Mike Teavee

1 hour ago, mokwit said:

Yep. Collectively retirees and marrieds with 800k/400k requirements are not viewed as contributing enough by the authorities to warrant any kind of appreciation/consideration, so why would 500k nomads get anything special?

 

My take is new retirees will be offered the LTR visa only with its greater terms and control, rather than the current "too easy" extension, it also solves the new law tax issue for retirees - they become exempted. IMO the requirements will actually be REDUCED from the current $80k or /40k/250k - remember they said they were  going to make changes - probably more requirements - I think already has home country criminal record check but probably AMLO type proof of source of funds. No doubt there will be some curve ball requirement like a letter from your countries Ambassador stating that you are a stout fellow and the Embassy guarantees your good conduct in Thailand.

 

So where does that leave Non O extensions? IMO grandfathered because it would be too calamatous not to, but also with no shield from the new tax law interpretation/changes, thus incentivising them to switch to the LTR visa. Howls from old geezers being asked to pay tax are not going to meet with sympathy from the Western media so it will be de facto "Grow (into LTR) or go". Rich retirees move to LTR, unwanted poor retirees move to another country.

 

I might make the above a new thread so all see it.

Thai Immigration considers the Non-IMM OA Visa to be a "Long Term" Visa but considers the Non-IMM O Visa to be a "Short Term" visa, probably because (as a Visa & not on the Extension to the Visa) you get 1 year's permission to stay when you enter on the Non-IMM OA & only 90 days stay when you enter on the Non-IMM O so it's very possible (I'd say likely) that the announcement of "Changes to the Long Term Visa" are what have already been declared (i.e. the reduction in Health Insurance requirements). 

The introduction of Health Insurance requirements for Non-IMM O's (or even forcing people who would apply for one to get an LTR) would significantly impact the number of people who could retire to Thailand. 

1 minute ago, JimTripper said:

I think theoretically I could be fined for each missed 90 day if I ever needed anything or went into the office, or if I converted the O-A into a regular O before my final year expires.

 

Not reporting would also look bad and may even cause the O to be denied. It would look like non-cooperation if done for a long period of time. It could also trigger a home inspection if landlords were sending in TM30's and I'm not reporting in my address.

I think practically you would only be fined for missing the last 90 day report but would recommend that as you're in the Pattaya area (You mention using Jomtien as your IO) you go in to see Maneerat (Soi Post Office / 13.2, directly opposite the Post Office), explain your circumstances & see what they say, it's normally 100THB for them to do your 90 day report for you.

You cannot convert to an O from an OA, you would need to leave the country without a re-entry permit (& without the Visa still being valid) then either get a Non-IMM O outside of Thailand OR re-enter on Visa Exempt/Tourist Visa & do the conversion inside. 

2 hours ago, Caldera said:

 

The Elite visa is neither meant for "immigrants" (it doesn't provide a path towards permanent residency or Thai citizenship) nor does it allow you to work in Thailand. It's essentially a long-stay tourist visa.

 

So in principle, having a dedicated visa for digital nomads isn't a bad idea. They tried this before with the Smart visa - and failed miserably. Time will tell if they get it right with the DTV.

 

You're right that there's a fine line between being too restrictive or attracting just about any backpacker with a laptop. Having to show 500,000 baht (in some form, specifics unknown as of now) seems to be their idea to address this.

Obviously SkyNews isn't an official website of Thai Immigration but this is what they published as the requirements 3-4 days ago.... 

Those with the multiple-entry visa are given the right to stay for 180 days a year, with an option to extend it for another 180 days, for up to five years for the cost of 10,000 baht (£213.75).

While the initial fee is £213.75, workers need to leave and re-enter the country every 180 days and pay an additional £212.20 each time.

This part confused me as they seem to be saying you can do a border bounce to get another 180 days BUT need to pay almost another 10,000 THB each time... If it is a multi-entry visa you shouldn't need to pay - Maybe they're getting it confused with an Extension but I don't understand the difference in costs . 

