@@joselitojimenez4288 The language situation is very similar to Thailand.… I have found that across the country most people under 40 speak English. People over 50 do speak both Georgian and Russian, but Russian seems to almost finished here now as Georgia wants to join/align with the EU. Obviously the cities and the countryside do vary a bit. Like Thailand many signs, labels, contracts and Apps are written in both Georgian and English. I only speak English and (yes sometimes with the help of Google Translate) have not had much problem in either country. Hope that helps
Great advice. I've been living in the Philippines since 2018 on a tourist visa. The rule is I just can't stay here longer than 3 years without ever exiting and returning the country. It's been pretty easy to live here on a tourist visa and cheaper than other visa options available here. Like you said, there's no guarantees with a tourist visa and things can change overnight. I think the Philippines is pretty stable though when it comes to how they treat foreigners. But no matter where anyone is living, they need income and be financially able to leave that place quickly, as well as have enough money saved up to get started somewhere new. I think $5000 should be the bare minimum in the bank. $10000 is safer. $20000 or more is the safest. Better wise than foolish.
@Giorge Leedy's Snapshots The Philippine is become dangerous too because of the damage of Covid19. have you seen the news a rising crime rate of robbing, kidnapping, homeside and hit job? even police are corrupt they can robbed and silent you. since you are a foreign male in there you are the easy target for criminals, they think you are rich who go there for prostitute. watch the news many foreigner dying there specially male foreigners even other asian is being victimized it's not because they hate you it's because poverty rise due to covid19 poor people are desperate so they doing crimes to feed there family.
Just fair. So easy for Western folks to go in and out of any Asian country any given time for as long as they want but for any Southeast Asian citizen entering USA or Europe they give them such a hard time. It's just fair for ASEAN nations to impose stricter measures when they see it fit.
Are you kidding me do you research. We give most countries a visa waiver come in for three months just can't live here. If you want a longer time apply for a visa 180 bucks good for 10 years. Six months given.
What Asian country? In Thailand foreigners can hardly get citizenship, even if they are married to a Thai, yet in the US you have Thais with passports like crazy due to this. Anchor babies in Thailand? No such thing lol, yet the opposite is true of the USA. Many other examples as well. Nor can foreigners own property in Thailand, yet they can come over to the US and have it all, not to mention benefits right off the plane. Other Asian countries this may be true, but grouping together asian countries as one doesn't work. Different ethnicity; different culture, different views.
RVboy Junior - It’s actually not a matter of giving people from Asia a “hard time” as you say. In fact, the difficulty or ease with which one gets a visa has nothing to do with geography or race. Simply put, if you are from a poor country, regardless of race, it is just going to be very difficult for you to get a tourist visa (or any visa) to a wealthy country like the United States. This is because people from poor countries are just much more likely to overstay their visas. Japan of course is in Asia but because it’s a wealthy country Japanese citizens have absolutely no trouble at all getting tourist visas to the USA. And even if we were only speaking about Southeast Asia I would point out that people in Singapore also probably have no trouble getting into the USA. So, again, it has nothing to do with being from Asia or even Southeast Asia, it has to do with being from a rich country or a poor country. Of course even in relatively poor countries like Thailand or the Philippines you can get a tourist visa to the USA if you are from a wealthy family and this is because people from wealthy families are statistically much less likely to overstay their visas. Furthermore, countries like Thailand cracking down on westerners exploiting loopholes in the visa system in order to extend their stays has absolutely nothing to do with how easy or hard it may be for their own citizen to get into western nations. In other words, it is not their attempt to make things “fair” - whatever that means. Basically, what's fair does not even enter into the equation.
I'm a vietnam veteran who was there in late '67 thru '68. I was thinking of going there next year on a tour around summer time just to see what it's like now after 54 years. Is that still possible or should I just forget the whole thing?
@Matt Helm lol. It's not anything I to argue about because it's not anything I'm concerned with...I have no interest in going there this year, next year or the year after 😂.I've been there many times...Either way next year will be "closer" to being normal again...Every day will be "closer" to being normal again...It doesn't mean it will be normal again next week or next year but every day is a day to being "closer" to being normal again and visiting next summer for the gentleman who asked the question is "possible".
I think issue here is the govt doesn't want to be held responsible for treating foreigners as well if it has another India on its hands. Remember the UK Pilot who almost almost died last year. The govt must have spent so much resources on that guy. A poor country with 96million people. Hospitals are already full everyday before COVID. Vietnam can easily be the next India given the low vaccination rate and high population density in the cities. They are making plans to treat 5000 cases in Saigon atm.
GREAT VIDEO! It is hard to wake people up for sure, but you approach is one of the best, we can only hope that viewers will seriously consider what you are saying.
Are the borders open for tourism? Pretty much been locked down in Cambodia, last visa run was February 2020, can't get back to my previous home base in the philippines. Shyts upside down now, traveling in a new world....
No dependency visa in Vietnam, I have children there and tried to stay for my son but immigration just talked about forcing my exit and blacklisting me. So much for Asian family values. At the same time I’m forced out my son is put in a quarantine facility because of covid.
You were damned LUCKY to get OUT of there one way or the other. You have to put your life & safety first. SE Asia is not the safest destination by far. Why would you even bother taking up with a local there? Are you normal or not? I've seen it all before. Once a man sponsor's his wife & kid over, her friends from her community will quickly introduce her to a man who is financially better off than YOU. You are just her springboard. This just happens all the time with these poorly educated low acts, females from Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, etc. These are not honest ppl you're dealing with. As soon as they get their permanent residency visa, they take off, and you won't see your kids again. Happens all the time. Then worst of all, YOU will be paying child maintenance FOR LIFE. If I were you, I'd drop everything and just run for it.
Just ignore the beautiful birds, as long as you are in Thailand, the birds singing is the background music in Thailand. It's better than the sound of engine.
I could never understand someone who is from the USA saving all their money and moving to Pattaya then a year goes by they're out of money, have everything they own in a backpack and begging for change to eat. I met a few of them when I was working for Atwood Oceanics in the Gulf of Thailand. Crazy for sure.
Not everyone is rich in USA but Pattaya can extend dollar value compared to USA. and these folks go crazy with night life. Nothing new with foreigners begging for change to eat.
@DeltaAphaNovember Lawler they go in pataya to get a wife then give them green cards and bring it to there own country after they are tired of that girl they complain about illegal immigration.
@@temsedgwick9494 I agree. Besides immigration reforms I waited for Trumpcare since I had Obamacare. Now that I am retired in Thailand (Bangkok) so "I don't care" anymore. Bought local Thai healthcare insurance which is alot cheaper covering good private hospitals in BKK.
Outside of Vietnam, in SE Asia, not counting marriage visas, a 5 year Cambodian business visa is an affordable option. Or buy a very cheap condo in Turkey and get a one year renewable residency permit Expat since 1988
Thailand day Did Not change any rules. The 800,000 Baht requirement has been in place since 1978. The only thing that changed was Thailand asked the Embassies to confirm that people they were writing letters for actually did have that amount of income on a yearly basis . Many people were just going into there Embassies and stating they met the requirements get the letter and of course bragging about it in the Facebook groups about how easy it was . So of course Thailand just asked the Embassies to confirm income. There are three Countries that did not want to bother so letters from those Countries are not accepted. Fortunately I am from a Country that does confirm income so easy for me. All Thailand did was enforce rules that had been in place for 40 years.
Same with the marriage visas. The only change was that you now had to really, really prove that you had not been lying :-) That’s what sent a lot of people packing. They didn’t make the monthly income requirements and didn’t have 800,000 (or 400,000 for marriage) baht. The real game changer was the insurance requirement. That one did hit a lot of people who were innocent of nothing because there had previously never been an insurance requirement. Anybody over 70 is almost uninsurable in Thailand unless they’ve purchased insurance before 70 with a firm that won’t drop you based on age. But it also caught a lot of people who had been claiming they “self insure” which is they would claim they had hundreds of thousands of baht stashed away for a medical emergency. But many didn’t. And when they were forced to get it, they couldn’t afford it.
@Bill Rini Just the Non OA Visa which you get in your home country requires insurance . The Non O based on retirement or the marriage visa do not require insurance.
@@hubbards Correct. Non-O marriage visa holder here :-) Though I obtained insurance anyway. Both for my own peace of mind as well as the fact that I anticipate that all long-term visa holders will need health insurance at some point. Don’t want to get stuck like some folks at 75 with a laundry list of medical issues and can’t find an insurer that will touch me.
@@richardparker1338 Yes, the newer requirements seem to stem from people borrowing 800,000 to get their visa and then paying it back once the visa is issued.
@@richardparker1338 Actually there were people scamming the system. It was well known that some visa agents would “loan” you the 800k so you could show it in your account for the visa and then you would immediately have to pay it back to the agent once the visa was granted. The someone convoluted new rules try to make this harder by requiring a longer look at the person’s finances and the option of spot checking people for months afterward to make sure the money stays in the account. The bigger problem was the total fabrication of income, but many were also skirting the system and all of those visa changes a few years back were designed to put an end to that.
I agree with the point about having a backup plan. To clarify, though, as the situation here in Vietnam was brought into it - Vietnam is not kicking everyone on tourist visas out as was stated in the video. There are some people who have being staying long term on tourist visas that are now not getting extensions, true, but some people are also getting extensions still.
Yep Im out end of the month, don't want to go but have to due to family reasons and have the backup $ for it, they really need a retirement visa here (not a tourist). Lived in Chiang Mai 2019 on 2 x 6mth tourist visas, loved it but didn't want to push it further.
Regarding Thailand, the Thai Elite Visa, although pricey, would be an option. The leaders of LOS Kingdom will gladly let you stay for 5 years (600,000 Baht) or 20 years (1,000,000 Baht).
@@livetodaydietomorrowltdt2405 foreigners can't buy houses/land. You can get a "condo" for 1m, but you are looking at a small studio at that price, certainly not anything you'd be calling a "mansion".
@@livetodaydietomorrowltdt2405 real estate has gone up a lot in Thailand. The minimum cost of a small apartment is 2 mils, and that’s like in a city, not even near the beach.
@@Owlerycrinkie0918 Before COVID_19 some foreigners living in Thailand were recommending not to buy condos in Thailand because when is time to sell them no body want to buy them.......they say you will loose a lot of money. Also, Renting condos will not be easy. Every situation is different, every decision is different, Yes, because of COVID_19 real went up. Here where I live went up, reason, demand is high and building is limited with this pandemic. Most labors were getting unemployment checks, so they took vacations.
