By Barry Kenyon

[Gaybutton]

Of course none but those who actually commit suicide can know why they did it if they didn't at least leave a suicide note. My guess at the main reasons would be:

1. Ran out of money
2. Suicide better than dying of a terrible disease
3. Relationship trauma
4. Drugs and alcohol

Throwing one's self off a tall building seems to be the preferred method.
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Making sense or nonsense of foreigner suicides in Pattaya

By Barry Kenyon

June 15, 2024

The start of this month saw five falls from Pattaya condominium balconies in as many days. All were non-Thais, thus boosting the sick joke about the Pattaya Flying Club being back in business. Of course, the fact that there have been no cases since has been ignored, a good example of deviancy amplification. That’s the well-attested habit of the mainstream and social media to create moral panics to boost sales or encourage click bait.

Hard evidence is very thin on the ground. The World Health Organization publishes international data of sorts, but the statistics apparently reflect the number of Thai suicides only: about 10 percent of all adult deaths but considerably lower than the equivalent case of South Korea or India. An internet review of known foreigner cases in Pattaya during the first six months of 2024 suggests a total of 36, mostly condominium leaps. Pattaya police lieutenant Aniruj Jeroh agrees that approximate total but adds that suicides, accidents and murders can be hard to disentangle.

There are no regular governmental or embassy statistics in support. The British then-honorary consul in Pattaya in 2009 found that 295 Brits had died in the whole of Thailand, the vast majority by lifestyle diseases such as cancer or heart attacks. Specifically in Pattaya, he found 6 British suicides for the whole of that year with fatal motorbike accidents coming in just behind at 5 mortalities. At the time, it’s likely that there were many more British nationals in Thailand than there are now, according to immigration arrival reports which surface now and again.

The condominium leap syndrome in Pattaya has attracted much speculation as it appears to be mainly be a farang choice. It is not only a Pattaya phenomenon as Spanish authorities keep a tab with their own Balearic Balcony League. Of course, some jumps may be accidental and the lowness of Pattaya unit walls or safety barriers has often been stressed. However, only one known case – an American in 2018 – has ever been definitively shown to be accidental and was proved by video footage of a wild party in progress with all the expected tomfoolery.

Some commentators suggest that murder or defenestration may be at play in some sudden falls. There appear to be no known cases in Thailand which have progressed successfully through the courts, although police are reluctant to make accusations without definitive proof because aggrieved parties could later sue them for false arrest. Interestingly, the most popular methods of suicide amongst Thais are poison and hanging. In America, the most popular option by far is shooting by gun which is hardly surprising given the easy access to firearms.

So is the suicide rate by foreigners out of control in Pattaya? Hardly and about 95 percent are men not women. Pattaya is a small city by international standards, but the huge tourist market means there may as many as one million people present here on any one night in the general area. The new factor is the increasing number of suicides from “new” countries such as China (3 suicide cases so far in 2024) and Russia (also 3 cases). A future article will try to demonstrate why foreigners in Pattaya commit suicide. The evidence is fragmentary but revealing.

https://www.pattayamail.com/news/making ... aya-463308

[Jun]

Well, I gather in the UK, balconies need to be 110cm high, whereas 70~80cm is more common in Thailand.
If you're 6" tall, that's 182cm. As your centre of gravity is typically at about 60% of your height, this works out at 110cm.

I think Thai balconies are too low & I don't particularly like some of the tall properties with low balconies either.

I also would prefer to ensure that no one would knowingly profit if I "accidentally" fell off a balcony.

[Gaybutton]

Visa differences impede progress towards a Schengen-style south east Asia

By Barry Kenyon

June 22, 2024

The Thai prime minister’s campaign to introduce a Schengen-style visa program for travel across the region has become stuck in bureaucracy. Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos each has different travel regulations which are proving hard to disentangle. For example, Thailand now allows no-cost visa exemptions for tourist traffic from 93 countries, about half the number agreed by Vietnam. Cambodia charges almost all visitors US$30 on arrival or via e-visa application, while troubled Myanmar insists on a pre-purchased visa which can take up to two weeks to issue.

