Kerryd

"For those residing in Thailand for 180 days or more in a tax year, the Resident Rule applies, making them liable for income tax on international earnings. This upcoming legislation aims to refine these rules, providing much-needed tax relief for many." NOTE - IF your country has a Tax Treaty with Thailand then it is more than likely it includes a clause to prevent double taxation, especially on Pension Income. HOWEVER -that does NOT mean you don't have to file a tax return if you've been "resident" in the country for over 180 days. And NO - the "clock" doesn't "reset" if you leave the country - unless it's for MORE than 185 days. It's based on how many days you were "resident" in Thailand during a Calendar (or Fiscal/Tax) year. And it is NOT dependent on the type of Visa you hold. So even if you are getting by using 60 Day Visa Exemption stamps and doing border runs every 2-3 months, you would STILL be considered "resident for tax purposes" if your total time in Thailand equals 180 days or more in the "year". IF your sole source of income is Pension and IF it is already taxed in your home country, then you have NOTHING to worry about. You would still be expected to do a tax return to show how much Pension money you received in the year, but as it wouldn't be taxable, it wouldn't matter the amount. But IF you are receiving Pension Income AND additional income from other sources - it would have to be reported on a tax return. And if they do what other gov'ts do, they would total ALL your income to determine which tax bracket you fit into. THEN they would deduct "non-taxable" income from the total (i.e. your Pension income) and THEN tax the remainder at whatever rate you were in. (Unless you could prove that other income was also already taxed back home.) So for most expats - this won't affect them at all. Assuming they are honest about their income that is. And most of your home countries do exactly the same thing as well. For example, when I was working in Afghanistan and had declared Thailand as my home address - I was still taxed (by Canada) as though I was living next door to the Canada Revenue Agency's head office. IF I had been in Thailand for more than 180 days in a year, I would have been expected to include the income earned in Afghanistan as well as my pension income on a Thai tax return. However, as both were already taxed in Canada, they wouldn't have been taxed again in Thailand (as per the Tax Treaty). IF you are unsure about whether or not your country has a tax treaty with Thailand - simply Google it. UK Tax Treaties. Australia Tax Treaties. Nigeria Tax Treaties. Your gov't's website should have a list of all the tax treaties in effect. Most of them are literally the exact same. Article 18 deals with Pensions. Article 11 deals with Interest. Article 10 is regarding Dividends. You should familiarize yourself with the details (they aren't that difficult once you get past the "contracting state" and "other contracting state" legalese. I'd suggest finding your country's tax treaty page and bookmarking it for future reference. For Canadians it's: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/programs/tax-policy/tax-treaties/in-force.html#Thailand

If I recall, it was Prayuth when he was PM that authorized hotels to charge foreigners more than locals. A couple months later I was checking out some hotels in Buriram for a trip my club was going on. Found a good hotel close to the venue - posted room rate online - 1,750/night for foreigners, 1,000 per night for Thais. They actually had that posted on their website ! Didn't even try to hide it ! Found a "resort" about 1 1/2 clicks away that was much cheaper and charged everyone the same rate. And remember that kerfluffle what, 2 years ago now, when a Thai woman went to the media because she thought the hospital in Bangkok had charged her "the foreigner" rate for her treatment ! The hospital apoligized because "they thought she was Swiss" - and then knocked 100,000 baht off her hospital bill ! I needed an operation at a hospital a few years ago and had to sit with the Finance section while they worked out the total cost. The woman was speaking to the doctor to find out what was going to be done and how long I'd have to stay in the hospital. 3 days - so she wrote "500 x 3" on the page. Then some more figures. When the call ended she went over the numbers and suddenly "500 x 3" was changed to "5,000 x 3" ! And a number of other expenses were jacked up as well. (Private hospitals will charge foreigners 2-3 times the price that locals pay.) (Last time I needed an operation (to remove a plate in my wrist) I went to one well-known private hospital and they quoted me 180,000 baht. Went to a smaller private hospital where they charged me 90,000 and it was just as good as the bigger hospital.) And of course, national parks and other attractions where you get charged 5-10 times the local price to look at the same trees or rocks. Imagine if they tried doing that in your home country. The outrage would topple gov'ts overnight ! And the current gov't recently reviewed the "double pricing" issue and then decided to - keep the double pricing and raise the price of admission to National Parks and Museums. At the same time they are crying because the number of tourists coming to Thailand is dropping and more are going to countries that don't try to gouge them as much.

