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90 year-old Don is leaving Thailand


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Who are these government officials of all these foreign countries who took the time to answer your letters, afix overseas postage, and mail back a reply that they deny you a place to live in their country. You wasted my time reading this post, by the way “90 year old Don” made me think this was about some kind of mafia Don. I’m going to write a ‘letter to Thailand’ and say please help this 90-year-old man named Don onto the airplane and expedite his departure from Thailand right away!

Edited by Ragnarok
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55 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

Compassion- it's every person's issue.  Please tell me what is wrong for anyone showing compassion to another person.  Have we all reached the point in the World where we do not care about our fellow human beings?  It appears so.

 

This is a man who is 90 years old- had he gone to an agent- he would have been approved immediately. However, he asked  Immigration for some compassion due to his health issues and situation.  Most countries and especially Thailand pride themselves on treating the elderly with respect and yes compassion.

This report and some of the responses show me how far some of the human race have regressed.

Feelings mutual re: "Compassion".  However, action speaks louder than words.  Thailand's compassion is absent as narrated by the 90 year old and other expats on TVF that have felt the recent wrath of Thai immigration.  There is an active exodus of expats from Thailand, wether it be slow, gradual, or expedited but it is an efflux. 

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2 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

The OP has indicated he won't deposit 800k to live here until his end of days, thus suggesting he does have that money. He refuses to do so because the regime, or the banks, will benefit from his money when he goes.

Apparently he has been submitting affidavits for many years confirming he meets the monetary requirements, but now that he has to prove a monthly income of 65k won't do so because he doesn't use that much, and it would accumulate, again benefitting the wrong people. He has no heirs here, nor at his former "home" which begs the question - who will benefit from his legacy when he goes? Personally, I would prefer to leave it to a Thai wife, carer/housekeeper or even a best mate, by simply completing a will.

He doesn't want to stay here under the circumstances, doesn't  have a "home" country, but is leaving to re-establish himself in another country at the age of 90. Who would want to do that unless they have no other option?  Does he really meet the financial requirements for retirement here, and trying to blame other factors for his situation? It would be a huge price to pay for pride. IMO, his efforts to get an exemption by writing letters to various senior officers, tells the real story.

For many years Thailand's lax acceptance of income claims has resulted in a culture of dishonesty that has become the norm with many expats.  Immigration's sudden insistence of proof of claimed funds has caught out thousands, and believe it or not, I do have sympathy.

I feel there should be some sort of amnesty for long term residents such as Don, and for those who have put down roots within the community.

However, this is Thailand - flexibility, common sense and compassion are in short supply.

Your post would be accurate if 76 out of 80 embassies had stopped issuing income letters.  But it's the reverse only 4 out of 80.  So I'd walk your statement back and put the blame where it belongs with the 4 lazy embassies. 

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10 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Your post would be accurate if 76 out of 80 embassies had stopped issuing income letters.  But it's the reverse only 4 out of 80.  So I'd walk your statement back and put the blame where it belongs with the 4 lazy embassies. 

A good point, but doesn't make my post inaccurate. It just indicates there are many luckier liars out there waiting for the hammer to fall, and hoping Thailand continues to lack common sense.

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15 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Why not tell us where you're going?

Keeping it secret is a troll red flag.

Too many expats here are toxic. If he found a gem, he’d be smart to keep it to himself.

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3 hours ago, mike787 said:

Times have changed...good ol glory days of Woodstock in Thailand are long over.  Wish it weren't...but as some on TVF has said, there are other adventurous countries that are much more welcoming, safer, and a immigration system that fosters acceptance...Thailand is NO longer the Elysium of hedonism.

I don't see any reduction in the availability of hedonism; the primary supporters of the gogo bars, and "women of the night" generally, are short-term visitors, who are welcomed at immigration.  The 2nd largest group of supporters are longer-stay folks with plenty of extra money to spend - so can easily afford to payoff immigration with an agent, or let 800K rot in a Thai account till forever.

 

The only problems immigration is creating, are for expats who retired here under the original rules - who didn't need to pay off immigration with an agent before now - and whose planning/budgets were based on meeting the original rules. 

 

I would guess the overestimated the humanity of Thai immigration, and didn't expect to get a knife in the back.  Surprise!

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58 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Your post would be accurate if 76 out of 80 embassies had stopped issuing income letters.  But it's the reverse only 4 out of 80.  So I'd walk your statement back and put the blame where it belongs with the 4 lazy embassies. 

4 embassies are the genesis of expat exodus.  Impressive deduction...

