What about us? Furious retirees/expats in Thailand slam proposals to attract wealthy foreigners

[Elkski]

I read  all these pages.   Wow. 

 I looked at retiring in Thailand starting after my first visit in 2016.  It didn't take long before I was looking at Vietnam, then choose to bring a nice Thai woman to USA and live here.  But I have followed Thailand news and events most everyday for 5 years. 

Anutin- dirty farang.

The way the government has shown their true feelings about foreigners throughout the covid debacle.  The continued trotting out ideas to scam, lure, trick rich people to come lose their money.  The way they have taken care of the little Thai people who are ranked higher than all farang.  

It's not looking very good for the security of your long term guys.   They don't appreciate you because they already have you.   I can't imagine many rich people will come to a country like this.   Good massages or not. 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 15, 2021 by Elkski

[jmcet]

9 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Same rung as whom?

 

What BS, do you really think a retired 70-year old taxi driver that comes here and marries a peasant girl half his age should get citizenship? 

 

Can't you see that Thailand has a unique situation here with the sexpats and has to have rules like no land to protect the country. 

 

Maybe should get together in our Chang singlets and protest.

 

 

 

 

What BS, do you really think a retired 70-year engineer who has been married to a Thai lady for 45 years who is 5 years  younger and has been retired in Thailand for 10 years should get citizenship? 

 

Maybe you should consider getting off of your high horse...

[mut462]

I have spent millions of baht here over the last 12 years and I do respect the system and the culture, however I do believe that countries should present Thailand with reciprocal arrangements when their citizens want to reside in other countries. Being a Brit I believe that Thais should be presented with the same rules and restrictions if they choose to live in the Uk. Money in the bank every year 90 day reporting, can’t buy land etc. if the majority of countries did this I think you would see a dramatic shift in Thai immigration policy. 

[Elkski]

Policy makes and shakers send their daughters to top schools.  But where are the men for them to marry? Perhaps they like the idea of recruiting rich men to Thailand who are deserving of their daughters?

[zzaa09]

21 minutes ago, Kirb46Lam said:

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 

 

And all this without the unnecessary whinging and tire old angst that manifest from special Farang that the Thai society owes so much to.....? ????????

[LukKrueng]

I don't understand what they all cry about. If you've been working for 3 years legally, you can apply for a PR, and later citizenship. If you're married to a Thai and been legally working for 3 years you can apply directly for citizenship. Most countries in the world have terms and conditions for people who want to migrate to their country. It can be a needed profession/ skill, it can be a sum of investment or whatever. 

[natway09]

"Jump through hoops to stay here"   Please wise up.

One physical showing a year & 1,900 Bht. If not prepared to put 800,000 Bht into an interest earning, tax refundable local account then maybe should stay home in your Nanny state.

I do not agree with the 90 day report (unless you change addresses) but if you want to pay 600 BHt you can avoid the trip & the waiting 

Health insurance can be a problem for some that have not been here so long & did not think this one through first but can hardly expect the Thai Government to cover all us oldees as contribute little & if you are working then have some protection &  if young can still procure

We still have one of the cheapest places to live on the globe but the more Western style you want to live the more costlier it gets & insisting on eating western food all the time will not help.

running aircons all day  (energy is still well priced) will make for higher costs. 

You can't always have your cake & eat it too

[wasabi]

They know the 90 day reporting is unnecessary as a routine requirement. If you move reporting would be more understandable, but if not just get rid of it. The fact they dangle it as an incentive for well healed investors shows they know it serves no real purpose. Either way I hope they get rid of it for everyone. But This is Thailand so they will do what they want.

[ricardofel]

Fortunately for me I got smart 8 years ago when I left. Lived in HuaHin for 2 years and Chiang Mai for 5 years. The corruption, the environment, 90 day reporting...enough! Sold my 26 rai, my house 9 months later and NO regrets. Sure..... America is not perfect, but life is very good and organic foods are real! 

[Neeranam]

51 minutes ago, jmcet said:

What BS, do you really think a retired 70-year engineer who has been married to a Thai lady for 45 years who is 5 years  younger and has been retired in Thailand for 10 years should get citizenship? 

 

Maybe you should consider getting off of your high horse...

Hard to understand the question. 

 

If you have only retired here for 10 years, and never worked here, I don't think you should get citizenship. Have you integrated, can you speak Thai fluently? Depends on other factors too, like is your wife a professional,  etc.

[jmcet]

1 minute ago, Neeranam said:

Hard to understand the question. 

 

If you have only retired here for 10 years, and never worked here, I don't think you should get citizenship. Have you integrated, can you speak Thai fluently? Depends on other factors too, like is your wife a professional,  etc.

I speak Thai. My wife worked for the US Army for 15 years in four countries. (including Thailand as I did) I have 2 daughters who are dual nationals and each speak  4 languages (Thai included) 

And just exactly do YOU not understand about your high horse?

As far as citizenship is concerned I could take it or leave it. PR would be nice but I do not expect it. I have no problem meeting the requirements for retirement extension and do not fall into your 20%atge...enjoy your day

[Mike k]

12 hours ago, BE88 said:

My problem is that I see more and more compromising my future in Thailand against everything I have invested and that I continue to support the economy of Thailand and it will probably be the worst investment I have ever made in my life.

Me and my wife have come to the conclusion that the worst thing we've done is for me to retire early sell our house in the US and move here but 4 years ago it seemed OK 

[Eibot]

6 hours ago, Boyblue said:

to be treated as equals and not second class citizens.... Thais in the UK have all the same benefits as a person born there....

What do benefits have to do with it.. You don't get benefits in Thailand.

Ever heard of an investment visa in the UK?

