1 hour ago, Nip said:

18 months ago after living in Thailand for 15 years I took two years out to return home to Europe to where I was born. I had decided it was time to return to the real world to re-establish myself  and provide my son a proper education. He received totally free second level education and on completion 12 months later he was accepted in college where he is on a 4 year computer animation program. The course is essentially free and he is paid €650 a month by the government for the duration of the course. I myself am now paid over €1200 a month pension and provided with a 3 bedroom house and free travel. If I had stayed in Thailand I would have lost all the benefits I paid tax for and my son would have most likely dropped out of college in Thailand or received a diploma that that would hold little benefit outside of Thailand. I can now return to Thailand if and when I wish and have left my son with a home and a chance to improve his life. 

 

Similar to you I lived in Thailand for many years too. Decided earlier this year to relocate with the wife and kids to Australia. Kids have settled into school and love the new lifestyle. They have Oz passports so no issue there. We are currently doing the wife’s temporary residence permit then get PR. Not as much hassle as we expected. Both of us are working so we are doing well. I won’t talk bad about Thailand and still miss it. We have kept our house there and will go back at some stage for a holiday as we have wonderful friends both Thai and western. Basically our reason for moving was to get a better education for the kids. 

12 hours ago, GeorgeCross said:

 

this vietnam?

its worse than thailand - hanoi hit 240 earlier in the week!!

 

Who the <deleted> would want to live in Hanoi???? May as well stay in Bangkok or Chang Mai and die from the smog.

many clean places with clean air to breathe.

 

7 hours ago, emptypockets said:

The interesting thing about these types of threads are the posters who tell us they have already left Thailand  but continue to post on the forum, in some cases for years, after they have left.

Why do they do it? Any advice or information that may have will be well and truly out of date anyway.

Have they in some strange way formed a perceived bond with random internet posters? Or are they admitting subliminally that they made the wrong decision to leave and are now trapped and cannot reverse that decision?

 

Why do people need to announce ' I am leaving'? Are they that self-centred that they actually think anyone actually cares. Just go...

 

In the same vein , why don't new arrivals felt the need to sign up to the forum and announce their arrival so that we can all share their joy and happiness? Probably for the same reason.....nobody cares.

 

I left long ago and post in the pub and in world politics. I know some of the people here from online and in person so it doesn't seem that odd. Many pub sections are funny to read. I do the world politics section because it is 90% American politics. 

4 hours ago, Onrai said:

So what is the point in even commenting if you are not even in Thailand?  Cheap wine and football, the American dream come true.

 

 

I guess the point is to give encouragement to somebody who is leaving. 

Phonthong,

 

If you are married to a Thai women, then you only need 400K which is half what a retiree would need to deposit.

 

800k is a lot but 400k shouldn't be any problem.

41 minutes ago, EricTh said:

Phonthong,

 

If you are married to a Thai women, then you only need 400K which is half what a retiree would need to deposit.

 

800k is a lot but 400k shouldn't be any problem.

He has already explained that he doesn't want to bother with the hassle

of an extension based on marriage. Anyway his young wife has already decided to leave

so he leaves. The air pollution seems to be the major problem and for some reasons

they don't want to relocate in another place in Thailand with a better air quality

1 hour ago, mellofello said:

We left 3 years ago with the transition for us being nothing less than amazing. No more superior feeling dolts laughing at us, no more checking in at immigration and being asked ridiculous questions about our money when we were supporting the country by injecting over 100,000 baht per month into their economy. No more bad food even when you shop for premium, no more 3 months of eye watering unhealthy smoke, no more land of stupid. Now we are part of a healthy community and clean environment where everyone greets everyone, food is plentiful and cheap, heath-care is plentiful and affordable, no visa check ins, no requirements other than you have to show one time that you have a means to support yourself, then you are granted a permanent retirement visa with many discounts because we made it this long :<) . No more fear of being thrown out of that hell hole for being anything other than them. Good luck to you in your honest and correct move based on reality not some uninformed smug feeling that you will be safe and the people there are fair-minded. Lets see how that superior race (just ask them) get along when we all find better conditions elsewhere.

Merry Christmas - God the Father is King

out of curiosity

can i ask you where is this new paradise?

10 hours ago, emptypockets said:

The interesting thing about these types of threads are the posters who tell us they have already left Thailand  but continue to post on the forum, in some cases for years, after they have left.

Why do they do it? Any advice or information that may have will be well and truly out of date anyway.

