Vietnam puts the kibosh on foreigners

[BritManToo]

53 minutes ago, yogi100 said:

That's what should be of concern because that's when things get serious. There is an acute housing shortage in the UK and quite likely the case in other Western countries as well.

Still plenty of run-down Farm houses and farms in France for 12,000-20,000 Euros.

[yogi100]

45 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Still plenty of run-down Farm houses and farms in France for 12,000-20,000 Euros.

But no one wants to live in a run-down farm house or farm in France especially if they've just spent several years living it up in Pattaya or Bangkok.

 

That's why they're going for 12 - 20 K Euros. Nobody wants one even as a free gift.

[BritManToo]

4 minutes ago, yogi100 said:

But no one wants to live in a run-down farm house or farm in France especially if they've just spent several years living it up in Pattaya or Bangkok.

 

That's why they're going for 12 - 20 K Euros. Nobody wants one even as a free gift.

About half the posters on TV live in rural Issan, can't see rural France being much different.

At least the cheese and wine will be more affordable.

I can ignore French speaking neighbours as easily as I ignore Thai speaking neighbours.

[Dumbastheycome]

Why is it that there is so much yapping  about changing requirements related to obvious moves shutting the doors on economic refugees but referring to those people as "long term tourists" ?

SEA wants  tourists....genuine ones. Unfair as it may seem to the many who have languished in Thailand for many years on diminishing relative incomes and incremental aging that Immigration policy is weeding out that percentage who have no genuine ties such as  spouses or children or in any other way are deemed to no longer be desirable guests.

Vietnam is a member of the ASEAN group. As such it  can be sure that discussions between member countries has involved the subject of immigration policies in common. The impact is harsh but not  so out of line with some Western countries who have been introducing policies that are equally so.

 

 

 

 

[BritManToo]

9 minutes ago, Dumbastheycome said:

Unfair as it may seem to the many who have languished in Thailand for many years on diminishing relative incomes and incremental aging that Immigration policy is weeding out that percentage who have no genuine ties such as  spouses or children or in any other way are deemed to no longer be desirable guests.

I've never understood how some guys managed to stay in SEA and avoid marriage or impregnation.

Directly I'm single, another one jumps me.

[Dumbastheycome]

5 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I've never understood how some guys managed to stay in SEA and avoid marriage or impregnation.

Directly I'm single, another one jumps me.

No escape? You must have great  appeal to Thailand ! ????

Sounds  expensive though! lol

[El Matador]

There are still nice alternatives for those who are not linked to one specific country.

Bali offers 6 months visa and it is great place to stay for a long time. Philippines have a very good retirement visa which is available from 35 years old.

And if you are ready to change of continent, Argentina is really cheap with the peso crash. The quality of life is high for the price you pay at the moment.

 

I can understand the Vietnamese governement wants to crack down on English teachers who earn 5 times the average local wage, don't pay taxes and stay on tourist visa. But it will seriously affect tourism from people who are outside Asia at the same time - tourists who want to spend some time there after paying an expensive flight ticket ;  they also exist too. Besides they won't see people coming back after 30 days ; most people will choose to visit another country once they're gone. Thailand would seem much more visa friendly in comparison if it happened. We'll see, but Vietnamese people are less affraid to lose the face and change their mind when things don't work, so anything can happen. At least they don't offer you a visa they won't honor at the airport like it happens sometimes in Thailand when the inmigration officer is in bad mood.

But yeah we can easily predict visa runs will be a thing of the past in 1 or 2 decades everywhere in South East Asia unless an economic apocalypse happens.

[sungod]

On 1/31/2020 at 2:31 PM, bkk6060 said:

Gosh, according to so many "everyone" has left Thailand and moved to Vietnam or Cambodia.

So, how will this affect them?

Hope to hear some reports.

Ha yes, they will be coming back in the the same droves they left in!!!!!!

[Hackney35]

16 hours ago, mvdf said:

I don't understand the insecurity and nervous tics... and the frantic search for alternative destinations. 

 

What's wrong with returning to and staying in your own countries? Why is this not a viable alternative? Everybody seems to have this anywhere-except-home mentality. 

Some people who live in SEA can't get laid in the west and would live a peasant existence back home.

I can't blame them for living in SEA and I also can't blame the SEA countries for wanting to get rid of the people who spend <$1k every month and drive up the cost of low level accommodation for the locals.

It's no different as to why many working class people in the UK are anti immigrants from eastern europe etc as they take housing, school places and hospital beds.

[metisdead]

An off topic post containing a YouTube video regarding China has been removed. 

[HuskerDo]

13 hours ago, Purdey said:

Now Brexit is done, perhaps all these countries are simply saying "Go back to where you came from" ? They've seen the writing on the wall.

