Presnock

Also, many of the states in the US also tax both SS and govt/mil pensions!

Agents too enable those without sufficient funds from what I see on this forum.

yes your English language understanding is co Yes you understand the meaning that English-language word - but those who are deciding the taxes, are Thai and they may translate to something totally alien to us. Wait until Jan to find out for sure.

Exactly....look at the US govt and the SS fund - govt continues to rob it to meet obligations to enrich the richer and in just a few years, the old folks who built that fund will be the ones suffering!!!!!!! this is fact!

Thais do have it rought (some of them) if you notice the news today, poor working stiffs here will be getting 330-370 baht a DAY - I really don't see how they can survive - oh yeah recently another news article said that soon the population of Thailand could be 33 million citizens as opposed to today's number of 66 million citizens because folks are having fewer children - that is probably because they can't afford them! This is a great place for many ex-pats, I love it, immigration requirements are considerably easier now that years ago for sure. Cost is still a lot better than at home. My opinion anyway.

Those immigrants you cited are also not getting pensions from previous work. I for one, not a democrat or Republican but realize that the US cannot survive with OPEN borders. Right now the estimate is over 12 million illegals and more pouring in daily. With the limited immigration courts, that gives them years to run around the US (no 90-day or TM-30 reports). I am against all the freebies that cause local taxes (especially noticable in Dem controlled states/cities) have to be increased monthly just to give it to these immigrants. My opinion anywayu.

as it has been mentioned since the beginning of this tax issue, none of us actually knows definitively what the Thai tax folks are going to do come 1 January. On 15 Dec, the Thai American Chamber of Commerce will be holding a ZOOM question and answer about the upcoming tax issue and reportedly will have Thai tax folks there. It is a free link that has also been provided recently and works for me a retired American drawing a pension from the US Govt. I will be listening to the questions and answers on 15 Dec and will then provide immediately thereafter, any pertinent information that they do give. If it is like everything to date, then I and you will not be any closer to the final picture but we will have what the embassy has and hopefully if it does affect our US taxes then I would hope there is some official contact between the Thai and US govt (plus some of the other 59 or so countries with a taxation agreement with Thailand will also let their ex-pats know anything official. Relax until we really know what is going on as it might not really affect most of us anyway.

Thai CHAAM will provide a broadcast from the US Embassy with tax "experts" to talk about the new tax on monies coming into Thailand by those staying more than 180 days a year.. link is free to anyone. 15 Dec. I will listen and provide anything of interest passed.

Actually, I blv that the Thailand AMerican Chamber of Commerce came to the embassy and offered to provide this informtion. That is why ThaiAMCHAM members get free and if one is employed locally and is a member, they can join the AMCHAM but the original message today on this forum provided a code so that Anyone can register free. I did so...I am retired and wrote that in the work place and I was approved for the meeting. I will pass on whatever I learn if it is actually definitive for Americans (or other nationalities since I read that there are 59 Thai-(other countries) with tax agreements. I sure don't wish to have the Thais charging me tax on my pension even though the US IRS would lower my tax rate so that I wouldn't really lose any money but I just don't want to even have an "extra" requirement to be here i.e. 90-day report although online is super easy, TM30 although not OUR requirement but immigration does require some of US to do that but again online is really easy and even the once a year long-stay reporting - immigration locally has done wonders compared to what we used to have to go through for any of these (except tm30 although old just surfaced again 5 years or so ago). Maybe the 90-day and TM-30 will go away some day in the future. All the storage for the paperwork must fill up several warehouses by now! Next week, immediately after the session with the AMCHAM folks, I will post something on this forum. Hopefully, it will be definitive and accurate as to what will occur with the taxation program.

You don't need to be employed in Thailand or anywhere. As mentioned by the originator here, if you are not a member of Thai AMCHAM, you can still register free using the code listed above. Check it out as several have okay'd "free" registration.

The free promo code was used to register so I will listen and provide whatever is pertinent for anyone. Hopefully it will be definitive so that all will be clear for all of us no matter how we live here.

Yes I registered free with the promo code provided. No problem and I will definitely listen in on the 15th. If nothing else, I will provide my "two cents" worth afterwards if no one else does. Thanks for the code.

Thanks for the info, I did the "free" registration for the seminar and will be listening on the 15th. Hope they have valid up to date info and that it is definitive for what the tax if any will be.

As a US tax-paying citizen who resides in Thailand, I would think that the US Embassy/State Department should be responsible for any changes by the Thai government on the tax situation of US sourced funds since the IRS takes our money every year legally and that if they are going to be required to refund us or lower our next year's tax bill, then it should officially notify us of those changes. SInce the US and Thai governments have an official treaty on the taxing of our money, then the US govt or their representative embassy should be keeping US citizens aware of any of those changes. If they do not then we as citizens should advise our Congress reps and American Citizens Abroad organizations of this shortfall in providing this information. After all, it is not a secret and affects all Americans in Thailand over 180 days a year and we deserve at least a note for our taxes paid each year. My opinion anyway and I do not understand why I should have to join the Thai AMCHAM as I am a retired US citizen and this information should be broadcast widely for all foreigners located in Thailand.