Have they in some strange way formed a perceived bond with random internet posters? Or are they admitting subliminally that they made the wrong decision to leave and are now trapped and cannot reverse that decision?

 

I, like many, fall in to the category of people who left Thailand but still check in on this forum. Nothing should be read in to this.

 

If you lived in Thailand for a long time and left it doesn't necessarily mean you wish to sever all ties with the place. Some of us have a Thai wife, Thai family and still visit Thailand from time to time. Just because we left doesn't mean we don't still have an interest in the place. We left because we prefer to live elsewhere, but we still have ties to Thailand, hence we still check in here.

 

 

 

9 hours ago, malibukid said:

don't mine the finnicial requirements but if the government wants us to anti up then they must improver the quality of life here.  what i mean is, fix the pollution, enforcement of traffic laws, make the sidewalks safe.  not worth it to stay if these problems are not addressed. lots of other countries have better infrastructure and are safer.  saw an ambulance stuck in traffic today,  could have been me.  scary.   what are they doing with all this money anyway?

The government doesn't have to do anything. I very much doubt they sent you a personal invitation to come to Thailand. Stay or go , I doubt the government,nor anyone else, cares one iota.

3 hours ago, mstevens said:

 

I, like many, fall in to the category of people who left Thailand but still check in on this forum. Nothing should be read in to this.

 

If you lived in Thailand for a long time and left it doesn't necessarily mean you wish to sever all ties with the place. Some of us have a Thai wife, Thai family and still visit Thailand from time to time. Just because we left doesn't mean we don't still have an interest in the place. We left because we prefer to live elsewhere, but we still have ties to Thailand, hence we still check in here.

 

 

 

Well said and a very sane and rational post.

In my case I keep in contact with my expat mates, (one is going to visit us next year) my Thai friends and family in Thailand, and both myself and my wife are strong supporters of the  flourishing local Thai community here.

 

The "don't let the door hit you on the way out" brigade always struck me as behaving in a very odd and quite histrionic way.

15 hours ago, emptypockets said:

The interesting thing about these types of threads are the posters who tell us they have already left Thailand  but continue to post on the forum, in some cases for years, after they have left.

Why do they do it? Any advice or information that may have will be well and truly out of date anyway.

Have they in some strange way formed a perceived bond with random internet posters? Or are they admitting subliminally that they made the wrong decision to leave and are now trapped and cannot reverse that decision?

 

 

Me trapped ?

I could go and live in Thailand tomorrow if I wanted to

Could you go back and live in your own country tomorrow ? 

8 hours ago, Cryingdick said:

 

I left long ago and post in the pub and in world politics. I know some of the people here from online and in person so it doesn't seem that odd. Many pub sections are funny to read. I do the world politics section because it is 90% American politics. 

So world politics = American politics! Only to Americans.

14 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Me trapped ?

I could go and live in Thailand tomorrow if I wanted to

Could you go back and live in your own country tomorrow ? 

Yep. In my own place. Not crashing at my mum's.

On 12/15/2019 at 7:37 AM, sunnyboy2018 said:

Did you and your wife cheer when Taksin was deposed and welcome the Junta?

Don't know about them but I did. No regrets either. Taksin was not farang's friend, but perhaps you forget that.

To say you are leaving because of the air pollution seems strange, given many places to live with none, but whatever makes you feel better about leaving.

I do think we feel the same about having to leave LOS, for whatever reason. I had to leave for financial reasons- bad marriage ruined me.

6 hours ago, mstevens said:

 

I, like many, fall in to the category of people who left Thailand but still check in on this forum. Nothing should be read in to this.

 

If you lived in Thailand for a long time and left it doesn't necessarily mean you wish to sever all ties with the place. Some of us have a Thai wife, Thai family and still visit Thailand from time to time. Just because we left doesn't mean we don't still have an interest in the place. We left because we prefer to live elsewhere, but we still have ties to Thailand, hence we still check in here.

 

 

 

No problem with people checking in etc. I do find it annoying though that some people who have left feel the need to continue posting as though they have never left. It is easy to assume some of the most prolific posters are firmly entrenched in Thailand and comment on just about everything, when in fact they have left Thailand ( if they ever lived here at all!!) quite some time, years in some cases. That in itself is quite ok generally speaking, but when they give their 'advice' it is usually quite dated and often irrelevant. This can be very confusing for the newer or potential arrivals.

Many people have genuine reasons to have left as many more do to stay.

