‘It’s our only home’: Malaysia’s changes to MM2H visa scheme throw expats’ plans into chaos

[Damrongsak]

Here's another article you can read without signing up.  New requirements are insane.  What are they trying to do, drive out all the old ones and buy up their property cheap?

 

https://www.imidaily.com/asia-pacific/new-mm2h-rules-will-drive-mass-exodus-of-foreigners-thats-intentional-say-observers/

[brianthainess]

On 8/20/2021 at 7:09 AM, Oxx said:

This article makes little sense.  It begins "Existing participants ... can’t meet stricter financial criteria to renew visas", but the story actually is about Bangladeshis being unable to travel to Malaysia because of COVID.

Read the FULL story !!!

[brianthainess]

23 hours ago, Oxx said:

I didn't want to read the article.  I just wanted an accurate summary.  That wasn't provided.

To hard for you to read or pure laziness ?

[Misty]

On 8/20/2021 at 6:07 PM, redwood1 said:

Well incase you guys have not noticed the visa requirements for most SE Asian countries have been tightening more and more and more for at least 10 years........

 

To raise the financial requirements this much in one go with no grandfather is a human rights violation......Its throwing people out on their azz who trusted Malaysia...

 

Please dont be kind and say they are stupid.....They know 100% what they are doing and the ramifications...

 

Thailand shows no signs of relaxing visas......

I would hate to see something like this happen in Thailand but I would not bet the farm that it would never happen here......

If it did happen there would be absolutely loads of farang on permanent overstay.....

Friends on the ground in Malaysia say KPMG advised the Malaysian government on this change. If that's true, then yes, they knew exactly what they were doing.

 

Thailand, advised by McKinsey & Co, has come up with its own "high net worth" long term visa program. At this stage, it isn't clear that McKinsey's plan for Thailand is intended to replace the existing retirement or other long term visas.

[BumGun]

On 8/21/2021 at 12:01 AM, Jingthing said:

This is a grand example of why retirement programs that offer no path whatsoever to permanent residence security are very real potential quicksand for all participants.

 

I think that's an important point we should all remember, I am guilty of forgetting it as well.  Until then, you are just a guest and can be turfed out when they see fit.

 

That said, of all the ASEAN Nations I have spent time in, Malaysia is the one I liked least and would never consider living in.

 

I will always want to keep a place here in my own country as a backstop against these rule changes, if I couldn't, I don't think I could move, i'd be forever concerned about sovereign shenanigans if I invested in a place and hell, I chnage my mind about where to be on a fortnightly basis anyway ????.

[BumGun]

On 8/21/2021 at 12:01 AM, Jingthing said:

This is a grand example of why retirement programs that offer no path whatsoever to permanent residence security are very real potential quicksand for all participants.

 

I think that's an important point we should all remember, I am guilty of forgetting it as well.  Until then, you are just a guest and can be turfed out when they see fit.

 

That said, of all the ASEAN Nations I have spent time in, Malaysia is the one I liked least and would never consider living in.

 

I will always want to keep a place here in my own country as a backstop against these rule changes, if I couldn't, I don't think I could move, i'd be forever concerned about sovereign shenanigans if I invested in a place and hell, I change my mind about where to be on a fortnightly basis anyway ????.

[Boomer6969]

If there were any brains in the Thai government they would be busy designing and advertising CB2H (Chon Buri 2nd Home) where all restrictions on property ownership would be lifted. 

 

The Malaysian shift is a golden opportunity for Thailand, unfortunately it won't happen as the most likely  reaction from the Thais will be that, "if they do it in Malaysia, let's do it too".

[redwood1]

20 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

If there were any brains in the Thai government they would be busy designing and advertising CB2H (Chon Buri 2nd Home) where all restrictions on property ownership would be lifted. 

 

The Malaysian shift is a golden opportunity for Thailand, unfortunately it won't happen as the most likely  reaction from the Thais will be that, "if they do it in Malaysia, let's do it too".

the most likely  reaction from the Thais will be that, "if they do it in Malaysia, let's do it too".

 

Well there would maybe be a thousand expats left in all of Thailand if the requirements were you had to be pulling in 10,000 dollars a month..... 

[Oxx]

1 hour ago, redwood1 said:

the most likely  reaction from the Thais will be that, "if they do it in Malaysia, let's do it too".

Really? I thought they were rather afflicted with the Not-Invented-Here syndrome.

[Rampant Rabbit]

On 8/20/2021 at 7:53 AM, hotchilli said:

Many in the same situation... 2020 my mother died of old age in UK...

I made the choice not to try to return for the cremation... it's a personal choice,

they made theirs and have to live with the consequences.

Im living with this  fear right  now, was  due to fly  back to the Uk as I do every year for 6  weeks   when flights  got cancelled  in June 2020. I havent seen my Mother (93) who lives  alone but is  still pretty  much ok and driving for over 2  years  now and in that time she fell breaking  her hip, I do speak to her daily  on skype and also from the hospital when that  happened but right now she could do with me there for a month or two but I refuse to go through the rigmarole of quarantine at both ends as  well as the costs of that + they can and have changed the rules continually in effect  which could leave me stuck in the UK  and end up with even more  problems in Thailand whislt I was  away.

I  just hope she can hold  on another 6  months as Im due my second pfizer in a   week or two and they dump the stupid red  yellow  green pink and blue schemes etc and ridiculous quarantine rules especially for vaccinated people, whats the blooody  point in getting vaccinated to have to go through that krap.

Edited September 15, 2021 by Rampant Rabbit