KhunHeineken

Sounds like she's already taken your money.

The same tired old debate continues. How does the TRD know your remitted funds are of a category that is taxable, or not taxable, until you file and declare their source and amounts?

Most pensions from around the world, if all of that pension is remitted each month, takes the pensioner over the tax free threshold. Most will have some tax to pay, that means a TIN, filing, declaring, getting a certificate of clearance. Just another earner out of farang, and another hoop to jump through in order to remain living here. Many have the strategy of doing nothing, because TiT, and all of this can not / will not work, however, I first brought up that a Certificate of Clearance may be another document required at extension time. That was "scaremongering" at the time, but now allowed to be discussed. It's the easiest way of enforcing the policy on farang. It makes you go to them, rather than them going to you. They will not get much out of aged pensioners, but whatever baht they get out of them will be more than what they got before, which was zero. Then, you have high net worth individuals, cha-ching. Time will tell.

It's been the subject of a lot of debate in the Australia Forum. Most members saw the words "pension" and "source" and "contracting state" and celebrated that their pension would be tax free. When I pointed out to one member that Article 18 relies on the "provisions" of Article 19, and asked him if he was concerned at all about those provisions, his reply was, and I quote, "Forget about Article 19." Well, it just became comical after that.

Well, geez, let see. Currently, most expats electronically transfer funds from their home country bank to their Thai bank using the bank's service, or companies like Wise etc. Both charge a fee, and make some money on the exchange rate also. The central banks of both countries are also aware of the transfer. Picture a society where you can pay for everything in crypto. You are paid in crypto in your home country, and you buy a beer or whatever with it in Thailand. No more bank needed in your home country, and Bangkok Bank, Kasikorn etc etc not needed in Thailand. You've cut out all the middlemen and saved some money, and if done in a certain way, private and untraceable. In summary, "migrants" will not have to pay bank fees and lose on exchange rates.

Article 18 of the Australia / Thailand DTA relies on the provisions of Article 19 in the DTA, and Article 19 states government service pensions are covered by the DTA. The aged pension is not a government service pension.

If this tax policy happens to the letter of the law, I can see this scenario being popular for new retirees. They have probably been working towards, and counting down the days to retirement, and then heading straight for Thailand, but they are probably going to have to wait 185 days longer.

So, even knowing you do not want to work for them, you still strung them along for a work permit, that you don't want to pay a baht for, because you are going to work for another company, without even doing a day's work with the company that arranged the work permit for you. I hope you do not live on a high floor in your building.

Yes, and another other than that is a bonus.

Did you ask her to make sure you are stiff before you are cold?

Most murders, globally, are committed by people known to the victim? What that say about "trust?"

Governments (tax offices) and Central and retail banks, all around the world, care. They are being bypassed and losing money.

Couldn't you just give them an address of a friend or family?

I would never suggest ALL, or MANY, or MOST, or a LOT, but you do admit they exist, so would you care to put a percentage on it, based on your observations?

Got a new passport in 2023. I went and updated my passport ID with K Bank and my telco. Just strange how some got the email and others didn't, and what's more strange is, why is K Bank the only one doing it?

Do you deny such home exist in the US?

As a renter, this is not news to me. It's been happening for years. Due to the massive over supply, rents are so cheap here, and there's constant downward pressure on rental prices. As I have said in the past, the money that it would take to buy the condo I am living in, if I put it in a bank in my home country, which pays around 5%, the interest more than covers the rent, so why would I buy? You can't really own a property here anyway. I have the money invested that returns more than 5%, so the figures are skewed even more towards renting. When renting, no taxes or fees to pay, no repairs, upgrades or maintenance to pay, and the freedom to move at any time, should your condo building become a Chinese AirBnB, or for any other reason, like a nicer condo that is even cheaper. The figures show the whole "rent is dead money" argument has been debunked, and has been for years. I hope they keep building, and building, and building.

I just looked at it. 27% are dependent. Very strange.

Whilst I am sure your wife is "different" what if she takes that money before you die?

Do you have a link for this? I would be interested in the break down of the other 70%.

Sure, but my point being, they can raise it to whatever figure they like, at any time, AND, no grandfathering. They might want to clear out the the country of the ones that "aren't contributing to the economy anyways." Let's be honest, a western guy retires. He sells up back home, retires in Thailand, brings over a lump sum of money, buys a condo, a car, parties for while, and finds a Thai bride. Due to age, eventually, Thailand is not making much money out of him anymore. He has, effectively, past his use by date for the Thai government. They could try to grab some more from him, while he's still alive to do so, or be rid of him. Say they raised it to only 1,000,000 baht. How are all the pensioners living month to month going to find a quick 200,000 baht? Haven't they always been taking what they can get from farang?

Just to add to what the other member, topt, said, what about your visa / extension? Are you using the 800k baht method, the 65k baht per month method, or an agent? IF world wide income comes in, how does your "cunning plan" get around that?

I accept this, and for those that are "trapped" by the Thai government, due to emotional and financial attachments in Thailand, they have upped the price to remain in Thailand, without providing any added benefit for paying the extra money. Some will stay, and pay. Some will leave for 6 months, alone, and not pay. Some will leave for 6 months with the missus, and not pay. It all dependent how much one remits, thus, their lifestyle here, and whether they still believe Thailand is value for money. Everyone's circumstances and financial capacity is different. For example, I spoke to a friend last week who is going down the route of the condo is in the girl's name, but so is the mortgage. She leaves him, the bank takes the condo back. Sure, she could go back to the bar and try to replace him, but that's not so easy these days, and she's not so young anymore. He can pay for this condo easily, but it's all about keeping the girl honest. His remittances for mortgage payments will be taxed, making it more expensive, so, he's sitting back to see how this unfolds, but if this tax kicks off, he has told me he will have some big decisions to make. He's not the only one facing some big decisions.

I had been proactive even before this tax news broke. I was never going to move 800k baht into a bank account in a 3rd World Country. I use the agent method, and should they ever serious stop that, and I doubt they will, but say they did, then it's Danang for 3 months, Thailand for 3 months on a tourist visa, Danang for another 3 months, and then Thailand for another 3 months. Not much different to Thailand 179 days straight, and Danang for the rest of the year, straight. I can't see the 800k baht staying at 800k forever. It's been 800k for decades. So, when they do raise it, that might knock a few out of the game. As you say, one has to be "proactive" here, or as I say, have a Plan B. They can change the game at any time here. I believe the numbers have been crunched and most pensioners, from most countries, will have a little tax to pay, should they remit their whole pension. You say pensioners aren't contributing, maybe this is a way to force them to contribute, or be rid of them.

Strange. I also have a Westpac account. I didn't receive any correspondence like that. What I do get from them, every few years, is a request to update my tax residency status. Resident / Non Resident. I say I am a resident for tax purposes. I don't hear anything back about it for few years until they ask the same question. Australia is proposing to change its current 90 year old laws around tax residency to a time based and physical presence model, the same as Thailand, but for 183 days. This will take away ALL the loopholes, and non resident tax is 30% from $0 to $135,000. It's been well debated in the Australia forum, but basically, the aged pension is deemed to be an income, there is no tax free threshold in the non resident tax brackets, the aged pension is not covered by a DTA, if you are outside of Australia for 183 days you will be deemed a non resident for tax purposes, non resident tax start at 30% from zero dollars, there are no exemptions or means testing mentioned in the proposed changes. Put all of this together, and make of it what you will.