[Eibot]

6 hours ago, wwest5829 said:

After 10 years residence, no negative record = Permanent Resident status and an end to having to report to Immigration Police every 90 days (only needed for change of address).

Fair enough, but that is a separate issue to that of an investment visa. 90 days requirements are very silly indeed. 

[Tanomazu]

7 minutes ago, Mike k said:

Me and my wife have come to the conclusion that the worst thing we've done is for me to retire early sell our house in the US and move here but 4 years ago it seemed OK 

Why is it the worst thing you've done?

[Eibot]

6 hours ago, TechnikaIII said:

Well, I don't know what you want, but what you do need is an English teacher. Good luck with finding a competant Thai to help you with that. 

????

I don't live in England, why should I need an english teacher? 

Little ironice for someone writing "competant". If you're going to bash my english, at least write it correct yourself. 

[Neeranam]

11 minutes ago, jmcet said:

I speak Thai. My wife worked for the US Army for 15 years in four countries. (including Thailand as I did) I have 2 daughters who are dual nationals and each speak  4 languages (Thai included) 

And just exactly do YOU not understand about your high horse?

As far as citizenship is concerned I could take it or leave it. PR would be nice but I do not expect it. I have no problem meeting the requirements for retirement extension and do not fall into your 20%atge...enjoy your day

You never asked me a question about horses, did you? You are confused or maybe I am. 

If you have lived in Thailand for many years, you should have got your ducks in order and not have left it until now, when it is impossible for you to get citizenship or PR.    

 

 

[The Cipher]

11 hours ago, mokwit said:

The way I think it would play out would be they would see that you have been renewing your retirement extension continuously over several years they would say that you should really be on the "correct" visa for long stay.

I'm not really familiar with the retirement extension because I've never been eligible for it. But based on the little I understand there are some programs O-something-or-other(?) specifically for retirees or seniors over a certain age looking to retire in the country.

 

If my above paragraph is correct, then I don't see see the new visas as being in competition with the dedicated retirement pathway. In my case I'm looking at the proposed new residence visas for folks earning an active income elsewhere. Besides the elite visa, there currently aren't a ton of above-board options for me or people like me (I know numerous people who don't fit neatly into the current buckets but would fit into the newly proposed ones).

 

So I see this as the opening of new paths for different types of foreigners without any real cannibalization of the existing paths. And when it's written that way, isn't that kinda exactly what they said the program was for?

[SW Happy]

They've had your blood, now looking for new stones.

[daveAustin]

13 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 ???? 

Lol. Snappy comeback Neeranam! It might also help if the wife-beater-wearing ruffians don nice shoes and learn the language a bit like, innit  ????

[redwood1]

As many here yap away about pointless likes or dislike about Thailand....There is a huge elephant in the room that could crush many..

 

There has been visa tightening after visa tightening after visa tightening for about 10 years now........Go ahead and keep yapping away about the 90 day nonsense and the like but I am very concerned that one day they might just want 250,000 dollars in the bank for a visa renewal.....

I have seen no signs of visas relaxing in a very very long time.... 

Edited September 15, 2021 by redwood1

[Neeranam]

7 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Lol. Snappy comeback Neeranam! It might also help if the wife-beater-wearing ruffians don nice shoes and learn the language a bit like, innit  ????

Some of the codgers had a whole thread about footwear. ???? 

 

 

[Stargeezr]

The rich get many benefits, Money talks, and it seems that the rich in Thailand can

get away with almost everything, and I mean everything.  Shameful. ,

and the small minded government are rich as well, so there it is. if you are not rich

like them, you mean nothing to them,  just the way it is.

  Geezer

[JustAnotherHun]

Why should Thailand make the long stay on the low end even more easy than it is right now (just 400/800k or a small monthly pension, the "horrible" 5 minutes each 90-days-visit).

Because those always complaining retirees are god's gift to the country?

Edited September 15, 2021 by JustAnotherHun

[oslooskar]

2 hours ago, Eibot said:

If you're going to bash my english, at least write it correct yourself. 

English hasn't been written correctly for centuries. In fact, it can't be written correctly unless one uses the Torskript alphabet.

[spermwhale]

I love how the Thai government and many Thai people want foreigners to stay out of their business and they never want our help when it comes to planning and risk management. Mind your own business farang!

But now the government is out hat in hand begging rich foreigners to move to Thailand to boost the economy because they are too inept to make it happen themselves. This is what global panhandling looks like. Pathetic. They make it hard as hell for foreigners to live there and Prayut and company have been on a sustained path of making it more and more difficult for people to stay without running afoul of constantly changing immigration rules. 

Now with the economy in shambles they suddenly need foreigner's help in the form of their money. It disgusts me frankly.

And here's a news flash: The majority of well-heeled foreigners would NEVER live in Thailand with its unrelenting humidity, filthy streets, garbage strewn small towns and <deleted> infrastructure. The majority of my high-earning friends would never in a million years move to Thailand. It's just not that fantastic. 

[Thunglom]

3 minutes ago, oslooskar said:

English hasn't been written correctly for centuries. In fact, it can't be written correctly unless one uses the Torskript alphabet.

I think this shows the level of misunderstandings in general on this thread. 

[Thunglom]

3 hours ago, Kirb46Lam said:

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 

 

...and the fact you don't own the house?

Edited September 15, 2021 by Thunglom

[Citzofwrld2]

15 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.

 

 

Maybe you should have waited way back then for the $300 to be offered to you before opening a account.

[kiwikeith]

16 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!

You forgot low grade infrastructure, with sewage smells wafting out of the ground, undrinkable tap water etc etc.

I had to supply my own sacks to cover sewerage grates outside my place or it’s very smelly on a hot day.