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Thai (and SE asia) visa tightening until no one qualifies except millionaires?

fforest

By fforest
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fforest Community Regular

fforest

Posted
Posted (edited)

Lets start at the beginning.....

 

30 day border runners crack down 2010......Expats cheered throw the bums out...

double tourist visa border runners crackdown 2013...Expats cheered throw the bums out...

Much questioning at the airport about why you come Thailand so much.. 2014-2015...Expats cheered throw the bums out..

Limiting the number of visa exempts per year 2018 or so....Expats cheered throw the bums out..

Very hard to even get single tourist visas in neighboring countries....2018 or so....Expats cheered throw the bums out..

The 10 year OX visa was introduced for expats 2018....Which turned out to be a turd....

The Smart visas were introduced in 2019 that turned out to be turds...

Crackdown on some countries using the embassy income verification 2018...Expats cheered throw the bums out..

Crackdown in 2020  extending the time 800,000 had to be in the bank and making the monthly income for retirement visas much harder.....Only the very rich Expats cheered throw the bums out on this one.....

2020 make the O-A visa now require health insurance so its much less useful....Expats cheered throw the bums out..

 

Now New visas for only the very well off 2021.....

Image

I don't hear to much expat cheering over this one....

 

Also in SE Asia

 

Bali Plans To Forbid Backpackers From Entering When The Border Reopens

https://thebalisun.com/bali-central-government-plans-to-forbid-backpackers-from-entering-when-the-border-reopens/

 

Foreign Investors and Expats Set To Leave Malaysia Under MM2H New Requirements

https://www.therakyatpost.com/living/2021/08/24/thousands-of-expats-and-foreign-investors-set-to-leave-malaysia-under-mm2h-new-requirements/

 

Expats fret as Vietnam tightens visa policies

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/expats-fret-as-vietnam-tightens-visa-policies-4290502.html

 

Edited by fforest
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fforest Community Regular

fforest

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Posted (edited)
6 minutes ago, Stillearly said:

Wait until they introduce vaccine requirements for Visa renewals  .. 😉 

Yea and wait until you will need to have 250,000 dollars in the bank with a income of 40,000 dollars a year to renew a one year retirement visa....

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Glasseye Veteran

Glasseye

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I believe the visa noted above is only for a certain type of visa that they are proposing. It is not the only type of visa someone may be able to obtain. As far as I know the basic O and OA (1 year) visas can still be obtained under the current conditions.

I don't know for certain, as there are many different proposals floating around. I think they will be looking for expanding the options, rather than tightening them more. They are going to be desperate for rebuilding revenues to prop up the faltering economy. 

 

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Glasseye Veteran

Glasseye

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6 hours ago, Glasseye said:

I believe the visa noted above is only for a certain type of visa that they are proposing. It is not the only type of visa someone may be able to obtain. As far as I know the basic O and OA (1 year) visas can still be obtained under the current conditions.

I don't know for certain, as there are many different proposals floating around. I think they will be looking for expanding the options, rather than tightening them more. They are going to be desperate for rebuilding revenues to prop up the faltering economy. 

 

 

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Derek Dangleberries Mentor

Derek Dangleberries

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27 minutes ago, Pumpuynarak said:

 

I would think thats a given and Thailand won't be the only country to introduce. 

Sure! Totally agree!

Thailand may accept any vaccine but other countries may be more specific regarding the supplier and quantity required. My worry is that it may become a tit for tat playground fight!

Personally I think that there are so many fingers in the Immigration (and Banks!) pie to change visa requirements so it may be a simple thing of not allowing anybody in their offices that hasn't been double jabbed.

Think about it...they may want customers of any scabby back street bar to show proof of vaccination so why wouldn't they want the same for Immigration offices..?

 

 

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Glasseye Veteran

Glasseye

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2 hours ago, Butch said:

Visa regs in the Philippines still fairly easy. the SRRV requirements should be within the reach of most people anyway.

https://pra.gov.ph/srrv/

 

Interesting....

 

Do you know if they are "opening up" anytime soon ? Or, what the current requirements are, ref. covid ?

 

Also.... Can you arrive without the visa stamp (can you get a tourist visa stamp "upon arrival) ?  Tourist visa upon arrival and then apply for long term visa prior to the initial visa expiration ?

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Butch Proficient

Butch

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Not opening up anytime soon, the C-19 vaccine rollout is an absolute shambles, however, with an upcoming election we might see a change happening, as the balikbayan (overseas worker) dollars and pounds might soon be drying up as people get pissed off with Duterte and his wank policies.

Regarding the Visa situation, I am fairly certain ( but not 100% as I'm from the UK) that you can get a visa on arrival and then apply for an SRRV once there if you are from the USA. The SRRV is very easy to get, but in reality it is possible to (if you are married / engaged to a filipina) get a 1 year balikbayan visa on arrival anyway, as long as she is with you.

However, re the above 1 year balikbayan visa , in my experience over the last 20 years of traveling and living there, if you already have "Balikbayan , or BB" stamps in your passport then the immigration officer often issues you another one by default if you ask even if you're travelling alone. This has been disputed by some people before, it is pretty much the luck of the draw to be honest, and the days of leaving 500 peso inbetween the pages of your passport are long gone.

So in essence, as a single guy you can apply for an SRRV with not much chance of being rejected if you meet the relevent criteria, even less so if you are ex US Military, they basically welcome you with open arms with the expanded courtesy option.

