Visa affects on property owners

[NikkiSixx]

I'm sure I'm not the only one here who is majorly concerned about the future of their property investments in LOS.
I own two condos in Jomtien and although not naive enough to think I could be living off their combined maximum potential profit (phew!), I had kind of hoped to achieve at least half (allowing for periods of vacancy, discounts for long term lets etc...) Now with this latest visa debacle, my whole future plans have been thrown into doubt.
I would be grateful for your opinions on this as I have spent the last couple of nights tossing and turning whilst contemplating my possible new future here in rainy UK!
I mean do you think my potential target market maybe largely unaffected due to the fact that people who rent fairly high end condo's are usually more likely to be in Thailand on more long term visas anyway? or am I just burying my head in the sand!
...oh, and one more thing, my condos are currently in company names, would it be wise to have the title deeds reassigned into my name, or do the current company concerns only affect houses/land?
Thanks once again for any input

[JW]

Why are condos in company names!! You can own a condo.

[Guess]

Owning two may have tax implications but I am not sure. As for the visa business, There must be simenthing I am missing here. If you come here for extended holidays the cheapest and most sensible way to do it iis to get a touristy visa inyour own country. As far as I know 6 month 4 entry are normal and ther has been talk of 12 month multi entry. If you are coming for longer the get a non=immigrant O visting family and friends. I you are the unorganised type and do not get a vis then you dtill have two options. Do the back to back 3 x 30 days or at some point ehrn it becomed clear that you rewuire longer than 90 days then fo to Penang and get a 6 month tourist visa. I woulf think the effect on property lettings would be minimal. Just check out some Pattaya sites and letting agents and see what they do.

[caller]

I could be wrong, but I do feel there appears to be a difference between the views of those on the ground and those not, so to speak.

If I was a "higher end" tourist, then with respect, I doubt I would be in LOS in any case? If a "higher to mid" end, then I would go to where life is made easy for me.

I think LOS caters for the latter if they can be assed to find out about it. Alternatively, I can go to a range of places that offer more than 30 days without me having to do anything other than turn up.

Anywhere in europe for starters, should I be so inclined. Hong Kong gives me 6 months, Oz similar, Japan 3 months, they're just the ones from my current passport.

Whatever happened to the phrase, "keeping the customer satisfied"?

[seasides]

will be interesting to see if some foreigners have to leave and sell their property.

yes, there is the malaysia option - but who wants to live in malaysia?

indonesia? would be nice as well, but difficult to get long term visas.

brazil perhaps.

i still havent seen any foreigner being thrown out of thailand if he/she had proper papers.

its no rocket science, just takes a small effort to get the papers straight.

yes, for retirees under 50 it will become difficult - why thailand doesnt leave an option open for them is a mystery to me.

but also for those guys it will still be possible. just get normal tourist visas at the embassies.

so nobody with an honest agenda should be really pressured out of thailand.

[Jaime]

Caller, I have to say I agree with your post above 100%. I have made the same point on other threads in relation to the targetting of high rollers as part of the current tourism policy.

As far as I know 6 month 4 entry are normal and ther has been talk of 12 month multi entry.

As you say Guess, it is dead easy to get a tourist visa before coming to Thailand but I always thought that, including the extension of thirty days, it would give you a maximum of three months in LoS. However, here is the description from the Cardiff Royal Thai Consulate website, which I think may confirm what you have posted:

TOURIST VISA

This type of visa allows a stay of up to 60 days from the date of arrival, provided entry is made into the country WITHIN 90 days of the date of issue of the visa. A further 30 day extension of stay is possible on application to the immigration authorities in Thailand and upon payment of the current fee.

Double or more entries can be obtained, when the entry period is extended to 180 days, before the visa becomes invalid. Visitors have to leave Thailand at the end of the first and other permitted periods and then re-enter the country on subsequent entries.

e.g. A visitor arriving in Thailand is given 60 days. At the end of this period (or extension) the visitor must leave the country and use other entries by re-entering Thailand. On each occasion, entry has to be made before the cancellation date incorporated in the Visa, when issued.

I am not sure whether the 180 days in the second paragraph means you could stay for 6 months or whether it refers to the period you have in which to use the visa by entering Thailand before it expires. If it is the former then, as you say, why don't long stayers get these readily available tourist visas? It certainly seems an attractive and straightforward option to me.

