potless

It is proving to be difficult to get clarifications. Examples of misinformation from officials for sure. It has been said that pre 2024 cash in bank will be exempt but not investment portfolios according to Expattax and their TRD official. In another thread, tallguyinbangkok gets the opposite advice from an official. Obviously they cant both be right so I may as well toss a coin. Too true.

Thanks for the reply. I am trying to establish where I stand if the day comes when being taxed becomes unavoidable. My thinking is partly due to problems I have had with the UK tax office in the past and their blunders claiming I owed tax when I clearly didnt. I really want to avoid a similar scenario here, especially as I dont speak Thai, so for me, other members experiences are useful. I take your point about the lack of coordination maybe being a good thing but I wouldnt want to rely on that.

I am not disputing that I may have been liable for taxes in the past. I dont know why you even brought that up. You had previously gone off on a tangent saying "you could have gone to your local tax office 5 years ago....." What relevance does that have to my post where I gave an opinion that there are tax officials that dont know their own rules in the here and now. You either can agree or disagree with that opinion. It makes no difference to me.

On how to apply a D.T.A. for one. Whats that got to do with the fact that there are tax officials who dont know how to assess. How many expats 5 years ago went to their tax office waving a DTA? According to some reports, at this point in time, their local office still does not know what a DTA is, let alone 5 years ago.

Nothing to do with appeasement. People should be able to have confidence that the information they receive any tax office is correct. The laws are not new yet there are tax officials that dont know how to apply them. DTAs for example. Is that the fault of the expat?

Isnt there a risk that a second hand phone may have malware on it?

However, I see no harm in putting a spotlight on the incompetence of the TRD chiefs. They have had well over a year to get their regional offices up to speed but have just sat on their hands. Their approach has been to shake the tree to see what falls out. In various threads, members of this forum were encouraged to report their experiences at tax offices. Some of these reports have been met with derision and will only deter others from doing the same. IMHO.

A Jewish couple are planning their 40th wedding anniversary and the wife asks her husband if there is anything in particular he would like as a present. He replies " I believe I have been a good husband, I have supplied all your needs, tended you when you are ill and respect you as the mother of our children. I have just one request. I wish to make love doggy style, if only once. Give me your answer tomorrow. The next day, his wife says "I will agree to your request but there are 3 conditions. First, that we do it in the dark, secondly I will not be fully naked, and thirdly, most importantly, we do it in a street where nobody knows us".

Which will come as no surprise to most people. The only reason that David Cameron promised to hold a referendum on EU membership was because the UKIP party was eating into the Tory vote. That got the Tories over the line in the election. The subsequent perceived mishandling of Brexit, the complete failure of securing the borders and many other blunders left Tory voters disaffected. Then successive incompetent leaders who seemed to come from another planet. I cant think why anyone would vote for them in the foreseeable future. I wouldnt vote for Labour either.

Thats a given. There was a degree of flippancy in my post, as in disrespectful lightheartedness.

Some things to bear in mind. In 2008 the financial requirement was doubled to 800k. This came on the back of the weakening of the Thai baht over the preceding years. Foreign currency inflows had dropped considerably. In 2005 a rate of over 74 baht to the GBP. In the summer of 2008, a rate of up to 66 baht dropping to just over 50 at the end of that year. I would guess that the government took those factors and a degree of inflation in their decision to raise the bar, HOWEVER, existing retirees were grandfathered in and didnt have to meet the the new requirement. Maybe the same again. I would also suggest that the income you have puts you in a stronger position than many others. Anxiety and depression go hand in hand. As others have said, you have nothing to worry about. Go with the flow

On Tuesday at 10.34 am regarding the video interview with the T.R.D. I posted : A question that should have been asked to the T.R.D. official is "are all your tax officials up to date with the latest information on a nationwide basis?" No chance of that though. It would have been fun to watch them squirm. I note your other replies thanks.

Surely the simple answer is that you would show them whatever they give you after filing your tax return. My question was rhetorical.

As far as I know, the answer is no and no indication that they will do. I go for my extension in June. As non tax resident, what would I show them?

The husband beats you up.

I think they can already access those services just by being a Thai citizen. There may be benefits for the punter. Lady issues him with a card that gets stamped on each visit. Ten stamps and you get one free visit. Accrue points on your "ONE" loyalty card. Post a review on Trustpilot or Facebook and get a 10% reduction. Not quite true. I sometimes do it as a sideline to boost my pension.

Putting the "sod it" attitude to one side, there are posters on this forum that have stated they have imported enough money to last them several years in order to have no interaction with the tax office. There are others that have made themselves non tax resident, myself included, for 2024. In those two scenarios, what paperwork would the aforementioned retirees produce at extension time? There are also non "sod its" those who have visited their tax office and been sent away with no T.I.N. because no tax due. Would a non resident for tax be refused an extension because they have nothing to show immigration? Thus, would it be compulsory for everyone on a retirement extension to register with the tax office even if they are not liable for tax or are non resident for tax? Would it be worth the hassle for the tax office and immigration to instigate such a policy? I know there used to be a scenario where people generating income in Thailand had to show a tax clearance certificate to leave the country, although I dont think that is enforced. Just a few points to consider in a land where anything is possible of course.

Thailand will reciprocate with a giant pander.

Phuket and Bangkok are already rammed. Far better to use a rural location.

If you find a good German restaurant it will likely be busy. I advise going there early and putting a towel on a chair.

I wonder if they have considered that if legalised, their work will be taxable.

An unknown percentage, the elderly in particular, will feel that The Grim Reaper will be knocking on the door before the taxman does. I have come across this "Sod it, I might be dead by then" attitude.

There may be a few super wealthy U.S. expats out here so I am just putting this out in case they may be unaware. I read that the USA estate and gift tax credit, currently $13.61 million, rising to $13.99 million in 2025, is due to halve in 2026. Just saying.

A type of IRA. I googled USA Roth and and read the Wikipedia article Roth IRA. It describes the differences between the Roth, The IRA and the traditional IRA. Also the requirements and a variety of other information. My head is still spinning.

Got it. Whats a Roth ?