You have a life well above average for someone from the UK, never mind Thailand... Nice home in a good area, new car, investment properties, etc. at a relatively young age... You should be very grateful for your beginnings... Most of us don't have this sort of privileged life unfortunately ... Best of luck anyway...
Whats the differences to your life it would make by getting it ? have you done a vid on all the different advantages full residency gives you ? great vids by the way.
Clearly that's an absurd amount to pay an agent Jon but don't let those ridiculous quotes deter you, keep searching and researching. Sometimes need to be in detective mode to find correct information, agent and people within the immigration system that you'll need to develop one on one relationships with. My wife and I did everything for her permanent visa into Australia, both Thai side and AU side. Wasn't easy and took a long while but after researching, meetings and talking with immigration so much I felt like i had became an expert at the time. In the end we did it all ourselves and made that dream come true.
Man, you make good content about Thailand. But my 2 cents: don't give up on your goal just because of money. 11K GBP to get residency is not a terrible deal in the long run. You have a TH-cam channel that you can leverage to easily generate well over 500,000 baht. Making money is one of the easiest obstacles to overcome. This is Thailand, for something like residency you need the "help" of a legal expert ;). *Not speaking for experience but they obviously make it hard for a reason.
Apply every year, sooner or later you will get a yes. Honestly for my self I couldn’t care less about citizenship. Megan and I will live there on a DTV or Retirement Visa, its life. They do away with them and I guess we have to come back to the states. While I like to prepare, I have also adopted the Que Sera Sera attitude when it comes to Thailand.
If it’s something you really want and it’s part of your dream, go for it! Especially if you’ve steady set aside enough money to cover the expense. If an agent can give you any kind of guarantee, that’s even better. Sure you can do it by yourself but an agent will likely make the process much smoother. As they say, grease the skids to get things done.
Citizenship and / or permanent residency is a very complicated tooth pulling process. Hopefully you'll find someone who will get you through the minefield without it costing you an arm or a leg.
Both an experienced visa agent and a legal consultant advised against applying for PR, due to costs and difficulties, plus amount of tax I'd have to pay on income earned in Thailand. It is cheaper if one is married to a Thai woman rather than being single.
I think if I were in your situation I'd feel that if a country makes it that difficult or costly for me to obtain permanent residency I'd be inclined not to try. However I also understand your links as a long term resident and having a family there, and understand as you mentioned there are more business opportunities if you were able get it (although if obtaining a Thai mortgage is the problem specifically, could you instead invest in another country where you are able to obtain a mortgage?). Ultimately I don't have enough knowledge of the subject to comment on what I think would be the best course of action & can see it from both sides, but wish you the best with whatever route you end up choosing.
My advise: Get a 20 year Thai Elite visa. Forget 90 day reports, they are a waste of time. Fly abroad once a year to update your stamp, Thai Elite will help you skip the queues at Suvarnabhumi Airport. This way, you only have to visit Chaengwattana once every five years to get an updated Thai Elite visa (you get four, five year visas when you buy 20 years). Also, leave Thai Elite to sort your paperwork at Chaengwattana, hang out at a cafe and get them to call you, only when they need you. Enjoy being a citizen of nowhere.
@@carstensanonym7527 90 day reports don't take 5 minutes when you factor in travel time. Chaengwattana is extremely inconvenient, especially if you don't live in Bangkok. Thai Elite let you drop it off on Monday and pick it up on Friday but then it's two journeys to and from their office in Chit Lom - and you have to trust them not to loose your passport. Not to mention the trouble of getting a TM30 and completing the TM-47 form. Why bother when you can either pay a 5,000 baht fee once a year or leave the country once a year to avoid the fee entirely? Also, if you trust a Thai government website to work consistently, you are a fool.
Hi John, you are making it more complicated then it is. Don't trust lawyers. I used a reputable lawyer when I opened my BOI company and that was horrible, I basically needed to rewrite the application myself. I have a 2 friends with PR done One used a lawyer the other one didnt, both managed to complete it successfully. As for my self, I am going for citizenship without laywer, actually way into it already.
You mentioned an English on youtube did it so why not reach out to him? Does Thailand have dual citizenship or would you have to give up your English passport?? Good luck either way.