It sounds like the airport (or flight) staff took the passports so they could fill out an Immigration form to allow those passengers to leave the airport without having to go through Immigration ("re-entering" Thailand) and then having to go through Immigration again (to "depart" Thailand) again. The passports would have accompanied the forms to an Immigration desk to be verified. Immigration probably kept the passports otherwise they'd have to stamp everyone back into the country and then back out again and that could cause problems with some travellers (i.e. those who don't qualify for the Visa exemption stamp). And they couldn't just hand the passports back and let those people out of the terminal - because most of them would probably be on "over-stay" and could be arrested even though it's not their fault. And note the story says all those passengers did make it to Sidney - but does NOT say when they were given their passports back. Pretty large gap in that story. For all we know, those passengers were given their passports back an hour later.

Sigh. Wake up people. This is NOT about "you" (old, fat, white-haired pensioners) being able to lease a home without worrying about "nominee companies" or putting the deed in the name of the "wife I met last week who definitely wasn't working in a bar at the time". This IS about setting things up for the hordes of Chinese businessmen that will be flooding into the country in the near future as China starts to take control. THAT is why the Thai gov't made those changes to the Visas and created things like the DTV. THAT is why they are trying to change the rules about how many foreigners can own a condo in a single building. (The proposal to allow condos in "certain designated areas" to be 100% owned by foreigners.) THAT is why they are pushing the 99 year lease proposal. Here's a clue. A few years ago China (through their "belt and road" initiative and puppet companies) "leased" nearly 20% of Cambodia's entire coastline on a 99 year lease. They then built a complete, self-contained airbase on that land and disguised it by calling it a "resort". (Google "wiki Dara Sakor". Quite an interesting read.) And think - who is really behind the proposed "land bridge" project in Ranong/Chumphon and the high-speed railway linking China to Thailand ? The Chinese. This is ALL about them and NOT about YOU. And YOU should consider - most of you won't be around in 30 years I suspect so why would you need a 99 year lease ? Do you really think that if you have a 99 year lease on some piece of former rice-paddy in Isaan that you will build a bigger, better house than if you only had a 30 year lease ? And there won't be any "peace of mind". If you think there will be then you haven't lived in Thailand very long. You can have a 99 year lease, wife, kids and business and you will still be considered a "tourist" and have ZERO rights. (Yeah yeah, wonk wonk - 1% of you (or less) have PR or actual citizenship that you think will protect you. Keep dreaming.) And you will STILL be subject to being arrested for the slightest infraction, jailed, deported and blacklisted with no appeal or compensation for everything you've just lost. And gee, you leased some land off of "Somchai" for 99 years and he immediately went to the city and blew it all on hookers and blow - and now wants his land back and sues you. Or his kids find out that "poppa" lost their "inheritance" and they'll be dead and their own kids will be old before that lease expires. Unless "something" happens before then of course. Rule #1 in Thailand - never be worth more dead than you are alive. The ONLY "peace of mind" would come from outright ownership of the land and actual citizenship (and rights). And that ain't likely to happen in the next 99 years either.

Note they are talking about new "prototype" smoking rooms. Suvarnabhumi actually opened basic smoking rooms again last April. A post on the TAT Facebook page 12 weeks ago showed a small room, no tables or chairs, "frosted glass" windows and an open door (presumably a sliding glass door ?). It noted that smokers were either standing or squatting in the room while smoking. Suvarnabhumi actually closed it's smoking rooms in 2019 but it seems the Chinese are upset about that (being one of the heaviest smoking nations on the planet). Just last year, The National Tobacco Control Committee rejected a proposal to build smoking rooms inside Suvarnabhumi Airport. However - it seems the decision to put the smoking rooms back in came from - the Prime Minister herself. In a "directive" to "align Thai airport facilities with global standards." And if you search for what the "global standards" are - you'll see this: "The global standard is shifting towards smoke-free environments in airports, with a greater emphasis on protecting public health. As awareness of the risks of secondhand smoke increases and technologies improve, more airports are expected to adopt smoke-free policies in the future. " Another reason airports are happy to close the smoking rooms (aside from the obnoxious smell) was the cost of having to keep them clean and ventilated (so the smoke-filled air doesn't end up in the main ventilation system). One article I read this morning says they (Suvarnabhumi) re-opened the smoking rooms to cut down on the amount of people smoking "illegally" (i.e. in bathrooms or other areas). Note that 4 of the 50 busiest airports in the world are located in China and all 4 are "smoke free". However, most airports in Asia and Europe (and the Middle East) are not "smoke free" but they are trending more towards "smoke free" than the other way. Except places like Thailand it seems.

