Why are people staying in Thailand when then can't meet TI's financial requirements?

[iamariva1957]

On 8/6/2020 at 1:11 PM, 86Tiger said:

I have never understood OP question either.

 

The requirement is not in reality that cumbersome.  If monthly income is not enough go back home work a year or whatever it takes to save the lump sum, transfer to Thai bank and forget about it.  Seems a lot more simple than trying to figure ways around it every year.

 

But what do I know?

Not much it seems. There is a far bigger picture and s good deal more to the 2 price system than at some market stall or national park. 

[Falconator]

6 minutes ago, Eindhoven said:

 

So what?! He is not earning money in the US$. So what is the correlation?

Some really amazing people on this forum. The mind boggles...

Two options:

Pay health insurance costs of nearly $10,000 per year in the US

Pay health insurance costs of $2,000 per year in Thailand

 

 

[Enzian]

6 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Name one?

Massage girls.

[Falconator]

I earn foreign currency online from clients outside Thailand. I told that to Thai immigration multiple times and they were perfectly OK with that. They will not have any problem with that as long as you stress that you are not taking any Thai person's job and that none of the money comes from within Thailand.

 

There is plenty of remote work to be done these days. From spreadsheet work to writing and coding, the possibilities are endless.

 

When COVID struck and Chiang Mai's burning season began, I hid in my room for months and came up with the money just in time to meet immigration requirements.

 

US taxes, which we can't escape for life, were definitely worse, so I'm not complaining about Thai requirements.

 

[wwest5829]

On 8/6/2020 at 9:52 AM, giddyup said:

Because it's probably still cheaper living in Thailand than your home country. Couldn't imagine anything worse than being huddled over a 2 bar heater in a dingy bed-sit in the middle of a European winter.

Or in my case, perhaps a rusting out trailer in Florida or Arizona. Fortunately, I can sustain a comfortable life in Thailand on the required 65K baht a month for the foreseeable future.

[mrnaturally]

Not everyone is as well situated or impervious to vicissitude as you seem to be. Well done.

 

[ericthai]

8 hours ago, JTXR said:

I meant low personal standards in justifying to oneself breaking the law and abetting corruption

I like when guys that haven't been in Thailand that long talk about corruption and they would never participate.  Just wait until you meet a corrupt cop that puts the pressure on you and you have no choice or an IO having a bad day making you jump through hoops or a govt official wanting a few baht to speed things or get done at all.   

 

I've been stopped by police for speeding when I was not, they show me a picture of a car when I have a truck, refused to pay, stuck sitting there 30 minutes until my wife finally gave in. They have all day / night to wait you out.

 

I lived and worked in Thailand for 4 years with no issues with cops, until my girlfriend's sister who was living with us got into a argument with a neighborhood girl which turned into a few slaps being thrown. We get a call from the cops, 5000B and she will be released and all will go away. 

 

This is Thailand, you might not want to play the game, but sometime you have no choice. 

[hotchilli]

On 8/6/2020 at 9:25 AM, Boomer6969 said:

There is a very active thread about a busted agent where some people are trading insults which lead me to reflect on people's motivation to stay in LOS: if you can't afford a legit visa you can afford bar girls either, so why do you stay here?

Simple answer is they don't have a home, work or anything to go back to wherever they came from.

They got here on a budget and are stringing it out as long as possible. 

Or they arrived here and have set-up home, car, family whatever and now the monthly income is too low or the required bank deposit is not enough.

[BritManToo]

6 hours ago, ericthai said:

I've been stopped by police for speeding when I was not, they show me a picture of a car when I have a truck, refused to pay, stuck sitting there 30 minutes until my wife finally gave in. They have all day / night to wait you out.

You gotta occupy them so they miss out on collecting other 'fines'.

Keep them talking/arguing so they can't take any more money and they soon get fed up.

Doesn't work if you're the only car on the road in Nakon Nowhere.

 

As for gf's sister, unless you're banging her as well .... let her rot in jail.

[Falconator]

29 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

You gotta occupy them so they miss out on collecting other 'fines'.

Keep them talking/arguing so they can't take any more money and they soon get fed up.

Doesn't work if you're the only car on the road in Nakon Nowhere.

 

As for gf's sister, unless you're banging her as well .... let her rot in jail.

 

Speak a language other than Thai or English.

Or if you're a monolingual Brit/American/Ozzie, make up some random language and act like you don't speak Thai or English.

They get confused and just leave you alone.

Always works for me.

 

[Falconator]

Or have fancy business cards ready.

They'll leave you alone because they don't want to get into trouble with people with important connections.

[EVENKEEL]

Start making sign language, make the hookers in Dubai leave me alone.

[checkered flag]

 

 

11 hours ago, oobar said:

No intention to offend, but you really do seem to have been making a bit of a big deal of it, simply by pointing out to all your generosity.  The genuinely generous that I know keep to themselves the knowledge of their largesse.

The point of this tread wasn't my personal finances, but why people stay here when they can't meet their financial responsibilities. That includes paying their own way and meeting legal immigration requirements. Thailand has enough poor people without adding poor foreigners to that mix. The country, rightfully, is looking for those who make a positive contribution to society, not merely trying to exist. You don't need to be a big spender but need to make a positive contribution to the economy. In other words the Thai economy must be better because you are here. 

Although I'm always respectful to everyone, most of my Thai friends are professional and middle income. I take my clues from them and see them as generous caring people. 

I feel sorry for those who could meet their immigration responsibilities, but can no longer due to  the stronger baht. I can remember when the exchange rate was in the 20-23 range so it could be worse. They we cutting things too close, so money in the bank is the only option. Unfortunately, having assets like cars and houses don't count.

