Too much immigration stress

[BigStar]

5 hours ago, 1happykamper said:

The gifts I am referring to is my money!

Not a gift, except in your fond imagination. It's just an exchange of money for goods and services. Attitude problem: you consider you're giving charity to the needy and yet they're not kissing your butt for it in return.

 

Quote

I'm their guest.

We have posters saying such, usually as part of a whinge or response to a whinge. You've paid too much attention to them and let them shape your experience. I think I've never heard a Thai say anything like that. Meaningless expression anyway, polite at most. Get over it.

 

Quote

As for smiling.. I smile.. I'm a happy guy... I get the insincere smile back...

Maybe too much so and are regarded as *ting tong. But how do you know their smile is any more insincere than your own? Personally I don't need any fawning over in everyday life during everyday transactions. Got quite used to a neutral or sometimes negative attitude in other countries. However, when I offer politeness & respect here, showing I'm not one of the idiots, I almost always get it back, except from some grump or someone having a bad hair day, as everyone does. If you don't then you're doing something wrong. Bathe more often perhaps. I also tend to deal with mainly with people I've had pleasant dealings with in the past. No problems here. ???? So don't let the door and all that . . . .

 

Edited October 25, 2019 by BigStar

[4MyEgo]

5 hours ago, JWRC said:

It seems to me you have been reading Thai visa too much and letting the constant moans and groans, the negative attitudes and the BS get to you. It is easy to get depressed about something when you are wallowing in it all the time. Sure things change, but it really isn't as bad as some would make out, usually those people are the ones who cannot for some reason comply with the requirements, as an example, lack of funds. I still find Thais the same as when I came here a couple of decades ago, you get back what you give in this life, maybe your lacking in the smile department.

You hit the nail on the head so to speak IMO.

 

I too got caught up in it on TVF when the TM30 surfaced it's head a few months ago, that said, prior to that the past 4 years have been the usual trip to immigration to do the 90 day reporting then the annual extension.

 

Once both my wife (landlord) and I got over the hurdle of the TM30 compliance, (ankle bracelet) if you like, as others have called it, it's ok, we went overseas on a short return trip to my country of birth and came back and stayed in another province for a week, as soon as we got into our province we logged into the immigration site and did our first TM30 reporting online, too easy, fortunately for me the wife can read Thai, if it were me, well, there would be a problem.

 

The above said, after my next extension in January where it coincides with my 90 day reporting, I will be doing the 90 day reporting online, so will only have to go to immigration once a year, but I have to say this, the guys at the IO have been great, I think good dress sense, smiles and wai's are always expected, as someone said, a little respect will surely be reciprocated, it's part of the cultural thing, in any country I would like to think.

 

Been coming here since 2006, mainly Phuket for holidays, then the village in Isaan for the wife to visit her family, now living here 4 years, I have my ups and downs, but that's just me adjusting to a different country and it's weather. I do miss the way of life back home, but I chose to live here for financial reasons and that in it's self helped me retire 12 years early to a very affordable life here.

 

If I had to return to my homeland because things in Thailand peed me off, well, no doubt I wouldn't be living as I do here, so it's a balancing act and a choice, and I totally agree with you about the majority of moaners and groaners with negative attitudes and BS here not having the finances to cope with the requirements to stay, especially with all the currencies going south.

 

For me it's here for now and the future, that said, if there will ever be anything that will push me away from Thailand, it will be the burning season, however because I jump abroad, i.e. from the fire into the pan, will be looking at plan B, Hua Hin for those burning season months, e.g. if they ever get to those levels again, just can't stand the smoke, the Thai mentality is beyond me, but that's a whole new story......bye for now, stay positive, focused and enjoy this one life of freedom, ankle bracelt and all ????

 

[Vacuum]

4 hours ago, Bournville said:

this is about the stress that IM is causing me

What stress, please explain.

[NightSky]

Many Thais might be just as peed of as us 'guests' with how things are here at the moment. Don't take things personally its just how things are for everyone.

[thecyclist]

1 hour ago, PaoloR said:

I have lived in Krabi for 15 years. Immigration here is great, helpful staff, short wait times. Compared with Phuket, Bangkok etc. it's a piece of pie.

Ao Nang is not great - it's a tourist town - what do you expect! Krabi is fine (just a few backpackers) and the surrounding countryside is wonderful. If you only spend your time in a tourist town no wonder you don't like it!

