Watching a news update recently they said "35,846 foreigners have obtained retirement visas" for the year.  The number seems low to me but maybe that is just because the majority are all living in Pattaya along with me.

 

I don't know if this is all the people on retirement visas or maybe just people on O-A visas. I saw something that said in 2018 there were 80,000 retirement visas. Have the number of foreigners on retirement visas been cut in half in 3 years?

I suspect that due to discontinuation  of "income letters" awhile back, many switched to "Marriage" classification and others.

The ever shifting sand of immigration would seem to cause a periodical switch in classification for some people.

 

Possible contributing factor.

@biervoormij

 

I am surprised why aseannow didn't report that interesting article.

 

The top 3 nationalities are..... drums rolling

 

A total of 35,846 foreigners have obtained retirement visas with the top three nationalities being British, Germans and Americans.

 

BTW, Are you dutch?

"Have the number of foreigners on retirement visas been cut in half in 3 years?"

 

As stated, 'no income letters' from some, most embassies, so now people have to verify the funds / income they 'claimed'.   Guessing many couldn't and moved on, or if married, changed visas.

5 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

"Have the number of foreigners on retirement visas been cut in half in 3 years?"

 

As stated, 'no income letters' from some, most embassies, so now people have to verify the funds / income they 'claimed'.   Guessing many couldn't and moved on, or if married, changed visas.

They can get retirement visas with 25 000 Baht in an envelope 

3 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

They can get retirement visas with 25 000 Baht in an envelope 

Yep, and that's why the rules are enforced, because people abuse them.  Hopefully one day, they stop the agents revolving door at Imm.

 

People complain about corruption ... bunch of hypocrites.

4 hours ago, biervoormij said:

The number seems low to me but maybe that is just because the majority are all living in Pattaya along with me.

The people who are living along you are probably mostly on a retirement extension. They don't obtain retirement visas, so they don't get counted.

57 minutes ago, EricTh said:

@biervoormij

 

BTW, Are you dutch?

No not Dutch but was learning it when I came up with the name. Beer is always close to my heart.

22 minutes ago, FriendlyFarang said:

The people who are living along you are probably mostly on a retirement extension. They don't obtain retirement visas, so they don't get counted.

It is not clear to me what is and isn't included in the 35K number.

 

Is the 35K number just for new visas? I enter Thailand on a non imm O-A but have done extensions of stay, so am I not counted in this 35K? If someone entered with a 30 day visa exemption and than converted to a Non Imm O based on retirement would they be counted the 1st year and then not included on any extensions?

 

The drop as a result of people switching from retirement to marriage made sense to me.

 

Thanks for the feedback it is not really important but was curious.

 

I have never met a Canadian in Chiayaphum I have never seen more the a dozen foreigners. The Canadian Embassy tells me there are over a hundred cm Canadians living in the province? ????????????????

 You said: Hopefully one day, they stop the agents revolving door at Imm

 

This day never will come. These payments are "part of the salary" for  many immigration employees. It's no more so easy for the agents like before, but they always find a way around with the Immigration and Bangkok Bank. 

Would the agent being stopped, at least 30% of Pattaya's Falang population would be "whipped out". (This quote from a Pattaya agent) 

 

11 hours ago, biervoormij said:

I don't know if this is all the people on retirement visas or maybe just people on O-A visas. I saw something that said in 2018 there were 80,000 retirement visas. Have the number of foreigners on retirement visas been cut in half in 3 years?

The figure you're referring to was from the 2018 statistics published online by Immigration, which said that they processed 79,107 retirement extensions during that year. The numbers were only for extensions, not visas, so they presumably undercounted the total number of retirees in country.

 

6 hours ago, FriendlyFarang said:

The people who are living along you are probably mostly on a retirement extension. They don't obtain retirement visas, so they don't get counted.

The numbers in the interview came from Immigration, which doesn't issue visas overseas, so I'm guessing that they were really referring to extensions, which are often incorrectly referred to (even by Immigration officers...) as "visas". (Immigration does issue in-country Non-O visas for retirees, but pretty much all of those turn into retirement extensions within 90 days.)

 

6 hours ago, biervoormij said:

It is not clear to me what is and isn't included in the 35K number.

 

Is the 35K number just for new visas? I enter Thailand on a non imm O-A but have done extensions of stay, so am I not counted in this 35K? If someone entered with a 30 day visa exemption and than converted to a Non Imm O based on retirement would they be counted the 1st year and then not included on any extensions?

You're right, it was all very vague. As I mentioned above, my guess is that the number was really for retirement extensions only, since that's what Immigration normally counts, but that's just a guess. 

2020 thru much of 2021 Covid-19 caught me out of Thailand. Had to let my Visa-O extension lapse. So there one. I'm thinking lots of folks got caught in home countries and couldn't get back.

1 hour ago, arick said:

I have never met a Canadian in Chiayaphum I have never seen more the a dozen foreigners. The Canadian Embassy tells me there are over a hundred cm Canadians living in the province? ????????????????