Chief executive of VietSense Travel, Nguyen Van Tai, said that the ASEAN block should not rush into a common visa as political and security issues had not yet been resolved. The Cambodian immigration service last week reported there were no plans to lift the US$30 tourist fee. Marisa Sukosol Nunbakdi, a past president of the Thai Hotels Association, said any common visa would need to be 90 days, not 30 or 60, to reach its international potential. Thitian Pongsudhirak, a professor at Chulalongkorn University, stressed that standardized immigration procedures throughout the region were very rare.

Another ongoing complication arises from bilateral (two-country) agreements. For example, the Russian private lender Tinkoff has now started making Thai baht transfers through the Swift messaging system which may explain to some degree why Russians love Thailand. The Russian bank in fact sends funds to around 30 countries including China and Turkey. But some of Thailand’s regional partners are unlikely to agree to link up with Tinkoff without lengthy discussion.

Meanwhile, Schengen-style agreements are doing better elsewhere. The Gulf Cooperation Council – comprising the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait – currently requires separate e-visas. But a Grand Tours visa is expected to be available by the end of 2024 and travel companies are expected to launch packages covering several mi-east countries once implemented. A similar common-visa initiative covering five southern African countries, spreading across massive nature reserves, is expected to popularize tourist attractions such as exotic wildlife and spectacular waterfalls.

Schengen-style, visa-free travel in practice means seamless travel through the signatory countries without the burden of undue passport inspection. The concept creates a much more welcoming environment for tourists by simplifying the multi-entry process by air, sea and land. Given the hesitancy of ASEAN in agreeing any major policy changes and its history of non-intervention in the domestic affairs of member states, a joint visa plan by Thailand and her neighbors remains a worthy dream under discussion since 2010. ASEAN will sleep on it.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... sia-463743

[Gaybutton]

ASEAN countries clearly split on gay and transgender rights

By Barry Kenyon

June 24, 2024

Thailand stands alone in its adoption of gay marriage. The ruling Pheu Thai party intends to go further and to recognize gender identity changes as well as to legalize prostitution, male as well as female. There is also a proposal to legalize commercial surrogacy for same sex marriage partners. The country is making a firm bid to be the world pride venue in 2028. Even a decade ago these moves would have been unthinkable in the land of smiles.

The 10-member ASEAN is a commercial union, of sorts, but rarely interferes in each country’s domestic affairs. Nowhere is this clearer than in sexual law. Indonesia and Myanmar both have jail-time legislation which outlaws any kind of sex outside marriage, whilst Brunei can impose stoning to death for miscreants. Although the number of actual prosecutions in these countries is speculative, two Indonesian men each received 77 lashes in 2021 for “grossly indecent behaviour”. But the general idea seems to be to discourage coming-out, pride rallies and political campaigns on the “out of sight out of mind” principle.

Other ASEAN partners lie somewhere in-between. In Singapore, gay sex is legal and also gender reassignment surgery which has been available since the 1970s. But there are few protections against discrimination and gay marriage is not available. Laos, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam all recognize the legality of gay sex but not gay relationships. The Philippines is in a similar position, though its promotional tourist sites proclaim gays are welcome. Even the sexually-explicit Angeles City now has half a dozen gay bars or clubs, compared with none five years ago.

Whether Thailand’s adoption of gay marriage in the fullest sense will impact other ASEAN nations remains to be seen. The pink pound is now mega-cash to the tune of US$6.5 billion or 1.2 percent of gross national product in Thailand, according to industry consultants LGBT Capital. In another context, Thailand’s lead in abolishing many visa restrictions on overseas visitors is being followed by several ASEAN partners. Further adoption of gay rights throughout south east Asia is no longer unthinkable.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... hts-463958

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Increasing the foreign quota for Thai condos immaterial

By Barry Kenyon

June 25, 2024

CBRE Thailand, the market leader in real estate services, has told the Bangkok Post that increasing the foreign ownership for condos to 75 percent is likely non-consequential right now. This is because very few condo projects have reached the current quota of 49 percent.

