Emigrate to Thailand?
Many foreigners live there Thailand, of which, it is said, almost 10.000 are Dutch. I don't know how many Belgians live there, but this article may also be of interest to our Southern neighbours.
Unfortunately, little is known about why those Dutch people choose to live in Thailand, but one can think of a number of reasons.
You can roughly divide the Dutch who live here into three groups. In the first place I think of expats (short term), people who are stationed in Thailand by a Dutch or international company. After a certain period, they return to the Netherlands or are transferred to another country.
The second group consists of people who, for whatever reason, leave the Netherlands to build a new life here in Thailand. These can be people with a lot of experience, who want to get started (education, catering, etc.) or (young) adventurers, who try their luck here with an attitude of "I'll see what happens".
And then the group of people who have their sheep on dry land. Well-bred in the Netherlands or just (early) retired, enjoying a "second life" as an expat (long term) is their credo for the decision to live in Thailand.
In addition, hundreds of thousands of Dutch and Belgians choose one every year holiday in Thailand. A holiday can last 2 or 3 weeks or maybe even a month or two and some stay here for half a year as winter visitors. They enjoy this beautiful country with many possibilities and many of them will occasionally sigh: "Gosh, I would like to live here forever!".
For many people this remains a dream, but the idea can also take shape for a number of people and the consideration to emigrate here will then increase. I can tell you that the final decision to live in Thailand is not an easy one. There are many arguments to go, but I can also think of many arguments to stay in the Netherlands.
The most important point is the emotional decision, where you can wonder all sorts of things. Do I really want to live in such a foreign country with strange people and a foreign language, can I miss my family, children, acquaintances, friends, etc., do I have to resign, can I eat what I want there, etc. , etc.
Then, if those questions are answered positively, comes the practical side of an emigration and one should focus on a number of points of attention. I'll mention a few, without wanting to be exhaustive:
1. Housing
You will live somewhere, but where? In Bangkok or another larger city with or without many tourists? Or somewhere in the countryside? In Bangkok you will undoubtedly spend more money on housing than in the countryside. This point also depends on how you want to live, is a room with simple furniture and basic facilities sufficient or do you prefer a villa with a swimming pool? Think carefully about this, because every choice has its own price.
2. Cost of living
Yes, the cost of living in Thailand is generally lower than in the Netherlands. The condition is that you adapt to Thai customs somewhat. Certainly when it comes to food, you will not be able to eat “Dutch” everywhere. However, if you do want that, the monthly bill for restaurant visits can turn out to be quite high. The costs for relaxation and going out are never high, but again if you do that often, because then your budget may fall short.
3. Visa requirement/work permit
You cannot just go and live in Thailand, you need a valid visa. Thailand has several types of visas, of which the Non-Immigrant visa for 3 months or a year is the most common. If you are older than 50 years, you can have that visa converted into a so-called Retirement Visa.
In principle, a foreigner is not allowed to work in Thailand, you need special permission for this, the “work permit”.
4. Unsubscribe
Both the Municipal Personal Records Database and some benefit agencies have rules for emigration. Determine for yourself on the basis of those rules and personal circumstances whether emigration without (financial) consequences is possible.
5. Insurance
Check all your insurance policies and see which ones you want/must keep and which you can cancel upon emigration.
6. AOW/Pension
Emigrating can have consequences for the amount of a (future) AOW pension. Please read the very detailed information on the website of the Social Insurance Bank (SVB)
For other (company) pensions, emigration does not affect the payment.
7. Medical Care
The Dutch Health Insurance Act only applies to people who live in the Netherlands. If you deregister with the GBA, you are no longer insured for medical costs. You will then have to insure yourself in a different way, either with a foreign policy or with a local insurance here in Thailand.
Medical care is well organized in Thailand – in the big cities – but of course it costs money.
For many expats this is a major concern, because good insurance can cost a lot of money, especially at a later age, and not having insurance can cost a lot more in the event of (serious) illness.
8. Income/tax
Of course you have money and/or an income when you emigrate. Decide for yourself whether you leave it in the bank in the Netherlands and then use the many pin options here or whether you open a Thai bank account and have (part of) the money transferred at the daily exchange rate of the Baht.
If your income consists of pension payments, there are possibilities to get an exemption from income tax upon emigration. This is subject to conditions, which you can find on the website of the Tax and Customs Administration.
9. Wills
Whether you are young or old, the chance of death in Thailand is simply present, there is no difference whatsoever with the Netherlands. Consider a will and a kind of scenario for the next of kin what to do in the event of a death in Thailand. Once you live here and – possibly just like a Thai partner – you have business interests and/or assets, a Thai will is also a necessary thing.
It's just a few points of attention, without wanting to be exhaustive. You can think of others yourself. I have also not gone into every point in detail, because much more information is available on the Internet or at the relevant authority. Almost all points have also been discussed on thailandblog.nl, also a good source for information.
Finally: I myself had to consider all those points of attention, both emotionally and practically. The outcome was positive and so I emigrated to Thailand quite a few years ago. Not one single day have I regretted it, I love Thailand, but my love for the Netherlands has not disappeared.
