57 minutes ago, RayC said:

Why should you expect to live tax-free in Thailand? Public services e.g. police, education, public hospitals, etc need funding. If you are resident in Thailand, why should you expect to be exempt from contributing? The argument that you don't use these services doesn't wash. You are hardly going to negotiate a price on the spot with the fire service should you require their services in an emergency.

Because I have to pay for all the public services I use and there's no free education, everyone pays.

If they want me to pay tax in Thailand, I should have the right to work in Thailand

Edited 15 hours ago15 hr by BritManToo

9 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I should have the right to work in Thailand

Why do you not have the right to work in Thailand ?

Change is constant, including Thai regulations for visitors.

Deal with it* 😎

*What is the meaning of your life besides moaning about change? Adapt.

I think that Thailand has certainly tightened up on the visa rules. Back in the early 2000's I had a non-immigrant B visa many times, on the basis that I was investigating possible business opportunities. I doubt I could do that now.

The tax part that JT mentioned doesn't affect me because I have no large amounts of money (and it's been like that for decades...)

I have never understood the weird rule about being unable to open a bank account. I opened my bank account 25 years ago, when the visa type you had was completely irrelevant. You wanted to put money into their bank - they opened a bank account for you...

Now I'm retired, (and currently lacking 800k and no intention of using an agent), it does get more difficult for me to stay in Thailand. I have a Cambodian ER visa, issued for a year and no request for proof of funds etc - easy peasy, but I prefer to live in Thailand.

I hope that Thailand makes it harder for certain kinds of foreigners to stay in Thailand. Anyone who says that they are a vlogger should (with very few exceptions, eg Bangkok Pat), be thrown out of the country :)

6 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Now I'm retired, (and currently lacking 800k and no intention of using an agent),

What's the problem with using an agent? You pay a 10K bribe (or maybe more accurately a backhander) to immigration via a reputable agent and you get to stay for a year with no 800K sitting uselessly in the bank.

Because discretion has its discretion, discretionally.

Edited 15 hours ago15 hr by JerryM

11 hours ago, harvardgrad said:

No it is definitely not better anywhere in south America.

South American countries have residency, but most countries are either unsafe or more expensive than Thailand. Uruguay is safe, but cost of living might be double that of Thailand and is probably a boring place to live and they have winters.

8 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

South American countries have residency, but most countries are either unsafe or more expensive than Thailand. Uruguay is safe, but cost of living might be double that of Thailand and is probably a boring place to live and they have winters.

You should learn to embrace winter, because it's the most wonderful time of the year.

Watching videos like this should be a warning to future expats not to sell everything and move to Thailand without having an exit plan.

10 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Watching videos like this should be a warning to future expats not to sell everything and move to Thailand without having an exit plan.

I will only rent in Thailand because I do not trust the governments of developing countries.

@Jingthing

I think from my own personal experience it’s a mixed bag.

When I first came to work in Thailand opening a bank account was a drawn out procedure requiring piles of paperwork, signatures and approvals. That has changed for the better.

Likewise obtaining a driver’s license, I needed to produce a letter from the Ministry of Industry to support my application and produce the letter again when buying and registering a car for family use.

Again that’s changed for the better.

I personally feel the attitudes of Thai people towards foreigners has ‘matured’, they are rightfully more critical of foreigners than in the past. The blanket respect, bordering on deference, that was the norm has been replaced by a much more balanced, I would say healthier, attitude.

That’s not to say there are not emerging issues.

I’ve recently had to jump through hoops to remove a block on a bank account I’ve had and used constantly for over twenty years, despite having complied with bank verification only a few months earlier.

I’ve also had to produce newly attested copies of documents to support my visa extension, the same attested documents that were used in my original visa application and that have not been questioned for years.

There’s always been an amount of ‘fuzziness’ around how rules and the law are applied, but I feel there is more directed scrutiny these past 12 months.

A pleasantness I half miss from those early days is, as a foreigner driving a car back then I was always directed to the VIP parking at the airport.

Those days are gone ;-)

45 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Watching videos like this should be a warning to future expats not to sell everything and move to Thailand without having an exit plan.

No amount of warnings, caution, or concerned advice will dissuade someone from making a decision their wee head has already made for them.

The question to ask any foreigner who loses everything in Thailand is a simple one.

‘Were you smiling as you handed over your life’s savings’?

