Due to tightened immigration regulations, many European are leaving Thailand. This also includes retirees who spend more time in the country. This is not everything, but another reason might be the ever-increasing Thai-Bath. A few years ago, the conversion for 1 Euro was 49,80 Bath. Today there is only 30 Bath for one Euro. Experts and insiders do even fear a greater number of people leaving Thailand and falling numbers of tourists – in a very near future, they fear a bath value of 27 baht for a euro.

This means that Thailand is developing from a cheap country to a very expensive country for international visitors. The number of Nordic business people in Thailand and the number of Nordic people who are retiring or applying for a visa in connection with their Thai family have fallen in the first five months of this year. This is the first decline in 12 years due to tightened immigration regulations.

If the trend continues, only 861 Northerners with a business visa will be in Thailand by the end of the year, according to the Scandasia.com website. In 2018, 435 Nordic businessmen renewed their business visa in the first five months of this year (2018). This year (2019) only 395 businessmen have renewed their visa. While some new business people may have joined, more businesspeople must have opted for the move. This led to a net decline of Nordic business people in Thailand of 40 people or around 10 per cent.

The downtrend is stronger than that of all other foreigners in Thailand, where the decline in business visa renewals has dropped 2 per cent over this period to a total of 5,536 business visas.

Nordic people, who have a pension visa or a visa for their Thai family, also refused to renew their visa. Last year, 3,837 Northerners renewed their visa in the first five months of the year. This year, only 3,788 people renewed their visa in the same five months. The net decrease was 49 persons.

In the Other category, which includes e-Visa students, 89 people dropped from 1,174 last year to 1,085 this year. Here, therefore, a decline of 7.5 per cent has also made itself felt. Even the extension of tourist visas went back to 65.75 with 11.752.

The forecast for 2019:
If the trend continues in the first five months of the year, by the end of 2019:
• 128 Norwegians
• 133 Finns
• 426 Sweden
• 164 Danes
• and 10 Icelanders
to stay in Thailand with a business visa.

The Nordic business world grew steadily at 10 per cent per year. In 2007, 423 people extended their business visa. In 2013, the community had grown to 774 people. In recent years, annual growth has slowed to 1.1 per cent. From 885 people in 2016 to 905 people in 2018. The year 2019 is the first year in which a negative growth of the business world of 4.9 per cent can be expected.

All figures are based on statistics from the Royal Thai Police (RTP) Immigration Department.

Source: travelandmiceworld.com