11 minutes ago, VBF said:

And yet, you have made the choice to remain in Thailand - more power to you but you are at least aware of the reality of your situation

Indeed.

But I don’t really recommend it to others.

3 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Indeed.

But I don’t really recommend it to others.

Not sure how much of your tongue is in your cheek there, but if you're serious.......why....and why stay?

4 hours ago, EricTh said:

 

It seems to be the easiest for visa runners/tourists to stay long term in Thailand without any financial requirements. I don't get the logic.

 

Look at this guy, he has been in Thailand for 9 months now just on a tourist visa. He's only 30 years old and not on WP.

 

 

 

Hardly as strsaightfoward as you present it. He is obviously getting recurring 60 day Covid extensions. 

 

Perhaps you have forgotten the constant clampdowns by the authorities prior to C19 when they were making it increasingly hard for people to spend extended periods in the Kingdom., even if they were more than solvent. I didn't have an issue with that for those living FT on tourist visas for years but hardly made a lot of sense for solvent expats from the West wintering for 6 months...

25 minutes ago, Tanomazu said:

So you apply again, big deal. Gets easier each time. And if they approved you once, odds are you'll be approved again.

 

Sure, it's an inconvenience, but it's not exactly an insurmountable obstacle, is it?

If the immigration officer is having a bad day, then he can let you chase after papers that you have never needed before, or the 4 photos with your family in front of the house are out of focus. By the way, the request comes to hire an agent for 20,000 baht, who then does everything for you. It's all about the kickback money.

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

yprus is as exciting as watching grass grow.

Also, the nightlife sucks and the beaches are rubbish.

They do have some old ?Roman ruins though, if that sort of thing is a thrill.

I am 75 next month. Nightlife?

15 minutes ago, MarkyM3 said:

Hardly as strsaightfoward as you present it. He is obviously getting recurring 60 day Covid extensions. 

 

Perhaps you have forgotten the constant clampdowns by the authorities prior to C19 when they were making it increasingly hard for people to spend extended periods in the Kingdom., even if they were more than solvent. I didn't have an issue with that for those living FT on tourist visas for years but hardly made a lot of sense for solvent expats from the West wintering for 6 months...

Exactly!  I used to be able to get Multiple Non-Immigrant O visas from a certain UK consulate - that was stopped - then the Multi-Entry Tourist Visa became difficult. Most recently, through judicious timing, I've had SETV, followed by an extension, followed by a border hop.

Sure, that covers me for a Winter's "Snowbirding" and I acknowledge "their country, their rules" but it is tiresome!

 

Goes along with the point I made above about rules that can and do change, being unconducive to a feeling of personal security. Not so bad for someone like me, a tourist, but to live like that?  No thank you!

 

It's not as if I'm wealthy enough "just shrug it off and move on" if it all goes pear-shaped, therefore for that and other reasons my status will remain quo   ????

I don't know what all the fuss is about. It seems to me the terms under which most  of us stay here are quite reasonable in regards to cost and convenience.

What about us??? Nothing much, huh! Same same, as always, dude!

Ahhhhh,   life's a bitch !    I only read page 1,   and the first five of so posters hit the mark pretty well.

I would like to point out that IMO  , my living here for thirty years and going through the many "phases"  of  living in the land of ....... well,   let's just say   AMAZING  thailand.......... has been a different path than most of the white men walking down Broadway or stuck in a traffic jam on their way to some cubicle.   And for 30 years !!

So,  yeah,  at times I was <deleted> off at the "inconveniences"  here,  but probably much happier than if

I had stayed on the First World hamster wheel.    I have grown up,  grown old,  but still living the lifestyle I chose.   ADJUSTMENTS ,  we must all make on this journey .   And,  there are no happy endings.     So just keep trying to do the best within this big World Order which is controlled everywhere by those who do not invite you to their country club.    

Go to Nana.   Play scrabble.   Sit on a barstool.   Take care of teerak and her extended family.  Live in a shoebox condo.   Or live in Nakorn Bannork.     Whatever.   Do the best you can.

 

 

half of the world's net wealth belongs to the top 1%, top 10% of adults hold 85%, while the bottom 90% hold the remaining 15% of the world's total wealth, top 30% of adults hold 97% of the total wealth.

2 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

I don't know what all the fuss is about. It seems to me the terms under which most  of us stay here are quite reasonable in regards to cost and convenience.

Well the thread started due to proposed changes which may or may not affect you and alter your current view.

But, if you're happy with your choices than all is well, but the discussion (fuss?) has been about and between those who may not be so content with potential developments that may or may not affect them. 

What's with all these wingers. I've been here for decades and still like it. If I didn't I would move somewhere else. Who cares what the government proposes? If it's attractive enough I might take up the offer -- if not, forget about it.

1 hour ago, VBF said:

Sure about that? Forger ran fake passport factory from his attic

Just one example which took me less than 10 seconds to find!

These are fake ones. Read my post again. 

41 minutes ago, Noah K said:

I don't get involved in the student protests, but I understand why they are protesting. I don't have a say in Thai politics, but my Thai friends sure do have an opinion, and well, it's not very glowing. All I can say is that hopefully our voices will be heard because together we spend millions, if not billions of baht each year

Better not to get involved with protests as it against the law.