What did they say she was worth when she became PM ? Something like 22 billion (baht) or more ? And was the "CEO" of over 20 different companies as well. Things that make you go hmmmmm.

One has to remember that many of these monks may not be "life-long" monks but are only in the temples for 6-12 weeks "to earn merit". I've gone to a number of "ordination" ceremonies where people did the whole "becoming a monk" routine with the head shaving and parade to the temple and lots of donations and gifts. It's quite the party (and can be fairly expensive as well). And then three months (the normal length of time one is expected to stay in the temple) later, they take off their robes and go back to doing (whatever) they did in their normal lives. (It used to be tradition that all male members of a family did a 3 month stint as a monk at some point in their lives, either when they are young or after they have retired normally.) And some "monks" seem to treat the position as a job, not a "higher calling" and see it as an easy way to get free food, lodging and spending money. Way easier than digging ditches or collecting garbage all day. (Better food and accommodations and "gifts" as well for some of them.) It's probably more surprising that there aren't more problems being reported on a regular basis.

An "online account" with a foreign bank will NOT be accepted by Immigration. THINK about it. Immigration wants a Letter from the Bank verifying the account and balance AND they want photocopies of your updated bank book, including the page with your name and account number and the page(s) showing the current balance. I seriously doubt they'll accept a print out of a "screen capture" from your phone as proof of your supposed balance. They expect the money to be in a THAI bank so that if you need it (to live on or to pay hospital bills and such) you can access it literally immediately. Which is also why they do NOT accept "But, but, I've got more than 800k in my 401k or Social Security or (insert overseas investment plan here)" as proof of funds. People have been trying for years to scam Immigration by pretending they have the money to meet the requirements - but don't want to put it in a Thai bank because "waaaa - the bank clerk will steal it all" or "waaaa - I can make .25% more interest per year from my home bank". Sheesh, some years ago, some Immigration offices wouldn't even accept it if your money was in a Fixed Term savings account because they wanted to see transactions on your account to prove you were using the money to live on. (That was a dumb requirement and now places like Jomtien have no problem with the money being in a Fixed Term account as you can still access it almost immediately if the need arises.) But they will NOT accept things like "Gain 123" investments (from Bangkok Bank) as proof of funds even if you have more than the required amount because you can't access those funds immediately if the need arose. So if you aren't going to put the money in a Thai bank then you'll have to go the "agent" route and hope for the best.

They should be looking for CCTV images of when he got on the plane in Cambodia (after he spent some time with his good buddy Hun Sen) and when he got off the plane and when he arrived at the prison. Because if I recall, there was no problem with him then. And after he arrived in Thailand he was initially taken to the prison and barely an hour later complained he was having a problem trying to take a nap and that's why they took him to the hospital. He wasn't even at the prison long enough to be processed in, let alone had time to try and "take a nap". The whole thing was staged from the minute he arrived. And remember the kerfluffle when someone got photos of him in a swimming pool with his nephews ? While he was supposedly near death in the hospital ? So the prison/hospital officials quickly put Thaksin in a neck brace and on a guerny and had a photo of him being moved (somewhere) in the hospital to show how sick he was. And now the daughter is in hot water after calling "her uncle" (Hun Sen) about the border dispute. And now you can bet they are going to have a lot of trouble trying to get Yingluck back to the country without her having to do a lot of prison time. Good thing they were able to appoint a friend of Thaksin's to be the acting PM or they'd really be in trouble !

