Visa vs Climate: which one will push more expats out of Thailand?

[RocketDog]

2 hours ago, CMNightRider said:

I read so many comments like you what you wrote, "some people have saved money for retirement and can easily afford to keep some in Thai banks."  This is not about expats who can afford to put their money in a Thai bank.  It is just poor money management. I'm so surprised at the amount of posters who don't see this as the scam it is.  

 

Anyway, I certainly don't "feel victimized or superior" but maybe a little more financially aware than many. ????

So keeping money in a savings account in a bank is a scam? 

 

Ok. Got it.

 

I always suspected keeping money in a bank was a scam. That's one reason I put some of it into physical precious metals many years ago. 

[CMNightRider]

28 minutes ago, RocketDog said:

So keeping money in a savings account in a bank is a scam? 

 

Ok. Got it.

 

I always suspected keeping money in a bank was a scam. That's one reason I put some of it into physical precious metals many years ago. 

Hey RocketDog, I believe you missed the part about a "Thai Bank."  This savings account in a Thai bank is designed to collect dust for the person who deposits 800,000 baht into it, and is a windfall for the Thai banks.  What part of this is so difficult to understand.  If you do or don't do this is no concern of mine.  

 

The current requirement by Thai Immigration to deposit this money could certainly be considered a scam or at the very least a poor financial decision   Like I said, this is a windfall for Thai banks.  

 

The reward for the foreigner is another one year visa extension, along with 90 day reports and TM forms to submit depending on what you do that requires this form.  If you think this is an even trade and sound investment then make the deposit.  This is not rocket science. ????

 

 

   

[Lacessit]

4 minutes ago, CMNightRider said:

 

 

The current requirement by Thai Immigration to deposit this money could certainly be considered a scam or at the very least a poor financial decision   Like I said, this is a windfall for Thai banks.  

 

 

 

 

   

Thai banks pay at best about 1.5% pa interest on cash at call deposits. They then lend it out at 6 - 7% pa.

That's certainly a windfall.

For those of us with a mixture of pension and assets in our home country, it is just too complicated to have a workable income route to extensions. So we are compelled to do the deposit route. It doesn't mean we like it.

[Brunolem]

4 hours ago, CMNightRider said:

Hey RocketDog, I believe you missed the part about a "Thai Bank."  This savings account in a Thai bank is designed to collect dust for the person who deposits 800,000 baht into it, and is a windfall for the Thai banks.  What part of this is so difficult to understand.  If you do or don't do this is no concern of mine.  

 

The current requirement by Thai Immigration to deposit this money could certainly be considered a scam or at the very least a poor financial decision   Like I said, this is a windfall for Thai banks.  

 

The reward for the foreigner is another one year visa extension, along with 90 day reports and TM forms to submit depending on what you do that requires this form.  If you think this is an even trade and sound investment then make the deposit.  This is not rocket science. ????

 

 

   

I am not sure why it is a scam because the bank is Thai??? 

 

And I don't think that those who make such decisions, at the immigration and the government, have such intentions. 

 

It is just not the way Thai scams are done... they are much less subtle and shortsighted. 

 

As far as I am concerned, I consider Thai banks safer than most Western banks. 

 

They had their (huge) troubles in the late 90s, but since then, they have cleaned their balance sheets. 

 

Meanwhile, Western banks, especially European ones, are still a complete mess and wouldn't last a week without the constant support of both their governments and the ECB led by Mr "whatever it takes". 

[Brunolem]

7 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

 

Why pretend to be confused? Clearly I said I believed, meaning I had faith.

 

 

 

It is intellectually dishonest (at best) to make things up and pretend I said them. I never said intelligence could not be measured. Do you want to have a discussion or do want to attempt to make me out a fool?

 

 

 

I believe (i. e. I have faith) that like many things, intelligence at any given point in time is both relative and absolute.

 

 

 

Is not everything relative?

 

So, if intelligence can be measured, then how? 

 

What is the unit of measurement? 

 

And how do you compare... I mean, everything that can be measured can be compared. 

 

For example, building A, 100 meter high, is higher than building B, 80 meter high. 

 

John, 65, is older than Peter, 63.

 

Now, how do you make such comparisons with intelligence? 

 

 

 

[Lacessit]

59 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

So, if intelligence can be measured, then how? 

 

What is the unit of measurement? 

 

And how do you compare... I mean, everything that can be measured can be compared. 

 

For example, building A, 100 meter high, is higher than building B, 80 meter high. 

 

John, 65, is older than Peter, 63.

 

Now, how do you make such comparisons with intelligence? 

 

 

 

According to any English-based intelligence test, full-blood Australian Aboriginals would be as thick as two planks. However, put them in the arid surrounds of central Australia, and they will survive where Europeans could not. Intelligence is shaped by the environment one is in.

