Expats worries: What's next?

[swissie]

By my own observations: Most Expats find it harder to comply with the rulings/enforcements when it comes to stay "long-term" in Thailand. Some have reached the conclusion: " They want us out". Them wondering "what's next"?

The "next" could be as follows: As most Expats are no more paying Income-Tax in their home countries anymore, a sophisticated Thai-Administrator may find that the Income (social-security/pension funds from overseas) is now taxable in their country of choice. = Thailand. This thaught could easily find entrance to "Thai-Thingking, I venture to say.
If that should ever come to pass, I will glady join the Chorus: "They want us out"!
In my view, this would really and definitely confirm that "They want us out". As a final verdict, so to speak.
But not likely to happen tomorrow.

-----------------------------------------------
As I see it, recent "thightenings" by Immigration only serve the purpose of evaluating
"Who can AFFORD to retire in Thailand" and who can not. No more, no less. So far.

[Jingthing]

What's "next" for me is boning up on Spanish.

Yeah, it's hard not to come to the conclusion that there is a shakeout going on and no sign that that trend will change.

Of course if you're willing to sink enough money into the country, it's not about shaking out everyone and then of course there is the "Elite" visa and agents sucking more and more otherwise honest people into questionable compromises.

But no I don't think they'll bother with the tax thing.
Too complicated.

The other trend looks to be to simplify things for their side and complicate things from our side. 

Edited July 23, 2019 by Jingthing

[RichardColeman]

Personally I think the next step will be that there be a requirement for you to live in a property you own atleast 6 months a year, or it is confiscated by the state.

[NCC1701A]

1 hour ago, swissie said:

They want us out"

if they want us out, us meaning all non Thais from all over the world, why don't they just cancel the retirement one year extension of stay?

or the Elite Visa? and why give tourists up to six months to stay now?  

why do ED visas?

 

I know this is a incredibly unpopular thing to hear on this forum, but if I didn't check for any changes in retirement extension of stay requirements, I would have no indication that anything has changed at all. I just did my retirement renewal. Nothing has changed. Same extremely short list of docs. 

 

Nothing has changed in almost 6 years for me.

I guess I am lucky. I feel sorry for everyone who is having so much trouble. I hope you all can work in out.

[Puchaiyank]

Oh please, not another one of these threads...

 

Let's all just take a deep breath and relax...

[Mikisteel]

Developing the TM30 so every bar wishing to serve aliens must have a scanner to scan the passport and report the customer prior to serving alcohol. 

 

Call it a TM-aria

[tingtongtourist]

Whats next:

Thai lady must register when have sex with farang.

This so they can keep track of any bสstสrds, make them also report address and check they are not committing crimes in Thailand like their fathers.

5555

[mania]

Health insurance required to renew extension has to be next

[OneMoreFarang]

It's almost funny when some people here complain that they don't feel welcome in Thailand (anymore) and at the same time some (many) of the same people complain about foreigners in their home country.

 

I think it's easy to understand that every country, and citizens of that country, like some foreigners and others not so much.

If foreigners (here or i.e. in the UK) work officially and pay taxes few citizens don't like them. But if foreigners work illegally many don't like it. And if foreigners break the rules they also don't like it.

 

Personally I have no problem in Thailand. I work with work permit, renew my business visa once a year, and my company takes care of the 90 days registration. No problems at all!

 

It seems foreigners who have no money and no or little income have problems in Thailand. Should we blame Thailand that they are not interested in people who have no money to spend and are maybe a burden to the local hospitals, etc.?

[ivor bigun]

The only thing that has changed for me is that you now have to tie up 400k ,so i change to marriage visa ,more work but i have a year to do it and am retired so no problem

Sent from my SM-A720F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[thaibeachlovers]

50 minutes ago, ivor bigun said:

The only thing that has changed for me is that you now have to tie up 400k ,so i change to marriage visa ,more work but i have a year to do it and am retired so no problem

Sent from my SM-A720F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

I kept the 800,000 permanently in the bank. Wishing to live permanently in LOS it seemed the logical thing to do.