Yes, of course, the entire world revolves around Britain and the EU. I'm smelling sarcasm. Are you? ????

Edited February 2, 2020 by HuskerDo

[NanLaew]

17 hours ago, yogi100 said:

But no one wants to live in a run-down farm house or farm in France especially if they've just spent several years living it up in Pattaya or Bangkok.

Citation needed. When's the last time you or anyone you know could have been guilty of doing anything that resembles 'living it up' anywhere in Thailand?

[BritManToo]

7 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Citation needed. When's the last time you or anyone you know could have been guilty of doing anything that resembles 'living it up' anywhere in Thailand?

As far as I'm concerned, 'living it up' means having a younger woman press against me while I'm drinking a beer.

I manage that most days, without even having to leave my house.

 

What's your definition of 'living it up'?

[yogi100]

37 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Citation needed. When's the last time you or anyone you know could have been guilty of doing anything that resembles 'living it up' anywhere in Thailand?

Two weeks ago when I was on holiday in Pattaya.

 

Just in case you are still in a quandry by living it up I mean boozing and chasing around with women in the night spots of a town such as Pattaya. Something that is unimaginable in a French farm house, and a Thai farm house for that matter.

 

'Living it up' is usually understood to mean living extravagantly, carousing and generally having a good time.

 

If you're that unfamiliar with the term there are several on line dictionaries that you can consult. Just type in 'living it up'.

[yogi100]

46 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

As far as I'm concerned, 'living it up' means having a younger woman press against me while I'm drinking a beer.

I manage that most days, without even having to leave my house.

 

 

Oh, so you're a bit of a rascal on the quiet then aren't you. 

 

It's amazing how you find the time.

[Lacessit]

18 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I've never understood how some guys managed to stay in SEA and avoid marriage or impregnation.

Directly I'm single, another one jumps me.

It's not hard. One just says no to marriage as their pension would be cut, and finds a woman who has been rendered infertile by the Thai hospital system. More around than one would think.

[Catoni]

On 1/30/2020 at 8:40 PM, GeorgeCross said:

there's always Cambodia

 

and if that goes down could try Bangladesh, i hear the women are a bit ropey there though ????

 

 

  I guess I’ve been out of the loop too long. Please help me out with the definition of “...ropey...”. 

[NanLaew]

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

As far as I'm concerned, 'living it up' means having a younger woman press against me while I'm drinking a beer.

I manage that most days, without even having to leave my house.

 

What's your definition of 'living it up'?

I admit it used to be whoring.

 

Today it's something sublimely more superior that I am not at liberty to divulge lest it fill some of the vaunted TV membership herein with even more intense feelings of being ripped off or being disliked than they can process without the wheels coming completely off their trolleys.

[from the home of CC]

On 1/31/2020 at 7:09 PM, mike787 said:

Whoever thought we would be living a life of a fugitive: border running, paying agents, negotiating, bartering, risking, catching flights, reporting every 90 days like a pedophile to his probation officer, on and on in our supposid golden years...all for what?  A vagina/love, some sun/fun, cheaper life...really?  Goes to show, there is always a price to pay; you only have to choose what the price is, and how your going to pay, but YOU will pay - somehow...

Never had to do a border run or risk anything in 18 yrs living in Thailand. IMO most of these problems are self inflicted due to lack of planning for the future or living the drunken dream...

[AAArdvark]

6 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

Never had to do a border run or risk anything in 18 yrs living in Thailand. IMO most of these problems are self inflicted due to lack of planning for the future or living the drunken dream...

How could anyone anticipate the doing away with embassy income letters, the requirement for useless insurance or in the long term, the drastic decline on the exchange rates for many countries?  If the 800K in the bank were to be suddenly changed to 2M , would that also be a failure to plan?

And this was all in the last year.

Edited February 2, 2020 by AAArdvark

[mike787]

6 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

Never had to do a border run or risk anything in 18 yrs living in Thailand. IMO most of these problems are self inflicted due to lack of planning for the future or living the drunken dream...

You do not need to do the 90 day report - lucky.  I read on TVF so many issues.  You sound like a lucky unicorn.  However, no matter how good it is, foreigners are always conditional guests at best.  Agreed, planning does help.  

[DaRoadrunner]

On 2/1/2020 at 5:46 PM, El Matador said:

Bali offers 6 months visa and it is great place to stay for a long time.

 

Quit complaining about your Thai and Vietnamese Visa problems….

Take a look at the requirements for a Retirement Visa in Bali. A rather expensive paper chase, but doable.

 

Document required for Bali Retirement Visa are :

1. please make KK and KTP.

2. original passport

3. original / on-line health insurance

4. original / on-line the latest 2 months of Bank Account

5. original house contract and copy ID-card owner of house

in case your house is yours, please provide house certificate / agreement with an Indonesian nominee.