– Reposted message –
Hello, I have been living here for 29 years now, next Sunday, July 9, and if you want to emigrate here, do your homework well and start arranging everything 3 to 4 months in advance with the info and papers you have and go with that to BUZA and The Thai Embassy and Get Everything Legalized First get A4 from the Thai Embassy for what you need and that's it and Your Right Via NO
If you go to Thailand with a non-immigrant O and you are over 50 years old and married to a Thai. After 2 months you go for a retirement of a year and then again and again.
What kind of legalized papers do you need? I think that an income support letter (or bank statement), a statement from the landowner where you live and a valid passport are sufficient.
Is this correct?
Have a look at the Dossier Visa .
Page 50.
“Criteria for consideration and supporting documents for application for extension of stay to support a Thai spouse”.
This is a document issued by immigration in Pattaya. I then added it as it was published.
It is several years old and may have been modified a bit in the meantime, but it still gives you an idea of what is needed.
For what they demand in your immigration office, it is best to stop by and ask them.
Normally you will first receive an “Under consideration” stamp that is valid for 30 days.
They then say one day when to come back.
During that time you can normally expect a home visit and usually there is also a small neighborhood investigation. They will also come and take some pictures of you.
But every immigration office has its own rules for that. Sometimes there are no visitors at all.
If everything is in order, you will receive the year extension on the day that you had previously agreed. The 30 days “under consideration” have been settled in this. So you don't win or lose anything with it.
Tip. If you can meet the requirements of a “Retired”, then go for it.
Much faster and less paperwork.
I am also married and I also have my extension based on “Retired” for that reason.
So I don't have to have any papers legalized in the Netherlands if I have 800000 bath on my Thai bank on the basis of retirement?
Not if you take an extension based on “Retirement”.
I would not know which legalized papers from the Netherlands you will have to show.
I certainly don't have to show anything from Belgium with my extension. Just because I'm using an income, I'm going to have my signature on an “Affidavit” just one
But maybe Dirk Teur Couzy should be more specific in which documents he means
I think he means more the application for the visa in the Netherlands.
Depending on the type of O or OA visa, the embassy may want to see certain documents that need to be legalized.
Perhaps it is also possible that the marriage still has to be registered in Thailand. Will you have to do if you have an extension based on T
Correct version. Previous version was sent incomplete.
Not if you take an extension based on “Retirement”.
I would not know which legalized papers from the Netherlands you will have to show.
I certainly don't have to show anything from Belgium with my extension. Only because I use an income, I am going to have my signature on an “Affidavit” legalized at the Belgian embassy.
I submit the following documents (Bangkok).
– 1900 Baht
– TM7 – Extension of stay – Completed and signed
- Passport photograph
– Copy passport ID page
– Copy passport visa page
– Copy of passport page with latest extension (for follow-up application)
– Copy passport page stamp last entry
– Copy TM6 departure
– Proof of income (if applicable)
– Bank letter with balance (if applicable)
– Copy Update bank book (if applicable)
- Proof of residence
– TM30 reporting (Depending on which immigration office. Is sometimes requested at some immigration offices these days)
But perhaps “Dirk Teur Couzy” should be more concrete in his response and which documents he means and why. You can't do much with "Legalize Everything".
I think he means more the application for the visa in the Netherlands.
Depending on the type of O (retired/married) or OA (retired) visa, the Thai embassy may want to see certain documents that need to be legalized.
Maybe the marriage in Thailand also has to be registered?
Also remember that if you have something translated and legalized, it also has a limited validity date. Usually maximum 6 months.
Still a few things that you didn't mention. We can't own land. And with the yellow booklet and contract for 30 years as a retired Belgian, it's not too bad. But why can't my wife buy a house in Belgium?
Ps Have a beautiful villa in Udon thani and not feasible in Belgium for this amount
But why can my wife buy a house in Belgium?
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The Thai government protects its own country and people and I agree with this policy.
A Westerner with a 'little bit' of money (he doesn't even have to be a millionaire in euros) can otherwise buy up an entire street or half a neighborhood in a village (in Isan, for example). That is of course not a good thing.
The Americans did the same in Cuba before they were expelled. Well, they knew that.
Buying an entire street? Land in the Netherlands is cheaper. In many countries you can buy whatever you want and the price increase caused by buying foreigners is negligible. You talk yourself into the story of rising prices without any factual basis. From an economic point of view it is of course bad because instead of pumping money into the economy through purchases, the money remains abroad. There is so much for sale in Thailand and that will only increase in the future because the population is aging and will decrease and in addition less agricultural land is cultivated because other activities yield a multiple, all in all reasons to allow land ownership .
@Ger-Korat: Land in the Netherlands is cheaper.
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If you're claiming this, then the rest of your story must be bullshit too, and it is. I never mentioned price increases caused by purchasing foreigners. Please read carefully first.