8 hours ago, Jingthing said:

On tax, nobody has a problem with being taxed on income earned in Thailand,

The change that made Thailand a tax unfriendly country was now taxing remittances to Thailand of income that was earned outside of Thailand.

For Thai tax residents of course and in some cases exceptions based on treaties.

Nobody who isn't insane would consider this change as a move to make things easier for foreigners in Thailand.

Individuals need to look at their own specific situation to check the impact of this of course.

I haven't heard of an exception for buying real estate (if there is let me know) but that part of it is especially serious and needing very aggressive extreme tax planning.

Why should Thailand want, or need, to make things easier for foreigners? We are nothing special.

The days of the Great White Hope are long gone.

Every western expat retiree could leave tomorrow and Thailand would not even notice.

The priority for the Thai government should looking after Thais and Thailand.

Edited 12 hours ago12 hr by emptypockets

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Because I have to pay for all the public services I use and there's no free education, everyone pays.

If they want me to pay tax in Thailand, I should have the right to work in Thailand

Do you pay for the police or fire brigade?

You are married to a Thai. The non O based on marriage allows you to get a work permit.

Edited 12 hours ago12 hr by emptypockets

59 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Watching videos like this should be a warning to future expats not to sell everything and move to Thailand without having an exit plan.

Or a warning to stop watching scare mongering videos. Don't forget everything in any video is opinion. Even in a reputable newspaper the only truth is the price and the date, everything else is opinion.

3 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

Do you pay for the police or fire brigade?

3 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

The majority of Thais don't pay for these services either.

My kid goes to a private school, I use International hospitals, I spend way way more than the average Thai.

3 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

Or a warning to stop watching scare mongering videos. Don't forget everything in any video is opinion. Even in a reputable newspaper the only truth is the price and the date, everything else is opinion.

Nothing that yahoo said was untrue. My life remains the same here.

This guy is a grifter that preys on those that have anxiety issues. His channel was having no success up until he started creating fear with misinformation. Here are his latest 6 videos and he still isn't making money but many more views than before. If you read the comment section of his last video, it is obvious people are catching onto his grift.

5 minutes ago, atpeace said:

This guy is a grifter that preys on those that have anxiety issues. His channel was having no success up until he started creating fear with misinformation. Here are his latest 6 videos and he still isn't making money but many more views than before. If you read the comment section of his last video, it is obvious people are catching onto his grift.

He’s not simply preying on anxiety, he’s fostering anxiety and grievance.

40 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

@Jingthing

I think from my own personal experience it’s a mixed bag.

When I first came to work in Thailand opening a bank account was a drawn out procedure requiring piles of paperwork, signatures and approvals. That has changed for the better.

Likewise obtaining a driver’s license, I needed to produce a letter from the Ministry of Industry to support my application and produce the letter again when buying and registering a car for family use.

Again that’s changed for the better.

I personally feel the attitudes of Thai people towards foreigners has ‘matured’, they are rightfully more critical of foreigners than in the past. The blanket respect, bordering on deference, that was the norm has been replaced by a much more balanced, I would say healthier, attitude.

That’s not to say there are not emerging issues.

I’ve recently had to jump through hoops to remove a block on a bank account I’ve had and used constantly for over twenty years, despite having complied with bank verification only a few months earlier.

I’ve also had to produce newly attested copies of documents to support my visa extension, the same attested documents that were used in my original visa application and that have not been questioned for years.

There’s always been an amount of ‘fuzziness’ around how rules and the law are applied, but I feel there is more directed scrutiny these past 12 months.

A pleasantness I half miss from those early days is, as a foreigner driving a car back then I was always directed to the VIP parking at the airport.

Those days are gone ;-)

Best post so far IMO ^^^

Things change and as a whole living here as a retired person or married to a Thai isn't more difficult. Thais don't look up to us anymore which was nice but oh well. Thais now don't think we are exceptional which is a healthy adjustment.

32 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

The majority of Thais don't pay for these services either.

My kid goes to a private school, I use International hospitals, I spend way way more than the average Thai.

Everyone pays for them via the VAT

Not using public services (school & hospitals) is a choice.

2 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Everyone pays for them via the VAT

Not using public services (school & hospitals) is a choice.

And income taxes are almost inconsequential. Personal Income Tax (PIT): ~10% to 12% of tax revenues. We expats probably pay much more in taxes then the average Thai. We drive on the roads and use many of the public services and should IMO.

