New financial regulations for retirees: Nearly a third of expats may have to leave - but half on Facebook say they're off!

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New financial regulations for retirees: Nearly a third of expats may have to leave - but half on Facebook say they're off!

 

File photo

 

Two Thaivisa straw polls - one on the forum and one on Facebook - have indicated that many expats will be calling it quits in Thailand. 

 

But while nearly half of those on Facebook said they would be leaving nearly 70% on the forum expected to ride out the storm.

 

The polls were undertaken in the wake of new regulations issued by Thai immigration retiring retirees to lodge money for several months in a Thai bank account.

 

On the forum people were asked the question: Will the new financial requirements force you to leave?

 

7.9% said Yes

22.72% said it would seriously jeopardize their stay

69.38% said they would not have to leave.

 

This meant that nearly a third were in the category of leaving for sure or at least being in jeopardy.

 

On Facebook a similar question was more clear cut.

 

Asked if the tough new financial requirements for retirement extensions (visas) would force people to leave:

 

49% said Yes

51% said No.

 

On the forum 461 people responded to the survey. On Facebook there were 968 respondents. 

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-02-04

[spidermike007]

It does appear that this administration, and especially the biggest joke, are trying to do everything in their power to discourage ex-pats from staying here. Does it not? These imbeciles should be making our lives easier, and making visa policy simpler. Rather they seem to be tightening the noose, every chance they get. To call them ignorant, fearful, xenophobic, non-visionary, and misguided would be a vast understatement. Biggest Joke said he would make things easier and simpler. He is doing just the opposite, and barely even disguising his contempt for foreigners. He is the single biggest threat to the ex-pat community right now. 

 

One can only hope that come election time, all of this nonsense will be over, and both Prayuth and especially the biggest joke, will be sent out to pasture for the rest of their lives. They are not doing anything that benefits their nation, and they are picking on good men, who are bringing a lot to the table. Dumb and dumber. What can one say? 

[from the home of CC]

leavers and stayers - sound familiar?

[keith101]

These new rules will hurt the Thai economy if almost half leave unless they change to a spousal visa if they are married of course .                                 The Thai Baht is another major factor in how people can survive here and only the Government can step in and bring it back out of its inflated state wich will also improve exports as we all know the weaker the baht the more other countries can import just common sense instead of greed .

[worgeordie]

Where are they going to go to,back home ,Cambodia,or Philippines,

save up a bit more money and the could be back.

regards Worgeordie

[Samui Bodoh]

I wish all Facebook users would go...

 

 

 

 

 

[madmen]

The joke wants farang to go home but still send money to their familys so $ still pumped in the economy without farang being there.. big win.

[lipflipper]

I will take a wait and see approach before cashing in my chips here in Chiang Mai. As usual with Thai Immigration they seem to always have their heads up their collective ars...es. One week it's a new set of financial criteria, the next week it's something different. I tend agree that Thai Government Officials simply don't want us here on a long term basis so they go about putting these ridiculous impediments in our way. I have already begun to look at Phnom Penh as a new place to put down roots, that liberal Business Visa that is available to Expats is a nice change from the B.S. that Thai Immigration put us through. Also Nha Trang in Vietnam is a viable option as a five year Visa is available there. Keep putting money into my Bangkok Bank account every month to simply satisfy some Immigration Official ain't gonna happen.

Sent from my CMR-AL19 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[overherebc]

Always said TV attracted a better class of scruff.

????????????????

Joke, honesrly, joke.

[darksidedog]

I suspect at the end of the day, many people saying they will have to leave, will find an agent who will sort it out for them, and the number of actual leavers will not be that high. this is Thailand after all, and they are very good at finding a way to make money scamming the system, and I am sure this will be no exception. The only difference is that it will probably cost more.

[geriatrickid]

14 minutes ago, keith101 said:

These new rules will hurt the Thai economy if almost half leave unless they change to a spousal visa if they are married of course .                                 The Thai Baht is another major factor in how people can survive here and only the Government can step in and bring it back out of its inflated state wich will also improve exports as we all know the weaker the baht the more other countries can import just common sense instead of greed .

LOL. No, it won't. The loss of the lower end of the financial strata will be insignificant, because of the change in visitor  demographics. The Russian and Asian visitor segments are experiencing double digit growth and they  present a much better value proposition for the Thais.

