Will Thailand Revise Visa Conditions ?

[Prajak]

I understand that revisions must not take place every year. But they do change more than I like.....

But since many currencies have changed due to the international crisis I would like to breake a lance for a revison if international exchange rates change more than, say, 5 to 10 procent. Why ?

Retirement visas are for retired people. We can not change our income. You can when you are still at work, but penshionado's can not. A pension is a fixed income, only the lucky ones amongst us have an "index".

Look at the Euro zone. For my Euro I now get more than 10% less THB than a year ago. Well, I still have my 800 k income, but many don't have anymore. But the rules remain the same.

A baht is a baht. The law is the law. But laws can change. And since we "penshionado's" are big spenders here it is in the interest of Thailand that we remain spending here.

Your opinion ?

[britmaveric]

If anything they will raise the limits - sorry but at the end of the day they do not care about falang that retire in thailand.

[rfukata]

it's only when retiree's stop coming is probably when the authority will act. not all currencies are performing weaker against the

baht as the baht is benchmarked against the US dollar, which has fallen compared to last year. for example the japanese yen is stronger at this time, which makes it favorable for the japanese retirees to settle in thailand.

its tough but we're all in the same boat -the trend revolves, just have to ride it out.

[Maestro]

Will Thailand Revise Visa Conditions ?

I see that it is the requirements for extensions of stay, not for visas, that you are concerned about.

It is true that the extensions requirements changed rather frequently in recent years, partly also to make them less gender-specific. Your major concern appears to be the financial requirement for the retirement extension. If you look at the corresponding clause in past and the current rules you will see that these are “grandfathered”, ie somebody who first applied for retirement extension 12 years ago can continue to meet the lower requirements that existed at that time. From the Police Order No. 777/2551:

Proof of income of not less than Baht 65,000 per month; or

(4) Account deposit with a bank in Thailand of not less than

800,000 Baht as shown in the bank account for the past 3 months at the filing date of the application. For the first year, the applicant should have that amount in his bank account for not less than 60 days or

(5) Annual income plus bank account deposit totaling not less

than Baht 800,000 as of the filing date of application

(6) For an alien who entered Thailand before October 21,

1998 and continuously allowed to stay in the Kingdom as a

retiree, the following shall apply:

(a) He/she must be 60 years of age or over and has regular

income. His/her bank account deposit shall not be less than Baht 200,000 a year and evidence of the account deposit for the

previous 3 months must be shown; or he/she has a monthly income of not less than Baht 20,000.

( If he/she is under 60 years of age but not less than 55,

the alien shall have regular income with a bank account deposit of not less than Baht 500,000 a year and evidence of the account deposit for the previous 3 months must be shown, or he/she has a monthly income of not less than 50,000 baht

Hopefully, this type of “grandfathering” will continue, ie if the limits should be increased again, foreigners who got retirement extensions before the increase can continue to get extension based on the old requirements.

--

Maestro

[MrRichard2009]

I don't think if you make less than 800,000 bht you can call them big spenders, big spenders make a little more than that. I do think Thailand does want big spenders but retirees generally don't fall in that catagory especially ones that can't show a combination of income and savings of a measly 800,000 bht. Why would Thailand want people from first world countries who have worked all their life and don't have 800,000 bht to show for it ?

[keeniau96]

Several days ago I did a Google search of "Philippines retirement visa" and had a real eye opener. Philippines really want retirees to come there. And I just may take them up on it because the BS in the LOS is just starting to get too thick.

[Pib]

If anything they will raise the limits - sorry but at the end of the day they do not care about falang that retire in thailand.

I agree...when they do change the limits they will be up and not down. Farangs living in Thailand make up a very, very small part (drop in the bucket) of the Thai economy. But hopefully they will continue to grandfather farangs already on extensions of stay; that will at least help those already living in Thailand.

[Lite Beer]

Off Topic Post Deleted.

[phetaroi]

I'm one of those lucky retirees who has an indexed pension from the States, but as a retiree I still sympathize with you.

When you say that, "And since we "penshionado's" are big spenders here it is in the interest of Thailand that we remain spending here", I think you are overestimating the effect on the Thai economy that we have...particularly retirees whose income is truly fixed.

I do wish you the best of luck!