[Burger]

I would think the property market will only really be affected by this IF the government also crackdown on the issuing of non-immigrant multi-entry visas, back in people's home countires, for those who do not correctly qualify for it, ie: business, retirement, support of spouse, visit family members etc.

Let's hope they do not touch the non-immigrant visas, as that will affect loads of people, presumably all these VOA people still have this option of visa.

It was interesting what a government official was qouted as saying the other day (think it was in one of the papers, so pinch of salt), but he said recent rules were to stop 'bad' people from coming in and said it would not stop 'good' people as they can apply for tourist visas back in their countries. I read into that that they do not mind normal Westerners applying for visas back home and coming, ala non-immigrant 'O' etc !?!?

Burger

[hogus]

Seasides,

I suppose, that some foreigners will leave TH, even if it's just for the 90-days-period; especially if the TH-Embassies/Consulates in SEA really being ordered to reduce the issue of 60-days or non-imm-visa as some rumors (?) are telling already.

Not sure, if someone will sale his property right now.
It seems to be happened already in some places, but that had more to do with this land&house crackdown by company-route (missed tax-payments etc.) than with any visa-regulations.
On the other side, for what to keep or purchase anything, if you are bad affected by the new visa-regulations, and can't enjoy your property without problems for long-term in future?

I guess the investment rate will come down in TH, and many people that had the idea to settle down here will try to find friendlier more places perhaps.
This will be difficult for those retirees under 50, which are living here already for many years, may be have property, and no residency in their former home-countries anymore, too.

Fortunately I have avoided purchasing any so-called “propertyâ€

[Burger]

seasides wrote:

will be interesting to see if some foreigners have to leave and sell their property

I would hope not too many people bought property while only having VOA status!? Hopefully they had more appropriate visa's sorted out before making a large investment. Renters you can understand.

If someone bought via a company, they do have the option of going for a business visa/WP for which you don't have to return to home country every 12 or 15 months to renew. Also you do not have to do 90 day visa runs, but 90 day Hua Hin police station visits.
It would work out more expensive than the yearly/15 monthly flight home/accomodation/visa etc etc, but not massively more.

Burger

[hogus]

I would hope not too many people bought property while only having VOA status!? Hopefully they had more appropriate visa's sorted out before making a large investment.

Burger,

nobody supposed that this would be happened, and there wasn't any need to think deep about "coming changes" !

The biggest problem is this age-limitation.
Why not to make a large or middle investment in the past, if all was ok with the VOA-procedure?

Maybe I'm wrong, but the so-called "heir's generation" is coming or arrived already, right?
Additional, people that are below 50, but were successful in their jobs or with investments already.
TH ignores these groups of people in their visa-regulations permanently for years, but offered them the chance to use the VOA-route.
(In the past I also had done it 2 or 3 times!)

What the hell is the difference, if someone is older more than 50 years and can proof 800,000 Baht, and another one who's below 50 years and can proof the same or even more money?
Why I can't retire and buy/enjoy any property, if I'm not older more than 50 years?
Is this Thai-mysticism or just ignorance?

[JimmyGreaves]

What the hell is the difference, if someone is older more than 50 years and can proof 800,000 Baht, and another one who's below 50 years and can proof the same or even more money?
Why I can't retire and buy/enjoy any property, if I'm not older more than 50 years?
Is this Thai-mysticism or just ignorance?

Some may say the older you are the wiser you are, the more mature you are, the less a threat you are. The more likely you are to want to just retire. Some may say.

[Burger]

Hogus wrote:

What the hell is the difference, if someone is older more than 50 years and can proof 800,000 Baht, and another one who's below 50 years and can proof the same or even more money?
Is this Thai-mysticism or just ignorance?

Thais may say .......
What the hell right do these foreigners think they have criticising our immigration policies.
Is this Farang-mysticism or just arrogance ?

They may also say ...... If you don't like it, you know what you can do .......

Burger

[Winkie]

Have to support Burger

I think we are all from countries with tougher, more idiosyncratic immigration controls.... and it would also seem with less reasons for us to stay there.

Winkie

[johnnyk]

Have to support Burger

I think we are all from countries with tougher, more idiosyncratic immigration controls.... and it would also seem with less reasons for us to stay there.

Winkie

Tougher controls, I'd agree.
More idiosyncratic?

[Winkie]

Perhaps I should have said 'equally idiosyncratic'!

Winkie