ronnie50

Not necessarily. If the income was say an occupational pension (as opposed to a state pension - or Social Security as the US calls it), whether it was taxed at source would depend on whether you were considered a 'resident' there - usually more than 180-183 days, and/or you have sunstantial assets or a spouse there (in most countries except the US - they pay the US IRS no matter what or where they are). If you have nothing there except a bank account (no DL etc.), you would most likely be deemed non-resident and not taxable. Your state pension or social security, capital gains from stocks or bank interest would likely be taxed at source though (a non-res withholding tax - most countries 25%)

Who does he think he's kidding? He can spend all his money if he likes. But it still seems to me that the establishment including the "unbiased judiciary" were never on his side. A deal was done temprarily and all the 'players' including those aforementioned played their role. Now what? They were never on his side. Is he just stupid, or what? He has no red shirt base anymore, they all woke up and voted for Move Forward and they will double down on that in the next election. A coup to prevent that popular uprising will lead to major 'civil' what's the right word again??

My vote goes to SCB, which I have two accounts with and a credit card ("X" card) that racks up points. Also Kasikorn which I have just opened my own account and have a long-standing joint account. If you have a work permit you might be able to get a Thai Amex Card (not CC, a charge card) that also gives you points. Not cheap though 1,700 baht a year for the plain-vanilla green card. It's widely accepted in supermarkets, mid-upper-scale dining places, and good for online bookings. Very good phone service. I never liked BKK Bank but I notice they seem to have the most ATMs in convenient places. Singapore-based UOB is really doing well in Bangkok (they bought out Citybank some years back).

Agree. Just to add that if she is attractive she almost certainly has a Thai 'samee' (husband or b'friend she shags/lives with). Keep your eyes open more than the wallet. Many Thais have more than one sex partner.

Right. If they can push the BOT to strengthen the baht even more - completely without economic sense as the country isn't earning foreign currency because of no tourists and weak exports - then a bonanza of tax-free foreign remittances arriving in hard currencies (USD) at a falsely inflated baht, will strengthen their foreign reserves more than the government would earn from fewer tourists paying VAT or corporate export taxes.

Not so sure about that. The very mention by the government that it is planning to offer a tax holiday for foreign remittances might be the reason the baht suddenly jumped in value.

When I request or write to my own country's government departments they NEVER reply...

Here's another question. after reading this thread, and the previous thread/link above by Dr Bob. More often I see 'income tax return' as a document required for LTR and particularly LTR-WP. Do we know if an income tax return is mandatory for BOI consideration? In my case, I don't have one, and will be considered a Thai resident for tax purposes by the time (if) I apply. Main source of annual income (occupational pension) is sourced in one country (where I am non-res and don't pay tax), is then sent to a financial institution in a 2nd country (also non-res and non-taxpayer) and finally I remit funds to Thailand, when and how much at my discretion. So no tax returns from anywhere. I do have foreign government tax documents from investments where interest or capital gains have been withheld annually and, of course, I have the proof of the pension income. Is that enough (if it surpasses the 80k)?

..and with the exeption of Thaksin, have any of the above ever been treated like that? Ah, no. And they never will be - and we all know that. They are untouchable and they are always on the 'right' side of things here to ensure the status quo.

Thanks, yes have re-entry visa. Also landlord has given me the password/username to do the TM30 myself. Haven't tried it yet, but also have the new TM30 from landlord following return from Vietnam.

I think it's very possible. But it would be a worse disaster than before on a number of levels. First, this time people would fight back - the disenfranchised majority - especially those who had the government they voted for stolen away from them in broad daylight have really now come to understand how the wealthy establishment, the monopolists, the royalists and their rubber stamp courts, and other pliable 'commissions', etc., are designed specifically to work against them. As someone said there is no longer a moral compass or saintly figure to cow them. Second, the economic future is already so bad that a coup would just turn this into another Burma. Third, much of the industrialized world would alienate the coup leaders. And finally, this time, a coup would risk civil war.

Sorry to raise this again. But can someone advise me on my personal circumstance? I have a Non-O Retirement extension and my first in-person reporting is due next week. However, I went to Vietnam earlier this month for a holiday and came back last week. Since I am now back in-situ within the first 90 days of this new extension, am I expected to still attend that first in-person 90 day report at Immigration next week? I am aware that the 90 day clock starts again upon any re-entry from a trip abroad. But I'm wondering, specifically, about the very first in-person report since I am now back in time, should I go, or ignore it and start a re-count? Any advice? Cheers. R.