Full details on how to apply are still pending, but some information on the requirements have been released.

To apply for the visa, you must:

• Be at least 20;
• Have enough money to pay for the visa;
• Prove you have at least £10,687 in your bank account;
• Provide proof of employment with a registered company.

I haven't seen this published on any official Thai Immigration site but Siam Legal, ThaiEmbassy & Bangkok Globe are publishing the same criteria, though one of them could have made it up & the other's re-reported it.

https://news.sky.com/story/thailand-seeking-digital-nomads-heres-what-you-need-to-know-13151190

https://www.globe.co.th/news/thailand/thailand-unveils-visa-for-digital-nomads-with-upto-5-year-stay/

Siam Legal says: 

• Holders of the DTV may stay in Thailand for up to 180 days per visit and can extend the visa once per visit for a further 180 days. Which suggests you can use it to live/work in Thailand for almost 5.5 years by doing an extension every 180 days & a Border Bounce every 360 days...  

https://siam-legal.com/travel-to-thailand/dtv-visa-thailand-the-new-thailand-digital-nomad-visa/

Reply deleted after reading Mike Lister's post above... 

30 minutes ago, stat said:

Regarding not being able to read a post: where have I stated that not filing a tax return is a tax evasion (it could be if you have taxes to be paid). Have you asked your bank if not telling them your new country adress is OK despite the fact that you signed off that you will tell them immediately? So come again what do you do for a living that qualifies you to judge bank compliance?

On 6/8/2024 at 10:21 PM, stat said:

I agree with almost everything.

 

The only item that crossed my mind is that non O and non OA visa holders would not be shown on TRD radar. You could go back to back with those visa for many years. However you would still commit tax evasion if you would not hand in a tax declaration.

 

I thought a lot of the planned changes unthinkable just 2 weeks ago...

So now you don't understand/comprehend what your posting?  

When I said "For Correspondence" I meant so that my Bank could send me statements, Debit/Credit cards etc... it was them that suggested I changed my HOME address to that of my parents address when they moved me to Singapore as they only had the Investment Bank business out there.

I do know that they would close my account if I told them I was no longer UK Resident (Their stated reason is because they cannot offer me a full range of Products) but I am VERY CAREFUL not to break any laws when it comes to investing in UK Tax Free products E.g. I don't add any money to my ISAs or take part in Share Sales that are restricted to UK Residents (e.g. the NatWest Sale that will happen once the new UK Government is in place), I even lost my UK driving license in 2013 because I wouldn't lie to the Government about where I live (In the UK you can only renew your driving license if you live in the UK & it is an offense to have an incorrect/out of date address on your driving license).

I'm retired now but prior to that worked for a UK bank (26 years) & Citibank (4.5 years) & even though it was in IT we had to do the same KYC/Compliance training as any other Bank staff & even more than most as I was Director level working in the Investment Bank so we had additional compliance restrictions that majority of Bank staff wouldn't have (E.g. We had to take at least 1 period of 2 weeks complete leave with no access to the corporate network, except for phone calls/email on our Blackberrys, every year & had "Black Out" periods around quarterly report times where we weren't allowed to trade the Bank's shares).  

I did hit the nail on the head with Project Manager didn't I? 

42 minutes ago, treetops said:

I'd been one of the smug ones on here that had always succeeded even after re-entering the country but my time has now come.  Rejection message was:

 

For first-time requests of a 90-day notification in each country visit, in-person presentation at the immigration office is required.

 

Jomtien immigration.

Wow that's a major change, have you tried re-submitting the application (Logically it makes no sense but people do report filing the same online report 2 times & it being approved on the 3rd Try). 

I'm holding off getting my new UK Passport (Need to get it before my extension (September) as it expires in June 2025 & would only get 9 months) so I can file 1 last online report but if I have to do it in person via an agent (200 THB) then I might as well sort my passport renewal out now. 