You still cannot legally own land there, although there is a loophole around this, but renting is usually a better option for most as in the provinces, rental is ridiculously cheap, but not so in Manila metro.

* Edit in

You will have to have a bank account set up for the visa, but I am fairly sure this can be done from abroad with one of the international banks there (Citibank, HSBC) however, I am not sure and might well be wrong on that as we've had our account for 20 or so years now, thus I've not had to set one up since.

 

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Glasseye Veteran

Glasseye

Posted
Posted
35 minutes ago, Butch said:

Not opening up anytime soon, the C-19 vaccine rollout is an absolute shambles, however, with an upcoming election we might see a change happening, as the balikbayan (overseas worker) dollars and pounds might soon be drying up as people get pissed off with Duterte and his wank policies.

Regarding the Visa situation, I am fairly certain ( but not 100% as I'm from the UK) that you can get a visa on arrival and then apply for an SRRV once there if you are from the USA. The SRRV is very easy to get, but in reality it is possible to (if you are married / engaged to a filipina) get a 1 year balikbayan visa on arrival anyway, as long as she is with you.

However, re the above 1 year balikbayan visa , in my experience over the last 20 years of traveling and living there, if you already have "Balikbayan , or BB" stamps in your passport then the immigration officer often issues you another one by default if you ask even if you're travelling alone. This has been disputed by some people before, it is pretty much the luck of the draw to be honest, and the days of leaving 500 peso inbetween the pages of your passport are long gone.

So in essence, as a single guy you can apply for an SRRV with not much chance of being rejected if you meet the relevent criteria, even less so if you are ex US Military, they basically welcome you with open arms with the expanded courtesy option.

You still cannot legally own land there, although there is a loophole around this, but renting is usually a better option for most as in the provinces, rental is ridiculously cheap, but not so in Manila metro.

* Edit in

You will have to have a bank account set up for the visa, but I am fairly sure this can be done from abroad with one of the international banks there (Citibank, HSBC) however, I am not sure and might well be wrong on that as we've had our account for 20 or so years now, thus I've not had to set one up since.

 

 

Big thank you on this info. Butch. I will be giving this a serious look over the next few weeks.

 

One major obstacle for me in respect to even visiting the P.I. is Duterte. If the P.I. people are able to once again find someone a bit more moderate and reasonable then anything is possible I reckon. Although, I have to say honestly, I am not overly confident on that looking at their history the past few decades.

Fingers are crossed though that something good may happen.

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Glasseye Veteran

Glasseye

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, lazarus said:

Regardless of relaxed entry requirements -- unless one has family or business to attend to -- why take a trip to Thailand any time soon?

Thailand in general has a long way to go Covid-wise before life returns to even a 'new normal.' There really needs to be a reasonable amount of activity (local & tourist) to make it interesting for a leisure trip. For a tourist dependent destination like Pattaya, possibly even longer.

I base my opinion on the many photosets posted on here, and from what I gather from family and friends living there.  In the meantime lots of other places to go. We've seen this consistently with our intrepid forum travelers.

 

 

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I guess much of that (whether there are "things to do" or "where ones heart may be") are the determining factors. 

There will always be other places to go and see. For me it's the desire to be back where I now consider my home to be. When you long to be in your home, nothing much really matters. Finding stuff to do for me is as easy as walking around the river going to the market and having a beer or coffee on the balcony.

Missing home is something you feel in your gut. And my gut has been uneasy lately.

 

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lazarus Grand Master

lazarus

Posted
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46 minutes ago, Glasseye said:

I guess much of that (whether there are "things to do" or "where ones heart may be") are the determining factors. 

There will always be other places to go and see. For me it's the desire to be back where I now consider my home to be. When you long to be in your home, nothing much really matters. Finding stuff to do for me is as easy as walking around the river going to the market and having a beer or coffee on the balcony.

Missing home is something you feel in your gut. And my gut has been uneasy lately.

 

Yeah. I felt that way about Thailand for a few years & still possibly do (in terms of longer term retirement plans). In the short term I'll stick with using it as a jumping off point to other destinations in Asia when I bring my daughter to visit her Thai family.

For the time being I very much feel "at home" now...living a couple of miles from where I was born (and where my Irish grandmother was born)...dem is deep roots!

Edited by lazarus
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Glasseye Veteran

Glasseye

Posted
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41 minutes ago, lazarus said:

Yeah. I felt that way about Thailand for a few years & still possibly do (in terms of longer term retirement plans). In the short term I'll stick with using it as a jumping off point to other destinations in Asia when I bring my daughter to visit her Thai family.

For the time being I very much feel "at home" now...living a couple of miles from where I was born (and where my Irish grandmother was born)...dem is deep roots!

Yes... I still have visions of going back to my home town and even buying the house I once grew up in. But that vision is blurred with the sense of I need to move on. Now, I kind of look at it as a past love. Like a GF that is in the past but you still think fondly of.

You belong where your heart is, and your heart is in the right place - with your daughter. And, you are very fortunate to have that in your life.

BTW - when I get settled back into my condo in CM you are always welcome for a visit. It is a 2 bed, 2 bath place. Maybe you'll find CM as magical as I do, maybe not. Either way you are always welcomed.

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lazarus Grand Master

lazarus

Posted
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1 hour ago, Glasseye said:

BTW - when I get settled back into my condo in CM you are always welcome for a visit. It is a 2 bed, 2 bath place. Maybe you'll find CM as magical as I do, maybe not. Either way you are always welcomed.

Thanks. I like Chiang Mai...have always enjoyed my trips there. 

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