I have a Big C card - apparently it gives me a 5% discount on my purchases. The One Card collects points. It used to be at Tops the cashier would note how many points I had and ask if I wanted to exchange some and get a discount on my bill (it was a couple hundred baht discount) but I haven't done that in ages. It can also be used in other stores as well (HomePro and such). I have a Fascino card as well and it gives a 5% discount on any purchases. You can register for Villa Market online and then I guess you show them the number (or Q code or whatever) on your phone and get a discount there as well. I tried to get a 7-11 membership but - as mentioned elsewhere - they want a Thai ID card number. I collect the stamps when 7-11 hands them out. I have a bunch of stuff from the special promotions they've run in the past, like a complete, large set of "Doremon" tupperware containers, a "Doremon" wastebasket with hinged lid. A "Winnie the Pooh" waste basket with hinged lid and a couple other items somewhere I've forgotten about. The big stores used to have some awesome promotions where you'd get stickers for everything you bought (except alcohol) and then could trade them for special items like Vivo double-walled glass tumblers, special kitchen knife sets, cookware sets and so on. Usually high quality items that they don't sell in the store. That's how I got my fancy pots with glass lids, a large, deep frying pan (with glass lid), the double-walled glasses and a fancy "vegetable" knife. When the Tops store opened in The Chilled mall on Soi Khao Noi they had a lot of promotions. Buy your groceries then take your receipt to the customer service counter and get stuff like plastic laundry baskets or novelty insulated mugs and stuff. One promotion was crazy - for every pack of Fisherman's friends you bought - you got a free small (6oz ?) glass tumbler. I used to buy 6 packs of Fisherman's friends at a time because the glasses came packed 6 to a box. I think I've got 4 1/2 boxes of those glasses before that promotion ended. Got them stashed on a storage shelf. Give them out to people who move into a new house or apartment. The discounts and promotions aren't a huge savings at the time - but over time they can add up. I probably spend 10-12,000 a month on groceries alone so a 5% discount would equal 5-600 baht per month in savings. Over the course of a year that's about 6-7,200 baht in savings. Multiplied by the number of years I've been doing it. The promotions and 7-11 stickers are just a bit of fun. I'm buying stuff anyways so I toss the stickers into the little promotion card thingy and then one day paste them onto the card and see if I have enough to get something useful like a beach mat - or another waste basket. I didn't pay attention to the last one and had half a card worth of stickers. Bummer, a couple more trips for snacks and I could have gotten set of cheap plastic "Doremon" bowls with lids. Oh well, maybe next time.

Lol - there was a Facebook post just a few hours ago that said it was CHINA that put an end to the Casino bill by TELLING Thailand they did not approve it and it was "suggested" (in the article) that the recent very large drop in tourist arrivals from China was their way of saying "do things our way - or else". I suggested (on that article) that it seems that China is now dictating Thai law. The article mentions how much Cambodia makes from it's casinos and that they know if Thailand starts running their own, the Cambodians will lose huge amounts of revenue. Funny how China has NO problems with casinos in Cambodia though, isn't it ?

My dad told me a joke when I was but a wee lad of (15 or 16 I guess at the time). Man is at a fancy party and sees a drop dead gorgeous woman in a slinky black dress standing by herself. Man slides up to her and quietly asks if she'd sleep with him that night for $100,000. The woman instantly agrees as she grabs his hand and starts toward the door. The man holds up and says "Wait". She lets go of his hand and looks at him. He leans towards her and quietly asks if she'd sleep with him that night for $100. The woman is outraged ! She steps back and slaps the man and shouts "What kind of woman do you think I am ?" The man replies - "We've already established that. Now we are just negotiating the price." Wonder how that would go over on Beach Road if you asked a woman (?) to spend the night with you for 1,000 baht - and then tried to get her to go with you for just 100 baht. Might get a bit more than a slap !

