# Making the move!



## REECE

Good evening,I'm looking to make the move next year with my family to Thailand. What would the procedure be for us? How do we obtain long term stay?


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## Guest

REECE said:


> Good evening,I'm looking to make the move next year with my family to Thailand. What would the procedure be for us? How do we obtain long term stay?


Hi and welcome to ExpatForum....

It depends. Are you of retirement age (50 in Thailand)? Have a job waiting for you? Have family in Thailand? A major investor? If none of the above, it is quite difficult to get a long stay visa these days.

Let us know a little more about your personal circumstances, and we can try to advise you more....


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## REECE

*Thailand as our base.*

Hello, my husband would be working in Australia & we are looking for Thailand to be our base. We are financially secure so we have the money to set ourselves up in Thailand. What is the best way for us? Thank you


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## Guest

If your plan is to be Thailand resident, and your husband wants to work in Australia, flying in and out, you are going to struggle to get a long-stay visa. From the 'doingbusinessthailand' website:



> Non-Immigrant Visa: for foreigner looking for prolonged stay, or coming to work or invest in Thailand, There are several categories of Non-Immigrant visas which include, among others, business visa category (B); dependent visa category (O); investment subject to the provisions of the laws on investment promotion category (BOI IB); diplomatic and consular visa category (D); performance of duties with the mass media category (M); performance of skilled or expert work category (EX); investment (with concurrence of ministries and departments concerned) and capital investment category (IM); and study or observation category (ED).


As far as I can see, you don't fall into any obvious category here. You are not working in Thailand, have no family links in Thailand, not studying, not investing massively. I presume you're not of retirement age (50, for the purposes of a retirement visa in Thailand). You haven't mentioned the possibility of enrolling for a full-time study course, or possessing the qualifications that would put you in line for a visa as an English teacher (TEFL, degree).

Thailand doesn't have an open door policy with respect to immigration, protects Thai jobs by various legislative means with respect to business visas, and is cracking down on long-stay 'tourists'. 

How old is the family?


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## REECE

*Looks like Thailand may not be*

Hello Pete,My husband & i are 41 and we have 2 children 4 & 16. Son is due to start A levels in September 2010 and daughter also will be ready for full time education.Mmm well by the looks of things with what you have told me,we may have to look for another place as our base. The plan was that my husband would fly in and out,I'm not really keen on living in Australia. Thought Thailand would be a good spot!My husband has worked in and out of Asia for the last 12 years,unfortunately have always missed out on Thailand. Thank you for your help-very kind


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## Serendipity2

REECE said:


> Hello, my husband would be working in Australia & we are looking for Thailand to be our base. We are financially secure so we have the money to set ourselves up in Thailand. What is the best way for us? Thank you


REECE, 

Thailand is going to be very difficult for you and your family. Depending upon your finances other options are the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Bali [which is a part of Indonesia]

I've done a bit of research on the first two and you would have little or no trouble with either the Philippines or Malaysia. Malaysia has a MM2H visa where, by sticking money into a Malaysian bank [and keeping most of it there] you can become residents. It's called "Malaysia My 2nd Home" but you don't even need to do that. You can enter on a social visa, stay 90 days, then head to the border - Thailand or Singapore - and renew the visa. The other major advantages of Malaysia are the very good and very cheap food and you can buy/own properthy. Not so in the Philippines but still a pretty good place to live. I would recommend Davao City area in Mindanao - no hurricanes/typhoons and very safe area. Singapore and Bali are supposed to be a very good places to live as well. I think you can buy/own property in Singapore but probably not in Bali. 

All have an easy commute to Australia but Malaysia and Singapore are easiest with both major international flights [Singapore Airlines / Malaysia Airlines] but some discount airlines that are even cheaper such as Air Asia. Probably the two best places in Malaysia are Penang and Kuala Lumpur. Penang has a very large expat contingent, not sure about Kuala Lumpur - but the shopping is very good and the ambience is outstanding! Good luck with your exciting new adventure. 

