louse1953 Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Just talking to three guys who are here on retiremeny visas. They were telling me that many in their group of friends are planning to move to Cambodia and a few to Viet Nam. After some period of time, one just gets sick and tired jumping through all the hoops Thai Immigration puts us through, and it just is not worth it anymore. What hoops? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikerbri Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 The problem with this is the fact that no insurance will cover you for anything more than 90 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DekDaeng Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Get rid of 90-day reporting. Complete waste of a day. I'd for sure too want to get rid of it, but, the Thai Immigration Police wants to keep track of you, meaning have your present address in Thailand, and, alas, I doubt it very much all the Farangs staying here, especially the ones the Police would like to keep a discrete eye on, would systematically go to the Immigration Office to have any/every change of address being registered there. So, IMO, the 90-day reporting will remain, because of some of us, Farangs', wrong attitude, not because the Thais are great fans of paperwork (what they surely are though)... Last year one of the ministers proposed to start microchipping the foreigners, I guess they will do away with the 90 day report once that begins http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/thailand-tourists-to-electronically-tagged-4348741 Woof! Well that will make it easier - just read chip, print post sticker, stick onto body bag with C.O.D., body snatchers can throw it off at the post office! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai at Heart Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Visa revenue will plummet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JungleBoy2 Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I would not be holding my breath waiting for it to happen. I have seen nothing in the news about it. The devil may be in the details. Also what exactly do they mean by multiple entry? Monday night's 7pm English language Radio Thailand news on Met 107 FM had this proposal as one of their Headline stories. So with this in mind I believe that it could very well happen soon, otherwise it would not have been on the news. What I do wonder is how long is each stay, 6 months or 12 months? Or is that just the validity and in fact each stay is only 90 days? There might have to be some sort of amendment to Thai immigration rules in order to allow a stay of more than 90 days at a time without either a visa run or address report, although neither of this was mentioned in the news report. "Otherwise it would not have been on the news". Are you serious? If you've been around for a long time, most of us know the rules have been changed so many times as to make your head spin! Believe it when you see it-- Oh, and then it could change a month after! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khman Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 So in fact it would be about the same as retired visa? Can stay easy? Very good idea, what a relief if we can be there with less hassle.... I promise I will NOT work here AND spend my money here. No problem if it helps, give a bank statement with a few thousands on it... (they seem so afraid we work) I just would like to stay on a steady visa! Also, this visa hassle is not good nor for us staying here, nor for tourists... some friends come only 3 months because of visa issues, some come without visa for 1 month, extend 1 month, and MUST leave then, they would have stayed and spend their money... even the retired have enough but I don't know why, easy for them no? If anyone has more information about this future hypothetical visa I am very interested! PS : What would be this new visa name? About 90 days report hope sooner or later we can do it at 7-11 or on a website... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khman Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Can't we contact those who have to approve (government) to tell them how this would be a wonderful idea for us and for Thailand? Will there be a vote? Or the Chief General of Army will decide and that's it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thailandusauk Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 It seems so ridiculous to think that it will happen when everything is going the opposite way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BANGKOK WOLF Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 3 grand for 1 year? Wish I never got married now. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hgma Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 my daily struggle. Reason with Thai 'logic' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farang two dot zero Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 This news may be a hoax right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko45k Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 There's a couple from Denmark staying for part of the winter in the house next door to me. They came for 3 months to escape the cold back home. They've been coming here every year for about 10 years now. Why three months ? Because that's the limit without needing to do unnecessary and perhaps costly travel on visa runs to other countries. So it's simple, they come for three months then go back home. These people are here only to escape the winter so a 6 months visa would suit them perfectly and who knows, maybe next year they will stay for 4 months or even a little longer. The retirement extension is designed with them in mind. Easy and cheap to obtain; the total cost per year (excluding any fee their consulate may make for confirmation of income) should not exceed 3000B, including one re-entry permit. Maybe you should suggest it to them? Other than retaining a 800,000 bank account for 2-3 months prior? Or the other slightly onerous task of confirming income. I think they look to have to make zero effort within Thailand, and if they are elderly I would not blame them. If they have the money, you are right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ukrules Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 There's a couple from Denmark staying for part of the winter in the house next door to me. They came for 3 months to escape the cold back home. They've been coming here every year for about 10 years now. Why three months ? Because that's the limit without needing to do unnecessary and perhaps costly travel on visa runs to other countries. So it's simple, they come for three months then go back home. These people are here only to escape the winter so a 6 months visa would suit them perfectly and who knows, maybe next year they will stay for 4 months or even a little longer. The retirement extension is designed with them in mind. Easy and cheap to obtain; the total cost per year (excluding any fee their consulate may make for confirmation of income) should not exceed 