3 minutes ago, Presnock said:

I agree, from the US too, contact regularly - I have been retired here since 2005 but in Thailand for more than 30 years - based on my conversations with friends and relatives in the US, I definitely feel like I am in paradise compared to life there for too many people.

If not living long walking distance to surf & lovely bay, then here, TH, or Appalachian USA, then really wouldn't be much difference, unless I got sick.   Healthcare being the added plus here, if needed.   So far, so good.

 

Like the tropical feel of PKK, TH, but eastern hills, USA, would suit me fine also.  It would be a challenge to find affordable near the surf in USA, which also puts you in hurricane territory, so, no thanks.

54 minutes ago, JustinTyme said:

But you DO have "some kind of legal residency here"   You have a legal visa and if you fulfill the requirements, can stay for the rest of your life.  I hope this is your biggest problem, because if it is ... you are "living the dream"  !!!

Legal status yes but only one year at a time.

Rules subject to change at any time.

So no real residence SECURITY. 

So in essence a very long staying tourist. 

 

9 minutes ago, Presnock said:

I agree, from the US too, contact regularly - I have been retired here since 2005 but in Thailand for more than 30 years - based on my conversations with friends and relatives in the US, I definitely feel like I am in paradise compared to life there for too many people.

We look like geniuses now!  Happiest days of my life!!

On 8/3/2025 at 11:04 AM, Jingthing said:

This occurred to me the other day.

Not only Thailand but the exact same condo in Jomtien.

Longer than I lived in my home town growing up.

Longer than I lived in my longest staying place during my working years.

Yes, alas, I have zero prospects for even an upgrade in status to some kind of legal residency here.

Of course I knew the score about that limitation moving here on retirement status. So no false advertising accusations.

But still, realizing the longest staying situation now, that limitation bites harder.

 

For me it's more than half of my life in Bangkok!!'🙃🧐🫣

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Legal status yes but only one year at a time.

Rules subject to change at any time.

So no real residence SECURITY. 

So in essence a very long staying tourist. 

 

Good reason why not to sell property in home country. 

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Legal status yes but only one year at a time.

Rules subject to change at any time.

So no real residence SECURITY. 

So in essence a very long staying tourist. 

 

As I said I hope this is your biggest problem, because tourism, retirement visas, etc ... are important to Thailand, and there is NO record of any meaningful change in their "retirement visas" ... period. Full stop.  I am guessing that there is more to your story, and perhaps YOUR "visa" has issues?  How easy do they have to make it.  It only has a few moving parts.  Keep 800,000 in the bank.  Go online and do a report every 90 days.  Renew once a year.  I mean, for crying out loud ... they send an e mail reminder to do the 90 day report online!  Should they come over and make you some soup too?

Rare but imagine you live to 100 and retired to Thailand 50 years before. You would hsve the same temporary status as a new 50 year old just off the proverbial boat. You would likely have no connections left back in your passport country. That seems insane to me but that is the system. 

On 8/3/2025 at 11:10 AM, Jingthing said:

Impossible for anyone who moves here starting on retirement status.

You didn't know that already or are just sniping?

A critical (compulsory) item needed to achieve Thai PR is working in Thailand with a work permit for 3 consecutive years, plus a number of other items including an interview.

 

Note that achieving Thai PR is not just a tick the box application. The number of applications approved each year* is a very small number. I received Thai PR 28 years ago, for that year the number of applications (from my birth country) approved was a total of 5. From anecdotal comments the approval rate hasn't changed.

 

(*All the applications for the current year go to a committee which sits once a year.)

 

 

 

8 minutes ago, JustinTyme said:

As I said I hope this is your biggest problem, because tourism, retirement visas, etc ... are important to Thailand, and there is NO record of any meaningful change in their "retirement visas" ... period. Full stop.  I am guessing that there is more to your story, and perhaps YOUR "visa" has issues?  How easy do they have to make it.  It only has a few moving parts.  Keep 800,000 in the bank.  Go online and do a report every 90 days.  Renew once a year.  I mean, for crying out loud ... they send an e mail reminder to do the 90 day report online!  Should they come over and make you some soup too?

You're just trolling now. Obnoxious and predictable.

