new visa rules for foreigners

[EC]

I am 38 years old. I came here because there are many things to do and see. I am a semi-retired proffessional that could go back to work for the right price. I have spent 7 months all around Thailand; I have spent near 1,500,00 baht since my arrival. I take the border runs for the sake of being legal, both to Cambodia and Laos. I will find another another place to spend my money. I feel slighted.
EC

[EC]

Send your kids to a bording school if you want them to get a proper education; I truley believe it impossible in Thailand. I have been here seven months and spent 10 to 12 times your GDP because I like your country. You will, actually, be sorry to see me go.
EC

[EC]

Bravo, $1.9 billion tax free? No wonder farrang want to come to this banana republic.
EC

[bob]

You should consider how loudly you appaude the new visa requirements. You believe that the farang is at fault for not paying taxes. Is the farang making a income within thailand through employment or business? If so the individual should be paying taxes. When the farang purchases goods, is the purchase excluded from the duty tax imposed by the Thai government. When the farang spends money to pay for goods and services doesn't that purchase/payment benefit the Thai business offering those goods and services. Does the purchase of these goods and services from money which has come from abroad not benefit thailand since this money is coming to thailand without damaging Thailands trade debt.? I think that some revision should be done to the ability for foriegners to live in Thailand, but think efforts should be made to be sure the income of these foriegners is coming from legitimate sources, rather then just to make them leave the country to set up home in some other country willing to accept their money.

[bob]

I don't think that the thai people are afraid of the farang. I believe that they may be jealous of what they see as interlopers in their country living an easy lifestyle with ability to go and do what they want often spending in a sitting more than a thai worker could dream of spending. Often that is chiefly what they see the farang spending without resraint )usually tourists) They do not see the amount of hard work or sometimes plain luck that brought this money/income to the foriegner. This new visa requirement will damage thailand for the loss of this easy money supplied by mostly legitimate retiree's. But if they do the research and fulfill the requirements these individuals will learn they are still welcome and can dispense with the border runs. Personally if it weeds out the lazy and the criminal its fine with me.

[bob]

Buying a house- The sanest way for you to buy a house without a Thai husband/wife is to set up your own investment company LLP. in your home country. create your Thailand based subsidiary in thailand keeping up with its relicensing. Have the Thai company purchase the house/property. Living in thailand the requirement is to have on deposit (I believe the figure is about $20,000.00) per individual to prove that you will not be a burden on the Thai gov't. I believe proof of income from a source outside of Thailand in that amount will also suffice (pension). More information is available from expatriate websites. Exact information is available from the Royal Thai embassy/Consulate.

[Jimmy]

bob:
Don’t waste your time – if you have been here long enough, you should know that you’re dealing with stubbornness and nationalistic individual who doesn’t give a hoot about personal opinions of others and can’t see further than the edge of his own nose. Don’t waste your time.

[jimmy]

bob:
you need 800,000 Baht in a local bank to get retirement visa aftre you're 50, but to get visa to stay here before age of 50 you need to deposit in a government-onwed bank for 1 year 10,000,000 Baht (went up from 3,000,000 on Oct 1). Funds should be wired from a foreighn account.

[usajaarn]

To George and Somchai and the others:
This is an interesting thread and one that requires a close look at the reasons why the change was made. First, it is absolutely the right of Thailand, as it is of any country, to dictate the terms of entry by foreigners. Foreigners are both good and bad for Thailand, and I think that there is a legitimate attempt to "upgrade" from the rather unseemly elements of society that are drawn toward the darker sides of Thai life. These people tend to end up in places like Pattaya and Phuket, but can be found everywhere. The stereotype of the fat, hoa laan middle aged caucasian with the teenaged Thai girl (or boy) gives all Farang a bad name, and that is a shame for those of us with loftier reasons for visiting. But make no mistake - that stereotype exists because there are hoardes of these people in Thailand. Why cannot Thailand say "enough!" and try to attract a better grade of people that are not here to only have cheap sex and inexpensive living? I have noticed an increase in Farang families visiting the kingdom in the past few years, and a decided influx in wealthy Chinese and northeast Asian tourists who are spending lots of money in Thailand and not just hitting the backpackers on Khao San Road. This visa move may just be another step in the progression that Thailand has every right to pursue. Remember one other fact though, for every undesireable Farang visitor there are multitudes of Thai "businessmen" eager to supply their vice of choice, be it drug, woman, teenager or child. This is supply and demand economics at work and both sides are guilty.

US Ajaarn

[Rooster]

-j. The stereotyping of old foreigners with young local girls are not the target of this new immigration law. This law is to focus on those foreigners who are busing their visiting priviledges by using visiting visa as working visa and permanent resident visa. Their ages are ranging from young to old and mostly without university education. These people are doing and conducting illegal activities and or working without work permits. Lot of them are working as freelances and contract workers; thereby, they are taking jobs from local people and causing other social problems. They are involved heavily in pornography and also ganging up with other local and foreign elements doing illegal documents, drugs, counterfeit money, human trafficing including sex tourism of all kinds, and etc.. Every groups of foreigners seemed to have their own denses in Thailand and causing social problems in those areas. I remembered a year or so when Thai police force busted an African gang in Bangkok who ran illegal drugs, forged documents, counterfeit money, prostitution, and etc..; the police also found many bastardized mixed African children in this particular dense. Who do you think will have to shoulder the fruits of this African gang? Do you think that these Africans will take their children with them to their poor countries? Another story of European gang who are working with Pakistanese gang in forging and using stolen passports, they are expert in forging documents and providing fake and altered passports/visas to questionable characters. How do you think Hambali and his free Islamo-facist friends obtained their fake passports and documents?