I've bought tickets occasionally for over 20 years now. Won 2,000 once way back when and 2 years ago won 4,000 (2 x 2,000 baht tickets). Used to be a hoot when I was living in South Pattaya. Within minutes of the draw the neighbourhood would be full of people running around selling copies of the "winning numbers sheet" for 5 baht. It had all the winning numbers (there are more than just the 2, 3 and 6 digit numbers that can win prizes). These days you can just check online or download the number sheet yourself (https://www.glo.or.th/mission/reward-payment/check-reward) NEVER had a problem collecting the money. But whoever wrote that article mustn't really know much about the lottery. The LISTED price for the tickets is 80 baht - which gives the seller what, 10 baht (per ticket sold) as a commission ? But just try and find a vendor that will sell you a ticket for 80 baht. Most charge 100. In some "popular" areas, it's 120. Or more. Technically it's illegal for them to charge more than the printed price (80 baht) per ticket, regardless if you are buying single tickets or packages of 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10 tickets. About what, 5 years ago now, there was a "crack down" that lasted about 3 days where vendors were forced to sell tickets at the printed (80 baht) price. But like everything, within a couple days they were right back to charging whatever they think they can get away with. And the "two ticket" options are usually even more expensive. If a vendor is charging 100 baht for one ticket, they may charge 220 for 2 tickets - because YOU might win more money so THEY want more for selling you those tickets. And it's the same for the 3, 5 and 10 ticket "packages" where you can end up paying the equivalent of 150 baht per ticket (or more) - NOT because those numbers are "luckier" - but because you MIGHT win more money so the thinking is - you should also pay more for the tickets. And they charge more for all their tickets, not just the "lucky" ones - which are never "lucky" anyways. There are THREE banks were you can collect smaller prizes (Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, Krung Thai Bank and Government Savings Bank). There are also "lottery shops" like the one on soi Nern Plerb Wan (left side if you cross the railway tracks heading towards Sukhumvit, just a few meters from that intersection). You can cash in smaller prizes there (they charge a fee of course). That's where I collected my last winnings. It is recommended that IF you win a large prize, immediately take photos of the tickets (maybe holding them against a computer screen showing the winning numbers) and sign the back of the tickets. Some people have gone to their local police station to "register" the tickets (in case someone tries to steal them I guess). If I won the "big" prize, I'd probably talk to my lawyer first to makes sure all my ducks are in a row before I try collecting the prize. And remember - This is THAILAND ! Where you do NOT want to be worth more dead than you are alive ! So get your money, get it safely into your bank. Transfer whatever amounts you want (don't leave it all in one account that your girlfriend and her boyfriend and her husband all have access to). Put some "mad money" into your regular account. And THEN decide who you want to tell and how many bars you want to ring the bell in. But keep in mind rule #2 - almost ever foreigner in the country - including your "trusted friends from your home country" - would MUCH rather see YOUR money in THEIR pockets. Spending YOUR money is oh so much more fun than spending what little they have left over from their meager pensions and alimony payments. Make sure they all know that you sent most of the money back home to (pay off debts, put it into the grandkids college fund, pay down a mortgage, pay for mom's retirement home costs, etc, etc). Do NOT brag that you've got 6 or 12 or (oh lordy lordy) 30 mil in (your savings account that you've given your ATM card and PIN number to half the service staff of every bar you've ever been in because you were too lazy to go to the ATM yourself). Sure, you'll be REAL popular - until they figure out how to get all that money into THEIR hands. One way or another. You'll find you suddenly have a lot of new friends and just by coincidence, they all have sick relatives that need new kidneys or they need a temporary loan because the bank didn't process their huge transfer before the weekend or (insert a thousand sob stories here). I often wonder how many people actually do win the big prizes. Once or twice a year I see a story of some farmer in Isaan or somewhere else winning 6 or 12 mil but that's it. And if a foreigner ever won ! Wow - headline news ! Probably followed immediately by demands to change the laws to exclude foreigners from winning of course. (They won't mind you buying tickets but won't want to pay out on any that win.) It would be very interesting to see the reaction if a foreigner won a 30 mil prize one day.

