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

[EricTh]

16 minutes ago, Smithson said:

And hardest of all is the non B and accompanying WP. This doesn't help investment or efficiency.

 

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.

 

 

 

Edited September 15, 2021 by EricTh

[BusyB]

4 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!

They're targeting wealthy Chinese not westerners ... whether or not that is successful is another matter, but the bar is that much lower and the Chinese middle classes are now incredibly rich and seem to like LOS.

Obviously you're average wealthy westerner will only ever drop in for a vacation ...

[DrPhibes]

4 hours ago, Neeranam said:

If a Thai retiree wants to live in the USA, he must invest 16,000,000 baht, yet USA retirees here moan about just SHOWING 800,000 baht ONCE a year at immigration. 

Foreigners who work here, and give to the country, can get PR or citizenship, in quite a simple process(especially if married to a Thai).

I find it laughable when I hear a retired butcher, Bert from Bolton, who married Buriram Noi from the Pink Pussy bar, complain about not getting a Thai ID card. 

So that's who married Buriran Noi, lucky guy!  What a beautiful young lady she is.  She has a kind heart as big as Texas, often took her days before going to work to go pray at the temple and donated often.  She had a habit of making sure strays were fed and had a big smile and kind words for all.  And her cooking, oh boy!  Nobody could "stir the pot" or "take the Saak to the Krok" (often with beads of sweat tricking down between her ample clevage) like Buriran Noi!   One that got away, hope Bert treats her well...

[matta]

Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few needs.

I don't understand that Thailand is looking for affluent foreigners when a simple police officer in Thailand already has over 600 million in the bank and a fleet of luxury cars

[djayz]

4 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 air, water and noise pollution; abysmal track record for protecting the environment and don't even get me on the topic of "casual conversation" with the locals! 

 

[cmarshall]

1 minute ago, Tanomazu said:

Who'd want to retire to Greece? It's a failed country with crumbling health care.

 

Or Malta, the mafia state, or Cyprus that weird Turkish/Greek mafia enclave?

 

Are people seriously considering moving to these places?

European countries are typically going to be interested in collecting income tax from residents, unlike Thailand.  

[eastendanto]

5 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.

 

 

exactly right, same for signing up for new car insurance, new cable/satellite deal... except with all these you can always change companies for the next best deal... in the Thai version you have to change country!!! ???? 

[JustAnotherHun]

22 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Which counties? Certainky not the UK. 

Cyprus, Greece, Italy and other EU-countries. It's called "Golden Visa". But for sure not available for retirees with a few bucks pension. 

[Tanomazu]

2 minutes ago, cmarshall said:

European countries are typically going to be interested in collecting income tax from residents, unlike Thailand.  

Exactly, and in Thailand you only get charged income tax if you brought the money in and it was earned in the same year.

 

Much better tax rules for expats in Thailand.

[koele2]

The powers that be don’t care if foreigners support the local economy.  It doesn’t line their pockets.  Or not enough.  They want more.  Money should not go to locals and working Thais, it has to all go to those in power.  Nice watches aren’t cheap.  

[rcuthbert]

The whiners need to their hormones checked. Sounds like the wailing of high estrogen, low testosterone, Internet warriors. LOL.

 

Whats with the inflammatory rhetoric in the original post - "Furious Retirees" LOL. This is not an American far left forum.

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

They say they bring money in, support the local economy, support Thai people like wives and children but are treated like second class citizens as they are not the cash cows favored by the government.

They need to "lure" new blood because new blood is gullible.

Others have been, tried it and left for easier places to live/work or do business.

Retirees like me live a reasonable quiet life but don't make big bucks for the government.

 

[tomacht8]

25 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

How many Thai male retirees marry young wiman from your country? 

If there were hundreds if thoudands, do you think they would change the current laws? 

They do not change the law.

Why should they?

You have a Problem when an old man marry a younger woman?

 

In my country quite a lot older women are married with younger foreign men too. 

 

It should not be the task of the state to regulate the way people live together or who is allowed to marry who. All people should have the same rights regardless of age, gender, origin, race, language, homeland and origin, belief, religious and political beliefs. So it is written in our constitution.

 

And that foreigners in Thailand are often people - aliens - second class is obvious if you have lived here long enough. There are many examples of!

 

 

 

[DrPhibes]

2 hours ago, Nojohndoe said:

4 hours ago, Pravda said:

Meanwhile in Bali.....

