Jump to content

Thailand Tightens Grip on Retirement Visas Amid Wealth Shift


Recommended Posts

Posted
4 hours ago, baansgr said:

Well,.I think it is, as do many others..

 

Yes, the older men chasing 20 yr old bar girls or ladyboys (not that there is anything wrong with that), sitting on barstools until 2-3am drunk as a skunk, scammers, potheads, and the occasional Pedophiles run out of their home countries. To them, yes, this must be a "paradise".....the rest of us have higher standards.

  • Like 1
  • Heart-broken 1
  • Thumbs Up 3
  • Thumbs Down 2
Posted
22 hours ago, foureyes10 said:

After 25 years I very sadly realised that the combination of a lying wife and confused, predatory immigration practises made my living in "the land of smiles" a bad dream!

I've spent every cent buying and updating 10 rai of land, 3 houses, cars and tractors only to find that the "wife" doesn't want to sign a lease for the house (to give some security)!

 

A corrupt immi Major who wont sign a visa application (even after paying the fee) because he wanted a 15k grease! Extra requirements on 90 day reports (maps, financial reports, tea money)

 

Time to go back to the nanny state (Australia) where the voters re-elected a party who wants to tax unclaimed capital gains!! At least the Ozy government pays its bills (unlike you-know where) I have friends who have been waiting 3 months for contracted money to be paid by the PEA!

So sad.

Just for your information. If you can prove that the money for the land, tractor, houses etc. came from your bank account she will have to reimburse you. She can’t just take everything and boot you out. If she doesn’t have the money, she’ll have to sell, which means she most likely ends up with nothing after you got your cut! 
 

Also, the corrupt immigration place isn’t the only place you can go to! 

  • Like 1
Posted
21 hours ago, ronnie50 said:

The retirees and middle class tourists. This repeated idea (notion) by successive Thai governments that the answer to better tourism revenues involves tens of thousands of multi-millionnaires flocking to Thailand and living here year round, spending lavishly 364 days a year, is just mind numbing to me. Multi-millionnaires might well buy a condo here as a pied a terre, maybe even fairly large ones, but so what? If they're wealthy they might live in it for a few months of the year (winter) and then live in their own country during its summer, and then travel for 2-3 months a year to other places. Not many are going to be splashing cash around year'round in Thailand. It's a fantasy.  And even if they did, how would the country, as a whole, benefit?

Exactly! 

  • Thumbs Up 2
Posted
23 hours ago, palmbeachblueeyes said:

If Thailand wants a new source of income they should develop the assisted living industry.  I don't know about the average retiree but many retirees are sitting on a lot of cash to pay for care in their last year's.  

great idea.  But not going to happen, unfortunately.

  • Like 2
Posted
On 6/4/2025 at 8:56 PM, thjames007 said:

 

You are right.  Bang on!! 

 

Sorry to burst the bubble, but Thailand doesn't need pensioners on the min state pension and zero cash.  Using agents to cheat their way into Thailand.   (the 800k in a bank is a joke amount, if you don't have that you shouldn't have retired in the first place! And moving to a foreign country with no benefits or medical coverage OMG.. You would think this is common sense 101)

 

If you dont have the min required don't come here.   Sure Vietnam Cambodia philipeans will take you on the cheap, good for them.   Can't wait for the posts to be filled with I'm. Move there, and they never do!!!! 

 

And regarding the story,  what a load of click Bait dripple. Im on LTR now, I had DTV and Non O before.  And they are ALL so easy to get, what's the authors point?  Rather than say " oh now there are other options available, not just Non O and OA..." they make it sound like they phasing them out which is BS. Just to wind up expats. (FYI. You don't need 80k income. That's just one of many different thresholds) 

 

Can't wait for next week's recycled story about expats requiring a medical plan, as they should!  

Hahaha, another I am fairly well off and plan to give all my money to the Thai government, and rip off medical plans. Personally I hope all you guys stay in Thailand, and leave the really nice retirement destinations to us savvy retirees..  Thailand is a S$it hole for retiree's period.. Internet has kept it alive and I hope for my sake for a few more years. 

  • Thumbs Down 5
  • Haha 1
Posted

Targeting wealthy expats in no way changes the options for the traditional average income expat. The most popular retirement visa is the O visa and it doesn’t require insurance. 

  • Agree 1
Posted
On 6/4/2025 at 10:14 PM, DonniePeverley said:

Welcome news. 

 

Last thing Thailand is cheap pensioners. 

Needs or wants, please tell us.