Anyone who is even a little familiar with Thailand knows that many Thais ask absurd prices for land and buildings. Prices are not based on demand and a possible increase in price if there is more demand, but in the vast majority of second-hand homes and land are based on what people think they need (usually for debt repayment) and not based on the situation on the market because the latter is certainly not at home. That is why you have a lot of land and houses for sale because if you have money there is no need to sell. From small hamlets with a few houses to the large towns, people ask without comparing with the real value and do not realize at all that an object or plot that is too expensive will never be bought and also because the rinsing is too thin. is as far as buyers are concerned because yes it must eventually be paid and if you take out a bank loan then you will also have to pay 2 baht for 20 to 30 years with a financing of 20.000 to 2 million baht, and only relatively few can do that.
The Thai government does not protect its own population at all, how do you get there, people are mainly interested in positions of power and all the financial benefits that come with it. Or have you ever heard someone in the government say and decree that traffic laws, air pollution laws, food safety laws and a series of others must be enforced and enforced so that a Thai is protected from any calamity. This shows that basic protection is lacking and you can conclude that everyone will care whether foreigners buy real estate, the only ones who will be open to it are economists, construction companies, suppliers, hardware stores and similar, which due to the lack of purchase by foreigners miss out on billions of Euros, thereby limiting the growth and prosperity of the entire population. Have you ever argued for an open market and with this you immediately see the adverse consequences of a closed market.
I am somewhat at home in Thailand. When I got divorced, I only gave my Thai ex a piece of land with another (still to be built) house in the Isan, near Nongkhai.
Price: less than one twentieth of the price it would be in the Netherlands, mainly because of the price of land.
In short: very low prices. When the market is opened up, shady project developers from Europe, the US, China, etc. come into action to buy up the whole lot. I can already see Pieter van Vollenhove Jr. coming. Real estate then becomes virtually unaffordable for the people who have lived in the area for centuries. The differences between rich and poor are already too big in Thailand, which will only get worse if you open up the real estate market.
It might be possible in the future, if Thailand is as prosperous as the wealthy part of the world and if real estate prices are comparable. But now the time is far from ripe for it.
Despite everything, the Thai government protects the interests of its own people. It's all about how you stand on it politically, but personally I can agree with that.
By the way, I do own two condos. I also think it is right that this is possible.
Vdm, the Thai legislature has limited land ownership through legislation. If farang can also buy unlimited land, prices will rise even more than the usual increase. It is already the case that children of ordinary citizens in Thailand cannot easily buy a piece of land and that is why you see that parental property is being divided up, legally or just de facto, to add a house.
Just pay attention in the periphery; sometimes houses are so close together that they have to discuss who can open the windows and when. (At least we still know the window that can slide up…). In addition, in villages the ground does not always have a chanut and one must therefore rely on the honesty of the phuuya. Do you want to buy and build something there?
In my opinion, a wise decision by the legislature.
“(At least we still know the window that can slide up…). ”
Maybe rarely up, but those slide sideways and they are used more 😉
Since when I can't remember but there is a procedure in the Land Bureau whereby a farang and his legal wife can acquire 1 rai of land. The farang then signs a statement acknowledging that he has given the purchase price, without conditions, to his wife.
Secondly, each farang can acquire the lifelong right of use, sitthi kep kin talaot chiwit, of a property and that right is written to the land title, chanot thii din, at the time his wife (or any other Thai who agrees) acquires the land. acquires.
I have already mentioned in an earlier response the law firm that wants to do this. Most don't want to do it because it doesn't make much money for them.
Meanwhile, it has become clear that setting up network companies to acquire land has almost disappeared because it circumvents Thai law and can be revoked at any time by the ministry of commerce.
Erik,
Because we are in the circle of Farangs, it seems that many Farangs want to buy houses in Thailand.
In our thai circle of acquaintances you often see it, but when we talk to Dutch men who don't have a thai wife, it never actually happens.
It therefore seems to me a fallacy to assume that there would be a danger that Farangs would buy up land en masse.
I think it has more to do with the nationalistic streak of the Thai.
Thai rak Thai is a well-known pronunciation.
I often hear the Thai opinion that Thailand is the best country in the world.
Thailand belongs to the Thai and the rest are welcome if they bring in money, keep their mouths shut and don't interfere.
Perhaps the past of the surrounding countries of myamar, laos, vietnam and cambodia also play a role
According to Moo, the fact that farang men without a Thai partner cannot buy land can be precisely because of the legislation. Let it go, and commerce may take its course and prices will skyrocket.
But the nationalistic streak of the Thai will undoubtedly play a role; one knows which family owns most of the free land and that family has an untouchable status…
The Chaeravanont family is the largest landowner in Thailand.
I would like to emigrate, but raising income turns out to be the biggest problem…….what am I going to do in Thailand? My girlfriend has a good job in the hotel business on a well-known island, but I also want to do something myself. Our son is almost 2 and we both realize that education, doctors, hospital, SVB, vaccinations etc are much better and free compared to Thailand. After all, in Thailand everything costs money and in the Netherlands our son is well covered up to the age of 18. I myself have been commuting back and forth for almost 20 years and have lived there for a long time, so I know enough about that, it is actually the income that prevents me from living there permanently. But maybe it has also been fun………..I have also seen Thailand change a lot……
After 43 years of often visiting Thailand, I see 2 houses built, no reason to live there.
