Presnock

well just like the LTR, foreign income is by Royal Decree not taxed (that is the pardon - i.e. forgiven)

read it again is preparing a draft for the royal pardon of the latest which will be one or two years of remitted taxes or maybe not if the decree says something entirely different. Once the Royal Decree is made in the Royal Gazette, it is law if I am not mistaken.

Yes very few now but last year with each new finance, they ref the OECD goals and mention the worldwide taxes. What they do say here is that all Thai residents are supposed to be taxed on their total income and that expats will be treated the same as Thai nationals .

and the article mentioned that if one did pay tax in 2024 they might be allowed to file for a refund - have to wait for the final decree to see

I understand that, as for the tfc chaos, 70-80% of the accidents involve motorcycles which the police ignore violations regularly - 3-4 on a bike, no helmets, really young kids - just go to any school a they let out each day you will see it too and there usually is a policeman present ignoring all the violations. As for the forest fires, the govt needs to lock up those mushroom hunters setting forest fires, any owner of fields cleared by burning, lock them up as the govt may threaten fines but since the farmers may be poor, the police ignore it. Even during the military rule, they said that they would use the military to stop the burning with the very same results of today! This method of clearing field etc has been going on for many generations so I am positive nothing will change in my lifetime.

No matter what you write about, there will be someone on this forum that will whine about your comment as that seems the only real constant that I see regularly.

The overall biggest problem with the pollution problem is that it covers all of south Asia including China, Laos, VN, Cambodia, Myanmar, India, Indonesia, and unless they can get all the countries to stop burning of waste, forest fires to clear area for farming of crops that need burning too, then the pollution problem will continue for Thailand, no matter what they do unless the other countries stop too! If one looks at the NASA satellite imaging of S. Asia it is mostly RED with open fires!

I moved to Chiang Mai 12 years ago and we love it and plan to stay forever. Though right now daughter in University in Bangkok - the pollution in Bangkok may not be quite as high during forest fire days in CM but I have my own 2.5micron meter and check every day and Bangkok too has a lot of polluted days. Anyway, we bought a new house in CM 11 years ago, and will return there next month or so as our daughter has been accept as an exchange student between universities (Seoul) and will be going to korea for her junior year in August. We installed air purifiers in all the rooms of our house (same here in Bangkok) and wear a mask when we venture outside. We have had no health problems, I walked 6-10 kms daily in CM in our neighborhood. We talk about maybe going elsewhere on vacation during the burning season if it gets too bad but understand about schools too. Our daughter went to CM intenational school and all their rooms had air purifiers so they are aware too of the pollution problem. While we wear masks there when the pollution is bad, many people, especially foreigners, seldom seem to wear them as well as some locals living there. Whatever you decide to do I hope you have great luck as like I said, we still love the CM area.

Anyone that is not aware of it, Thailand is working to meet all the requirements for becoming a full member of OECD and as such, last year there were several articles of interviews with the officials of the TRD and Finance Office. By googling those offices' interviews about this very fact, one can see that their goal is to include ALL tax residents' worldwide income for taxes whether or not it is remitted. I too realize that right now they are facing a real shortage in tax collection after the change to last year's tax rules - now a relaxtion as they call it to include a change to both last year and this year's taxes which we won't know fully until the final decree is published, but it looks like no remittances will be taxed either both years (2024 and 2025) or one only. I sure do not what the decree will say nor do I really care as it will not affect me but I also won't write any further messages to alert folks to an article on this. Good luck to you all.

Yes I am very familiar with the Bumrungrad international hospital as I was assigned to the embassy several times and some of my people used to go there for treatment as they usually accept any of the US govt associated insurances. They are a true international hospital with all facilities but I will check my list of hospitals and see if any are in Nonthaburi area and will send that to you shortly as I get it all together

They will provide you with a list of all the preferred providers (sent it to within a day of asking for it) it is quite long. If you call the number on the card they will send it to you or you check your fepblue acct for the list. I filed my daughter's 21 treatments a few months ago (covered an 18 month series of treatments), the Bangkok Nursing Home is a preferred provider but for some reason the previous overseas office that covers Thailand didn't have the right contact so I footed the bills and then got reimbursed. I notice that cost of plan increasing rapidly while cutting some benefits. I have the family plan but daughter will soon be reaching the cutoff age. I myself have never had a claim but keep it for my family. Wife is Thai so can get local insurance cheaply at better benefits but we just keep it for us for now. Read that govt worries about the 72% of coverage and talking about vouchers instead. If you know what hospital you are going to, I can check the list that they gave me but believe it is really pretty inclusive for BKK. Good luck, take care stay safe

Actually, since you do not know the Thai rules on taxation of foreign income, you should learn before you slam anyone else. I have read for several years now. The Thais claim that expats that stay in Thailand more than half a year will be treated exactly like Thai citizens that earn foreign income - there have been several references to that very fact about the OECD taxation of global income. I am not going to link for you but you can google several subjects on this very subject. The final goal to date has always been to have expats that become tax residents to pay on the worldwide income tax just as Thai citizens are. However, due to shortfalls in revenues, especially last year when they began the taxation of remittances there was a noticeable drop in the revenues collected, now in one of these articles it mentions a 25 billion shortfall is expected by Sept of this year so they need to soften the tax issue as they are aware of both expat and Thais not remitting as much as before. In just about every article on drafts of new tax bills they mention the OECD and worldwide income taxation on tax residents. And as I mentioned, the wording was strange at times as the writer of the article mixed different stories about the taxes here when the main issue wass the new draft decree but even then the TRD people were not sure what will be in that bill until they see the final one too.

