@Peter *********

I feel your frustration with Thai immigration bureaucracy. Exactly there lies one of the perks of the LTR: many of these pain points have been addressed. Only yearly reporting. No need for re-entry permits and all that. Least possible touch points with immigration and tax exemption.

@Etincelle *********

Your guess is as good as any. In fact, I just wrote the BOI an email asking for a comment on the disappointing results and if they had any plans on adjusting the requirements. In the past they were always open to answer questions.

@Andrea ********

I am sure that the DTV (if it ever comes to live) would be very popular in demand. From the sounds of it, it would meet the requirements of many. We will see if it’s happening. And we will have to wait what the exact requirements then turn out to be. Good ideas can be messed up in the small print details - as it happened with the LTR. Fingers crossed. 🤞 DTV could be a good entry into a longer LTR stay.

@Dennis ********

Gotcha. Best start by informing yourself good about the different ways to go. In a nutshell: You can go different routes: 1) Simple Non-O visa, from a consulate abroad for 90 days. Upon arrival in Thailand, you open a bank account and put 800k THB into it. Then you can do yearly expensions in Thailand. 2) You go for an OA or OX visa - here you don't need to transfer your money into Thailand, but will get a visa for 2 respectively 10 years. Down side: More requirements, like health insurance (which in my opinion everyone should have anyways). 3) LTR Visa: Comes with many perks, but you would need an above averagy pension / or passive income.

@Etincelle *********

I would agree if it were that simple to "abuse" the system. But there were plenty more requirements involved (which I all met), including proof of past years high income and paid taxes - both in notarized form. So the high income is proved either way - so why limited the source of that income to such few (publicly listed) company employees only. I would even say that the bigger the employer and the more traditional - the less likely it is to allow employees to work remotely from abroad.

@Michael *******

Would you have spent a million baht for the mere "right" to spend more of your money in Thailand? I never quite got the rationel behind the elite idea. In contrast, I much more respect the idea behind the LTR: attracting people to come spend their money in Thailand as a win-win. Having said that, of course a million baht for that original elite could be a well worh investment, if it came with a tax exemption like the LTR - but I believe it never came with that.

For "normal" retirement, go with a Non-O visa.

For LTR, if you are eligable, go this route:

No, you don't, if you have to ask. For the LTR Visa, you need to go through a rigorous pre-approval process, first. Don't just apply for it on the E-Visa system - you risk losing all that money.

My Bangkok Bank account was open, card and internet banking working instantly / the moment I walked out of the bank.