A few months in winter is fine, but that's true for many countries.
Financially I can easily afford it and we prefer to spend the summer period in Europe anyway.
I see much more disadvantages than advantages.
Good piece, although point 7 seems a bit snowed under among all the positive messages. Unfortunately, speak more and more Dutch regret optants in Thailand for whom normal health insurance can no longer be paid there and who, precisely for this reason, would love to return to the Netherlands, crawling if necessary ...
You sometimes come across them who would like to crawl back if necessary, but the irony is that there are also compatriots who previously thought it was a bit ridiculous not to want to settle permanently in Thailand, but that the '8 to 4' was chosen construction.
To emigrate or not, both have their advantages and disadvantages, the consideration that is made is entirely personal for everyone, chose the latter, partly because of the possible costs of point 7.
To avoid misunderstandings, this does not mean that the care in Thailand is not well organized, of course, provided that you are properly insured or have sufficient funds available to be uninsured.
you forget to mention that in that case you do pay tax and healthcare costs in NL. If you add both together, a stay in Thailand including health insurance could be cheaper. And the costs of maintaining 2 homes, etc, etc.
As said, the consideration is personal for everyone, the reasons you stated may be of little or no relevance to someone else, perhaps a reason to leave the Netherlands.
Bob, in healthcare it's not just the cost aspect. If you have a medical history, you can run into exclusions and then the care can only be paid for with savings. And I prefer to keep that for the family because, no matter how good that doctor is, you will still die….
Among the groups of people who chose to live in Thailand, I miss an important group, which unfortunately exists and which I would prefer to see disappear: those who do not care where they live, the main thing is that they can live cheaply and get cheap sex. Those are also the ones who complain about anything and everything, who understand "the Thai" and want to change it, because in the Netherlands (if it weren't so expensive) everything is better. You may also enter Germany, Belgium, Switzerland or any other country.
I've been preparing myself for this step for 30 years. For me there were two options in my life: either to Brazil (my ex is Brazilian and my daughters half) or to Asia, where I had always thought of Singapore.
When my marriage ended, Brazil was still a good option, because I had been coming there for about 23 years and my ex's family was good to me and my daughters.
But I also visited Asia very often. Mainly Singapore, Japan and Thailand. I also loved coming to Indonesia.
When I spent a week in Jomtien during a holiday and later three weeks in Hua Hin (with trips to other places), I got to know a part of Thailand that I really liked and when I also met my current wife, the decision not difficult to leave for Thailand.
I still had to work for ten months and during those months I brought more and more personal items to Thailand. At that time I was in Bangkok almost every month because of my work or I flew there myself.
And while I sometimes feel lonely and wonder what I'm actually doing here (especially when my wife and I are fighting), I don't want to leave. When I think about how people treat each other… an example: last week I drove a little too fast with my “sidecar” through a scary street in the area. Suddenly a large SUV drove onto the road from the left, which I could no longer avoid despite braking. I slammed the sidecar into the SUV, drove around a few pots and came to a stop. The man from the car came to look at me, at my old sidecar and at its damage. He asked if I was all right, regarding his damage, mai pen rai. The residents of the house came to have a look and finally after my apology that I had driven too fast and he was not careful, everyone went their way. No calls for insurance, police, compensation and so on. I had that years ago when I was groaning in the street with a broken collarbone, because I couldn't avoid an oncoming truck turning left on my bike down a mountain. The driver's first reaction was that it was my fault, because I was speeding!
This kind of thing, the interpersonal, despite lack of linguistics, makes me happy to live here. You can really have a good time here. What you have to be able to deal with is the sea of free time you have as a retiree. You should be able to fill that in.
In point 8 I miss that you can of course also open a € account in addition to your Baht account. You can decide for yourself when you (have to) exchange. The interest here on a € account is 0%, but that is also the case in NL, so you cannot win or lose anything with that.
You cannot emigrate to Thailand. You will be given permission to stay here for a year, which must be requested again every year. For the Thai government, people remain just a tourist who can be kicked out without giving a reason. People stay here on a visa with an extension. This is not a residence permit. Think carefully about this before people pack their bags from the Netherlands.
Theo, that most emigrants stay on a temporary 'long constant extended holiday like' visa is correct, but what you write is nonsense.
1) If you stay away from the Netherlands for more than 8 months in a period of 12, the Netherlands sees you as an emigrant, you are then obliged to deregister from the Dutch municipality.
2) Whether Thailand sees you as an immigrant is another matter. Many stay for a non-immigrant visa or something similar. But you can indeed obtain a Thai residence permit (various categories, I let Ronny fill in for him) or even naturalize as a Thai citizen (there are requirements such as a language requirement, quota and a nice price tag).
Ref:
https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/privacy-en-persoonsgegevens/vraag-en-antwoord/uitschrijven-basisregistratie-personen
http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/services/7495/81758-Residence-Permit-in-Thailand.html
Of course you can emigrate to and immigrate in Thailand.
There is a track for that. What are “Permanent Residents” different?
You can submit the application after three consecutive years of obtaining an annual extension.