 

https://www.traveloffpath.com/indonesian-minister-backpackers-are-not-welcome-in-bali-upon-reopening/

I wonder how  that will be "enforced" ? Pre covid Bali was almost a weekender and school holiday destination for Australians especially  from Perth who for the most part could be considered back packers. The proliferation of both budget and high end hotels will be cause for some resentment. Bali is specifically tourism dependent and moving the inbound criteria to the high end will result in a huge sector being disenfranchised in any recovery.

 

Great, they already ruined Kuta beach, in the end Bali will be as much Indonesian as Waikiki is Hawaiian.

[Gecko123]

Covid-19 and climate change have changed the trajectory of global tourism for the foreseeable future, if not forever. The time to recognize that global mass tourism is not sustainable has long since passed.  It is time for the Thai government to realize that the world has entered the Age of Atonement, and to recognize that for most of us, our lives have been characterized by unsustainable over-consumption of goods and services. The competition to see who can consume the most is being replaced by a competition to see who can do the most to improve the environment. If the Thai government were smart it would be looking for ways to attract people who can do the most to help towards the goal of improving the environment and combating climate change: academics, climate specialists, mass transit infrastructure specialists, agriculturalists, etc.

 

Giving preferential treatment to the wealthy, hoping to benefit in the short term from their ostentatious consumerism is environmentally unsustainable, conflicts with many Buddhist values, and will benefit already wealthy business and property owners the most. On the other hand, a focus on reforming the educational system and becoming the ASEAN leader in climate change technology would benefit farmers and the lower and middle classes the most, which in the long run would improve Thailand's economic health and social fabric.

 

Trying to restore Thailand's tourism industry to its past glory and heyday is shortsighted and, frankly, delusional. Mass-tourism puts an unsustainable strain on Thailand's  environment as well as the Thai people's cultural resiliency. At its core, Thailand's attraction was the charm of its people, and its environmental beauty.

 

Covid-19 masks have literally hidden from sight the emblematic Thai smile. People have had to learn to be satisfied with reading smile lines around the eyes.  Engaging socially is hazardous duty: hygiene masks hide facial expressions, interactions are held to a minimum, conversations are conducted through vinyl partitions and hand signals, and trying to make yourself understood or understand someone through an N-95 mask is exhausting and frustrating no matter how good your Thai is. So, thinking that tourists are going to come flocking back under these conditions is pretty unrealistic in my book.

 

Environmental degradation too has spoiled much of Thailand's natural beauty: rain forests, elephant reserves, hill tribe villages, and unspoiled beaches and islands. Does Thailand still have the environmental assets to attract wealthy travelers, those who presumably have a wide range of options available to them? Mother nature needs time to heal. I am sure I am not alone in reporting that the healing process is slowing beginning. Out in the countryside, the air is fresher, wildlife seems to be regenerating. On successive early morning walks I have spotted a family of owls together. It is heartening to see the recuperative power of mother nature. Why not let that healing process continue for the long-term benefit of the Thai people?

 

I would say Thailand needs to start making more long-range plans about its future, and stop tinkering with quick fix solutions to get things back to the way they were a few years back. It's not going to work: the world has changed. Instead, I would focus on reforming the educational system, and attracting resources from abroad which can help improve the academic culture in Thailand, and help Thailand become a regional leader in climate change technology and innovation. These are the people Thailand should be competing to attract. Fire the sycophantic fortune tellers, astrologers, and "yes-man" toadies who are only capable of looking to the past for guidance, and hire forward thinking planners and technocrats to help move Thailand's economy and education system into the 21rst century.

 

The world has changed. Pretending it hasn't, is only wasting precious time.

 

Edited September 15, 2021 by Gecko123

[cmarshall]

Everyone of us who relocated to Thailand knew or should have known that we were giving up the substantial advantages of citizenship in our home countries.  No one can claim that the smooth-talking Thailand Recruiters © mislead us with false assurances that we would always be treated as equal to the Thai citizens.  We are second class here only because we made ourselves second class.  That doesn't bother me, but if it bothers you, then you made a mistake coming here, but not one that can't be corrected.

[Scouse123]

Bring all your money to Thailand but for god's sake, make sure it isn't in plastic bags when you arrive!

 

Otherwise your money is gone and we know what they do with the plastic bags!