I wouldn't invest money to this. If every guy who was married and had some assets in country could apply for residency easily you would see tons of these people everywhere. It must be on an exceptional basis and they merely have the process made public because they had to.
It’s the same process in the U.S. but the standards aren’t quite as high. You have to have good moral character and no felony convictions or serious misdemeanors. You have to pass a basic civics test and basic English proficiency test. I would say half of MAGA couldn’t pass it. If you want to make it super strict I’m down with that if we make it retroactive and applicable to everyone.
I got the DTV visa, it lasts for 5 years, multi entry and 6 months at a time, and it costed around 15k thb, or 400 USD. I applied and got it in a few months, it works but if you're looking for citizenship or permanent residence, the best way is to get married. Everything else for a guy who isn't retirement age requires a lot of money or connections to jump through all the hoops i.e. not worth it so make the best of your situation..
Listen to your guts feeling and don't do it. Simply there is something wrong if the success cannot be guaranteed upfront before spending such huge amount. Very odd situation - leave it!
There should be a reciprocal agreement between nations. If Thais can apply in the UK easily, it should be ok for UK’s to apply in Thailand easily too. I wouldn’t stay in a country that views me as a walking wallet. Move elsewhere. Thailand isn’t the greatest place in my opinion. Unfortunately you all in the UK voted to leave the EU, so it’s much harder to move to other better places than Thailand within Europe. Maybe try the Caribbean? Australia? NZ? USA?
Who told you that Thais can apply in the UK easily? At least they have to past English test and spend a lot of money, most of foreigners that complain about this topic can’t even read and speak Thai properly
Focusing on what you haven't got gives you more of what you haven't got. Read "Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself" and "Becoming Supernatural" by Dr Joe Dispenza.
Good luck with Thailand Amazing how difficult. I’m retiring in China and FAR easier to be a resident in China than Thailand. China easy if have $ in bank and Chinese wife. ✅✅。 key is $$$$ in bank you can live off of so you’re not a drain on the system
Do you know someone with a Thai wife who was thrown out of the country? If so, why were they thrown out? I haven't read a lot of horror stories about people being happily married to a Thai spouse and being deported. If deportations of foreigners with Thai spouses is a real problem, you should be hellbent on getting permanent residency. If people with Thai spouses aren't being deported, this seems like a lot of misdirected energy that would be better spent learning Thai. In the U.S., nobody cares what documents you have, they only care about how well you speak English. You could have a gold-plated permanent resident card personally signed by the president, but if you only speak Chinese, you will be viewed as an outsider who doesn't belong here. In the U.S., even if you live here for 40 years, acquire citizenship, speak English well, and hold a job for decades, you are still ultimately a "foreigner." You only overcome foreigner status by either (a) being a movie star, or (b) making billions of dollars.
Jon I follow a legal firm in Thailand and the owner is a guy from the US that is naturalized in Thailand. The TH-cam channel is Integrity Legal and he handles immigration cases. Get in contact with them I’m sure he can help or guide you
It's your dream you say, but you can't even speak the language after 20 years living in the country, you certainly haven't integrated into Thai society, so why on earth would you expect to be able to get it? Just accept you are a tourist in Thailand, and you always will be. Even if you got residency/citizenship, you would still always be viewed as a tourist/falang. Better to accept it and move on.
First of all - I love your videos and content but when you say "guy's" you're talking to males. I love Thailand and Chaing Mai. I am retiring early at 58 - next year from the USA. Here's my problem with Thailand- you can't own a home and I don't care what anyone says - as a US citizen, you don't own it plain and simple. You can't own a business on your own. I'm a female and not looking to find a Thai husband and even if I did- I'm not putting a home or business in his name. For me - I would just be a visitor even if I lived there for 30 years.