@Mr. X you talk about the need for money, like you got to Hussle to stay over there. I still dont know if I can trust these people to buy real-estate over there. If you buy a condo in Thailand, do they give you a life long visa so you can at least live in it?
Great video, I was in Vietnam 🇻🇳 Da Nang 11 month on the visa in 2018 .Great memories. Vietnam 🇻🇳much more better country, than Thailand 🇹🇭. I was in Thailand its not so safety, in Vietnam situation much more better and people much more nice .I am from the garden island 🏝of Kauai, Hawaii .Living 30 years in the garden island. One of the most beautiful island on the planet Kauai
I have recently started to watch your TH-cam channel and wondered where and how you can put it all together so well I am a young hearted old man that's lifed a full Life so I can 100 percent say you have your finger on life Great real Life video with sound advice your switch on
Im ok with people living cheaply but not having an emergency fund to get yourself out of a jam is just irresponsible. I don't get it. Great stuff...thanks for sharing.
Interesting information, I live in the U.S. and not looking to live in Thailand permanently but simply stay there 30 to 45 days per year for a long vacation. A long vacation like this to a place like Hawaii or the Caribbean would be crazy expensive but a month or so in Thailand is much more affordable so I’d rather have a nice long month of vacation in Thailand vs a week in Hawaii for about the same cost.
I have a question. Is any kind of visa where’s my wife and I can stay in Thailand from January to April. From four to five months every year and come back home in the 🇺🇸 every year. Financially we have way more than the requirements the Thailand government asked for. And we have great health insurance ( not Medicare insurance)almost pay for anything to hospital. Thank you for any answer.
Been in Vietnam for almost 20 years, but its time to move on. Not worried about visas but I am concerned about our neighbors to the north. Bad intentions!
I have UK and US passports, and a Thai retirement visa, so for the time being I can stay in Thailand. However compare that with taking my Thai wife to the UK or US. She can't stay in either place without major efforts and money on visas and permanent resident applications. The UK has minimum income requirements for bringing in a wife. By those measures, Thailand looks pretty fair and better than both the UK and US on treating visitors who want to live here. Applying for a US visa for a Thai, subjects the Thai to disgusting treatment and sometimes even insults at the US embassy. So any Thai going there is not going to view the US sympathetically when it comes to a Thai visa. Norway is probably the best at treating Thai visa applicants well. Plus if the guy has a job in Norway even if he is not Norwegian, he and his wife can go into the local police station (Tuesdays and Thursdays if I remember correctly) and get a Norwegian residents card there and then. Even small Norwegian villages seem to have lots of Thai wives living there. I took my wife to Norway and there were plenty of Thai food shops it was a real surprise.
USCIS and the US Embassy have more stringent requirements when processing visas for Thai nationals because Thais have one of the highest overstay rates once in the US (check USCIS stats), and also have a higher propensity to work in the sex trade. Due to these realities, many countries such as the US, Singapore, etc., impose stricter guidelines on Thai visa approvals.
US citizen. Got married to a Thai citizen and the process of getting into the US was pretty horrible. My wife pretty much just assumed she was not going to get a spouse visa to come to the US because of how many people came out of the interviews at the US embassy crying. Having a little cash in the bank and filling out some forms is nowhere near as difficult as a Thai entering most western countries. I understand why, but I think a lot of expats who have never been through the reverse process of bringing a wife to their country fully appreciate how easy it is to live in Thailand. Now, as far as rights once you’re living here (can’t own land, can’t own more than 49% of a business, etc), that’s another story :-)
@@martypoll We were extremely, extremely lucky that we filed when USCIS still had an office in Bangkok. They didn’t want to accept the application because I didn’t have a work permit in Thailand but I begged the lady to help us and she reluctantly agreed. That meant we bypassed submitting to the Los Angeles office where it would have been buried for many months. That office is now closed so now applications go back to the US for processing at the regional centers. It took about six months from application to her boarding a plane. She got her Green Card about a month after arriving (they send it as soon as they have a record of her arriving in the US and processing through immigration) and a social security number right after that. There are some US marriage/fiancé visa forums and most of those people were waiting 12+ months. I really recommend googling for those forums. The people are super helpful and many are going through or have gone through the same process with a K1 or CR1 visa. They even have info on expected processing times for each regional office and tons of useful info. Ultimately, after 7 years in the US (she was eligible to apply in 3) my wife opted to apply for citizenship. That took about 12 - 18 months but she’s got a US passport now so no more visa BS. :-) Now it’s just me jumping through hoops to stay here every year. Haha.
@@BillRini Was that a spousal visa that you filed while you were in Thailand? Did she received a green card after two years ? I thinking of filling a spousal visa for my Moroccan girlfriend after we are married in her country next year.
@@vaiolover1997 Yes, the CR-1 spouse visa. It’s a conditional visa good for 2 years from date of entry. 90-days prior to expiry, you can file to have the conditional part lifted. Then it turns into a 10 year visa. I filed all of the paperwork myself. If you can read governmentese it’s not too difficult. And there are online forums that can help.
So, what if we're not trying to get a visa, and want to move there permanently? Is there a different route, or is the tourist visa and having 80,000 Baht, Medical insurance etc... the only way to stay long term?
It may depend on the Passport/Resident country which you are moving from. Whilst certain Thai visas may seem the same between countries, certain treaties and things such as being a member of ASEAN may give more rights/conditions than others.
Get a job and start paying taxes. Paying taxes puts you head and shoulders above all other type of visas which don't require paying taxes. "Show me the money".
Every wannabe retiree needs to hear you . We’ve even living offshore for 20 years ... your information is the best advice I’ve heard . Simple logical and practical and realistic.
With some embassies no longer verifying income letters (USA, UK, Australia and soon, Belgium) retirement and marriage visa holders will either need to have the funds available (the ones using the embassy letter proof often did not) or pay money to an agent where these funds are transferred into their accounts, or borrow money from someone or something of that sort. Thailand didn't stop issuing these visas, they simply wanted to make sure people really had the required income or money in the bank.
Every country has a visa to leave by couple months. America, U.K & Europe. People usually travel to another country that's very close and go back on a VISA for 6 months. Need to look for a company that can do a VISA for you & it's a good price for doing extended VISA, not scamming. Try to extend your VISA in America impossible
To my knowledge this does not apply to those of us who have a temporary or permanent residence card. Am I correct? I do agree that one should always be financially prepared to go back to the country of ones passport/ birth. That may mean leaving ones wife and children in the country you must leave.
Have a mate been living in BKK for 18 years; he asked me a few years ago how I think he's able to live there of course I said because you are on the retirement extension. He said nah that's not all mate; it's really because the Thai Govt lets me.........
Good information but have a few points. I am retired Military guy living in Thailand fro 19 years next month. Thailand has changed their visa requirements many times of the years. I retired at 38 and for the first 5 years had no problems working the system. in 2007 I enrolled in Bangkok University and went to school for 6 years. I actually got 7 years of Student Visa so I would attend my graduation. At 50 I applied and got my retirement visa. Its a pain in the Ass to stay legal but its the only way to be sure you will be able to stay. There are many guys who are 50 but don't have the required income to get the visa legally. As with many things here there are illegal ways to get around this with a few Visa Shops. So basically if you don't want to follow the Immigration Laws don't worry...if you can afford 10,000 to 12000 thb for a year you can get your Retirement Visa illegally and pay off some corrupt government official thru a Visa Shop. Sometimes in Life you cant get something just because you want it or feel like you deserve it. I care only about myself but do get angry sometimes when people abuse the system and get the same benefits of Living in Thailand that I do when I follow the rules. Jumping the Line will eventually have Bad repercussions ....at least I hope so. Cheers
Great video, i agree 100%. II would like to know your opinion on why vietnam is doing this, it seams that it would hurt their economy slightly, I have theories but was curious of your idea / Thanks .
Based on the comments Vietnamese people have left on this video and that I've had to delete... It's quite obvious that a lot of Vietnamese people genuinely dislike like westerners. Xenophobia is an understatement.
@@brett_dev Not really! I bet these comments are from young Vietnamese who can't take criticism from foreigners saying unfavorable things to Vietnam. That's a typical Vietnamese attitude. TRUST ME! I'm Vietnamese myself.
I’m on marriage visa in Thailand.i don’t use the 400,000b in the bank method.i apply in savanaket in Laos anfd get a 12 month visa and have to leave the country every 90 days which I do in Vientiane as I live a hour to the border.
Great video Brett. I think Chiang Mai and Da Nang are the best places in South East Asia for digital nomads. Seems like Vietnam are now catching up with Thailand in terms of making visas harder though.
I am Thai I would like to add another story that foreigners may not understand. Chiang Mai is a good province (Chiang Mai is my hometown), if you think Chiang Mai is good, it's a little wrong idea. In fact, Thailand has 77 main provinces. And if you think that Chiang Mai has the right food and the cheapest accommodation Actually there are other provinces that are 2 times cheaper than Chiang Mai, but just maybe it is a non-tourist destination And foreigners do not know For example, next to Chiang Mai is Chiang Rai or Lampang. It's a big province there, it's comfortable and the weather is good. It has a border with Burma. Travel comfort Traffic is not as bad as Chiang Mai. I myself am a Chiang Mai person. Still didn't choose to stay in Chiang Mai at all. And air pollution Traffic is bad The cost of living is high (for Thai people, but not as high as other tourist cities such as Phuket), but I chose to come to Chachoengsao. Because here is adjacent to Bangkok and Chonburi (Pattaya), traveling from Bangkok only 20-40 minutes, a small province, the cost of living is easily traveled. There's a lot to do And besides, if anyone actually traveled around Thailand it would take a year. And may not choose to live in Chiang Mai like me for sure 😁😁🙏🙏
@@ukboss9506 The internet here is very strong and much cheaper than your country or other countries. And there is free wifi for you to use everywhere. The telephone network allows you to use free wifi, even cafes and hotels everywhere have wifi. Internet in a phone with a speed of 5G (1-10GB per sec.), if the use is unlimited, the price is only 999 baht - 1099 baht or about 35 us. per month or internet in the house with Wi-Fi speed at 1000/500Mbps. Price is only 699 baht per month or 22Us. Thailand mainly uses Thai language. Adequate English communication, but only a small portion But don't worry, Thai people are friendly and ready to help you fully even if we can't speak English. We will try to find a way to help you with everything without expecting anything in return from you 😁😁🙏🙏
@@ukboss9506 Regarding the Internet, I'm talking about the country as a whole. The story that this city is better than Chiang Mai It's up to you how you like it. For example, if you like the sea, you go down south. You like mountains, you go up north. You like peace and quiet, people are the friendliest. It's North and Northeast (Thai people call it Isaan). If you like being in the city, you are in Bangkok or around Bangkok. it's up to you As for the internet, if your accommodation is not in the middle of mountains or forests, the internet will definitely be strong everywhere. As for the program you mentioned, it's considered comfortable for the internet in Thailand. Your home's wifi will be connected to 10 devices, you can still do it. Thailand has 77 provinces. There is no best province. It might be good for you, but it might not be good for me. Some provinces may be good for me but may not be good for you. You must try to experience it for yourself. But most British, German, Russian or American retired people prefer to live in the Northeast.😁🙏
Nah you're not straight on the facts. When borders are open, you can still do a visa run here in VN, and do this indefinitely to remain here. However, with closed borders the government allowed for tourist visa extensions in-country. They just cut those extensions off, so when you apply for a renewal you just get an exit visa and you're forced to leave.