If you choose to live overseas, as I have done for the last 30 years, then you can expect to put up with a little red tape but the 3 hours a year I spend at the Immigration office (yearly renewal, 90 day reports, check in after overseas trips) hardly constitutes a reason to bitch, moan and decide to leave.

All the people on here moaning about Thailand, when in reality they don't know Thailand, they just know a few tourist spots. Get out and about - find the real Thailand and give us all a break!

 

 

I lived in Thailand for over 30 years myself, and I biked all over the country in all regions off the beaten track. While it is true that you shouldn't judge Thailand by the Thais you meet in Pattaya or Phuket (the most mercenary Siamese tend to flock to these places), xenophobia and the love of money is very deep-seated in Los,not confined to tourist destination. While on the surface they seem to be (and some really are) more genuinely welcoming in the villages of Buriram, Pattalung or Tak province, you are still the rich ludicrous farang, not to be taken seriously, and very often sneered at as a farang kee nok, farang ahia, farang yet Mae, farang kuay. 

I moved to Vietnam 2 years ago and still in the process of learning the language and trying to figure out the locals to see whether I am a bird<deleted> farang here too. 

[sletraveler]

5 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Interesting. So you are saying it change so much for the negative after you arrived??

Seems strange.

I arrived in 2013.  And apart from what I read on Thaivisa nothing has changed with respect to immigration.  Well it’s better I suppose since I don’t go to Chiang Mai and que up anymore.  Exchange rate is back down to a bit worse than when I moved.   Always bought health insurance since it’s prudent to manage financial risk.   But when I’m over 70 maybe insurance will be cost prohibitive.  Health care is free for me back home so I kept my house in the states for that possibility.  

[Boatfreak]

Everything sounds different when we use the proper word for our status, not guests (we were no invited), not expats (most have not been sent by a company for a short work assignment) but the only correct word: IMMIGRANTS, which is a dirty word I know but why would immigrants here be treated differently than Thai immigrants in Europe or Mexicans in the US? 

[Vacuum]

7 minutes ago, sletraveler said:

I don’t go to Chiang Mai and que up anymore

Sounds good, it'll save the next 'customer' 10 minutes of their valuable time.

[grifbel]

6 hours ago, 1happykamper said:

The gifts I am referring to is my money!. Money I spend at lots of small businesses.

Note to self, another entitled snowflake on the loose.

 

[grifbel]

6 hours ago, 1happykamper said:

The gifts I am referring to is my money!. Money I spend at lots of small businesses.

Why not grow a set....nobody owes you anything

[LivinLOS]

1 hour ago, sletraveler said:

I arrived in 2013.  And apart from what I read on Thaivisa nothing has changed with respect to immigration.  

You were doing TM30s in 2013 ?? 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

3 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Its a matter of keeping things in perspective. The number of negative nellies, balanced against the number of members, and then compare that to the expat population, its so insignificant in the over all scheme or bigger picture.

 

Keep it in perspective.????

 

It's not about people complaining or not.

 

It's about dozens/hundreds of threads and hundreds/thousands of posts every time Immigration comes up with their latest cockeyed rule or policy change because no one, complainer or not, is ever quite sure exactly what it means, exactly who's going to be affected, and how different Immigration offices are going to enforce it.

 

If Immigration was even reasonably clear and transparent about their policies and enforcement practices, the thread and post count at ThaiVisa would drop dramatically down. Perhaps Thaivisa Forum should thank the Immigration Bureau for doing such a lousy job that members are forced to spend hours scouring the threads here trying to figure out just what the heck is going on.

 

People living here shouldn't be forced to operate that way because a government agency can't manage to pull it's head out of its.... 

 

 

Edited October 25, 2019 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Henryford]

I can't say i find it all that stressful. I go to immigration one a year for my visa extension, 15 minutes. I go for my 90 day report 5 minutes. I never expect thais to welcome me with open arms. Most are civil and happy to do business.

[Jimbo53]

7 hours ago, JWRC said:

It seems to me you have been reading Thai visa too much and letting the constant moans and groans, the negative attitudes and the BS get to you. It is easy to get depressed about something when you are wallowing in it all the time. Sure things change, but it really isn't as bad as some would make out, usually those people are the ones who cannot for some reason comply with the requirements, as an example, lack of funds. I still find Thais the same as when I came here a couple of decades ago, you get back what you give in this life, maybe your lacking in the smile department.

You must live in a rural area! Because i noticed a helluva change in them in Pattaya over 14 years..before i eventually pulled the plug on it 2 years ago! Also..The OP stated he had only just found TV and the Forum,so obviously not read a lot of 'Moans And Groans'.