Every year about 100 places per country are opened. Costs something and there are only conditions such as a language test, but the trajectory exists and anyone who meets the conditions can apply for it
People who stay here on a Non-immigrant status are not tourists and are not regarded as such. Just think of those who work here (of course not possible on the basis of retirement).
That you can be kicked out without giving a reason is the same nonsense as claiming that as a foreigner you are always at fault in an accident.
If you get kicked out you have done something wrong and not because someone happens to feel like it and
if your period of stay is not extended, it is because you do not meet the conditions.
Well, I don't think you get kicked out without giving a reason and then you can always go back to the Netherlands, not so extreme!
Technically, only the Thai have rights in Thailand, the constitution(s) only speak about the rights and duties of the Thai. Someone with a different nationality therefore actually has 0,0 entitlement to the most elementary rights and obligations of the country.
In practice, the laws are also applied to foreigners, so you will not be kicked out of the country “without reason”. But looking at the number of thumbs up, more than double the number of readers agree with that feeling of "without rights" and "not being able to emigrate", even though Ronny, I and a few others elsewhere point out that things are really different. sit. Both emigrating from Europe and officially immigrating to Thailand is just possible... That message apparently doesn't want to go in, given the thumbs up?
Doubly special to me that A) the facts are ignored and B) those feelings that you can be kicked across the border at any time are difficult to reconcile, people have a pleasant place to live in Thailand… it must be. Europeans are a special people, I think.. 555
When emigrating to Thailand, you first of all ask yourself the important questions, what kind of person am I, and in which environment in Thailand will I live to be really happy there?
Speaking for myself, I would never live in a country where I only deal with a Thai population, because I simply need more for a pleasant life.
Others, if you are to believe their reactions, enjoy such an environment and would not trade it for anything else.
When the question was recently asked here on the blog, what could be done against chronic boredom, most of them reported with all kinds of self-amusement, such as growing plants, cycling, walking, watching birds, reading and writing in the internet and so on. .
Almost all things you can do for yourself, and don't need another human being for that, which would eventually bring me to my limits personally.
Other than just entertainment, I would really like a good social environment with people I could have a good and interesting conversation with from time to time.
Because I spend many months wintering outside the corona time in the village where my Thai wife comes from, I have tried to learn extra Thai to maintain these social contacts as best as possible.
Not that I feel more in this Thai community, but with most of them you already notice after 10 minutes of discussion that they have completely different interests.
If then also the beer and whiskey are still enjoyed immensely, it is usually only a wild shouting and jeering, and annoyingly nudged every time with a Chock dee Krap (toast)
Conversations and interests that you can share with European or compatriots, you search here largely in vain.
After 3 months of stay, despite this beautiful country, I am usually very happy to return to my kind of world, where I can talk about all my interests with my contacts.
Anyway I wish everyone their due and respect this too, but in the long run it was for nothing to emigrate.
There is no such thing as emigrating to Thailand, emigrating means that you go to Australia or Canada for example and you are received in that country as a resident with all rights, and you can get Australian nationality after two years. Here in Thailand you are treated like a foreigner that doesn't change, get and pay for a visa every year and show your face every 90 days and a new piece of paper in your passport And you have no legal status here in Thailand, if they tell you that you have left the country must leave tomorrow, you go. In Canada and Australia you have a legal status all the way to the High Court, here local court, that's it.
So believe me emigrating to Thailand does not exist.
That's right. Don't forget that in Thailand the military is still at the helm. In Thailand, even after 20 years of residence, you still only have obligations and no rights. You can be deported for the slightest irregularity, which is an essential difference with a foreigner who emigrates to Europe and is in possession of a residence permit. A foreigner with a residence permit has exactly the same rights and obligations as a Belgian or Dutch (except voting rights)
Thailand is not a constitutional state and something (administrative, see banal) can always happen that ends your stay. A small financial setback can be enough to make the suitcase.
Nevertheless, it remains a nice country to spend your (old) days, but some awareness of your uncertain status is not misplaced.
Ernst and Fred, equally linguistically: emigrating is not 'to' but 'out'. Even traveling the world for years is like emigrating from your home country. Look in your Van Dale at the word emigrate.
Immigration is another point. Will you become a resident? Fiscally soon after 180 days, but not for the administration because you remain a guest or a non-immigrant. Knowing that, you have to make a choice for the country of your choice. And you have to make a choice to remain a non-immigrant or to go for resident or national. There are also residence permits with rights in Thailand.
But if you choose a country with an uncertain residence permit, don't come and complain now that it's not to your liking. You chose it yourself. However?
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It is of course possible to emigrate to Thailand.
You can also get Thai nationality here as an incoming foreigner. Of course you have to do something for it: learn the language and pay a sum of money.
I can say it even stronger. You can live legally in Thailand for years without speaking a single word of Thai. That is not possible in the Netherlands. There you are obliged to 'integrate' and even take an exam. You must be sufficiently proficient in the Dutch language for this. That is not necessary in Thailand.
You can legally live in the Netherlands without being able to speak a single word of Dutch.
