Long rime since I have been tuned in so possibly this has already been mentioned but a Bkk Post editorial, “Retirement No Mere Snooze” touches onto a lot of topics that perpetually rotate thru this forum.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2248151/
Thailand 11th best in the world for retirement
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handdrummer
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Re: Thailand 11th best in the world for retirement
The comments are as interesting as the article.hin wrote: ↑Sun Jan 16, 2022 9:54 pm Long rime since I have been tuned in so possibly this has already been mentioned but a Bkk Post editorial, “Retirement No Mere Snooze” touches onto a lot of topics that perpetually rotate thru this forum.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2248151/
The same complaints occur time after time and the Thais couldn't care less.
When it comes to foreigners, Thais are not interested in anything from foreigners except their money.
Asia, in general, is xenophobic. Come to think of it, many countries are. A large segment of the US certainly is. It's the times we live in.
Re: Thailand 11th best in the world for retirement
We can always rely on the good ol' Bangkok Post to publish something completely contradictory to what it has previously run.
Grimaces replace smiles for retirees
Based on the recent Annual Global Retirement Index 2022 by the travel magazine International Living, Thailand ranked 11th out of 25 in terms of the world's most desirable places to retire this year.
When looking at destinations in Southeast Asia, Thailand was No 1, followed by Cambodia (14th), Malaysia (15th), Bali (16th) and Vietnam (18th). The index did not include Singapore.
Here, the Bangkok Post talks to Immigration Bureau deputy commander Pol Maj Gen Achayon Kraithong to find out if the current regulations support this claim.
How many foreign nationals have been granted retirement visas? What are the top three nationalities?
A total of 35,846 foreigners have obtained retirement visas with the top three nationalities being British, Germans, and Americans.
Why are foreigners with a one-year visa or more required to report to immigration officials every 90 days?
They are required to do so under Section 37 (5) of the Immigration Act. However, to make it more convenient, they can do so via postal mail or online.
Why are foreigners with retirement visas not allowed to hold any type of job here?
The law governing the employment of foreign nationals, which is enforced by the Labour Ministry, says work permits are granted to those with a non-B visa, or those with permanent residence only. The details are specified in the regulations of the Department of Employment.
Why are expats who have lived, worked and paid taxes here for over a decade still considered non-immigrants, and ineligible for government healthcare or welfare benefits?
Regardless of their length of stay, unless they are undergoing a process to change their nationality, their status remains that of a foreigner. At present, no state welfare benefits are extended to non-Thais.
How many foreigners are granted permanent residence each year? Is there a quota? Can you provide the number of this group for the past five years?
The Interior Ministry usually makes an announcement on applications for permanent residence from November-December every year. There is a quota -- 100 per nationality each year.
From 2017-2019, a total of 801 requests were submitted and 769 were granted [253 out of 265 requests were granted in 2017; 261 out of 272 were granted in 2018; and 255 out of 265 requests were granted in 2019.]
In 2020, 286 requests were submitted and 163 have been granted. Another 118 requests are being processed, while five have been cancelled. In 2021, 250 were submitted and the process of considering them is still under way.
Why must foreigners who are married to Thais apply for a visa every year? If their spouses die, can they stay here past their retirement?
Based on Section 37 of the Immigration Act, a renewed visa is valid for one year. If their Thai spouse passes away and they have children together, they can seek to extend their stay for reasons of child support. If they do not have children, they can seek other reasons to stay, such as for work or retirement, depending on their circumstances and how they choose to seek to renew their visa.
Is there any reason why the law does not say that foreign men who are married to Thai women can seek Thai citizenship, when it says that foreign women can seek Thai nationality if their spouse is Thai?
In both cases, foreign nationals can apply for Thai citizenship after their marriage to Thais under the Thai Nationality Act.
However, the process is more complicated for men married to Thai women. There are certain requirements they must meet: they must stay in the country for at least five years, have a good command of the Thai language, have a proper job, and receive approval from the interior minister.
Is it possible for Thailand to adopt the "green card" system?
The Immigration Bureau allows foreign nationals to apply for permanent residence in November-December each year. This is similar to the green card system in other countries.
Once they are granted permanent residence, they can stay in the country indefinitely, except that they do not have Thai nationality. They need to apply for Thai citizenship with the Special Branch Police and their applications will be reviewed by the interior minister.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... r-retirees
In other words, "immigration big bossman says 'get fcuked', nothing is changing for expats."
Grimaces replace smiles for retirees
Based on the recent Annual Global Retirement Index 2022 by the travel magazine International Living, Thailand ranked 11th out of 25 in terms of the world's most desirable places to retire this year.
When looking at destinations in Southeast Asia, Thailand was No 1, followed by Cambodia (14th), Malaysia (15th), Bali (16th) and Vietnam (18th). The index did not include Singapore.
Here, the Bangkok Post talks to Immigration Bureau deputy commander Pol Maj Gen Achayon Kraithong to find out if the current regulations support this claim.
How many foreign nationals have been granted retirement visas? What are the top three nationalities?
A total of 35,846 foreigners have obtained retirement visas with the top three nationalities being British, Germans, and Americans.
Why are foreigners with a one-year visa or more required to report to immigration officials every 90 days?
They are required to do so under Section 37 (5) of the Immigration Act. However, to make it more convenient, they can do so via postal mail or online.
Why are foreigners with retirement visas not allowed to hold any type of job here?