Serendipity2


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## Cer

Malaysia is slowly going to change into a muslim state.Be aware.


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## Serendipity2

Cer said:


> Malaysia is slowly going to change into a muslim state.Be aware.



Cer,

Malaysia IS a Muslim country but that should not be a hindrance. They, like Turkey, are very moderate and although most of the population is Muslim [about 60%?] you will experience no difficulty. I've been to both countries and the people have been very nice and it's hard to know you're in an Islamic country except for the call to prayer. I hardly noticed in in either Istanbul or Kuala Lumpur but when I did I rather liked hearing the muezzins call to prayer. 

If that still bothers you then forget Bali - even though Bali is Hindi it is still in a Muslim country. I think too much propaganda about the horrors of Islam are embedded in our western culture - we need to take the time to see who's behind that nonsense. You're also missing a great experience but each to his/her own.

That still leaves the Philippines [although Mindanao does have Muslim extremists they are kept far, far away from Davao City] I would also suggest Cagayan de Oro but you will see Muslims there as a matter of course. They've always been nice and I've never, ever felt uncomfortable. Finally there is Singapore which once was a part of Malaysia but is it's own independant city/state/country. Nice place to live and mostly ethnic Chinese.


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## desres

_I have just been out to Thailand myself & would absolutely move out there .. but i done some research & it is very difficult .. like some comments have already said .. they are cutting back on the visit visa's .. multiple entries & not easy to get residence visa 

You can apply for what they call .. a 1 year non resident visa through an agent but in most cases they only grant 90 days !!! then back on visa runs & no guarentee u will get back in to Thailand 


Just google Thai Consulate its all on there
Also anyone else looking for info on Thailand .. 
there is Sunbelt Asia & Siam Legal websites 

Anyone find a legal way to stay there .. let me know !! _


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## Serendipity2

desres said:


> _I have just been out to Thailand myself & would absolutely move out there .. but i done some research & it is very difficult .. like some comments have already said .. they are cutting back on the visit visa's .. multiple entries & not easy to get residence visa
> 
> You can apply for what they call .. a 1 year non resident visa through an agent but in most cases they only grant 90 days !!! then back on visa runs & no guarentee u will get back in to Thailand
> 
> 
> Just google Thai Consulate its all on there
> Also anyone else looking for info on Thailand ..
> there is Sunbelt Asia & Siam Legal websites
> 
> Anyone find a legal way to stay there .. let me know !! _



desres,

You could get thrown in the slammer but I suppose that would defeat the purpose of your moving to Thailand wouldn't it!  

Sadly, Thailand is becoming less and less friendly to expats. This should be a wake-up call to those expats who own homes in Thailand as the 'pool' of those they can sell to is reduced if the expats are no longer safe buying - or even feel less safe. Those who CAN qualify for a 'resident' visa are not all that safe either. First you've got to put THB800,000 into a bank [about $24,000.00] which is to make sure they can 'export' you back to your home country should you become ill or persona non grata and what government can give they can also take away. The only country that can't deport you is the country of your birth - provided you're also a resident of that country. It's a brave new world out there!


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## desres

Serendipity2 said:


> desres,
> 
> You could get thrown in the slammer but I suppose that would defeat the purpose of your moving to Thailand wouldn't it!
> 
> 
> _Hiya ..... I did say Legal way in .. wouldnt want to mess with the Thai's :boxing:
> 
> I think its a beautiful place .. people so nice & so cheap there .. i couldnt believe it _


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## Serendipity2

desres said:


> Serendipity2 said:
> 
> 
> 
> desres,
> 
> You could get thrown in the slammer but I suppose that would defeat the purpose of your moving to Thailand wouldn't it!
> 
> 
> _Hiya ..... I did say Legal way in .. wouldnt want to mess with the Thai's :boxing:
> 
> I think its a beautiful place .. people so nice & so cheap there .. i couldnt believe it _
> 
> 
> 
> desres,
> 
> I guess the other way you can legally get in is to get old - but I don't advise it. One's 'Golden Years' isn't all that it's cracked up to be. As ALGORE once opined, "What is up should be down and what is down should be up".
Click to expand...