[sandyf]

On 8/6/2020 at 10:03 AM, dimitriv said:

I know several people who make enough to live, but do not meet the monthly income requirements and do not have enough money to put 400/800k in a bank account. 

Exactly. The OP has an extremely narrow minded perspective, what are the "financial requirements", other than sufficient to meet expenses.

I have a borderline income according to immigration, I put the funds into a house rather than a bank but that doesn't count for anything.

[ChakaKhan]

22 hours ago, BritManToo said:

There's some very nice large new condos at the end of my road (near Chiang Mai) renting for 2,500bht/month.

If you want air-con, put your own in or pay higher rent and they'll put it in.

Swimming pool, gym, 7-11, restaurants, lots of female students all within 250m.

 

That condo would certainly provide me with a better lifestyle than I could afford back in the UK.

LINK????   I was paying 3500 out on canal by mae hia....a/c- cable -wifi..nice wood furniture--quiet studio

 

maybe I can do english lessons with a Uni cutie and practice my hansum-ness......power to the pooyings!

[mokwit]

16 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

For some the money held in an overseas account is possibly earning interest rates higher and has greater degree of security if government chaos occurs further in Thailand.

Try getting money out from Thailand if you want to leave

You have to look at the 800k as possibly forfeit.

 

What if you get deported? That is getting easier and easier. People may say they are law abiding, so could never happen to them - what if you have to defend yourself after a car accident and the powers that be decide you were the aggressor?

 

What if the Govt imposes [greater] capital controls? You may have kept all the fund transfer documentation.

 

There was a thread here on accessing funds in Thai bank from overseas - TLDR but did not seem there was any/any clear way.

[ChakaKhan]

55 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

You gotta occupy them so they miss out on collecting other 'fines'.

Keep them talking/arguing so they can't take any more money and they soon get fed up.

Doesn't work if you're the only car on the road in Nakon Nowhere.

 

As for gf's sister, unless you're banging her as well .... let her rot in jail.

Have used this tactic to avoid the ole nimman rd police traffic scam...they gave up and nabbed the chinese

[checkered flag]

12 hours ago, Max69xl said:

The requirement for a retiree from the US,UK and Australia is at least 65,000 baht/month if they use the monthly income method. That's a lot of money. Maybe they "only" have 40,000 baht/month. Thats still an ok sum for an expat. 

Two choices then. 1) get on a Non O Marriage visa or get on a plane ; 2) call Thai Visa center and talk to Grace.

BTW if you have a Thai bride, western countries might ask you for proof of how you will support her to get a visa.

Some who have invested heavily in Thai homes, might consider selling and getting something smaller or renting. 

BTW if on a Non O marriage visa, you might qualify for a work permit and teach English at a Thai school. Extra bucks to meet income requirement.

[thaibeachlovers]

21 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

Lets not get into yet another discussion and young people and sex .

 

Why not? Many (?most ) old farang men go to LOS for sex with young people. If not for that Pattaya would still be a fishing village.

[pineapple01]

God help those who came here without full pension, had some money but blew it on her house, family etc, now in their late sixties n skint. You dont hear about them on TV.  They cant afford a flight home now

[thaibeachlovers]

21 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

LOL, Nobody knowing your business !!!!!

You posted the sperm stained sheets all over the internet !!!!

How do you know it's his own photo? For that matter how do you know it's sperm- could be a spilled drink?

[CorpusChristie]

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Why not? Many (?most ) old farang men go to LOS for sex with young people. If not for that Pattaya would still be a fishing village.

We just seem to spend all day talking about sex, females and some people like to talk about children , after spending all day talking about , I sometimes get no response in that department  at night 

[kingdong]

2 minutes ago, pineapple01 said:

God help those who came here without full pension, had some money but blew it on her house, family etc, now in their late sixties n skint. You dont hear about them on TV.  They cant afford a flight home now

you wi!! hear about them when they start rounding them up and deporting them.

[mokwit]

2 minutes ago, pineapple01 said:

God help those who came here without full pension, had some money but blew it on her house, family etc, now in their late sixties n skint. You dont hear about them on TV.  They cant afford a flight home now

The rule is that if you come here with a nest egg, by hook or by crook she'll get it. The people who have lived here for years are on defined benefit pensions.

[thaibeachlovers]

19 hours ago, PGSan said:

Praise indeed !! ???  Assuming that, as in the now prevalent Trump-Cummings(?) philosophy:

     Greed is Good!

Too young to remember the 80s?

I suppose you don't know who Gordon Gekko was either.

Everything in the world is not about Trump ( except for those with TDS ).

[EVENKEEL]

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

How do you know it's his own photo? For that matter how do you know it's sperm- could be a spilled drink?

If it was the real deal he would have included a bit of his lady as well. I call BS on it. But, nice try.

[CorpusChristie]

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

How do you know it's his own photo? For that matter how do you know it's sperm- could be a spilled drink?

He said that it was the photo he took that day , I know he lies a lot , but that did look like an original photo and they  looked like sperm stains , which you would expect to be there in  short time rooms and he previously stated that he doesnt uses condoms with prostitutes , so, stands to reason

[thaibeachlovers]

3 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

We just seem to spend all day talking about sex, females and some people like to talk about children , after spending all day talking about , I sometimes get no response in that department  at night 

Sex is fun and beats talking about where to get the best pizza any time.

[CorpusChristie]

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Sex is fun and beats talking about where to get the best pizza any time.

Participating with Females is quite enjoyably , talking about it with older men on-line, isnt quite so as enjoyable 

[EVENKEEL]

1 minute ago, CorpusChristie said:

Participating with Females is quite enjoyably , talking about it with older men on-line, isnt quite so as enjoyable 

It's not so much talking about it as it is telling lies.