It's a Macwindup.

I have had nothing to do with that. Expressing my opinion is allowed, the same as other members are allowed to express their opinions. 60-65 sounds about right to me, and say 1.5 mil in the bank.

Have nothing to do with what?

I never said you couldn't express 'your opinion'.

Just admit it, you had a "Macwindup" and followed it up with this "mactroll". It's the way you roll.

Certainly possible. 50 is too young for a retirement age. 55 or 60 could happen soon.

Apparently, they are seeking a retirement age? Certainly, they could simply satisfy assurances of sufficient economic stability and allow any age to qualify. For example, I retired at 42, with enough income to qualify.

Hello - Although I have been following the forum for a couple of months I am completely new here with respect to posting so please bear with me.

I have valued all that I have read within posts during this time. I only wish to add one small comment to this thread based on my recent experience,

three weeks ago.

During a telephone conversation with an officer at the Royal Thai Embassy in Helsinki,in response to my application for a tourist visa, I also asked a

question relating to Retirement visas, since I am considering this as a possible future option for myself. Helsinki does not process retirement visas,

and this is done by Stockholm. During the, polite and informative, conversation i had with Helsinki I was advised to talk as soon as possible with

Stockholm as the regulations regarding Retirement visas was about to change in the New Year. I asked the advisor in what way? The reply was that

none of the embassies had been given complete details yet, but soon they would all be advised of the changes. I empasise that no mention of age

changes was made. I had spoken with this officer on previous occasions and have received only courteous, helpful and positive information.

I am 68 and British, but am currently resident in Estonia, where there is no Thai embassy presence .I did not subsequently contact Stockholm, as I

have received my tourist visa (2nd) and am not ready to make a retirement application at the present time. As i said, my comment here is only an

observation, but may have bearing on the future

A off topic post and a reply to it has been removed. Please no attempts to derail this topic.

During the, polite and informative, conversation i had with Helsinki I was advised to talk as soon as possible with

Stockholm as the regulations regarding Retirement visas was about to change in the New Year. I asked the advisor in what way? The reply was that

none of the embassies had been given complete details yet, but soon they would all be advised of the changes.

Thanks for contributing to this thread Peakman. That must be also a rumour. Those guys here can be vicious, be careful that they do not eat you alive for spreading such a rumour. Changes to retirement visas? Cannot be!

During the, polite and informative, conversation i had with Helsinki I was advised to talk as soon as possible with

Stockholm as the regulations regarding Retirement visas was about to change in the New Year. I asked the advisor in what way? The reply was that

none of the embassies had been given complete details yet, but soon they would all be advised of the changes.

Thanks for contributing to this thread Peakman. That must be also a rumour. Those guys here can be vicious, be careful that they do not eat you alive for spreading such a rumour. Changes to retirement visas? Cannot be!

I am not at all impressed by the source of this rumor.

Most of the misinformation people seem to get about Thai visas comes from those very places, Thai embassies and consulates abroad.

During the, polite and informative, conversation i had with Helsinki I was advised to talk as soon as possible with

Stockholm as the regulations regarding Retirement visas was about to change in the New Year. I asked the advisor in what way? The reply was that

none of the embassies had been given complete details yet, but soon they would all be advised of the changes.

Thanks for contributing to this thread Peakman. That must be also a rumour. Those guys here can be vicious, be careful that they do not eat you alive for spreading such a rumour. Changes to retirement visas? Cannot be!

Extension ?

During the, polite and informative, conversation i had with Helsinki I was advised to talk as soon as possible with

Stockholm as the regulations regarding Retirement visas was about to change in the New Year. I asked the advisor in what way? The reply was that

none of the embassies had been given complete details yet, but soon they would all be advised of the changes.

Thanks for contributing to this thread Peakman. That must be also a rumour. Those guys here can be vicious, be careful that they do not eat you alive for spreading such a rumour. Changes to retirement visas? Cannot be!

If I may post in support of Mr. Walen,

It seems clear to me retirement VISA/extension will be changed to make it harder to get.

The Junta is reducing the number of long stay foreigners in Thailand, retirement is the next obvious target.

