2 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

To hide for some reason, far away from a country that might be looking for them perhaps? Some here do hate their own kind, which is strange but easy to understand if they were outcasts in their native country, possibly blaming their own kind for the way their life turned out. So they come to a country where they don't need to communicate, hiding away in a village with a young wife who also doesn't understand them, using their money to blend in and remain anonymous.

Yes, but those blue ceramic roof tiles are a dead giveaway in Bahn Nawk.

That and the red-plated black Everest with fat tires and a silver horse on the grille.

17 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Thailand has never been home to me, and I'll be bringing my daughter back to the US early next year so she will have a better life with a better future. yes, I'm sure there are some here hiding away from their home countries, but dislike of your home country seems weird to me, even if it wasn't the best as far as weather or economics. If Thailand feels like home, it is home. The US is home to me.

Plan A should always be the country where you have birthrights. Thailand is a half-decent Plan B, but possibly more like a Plan C these days. Vietnam maybe a D to F.

19 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Thailand has never been home to me, and I'll be bringing my daughter back to the US early next year so she will have a better life with a better future. yes, I'm sure there are some here hiding away from their home countries, but dislike of your home country seems weird to me, even if it wasn't the best as far as weather or economics. If Thailand feels like home, it is home. The US is home to me.

Agree, and either works for me. Though I do consider TH home vs USA. Spent about the same 25 adult years in both. Here, TH, I actually built 2 houses, I planned on dyining in, especially the present one.

I never planned on living in any house, long term, that I bought, or town I live in, while in the USA. Houses were simply investments, never bought as a home to live in.

Edited August 27Aug 27 by KhunLA

3 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Plan A should always be the country where you have birthrights. Thailand is a half-decent Plan B, but possibly more like a Plan C these days. Vietnam maybe a D to F.

Visited Vietnam last year and loved it, and plan to go back again to see the southern areas and war historical sites. Food is great, people were friendly, but like here, it's just a place to visit. I only stayed here long enough for my daughter to be a certain age before I needed to get her to the US for a better education and life. Thailand is nice, but doesn't have what I need as far as hobbies. I've been raising children the last 40 years, and still will for another 10 or so, and haven't had the time to do my bucket list until we get back to the US as a home base, as some of my bucket list is still back there. Like I mentioned. home is where home feels it is to a person.

5 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Plan A should always be the country where you have birthrights.

Good point. How many here have burnt their bridges back in their home country?

6 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Thailand is a half-decent Plan B, but possibly more like a Plan C these days.

I would say Thailand is still the first choice for many, but it no longer is a stand out like it used to be.

7 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Vietnam maybe a D to F.

With no Thailand style retirement visa, I accept this assessment.

I'll be quite clear, Vietnam DOES NOT have a Thailand style retirement visa. No argument from me about this.

However, this may not be the case in the near future, and I am interested on the scale of Plan A, B, C, D, E, F where Vietnam MAY jump to if / when Vietnam announces a Thailand style retirement visa. I see no harm in discussing it. I think it's only a matter of time before they do.

Yes, such a visa in Vietnam could require $1 million USD in a Vietnam back, which would see them stay Plan F, or, they could have very few hoops, which could see them jump to Plan B.

Vietnam used to have a 1 year tourist visa. They could simply reinstate that visa and make it extendable in country.

1 hour ago, msbkk said:

Yes, right. But for people living here since many years it would be very difficult or even impossible to move to other countries and start new from scratch.

No argument from me about this, however, without PR or citizenship, their destiny is in the hands of the Thai government, who can change the goal posts at any time.

So, no doubt there will be the usual, "they would never do that" and "why would they do that, they would lose money" and "I've been here 20 years and bought a house and raised my wife's kids" etc etc, because it's unthinkable, yet completely possible.

It's strange it's also unthinkable to them that Vietnam MAY offer a Thailand style retirement visa in the near future. It's also completely possible.

