Presnock

The wealthy pensioner LTR good for ten years, no taxes on foreign earned income, no 90-day reports - google the Board of Investment (BOI) LTR for requirements and benefits - cost currently is 50K baht - last year was 100K baht. Other LTR seem to be more expensive.

plus no 90-day reports either.

DTA Between Thailand and US and Royal Decree re LTR visa.

my income is covered by the dta between the US and Thailand and I am good for 10 years as of last month as covered by Royal Decree also.

Once the embassy stopped issuing income verification letters, I began monthly payments and my income was strictly from a US government pension so I have never FAILED to pay taxes where none are due. I don't have a Thai TIN and don't plan to get one at least until they change the tax law to require that all ex-pats must get one. The law now says we only need to get on within 60 days of remitting assessable income - I don't have any.

Our daughter went to Korea for a concert in February. She went into Korea of course on her US passport as much easier. But upon her return she couldn't find her Thai passport but they let her in on her Thai ID card and had her fill out the lost passport at the Lost and found office. Surprised how easy it was.

I disagree totally with that. If under the DTA US govt pensions cannot be taxed by Thailand as are US SS funds so unless someone has additional funds, they do not have assessable income to not only report but there is no reason to go to the RD and obtain a Thai TIN as they have no assessable income ever - like me and in addition to that, under Royal Decree No. 743 dated 23 May 2022, all of my funds that I remit to Thailand are tax exempt.

I haven't! I paid the taxes on my US govt pension every year. That is not assessable income for any of my remittances.

What I fine really disgusting, is that people from a multitude of countries don't even bother to read the tax agreements between Thailand and their country. In addition everyone's income may come from totally alien to at least some of us who do read our DTA and the local RD regs, yet those folks continue to pour out their situation and expect us to clarify things for them. Yeah a couple of really nice people do that very thing but again no matter what we advise, until the final written law or amendment to same are published we are just guessing. Some incomes are exempt the royal decree even under Royal Decree No. 743 dated 23 May 2022.

The RD instructions on "when to obtain a Thai tax id number" says within 60 days of remitting assessable income for 2024 and several people on this forum have indicated that when they went to their local RD, they were refused the issuance of a Thai TIN as they didn't have assessable income.

Studied it for a year before being assigned here. Then went to many more language schools and assigments elsewhere so when I returned for another tour here, I had forgotten the language but it came back. A lot of the schools here teach classes as do private individuals too. I don't really know where a good instruction is as I never studied it here. But immersion into the local society definitely is the way to go. International schools all depend on where one's children might got to college as they are geared towards that area. I have ignored agents at every step since I came here. Nothing was really too difficult, one just needs patience but I also speak the language. Again, as long as one has patience explanations not only from immigration but from the forum can help too. Just about every possible scenario has been faced over the years many times over. Take care

Actually, my daughter goes to a Thai University and EVERYTHING had to be done in ENGLISH including the interview. And, due to other reports of "poor" English, new testing was supposedly being set up. I wonder what college this ladi obtained her degree - one of those that family money kept greasing the wheels of education I guess. Who hires that kind of graduate?

Yes so far we are just waiting for the "FINAL" word on the tax situation. As govt pensioner, I am not concerned with this new interpretation of the tax laws but, TIT. I think you and anyone else wondering about the taxes here, should read the Double Taxation Agreement with your country. I know where I stand as an American govt Pensioner but like I said TIT. No one really knows how it will end up, how we may have to provide paper trail on monies or what. All of us just need to wait. Other countries too are amending/or not changing their taxes on ex-pats because of the OECD July 2023 signing. Good luck to all. Have a good one

Huahin properties based on the news media and this forum are overrun with Russians and Ukrainians fleeing the war. That has driven up the prices too. Times have changed in Thailand over the past years and some things are changing today. The new income tax program began in earnest on 1 Jan 2024 so after 180 days here, an ex-pat become a tax resident. You need to be aware of that too. This is still better than anywhere that has cold weather in my opinion. Food is great!

pollution levels are reported daily/hourly throughout Thailand by at least "accuweather (locality)" - the north has been reported in news media at world leading numbers. This mornings TNN news at 0600 reported that one could not see CM city from Doi Suthep overlooking the city due to smog. News medie daily show map of Thailand with pollution totals and in almost all areas the readings are above the healthy level. I have a 2.5 micron meter and in my area of Bangkok the readings have been above the healthy level almost every day for the past few months including all of last week. Before it rained last week, the readings were in the 50's and afterwards over a 100! google "masks and pollution" and you can read about the studies that confirm that quality n95 masks can block the 2.5 microns. wearing one though is personal choice!

