khunPer

42 minutes ago, mokwit said:

I think you missed my point.

Not at all, income tax system will not be changed because of a relative small number of foreigners...????

3 hours ago, mokwit said:

Yes but you are advocating the demise of that. If there is any revamp of regulations it is unlikely to be in our favour. This is not going to be a tax paradise once data capture is sufficiently advanced. IMO If they have not pursuing foreign tax it is as much from the difficulty previously of doing so.  Think how the visa situation changed once they had the technology to to know about and control the minutia of everything. There is already evidence that they are triangulating so that if you have been here 181 days and are not registered for tax, likely there will come a time at some point that it will be that you will get contacted.

Anybody that stays more than 180 days in Thailand is tax-resident, and fully income taxable to Thailand, including all us staying on retirement extensions, or whatever extension of stay we might use.

But of course numerous of expats with foreign income are covered by a Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) for part of their income, or all their foreign income, others can directly have benefits from using a DTA, and pay less tax in Thailand of income from their home country, if they transfer the money into Thailand.

Thailand's income tax is a great benefit for many that originates from developed countries, it seems like you may not know enough about Thai income taxation...????

On 12/2/2021 at 6:18 AM, earthscar said:

The 5k baht doesn't seem to concern them, it just strikes me as odd they can be held liable if their name isn't on the document and they didn't take part in the transaction. I would think this could be easily abused by unsavory characters.

The debt will be part of the deceased estate, if the children are taking over the estate as heritage, they'll have to pay the debt.

2 hours ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

And I doubt anyone would farm Chanote titled land.

I know several that are farming Chanote title land, including the farm land I invested in...????

On 12/3/2021 at 3:05 PM, dkg224 said:

Anyway my point is that seems wildly expensive, it’s more expensive than land back in my home in California. It’s the equivalent of $110,000 per acre which is crazy for land outside the city. 

Going price for Isaan farm land in Surin area - near Buriram - is around 100,000 baht per rai, however up and down depending on title deed and especially location. A smaller plot close to, or in a village, can be priced higher per rai; from that view 400,000 baht for three rai seems fair enough, without knowing specific details and deed title. A relative small plot of land with Chanote deed title at an attractive location can be priced well over 100,000 baht per rai...????

3 minutes ago, tingtongfarang said:

All these things you mention would make thailand uninteresting for true digital nomads, they just want to wander in work-relax and use the internet for a while before moving on, the only advantage to the government in a nomads life style is that they are big spenders for the most part (maybe more than the well healed tourists they speak of) which the government proposes to want

There are also "digital nomads" that stays for long time - I know quite some, and they stay for longer periods - but perhaps you should rather call them "remote workers", which my post includes...????

Short term nomads can already use tourist visa + 30 days extension, or just visa exempt + 30 days extension, and spend a lot of money while staying in the Kingdom...

10 minutes ago, mokwit said:

Be careful what you wish for. It won't be on your terms it will be on theirs.

I'm from Scandinavia so I don't want "my terms", I just love their incredible, almost unbelievable, low income tax terms...????

1 hour ago, mvdf said:

Sheer desperation perhaps. Chronic beach addiction? 

Can't be beach addiction during Samui's monsoon period, unless you are masochist...

Samui monsoon 2021...

The interesting comparison is not to last year, which was an pandemic year with lots of close downs and thereby low prices, for example for fuel. Instead it's interesting to compare with how prices were before the pandemic, two years ago.

The ideal inflation rate is according to economic experts at 2 percent per year. The Consumer Price Index is a good source to to follow what we can buy for our money, and what income increase we need to obtain equal buying power. However, you shall bear in mind that difference in life-style from the ideal index individual might change the need of personal income, as some products might raise more in price than others, and something might even become little cheaper. If you buy lots of stuff that increased more in price than average, you might focus too much on that, and feel that prices have raised a lot.

Looked year to year the average consumers prices have increased by 2.71 percent...

While compared to 2019 index, before the Covid pandemic, the increase is 2.25 percent, which is an average annual consumer price increase of more modest 1.13 percent...

Source for Thai Consumer Price Index is HERE.

To be a hub for digital nomads and remote workers, or just a place they'll prefer to stay, Thailand need to clear the question about work permit when working only for customers abroad or foreign employers - many digital nomads might be self employed, while remote workers are employed by foreign companies - and make the visa access paperwork attractive without too many complicated demand of for example education. Instead claim a mandatory income tax registration, and some level of minimum health insurance. The latter could be like the 400k+40k baht retirement insurance claim, which could cover for public hospitals; one can still buy higher insurance cover, if one wish. Income tax is easy, all money taken into Thailand - if not covered by a double taxation agreement - are income taxable, and the amount shall be enough to pay for living costs, which could be like equal to marriage conditions or retirement conditions - like 40k or 65k baht a month - with an optional savings deposit combination, where those of 400k or 800k baht already in place are not unreasonable high. It's more simple to understand if similar rules and amounts are used all over.

The benefit for the nation is - apart from some income tax - that more people will spend money, and especially supporting local business, including small shops and self employed Thais. Those making huge money - successful digital nomads and well paid remote workers - will pay more tax and spend more money, and they might even invest some of their income in Thailand in for example homes or equity.

It can easily be win-win for all...????

3rd December

Samui +10 new cases 
Phangan +10 new cases
Koh Tao, no data

Source: Kohmui.com

Koh Samui: Bophut 16, Maenam 4.
 

4th December

Samui +13 new cases 
Phangan +13 new cases
Koh Tao, no data

Source: Kohmui.com

Koh Samui: Bophut 4, Maenam 5, Ang Thong 4.