They like to ignore the fact that more Americans died from, or as a complication of Covid, in a 2 year period than all the Americans that died in every war since Independence. Facts these days are ignored in general it seems.

Was out today in Bangkok at a big shopping center. I'd say around 40% of Thais were wearing masks given the recent spike in new infections from the new variant. As far as I know, the only vaccine available is the same one from last year (XP.1). Dunno if it offers any protection from the new variant. Apparently WHO is meeting this month and next to agree the make-up of the next batch of shots.

I stick with Big-C which seems ok and every other week has a 10% member's discount. They had blueberries on sale earlier this week for 79 baht (half the usual price of other places). We bought 3 pannets. The main thing is to avoid the markets that cater to foreigners (as much as possible), because the prices have always been much higher - particularly the best known one. Their main competitor seems stuck in the 1990s, and never changes/adds anything. Overall, there is less competition in the bigger supermarkets these days. That's too bad. Reflection of how so few seem to own everything and control prices. For those in the Bangkok area, if you ever get a chance, take a trip up to Rangsit and Dalat Thai for some really fresh produce and good prices. Place is massive. Go in the morning. Over 20+ years I've seen HP sauce go from 99 baht to 200+ baht and coconuts in the market go from 10 baht to 50 baht and Walls single serving ice cream at 7-ELEVEN now twice the price. While that's over a long period, the prices have escalated most in the last 5 years or so.

might happen in prison..

Pertty sure you're right - in airports like LHR, JFK and many others. Less sure about Sri Lanka or former Soviet state of Georgia... Then again, places like that might be the ideal airport to give it a go! The check-in at Colombo airport (ever been there? I have) is a complete sh!tshow. Also, one other time flying from there to Bangkok, the guy sitting next to me didn't have a seatbelt.

Good question. I guess the answer might be that they don't have the ability to check the bags in and bar code them in the conveyer room air-side. That coding and tagging happens at check in (landside).

The authorities could have detected the drugs on arrival and grabbed her and the bags - not necessarily together - and the criminals at the air-side in Colombo baggage handling knew they wouldn't be able to grab the bags.

If she's telling the truth (if), then this is what I think happened - and it could have happened on air-side after the bags have been checked in and sent down the conveyer belt. The bags are manually removed from the underground conveyer. Her contents removed, the cannibis take their place, and the bags are then sent on to be loaded onto the plane. There would of course need some baggage handlers in Colombo to also be in on this. They'd just remove her tampered incoming bags from their conveyer belt and her bags would never reappear. Pretty simple really. Just needs some coordination and pay-offs of supervisors for shift changes, and/or broken/unplugged CCTV in the conveyor area.

Okay, so you're a Thai music officiando. You really have attended an average of 40 Thai concerts a year? Anyway, what's your thing against Sek Loso? Loso was a wildly popular act for several years - surely you would agree. I didn't know Carabao was a yellow shirt. I 'thought' he had moved to Philippines for a while to get out of Thailand, but I could be mixing him up with someone else.

Yes, if you have clear annual examples of in excess of 80k USD, like pension income, social security income, bank interest, foreign income tax statement (of at least previous 12 months+), then why not do it yourself? But if very complicated, I guess an agency could help... Or do you just prefer an arms-length transaction with BOI? Everything I've heard so far by people who dealth directly with BOI has been positive and they have been quick to respond to queries, so quite helpful.

I noticed that San Miguel seems to be on draft in a lot of places there. Finding the regular draft beers from Hanoi and Saigon wasn't easy in Da Nang (unfortunately).

Justice is always 'selective' here. Thai TV through the years has shown CCTV of well-connected people gunning down others in broad daylight (shopping center, gas station restroom. etc.). They rarely face any real jail time. You need to be on the 'right' side of the tracks here if you want to act with impunity. Does RedBull kid ring a bell?

You have no idea what you're talking about. Sek Loso and his band LoSo were hugely popular. They sang about the lives of working people (lo-so as opposed to HiSo), and, like Ad Carabao, Loso (he and his band) were the people's favorites. But in Thailand you're not supposed to make the working class seem like they have some prestige - hence the establishment hated this guy (and Carabao for that matter). Just like the cop that everyone liked 'Big Joke' - the establishment went after Sek. Even Carabao was in self-exile for a while too I recall. Another example is Tata Young ('Sexy, Naughty, Bitchy') - she had a big following but the establishment hated her too. Not sweet Thai - and didn't have some long Thai last name - worse still for the snobs, it was a farang name.