Govt approves 10 year visas for foreigners over 50

[Happy Grumpy]

Probably aimed more for middle easterners and the rich asians coming here for medical treatment. 

 

Not so much for lowly farangs.

[aslimversgwm]

25 minutes ago, elviajero said:

I agree.

 

Having read several sources now it seems that they are talking about replacing the 1 year Non Immigrant 'O-A' visa with a 10 year option, and it's nothing to do with the existing 1 year extensions of stay.

Thank heavens for that - a bit of level headed logic and it makes sense. thanks for that. Phew!!

[overherebc]

Far too many questions where answers can't be given with the information being supplied.

Eg.

Someone retired here for xxxx years, married with kids and living happily without 3 Mil and 100,000 a month.?

Someone living here with 65,000 or a bit more a month but can't just put 3 Mil in the bank next week or next year.?

A lot more has to be clarified.

 

Do they want it to be system to attract well heeled retirees only?

 

Is it intended to attract people with overseas medical insurance to use that insurance to pay Thai hospitals?

 

When those questions and many others are answered we will know how the land lies.

[thurien]

2 hours ago, sharecropper said:

Astonishing. And fantastic news if true, and if they can deliver on it.

 

and! if it does not cost 5mill thb per go...

[dick dasterdly]

12 minutes ago, lostinisaan said:

 

 I'm pretty sure that you can have 8 million baht at two different banks and you'll still get it.

 

     What a warm welcome for the long stayers that is. Khop Khun La Lai. What a bunch of hypocrites. 

 

     I've spent a fortune in my 15 years here, helped my wife's family and quite a few other relatives in the village, paid income taxes for the last 12 years, besides all the taxes for the daily items we're using, but I don't qualify for such a visa.

 

  I did and still do my best to educate their kids, never committed a crime, got a clean record from my country of origin. But that doesn't seem to be of interest to them. 

 

         Why's there no visa for people like us, the long stayers who've already proved that we're sincere people, without showing a couple of million baht that can't be touched for five years? 

 

        Because we've spent and still do spend our money in this country. Month to month and day by day.Hour by hour. Oh, that doesn't count? I'm so sorry, sir..........

 

       I'm not really lost in Isaan, but truly lost using the right words now how I really feel about a country that even failed, even after they postponed the start of the ASEAN community, in many ways. 

 

       I'm certainly sure that I'm not the only one here with similar thoughts.

 

They want guys with money only, but those who've one way the other helped this country to be what it actually is, can go back home once they've spent all and will be replaced by others who're free to go back where they came from when they've spent all their cash? 

 

     Yes, I know that I can go back anytime I want.

 

  There're other countries that at least show a sort of appreciation. But not Thailand. My 2 baht to it. 

 

       

The funny thing is that those who are VERY wealthy largely spend their money with other foreigners!  i.e. they can afford to employ foreigners to do whatever work necessary on their houses etc. and rarely spend money in ordinary Thai shops.

[smccolley]

19 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

 

 

Retirement classes is employment prohibited I would believe.. 

 

 

Well, I read it again and they don't really say anything about retirement, just age...

[Zikomat]

What next? 50 years visa for those with 1 billion baht in the bank account?  Reminds me an introduction of a new 6 months tourist visa which seemed to be great until we knew all the details. Somehow all these changes have one thing in common: they are aimed at reducing the amount of foreigners in Thailand. Especially those staying more than 1 month at a time.

Edited November 22, 2016 by Zikomat

[moe666]

Be careful what you wish and ask for. I cannot count the times I have read threads here asking for a better visa system and now it looks like you will get it. Thats too bad you will not be able to afford it, did anyone complaining about the old system think they would get a better system cheaper.

[dick dasterdly]

10 minutes ago, cheapcanuck said:

As it stands the requirements are not totally unreasonable. What's not being told to us (the fine print) which makes this new program scary.

So as long as you personally can meet the requirements you don't find them unreasonable?  But you'd think them unreasonable if you couldn't meet the new requirements?

[dinsdale]

Maybe just maybe this isn't directed to us westerners. Ni hao 

[Aforek]

It seems to me it's only a new visa for people who can afford it ( they speak also of only touristic provinces ) for different reasons, they don't say the one year visa will disapear

[dick dasterdly]

11 minutes ago, justaphase said:

Do you really think Thai people like us being here for the good of the country, or to make a quick baht?

 

Of course they generally only are interested in 'making bht' from us.

 

But the point is that quite a few would lose bht if those of us spending our current retirement incomes here are forced to leave!

[Oxx]

Haven't read all the comments, buy the rather minimal health insurance requirements are insignificant compared with the required cash reserves.  What's the point?

 

Personally, I would find it difficult to get health insurance at all given preexisting conditions, but could easily cover the insurance requirements from petty cash.

[Mister Fixit]

2 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

Strange.. I post this news, with the exact same info.. Thread closed.. Not enough information.. Then Thaivisa posts it.. 

Cant see what people are whining about.. 100k a month for a 10 year visa, in 2 blocks of 5... Just superb. 

 

Hope its still in force when I cross 50.. 

 

Wait until they increase the eligible age to 60 ...   50 is far too low for genuine retirement

[dick dasterdly]

10 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

Last time I looked was 30 - 35 ?? 

 

Going to assume its now 40 - 50 ?? 

 

I am only 44.. I retired here at 28.. 

That explains a lot....