Having a go at Mr. Walen because you don't want that to happen is not entirely fair on him.

It's gonna happen, and it's likely to happen soon.

The only question in my mind is 2M baht in the bank or age 60+?

Ironic that all the old foreigner yellow supporters are going to be affected by the yellow Junta.

Edited December 7, 201411 yr by BritManToo

People are just speculating with no evidence.

Some people are obviously just hostile to older retired people and think they deserve to be "cracked down" on like other classes of visa holders have.

Until there is hard evidence from a REAL SOURCE, why is this thread even open at all?

Edited December 7, 201411 yr by Jingthing

...

Ironic that all the old foreigner yellow supporters are going to be affected by the yellow Junta.

That's just idiotic. So for you this is about political hostility. Dude, I can tell you for sure I know a number of oldies who definitely were openly pro-red.

Edited December 7, 201411 yr by Jingthing

Thank you. As I said I only report what was told to me - and in no way do I wish to upport to any so-called 'rumours'. I am relative,y new to Thailand thinking, though am beginning to lean more by the day. Whilst I might report what I hear, I do not always believe such and I do not say it is fact. Simply need wait and then time will tell.

Funny coming from a person that belive 60 -70+ year old is normal for an ED visa and study

Nobody is too old to learn. Even older 80+.

But yet one can be too young to retire.

General retirement age is certainly not 50 in any country in the world, or am I wrong? So if the finances are the only reason to qualify for retirement then guys in their 20s and having plenty of money should be eligible too! It is too bad that you would have to wait till 50, so discriminatory.

There is no minimum retirement age in most cases in the world. There are sometimes minimum ages to draw down on retirement benefits though.

Thankfully I was able to not work for years in Thailand, and I just turned 50.

Edited December 7, 201411 yr by jdinasia

I see you guys are very technical about it. Ok, here is a list of what retirement age is in various countries. I don't see 50 here. You might have retired by that age but that is not the general definition of retirement age.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retirement_age

I see you guys are very technical about it. Ok, here is a list of what retirement age is in various countries. I don't see 50 here. You might have retired by that age but that is not the general definition of retirement age.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retirement_age

From your link

"This article lists the statutory retirement age in different countries. In some contexts, the retirement age is the age at which a person is expected or required to cease work and is usually the age at which they may be entitled to receive superannuation or other government benefits."

Expected or required. For benefits.

Definition of retirement

The action or fact of leaving one’s job and ceasing to work:

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/retirement

Edited December 7, 201411 yr by jdinasia

I see you guys are very technical about it. Ok, here is a list of what retirement age is in various countries. I don't see 50 here. You might have retired by that age but that is not the general definition of retirement age.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retirement_age

Retirement type visas (internationally) financial requirements may be based on assets, income, either, or both.

So you see, Professori, actually having a retirement pension is not necessarily a requirement, isn't in Thailand, and isn't in a number of other countries with similar schemes.

Seeing as how it was dropped from 55 to 50 not so long ago I really doubt that it would be going the other way again.

Maybe they should drop down the age to 30

I see you guys are very technical about it. Ok, here is a list of what retirement age is in various countries. I don't see 50 here. You might have retired by that age but that is not the general definition of retirement age.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retirement_age

Isn't this list based on what age you get Benefits from the respective government, thus useless in this discussion ?

Certainly possible. 50 is too young for a retirement age. 55 or 60 could happen soon.

And why is it too young???

As usual, a random post gets a forum all riled up. The OP posted once, and then walked away enjoying the commotion. Calm down.

Seeing as how it was dropped from 55 to 50 not so long ago I really doubt that it would be going the other way again.

"Not so long ago" must be more than 9 years ago. I got my first retirement extension 9 years ago, when I was 50.

Certainly possible. 50 is too young for a retirement age. 55 or 60 could happen soon.

If that is the case, just think of the consequences !!

All guys in the age range 50-54 (suppose they increase it to 55) (with a current Retirement Extension) will have to be start doing Visa Runs again, or maybe even going the ED Visa route (and maybe start studying at your school )

Edit: If it is cause, I most certainly hope for a grandfather clause.

