1 hour ago, Hotchilli123 said:

But not more than 30 days?

Well 30 days is the limit for a visa free tourist.

I think in this article they are talking about people who want to live here on a dtv visa or similar, not tourists.

“It ranked second among ASEAN countries in both categories, with Malaysia ahead in each. Lalida cited reporting by Vietnam's VnExpress International and Malaysia's The Star, saying the results underlined Thailand's potential for people looking to live and work abroad, rather than simply take short holidays.”

Sounds to me like the results underline the potential of Malaysia for people looking to live and work abroad. Malaysia came first in ASEAN for both categories.

On 9/13/2026 at 8:50 AM, sungod said:

Great, another thread where moaning old gits can complain about Thailand, yet do nothing about it and stay here.

Many used to say they were off to Cambodia, then realised it’s a real <deleted>hole, now the chat is about Viet Nam, but I dont see the numbers leaving.

Vietnam 5 months of rain, no retirement visa, no bank account and driving licence, great for a few visits per year, unless you are married to a Vietnamese lady, forget it.

On 9/13/2026 at 4:04 AM, atpeace said:

OK, but the numbers I provided show a 80% increase the last couple of years vs the pre covid peak. How does that equal people leaving?

Absolutely- a recent trip back to the UK was a sobering exercise for me

Products that would cost around 400 in the local 7-11 was many times more expensive for more or less identical products

Do not even mention the cost of housing, petrol and so on

I missed the easy life here- always in shorts and a t shirt and far less pressure

1 hour ago, jcmj said:

They always say that they want high spending or quality visitors but don’t worry about the numbers. I suggest that they speak to TAT who is always pushing for higher numbers of visitors, and they don’t care where they are from or how much they spend. They just want big numbers. Ahh, the usual here as most people know.

Part of the ongoing problem is the complete disconnect between the TAT and it's ever obsessive desire to have high numbers of arrivals and the rest of the government, especially immigration. You add in and extremely xenophobic prime minister and that certainly complicates the issues even more, with the recent crackdowns on nominee companies, homeownership, incessant changes to visa policy, etc, etc.

Another issue is the fact that Thai officials seem to be completely unwilling (or incapable) to make the kind of sacrifices that are required to attract high quality tourists, and they have done very little to address lingering problems that have become an issue for a decade or two now. There have been some minor improvements to the infrastructure here but that's really about it. To compound that you have neighboring nations that are trying much harder, and doing much more.

I love Thailand and I love its people, but it's sad to see the nation moving backwards at a fairly swift pace, due to incredibly toxic oligarchs, incredibly regressive politicians, a total unwillingness to let the youth have a hand in politics here, a total unwillingness to change and progress, some incredibly toxic people at the top who have no regard for their people, and an elitist system that does not award merit on any level.

I do not think that the future will be that kind to Thailand. The once powerful tiger of Southeast Asia is quickly becoming of sad, anemic, and sickly alley cat, and it would not surprise me if Thailand dropped to 100th in the world in terms of real GDP within the next 20 to 30 years. Most Thai leaders in politicians could not spell the words dynamic or progressive if their lives depended upon it.

Edited Monday at 04:12 AM2 days by spidermike007

I suggest that you visit the actual data summary. Rumavi is upfront with its caveat that each person has different characterstics and the results will vary by person.

Having lived in Portugal for six years and now Thailand for nine years, I'd argue that Thailand is by far the better place to live.

2 hours ago, atpeace said:

They make most of us look older but don't see them as a whole ruining places. Over the top tourism ruins places and can only hope Thailand can reduce the hordes but as of yet this hasn't happened. This year looks to be down a few percent which will be unnoticeable and some of my favorite destination of 25 years ago are a no go for me. I remember when Phuket was an enjoyable holiday for me.

They drive up rent. And not only in the uptown areas they come into. When they take places in central Bangkok, they're forcing out Thais who must move downstream to more suburban or exurban areas. Exurban is me and my neighbors. So they cause the cost of living to increase for everyone.

On 9/13/2026 at 11:18 AM, ikke1959 said:

I don't know, but I spoke to several people who left already and others are planning it. That there will be others.... Of course, but at this moment i am wondering how many don't need to an agency to extend or stay in Thailand. The crackdown on foreigners will show it..