Used to be in the US, (which has one of the largest allowed immigrants) now mostly illegal but get those bennies. Before when they arrived, within a week they were called Americans and roamed around until they found a job and a place to stay. Now they come in legally and illegally (immigration courts take years before they can hear the pleas for asylum and they congregate in one location until they can control the area and begin to try to change the US into the same state as their former country from which they fled. This is driving the far-right politicians to be able to win and screw up the whole government. It is happening around the world except in those countries controlled by autocrats - Russia, China, N. Korean, Iran - they sure don't have immigrant problems like the rest of the "western" nations nor do those living in the sand and stone ages. Sure makes for a world different than that in which I grew up.

Same thoughts about the Afghani'... In Iran 1989- same thing...the Shah wasn't his oldself, at that time women had total freedom, were going to college free, free medical etc...they traded that so that those priests in exile (France) could come back and make women be slaves again! got what they deserve for sure but now the rest of the world will be having bigger problems with the Iranians...just wait, like "little rocket man" once he got nukes...Chinese lost any control they had over him. The last time a military general tried to disobey the politicos, (MacArthur) check out what happened to that WWII hero. Austin can only bow down to the President and the Congress.

Ever since VN, the politicians control what the military can do....

Started in Korea - government politicions continue to want to control every conflict the US military is involved in. Our troops get on set of rules that WE must abide by while the enemy does whatever they want to do...see it every time! The AFGHAN MOUNTAIN folks beat the Brits, the Russians and the US - and what did they end up with? Back to the stone age, just where the men want their women to be - slaves only!

hey he isn't yellow, did you hear him say he was awarded a US Naval Academy chance but decided to go to Delware State instead - oh yeahj just another f'n lie from the # 1 politician...almost lies as much as Trump - another real hero except or heel spurs.

Except maybe the world...sems even within "developed" counries there are daily reports of heated arguments leading to peoples' deaths. No one seems happy lately except a few of us in Thailand. Now they will have the winter weather to add to their woes.

Yeah they are chomping at the bit...uh failing economies too! They won't be able to send any military so the locals will bleed them dry just like they did the Russians in Afghanistan.

Yeah now Iraq seems to be a failed state...if there was no oil then the west would depart quickly. Just like such a great success in Afghanistan - now that country is back to the stone age. All those females that had jobs, were going to school, etc are now back sitting on floor at home. Another wasted country their people and the US debt.

like the article also reported that the crowd joined in the singing and dancing as they obviously LIKED it. I did not see any photos of "scantily" costumes, as a matter of fact see them with sexier clothes on daily tv in Thailand!

I have studied Thai and Vietnamese among the 10+ foreign languages I have studied. I found them more difficult due to tonal sounds versus the different writing system. My daughter a native born Thai/American speaking native fluency in both, also has studied Chinese (5 years) and Korean and as a native speaker of Thai and tones, easily mastered the Chinese speaking without giving it a thought. She also taught herself Korean well enough to pass the level 4 international Korean proficiency test. She continues her study of Korean as she wants to improve her test score and eventually get an advance degree in that language. If one really wishes to learn a foreign language there are a multitude of teachers that can help based on how the student learns. This has been explained to me by my daughter as she has also taught Thai students in Chinese, Korean, English and others in Thai so she told me that each student learns languages in a different way. Works for her!

Based on other problems that they have faced over the years and what they did, they invited "expert" from the developed countries - Japan, US, EU or Singapore even to see if there was a fix that could be done locally. Seems that they couldn't agree with the experts as it might cost too much or too advanced for the locals to accept such a drastic change. I would imagine now though that the elite folks would be tired of having an official language (English) that so many citizens cannot comprehend let alone speak, read and write. There are many organizations that have contacts willing to assist the Thais - I would imagine that with so many students opting to go overseas, it might impact the number of schools tutoring or sole teaching English so that the students can apply for foreign universities. I would think that the public would want their children to get properly trained in English in any case but just too many continue to accept longer hours and too many hours spent in religious, local customs, animist beliefs, regional and ethnic and cultural practices rule over regular academic subjects. In addition to regular holidays, the Thai govt likes to add a weekday to a weekend to extend some holidays. Stats can be googled if one is interested in seeing how Thailand stacks up against other countries. Literacy rating is high but after 15 years of age or so, it seems the youth are disengaged from the work force and are unemployed. Over 50% of Thai students want to study abroad - knowing that is one of the only ways to get ahead locally. Mostly, the stats show Thailand to be in the middle half for many different areas. But, stats can sometimes be interpreted in different ways to benefit certain groups and I think that happens here as it would be naturaly for parents to want the best for their child but TIT so it only works for some. Good luck for sure...we were lucky, finding a school like Chiang Mai International School - made our daughter wanting to actually go to school every day! Making learning fun and beneficial for the future!