Things change in Thailand, from crackdowns to new laws involving taxation, deportation of foreigner etc etc, yet, Vietnam introducing a retirement visa, no way, never going to happen, thus Vietnam can never be a retirement destination. 🙂

Courtesy of Sir Alfred Hitchcock (1956)

Que será, será

Whatever will be, will be

The future's not ours to see

-- But bet Hitch never saw posts like on here with 10 or so future tense verbs.

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

Plan A should always be the country where you have birthrights. Thailand is a half-decent Plan B, but possibly more like a Plan C these days. Vietnam maybe a D to F.

Plan A, and agree, and would be my choice if ever leaving TH, which isn't going to happen.

VN is plan 'zero' as every country without a retirement visa option. Especially for those that aren't just visiting, and like to put down some roots, if even temporary (5 ish yrs) or at least buy housing, even if just a condo, instead of renting.

1 hour ago, KhunHeineken said:

Good point. How many here have burnt their bridges back in their home country?

I didn't burn my bridges. I torpedoed them.

4 hours ago, JerryM said:

I didn't burn my bridges. I torpedoed them.

What could possibly go wrong? 😂 😂

4 hours ago, KhunLA said:

which isn't going to happen

Never say never in Thailand.

7 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

Never say never in Thailand.

Been hearing all the doom & gloom scenarios for 25+ yrs, and yet, not one has ever come true. If any of the silliness you state happens, it will be long after I'm gone.

Make that my whole life, all the BS people predict is going to happen, simply never happens. I stopped listening to them decades ago.

I live in the now, try it, less stress

Just now, KhunLA said:

Been hearing all the doom & gloom scenarios for 25+ yrs, and yet, not one has ever come true. If any of the silliness you state happens, it will be long after I'm gone.

Make that my whole life, all the BS people predict is going to happen, simply never happens. I stopped listening to them decades ago.

I live in the now, try it, less stress

Are you clueless?

In my time here three quite bad things happened in the retirement visa space.

One --

Embassy income letters ended from major embassies.

This action happened because of pressure from Thai immigration to guarantee the validity of their national's income claims.

The embassies could not or would not do that.

If Thailand hadn't stirred the pot, we'd still be getting the letters.

Two --

Money seasoning rules massively expanded. (Bank account method)

Three --

OA visa added health insurance requirement. Enforced rapidly and NO GRANDFATHERING.

Edited August 27Aug 27 by Jingthing

6 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Been hearing all the doom & gloom scenarios for 25+ yrs, and yet, not one has ever come true.

Yet, it just came true for the people with property using Thai company nominees. 😂

7 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

If any of the silliness you state happens, it will be long after I'm gone.

No, it's happening now, as I type.

8 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Make that my whole life, all the BS people predict is going to happen, simply never happens. I stopped listening to them decades ago.

Next thing you'll be say there will never be another military coup in Thailand. 😂

8 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

I live in the now, try it, less stress

I live in the now, and prepare for the future. You should try it, because there's some things in life that you just can not "get the missus to do that." 😂

3 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Are you clueless?

In my time here three quite bad things happened in the retirement visa space.

One --

Embassy income letters ended from major embassies.

Two --

Money seasoning rules massively expanded. (Bank account method)

Three --

OA visa added health insurance requirement. Enforced rapidly and NO GRANDFATHERING.

One ... had nothing to do with TH, and no doom & gloom warning about that. TH Imm just realized, the letter wasn't based on any facts, and embassies, didn't care to verify the info.

Two ... no change, just enforced, and asked for proof. Seems more than reasonable. Thank your fellow expat scammers for all enforced requirements.

Three ... yes, during covid, as many foreigners sent to quarantine without the funds to pay. Seems like a good idea, then, and now. I think we can all agree, covid was a one off, and immediate action was needed.

Edited August 27Aug 27 by KhunLA

9 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

If Thailand hadn't stirred the pot, we'd still be getting the letters.

