MartinL

Pretty much exactly my experience at my local district tax office last week. I take it you were refused a TIN. All these reports of TIN refusal because of already-taxed pensions means I'm leaning towards the belief that the RD has told local tax offices that such pensions are not to be taxed further but that bit of info. hasn't been publicly announced for some reason. If my belief is wrong, never mind - it's not the end of the world. I decided at the start of all this that my financial affairs were very simple - pensions and some pre-24 savings - and I knew what was assessable and taxable and calculated how much tax I might have to pay in the worst scenario, taking TEDAs into account. Not much at all and, if tax credits can be applied, then nothing. Not worth worrying yourself senseless over.

Agree. In another thread, I said "I was refused a TIN because I have no earnings in Thailand ... maybe the TO people are waiting for proper instructions from their senior people". From all the reports of denials of TINs, it increasingly feels like they've already had instructions not to provide TINs for those living on pensions - and my TO specifically asked about pension income - we've just not heard about it and it'll never be confirmed one way or he other.

Yes, I know all that but a TIN is needed to file a tax return and, in so many reports, TRD local offices have refused to issue a TIN, including in my own case just yesterday. The manager of my local tax office was acting in what he clearly believed was the correct manner to my enquiry in denying me a TIN. He certainly didn't appear to be acting out of malice or indifference as he took time to explain his stance. I won't change his belief that his action was correct so I didn't try too much. How can we even get on the first rung of the ladder in an attempt to comply with the law if we're denied the tools to do so?

Of course!! That goes without saying.

I've just come back from my local District Tax Office, the 3rd. time I've been there in my 15 years in Thailand. On the previous 2 occasions I was told 'No income earnt in Thailand = No income tax to pay'. This time I was expecting something different and told them I'd stayed in Thailand >180 days, had sent foreign-source already-taxed income to Thailand and had received a miniscule sum in interest on my savings account but No, exactly the same answer. They weren't interested in any details. I was refused a TIN because I have no earnings in Thailand. I was told, however, that things might change in the future - maybe the TO people are waiting for proper instructions from their senior people. Everything in these tax threads might be telling us that conclusion is wrong but the Manager of this TO was convinced his interpretation was correct for the time being - and why wouldn't he be? - and I've now decided that the likes of me and all the AN membership won't change that interpretation so those of us who've been denied a TIN will just have to live with it and hope the tax investigators understand that we asked for and were refused TINs. Not a lot we can do about that.

This is a question I asked of Roojai in 2023. Text of the exchange below. This was a general question to them but I was more interested in my bike Class 1 insurance because the car is insured in my (not much younger) wife's name. From: [xxx] Sent: 29/01/2023 07:00 To: [email protected] Subject: Insurance Cancellation at 70 Years Old? I have been told that Roojai car and motorcycle policies are not renewed after the driver reaches the age of 70 years old. Is this true please? Thank you, abcdef. From: Roojai Sent: 30 January 2023 12:54 To: xxx Subject: RE: Insurance Cancellation at 70 Years Old? Dear abcdef. Thank you for your email. Roojai.com entended the driver age to be 75 years old maximum, sir Please feel free to call us at 025828866 or email us with any further inquiries. Sincerely yours, Roojai.com

I've read that too, somewhere. Probably here on AN. Even so, I stuck with the older '15 days before' window even there was a chance of rejection. I've just checked back on my last 5 online reports (Dec. 24 > Dec. 23) - I applied 2, 4, 1, 2 and 2 days before due date and have never been rejected by Khon Kaen office. It seems the "15 and 7 days before" isn't correct for KK at least.

It It'd also be safer if Thai drivers of all descriptions didn't insist on driving the last few yards before their turn on the wrong side of the road - making their turn at 45 degrees (or less) to the junction rather than 90 so that they appear to 'drift' across the road. I see it all the time as a biker, cyclist and car driver/passenger. It's almost as if they're too lazy to turn the steering wheel or 'bars those extra few degrees or have to take the 'racing line' through even the slowest of turns. Maybe inability to judge speed of approaching vehicles comes into it, too.

Yes, a letter was received, not a statement, relevant to the first year's payment only. A 'statement', to me, implies something different to a letter. The person to whom I was responding subsequently said that he gets annual statements from DWP and that's exactly what I was hoping to clarify.

Thanks for that. It seems that, in my case at least, the DWP and my 'main' pension provider are being negligent and it's something I should be chasing up.

I receive the same type of income from UK as you. DWP statement - what's that? I've certainly never received such a thing since becoming eligible for SP in 2019. Nowhere on my P60s from company and private pensions is my SP mentioned. It appears on the HMRC annual Tax Code Notice and shows the tax-free allowance being reduced because of it and then that tax code being applied to my 'main' pension. That would have to satisfy Thai RD because there's nothing else to show that the SP has been taxed. At a glance and without knowing precise details of how the UK tax code works, I can see some small local tax offices saying "You haven't paid tax anywhere on the SP" and I'd feel they could be justified for saying that, leading to hassle in trying to tell them how it works. Bank statements - easy. Don't use Wise.

I did, years ago, but he wouldn't/couldn't give a clear answer, lack of which doesn't stop me wondering.

In our local travelling market, there's often a bloke with no arms, no legs. Not even stumps of previous limbs. He's just placed on a sack barrow and left to attract donations. There's no way he could get himself about. He must be under someone's control - 'owned' if you like. He's alert, talks to folks, smiles, he doesn't seem in the least unhappy but I find it impossible to imagine how his life must be. I always wonder how much of the money given to him he gets to keep for himself.

I saw this on TV this morning. The chicken owner seemed to be living in a shack on a riverbank with chickens running free all over the place, an open invitation to a dog whose nature is to chase. If the welfare and safety of his chickens is so important, maybe he should think about enclosing them in future. The dog should also have been confined, of course. I'd fear for my life if I was the driver of a car that ran over some of his birds.

Best advice, as previously stated, is to write a Will. Especially if you're the last survivor. In your case, intestacy means no statutory heirs so the state would get everything. I'm sure you wouldn't want that! Intestacy laws are summarised here:- https://www.thailandlaw.org/intestate-succession-in-thailand.html There are many similar documents out there but I've found this one clearest for me. This is how I understand it, but might be wrong:- As there is a grandchild, I assume there are also your wife's children, if living. In that case, Class 1 statutory heir applies - spouse and children. 50% for surviving spouse, 50% divided equally between children. NOTE NO PROVISION FOR GRANDCHILDREN. If there are no surviving children, then parents come into the picture and so on down the list. I'd guess parents are deceased. My own UK and Thai Wills both state that any assets I leave go to my Thai grandchildren (no descendants in UK) if my wife dies first, both those already born and any future births. The grandchildren's parents are OK financially so I'd want my assets to help the kids in their future.