This is possible if you are a national of a member state of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA), Turkey or Switzerland;
are younger than 18 years;
are older than retirement age;
lived in the Netherlands for 8 years or more when you were of school age.
In addition, there are exemptions if you have a disability and/or cannot meet the requirements.
So if you compare the Netherlands with Thailand, and most of those who emigrate to Thailand are above retirement age, then settling down and settling in in the Netherlands is easier for a pensioner than in Thailand
A few more points: if you go to Thailand, you are bound by all kinds of income requirements and/or assets, as well as depending on your partner for residence if you choose to do so. In the Netherlands as a single retired Thai you only need 1285 euros to legally settle in the Netherlands and if your partner has an income of 1700 euros, you need 0 income yourself), and you obtain rights such as rent allowance, healthcare allowance (free health insurance for a 65+ low income due to the surcharge), you can buy an unlimited piece of land and some more benefits such as unlimited free access, residence and right of establishment in the other 30 EU countries, apply for a new residence card via the internet once every 1 years (because of a outdated photo) which you will receive by post, nothing else. Thailand: need more than 10 Euro per month as a single person or 1700 as a deposit, report every 800.000 days, arrange annual renewal in person, arrange health insurance yourself, not being able to own an inch of your own land except the soil in the pots of your geraniums. And if you are going to leave the country for a holiday, for example, then it is uncertain whether you can and can return (as is now the case during the corona era).
Yes, Ger, and the paradise of the Netherlands also gives you a tax credit in a few shapes and sizes, and if you are a senior, you also get a taxi card for only 24 cents per kilometer. If you become disabled, someone will come and clean at a very low rate within the framework of the WMO and the home care will put you in the shower a few times a week, yes, also at the expense of that health care policy.
Cared for from the cradle to the grave. The blessing of a rich country. I dare to say: if NL had as much sun as TH, then all 69 million would come to us. Fortunately, we have so much rain and wetness that we don't have to worry about that…
Come on, let's complain a bit in our polder….
It is completely wrong to think that the procedure for obtaining a permanent residence permit is as simple as is suggested here in some places.
In addition to the legal stipulations and the 100-quota per country of origin (which does not apply to PR China where an older stipulation is broader) that was/will never be exhausted for most countries, there are still the unwritten requirements. In short: what has this person contributed to Thailand's development? What can this person do for us? Has this person shown "patriotic love" toward his new home?
There are also absolute no-goes: every conviction – your fingerprints are passed on through Interpol – is probably one too many, and that's the testimony of good behavior and morals as it exists in Belgium, for example.
The committee that decides on this consists of a number of high-ranking people – sufficiently broad, if you understand me correctly…
The Thais see this as a favor or further test before neutralization until Thai Citizenship begins: I recall there were about 3 approved in a 1990-year period in the 367s. Declaring the procedure open remained closed for many years during the period of a minister of internal affairs, who did not foresee whether farangs (or Chinese) were involved. There is no law that obliges this country to open up.
If you can't add half a phonebook-thick pile of letters from well-placed Thais to your application, spend the 50 Baht registration fee before the procedure starts (and which is non-refundable) on beer and four while you can and you can go back to the country where you were born.
Claims that it all goes by itself is not true, but who do you think claims that?
And of course there are conditions where it does not seem so abnormal to me that conviction(s) can cause problems. But it will also depend on which one.
Working is actually the key word to become a PR and so you can already exclude “retired”.
As a Thai marriage you can also request that and to what extent people will accept that the husband does not work but is retired and it is accepted in those circumstances I do not know. Informing yourself well at immigration will make that clear.
The cost of an application is 7600 Baht and is not refundable.
Where do you get that 50 Baht from? Maybe I missed it somewhere
Only when accepting, depending on whether you are married or not, the costs of 191400 Baht or if married 95700 Baht follow. Since you only have to pay that upon approval, you will not lose it.
The time between application and approval is currently around 18-20 months. During this waiting period, you will receive an extension of your residence permit every 6 months
You can read more details for PR at https://www.immigration.go.th/en/?page_id=1744
This is also a good info site I think. Sometimes click through to underlying information
https://www.thaicitizenship.com/thai-citizenship-for-foreigners-married-to-a-thai/
https://www.thaicitizenship.com/thai-citizenship-application-process/
The last step is Thai Citizen. As far as you would like.
If you would go for Thai citizenship, you can do so after 5 years of PR.
An amendment to the Thai Nationality Act in 2008 allows married people who skip PR and apply for the Thai Citizen after 3 years of residence in Thailand
https://www.thaicitizenship.com/thai-citizenship-for-foreigners-married-to-a-thai/
The best thing is to get information from a local at your immigration office.
And yes, it will all be a bit long, but I don't deny that either.
Point 8 will change at the end of this year. If the new treaty turns out as expected, the levy on all pensions, annuities and AOW/WIA and similar benefits will go to NL.
Note to point 9.
After 10 years of emigration, you can no longer have a will drawn up in the Netherlands.
Hans van Mourik says
First type in the Thailand blog search
Hans van Mourik readers submission 2013 and 2018
And read that.
