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Saturday, May 4, 2024

Pattaya expats lobby Thai prime minister for better visa treatment

Although retirees here are sometimes seen as beach bums and bar stool sitters, they make a sizeable contribution to the Thai cash economy.

A group of expats based in Pattaya, mainly holding one year extensions of stay for retirement or marriage, have written to Premier Srettha Thavisin to campaign for more humane treatment. Leader John Foulds, a British retiree, said that the government seemed to be interested only in expanding short term tourists by abolishing visas for mass markets, such as China and India, and easing the life of wealthy expat professionals on large salaries. He quoted the recent announcement about 10 year executive or professional work permits in the Eastern Economic Corridor offering specially discounted tax rates on earnings and confirming avoidance of 90 days reporting.

Mr Foulds explained, “By contrast, there never seems to be any good news for the…

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