If you were doing what you actually claimed on the affidavit, it wouldn't have been a problem.

Just now, KhunLA said:

One ... had nothing to do with TH, and no doom & gloom warning about that. TH Imm just realized, the letter was based on any facts, and embassies, didn't care to verify the info.

Two ... no change, just enforced, and asked for proof. Seems more than reasonable. Thank your fellow expat scammers for all enforced requirements.

Three ... yes, during covid, as many foreigners sent to quarantine without the funds to pay. Seems like a good idea, then, and now. I think we can all agree, covid was a one off, and immediate action was needed.

One -- WRONG!

If Thailand hadn't pressured, the embassies would have had no reason to change.

Two -- WRONG!!!!

Before it was 800K three months before, then you could immediately spend down to zero.

Don't know where you got the stupid idea that it was just enforcement of an old rule.

The massive change in effect now-

800K two months before

800K three months after

Not under 400K for the rest of the year.

Three --

OA change.

You deflected as in this case you know I was correct.

I think you're quite bizarre play acting as if nothing bad has happened.

That has nothing to do with the actual reality.

Like you, I don't know about the future but the precedent of no grandfathering for the OA change is not a good sign.

Edited August 27Aug 27 by Jingthing

6 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

Thailand has never been home to me, and I'll be bringing my daughter back to the US early next year so she will have a better life with a better future. yes, I'm sure there are some here hiding away from their home countries, but dislike of your home country seems weird to me, even if it wasn't the best as far as weather or economics. If Thailand feels like home, it is home. The US is home to me.

Interesting post. I appreciate your honesty.

With Thailand not having a reasonable pathway to PR or citizenship, the Thai's simply don't allow foreigners to actually have any security and stability to officially be allowed to call Thailand home.

Sure, a lot of guys believe that 1 year retirement visa / extension is rock solid, and to be honest, it has been, but it can be revoked, or the goal posts changed to get it, at any time.

That 1 year retirement visa / extension still allows for deportation, for whatever reason. Citizenship does not.

So, like yourself, Thailand has never been home to me either. I just enjoy living here, and ride the wave for as long as I can, hence, a Plan B and Plan C.

9 minutes ago, JerryM said:

If you were doing what you actually claimed on the affidavit, it wouldn't have been a problem.

That's moronic.

After the change you couldn't get an affadavit at all whatever you were doing.

Thai immigration could have if they wanted to accept the letters and then ask for additional evidence such as a pension letter from their government.

4 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

Yet, it just came true for the people with property using Thai company nominees. 😂

Not doom & gloom, that's stupidity, and people been warning people about doing things illegally since I got here, self included. Don't do the crime if you can't suffer the consequences.

4 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

Next thing you'll be say there will never be another military coup in Thailand. 😂

Not expecting another in my life time, as been calm since the new Constituition. Maybe because the miltary controlled Senate has to approve everything. That not so small fine print everyone supposedtly read and voted for. Nobody in the Shinawatra family left to stir the pot.

4 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

I live in the now, and prepare for the future. You should try it, because there's some things in life that you just can not "get the missus to do that." 😂

Also prepare for the future, and rather well apparently, as managed to retire a bit earlier than most folks. I just don't worry about the future, especially 'what if ' scenarios, common sense & history tells me, wont' happen.

She can do anything, amazing woman. Her savvy investing has secured her future. She'll never need to work again. Retired at 29, life doesn't get better than that.

11 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

One -- WRONG!

If Thailand hadn't pressured, the embassies would have had no reason to change.

Two -- WRONG!!!!

Before it was 800K three months before, then you could immediately spend down to zero.

Don't know where you got the stupid idea that it was just enforcement of an old rule.

The massive change in effect now-

800K two months before

800K three months after

Not under 400K for the rest of the year.

Three --

OA change.

You deflected as in this case you know I was correct.

I think you're quite bizarre play acting as if nothing bad has happened.

That has nothing to do with the actual reality.

