10-Year Visas Now Available: Thai Immigration

[kekalot]

this visa doesn't apply to me because I am under 50 but..

personally, even if I have the money, I don't see any reasons to take it over the 1m baht Thai Elite for 20 years

 

[carabaothai]

Malaysia : real 10 years

Need 1.2 million baths. After one year you can withdraw the amount : 380,000 baths 

(But nothing in the bank if your retirement pension is more than 77,000 thb)

 

But in Malaysia you can import free of taxes your car from your country.

And you can be the real owner of a property. 

[Old Croc]

6 minutes ago, maxpower said:

and joined the Santerias

[Old Croc]

3 minutes ago, carabaothai said:

Malaysia : real 10 years

Need 1.2 million baths. After one year you can withdraw the amount : 380,000 baths 

(But nothing in the bank if your retirement pension is more than 77,000 thb)

 

But in Malaysia you can import free of taxes your car from your country.

And you can be the real owner of a property. 

It is a Muslim country and even the so-called democratic countries that follow that religion seem to be moving towards more traditional laws and customs.

[maxpower]

[marquis22]

I'd rather spend the 3 mill in the time I have left than to deposit it in a Thailand bank

52 minutes ago, globin said:

I like the picture of the silver haired couple on the spotless and deserted beach...I want a visa for that place, where is it? inside the hollow moon!

Just outside Greg Norman's palatial home somewhere well away from Thailand.

[Destiny1990]

I doubt any people interested with this Visa deal. Its almost as if they think we are stupid.

Edited August 16, 2017 by Destiny1990

[StefanBBK]

I really think the basic Elite Card is a better option. The financial requirements are somewhat extreme. Personally I will stick with annual extensions. 

It would be interesting to see some statistics. Like how many visitors entered Thailand within a year on :1) Visa exemption, Visa on Arrival 2) Tourist Visas, 3) the various non - o visas, 4) the new 5/5 (10) visas, or 5) as part of the Elite scheme.   

[waxpro]

1 hour ago, cornishcarlos said:

So this 10 yr visa (that is seems no immigration staff know about) comes in two 5 yr installments !! So it's a 5 yr renewable visa then ?

 

Where's the 5 yr visa for married or parents ? 

this is more relevant,, for married and parents of half-thai kids,

 

[dotpoom]

"Maybe the reporter talked to someone who doesn’t know?” the police lieutenant general said...

    No fooling that man?

P.S.... I think I also read on here that the 3MB has to stay in the bank for 3years too.

[RichardColeman]

Roll up, roll up, all idiots with 3m spare sign on board.

[maxpower]

11 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

I doubt any people interested with this Visa deal. Its almost as if they think we are stupid.

By stupid you mean like buying a 4M Baht house and giving it to a rice farmers daughter.

[Proboscis]

You are invited to lock up $100,000 and either have to queue up to do 90 day reporting or (leave the country) with all the queueing involved. And as they try to solve the queues at the airports by taking staff from elsewhere, the queues at reporting centred will increase.

 

The alternatives within country have already been mentioned in this thread. And there is also the choice of residing in a nearby country and getting a multiple entry visa to Thailand every 6 months.

 

What would be a real improvement would be a fast-track system for frequent arrivals. Incidentally, don't think that traveling business class gets you out of the queue - I know people who were stuck in the Swampy express queue for more than an hour.

[smotherb]

1 hour ago, Luckysilk said:

Thanks but no thanks, noooooo way in hell am I putting 3M in Thai baht in this country when I'm treated like crap.

You don't have to, just B100k/mo income, about E2500/mo is all you need.

[NanLaew]

Just now, Diamondbob said:

I agree completely, there are many retirees who no previous connection to Thailand and they get these privileges.
Whereas many (not yet retired) people who are married, having families and property(s)  are facing difficulties with visa(s), getting just 1 year visa

You mean they haven't managed their retirement plans adequately and thus don't have the equivalent of £70k or US$90k to qualify are broke.

 

I will leave the "privilege" of retiring to Thailand for others to debate.

[SpeakeasyThai]

1 hour ago, globin said:

I like the picture of the silver haired couple on the spotless and deserted beach...I want a visa for that place, where is it? inside the hollow moon!

Yes it's very pristine that beach. I bet it does not even exist and is a photoshop job.

[NanLaew]

Just now, ferguston said:

It will be interesting to see how many of the dodgy "visa agents" start to offer the 10 year visa along with their current "dodgy retirement visas ".

Right up there with the "dodgy" property developers who have been tying 10 year visas to their skybox condos for a while already.

[The Deerhunter]

1 hour ago, inThailand said:

Blah blah blah!

 

Are they still peddling this visa that has no benefits over the existing ones?

There are advantages.  You have 3 million here in the bank instead of 800,000.  That is an advantage to the bank or someone if not you.