I did the transfer in Feb 2024, went to the tent outside at 800 (opens 830) had all my paperwork done except for the couple of illin's at the tent about overstays etc, that everyone has to fill in. Then and IO walks around and will check to see if one has done all the paperwork - he checked mine at 810, told me to go to the TM 30 office behind the main office (opened at 815) went inside spent 5 minutes with IO to fill in a new TM30 for the New Passport. went back to the tent, they then called my queue number - looked at the paperwork and sent me to the walk-in 90-day report a mine was due that day but they kept all the paperwork and advised me to just come back and no waiting. 90-day report about 2 minutes max, went back to the window and they stapled the reports into my new passport and sent me in to window 2 which is for transfers. took about half an hour of waiting and then I was out of there in no time. No costs for sure. Then came to BKK, landlord did a tm30 and I applied online for LTR through the Board of Investment, under the 2nd category of wealthy pensioner - 3 weeks later I have he new visa. good for 10 years and only 1400+ USD, in and out of Thailand without further costs, easy in and out line at the international airport. If I wanted to work he BOI takes care of that permit too. Close to the elite visa but no 90-day reports!

The weathy pensioner(1 of 4 categories if one were to check it out first) allows one to get a work permit through the Board of Investment also, as for the tax effects, there are several categories there too, I never said that one didn't have to pay taxes and with the LTR the visa (work permited too) is 10-years. In the 10-year period, if one travels in and out of Thailand, this visa is even cheaper than a retirement visa and it doesn't tie up any of one's money with required bank restrictions.

google electric bikes/scooters in Thailand - easy enough to do and you get numerous shops selling basically the same bikes/scooters

Well the "bum gun" and paper wipe is much more sanitary than that of the west that uses paper only. The toilet paper on the table is much cheaper for them to use than paper towels. I for one, am of the opinion that sanitation in this regard is much better here but that is just me.

I retired here 20 years ago on a retirement O visa and yearly extended the stay for anther year, at some point we began having to do regular reports to immigration every 90 days, tm30 reared their head after being dormant for years while the tm28 died. Anyway, retirement visas with yearly extensions are one way to go, but I just changed to a "wealthy pensioner" LTR (there are 4 categories under this LTR) which is a 10-year visa, check in for location once a year, no 90-day reports, can get a work permit if wanted, etc and now only costs 50,000 baht, (less than 1500 USD) ...one can google LTR Board of Investment and see the benefits and requirements. The change from retirement O to LTR was about 3 weeks in processing and the people in the BOI office are extremely helpful and patient. There are some tax benefits also since this is an issue that began 1 January 2024 but has not yet been finalized. Plenty of stories on this forum about that.

I notice many saying masks do not help against pollution - I disagree based on studies - all one needs to check is by googling "masks effectiveness and pollution" easy enough to do as I spelled it our for you and yes studies have been done on that very subject due to the fact that so many people just don't get it! It is akin to sun exposure and skin cancer. Since one doesn't see or feel the effects immediately, one must think that it is not real. Read for yourself!

Ask any doctor and/or nurses about n95 sugical masks - they BLOCK 2.5 micron dust particles too. With pollution levels in many places of Thailand, I would think that the health ministry would be recommending masks for locals too, not just tourists or foreigners. Reading on this forum, articles about the effects on health of the pollution in Thailand, they reported 30 million patients for pollution-related illnesses last year and the first two months of this year 2024, 650 thousand patients treated for such illnesses. TNN news today reports that from Doi Suthep one couldn't even see Chiang Mai City just below the mountain. I have been a regular outdoors runner/walker for many years and doctors have always recommended that I wear n95 masks with any outside activity when 2.5 micron pollution levels get above the green level (approximately 38). Accuweather -( any city) not only reports on the weather but air quality levels too, day and night. I don't recommend anyone to wear masks - that is a personal preference, but I also would not like to have someone with a possible passable disease sit near me or be around me. Good luck! Sorry if you feel that I am pressuring you to wear a mask, you are thinking incorrectly. I am only providing evidence to support the wearing of masks when diseases are running rampant and pollution is over the healthy limits. Take care stay safe.

the RD and LTR folks do spell out basically the tax benefits too...just google "Thai LTR and taxes", there are a number of choices to read concerning what type of LTR etc and your passive income.

Since they are so high on autocratic rulers and craving for any extra baht they can get, one would think that they should look at their border states that went even more strongly towards those autocrats. Now those countries are shackled to the autocratic countries. Pretty soon, Thailand willl come even closer to China with that hi-speed railline going in. Northern Laos is openly Chinese controlled, the Mekong levels are controlled by the Chinese, Cambodia and Myanmar are both openly in Chinese pockets. But if they can get another baht, they'll let them pour in my opinion.

For THAISPACENEEDLE - I did a transfer of stamps from old to new in February - but it was in CM so not sure if the procedures will be exactly the same There is also an immigration for for transfer of stamps from old to new passport - print that out too,. In addition, my 90-day report was due on the date I went for the stamp transfer as I didn't get through the online for that purpose. In CM anyway fist of all they sent me to the TM.30 office (5 minutes for a new TM.30 for the new passport) then to the walk-in 90-day window (2 minutes) with the 90-day report with the old passport information and they gave me a neww 90-day report that was later stapled into my new passport. THen they sent me to window 2 which is for stamp transfers - no chargesl on this visit which lasted about 70 minutes total. I realize that not all Immigration offices always do the exact same procedures so if you prepare everything in advance, all they will do is trash what they don't want but it might save you some time if you do everything I had to do - I had prepared everything in advance with the tm47 form done twice, once with the new data and once with the old data (this is theone they used). Good luck