Govt approves 10 year visas for foreigners over 50

[csabo]

15 minutes ago, louse1953 said:

Rubbish,where is the money going into the economy,it is going in the bank.If it's a fixed deposit,get all your tax back.Win for retiree.

 

Rubbish is right. This plan adds nothing to the economy. In fact it reduces it in the manner of filing fees. Reducing the age requirement would have helped and it is of course being overlooked. 

[Straight8]

1 hour ago, LivinLOS said:

 

 

Not one bit of it.. 

 

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. 

 

 

 

Or at the very least some sort of backup plan, in case the sh1t hits the fan one day.

 

Bit like driving an expensive car, or any car for that matter, without insurance.

[louse1953]

2 hours ago, Dakhar said:

I see an oppertunity for coruption.  I do believe the rules are if you get caught working with a retirement visa, your assets are taken, and you are tossed putof the country.   the deffinition of work is ver very very broad.

 

You could in theory get busted for working, if caught washing your car, cutting your grass, painting your fence, gardening, checking your mail box....

 

The opertunities are boundless, and if an immigration officer says "Pay me 50k baht, and we can make this infraction go away, " who would not pay?

 

 

The old wash the car furphy comes out again,for another round of scaremongering.I rekon we are all immune by now.

[Johnniey]

This is not about retirees.

 

Retirees have all the time in the world. Going to immigration one day a year and paying 1900 baht is nothing.

 

People like me who work 8 hours a day find it annoying and inconvenient going to immigration once a year.

[LivinLOS]

20 minutes ago, louse1953 said:

Rubbish,where is the money going into the economy,it is going in the bank.If it's a fixed deposit,get all your tax back.Win for retiree.

 

 

Anyone with 100k a month income or 3 mil in the bank isnt going to be living in a hovel or dining on noodles..

 

Of course it will go into the economy..

[csabo]

1 minute ago, Johnniey said:

Why on earth do they show a Pattaya beach in the OP  

 

Not to mention not one of those people are on anything more than a 30 day exemption and not representative of longstayers. What was today "Add a random photo to a story" day at TV??

[dick dasterdly]

5 minutes ago, seancbk said:

What are these Western companies and contractors you refer to that the TRULY wealthy are spending with?

 

The money people spend in Thailand stays in the Thai economy whether you spend it in a Western run business or a Thai one.
 

 

 

There are a few Western companies on Phuket specialising in 'top notch' provisions.

 

I agree though that the owners also spend much of the money earned on Phuket.  I don't know but suspect, that they too spend much of the money on foreign products and suppliers.  The 'trickle down' economy in motion....

[The Dark Lord]

1 hour ago, JustNo said:

Why don't some of you old farts with your knickers in a twist study the Thai language for a few years, at a cost of around 20k baht and you will actually be able to talk to those bar girls in their native language... maybe 

Because sonny, the so called "old farts" have done their bit in life (some of which don't forget, has placed the world in a condition which allows cheeky pups like you to air your irrelevant but noisy views all the same) and have earned the right to kick back and take it easy.

 

Don't forget sunshine these old farts have been subject to some of the most crass cases of lying, cheating, deceit and outright robbery by their own governments and have earned the right to some peace as they live out their autumn years.

 

i am willing to bet that when you enter the exalted club of old farts, and assuming you have a modicum of common sense, you will realise the wisdom of what you have been told.

 

so I request that you ease up on them.

 

niw turning to the matter in hand, I trust those dep thinking policy makers realise that high income does in no way guarantee high levels of behaviour which will then fly in opposition to the good in bad out policy.......

[soalbundy]

5 minutes ago, Johnniey said:

Must have been an expensive OP!!!!!

 

Unless it is 200 rai in Roi Et or Sakhon Nakon.

try getting a bank loan on farm land, you only get a small proportion of what the land is worth. Actually the hospital knew us and trusted we were good for the money, the wife only produced the deeds for 100 rai which they just shoved into a drawer and without further ado stamped the bill with paid for the insurance,two weeks later the insurance paid up. 

[Jingthing]

How many times have you mentioned Malaysia? Maybe when you leave Trump will get you a job and you can save up and come back.

So rude.

[metisdead]

More troll posts have been removed, off topic videos have been removed as well.

[lostinisaan]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

So rude.

 

 

Jing, please don't tell me that you fell in love with Donny.....

[Jingthing]

 
Not out of reach for some of us. But I hope it comes in soon as I could fall of the perch in the next ten years, given that I'm well and truly over the 50 year minimum. 

The vast majority of U.S. people on social security get much less than 100k monthly. 50k is closer to the average.

[LivinLOS]

9 minutes ago, Global Guy said:

You must not have been to Pattaya and seen all the balloon chasers then. It's half the expat population. 

 

Oh I have seen them.. Have you considered maybe Thailand is making it clear it doesnt want them..

 

You would have to be living in a village bubble not to see the developments in this country in the last 10 years.. Western retirees on a grand a month pension are not longer looking at the good life here.. Thats just a fact.

[Jingthing]

Can you clarify further ? I'm on a retirement extension, which I believe is "O". There are other extensions, that are "O-A" ?

