swissie Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 According to the TAT, Thailand will soon be visited by 35 Mill Tourists annually. The "Head-Lady" of the TAT (sorry, forgot her name), is using the word "quality-tourist" more than ever. Fine, that concerns Tourists. So, in form of a little poll among Expats: - Do you think, that eventually the "quality-tourist" concept could be extended toward a "quality-expat" concept? = Only those Expats, able to afford the "Elite-Visa" scheme will be qualified as "quality-expats" and the current low-cost annual extentions will be "phased-out"? Parliament has presented an "improved" 5/10 year Elite-Visa programme. Is this a harbinger of things to come? Is this some kind of "writing on the wall"? If this should come to pass, how many Farang-Expats would no more be able to remain in Thailand? 20%, 50% ? WHAT DO YOU THINK ? Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbi1 Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 Quote - Do you think, that eventually the "quality-tourist" concept could be extended toward a "quality-expat" concept? That's something I have mentioned about before, the "quality expat" thing. With the government wanting to start a 10 year retirement visa with a lot more money in the bank of the old folks, that would get rid a number of ones who are skating on thin ice with no money and no health insurance. They've already implemented changes with the student visa & tourist visas to improve what they call "quality for tourists" to get peeps proving they have money in the bank and/or a job when they apply a visa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benalibina Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 Thailand.....Quality......its an oxymoron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGD Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 Just as some retirees are still living on grandfathered requirements of Bt100k or Bt200k in the bank (real long timers), I strongly suggest that for those who can, they take advantage of the Bt800k requirement as if this were to double or worse, if would make a great problem for many I see. I think that needing to keep what is little over $20k in an account to prove your ability to pay your own way in a foreign country is hardly a huge ask, being required to have $50k or $100k might be beyond many. Likewise, the Bt65k per month requirement could also be reviewed. Easier perhaps to have Bt800k parked in the bank ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everett kendall Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 So then Quality equalls money... hmmm Not a good measurement of quality. How about you get 10 sworn statments from quality Thai that say you contribute to society. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OmarZaid Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 Me thinks ye best be qualifying the term "Quality" with far more than money . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamgeorgeallen Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 the elite visa has been a failure despite being a very good deal. the new one is stupid. so is the multi entry tourist visa. thailand could easily improve tourist revenues but for some reason they dont want too. i doubt they are going to worry about quality expats either. just hope the retirement visa is still going when i move back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dotpoom Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 Thank God I do my best to live in the "Present" (the Now).. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hansnl Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 9 hours ago, benalibina said: Thailand.....Quality......its an oxymoron. Not only that, but they seem to forget that the average expat brings 50,000 baht into the country, per month. Plus of course the investment in housing and transport. And, of course, the financial wishes of Thailand for 10 year visas are exorbitant and unrealistic. And as most, if not all, Thai insurance companies will stop, one way or another, health insurance after 69, affluent 70 year old pensioners will disappear. Sometimes I cannot escape the idea the Thai government is really able to shoot in both feet with one bullet. I am afraid for Thailand, the neighbouring countries in Asia will be grateful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeakeasyThai Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 'Quality Tourist'.... So why not have quality hosts then? Instead of low life money hungry Tuk Tuk drivers, Taxi drivers refusing to activate their meters, thieving bar girls, pimps, street hustlers, child sex peddlers, ripp off tourist markets, the list goes on and on but i think you get my point! At least meet us half way and provide an honest decent fair holiday (less of an instant money grab attitude to us). Maybe then 'Quality Tourist' just might start coming to Thailand one day. A hard ask i know, as it means thinking and planning for a better tomorrow - not easy for a race of people who can only think about now and 'me me me'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyphodb Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 Well if they do they certainly won't have many English teachers left for a start.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pumpjack Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 in thaialnd a quality tourist means a tourist with big money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pumpjack Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 18 minutes ago, SpeakeasyThai said: 'Quality Tourist'.... So why not have quality hosts then? Instead of low life money hungry Tuk Tuk drivers, Taxi drivers refusing to activate their meters, thieving bar girls, pimps, street hustlers, child sex peddlers, ripp off tourist markets, the list goes on and on but i think you get my point! At least meet us half way and provide an honest decent fair holiday (less of an instant money grab attitude to us). Maybe then 'Quality Tourist' just might start coming to Thailand one day. A hard ask i know, as it means thinking and planning for a better tomorrow - not easy for a race of people who can only think about now and 'me me me'. throw in a few thousand corrupt bent cops too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Been there done that Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 3 hours ago, everett kendall said: So then Quality equalls money... hmmm Not a good measurement of quality. How about you get 10 sworn statments from quality Thai that say you contribute to society. Followed your advice and asked some thais if they were willing to give such a statement. For bht 1.000, each, they were willing to do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 Hey, I'm not quality, but I'm one of a kind. (From a t-shirt?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smotherb Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 3 hours ago, SGD said: Just as some retirees are still living on grandfathered requirements of Bt100k or Bt200k in the bank (real long timers), I strongly suggest that for those who can, they take advantage of the Bt800k requirement as if this were to double or worse, if would make a great problem for many I see. I think that needing to keep what is little over $20k in an account to prove your ability to pay your own way in a foreign country is hardly a huge ask, being required to have $50k or $100k might be beyond many. Likewise, the Bt65k per month requirement could also be reviewed. Easier perhaps to have Bt800k parked in the bank ? Well, I prefer the B65k/mo because I do not want to sell some investments which are making money to pay broker and transfer fees to bring money over here to sit without making money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayBird Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 Quality Expat (n): Presents monthly credit card receipts from any major mall, international hotel, or qualified restaurant totalling at least 50k THB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smccolley Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 OK lets face it - for Thailand Quality = Money. Full stop. but there is a modicum of truth to that. the money doesn't have to be a huge amount but enough that you can be resilient enough to handle problems. I feel like I am in the "quality Expat" bucket because I can survive day to day AND survive a minor catastrophe. If I suddenly needed 10 times my monthly salary to pay for a situation i could. I can see Thai immigration being worried if the expats had exactly the monthly income required ONLY, knowing that bad sh%t happens. We as visitors (few of us become citizens) need to understand they are trying to prevent a burden on their country. i recognize that and make sure I have full insurance and money in the bank to cover "issues" that could arise as a non-citizen here.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinnock Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 If, as suggested by the OP, we transpose the 'Quality Tourist' concept to the ex-pat sector, then 'Quality Expats' will arrive in groups of 300 at a time, follow an illegal tour guide carrying a flag, eat exclusively in foreign-owned 'all you can eat' buffet restaurants, and travel everywhere in a coach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connda Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 The fact that many retirees would meet the definition of 'quality' on one hand, but on the other hand they have retirement income that is 3x what an average Thai makes per month. So most Thai people aren't much in the way of quality. But they set the bar high for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anono222 Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 I am looking for no form of positive adjectives to be attached to my being an expat. I just try to be invisible and keep my woman happy and the man off my back. Who cares what Thais would think or about the rest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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