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## Winkie

Hi

I think you will find that Thailand re-introduced the 'Investment Visa' last November. This means that if you invest THB10M in property, you can be granted a Long Stay Visa. IF you are willing to purchase property (of course condo only),this avenue is open to you. As with normal Thai Law, if this is cacnelled in the futre, you retain your rights under general Grandfathering practices, if you maintain a continuous, unbroken Visa record.

With regard to Malaysia, yes, it is a Muslim State, and generally very tolerant and liberal, but some of the Malaysian States are very much NOT that way, KL is of course, very cosmopolitan.

In contradiction to S2 post, Indonesia, to my understanding is NOT a Muslim state (my wife is both Indonesian, and a Muslim). There are 5 offical religions, to which all citizens must subscribe (don't think that's the right word!) to. Bali could be a good alternative.


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## Serendipity2

Winkie said:


> Hi
> 
> I think you will find that Thailand re-introduced the 'Investment Visa' last November. This means that if you invest THB10M in property, you can be granted a Long Stay Visa. IF you are willing to purchase property (of course condo only),this avenue is open to you. As with normal Thai Law, if this is cacnelled in the futre, you retain your rights under general Grandfathering practices, if you maintain a continuous, unbroken Visa record.
> 
> With regard to Malaysia, yes, it is a Muslim State, and generally very tolerant and liberal, but some of the Malaysian States are very much NOT that way, KL is of course, very cosmopolitan.
> 
> In contradiction to S2 post, Indonesia, to my understanding is NOT a Muslim state (my wife is both Indonesian, and a Muslim). There are 5 offical religions, to which all citizens must subscribe (don't think that's the right word!) to. Bali could be a good alternative.



Winkie,

Sorry, and I don't mean to be disagreeable, but Indonesia IS a Muslim nation. There are over 200 million Muslims in Indonesia. I think it's the single largest Muslim population in the world. 

There are other religions in Indonesia, to be sure, but Muslims comprise over 86% of the population. Its only about 60% Muslim in Malaysia. Bali, a part of Indonesia, is predominantly Hindi. I've never visited Indonesia but I plan to do so in the future - both the Muslim Indonesia and Hindi Bali. The latter is supposed to be very beautiful.

Serendipity2


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## Winkie

Hi S2

Sometimes is fun to disagree.

Below is a small part of the english translation of Undang Undang Dara Republik Indonesia (the Indoneisan Constitution).

_*The nation is based on belief in God, but the state guarantees religious freedom for all.*_

There is a huge difference between a Mulim State, and and Nation of predominatantly Muslim citizens.

Malaysia IS a Muslim State, all Bumi Putra are Muslim by law, and are not free to change religions. 

Note the distinct difference in the Malaysian Consitution, which states that the Federal relegion is Islam, that all are free to practice any faith, and then excludes Muslims from that freedom.

_*Article 11
Though Islam is the religion of the Federation, Article 11 provides that every person has the right to profess and practice his own religion. Every person has the right to propagate his religion, but state law and, in respect of the Federal Territory, federal law may control or restrict the propagation of any religion, doctrine or belief among persons professing the Muslim religion. There is, however, freedom to carry on missionary work among non-Muslims.*_

Sharia Law is practiced to quite an extreme level in Malaysia, with floggings and whippings being the punishment for drinkning a beer, for example. Malaysia has for the last 2 years, even begun the process of fully adopting Sharia Law as its main Legal process.

Hope we can agree that Indonesia is a country of religious freedom, which has the largest Muslim population (88%). 29,000,000 are not Muslim, which is a larger population than the whole of Malaysia, where only 11,000,000 are not Muslim.

Finally, could I just add, that Hindi is a language spoken in Northen India. Bali is predominantly Hindu in religious belief.

Many parts of both Indonesia and Malaysia are very very beautiful, regardless of their religious leaning.


