Saying the quiet part out loud -- would success of the Move Forward Party agenda spell the end of the Golden Age for expats in Thailand?

[Jingthing]

7 hours ago, JoseThailand said:

More and more previously "closed" countries are opening up, offering various kinds of visas for digital nomads, retirees etc. It's a global trend.

Shall we look at this more closely?

I would like to.

I do follow international visas and it's my impression that there has NOT been growth in countries offering RETIREMENT VISAS.

Can you name the countries that added a retirement visa option in the last ten years?

My impression is that the trend for countries that do have them is to make them harder to qualify for (financially and/or application requirements and difficulty).

There are some odd exceptions.

Mexico got easier in some ways (to get permanent residence) but at the same way raised the financial requirements DRAMATICALLY.

I don't know the history of the Portugal D7 visa (used for retirement and other reasons as well) but that seems to be a special case of a very desirable EU country offering surprisingly low financial requirements for non EU people.

Somewhat humorously, the liberal Portugal visa policies are backfiring by being too successful causing a backlash due to pricing out locals from housing in the most desirable areas. 

So there are trends but at the end of the day, each nation does it's own thing.

 

As far as DIGITAL NOMAD visas, yes you are absolutely correct, that category is booming internationally.

 

However, most of them have rather high financial requirements (need to prove that you're actually making a level of income) and they usually explicitly do not provide any path to permanent residence.

 

Edited May 28, 2023 by Jingthing

[Kwasaki]

9 hours ago, JensenZ said:

What a brilliant deduction. People need money to live on whether they use agents or not.

No deduction if you go UK or agents.

[mokwit]

23 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

EU country offering surprisingly low financial requirements

I think there is a catch with Portugal - If I remember correctly it is that you have to pay a large upfront amount for healthcare, so walking away when the tax free period ends is costly.

[mokwit]

27 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

My impression is that the trend for countries that do have them is to make them harder to qualify for (financially and/or application requirements and difficulty).

Indonesia and Malaysia being case in point. Maybe Cambodia added retirement visa recently?

[GroveHillWanderer]

On 5/26/2023 at 10:37 PM, Jingthing said:

The topic here poses the question that assuming success of the Move Forward Party to propel Thailand into a "higher level" nation (and that is of course a core part of their goals) would that result in a much harder time for at least some categories of expats?

I haven't seen any policy statement from Pita or the MFP related to changing anything related to expats. What are you seeing in this regard that concerns you?

[rabiedabruce]

On 5/27/2023 at 2:53 AM, Chicksaw said:

Why would the new government or any government for that matter care about a cohort of wrinkly pensioners riding bar stools to meet the Lord?

 

I am not kidding. For the elite Thais who run this place, including Pita et al, we don't exist because they never see us. Their only encounter with farangs are those like them that work out of the C-suite.

 

We just aren't important by any measure, numerically, economically or politically. So as long as we don't rock the boat by doing something stupid there's no reason for the status quo to be touched.

Then do let us know why Taksin upped the pension requirement from 200k to 800k and brought the unenforced 90 day parole report back. And the junta chucking farangs out of the country for years depending on their 'overstay' if we 'aren't important'. I've had ordinary Thais, one very recently thanking me for staying here so long 'What would we do? All the rubber trees have gone'. Contrary to popular belief on this forum, we are appreciated, excepting the knuckle draggers.

[herfiehandbag]

On 5/27/2023 at 1:30 AM, kinyara said:

I seem to remember a figure of 60,000 resident retirees being mentioned by the head honcho of immigration in an interview he gave to a news outlet in the recent past, if anyone can definitively confirm that ball park it would be useful. At that level while you may think we are important to Thailand, the reality is we are insignificant in number and economic contribution in a country of circa 72 million.

We are totally insignificant to the government and economy, and I agree that there are many, many other things to exercise the minds of a new government. Remember they do not only have to reform/change the system, but also manage the country economically and socially to answer to the voters needs - unlike their predecessors they will have to keep the voters "onside"!

 

Where we may be of some limited value is as a source of supplementary income to a fairly restricted tranche of the Immigration Department - who are unlikely to rock the boat; but that frankly does not make us significant!

Edited May 28, 2023 by herfiehandbag

[Jingthing]

31 minutes ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

I haven't seen any policy statement from Pita or the MFP related to changing anything related to expats. What are you seeing in this regard that concerns you?

Read the OP.

I never said that he had.

This is a DISCUSSION topic.

It's more of an unintended consequences (from our POV) kind of topic IF the new party government is formed and is successful in it's aims to propel Thailand forward.

I say that because I believe most expats are happy about the election results and share some guarded optimism with most Thai people about them.

But wouldn't it be ironic if it ends up biting us (as a general group)?

That's all.

Again, for discussion and entertainment purposes only. 

Edited May 28, 2023 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

47 minutes ago, mokwit said:

I think there is a catch with Portugal - If I remember correctly it is that you have to pay a large upfront amount for healthcare, so walking away when the tax free period ends is costly.

I think all EU governments have a health insurance requirement but the deal with Portugal if you get into the D7 program is inclusion with an excellent national health care system very reasonably priced.

[Mike Teavee]

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

There is no way there is a service to get a Thai visa based on a same sex relationship! Hopefully eventually but not now.

I reckon the advert you saw was about visas for Thais that want to marry their foreign same sex partners in more advanced countries where that is legal.

 

Next 

 

...

I can only tell you what I saw in the shop window, as I’m here on a “retirement visa” (& Hetro) I had no interest in going in to find out the details. 

NEXT?

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, Mike Teavee said:

I can only tell you what I saw in the shop window, as I’m here on a “retirement visa” (& Hetro) I had no interest in going in to find out the details. 