The polices in place prior to the start of Covid in March 2020 may no longer exist, we won't know until things get back to "normal' what future the future visa policies in Vietnam will be. Thailand has been tightening it's tourist Visa polices in recent years so we shouldn't be surprised that other countries are considering the same.
Not true. Vietnam already had a new decree before covids that ended endless tourist visa extensions. Due to covids, they didn't enforce it. Now they are. Bottomline: the days of staying "indefinitely" on a tourist visa are over in Vietnam. Btw, wife is ex VN immigration still connected.
This video definitely reminds us that dependence on a foreign government for security is never a sound strategy. It enforces that the best practice is never to risk more than you can lose. People that go all in with building homes or businesses with nothing left over are absolute fools. A foreign government or a foreign spouse can bring that dream down in moments.
Nowadays, it’s apparent that you aren’t that safe with your own governments. Just look at the USA and the whole essential vs non-essential workers during Covid. Your own government can change the rules at any time.
...and this is exactly why I got the Thai Elite Visa....I wanted to be able to just come and go without worrying about the visa situation. Obviously, it's still a tourist visa but I don't think Thailand would screw the elite folks. (at least that's my hope)...like you said...money is what matters when it comes to stuff like this.
Oh noo, this is such bad news! I love Vietnam! Thanks for sharing the video :) I am currently working and living in Tenerife, Spain (coming from Poland originally).
Living in the uk, this all seems kind of surreal with so many none indigenous people around and so many younger people taking the I'm a citizen of the world line.
Odd that this is happening right now. I was literally JUST (as in yesterday) setting a few dates in place for my return to Thailand. Pondering Vietnam, and some different options in terms of visas and such. Go to bed, wake up to your video timely reminder that "You gotta have a fall-back"...which (of course) I always keep for these sort of emergencies. Man, that sucks to have to get out in three days. Yikes! Yeah, money helps, for sure!
@@taoist32 Mathematics. History gives us clues, doesn't it? The Great Influenza (Spanish Flu) Pandemic of 1918 started in an Army barracks in Kansas in March of 1918. The whole thing ended after a final 4th wave in April 1920. 1793 yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia, which resulted in government officials fleeing the city, ended within the year. Pandemics end. They do not last forever. Even Polio, which resulted in the death and disability of millions worldwide, eventually was eradicated. This thing started in November-ish of 2019. By April of 2023, it will have been around for three and a half full years. Odd, but we already have nearly a dozen vaccines either in production or in trials...including an oral pill..! And many of us have already HAD Covid (I caught mine in January)....and many of us that caught it, have also had at least one vaccine afterward. See ya in March of 2023! Or...stay away and allow ME the opportunity to move into the beautiful condo that YOU might have rented out from under me!
My wife is from Vietnam and we’re usually in Vietnam and at her house unfortunately last year feb 15 came to California for little over a month and couldn’t return, I just got a new passport book with 5 year visa and can’t return just yet they say soon?, people who are having to leave Vietnam only have a tourist visa or fake visa stamps/illegal teachers it’s normal for Vietnam to ask people to leave if no proper passport or visa, thanks for sharing great channel 👍🏼
Naw man, i did the same - because its mind blowing - i retired in America, Shit i could move to the middle east and live well, Vietnam is a dope place and that bonus of a 40 cent beer does NOT hurt the fun. Just because shit is cheap don't me we all some bums that lived at mom's house and didn't amount to anything... that is just stereotyping isn't it? Stereotyping can be fun to prove wrong though, like Viet girls CANNOT drive and most here are in fact bad at math :)
Same same..Brett..have lived in Indonesia for years and most recently Malaysia past 4 years…and yes Immigration kicked out all TV expats..so back in Oz now…super expensive to get home + Quarantine…actually good timing as Malay numbers are now through the roof..9k per day..per capita,worse than India…???
Curious, what if you couldn't afford the super expensive fairs or get a quarantine space? What would the Australian government have done in that situation? & what would local governments do in that situation if the Oz government refuses to take it's citizens back? That's part of the border closure issue we're not hearing anything at all about in Australia
Tourist visa is for tourists just like the name indicates. It's not for retirement or settlement in a country and definitely not for hippie's to stay forever 😏😏
From the retirement visa side, the Thai system makes sense as the requirement to have 800000 Bhat (£18k) or 65k Bhat per month income or a combination of income and savings makes sure that in a similar situation you at least have enough money to get back to your home country (A single person perspective) so, unlike the West, they are not a soft touch and it is their country after all. So if you have disregarded their rules because you have a feeling of western entitlement then it will be a good life lesson for some
Kevin, £18,000 per month requirement to live in cheap as anything SE Asia? You don't think that's out of all proportion? They request BIG BUCKS bcz this way when they rob you, they steal the damned lot. These are dishonest, thieving societies and with the law on the locals side, never on the foreigners. SE Asia is NEVER the place to settle down in. Just go on holidays, then piss off before they grab all you've got. These are master con artists. They are on their turf, and a foreigner wouldn't stand any chance of getting any help anywhere. Hope you KNOW this. Any document you sign isn't worth the paper it's written on. You'd be set up from the start. Why would you want to risk all by moving there, thinking it's cheap? You will pay with all you've got and lose all in the end. I'd never consider moving to any 3rd world country. You'll find friends vanish when things go wrong, and that's friends back home too, & your consulate won't give a rat's about you one way or the other. You will find yourself stranded, starving with no way out. Happens all the time.
@@philipnguyen3107 WHY is such a large amount as that reasonable? SE Asia is not Switzerland or Liechtenstein you know. Get real. Nobody makes that amount in Western countries in an honest way.
Very wise words even if they do hurt. These are very strange times that we are living in and the unexpected is just around the corner. After having seen the UK retirees having to leave Spain in recent times the warning is very real and a plan B is essential.
I'm one of those people that got stuck in Vietnam since the start of the pandemic. I've been extending my tourist visa for a year. I was able to get my extension this month but I heard from others that they were denied and forced to leave the country with only a few days notice. I'm not sure what to do because I dont want to leave if I dont have to but I also dont want to be in the position where my visa is denied and I only have a few days to gtfo. I wish they would issue some kind of warning. In any case, there is a 4th wave of covid and Vietnam is struggling to contain the outbreak. To me it seems like cracking down on peoples visas is somehow connected to the stress about the 4th wave. Will see what happens but if I have to leave I'll make it happen. **Also I heard that the US embassies will give Americans loans to come back to the USA, so that might be a good option for people who cant afford the ticket.
I was in Vietnam in March/April of 2020 and had no problem returning to North America. When you say that you've been "Stuck in Vietnam" is that because you don't have the Financial means to leave, or some other reason?
@@eldeluxo yeah, I guess I mean stuck because of a lot of different factors. I could have gone back to the USA if I wanted to, like I could have borrowed money to get back but I wanted to shelter in place. Traveling is the reason this disease made it to the entire world so I felt I should stop traveling if I didnt have to. Since the start of the pandemic I've also been really afraid to fly or go to the airport because of covid. The longer I stayed in Vietnam the worse the pandemic got in the USA, so I decided to stay here as long as I could. Now that Americans are getting vaccinated I'm feeling better about coming back. So if I get kicked out of Vietnam it's okay, I'm still worried about getting covid while I'm in transit but I would be happy to get the vaccine once I get to the states. Long story short, it's been a confusing year and my main goal has just been not getting sick.
@@g.dross14 you seem horribly scared bro..is it cause of the age or you have some underlying medical condition? I think if not you will be ok to travel. There are lots of safety rules in travel these days
@@BigBrother04 yeah you're probably right. I'm the kind of person that assumes the worst will happen. I struggle with uncertainty and we are learning new things about covid all the time. While it's unlikely that I would die from it, seemingly healthy people have died from it so it's not impossible. Treatment is expensive and even if you survive, no one knows how it will effect you in the long term. So I guess it's just death and possible long term complications that I'm mainly worried about.
Why not just get and stay on a business visa in Vietnam? That's how I've always gone about it. Whenever going to Vietnam I'd always get a business visa just in case, even though I was pretty much just being a tourist.
@@Ev0Apex yes you are. But Vietnamese foreign born with sponsorship from relatives living in Vietnam can give you exemption. That"s the law. Ask your immigration lawyer.
Maybe he does or doesn't know exactly what is going on in VN. The subject of the video was visas in general, not VN visas. He has good general experience about living abroad to pass along. Keep an open mind.
I think when covid goes you'll see people moving back and forth between cambodia and vietnam. They only do 30 day visas so I'd guess they'd hop between these countries, staying for 30 days then moving on. Some people will do border runs but that is hellish to do once a month (takes about 10 hours and its a shite day)
@@alexanderinsubordinate1861 are you going to put the blame on VN entirely? it takes two to tangle. their customers are just as corrupt as they are. it's stupid to believe your s don't stink.
