Thailand steps up efforts to attract more expats

[DLock]

Just a suggestion, but why have a committee of Thai fossils trying to figure out what would tempt foreigners to come settle here.

 

Why not some focus groups made up of foreigners from each of your targeted areas and ask them and run your lame ideas past them.

 

Right now, you just making up ish. It might be easier than you think.

[Chris.B]

1 hour ago, dendijk said:

Hmmmm..... I did just that Mr Prayut. I came here after I married my thai wife. We bought a house, and some land to make a village to retire from. Then EGAT came in 2017 and said we are going to put a tower and a transmission line right through the middle of it. It is almost 2022 and we still haven't received any compensation. Almost broke we had no other choice to return to Europe now. But thank you for taking such good care of the 'expats'!

You was going to make a village? ????

[AndrewL]

There really is only two results of letting in expats.

 

1. They will bring their money into Thailand and invest.

2. They will bring their money into Thailand and spend.

 

Rich people are rich because they know how to invest. They invest in Thailand because Thailand is a good investment. That has to do with the business environment, how well the economy is managed and laws concerning investment. It has nothing to do with visa's for living in Thailand. The rich may get a visa, but they are not going to invest because they have a visa. They will spend, but there are few of them.

 

Regular retirees, will also not invest. They can't afford it. But they will buy a house, they will buy a car, they will pay for electricity and food and travel inside Thailand. In other words, retirees come to Thailand to spend money. They are like year round tourists. They may not spend as much per week as regular tourists, but in a year they spend far more and they will spend money on the same things as middle class Thai's. This builds up infrastructure and business that all Thais use, spreading their spending to a much wider range of businesses than tourists do. It is a very healthy type of spending as opposed to only restaurants, hotels and bars.

 

Who will generate more sustainable and predictable economic benefit to Thailand: 100 billionaires or 1 million retirees?

 

Wealthy countries are not wealthy because of billionaires, they are wealthy because the middle class is large. Thailand would be far better off getting many, many retirees. They will bring in their money, they will spend it then, when they die, they will leave houses, infrastructure and money to their relatives and friends inside Thailand and that wealth will help the Thai economy long into the future.

 

Thailand needs a larger middle class. Import it.

 

My suggestion is

 

1. Long term retirement visas. At least five years. 10 would be better.

2. No 90 day reporting. I think yearly is a decent compromise to ensure legal residency/marriage in Thailand. For non-retirees rules may be different.

3. Yearly Medical Insurance fee for the government program as part of the visa, just like all Thais. If a retiree wants more, they can pay for more, just like Thais.

4. Ability to own a single personal residence and land of a maximum size (2-4 Rai say). The residence can be inherited by the owners children regardless of residence or citizenship. Retiree would feel more comfortable making this large investment and it would cut down on the fraud often associated with land and expats.

 

These changes would be enough for me to feel secure and to deeply commit to living in Thailand. But, I have a one year visa, so I plan one year at a time. Something I am reminded of every 90 days.

 

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand is setting up its efforts to attract more foreigners to settle in the country long term.

Here we go... just deposit your millions in Thai banks to prop up the system, in return get to spend more on condo's to help the developers out of a tight spot, then you can have a visa... 

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, petermik said:

I,m in the ’big bucks league’............

As in "green-backs" or?

[worgeordie]

When the hoards of very wealthy , super skilled ,& nomads fail

to appear ,will they then be pleased to welcome the riff raff,

sex mongers, and criminals again.....????

regards worgeordie

 

[473geo]

15 minutes ago, DLock said:

Just a suggestion, but why have a committee of Thai fossils trying to figure out what would tempt foreigners to come settle here.

 

Why not some focus groups made up of foreigners from each of your targeted areas and ask them and run your lame ideas past them.

 

Right now, you just making up ish. It might be easier than you think.

How many suggestions on this thread are just a tad self serving ????

[ikke1959]

If you only want to catch the biggest fish, you will be very disappointed with all the others you can catch.. Result will be that stay empted handed......Why not focus on "normal" people, middle class, and easier immigration rules for those who are here already for several years... The rules of 65.000 income a month is already enough. Not many Thais has this monthly income...smoother rules will bring also more retirees instead of many who are fleeing now. Pamper them a bit more and everyone will be happy.

[Denim]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand is setting up its efforts to attract more foreigners to settle in the country long term.

What efforts would those be ??

 

Not seen any efforts that make things easier for the expats they already have but  they talk about attracting more. ?? 

[newnative]

1 hour ago, 86Tiger said:

 

 

They come up with all these ideas but one has to wonder if any of the persons discussing new proposals actually know any expats?  Or dare try ask any expat or foreigner in generally why they go to Thailand?

I was just going to say the same thing.  Why don't they ever have any expats in these meetings?  Get some perspective on the subject--and some fresh ideas.  Instead, it looks like they are just hashing over the same old lousy proposals.  And, just more blah, blah, blah and no action.

[GeorgeCross]

its ironic that my friends & my 'plan B' funds are much much bigger than our 'plan A' investments in this country.

 

if thailand ever wants to see some (or all) of that plan A mana they sure as <deleted> won't be doing it by force.