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## Serendipity2

Winkie said:


> Hi S2
> 
> Sometimes is fun to disagree.
> 
> Below is a small part of the english translation of Undang Undang Dara Republik Indonesia (the Indoneisan Constitution).
> 
> _*The nation is based on belief in God, but the state guarantees religious freedom for all.*_
> 
> There is a huge difference between a Mulim State, and and Nation of predominatantly Muslim citizens.
> 
> Malaysia IS a Muslim State, all Bumi Putra are Muslim by law, and are not free to change religions.
> 
> Note the distinct difference in the Malaysian Consitution, which states that the Federal relegion is Islam, that all are free to practice any faith, and then excludes Muslims from that freedom.
> 
> _*Article 11
> Though Islam is the religion of the Federation, Article 11 provides that every person has the right to profess and practice his own religion. Every person has the right to propagate his religion, but state law and, in respect of the Federal Territory, federal law may control or restrict the propagation of any religion, doctrine or belief among persons professing the Muslim religion. There is, however, freedom to carry on missionary work among non-Muslims.*_
> 
> Sharia Law is practiced to quite an extreme level in Malaysia, with floggings and whippings being the punishment for drinkning a beer, for example. Malaysia has for the last 2 years, even begun the process of fully adopting Sharia Law as its main Legal process.
> 
> Hope we can agree that Indonesia is a country of religious freedom, which has the largest Muslim population (88%). 29,000,000 are not Muslim, which is a larger population than the whole of Malaysia, where only 11,000,000 are not Muslim.
> 
> Finally, could I just add, that Hindi is a language spoken in Northen India. Bali is predominantly Hindu in religious belief.
> 
> Many parts of both Indonesia and Malaysia are very very beautiful, regardless of their religious leaning.



Hi Winkie,

I guess we can split the difference?! If I'm in a country that's 60% Muslim I consider it a Muslim nation although frankly I don't give it too much thought. I think Indonesia is much like Turkey and the overwhelming number of people are not so different than we are in the west. If I didn't hear the call to prayer it wouldn't be much different than a eastern European country. I'm not especially religious so that's never been an obstacle in my travels. 

I think you're correct regarding Bali being a Hindu [not Hindi] population. I thought Hindi was plural of Hindu - but probably not. At least I had the correct ethnicity - I hope!  Have not been to Indonesia but have seen many photos and I would agree that the country is beautiful.


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## Guest

Winkie, another difference is the variety of Muslim belief. As I understand it, there are a large number of progressive, or 'modernist' followers of Islam in Indonesia, which is quite different to the traditionalist Middle Eastern form. And Shari'a law is only upheld in one province?


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## Winkie

Hi Frogblogger. Yes, it is evident that the type of Islam in Indonesia is generally very liberal, openminded and perfectly capable to living side-by-side with others of different or even conflicting religions.

Of course there is JI, and its bunch of fundamentalist followers (and other groups too), who certainly seem less capable of integration in a multi-religious society.

Anyway, we better get back on subject. This started as someone's request about how to live longterm in Thailand without either Work Permit or Retirement Visa.


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## Cer

Serendipity2 said:


> Cer,
> 
> Malaysia IS a Muslim country but that should not be a hindrance. They, like Turkey, are very moderate and although most of the population is Muslim [about 60%?] you will experience no difficulty. I've been to both countries and the people have been very nice and it's hard to know you're in an Islamic country except for the call to prayer. I hardly noticed in in either Istanbul or Kuala Lumpur but when I did I rather liked hearing the muezzins call to prayer.
> 
> If that still bothers you then forget Bali - even though Bali is Hindi it is still in a Muslim country. I think too much propaganda about the horrors of Islam are embedded in our western culture - we need to take the time to see who's behind that nonsense. You're also missing a great experience but each to his/her own.
> 
> That still leaves the Philippines [although Mindanao does have Muslim extremists they are kept far, far away from Davao City] I would also suggest Cagayan de Oro but you will see Muslims there as a matter of course. They've always been nice and I've never, ever felt uncomfortable. Finally there is Singapore which once was a part of Malaysia but is it's own independant city/state/country. Nice place to live and mostly ethnic Chinese.