[sabaidimai]

How about cleaning up this family visa business. Live in Thailand 5 yrs take care all family and son. Do nothing wrong pay taxes etc etc... why I have to do 90 days reporting and so on??? Come on... per many visas for family has to come in affect at some point!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[Peterw42]

1 minute ago, Aforek said:

It seems to me it's only a new visa for people who can afford it ( they speak also of only touristic provinces ) for different reasons, they don't say the one year visa will disapear

 

Original article and BKKpost both say it will replace the one year visa

[MrMuddle]

1 minute ago, Mister Fixit said:

 

Wait until they increase the eligible age to 60 ...   50 is far too low for genuine retirement

I "genuinely' retired at 52. Most of the people I worked with retired from age 50 to 55. The company allowed retirement at 50. It's not uncommon.

[dick dasterdly]

2 minutes ago, Oxx said:

Haven't read all the comments, buy the rather minimal health insurance requirements are insignificant compared with the required cash reserves.  What's the point?

 

Personally, I would find it difficult to get health insurance at all given preexisting conditions, but could easily cover the insurance requirements from petty cash.

Personal experience tells me that its quite easy to get health insurance - at full cost, but excluding all pre-existing conditions (which is a bit pointless in my case).

 

But I'm in my 50s so have a different experience to those in their 70s and above.

[newnative]

Seems like this is just an option and not a replacement for the current system.  Methinks they are making a stab at attracting more "quality" expats as the other bookend to their "quality" tourists.

[LivinLOS]

13 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

The funny thing is that those who are VERY wealthy largely spend their money with other foreigners!  i.e. they can afford to employ foreigners to do whatever work necessary on their houses etc. and rarely spend money in ordinary Thai shops.

 

Where do those western run companies buy their goods ??

 

They have 4 thais per work permit..

 

I fail to understand your logic on how its somehow noble to use cheap services and not noble to use expensive ones.

[tifino]

 

OP struck gold with this one - 2 hours and there's 232 replies already 

 

ok!! 233...

Edited November 22, 2016 by tifino

[paul18620]

Oh look at this all the THAI ELIETE people  trying to get a refund hahahahahaha 

One sentence ,,,,,THIS IS THAILAND deal with it 

[Bulldozer Dawn]

And now the penny drops you old fools.

 

First it was the in out visas.  And the holier than thou TV crowd on their retirement extensions were saying:   Well good riddens to the digital pikeys staying here illegally.

 

Then it was on to the education visa and that has now been shot in the head with ridiculous and impossible to comply with requirements.  Again the retirement extension crowd said good riddens to all those people staying here illegally.

 

I kept posting to remind the holier than thou crowd that the smile will soon leave their smug faces when the financial requirement for a retirement extension gets raised to 1.5 million.   Of course my posts were constantly deleted because I was rumour mongering.

 

But the most hilarious bit is that I was wrong, the financial requirement is going to get raised to 3 million baht.

 

So suck it up you smug idiots.   Now things are going to get real for you too.

 

And yes, there will be a wave of human tradgedy as families and relationships are destroyed and assets are sold at fire sale prices (into the hands of the Thai elite).

 

But guess what, those in control don't give a damn.

 

The same as when the two Burmese boys were scape goated for the murder of David and Hanna.  

 

The militarized elite knew that farangs would squeal, but the thing is they don't give a damn.

 

You thought that having 800,000 THB made you untouchable.  And from your perceived bastion of security you spouted hate and vitriol to those who did not qualify.

 

Well now it is your turn. 

 

Enjoy.

[Wallander4]

Property market will be stone dead for many months until this is sorted out - Who would want to buy property in Thailand now ...

[dick dasterdly]

Just now, LivinLOS said:

 

Where do those western run companies buy their goods ??

 

They have 4 thais per work permit..

 

I fail to understand your logic on how its somehow noble to use cheap services and not noble to use expensive ones.

They buy their products from Western companies - but I agree that they employ Thais to do some of the unskilled work.

 

I'm not saying for one moment that its "noble to use cheap services and not noble to use expensive ones"!  I'm saying that the TRULY wealthy spend their money on other foreign contractors and (largely) buy foreign products.

 

In my experience of course.

[alzack]

Thailand , when will you guys understand THEY DONT WANT US!

racists Fanatical Nationalist!

[seancbk]

49 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

 

I think anyone who considers retiring, and living for any length of time, who doesnt have 100k a month coming in.. Is in for a very disappointing retirement in Thailand !! 

 

Just look at the rising cost of living here.. Extrapolate that 5 or even 10 year down the rd. For someone at 50 they have potentially 30 years of health in front of them. 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not quite 50 and I like going out as much as possible with my mates in Bangkok, so I do sometimes spend 100K a month. 

But I can also stay in and watch TV and spend next to nothing some nights.   If I spend a few nights in during the week my monthly expenditure drops significantly.

As I get older I reckon the number of nights I spend out until 3am will decrease considerably and when I do go out I don't expect I'll be doing the same things I do now so that will further reduce my cost of living.

I may have 30 years ahead of me but I won't be needing 100K baht every month until the end.   


 

[SiSePuede419]

One minor missing detail: how much does it cost?

 

[Peterw42]

2 minutes ago, Wallander4 said:

Property market will be stone dead for many months until this is sorted out - Who would want to buy property in Thailand now ...

 

Buy now while its cheap, the rich 10 year visa guys will be looking to buy when they arrive