NEXT?

Again no such thing as a same sex marriage based visa in Thailand. 

After same sex marriage is legalized here we don't know if it will be treated by immigration law the same as opposite sex marriage or not. 

[Mike Teavee]

21 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Again no such thing as a same sex marriage based visa in Thailand. 

After same sex marriage is legalized here we don't know if it will be treated by immigration law the same as opposite sex marriage or not. 

Next

 

… 

[JensenZ]

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

No deduction if you go UK or agents.

One member above said he paid 12,500 to an agent. Deducting the 1900 fee plus a small amount for the bank statment, that's about 1.3% on 800,000. He might be able to make more in interest or at least break even vs the normal application fee and that's not even considering transfer fees and exchange rates.

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, Mike Teavee said:

Next

 

… 

Indeedy-do.

[Mike Teavee]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Indeedy-do.

They do though don’t they though…

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

They do though don’t they though…

Yabba Dabba Doo

[herfiehandbag]

32 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Again no such thing as a same sex marriage based visa in Thailand. 

After same sex marriage is legalized here we don't know if it will be treated by immigration law the same as opposite sex marriage or not. 

There may be some hope for those interested.

 

Going on some of the photos published covering some high profile operations recently by immigration, their does appear to be a significant following for "The Village People" amongst their ranks!

[Mike Teavee]

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Yabba Dabba Doo

Lol, the correct answer is “Down there they do” (Harry Enfield, The Scousers) - funny enough I’m visiting my parents about 25 miles away from there at the mo ????

 

apologies I’ve taken this very interesting thread well OT so will shut up now… 

 

Back to topic I think the biggest threat to Expats here is Cost of Living (Loving?) increases (especially to Brits on a frozen pension) but there has been a report of agents no longer providing the proof of 800K in the bank for Jomtien IO which will be a more immediate concern for some. 
 

 

[frantick]

On 5/27/2023 at 12:12 AM, soi3eddie said:

In Pattaya/Jomtien it is already shut down. Anyone who got one in last 6 weeks please prove me wrong.

 

Got mine, based on 800,000 in the bank, last Tuesday. An agent with 6 retirees were ahead of me. They didn't LOOK like they all had money in the bank, but then, neither do I. ????

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, herfiehandbag said:

There may be some hope for those interested.

 

Going on some of the photos published covering some high profile operations recently by immigration, their does appear to be a significant following for "The Village People" amongst their ranks!

I guess you think that's funny. 

If you want to say gay people, say gay people.

No need for silly dated euphemisms.

In any case laws come from the legislature.

Immigration enforces immigration law.

The Move Forward Party is on record for marriage equality but not aware of any policy statements on same sex marriage between a Thai and a foreigner as far as immigration law.

Edited May 28, 2023 by Jingthing

[herfiehandbag]

40 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I guess you think that's funny. 

If you want to say gay people, say gay people.

No need for silly dated euphemisms.

In any case laws come from the legislature.

Immigration enforces immigration law.

The Move Forward Party is on record for marriage equality but not aware of any policy statements on same sex marriage between a Thai and a foreigner as far as immigration law.

For goodness sake, lighten up.

I am quite possibly one of the least homophobic and most tolerant in terms of political, social and sexual "mores" of all the heterosexual white Anglo Saxon males who post on this forum.

 

Yes, my sense of humour tends towards the "dark sarcasm in the classroom" genre, perhaps it is not to everyone's taste, but don't ascribe things to it that are simply not there!

 

If you don't like it, ignore it.

Edited May 28, 2023 by herfiehandbag

[sidneybear]

The golden days for expats are long gone already, if it's cheap tottie that treat westerners like lords that the OP is referring to.

[JoseThailand]

5 hours ago, mokwit said:

Maybe Cambodia added retirement visa recently?

They have long had it

[JoseThailand]

I hope MFP amend the dated, obsolete and rigid immigration law.

[scorecard]

On 5/26/2023 at 10:48 PM, Jingthing said:

I'm not suggesting a total purge, but I am suggesting a significant weeding out. We're not allowed to live here because of our pleasant smell. Obviously high value / special skills foreigners will alway be welcome. 

And those already holding Permanent Residence?

[scorecard]

On 5/27/2023 at 7:13 AM, WilliamSmits said:

Stricter rules will make no change unless corruption is addressed. I hope that there will be less talk and a bit more action on that side

My guess is corruption will be reduced but perhaps that depends on which party holds the ministries most involved in really taking strong actions which do reduce corruption.

[scorecard]

10 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

I hope MFP amend the dated, obsolete and rigid immigration law.

In what way? Focus on what? Change what? Change to?

Edited May 28, 2023 by scorecard

[scorecard]

My hope is a complete transformation of education which a complete change on education methdodology?

 

A tall order? Yes, but I believe the current emphasis (kids not allowed to ask questions, teachers never ask 'any questions', listen and respond positively, teachers give the correct answers but never explain why it's the correct answer (in many subjects), never use small group work using project based learning) is holding this country back. 

Edited May 28, 2023 by scorecard

[Kwasaki]

3 hours ago, JensenZ said:

One member above said he paid 12,500 to an agent. Deducting the 1900 fee plus a small amount for the bank statment, that's about 1.3% on 800,000. He might be able to make more in interest or at least break even vs the normal application fee and that's not even considering transfer fees and exchange rates.

Yeah I've been living here full time 18years I know there are many way to to stay here when you not have the dosh.

I hope those who want to stay continue to be OK.

Myself I have my marriage visa dosh in the bank all the time.

[Baht Simpson]

I can never see the point of going after retirees. Because of our age we tend to be able to pay our way, behave reasonably and, most importantly, will disappear in a few years anyway.