I blv that was the intent, to let folks know that while this has been their goal, they desperately need monies to be remitted into Thailand from just about any source.

One of the articles mentioned that the Govt would adhere to the 60 DTA as signed with no change

Read the 2nd article I linked - further in the article, the para begins with "A finance ministry source speaking anonymously said that Thailand operates a residence-based tax system. Anyone living in Thailand for at least half a year is subject to tax on global income. That rule has not changed. Now of course we must wait for the royal decree to hopefully be able to understand but yeah, it looks like last year and this year, remittances will not be taxed. So if an expat did the tax forms and paid a tax on foreign income remitted, according to the article, one can ask for a refund for 2024 tax paid on that foreign income. Read the whole article. it also mentions that expats who become tax residents will be treated exactly as are Thai natives earning foreign income and those Thai tax earners of foreign income will be granted free remittance too according to the article but after 2026 who knows what that decree being written will say. Their goal is to try and capture as much funds as possible due to shortages in their current methods of tax collection. Expats are easy targets but some will leave and some will ignore while some will do whatever is necessary IMHO

not sure myself, I did contract it (after two shots) but then only had a sore throat mild one at that for 2 days as did my much younger daughter but wife had to spend 5 days in the hospital. daughter and I had phizers while wife had moderna. Now I note since jan 1 this year, 108K checked in at hospitals or doctors reported with 27 deaths - more older ones than young ones reported.

yeah perfect example - extra virgin olive oil - I note the price at tops is of late, 700+ baht while I saw on a news clip of a grocery store in the Us with the price for the same brand $18.99. I guess those olive groves suffered a lot due to weather conditions which have driven the price up. But for the most part, I do note it is best to shop around as one can still get great bargins even with brand name and quality.

In error I mixed another witht the beginning the same and in fact, it mentions that worldwide income is taxable to Thai residents (including expats) but they are relaxing the rules in this new decree in attempts to get Thai tax residents to remitt more funds..see htpps://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2025/05/19/thai-revenue-planning-new-decree-making-remitted-foreign-funds-within-one-year-tax-free-for-residents

I have always been an avid reader but then the availability of books in some countries and cost of them today, puts a damper on it until my college student daughter introduced me to KINDLE. Now I hardly put it down. Much better than watching a big screen and with a subscription and freebies for reading it is amazingly cheap! A great idea IMHO! sorry I didn't take advantage earlier.

you mean you use a real book and not KINDLE?

strange, but at CM immigration I have ALWAYS had to provide a 1-years bank statement through Bangkok Bank who advised me each year of the exact letters I needed from BB. Just saying as I also realize it is a different immigration office. Also had to provide a copy of every page of my bankbook and had to have my bankbook there too.

An interesting and as usual very complicated wording throughout the interview about the Revenue Department interview of the Director General Panuwat Luengwilai that the dept is drafting a Royal Decree to amend current criteria in line with the policy of Finance Minister Pichai Chanharvajira. Some interesting wording that expats as Thai tax residents are supposedly treated the same as Thai citizens in relative to taxes on ALL income worldwide. Anyway the link is below and you can read and I am sure that there will be lots of comments: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/3028760/department-to-amend-tax-on-foreign-income-remittance# Mod edit- I have corrected the link, so it now works.

Yes, he says the agencies guarantee success but I went through the process, had one or two stumbling steps but other LTR winners passed info to me that cleared it up in my mind as at first I didn't understand why the BOI wouldn't accept something but then once I got other notes, it was just too easy for me - total time frm start to receipt of visa less than 3 weeks. Time on computer very few hours if that many! Have gone through the 1-year check in (to provide address) can be done by agent or anyone you want but I went to BOI immigration and it took less than 10 minutes total time there! too easy again.

it is very easy to do completely yourself (free) online. The BOI will be your first contact and you can just google them and get their email or phone number. The speak English very well and during my and from others' comments are very helpful and will guide you through the entire process. Once you do make contact, you only need to sit at your computer and upload particular documents. If you get to that point and have a quick question about anything you can either ask the BOI folks or here and we that have an LTR will gladly try to help you out in understanding if you are not sure what the BOI is asking about. Those that have an LTR from all that I have read, had no real problems that couldn't be easily solved! Totally do not need to have an agent do it for you in my opinion!

2027 is statute of limitations on the final one!