An alternative view of Thai immigration rules
Re: “US Immigration should be as tough as Thailand’s,” Letters, February 9.
JC Wilcox is trying sleight-of-hand once again. He may personally choose to deposit funds in Thailand to cover healthcare and provide proof of tax payments in the UK, but he certainly need not do so. He could simply stick Bt800,000 in a Thai bank and leave it there for three months to qualify for a retirement visa.
The modest sum can even be borrowed from a third party, I’m told. No need to involve the British embassy or the tax authorities back home.
In reality, Thai rules for long-stay visas are hardly rigorous. This is why the immigration authorities are currently looking into tightening them up. One suggestion, coming from a government spokesman, is that compulsory medical insurance may be required.
Since your correspondent hints that he lacks this particular documentation, he could even find himself back in the UK.
Overseas medical coverage for non-insured oldies is virtually impossible.
Sometimes, JCW, it pays to look before you leap!
Barry Kenyon