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16 hours ago, overherebc said:

Use by dates seem to cover everything here.

Use by dates will be something every expat will have to be aware of, people change, countries change, unfortunately nothing stays the same, no matter where you are. 

Edited by chainarong
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19 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

People are upset with the Embassy's for this - but it's not their fault. Blame Thai Immigration for placing an impossible expectation of the Embassies in the first place. As soon as other Embassies recognise their potential legal vulnerability on this, they will follow suit and close up shop. 

it's unfair to hold Embassies legally accountable to "heresay".  The Burden of Proof one has sufficient funds rests with the individual, not the government. Adding to the challenge, Thai immigration is not meant to be an efficient system, why else do we have issues.  Thai immigration has admitted they themselves do not understand their rules. Why else is such a system so perilously disorganized, and functions consistently inconsistent?  Why else is the expat community  surprised, bewildered, and frustrated at guessing what the best option or path is to navigate thai immigration. Richard_smith237 explains it clearly in the quote.

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53 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

People are upset with the Embassy's for this - but it's not their fault. Blame Thai Immigration for placing an impossible expectation of the Embassies in the first place. As soon as other Embassies recognise their potential legal vulnerability on this, they will follow suit and close up shop. 

From what I understand my embassy (CDN) requires tax documentation, what you pay in taxes vs income docs (from Revenue Canada). Plain as day and impossible to fake, I don't see them closing up shop.

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5 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

In over 10 years I still only have one Thai bank account.

 

Why would anyone need more??

I wonder how you ever lived in Thailand.  1.  Direct deposit account for SS.  2.  Normal every day account and phone banking (not too much in this acount for safety). 3.  FD account.  4.  Stock trading account.   5.  The one where you keep the big bucks.  That's 5. 

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1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

What rules have Thai Immigration Changed?

 

The only rule I can see is the enforced seasoning of 800k baht in a Thai Account (for 2 months before and 3 months afterwards, or something similar). 

Two additional months one cannot spend out of the 800K at all, then 400K they can never spend out of. 

 

Before, one needed 3 months living expenses plus 800K and they were set.

 

Quote

 

Additionally, a lot of people have been caught out by the Embassy's refusing of provide Affirmation of Income because so many people were caught out lying and the Income claims were impossible to confirm due to freedom of information laws in our home countries. 

Why are there no reported cases of people "caught out lying?"  Surely the anti-farang propaganda networks would have been blasting out that news.  Not to mention, for Aussies and Americans, it is a felony charge in your home-country, after you get done doing time on the Thai-charge.

 

The freedom of info protections go out the window if a legal case is brought (subpoenas get around that), which it would be, if Thai authorities had reported perjurous embassy-letters.

 

Quote

You mentioned that "didn't need to pay off immigration with an agent before now"... What does that mean? Are you implying that unless you use an agent your retirement Visa will not be processed even if you meet all the requirements (800k in a Thai Bank). 

Many of those who cannot reach the Newly Moved Goalposts will be using agents - immigration's partners.  That is why immigration did this.  They want "tribute money" - and could not give a hoot if anyone "really" meets some arbitrary money-standard.

 

Quote

So is it just the Affirmation of monthly income which preventing people from meeting the requirements? IF so, thank all those before you who exaggerated their income and abused the system.

No, we can thank the fact that immigration engineered a way to force more honest people to agents. 

 

Before, people needed 65K gross monthly income on average.  Now they need to "import" 65K monthly - even if they don't spend that much, and/or receive money in different time-increments, and/or may have other expenses in their passport-country.

 

15 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

From what I understand my embassy (CDN) requires tax documentation, what you pay in taxes vs income docs (from Revenue Canada). Plain as day and impossible to fake, I don't see them closing up shop.

They contact the tax office and verify the figures?  Or the document itself is really hard to counterfeit - like money or something?

Edited by JackThompson
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5 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

I wonder how you ever lived in Thailand.  1.  Direct deposit account for SS.  2.  Normal every day account and phone banking (not too much in this acount for safety). 3.  FD account.  4.  Stock trading account.   5.  The one where you keep the big bucks.  That's 5. 

I'm too young for SS.

 

I have my regular SCB savings account, and the fixed SCB FD for the credit card.

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2 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

I'm too young for SS.

 

I have my regular SCB savings account, and the fixed SCB FD for the credit card.

You said you didn't know why anyone would need more than one.  I told you.  It is common knowledge with anyone who lives here.  Especially of one has a business. Of course you need more than one account. 

Edited by marcusarelus
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