Five Year Stamp Poll

[IMA_FARANG]

Seems like a rather farfetched Poll.

There are just too many variables. What is the gaurentee that the visa will be good for 5 years and the law not be changed during that time?

Will it require 90 day reporting?

Will it require another monetary deposit in a Thai bank?

Will it allow someone to run a business in Thailand during the period of the visa?

Will it allow the visa holder to finance a business for his/her Thai partner (i.e. invest money in the Thai partner's business) during the visa period.

But with all those unknowns I still voted yes.

400,000 for a real honest visa...even though it is expensive...is better than 800,000 deposited in a Thai bank (as required for a retirement visa currently.)

Actually, I am over 50, and could qualify for a retirement visa.

From that standpoint, a gaurenteed 5 year visa for 400,000 would be 50% cheaper than the 800,000 deposit requirement.

I don't think it will ever happen, though.

P.S.

I just hapened to be watching the Woody Allen movie,"Annie Hall" while typing this.

There is a quote in the movie that goes like this: Right now its just a concept, but with enough support and some money maybe we can change it into an idea, and then a proposal.

Just like that qoute, I hope it will be a proposal soon.

Edited January 17, 2009 by IMA_FARANG

[PeaceBlondie]

I am not eligible to vote this time, but these proposals relate to similar ones. I cannot imagine there are enough eligible farang for this idea, who are willing to pay for the benefits mentioned in the OP. So from a marketing point of view, once you deduct the expenses, the lost revenue currently generated by annual and quarterly renewals, and the expected diversion of funds by greedy Thai bureaucrats at the top, it will not raise more than maybe twenty or fifty million baht, which is insignificant to a govt. trying to pay for a trillion baht incentive program.

Note that the farang here are bringing up additional requirements, such as no 90-day address reporting, less restricted work permits, reentry privileges, fast track to PR, etc. The current interim makeshift govt., such as it is, has no time or motivation to satisfy many demands of non-Thais. Even immigration police generals and MFA chiefs and labour chiefs are unlikely to give us proper consideration. Yet in this proposal, farang are the paying customers, who seem unwilling to pay.

100K for five years, maybe is okay. 200K for five years and various other perks, maybe. But the Elite Card fiasco highlights why we are reluctant to believe promises even if they were signed in blood.

[OlRedEyes]

'Hey farang (nudge, nudge), we just screwed you with the Elite card, now how about an even more expensive guaranteed deal?'

You just gotta be joking. Is it 1st April already?

Edited January 17, 2009 by OlRedEyes

[easy_jim]

If the Thai government want to make money from foreign residents they could just end the visa run farce and allow us to get our new stamps at the local immigration office. Say 2,000 baht a stamp (for 1-month or 3-months for those with multi-entry visas) and there would be thousands willing to pay it. They would make much more in the long term than these silly pay-for-privilege programs.

[canopy]

'Hey farang (nudge, nudge), we just screwed you with the Elite card, now how about an even more expensive guaranteed deal?'

You just gotta be joking. Is it 1st April already?

Thanks, even I got a nice chuckle out of that. But seriously this strategy does not seem like a good fit. Let me explain. I can envision 2 classes of people:

A: Those who are new or uncertain to future stay in Thailand just cannot be sure how long they will be around. 5 years is a long time and they may not be able to stretch out the entire 400K block. Then they face the exact same scenario all over again the second iteration. They can get tourist visas and regardless how long they stay are sure to save money by doing so, albeit with greater inconvenience.

B: Those that are somewhat confident they will be around for a long haul. These people however can easily see that 2 or 3 of these 5 year iterations down the road and they are already paying Elite card sums of money and may wish to stay even longer. Given the Elite pricing is attractive to almost no one, this is bound to be a show stopper for these people. These people might use B visas, some may opt for Elite if convenience is paramount, or even just staying on tourist visas.

So such a strategy does not seem to compare favorably to the existing visas. It might catch a nitch somewhere between groups A and B for those who wish for more convenience and mid term stability and are willing to pay substantially more to get this.

Edited January 17, 2009 by canopy

[PeaceBlondie]

Canopy, now more than ever, hardly anybody in their right mind - including some who can waste a million baht - will consider the Elite as an option. Rather, it is a lesson that Thailand is unable to keep a five year promise. Still, a five year stamp should be good for five years, with no hope for another five years promised.

[ludosiam]

I voted no because in my opinion with a good reason to stay in Thailand (having a child, work, study) you should be allowed based on the reason and not based on the cash you have available to spent.

[Gary A]

I never did understand the logic (?) of crossing the border for an extension. Does the Cambodian government give Thailand a kick back? I agree that Thailand could make much more money doing the extensions at local immigration offices and saving the farang some money too.

ADDED - This would apply to all neighboring countries but I would guess Cambodia to be the most used border crossing.

Edited January 17, 2009 by Gary A

[kriswillems]

An educational visa will cost you about 10000 baht per year for the visa and extensions.

The price of a 1 year course is about 30K (about 4 hours per week).

So for 40K per year anyone can stay in Thailand AND get Thai language courses (which will make life much easier here).

Why would anyone like to pay 80K per year and get nothing?

Edited January 17, 2009 by kriswillems

[keestha]

Thanks for taking the time to write. This visa may happen or not even happen. Just getting feedback now. This plan is Western thinking by this government on how the government can make the money rather than the border runs required. Plus its green friendly,less gas being wasted going back and forth to the border.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

Sunbelt,

You are doing a lot of talking, but you don't clarify what your information is based on.

For the second time, I am asking can you give us a source please?