I lived and worked for 6 years in Indonesia an was there when the riots were in 1998.(1997/2004)
I was with my wife and we both decided not to go back ever, despite the nice expat life that we could live.It is about the daily intollerance (from small to big) that I am talking about.


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## Guest

I didn't think the '98 riots were anything to do with religion, rather food shortages and unemployment under Suharto... aided and abetted by elements of the military, with ethnic Chinese being targeted.

Still must have been scary at the time. especially if you were in one of the major cities.


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## Cer

You missed my point
quote
It is about the daily intollerance (from small to big) that I am talking about. 
unquote

I realise it is off topic so let us carry on.


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## Winkie

Cer said:


> It is about the daily intollerance (from small to big) that I am talking about.


Hi Cer

Could you elaborate a little?

Winkie


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## Cer

I am rather "young" on this forum and I don't know if this will be accepted by moderator.This is going more and more off topic.
I can pm you if you are interested in my personal experience.


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## MaidenScotland

You could always start a new thread 
It is about the daily intollerance (from small to big) that I am talking about.


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## Guest

Section 3 of the Terms Of Use sum up the rules, but generally speaking objective accounts of experiences are welcomed.

As for going off topic, our individual take on the countries we have lived in is certainly relevant.


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## jjk

I have lived and worked in several countries, one of which was Malaysia. From my experience of living there I can tell you that I never had a negative feeling about Malaysia being an Islam orientated nation. Generally if you respect the people they will respect you. This is the same everywhere, including the exceptions. I always talked about Malaysia as a democratically chosen dictatorship.  I do not think that countries in this region are ready to have a democracy as the Europeans know it. Hmmm, come to think of it, most Europeans do not even know how to handle it. The Malaysian Muslim Party "PAS" has gained ground after the departure of Dr. M, but this was mainly because his successor is not very competant and made some big errors in the first months that a got into power. However, I doubt that PAS will become a huge player in the future, because the majority of the people do not want to go downhill. 

Malaysia seldom gives her opinion about how other governments are running their country and expect the same in return. Riots, such as 10 years ago in Indonesia also happen in Thailand, Malaysia and in the European football stadiums. If we only focus on the negative issues of a country then we will not have anywhere left to live. I prefer to think of the positives. All 3 countries, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia are much a like. Beautiful beaches, friendly people, low living costs and relatively safe. 

I, for myself, am planning to continue working for a few more years and then find myself a nice Malay beachhut on the eastcoast listening to the waves hit the shore.


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## desres

All 3 countries, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia are much a like. Beautiful beaches, friendly people, low living costs and relatively safe. 

I, for myself, am planning to continue working for a few more years and then find myself a nice Malay beachhut on the eastcoast listening to the waves hit the shore 

That sounds amazing !!
I agree totally, i was in Thailand in August .. {this year } just for vacation & it was my 1st time there .... i went alone .. U.K. female & i was a little nervous about the safety aspect of going alone but just went for it & within the 1st couple of days of my trip i fell in love with the place 

I felt very safe, i booked a driver to explore all the sights & done all the usual touristy things .. there is so much to see & do there, tried the Spa treatments 
Oh boy ..it was excellent 
I found the people so warm, friendly & polite, everyone smiles & u find yourself smiling as well .. all the time 

The Shopping is unbelievable & Restaurant prices well .. i was in shock at how cheap they were .. 
I got great rates at the 2 Hotels i stayed at & at the end of my holiday very sad to leave the place .. it was an amazing holiday the best ever 

It was that good i jumped on the Laptop when i got back to research the visa situation there & sadly .. its not easy to live there .. otherwise i would be packing my bags & saying ..... Sawadeeka 


I do suppose its like everywhere else in terms of living in any country is different from having a holiday there .. but it has a lot going for it


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## REECE

*Back to the drawing board-Malaysia?*

As Thailand seems to be a no go,we are looking at Malaysia. Now the Malaysia second home-MM2HD-Are we able to get in on this or do we need to be of a certain age?


