Thailand's Secret Plan to DESTROY Western Expat Dreams is Working (12,000 Already Gone)

[Bazle 1,699]

https://youtu.be/Lo5SXXoiSL4

"Here's what's really happening:

Banking Apocalypse: Major Thai banks are freezing and restricting foreign accounts at record rates, making it nearly impossible for retirees to access their own money or meet visa requirements. Over 12,000 expats have already lost their legal status this year alone. 

Digital Bureaucracy Trap: New electronic travel systems are being used to screen, track, and ultimately filter out anyone who doesn’t meet ever-tightening criteria for residency and financial stability.

Healthcare Crisis: Medical costs are soaring, with aggressive debt collection and insurance requirements that most retirees can’t afford. Hospitals now routinely deny treatment or freeze accounts for unpaid bills.

Immigration Crackdown: “Operation Expat Exodus” is targeting not just illegal workers, but long-term residents—making it harder every month to renew visas, prove income, or even participate in community life without risk.

Frozen Pensions & Tax Squeeze: British and other foreign pensioners are seeing their incomes eroded by frozen rates, currency drops, and looming tax changes that threaten to make retirement here unaffordable.

Social Credit for Expats: A new scoring system is quietly being rolled out, tracking every aspect of foreign residents’ lives—from finances to healthcare to social activity—to decide who can stay and who must leave."

[LocalYokul 335]

 

There are far too many vloggers out there encouraging everyone to move to The Land of Smiles, & it has gotten out of hand.

Thais are normally quite laid back on social media, but they will go tooth & nail when one of those eedjits posts something along the lines of "Should I move to Thailand?"

They will berate them, commenting that they have already attracted enough vermin, & that it is ruining the Kingdom.

 

[jacko 8,980]

I have seen commentary by our friend Benjamin Hart at Integrity Legal that overlaps some of this, he is more optimistic. His recent comments is that banks are causing many issues, having requirements that have not been stipulated by immigration. The latest in the rumour mill, as an example, a particular bank stipulating that for an affidavit letter (per retirement extension requirements) it requires the 800k to have been on deposit for 4 months. Immigration do not require this. 

The above commentary about vloggers promoting Thailand is also an issue, I sometimes feel like saying Gabor style 'Shhh, you will spoil it for everyone' (me included). It is a nearly global issue/problem this immigration, I mean if the UK still attracts so many, a country I see now as a basket case, Thailand is definitely rosier. 

 

Edited July 5 by jacko

[Bruce Mangosteen 1,141]

I'm generally skeptical of these claims based on my experience.  The comments on the page seem to support my view.

On 7/4/2025 at 6:18 AM, Bazle said:

Banking Apocalypse

IMO a lot of this is due to rules in expats' home countries, especially countries asking Thai banks to report activity in expats' bank accounts.  Accounts for farangs can become more trouble than they're worth.

On 7/4/2025 at 6:18 AM, Bazle said:

Digital Bureaucracy Trap

Seems to me that the Thais have a right to decide who can enter and remain in their country.  Why should they be forced or shamed into allowing criminals and indigents in?  

On 7/4/2025 at 6:18 AM, Bazle said:

Healthcare Crisis

Insurance destroys health care.  Thailand is only the latest test case for this never-miss principle.  However, if westerners had been content to use the prevailing Thai health care system, it wouldn't have become an issue.  Of course, rural Thai hospitals tend to look like something out of a slasher movie...

On 7/4/2025 at 6:18 AM, Bazle said:

Immigration Crackdown

See "Digital Bureaucracy Trap".

On 7/4/2025 at 6:18 AM, Bazle said:

Frozen Pensions & Tax Squeeze

Farangs' frozen pensions are hardly Thailand's fault, and the exchange rates have been fairly stable over the past 10 years, moving in a range of about 8 baht in that time.  Expecting them to stay where they were immediately after the crash is stupid.

Most western countries have reciprocal taxation agreements with Thailand, and we don't know what the new rules will end up being, so this fearmongering is at best premature.

On 7/4/2025 at 6:18 AM, Bazle said:

Social Credit for Expats

My friend google knows nothing of this.  However, he did mention something about Vietnam considering such a system, and they're actually communist, so I see that as more likely.  Also see "Digital Bureaucracy Trap".

[LocalYokul 335]

 

I remember being in a Catch-22 situation between the bank & Immigration at least once.

The bank wanted a Residency permit to open a new account & Immigration needed to see a certain amount of money in a Thai bank to proceed.

The bank account I had been using for my wages was not acceptable, but I cannot recall the details now. I think it was at the turn of the Millennium.

 

I thought things had been opening up more, considering the Digital Nomad visa is a thing. I have known a handful of guys who would have qualified for that back in the '90s.

 

 

[Bruce Mangosteen 1,141]

12 hours ago, LocalYokul said:

I thought things had been opening up more, considering the Digital Nomad visa is a thing.

One of the root causes of the problem is the US taxing worldwide income.  We're one of only a few countries that does that.  The law mandating that, FATCA, requires foreign banks and other entities to report on financial activities of Americans who hold accounts in foreign countries.  This required activity makes these accounts far less profitable, to the point where they can be more trouble than they're worth.  Sadly, other countries are warming to this idea.

Here's an article on this, although from a few years ago:  https://taxjustice.net/2019/06/21/statistics-on-automatic-exchange-of-banking-information-and-the-right-to-hold-authorities-and-banks-to-account/

Thailand has also been cracking down on actual criminal activity, especially money laundering, call center scams, and human trafficking.  Part of how they do this is surveillance of financial activity, which again can cause accounts held by foreigners to be more costly to maintain.

 

[LocalYokul 335]

 

When I lived on Soi Yodsak & drank at Washington Square, a group of regular imbibers disappeared after a boiler room got busted.

 

[Bruce Mangosteen 1,141]

The Pattaya Mail chimes in on this question:

https://www.pattayamail.com/travel/expat-dreams-shattered-in-thailand-cockup-conspiracy-or-just-plain-nonsense-509021

Benjamin Hart, the irrepressible founder of Bangkok-based Integrity Legal and a Thai national, has recently done a good hatchet job on much of the hostile click-bait material in his video: Debunking Thai Secret Plan Against Expats. He acknowledges that expat life for farang has gotten more difficult in recent years – you no longer see the term “paradise” applied to western life here – but denies there’s a conspiracy to doom we westerners. Pattaya Mail comments below on some of the doubtful claims made by Hart’s opponents.

More at link, if you're interested in Barry Kenyon's take on the matter. 

Perhaps confusingly, Benjamin Hart's opinion is not included, and there isn't even a link to his video.  Your humble servant has looked that up:

 

[Bazle 1,699]

45 minutes ago, Bruce Mangosteen said:

The Pattaya Mail chimes in on this question:

https://www.pattayamail.com/travel/expat-dreams-shattered-in-thailand-cockup-conspiracy-or-just-plain-nonsense-509021

 

Thanks, Bruce. Interesting. 😀

[LocalYokul 335]

 

A former coworker of mine, from long ago, has recently contacted me to get my take on jumping ship & moving to The Land of Smiles.

I wanted to tell him the Hey Days are over, but I tried to be encouraging. He is looking at it like a horny sailor getting a port liberty, but I am unsure of how to persuade him to think more objectively.

Private Dancer was my last suggestion, which I think all newbs should read, before even getting their first tourist visa.

Edited July 10 by LocalYokul
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