I have been registered again in the Netherlands since 12-07-2022
At the KTOMM Bronbeek
In October I went to Thailand again with my reentry visa that is there 29-11-2022 extend this until 29-11-2023
On 26-02-2023 back to the Netherlands without re-entry
On 23-03-2023 I had my 2nd cerebral stroke (CVA) in the KTOMM Bronbeek and was
Hospitalized in Arnhem for 5 days,
The hospital house has contacted the Manager of Bronbeek that I rehabilitation
(therapy) need and whether they can offer it
They can take care of me, but not the physiotherapy
In this way, Bronbeek has ensured that I can receive rehabilitation at the Pleyade rehabilitation
Arnhem
On 21-04-2023 I will be fired here and will return to Brronbeek
If one is on older. want to emigrate here, keep in mind that there may also be shortcomings,
I am now 81 years old, my girlfriend is 67 years old,
Good piece to read if you want to live in Thailand in two years.
I belong to the third group and will have a reasonable income soon as personalized. After 25 years of marriage with my Thai/Dutch wife, I was able to buy a nice villa in Hua Hin. I've been taking this step for a while now.
Our needs are important here. Needs are like the lamps along the way. If you don't pay attention to it, you go off the road and you can quickly become unhappy. This is true everywhere or wherever you live. However, here in NL we are usually not very aware of our needs. But if we definitely go abroad, this is of immediate importance. I regularly notice around me that far-reaching decisions are taken impulsively.
So what are his needs? I've seen a lot of them in this story. Of course financial security, health insurance, are important needs, which seem logical to one, but not well thought out to the other. I hear social needs, being able to talk to other Westerners, or the other way around away from everything from the West. I myself, for example, love bread for breakfast and it is certainly a need. You hear a lot here the need for a certain security to be able to stay in Thailand. Important for one, not for another.
In the Netherlands, healthcare is already in big trouble and it will get much worse. I have no children in NL who can help me. There may come a time when I need care and that is becoming increasingly difficult. Follow the news in NL and you know what I mean. In Thailand there are Kids and care is also affordable. Home care in NL is nice, but will be a difficult story in the long term. A need for us in the future and fairly easy to arrange in Thailand, just like finding maintenance for the garden, or people who can repair something in the short term. Something that is difficult to find or pay for in NL. For me, the future as an older person may not be as fun as it is sometimes imagined.
I think everything has its pros and cons. Look at your needs and determine where your future lies and accept that there are pros and cons everywhere.
Greetings French
does not emigrate mean that you leave your own country to settle elsewhere?
I am Belgian and can settle in the Netherlands WITHOUT having to apply for a visa every so often, prove income or have money in the bank. I can also emigrate to many other countries in a similar way, but to Thailand In my opinion, emigration does not exist, because you have to have a visa every so often and if for some reason it is not renewed, they will just kick you out anyway.
Looking forward to the responses to this.
Mvg, Steven
Steven, Van Dale says that emigrating is settling in a foreign country. To immigrate is to settle somewhere from a foreign country.
And what is settling down? Just according to Van Dale: go live somewhere. You don't just register in Thailand, you have various types of 'visa' and 'permits' with few or many rights, but you do live there. The tax law in Thailand calls you a 'resident' after six months, even though you remain a guest. It's all about what name you give it.
In my opinion, with a real emigration, there can never be a question of requiring a visa that must be renewed every year.
Furthermore, one could get the nationality of the country, be allowed to work, have the same rights as the local population, be allowed to vote, be allowed to work for the government as a civil servant and take a seat in the government.
if those conditions are not met , you are just a tourist for a longer period of time .
In the Netherlands, comparable to foreigners who have an MVV (temporary residence permit) or a temporary residence permit.
They must then continue to meet certain conditions and if not, they must leave the country.
In Thailand you can actually divide them into 4 major categories.
1. Citizen = Those are those with Thai nationality
2. Immigrants = Those are the Permanent Residents.
3. Non-immigrants = Those who stay in Thailand for specific reasons for a longer, but not unlimited time, such as pensioners, but also students, expats, investors, etc..
4. Tourists = These are short stays in Thailand for tourist reasons.
Someone who stays here for a longer period of time, with a period of stay obtained with a Non-immigrant visa, is therefore not a tourist but a Non-immigrant. That is why those visas are also called Non-immigrant visas and non-tourist visas.
Each of those categories may or may not have certain rights and obligations. That determines the country itself what they are and that can be different in every country.
Does the emigrant then not exist in Thailand.
Of course it is. That is the Thai themselves when they emigrate to another country.
interesting article!
Sitting with the same thought, but also difficult to just say hello to NL.
I want to combine it, half a year in Thailand, half a year in the Netherlands, yes a hibernator .. but preferably with a permanent place. To save costs I would like something that can be rented out when vacated or not. Like my house in NL. I work remotely, so I can work both here and in Thailand.
The hardest thing in my case is finding the right place here in Thailand. Have now traveled all over thailand and was hoping to find a place where i really want to stay. But remains difficult, not too busy, like Bangkok, but certainly not too quiet like Koh Kood. Haha, yes luxury problem I think.
I found Hua Hin an option so far, central, not too big, near the beach, etc.