Thais are probably one of the most socially-cohesive peoples on the planet. That probably means their emotional intelligence is more evolved than other forms.

[Yellowtail]

2 hours ago, Brunolem said:

So, if intelligence can be measured, then how? 

 

What is the unit of measurement? 

 

And how do you compare... I mean, everything that can be measured can be compared. 

 

For example, building A, 100 meter high, is higher than building B, 80 meter high. 

 

John, 65, is older than Peter, 63.

 

Now, how do you make such comparisons with intelligence? 

 

 

 

1

 

That's the best you can do, really? More feigned ignorance? 

Edited February 11, 2019 by Yellowtail

[Yellowtail]

9 hours ago, Lacessit said:

If I recall correctly from previous posts, you claimed I called you a liar when I said no such thing. Physician, heal thyself.

Well clearly you remember part of it correctly.

[Lacessit]

15 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

Well clearly you remember part of it correctly.

I would seriously suggest you seek medical help, as you clearly have lapses of memory. I'll apologise for this comment if you can demonstrate to me in which post I called you a liar.

Thus far, you have failed to do so.

Edited February 11, 2019 by Lacessit

[Brunolem]

25 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

 

That's the best you can do, really? More feigned ignorance? 

Spoken like a true politician... not answering questions while pretending they are meaningless... 

[Brunolem]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

Intelligence is shaped by the environment one is in.

 

That is certainly true... 

[Yellowtail]

45 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I would seriously suggest you seek medical help, as you clearly have lapses of memory. I'll apologise for this comment if you can demonstrate to me in which post I called you a liar.

Thus far, you have failed to do so.

What is it I have trouble remembering, you lying or you insisting you didn't? 

 

In all fairness, you may not be a liar, but you were absolutly playing fast and loose with the facts. 

 

 

[CMNightRider]

3 hours ago, Brunolem said:

I am not sure why it is a scam because the bank is Thai??? 

 

And I don't think that those who make such decisions, at the immigration and the government, have such intentions. 

 

It is just not the way Thai scams are done... they are much less subtle and shortsighted. 

 

As far as I am concerned, I consider Thai banks safer than most Western banks. 

 

They had their (huge) troubles in the late 90s, but since then, they have cleaned their balance sheets. 

 

Meanwhile, Western banks, especially European ones, are still a complete mess and wouldn't last a week without the constant support of both their governments and the ECB led by Mr "whatever it takes". 

Wow, thank you for your input, lol.  You just can't make stuff like this up. ;-(

[puukao]

14 minutes ago, CMNightRider said:

Wow, thank you for your input, lol.  You just can't make stuff like this up. ;-(

Only the broke farang in his room with a large Leo beer will think and convince himself life is rigged by 2 people and there is no hope for him.  so they bash and complain, giving them more reason to do nothing.  then they blame someone else for their lack of doing anything.  then they just say it's all a conspiracy against them....and then back to the Leo beer.

 

 

[BritManToo]

21 minutes ago, puukao said:

Only the broke farang in his room with a large Leo beer will think and convince himself life is rigged by 2 people and there is no hope for him.

I'm fairly sure that life is rigged by one person ......... God.

And I absolutely know there is no hope for me.

[Lacessit]

9 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

What is it I have trouble remembering, you lying or you insisting you didn't? 

 

In all fairness, you may not be a liar, but you were absolutly playing fast and loose with the facts. 

 

 

It's your opinion I am playing fast and loose with the facts. You do appear to be shifting your position on who called who a liar. Still unable to cite a post number and page where you claim I called you one. Because we both know it doesn't exist. And you have the gall to talk about intellectual dishonesty.

Edited February 12, 2019 by Lacessit

[CMNightRider]

8 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I'm fairly sure that life is rigged by one person ......... God.

And I absolutely know there is no hope for me.

Since you brought it up, God is in charge, and all this going on with immigration is nothing more than nonsense.   There is hope for you and any who ask for his help and believe in Jesus.  ????

[Yellowtail]

15 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

It's your opinion I am playing fast and loose with the facts. You do appear to be shifting your position on who called who a liar. Still unable to cite a post number and page where you claim I called you one. Because we both know it doesn't exist. And you have the gall to talk about intellectual dishonesty.

And (apparently) it's your opinion you are not. It was the same thread you were bragging about how smart you were and ridiculing the Australian educational system, remember now?

 

You called me a liar and then I called you a liar in the same thread, although I was less subtle than you.

 

Now you want to hijack this thread going on about it, whatever.

 

 

[Brunolem]

10 hours ago, CMNightRider said:

Wow, thank you for your input, lol.  You just can't make stuff like this up. ;-(

If you have data contradicting mine, please don't hesitate to share it... 