@@Teolulz my shit doesn't stink. I have a legit work permit, full time job and have paid tax on everything I earned. I'm just tired of seeing so much hate a glee from arrogant people that those who have lost their lifestyle due to the recent changes. There is something quite sad about someone who takes pride in watching others fall. Actually i love Vietnam the corruption is funny. I have paid off cops who caught my riding my bike too fast and so on, everyone does, it's part of their culture, even the people who work in banks have to pay a bribe to get a job and Vietnamese teachers have to pay a corruption bribe. The expats who have been living here on bribed visas have just been doing as the locals do, as they say, "When in Rome...." it doesn't bother me and I don't blame them, they are mostly young people have fun. But these wealthier older retired expats who getting excited that those younger people can't get dodgy visas are much worse individuals, their hatred is mostly based around jealousy, they worked hard to come out here and use the wealth to buy a submissive little wife. They don't want young people enjoying the same country for cheap.
Note: I am not saying all retirees are to blame. Infact I know a fee myself who are very nice people, but even they have to pay the occasional bribe, to recieve an international parcel or get something done. I think you know that's how it is in Vietnam.
I don't understand why someone wants to live in another country if he did not (want) accept that countries citizenship. Safest place to live and plan to stay is the country you are planning to retire and contributed to that place since you were working most of the time. Most people are easy resort seekers; life is not holidays and find the spot you would fit for the rest of your life.
What a lot of people on these forums don't seem to get is that you always had to leave Vietnam every three months. Even if you had a 1 year tourist visa, you still had to physically leave the country four times every three months and re-enter. When the pandemic hit and flights and global travel was disrupted, Vietnam waived that requirement and let people stay. But now with most of the rest of the world re-opened, extending that special exemption doesn't really make any sense. The thing that is screwing these people over is not really any change in Visa policy, but rather the simple fact that Vietnam's borders are closed to the outside world. Vietnam's Covid policies are what is causing these people problems, not any strict new visa rules.
I wish you give me an advice, I am a single 52 years old, and my dream was always to be free and live a simple life especially in Thailand. I feel I am depressed here in Holland and I want to go as fast as I can but I have no skills to work online. I have savings for two years to live in Thailand. Is it doable to learn a skill (my favorite is Web development) in Thailand and then start an online business? Do you suggest me that? I appreciate your advice.
Hello Sirin S As I see, you´re over 50 years old so you can get a retirement visa for 1 year in Thailand. What you need to approved your retirement visa in Thailand are: 1) You need a proof (has to be confirmed through your Dutch embassy) monthly income of TBH 65.000-(approx. EUR. 1.800--) 2) If you do not have 1) a monthly income, an option is you have to put on a Thai Bank at least THB 800.000-( approx.. EUR. 22.000--) at least 3 months before the application of your visa, after your visa is approved, you have to keep this amount on your bank of another 3 months. 3) You have to report your address at the immigration every 90 days (TM47) 4)Every time you left you home or apartment longer than 24 hours, you have to report to the immigration within 24 hours!!! (TM30) google for TM30 5) You need a RE-ENTRY visa: If you leave the country (let´s say, 1 week in BALI) then come back, you NEED this visa otherwise your retirement will be expired immediately!!! 6) Please keep in mind that Thailand has a double price standard, one for Thai and one for foreigner. The price for foreigner could be from 2x to 10x times (yes ten times with no reason) of a Thai and it´s legal and totally normal! google - double price standard for foreigner... 7) Working on retirement visa is not allowed!!! If you´re fine with all of these so then welcome to Thailand.
Ya can't stay/ live in a foreign country long-term without Heaps of cash.. I'm retired Tland. An aspect of the Corona ; noone here without heaps of cash. Cleared out all the near-do-wells.
My current US military pension would pay me roughly $112,000 baht per month, but I am only 45. So I am not quite old enough to retire by Thailand standards. So the plan is to keep working and build that income even higher. I might not even retire to Thailand but instead live like a king for a month or 2 out of the year. I cannot find any videos on people with higher incomes retiring in Thailand. All the ones I can find are for people with basic budgets and how you can stretch your income.
Most comfortable people won't have time for YT tbh with you. They are there enjoying life and family. YT headache can only be endured if ones life depends on it, for most part and particularly in SEA.
Check out You Tube Channel " No Time to be Sad". Chuck has lived very well for over fours years in Thailand. Does not talk about budget maybe on live chats. Owns a car,travels all over place...etc. Popular channel ck it out
@@jimtrotter4359 Notimetobesad owned 2 separate successful auto repair shops which he sold near Houston, Texas, (Tomball, TX). He is worth more than several million USD.
@@Speakno12 It is all good. Just replied to Big Brother. He has time to have a very successful YT Channel. By and by ... good for him. Thanks for your input. Blessings to you and your family.
Great Video Brett - In life it's good to have an Exit Plan while employed with any company and of course the BIG EXIT - Retirement. Having some cash behind you gives you choice. What's the difference between an old man and a gentleman? - Money / Cash.
...That's the trap...The clock is ticking on the older guys as insurance starts to not want to cover you (bad risk)...but going back to your home country, you will need a place to live...Lumber costs in the USA have jumped 4X in 1 year which means rent/housing costs have massively jumped. Where do you live..?? I plan on keeping my American house just for the reasons above, living 3 mos in 1 country, 3 months in another during the winter, then going back...I won't have the above to deal with...
Hi, thanks for the informative video. I live in Vietnam and have a 5 year temporary residence permit. I know many others that have the same. I lived in Thai for 5 years on a retirement visa. Why would one not put 26k in the bank if retiring to Thai. I agree with you about the bums and cheats not being wanted. Vietnam and Thai don't want them and rightly so.
Speak the truth about those lazy fools made me laugh. I'm sure they make it rough on all that are really trying to make a life in places like Thailand and Vietnam.
Arrived in Thailand in '92 and have lived in 6 Asian countries since then. I have stayed single and have had the time of my life, but it's beginning to look like the good times are over.
these "poor" SEA countries don't need tourists anymore... times will get harsher, also Asians love rules, time to stick with Mexico and South America..
I heard that. How would you feel, Bret, if they kicked you out and you were 75 years old? That’s crazy! I am so sick of leaders acting like spoiled 5 year olds. There are a lot of them too. Even Malaysia got rid of their retirement programs. It looks so silly, really. 800,000 Baht…another crappy rule. They are all full of crap…wanna be dictators. Marriage visa…really? Who thought that one up?
They have to control the covid19 outbreak right now that is going on in the country , so they want foreigner to leave before it turn into India . They don't want foreigners to get sick , so get out now before it is too late , so i think they actually care about foreigners well being .
Guys come to Georgia…. Tbilisi is a great location for nomads, you can stay for 12-months no visa needed.
There is always an option. So of we go to Georgia.👍
@@beentheredonethat8596 Why should that be a joke??? Have you ever been there???
Nothing like living in Asia. Pacific
legal ganja as well.. im on my way haha. but wait.. that weird georgian language.. . Could you get by with english? Do they use russian?
@@joselitojimenez4288 The language situation is very similar to Thailand.… I have found that across the country most people under 40 speak English. People over 50 do speak both Georgian and Russian, but Russian seems to almost finished here now as Georgia wants to join/align with the EU. Obviously the cities and the countryside do vary a bit.
Like Thailand many signs, labels, contracts and Apps are written in both Georgian and English.
I only speak English and (yes sometimes with the help of Google Translate) have not had much problem in either country.
Hope that helps
Great advice. I've been living in the Philippines since 2018 on a tourist visa. The rule is I just can't stay here longer than 3 years without ever exiting and returning the country. It's been pretty easy to live here on a tourist visa and cheaper than other visa options available here. Like you said, there's no guarantees with a tourist visa and things can change overnight. I think the Philippines is pretty stable though when it comes to how they treat foreigners. But no matter where anyone is living, they need income and be financially able to leave that place quickly, as well as have enough money saved up to get started somewhere new. I think $5000 should be the bare minimum in the bank. $10000 is safer. $20000 or more is the safest. Better wise than foolish.
@Giorge Leedy's Snapshots The Philippine is become dangerous too because of the damage of Covid19. have you seen the news a rising crime rate of robbing, kidnapping, homeside and hit job? even police are corrupt they can robbed and silent you. since you are a foreign male in there you are the easy target for criminals, they think you are rich who go there for prostitute.
watch the news many foreigner dying there specially male foreigners even other asian is being victimized it's not because they hate you it's because poverty rise due to covid19 poor people are desperate so they doing crimes to feed there family.
@@epsilonxvi5675 so sad.... Your comment about Philippines is below the belt...
don't believe the lies. the philippines is good to live and not dangerous. they don't want us here by lying
@@epsilonxvi5675 hmmm if your source is only the mainstream media then I understand why you said such things.
You still live there now? And can you keep living there by renewing your tourist visa?
What about getting Permanent residency.
Just fair. So easy for Western folks to go in and out of any Asian country any given time for as long as they want but for any Southeast Asian citizen entering USA or Europe they give them such a hard time. It's just fair for ASEAN nations to impose stricter measures when they see it fit.
Are you kidding me do you research. We give most countries a visa waiver come in for three months just can't live here. If you want a longer time apply for a visa 180 bucks good for 10 years. Six months given.
@@s.c.6367 This is just communist propaganda, if you think I'm exaggerating then compare to Chinese propaganda
What Asian country? In Thailand foreigners can hardly get citizenship, even if they are married to a Thai, yet in the US you have Thais with passports like crazy due to this. Anchor babies in Thailand? No such thing lol, yet the opposite is true of the USA. Many other examples as well. Nor can foreigners own property in Thailand, yet they can come over to the US and have it all, not to mention benefits right off the plane.
Other Asian countries this may be true, but grouping together asian countries as one doesn't work. Different ethnicity; different culture, different views.
RVboy Junior - It’s actually not a matter of giving people from Asia a “hard time” as you say. In fact, the difficulty or ease with which one gets a visa has nothing to do with geography or race. Simply put, if you are from a poor country, regardless of race, it is just going to be very difficult for you to get a tourist visa (or any visa) to a wealthy country like the United States. This is because people from poor countries are just much more likely to overstay their visas. Japan of course is in Asia but because it’s a wealthy country Japanese citizens have absolutely no trouble at all getting tourist visas to the USA. And even if we were only speaking about Southeast Asia I would point out that people in Singapore also probably have no trouble getting into the USA. So, again, it has nothing to do with being from Asia or even Southeast Asia, it has to do with being from a rich country or a poor country. Of course even in relatively poor countries like Thailand or the Philippines you can get a tourist visa to the USA if you are from a wealthy family and this is because people from wealthy families are statistically much less likely to overstay their visas.