3 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Everyone pays for them via the VAT

Not using public services (school & hospitals) is a choice.

I was once attended a condo owners AGM in which an idiot co-owner argued he didn’t want to pay for pool maintenance, because he doesn’t use the pool, he didn’t want to pay for the gym, because he doesn’t use the gym, he didn’t want to pay for the lift maintenance because he lives on the first floor and in the same basis didn’t want to pay for the roof maintenance.

That wasn’t you was it?

13 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Everyone pays for them via the VAT

Not using public services (school & hospitals) is a choice.

VAT can only pay for a percentage of services, certainly not all. Yes I value education and want the best for the kid. And it's nice to afford private healthcare. I've been to a gov hospital once to visit a friend, no thank you.

5 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

That wasn’t you was it?

That's a risk of owning a condo.

If too many people don't pay fees, the condo degrades.

Have heard a few owners complain about that.

15 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I think the obvious answer is yes they are.

Do you agree, or not?

The video details many specific points making that case.

I don't see very much at all to disagree with in it.

There is one thing.

I did know very well from the get go coming for retirement that Thailand wasn't inviting me. Rather I was inviting myself so that's a different less warm and fuzzy dynamic.

I also knew that being on retirement extensions offered no path to permanent residence.

On buying a condo, I knew that owning a condo didn't give the right to live in it.

But I didn't know how it would feel 20 years later to have invested so much in Thailand and offered nothing in return as far as any increased status.

That guy is a weasel. Unbearable voice and personality.

12 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

Anything is possible. They could go down that route.

Like I said, it could be a small increase, or a significant increase as part of a broader policy to clear Thailand out of people from all around the world living on meager western country aged pensions who are not spending much money here.

Everything becomes possible indeed, under a callous xenophobic government.

15 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Do you agree, or not?

Yes, though I've seen many similar topics over the years, like this one from 2006.

1 minute ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I was once attended a condo owners AGM in which an idiot co-owner argued he didn’t want to pay for pool maintenance, because he doesn’t use the pool, he didn’t want to pay for the gym, because he doesn’t use the gym, he didn’t want to pay for the lift maintenance because he lives on the first floor and in the same basis didn’t want to pay for the roof maintenance.

That wasn’t you was it?

I learned my lesson when owning timeshare, when too many stopped paying maintanence fees & taxes, the other responsible owners had to pick up the slack. Dumped that ASAP.

Read about and was warned early on not to buy a condo, though was never a thought anyway, as I'm a bit anti neighbor, along with being silly priced. No land, no appreciation.

Nothing has changed in a negative way since I've been here. Most everything is better and easier. OP could win the powerball, be awarded Thai citizenship, and still complain about everything. It seems to be his life. And yet, he's not going anywhere, just his brain cells from anxiety all day.

You'd think simply that, same sex marriage being allowed would make him realize he's in paradise. Oh well, some enjoy life, some complain about it.

3 hours ago, simon43 said:

I think that Thailand has certainly tightened up on the visa rules. Back in the early 2000's I had a non-immigrant B visa many times, on the basis that I was investigating possible business opportunities. I doubt I could do that now.

The tax part that JT mentioned doesn't affect me because I have no large amounts of money (and it's been like that for decades...)

I have never understood the weird rule about being unable to open a bank account. I opened my bank account 25 years ago, when the visa type you had was completely irrelevant. You wanted to put money into their bank - they opened a bank account for you...

Now I'm retired, (and currently lacking 800k and no intention of using an agent), it does get more difficult for me to stay in Thailand. I have a Cambodian ER visa, issued for a year and no request for proof of funds etc - easy peasy, but I prefer to live in Thailand.

I hope that Thailand makes it harder for certain kinds of foreigners to stay in Thailand. Anyone who says that they are a vlogger should (with very few exceptions, eg Bangkok Pat), be thrown out of the country :)

So you have been playing the border crossing game for decades yet you look down on vloggers? Vloggers are fine and never have bothered me. I would hate to be them but would also hate to be someone that is trying to figure out how to survive retirement with at least a little dignity.

Why punch down on a group of people because they are trying to make a living that usually doesn't end well. I empathize with your predicament as well as vloggers. Anxiety is a terrible thing to deal with when in excess.

2 minutes ago, lamyai3 said:

Yes, though I've seen many similar topics over the years, like this one from 2006.

Yep, same drivel the 25 yrs that I've been here ...

... the 'end is near', and yet ...