persimmon

Investing in condos sounds good . There is a slight problem though - some condos seem to go downhill and look scruffy and dilapidated . If this happens , it might be difficult to get your money out if you need to .

I was there to do a visa crossing last year . I think after 3 or 4 days I would start to get bored of the place . There`s the small night market at the weekend and the walk along the river can be pleasant , but apart from that .....? Maybe if you had a Thai partner to go out with it might be different , but for a solo traveller ? Am I missing something here ?

The article says he didn`t buy travel insurance because of a pre-existing condition . This can be a problem . Last year I visited the GP in the UK for a very minor condition and was referred to a specialist . Thanks to the NHS waiting times , I couldn`t conclude the treatment before my trip abroad . I found getting travel insurance very difficult , indeed one company told me I was " un-insurable " because I had an undiagnosed medical condition . The best quote I could find eventually was c . £ 700 , the year before it was c. £ 170 .

Similar thing happens when you get off a bus and are surrounded by several taxi / TT drivers desperate to make a few baht . They see a foreigner who they know must be rich and are probably p*ssed off when they get refused .

This would be great for those who spend the Winter in Thailand and fits in well with the new tax treatment . ie. 60 + 30 -----> border in/out , then another 60 + 30 gives 180 days . Excellent . Probably won`t happen though or maybe just for a few weeks then back to normal .

First came over 25 + years ago to meet a Thai GF and was blown away by the climate , culture and just everything . Now too old to get involved with the ladies so it`s just the weather that keeps me coming back and the fact I can speak the lingo - thought about Spain , but don`t fancy learning Spanish , plus it`s not so easy now after Brexit .

There will be ways round it , there always are with these things . Specialists in accounting and company law will figure out the best way of doing it but we will have to wait until the details are known before jumping to conclusions .

One of these sat next to me on the songtow to Jomtien , rather too closely as it turns out . After a couple of minutes I felt a hand pulling at my wallet . Luckily I reacted and stopped it . Thought about punching the thief but decided against it . Yes , they are scary , watch out for groups of them loitering on the sidewalk late in the evening . If you walk through them , chances are they will use the distraction method to lift your wallet .

Maybe unaffordable for those on a tight budget . I think the going rate for support is around 10 - 20,000 / month .

Is it a lot cheaper to live in LOS than back in Europe / US ? For me , I worked out I was spending almost twice as much per month in Thailand ( renting small room and not living extravagantly ie. no P4P and few nights out ). Obviously having a nicer life though .????

I think part of the problem with a UK pension ( SIPP ) is in the detail of how it`s transferred to someone who is not a UK resident . The SIPP provider I contacted was rather vague and evasive and I got the impression there was a significant risk that they would deduct 40 % before sending the cash .

Walking on the roadside for that distance ? Chances of making it unscathed to the end must be slim to none .

re QNUPS . Thanks for the link . Could you tell me why QNUPS is better than a UK based SIPP ( private pension ) ? which is also free from IHT when it`s passed on ?

Ideally , the executor should also be the main beneficiary . IME , it`s all too easy for the executor to " forget " to pay all the beneficiaries . Also , be careful about making a solicitor the only executor - some will only do the job on a " time " basis . Doing this is similar to giving them a blank cheque to spend as long as they like , and at £ 250 - £ 300 per hour , it could take quite a chunk out of the estate . Also , something that hasn`t been mentioned - pensions can be inherited free from IHT , although if the beneficiary is not a UK resident , this might be a complication ( I tried to get more detail on this but haven`t been able to get a definitive answer yet ) .

I think you are allowed to give away £ 3000 per year without any tax implications . Also , you can give away as much as you like as long as you do it regularly , make a note of it , and can prove it`s from excess income ( ie. you can afford to give it away without impacting on a reasonable lifestyle ). There are various ways of avoiding the worst of IHT , such as using trusts , but it`s all quite complicated , so best to consult an expert . You can give away as much as you like to anyone without paying any tax , as long as you survive a further 7 years .

re. capital gains tax - " cannot offset gains against losses " ...this seems unusual and quite detrimental for the investor - asymmetry of risk / reward .

Say you send money to the wife or GF . How will the tax dept. know whether this is income or just a gift . I assume gifts cannot be taxed , but who knows ?

One thing that bothers me about the E-Visa is having to buy the tickets before applying for the Visa - what happens if there`s a delay or some other problem and you don`t get the visa in time ? - It could mean £ 1000 + down the drain . So I`m wondering about using something like onwardflight instead . Possible ?

I think the max you could get on a 1 yr deposit is around 6 % , and that`s before tax . I get c . 5.25 % in a money market fund , but have to pay platform charges . Not that great a deal - still less than inflation .

That`s interesting - I thought you had to provide proof of ticket purchase when applying for the Visa , that was always a drawback for me , having to buy the ticket before being certain of getting the visa .

Whilst I don`t like this new tax idea , I can`t say I`m surprised . This idea that money transferred in is not taxed if it`s held back for 1 year looks like a huge loophole that the wealthy can use to avoid paying tax . It`s also a big incentive for the wealthy to avoid investment in Thailand and send their money abroad . Now , with large numbers of Russians and Chinese coming in , all with lots of income from abroad , maybe the revenue dept. realised they could be missing out on a huge amount of tax due .

Something else to ponder - for long staying tourists , go significantly over 180 days , and they may not let you leave until you have filed a tax return !

Anyone know if it`s possible for a Thai national to open an account with IB or Schwab ? I would have more confidence in a broker based in the US than in Thailand .

The shophouse - Thailand`s contribution to global architecture . It`s the same everywhere , developers build endless boring shophouses wherever there is a space and access to a road .

Tops supermarket , on the corner , Pattaya Glang , now gone . Wonder what will replace it ? Patts seems like a very dynamic environment , always lots of change and development . Central / Hilton seems successful , although I feel sorry for the independent food outlets - the food court in the basement must be taking away a lot of trade for them