3000B, including one re-entry permit. Maybe you should suggest it to them? Other than retaining a 800,000 bank account for 2-3 months prior? Or the other slightly onerous task of confirming income. I think they look to have to make zero effort within Thailand, and if they are elderly I would not blame them. If they have the money, you are right. Proving your earnings and submitting financial data is ok if you plan on living here full time but for a once a year winter holiday it's simply not going to happen. They will come for the easy stay limit which is currently 90 days and then go home. There's a lot of people doing this. Personally I don't really care what they do, it's their economy. I have my visa and I'm pretty happy with it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatguy Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 The Philippines retirement visa permits multiple entry, for life. They understand the meaning of "retirement", and the initial payment, equal to 500,000 Baht against Thailand's 800,000 may be drawn upon after 6 months to purchase land for a house, invest in a business in the Phils, whatever. One can use it! The visa is in the passport, so one is free to travel around and return to the Philippines. And by the way, you can work in your business, help the family, friends whoever, busk in the streets, play piano in a night club or go and help with the harvest on a farm. None of this sneaking around the loopholes in the Thai system, and hiding from regional authorities immigration police as in Thailand. Enjoy life and contribute to the community, without looking over shoulder all the time. That is what I was looking for. Sure would have made a difference in how I structured my retirement,...much more time in Thailand, and spending my retirement dollars there. Instead I got this whole run-around with the retirement visa and it lack of freedom to traveling to surrounding countries, and multiple reporting, and unsure about visa runs, etc, etc. Now my Thai wife and myself will be spending a lot of that time (and money) in sunny St Augustne Florida (America's first city). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KittenKong Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Other than retaining a 800,000 bank account for 2-3 months prior? Or the other slightly onerous task of confirming income. I think they look to have to make zero effort within Thailand, and if they are elderly I would not blame them. If they have the money, you are right. Proving your earnings and submitting financial data is ok if you plan on living here full time but for a once a year winter holiday it's simply not going to happen. They will come for the easy stay limit which is currently 90 days and then go home. There's a lot of people doing this. I know people who have a retirement extension based on income and only stay here for between 4-6 months every winter. They find that it works well, and it also saves them the trouble of getting a visa before coming. I agree that for some nationalities (notably the British) obtaining the income confirmation is expensive and tedious, but for others it is quite easy and cheap. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhnomKhnom Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 You can see how desperate for humor I am when I say I chuckle at the recurrent personal stories of tourists and visitors in the context of "how important they are" to Thailand's economy. Please, folks, look at the stats re tourism's part of the whole economy.... good for a chuckle anyway. Get it thru your foreigner-type heads...... Thailand DOES NOT CARE about foreigners except as they get some bad press occasionally. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlQaholic Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 It might bring more people to Thailand but for those who come anyway perhaps they will stay longer. There's a couple from Denmark staying for part of the winter in the house next door to me. They came for 3 months to escape the cold back home. They've been coming here every year for about 10 years now. Why three months ? Because that's the limit without needing to do unnecessary and perhaps costly travel on visa runs to other countries. So it's simple, they come for three months then go back home. These people are here only to escape the winter so a 6 months visa would suit them perfectly and who knows, maybe next year they will stay for 4 months or even a little longer. Multiply that by 100's of thousands of people and it could be the difference between a tourist season boom or bust affecting the entire industry. One thing's for sure - they will never be doing any visa runs so unless this is changed the limit to their stay will always be three months maximum and I know they don't like to go to immigration after 60 days looking for a 30 day extension. Nobody wants to plan to visit government offices looking for visa extensions during their long winter holidays in their retirement. My mother who's here right now came for two months this winter. She won't ever do a visa run or go to immigration to do an extension, the tourist visa is valid for 2 months so she came for 2 months. This proposed change is welcome and will affect a lot of people, especially older people of my mothers generation who in my experience tend to plan carefully, stick to the rules by the letter and take no risks at all. My mum didn't like the sound of arriving on a visa without the visa validity covering the entire period of travel, I know she held off on getting it until just before she came for this very reason despite the fact that I told her it doesn't matter and you can enter on the last day of validity. Different generations have very different outlooks and a lot of the winter tourists are retirees from my mothers generation. Can guarantee that the Thai government does not understand or care about any of your points. You cannot project your cultural norms onto theirs. I am not sure what cultural norms ukrules is trying to project? Maybe you can give details of those cultural norms? As far as I can see ukrules is just stating a few simple facts that if noted by the Thai authorities will make some people stay longer than they normally would if the proposed visa rules are implemented. As for the visa itself it is a stamp in your passport stating that you are allowed to enter the kingdom one or multiple times during a certain period. The immigration officer at the airport then stamps your passport with a stamp giving you permission to stay for a certain period (extension of stay). So the first thing one does when coming to Thailand is encountering a government office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitsune Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Please Allah/Jesus/Buddha, make it real ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smotherb Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I don't see any problem, you can still stay as long as you want for as little as B20k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbi1 Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Please