[watcharacters]

12 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

Where are they going to go to,back home ,Cambodia,or Philippines,

save up a bit more money and the could be back.

regards Worgeordie

 

Where you you choose to go Worgeordie?

 

[shady86]

Better leave. Thailand needs quality expats, not quantity.

[geriatrickid]

8 minutes ago, lipflipper said:

I will take a wait and see approach before cashing in my chips here in Chiang Mai. As usual with Thai Immigration they seem to always have their heads up their collective ars...es. One week it's a new set of financial criteria, the next week it's something different. I tend agree that Thai Government Officials simply don't want us here on a long term basis so they go about putting these ridiculous impediments in our way. I have already begun to look at Phnom Penh as a new place to put down roots, that liberal Business Visa that is available to Expats is a nice change from the B.S. that Thai Immigration put us through. Also Nha Trang in Vietnam is a viable option as a five year Visa is available there. Keep putting money into my Bangkok Bank account every month to simply satisfy some Immigration Official ain't gonna happen.

Sent from my CMR-AL19 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Cambodia is a lawless corrupt, brutal place. Go there and you will be treated as a sexual predator or criminal by your home country. Vietanam's shine wears off quickly once you have to deal with the  mind numbing communist bureaucracy and insidious corruption.

[stanleycoin]

9 minutes ago, lipflipper said:

As usual with Thai Immigration they seem to always have their heads up their collective ars...es. One week it's a new set of financial criteria, the next week it's something different. 

That will never change  they like the smell of there own.

[Lemonltr]

11 minutes ago, lipflipper said:

I will take a wait and see approach before cashing in my chips here in Chiang Mai. As usual with Thai Immigration they seem to always have their heads up their collective ars...es. One week it's a new set of financial criteria, the next week it's something different. I tend agree that Thai Government Officials simply don't want us here on a long term basis so they go about putting these ridiculous impediments in our way. I have already begun to look at Phnom Penh as a new place to put down roots, that liberal Business Visa that is available to Expats is a nice change from the B.S. that Thai Immigration put us through. Also Nha Trang in Vietnam is a viable option as a five year Visa is available there. Keep putting money into my Bangkok Bank account every month to simply satisfy some Immigration Official ain't gonna happen.

Sent from my CMR-AL19 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

I read that Cambodia announced a new E Retirement visa in 2017.

[stanleycoin]

1 minute ago, geriatrickid said:

Cambodia is a lawless corrupt, brutal place. Go there and you will be treated as a sexual predator or criminal by your home country. 

I do agree with you. But !!!!!!!!!!!

The Uk does this already for us ex pats in Thailand.

Same same , but same.

[NCC1701A]

It is time to come clean. I am responsible for all of this.

 

I had a opportunity to meet Big Joke and I asked him if he could come up with a way to make the lines shorter at immigration.

 

 "7.9% said Yes plus 22.72% said it would seriously jeopardize their stay."

 

looks like a 30.62% decrease in the lines! 

 

 

[Nielsk]

22 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

It does appear that this administration, and especially the biggest joke, are trying to do everything in their power to discourage ex-pats from staying here. Does it not? These imbeciles should be making our lives easier, and making visa policy simpler. Rather they seem to be tightening the noose, every chance they get. To call them ignorant, fearful, xenophobic, non-visionary, and misguided would be a vast understatement. Biggest Joke said he would make things easier and simpler. He is doing just the opposite, and barely even disguising his contempt for foreigners. He is the single biggest threat to the ex-pat community right now. 

 

One can only hope that come election time, all of this nonsense will be over, and both Prayuth and especially the biggest joke, will be sent out to pasture for the rest of their lives. They are not doing anything that benefits their nation, and they are picking on good men, who are bringing a lot to the table. Dumb and dumber. What can one say? 

I Agree with all You have written exept from Big Joke. He is good for Thailand and I'm not sure he is the one to blaeme for the new regulations ?!?

[sanemax]

22 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

It does appear that this administration, and especially the biggest joke, are trying to do everything in their power to discourage ex-pats from staying here. Does it not? These imbeciles should be making our lives easier, and making visa policy simpler. Rather they seem to be tightening the noose, every chance they get. To call them ignorant, fearful, xenophobic, non-visionary, and misguided would be a vast understatement. Biggest Joke said he would make things easier and simpler. He is doing just the opposite, and barely even disguising his contempt for foreigners. He is the single biggest threat to the ex-pat community right now. 