The law governing the employment of foreign nationals, which is enforced by the Labour Ministry, says work permits are granted to those with a non-B visa, or those with permanent residence only. The details are specified in the regulations of the Department of Employment.
Why are expats who have lived, worked and paid taxes here for over a decade still considered non-immigrants, and ineligible for government healthcare or welfare benefits?
Regardless of their length of stay, unless they are undergoing a process to change their nationality, their status remains that of a foreigner. At present, no state welfare benefits are extended to non-Thais.
How many foreigners are granted permanent residence each year? Is there a quota? Can you provide the number of this group for the past five years?
The Interior Ministry usually makes an announcement on applications for permanent residence from November-December every year. There is a quota -- 100 per nationality each year.
From 2017-2019, a total of 801 requests were submitted and 769 were granted [253 out of 265 requests were granted in 2017; 261 out of 272 were granted in 2018; and 255 out of 265 requests were granted in 2019.]
In 2020, 286 requests were submitted and 163 have been granted. Another 118 requests are being processed, while five have been cancelled. In 2021, 250 were submitted and the process of considering them is still under way.
Why must foreigners who are married to Thais apply for a visa every year? If their spouses die, can they stay here past their retirement?
Based on Section 37 of the Immigration Act, a renewed visa is valid for one year. If their Thai spouse passes away and they have children together, they can seek to extend their stay for reasons of child support. If they do not have children, they can seek other reasons to stay, such as for work or retirement, depending on their circumstances and how they choose to seek to renew their visa.
Is there any reason why the law does not say that foreign men who are married to Thai women can seek Thai citizenship, when it says that foreign women can seek Thai nationality if their spouse is Thai?
In both cases, foreign nationals can apply for Thai citizenship after their marriage to Thais under the Thai Nationality Act.
However, the process is more complicated for men married to Thai women. There are certain requirements they must meet: they must stay in the country for at least five years, have a good command of the Thai language, have a proper job, and receive approval from the interior minister.
Is it possible for Thailand to adopt the "green card" system?
The Immigration Bureau allows foreign nationals to apply for permanent residence in November-December each year. This is similar to the green card system in other countries.
Once they are granted permanent residence, they can stay in the country indefinitely, except that they do not have Thai nationality. They need to apply for Thai citizenship with the Special Branch Police and their applications will be reviewed by the interior minister.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... r-retirees
In other words, "immigration big bossman says 'get fcuked', nothing is changing for expats."
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
Re: Thailand 11th best in the world for retirement
Hindsight, probably would not have retired in Thailand, but was the best option, at the time, with the amount of research I invested. That being 20+ yrs ago.
AND, TBH, that wasn't much international location research, away from the Americas. More about weather & natural 'disaster' (earthquake), scratching many of my holiday locations; S. FL / Keys, USA, Caribbean, Mexico.
Didn't research many other international locations. Might of still ended up here, but should have devoted more time to sample other areas. Too settled and too lazy to change, along with being quite happy here.
AND, TBH, that wasn't much international location research, away from the Americas. More about weather & natural 'disaster' (earthquake), scratching many of my holiday locations; S. FL / Keys, USA, Caribbean, Mexico.
Didn't research many other international locations. Might of still ended up here, but should have devoted more time to sample other areas. Too settled and too lazy to change, along with being quite happy here.
Last edited by KhunLA on Mon Jan 24, 2022 10:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Thailand 11th best in the world for retirement
I'm still a way off retirement, but the way things are going here, I'll certainly be heavily researching elsewhere.
Regarding the weather, that will get more extreme all over the place as it has been doing.
Regarding the weather, that will get more extreme all over the place as it has been doing.
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
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Re: Thailand 11th best in the world for retirement
I probably preferred retiring in Central America, but with a Thai wife came here. Don't really regret it but may in years to come the way it's going.
The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.
Re: Thailand 11th best in the world for retirement
Being so much wiser now ... 
Don't think my options to consider would change much, than 20 yrs ago.
Asia ... only Thailand, nothing else interests
W. EU / UK ... hell no
Africa or OZ ... definitely hell no
Non Americas; Czech Rep or Turkey ... maybe, as easy visa & cost of living
Haven't looked much at the rest of the E. Bloc / E. EU, though think most are out of war mode.
Definitely couldn't live in a Muzzy country.
So back to the Americas, wide selection, though never really researched long stay visas.
Spanish would be a plus, and would pick that up very easy.
Don't think my options to consider would change much, than 20 yrs ago.
Asia ... only Thailand, nothing else interests
W. EU / UK ... hell no
Africa or OZ ... definitely hell no
Non Americas; Czech Rep or Turkey ... maybe, as easy visa & cost of living
Haven't looked much at the rest of the E. Bloc / E. EU, though think most are out of war mode.
Definitely couldn't live in a Muzzy country.
So back to the Americas, wide selection, though never really researched long stay visas.
Spanish would be a plus, and would pick that up very easy.
Re: Thailand 11th best in the world for retirement
Only references to laws and clauses, no clear answer as to why these rules for foreigners .... why, one can ponder and as another poster above says, extreme xenophobia and racist undertones against everything foreign. 
hahuahin
hahuahin
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handdrummer
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Re: Thailand 11th best in the world for retirement
Most countries in the world do not want foreigners living in them. Visit, leave your money there and go home. If you're wealthy you are tolerated.