Thanks really appreciate that :) Yeah that is a big downfall for many people, you can still own a condo 100% freehold but yeah this is not for everyone :)
There's a glass that is half filled, is it half full or half empty? Stop being such a 'Debbie Downer'! Read some Marcus Aurelius. You have it good my friend, be strong, be patient and things that are due will come. Amor fati 😉
Ok here we go….. as I pointed out to you on many occasions and you continually disagreed with me , now you are starting to get your head out of the clouds and face reality. You will always be a foreigner here, end of story. I got into many debates with your viewers some quite heated I may add, but it’s the facts If you are doubting yourself with a Thai wife and business and 7 years under your belt how does this reflect on your previous vlog with the Canadian ? You know the one, stop the video bolt down to your nearest agent and get on that plane and enjoy all the health fruit and the 40+ degrees sizzling weather ? Absolutely insanity and misleading. Just keep doing what your doing because neither yourself or any misled viewer can afford to spend 500,000 on an if Thank you for realizing most of what I say is correct and that there is no rhyme or reason here. I love Thailand more than you and come twice a year and have done so for 15 years but you must face reality and set you viewers straight. It’s not as awesome as you keep saying 🙏
I'm British have been working for past 5 years in Toronto, company sponsored by Visa. In the period I have seen the failures of the Canadian immigration system first hand, very sad state of affairs. When I transfed to Toronto from London in 2019, it was very exciting and happening place., now many people want to leave to a place like Thailand. Canada can learn a thing or two in this area from Thailand.
@@josephj6521 I notice you didn’t bother to mention the places to stay that are better than Thailand. But, you are eager to tell expats to move on. Why?
Your neighbours probably think you have lost the plot by standing talking into the doorbell camera for over 10 minutes lol.
You have a life well above average for someone from the UK, never mind Thailand... Nice home in a good area, new car, investment properties, etc. at a relatively young age... You should be very grateful for your beginnings... Most of us don't have this sort of privileged life unfortunately ... Best of luck anyway...
Yup I agree
You not going to conquer the world living in Thailand.... hahaha 😊....it's a dream killer.
My favourite subject, Jon.
Mine too 😂
"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change" - Wayne Dyer.
Yeah and when it's Thailand, they change... and then the same thing changes again and then it changes again and again and then again.😂
Hi Jon, keep trying! If you really want it badly, make it happens! Never give up on your dream. 🥺
Thumbs up 👍 Jon
Whats the differences to your life it would make by getting it ? have you done a vid on all the different advantages full residency gives you ? great vids by the way.
Clearly that's an absurd amount to pay an agent Jon but don't let those ridiculous quotes deter you, keep searching and researching. Sometimes need to be in detective mode to find correct information, agent and people within the immigration system that you'll need to develop one on one relationships with. My wife and I did everything for her permanent visa into Australia, both Thai side and AU side. Wasn't easy and took a long while but after researching, meetings and talking with immigration so much I felt like i had became an expert at the time. In the end we did it all ourselves and made that dream come true.
I can feel you. Getting a Thai citizenship is hard, but getting a work permit is not if you set up a company.
Man, you make good content about Thailand. But my 2 cents: don't give up on your goal just because of money. 11K GBP to get residency is not a terrible deal in the long run. You have a TH-cam channel that you can leverage to easily generate well over 500,000 baht. Making money is one of the easiest obstacles to overcome. This is Thailand, for something like residency you need the "help" of a legal expert ;). *Not speaking for experience but they obviously make it hard for a reason.
Apply every year, sooner or later you will get a yes. Honestly for my self I couldn’t care less about citizenship. Megan and I will live there on a DTV or Retirement Visa, its life. They do away with them and I guess we have to come back to the states. While I like to prepare, I have also adopted the Que Sera Sera attitude when it comes to Thailand.
If it’s something you really want and it’s part of your dream, go for it! Especially if you’ve steady set aside enough money to cover the expense. If an agent can give you any kind of guarantee, that’s even better. Sure you can do it by yourself but an agent will likely make the process much smoother. As they say, grease the skids to get things done.
Citizenship and / or permanent residency is a very complicated tooth pulling process. Hopefully you'll find someone who will get you through the minefield without it costing you an arm or a leg.
Both an experienced visa agent and a legal consultant advised against applying for PR, due to costs and difficulties, plus amount of tax I'd have to pay on income earned in Thailand.
It is cheaper if one is married to a Thai woman rather than being single.
I think if I were in your situation I'd feel that if a country makes it that difficult or costly for me to obtain permanent residency I'd be inclined not to try. However I also understand your links as a long term resident and having a family there, and understand as you mentioned there are more business opportunities if you were able get it (although if obtaining a Thai mortgage is the problem specifically, could you instead invest in another country where you are able to obtain a mortgage?).
