How safe is the retirement visa as a strategy to live in Thailand permanently?

[oldcpu]

3 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

 

I asked about what extra "rights" does a retirement visa holder have that someone on a 30 day visa exemption stamp have, other than not having to leave Thailand and getting a 5 year driving license as opposed to a 2 year driving license.  Simple question, really.

 

Nothing paying an agent can't fix.  Do you deny this? 

 

Living in Thailand for 1 year can be considered a 'right' that Visa Exempt does not have.

 

An agent won't get you a Yellow Book.

 

An agent requires $$$ to open a bank account for Visa exempt.  Those on the Type-O/OA can open without that and they have the 'right' to keep their money -as opposed to Visa exempt who has to give up that money to open the bank account.

 

[KhunHeineken]

1 minute ago, oldcpu said:

I just told you.  Try to get a one year extension on your permission to stay in Thailand on a 1-year visa.

 

And I  just asked you to name something else. 

 

I conceded this, but also said agents could fix it, but I'll concede anyway. 

 

Name something else.

 

3 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

I just told you.

Can you name something else?

 

Shouldn't be too difficult, the retirement visa being so supreme and all. 

 

4 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

Sure if you want to pay a bunch of extra $$$$$ that those on the 1-year visa don't have to pay.

Right, so it can be done.  That proves my point. 

 

6 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

Having a yellow book, allowed me to use that# as a tax-ID, unfreeze a foreign bank account, and make a timely stock trade earning me $40,000 US.  Without the yellow book ? Nope.  The local RD office denied me a Thai TIN.

Yes, all very relevant to most expats. 

 

6 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

Is that clear enough for you.

Yes, but worthless. 

 

6 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

So I ask you again, try to get a yellow book on a Visa exempt.  Try.

Many have no need.  Simple as that.

 

7 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

I just did.

So, now it's all about the yellow book, not the retirement visa.  Nice try, but let's get back to general case scenarios and not $40k USD stock trading.  Talk about a deflection. 

[KhunHeineken]

3 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

Living in Thailand for 1 year can be considered a 'right' that Visa Exempt does not have.

I conceded this from the start.

 

What else.  Come on, should be easy.

 

4 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

An agent won't get you a Yellow Book.

Most have no need for one with an agent. 

 

Come on, there must be more things, surely. 

 

5 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

An agent requires $$$ to open a bank account for Visa exempt. 

So? 

 

You admit it can be done, that's my point.

 

I am not talking about costs.  I am talking about the ability of someone on a 30 day visa exempt stamp to do the same things as someone on a retirement visa. 

 

So far, you have come up with very little they can not do.  

 

Where's the big list of differences????

 

 

[oldcpu]

15 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

And I  just asked you to name something else. 

 

and I did.

 

15 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

Yes, all very relevant to most expats. 

 

You asked for something that those on a visa exempt can't do.

 

I named it.  Clear enough?

 

 

 

15 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

So, now it's all about the yellow book, not the retirement visa.  Nice try, but let's get back to general case scenarios and not $40k USD stock trading.  Talk about a deflection. 

 

You can't shift the fact you are wrong.  You can not get a yellow book on Visa Exempt.

 

You can't shift the fact that those on a type-O/OA visa, will have the right of having extra $$ in their hand after opening a bank account, while those Visa exempt will be $$ more poor after paying the agent.

 

and I have YET to see anyone visa exempt, pay an agent to give them a one year extension.

 

You clearly stated no additional rights.  You have been proven wrong.

.

 

[Caldera]

1 hour ago, KhunHeineken said:

Nothing paying an agent can't fix.  Do you deny this? 

 

As far as I know, nowadays agents can only help with opening an account at Bangkok Bank. If you want an account at another bank as a tourist, you're out of luck.

 

That's quite a limitation, especially when you consider how much trouble Bangkok Bank's debit cards have caused many of their customers in recent years. I for one am certainly glad to have cards from other banks as well. 

[Rob Browder]

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Usual scaremongering post. Your common theme. 

 

There is zero indication of you  state immigration "force me to pay agent" 

 

My most recent extension retirement Nov 5 (CW)  was same as every other year. 

Easy peasy.

Not "scaremongering" - rather, Being Prepared.  They already changed the retirement-extensions once without warning, and no grandfathering, a few years back.   I am not going to predict when that will happen again - when Immigration decide too many people can DIY it, and they want to increase agent-business to line their pockets. 

The DTV is putting a dent in their racket; some guy just got hassled at the airport on only his 2nd VE entry, after returning to his home country in between - IO told him just one VE per 12-months (new made-up rule).  Just Be Prepared for how Immigration operates, and any problems they create are solve-able.

 

My advice is always - have a "Plan B," including other countries - and never put more $$ into Thailand than you can afford to lose.