khunPer

"Middle class" seems to be a quite wide classification, more like lower middle class, middle middle class and upper middle class. The latter below the level of real rich people. Many Thais are now in the 15,000 baht per month income group – which also is the average monthly income – is that middle class, perhaps low middle class? This income level also means that they are paying the maximum Social Security, 1,500 baht per month, and obtain the benefits – including retirement pension – from that. If a household has double income it is in average around 30,000 baht per month. (Source link: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1030220/thailand-average-monthly-income-per-household-by-region/) As stated from above, the average household income in Bangkok is around 40,000 baht per month. The median salary is – perhaps a bit surprising – stated by Time Doctor to be 88,900 THB per month; implying that 50% of the population earns more than 88,900 THB, while the other 50% earns below 88,900 THB. (Source link: https://www.timedoctor.com/blog/average-salary-in-thailand/) However, this median salary might be based on foreigner's income level, or positions with education and some level of experience, as it range from 24,500 baht to 433,000 baht per month. (Source link: https://www.salaryexplorer.com/average-salary-wage-comparison-thailand-c215) So, the area around 90,000 baht per month could be the midlle of the middle class. And how do you save from that income. To me, it seems like a major saving is real estate – i.e., to own your home – and furthermore some might well be in deductible retirement savings, when we are up in that income level. With the mortgage typically around 50% of the property value, there could be quite a bit of saving there. My girlfriend told me that when she visited our Thai next door neighbour – good friends that I considered as being somewhere in the middle class level – the were making their budget. She told me the had 300,000 baht disposal income. I was a bit surprised, because that is 25,000 baht per month, I thought they had little more. My girlfriend replied: "It not per year, it per month! How would you else expect them to send their two kids in expensive schools?" Suddenly – me, the farang that many Thais are supposed to consider as "rich" – I fell a little poor...

And that is what I'm saying, "most systems stop working as intended".

If a license has expired, most systems stop working as intended...

No wonder the girlie-bars are empty, Pattaya is a family destination...

Sounds more like wishful thinking, tourist destinations are already serving alcohol after midnight in the nightlife...

The fund needed for extension of stay or visa application in a Thai bank, preferably as a 12 month fixed accounf, which might give you around 1.5% annual interest (before withholding tax). I use Bangkok Bank, but check around for both best interest and service in local branch. For excess funds beyond the needed visa or extension fund, I use fund book (mutual fund) from a bank, based on cash terms (lowest risk), which gives me around same outcome as fixed account interest, or slighgtly higher return, but can be sold (in lots) at any time with cash available within a few banks days; i.e. no interest loss upon withdrawal. I have fund books in both Bangkok Bank and SCB, but check yourself where you might get best return. Immigration don't accept fund books for extension of stay.

It seems to me like it begins with an unlicensed business; you can get work permits for foreign entertainment artists, but it might be hard to get an artist-work permit for an unlicensed venue. Just follow the law, then you avoid problems.

Yes, normal practise where I live. However, we have (so far) never had anything stolen. It might be that the local delivery person need to deliver the package within a certain time limite to be paid or fully paid – one of them told that their payment is 20 baht per package – in a few cases I got E-mail from the shop that the goods were delivered (scanned out), even not I haven't got it; the package arrived only next day.

I you talk about Thai income tax, the borderline is 1st January 2024; however, only the funds you transfer into Thailand are income taxable here. Savings from before 2024 are still free from income tax, so it's only any capital gain/profit from house sale that will be taxable. If the profit is already taxed in Britain, it might be covered by the DTA (Double Taxation Agreement).

I.e., you didn't contact the insurance company and made a claim before asking for repair?

By the way @phetphet: If it's motorbike remote/key battery, Honda in Maenam will have it.

Special batteries like this is hard to find locally, your best option is Honda in Lipa Noi.

"Some are more equal than others"...

Same as in some, if not several, Western countries.

Yes, I had a TIN and had filed tax return. As I wrote: "I had an unannounced visit from a kind Thai tax-officer..." that came to my home. But it was not because I had file a tax return, but because all knowing long-term residents from my home country in the area should have a visit to check that they paid income tax either to their home country or to Thailand. They even showed me the full list with names to visit, also to show me that my name was on the list. I know from others that they also had a visit. I was told that it should be done country by country and in co-ordination with the said country's tax authorities. They started with Finland and Denmark. It was a few years ago, so it had nothing to do with the 1st January 2024 change of savings and taxable fund transfers, foreigners staying 180 days or longer in Thailand was already tax residents before 2024.

Thanks, i.e., everything except health certificate and financial letter/statements, which are valid only 7 days; bank book update same day (if possible, day before was Okay for me in October where I had to come early before bank opens).

To OP @thesetat: Always ask for "talk to someone important", a big boss that can speak English. There is another AN-thread here about one, who did that (opening post)...

