KhunHeineken

I agree. You could live here for 20 years, have a wife, children, a house, a car, a business, investments, and you will have no more rights or access to services than a tourists on a 30 day visa exemption stamp. Now, they want you to pay more money to still have the same zero rights and access as a tourist. Yes, it is laughable. For some, it will make more economic sense to become a tourist in Thailand for 179 days a year.

The same was said about the overloaded speed boats from Samui to Koh Phangan, with the drunk skippers, on full moon party nights. Anything that "tarnishes" Thailand's tourism industry, the response is the same, deny, deny deny. When the death toll got so bad they put a Thai Navy check point in between the islands. Then, there was the bed bug spray in a hotel in Chiang Mai, and elsewhere. Deny, deny, deny until the family of one deceased had an independent autopsy done in their home country and the truth was undeniable. There's also the methanol poisoning from Lao Khao. We have just seen the tragedy in Laos. It happens in Thailand also. Deny, deny, deny. There's also the coach bus crashes that's killed hundreds here. The bus driver, Somchai, is on 300 baht a day, the cheapest he company could get, and he has so many lives in his hands. Do I know for certain this practice of under filling tanks happens, no. Would it surprise me if it did happen, no, and that's the sad thing about Thailand, MONEY NUMBER ONE, so cut safety corners, maximize profits, and life is cheap.

To my knowledge, the LTR visa involved applying with documents setting out your income per year. I had a look at it and I can qualify, but I don't want to tell the Thai government anything, let alone prove to them my income. I am sure everything is fine for you now, but is it possible that if / when world wide income is implemented, they know all of your financials and will tax you accordingly. I saw the LTR as bait for a tax trap. Just too much information required about income. I would have rather just paid 200,000 baht up front for it, no questions asked, but given the tax on remittances, probably wouldn't have gone down the LTR visa path anyway.

The funds will still be remitted. All you are doing is spreading the remittances over several recipients. Your daughter in the UK may also have some tax implications, but I am not a Brit, so I'm not up with this. You are basically trying to use Thai proxies to circumvent the tax policy. I have no problem at all with tax minimization, however, the tax is on the money in this case, not necessarily the person, if you can look at it that way. All you would be doing is shifting the tax liability onto some Thai's in the family. Your "cunning plan" may buy you some time, but as I have said before, I have a feeling that a foreigner living in Thailand on "air" is going to come under scrutiny at some stage.

I'm sure we will hear more from the Director General before the the 31st March. Particularly as his brief seems to be broadening Thailand's tax base. Hopefully, his statements will be published by a credible media source. Until then, unless he comes out and makes bold statements like, for example, "foreigners remitting a pension DO NOT have to file" or similar very direct and concise statements, I will be filing and declaring. I will pay this year, but if I feel it's a rip off, it's 179 days in Thailand, and the rest in Vietnam.

What I stated is a long way off, but is already being planned. What is currently here and now is the ability for one to make their crypto private and untraceable.

Oh. I'm guessing toxicology results will be important in this case.

Governments are moving towards their country's "currency" being crypto, and their country cashless. Workers will be paid in crypto, and consumers will buy in crypto. I will not live to see it in my life time, but it's already being planned. Then, the government will know where every single "coin" is sourced for every citizen, and where and when it's paid, and spent, and by who, and to whom. Many seem to think a cashless society will be just using Visa Card or MasterCard. No, the master plan is blockchain crypto, but centralized, rather than decentralized.

All too common here. Yes, the accident is the foreigners fault. However, when the agro starts, they are in fear for their safety and drive of. Basically, the accident is the foreigners fault, but the drive off is the Thai's fault.

Is it know if he was free diving or scuba diving at the time? One is a lot more dangerous than the other. One can really push the limits beyond their capabilities when free diving.

You raise an interesting point, and one that I have know since this tax news broke, but others may not have given thought to it. We all know "Thailand is for Thai's" and "You will always be a farang here" and the dual pricing, no rights, foreign ownership of property etc etc etc etc. Basically, tolerated, but not accepted. Now, along comes this tax policy, and isn't it funny that for once foreigners are on equal par with Thai's, but unfortunately, it's to do with revenue raising. So, rejoice AN members and readers, if you stay in Thailand for 180 days, you will be treated equally as a Thai. Wonderful news, isn't it.

Better "skills" to show off.

Foreigners staying over 180 days in Thailand are tax residents, even though they are foreigners, right?

Do you think???? At this stage, but know knows in the future. That's why I brought it up soon after the news of this tax broke. The Thai banks will have to be onboard in some way. They are the ones receiving the remittances.

That would be foreigners staying over 180 day, which is most of us. I would suggest most on this forum are a foreigner, and a tax resident, but not a tax payer, but they soon will be. I thought the journalist said it, not him. Which one is it???? Good Luck with that. So, he has said it to two other demographics of tax payers, reported in two other publications, but the publication that reported he said it to foreigners as well, it was the journalist saying it, and he didn't actually say it, and this is what you are basing your Thailand tax strategy on.

Are foreigners staying over 180 days tax residents? Yes. Foreigners staying over 180 days are tax residents. They are bringing in income from offshore. I agree they want the wealthy Thai's with offshore investments, but foreigners will be scooped up in the net also. You will need more to convince me than, "he didn't say that. it's the journalist. the journalist. the journalist." I couldn't care less about credit card purchases. As I have said before, on numerous occasions, I guess we'll all get to see how serious they are come extension time, but a tax policy without collection and enforcement is no tax policy at all, and the easiest of easiest ways to enforce this policy on foreigners is via Thailand's immigration / visa / extension requirements.

I posted this in the Property & Finance Forum, but I will post it here also. This guy explains the DTA "myth" being, if I pay tax in Country A, then I don't have to pay tax in Country B. This is a myth. Both countries can tax you, just not tax the same money twice. He explains the DTA myth it quite well.

He's put companies on notice as well. https://moneyandbanking.co.th/en/2024/147891/ "Mr. Pinsai Suraswadi, Director-General of the Revenue Department Revealed that the Ministry of Finance, through the Revenue Department, has proposed the draft of the Additional Tax Act B.E. 2567 to the Cabinet, which approved the draft of the said Act on December 11, B.E. 2567." Seems like he's told everyone to pay their taxes except, according to you, foreigners. That was the journalist telling foreigners to pay tax.

I am merely pointing out that the Director General has told people, other than foreigners, they have to file in this article. Does that not lend some weight to at least the possibility that he did in fact tell foreigners they have to file as well. Do you agree the BP is a credible source?

Seems like foreigners are not the only ones he's warning about filing their tax. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/2936726/online-vendors-influencers-warned-over-tax-compliance "Mr Pinsai said anyone earning income should file a tax return as failure to do so will result in fines and additional charges as prescribed by law." Did the journalist misquote him in this article also?

1161 https://www.rd.go.th/english/30195.html Just trying to facilitate your imminent paying money for nothing. I'm helpful like that also.

I posted this possibility when the news of this tax first broke. I was ridiculed, and some posts were deleted as scaremongering. Anyway, basically, I said for this tax policy to succeed, the Thai banks will have to be on board. I still maintain this view. One option for the Thai government is to have the banks withhold tax, and then the foreigner must approach the TRD, file, declare and claim a refund of all or a portion of the withheld tax. It's basically what you describe in your post.

Do you deny it will be financially beneficial for some here to become non tax residents of Thailand?

I'm sure you are sleeping a lot better than many others. It's the easiest way to take the whole thing out of the equation and be tax and stress free. I very well may be doing the same this year.

Were you at the press conference? If not, what is your source?