Unfortunately both camps have the guys who got burnt badly in Thailand and blame the country and the people for this. These are the posters I do not like. Sadly they cannot come to terms that whatever has happened was in fact of their own doing.

I find it quite funny how some project the image of the western man who is superior both financially and intellectually than a 'native' female from SEA, and in some twisted way expect respect for no other reason than that. Then they proceed to get fleeced by an uneducated farm girl.

Personally I think they deserved it.

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

To say you are leaving because of the air pollution seems strange, given many places to live with none, but whatever makes you feel better about leaving.

I do think we feel the same about having to leave LOS, for whatever reason. I had to leave for financial reasons- bad marriage ruined me.

Thank you for your honesty. I suspect finances is the main reason many leave but won't admit it. Can't be losing that stupid face thing, can we?

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Don't know about them but I did. No regrets either. Taksin was not farang's friend, but perhaps you forget that.

I moved here in my 40s and got a condo visa when Taksin was in power... ????

12 hours ago, mellofello said:

We left 3 years ago with the transition for us being nothing less than amazing. No more superior feeling dolts laughing at us, no more checking in at immigration and being asked ridiculous questions about our money when we were supporting the country by injecting over 100,000 baht per month into their economy. No more bad food even when you shop for premium, no more 3 months of eye watering unhealthy smoke, no more land of stupid. Now we are part of a healthy community and clean environment where everyone greets everyone, food is plentiful and cheap, heath-care is plentiful and affordable, no visa check ins, no requirements other than you have to show one time that you have a means to support yourself, then you are granted a permanent retirement visa with many discounts because we made it this long :<) . No more fear of being thrown out of that hell hole for being anything other than them. Good luck to you in your honest and correct move based on reality not some uninformed smug feeling that you will be safe and the people there are fair-minded. Lets see how that superior race (just ask them) get along when we all find better conditions elsewhere.

Merry Christmas - God the Father is King

Interested to know, where is your else where?

18 hours ago, jimn said:

Yes @Just Weird as @DannyCarlton said time to end the conversation. You will have to find out for yourself and when and if you do, you will find that you @Just Weird are incorrect.

This was over yesterday as far as I am concerned but I just want to emphasise my point.  I was asking for the name of a visa agent, not a dodgy visa agent, it was DannyCarlton who introduced that into the thread.   I was surprised that no one would give a name, that's all, and still no one has!  I was quite happy to be proved incorrect, all I wanted was a name but no one would do it for some reason.

 

 

If a poster asks for a recommendation, for example, for somewhere to buy a shirt, I could recommend Robinson's or Central, if someone wants to know where to buy parsnips I could suggest Villa Market, there's no rule that says a company name cannot be mentioned in a recommendation, so why would no one recommend a legitimate visa agent in Pattaya?  There's no difference.  

 

Over and out.

36 minutes ago, Tofer said:

Interested to know, where is your else where?

Yes, I would also like to know about this Shangri-la mellofellow is referring to? I suspect that this gentleman will find fault and not be happy where ever he lives. 

23 hours ago, wmlc said:

This is just a troll post to get people riled up. Why would the op be married to a Thai and be on a retirement extension. I’m thinking they are not legally married but just had the ceremony. We don’t care if you leave or not so why post this none sense? 

What none sense?

OP. All the best for the future for you and the missus whereever you end up. Enjoy it and remember:
 

"Accept your past with no regrets, handle your present with confidence and face the future without fear."

15 hours ago, mellofello said:

We left 3 years ago with the transition for us being nothing less than amazing. No more superior feeling dolts laughing at us, no more checking in at immigration and being asked ridiculous questions about our money when we were supporting the country by injecting over 100,000 baht per month into their economy. No more bad food even when you shop for premium, no more 3 months of eye watering unhealthy smoke, no more land of stupid. Now we are part of a healthy community and clean environment where everyone greets everyone, food is plentiful and cheap, heath-care is plentiful and affordable, no visa check ins, no requirements other than you have to show one time that you have a means to support yourself, then you are granted a permanent retirement visa with many discounts because we made it this long :<) . No more fear of being thrown out of that hell hole for being anything other than them. Good luck to you in your honest and correct move based on reality not some uninformed smug feeling that you will be safe and the people there are fair-minded. Lets see how that superior race (just ask them) get along when we all find better conditions elsewhere.

Merry Christmas - God the Father is King

Tell us where or it's as real as the tooth fairy.

