Are expats being tempted by Thailand?

[webfact]

 

The country has implemented changes to attract wealthy foreigners

By Cristian Angeloni

 

When Brits think about retiring or moving abroad, more often then not, picturesque landscapes of beaches with cloudless skies are cited as features they want.

 

While usual suspects Spain, Portugal, France and Italy are always top of the list, many have been looking further afield to find a place in the sun.

 

And these prospective expats are drawing the attention of several countries around the world that have been passing favourable tax rules and opening up opportunities for them to either move or retire there.

 

Full story: https://international-adviser.com/are-expats-being-tempted-by-thailand/

 

-- © Copyright  International Adviser 2021-09-10

 

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[Orinoco]

No

[tonray]

8 minutes ago, webfact said:

When Brits think about retiring or moving abroad, more often then not, picturesque landscapes of beaches with cloudless skies are cited as features they want.

I thought they all flocked to Bath on their holiday week...????????????????

[Rookiescot]

When you are rich you have the world at your feet.

Many places offer sun and beaches.

Often they have less difficult visa requirements than Thailand does.

[Gandtee]

33 minutes ago, Orinoco said:

No

I thought the headline was  'Are expats being tempered in Thailand'. Our patience certainly is.

[Maha Sarakham]

Was this article written 10 years ago?  If yes, then maybe.

[Mike Teavee]

38 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

When you are rich you have the world at your feet.

Many places offer sun and beaches.

Often they have less difficult visa requirements than Thailand does.

Thailand's Visa Requirements are not difficult, especially for the "Rich" as they have a number of options available to them (Elite/Investment Visas being the 2 obvious ones), they're only difficult for people unable or unwilling  to invest & (rightly or wrongly) these are not the demographic that Thailand is trying to attract.  

 

 

You'd be hard put to find as easy or cheap visa requirements in the region, Philippines is probably the only one with it's SRRV (though this involve as jumping through as many if not more hoops), Malaysia has recently doubled it's financial requirements for MM2H, Cambodia has a dodgy business visa that could be clamped down on anytime & I don't think Vietnam has anything... 

 

On balance if you're able/willing to put the money into Thailand, it's relatively straight forward to live here. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 10, 2021 by Mike Teavee

[spidermike007]

Absolutely not. There are a dozen valid reasons why very, very few wealthy ex-pats or tourists come here. 

 

The majority who come here are seeking value. If I were wealthy, I would not spend more than 2 months of the year here. Many feel the same way. 

 

The rest is sheer delusion, brought on by decades of nationalist ranting, without any foundation in reality. 

 

Thailand is NOT the center of the known universe. If anything, Thailand now is a pale shadow of it's former self. There is very little about the place that is improving or moving forward, under the blind and toxic dinosaur leadership. 

[spidermike007]

47 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

When you are rich you have the world at your feet.

Many places offer sun and beaches.

Often they have less difficult visa requirements than Thailand does.

Not to mention lower luxury taxes, which rich people prefer, so they do not feel abused and stupid  when they buy a new car, watch or toy, which is 100 to 200% higher here, than in most other civilized nations. 

[ezzra]

If only the people in charge on bringing "rich" or any foreigners to retire in Thailand knew what they were doing this country would be full of them, but Thai people are inherently proud of their country and sovereignty and are fiercely opposing the move to allow foreigners to populate Thailand in big numbers hence the awkward cumbersome visa and permits regulations a foreigner has to put with to stay in this country... 

[Rookiescot]

13 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

Thailand's Visa Requirements are not difficult, especially for the "Rich" as they have a number of options available to them (Elite/Investment Visas being the 2 obvious ones), they're only difficult for people unable or unwilling  to invest & (rightly or wrongly) these are not the demographic that Thailand is trying to attract.  

 

 

You'd be hard put to find as easy or cheap visa requirements in the region, Philippines is probably the only one with it's SRRV (though this involve as jumping through as many if not more hoops), Malaysia has recently doubled it's financial requirements for MM2H, Cambodia has a dodgy business visa that could be clamped down on anytime & I don't think Vietnam has anything... 

 

On balance if you're able/willing to put the money into Thailand, it's relatively straight forward to live here. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rich people are generally not going to buy their way into a country like Thailand when other options are available but I suspect its not rich westerners they want anyway.

Rich Chinese on the other hand might be tempted as its a way of getting money out of China.