If you choose not to answer again, it will not exactly improve your credibility.

[LivinLOS]

Please take a minute to vote if...

You are under 50 years, not married to a Thai, working in Thailand, wanting to learn Thai, have a Thai child, etc... You have no other visa options except getting a tourist visa or doing a tourist exemption stamp run every 15 or fly every 30 days.

If you were able to get a five year visa stamp with no benefits such as gold greens, spas, fast trac entry. But with the 5 year stamp you did not need to go to an Embassy to get a visa or cross the border. Would you be willing to part with 400,000 Baht as a one time payment to the Thai government to be allowed to live in Thailand for five years? With this 5 year visa, you will be able to work in Thailand, when you apply for a work permit.

If you qualify with the criteria under paragraph one, please vote. Thank you.

IF I had no other visa options then yes, possibly..

However there ARE other visa options.. Obtaining non imm -O's and B's from the west is as easy as asking for them and DHL can whip a passport there and back while I sit on a (non Thai) beach somewhere drinking cool colorful drinks.. The cost for doing this breaks down to around 15k annually plus the holidays I take anyway.

Now if it counted as my stage 1 of PR process then thats another story.

[LivinLOS]

Greg, as an under 50, divorced, non-working foreigner in Thailand, this 5-year visa stamp would seem to be a very viable option for me. But I would still vote no in your poll.

Why?

For the very simple reason that, based on past records, I trust a Thai government as far as I can throw them! They have no qualms about changing rules, visa rules etc as they see fit, and cannot be trusted in any way, shape or form to keep to their word.

Make it 100,000 baht for a 5-year stamp and I might be interested, (I'll risk that level of money)

Make it 400,000 baht for a 'guaranteed-by-HM' 5-year stamp after which time automatically allows you to apply for PR without the need to show 3 years of tax payments etc and I might be interested.

Simon

Simons price targets are about in line with my own..

100k gamble ?? Sure..

400k better come with the ability to start the PR application and even then would need to be iron clad and still might not get me.. Would need to see Thailand stop going backwards personally.

[LivinLOS]

Even if you can afford to nothing, who really wants to?

ha !! Moi !!

I am full time unemployed, and dont have enough hours in the day or days in the week for all the exploring, trips, and things I want to do.

[LivinLOS]

400,000 for a real honest visa...even though it is expensive...is better than 800,000 deposited in a Thai bank (as required for a retirement visa currently.)

Actually, I am over 50, and could qualify for a retirement visa.

From that standpoint, a gaurenteed 5 year visa for 400,000 would be 50% cheaper than the 800,000 deposit requirement.

But one is to pay outright and its gone.. The other is simply to bring here and you can use for living expenses.. Vastly different !!

[terryp]

Excuse me but this is quite a ridicules question this converts to 8 grand sterling????

Best option go and live in one of the neighbouring county’s and fly into Thailand as you wish for fun etc 400,000 is a lot of flights and hotels nights even over 5 years

[sriracha john]

well, as of now, it's 2 to 1 saying no... it'd no doubt be even more opposed if the specifics of no other incentives besides those mentioned in the OP was fully realized by all voters, eg. NO fast-tracking on PR, etc.

There's been a littany of additional "wish-list items" and "acceptable levels of fee" posts that don't reflect truly what the OP has stated in the government's offer.

As a straight take-it-or-leave-it, 5 year visa for 400,000 Baht pitch, what's the straight Yes or No ratio then?

[Pib]

I don't meet your voting criteria, but if I did I would vote NO!!! Why? The government has changed the rules too many times during the game; it's been almost like a bait and switch game. A new immigration rule/policy change can appear (has appeared) overnight with little to no advance notice. Yes, I know farangs are guests in the Thailand, but guests deserve adequate and well publicised advance notice of rule changes. And wouldn't it be great if immigration rule changes went through a proposal stage where comments from the public could be submitted and seriously reviewed--I know, dream on. My vote would be No--too expensive and little trust the government would live up to the deal for more than a couple of years.

[Ralf61]

Greg, as an under 50, divorced, non-working foreigner in Thailand, this 5-year visa stamp would seem to be a very viable option for me. But I would still vote no in your poll.

Why?

For the very simple reason that, based on past records, I trust a Thai government as far as I can throw them! They have no qualms about changing rules, visa rules etc as they see fit, and cannot be trusted in any way, shape or form to keep to their word.

Make it 100,000 baht for a 5-year stamp and I might be interested, (I'll risk that level of money)

Make it 400,000 baht for a 'guaranteed-by-HM' 5-year stamp after which time automatically allows you to apply for PR without the need to show 3 years of tax payments etc and I might be interested.

Simon

I agree with Simon. 2,000 baht/month sound like a fair pricen to me and then you could buy as many month as you could afford or need at any given time.

Robert

Fully agree. I am 47 years old, not married and on a Visa-B, running a translation agency with no way to get the 1-year-thing so far. A 100,000 Bath should do it as an entrance fee for being allowed to pay tax in this lovely country. Maybe, the Thai government is not aware of the fact, that's a WORLDWIDE crisis comming or already there (yes, there is a world outside Thailand, there is), and everybody with an average income should try to hold as much money as possible in his/her own pocket in the moment.

Ralf

[thedi]

I will be 60 in May, hence I have better options. But if I would qualify for the poll I still would vote NO.

400'000 for PR would be OK. I would consider that even now.

500'000 for PR without the need of 90 days address reports (reports when changing address would be acceptable) AND a life log reentry permit would be a deal.

Regards

Thedi