Furthermore, countries like Thailand cracking down on westerners exploiting loopholes in the visa system in order to extend their stays has absolutely nothing to do with how easy or hard it may be for their own citizen to get into western nations. In other words, it is not their attempt to make things “fair” - whatever that means. Basically, what's fair does not even enter into the equation.
It's economics, foreigners in se asian countries are much more valuable
I'm a vietnam veteran who was there in late '67 thru '68. I was thinking of going there next year on a tour around summer time just to see what it's like now after 54 years. Is that still possible or should I just forget the whole thing?
Yes possible..Next year things will be closer to being normal again
@Matt Helm lol. It's not anything I to argue about because it's not anything I'm concerned with...I have no interest in going there this year, next year or the year after 😂.I've been there many times...Either way next year will be "closer" to being normal again...Every day will be "closer" to being normal again...It doesn't mean it will be normal again next week or next year but every day is a day to being "closer" to being normal again and visiting next summer for the gentleman who asked the question is "possible".
I think issue here is the govt doesn't want to be held responsible for treating foreigners as well if it has another India on its hands. Remember the UK Pilot who almost almost died last year. The govt must have spent so much resources on that guy. A poor country with 96million people. Hospitals are already full everyday before COVID. Vietnam can easily be the next India given the low vaccination rate and high population density in the cities. They are making plans to treat 5000 cases in Saigon atm.
GREAT VIDEO! It is hard to wake people up for sure, but you approach is one of the best, we can only hope that viewers will seriously consider what you are saying.
Are the borders open for tourism? Pretty much been locked down in Cambodia, last visa run was February 2020, can't get back to my previous home base in the philippines. Shyts upside down now, traveling in a new world....
Borders surrounding Cambodia are still closed.
No dependency visa in Vietnam, I have children there and tried to stay for my son but immigration just talked about forcing my exit and blacklisting me. So much for Asian family values. At the same time I’m forced out my son is put in a quarantine facility because of covid.
You were damned LUCKY to get OUT of there one way or the other. You have to put your life & safety first. SE Asia is not the safest destination by far. Why would you even bother taking up with a local there? Are you normal or not? I've seen it all before. Once a man sponsor's his wife & kid over, her friends from her community will quickly introduce her to a man who is financially better off than YOU. You are just her springboard. This just happens all the time with these poorly educated low acts, females from Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, etc. These are not honest ppl you're dealing with. As soon as they get their permanent residency visa, they take off, and you won't see your kids again. Happens all the time. Then worst of all, YOU will be paying child maintenance FOR LIFE. If I were you, I'd drop everything and just run for it.
"Always have a back up plan". But if you are dead ass broke it is quite hard to develop a good back up plan. Invest wisely and invest early young men.
@@kingofpattaya4524 DO you have family to fall back on? In times of need, blood runs thicker than water...
Just ignore the beautiful birds, as long as you are in Thailand, the birds singing is the background music in Thailand. It's better than the sound of engine.
Actually is a relaxation sound
.
The bird calls are a comment section engagement ploy. It's genius.
I could never understand someone who is from the USA saving all their money and moving to Pattaya then a year goes by they're out of money, have everything they own in a backpack and begging for change to eat. I met a few of them when I was working for Atwood Oceanics in the Gulf of Thailand. Crazy for sure.
Not everyone is rich in USA but Pattaya can extend dollar value compared to USA. and these folks go crazy with night life. Nothing new with foreigners begging for change to eat.
@DeltaAphaNovember Lawler they go in pataya to get a wife then give them green cards and bring it to there own country after they are tired of that girl they complain about illegal immigration.
@@epsilonxvi5675 I had great expectation from Trump Admin with US immigration reforms and yet failed miserably.
@@pvasir having faith in trump failed miserably for the entire USA…
@@temsedgwick9494 I agree. Besides immigration reforms I waited for Trumpcare since I had Obamacare. Now that I am retired in Thailand (Bangkok) so "I don't care" anymore. Bought local Thai healthcare insurance which is alot cheaper covering good private hospitals in BKK.
Outside of Vietnam, in SE Asia, not counting marriage visas, a 5 year Cambodian business visa is an affordable option. Or buy a very cheap condo in Turkey and get a one year renewable residency permit Expat since 1988
Thailand day Did Not change any rules. The 800,000 Baht requirement has been in place since 1978. The only thing that changed was Thailand asked the Embassies to confirm that people they were writing letters for actually did have that amount of income on a yearly basis . Many people were just going into there Embassies and stating they met the requirements get the letter and of course bragging about it in the Facebook groups about how easy it was . So of course Thailand just asked the Embassies to confirm income. There are three Countries that did not want to bother so letters from those Countries are not accepted. Fortunately I am from a Country that does confirm income so easy for me. All Thailand did was enforce rules that had been in place for 40 years.
Same with the marriage visas. The only change was that you now had to really, really prove that you had not been lying :-)
That’s what sent a lot of people packing. They didn’t make the monthly income requirements and didn’t have 800,000 (or 400,000 for marriage) baht.
The real game changer was the insurance requirement. That one did hit a lot of people who were innocent of nothing because there had previously never been an insurance requirement.
Anybody over 70 is almost uninsurable in Thailand unless they’ve purchased insurance before 70 with a firm that won’t drop you based on age.
But it also caught a lot of people who had been claiming they “self insure” which is they would claim they had hundreds of thousands of baht stashed away for a medical emergency. But many didn’t. And when they were forced to get it, they couldn’t afford it.
@Bill Rini Just the Non OA Visa which you get in your home country requires insurance . The Non O based on retirement or the marriage visa do not require insurance.
@@hubbards Correct. Non-O marriage visa holder here :-)
Though I obtained insurance anyway. Both for my own peace of mind as well as the fact that I anticipate that all long-term visa holders will need health insurance at some point. Don’t want to get stuck like some folks at 75 with a laundry list of medical issues and can’t find an insurer that will touch me.
@@richardparker1338 Yes, the newer requirements seem to stem from people borrowing 800,000 to get their visa and then paying it back once the visa is issued.
@@richardparker1338 Actually there were people scamming the system. It was well known that some visa agents would “loan” you the 800k so you could show it in your account for the visa and then you would immediately have to pay it back to the agent once the visa was granted. The someone convoluted new rules try to make this harder by requiring a longer look at the person’s finances and the option of spot checking people for months afterward to make sure the money stays in the account.
The bigger problem was the total fabrication of income, but many were also skirting the system and all of those visa changes a few years back were designed to put an end to that.
I agree with the point about having a backup plan. To clarify, though, as the situation here in Vietnam was brought into it - Vietnam is not kicking everyone on tourist visas out as was stated in the video. There are some people who have being staying long term on tourist visas that are now not getting extensions, true, but some people are also getting extensions still.
Yep Im out end of the month, don't want to go but have to due to family reasons and have the backup $ for it, they really need a retirement visa here (not a tourist). Lived in Chiang Mai 2019 on 2 x 6mth tourist visas, loved it but didn't want to push it further.
Regarding Thailand, the Thai Elite Visa, although pricey, would be an option. The leaders of LOS Kingdom will gladly let you stay for 5 years (600,000 Baht) or 20 years (1,000,000 Baht).
Thanks for the information.🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌝
with 1,000,000 Baht I can buy me a mansion 😘 Small house...or condo at the beach 😎😂
@@livetodaydietomorrowltdt2405 foreigners can't buy houses/land. You can get a "condo" for 1m, but you are looking at a small
studio at that price, certainly not anything you'd be calling a "mansion".
@@livetodaydietomorrowltdt2405 real estate has gone up a lot in Thailand. The minimum cost of a small apartment is 2 mils, and that’s like in a city, not even near the beach.
@@Owlerycrinkie0918 Before COVID_19 some foreigners living in Thailand were recommending not to buy condos in Thailand because
when is time to sell them no body want to buy them.......they say you will loose a lot of money. Also, Renting condos will not be easy.
Every situation is different, every decision is different, Yes, because of COVID_19 real went up. Here where I live went up, reason,
demand is high and building is limited with this pandemic. Most labors were getting unemployment checks, so they took vacations.
I dont get it. They were telling people with visa extensions due to covid to leave, not people with mariage/work/retirment visas to leave right?
@Mr. X you talk about the need for money, like you got to Hussle to stay over there. I still dont know if I can trust these people to buy real-estate over there. If you buy a condo in Thailand, do they give you a life long visa so you can at least live in it?
My friend in vietnam says that vietnam is basically kicking out everyone not being sponsored by a company
Yes, that's what I'm hearing.
Great video, I was in Vietnam 🇻🇳 Da Nang 11 month on the visa in 2018 .Great memories. Vietnam 🇻🇳much more better country, than Thailand 🇹🇭. I was in Thailand its not so safety, in Vietnam situation much more better and people much more nice .I am from the garden island 🏝of Kauai, Hawaii .Living 30 years in the garden island. One of the most beautiful island on the planet Kauai
Hi, i live in Danang too, can we be friend?
As a vietnamese, i kinda doubt your statement
I have recently started to watch your TH-cam channel and wondered where and how you can put it all together so well I am a young hearted old man that's lifed a full Life so I can 100 percent say you have your finger on life Great real Life video with sound advice your switch on
Thank you Keith
Im ok with people living cheaply but not having an emergency fund to get yourself out of a jam is just irresponsible. I don't get it. Great stuff...thanks for sharing.
Interesting information, I live in the U.S. and not looking to live in Thailand permanently but simply stay there 30 to 45 days per year for a long vacation. A long vacation like this to a place like Hawaii or the Caribbean would be crazy expensive but a month or so in Thailand is much more affordable so I’d rather have a nice long month of vacation in Thailand vs a week in Hawaii for about the same cost.
Non O retirement visa applied for in Thailand you do not need health insurance.
Not a great idea to not have any health/medical insurance anywhere.
Why we have to go out .please give me a reason ..explain ..what will happen
I have a question. Is any kind of visa where’s my wife and I can stay in Thailand from January to April. From four to five months every year and come back home in the 🇺🇸 every year. Financially we have way more than the requirements the Thailand government asked for. And we have great health insurance ( not Medicare insurance)almost pay for anything to hospital. Thank you for any answer.