 

15 hours ago, mellofello said:

We left 3 years ago with the transition for us being nothing less than amazing. No more superior feeling dolts laughing at us, no more checking in at immigration and being asked ridiculous questions about our money when we were supporting the country by injecting over 100,000 baht per month into their economy. No more bad food even when you shop for premium, no more 3 months of eye watering unhealthy smoke, no more land of stupid. Now we are part of a healthy community and clean environment where everyone greets everyone, food is plentiful and cheap, heath-care is plentiful and affordable, no visa check ins, no requirements other than you have to show one time that you have a means to support yourself, then you are granted a permanent retirement visa with many discounts because we made it this long :<) . No more fear of being thrown out of that hell hole for being anything other than them. Good luck to you in your honest and correct move based on reality not some uninformed smug feeling that you will be safe and the people there are fair-minded. Lets see how that superior race (just ask them) get along when we all find better conditions elsewhere.

Merry Christmas - God the Father is King

That lot does read like you are a bit of a softy....????

 

PS. "God the father is King"....King of what....?

Troll post and responses removed.

On 12/15/2019 at 1:51 AM, bkk6060 said:

 

I thought a married Visa was 400,000 in the bank?

Monthly of 40,000 is a dead end?   

Anyway, sorry to see you leave due mostly it seems your complaints/excuses about inability to qualify for the stay rules.  

Life is full of constant changes but I understand some have difficulty adjusting. 

You will be missed and good luck with the next chapter of your life.

I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong but what I hear is someone looking at the bigger picture. These changes in immigration are only a beginning I am sure. Much more to come and the thinning of we foreigners is a goal...Although there will be many whom will adamantly and voice-fully disagree with me, and by the way include all knowing insults, this is what I hear from the poster...    

18 minutes ago, armadillo215 said:

I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong but what I hear is someone looking at the bigger picture. These changes in immigration are only a beginning I am sure. Much more to come and the thinning of we foreigners is a goal...Although there will be many whom will adamantly and voice-fully disagree with me, and by the way include all knowing insults, this is what I hear from the poster...    

Some times we tend to forget that Thailand is a nationalist country with a population that has not been exposed to the politically correct dogma we in the West have been subjected to since the end of WW2.

 

Try coming to Thailand penniless and with your hand out and claiming to be entitled to the same treatment that Thais get. Your feet won't touch. They now seem to be barely tolerating us if and while we've actually got money.

 

It's hard for some to accept that we falangs are regarded as second class citizens and always will be in a country in which we are simply paying guests and nothing more.

 

In the early 1970s I worked in Jersey in the Channel Islands and if you were from the mainland and became destitute you were deported there and then, no ifs, ands nor buts. They stuck you on the Ferry that sailed from St Helier to Weymouth and that was your lot. But we accepted it and considered it fair.

 

We're not immigrants in the Land of Scowls and will never be treated in the same way we treat such people in the West particularly in the UK, Sweden and most of Western Europe.

???????? hey i have a idea !! how can we organize to prouve  we have a pension monthly with our own money in bank !!!!!! for exemple 4million thai baht in bank.. withdraw every month 60.000 thai baht  as pension !!!!!! put it in bank account to show its my pension ???????

 

that way 800.000 is never bloked

On 12/15/2019 at 1:49 PM, Just Weird said:

On 12/15/2019 at 1:15 AM, PhonThong said:

she has been reading how some expats have been given a hard time by immigration on monthly deposits not being accepted and they want the 800,000 method used. I wanted to go the monthly deposit route, but that seems like a dead end. 

What is her source of that misinformation?  Expats who meet the well-publicised requirements have no issues.  The monthly transfer is not a "dead end".

It’s perhaps not a dead end but it is a precarious process I’m experimenting with the c.40k /month transfer. 
But a number of posters have said some IOS don’t accept the average over the year, so it just needs one hiccup, say a bank decides to hold a transfer to check something, it is delayed, process is then disrupted. 

 

Keep 800k conditionally locked in a Thai bank, nah. (If it was a newbie it would be easy to walk into a bank and say; I want to open an account, they would say no problem! Not, do you have a work permit etc.) totally agree with the OP about the 800k, and it’s conditional restrictions.

 

The insurance thing might spread to other visa classes, as the OP speculated. (Would Perhaps not be so bad if it was some kind of provision useful to the user).

 

(I sometimes think I’ve Jinxed things when I early retired from my employer last year).

 

It is good that a lot of folk have had many good years in Thailand, Before the recent procedural instability smog descended, difficult to see what’s just up the road...????????