The reason for the high 2023 figure is that consulates and immigration offices processed a massive backlog of delayed applications and annual renewals that had stalled during the pandemic years. Moreover immigrations tightened the scrutiny on consecutive tourist entries in recent years and therefore long term visitors found it much harder to "live" in Thailand on tourist visas.

On 9/13/2026 at 6:30 AM, ikke1959 said:

I think that Thailand as a land to retire has lost it. The news about the people who have bought a house here with the advice of company to buy the ground was in the news all over the world. It was not positive and another issue will be that Thailand is very expensive country for tax. Taxes are high and there are no benefits. And than of course there all the restrictions, as 90 days reporting, address notifications, no vaping, no volunteer work ( I know people will say if you retired you don't work, but some one can and like to do something more than drinking coffee and shopping), air pollution, dangerous roads and very expensive imported goods. And of course at this moment the drugs issues.It is not affecting at the moment for retirees, but we all know that drugs will bring crimes too. Just a few things that are at the negative side. Positive is the possibility of a 1 year visa, and the good food .

If the government wants that people stay longer they have do something that makes it worth, as for now i only see people leaving as there are better options to retire.

Using fake shareholders is plain stupid, one should know that by themselves.

Tax isn't very expensive, 7% VAT and max 35% income tax:

The Thai tax brackets for 2025 are as follows:

• 0% on income up to ฿150,000

• 5% on income from ฿150,001 to ฿300,000

• 10% on income from ฿300,001 to ฿500,000

• 15% on income from ฿500,001 to ฿750,000

• 20% on income from ฿750,001 to ฿1,000,000

• 25% on income from ฿1,000,001 to ฿2,000,000

• 30% on income from ฿2,000,001 to ฿5,000,000

• 35% on income above ฿5,000,000.

  
  These brackets apply to assessable income after deductions and allowances.

On 9/13/2026 at 10:02 AM, ikke1959 said:

In Thailand we are still in Covid years.. It is the nonly country that keeps on wearing masks and get news about Covid

Absolute BS, people wear masks when having a cold. Have done before and after COVID.

On 9/13/2026 at 11:18 AM, ikke1959 said:

I don't know, but I spoke to several people who left already and others are planning it. That there will be others.... Of course, but at this moment i am wondering how many don't need to an agency to extend or stay in Thailand. The crackdown on foreigners will show it..

Are you saying people who can't afford the income requirements to get the retirement visa are leaving? If so, they shouldn't be here in the first place.

33 minutes ago, John Drake said:

They drive up rent. And not only in the uptown areas they come into. When they take places in central Bangkok, they're forcing out Thais who must move downstream to more suburban or exurban areas. Exurban is me and my neighbors. So they cause the cost of living to increase for everyone.

I don't think that's a real problem, but maybe there's some aspect of the market I just don't understand. Aren't there empty condos sitting all over Thailand, even in Bangkok? Unless landlords are deliberately keeping some condos empty rather than having them occupied by paying tenants, the foreigners should not be a problem. Let's say a foreigner rents a condo in Bangkok for 50,000 baht a month. How many Thai people are being displaced?

Thailand has room for everyone, or so it would seem.

As for Thailand being a top retirement destination? It's not a "one size fits all" proposition. Some people have pension and Social Security type earning that are not taxable in Thailand and are more than enough to live on. No tax burden for them unless non-exempt funds are brought into the country. Housing is cheap, food is cheap, medical care is excellent.

5 minutes ago, jas007 said:

I don't think that's a real problem, but maybe there's some aspect of the market I just don't understand. Aren't there empty condos sitting all over Thailand, even in Bangkok? Unless landlords are deliberately keeping some condos empty rather than having them occupied by paying tenants, the foreigners should not be a problem. Let's say a foreigner rents a condo in Bangkok for 50,000 baht a month. How many Thai people are being displaced?

Thailand has room for everyone, or so it would seem.

As for Thailand being a top retirement destination? It's not a "one size fits all" proposition. Some people have pension and Social Security type earning that are not taxable in Thailand and are more than enough to live on. No tax burden for them unless non-exempt funds are brought into the country. Housing is cheap, food is cheap, medical care is excellent.

Thai displacement and the ripple effect of digital nomads on forcing out Thais is discussed in the Bangkok Bank report. https://www.bangkokbank.com/th-TH/-/media/a7e1bb5adb5d4888a1df9cce2a05b52f.ashx

Check back on that stat in 5 years when all the digital nomads are retired by AI.