Been in Vietnam for almost 20 years, but its time to move on. Not worried about visas but I am concerned about our neighbors to the north. Bad intentions!
The Nieghbors to the North are Done!
Thanks Brett!
I have UK and US passports, and a Thai retirement visa, so for the time being I can stay in Thailand. However compare that with taking my Thai wife to the UK or US. She can't stay in either place without major efforts and money on visas and permanent resident applications. The UK has minimum income requirements for bringing in a wife. By those measures, Thailand looks pretty fair and better than both the UK and US on treating visitors who want to live here.
Applying for a US visa for a Thai, subjects the Thai to disgusting treatment and sometimes even insults at the US embassy. So any Thai going there is not going to view the US sympathetically when it comes to a Thai visa.
Norway is probably the best at treating Thai visa applicants well. Plus if the guy has a job in Norway even if he is not Norwegian, he and his wife can go into the local police station (Tuesdays and Thursdays if I remember correctly) and get a Norwegian residents card there and then. Even small Norwegian villages seem to have lots of Thai wives living there. I took my wife to Norway and there were plenty of Thai food shops it was a real surprise.
USCIS and the US Embassy have more stringent requirements when processing visas for Thai nationals because Thais have one of the highest overstay rates once in the US (check USCIS stats), and also have a higher propensity to work in the sex trade. Due to these realities, many countries such as the US, Singapore, etc., impose stricter guidelines on Thai visa approvals.
US citizen. Got married to a Thai citizen and the process of getting into the US was pretty horrible. My wife pretty much just assumed she was not going to get a spouse visa to come to the US because of how many people came out of the interviews at the US embassy crying.
Having a little cash in the bank and filling out some forms is nowhere near as difficult as a Thai entering most western countries.
I understand why, but I think a lot of expats who have never been through the reverse process of bringing a wife to their country fully appreciate how easy it is to live in Thailand.
Now, as far as rights once you’re living here (can’t own land, can’t own more than 49% of a business, etc), that’s another story :-)
@@martypoll We were extremely, extremely lucky that we filed when USCIS still had an office in Bangkok.
They didn’t want to accept the application because I didn’t have a work permit in Thailand but I begged the lady to help us and she reluctantly agreed.
That meant we bypassed submitting to the Los Angeles office where it would have been buried for many months.
That office is now closed so now applications go back to the US for processing at the regional centers.
It took about six months from application to her boarding a plane.
She got her Green Card about a month after arriving (they send it as soon as they have a record of her arriving in the US and processing through immigration) and a social security number right after that.
There are some US marriage/fiancé visa forums and most of those people were waiting 12+ months.
I really recommend googling for those forums. The people are super helpful and many are going through or have gone through the same process with a K1 or CR1 visa.
They even have info on expected processing times for each regional office and tons of useful info.
Ultimately, after 7 years in the US (she was eligible to apply in 3) my wife opted to apply for citizenship. That took about 12 - 18 months but she’s got a US passport now so no more visa BS. :-)
Now it’s just me jumping through hoops to stay here every year. Haha.
@@BillRini Was that a spousal visa that you filed while you were in Thailand? Did she received a green card after two years ?
I thinking of filling a spousal visa for my Moroccan girlfriend after we are married in her country next year.
@@vaiolover1997 Yes, the CR-1 spouse visa. It’s a conditional visa good for 2 years from date of entry. 90-days prior to expiry, you can file to have the conditional part lifted. Then it turns into a 10 year visa.
I filed all of the paperwork myself. If you can read governmentese it’s not too difficult. And there are online forums that can help.
So, what if we're not trying to get a visa, and want to move there permanently? Is there a different route, or is the tourist visa and having 80,000 Baht, Medical insurance etc... the only way to stay long term?
It may depend on the Passport/Resident country which you are moving from. Whilst certain Thai visas may seem the same between countries, certain treaties and things such as being a member of ASEAN may give more rights/conditions than others.
Get a job and start paying taxes. Paying taxes puts you head and shoulders above all other type of visas which don't require paying taxes. "Show me the money".
@@markleonidc6456 Sounds about right, Just like any other country in the world.
Every wannabe retiree needs to hear you .
We’ve even living offshore for 20 years ... your information is the best advice I’ve heard .
Simple logical and practical and realistic.
With some embassies no longer verifying income letters (USA, UK, Australia and soon, Belgium) retirement and marriage visa holders will either need to have the funds available (the ones using the embassy letter proof often did not) or pay money to an agent where these funds are transferred into their accounts, or borrow money from someone or something of that sort.
Thailand didn't stop issuing these visas, they simply wanted to make sure people really had the required income or money in the bank.
Every country has a visa to leave by couple months. America, U.K & Europe. People usually travel to another country that's very close and go back on a VISA for 6 months. Need to look for a company that can do a VISA for you & it's a good price for doing extended VISA, not scamming. Try to extend your VISA in America impossible
To my knowledge this does not apply to those of us who have a temporary or permanent residence card. Am I correct?
I do agree that one should always be financially prepared to go back to the country of ones passport/ birth. That may mean leaving ones wife and children in the country you must leave.
Since things change by the minute everything is possible.
Watch Eli the bike guy vlogging from Danang . You might find the answer.
Yup only folk used business visa that don't work or own business ( aka fault ) or tourist visa and work as English teacher
Have a mate been living in BKK for 18 years; he asked me a few years ago how I think he's able to live there of course I said because you are on the retirement extension. He said nah that's not all mate; it's really because the Thai Govt lets me.........
Important info. Thanks.
Good information but have a few points. I am retired Military guy living in Thailand fro 19 years next month. Thailand has changed their visa requirements many times of the years. I retired at 38 and for the first 5 years had no problems working the system. in 2007 I enrolled in Bangkok University and went to school for 6 years. I actually got 7 years of Student Visa so I would attend my graduation. At 50 I applied and got my retirement visa. Its a pain in the Ass to stay legal but its the only way to be sure you will be able to stay. There are many guys who are 50 but don't have the required income to get the visa legally. As with many things here there are illegal ways to get around this with a few Visa Shops. So basically if you don't want to follow the Immigration Laws don't worry...if you can afford 10,000 to 12000 thb for a year you can get your Retirement Visa illegally and pay off some corrupt government official thru a Visa Shop. Sometimes in Life you cant get something just because you want it or feel like you deserve it. I care only about myself but do get angry sometimes when people abuse the system and get the same benefits of Living in Thailand that I do when I follow the rules. Jumping the Line will eventually have Bad repercussions ....at least I hope so. Cheers
I "retired" at 38 years, either you were extremely lucky with investments or something is just off! What the hell kind of job did you have?!
@@ABC-ABC1234 20 years in US military ..... have a pension for life..... its a great deal
@@Kuka007 Oke, I guess you earned it you lucky bird, I am kinda jealous of you.
There is no such thing as retirement visa in Thailand. There is though a retirement extension for your non-o visa.
Forget about this. I want to know how you did that Jedi mind trick at 1:08 to make that bird stop making noise lol.
Great video, i agree 100%. II would like to know your opinion on why vietnam is doing this, it seams that it would hurt their economy slightly, I have theories but was curious of your idea / Thanks .
Based on the comments Vietnamese people have left on this video and that I've had to delete... It's quite obvious that a lot of Vietnamese people genuinely dislike like westerners. Xenophobia is an understatement.
@@brett_dev Not really! I bet these comments are from young Vietnamese who can't take criticism from foreigners saying unfavorable things to Vietnam. That's a typical Vietnamese attitude. TRUST ME! I'm Vietnamese myself.
Great advise.
I’m on marriage visa in Thailand.i don’t use the 400,000b in the bank method.i apply in savanaket in Laos anfd get a 12 month visa and have to leave the country every 90 days which I do in Vientiane as I live a hour to the border.
How are you doing that at the moment?
Agree with You 100%
Great video Brett. I think Chiang Mai and Da Nang are the best places in South East Asia for digital nomads. Seems like Vietnam are now catching up with Thailand in terms of making visas harder though.
@@ronmexico9631 Haha Bali is also great just Chiang Mai and Da Nang are cheaper and more convenient places to live
I am Thai I would like to add another story that foreigners may not understand. Chiang Mai is a good province (Chiang Mai is my hometown), if you think Chiang Mai is good, it's a little wrong idea. In fact, Thailand has 77 main provinces. And if you think that Chiang Mai has the right food and the cheapest accommodation Actually there are other provinces that are 2 times cheaper than Chiang Mai, but just maybe it is a non-tourist destination And foreigners do not know For example, next to Chiang Mai is Chiang Rai or Lampang. It's a big province there, it's comfortable and the weather is good. It has a border with Burma. Travel comfort Traffic is not as bad as Chiang Mai. I myself am a Chiang Mai person. Still didn't choose to stay in Chiang Mai at all. And air pollution Traffic is bad The cost of living is high (for Thai people, but not as high as other tourist cities such as Phuket), but I chose to come to Chachoengsao. Because here is adjacent to Bangkok and Chonburi (Pattaya), traveling from Bangkok only 20-40 minutes, a small province, the cost of living is easily traveled. There's a lot to do And besides, if anyone actually traveled around Thailand it would take a year. And may not choose to live in Chiang Mai like me for sure 😁😁🙏🙏
@@nuttsrisukplung1318 Some great info thanks
@@ukboss9506 The internet here is very strong and much cheaper than your country or other countries. And there is free wifi for you to use everywhere. The telephone network allows you to use free wifi, even cafes and hotels everywhere have wifi. Internet in a phone with a speed of 5G (1-10GB per sec.), if the use is unlimited, the price is only 999 baht - 1099 baht or about 35 us. per month or internet in the house with Wi-Fi speed at 1000/500Mbps. Price is only 699 baht per month or 22Us. Thailand mainly uses Thai language. Adequate English communication, but only a small portion But don't worry, Thai people are friendly and ready to help you fully even if we can't speak English. We will try to find a way to help you with everything without expecting anything in return from you 😁😁🙏🙏
@@ukboss9506 Regarding the Internet, I'm talking about the country as a whole. The story that this city is better than Chiang Mai It's up to you how you like it. For example, if you like the sea, you go down south. You like mountains, you go up north. You like peace and quiet, people are the friendliest. It's North and Northeast (Thai people call it Isaan). If you like being in the city, you are in Bangkok or around Bangkok. it's up to you As for the internet, if your accommodation is not in the middle of mountains or forests, the internet will definitely be strong everywhere. As for the program you mentioned, it's considered comfortable for the internet in Thailand. Your home's wifi will be connected to 10 devices, you can still do it. Thailand has 77 provinces. There is no best province. It might be good for you, but it might not be good for me. Some provinces may be good for me but may not be good for you. You must try to experience it for yourself. But most British, German, Russian or American retired people prefer to live in the Northeast.😁🙏
Very insightful vlog, Always have a back up plan. Cheers Brett 🙏🙏🙏
Nah you're not straight on the facts. When borders are open, you can still do a visa run here in VN, and do this indefinitely to remain here. However, with closed borders the government allowed for tourist visa extensions in-country. They just cut those extensions off, so when you apply for a renewal you just get an exit visa and you're forced to leave.
