13 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

As I have posted before, the 800k baht can't stay 800k baht forever. It's already been 800k baht for decades.

Lastly at 2014. However it states at 2.22 (6):

An alien who entered the Kingdom before October 21, 1998 and has been consecutively permitted to stay in the Kingdom for retirement shall be subject to the following criteria:

So that is the grandfather provision in the 2014 version.

NB 2.22 is the coding for persons who actually meet the retirement extension 800K/65K provision and have not paid a bribe via agent to qualify for the Clause 5 discretionary "legitimate reason" exception as trumpeted in thre VISA forum.

13 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

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.

I got excellent service from govt hosp, from same docs that serve private ones. Worst experiences have been private hospitals. Just need to choose wisely, who and where.

No more difficult now that it was 19 years ago when I got here.

36 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Everyone pays for them via the VAT

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

Using and benefitting from public services are two fundamentally different things.

You might not use the public services that sustain the society you live in, but certainly do benefit from their existence.

3 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

I got excellent service from govt hosp, from same docs that serve private ones. Worst experiences have been private hospitals. Just need to choose wisely, who and where.

I use a private hospital regularly and usually I am the farang there. I guess all those Thai people do not choose wisely.

Although I once asked at a different private hospital: How many of the Thai people there have insurance? Answer: All of them.

Edited 11 hours ago11 hr by JerryM

They have made it harder, sure.

Thailand made a mistake by letting everybody and their brother in, post Wuhan, to ramp up the economy. Now we have content creators making content on how cheap it is to live in Thailand and you have truckloads of low rent, low life’s piling in. Everyone from acid throwers, bar girl dismemberer’s, to yet even more content creators. Yes, you have pushback from Thailand.

15 hours ago, Jingthing said:

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

In this post & others, this is a core complaint. I sympathize, but you knew it going in, just don't like the 'feeling' now. I doubt anyone does, but it is what it is. Are not most countries you can expatriate to similar, as in both pluses and minuses?! My Option's all had those.

3 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

I got excellent service from govt hosp, from same docs that serve private ones. Worst experiences have been private hospitals. Just need to choose wisely, who and where.

I'm happy you're content with gov services. I'm happy my Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance allows me healthcare at a Private Hospital.

Next you'll be telling me gov schools offer quality education.

4 minutes ago, Dcheech said:

Now we have content creators making content on how cheap it is to live in Thailand and you have truckloads of low rent, low life’s piling in.

As long as they mostly stay in the farang ghettos, not a problem for me.

Edited 10 hours ago10 hr by JerryM

5 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

I'm happy you're content with gov services. I'm happy my Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance allows me healthcare at a Private Hospital.

Next you'll be telling me gov schools offer quality education.

I pay as I need at private hospitals, much cheaper than decades of premiums.

Schools provide info, it's the student that is the variable. Any student that applies themselves will gain knowledge and be on their way to a successful life.

Schools, public or private, simply prepare you to fill out an application and join the workforce. The rest, if wanting better is up to you, either Uni, which all pay for, or self taught, if wanting more.

My daughter went the Uni route, excellent choice.

I went basically self taught route, excellent choice for me.

Edited 10 hours ago10 hr by KhunLA

14 minutes ago, JerryM said:

I use a private hospital regularly and usually I am the farang there. I guess all those Thai people do not choose wisely.

Although I once asked at a different private hospital: How many of the Thai people there have insurance? Answer: All of them.

The doc is more important than the hospital. Some practice at both, so no need to pay for expensive hand holding that private hospitals provide. I've used both with success, with govt hosp more consistent, good. Private was hit 👍 & miss (2X 👎).

12 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

I'm happy you're content with gov services. I'm happy my Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance allows me healthcare at a Private Hospital.

That's the biggest issue that affects retirement quality of life in Thailand long term.

Guys who have health coverage from home have a much easier life than those who have to worry about paying out of pocket.

Or depends how deep your pockets are.

One guy in the comments section of that video says he needs to make trips to India to save on healthcare costs.

1 minute ago, save the frogs said:

That's the biggest issue that affects retirement quality of life in Thailand long term.

Guys who have health coverage from home have a much easier life than those who have to worry about paying out of pocket.

Or depends how deep your pockets are.

One guy in the comments section of that video says he needs to make trips to India to save on healthcare costs.

I agree 100%. I'm fortunate to have insurance as a retirement perk. IMO it's the biggest hurtle to overcome living fulltime overseas.