2 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

17 degrees here in CM at the moment , well cold

Greenland and like areas are still much better...????

I have a feeling that it might be the road to Nakhon Nowhere...

18 hours ago, gearbox said:

I can't see any benefits at all, especially for the tourists on the wrong side of the Beach road, they either have to trespass through some hotel or walk up to a kilometer or two to access the public entry places to the beach.

It is a pleasure to walk the promenade at the Patong beach, walking Chaweng sometimes it is just not possible, the resorts and restaurants in their greediness encroached so much beach land,  now at high tide the beach is not passable and their structures suffer damage as well.

 

 

That is nature, i.e. high tide and monsoon season, not greediness; you are posting pictures from the rainy monsoon period - which is October till mid January on Samui - and a closed entertainment venue, closed for long time like all entertainment venues in Thailand, which make it look more dystopian. Chaweng is a great set at the moment for another dystopian Hollywood thriller...

So how are Phuket's beaches during the rainy monsoon period over there, and especially Patong's beach - it's a different period from Samui, as Phuket is mainly hit by the west monsoon, where samui is hit by the east monsoon. I forund a few pictures on Google from monsoon period over there...

Caption says "Patong Beach 9th June".

Caption says "Pathong Beach".

Caption says "Rainy season view from room 7319 - Picture of Amari Phuket".

And then there are a number of Google-pictures og garbage washed up on the beach, which happens everywhere after stormy weather, and of course also on Samui.

All the years I've been living on Samui the wide beaches become narrow during monsoon season, with water all way up to the palm lines, and sand washed up or away. Some places it's changing with the season and direction of the waves, the same sand being pushed forth and back. It's not greed, it's nature, and it's probably been like that long time before the German backpackers commuted to the island with the coconut boat, and thereafter wrote an article in a travel magazine about "paradise". When tourism began, luckily some started to build corrosion protections by sandbags and cement to protect part of the coast line, without those protections nature might have moved even more sand, and damaged the palm trees.

Some beaches are hardly walk-able during the monsoon season in November (top) compared to dry season February 2(bottom); images are from this year, 2021...

And massive of sand can be moved during the year, it's the same every year; here with western current from July and up to October (left image is from October 2021. you cannot walk there), and then in November the eastern current moves the sand back, ready for next high season from Xmas to April (right image is from April 2021)...

But Samui of course don't have a beach promenade as Phuket and Pattaya, and if that's what you want, you shall not chose Samui for vacation - luckily we are all different - some like to live on the beaches, other prefers to live further back and take a walk on a nice promenade; however, Samui has a bit like it in a smaller scale by Fisherman Village in front of The Wharf...????

Almost everything on Chaweng's beach road have closed apart from very few places and Central Festival shopping mall.

I haven't heard anything about any re-openings; probably unlikely before some turists come, and tourists might not come before some more re-opens.

I passed the beach road only two days ago, where I saw a few - what looked like tourists - walking, and a few shops were open, but not much had changed since the still-mages here from 9th October...

22 hours ago, Barry864 said:

I heard that I would need a long term insurance coverage. Is that true and any idea how much would that cost ?

If you change you visa exempt entry to a 90-days non-immigrant O-visa, which should be easy to do by yourself at an immigration office when already having funds in a bank account, and thereafter apply for a one year extension of stay due to retirement, there is no mandatory health insurance claim - healt insurance claim is for the so-called "retirement visa", which is a non-immigrant O-A type that you can only apply for in a specific number of home countries - however, it's always wise to have some level of health cover either by insurance or a relative high amount set aside for self-insurance.

It might be wise to opt for a health insurance and keep it going, in case that would be a demand later. I presume even a cheap insurance can be upgraded to a higher coverage at later date, if you are already in the system, whilst it can be difficult to obtain a new insurance when passing a certain age...????

Poor child.

Samui 13th to 15th December, Pfizer vaccination at Central Festival in Chaweng
Application from 1st to 9th December
Limited to 1,200 unvaccinated residents above 12 years old
Documents for a registration: 
ID or passport 
House book or proof of work on Samui

(Source: kosamuilife.com)

2nd December

Samui +21 new cases 
Phangan +13 new cases
Koh Tao, no data

Source: Kohmui.com

Koh Samui: Bophut 15, Maenam 4, Maret 1, Lipa Noi 1.

I didn't know that Udon Thani is a tourist destination - I learn something new about Thailand every thanks to reading ASEAN NOW...????????

To my knowledge this is the latest for domestic travel...

Your can read more about traveling to the island in the pinned tread HERE...????

1st December

Samui +27 new cases 
Phangan +10 new cases
Koh Tao, no data

Source: Kohmui.com

Koh Samui: Bophut 16, Maenam 5, Maret 3, Taling Ngam 2, Ang Thong 1

On 11/30/2021 at 3:38 AM, jwest10 said:

Our local village SCB has been shut for a long time and how can one change a maximum amount to be withdrawn from the 20k limit now and believe one can do this via an ATM machine.

The maximum is depending of your card, some banks have a 20k baht limit per withdrawal, others have 25k baht limit. Also the daily maximum is depending of the card, it can for example be 100k baht, i.e. 4 or 5 maximum withdrawals. You can visit your bank branch to get help to get the maximum changed in your ATM-card...????

22 hours ago, thaibook said:

Initial ideas are Toyota because common so easy to find mechanics and Mercedes because reliable.  But open minded. 

If you can afford a second hand Mercedes that is not completely worn out and rusted apart - second hand cars are relative expensive in Thailand - then buy a new small Toyota with full warranty instead, then you don't need to worry about knowledge of cars when buying second hand; a brand new Toyota sedan costs around 600k baht...????