The polices in place prior to the start of Covid in March 2020 may no longer exist,
we won't know until things get back to "normal' what future the future visa policies
in Vietnam will be. Thailand has been tightening it's tourist Visa polices in recent
years so we shouldn't be surprised that other countries are considering the same.
@@eldeluxo to
Not true. Vietnam already had a new decree before covids that ended endless tourist visa extensions. Due to covids, they didn't enforce it. Now they are. Bottomline: the days of staying "indefinitely" on a tourist visa are over in Vietnam. Btw, wife is ex VN immigration still connected.
This video definitely reminds us that dependence on a foreign government for security is never a sound strategy. It enforces that the best practice is never to risk more than you can lose. People that go all in with building homes or businesses with nothing left over are absolute fools. A foreign government or a foreign spouse can bring that dream down in moments.
Nowadays, it’s apparent that you aren’t that safe with your own governments. Just look at the USA and the whole essential vs non-essential workers during Covid. Your own government can change the rules at any time.
...and this is exactly why I got the Thai Elite Visa....I wanted to be able to just come and go without worrying about the visa situation. Obviously, it's still a tourist visa but I don't think Thailand would screw the elite folks. (at least that's my hope)...like you said...money is what matters when it comes to stuff like this.
I love how frank you are! Great video too 😊
Thanks bro!
Oh noo, this is such bad news! I love Vietnam! Thanks for sharing the video :) I am currently working and living in Tenerife, Spain (coming from Poland originally).
Looks like you'll be heading back to Poland very soon! Byyyyyeeeeeeeee!
If you're struggling in Thailand or Vietnam, how the hell can you go back to your home country, the UK for example, and thrive?
Well there is a lot more jobs available for a British citizen in the UK than they can find in Vietnam.
Living in the uk, this all seems kind of surreal with so many none indigenous people around and so many younger people taking the I'm a citizen of the world line.
Odd that this is happening right now. I was literally JUST (as in yesterday) setting a few dates in place for my return to Thailand. Pondering Vietnam, and some different options in terms of visas and such. Go to bed, wake up to your video timely reminder that "You gotta have a fall-back"...which (of course) I always keep for these sort of emergencies.
Man, that sucks to have to get out in three days. Yikes! Yeah, money helps, for sure!
Still not the time for tourism, almost all borders in SE Asia closed to foreigners.
@@eldeluxo Yeah, sit tight for a while. Looks like 2023 is going to be a GREAT year!
@@beverlyweber4122 A majority of people thought 2021 would be better. What makes you think 2023 will be?
@@taoist32 Mathematics.
History gives us clues, doesn't it?
The Great Influenza (Spanish Flu) Pandemic of 1918 started in an Army barracks in Kansas in March of 1918. The whole thing ended after a final 4th wave in April 1920.
1793 yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia, which resulted in government officials fleeing the city, ended within the year.
Pandemics end. They do not last forever. Even Polio, which resulted in the death and disability of millions worldwide, eventually was eradicated.
This thing started in November-ish of 2019. By April of 2023, it will have been around for three and a half full years.
Odd, but we already have nearly a dozen vaccines either in production or in trials...including an oral pill..! And many of us have already HAD Covid (I caught mine in January)....and many of us that caught it, have also had at least one vaccine afterward.
See ya in March of 2023!
Or...stay away and allow ME the opportunity to move into the beautiful condo that YOU might have rented out from under me!
@@beverlyweber4122 I see. Well, understandable. The only thing is hyperinflation is around the corner.
My wife is from Vietnam and we’re usually in Vietnam and at her house unfortunately last year feb 15 came to California for little over a month and couldn’t return, I just got a new passport book with 5 year visa and can’t return just yet they say soon?, people who are having to leave Vietnam only have a tourist visa or fake visa stamps/illegal teachers it’s normal for Vietnam to ask people to leave if no proper passport or visa, thanks for sharing great channel 👍🏼
How about if you are married to a Vietnamese girl? I'm sure that's different. But good informatve video
When I watch videos from Western travellers and they continue to gloat about
how cheap everything is, I know they're there for the wrong reasons.
Most of them just want attention!
They aren't cheaper for long once the youtube wannabes film it
@@grahammurray7426 Exactly! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Naw man, i did the same - because its mind blowing - i retired in America, Shit i could move to the middle east and live well, Vietnam is a dope place and that bonus of a 40 cent beer does NOT hurt the fun.
Just because shit is cheap don't me we all some bums that lived at mom's house and didn't amount to anything...
that is just stereotyping isn't it?
Stereotyping can be fun to prove wrong though, like Viet girls CANNOT drive and most here are in fact bad at math :)
Cheap sounds like a pretty good reason to me but if it's the only reason then you may be there for the wrong reason.
Same same..Brett..have lived in Indonesia for years and most recently Malaysia past 4 years…and yes Immigration kicked out all TV expats..so back in Oz now…super expensive to get home + Quarantine…actually good timing as Malay numbers are now through the roof..9k per day..per capita,worse than India…???
Curious, what if you couldn't afford the super expensive fairs or get a quarantine space? What would the Australian government have done in that situation? & what would local governments do in that situation if the Oz government refuses to take it's citizens back?
That's part of the border closure issue we're not hearing anything at all about in Australia
What is a "TV expats" and had you been staying for 4 years on a tourist visa,
rather than a program like "Malaysia my second home"?
Cases numbers are irrelevant. if there's a 99.97% survival rate.
@@rayronald7269 shame there's not then huh? Also, lets not forget long covid & lung & heart scaring!
Tourist visa is for tourists just like the name indicates. It's not for retirement or settlement in a country and definitely not for hippie's to stay forever 😏😏
From the retirement visa side, the Thai system makes sense as the requirement to have 800000 Bhat (£18k) or 65k Bhat per month income or a combination of income and savings makes sure that in a similar situation you at least have enough money to get back to your home country (A single person perspective) so, unlike the West, they are not a soft touch and it is their country after all.
So if you have disregarded their rules because you have a feeling of western entitlement then it will be a good life lesson for some
You are right 800,000 Thai bhat is still very reseanable.
Kevin, £18,000 per month requirement to live in cheap as anything SE Asia? You don't think that's out of all proportion? They request BIG BUCKS bcz this way when they rob you, they steal the damned lot. These are dishonest, thieving societies and with the law on the locals side, never on the foreigners. SE Asia is NEVER the place to settle down in. Just go on holidays, then piss off before they grab all you've got. These are master con artists. They are on their turf, and a foreigner wouldn't stand any chance of getting any help anywhere. Hope you KNOW this. Any document you sign isn't worth the paper it's written on. You'd be set up from the start. Why would you want to risk all by moving there, thinking it's cheap? You will pay with all you've got and lose all in the end. I'd never consider moving to any 3rd world country. You'll find friends vanish when things go wrong, and that's friends back home too, & your consulate won't give a rat's about you one way or the other. You will find yourself stranded, starving with no way out. Happens all the time.
@@philipnguyen3107 WHY is such a large amount as that reasonable? SE Asia is not Switzerland or Liechtenstein you know. Get real. Nobody makes that amount in Western countries in an honest way.
Very wise words even if they do hurt.
These are very strange times that we are living in and the unexpected is just around the corner.
After having seen the UK retirees having to leave Spain in recent times the warning is very real and a plan B is essential.
can someone explain for me what's happend to tourist in Vietnam?.
I'm one of those people that got stuck in Vietnam since the start of the pandemic. I've been extending my tourist visa for a year. I was able to get my extension this month but I heard from others that they were denied and forced to leave the country with only a few days notice. I'm not sure what to do because I dont want to leave if I dont have to but I also dont want to be in the position where my visa is denied and I only have a few days to gtfo. I wish they would issue some kind of warning. In any case, there is a 4th wave of covid and Vietnam is struggling to contain the outbreak. To me it seems like cracking down on peoples visas is somehow connected to the stress about the 4th wave. Will see what happens but if I have to leave I'll make it happen.
**Also I heard that the US embassies will give Americans loans to come back to the USA, so that might be a good option for people who cant afford the ticket.
I was in Vietnam in March/April of 2020 and had no problem returning to North America.
When you say that you've been "Stuck in Vietnam" is that because you don't have the
Financial means to leave, or some other reason?
@@eldeluxo yeah, I guess I mean stuck because of a lot of different factors. I could have gone back to the USA if I wanted to, like I could have borrowed money to get back but I wanted to shelter in place. Traveling is the reason this disease made it to the entire world so I felt I should stop traveling if I didnt have to. Since the start of the pandemic I've also been really afraid to fly or go to the airport because of covid. The longer I stayed in Vietnam the worse the pandemic got in the USA, so I decided to stay here as long as I could. Now that Americans are getting vaccinated I'm feeling better about coming back. So if I get kicked out of Vietnam it's okay, I'm still worried about getting covid while I'm in transit but I would be happy to get the vaccine once I get to the states. Long story short, it's been a confusing year and my main goal has just been not getting sick.
@@g.dross14 you seem horribly scared bro..is it cause of the age or you have some underlying medical condition? I think if not you will be ok to travel. There are lots of safety rules in travel these days
@@BigBrother04 yeah you're probably right. I'm the kind of person that assumes the worst will happen. I struggle with uncertainty and we are learning new things about covid all the time. While it's unlikely that I would die from it, seemingly healthy people have died from it so it's not impossible. Treatment is expensive and even if you survive, no one knows how it will effect you in the long term. So I guess it's just death and possible long term complications that I'm mainly worried about.
Great video thank you Brett.
