Would you not be able to put it into a fixed deposit account here and at least earn a little interest on it?
I don't need any finances to get my visa so am not in the same situation but I know you can get reasonable interest rates as a foreigner now in some Thai bank accounts.
Its a little back I guess.
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
HHTel wrote:I'm probably living on a similar shoestring. The 12 grand in the bank is a necessary evil to maintain my visa. So in effect, it's dead money.
Imm want to see in the next year that you've been "living" off that amount. You can top it up at any time.
So, some transactions, in and out, over the year will keep them happy.
Otherwise they may think you've been working.
The 12 grand in the bank is a necessary evil to maintain my visa. So in effect, it's dead money.
Neccessary evil !?!? It allows you to live in the best country in the world, and live a cheap cheap lifestyle.
If you consider it evil, live in the Phillipines or Vietnam, where I have had guns and knives pointed at me on different occassions. I'd class that as evil.
Dead money!? you can earn a higher percentage of return on it here than you can back home, so it money that is earning for you, not dead.
Yeh Yeh,
I've been to almost 70 countries around the world and lived in a dozen of them so I am able to compare.
I've been coming to Thailand off and on for around 40 years and I've seen the changes. Nevertheless I chose to settle here with my wife and kids and I have to accept the rules as they stand. Incidentally, the 800,000 baht can be used as long as 3 months prior to renewal, the account doesn't drop below 800,000.
If anyone read this month's Hua Hin Mirror, you will notice several 'warnings' from the HH immigration dept. Not much in the way of welcome. Says it all doesn't it?
Burger,
I remember when my wife and I were back in the the UK last year and all these regulations came in. I had a bit of a go at you and you did me.
I'd agree that as long as you can demonstrate the requite funds, you should be allowed to stay here, but do they ever check the 10k in your pocket on a visa run? 20k if you've got a visa? These are the laws. Have been and always always will be.
Now it's 40k per month or 800k/65k per month I think? Depending on marriage or retirement.
I'd agree with you that that knives etc don't seem to be so much in evidence here in Thailand. They were back home, unfortunately.
All imm are concerned about is whether a person is working illegally. If you're not paying tax on something you should, it's maybe trouble.
For me, my money's in England and I can prove it.
We've talked before about the rental market here versus back home, and I agreed with you it would not make sense to sell a place in London.
But recently I've been involved in the rental market here and found that the rate of return here is practically double that of the UK.
OK, putting aside the risk factor re: companies/law changes etc as that is a side issue, albeit an important one, but you can actually achieve nearly twice as much rental return here pound for pound than you can back home.
I'm talking about my area, Heathrow, which is usually high rent due to airport workers, not sure about more central London where I believe your place is.
The other factor is future capital growth on the property, if the law changes for the better here, ie: 99 year leases then I think the growth will be greater here, but if the law turns for the worse then the opposite.
If someone moved over here to live permanently, knowing the law was 800k, but didn't have it spare as a contingency, and were hoping to get away with visa runs for the rest of their lives, where you don't show any money.
Then I'd say they were madder than that dwarf who runs North Korea.
Yes Burger,
Knowing is fine and you make contingencies for it. However, as you know, the government moves the goalposts at the drop of a hat then suddenly what you have planned for has doubled!! No-one knows how much you will need next year, in five years etc.
I thought that the changes, only applied to new applicants. i.e those already here remained with previous conditions. I think the expression everyone has used is grandfathering.
Yes, the Thai Government moves goalposts, so does the British Govt, and every Govt, and every organisation in the world. Although I'm not a football supporter, I believe even the FA has discussed moving the goalposts not so long ago!
HHTel wrote:Yes Burger,
Knowing is fine and you make contingencies for it. However, as you know, the government moves the goalposts at the drop of a hat then suddenly what you have planned for has doubled!! No-one knows how much you will need next year, in five years etc.
But they don't have a track record of putting it up frequently, it was doubled some years back after staying the same for donkey's years.
And 400k was a low figure to support yourself on.
They don't need a track record of increases when they double it as and when they see fit. Nothing like a bit of "security", is there? But you're correct the financial requirements hadn't been raised for years.
If the rate of inflation both here and back home (wherever) is say 5%, where does the 50% come from here?
And why do we as aliens have to prove such large sums of money when most of the Thai population get by on a fraction of it?
When the going gets tough, everyone normally tightens their belts. So do the Thais, but to try and recoup some of the losses through madcap economic policies (30% withheld etc) from aliens is counterproductive. Exchange rates move, inflation is present in our societies, so just because Thailand's got an economic problem dosn't mean to say that the aliens have to "foot the bill" - partly.
Oh yes, the increases may have something to do with weeding out undesirable alien elements. That I would agree with.
And BTW, what's wrong with 400k a year? Don't know where you live, but my circumstances are quite comfortable on that figure. If I cut the beer down, I could get by on a lot less. Up to me.
Oh yes, the increases may have something to do with weeding out undesirable alien elements. That I would agree with.
So. We know were you stand?
I could probably quote you some figures of my income and it may come to a lot more than yours. My question is..........Are you an undesirable?
People in glass houses comes to mind!
Onlyme.
And Loumart thinks that because I haven't touched my bank account in a year that I've been working! Some of you "Mods" need to get your act together! You appear to know SFA about SEA!
Onlyme.
800K in the bank and they don't care where it's come from
Send it back the next day and they don't know or care
Attitude is the key
RICHARD OF LOXLEY
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
Onlyme wrote:And Loumart thinks that because I haven't touched my bank account in a year that I've been working! Some of you "Mods" need to get your act together! You appear to know SFA about SEA!
Onlyme.
Who rattled your cage? I wan't referring to you or anything you've posted.