If not able to afford that, can one actually able to afford to live in LOS? Some spend more than that on booze a year.

[Kwasaki]

11 hours ago, swissie said:

Most Expats find it harder to comply with the rulings/enforcements when it comes to stay "long-term" in Thailand.

Que será, será.

[ivor bigun]

I kept the 800,000 permanently in the bank. Wishing to live permanently in LOS it seemed the logical thing to do.
If not able to afford that, can one actually able to afford to live in LOS? Some spend more than that on booze a year.

Nothing to do with not being able to afford it,its MY money why should i tie it up permanantly,its mine if i want to spend it ,up to me.

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[NoshowJones]

16 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

if they want us out, us meaning all non Thais from all over the world, why don't they just cancel the retirement one year extension of stay?

or the Elite Visa? and why give tourists up to six months to stay now?  

why do ED visas?

 

I know this is a incredibly unpopular thing to hear on this forum, but if I didn't check for any changes in retirement extension of stay requirements, I would have no indication that anything has changed at all. I just did my retirement renewal. Nothing has changed. Same extremely short list of docs. 

 

Nothing has changed in almost 6 years for me.

I guess I am lucky. I feel sorry for everyone who is having so much trouble. I hope you all can work in out.

Of course they don't want us here, but not at the expense of their income stream dropping, and that's what will happen big time, if there is no brown envelopes being collected by immigration, police, and too many other things to list here.

[NoshowJones]

10 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

It's almost funny when some people here complain that they don't feel welcome in Thailand (anymore) and at the same time some (many) of the same people complain about foreigners in their home country.

 

I think it's easy to understand that every country, and citizens of that country, like some foreigners and others not so much.

If foreigners (here or i.e. in the UK) work officially and pay taxes few citizens don't like them. But if foreigners work illegally many don't like it. And if foreigners break the rules they also don't like it.

 

Personally I have no problem in Thailand. I work with work permit, renew my business visa once a year, and my company takes care of the 90 days registration. No problems at all!

 

It seems foreigners who have no money and no or little income have problems in Thailand. Should we blame Thailand that they are not interested in people who have no money to spend and are maybe a burden to the local hospitals, etc.?

"It's almost funny when some people here complain that they don't feel welcome in Thailand (anymore) and at the same time some (many) of the same people complain about foreigners in their home country".

 

It is not the same, you just cannot compare us living in Thailand with Eastern Europeans, Muslims etc living in the UK.

I read a lot of your posts and they are always sensible, there is no need to explain as the expats from the UK will know what I mean.

[ivor bigun]

To be honest i dont feel unwanted,not a lot has changed since we came ,the pound has collapsed ,this stupid rule about not being able to spend our own money really is the only change.
As for immigrants to the UK ,pity they didnt have to conform a bit more ,what with certain lots wanting their own courts and that we change to suit them, make them feel unwanted ,they certainly make us feel unwanted in our own country.

Sent from my SM-A720F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[simon43]

What's "next" for me is boning up on Spanish.

 

LoL, what's next for me is 'boning up' (JT, is that some sort of US phrase!? I think us Brits would say 'brush up'), on my Lao and Mandarin language skills.  My spoken Lao isn't bad, just need to practice reading and writing.  As for Mandarin, I expect the new railway line that China is building from Yunnan Province to Bangkok via Laos might open up some opportunities for business with Chinese people in Laos.  (No, not a hotel, I promise...)

[Jingthing]

 

 

What's "next" for me is boning up on Spanish.

 

 

LoL, what's next for me is 'boning up' (JT, is that some sort of US phrase!? I think us Brits would say 'brush up'), on my Lao and Mandarin language skills.  My spoken Lao isn't bad, just need to practice reading and writing.  As for Mandarin, I expect the new railway line that China is building from Yunnan Province to Bangkok via Laos might open up some opportunities for business with Chinese people in Laos.  (No, not a hotel, I promise...)

 

 

—----

No I am using the term boning up which is not the same as brushing up. Boning up doesn't necessarily imply previous knowledge. Yes I suppose it is American usage. I hope that you will be rooting for me in this worthy endeavor.