I wouldn't count on anything being "grandfathered". If ED visa holders are potentially about to get screwed from 1 year down to 6 months (depending on if what we have been told is correct or not), then it's possible that it will be the same with you guys too.

Edited December 7, 201411 yr by bbi1

- removed -

Edited December 7, 201411 yr by MJCM

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Funny coming from a person that belive 60 -70+ year old is normal for an ED visa and study

Nobody is too old to learn. Even older 80+.

But yet one can be too young to retire. alt=thumbsup.gif>

General retirement age is certainly not 50 in any country in the world, or am I wrong? So if the finances are the only reason to qualify for retirement then guys in their 20s and having plenty of money should be eligible too! It is too bad that you would have to wait till 50, so discriminatory.

Anybody leaving the armed forces (UK) after serving their 22 years, is on a pension (or percentage of it) from the age of 40.

I have been paid that pension for the last 17 years. Even though I have opted to continue working.......................

In Thailand with the relevant visa and work permit. Sorry, I felt obliged to state that.........................

Edited December 7, 201411 yr by chrisinth

I wouldn't count on anything being "grandfathered"

That sounds about right. Feeling of entitlement is strong. Not mentioning that many do not have those 800k in the bank but it is done through various tricks.

I wouldn't count on anything being "grandfathered"

That sounds about right. Feeling of entitlement is strong. Not mentioning that many do not have those 800k in the bank but it is done through various tricks.

You are coming off as having a hostile agenda towards retired expats. Maybe the education visa game has burned you and you feel bitter and vindictive against an "OTHER" but -- I don't appreciate that at all. The facts are for retirement status previous changes HAVE been grandfathered. We've discussed this before many times. That does not mean future changes will necessarily be grandfathered, but the precedent is there so people have a REASON to think logically that it is a real possibility that they will be again.

Edited December 7, 201411 yr by Jingthing

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I am considering starting a retirement business, I think there is much space for quality retirement service. I am certainly not promoting increased retirement age, and things may not change for a long time but since there are those rumours we are talking about them. I am used to personal attacks no matter what I say. What have I done to deserve so much negativity? Anybody who has ever used my service knows how much I care about providing the very best service and my customer satisfaction is 90-95%.

Mac, with regards to negativity you may wish to review some of your earlier posts on this very thread before posting the above:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/782180-rumours-of-retirement-age-visa-requirements-changing/?p=8770752

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/782180-rumours-of-retirement-age-visa-requirements-changing/?p=8771068

Not stalking, just trying to figure where you are coming from..........................

.

It's a Macwindup.

I have had nothing to do with that. Expressing my opinion is allowed, the same as other members are allowed to express their opinions. 60-65 sounds about right to me, and say 1.5 mil in the bank.

sounds a bit counter productive to me, would get rid of a lot of us,the rest wouldn't be able to take up the slack

Having read all the previous posts on this topic I'd like to share some information i received directly from the Thai Consulate in Hull, UK. I usually come here for 3 months a year, have Thai wife & house in Korat. The previous 2 years I have been granted a "non-immigrant O visa", issued by Hull. When I applied this year I was told that Hull can no longer issue this type (has to be London), and I needed 3 months' payslips showing a minimum income of around £800. When I commented that things have changed as that was one of the requirements for a Retirement Extension, she said that "Everything is changing with Immigration now and the retirement extension qualification is now 65 years of age". This was a shock as I am currently 58 and was looking forward to getting a retirement extension in the near future.

Don't shoot the messenger, as this is precisely what I was told by Hull Thai Consulate in late October 2014. I ended up getting a 120 day double-entry Tourist Visa but was expecting a 90-day "O" Visa.

Cheers, Jim.

As usual, a random post gets a forum all riled up. The OP posted once, and then walked away enjoying the commotion. Calm down.

Nope I posted twice and I didn't run away.

And I heard this through some thai friends not farangs and I also asked some other people who heard the same thing.

Yes it is a rumour but considering that other visa categories that were being abused have been tightened what makes you think that it wont happen to retirement visas.

That is why the rumour has more credibility the fact that there is a general crackdown on visas.