Uh huh. This story had a "smell" to it from the first moment it was reported - in WALES. NOT in Thailand for some odd, strange, inexplicable reason. He took a "spur of the moment" trip to Thailand. Was out clubbing in Bankok with friends. Supposedly was found "severely beaten" and taken to a hospital - in Chon Buri (not Pattaya) - almost 90 kms from where he'd supposedly been partying (around Khao San road according to one of the articles). But now wakes up in a hospital in Pattaya somehow. Which is funny because I wanted to find out which hospital so I could go say hi and drop off some flowers but of course - they won't say the name of the hospital, will they ? And all of it only made the news in Wales (and ASEAN Now of course) - with GoFundMe links already set up beforehand. Oh and the "arrest" ? Apparently only reported in "Wales Online" as well. "Now Ashton's grandmother Beverley Walker has told WalesOnline that Thai police have informed the family of an arrest. She said police gave no detail other than that the man is suspected of assaulting Ashton." Now think about this. Awhile ago the Brit who supposedly was hit in Phuket by a Russian. Within HOURS of the accident, the family (in England) was claiming the police had told them the (full) names of the Russian driver and his wife, and even the type of vehicle they were driving. But all the police will (supposedly) only tell the family of this guy is that they "arrested someone" ? Uh huh. ALL of these stories share the SAME generic details while avoiding specific details that could be fact checked for authenticity. And this case - guy goes out "partying" in Bangkok. Ends up in a Chonburi hospital with head injuries - and no insurance. What does that really sound like to you ? If you said - riding a motorcycle while drunk and not wearing a helmet - congratulations. But you aren't going to get much sympathy - or donations - from that, are you ? And seriously - a foreigner is "found" looking like he was severely beaten and is taken to a hospital - and it doesn't make the media ? The same media that reports on every foreigner that gets pick-pocketed on Beach Road, or gets drunk and goes nuts in a convenience store or gets beaten by people on the street, or is busted for being on 2 days of overstay - but doesn't report on a foreigner being found unconcious and "severely beaten". And it ONLY makes the media - in his HOME country - from a media site that PAYS people for their "vacation horror stories" ? Yeah, the smell is strong with this one. Lets see, there's what, 6 hospitals in Pattaya now, including gov't hospitals (Pattaya City and Banglamung) and 4 private hospitals. If I just knew which one he was in, I could go say hi right now !

I still lol. When the current PM took office I opined that she'd be lucky to last a year. But the media was suggesting she'd serve her full (4 year) term. A headline from a leading Thai media site - 27 Oct 2024: Most Thais think govt will survive until term ends: poll "Most Thai people are of the opinion that the government of Prime Minister Paetongtarn “Ung Ing” Shinawatra will be able to last until the end of its mandate in four years' time, but some believe it will collapse before the year’s end, according to a survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll. The survey sought to sample public opinion on the prospect of the government’s survival until the end of its four-year term in 2027. The answers were as follows: • 41.68% believed the government would survive political challenges ahead and be able to complete its term in 2027 • 19.08% thought it would last about two years (2026) • 16.87% thought it would last about a year (2025) • 11.99 believed it would last nearly until the end of its term • 9.77% thought it would collapse before the New Year • 0.61% had no answer or were not interested And the main reasons people thought the gov't might collapse sooner than later ? 34.43% failing to improve the country’s economy as promised and below the public's expectations 32.52% activists filing petitions against Thaksin Shinawatra and the Pheu Thai Party 29.47% crises due to Ms Paetongtarn’s mismanagement of national affairs 28.85% activists filing petitions against the premier and the Pheu Thai Party 19.77% corruption as a result of imprudent administration 17.25 conflicts among coalition parties 16.64% nothing would prevent the government from completing its four-year term 10.92% political turmoil caused by protest rallies 9.62% proposed amendments to constitutional provisions governing the ethics of holders of political positions 9.08% scrutiny by the opposition parties 8.24% proposing an amnesty bill on sensitive issues 8.09% the Tak Bai massacre case 6.95% a coup d'etat And now you've got the Thaksin medical/prison scandal. The Thaksin "lese majeste" accusations and upcoming trial(s). The border clash with Cambodia. Prawit suggesting she should resign. Hints that Anutin may table a Vote of Non-Confidence against the PM. Another party suggesting the Constitutional Court should disband the Pheu Thai Party. Or - as they say in Thailand - just another day like any other !