  • Haha 2
Posted
On 6/4/2025 at 8:18 AM, lordgrinz said:

Thailand will continue to shoot itself in the foot, which seems to be the norm now, especially under the control of Emperor Thaksin.

 

On 6/4/2025 at 8:18 AM, lordgrinz said:

Thailand will continue to shoot itself in the foot, which seems to be the norm now, especially under the control of Emperor Thaksin.

While I agree with you about Thailand shooting itself in the foot.  I don't understand your abject hatred for Thaksin,  Or as we would say in America,  "<removed>" as applied to President Trump.   He wasn't all that terrible. Before the 2006 coup he gave Thailand OTOP which is still thriving and providing income for rural communities. alongside significant economic, societal, and trade milestones. Economically, he drove Thailand’s recovery from the 1997 crisis, growing GDP from 4.9 trillion to 7.1 trillion baht (2001–2006), repaid IMF debt early, and reduced poverty from 21.3% to 11.3%, with northeastern incomes up 40–46%. Societally, his 30 baht universal healthcare expanded coverage from 76% to 96%, and the “One District, One Scholarship” used lottery funds for education. In trade, he secured FTAs with China, boosted rural SMEs via loans, and invested $50 billion in infrastructure. Critics argue these were populist or export-driven, with debt and corruption (e.g., Shin Corp sale) marring his legacy, but rural gains and OTOP’s persistence highlight his impact.  Furthermore,  I was here in 2006 when his "replacement" showed up with Armored Personnel Carriers and soldiers with M-16's on every major Soi.  I witnessed the arrest and destruction of the Police in Chiang Mai and their properties and families and their personal arrest and disappearance and their replacement with police loyal to the Coup makers.  How soon some forget what his replacement brought to Thailand.  In case your wondering they gave Thailand 20 more years of instability that it's still suffering from.  I would argue Thailand would have been a hell of a lot closer to a true republic had the coup not occurred.

  • Like 2
  • Agree 1
  • Thumbs Down 3
Posted
On 6/4/2025 at 2:31 PM, BangkokReady said:

 

Nice theory, but how do they hope to attract them?  Simply say you need to be rich to get a retirement visa and assume that will do the trick?

If you are rich, you visit Thailand, not live here

  • Like 1
  • Thumbs Up 2
  • Thumbs Down 2
Posted
On 6/4/2025 at 9:54 PM, StayinThailand2much said:

One category of the LTR Visa: 

 

Work-from-Thailand Professionals:

Remote workers employed by well-established overseas companies with an annual income of at least USD 80,000.

 

What companies actually do offer such jobs for overseas remote workers (or is it tailored to diplomatic personnel)? Please, Thailand, advise how I can land such a job... 😆 

If Delusion was Dollars,

Thailand might be the richest Country On The Planet.

  • Like 1
Posted
On 6/5/2025 at 8:14 AM, spidermike007 said:

There are at least a dozen good reasons why the vast majority of wealthy people would have no interest in retiring in Thailand. The vast majority of us who do choose to retire here choose to do so at least partly because it's affordable. If I had a significant degree of wealth I might be spending a month or two of the year in Thailand, but I would be elsewhere for most of the year. 

 

Unfortunately the nitwits that are running the country are so self-absorbed, so arrogant, and so mindlessly ignorant, that they just don't get any of that  and these are the same fools who have never bothered to address any of the problems that have been plaguing tourism or he nation for decades now. 

Well said.

  • Thumbs Up 1
  • Thanks 1
Posted
21 minutes ago, Robert Smith 2 said:

If you are rich, you visit Thailand, not live here

You need to get out more, if you are even in Thailand.  Take a drive around the Darkside of Pattaya sometime.

Posted
On 6/4/2025 at 6:49 PM, whitfield said:

The thing that isn't mentioned, and is the most important for prospective retirees, is the threat to tax income.  

See that as highly unlikely with the tax treaty and would backfire.

 

The “reciprocal-tax agreement” between the United States and Thailand is the U.S.–Thailand Income-Tax Treaty, signed 26 November 1996 and in force for tax years beginning 1 January 1998. It prevents most forms of double taxation, lowers withholding rates on dividends, interest and royalties, and sets out tie-breaker rules for tax residence. (There is no U.S.–Thailand Social-Security/“totalization” agreement.

  • Like 1
Posted
On 6/4/2025 at 9:49 PM, JackGats said:

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

Under LTR my overseas income is tax free!  Tax free at home and here!  A big attractive for some with wealth.  I'm not rich. But its a huge attraction for me, and others

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



×
×
  • Create New...