Thailand steps up efforts to attract more expats

[Destiny1990]

Many cons and pros? Name me one con about having financial stable expats choosing to reside in Thailand? (Btw most have already left)

Anyway look at these “economical” benefit seeking barely educated asylum demanders that Europe gets. Zero pros and millions of cons. ????

[ChrisKC]

No discrimination there then,

 

No ordinary tourists may apply to visit Thailand!

 

Those with Swiss Bank Accounts or anyone with a Coutts Account, very welcome

 

Won't help ground level businesses, though.

 

In reality. no need for a meeting, Prayut; you are the boss, eliminate all the climbing over mountains of red tape.

 

 

[BKK Chopin]

How about sacking ALL the hyper corrupt immigration officers, especially the top?
And YES, I am outing myself here (<deleted>). I had to pay TB 5,000 extra at Wattana 4 years ago. 

[Gottfrid]

Welcome to Thailand! Now quickly show us your millions of dollars and fill in 45 papers. Do not forget to photocopy all your documents since birth before entering the country.

Now it will only take 60 days to activate your visa, which we can cancel at any time we see fit. Have a great stay, Off you go big spender!

[Charlie Halliday]

Keep dreaming. You couldn't make this stuff up. Not even a consideration for the 1000s of wealthy Farang already here who have to 90 day report and put up with all the BS at immigration every year. What a circus Thailand has become. 

[Peterphuket]

Prayut, apparently he's in bad shape, so that he only wants wealthy people in the country.

Who doesn't want that....is a rhetorical question.

[DaveCW]

3 hours 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?

Taking this idea further,  its no doubt, also to much of an expectation that our glorious embassies would be proactive and offer such advice/suggestions. 

[soalbundy]

4 hours ago, RafPinto said:

Do i count as "highly skilled"?

 

I master the art of bringing happiness to women.

You mean they put on a good show for the money

[Phredd]

I've been here 11 years and regard myself as an NGO, sort of, in my Beautiful Thai Village. I'm not anywhere near being a Millionaire, but I can assure you "my" village people/friends are very great full that I'm here. Not just for the 'funds' but also I'm able to open the eyes of their young and their Parents, to this 'Magical' and Wide World we live in. I Just Love them all.

[edwarda909]

I guess I am filthy rich by Thai standards, but I am not a big consumer, maybe max out at 25 - 30,000 a year.  I am not looking for some grandiose scheme dreamed up by the government that will ultimately be either non-workable or non-feasible for me. I would be looking for a system that is not trying to soak me through a rip-off insurance plan that would probably not pay claims anyway; not necessarily a residence permit but some type of security  that one day the government will not wake up and decide it  doesn't need expats anymore and make me null and void, not necessarily sole land ownership, but be able to purchase land with my spouse and if we divorce I have some claim to the land; the ability to start a business with tax rates comparable to what Thais pay. Some equitable employment arrangement to include Thais bit not at ridiculous ratios. (I mean , I could see Chinese starting a factory and importing its own citizens as its workforce, as they have dine in Africa.). In other words, just some rational plan that is reasonable. But the Thais in power are a scheming lot, and a very insecure lot as well. To digress, the3 idea that Thai businesses would welcome in foreign professionals is doubtful. They are so afraid they will be showed up as being inadequate, and because of their educational system they are not open to new and creative solutions.  

[edwarda909]

3 hours ago, dutchman said:

Dream on it will never ever happen

 

Appreciation is not in the government'a vocabulary.

 

[Thingamabob]

This is just lip service to the idea that those governing Thailand want to attract more foreigners, rich or not so rich. They don't. They do not want outsiders seeing what goes on here. It goes  back to events following the end of WW2.

[tlcwaterfall]

Not sure what your post has to do with the current thread.

Edited November 9, 2021 by tlcwaterfall

[thonglorjimmy]

4 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I'm guessing most of us invest about 2,000,000 baht minimum in thailand every 3 years, merely through expenditure. I think that should count for more than it does.  

I'm far from filthy rich, or even rich but I'm not exactly on the breadline.

 

I've just recently entered my fifteenth year here, so in my previous fourteen years I've brought a little over 11m Baht into the Kingdom just to meet the minimum financial requirements, in practice far more than that as I've brought a lot extra in to meet my personal requirements.

 

I've had to sit in front of an Immigration Officer fourteen times to renew my stay, some pleasant and some not so, wondering what extra they may need this time, I've reported my 90 day presence 56 times, that's on top of the times I've actually moved home.

 

I'm hoping that the Government are finally going to reach out and make my latter years of retirement more comfortable and less stressfull, but I'm not holding my breath.

[edwarda909]

3 hours ago, Guderian said:

He'd do better to recognise the important contribution made to keeping parts of Thailand's economy and some of its people afloat during the pandemic by the many expats already living here, supporting their Thai families and the Thai people who do jobs for them, and spending their money here in locally-owned businesses, rather than in hotels owned by multinational chains or on zero dollar tours. How about it, Prayut, make a list of all the foreigners who've stayed here and helped the country over the last 18 months and offer them permanent residency and the right to own one rai of land for residential purposes. It would cost the government nothing but would earn you a great deal of gratitude and respect, as well as potentially encouraging many more foreigners to move to Thailand.

What about the millions of doses of vaccines donated?  You don't hear any official announcements of thanks.