Praphinleeya Phuengkhuankhan, head of residential sales, said, “An increase in foreign ownership quotas may not be significant for the market or the economy as demand from foreign buyers for any single project is not that high.” She added that even in resorts such as Phuket or Pattaya, non-Thai buyers prefer villas over condos.

Nationally, the number of condo ownership transfers by foreigners accounted for 13.6 percent last year, up from 10.8 percent in 2022. However, foreigners tended to purchase condo units outside of Greater Bangkok with Chonburi province, including Pattaya, being a front runner.

Foreigners are generally restricted from owning land in Thailand directly. However, they can own specified buildings on the land, such as condominium units, or lease land for various periods which are currently under review by the government.

Some commentators believe that current ambiguities about taxing foreigners on remitted income from 2024, and the possibility of taxing them on worldwide income from 2025, is dampening condo sales by foreign investors.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... ial-464034

[Jun]

CBRE Thailand, the market leader in real estate services, has told the Bangkok Post that increasing the foreign ownership for condos to 75 percent is likely non-consequential right now. This is because very few condo projects have reached the current quota of 49 percent.

Nationally, the number of condo ownership transfers by foreigners accounted for 13.6 percent last year, up from 10.8 percent in 2022. However, foreigners tended to purchase condo units outside of Greater Bangkok with Chonburi province, including Pattaya, being a front runner.

Isn't the national figure irrelevant ?
I would assume foreigners are mainly buying condos in places like Phuket or Chonburi, so the foreign ownership limit in those areas matters.

Some commentators believe that current ambiguities about taxing foreigners on remitted income from 2024, and the possibility of taxing them on worldwide income from 2025, is dampening condo sales by foreign investors.

Almost certainly.
Two of the things investors hate are uncertainty and taxes.

[Gaybutton]

July: Hopefully the month of visa clarification in Thailand

By Barry Kenyon

June 29, 2024

The 60 days visa exempt for 93 countries
This was announced prematurely by the foreign affairs ministry and has not yet started. Amongst the details to be clarified are whether the visa exempt can be extended for a further month at local immigration (90 days in all) and whether the whole exercise can be repeated by leaving Thailand and returning quickly.


The Destination Thailand Visa
This looks like a 180 days “activity-related” visa with limited extension rights, but clarification is awaited. Will likely need documentation such as company papers to work overseas for remote workers, registration at a Thai martial arts training facility or enrolment at a cuisine college. It might be extended to tourists seeking gender reassignment surgery or listed medical procedures. Very unlikely to be an additional option for wannabe retirees or longstay tourists trying to avoid border or visa runs.


Long Term Residence Visa
This 10 year visa, which requires an annual income of at least US$80,000 or very substantial investment in Thailand, has been touted as exempt from the Thai Revenue announcement that assessable income remitted to Thailand from January 1 2024 will be subject to personal income tax. However, it is unknown whether the exemption will apply to stage two of the Revenue’s plans to tax worldwide assets, whether remitted to Thailand or not, from next year. This second Revenue proposal (unlike the first already in operation) would need a new law or Cabinet approval.


Review of retirement-related visas and extensions
Due to be implemented in September 2024. A temporary reduction in medical insurance for those applying for a one year visa in Thai embassies was announced, but nothing more. Likely subjects for upward review are the 800,000 baht requirement in the bank or 65,000 baht in regular cash transfer from overseas: these sums have not been raised for over 15 years. Other subject reviews might center on why some longstay retirees have to provide medical insurance whilst others do not. Getting the foreign affairs ministry, which controls entries, and the immigration bureau, which controls extensions, to agree won’t be easy.