Well said.thank you
Why not just get and stay on a business visa in Vietnam? That's how I've always gone about it. Whenever going to Vietnam I'd always get a business visa just in case, even though I was pretty much just being a tourist.
Well said Bret I agree 100 percent mate rules can be changed and always have a back up plan
If I'm Vietnamese but I wasn't born in Vietnam, am I still considered a Tourist?
You are a visitor unless you hold a Vietnamese passport.
@@daquytx8139 I'm Vietnamese but I was born in Australia, am I still a foreigner
@@Ev0Apex yes you are. But Vietnamese foreign born with sponsorship from relatives living in Vietnam can give you exemption. That"s the law. Ask your immigration lawyer.
come to cambodia or thailand
Maybe he does or doesn't know exactly what is going on in VN. The subject of the video was visas in general, not VN visas. He has good general experience about living abroad to pass along. Keep an open mind.
Very informative , you earned a sub!
I think when covid goes you'll see people moving back and forth between cambodia and vietnam. They only do 30 day visas so I'd guess they'd hop between these countries, staying for 30 days then moving on. Some people will do border runs but that is hellish to do once a month (takes about 10 hours and its a shite day)
love the content mate , keep up the good work bro.
Appreciate it!
What happened some of the tourists lied and pretended they were doing business in Vietnam and got caught. And that's no surprise the arrogance.
Because many dodgy Vietnamese agents sold them dodgy Visas. Vietnam is very corrupt.
@@alexanderinsubordinate1861 are you going to put the blame on VN entirely? it takes two to tangle. their customers are just as corrupt as they are. it's stupid to believe your s don't stink.
@@Teolulz my shit doesn't stink. I have a legit work permit, full time job and have paid tax on everything I earned. I'm just tired of seeing so much hate a glee from arrogant people that those who have lost their lifestyle due to the recent changes. There is something quite sad about someone who takes pride in watching others fall. Actually i love Vietnam the corruption is funny. I have paid off cops who caught my riding my bike too fast and so on, everyone does, it's part of their culture, even the people who work in banks have to pay a bribe to get a job and Vietnamese teachers have to pay a corruption bribe. The expats who have been living here on bribed visas have just been doing as the locals do, as they say, "When in Rome...." it doesn't bother me and I don't blame them, they are mostly young people have fun. But these wealthier older retired expats who getting excited that those younger people can't get dodgy visas are much worse individuals, their hatred is mostly based around jealousy, they worked hard to come out here and use the wealth to buy a submissive little wife. They don't want young people enjoying the same country for cheap.
Note: I am not saying all retirees are to blame. Infact I know a fee myself who are very nice people, but even they have to pay the occasional bribe, to recieve an international parcel or get something done. I think you know that's how it is in Vietnam.
@@alexanderinsubordinate1861 based
Nice vid. Well put.
Doing yoga all day is the antithesis of being lazy lol
Lazy yogi lols
Agreed!
I wouldn't call it lazy. Yoga takes effort but if you're barely surviving you're in danger of being bounced out.
@@6789uiop was the video about u?
@@6789uiop Doesn't know what?
I don't understand why someone wants to live in another country if he did not (want) accept that countries citizenship. Safest place to live and plan to stay is the country you are planning to retire and contributed to that place since you were working most of the time. Most people are easy resort seekers; life is not holidays and find the spot you would fit for the rest of your life.
What a lot of people on these forums don't seem to get is that you always had to leave Vietnam every three months. Even if you had a 1 year tourist visa, you still had to physically leave the country four times every three months and re-enter. When the pandemic hit and flights and global travel was disrupted, Vietnam waived that requirement and let people stay. But now with most of the rest of the world re-opened, extending that special exemption doesn't really make any sense.
The thing that is screwing these people over is not really any change in Visa policy, but rather the simple fact that Vietnam's borders are closed to the outside world. Vietnam's Covid policies are what is causing these people problems, not any strict new visa rules.
Thank youuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!
I wish you give me an advice,
I am a single 52 years old, and my dream was always to be free and live a simple life especially in Thailand.
I feel I am depressed here in Holland and I want to go as fast as I can but I have no skills to work online.
I have savings for two years to live in Thailand.
Is it doable to learn a skill (my favorite is Web development) in Thailand and then start an online business?
Do you suggest me that?
I appreciate your advice.
Hello Sirin S
As I see, you´re over 50 years old so you can get a retirement visa for 1 year in Thailand.
What you need to approved your retirement visa in Thailand are:
1) You need a proof (has to be confirmed through your Dutch embassy) monthly income of TBH 65.000-(approx. EUR. 1.800--)
2) If you do not have 1) a monthly income, an option is you have to put on a Thai Bank at least THB 800.000-( approx.. EUR. 22.000--) at least 3 months before the application of your visa, after your visa is approved, you have to keep this amount on your bank of another 3 months.
3) You have to report your address at the immigration every 90 days (TM47)
4)Every time you left you home or apartment longer than 24 hours, you have to report to the immigration within 24 hours!!! (TM30) google for TM30
5) You need a RE-ENTRY visa: If you leave the country (let´s say, 1 week in BALI) then come back, you NEED this visa otherwise your retirement will be expired immediately!!!
6) Please keep in mind that Thailand has a double price standard, one for Thai and one for foreigner. The price for foreigner could be from 2x to 10x times (yes ten times with no reason) of a Thai and it´s legal and totally normal! google - double price standard for foreigner...
7) Working on retirement visa is not allowed!!!
If you´re fine with all of these so then welcome to Thailand.
Ya can't stay/ live in a foreign country long-term without Heaps of cash.. I'm retired Tland. An aspect of the Corona ; noone here without heaps of cash. Cleared out all the near-do-wells.
What's the difference between an immigrant and an expat?
Not kicking out, just filtering.
My current US military pension would pay me roughly $112,000 baht per month, but I am only 45. So I am not quite old enough to retire by Thailand standards. So the plan is to keep working and build that income even higher. I might not even retire to Thailand but instead live like a king for a month or 2 out of the year. I cannot find any videos on people with higher incomes retiring in Thailand. All the ones I can find are for people with basic budgets and how you can stretch your income.
Most comfortable people won't have time for YT tbh with you. They are there enjoying life and family. YT headache can only be endured if ones life depends on it, for most part and particularly in SEA.
Check out You Tube Channel " No Time to be Sad". Chuck has lived very well for over fours years in Thailand. Does not talk about budget maybe on live chats. Owns a car,travels all over place...etc. Popular channel ck it out
@@jimtrotter4359 Notimetobesad owned 2 separate successful auto repair shops which he sold near Houston, Texas, (Tomball, TX). He is worth more than several million USD.
@@Speakno12 It is all good. Just replied to Big Brother. He has time to have a very successful YT Channel. By and by ... good for him. Thanks for your input. Blessings to you and your family.
@@jimtrotter4359 I think I was speaking in general. There are always exceptions to the rule.
Great Video Brett - In life it's good to have an Exit Plan while employed with any company and of course the BIG EXIT - Retirement. Having some cash behind you gives you choice. What's the difference between an old man and a gentleman?
- Money / Cash.
Tourists visas for people who arrived in Vietnam after March 1, 2020 have been extended automatically to June 30, 2021.
Yes we are here at the behest of vietnam gov
I have a residence visa for 3 years after that i guess i half to get married to stay here
Or not
Get a legit job sponsored by a company you'll be fine.
...That's the trap...The clock is ticking on the older guys as insurance starts to not want to cover you (bad risk)...but going back to your home country, you will need a place to live...Lumber costs in the USA have jumped 4X in 1 year which means rent/housing costs have massively jumped. Where do you live..?? I plan on keeping my American house just for the reasons above, living 3 mos in 1 country, 3 months in another during the winter, then going back...I won't have the above to deal with...
good video, good info, thank you
The United States needs to aggressively enforce the same policy.
YEA ECXACTLY!! This is actually the easiest country to stay in! Just sneak in , and THATS IT!! Just ask "10.7 MILLION" people that are Ilegally here!
Hi, thanks for the informative video. I live in Vietnam and have a 5 year temporary residence permit. I know many others that have the same. I lived in Thai for 5 years on a retirement visa. Why would one not put 26k in the bank if retiring to Thai. I agree with you about the bums and cheats not being wanted. Vietnam and Thai don't want them and rightly so.
26k is better spent invested as opposed to rotting in a Thai bank account.
@@brett_dev i was getting 2.1% and still counts for visa.
With Kasikorn
www.bot.or.th/english/statistics/_layouts/application/interest_rate/in_rate.aspx
@Matt Helm hi Matt, not quite clear what your point is. Maybe some of your text was clipped off.
Yes you are right, at the end of the day you are a guest of that country no a citzen.
not all guests but guests who overstay their welcome to be exact.
Brett Another amazing video. Love Your Channel. Thank you for such relevant and truthful content. You’re Living The Dream
My pleasure!
Speak the truth about those lazy fools made me laugh. I'm sure they make it rough on all that are really trying to make a life in places like Thailand and Vietnam.
How much is this going cost Vietnam in tourists?
zero. did you watch the video? these people are broke and can't afford a plane ticket.
most of the old foreign men in the Facebook expat group are bitter, toxic, and miserable 😂
That's an understatement.
Wait till you get old
No country wants these losers
Seems most old men in America at present are bitter, toxic and miserable. This is not overstated.
You are the toxic one, no opinion or helpful comments. Just attack the people when you don't have a sensible point of view. I bet you are female.
Hardly anyone is on a tourist visa now. Ask people who actually live here.
Arrived in Thailand in '92 and have lived in 6 Asian countries since then. I have stayed single and have had the time of my life, but it's beginning to look like the good times are over.
these "poor" SEA countries don't need tourists anymore... times will get harsher, also Asians love rules, time to stick with Mexico and South America..
Just subbed
I heard that. How would you feel, Bret, if they kicked you out and you were 75 years old? That’s crazy! I am so sick of leaders acting like spoiled 5 year olds. There are a lot of them too. Even Malaysia got rid of their retirement programs. It looks so silly, really. 800,000 Baht…another crappy rule. They are all full of crap…wanna be dictators. Marriage visa…really? Who thought that one up?
They have to control the covid19 outbreak right now that is going on in the country , so they want foreigner to leave before it turn into India . They don't want foreigners to get sick , so get out now before it is too late , so i think they actually care about foreigners well being .