[dcsw53]

Quote

Although the new retirement visa has been available since Friday, Natthathorn said he has not seen any applications come across his desk so far.

 

Amazing, I thought all pensioners here except me had 3 million in their current accounts.

[impulse]

11 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

You mean they haven't managed their retirement plans adequately and thus don't have the equivalent of £70k or US$90k to qualify are broke.

 

I will leave the "privilege" of retiring to Thailand for others to debate.

 

$90K invested in a decent portfolio at 5% should throw off $4,500 a year in interest and dividends and appreciation.  That same $90K in a Thai bank account at 0.5% interest throws off about $4,000 less every year.  

 

Making the Elite visa at a cost of 500,000 baht for 5 years a better deal (assuming you're in it for the 5 years), costing about $3,000 a year.

 

So it's not just about having the $90K to qualify.  It's about what you want to do with it.  

 

Edited August 16, 2017 by impulse

[SpeakeasyThai]

1 hour ago, carabaothai said:

Malaysia : real 10 years

Need 1.2 million baths. After one year you can withdraw the amount : 380,000 baths 

(But nothing in the bank if your retirement pension is more than 77,000 thb)

 

But in Malaysia you can import free of taxes your car from your country.

And you can be the real owner of a property. 

That's the best thing I have read from the story and the comments. THANK YOU.!...

[NanLaew]

Just now, Negita43 said:

Well there is the first question is it a visa or a visa extension - based on?

It is what it says it is: a 5-year visa for retired people that can be extended another 5 years.

 

Just now, Negita43 said:

And the second, what are the advantages of spending/committing all that money up front.

"All that money" equates to $9k/month or £7k/month. If you can't afford it, that's OK.

 

Just now, Negita43 said:

Who knows how long many of us will be here living  and breathing.

I would wager that MOST coffin dodgers that can afford it already have a pretty good handle on their individual, expected sell-by dates and have planned accordingly. It's mainly the pensioners without the proverbial pot that think they will last forever.

 

...or win the lottery.

 

 

[SpeakeasyThai]

59 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

and joined the Santerias

At least you get to drink decent wine at an affordable price in Portugal.

[Kieran00001]

1 hour ago, globin said:

I like the picture of the silver haired couple on the spotless and deserted beach...I want a visa for that place, where is it? inside the hollow moon!

 

You can only see about 1 square meter of beach

[NanLaew]

Just now, kekalot said:

this visa doesn't apply to me because I am under 50 but..

personally, even if I have the money, I don't see any reasons to take it over the 1m baht Thai Elite for 20 years

 

Correct. Most that qualify for special retirement immigration status would benefit from the Elite.

 

This new 5+5=10 thingmambob is for those that don't have to worry about how much a loaf of bread at Big C costs or how much a pint of Old Speckled Hen is let alone where to drink it or the fact the girls all are busy on their smart phones instead of stroking their silver-haired ego's.

 

Now, I'm off to get on my yacht for sundowners.

[cnx355]

I was on the impression that it was a VISA and you get it from your country Thai Embassy like the O-A visa. It need a lot of paperwork including your country police check and even some pension document for the pension requirement or bank document.

 

S maybe be it is normal that local Immigration Office are not aware of it yet, as it will be issued oversea.

 

Can you get this type of 5+5 year VISA locally.? The big question !..Immigration normally issue extension only ....except the "O "visa when you want to change a  tourist visa  to "O" visa for reason of retirement or marriage extension.

 

 

Possibly ubonjoe will have the correct information soon

[impulse]

32 minutes ago, smotherb said:

You don't have to, just B100k/mo income, about E2500/mo is all you need.

 

Which begs the question of documentation required (and how often) to confirm that income over the entire 5-10 year period.  I can see someone applying today as an oilfield 28/28 refugee with plenty of income outside of Thailand, yet facing a whole different reality in a year or 2 when their job goes away.

 

And no mention of the medical insurance requirement, and how (and how often) one would confirm that coverage for a full year, never mind the 5-10 year duration.  Easy to get a policy for the visa, then quit paying on it after a few months.

 

Loose strings like that make me a little wary.  It seems like they're making it up as they go along. 

 

Edited August 16, 2017 by impulse

[NanLaew]

Just now, SpeakeasyThai said:

That's the best thing I have read from the story and the comments. THANK YOU.!...

You really think Malaysia is the land of milk and honey then?

 

Or simply that the initial qualifications for retiree long-stay are less onerous and thus much more appealing?

 

As Donald would say, there's a yuge difference. Yuge.

[bbbbooboo]

hmmmm......i'm not holding my breath.....

[impulse]

1 minute ago, NanLaew said:

You really think Malaysia is the land of milk and honey then?

 

 

Of course the grass is greener.  Until you get there...