Report Thailand Tightens Grip on Retirement Visas Amid Wealth Shift

[lordgrinz]

49 minutes ago, baansgr said:

I did a post about one.month ago about an I/O saying that the financials were going to increase to 2 million Baht..looks.like that could happen

 

Requiring people to put more into an account than the bank insurance would cover might be a hard sell.

[BritScot]

22 hours ago, ronnie50 said:

Can't blame them for trying reduce the riff-raff.  It seems every day there's a news story about violent or criminal 'kee nok' foreigners. Today's story was the American guy trying to exchange counterfeit US 100 bills/notes embedded with the words: "For Motion Picture Use Only" 

Some of the most moralistic people I have known have been poor and some of the most twisted, devious criminal people I have met were rich. Stop looking down on people because by default they are already much better than you!!!

[thesetat]

11 hours ago, Hummin said:

You forget some spend 65k on rent each month.

 

I do not think many of them is here, but would be interesting to know what the average wesern actually spend each month in Thailand. 

So you mean the idiot who wants to appear wealthy is ok. But those people who live a good life comfortably with their 65k on retirement visa are lo bang... amazing the way you think... 

[Airalee]

1 hour ago, baansgr said:

I did a post about one.month ago about an I/O saying that the financials were going to increase to 2 million Baht..looks.like that could happen

No it doesn’t look like that could happen.

 

And per everybody on the thread you started (including the moderators and thaivisacenter) it was nothing but a rumor you started.

[Hummin]

18 minutes ago, thesetat said:

So you mean the idiot who wants to appear wealthy is ok. But those people who live a good life comfortably with their 65k on retirement visa are lo bang... amazing the way you think... 

Smoking or drinking ? 

 

I have no idea where you read that from my post 

[Ironmike]

Typical low rated reporting from these idiots that can write a whole page of absolutely nothing try going out and getting the real facts and reporting such,, after reading this horse crap I was still unclear of what has changed except other countries are a hell of a lot smarter then Thailand but since Mr big criminal Taksin has returned he's done nothing but extort more money from this poor country time to take him out and put him against a wall... 

[Mike_Hunt]

3 hours ago, herb59 said:

vibrant culture or vibrator culture? golden beaches? those with the daily plastic trash?

Looks like Bali. 

[PingRoundTheWorld]

Thanks for wasting our time. This isn't news.

[ronnie50]

47 minutes ago, BritScot said:

Some of the most moralistic people I have known have been poor and some of the most twisted, devious criminal people I have met were rich. Stop looking down on people because by default they are already much better than you!!!

I'm not talking down about anyone's means (poor, rich). I was refering to the drunken losers - mainly western tourists and some Indians -  brawling in the streets and bars of Pattaya's Walking Street and Phuket's Soi Bangla. If you've been folllowing this website and local Thailand news sources you will know it is an almost daily occurence. So, yeah, Thailand has every right to try to find a way to filter them out. Not about who has money or not - because I'd fully agree a rich violent drunk is as bad as a poor violent drunk.

[baansgr]

48 minutes ago, Airalee said:

No it doesn’t look like that could happen.

 

And per everybody on the thread you started (including the moderators and thaivisacenter) it was nothing but a rumor you started.

Maybe, bit of a coincidence that an I/O mentioned that then there is this announcement. Just have to wait and see 👍 

[baansgr]

1 hour ago, lordgrinz said:

 

Requiring people to put more into an account than the bank insurance would cover might be a hard sell.

Well they can always deposit a million in 2 aeperate accounts 👍 

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

I would suggest what is wrong with the article is the headline. The article points out the obsession Thai governments has to shoot itself in the foot with ill-considered schemes or proclamations, and the unthinkable loosing face by U-turning.

 

There is some hope but the alternative venues for retirement look better every year. I have always resisted buying property here as it is a closed market to foreigners with high prices, short term leases or dodgy deals.

 

The latest wealth threat to hit us is the Income Tax scheme, and the news on that is "no news" 18 month into the proposed change.

 

Vietnam, Cambodia or the Philippines is fine by me if the Thai billionaires who run the country don't want us.

 

[Quentin Zen]

I'm not a fan of keeping any amount of money in an account; HOWEVER, I think you should prove you can be a "good" retiree for LOS.   The days of only 800k are likely gone, forcing many to fire-sell their homes to raise money and go back "home" to a place that might be worse because of the years of LOS.  It can't be fun to stress once again in a country that will never be theirs.  lol.   The rich will never worry.   Those who can retire in most places will never worry.  Only the poor, who is NOT Thai, will worry.  Well, who needs them!!!!  lol.   Unfortunately, Thailand might need them.   I'll admit, it took me years to realize I will never retire here.   Every year we see the writing on the wall, complain, but nobody cares or listens to the poor.  Quit your complaining, get a Plan B.    Now.  Not later.  This is now being written with a permanent marker, so complaining all day about Trump online won't help your financial situation.  

 

A popular thread because this hits home.   Listen you poor expats, you better understand we can boot you at any time.  5 million won't get you out?  Ok, now it's 10.   Must build a home for a Thai.  OK, done.  Now we take the home.  Now we tax.  Now it's every 30 days.  Now you pay, pay, pay, pay, and pay pay .   lol

 

100% of all LOS retirees knew this place was a crapshoot.   20 baht noodle soup, 4000 baht rooms.......oh, it will end and remember to lock up.  