Your voices will not be heard, outside expat internet forums.

Just for the record, I'm not furious about any Thai government plan to attract wealthy foreigners. In fact, it doesn't concern me in the least, and it's really none of my business anyway. Also, in my dealings with Thai Immigration officials, they have always been polite and respectful and I have never had any problems with them.

3 minutes ago, Raphael Hythlodaeus said:

What's with all these wingers. I've been here for decades and still like it. If I didn't I would move somewhere else. Who cares what the government proposes? If it's attractive enough I might take up the offer -- if not, forget about it.

Good setting. Freedom. But when you have family, children, house and business here, it's not that easy. But we are also planning to move to Europe in the next 1.5 years when the children start studying. Then probably around 6 months in Thailand in winter and 6 months traveling in Europe in summer.

9 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

These are fake ones. Read my post again. 

I know but for practical purposes, fakes attempt to take the place of the real thing so are effectively the same as stolen / forged ones.

It's funny that they are trying to attract "wealthy" foreigners when they kicked out one of the richest families in Asia, the Shinawatra's.  

3 minutes ago, PMEL said:

It's funny that they are trying to attract "wealthy" foreigners when they kicked out one of the richest families in Asia, the Shinawatra's.  

Ah, but weren't the Shinawatra family not actually foreign (Thai Chinese) and perhaps they  "knew too much"????

Is there any objective analysis or index measure like the Case-Schiller index that would tell us what exactly is happening with prices? Hard to trust anything you read or hear.

Does it occur to anyone that the reason rich people are rich is; they don't waste their money. All the rich people I have ever met are not necessarily tight, but certainly careful with their money. And those who are not, soon cease to be rich!

1 minute ago, Grusa said:

Does it occur to anyone that the reason rich people are rich is; they don't waste their money. All the rich people I have ever met are not necessarily tight, but certainly careful with their money. And those who are not, soon cease to be rich!

Yup!  And many rich people got rich through being clever....clever enough to spot schemes designed to part them from their wealth!

10 hours ago, mikebell said:

They are trotting out this hoary old chestnut more and more frequently now as desperation sets in.  The wealthy will not come to live in a place where there is no rule of law; no police force; dangerous roads AND a pandemic of corruption from the local cop up to the very highest in the land. Droughts and floods alternate regularly and then there are the dogs!

Western foreigners - No.  Wealthy Asians, quite possibly.  Corruption is a 2-way street.

10 hours ago, Neeranam said:

I am under no illusion, but probably nearer that first rung  than the ones that wear a Chang vest when going to Tesco Lotus food court, or drive a pickup ???? 

And what exactly is wrong with a pickup? Some of the newer ones are quite nice...

10 hours ago, Neeranam said:

I am under no illusion, but probably nearer that first rung  than the ones that wear a Chang vest when going to Tesco Lotus food court, or drive a pickup ???? 

I doubt your Lambo would make it down our potholed riddled gravel road mate, but if you want to bring it up and try it will give us all something to laugh about and we could all do with a laugh at the moment. I'll take my 4WD pick-up any day as a good practical vehicle for rural Thailand.  

10 hours ago, ezzra said:

Not always, i came to Thailand looking to marry a rich Thai woman and ended with a bar girl.. but in all seriousness, WE Don't count to them, we don't have the big money they're after so now they're looking for more affluent foreigners and us who have been here for decades becomes mind over matter, they don't mind and we don't matter...

Or, I don't mind and it doesn't matter. 

10 hours ago, mikebell said:

They are trotting out this hoary old chestnut more and more frequently now as desperation sets in.  The wealthy will not come to live in a place where there is no rule of law; no police force; dangerous roads AND a pandemic of corruption from the local cop up to the very highest in the land. Droughts and floods alternate regularly and then there are the dogs!

Not to mention the suffocating smog in the North that seemingly gets worse and lasts longer every year. I used to love visiting the North in the winter, it’s so beautiful up there. But they won’t see me there anymore, the last two times I went there (last time was in the winter of 2011/2012) I ended up with a very bad case of bronchitis. So one more reason to shun Thailand.

I wrote a whole screed about what is bad about being an expat here .But i scrubbed it in case we are being monitored. Suffice it to say there are  zillions of places for the rich better than here without all the down sides.

12 minutes ago, sbf said:

I doubt your Lambo would make it down our potholed riddled gravel road mate, but if you want to bring it up and try it will give us all something to laugh about and we could all do with a laugh at the moment. I'll take my 4WD pick-up any day as a good practical vehicle for rural Thailand.  

Actually Lamborghini now do a 4WD. No good?

 

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/lamborghini/urus

11 hours ago, Pravda said:

It's the same like when you've been with a certain bank for 20 years and they give $300 to new customers who open a checking account with them and nothing to their old and loyal ones.

 

So, what about you? Nada. It's just business.

 

 

I would expect residence for that kind of money and after five years citizenship.

Still a guest even after 16 years here. ????

From 7/8 years ago saving money constantly to buy 

 

initially a regular sized house block of land followed by another slightly larger house block of land, a largish block of land with Longan trees on it 

 

Finally over the past few years saving for a new house, building the new house and now enjoying living in the new house with family 

 

Sheeww ????

 

I don't mind 90 day reporting quick and easy at my local immigration office