[recom273]

There are so many sensible words here, I’m not a blinded by their smiles any longer - but, how do you live in Krabi? I live I the south too, On the face of it, they are rude. I once heard it say “Southerners don’t suffer a fool”, which is correct. Couple that with living in a tourist resort town, I’d go crazy. 
 

What new regulations have we had in the past year? Only to keep 400,000 in the bank. 90 day report? I send the missus now, done within 20 mins. 
 

I keep myself to myself, keep busy at home, try to not to get wound up by the stupidity, bad service, filth, ignorance and intolerance. It could be worse, I could be back in the UK.

[Thingamabob]

8 hours ago, Skallywag said:

Thais smile at me at almost every shop, grocery, massage, 7-11, or bank I visit. 

You greet people and smile, they smile back.   

Never heard of someone going about their daily business and using the words "bringing lots of gifts" ?
 

Well said. Totally fed up with whiners and whingers. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Just now, Henryford said:

I can't say i find it all that stressful. I go to immigration one a year for my visa extension, 15 minutes. I go for my 90 day report 5 minutes. I never expect thais to welcome me with open arms. Most are civil and happy to do business.

 

--Until they tell you as a U.S. or UK citizen that you can't use an Embassy income affidavit anymore to support staying here -- abruptly ending a system that had been in place for at least a couple decades.

--and you no longer can count monthly income kept in your home country.

--and instead you have to make 12 monthly foreign transfers of 65,000 baht every month without fail whether you need to spend that money here or not.

--and then you must report specially to Immigration every time you return to Thailand, or maybe even every time you travel away from home, no one's really clear about that still.

--and the app and website for doing that don't really work that well, if at all sometimes.

--and then the government comes along imposes a health insurance requirement with only a couple weeks advance notice that forces a lot of people to buy overpriced Thai policies with poor coverage, while making it almost impossible to use perfectly good international coverage policies with higher limits and better coverage that expats here already have...

...and on and on and on....

 

Yes, it's a regular spring picnic!  

 

--

[moe666]

Reading thru this thread would make one depressed, I stopped reading after the sincer smiles. Geez you folks are a happy lot, hoprfully you will be happier at your next stop.

[Yinn]

7 hours ago, 1happykamper said:

The gifts I am referring to is my money!. Money I spend at lots of small businesses. I'm their guest. Yes. But.. I am also their customer.

 

Is not a gift if you get something. 

 

7/11, big c, ptt, tesco say thank-you for your “gift” 

 

7 hours ago, 1happykamper said:

As for smiling.. I smile.. I'm a happy guy... I get the insincere smile back...

Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk
 

When you leave, what country you will go to give the gifts?

[Yinn]

12 minutes ago, Mansinthe said:

Dont think its a bad thing that expats are required to have health insurance and some money in thr bank to support yourself and your family.

 

You dont get into the EU/UK either without funds and healt insurance

Must buy gifts?

[Just Weird]

9 hours ago, 1happykamper said:

I get tired of hearing "we are a guest in this country". True... But it should be a 2-way deal! I'm a "guest" bringing lots of gifts.. Money to add to dozens or hundreds of small businesses! A little respect towards me would be welcome. A smile and thanks for a small tip would go a looooong way. Here in Krabi only half do this. The North has more manners. Attitudes towards me and other expats I know have gone right downhill.. fast! The lighthearted of Thai woman is just a memory now. Now I have to put up with aggressive and rude local people.

 

Five years in this abusive relationship with Thailand and I'm at the end of my rope. I'm lucky.. No wife.. Biggest asset.. A motorbike. I'll start selling up here. Again! 555. I keep coming back to my abuser.. Thailand.. and I get kicked in the balls on a regular basis!

 

In Thailand, the topic of visas, 90 day reports, tm30/tm28, health insurance and keeping up with all the ever-changing visa financial requirements is something I think about on a WEEKLY basis. I have to! In other countries I've been an expat in, the immigration topic was something I thought of once or twice a YEAR! Thailand is VERY stressful in this regard.

 

Thailand has seen its day. It's a sad place that's changed drastically since my arrival here in 2015. Even tourists I meet call this area a dirty s**t hole with rude people .. and they are only here 2 weeks! 555

Goodbye, you'll be missed.