Pre-Covid the US Consulate here in Chiang Mai had stated they provided service for some 40,000 Americans in Northern Thailand but, that covered all ... retirees, employed, married to a Thai. So there was no breakdown in the total. I am curious, one would think the Thai government would have the numbers of foreigner long term Visa holders and incoming short term tourists.

Is this the number of retirement visas issued legally? Most use agents. 

1 hour ago, PeachCH said:

 You said: Hopefully one day, they stop the agents revolving door at Imm

 

This day never will come. These payments are "part of the salary" for  many immigration employees. It's no more so easy for the agents like before, but they always find a way around with the Immigration and Bangkok Bank. 

Would the agent being stopped, at least 30% of Pattaya's Falang population would be "whipped out". (This quote from a Pattaya agent) 

 

Absolutely true! As often mentioned, many Brits receiving State Pension only. Also, it is these retirees who almost certainly cannot afford health cover and believe it'll never happen to them.

35 minutes ago, inThailand said:

Is this the number of retirement visas issued legally? Most use agents. 

Most do not use agents, possibly in a place like Pattaya with it's down at heel drunks with no option

9 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Yep, and that's why the rules are enforced, because people abuse them.  Hopefully one day, they stop the agents revolving door at Imm.

 

People complain about corruption ... bunch of hypocrites.

It’s perfectly legitimate to complain about corruption while having to go along with it in order to get things done. We didn’t make the rules of the game here but we are obliged to play by them.

20 minutes ago, nchuckle said:

It’s perfectly legitimate to complain about corruption while having to go along with it in order to get things done. We didn’t make the rules of the game here but we are obliged to play by them.

Hence the problem, and the perfect 'rationality' of a hypocrite.

I'd love a retirement visa.  I'm off to Immigration today to renew my retirement extension on my Non-O visa.

The number is meaningless unless they define which categorles are included. But anyone who is paying attention has noticed a significant percentage of retired expat drainage due to immigration policy changes. Its not only about the income letters. The onerous changes with the 800k account rules were a big factor as well.

1 minute ago, DefaultName said:

I'd love a retirement visa.  I'm off to Immigration today to renew my retirement extension on my Non-O visa.

Yeah but there is a good chance those are included. But we don't know.

40 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Hence the problem, and the perfect 'rationality' of a hypocrite.

Said someone deluding themselves that things are the way they wish it were despite the reality. I easily meet the criteria for money brought into the country monthly but recently it was made extremely difficult for me on daft objections (why did I bring in so MUCH money- 3x the amount required actually!) . Clearly I was being pushed into using a agent for someone to get their cut. What should I do in that case , leave the country or pay an agent? 

2 hours ago, wwest5829 said:

Pre-Covid the US Consulate here in Chiang Mai had stated they provided service for some 40,000 Americans in Northern Thailand but, that covered all ... retirees, employed, married to a Thai. So there was no breakdown in the total. I am curious, one would think the Thai government would have the numbers of foreigner long term Visa holders and incoming short term tourists.

You would think they also have record of our address, we have to tell them every 90 days ????

11 hours ago, EricTh said:

@biervoormij

 

I am surprised why aseannow didn't report that interesting article.

 

The top 3 nationalities are..... drums rolling

 

A total of 35,846 foreigners have obtained retirement visas with the top three nationalities being British, Germans and Americans.

 

BTW, Are you dutch?

"BTW, are you dutch?".....i think south African ;-))

2 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

Most do not use agents, possibly in a place like Pattaya with it's down at heel drunks with no option

Pardon? I stay more than 20 years in LOS, from that 15 years with a retirement extension and 800K on a bank.

Because if something happens with me the 800K is difficult to get out from my account.

For that reason this year for the first time i use an agent and take the 800K free to use!

Maybe you are drunk, but not all the people who use a agent are drunk!

12 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

They can get retirement visas with 25 000 Baht in an envelope 

Must have gone up - when I lived in Thailand I paid 20,000 Baht!!

1 hour ago, nchuckle said:

Said someone deluding themselves that things are the way they wish it were despite the reality. I easily meet the criteria for money brought into the country monthly but recently it was made extremely difficult for me on daft objections (why did I bring in so MUCH money- 3x the amount required actually!) . Clearly I was being pushed into using a agent for someone to get their cut. What should I do in that case , leave the country or pay an agent? 

You paid for the services of an agent, instead of the 'extra' cost of transferring funds for direct deposit ... ????

1 hour ago, nchuckle said:

Said someone deluding themselves that things are the way they wish it were despite the reality. I easily meet the criteria for money brought into the country monthly but recently it was made extremely difficult for me on daft objections (why did I bring in so MUCH money- 3x the amount required actually!) . Clearly I was being pushed into using a agent for someone to get their cut. What should I do in that case , leave the country or pay an agent? 

Tips make the World go 'round.

12 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

They can get retirement visas with 25 000 Baht in an envelope 

You’re getting ripped off mate. I’ve been paying 13,000 Baht for years and didn’t even have to walk into the immigration office this year. Just went to the side window by the alley????????????????????‍♂️