6 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

The doc is more important than the hospital. Some practice at both, so no need to pay for expensive hand holding that private hospitals provide. I've used both with success, with govt hosp more consistent, good. Private was hit 👍 & miss (2X 👎).

I am well aware . It's also a matter of how long you have to wait to see him or her.

And inpatient facilities for a long stay are hardly the same. I keep insurance for the simple reason that with my circumstances, I can afford annual premiums but would have a difficult time if I had to come up with a large lump sum payment.

Edited 10 hours ago10 hr by JerryM

1 minute ago, JerryM said:

I am well aware . It's also a matter off how long you have to wait to see him or her. And inpatient facilities for a long stay are hardly the same. I keep insurance for the simple reason that with my circumstances, I can afford annual premiums but would have a difficult time if I had to come up with a large lump sum payment.

When impatient, more recently, yea, I opt for private. Lump sum, not a problem, as I saved / invested all those premiums, so have a very nice 'oops fund'.

Thank you. You choose wisely. No further comment. And after 20 years of insurance in Thailand, I am reasonably close to break even. My annual inpatient coverage is US$800,000 no deductible.

Edited 10 hours ago10 hr by JerryM

12 hours ago, KhunLA said:

After 28 years of being the same, 800k THB, would that really be a surprise

No, so members should be prepared for it in the future.

However, if there is a significant increase, as part of a broader policy, it could knock those on meager western aged pensions out of the game here, and that could be done by the Thai government on purpose.

12 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Is there anything else that's been the same price for 28 yrs ???

No.

So, you agree with me that at some point in the future the 800k will be increased.

The questions are then, by how much, and why that amount? I've given my opinion on both why they would make a small increase, and why they may make a significant increase,

3 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

No, so members should be prepared for it in the future.

As noted above, last time there was a change there was grandfather clause for 16 years of consecutive extensions.

46 minutes ago, atpeace said:

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.

Ah, don't jump to conclusions because it only makes you appear foolish....

The only 'border crossing' that I've done is when I lived in Phuket and I did Ranong- Kauntuang boat crossing every month when I took toys to the kids in the orphanage in Kawtaung. So I was stamped out and in at Ranong on the same day, but my visa did not require me to do a border crossing.

After that, I had a 5-year Elite visa....

Since those days, I've mostly used Thailand as a 'base' between my teaching work in Myanmar, entering perhaps 2 times/year by air from Yangon. But that also got more difficult, so I started to use Siem Reap as my base, since the Cambodian immigration were fine to grant me an annual ER retirement visa to come and go as I please, (and spending my money there..)

Now I've stopped teaching in Myanmar. From my other threads, you'll learn that I don't yet have 800k savings because I used a lot of my monthly income to support about the educational needs of 15 orphanages in Myanmar. I don't regret using my money for that purpose :)

I'm in Thailand now, just extended my 60-day visa on arrival by 30 days. The local immigration department didn't really want to extend it by 30 days - they said that I had transited from Don Muang to Swampy too many times! (ERr.... how else can you travel between Yangon and Siem Reap? There is no direct flight...).

So it's really much easier for me to stay in Cambodia, but I have family in Thailand, speak Thai very well blah blah blah. I plan to apply for a DTV in a few months from now.

4 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

No, so members should be prepared for it in the future.

However, if there is a significant increase, as part of a broader policy, it could knock those on meager western aged pensions out of the game here, and that could be done by the Thai government on purpose.

No.

So, you agree with me that at some point in the future the 800k will be increased.

The questions are then, by how much, and why that amount? I've given my opinion on both why they would make a small increase, and why they may make a significant increase,

And increase certainaly wouldn't suprise me. Seriously, 28 yrs, how would that surprise anyone. And people should plan for increases when they retire.

You don't retire to a foreign country on the minimun budget, and expect things to remain the same. Inflation alone, and a medical oops, without insurance or no oops fund is pure stupidity. And yet ...

Here's one for you, will piss most off. I hope they double it to 1.6M, clear out the riff raff, and people crying all the time. Go back to your home country, and maybe you'll appreciate what the hell you complained about all the time.

You chose to come here, STFU, and enjoy yourself, or leave. Thai for Thais, we're guest, start acting like it.

Oh yea, and ban agents from even entering an Imm office, unless the foreirgner is immobile and can't attend himself. The only reason an agent should be used. IMHO

If you don't have at least 1M in the bank, and or really good insurance that will pay for any oops, then you shouldn't be in TH, sh!t happens, you might want to actually be prepared when it does ... IMHO

9 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Because you don't want to know.