[BritManToo]

14 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

And (apparently) it's your opinion you are not. It was the same thread you were bragging about how smart you were and ridiculing the Australian educational system, remember now?

To be fair the rest of the world appears to know the difference between 'lose' and loose'.

[CMNightRider]

21 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

If you have data contradicting mine, please don't hesitate to share it... 

Please look up naive.  

[Yellowtail]

27 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

If you have data contradicting mine, please don't hesitate to share it... 

You didn't really provide any data, just an unsupported opinion, yes?

 

That said, I aggree with most of what said, the exception being that Thai banks a safer than banks in our home countries. I think Thai banks are safe, but I don't think they are generally safer than US banks.

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, Yellowtail said:

And (apparently) it's your opinion you are not. It was the same thread you were bragging about how smart you were and ridiculing the Australian educational system, remember now?

 

You called me a liar and then I called you a liar in the same thread, although I was less subtle than you.

 

Now you want to hijack this thread going on about it, whatever.

 

 

You really do have memory problems.

On page 6 , post# 77 of THIS THREAD, you called me a pompous liar. There is NO previous post where I have done that. Semantics won't cut the mustard.

Hijacking the thread? Another attempt at deflection.

There is no point in continuing this discussion with you. Perhaps you could try being honest with yourself, at least.

 

[Brunolem]

1 hour ago, Yellowtail said:

You didn't really provide any data, just an unsupported opinion, yes?

 

That said, I aggree with most of what said, the exception being that Thai banks a safer than banks in our home countries. I think Thai banks are safe, but I don't think they are generally safer than US banks.

I am not sure that the very wellknown and public information regarding, for example, Deutsche Bank (Merkel's nightmare), BNP Paribas (Macron's nightmare), or a bunch of Italian banks (Brussels'nightmare) can be called "unsupported opinion". 

 

Ditto for the fact that the ECB, led by Mario Draghi, has painted itself in a corner with its NIRP and "whatever it takes" policies... this is not a matter of opinion, but very well documented facts. 

 

Meanwhile, we hear or read no such things about Thai banks these days. 

 

As for the American banks, well they are a whole different beast... remind me how much the largest of them, JP Morgan, has paid in fines for multiple frauds during the last decade? 

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, Brunolem said:

 

As for the American banks, well they are a whole different beast... remind me how much the largest of them, JP Morgan, has paid in fines for multiple frauds during the last decade? 

Many American banks are privately-owned, and have gone bust over the years. They are not bailed out by the government.

The investment bank of Goldman Sachs hasn't earned the title of vampire squid for minor peccadilloes. Wells Fargo with fake accounts, ratings agencies assigning prime ratings to junk, major accounting firms issuing false audit reports.

Putting it bluntly, the whole American financial system stinks more than ten day old fish.

[Yellowtail]

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

You really do have memory problems.

On page 6 , post# 77 of THIS THREAD, you called me a pompous liar. There is NO previous post where I have done that. Semantics won't cut the mustard.

Hijacking the thread? Another attempt at deflection.

There is no point in continuing this discussion with you. Perhaps you could try being honest with yourself, at least.

 

1

On 2/8/2019 at 9:47 PM, Lacessit said:

o excuse me if I don't have a high regard for engineers.

3

3

Actually, after you said you didn't have a high regard for engineers, I said: Nor do I for pompous liars. You just assumed (albeit correctly) I was referring to you. 

 

Anyways, earlier on the thread where you were (again) going on about how bitchin' you are, you claimed what I said was "rubbish" which I took to mean you were claiming what I said was untrue. If by "rubbish" you meant to imply that you, in fact, agreed with what I said, please accept my apologies. 

 

But really as I do not know you (outside of the generally braggadocious, sometimes inaccurate nature of your posts), I do not really know you to be a liar, so I will apologize for calling you one.

 

I would also like to admit now that I was mistaken when I claimed all engineering disciplines in the US required thermodynamics, as apparently, some do not. Again, my apologies. Perhaps they dropped the thermo from some curriculums to provide better support for climate change...

 

[Yellowtail]

34 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Many American banks are privately-owned, and have gone bust over the years. They are not bailed out by the government.

The investment bank of Goldman Sachs hasn't earned the title of vampire squid for minor peccadilloes. Wells Fargo with fake accounts, ratings agencies assigning prime ratings to junk, major accounting firms issuing false audit reports.

Putting it bluntly, the whole American financial system stinks more than ten day old fish.

3

Any examples? I'm sure there are some but claiming many have gone bust and the customers not protected might be a stretch.

 

Most US bank savings and checking accounts are insured by the FDIC (the government) up to (I think) $250K per account, which (I think) was raised from $100K after the last crash.

 

Brokerage accounts and whatnot are not covered but some retirement accounts are. I am assuming you are not lumping riskier investment products in with savings accounts. 