7 minutes ago, Taco said:

Check back on that stat in 5 years when all the digital nomads are retired by AI.

Maybe give it just another 12 months.

3 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

Have you been to cambodia recently? I have now lived here in Siem Reap for 7 years, after 20 years in a deteriorating Thailand. I can assure you Khmer Land is far from a s...hole these days.

My local supermarket on the way to Angkoe Wat and the Botanical Gardens for starters! (my photos)

In all serious & no snide remarks intended, is there anything to do in Siem Reap other than Angkor Wat & Pub Street?

Honestly, I'm asking because I'm doing <180 days in Thailand this year and have been using Penang (with 2 x 6 weeks in the UK & 2 weeks in the Maldives) as my base but I'm a bit bored there and still have 5 weeks to kill after I get back from the UK.

Am considering stopping off in Istanbul & doing 3 weeks on the Asian side, 2 weeks on the European side, or might head off to VN but had mentally disregarded Cambodia as I've been to SR & PP 3-4 times already..

Edited Monday at 06:12 AM2 days by SamSpade

On 9/13/2026 at 6:30 AM, ikke1959 said:

If the government wants that people stay longer they have do something that makes it worth, as for now i only see people leaving as there are better options to retire.

I agree 100% and charging retirees 450baht coming and going after already paying the visa charges is criminal.

On 9/13/2026 at 7:28 AM, Gottfrid said:

what Rumavi Global Relocation Index base their figures on. Maybe, then you will be able to sort your fiction from the real world.

Or maybe RGR Index is not the real world. The Rumavi Global Relocation Index uses a transparent, data-driven framework, but as an inaugural 2026 report from a private advisory firm, it should be treated as a helpful guide rather than a definitive authority

3 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

“It ranked second among ASEAN countries in both categories, with Malaysia ahead in each. Lalida cited reporting by Vietnam's VnExpress International and Malaysia's The Star, saying the results underlined Thailand's potential for people looking to live and work abroad, rather than simply take short holidays.”

Sounds to me like the results underline the potential of Malaysia for people looking to live and work abroad. Malaysia came first in ASEAN for both categories.

Malaysia also has some pretty favourable tax policies in place until 2036 for Foreign income. They only Tax Domestic & Remitted income anyway but until 2036 they don't tax any Income that is subject to Tax in the country it's being remitted from, whether you've paid Tax on it there or not - E.g. you might have Rental income of £12,500 which is below the UK Personal Allowance so you pay no tax, but because this is taxable income in the UK, you won't pay any tax on it in Malaysia.

Non Residents don't pay any tax on Remitted income and it's <182 days (compared to <180 days in Thailand) BUT there are a few "Rules" that can make you Tax Resident if you spend less than 182 days in 1 Tax year (1st Jan - 31st Dec)...

1 - The "Link Period Rule" if you spent August-December (153 days) in Malaysia, then spent the following January there you would be treated as though you've spent 184 days in Malaysia and would be Tax Resident - You have to spend at least 14 days outside of Malaysia to "Break the Chain".

2 - The "90 Day" Rule, if you spend 90 Days in Malaysia and have spent 90 Days in 3 out of the preceeding 4 years there you are Tax Resident.

3 - The "Continuous Resident" Rule, If you have spent the previous 3 years as a Resident in Malaysia then you are Resident this year even if you spend zero days there.

Edited Monday at 06:36 AM2 days by SamSpade

On 9/13/2026 at 11:18 AM, ikke1959 said:

I don't know, but I spoke to several people who left already and others are planning it. That there will be others.... Of course, but at this moment i am wondering how many don't need to an agency to extend or stay in Thailand. The crackdown on foreigners will show it..

I remember when they (farang hating Thaksin) raised the retirement visa requirement from 100k to 200k(around 25/30 years ago), many retirees said they were leaving, and some actually left (Cambodia was top of the list back then.)

It didn't take long for the Shinawatras to raise it from 200k to 400k,and, again, many said they really have had it now, and were leaving, and some actually did.

Not long after, it went up to 800k,same story.

In the end, people get angry when they feel that are being taken advantage of, but, especially old folks, once they have settled in a place, are in a relationship, tend to suck it up and stay.

