Foreigners offered new ‘smart visa’ if they buy a condo in Thailand, Elite Card holders offered work permits

[whaleboneman]

13 hours ago, condobrit001 said:

This proposal would be ideal for condo owners like myself having purchased a condo 16 years ago for 18MB. Dont knock it just because you cant afford it.

I can't afford it. It's a stupid idea. If you can afford it, you should still realize it's a stupid idea. If you don't realize that, you're stupid.

[metisdead]

Some off topic posts and posts using trolling memes have been removed. 

[charmonman]

17 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

Yes, that's exactly how I read it, too. Either it's confusingly worded -- or it's one of the worst deals of the decade as far as visa regulations are concerned.

 

Either way, compared to this offer the "normal" smart tourist visa (which only costs 10,000 baht and permits holders to stay for up to 9 months) seems like a much better option -- and yet it still failed miserably. Just like this new scheme will, too, I reckon.

 

You know, I understand how desperate Thailand must be, with its entire economy foundering and all. But so far they have been incapable of coming up with even one single reasonable (and workable) visa solution that would not require applicants having to jump through hoops or spending entire fortunes. And that, in my book, is called ineptitude, nothing else.

 

It appears to be way easier to get into North Korea or Turkmenistan these days than into Thailand. And much, much cheaper, too. 

Among the many reasons the STV has failed is that they made it almost impossible to actually get one and even if issued one, to use it to travel to Thailand. They are being issued to citizens of only a few countries ("low risk", whatever that means), and then you have to take a special charter flight which is hardly going to be practical if there are only a few people who want to come. They could open up on a limited basis to commercial passenger flights or allow STV holders to use repatriation flight, but that would make too much sense apparently. As usual, they did not think it through, or so it seems. Similar to this latest proposal.

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand's government are coming up with yet more ways to try and woo foreign visitors and investors back to the kingdom. 

More gimmicks would be accurate, 

 

19 hours ago, webfact said:

Also for the really well-heeled, if you plow in 31.5 million baht (US $1 million) you can even get a work permit.

Got to be joking, right please tell me this is a joke?

[AhFarangJa]

14 hours ago, Edheres said:

The people who dream up these schemes either:

A: Never had to work for a living or budget for anything.

B. Never traveled to real resort/vacation areas and have no idea of what money can buy elsewhere.

C. Can't envision a world outside of their own............. or

D. Are really stupid.

D...............Most certainly  my money is on D..............

[Pattaya Spotter]

7 hours ago, FlyingThai said:

Considering Thai construction quality, those buildings erected in 1999 are now a rotting pile of garbage.

Strange there aren't reports of buildings collapsing daily, with hundreds of killed and injured. But it is true that many Thai buildings are designed and build with a lifespan of 30 years. I believe this is because many are built on leasehold land of 30 years...then they just renovate it or tear-down and build something else. There was a developer interviewed in Bangkok Post years ago who said this is the general practice in Thailand. That said, many older buildings are in perfectly fine shape and well maintained and certainly not "rotting piles of garbage."

[Pattaya Spotter]

8 hours ago, Lucifer999 said:

Thailand has no chance to return to normal tourist number's due to its racist and nationalist policys ... covid was just the straw that broke its back. after 20 years of living off and on in SE asia many xpats including me have left for better freedoms and deals else where ... RIP thailand was fun while it lasted ...

Nobody cares that you've left..least of all Thailand. 

[Gabor56]

much ado about nothing 

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, Pib said:

Sounds like the BOI is just putting lipstick on a pig.

Couldn't resist.

[Youlike]

20 hours ago, Pib said:

Sounds like the BOI is just putting lipstick on a pig.

That's been working well for many years in Pattaya.

[brianthainess]

This Government really have lost the plot, sorry but, Thailand ain't as wonderful as you think it is to invest so much money just to live and WORK here, completely bonkers. It brings to mind my old grandmother who was an opera singer on watching 'Top of the Pops' for the first time

 she said and I Quote "Oh I say do they get PAID for this"

[TERMINATOR3AB]

Who wants to  live in Thailand  these  days 

Sorry   but   no  way  bro

OMG   so many  really  gorgeous places in the world nice freindly  non racists  people  too

Thailands  days are  done  stuffed up  years ago......really  should be now  called    CHIALAND ......lol

Even Thais  dont want to live in Thaialnd  anymore

Good Luck Thaialnd

[mikebell]

Thailand's archaic laws about buying and OWNING a house have done much to boost Malaysia's tourist trade.

[Eddy Ozark]

21 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

 

Simply open up Thailand to anyone willing to quarantine, there is no intelligent reason for any other restriction. 

 

 

 

Intelligence and reason is something sorely needed in this country. A scarcity of both is not uncommon. 