Personally, I would have put costs at number 1. If you rent a single-family home with a garden and driveway in TH for 120 euros, then it is a no-brainer for me. Of course if your last name is Heineken or abn-amro, NL is a great place to stay, but the majority of people are sitting on the couch with a winter coat on and showering twice a week. That's not life.
You got it right Kammie, you need to multiply your standard of living by a factor of about 5.
With my income I wouldn't be able to do crazy things in the Netherlands, here we eat out every day, we can buy what we want, we don't have to go on a bargain hunt.
I must add that I have no interest in Dutch cuisine, except for bread.
The catering industry here has prices that are a lot more realistic than in the Netherlands, a few days away in a hotel costs a lot less here.
Fixed costs here are a joke compared to the prices in the Netherlands, I would not want any money back.
I would like to move to Thailand. I can easily buy a good detached house from the surplus value on my house, but there are a number of important points that are still holding me back.
I am married to a Thai and we have a 10 year old son.
Now comes the points; I think the most important thing is our son's education. The average Thai primary and secondary education certainly does not meet our expectations so it should be an international school and they are extremely expensive.
Next comes health insurance, which is also very expensive for my age of 70. Then comes the conscription for my son. In NL I have no problem with that, I am a former soldier myself, but the Thai conscription is not going to be. I heard somewhere that you can buy it off, but I don't know for sure. The next point is the often appalling air quality. The north attracts me more than elsewhere, but being slowly gassed is not what we are looking for.
Another uncertain point is the possible future mandatory Covid injections. A 12-year-old son of my wife's brother had to be injected or he wouldn't be allowed to go to school. An absolute no-go for us because after 3 years of research I am now aware of the bizarre backgrounds of these very dubious practices.
In itself, Thailand is a beautiful country and if you are not too old, have no children and are healthy then it is not a difficult decision, but in my situation it is difficult to make decisions. Once there you don't just go back, especially when your child is at school.
I'm still dubious for now. Maybe a nice light will come on.
René, you have to fill in 'too' old yourself, but you have a point with regard to the health insurance policy. If you have a medical history, you will run into higher premiums, exclusions or both. And that 'medical past' can also arise with some companies during the term of the policy... Get good advice about the choice of the policy. I have lived in Thailand for 16 years from the age of 55 and have/had no children of my own. I went back to the polder because of skin cancer and disability; I already had a medical history and therefore no health insurance policy.
If you find the mandatory Covid vaccines unacceptable, then Thailand doesn't seem like the right choice for your family. But there are also countries under the sun where the rules are different. Conscription in Thailand is a lottery; there are areas in Thailand where you don't want to see your son sent and surrender, if he is drawn, depends on the offer and on what you want to pay.
Your comment about your son's education would be decisive for me.
Hi Erik, Thank you for your answer.
I certainly don't feel too old. I would go for myself alone, but the other points I mentioned leave me here for now, despite the fact that we are facing very uncertain times. Our freedoms will be greatly curtailed if the current weird plans that are forced on us through the WEF/WHO/UN and the EU continue. I strongly believe that few people realize these plans. 13 years ago I was also thinking about moving to Thailand when I met my love, but that never happened. Now that we have a son it only gets more difficult. I have such a plus/minus feeling, I'm very doubtful but not for the time being. Will be added when he comes home with a courtship, it is logically completely off the track.
Dear René, I am in the same boat and we have decided not to emigrate to Thailand. My wife's eldest son could not settle in the Netherlands and went back 3 years ago. Things are much better now (now 19 years), lives with grandparents and goes to some kind of college hotel business. But our own youngest (15) is doing much better in the Netherlands. He makes it easy for us to make decisions. I have calculated that with 8 months in Thailand I will not save money because I have to keep our house. I am 71 and taking out health insurance in Thailand for my wife and myself plus youngest son is far too expensive. My wife still works and wants to save. that is, around the age of 75 we will review what to do. Selling a house, buying off military service for the youngest, a pot of money for possible medical expenses because insurance is not an option due to the high premiums. The youngest son has already said not to go. People talk easily about emigrating, but that is disappointing when you are older, obligations in the Netherlands, and average in terms of finances.
If you have children and want a better future for them, the Netherlands is at the top of Europe. Read today that the average income is 53.000 Euro, say 58.000 USD. Compare that with 7000 USD which is the average income in Thailand and then you know that your children earn 8x as much if they stay in the Netherlands. Going on holiday to Thailand and enjoying that you have it well organized, but don't move the children to Thaikand during their school days because that guarantees an uncertain future for them.
Hi Louis,
An alternative to health insurance in my case could be that I set aside the excess value when I sell my house as a buffer for possible healthcare costs in Thailand and do not buy a house there but rent it. So no very expensive health insurance. Also an option for you later. But then the other points still stand that make me decide not to go yet. The mentality of the Thai people who set all those fires must also be reprogrammed. I suspect that they themselves do not understand that air pollution is caused by themselves. Well, there are quite a few things that throw a spanner in the works of delicious Thai food. It's a good thing that my dear, like all those compatriots, has the food-making program in his genes.