16 minutes ago, kennw said:

So by exempting this group from the 90 reporting requirement they must have determined that they are a "no risk" group. I wonder how they determined that?

I don't know, but at some level of assets or usefulness to the Thai economy you cease to be such a threat to "National security" that you have to report every 90 days.

43 minutes ago, rjstorer50 said:

or perhaps

 

43 minutes ago, rjstorer50 said:

the SMART visa was purposefully designed to get the experts to leave when they had served their purpose?

Let's not quote me out of context by omitting the qualifying clause, or I will have a defamation order slapped on me! (Whether what I say is true or not!)

26 minutes ago, BritScot said:

Nonsense, utter Nonsense!  Your assumption that retirement visa holders or married visa holders fit into your pigeon logic. First the minimum requirement is to give thai banks £10,000 - £20,000 of their money until they leave or die, they will spend millions in setting up their home (house 2 million up and vehicle 1 million up) so their initial investment into the Thai economy is about a minimum of £100,000 of foreign currency into thailand with minimum of £10,000 - £20,000 a year of more foreign currency every year. If you think this is peanuts and Thailand doesn't need it wow!!! Very twisted attitude. Think it's called being racist! 

Unwittingly you make my point for me.

30 minutes ago, BritScot said:

Think it's called being racist! 

I think you are going to have to explain that one to us. Seems we can't get it on our own.

6 hours ago, simon43 said:

Sorry - screwed up editing my previous post!

 

Perhaps it's because one is required to work for a Thai company, and there really are not any Thai space companies to work for!

https://www.forbes.com/sites/rgluckman/2022/09/11/thai-aerospace-entrepreneur-james-yenbamroong-bets-big-with-space-satellite/?sh=63702784291e

If you get to the bottom of visas offered in Thailand, you will find that all the advantages they contain only serve Thailand and not the visa recipient! Truly a Smart Visa from Thailand's point of view! .....or Catch22

Trying to suck the talent out of China. And I bet they will have thousands of applications. Lots of very educated Chinese that are unemployed..

7 hours ago, simon43 said:

Bearing in mind the recent government announcement about building a spaceport etc, I find it curious that Thailand is not seeking foreign space/rocket experts.  Knowing what Thailand currently does in the space sector (builds the occasional Cubesat under the direction of Japanese engineers in Japan), there is no way that Thailand has homegrown skills to build a spaceport.

planet of the apes will do lets not make a planet of the thais please

2 hours ago, Gknrd said:

Trying to suck the talent out of China. And I bet they will have thousands of applications. Lots of very educated Chinese that are unemployed..

No.   A person needs to be employed and/or ready to make an investment in Thailand.   An "unemployed" Chinese is not employed and probably don't have big funds to invest in Thailand.

 

On the average approx 30 SMART visa are approved per month.   It's focused towards specific groups. 

 

https://smart-visa.boi.go.th/smart/index.html#qualifications

https://smart-visa.boi.go.th/smart/pages/statistics.html

 

21 hours ago, BadSpottedDog said:

is that 200,000 baht per month? I'm guessing it is, but "this is Thailand", so ...

It's 200k/month, but there are exceptions.

20 hours ago, kennw said:

So by exempting this group from the 90 reporting requirement they must have determined that they are a "no risk" group. I wonder how they determined that?

Reporting hasn't been exempt entirely, it's just changed to 12-monthly instead of 90 days. Having said that, I've never had to do a report because I leave the country several times a year. I have no idea why they don't have everyone (or at least the majority) on yearly reporting, but you are more easily trackable/contactable through your employer if you move house. I also suspect, but have no proof whatsoever, that the employer is expected to keep tabs on employees on SMART visas.

20 hours ago, sandyf said:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/rgluckman/2022/09/11/thai-aerospace-entrepreneur-james-yenbamroong-bets-big-with-space-satellite/?sh=63702784291e

Well-spotted!  Although this fledgling company has high ambitions, it does seem to have missed it's publicised project targets by a few years....  Nevertheless, it's certainly the best opportunity for a home-built small satellite but probably little to do with a SMART visa (I can't see this company paying 200,000 baht/month salary to its engineers.