Speaking of True, I thought this exchange in the House of Commons was hilarious,.,

Dodgy Dave 😂

50 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

Must be paid at the time of filing.  Is that correct?  If so, is that the same for those who have millions of baht tax liability? 

The only experience I have of this is a mate of mine changed jobs in Thailand & because of the timing had to come up with 350K tax in 7 days (He'd paid all of his income tax so technically owed nothing there but he did get some sort of payoff so it was maybe due to that, I do know he got it all back the next year). 

To make matters worse he had to go to KL to start his new job for corporate training but wasn't allowed to leave the country until he paid the Tax so I ended up loaning him the 350K until he could get himself back on track.  

3 hours ago, oxo1947 said:

 

Old photo of his home................... Pants on Fire..

 

 

I know this is the Joke thread but fyi, It's been proven that the photo was taken after May 2008 when Sunak would have been 27/28 years old... 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/rishi-sunak-sky-tv-prime-minister-itv-google-street-view-b2562192.html

20 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

The next logical step would be just to use the non resident's bank account.  You called them "mule accounts."  The use of a mule account probably breaches the bank's T's & C's, and probably could be viewed as tax evasion, thus a crime.

Interesting, I got the GF to open a Krungsri account in her name but I have the App on my phone so effectively have control of the account. 
 

The main reason I opened the account was so I could send her money up to the point where she might need to pay tax (210K) & from that account she can pay her 1/2 of the Utility & Grocery Bills (approx 35K pm so 17.5K is her share which works out at exactly 210K pa 😊).

A side reason why I opened the account was so I could put 1Million THB in there (from money I already have in Thailand) that she would have no problems accessing should anything happen to me. 
 

I hadn’t considered that I might be breaking any rules/laws, the account is genuinely hers & is (sort of) used by her to pay her share of the bills.
 

3 hours ago, ballpoint said:

13 hours ago, jesimps said:

This morning (12 June), with my Thai wife in tow who speaks fluent English, I visited the tax office in Jomtien to obtain a TIN. When I presented the lady with my passport, she told me that because I paid tax in my home country (UK) she could not issue me with a TIN. My wife outlined all that had been written in the news the last few months about long-stay expats bringing money into the country needing to be assessed, but she was adamant. No TIN! Up to them. I'll just keep an eye on Asean Now to see if anything comes of this. One thing seems certain, if we do all need to be assessed for tax here, then it hasn't come to the notice of the Jomtien Tax Office yet.

I got mine a couple of years ago from the Office in Naklua (tried 1st at Jomtien & was told I had to go there as I live in Wongamat), they did look at me confused at 1st but I told them that I needed one for my UK Bank, to re-claim withheld interest & was planning on buying a condo so would need one to pay property tax and they relented. 

Wish I hadn't have bothered as I never did give it to my UK Bank, despite giving them every thing they asked for still not received the refund & have put of buying a Condo until the Tax position is clearer.   

23 minutes ago, Korat Kiwi said:

I had a 95 Probe back in NZ.  When they first were released they cost NZ$60,000.   I got mine for $5500. 

 

Was a great car, but very scarce to find now. 

Remember pulling into a petrol station to fill up & a kid in his grandfathers car came running over to take a look as he was very excited, much different look for a car than he was use to in 1998...

His grandfather turned around & said something to him along the lines of "It's not the car, it's the Love behind it" which is more or less exactly what my grandfather said to me when I was a kid & he was taking us on holiday in his Austin (1970s)... Loved it.

End of the day it was just a car & ended up getting demoted to a Toyota (No choice, company car), but that memory will stay with me  

30 minutes ago, ballpoint said:

 

It came up on the old Top Gear more than once.

And, a quick Google on the matter...

 

Sorry this is the "Worse Joke" thread so i was just playing with stereotapes.... 

(True Story) Bought the UK Ex a 535 & never saw her use the indicators until she got in my MGF-T (Company Car)... <deleted> myself but I honestly only got that car as a dare as I didn't think they'd let me have it... gave up a 14.5 feet Ford Probe as a trade in!