We're all reading tea leaves now. Ironically for many about whether we need to ... leave.

[Asiantravel]

2 hours ago, Generalchaos said:

Loads of KNEE JERK reactions yet again.

 

From the original post, there is nothing there that suggests that there is going to be any changes to the normal 1 year extensions. This looks more like some sort of scheme to promote the Gold / Elite Card scheme rather than any change to the existing marriage and retirement extensions.

 

if you are correct and that its only a proposal to target the affluent (leaving the retirees to keep going from year to year) what advantages will this offer over the elite card scheme?

[Spellforce]

For the very long stay residents, don't worry too much: are you married to a thai girl ? then just change your 50 yo VISA into a marriage VISA.  (.. but more papers & controls )

 

After all why not ? The reason N°1 for your stay in Thailand is not your wife ?

[DiDiChok]

14 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

 

If most people earn that much, they would retire on the french riviera

 

Well, although I get a lot more than that I can't think of any reason I'd want the French Riviera.  It hasn't got the reasonably priced "Social amenity facilities" that Thailand has.  I'm thinking of the Mamasan help desk, the Pole Dancing section leaders, the Off Fee calculation department, the At Home facilities and not forgetting the Financial Aftercare teams.

[Peterw42]

7 minutes ago, louse1953 said:

The old wash the car furphy comes out again,for another round of scaremongering.I rekon we are all immune by now.

 

This one has a variation, they also take all your assets.

Why let the truth get in the way of a good story

[soalbundy]

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

So rude.

buba1 is rich and is going to take it with him,he has a special visa arrangement with the pearly gates

[bluebluewater]

You are darn right they have thought this through . . . . ..

[LivinLOS]

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

The vast majority of U.S. people on social security get much less than 100k monthly. 50k is closer to the average.

 

 

Then maybe, someone on social security, isnt wealthy enough to go retire in a tropical country halfway around the world..

 

No one said social security would enable those things.

[louse1953]

2 hours ago, nofarang said:

 

Yes, and who over 75 can find and afford a compulsory health insurance???

So what happens if you have a heart attack?A mate of mine is crowd funding his operation from his hospital bed right now,or he karks it.Can't do that if you are in a coma.

[LivinLOS]

2 minutes ago, Asiantravel said:

 

if you are correct and that its only a proposal to target the affluent (leaving the retirees to keep going from year to year) what advantages will this offer over the elite card scheme?

 

One costs actual money spent (but works for the under 50s) and one is simply showing your rich enough..

[Jingthing]

As someone or some people have said, lots of speculation and no hard facts.
Comparing to Elite program :  Isn't the Elite a paid visa?  You don't get that money back after a year or whatever... This, apparently is money in the bank, earning interest, and it's yours at the end of the year.
 
In my opinion, and just reading on the surface, I think the health insurance will be the hardest.
 
Finally, I wonder if the Chiang Mai activists are going to claim this is as a result of their activities....

The health insurance requirement is ok if the government offers an expat plan to buy into. I recall Malaysia has the requirement but waves it if you can show you were rejected. That may have changed.

[tonray]

3 minutes ago, Asiantravel said:

 

if you are correct and that its only a proposal to target the affluent (leaving the retirees to keep going from year to year) what advantages will this offer over the elite card scheme?

Elite you have to spend 500K to buy the Visa, This will be based upon financial health rather than a cash payment

[Jingthing]

You can enter with either a Non 'O' (like you did) or a Non 'O-A' visa and apply for a 1 year extension of stay based on retirement.  The extension of stay is the same regardless of which category of non immigrant visa you had.
 
It seems that they are increasing the Non Immigrant Non 'O-A' visa from 1 year to 10 years. If so, it will have no affect on 1 year extensions of stay.
 
This is about promoting "medical services" and anyone that wants this visa will have to buy an expensive medical insurance policy.

You're guessing. Wishfully.

[dick dasterdly]

Just now, LivinLOS said:

 

Oh I have seen them.. Have you considered maybe Thailand is making it clear it doesnt want them..

 

You would have to be living in a village bubble not to see the developments in this country in the last 10 years.. Western retirees on a grand a month pension are not longer looking at the good life here.. Thats just a fact.

True.

 

But those enjoying the worry of retired people who meet the current requirements, but will be unable to meet the new requirements (if this turns out to be the case) - need to be reminded that the authorities will probably next look at houses owned by companies set up by those foreigners.

 

Depressing how some rejoice at the concern of others who have less money .

[Jingthing]

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.

Glad they don't seem unreasonable to some. For many or even most this might mean a massive shakeout.

[LivinLOS]

Just now, dick dasterdly said:

True.

 

But those enjoying the worry of retired people who meet the current requirements, but will be unable to meet the new requirements (if this turns out to be the case) - need to be reminded that the authorities will probably next look at houses owned by companies set up by those foreigners.

 

Depressing how some rejoice at the concern of others who have less money .

 

 

I am not rejoicing at anything.. I will bet this is an 'as well as' not an 'instead of' offering anyway.

 

But I do think anyone intending to retire here for a decade or two, who doesnt have 100k coming in monthly, needs their head checked. Just look at inflation in the last 5 years, the growth of the middle class thais, etc..