Wow

I’m confused 🫤

@John *********

ok let’s stay you have retirement income and savings. How do they know the difference?

So let use around numbers:

You have $50,000 sitting in usd savings account and every month you get $3000. You don’t use a bank account in Thailand to live. You use atm withdraws for cash, credit cards for groceries and pay rent in cash or transfer. How do they track this? I know you suppose to file but if it says income from overseas would it be $0. The people on retirement using an agent don’t probably use money in a Thai account to live so they are living like I stated above. To me income vs money are two different things. Yes retirement is considered income but in USA I think only 50% is taxable if no offer income maybe less I forget. So, if on social security without other income you probably pay no taxes. How does that work

DTV is sweet if you qualify and no changes

Unless they enforce taxes on stays over 180

@Todd ********

I have not taken the step yet, putting money internationally. Diversity for me is stocks bonds money market

@John *******

800? would be a little over 2000 per month. Or did I miss something. If you offsetting with interest not a problem otherwise first year a little expensive. is like the middle range. I’ve seen people pay . The benefit really comes year 2 and beyond because renewal with agent is half price

@Todd ********

ok. Opening a bank account is a big pain in butt in Mexico. Yes, I think last year saw 9% in Mexico. Yes if you put money in Mexico during Covid years you would have made 9% plus another 20 or 30% on exchange over the last 3 years. Peso hit 25 to 1 in 2020 and this year and last year went down to 16.5. Big difference. I bought used car and had for 3 years and sold for more than I bought it because of exchange rate and inflation.

@John *********

for another year or two this is true. USA will be back to 2-2.5% in two years. But yes interest rate are good and now now to cover agency. In three years everyone will ask how to not use an agent for renewal. For me it’s . I see the argument today if using either method

Think we need a DTV group. This has a lot of interest. I assume 3 day cooking class doesn’t get you visa. But I could be wrong. Let me know if anyone gets a visa with 3 day classes. 6 month classes are not cheap either Muay Thai or cooking. We are only one month into this new visa. Nobody has posted leaving and returning experience. I read (which can be wrong 90% of the time). The immigration officer at airport can ask for proof of money in bank to get visa exempt stamp. I am sure not very often if true because would slow down the processing at airport. But like someone said the embassy and IO are not always on same page. But how much information is in the computer for IO to review. I would guess not the company you work for. But if requirement is 500,000 they could ask to see that every time. But based on the interview by Chris it didn’t appear likely. But that interview seemed to good to be true. I am sure there will be changes because this is one of the easiest visa in Thailand and could be higher abuse levels. I am truly surprised they did 5 years and not one or two. Seems like retirement visa should be 5 years. They already have 90 day check in so all they do is look to see if you have 0baht. I am sure they could make a system to have bank report any accounts dropping below acceptable level and then email visa holders.

Has anyone tried the soft option

@Ziggy *****

wow ok 👍🏽