Ultimately I don't have enough knowledge of the subject to comment on what I think would be the best course of action & can see it from both sides, but wish you the best with whatever route you end up choosing.
Also if you get employment, work permit will come through the employers.
Youre right John!
My advise: Get a 20 year Thai Elite visa. Forget 90 day reports, they are a waste of time. Fly abroad once a year to update your stamp, Thai Elite will help you skip the queues at Suvarnabhumi Airport. This way, you only have to visit Chaengwattana once every five years to get an updated Thai Elite visa (you get four, five year visas when you buy 20 years). Also, leave Thai Elite to sort your paperwork at Chaengwattana, hang out at a cafe and get them to call you, only when they need you. Enjoy being a citizen of nowhere.
Elite visa also requires 90d reports. They are done online in 5 min.
@@carstensanonym7527 90 day reports don't take 5 minutes when you factor in travel time. Chaengwattana is extremely inconvenient, especially if you don't live in Bangkok. Thai Elite let you drop it off on Monday and pick it up on Friday but then it's two journeys to and from their office in Chit Lom - and you have to trust them not to loose your passport. Not to mention the trouble of getting a TM30 and completing the TM-47 form. Why bother when you can either pay a 5,000 baht fee once a year or leave the country once a year to avoid the fee entirely? Also, if you trust a Thai government website to work consistently, you are a fool.
Maybe get your Thai more fluent then try again in a few years.
Good morning Jon.
Do you fancy meeting up soon?
I'm a native UK retiree here, living in CBP, near BIG C Extra.
Hi John, you are making it more complicated then it is. Don't trust lawyers. I used a reputable lawyer when I opened my BOI company and that was horrible, I basically needed to rewrite the application myself. I have a 2 friends with PR done One used a lawyer the other one didnt, both managed to complete it successfully. As for my self, I am going for citizenship without laywer, actually way into it already.
... and there has been some rumors that they will open the window for PR ealy nexrt year.
Try or don’t. Thailand is going to remain Thailand. I think the more folks try to change it, the more Thailand wants to stay the same.
You mentioned an English on youtube did it so why not reach out to him? Does Thailand have dual citizenship or would you have to give up your English passport?? Good luck either way.
speak Thai with your loved ones and learn the pure language ... it's lacking there I think.
Tried for 30 years still never managed it
I wouldn't invest money to this. If every guy who was married and had some assets in country could apply for residency easily you would see tons of these people everywhere. It must be on an exceptional basis and they merely have the process made public because they had to.
Mate you are on another planet to a thai person just forget it
I'd say keep trying, in the meantime you can live here on a long-term resident visa anyway, right?
It’s the same process in the U.S. but the standards aren’t quite as high. You have to have good moral character and no felony convictions or serious misdemeanors. You have to pass a basic civics test and basic English proficiency test. I would say half of MAGA couldn’t pass it. If you want to make it super strict I’m down with that if we make it retroactive and applicable to everyone.
I got the DTV visa, it lasts for 5 years, multi entry and 6 months at a time, and it costed around 15k thb, or 400 USD. I applied and got it in a few months, it works but if you're looking for citizenship or permanent residence, the best way is to get married. Everything else for a guy who isn't retirement age requires a lot of money or connections to jump through all the hoops i.e. not worth it so make the best of your situation..
I thought Jon was already married, for many years now.
Jon is married to a thai girl. (for 12-13 years) :)
Listen to your guts feeling and don't do it. Simply there is something wrong if the success cannot be guaranteed upfront before spending such huge amount. Very odd situation - leave it!
There should be a reciprocal agreement between nations. If Thais can apply in the UK easily, it should be ok for UK’s to apply in Thailand easily too.
I wouldn’t stay in a country that views me as a walking wallet. Move elsewhere.
Thailand isn’t the greatest place in my opinion. Unfortunately you all in the UK voted to leave the EU, so it’s much harder to move to other better places than Thailand within Europe.
Maybe try the Caribbean? Australia? NZ? USA?
Who told you that Thais can apply in the UK easily? At least they have to past English test and spend a lot of money, most of foreigners that complain about this topic can’t even read and speak Thai properly
Focusing on what you haven't got gives you more of what you haven't got. Read "Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself" and "Becoming Supernatural" by Dr Joe Dispenza.