[rott]

53 minutes ago, TERMINATOR3AB said:

Who wants to  live in Thailand  these  days 

Sorry   but   no  way  bro

OMG   so many  really  gorgeous places in the world nice freindly  non racists  people  too

Thailands  days are  done  stuffed up  years ago......really  should be now  called    CHIALAND ......lol

Even Thais  dont want to live in Thaialnd  anymore

Good Luck Thaialnd

Sad that you became so disenchanted with Thailand so soon after joining Thaivisa (less than six months). 

How long have you lived here? 

How many of these other wonderful places can you name for us? And how many have open borders at the moment?

[elgenon]

offers here today, gone tomorrow. Ho hum.

[wangotango]

21 hours ago, Edheres said:

The people who dream up these schemes either:

A: Never had to work for a living or budget for anything.

B. Never traveled to real resort/vacation areas and have no idea of what money can buy elsewhere.

C. Can't envision a world outside of their own............. or

D. Are really stupid.

All of the above ????

[Kaopad999]

On 10/13/2020 at 11:15 AM, webfact said:

31.5 million baht (US $1 million) you can even get a work permit.

Don't know about anyone else, but 1 million USD  seems a little steep for  a work permit... 

[Pattaya Spotter]

4 hours ago, mikebell said:

Thailand's archaic laws about buying and OWNING a house have done much to boost Malaysia's tourist trade.

What does buying a house have to do with tourism...do people only take vacations to countries where they can buy property? Or are you saying it's easier for foreigners to buy property in Malaysia, which is true, but keep in mind the minimum purchase price in most areas is about US$ 250,000 (no $75k condos for foreigners there) and the 30% gains tax on sales for the first 8 years (20% in Thailand).

[DrTuner]

14 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

What does buying a house have to do with tourism...do people only take vacations to countries where they can buy property?

Snowbirds are likely to have a nest.

[cheapcanuck]

Do Thais ever use focus groups of the intended target market? They sure didn't when they thought of this pig of a visa.

[SCOTT FITZGERSLD]

ahhh thailand, the land of smiles...allways put a smile on your face...

invest 1 million dollars and get a work permit ???

in thailand?

buuhhahahahaaaa

 

reminds me of those condos ads that goes:

but now 4.5 million baht condo, and get iphone 11 free !!!

 

question is, how can someone who has 4.5 million baht be so stupid and fall for this?

[Straight8]

Words escape me. Just when you thought it couldn't get any darrrrmer.

 

SMH!!!!

[GlassWayOverHalfFull]

On 10/13/2020 at 11:19 AM, ThailandRyan said:

Why would anyone want a cracker box 35 to 50 SqM condo. That's what 8 Mthb will buy you in Bangkok.  Why plow a million USD into real estate to get a work permit.  More carrots being dangled that are coated with vinegar.

10,500 posts - 4 positive ones. Go home??

[ThailandRyan]

6 minutes ago, GlassWayOverHalfFull said:

10,500 posts - 4 positive ones. Go home??

? Are you confused, or are you telling me it is time to go home and leave Thailand behind. You need to get your facts straight mate.

[Visarghhhh]

Thailand has been very successful protecting their people from Covid.  They can pursue stealing manufacturing away from China as Vietnam has done.  Also it seems to me that the average Thai can lay low back in their home village until tourism returns next October.  The gov't can provide food subsidies to help the poor get by until then.

[sucit]

If they give a condo away to someone who wades through the visa process, they may have a couple takers on that one. 

[mikebell]

18 hours ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

What does buying a house have to do with tourism...do people only take vacations to countries where they can buy property? Or are you saying it's easier for foreigners to buy property in Malaysia, which is true, but keep in mind the minimum purchase price in most areas is about US$ 250,000 (no $75k condos for foreigners there) and the 30% gains tax on sales for the first 8 years (20% in Thailand).

Tourism opens up the housing market to the world.  Many foreign house owners first see their future country during an idyllic holiday whilst wearing rose-coloured spectacles.  Spain is just such a case in point; cheap holidays; cheap booze and lots of sunshine resulted in an explosion of building, buying and selling.

Thailand is in the building stage where hundreds of condos are still being built despite the market having disappeared.  Watch property prices drop as people struggle to live in the new normal. 

[Pattaya Spotter]

20 minutes ago, mikebell said:

 Watch property prices drop as people struggle to live in the new normal. 

I hope so...maybe pickup a nice condo or house cheap.

[Pib]

1 hour ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

I hope so...maybe pickup a nice condo or house cheap.

No doubt in places like Pattaya, Phuket, parts of Bangkok, and other farang heavy locations there will be very significant price drops, but those locations are only a small part of Thailand.  When looking at Thailand as a whole, the housing market price index will continue its multi year trend upwards like shown below for the Bangkok metro/surrounding area.  And I sure know from my Thai famaily/friends who live out in the provinces they freqeuntly mention how land and building prices have went up so much over recent years.  COVID will just cause a short term dip which can already be seen on below Thailand House Price Index.  Plus, when land/building prices do decide to dip it seems the Thai mentality is just to stick with their current selling price....take it or leave it....that sure cuts down on the number of sales but keeps the price high.

 

https://tradingeconomics.com/thailand/housing-index