[ThailandRyan]

The rules and laws here in Thailand have not been changed and foreigners gain no advantage at all here.  You still can not own the land yourself, you get no citizenship, and are not even a permanent resident like many other countries.  A major inequity is what it is, yet many of us have bought vehicle here, houses, and or Condos and live here as if it were our permanent residence.  Thailand however looks upon us as just long term visitors and nothing more.  For those friends I know who are looking at retirement in the next year or so many have decided on Portugal, Panama, and Spain, as they can buy the house, own the land and gain citizenship as well as attain residence and a passport.  Thailand, not so much, they may buy a Condo for use as a family asset when the world reopens to travel.

[mikebell]

This is a 'puff' piece written 10 years ago.  Why would the wealthy visit/live in a place littered to the bottom lip with plastic debris?  Why would they hazard their lives daily on Thailand's roads?  Are the rich so enamoured with stray dogs that even a walk is dangerous? Expats are usually retired and have owned a house in their homeland, why would they bring their money here and cede 51% of it immediately?

 And then there are the police!

Edited September 10, 2021 by mikebell
missing words

[ChipButty]

9 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Not to mention lower luxury taxes, which rich people prefer, so they do not feel abused and stupid  when they buy a new car, watch or toy, which is 100 to 200% higher here, than in most other civilized nations. 

They have got that much money they dont care about luxury tax, when you see the amount of BMW's Merc's around where I live, Last week a German guy rented one of my apartments he turned up a brand new Merc 250 coupe, it had Bangkok plates on it and I asked him did he drive here he said no he paid someone to drive it here for him. That Merc would be at least double the price of what it would be back in Berlin,

[BangkokReady]

1 hour ago, Rookiescot said:

Often they have less difficult visa requirements than Thailand does.

I can't imagine why anyone with a vast choice would opt for somewhere that treats them like a tourist/criminal having to check-in every few months like a parolee and wondering if they will get another extension each year.  People with money aren't accustomed to being treated like garbage.

[zzaa09]

40 minutes ago, Maha Sarakham said:

Was this article written 10 years ago?  If yes, then maybe.

And the author of this article seems somewhat outta touch...

Edited September 10, 2021 by zzaa09

[HeijoshinCool]

26 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

There is very little about the place that is improving or moving forward, under the blind and toxic dinosaur leadership. 

.

 

Sorry, are you talking about Thailand, or the UK, or France, or Germany, or the USA?

[actonion]

When will they ever get it into their thick skulls , the weathly tourists have far better places to go than Thailand ,  and it seems the working classes also want to go elsewhere

[NanaSomchai]

28 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

For those friends I know who are looking at retirement in the next year or so many have decided on Portugal, Panama, and Spain, as they can buy the house, own the land and gain citizenship as well as attain residence and a passport.  Thailand, not so much, they may buy a Condo for use as a family asset when the world reopens to travel.

Anything equalling "beer bar girls" in either of those aforementionned three countries? Portugal, Panama, Spain?

 

If you know anything and have expertise to share privately please PM me if it's deemed too sensitive for public posting.

[worgeordie]

TAT and Thailand want to forget about attracting wealthy ,tourists,  retirees,

it's never going to happen , Thailand has always appealed to the more adventurist

man in the street, would wanted something more exotic than Spain, Greece, Italy,

or Canary Island's .just hope they come back one day, just hope Thailand treats

them better, less scams, double pricing , a lot to ask I know , ????

 

regards Worgeordie

 

 

[josephbloggs]

30 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

They have got that much money they dont care about luxury tax, when you see the amount of BMW's Merc's around where I live, Last week a German guy rented one of my apartments he turned up a brand new Merc 250 coupe, it had Bangkok plates on it and I asked him did he drive here he said no he paid someone to drive it here for him. That Merc would be at least double the price of what it would be back in Berlin,

Yep, it is only the cheap charlies on here that think the rich are bothered about paying 1,000 baht for a bottle of wine that would cost 500 back home.  They really don't care or even notice - they are drinking 10,000 baht bottles of wine anyway.   

 

If they did care nobody would visit or live in Singapore.

[daveAustin]

22 minutes ago, HeijoshinCool said:

.

Sorry, are you talking about Thailand, or the UK, or France, or Germany, or the USA?