 

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, Yellowtail said:

Actually, after you said you didn't have a high regard for engineers, I said: Nor do I for pompous liars. You just assumed (albeit correctly) I was referring to you. 

 

Anyways, earlier on the thread where you were (again) going on about how bitchin' you are, you claimed what I said was "rubbish" which I took to mean you were claiming what I said was untrue. If by "rubbish" you meant to imply that you, in fact, agreed with what I said, please accept my apologies. 

 

But really as I do not know you (outside of the generally braggadocious, sometimes inaccurate nature of your posts), I do not really know you to be a liar, so I will apologize for calling you one.

 

I would also like to admit now that I was mistaken when I claimed all engineering disciplines in the US required thermodynamics, as apparently, some do not. Again, my apologies. Perhaps they dropped the thermo from some curriculums to provide better support for climate change...

 

When I said "rubbish" I meant you were wrong or inaccurate in your statements. That is not the same as calling you a liar.

I will give you credit for admitting you were mistaken, and apologizing.

[Yellowtail]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Both are oppressive. No doubt Thailand is getting warmer. Hardly any cold weather this past winter, like previous winters, where we would have a two month break. But, visa policy is insanity. And immigration saying good guys are welcome, is absolutely fake news, and total deflection from the extreme paranoia, xenophobia, and fear of outsiders, gripping this pathetic, incompetent, hapless administration and the useless army. Closing the loopholes was only a small part of the recent reforms. They are largely aimed at reducing the ex-pat population, in my opinion, and discouraging more Western ex-pats from moving here.

 

When it comes to the marriage visa, the requirements are stupid. And there is absolutely no need, that I can think of, to do this each and every year. It is nonsensical for everyone involved, to keep repeating the same steps over, and over, and over. It is humiliating, it is demeaning, it is disrespectful, it is petty, it is churlish. It is so wasteful. It is so unnecessary. It accomplishes nothing. It causes inconvenience to both foreigners and Thais. Immigration here really has it wrong. They could be doing so much better. 

 

I totally blame Prayuth, and the biggest joke. Immigration has gotten worse under their tutelage and their arrogance, and their insufferable xenophobia knows no bounds. This whole thing leaves a bitter, sour, nasty, foul taste in one's mouth, and the stench can be smelled for kilometers. It also leaves a rather bad feeling toward our hosts. They could be doing so much better. In my opinion alot of us bring alot to the table here. Thailand is moving backwards on so many levels, I do not even know where to begin. 

 

I saw a post today about how easy the visa process is, in Vietnam. Will quote just a bit: 

 

I pay about 400USD for a 1 year multi entry business visa in Vietnam.  I didn't work in Thailand, and I don't work in Vietnam, but I could work if I wanted to on this visa, which includes working behind a bar, if I owned one. There's no other criteria to meet, no bank records to be produce, no 90 day reporting, no re entry paper work, no untouched money in a bank account, no letters from Embassies, no translations needed, just fill in the form, attach a passport photo, pay the 400USD and that's it for the year. I'm not married to a Vietnamese National but the married guys get it even easier.  They pay about $60USD for a 5 year multi entry marriage visa.  This visa requires a report every 3 months, and $10USD, but an agent can go, so most guys just send their wife. It doesn't get any easier than that. Vietnam also offers Temporary Residency Cards for around $800USD for 2 years.  I haven't bothered with them, but they are available. I go back to my country once a year, so just get a new visa, but I can extend the 1 year visa without leaving Vietnam if I wanted.  

 

I wish I liked Vietnam. I do not like most of the people. Cold fish, in my opinion, compared to most Thais. But, with regard to visa policy? Quite appealing, and about 100 years ahead of Thailand. 

 

So how do you think the visa requirements should be structured? Anyone that is able to get here should be able to stay as long as they like and do whatever they like while they are here?

 

Perhaps the Thai people don't want their county westernized, should what they want count or only what you want?

 

 

 

[spidermike007]

3 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

 

So how do you think the visa requirements should be structured? Anyone that is able to get here should be able to stay as long as they like and do whatever they like while they are here?

 

Perhaps the Thai people don't want their county westernized, should what they want count or only what you want?

 

 

 

 

It should be a reasonable process, that takes into account the 65,000 baht, or the 800,000 in the bank, which is far more than the average Thai is able to bring to the table, or put in the bank. It should be a process where courtesy is displayed, and not surly, obnoxious encounters with bureaucratic ninnies, who love to flex their muscles by saying no. It does not need to be a ridiculous and humiliating exercise, demonstrating hatred toward foreigners. They can be doing so much better. There is so much room for improvement, it would literally take me a full day to break it all down. Be serious. This has nothing to do with the Thai people. Most Thai people like us. This is about an obnoxious administration that needs to get the hell out as fast as possible, before they tear their nation apart.