 

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

[moe666]

19 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

if they want us out, us meaning all non Thais from all over the world, why don't they just cancel the retirement one year extension of stay?

or the Elite Visa? and why give tourists up to six months to stay now?  

why do ED visas?

 

I know this is a incredibly unpopular thing to hear on this forum, but if I didn't check for any changes in retirement extension of stay requirements, I would have no indication that anything has changed at all. I just did my retirement renewal. Nothing has changed. Same extremely short list of docs. 

 

Nothing has changed in almost 6 years for me.

I guess I am lucky. I feel sorry for everyone who is having so much trouble. I hope you all can work in out.

Nothing has changed for me in 9 years, the people who worry about this would be doing the same over something back home. If you have the income or the money for the bank deposit nothing has changed except how you prove it and how long it stays in the bank. You can blame all the guys who were cheating on income letters and those guys who borrowed the money for a short time then paid it back.

[sammieuk1]

Inhaling Thai air without a permit is my guess and a mandatory death sentence for offenders???? 

[elliss]

20 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Personally I think the next step will be that there be a requirement for you to live in a property you own atleast 6 months a year, or it is confiscated by the state.

 

          Farlang owning property in the Kingdom , really .

          Farlang can buy/pay for  property,  but not own?. 

Personally , i think the next step , will be that a farlang, must buy property in Thailand...

 

 

Edited July 24, 2019 by elliss

[Emdog]

"As most Expats are no more paying Income-Tax in their home countries anymore..."

I'm from USA and I pay income taxes on my pension and SS. Good luck on avoiding that! If moving out of US ended tax obligation there would be a stampede at Southern border by geezers running over immigrants headed North.

 If working and earning in Thailand, the taxes paid to Thailand can be deducted before Uncle Sam gets after the money, I believe. Someone will correct this if wrong.

 What percentage of expats here work as compared with those retired and/or just avoiding work, I wonder?

[soalbundy]

A cash handout to all expats to make them stay

[BritManToo]

On 7/24/2019 at 12:10 AM, swissie said:

As most Expats are no more paying Income-Tax in their home countries anymore,

All my income is taxed in the UK before I get it.

Same as all other Brits.

[giddyup]

On 7/24/2019 at 2:02 AM, NCC1701A said:

if they want us out, us meaning all non Thais from all over the world, why don't they just cancel the retirement one year extension of stay?

or the Elite Visa? and why give tourists up to six months to stay now?  

why do ED visas?

 

I know this is a incredibly unpopular thing to hear on this forum, but if I didn't check for any changes in retirement extension of stay requirements, I would have no indication that anything has changed at all. I just did my retirement renewal. Nothing has changed. Same extremely short list of docs. 

 

Nothing has changed in almost 6 years for me.

I guess I am lucky. I feel sorry for everyone who is having so much trouble. I hope you all can work in out.

In 9 years nothing had changed for me, until yesterday when I did my yearly extension. Now have to go back to immigration in 90 days and show proof that the 800K is still in the bank. Apparently not good enough that the bank book shows that money sitting untouched for 9 years.

[BritManToo]

22 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

It's almost funny when some people here complain that they don't feel welcome in Thailand (anymore) and at the same time some (many) of the same people complain about foreigners in their home country.

I'd be happy with foreigners in the UK, if they couldn't work, own land, claim benefits, had to report their address within 24hrs, report every 90 days, use the NHS free or get citizenship.

[Mike Teavee]

"What's" Next has to be an increase in the financial limits (how long have they been at the current levels)?, my guess would be 1 Million in the bank or 80K PM income.

 

[Orton Rd]

10 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

All my income is taxed in the UK before I get it.

Same as all other Brits.

state pension is never taxed and we have a tax free allowance of up to 12,5k before they tax anything, not including 1k tax free interest a year

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, Orton Rd said:

state pension is never taxed and we have a tax free allowance of up to 12,5k before they tax anything, not including 1k tax free interest a year

That counts under all laws as 'taxed'.

[dotpoom]

A different varieation on the now more familiar posts that seem to be cropping up lately that could be loosely described as...

  "Let's think up something new to worry about".