Why the Retired Expat Exodus to Vietnam seems very real

[madmen 8,671]

2 hours ago, oznomad said:

Retirement in Vietnam? Hold your horses. Things are changing there too.

 

A friend has been there for several years, just renewing his visa annually. This week he was informed by his visa agent that VN immigration are developing a list of people that renew the yearly visa, but dont have a business in Vietnam - and are showing them the door.

 

The time has come for scamming old farts to head back to their home countries . SEA 

is changing fast for the poor pensioners with their poor currency. 

[Isaan sailor 2,765]

23 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

I don't think I'm that unusual, but when I had had enough of Thailand I just went home.

And, I think the older you get the idea of setting up shop in yet another SEA country, learning yet another new language, is just exhausting.

 

Thats why you get a subset of the retired expats, who turn into grumpy old men, when they don't have enough money to return to their home country 

Good point.  We do go back to the States often.  So when BoT finally kills off the USD (with ChiCom hot money inflows)—wife & I will reverse our travels—Retire in USA and visit Thailand.

[Tongjaw 733]

6 hours ago, rocksniffer said:

So far nobody has mentioned Bali. Financial requirements are about the same, but a lot less hassle with immigration. These are 1 year retirement visas. I live elsewhere in Indonesia. I am married to an Indonesian. First one year visa my wife sponsors me. She has to have money in the bank, not me. Second one year visa was just an extension. Again my wife is my sponsor. Third visa is for five years. Fourth visa is also five years. But once you are past the 10 year mark you no longer need sponsorship from your wife. Somewhat expensive but you can then get a lifetime visa. You get a multi exit reentry visa. There is no 90 day reporting. There is no TM30. And you get your own special line at airports for immigration. I go through immigration much faster than my wife as generally there is no queue for me. Some of you will be thinking Muslim country etc. Certainly Indonesia is not perfect. However, I lived in Thailand 32 years. I thought that I would miss living there. I do not. There is a much more wholesome feeling living in Indonesia. You do not feel like you are just a cash cow. Take holiday to Indonesia and check it out. 

What parts to check out? I’ve worked in a few places there over the years and never had any inclination to move there to live. All my visas where taken care of by the company but even they said it was a run around. Work visa. 

KITAS, IMTA requirements change regularly and corruption or as they call them. facilitation fees are required. 

[Wake Up 1,951]

I am looking to buy a good used truck or SUV for any of you guys leaving. PM me if that fits your situation. We all make our own choices. Good luck to you. 

[Wake Up 1,951]

9 hours ago, keith101 said:

With the exchange rate with the aussie dollar I am now having to survive on under 36,000 baht from my age pension which s going to send me back in January when my next extension is due .

 

My step daughter got finance for a pickup for me in 2017 on 0% deposit (in her name) and the payments are 15,600 baht a month which she is go to be responsible for once I go back and I feel really bad for her , I will have to send her some money every month to try and help but considering the prices of things back home it wont be very much maybe only 5,000 baht per fortnightly payment .

I am looking to buy a good used truck if you want to pm me. Good luck to you and your family. 

[Tounge Thaied 935]

7 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

Switch to a Marriage Extension as soon as you can;  it's nowhere near as daunting as some people will have you believe.   I've been on one for 12 years, renewed last week , all done in 25 minutes.

I just got my Marriage Visa in January. There was a few more bits of paperwork, like photos of me and my wife at the house, a hand drawn map, so they could physically come and check that I was living there... but it was not difficult. Took two trips to the immigration office here in Buriram, and a planned visit by the boys in uniform at the house and it was done. It is well worth the extra effort, lower banking requirements and no current threats of a health insurance requirement either. 

[wisperone 1,648]

7 hours ago, gearbox said:

Vietnam longer than 5 years and factoring today's prices, they are fooling themselves.

Some truth in that..once a place is discovered, it isn't long before prices start to rise. Portugal is a good example.

[Destiny1990 6,454]

20 minutes ago, Tounge Thaied said:

I just got my Marriage Visa in January. There was a few more bits of paperwork, like photos of me and my wife at the house, a hand drawn map, so they could physically come and check that I was living there... but it was not difficult. Took two trips to the immigration office here in Buriram, and a planned visit by the boys in uniform at the house and it was done. It is well worth the extra effort, lower banking requirements and no current threats of a health insurance requirement either. 

So we have to marry a local instead Of relocating to Vietnam?

[wisperone 1,648]

1 hour ago, GinBoy2 said:

I don't think I'm that unusual, but when I had had enough of Thailand I just went home.

And, I think the older you get the idea of setting up shop in yet another SEA country, learning yet another new language, is just exhausting.

No place like home.

[GinBoy2 7,452]

41 minutes ago, Isaan sailor said:

Good point.  We do go back to the States often.  So when BoT finally kills off the USD (with ChiCom hot money inflows)—wife & I will reverse our travels—Retire in USA and visit Thailand.

Which is exactly what we did. Now we do a few months over the winter in Khon Kaen.

 

The other thing that I think should exercise folks minds, is what does your wife do?

 

My wife who was educated in the US was able to restart her career in the US, that would have been impossible had we moved to Vietnam or the like.

[khaowong1 1,329]

Talk about it any way you like, Vietnam is still a communist country.  Things could go wrong there in a heart beat. 

[Ron jeremy 1,873]

8 hours ago, AllThaiedUp said:

Until there's a soi 6 or nana plaza or cowboy or something similar.. ain't gonna happen

Pretty sad when people base their life on hookers, but then again if it wasn't for the hookers, 90 percent of men would not be here.

[Jingthing 64,481]

13 minutes ago, khaowong1 said:

Talk about it any way you like, Vietnam is still a communist country.  Things could go wrong there in a heart beat. 

I wouldn't get hung up on that label these days. More relevant is that it's an authoritarian country. Most authoritarian countries are not labelled communist and yet some of them are quite popular and quite good for expats. It's not like we're trying to be citizens there!

[Caldera 2,363]

20 minutes ago, khaowong1 said:

Talk about it any way you like, Vietnam is still a communist country.  Things could go wrong there in a heart beat. 

Unlike in a military dictatorship, you mean? I've seen things go wrong in Thailand - several times.

 

As for the blog piece that's being discussed here: Never mind that Vietnam doesn't even offer a retirement visa. That ridiculous article doesn't even mention that, but certainly that's one of the most important aspects.

[Ron jeremy 1,873]

4 hours ago, oznomad said:

Retirement in Vietnam? Hold your horses. Things are changing there too.

 

A friend has been there for several years, just renewing his visa annually. This week he was informed by his visa agent that VN immigration are developing a list of people that renew the yearly visa, but dont have a business in Vietnam - and are showing them the door.

 

These people are using dodgy agents and setting up fake businesses to get their visas.

NOT a problem when going about it the CORRECT way. 

I can post links to people that have used the 3 month multi entry for 10 years without a problem, yes 10 years.

my friend has just returned from his yearly visa run, goes about it the CORRECT way, and has never had a problem. Those that tried to scam their way thru Thai immigration are not finding it any easier to SCAM their way they viet immigration.

i can provide a reputable agent to help anyone to go about the CORRECT and LEGAL way to get a yearly visa.

send me a PM.