6. original a statement letter of hiring Indonesian staff and copy ID-card.

7. new photographs size 3 x4 cm / red-color background / 4 pcs.

From:- https://balipod.com/forum/threads/kitap-retirement-visa-question.12701/

 

[DaRoadrunner]

On 2/1/2020 at 4:36 PM, BritManToo said:

I've never understood how some guys managed to stay in SEA and avoid marriage or impregnation.

Directly I'm single, another one jumps me.

Would someone puhlease get BritManToo some condoms.

[Maestro]

Removed a troll post.

[gk10002000]

On 1/31/2020 at 12:41 PM, mjtusa said:

Link to Vietnam expat forum that explains what is happening in Vietnam with the VISA changes.

 

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=879403

ok.  Still seems to focus on tourist folks and visas which many retirees and expats really are not.   So maybe there will be other changes that will work better and be more suitable for expats.   Or maybe Vietnam really does not want to make it easy for long stay expats from some or any foreign countries.  Or maybe they do, and are just posturing and creating new ways to handle retirements, or not.  The tuber claimed no direct changes to many other Visa types such as Marriage for instance.

 

  And as far as official, well, a Youtuber that says he talked to an immigration officer, while interesting and good to know is far from complete. 

[El Matador]

9 hours ago, DaRoadrunner said:

about

 

9 hours ago, DaRoadrunner said:

 

Quit complaining about your Thai and Vietnamese Visa problems….

 

Take a look at the requirements for a Retirement Visa in Bali. A rather expensive paper chase, but doable.

 

 

 

Document required for Bali Retirement Visa are :

1. please make KK and KTP.

2. original passport

3. original / on-line health insurance

4. original / on-line the latest 2 months of Bank Account

5. original house contract and copy ID-card owner of house

in case your house is yours, please provide house certificate / agreement with an Indonesian nominee.

6. original a statement letter of hiring Indonesian staff and copy ID-card.

7. new photographs size 3 x4 cm / red-color background / 4 pcs.

 

From:- https://balipod.com/forum/threads/kitap-retirement-visa-question.12701/

 

 

 

You also have the social visa which allows you stay up to 180 days : https://baliinformationguide.com/social-cultural-visa-bali/

I talked with people in Bali who did it many times in a row.

And I was surprised to be welcomed with a big smile by the Indonesian officer in Bali.

South East Asia has many wonderful options. Don't fall in love too much with one specific place and get a solid plan B in case things turn worse. You could also alternate countries and avoid those the questions from people who consider you stay too much time in their country although you paid for the visa. Rainy seasons are at the opposite time beween Thailand and Indonesia so there is another good excuse to move around.

[Matzzon]

On 1/31/2020 at 2:45 AM, GeorgeCross said:

 

Thailand clamps down on visa requirements

 

foreigners flee to nearby countries

 

nearby countries clamp down on visas

 

foreigners ______ ??

 

 

Just maybe foreigners should stop try to use tourist visas as a way to engage in long stay in all countries they come to. See, problem solved.

[Jingthing]

My take is that the Vietnamese government only wants what it considers useful and productive foreigners. Working, investing, married to a local (that's humanitarian), etc. As I've said before the vast majority of nations in the world don't offer a legal retired expat status. Why it should shock anyone that a very serious and quickly advancing nation like Vietnam would not want retired people (that can be seen as decadent in a way) or permanent fake tourists is beyond me. I think Vietnam as a retirement option is officially over and in fact, it never even really began. I'll be happy to change my opinion if and when the government there offers a formal program. 

[mike787]

11 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

My take is that the Vietnamese government only wants what it considers useful and productive foreigners. Working, investing, married to a local (that's humanitarian), etc. As I've said before the vast majority of nations in the world don't offer a legal retired expat status. Why it should shock anyone that a very serious and quickly advancing nation like Vietnam would not want retired people (that can be seen as decadent in a way) or permanent fake tourists is beyond me. I think Vietnam as a retirement option is officially over and in fact, it never even really began. I'll be happy to change my opinion if and when the government there offers a formal program. 

It appears you are right...very devastated Vietnam as a choice is now coming to an end.  We all now must continue our fugitive lives elsewhere as the options quickly and permanently, like our lives come to an end...

[ThomasThBKK]

16 hours ago, AAArdvark said:

How could anyone anticipate the doing away with embassy income letters, the requirement for useless insurance or in the long term, the drastic decline on the exchange rates for many countries?  If the 800K in the bank were to be suddenly changed to 2M , would that also be a failure to plan?

And this was all in the last year.

 

That's your embassy not thailand man, germany still providers is like pretty much everyone else except 3 and you don't hear those complaining.

 

Maybe but only maybe you should be <deleted> at your own country for denying you a service every other embassy provides.