Just now, MeePeeMai said:

 

That was unnecessary but I take it as a compliment, thanks

🙏

Lol, you should... I love Sherlock (Holmes) , I grew up on (Sir) Conan Doyle & he's never been replaced in my favourite books to read, shows//movies to watch 🙂 

Just now, MeePeeMai said:

 

In your response to me you mentioned that "if you don't have any income it's not fraud"  

 

"Not filing a tax return does not mean you are guilty of tax evasion" is indeed true.... 

 

UNLESS you are not filing tax returns in order to prevent paying the taxes that you would have owed had you filed your tax returns.  Simply not filing because you don't owe taxes is not tax evasion. 

 

Failure to file tax returns when you owe taxes is tax evasion if they can show a pattern of someone not filing their tax returns in order to avoid paying the taxes due (though this might be reserved for those with large outstanding tax liabilities).  Failure to file is a separate charge.

Agreed 100% & that's been my point for many posts on this thread...

Peace 🙂 

Just now, proton said:

Farage?

I would give up my UK citizenship and become a citizen of any other country on the planet if that happened... 

Then again, I said the same about UK if Brexit happened & even US if Trump got elected so what do I know!!! 

33 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

For me Sunak’s D-Day “Gaff” & Camoron standing in for him screams that Sunak will be gone soon & we’ll have the village idiot back (That could be DC or BoJo the clown) 

 

They’re sure making it hard for you to vote conservative even if you wanted to… 

Does saddo want to post their opinion instead of just a sad reply or just remain "Sad"...  

What's really sad is the choice the UK has today, not a leader amongst them (Happy to be told different)... 

14 minutes ago, MeePeeMai said:

 

And what about the word FRAUD?

 

"Tax evasion" is not Fraud.  I never said it was.

 

Here, read this post once again so you can understand... it's simple really-

 

Not sure I ever used the word Fraud unless I quoted somebody else, my position has always been... No Tax due, Not file a return, not committing Tax evasion - Don't even need to mention the word "Fraud" 

I'm simply saying that not filing a Tax Return does not mean you are committing tax evasion - You chose to post "It is if there is income" well no <deleted> sherlock, it's tax evasion if you choose not to declare income...   

BTW The quote you quoted was your's... not mine... 

24 minutes ago, MeePeeMai said:

 

I never mentioned FRAUD in any of my posts.  You must have me mixed up with another poster.

 

But to respond to you, YES if you have no income you are not required to file a US tax return (obviously).

 

If you read what I said, I merely stated that if you have income, and you are above the IRS' poverty threshold, and you are not covered by any filing exemption such as a disabled VET getting disability etc. etc. etc.

 

THEN you are required to file a tax return (even if you overpaid your estimated taxes or withheld too much from your salary).  Poster Presnock believes that you are not required to file a tax return (at any income level) as long as you don't owe any ADDTIONAL tax to the IRS.  That is false. 

 

"Failure to file a tax return" is a separate charge from "Tax Evasion" or "Filing a false Tax Return" though sometimes they obviously go hand in hand and some are tried and convicted on one or more of those charges.  It depends on if you willfully conceal income or file a false tax return to "evade" taxes or simply refuse to file but otherwise are not evading paying your taxes.

 

Again like I posted above, if you do not owe any "ADDITIONAL" taxes (over and above what you have already paid) then there will be NO PENALTIES OR INTEREST due for "Filing Late" or missing the deadline to file but you are still required to file your taxes (in that case)... okay file late no problem.

 

20 minutes ago, kimamey said:

Yes agreed. He also said he'd get immigration down to the tens of thousands. When it didn't happen he first blamed the LibDems and then the EU and their freedom of movement. It's as if he didn't know about it.

For me Sunak’s D-Day “Gaff” & Camoron standing in for him screams that Sunak will be gone soon & we’ll have the village idiot back (That could be DC or BoJo the clown) 

They’re sure making it hard for you to vote conservative even if you wanted to…