[malibukid]

3 hours ago, Guderian said:

He'd do better to recognise the important contribution made to keeping parts of Thailand's economy and some of its people afloat during the pandemic by the many expats already living here, supporting their Thai families and the Thai people who do jobs for them, and spending their money here in locally-owned businesses, rather than in hotels owned by multinational chains or on zero dollar tours. How about it, Prayut, make a list of all the foreigners who've stayed here and helped the country over the last 18 months and offer them permanent residency and the right to own one rai of land for residential purposes. It would cost the government nothing but would earn you a great deal of gratitude and respect, as well as potentially encouraging many more foreigners to move to Thailand.

and how about the expats who handed out money to the poor sleeping along the moat, or organizing food distributions to the needy in CM?  mr. P?

[473geo]

I have been having a great time through my 30 year association with Thailand.

I can say without hesitation, immigration, not owning property, not having a business, has not affected my great enjoyment or spending in Thailand 

Just lucky I guess ????

 

 

[KannikaP]

13 minutes ago, Phredd said:

I've been here 11 years and regard myself as an NGO, sort of, in my Beautiful Thai Village. I'm not anywhere near being a Millionaire, but I can assure you "my" village people/friends are very great full that I'm here. Not just for the 'funds' but also I'm able to open the eyes of their young and their Parents, to this 'Magical' and Wide World we live in. I Just Love them all.

And the local Young and Parents in my village couldn't give a monkey's about 'the Wide World', as long as they can get on Facebook, Lazada, Whats App etc. 

[malibukid]

3 hours ago, sandyf said:

You couldn't be more wrong. In over 20 years nearly all the Thais i have come across think the UK is the greatest place in the world.

After a few trips over there my wife came to realise how wrong she had been all these years. And as for the bureaucracy, if Thailand were the same there wouldn't be any TVF for whinging expats.

UK is OK for the summer.  

[BE88]

1. ‘Rich’ global citizens                                                                       Replay.  Thailand no, I am global

 

2. ‘Wealthy’ retirees                                                                           Replay.  Thailand is it a tax haven?

 

3. Digital nomads - or professionals working from Thailand         Replay.  May be, but "Not tax free offer"

 

4. Highly skilled professionals.                                                          Replay.    Pattaya closed

 

5. Retirement 0-A   O                                                                         Replay.    Many of my friends have already left and others are leaving

 

                                  Mistake # 5 was not mentioned

 

[itsari]

Suggestion 3 and 4 should be priority for the future of Thailand . Suggestion 1 and 2 should not be high on there agenda . 

Thailand needs expertise which will make all Thais more wealthy in the long term .

[renaissanc]

"What we'll do is to make them report every 90 days providing the same information each time. We'll tell them they have to report to Immigration when they leave their province and return home. We'll call that the TM 30. We'll also make them photocopy 2 piles of documents and report to Immigration with them each year even though their visa will be for longer. This will attract more expats for sure! Aren't I a clever Prime Minister! I understand the minds of expats!"

[D M G]

If the same criteria applied to Thais...

[phetphet]

5 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

How about banning dual pricing and making farang feel more welcome

Won't happen. In fact it will increase as they will think "only rich farang allowed to stay Thailand. Can afford to pay more."

[Richard 2020]

There is no double pricing in Thailand!

Ok, sometimes it is also 300% more than for the non-Thai!

But this is not a surcharge for foreigners.

NO, the price for Thais was only reduced!

So the Farang price is the normal price, the Thai price is subsidized by the gouverment.....55555

[jwbrit]

I got it, if you're retired, married to a Thai, you have children, you've invested in a home and contribute to your local economy, you get a 10 year visa. Perfect!

Wait, what's that? No, not you. You just continue with your 1 year visa extension. But if you win the lottery we may re-consider your situation. Just be sure to check in every 90 days.

[473geo]

38 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

Welcome to Thailand! Now quickly show us your millions of dollars and fill in 45 papers. Do not forget to photocopy all your documents since birth before entering the country.

Now it will only take 60 days to activate your visa, which we can cancel at any time we see fit. Have a great stay, Off you go big spender!

Actually that's pretty much what NZ required document wise For immigration so many posting  here really have not got a clue!!

 

 

 

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

4 hours 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.

I've actually heard that story, here or another Thailand site.

 

Some farang had some business. He complained about always having trouble finding good employees. They'd come late, leave early, then quit showing up altogether. Finally he just started calling them only when he needed something, with a flat rate upon completion.

 

He had a debt to be collected, something only like 1000 baht. He was more concerned with the principle of it and being screwed over by the customer, than the money. He told this young lady, off/on employee, that if she were to go collect the debt it was hers to keep. Her reply? "Can't you just send me the money, then get it from him yourself?" ????

 

Oh, why are we troubling these poor Thais in their country? Let's just send them money and stay out of their hair.

[Kwaibill]

5 hours ago, Chris.B said:

No, what's important is getting rid of the medical insurance requirement for the Thailand Pass for all Thai residents and ditching the 90 day reports.

Aye for ditching the 90 day BS. I think annual should be good unless one moves house.

Residency permit, Thai ID, and enrolled in the National health insurance scheme. Property ownership would help, too. Thais can buy real estate elsewhere. Pretty sure they can enroll in Medicare too, if they reach retirement status. Plenty of doable incentives, I think.

Sheryl mentioned it would be a PITA to organise the medical bit. I think not so much. I was paying over 4,000 baht for Medicare. That would be a decent premium, I think, coupled with appropriate co-pays.

[86Tiger]

7 minutes ago, 473geo said:

Actually that's pretty much what NZ required document wise For immigration so many posting  here really have not got a clue!!

 

 

 

I concur.  Pretty much every nation has a whirlwind of paperwork and regulations.  The first time.  

 

After that you are either in or out and they leave you alone.