Edited Monday at 06:35 AM2 days by thecyclist
Error

On 9/13/2026 at 10:02 AM, ikke1959 said:

In Thailand we are still in Covid years.. It is the nonly country that keeps on wearing masks and get news about Covid

I think mask-wearing on public transit and in crowded places makes sense - it's not just about covid, it's also to avoid colds, flu etc.. The authorities only report on Covid when there is something to say. For example, last month they reported more than 100,000 cases of covid so far this year. That's a lot. I had it last month, so did my wife. Fortunately, it was mild and we both tested negative within a week (thanks to anti-virals).

2 hours ago, John Drake said:

Thai displacement and the ripple effect of digital nomads on forcing out Thais is discussed in the Bangkok Bank report. https://www.bangkokbank.com/th-TH/-/media/a7e1bb5adb5d4888a1df9cce2a05b52f.ashx

Digital Nomads? I hardly think there are that many Digital Nomads hanging out in Thailand. Maybe in some areas, Like Chiang Mai, but overall, certainly not enough to cause a large scale displacement of Thais to the suburbs. But even if we assume that's the case, it sounds to me like a Thai problem that should be addressed. On the one hand, they want "high quality" visitors, whatever those are these days, and yet on the other hand there are forces within the government that seem to be actively engaged in putting roadblock after roadblock in their way. Visa restrictions, banking regulations, and so on.

It's Thailand, and at the end of the day they can do what they want, but they shouldn't be surprised if many of the so-called "high quality" people they're trying to attract look elsewhere.

2 hours ago, 10baht said:

Or maybe RGR Index is not the real world. The Rumavi Global Relocation Index uses a transparent, data-driven framework, but as an inaugural 2026 report from a private advisory firm, it should be treated as a helpful guide rather than a definitive authority

Sorry, I only give 5baht for that answer. 😂

2 hours ago, John Drake said:

They drive up rent. And not only in the uptown areas they come into. When they take places in central Bangkok, they're forcing out Thais who must move downstream to more suburban or exurban areas. Exurban is me and my neighbors. So they cause the cost of living to increase for everyone.

I don't find this to be true at all. There are plenty of rentals available in Bangkok, including at my upscale condo building in central Bangkok, just steps from the Phetchaburi MRT. Hipflat has a 41 sqm unit on a high floor in my project for 17,000 baht a month. Once the condo fee and insurance are paid by the landlord, he's netting maybe 15,500 baht a month--not a lot. That's a very cheap rent in a nice project in a very good area--sitting there available to anyone, Thai or foreign, one of many condos available in Bangkok, and many even cheaper. If my project is too expensive, you can go down the street to a Lumpini project and pay an even cheaper 13,000 baht a month.

I think you will find that most Bangkok condo projects have foreign quota still available, as does my sold-out project, which has plenty. That means that a majority of the condos in the mostly sold-out projects were bought by Thais, not foreigners. If rents were high, which they aren't, it wouldn't be because of foreigners, as they are minority buyers.

Nobody is being 'forced out' by foreigners. If you can't afford a cheap rental of 17,000 baht a month in a very prime location, then, yes, you need to go to an even cheaper neighborhood that fits your salary. That's the way of the world. I had to do that when I was young--I wanted to rent in one town but the rents were too high so I had to live in a cheaper town. That's on the individual, not that foreigner over there behind the tree. Just as it is on the individual if he or she is not earning enough to buy a BMW. You buy what you can afford, which might be a Honda, instead. When I lived in the US I never owned a house--they were way too expensive in my area for my salary. I didn't blame anybody--it was what it was. What I could finally afford on my salary, after saving awhile, was a small 1-bedroom condo, which is what I bought. Also never earned enough to own a BMW, by the way, but did own a Honda.

It's the same thing with condo buyers rather than condo renters. Foreign condo buyers are not forcing Thai condo buyers out of buying their first condo, either. Generally, first time Thai condo buyers are in the 2MB market, whereas foreign buyers are buying in the 4 to 5MB market. They are not competing with each other--and even if they were the price is going to be what it is, based on many factors. True for houses, as well.