 

you catch more flies with honey thailand. jus' sayin.

 

[John Drake]

1 hour ago, mokwit said:

They have yet to perfect the "stay at home and send the money visa", but are sure with enough effort they can crack this one.

They are getting closer. With the Thailand Pass requirement to pay for a hotel room on arrival--and then not getting around to approving the pass in time for the flight--they've almost got it done.

[tonray]

I'm waiting for the "Thailand Token MooBaan Farang" visa.  Every MooBaan should have at least one foreigner for Thai residents to gawk at and gossip over and blame stuff on (hmm well there is a foreigner over on soi 3) .im that guy

[maddermax]

Sod the tourists, what about us residents? We would like to be able to drink alcohol with a meal out.

Tourists are never going to come if you are not allowing the restaurants to sell alcohol with food.

[smew]

Thai tourism bureau wants to sprint now to increase visitor numbers, but they shot themselves in the foot with all the: registrations, restrictions, demands and ever changing regulations. People realized there are other places to visit and live without hoops. Reality will kick in in few months. And hope Thais will get down to earth and get off their high horse stop dreaming that their country is and always will be in such great demand. 

        

[Markus Rider]

maybe they will add more different O, Non O, Non O-A and whatever stuff to make it more attractive....this will only attract the stupid or ignorant ones....

[mokwit]

11 minutes ago, John Drake said:

They are getting closer. With the Thailand Pass requirement to pay for a hotel room on arrival--and then not getting around to approving the pass in time for the flight--they've almost got it done.

Sadly they seem to have got it done with Thai dependent child visas in some circumstances I believe - I think they increased the requirements for actually staying here to support a dependent child, but there are no restrictions on sending money from your home country for those who don't qualify for a Thai dependent child visa.

[GrandPapillon]

in this typical schizo government, one part of the brain focusing on expats harassment, and the other on expats promotion ????

[BangkokReady]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

1. ‘Rich’ global citizens

 

2. ‘Wealthy’ retirees

 

3. Digital nomads - or professionals working from Thailand

 

4. Highly skilled professionals

It's a nice idea, but even with long-term visas and owning land, does that make Thailand attractive enough as a permanent place to make a home, especially given that wealthy people have more options than most?  Will these "desirables" be protected from the other issues that foreigners face?

[tonray]

10 minutes ago, maddermax said:

Sod the tourists, what about us residents? We would like to be able to drink alcohol with a meal out.

Tourists are never going to come if you are not allowing the restaurants to sell alcohol with food.

So your looking for the "Long Stay Drinkers Visa" Interesting concept,  maybe instead of the 800k baht you must prove receipts for an least 800k in Lao Khao over a 12 month period for renewal. Or use the combo method of both Lao Khao and Chang or Leo receipts totaling 800k.

[BangkokReady]

9 minutes ago, GrandPapillon said:

in this typical schizo government, one part of the brain focusing on expats harassment, and the other on expats promotion ????

It's quite a bizarre dichotomy where they try to please all people.  "We need the population to believe that we are doing all we can to attract quality foreigners that will bring money into Thailand, but we also need to show people that we regard foreigners as lowly, dangerous people who are beneath us yet should still always pay more than natives."

Edited November 9, 2021 by BangkokReady

[Mavideol]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand is setting up its efforts to attract more foreigners to settle in the country long term.

sure, sure and the one on top of their list is to (again) appreciate the baht.... was close to 34 to the USD now 32.7 or is the USD being depreacited

[Chongalulu]

Simply more inane ,ill informed vague waffle. Aspiration without any meaningful understanding of ways to achieve.

[BangkokReady]

3 minutes ago, nchuckle said:

Simply more inane ,ill informed vague waffle. Aspiration without any meaningful understanding of ways to achieve.

But quality over quantity?  That's a plan, right?  /s

[eggers]

Look after the Expats already here, fix 90 day Online report for a start!!

[dallen52]

They should sit down with an advisory group of expats and listen.

 

Silly me.

They know it all anyway...

[starky]

53 minutes ago, DLock said:

Just a suggestion, but why have a committee of Thai fossils trying to figure out what would tempt foreigners to come settle here.

 

Why not some focus groups made up of foreigners from each of your targeted areas and ask them and run your lame ideas past them.

 

Right now, you just making up ish. It might be easier than you think.

Yes much better to let a committee of falang fossils whose major concern is the opening of bars and buying the cheapest <deleted> possible decide for as they will tell you they spend all the money and really keep the Thai economy moving.

[dallen52]

Just went to book my long term car rental.

Price up 4000 from July.

She said

Tourists come back now.

Go to high season price.

 

Absolutely stupid mentality.

[Parsve]

Dream on, and when you eventually wake up, think of what you offer the "trillionaires" to became a part of Thailand, an underdeveloped country. Today it is nothing more than to be cheated. Few will fall into that trap. 

[Zozod]

I kinda doubt the rich will put down roots here anymore than they have. It’s a poor nation attracting the same.  Unfortunately, poor farang here think they’re Thais and should receive the same treatment as them.  How to reduce their numbers while attracting expats with more money will be like walking a tightrope.  

Edited November 9, 2021 by Zozod
Grammatical error