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## jjk

Have you checked-out the website: Terms & Conditions

So, basically their is no age restriction. In the past they only allowed applicants of 50 years old and above. Then the program was called the "Silverhair Program". Now they try to make it interesting for a bigger group. 

You need to have RM500'000 cash and RM10'000 offshore income. After approval you need to place RM300k into a fixed deposit account, but the interesting thing is that after 1 year you can withdraw RM150k for house purchase. You need to keep at least 150k in the fixed deposit. To live of Rm10k a month is very comfortable. It all depends where you live and what quality of live you want. I lived for a number of years with an income of around 20k and was living like a prince......Condo, car, eating out, etc. etc. 

Here is what I roughly remember (These estimations are not for KL or Penang):
House RM 1'000 or Condo RM 2'000
Electricity RM 150
Water RM 10
Medical RM300

A mug of beer sets you back RM10,-- and a meal around RM20,--

If you need any contacts or so, please send me PM.

Regards,

Jan


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## Fontane

*Making the move too*

I too am wanting to move to Thailand and Marry my Thai girlfriend, start a small viable buisiness and also learn more than i have about Thai culture etc. I would be grateful to any Ex-Pats if they could share their wealth of knowlege and experience in the matter ? I am 48 yrs old and my girlfriend is 34 yrs.We hope to run a small guest house-restaurant-bar type place.I am also learning the language very seriously and have made great progress so far. Khorb Khun Krap.


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## Serendipity2

REECE said:


> As Thailand seems to be a no go,we are looking at Malaysia. Now the Malaysia second home-MM2HD-Are we able to get in on this or do we need to be of a certain age?


REECE,

At present there are few benefits to you applying for the MM2H visa unless you want to import a household full of furniture [the shipping costs will eat you alive] or buy a car / import a car. 

You could arrive today in Kuala Lumpur [or wherever] and buy a home to live in - no restrictions. The only minor hassle is every 90 days you've got to renew your "social" visa. Perhaps give Malaysia a year's try before you apply for a MM2H visa and rent but either way there are no restrictions. The MM2H visa does cost to the extent you've got to put a fair chunk of money into a Malaysian bank. At the end of [one?] year you can take a part out to buy a home but the balance needs to remain in the bank - my guess is that if you become very ill or injured they can use those funds to 'export' you back to your homeland - but that's just my guess.


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## Serendipity2

jjk said:


> Have you checked-out the website: Terms & Conditions
> 
> So, basically their is no age restriction. In the past they only allowed applicants of 50 years old and above. Then the program was called the "Silverhair Program". Now they try to make it interesting for a bigger group.
> 
> You need to have RM500'000 cash and RM10'000 offshore income. After approval you need to place RM300k into a fixed deposit account, but the interesting thing is that after 1 year you can withdraw RM150k for house purchase. You need to keep at least 150k in the fixed deposit. To live of Rm10k a month is very comfortable. It all depends where you live and what quality of live you want. I lived for a number of years with an income of around 20k and was living like a prince......Condo, car, eating out, etc. etc.
> 
> Here is what I roughly remember (These estimations are not for KL or Penang):
> House RM 1'000 or Condo RM 2'000
> Electricity RM 150
> Water RM 10
> Medical RM300
> 
> A mug of beer sets you back RM10,-- and a meal around RM20,--
> 
> If you need any contacts or so, please send me PM.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Jan




Jan,

You can do far better on eating your meals out by availing yourself of probably the best food in Malaysia - 'hawker' food sold by street vendors. It's cheap and you can eat very well for $5 per day unless you've a BIG appetite. Probably safest to patronize those vendors that have a lot of customers just to be safe. Don't know about a mug of beer but I suspect that would be about 1/3 - 1/2 the RM10 on the street with your meal. Or without!