The UK is the best for you , pay taxes and work hard . You are in heaven now , PR is not for you it's for us
Try yourself
Good luck with Thailand Amazing how difficult. I’m retiring in China and FAR easier to be a resident in China than Thailand. China easy if have $ in bank and Chinese wife. ✅✅。 key is $$$$ in bank you can live off of so you’re not a drain on the system
Do you know someone with a Thai wife who was thrown out of the country? If so, why were they thrown out? I haven't read a lot of horror stories about people being happily married to a Thai spouse and being deported. If deportations of foreigners with Thai spouses is a real problem, you should be hellbent on getting permanent residency. If people with Thai spouses aren't being deported, this seems like a lot of misdirected energy that would be better spent learning Thai. In the U.S., nobody cares what documents you have, they only care about how well you speak English. You could have a gold-plated permanent resident card personally signed by the president, but if you only speak Chinese, you will be viewed as an outsider who doesn't belong here. In the U.S., even if you live here for 40 years, acquire citizenship, speak English well, and hold a job for decades, you are still ultimately a "foreigner." You only overcome foreigner status by either (a) being a movie star, or (b) making billions of dollars.
Jon I follow a legal firm in Thailand and the owner is a guy from the US that is naturalized in Thailand. The TH-cam channel is Integrity Legal and he handles immigration cases. Get in contact with them I’m sure he can help or guide you
It's your dream you say, but you can't even speak the language after 20 years living in the country, you certainly haven't integrated into Thai society, so why on earth would you expect to be able to get it? Just accept you are a tourist in Thailand, and you always will be. Even if you got residency/citizenship, you would still always be viewed as a tourist/falang. Better to accept it and move on.
First of all - I love your videos and content but when you say "guy's" you're talking to males. I love Thailand and Chaing Mai. I am retiring early at 58 - next year from the USA. Here's my problem with Thailand- you can't own a home and I don't care what anyone says - as a US citizen, you don't own it plain and simple. You can't own a business on your own. I'm a female and not looking to find a Thai husband and even if I did- I'm not putting a home or business in his name. For me - I would just be a visitor even if I lived there for 30 years.
Thanks really appreciate that :) Yeah that is a big downfall for many people, you can still own a condo 100% freehold but yeah this is not for everyone :)
500k thb is about 11k. Its really not that much if you're seeking permanent residence in a new country. Its the cost of relocation.
Did you buy a new car?
Yep just got it as the old one was written off with the floods
There's a glass that is half filled, is it half full or half empty?
Stop being such a 'Debbie Downer'!
Read some Marcus Aurelius.
You have it good my friend, be strong, be patient and things that are due will come.
Amor fati 😉
No Money No XXX.
Ok here we go….. as I pointed out to you on many occasions and you continually disagreed with me , now you are starting to get your head out of the clouds and face reality. You will always be a foreigner here, end of story. I got into many debates with your viewers some quite heated I may add, but it’s the facts
If you are doubting yourself with a Thai wife and business and 7 years under your belt how does this reflect on your previous vlog with the Canadian ? You know the one, stop the video bolt down to your nearest agent and get on that plane and enjoy all the health fruit and the 40+ degrees sizzling weather ? Absolutely insanity and misleading. Just keep doing what your doing because neither yourself or any misled viewer can afford to spend 500,000 on an if
Thank you for realizing most of what I say is correct and that there is no rhyme or reason here. I love Thailand more than you and come twice a year and have done so for 15 years but you must face reality and set you viewers straight. It’s not as awesome as you keep saying 🙏
There is always a way, you have just not seen it yet.
I've been here 3 years, and I figured that one out in a day or two
I'm British have been working for past 5 years in Toronto, company sponsored by Visa. In the period I have seen the failures of the Canadian immigration system first hand, very sad state of affairs. When I transfed to Toronto from London in 2019, it was very exciting and happening place., now many people want to leave to a place like Thailand. Canada can learn a thing or two in this area from Thailand.
I agree. Thailand isn’t paradise. Especially when you’re treated as a foreigner. Move on. The world is a big place. Many better places to stay.
@@josephj6521 I notice you didn’t bother to mention the places to stay that are better than Thailand. But, you are eager to tell expats to move on. Why?