Like you, I don't know about the future but the precedent of no grandfathering for the OA change is not a good sign.

One ... if embassies did their job, TH would have accepted the income letters.

Two ... 2 months seasoning prior was always the rule. I believe the rest are bank rules, not Imm rules. If Imm rules, then location dependent.

Three ... was because of covid, no deflection. Nobody is forced to use 0A visa, and frankly, don't know why anyone would, unless already having insurance.

Edited August 27Aug 27 by KhunLA

7 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

That's moronic.

Well this isn't a decent copy but you swear you get what has to be a minimum 65K baht income from the US. If you did, you had enough time to make the proper arrangements.

Neither the US Embassy not Thai Immigration were interested in becoming forensic accountants.

Edited August 27Aug 27 by JerryM

15 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

H Imm just realized, the letter wasn't based on any facts, and embassies, didn't care to verify the info.

've posted that with the use of agents, the 800k / 65k isn't based on any facts, either, because it can be circumvented, yet, you truly believe there will never be any change to either the amounts, the policy, or the process.

18 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Two ... no change, just enforced, and asked for proof. Seems more than reasonable. Thank your fellow expat scammers for all enforced requirements.

I partly agree with your comment. The use of agents is rife, so you can expect more changes and enforcement in the future, yet you continue to believe it's "doom & gloom" and will never happen.

20 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Three ... yes, during covid, as many foreigners sent to quarantine without the funds to pay. Seems like a good idea, then, and now. I think we can all agree, covid was a one off, and immediate action was needed.

Yes, Covid was a one off, but it exposed the true level of financial capacity of many foreigners here. The Thai's may wish to put a broom through that in the future, and yes, you, me, everyone will be caught up in it, despite having access to funds.

8 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Not doom & gloom, that's stupidity,

So is putting a property in a Thai lady's name, but hey, it happens. 😂

9 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Don't do the crime if you can't suffer the consequences.

In a similar fashion, don't fall in love, unless you can afford to lose your house. 😂

11 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Not expecting another in my life time, as been calm since the new Constituition. Maybe because the miltary controlled Senate has to approve everything. That not so small fine print everyone supposedtly read and voted for. Nobody in the Shinawatra family left to stir the pot.

What a fine democracy Thailand has. 😂

12 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

I just don't worry about the future, especially 'what if ' scenarios, common sense & history tells me, wont' happen.

Your property is in your Thai wife's name. Have you ever considered the "what if" she was to pass away before you? Yeah, yeah, I know, she's younger, that will never happen. 😂

13 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Retired at 29, life doesn't get better than that.

That's what happens when you get a foreigner on the hook. 🙂

1 minute ago, KhunHeineken said:

've posted that with the use of agents, the 800k / 65k isn't based on any facts, either, because it can be circumvented, yet, you truly believe there will never be any change to either the amounts, the policy, or the process.

I partly agree with your comment. The use of agents is rife, so you can expect more changes and enforcement in the future, yet you continue to believe it's "doom & gloom" and will never happen.

Yes, Covid was a one off, but it exposed the true level of financial capacity of many foreigners here. The Thai's may wish to put a broom through that in the future, and yes, you, me, everyone will be caught up in it, despite having access to funds.

I have no problem with whatever Imm comes up with, as I'll probably agree it's necessary. Along with the fault of all the scammers.

Hoping they require an option of a 1M THB account set aside for healthcare, or mandatory insurance for extensions. That would solve that problems. If they want to raise the 800k to 1M - 1.5M, that's a good idea also, or 100k-135k a month income works also. Actually would welcome it.

IF ... They barred agents from entering IMM.

4 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

One ... if embassies did their job, TH would have accepted the income letters.

Two ... 2 months seasoning prior was always the rule. I believe the rest are bank rules, not Imm rules. If Imm rules, then location dependent.

Three ... was because of covid, no deflection. Nobody is forced to use 0A visa, and frankly, don't know why anyone would, unless already having insurance.