The first thing to do as tax resident foreigner in Thailand, is to check the DTA (Double Taxation Agreement) between Thailand and one's home country. Find the clauses that fits your income that are brought into Thailand. It's said that the DTAs are quite different from country to country, so the only general rules is: You are not being double taxed, but you will be taxed the highest income tax in question. Some DTAs might exclude taxation of retirement pension in Thailand, if the pension is already taxed in one's home country. In another thread (link in post above), a big boss in a local tax depart said that such pension shall not be included in one's tax report. Money that are brught into Thailand, which is not proven savings from 2023 or earlier, and not already income taxed, are taxable in Thailand. That money also includes ATM-withdrawals on foreign credit cards, according to an ASEAN NOW-news story. You have a personal deduction of 60,000 baht and other deductions depending of age and expenses. And the first 150,000 baht income after deductions is not taxed. So, for most of us with lower foreign transfers – and especially with some of the income already taxed in our home country, like retirement pensions – the Thai income tax will be between 0 and very low. The common practise is that you don't need to file an tex return form, if you have no taxable income; however, it is possible to file a 0-taxable foreign income in the form. My Danish home country's tax department issued me a statement in English, where they state that my retirement pension are fully taxed by them. I had an uanounced visit from a kind Thai tax-officer that accepted this statement, and she also saw another letter from my home country's tax department, in where they had issued a receipt for previous three years income tax. The officers only comment was a surprice over the very high tax I had already paid...

There is another AN-thread here with some quite helpful information:

Withholding tax on interest and dividends don't need to be included in a tax return form, if you accept the tax as final. Some includes the interest and dividend earnings in a tax return, if they are eligible for some of the tax, or it all, to be returned from these witholdings. Accoring to the news all foreigners staying more than 180 days in Thailand should have a TIN. However, your home country might well have a DTA (Double Taxation Agreement) with Thailand covering already taxed retirement pensions from your home country. If your home country's income tax is higher than the Thai tax, you should not pay tax in Thailand. I'm not sure what UK's DTA covers – not my home country – but I think it is only partly covering retirement pensions. You can find Thailand's DTAs in this link: https://www.rd.go.th/english/766.html There are two possibilities for the Thai tax authorities. The easy one is not to tax foreign retirment pension that has already been taxed in their home country. The other one is to tax it – the amount transferred into Thailand – and later return the tax, as agreed under a DTA. Unfortunately, it seems like we foreigners are still missing information about how the system shall work in practise.

If you stay less than 180 days combined in Thailand during 2025, it's not a problem. Nor if you can prove the funds are savings from before 2024. If you stay 180 days or longer, you shall check the DTA beyween your home country and Thailand. If the funds are earned after 1st January 2024 and already taxed, it might be covered by a DTA. If the fund are taxable in Thailand, it will be a minor abount, as you have a personal deduction of 60,000 baht and the first 150,000 baht income is not taxable. Income tax of 400,000 baht will be 17,500 baht (i.e., 7,500 baht of the first 300,000 baht and 10% of the remaining part).

Google says: Biometric SIM card registration is a process that involves the capture of an individual's biometric information, such as fingerprints, iris scans, and facial recognition, and linking it to their SIM card registration details. What is the biometric process of SIM? Biometric SIM registration refers to completing the Know Your Customer (KYC) process during onboarding by registering an individual's face or fingerprint characteristics with the documentation. By submitting the biometrics, the individual's ID verification happens from a government database. 8. nov. 2567 BE

So, Uncle Tu's suggestion for "quality tourists" was not that bad an idea, after all...

Right, but however, not mentioned in the OP, which I quote and reply to...

There might be difference in supply depending of where in Thailand you live; in touristed areas and major towns is should be quite easy to get, whan you need to make Western food at home. Online shopping might be a solution for some more specialized ingredients. Where I stay – a tourist area – I can get almost everything I need. It's a bit a combination of where to shop – also for best price and quality – but both BigC, Lotus's, Makro and especially Tops Food Hall all have a good selection; the latter almost everything in high quality. I cook Western food myself – while I let my lovely girlfriend cook delicious Thai dishes, she is the expert in that field – it's easy and often require less ingredients than a Thai meal. It's depending of your home country and food preferences, if you easily can find all you need. I'm from Denmark, and can generally find almost all I need for Dan ish style food. However, I prefere Mediterranian dishes; so, that is what dishes I mainly cook. There are a few items that are diffivcult in Thailand, like veal meat. I found that I in many cases can replace the bright veal meat with chicken breast, especially when there are some level of light spices in the dish. Also stuff like Bearnaise essence and Tarragon can be difficult to find locally. BigC had during their French Casino-ownership an acceptable ready made Bearnaise sauce in glass. However, the Bearnaise you can make yourself, or just do like I do, using a onion-and-oil dressing and bright vineager instead, and of course Tarragon-spices. I can order it online – and it cheaper than when finding it in shops – both onion-dressing and Terragon. Also my preferred sundired tomatos in glass I order online. Both Lazada and Shopee are excellent places to search. And by the way, if you wish to make Bearnaise sauce yorself; it's easy-peacy and great for both beef steaks, minced beef burgers and fish-and-chips. Enough for one person: 8 spoonfull double cream (cooking cream is the best), 2 spoonfull onion-and-oil dressing, one spoonfull apple vineager, 2 yolks, a little bit of salt and a teaspoon of Tarragon. Put it all in a pot and warm up under low heat, whip now a then, untill it boils. Then it's ready for serving...😋