Samui Bodoh

Many thanks for your reply, KP! I pulled the number of 300,000 Baht out of the air, but it actually works well. A remit under that figure, combined with what I still have here already, will allow me to stay under the threshold of paying taxes for tax year 2025 as well. We will see what 2026 brings. You'd think that after all these years I'd be used to the chicanery of Thai Officialdom, but I still find it aggravating. In most countries tax changes are announced a year or two in advance and with clear guidance, but as always Thailand sets its own course. I have lots of money earned pre-2024, but as money is fungible, how can that be "proven"? Bloody hell. In terms of needing to file, even when under the threshold, I will quibble a bit with you. I have been in Thailand/Asia long enough to know that even when the Director of the local revenue department and the website say one thing, it doesn't always mean that it is correct. Remember the high police official who went to Walking Street in Pattaya and claimed that there was no prostitution? I decided not to file for 2024 or 2025 due to lack of clarity, and (sadly) will seek professional assistance in this matter at a later date. Yes, the future is potentially bleak in terms of taxation; I could live with small taxes on remittances if they don't go overboard, but a rule to declare and pay on global earnings (even with a double taxation treaty) will see me (and I suspect many others) out the door. I understand that this idea comes from Thailand wanting to join the OECD, and have recently read that the government is actually souring on the idea. Here's hoping! Again, many thanks. Cheers SB

Thanks Mr C, I have heard the same. And, I am not a Brit. What I am trying to figure out is how much I can transfer here without causing a tax event (100,000Baht? 200,000Baht? 300,000Baht?). And, if I do have to pay some tax, what level of information would I need to tell the Thai Tax Man. Quite honestly, I do not want to tell them anything about my financial situation outside of Thailand. Cheerio

Hi KP et al Long time, no yap! Yes, I stopped posting on the Forum a long while ago, and I doubt that I need to explain why. That said, I do pop in occasionally to the Samui sub-section for local info where I saw this thread. KP; I know that you do your research, so perhaps you could answer a simple question or two from me; over the years I have developed a great loathing for dealing with official Thailand. I understand that there is a tax on remittances from outside the country, and although I ain't fond of taxes, I can live with them if they ain't too unreasonable. I had enough money in-country that I did not need to remit anything for the tax year 2024 (and perhaps tax year 2025 as well; I am very frugal), so I chose to wait a year or two to see how this all plays out. I also understand that the Tax Man generally does not give you a Tax Id Number (TIN) unless you actually are paying taxes, and that is okay with me. Finally, I understand that there are several deductions (age, marriage, etc.) one can make to bring assessable income down to zero, i.e. no taxes paid on remittance(s). My questions are these; How much could an unmarried man, age 59 (and/or 60), with no work/income or investment in Thailand, remit into the country before it triggered a tax event? For example, if I transferred in 300,000 Baht to cover my costs for 2025, would that trigger a tax event and a need to file? Is there a number? In paying taxes on the remittance(s), do you need to file a full tax return (like in your own country) or only declare the remittance(s)? At any time, did you need to inform Thai Tax Authorities on your financial status in your home country? And a bonus question, if you are feeling generous with your time. I have heard the rumours that Thailand will, in the future, require expats to declare their global income to Thai tax authorities. Did this come up when you were in Nathon? Do you know anything (concrete!) about this? It would be with great sadness, but should Thailand demand that we declare global income as expats, I'd likely move on, notwithstanding the double Taxation Treaties. Many thanks in advance for your answers, and I will NOT hold you accountable for any comments. I will be seeking professional advice at some point, but I am a believer in being prepared before doing so. Thanks and Cheers SB

Hi All Yes, I have reached the one year mark of being smoke-free, and yes, I am very proud of myself. Apologies for the self-praise, but while I have little use for the 'reformed' smokers who blather on in public, I can't help it today. Whoo Hoo! Okay, it is out of my system. What's my story? I was a heavy smoker for around 35 years; I foolishly got hooked in my mid-teens and never kicked the habit. In all honesty, I never really tried to quit; I always said to myself that I should quit, but I never really believed that I could, so I didn't really try. And, that is the message that I hope to impart with this posting; people can quit, and given all we now know about smoking, people should quit. Period. How did I do it? I went 'Cold-Turkey'. Perhaps there are those not familiar with the idiom, but going 'Cold Turkey' means just stopping; no drugs, no 'cutting down', no patches, no nothing. It means going to bed one night as a smoker, waking up the next as a non-smoker. I knew that this was the method that I had to use, but if one of the other methods works for you, then use it; there is no 'one way' to do this. What tricks did I use? First, pick a date that is coming soon; I have always felt Mondays were the day to do new stuff, so I chose a Monday. Further, members might remember that a year ago, the government announced that they were raising taxes on smokes, so that was another 'push' for me; I chose the Monday when taxes were going up. The night before, throw out any and all smokes from your house/condo, clean all ashtrays and put them away on a shelf; have none of the usual paraphernalia about. I am a bit cheap, so I took a clear plastic jar and put it on my desk, and each day I put in the amount of money that I would have spent into the jar. The first day it didn't do much, but after 4-5 days, it was a GREAT visual stimuli for quitting (I highly recommend this trick to any and all). What are the benefits of quitting? I am a cyclist and am out on the road cycling every morning at dawn. I was very much paying attention this morning and I can definitely take in more oxygen than I could a year ago; it isn't a huge difference, but it is noticeable. Further, I don't have the 'lung burn/chest burn' that I used to get; sorry, it is not a very scientific description, but smokers will know exactly what I mean. I have more... er... 'lead in my pencil'; that is my polite way to say that my sex life has improved. I don't stink of stale smoke. I don't need to plan my every move around the idea of whether or not I have enough cigarettes. I saved approximately 63,500 Baht (Bloody Hell!!!). I am not adding to my chances of getting cancer. I am not polluting the air and my surroundings with used butts. I could go on, but it is very straightforward; all in all, I simply feel better. Much better. Much, much better. What are the benefits of smoking? There are none. Literally, none. What are the downsides to quitting? I have gained weight, and it has been difficult to shed it. However, even if I ballooned to the size of the Good Year Blimp, it would still be healthier than smoking. Am I a non-smoker now? I don't feel that I can say that yet; perhaps next year at this time. Instead, I would call myself a smoker who doesn't smoke (akin to a 'recovering' alcoholic). I do feel confident that I am not going to smoke again, but I also feel that if I were to have even one cigarette (ONE!), then I would likely be back on two packs a day very quickly. They are insidious as hell and I am going to have to keep my guard up for a long, long time. Two final thoughts. Posts in the 'Stop Smoking Forum' section of TVF tend to get about 1,000 views each (VERY rough estimate/average). If 10%-20% of you are smokers, and in Asia that is quite possible, then my message to you is quite simple. I won't bother to say that you must quit smoking; you already know that. I won't say that it is easy; it isn't and you already know that. My message is this: you do have the ability to quit. I smoked for 35 years or so and I quit; others on here smoked for longer and have quit. This is the key message in my opinion; I never really believed that I could quit, so I didn't really bother to try. Now, I know that I can quit. And, so can you. Secondly, I want to say thanks to all who have participated in this Forum for the last year or so. Eagle-eyed members will have noticed that I started most of the threads in the last year, and I deeply appreciate everyone who added a comment, gave some encouragement, shared a story, or simply pressed 'like' or 'laugh'. Could I have quit without the assistance of this Forum? Yes. Was it easier with the help of this Forum? Yes. I think it is time for another person to 'take over' a bit, I am not going to be starting a new thread every month as I did before. Any new quitters want to take up the reins? It helped me, so I think it might help you as well. Cheers all!