Example. This past weekend my Thai spouse and I went house-hunting in the Bangkok suburbs. Went to an open house at one new project. We were there, and there was a Thai couple, as well. Two house types available, two prices for the two models, around 10MB and 18MB. Didn't matter that one set of buyers was Thai-Thai and the other was Thai-foreign. Price was the same--and it didn't jump because a foreigner was in the mix. The larger model starting at 18MB was too expensive for us. Were we forced out of the market because, we found out later, a Thai doctor was interested in buying the expensive model? No. We didn't buy because it was above our budget of around 10MB.

The problem with Thailand--which is also true for the US and for Europe, is the salaries of young buyers, in all these places, are not keeping up with the cost of housing. There are plenty of cheap, under 2MB condos available in the Bangkok area. Not a market that many foreign buyers would be interested in, thus, they are not driving up the price--which is low, anyway. What's keeping young Thai buyers from buying--and those in the US and Europe--is their inadequate salaries that can't afford even the lowest cost housing.

3 hours ago, SamSpade said:

In all serious & no snide remarks intended, is there anything to do in Siem Reap other than Angkor Wat & Pub Street?

Honestly, I'm asking because I'm doing <180 days in Thailand this year and have been using Penang (with 2 x 6 weeks in the UK & 2 weeks in the Maldives) as my base but I'm a bit bored there and still have 5 weeks to kill after I get back from the UK.

Am considering stopping off in Istanbul & doing 3 weeks on the Asian side, 2 weeks on the European side, or might head off to VN but had mentally disregarded Cambodia as I've been to SR & PP 3-4 times already..

Try Turkeye especially Istanbul, a really fascinating place. Or try Split and the surrounding areas and the islands like Kortula, or Hvar. All are well worth visiting for numerous reasons.

7 hours ago, sungod said:

Yes, travel there a lot although admittedly mostly Phnom Pehn.

Corruption is far worse than even Thailand, Hun sen and his family have sold the country off to China, it’s effectively a 1 party state with zero freedom of speech where they lock up the opposition, and health care is way behind Thailand.

I’m not disputing you may have found your own corner of paradise, and I’m genuinely happy for you, but overall in its current state its still 3rd world in many ways.

Pretty narrow minded to judge a country by one city. Most expats love Siem Reap and Kampot. Their is nothing about PP that appeals to me.

Given Bill has lived there for 7 years I would take his advice and ignore your negative rant.

Digital nomads read unwashed unemployable morons. 🙈

1 hour ago, jas007 said:

they want "high quality" visitors, whatever those are these days, and yet on the other hand there are forces within the government that seem to be actively engaged in putting roadblock after roadblock in their way. Visa restrictions, banking regulations, and so on.

The DTV seems to be the one singled out. The BOI visas - wealthy investor, high skilled experts, wealthy pensioners - don't seem to have any obvious problems. Maybe the DTV didn't attract the kind of people they were expecting in the end (e.g. high earning day traders with a laptop on a beach and living lavish lifestyles, spending foreign credit card money in upmarket hotels, etc.). So they didn't get that and instead got what they don't want - low spending backpackers on extended visas. Maybe that's the point of the roadblocks like local bank accounts, etc., because they're not suppose to be earning money in Thailand - they are supposed to be working for foreign employers and getting paid in foreign currencies (deposited in banks abroad) - but of course the question of how to access those funds is unresolved except with a foreign ATM card. Maybe not thought out enough before introducing the DTV.

4 hours ago, John Drake said:

Thai displacement and the ripple effect of digital nomads on forcing out Thais is discussed in the Bangkok Bank report. https://www.bangkokbank.com/th-TH/-/media/a7e1bb5adb5d4888a1df9cce2a05b52f.ashx

Read it. A rather simplistic report, and quite short on statistics of any value. If I were grading it, I would give it a Gentleman's C. In a nutshell, both Phuket and Chiang Mai, the only two places covered in the report, are now--after covid--experiencing large numbers of visitors, who are spending large sums of money. That visitor money is contributing greatly to both economies--7 billion baht to CM in 2024--but the benefits of all that money are mostly brushed over in the report.

Both economies are also experiencing rising rents in their most desirable areas, as well as rising restaurant and coffee prices. Stop the presses on that one. What the report utterly fails to do is to prove these rising prices--which are also rising many other places--are due to digital nomads. That would be a tall task. CM welcomed 4 million arrivals just at its airport alone in 2023 and its digital nomad numbers are pegged at only 30,000 or less at any given time. Hmm. 4 million plus vs. maybe 30,000.