Tax identification numbers
There is speculation that holders of some longstay visas and extensions of stay could require registration with Thai Revenue and the issuing of a TIN and/or confirmation that a tax return had been submitted by the applicant. This is extremely unlikely at present as the requirement of at least 180 days in Thailand in any one year to be a tax resident does not require any particular visa. Some tourists, relying of visa exempts, extensions and border runs, could clock up six months plus without having any kind of visa.


Gay marriages
Long-stay visas for gay partnerships won’t likely be announced until the legal process is completed towards the end of the year. The current annually-renewable extension for foreigners with a Thai spouse of the opposite sex – the one requiring 400,000 in the bank or similar monthly income – is under review anyway as many of these foreigners are retired.

https://www.pattayamail.com/business/ju ... and-464348

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Easier legislation for foreigners buying Thai condos hits the flak

By Barry Kenyon

July 2, 2024

Online foreigners are warning the Thai government that they are changing their minds about buying condominium units here. They stress that the Thai Revenue policy to tax residents on overseas income remitted to Thailand from January 2024 is cautioning them, whilst the suggestion that worldwide income, whether remitted or not, could become taxable from 2025 is the last straw.

Prime minister Srettha Thavisin has resurrected the old idea of property-purchase legislation by arguing for an increase in the foreign ownership quota for condos to 75 percent and extending leasehold contracts to 99 years. Yet he and his Pheu Thai party attacked the proposal of his predecessor General Chan-o-cha who wanted to allow foreigners to buy one rai of land (0.16 hectares) provided they invested here very heavily. The General’s plans were eventually dropped after an avalanche of complaints he was “selling” the country.

Real estate associations have urged Pheu Thai to reform the property laws because of weak demands from local Thai buyers and evidence that foreigners are using illegal Thai nominees in the purchasing process of both villas and condos. Although some projects in Thailand are currently undersold, others in popular locations such as beaches or overhead rail stations or industrial estates are selling like hot cakes. Colliers Thailand, the commercial real estate, say the best-selling provincial projects are in areas, such as Pattaya and Phuket, popular with foreigners rather than Thais.

Several Pattaya real estate companies point out that the foreign market is changing and that most buyers are no longer Europeans or Americans worried about income tax for resident expats. The Real Estate Information Center confirms that the top three nationalities for foreign ownership transfers of condos overall in the first quarter of 2024 were Chinese, Myanmar nationals and Russians. However, the vast majority of purchases were for investment purposes and most commercial buyers were not pensioned retirees wanting to live in their purchases.

Surachet Kongcheep, managing director of the consultancy Property DNA, urged caution about liberalizing the condo regulations as most projects had not reached their foreign quota. He also criticized developers who sold condo units at higher prices exclusively to foreigners as this could distort the market for Thais. He suggested a new rule that condo purchasers must wait at least three years before being sold or transferred to another individual. But the point is that traditional retirees on renewable visas or extensions of stay are no longer the hub of Thailand’s property market. Pumping up the property market has new players.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... lak-464495

[Jun]

the top three nationalities for foreign ownership transfers of condos overall in the first quarter of 2024 were Chinese, Myanmar nationals and Russians. However, the vast majority of purchases were for investment purposes and most commercial buyers were not pensioned retirees wanting to live in their purchases.

Looking at those 3 countries, wealthy residents might just perceive some risk with the regime in charge at home.
Therefore having the safety net of an overseas residence would be a nice backup option.

[Gaybutton]

Looking at those 3 countries, wealthy residents might just perceive some risk with the regime in charge at home.

Especially Myanmar. I would think, with a regime such as Myanmar's junta, to even be a wealthy resident one would have to be favored by the government. If that is true, as long as they remain in favor they don't have much to worry about.

However, I wouldn't trust any of these three governments. They would turn on you in an instant if for any reason you fall out of favor. In my opinion all three governments are headed by power hungry people who would stop at nothing to remain in power.

Of course, a certain someone in the USA does stop at nothing trying to hold on to power and I see him as much more dangerous than the leaders of those three countries . . .