Under 50 Retirement Visas

[Viseman]

Just out of curiosity...I've seen a lot on the board about retirement visas for those over 50, and it seems that it the biggest deciding factor comes down to a significant savings or steady amount of income.

If someone were substantially well off (definitely not me) and under 50, would it be possible for them to retire in Thailand? If so, what visa would that person need?

Will eagerly await your response and keep playing the lottery!

Viseman

[prcscct]

Have them join Thailand Elite. 1 million Baht which is about $31,000.00 today. Lifetime visa in 5 year increments, and I read somewhere that there is now a 40,000 Baht per year additional administration fee. Pete

[lomuamart]

No such thing, Viseman. You've got to be over 50 and have the savings/income to get an extension to a Non-Immigrant Visa based on retirement.
Until you reach that magical age, the only way to get an extension is through marriage to a Thai national. There are still financial requirements to be met, but they're not as stringent as for retirement.
Unfortunately, those of us who are under 50 and are not married to a Thai national, we have no recourse to a long term extension, unless we're working etc with the correct paperwork. Your wealth means nothing in this situation, but as Pete says, you can always apply for the ill-fated Thai elite card if you're loaded, but make sure you do so quickly as the take up by foreigners on this "scam" is likely to be scrapped quite soon.
You'll have to make do with Multi-entry Non Imm visas from your home country - if they give them and they'll almost definitely have to be renewed every 12-15 months there - or get by on tourist visas.
Sorry I can't be more positive.
For the low-down see:
http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/2notice/rtp606EN.pdf
_________________
"I spent a lot of my money on booze, birds and fast cars - the rest I just squandered". George Best.

[big jimmy]

My mate..who lives in hua hin..just bought a Thailand elite deal...he is 43...he can renew his visa every 5 years..and it is transferable to his wife should his lights go out...also he has free access to 43 golf clubs in thailand..just pays the caddy fees in hua hin..at springfield, lakeview and palm hills...seems a good deal to me even just from a golf perseptive...

[lomuamart]

Watch this space. I'm still catching up with it, but it seems that the government are making a big U-turn on these Elite Cards and now suggesting that the 5 year fee will be cut from 1 million Baht to 50-60,000.
Interesting at that sort of price. Maybe some "priveleges" will be lost, but sounds like a good deal.
Wait and see, I suppose.
_________________
"I spent a lot of my money on booze, birds and fast cars - the rest I just squandered". George Best.

[lomuamart]

What I was trying to get at over this scheme, in my first post on the thread, is that I could live quite happily for 5 years here, married to my Thai wife and probably only spend some 30-40,000 Baht over 5 years for visas and extensions. I'm perfectly legal, so where does 1 million Baht come into it?
I'm a golfer, but I bet I would have to play nearly every day for 5 years and benefit from "express services at immigration", hotels, restaurants etc etc. (Havn't bothered with the calculator on that issue).
I live here, go out of the country as little as possible, have no real need for hotels or restaurants or shopping malls, so it really was always a "con" for the likes of me.
Must admit that I don't have a spare million lying around at the moment, but below the 50,000 mark starts to get more interesting.
Wonder how the people who have already paid 1 million will feel now?
Not having a go at your mate, Big Jimmy. Good luck to him. But......
_________________
"I spent a lot of my money on booze, birds and fast cars - the rest I just squandered". George Best.

[Winkie]

This from today's Bangkok Post

Elite Card lives on, but may be much cheaper than B1m
CHATRUDEE THEPARAT

The much-criticised Thailand Elite Card programme will be overhauled to do away with the existing system of distributors and country partners, the Tourism Authority of Thailand board said yesterday.

However, the programme will not be scrapped as it could play a significant role in attracting quality foreign tourists to Thailand, TAT officials said.

In addition, scrapping the programme could expose the government to lawsuits by existing holders of million-baht lifetime memberships.

A committee set up to study the programme found that Elite Card members spent an average of 20,000 baht a day in Thailand, compared with about 4,000 baht for general tourists.

Tourism and Sport Minister Suvit Yodmani, who chairs the TAT board, said that Thailand Privilege Card Co (TPC), the state-owned company that was set up to run the programme, needed to have a much clearer goal to attract affluent tourists as well as foreign investment.

The committee recommended scrapping arrangements with four distributors and 17 country partners and making the TAT the core marketing arm for the programme. The TAT currently has just one director on the TPC board.

It also suggested that the company receive no more money from taxpayers.

The proposal also calls for deep cuts in new membership fees to between 50,000 and 60,000 baht from one million baht, Mr Suvit said. The cheaper memberships would mean vastly reduced privileges.

The original programme, a pet project of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, offered holders a wide range of perks, including preferential visas and fast-track immigration clearance, access to concierge and call-centre facilities and discounts at many tourist venues, including hotels, golf clubs and spas.

Mr Thaksin had originally hoped to attract as many as one million Elite Card holders by 2008 but the programme currently has fewer than 2,000 members.

At 50-60K I would be very interested. Howver, with vastly reduced privaleges, it maybe will not be worth the money.

Will need to wait and see.....

Winkie
_________________
Only the crumbliest, flakiest Winkie....

[lomuamart]

TY, Winkie. That's what I was going about.
_________________
"I spent a lot of my money on booze, birds and fast cars - the rest I just squandered". George Best.

[buksida]

Simply paying taxes here should give one more privileges than the average two week tourist but unfortunately it doesn't. As said in another on going thread "farangs ... they're all the same".

Would also be interested in this "elite card" at a more reasonable price but only if it gave me an unconditional 5 year visa and work permit, otherwise I'm better off jumping through hoops every year with expanding briefcases of paperwork.
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Named must your fear be before banish it you can.

[big jimmy]