Agents in Pattaya still get you a visa, even when no money  in any bank account or you don't have any income. 

No changes. 

 

[Thingamabob]

2 hours ago, mrmicbkktxl said:

The agent does what exactly for 12500 Thb?

Sad.

[bkk6060]

2 hours ago, connda said:

 it may mean giving up this lunacy and moving to a more expat friendly country. 

You mean the expat lunacy for lack of planning, not keeping up with the rules, "poor me" lack of proper funds and constantly complaining.

I agree.