Well he’s certainly not talking about those other places, which have already ‘moved forward’ by ceding their lands, culture and rights to foreigners. Don’t blame Thailand not giving an inch, but those swathes of expats ready to spend big there should gen themselves up first. 

[Will B Good]

Are they still tempted by Thailand?....YES....though the mystery is why?

Edited September 10, 2021 by Will B Good

[HeijoshinCool]

13 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Are they still tempted by Thailand?....YES....though the mystery is why?

.

Dunno, because all the girls look like sisters...?

[Will B Good]

4 minutes ago, HeijoshinCool said:

.

Dunno, because all the girls look like sisters...?

Oooo......now that's an interesting train of thought.

[fredscats]

Thailand is just a bolt hole,where the not-so-rich can shelter from winter storms back 'ome.  Choices are limited while here for sure,but on broader front rents/electric/water,eating out far cheaper

 

Its a managable place,but do not invest anything worthwhile,you will lose the lot

 

Idiots with money are the targets for anyone attempting to sell up,and there are a few around unfortunetly

 

 

[fredscats]

25 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Are they still tempted by Thailand?....YES....though the mystery is why?

Christ  I dont fancy yours

[Moonlover]

36 minutes ago, NanaSomchai said:

Anything equalling "beer bar girls" in either of those aforementionned three countries? Portugal, Panama, Spain?

 

If you know anything and have expertise to share privately please PM me if it's deemed too sensitive for public posting.

There will always be a place in Thailand for those with a 'one track mind'.

[Walker88]

1 hour ago, Mike Teavee said:

Thailand's Visa Requirements are not difficult, especially for the "Rich" as they have a number of options available to them (Elite/Investment Visas being the 2 obvious ones), they're only difficult for people unable or unwilling  to invest & (rightly or wrongly) these are not the demographic that Thailand is trying to attract.  

 

 

You'd be hard put to find as easy or cheap visa requirements in the region, Philippines is probably the only one with it's SRRV (though this involve as jumping through as many if not more hoops), Malaysia has recently doubled it's financial requirements for MM2H, Cambodia has a dodgy business visa that could be clamped down on anytime & I don't think Vietnam has anything... 

 

On balance if you're able/willing to put the money into Thailand, it's relatively straight forward to live here. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funny you say 'invest'. If you mean literal investment, as in buying a company, the visa requirements ARE difficult.

 

They would be difficult even if tributes were not demanded in a most blatant fashion, but tributes are regularly demanded. As for the official requirements---not the ones enacted merely to enhance bureaucrats' income---a typical application is more than 100 pages. It requires everything from university and grad school transcripts, lots of data re owners and directors, pages of 'action photos' of the applicant pretending to work or mulling over business ideas, lots of photos at the place of business, with the address clearly visible and staff surrounding the applicant, and other such things, all of which must be signed by the applicant.

 

In a post I made a while back, I was told or contacted about others' experiences that included such things as 'declined for not wearing a business suit in the photos' or other silly things meant to extract a payment. In my first instance, sitting with my accountant who has years of experience navigating the system, the officer thumbed through the stack of docs without even looking at them, then announced something missing, but the oversight could be ignored for a special fee.

 

For this visa, the applicant is given an initial 3 month visa, then a second one, and a third trip yields the one-year. Each application requires the same onerous document stack, despite the fact this is redundant.

 

To most people, this system would be categorized as 'difficult'. It's also quite expensive when one factors in the agent fees, 'tributes', etc. I also think the size of the tribute is a function of the amount invested, as those who put more money into the country are viewed as capable of being more 'generous' with their tributes.

 

Now if you meant 'invest' as in an Elite Visa, perhaps the system is easier, as the Elite Staff apparently handle the 90-day reporting requirements.

[GinBoy2]

Hmm interesting question.

I'd kinda agree with the general assertion that if money is no object Thailand would be well down the list.

 

I maybe a bit of an outlier in as much as I didn't meet my wife in Thailand, but at our work in Singapore, and I, against her better judgement wanted to retire to Thailand.

 

So the basic question are expats tempted?

 

I was tempted at the time by the thought I would lead a wholly Farang life at a fraction of the price.

 

Over the years, that didn't really pan out, and I found cost of living, for the lifestyle I wanted to live was actually costing more than in the US, without the conveniences of living in your our country.

 

So I'm not exactly sure what the marketing hook would be for expats?

 

Unless we of course delve into the pants of aging farang males mesmerized by the Maidens of Isaan