What I and any rational retiree here would wish for is a path towards permanent status.

Basically a standard humanitarian feature of the vast majority of competing retirement visa programs internationally. 

The timeline usually from day one to 10 years with 5 years probably the most common.

Not never.

But yes I knew that from the start.

 

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Rare but imagine you live to 100 and retired to Thailand 50 years before. You would hsve the same temporary status as a new 50 year old just off the proverbial boat. You would likely have no connections left back in your passport country. That seems insane to me but that is the system. 

Perhaps you should zoom out a bit, and realize we are all here on a "temporary visa" and perhaps you should not waste your energy on things you can never change or control.  Look at the bright side, we are all winners ... we came into this world naked, and are leaving in a new suit!  555!  Have a good day, I am not interested in being your entertainment today. 

4 minutes ago, scorecard said:

A critical (compulsory) item needed to achieve Thai PR is working in Thailand with a work permit for 3 consecutive years, plus a number of other items including an interview.

 

Note that achieving Thai PR is not just a tick the box application. The number of applications approved each year* is a very small number. I received Thai PR 28 years ago, for that year the number of applications (from my birth country) approved was a total of 5. From anecdotal comments the approval rate hasn't changed.

 

(*All the applications for the current year go to a committee which sits once a year.)

 

 

 

Agreed it is hard for those eligible. 

But starting on retirement status and continuing you aren't even eligible to apply.

2 minutes ago, JustinTyme said:

Perhaps you should zoom out a bit, and realize we are all here on a "temporary visa" and perhaps you should not waste your energy on things you can never change or control.  Look at the bright side, we are all winners ... we came into this world naked, and are leaving in a new suit!  555!  Have a good day, I am not interested in being your entertainment today. 

I don’t consider pests to be entertaining.  

Will soon have lived abroad longer than I have lived in the UK.

26 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Will soon have lived abroad longer than I have lived in the UK.

All in Isaan?

Just now, Harrisfan said:

All in Isaan?

 

 

Good God no! The thought of it.

 

Most of it in Germany.

 

 

6 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

 

Good God no! The thought of it.

 

Most of it in Germany.

 

 

Imagine 50 years in Isaan. Thais do it.

Just now, Harrisfan said:

Imagine 50 years in Isaan. Thais do it.

 

Very nearly left two days ago.....then chickened out......getting closer to biting the bullet though.

On 8/3/2025 at 11:04 AM, Jingthing said:

This occurred to me the other day.

Not only Thailand but the exact same condo in Jomtien.

Longer than I lived in my home town growing up.

Longer than I lived in my longest staying place during my working years.

Yes, alas, I have zero prospects for even an upgrade in status to some kind of legal residency here.

Of course I knew the score about that limitation moving here on retirement status. So no false advertising accusations.

But still, realizing the longest staying situation now, that limitation bites harder.

 

Same here, 36 years in Germany and 20 years in Thailand, I've never been back to the UK, it would seem like a foreign country to me now as so much changes over that length of time.

2 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

Same here, 36 years in Germany and 20 years in Thailand, I've never been back to the UK, it would seem like a foreign country to me now as so much changes over that length of time.

 

Where about in Germany....not a stalker....I promise.

     Irrelevant comment  removed

12 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

Where about in Germany....not a stalker....I promise.

I worked in Munich (BMW) and lived in Freising.

I came here in 2006, have lived in Pattaya/Jomtien, Bang Bon, Kanchanaburi, Roi Et, Sa Kaeo, and am currently doing a stint in Chanthaburi. When that is done, I'll settle in Jomtien/Bang Saray.

 

I was just chatting with my son who told me he's paying $1400 USD/month for a small room in a bad neighborhood with a shared kitchen/bathroom and he considers himself LUCKY to have landed such a deal. No way in hell would I ever return to a place with those prices in a country on the verge of civil war.

 

I'm living the life of Riley here. I lack for nothing, have great health for my age, and only work part time because I want to do something I enjoy that keeps me out of the doldrums of old age boredom. I've done extensive traveling and seen enough of this earth to know I could never have this quality of life at this price anywhere else. I came for the scuba, stayed for the soapies!

 

Yay Thailand and yay ThaiVisa!