WRONG!!!

In the case of the US they weren't legally allowed to do what Thailand demanded! They could only verify signatures on affadavits.

WRONG!!!

The old rule was 800K three months before only.

There was no other rule BEFORE.

The change was to 800k two months before, 800K three months after and 400K the rest of the year.

The recent ROGUE bank thing has NOTHING to do with immigration rules!

I'm shocked at how you're spreading misinformation.

WRONG!

People were already here on OAs. They were encouraged to get them by embassies abroad.

Look dude you can just admit you're wrong and move on.

Instead you insist on doubling down on your idiotic misinformation.

Do you actually believe the crap you are spewing but feel the need to do it to save face and/or to just be argumentative?!?

Edited August 27Aug 27 by Jingthing

1 minute ago, KhunHeineken said:

So is putting a property in a Thai lady's name, but hey, it happens. 😂

In a similar fashion, don't fall in love, unless you can afford to lose your house. 😂

Not much different that putting your assets in wife's name in any country. I never worry about money.

1 minute ago, KhunHeineken said:

What a fine democracy Thailand has. 😂

It is what it is, and research before coming to TH showed that. Live with you choices.

1 minute ago, KhunHeineken said:

Your property is in your Thai wife's name. Have you ever considered the "what if" she was to pass away before you? Yeah, yeah, I know, she's younger, that will never happen. 😂

That's what wills are for, already made out, and all goes to my daughter. Same with my daughter, only 27, and all goes to her (designated / adopted) mother, my wife.

1 minute ago, KhunHeineken said:

That's what happens when you get a foreigner on the hook. 🙂

No, that was her money, that purchased the land, that ended up paying for everything we have now. Like I said, "savvy'. I only chipped in a wee bit, but got rent free living for life.

8 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

WRONG!!!

In the case of the US they weren't legally allowed to do what Thailand demanded! They could only verify signatures on affadavits.

WRONG!!!

The old rule was 800K three months before only.

There was no other rule BEFORE.

The change was to 800k two months before, 800K three months after and 400K the rest of the year.

The recent ROGUE bank thing has NOTHING to do with immigration rules!

I'm shocked at how you're spreading misinformation.

WRONG!

People were already here on OAs. They were encouraged to get them by embassies abroad.

Look dude you can just admit you're wrong and move on.

Instead you insist on doubling down on your idiotic misinformation.

Do you actually believe the crap you are spewing but feel the need to do it to save face and/or to just be argumentative?!?

One ... embassy could have easily verified, or simply asked for info to verify.

We'll have to agree to disgraee on the rest.

Encouraged to get, that's funny. Because if you didn't have funds, somehow the embassies would have to get involved, when you eventually overstayed, and they'd have to get you out and pay for your flight home, hoping to recover later.

Not spreading misinfo, as none of that applied to me, during visa extensions, with 800k or 400k, except 2 month seasoning, and always the rule. And only been doing monthly income, the past couple years, as COLA made it possible. Thank you Biden.

That's my experiences ... YMMV

Edited August 27Aug 27 by KhunLA

13 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

One ... embassy could have easily verified, or simply asked for info to verify.

We'll have to agree to disgraee on the rest.

Encouraged to get, that's funny. Because if you didn't have funds, somehow the embassies would have to get involved, when you eventually overstayed, and they'd have to get you out and pay for your flight home, hoping to recover later.

Not spreading misinfo, as none of that applied to me, during visa extensions, with 800k or 400k, except 2 month seasoning, and always the rule. And only been doing monthly income, the past couple years, as COLA made it possible. Thank you Biden.

That's my experiences ... YMMV

For the most part, you don't know what you're talking about.
Time to stop wasting my time talking to a wall.

On 8/21/2026 at 2:38 PM, KhunHeineken said:

The more hoops they make, the more crackdowns they do, as soon as Vietnam announces a retirement visa, it's bye-bye Thailand for many.

Thailand is not going to miss you