Misty

Should be simple enough to get hold of the company's financial statements. Presumably audited financial statements are still filed each year. Does the company have any operational revenue?

In foreign chamber talks by government officials involved in designing and promoting the program, it was mentioned that the high initial target numbers were pretty much aspirational only. High targets were needed in order to get the program off its feet, but it didn't seem like the speakers thought they needed to be achieved for the program to be a success. The LTR visa is a government program intended to provide attractive additional options to the existing system to those who qualify. By that measure, I'd say it's successful already. And so far the program has been expanded once already to widen the number of people who qualify. Perhaps we will see it widen further to include more folks, for example the digital nomads, etc.

This was possible in Bangkok for Non-BOI companies years ago. I don't know the current state of play, however. If the Non O visa holder is offered a position at a company, could they either switch to new Non B, or as I think someone suggested, change the extension type?

Agree. FOX seems like a very poor choice as a "World News" source. FOX settled with Dominion for nearly $800bn over charges that it baselessly accused the company of rigging its voting machines against former President Donald Trump in 2020. And FOX still faces a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit filed by Smartmatic, that alleges Fox broadcast lies that “decimated” its business. After getting rid of Tucker, FOX ratings have plummeted. Now it seems to be doubling down in the crazy to try to regain some of its lost audience.

Hi, did you want to know what is legal, or what you may be likely to get away with? The two are not the same. Unfortunately the laws, and the Thai elite visa, don't allow for this plan. To be legal, you need a visa that permits working, and a work permit. It's not really a grey area, it's just a grey area whether anything would happen if you followed your plan. Thus the comments "don't tell anyone." The oft quoted "it's only taxable if you bring the money into Thailand in the year you earn it" only applies to income that is passively generated overseas, such as dividends, interest, etc. It doesn't apply to income you earn while you are working in Thailand. Income earned from working in Thailand, even if paid overseas, is taxable under the tax code whether or not you bring it into Thailand. So yes, the income you've described is taxable. But there isn't really a means to pay tax since you don't have permission to work. If you want to do this legally instead of a Thai elite card suggest an LTR Visa from the Board of Investment. You'll find a number of threads on it in this forum.

I agree with all the LTR visa advantages listed above. And one more advantage - the most important one for me - you can legally work if you have the LTR visa. If you work for a foreign company, there's no need for a digital work permit. If you work for a Thai company, you can get a digital work permit and there's no 4 Thai employees needed. The ability to work legally with no Thai employee requirement is a huge improvement over other Thai visa types. Many people of "retirement" age wish to continue to work, either out of interest or necessity. The Thai NonO for retirement doesn't allow this, nor does an Elite card nor tourist visa.

Various multinationals advising our firm for many years. I'll take their detailed knowledge of the law over happy talk on an internet forum.

Certainly the authorities have made it clear that replying to some work emails while on a defined, specific stay one-time stay such as a two week holiday staying in a hotel in Phuket is not an issue. But if the "holiday" is a habitual stay that involves many trips, many months, renting housing, purchasing living items then you get on dicier grounds.

According to our lawyers if someone is physically present in Thailand doing work, a work permit is needed. It doesn't matter where the employer is located, nor where the salary is paid. Also needed: a visa that permits working, examples: NonB, NonO marriage, LTR, PR. Visas that don't permit working: retirement, tourist, visa exempt, Thai elite. Yes, it's true that people do work without work permits and correct visas. And many do so for long periods without having problems. But that doesn't make it legal. If you do so, you're rolling dice and taking your chances.

Yes, also have to take care not to give hotel seminars ???? https://www.newsweek.com/sex-training-course-coaches-arrested-thailand-lacking-work-permit-821876

He is working or he is not working?

Nepotism? - did the Jack Teixeira get and keep his position and security clearance due to his stepfather. Based on my experience, it's strange that he wasn't sacked and/or clearance removed on the first occasion. "Thomas Dufault, his stepfather, retired as a master sergeant in 2019 from the 102nd Intelligence Wing, the same unit Teixeira was in." https://www.reuters.com/world/us/jack-teixeira-who-is-man-arrested-over-leaked-pentagon-documents-2023-04-14/

Hi dfg42 - my company is not a BoI promoted company. Getting a digital work permit under the LTR program is not limited beyond normal restrictions, to the best of my knowledge. I'm not aware if working under the LTR visa could be used to qualify for PR status. For my situation, LTR is actually better than PR so I no longer have interest in PR. I don't separately need a to get a work permit and am not required to have 4 Thai employees. I also like that the LTR application process was clean. It didn't involve the "VIP service fees" and other shenanigans that applying for PR did.

Yes you can get a digital work permit to work for a Thai company, and no the 4 Thai staff are not needed.

There definitely seems to be a problem.

Yes, by all means everyone VOTE! But until the primary system is retooled/revised, we may still have tyranny by the minority. In my state even though voting participation has been picking up, the primary system still results in the more moderate candidates being "primaried out" by extremist voters. Ranked Choice voting is needed. Then moderate politicians with the majority's support can win primaries and elections and we'll no longer have the crazy extremists in either party holding sway.

Agree with you - corporate profit over all else has been taught in MBA programs as almost a moral obligation. The Atlas Shrugged class have followed this mantra, without ever asking: Just what happens after "Atlas" shrugs? Certainly not a bright new dawn. Most will be worse off, maybe far worse off. Maybe even those who think of themselves as "Atlas" will not like what happens next. I think it is right for the US President to ask. But it would be naive to expect that merely asking will produce any real change. Much more is needed.

My understanding is no. The BoI has been described to me as "having magical powers."

Unlike an elite card, the LTR visa isn't purchased. You either qualify, or you don't. Elite card is a tourist visa. LTR visa is very different in many respects, importantly you can work with an LTR visa.

Once the BoI has approved a new LTR visa, it will facilitate the transfer. Under BoI direction, the Immigration office colocated with the BoI cancels the existing NonO and issues the new LTR visa on the same day/same visit.

Actually it's not a new term for old visas. It's a new type of visa. Thailand's Board of Investment has offered it since 1 Sep 2022 : https://ltr.boi.go.th/

Yes, we'll have to see how it's applied. Remember though that NonB visa holders are supposedly exempt from this tourist fee. Yet speaking as a former NonB visa holder for nearly 30 years, NonB visa holders are usually subject to the higher pricing that all foreigners are subject to, elsewhere.

Interestingly when shown a picture of him with the rape accuser "he never had seen before" he claimed the woman in the picture was his wife, Marla Maples. Not his type? https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/19/trump-believed-rape-accuser-e-jean-carroll-was-wife-in-photo.html

It will be interesting to see if people who hold the LTR visa have to pay this "tourism fee". I wouldn't have thought so. An LTR visa holder is a foreign resident and is not a tourist. Shouldn't matter whether the LTR visa holder has a digital work permit.

Yes, it's very important for US citizens to understand their US reporting & filing requirements if they own a foreign company. Used to be relatively simple, but the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act 2017" added over 100 pages of filing to my annual US 1040 taxes - simply because I own a Thai Amity treaty company. The new 5471 and its seeminly endless schedules are not for the feint of heart. Professional tax advice is required.