[Quentin Zen]

1 hour ago, lordgrinz said:

 

Requiring people to put more into an account than the bank insurance would cover might be a hard sell.

 

There are likely hundreds of thousands of kids (under 40) in America who are $60,000 liquid.   Sure, millions might have problems, but the world has changed.  Salaries are crazy.  100k USD is the new $40k USD.    Yes, a hard sell here....but not elsewhere.   Maybe lower retirement age, offer more long-term visas.......that makes more sense to anyone who likes money.  

[Cameroni]

5 hours ago, Lacessit said:

My Thai GF is honest

 

Or very good at lying.

 

 

[Airalee]

26 minutes ago, baansgr said:

Maybe, bit of a coincidence that an I/O mentioned that then there is this announcement. Just have to wait and see 👍 

What announcement?  This OP is an op-Ed on the different new visas (in addition to the non-O based on retirement) that have been offered and the lenient requirements in other countries.

 

Nowhere in the article was any speculation made regarding an increase in money needed in the bank.
 

And your post about your supposed I/O is nothing but your attention seeking rumor.

[Patong2021]

On 6/4/2025 at 10:49 AM, JackGats said:

Importing OECD brown stuff (like taxation of world-wide income) will surely do nothing to attract well-to-do expats.

What is you alternative, reverting to a place where money is laundered and where international criminals  are welcome?

[Patong2021]

27 minutes ago, Quentin Zen said:

 

There are likely hundreds of thousands of kids (under 40) in America who are $60,000 liquid.   Sure, millions might have problems, but the world has changed.  Salaries are crazy.  100k USD is the new $40k USD.    Yes, a hard sell here....but not elsewhere.   Maybe lower retirement age, offer more long-term visas.......that makes more sense to anyone who likes money.  

 

Or do away with the concept of retirement.  We often hear of the financial hardship people, the  old men who can't get by on their old age pension or savings, but we never hear of the people who were prudent with their savings, and who had jobs that paid well, because of their own hard work or intelligence.  People with money and options are not going to put up with the circus that is the hassle of  immigration visas.

 

Thailand's visa approach is one size fits all and it does not work. The most stable and desirable of foreign visitors  are from Japan and the Nordic nations. They spend, they live quietly and they are respectful. And yet they are treated the same as an Indian or a Russian national. Other countries have  different visa rules for problem nations. Thailand should do similar. Unfortunately, the Thai eye sees all foreigners as similar, with the net result that the  desirable visitors are going to say, no thank you.

[JackGats]

59 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

What is you alternative, reverting to a place where money is laundered and where international criminals  are welcome?

Well ... yes!

[Showtime]

Yet Thailand has no problem with zero baht Chinese tourists who behave poorly.

[lordgrinz]

1 hour ago, baansgr said:

Well they can always deposit a million in 2 aeperate accounts 👍 

 

Not in the same bank, which would make getting bank letters at extension time a lot more fun, Not.

[Patong2021]

17 minutes ago, JackGats said:

Well ... yes!

 

Yes, well we can see what you bring to Pattaya. Carry on.

[Patong2021]

18 minutes ago, Showtime said:

Yet Thailand has no problem with zero baht Chinese tourists who behave poorly.

 

Perhaps, it is because such  Chinese transgressors  return to china and are dealt with, unlike so many other foreigners who are never held accountable for their misdeeds.

[Lorry]

On 6/4/2025 at 6:54 PM, whiteman said:

Nothing new here

Thx

You saved me from really reading this cr@p

[Marco100]

What has changed negatively on the retirement 1 year visa ? You always needed 800.000 bhat on the account . You better have a Insurance ... ok maybe taxation? Some might be affected,  but really ?

Yes there is more competition from Vietnam,  Philippines,  Cambodia,  but that is the progress of those countries wich live more choices to the retired where to go .

I still choose Thailand. 

[pomchop]

On 6/4/2025 at 5:14 AM, DonniePeverley said:

Welcome news. 

 

Last thing Thailand is cheap pensioners. 

Even "cheap" pension long term residents spend money in markets/bars/shops/transport that a lot of "cheap/poor" thai people are very happy to have the money. 

 

I would rather have more cheap old retired guys than a glut of young idiots who are two week millionaires and seem to cause a lot more problems with violence and many have no clue of thai people or thai culture.

[Lacessit]

10 hours ago, thaibreaker said:

100.000 bath average?

I think you are way off here. Closer to 50k I would say.

I live very well on 55,000 baht/month.

[PHJones]

Read the title.

Read the first two paragraphs.

Saw six pages with comments until now.

 

Good article to get engagement from members.

 

[baansgr]

8 hours ago, Airalee said:

What announcement?  This OP is an op-Ed on the different new visas (in addition to the non-O based on retirement) that have been offered and the lenient requirements in other countries.

 

Nowhere in the article was any speculation made regarding an increase in money needed in the bank.
 

And your post about your supposed I/O is nothing but your attention seeking rumor.

Just have to wait and see if any changes occur 👍 

[baansgr]

7 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

 

Not in the same bank, which would make getting bank letters at extension time a lot more fun, Not.

An extra 200 baht and an hour of time.is a small price to pay for living in paradise