 

20 years here and feels a lifetime the only thing that keeps me here is my beautiful beachfront property and my cat who is ten years old the only time I left Thailand was a weekend in Singapore and a week in Penang . I’ve promised myself that 2026 is going to be spent traveling around Asia so much to see in so little time as I will be 75 years young and still haven’t got halfway down my bucket list !!!!

Glad your content; however, I prefer to do the snow bird thing.  

21 hours ago, Jingthing said:

You're just trolling now. Obnoxious and predictable.

What I and any rational retiree here would wish for is a path towards permanent status.

Basically a standard humanitarian feature of the vast majority of competing retirement visa programs internationally. 

The timeline usually from day one to 10 years with 5 years probably the most common.

Not never.

But yes I knew that from the start.

 

Ignore the troll.

 

A path to permanent residency would be good but personally I would settle for a system  where after a few years of 1 year extensions, it’s then possible to get a five year visa. No change of requirements, just a specific number of one year renewals as a kind of testing ground to prove that you are a desirable person to have residing in the country. If that ever got to 10 years, so much the better although whether I will live that long is debateable.

On 8/5/2025 at 10:47 AM, novacova said:

Good reason why not to sell property in home country. 

 

It looks good in hindsight, but only because the powers that be blew up the economy. Absentee landlord nothing but problems. All that inflation since 08 never should have happened 

On 8/3/2025 at 11:36 AM, KhaoHom said:

 

Part of the problem is just the backlog and ridiculous and arbitrary process itself. 

 

It's like everything in Thailand. Trade policy perfect example but examples could be land ownership, farang attempts at getting SSO insurance, 5 yr licence (I lost mine), etc.. A million obstacles. 

 

Wish this was discussed in trade agreement. It's not related but many things Trump included in agreements were indirectly related. Why not?

 

I will never be fully behind Thailand because they are not fully behind me. 

 

Yes, it's always "too hard" to plan for your future when you're up to your armpits in beer and girlies. It's only later in life that the realities of one's excellent, youthful misadventures come home to roost.

 

If one is or was qualified to apply for Thai PR, but hasn't or never made the effort to become part of that "backlog", that's not Thailand's fault, is it?

On 8/4/2025 at 11:59 PM, Jingthing said:

What I and any rational retiree here would wish for is a path towards permanent status.

Basically a standard humanitarian feature of the vast majority of competing retirement visa programs internationally. 

 

Most international retirement visa programs are scams as they require monumental investments. 

 

Apart from countries that no one wants to live in where the govts are really desperate, like those crappy landlocked South American countries. No beaches!!

 

Also, if you are permanent and you engage in criminal activity, maybe they can't kick you out. I suspect that's the main reason they don't like handing out permanent residency like jujubes. It seems they will gladly renew your extensions as long as you are a good citizen. But it's easier to kick out someone on extensions. That's just a theory. I could be completely wrong. 

 

On 8/5/2025 at 2:06 AM, crazykopite said:

and my cat who is ten years old

 

Real men have dogs.

Cats are for women. 

 

On 8/10/2025 at 8:38 AM, NanLaew said:

 

Yes, it's always "too hard" to plan for your future when you're up to your armpits in beer and girlies. It's only later in life that the realities of one's excellent, youthful misadventures come home to roost.

 

If one is or was qualified to apply for Thai PR, but hasn't or never made the effort to become part of that "backlog", that's not Thailand's fault, is it?

 

Yes, it is.

 

First, PR is BS anyway. It's nothing so bc you put forth all that grinding effort doesn't mean it's of value. Isn't it like 200k ??

 

Qualified for PR . Well, that rules out 98% of us. As for me, I was working and making plenty of salary to cover it, married X years... It's all total BS.  Gaining citizenship in west is half the work. 

 

And for a country that shows zero love for expat population but cuckolds to china and Chinese tourists despite the serious crime it brings.

 

As for bureaucratic backlog. Only rumour here over the years but takes eons to even get to point of app being evaluated. 

 

By then I guess they figure we'd all be divorced or dead. Winning!!  

 

How many on this forum have PR? Count them on your fingers. I guess bc we are just all drunkards and whoremongers by your appraisal 

 

Bet you have a pink card too 🤢