[JWRC]

4 hours ago, smedly said:

many people who have been living here for a prolonged period (10 years +) some more than 20 years have spent a considerable amount of money, importantly it is money that flows into Thailand and not out.

 

What do they get in return ?............nothing, in fact if anything the authorities seem hell bent on introducing more and more hurdles and red tape, they seem to get some sort of infantile sick pleasure of shafting the tens of thousands of expats and retirees - it is shameful

I have been here over 20 years, I have around 25 million Baht invested here and in addition what I bring in to the country and spend each year. I knew the rules when I first bought money in, so I am not complaining now. I comply with the immigration requirements and do the 90 reports which is a simple procedure. I admit I was a bit put out when they made medical Insurance mandatory for my visa, but if that's what was needed I duly complied. It always amazes me why folks get themselves in a state because they can't get their own way, especially when they knew the rules to begin with. 

[ThaiFelix]

I keep thinking the word 'parasites'..............I wonder why?

[Harveyboy]

5 hours ago, Neeranam said:

If a Thai retiree wants to live in the USA, he must invest 16,000,000 baht, yet USA retirees here moan about just SHOWING 800,000 baht ONCE a year at immigration. 

Foreigners who work here, and give to the country, can get PR or citizenship, in quite a simple process(especially if married to a Thai).

I find it laughable when I hear a retired butcher, Bert from Bolton, who married Buriram Noi from the Pink Pussy bar, complain about not getting a Thai ID card. 

OH NO didn't know Noi had married ..no more pink pussy bar for me 

[BusyB]

5 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...

It saves them having to fork out for a decent social security system ...

[LivinLOS]

Quote

Furious retirees/expats in Thailand slam proposals to attract wealthy foreigners

Of course the poverty pensioners howl.. they are not invited.. and where next ?? Cambodia ?? PI ?? how far down the ladder can they end up when the pensions are going to get chewed up by inflation over the next decade.. 

Get used to it, Thailand isnt going to remain easy or cheap.. Always have an exit plan.. 

Thailand has made it abundantly clear who they want to attract.. 

[djayz]

37 minutes ago, EricTh said:

Then there are people who circumvent the 800k baht requirement by hiring agents and bribing some immigration officers.

 

This will only cause immigration to raise the financial bar in the future. Malaysia has already raise its bar.

 

There are always a few who make life difficult for everybody else. 

[tomacht8]

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

How many Thai male retirees marry young wiman from your country? 

If there were hundreds if thoudands, do you think they would change the current laws? 

And one other thought as to what your question implies. Have a look which Thai women are married by older pensioners.

 

It doesn't matter whether they are an ex bar girl or not, as long as both partners are satisfied.

 

The life stories of many girls are the same. Got pregnant at a young age. The Thai man then runs away and does not pay any alimony. Many of these young mothers end up in the red light milieu.

 

If they are lucky they will find a good foreign knight who will take them out of the nightlife, which is boring after a few years. The man is happy that he has a young but experienced wife. The woman is satisfied with the safety and comfort.

 

Why should such a marriage be legally worse off?

Edited September 15, 2021 by tomacht8

[10baht]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

They are shouting from the rooftops throughout the nation: What the hell about us?

Damn right.

[malibukid]

5 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!

most luxury items are not available here and what is charge a 100% import tax

[Boyblue]

5 hours ago, Eibot said:

We already have visa options for retirees and people working in Thailand...

What they want?

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

[DUNROAMIN]

Normal for Thais, look for easy way out to fix ailing economy. Same as forever relying on Tourist income prior covid 19 to prop up the economy. Next will be more CCP investment money into Thailand, then become trapped in the belt and road debt trap.

[phetphet]

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

Which counties? Certainky not the UK. 

How do you think the Thaksins got their Montenegran passports.

 

https://www.euronews.com/2020/10/20/buying-eu-citizenship-what-are-golden-passports-and-visas-and-how-do-they-work

 

https://www.henleyglobal.com/citizenship-investment/austria?page=ppc_SGP_dsa_prod_cit_austria&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9ISU9MuA8wIVr5lmAh2jaghdEAAYASAAEgKrGfD_BwE

[10baht]

5 hours ago, ezzra said:

i came to Thailand looking to marry a rich Thai woman and ended with a bar girl..

Wow! I came to Thailand to marry a bar girl and married a rich Thai woman. Funny world !