[Fex Bluse]

1 hour ago, Boatfreak said:

Everything sounds different when we use the proper word for our status, not guests (we were no invited), not expats (most have not been sent by a company for a short work assignment) but the only correct word: IMMIGRANTS, which is a dirty word I know but why would immigrants here be treated differently than Thai immigrants in Europe or Mexicans in the US? 

Well they are treated differently. 

 

They receive equal protection under the laws. 

 

Immigration policies are not tested and changed on them every week. 

 

They are not systematically charged higher prices based solely on their skin color or nationality. 

 

They can often own land and businesses outright. 

 

There is no comparison, really. They have it good and treat immigrants in their countries like dirt. 

 

Edited October 25, 2019 by Fex Bluse

[Fex Bluse]

13 minutes ago, Yinn said:

Is not a gift if you get something. 

 

7/11, big c, ptt, tesco say thank-you for your “gift” 

 

When you leave, what country you will go to give the gifts?

So then what is an example of a gift? 

[Tom89]

7 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Well said some people just can't cope.

I have to agree. I don't know what other parts of the country are like, but I went to immigration today to do my 90 day report and paper work for a change of address and the IO couldn't have been any more helpful. I lived in Japan for a long time. I'd rather deal with Thai IO's.

[Fex Bluse]

Many of you guys are so callous.

 

Because you don't encounter issues in your own lives, you simply dismiss the many tens of thousands of farang expats who do have issues. 

 

Totally selfish philosophy. 

 

Some Thais leverage our callousness against our community in many ways. 

 

Edited October 25, 2019 by Fex Bluse

[sirineou]

Though I don't agree with a lot of the things said in this thread, I do agree that, Even though guests should be respectful of  their hosts, the hosts should do a better job of taking care of their guests. It is a two way street.

This situation is a cluster <snip> all the way around. 

The complaint is not with the Thai people who IMO , most of them are wonderful, but with the Thai government. And not with most expats who are respectful of their host country, but the rotten few who are ruining it for the rest of as, 

[sletraveler]

1 hour ago, LivinLOS said:

You were doing TM30s in 2013 ?? 

You do TM30’s?   I’ve never done one.  

[sletraveler]

3 minutes ago, Fex Bluse said:

Many of you guys are so callous.

 

Because you don't encounter issues in your own lives, you simply dismiss the many tens of thousands of farang expats who do have issues. 

 

Totally selfish philosophy. 

 

Some Thais leverage our callousness against our community in many ways. 

 

Bottom line, In Thailand, just like with hookers, your experience may vary.  

[Bangkok Barry]

7 hours ago, Pilotman said:

I think the OP's attitude  and feelings are not unusual among expats now and are justified. Immigration is inconsistent and the ever changing regulations are annoying at best.  This latest change, to require Health Insurance for an extension to be granted, is the latest and probably the final nail in the coffin for many, including I am very sad to say, my Thai wife and I. At 71 the premium for health insurance for me is over US$20,000 per year, I can pay that, but I refuse to do so, for a near useless policy. As to Thais, I find them friendly and welcoming, part from an isolated  few.  They are not the problem, this xenophobic and economically illiterate government is the problem and nothing expats can do will change that fact.  

 

Perfectly put. I'm the same age and when - not if - the day comes and they demand health insurance for those on marriage visas I'll have no choice but to leave. I have been married for close to 30 years and lived in Thailand for over 25, but it counts for nothing. Most of the people are, in my experience, still friendly and I'll always get a smile in the shops, but this government very clearly has an agenda to 'cleanse' their paradise of long-term foreigners. Maybe it's because if we stay longer than the rose-tinted glasses tourists we can see what a really f*****-up country it is, and we say so, and they don't like it.

 

I have organised my life so that I would have someone to take care of me in my fragile years, I have a nice home and devoted wife, but every day I have in the back, sometimes the forefront, of my mind that I have no future. Because of what is becoming one of the most repressive and unwelcoming countries in the world. I would not be able to return to the UK as my pension income doesn't qualify as enough to allow my wife to join me - a pension set by that same government that set the income level needed, by the way. So, I would have no choice other than to leave her behind, after 30 years of being together.

It really is no way to live, with that hanging over our heads. And for what? For what?

[DJ54]

Up here in the Northeast most people are friendly. In fact

I’ve not had a run in with anyone...  there’s one on the list

but that’s a different situation. 

 

It’s seems from posts the Immigration changes are causing 

some to be irritated to the point of losing sight of the reasons

they came and stayed here. 

 

A time may come when i will be forced to leave because of visa

requirements..., until then steady as we go