I've spent 20 years doing business, work, study, marriage, children, visas, work permits, property in Thailand, but let me watch a 10 minute video of some guy with a whiny voice that an old gay Jew (nothing wrong with any of those things) posted on a web board to really understand changes in Thailand. Is that what you're saying?

As attributed to the adverting great, David Ogilvy:

If You Have Nothing To Say, Sing It.

Now it's: If you nothing to say, make a video.

1 hour ago, Peter Crow said:

Everything becomes possible indeed, under a callous xenophobic government.

Is it xenophobic though?

We are talking about people who basically can not afford to live in their own country anymore, and are by no means rich in Thailand. They live fortnight / month to fortnight / month on a tight budget in Thailand.

Does Thailand really want to become a dumping ground for the world's poor retirees? Why couldn't / shouldn't Thailand be more selective when choosing who gets to see out their days in Thailand?

1 hour ago, JerryM said:

An alien who entered the Kingdom before October 21, 1998 and has been consecutively permitted to stay in the Kingdom for retirement shall be subject to the following criteria:

What percentage of expat retiree living here, today, do you think was retired here in 1998?

11 minutes ago, Packer said:

I've spent 20 years doing business, work, study, marriage, children, visas, work permits, property in Thailand, but let me watch a 10 minute video of some guy with a whiny voice that an old gay Jew (nothing wrong with any of those things) posted on a web board to really understand changes in Thailand. Is that what you're saying?

Is he amongst those impacted by the recent enforcement of Thailand’s land and business laws I wonder?

5 minutes ago, Packer said:

I've spent 20 years doing business, work, study, marriage, children, visas, work permits, property in Thailand, but let me watch a 10 minute video of some guy with a whiny voice that an old gay Jew (nothing wrong with any of those things) posted on a web board to really understand changes in Thailand. Is that what you're saying?

Thanks

After 25+ years of very positive retirement, having family, raising kid thru Uni, in TH, I don't think a YT'er, looking for clicks, spewing the same doom & gloom BS I've heard repeated and ignored for the same 25+ years is going to cause me much anxiety.

Or point out anything new, that I don't already know, factual, what if or BS scenario, he or she can come up with.

6 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

Is it xenophobic though?

Some countries grant permanent residency if you buy property or get married or live more than 10 years, etc ..

If not xenophobia, the other explanation may be supply and demand.

Thailand may be a more favorable destination than many other countries , and obviously a lot of people are still willing to retire here without some of the benefits that other countries offer.

9 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

Does Thailand really want to become a dumping ground for the world's poor retirees?

Not sure that argument makes sense.

Even if you're not rich, you still need to rent an apartment and pay groceries and restaurants and laundry and mobile phone and ED pills. It's a lot of money in the govt coffers over decades.

You just need to be able to sustain yourself.

Obviously richer people spend more, but they have more options too and may choose other countries.

And wealth is not static for everyone. Some people start businesses and make or lose a lot of money.

They don't mind if you're not rich, but if you have problems paying medical bills later on, that's your problem.

Edited 9 hours ago9 hr by save the frogs

48 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

No, so members should be prepared for it in the future.

However, if there is a significant increase, as part of a broader policy, it could knock those on meager western aged pensions out of the game here, and that could be done by the Thai government on purpose.

No.

So, you agree with me that at some point in the future the 800k will be increased.

The questions are then, by how much, and why that amount? I've given my opinion on both why they would make a small increase, and why they may make a significant increase,

When you say "it could knock those on meager western aged pensions out of the game here" how much per month are you referring to, aproximately?

9 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

What percentage of expat retiree living here, today, do you think was retired here in 1998?

You are misreading that: It says from 1998 to 2014 or a total of 16 years of consecutive stay on retirement. So if updated it could be since 2010.

Edited 9 hours ago9 hr by JerryM

36 minutes ago, JerryM said:

As noted above, last time there was a change there was grandfather clause for 16 years of consecutive extensions.

I have noted that, however, is that a guarantee they will grandfather in the future?

Many pensioners struggle, or can no longer afford to live in their home country. This has become a western country issue. As I said, does Thailand really want to be a dumping ground for these people, from all around the world?

I've also posted posted, on another thread, the day may come when the retirement visa is from the age of 50 until say, 75, then no more retirement visa. Thailand welcomes you, and your savings / superannuation / retirement fund etc, then when it has run out, or you are to elderly to spend it, you go home.

Thailand is not running a charity for retired expats of meager means.