Allah/Jesus/Buddha, make it real ! Yes it would be absolutely awesome if it was real!! Lots of people are hoping for the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OMGImInPattaya Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 You can see how desperate for humor I am when I say I chuckle at the recurrent personal stories of tourists and visitors in the context of "how important they are" to Thailand's economy. Please, folks, look at the stats re tourism's part of the whole economy.... good for a chuckle anyway. Get it thru your foreigner-type heads...... Thailand DOES NOT CARE about foreigners except as they get some bad press occasionally. Yes such posts do get tiresome. Just like the one's saying Thailand would collapse without all the sexpats/sex-tourists. Thailand has a well diversified economy in which tourism is an important, but not essential, part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven100 Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Please Allah/Jesus/Buddha, make it real ! Yes it would be absolutely awesome if it was real!! Lots of people are hoping for the same. you guys are dreamers .... Elite card is the option .... no cheap charlie queues ... no hassle ... service with a smile .. !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gringogazzer Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Please Allah/Jesus/Buddha, make it real !Yes it would be absolutely awesome if it was real!! Lots of people are hoping for the same. you guys are dreamers .... Elite card is the option .... no cheap charlie queues ... no hassle ... service with a smile .. !! Under the current regs, maybe. I looked at it but having a home in a neighbouring country it didn't add up for me. If a 1 year x4, 90 day visa or similar were available, it would be throwing your money down the pan. But status is everything here, right. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jspill Posted January 15, 2015 Author Share Posted January 15, 2015 But status is everything here, right. You're a pretty cool cat around these parts if you're on TE or over 50. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post JB300 Posted January 15, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted January 15, 2015 (edited) Could it be that this initiative is tied in with the push to make Thailand the "Hub" for visitors to SE Asia... http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?/topic/791803-Ministries-ordered-to-help-push-Thailand-as-ASEAN-hub ??? E.g. Give somebody unlimited entries into Thailand for (say) a max 30/60 days a time over a max 12 months so they can use Thailand as a base to visit the surrounding areas? Make the visa valid in other countries (e.g. Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Laos & Vietnam) and you have the perfect visa for exploring the region. But that would be far too convenient, so I'll go back to wishful thinking... Dreamland... JB Edited January 15, 2015 by JB300 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitsune Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Please Allah/Jesus/Buddha, make it real ! Yes it would be absolutely awesome if it was real!! Lots of people are hoping for the same. you guys are dreamers .... Elite card is the option .... no cheap charlie queues ... no hassle ... service with a smile .. !! Je suis Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitsune Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I'd be pissed if this came to pass and had bought a TE visa. Yes, exactly. If you could do back-to-back one-year 3000 baht "multiple visas" then what's the point of the TE? Surely the priority handling at Swampy and limo rides thru Bangkok won't make up the difference. You would not have to rub shoulders with us "cheap charlie". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nithisa78 Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 "The weary soul of the wandering mortal finds eternal rest in the arms of the Most High; the wise man hungers for the divine embrace; the earth child longs for the security of the arms of the Universal Father." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazmlb Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I would not be holding my breath waiting for it to happen. I have seen nothing in the news about it. The devil may be in the details. Also what exactly do they mean by multiple entry? Sunbelts source is the NNT, the media arm of the PRD http://thainews.prd.go.th/centerweb/newsen/NewsDetail?NT01_NewsID=WNECO5801090010009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mango66 Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 It might bring more people to Thailand but for those who come anyway perhaps they will stay longer. There's a couple from Denmark staying for part of the winter in the house next door to me. They came for 3 months to escape the cold back home. They've been coming here every year for about 10 years now. Why three months ? Because that's the limit without needing to do unnecessary and perhaps costly travel on visa runs to other countries. So it's simple, they come for three months then go back home. These people are here only to escape the winter so a 6 months visa would suit them perfectly and who knows, maybe next year they will stay for 4 months or even a little longer. Multiply that by 100's of thousands of people and it could be the difference between a tourist season boom or bust affecting the entire industry. One thing's for sure - they will never be doing any visa runs so unless this is changed the limit to their stay will always be three months maximum and I know they don't like to go to immigration after 60 days looking for a 30 day extension. Nobody wants to plan to visit government offices looking for visa extensions during their long winter holidays in their retirement. My mother who's here right now came for two months this winter. She won't ever do a visa run or go to immigration to do an extension, the tourist visa is valid for 2 months so she came for 2 months. This proposed change is welcome and will affect a lot of people, especially older people of my mothers generation who in my experience tend to plan carefully, stick to the rules by the letter and take no risks at all. My mum didn't like the sound of arriving on a visa without the visa validity covering the entire period of travel, I know she held off on getting it until just before she came for this very reason despite the fact that I told her it doesn't matter and you can enter on the last day of validity. Different generations have very different outlooks and a lot of the winter tourists are retirees from my mothers generation. They could get a double entry Tourist visa before leaving Denmark .After 3 months they would then just need to do a days border run to MaiSai or similar ,and then they could stay another 3 months . some thai embassy dont give a double entry if you have not a paid flight ticket for the 2nd entry !! so forget 2x3 months with just a boarder hopper !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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