  

One can only hope that come election time, all of this nonsense will be over, and both Prayuth and especially the biggest joke, will be sent out to pasture for the rest of their lives. They are not doing anything that benefits their nation, and they are picking on good men, who are bringing a lot to the table. Dumb and dumber. What can one say? 

Have you not realised yet ?

Thailand is for Thais  , its not a place where foreigners are wanted 

[humbug]

this criminal gang of nationalists backed by the chinese state will always be trying to reduce numbers of expats, its what they loudly bellowed with chests puffed out to the cheering mostly chinese origin protesters.

 

blaming embassies, blaming agents all just an excuse, reducing numbers is what they are you doing, we all just know that if they stay in absolute power for a few more years, there be even more negative immigration changes for all of us 

[jabis]

36 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

yeah, and I'm having sex with two blondes in a Ferrari tonight.

Hopefully one is not my missus, just bleached her hair ???? 

[trigpoint]

The big boss at soi 5 jomtein ain't happy about  this, vast majority of expats on retirement extensions used agents, for a price,  to many snouts in the trough, be back to normal soon, certainly after the election.

[Sir Dude]

The problem isn't just this issue, it's the continual slow tightening of the screw that is the problem and it's been going on for years now. It's pretty clear that the authorities have made their choice of who they want here and it's not western retirees really. What will be next is anyone's guess but you can bet your backside it'll be something that restricts even more. My take on it is don't even think of investing anything here as it's clear that we are not wanted and there is an unannounced policy to make it as hard as possible to stay. I'll just ride out the last 5 or so years of it being acceptable, probably work here too as that seems to be the easiest way to stay now...then move along once the competition has it's act together properly.

[FritsSikkink]

49 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

It does appear that this administration, and especially the biggest joke, are trying to do everything in their power to discourage ex-pats from staying here. Does it not? These imbeciles should be making our lives easier, and making visa policy simpler. Rather they seem to be tightening the noose, every chance they get. To call them ignorant, fearful, xenophobic, non-visionary, and misguided would be a vast understatement. Biggest Joke said he would make things easier and simpler. He is doing just the opposite, and barely even disguising his contempt for foreigners. He is the single biggest threat to the ex-pat community right now. 

 

One can only hope that come election time, all of this nonsense will be over, and both Prayuth and especially the biggest joke, will be sent out to pasture for the rest of their lives. They are not doing anything that benefits their nation, and they are picking on good men, who are bringing a lot to the table. Dumb and dumber. What can one say? 

I would say good riddance of the foulmouthed people who take every opportunity to talk bad about their hosts and could only stay here because they paid bribes.

[poohy]

30 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

Cambodia is a lawless corrupt, brutal place. Go there and you will be treated as a sexual predator or criminal by your home country.

No change them

 

Exactly the same if you tell folks in UK that you live in Thailand

Its best not mention it

[wgdanson]

37 minutes ago, lipflipper said:

Keep putting money into my Bangkok Bank account every month to simply satisfy some Immigration Official ain't gonna happen.

You can however spend as much of that money as you want/need. It does not have to stay in the bank.

[FritsSikkink]

48 minutes ago, keith101 said:

These new rules will hurt the Thai economy if almost half leave unless they change to a spousal visa if they are married of course .                                 The Thai Baht is another major factor in how people can survive here and only the Government can step in and bring it back out of its inflated state wich will also improve exports as we all know the weaker the baht the more other countries can import just common sense instead of greed .

It won't hurt the economy at all, only the ego's of the poor pensioners.

[marcusarelus]

28 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Have you not realised yet ?

Thailand is for Thais  , its not a place where foreigners are wanted 

Just you.  They want me.  Visa extension every year no problems 20 years.  All the Thai people I know are nice to me.  Navy beans are a bit expensive but other than that everything is fine.

[FritsSikkink]

29 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Have you not realised yet ?

Thailand is for Thais  , its not a place where foreigners are wanted 

Foreigners are wanted but they want the ones who can take good care of themselves.