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## desres

Fontane said:


> I too am wanting to move to Thailand and Marry my Thai girlfriend, start a small viable buisiness and also learn more than i have about Thai culture etc. I would be grateful to any Ex-Pats if they could share their wealth of knowlege and experience in the matter ? I am 48 yrs old and my girlfriend is 34 yrs.We hope to run a small guest house-restaurant-bar type place.I am also learning the language very seriously and have made great progress so far. Khorb Khun Krap.


_Hi Fontane .. as far as i know you have to have 2 Thai partners to set up a business .. now maybe because your wife is Thai then that may count as 1 of the partners ? maybe someone else will have more info on this for you 

I did meet a couple that was running a Restaurant in a Hotel there .. he was from New Zealand his wife Thai & basically they rented the Restaurant & run it as there own business from the owner of the Hotel who was an American with Thai partner .. so i suppose there are ways around this .. wish u luck anyway _


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## Fontane

*Thankyou for your reply*



desres said:


> _Hi Fontane .. as far as i know you have to have 2 Thai partners to set up a business .. now maybe because your wife is Thai then that may count as 1 of the partners ? maybe someone else will have more info on this for you
> 
> I did meet a couple that was running a Restaurant in a Hotel there .. he was from New Zealand his wife Thai & basically they rented the Restaurant & run it as there own business from the owner of the Hotel who was an American with Thai partner .. so i suppose there are ways around this .. wish u luck anyway _


Hi desres,
Thankyou for your input it was much appreciated ....:clap2:


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## desres

Fontane said:


> Hi desres,
> Thankyou for your input it was much appreciated ....:clap2:


Fontane .. your welcome .. have a look at siamlegal.com it may give you some answers .. let us know how u go


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## oddball

*move to Thailand*



desres said:


> _Hi Fontane .. as far as i know you have to have 2 Thai partners to set up a business .. now maybe because your wife is Thai then that may count as 1 of the partners ? maybe someone else will have more info on this for you
> 
> I did meet a couple that was running a Restaurant in a Hotel there .. he was from New Zealand his wife Thai & basically they rented the Restaurant & run it as there own business from the owner of the Hotel who was an American with Thai partner .. so i suppose there are ways around this .. wish u luck anyway _


 Your first problem is to sort out how you are going to reside in Thailand LEGALY .

Your next problem is you cannot work at a job a Thai is capable of . 

Your Thai wife will be able to set up a buisiness but you have to stay very much in the background .


Thailand is for THAI , you can own nothing other than a condo , your Thai wife has to own it and to be safe you have to prove she bought whatever with HER OWN MONEY .

You can be moved out of anything you THINK you own at any time , many have found this out to their chagrin , and not neccessarily only by the authorities .

Invest only that in Thailand that which you can walk away from and still continue your life , Thailand is the third most dangerous country in which to live , if you value yours , beware of ALL the possible pitfalls .

Many will deny much of what I have posted , they are usualy people who have become 'Thai-ised' and are in self denial . 

Should you be able to live with these possibilities , have a good and prosperous life in Thailand , but print this out and pin it up somewhere in clear sight to be read and re-read .

I enjoyed Thailand very much , but to build a normal life there is not easy , I moved on .

I suggest you read other Thai related forums and read actual horror stories that happened to the unprepared .


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## Fontane

p2::clap2::clap2::clap2:


oddball said:


> Your first problem is to sort out how you are going to reside in Thailand LEGALY .
> 
> Your next problem is you cannot work at a job a Thai is capable of .
> 
> Your Thai wife will be able to set up a buisiness but you have to stay very much in the background .
> 
> 
> Thailand is for THAI , you can own nothing other than a condo , your Thai wife has to own it and to be safe you have to prove she bought whatever with HER OWN MONEY .
> 
> You can be moved out of anything you THINK you own at any time , many have found this out to their chagrin , and not neccessarily only by the authorities .
> 
> Invest only that in Thailand that which you can walk away from and still continue your life , Thailand is the third most dangerous country in which to live , if you value yours , beware of ALL the possible pitfalls .
> 
> Many will deny much of what I have posted , they are usualy people who have become 'Thai-ised' and are in self denial .
> 
> Should you be able to live with these possibilities , have a good and prosperous life in Thailand , but print this out and pin it up somewhere in clear sight to be read and re-read .
> 
> I enjoyed Thailand very much , but to build a normal life there is not easy , I moved on .
> 
> Hi Oddball,
> Thankyou for your views on this matter and i will be very cautious in my thinking and not through rose tinted glasses. I didn't know Thailand was the 3rd most dangerous country in the world to live?It's hard to believe every buisiness in Thailand with a Farrang/Thai partnership does not work, and of course the money would normally always come from the farrang so you are saying all ventures are in jeopardy?I respect your views but how come many buisinesses thrive ? And why so many expats there in the LOS? Sorry it didn't work out for you in Thailand but like you said i'm not going to invest heavily and am prepared to lose what i put in. Start small and see what happens.
> :clap2::clap2:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I suggest you read other Thai related forums and read actual horror stories that happened to the unprepared .


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## oddball

Hi Fontane , I did not say all Farang/Thai buisinesses fail because that is not the case , there are ways to set them up more in line with what is legal , but then it is 52% Thai owned , 'teamoney' is the accepted norm to operate . Many are set up with no regard to the law in any way shape or form so they could be shut down over night without sufficient funding . The way you operate is up to you , but you are always at risk with a government that is slowly closing in on many types of buisiness and land ownership through some sort of proxy deal . I was suggesting to allow your wife to set up and run whilst you stay away .


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## Fontane

*Reply*



oddball said:


> Hi Fontane , I did not say all Farang/Thai buisinesses fail because that is not the case , there are ways to set them up more in line with what is legal , but then it is 52% Thai owned , 'teamoney' is the accepted norm to operate . Many are set up with no regard to the law in any way shape or form so they could be shut down over night without sufficient funding . The way you operate is up to you , but you are always at risk with a government that is slowly closing in on many types of buisiness and land ownership through some sort of proxy deal . I was suggesting to allow your wife to set up and run whilst you stay away .


Thanks Oddball,
That would be the way to go for sure to let her front the buisiness and me for extra support. With the 2 Thai ownership could one of her family also get involved?
I do trust her otherwise i would not contemplate such a venture and i'm looking forward to a new chalenge..:clap2:


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## oddball

I am not sure if the two Thai could be family but I will see if I can find anything on that point .

To many people , my comments come across as rather harsh , but I feel enquirers need to be given as much information as they can glean from forums , because there can be quite a shock on arrival , or shortly there after , if only the rosy spec view is presented . It takes a long time to learn many of the pitfalls due to the fact many only come up on the odd occassion , one needs to give it all the preparation possible when moveng to SE asia , it is not like you are moving just two blocks or so in your own city where you are constantly aware of what goes on .

I do my best not to sound derogatory , because I am not that way inclined , the problem is that many cannot read and understand the written English word too well , that is why I use lots of comas to indicate a pause , monotonal reading can easily destroy the gist of a text . 

Cheers , Colin .


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## Fontane

*Making the move*



oddball said:


> I am not sure if the two Thai could be family but I will see if I can find anything on that point .
> 
> To many people , my comments come across as rather harsh , but I feel enquirers need to be given as much information as they can glean from forums , because there can be quite a shock on arrival , or shortly there after , if only the rosy spec view is presented . It takes a long time to learn many of the pitfalls due to the fact many only come up on the odd occassion , one needs to give it all the preparation possible when moveng to SE asia , it is not like you are moving just two blocks or so in your own city where you are constantly aware of what goes on .
> 
> I do my best not to sound derogatory , because I am not that way inclined , the problem is that many cannot read and understand the written English word too well , that is why I use lots of comas to indicate a pause , monotonal reading can easily destroy the gist of a text .
> 
> Cheers , Colin .



Hi Oddball,
Didn't find your comments harsh more rather on the money and you obviously have the experience to comment on this matter.
I will be looking forward to hearing from you again and value your efforts in helping a newbie on this forum..
Best Regards ..:clap2:


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