sabaiguy

9 hours ago, Srikcir said:

Thailand could try some innovation and develop a Knotts Berry Farm style theme park. https://www.visitanaheim.org

I'm from SoCal so know what you're referring to.  But to others they're going to say Knotts Berry Farm?  How does a berry farm relate to amusement parks.

12 hours ago, thairookie said:

 

This scam model could not have worked without the involvement of a lawyer qualified by Lawyer's Council of Thailand. 

 

The foreigners sought the advice of lawyers, and it was the lawyers who advised them on the status of law and gave the go-ahead.  The foreigners relied solely on the legal advice of such lawyers who were supposed to provide correct legal advice and regulated by Lawyer's Council of Thailand.

 

The witch hunting mustn't stop just at the foreigners.  The Thai nominees were willing participants in the scam, the lawyers were directing the scam, and the foreigners relied on the Lawyer's Council of Thailand to regulate the conduct of the lawyers.  The lawyers didn't just breach their professional conduct, they were aiding and abetting the foreigners to scam the Government, and they were emboldened by the silence of the Lawyer's Council of Thailand, as silence could be construed as tacit permission.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All absolutely true.  But why would you expect Thai lawyers to have higher ethical standards than any other Thai 

13 hours ago, Kinok Farang said:

Then we can start on the Yanks.

I'd say maybe put the Brits slightly ahead of the Yanks.  A Yank

On 5/28/2024 at 11:32 PM, Presnock said:

I too did my new one in November last year but I did the transfers myself, IO also wanted a "new" tm.30 and did the 90-day report on that date too, besides the transfers (1hour) the TM.30 and 90-day at CM took less than 10 minutes.  never have used an agent, I retired 20 years ago and never had any problems though it used to take a long time but now things are much better in CM than they used to be in my opinion.

TM30, 90-day report. IO, to renew US passport?  What am I missing?

On 5/28/2024 at 11:19 PM, radiochaser said:

You can get a U.S. passport back in 2-3 weeks (reading from the comments) when applying for a renewal in Thailand????

This is what I find on the travel.state.gov website regarding processing times for a passport.   Note the "mailing times not included in processing times"!

Perhaps I should wait until I am in Thailand to renew my passport!

 

Current Processing Times (applied on or after December 18, 2023)

Routine	6 to 8 weeks
Expedited	2 to 3 weeks
Urgent	Must make an appointment and have international travel within 14 calendar days

About Our Processing Times

 

• Include the time your application is at one of our passport agencies or centers. 
• You may get your passport on a different date than your family member or friend.
• Mailing times are not included in processing times. Consider the total time it will take to receive your passport when you are booking travel. 
• It may take two weeks for your application to get to us, and two weeks for you to get your passport after we mail it. 

May be mistaken but I believe this is for renewal in the US.  

14 hours ago, JohnnyBD said:

No, I don't need a personal letter from the Thai Minister of Finance... 😏 And, I don't think BOI will pay my 7MM baht tax bill. But, requesting confirmation in writing from the legitimate government taxing authority (the Thai Revenue Dept.) regarding the tax exempt status of monies remitted in the same year as derived, for a LTR-WP visa holder, is not an unreasonable request. In fact, it would be a very smart thing to do for someone remitting big monies. As you said, it's up to me... ☺️ Thank you.

I remitted $300,000 last month, same month as I received my LTR (maybe that's not considered a lot for you), I sleep easily at night.  Not worried about the Thai RD. 

6 hours ago, John Drake said:

 

I simply used Google Gemini to create it. But it took an argument first. Here was the conversation with Gemini: 

 

I've never even heard of Google Gemini.  Seems amazing.  Guess AI has arrived.  Actually Gemini was correct in their (his/her, ?) initial response.

3 hours ago, khunPer said:

Thanks for your explanation. It seems like you have been reopening an account. Opening a new account without a long stay-visa has been mentioned, to be difficult by now. It's especially a problem for those entering visa exempt or on a tourist visa that wish to apply for a non-immigrant visa domestically and therefore needs a Thai bank deposit. The common advice is to shop around between bank branches, as there can be difference in what they accept.

Actually when I went back to them I thought yes they would just reopen my old account.  In fact they opened a new account with new account number.  I had a Macro card that was also closed while I was away during Covid.  I went to them thinking they could just reopen it without much trouble. No.  They had to go through the whole process opening a completely new card.

2 hours ago, Liquorice said:

1 yellow house book = multiple COR's.

Good to know.  Thanks

11 hours ago, JohnnyBD said:

No, I don't need a personal letter from the Thai Minister of Finance... 😏 And, I don't think BOI will pay my 7MM baht tax bill. But, requesting confirmation in writing from the legitimate government taxing authority (the Thai Revenue Dept.) regarding the tax exempt status of monies remitted in the same year as derived, for a LTR-WP visa holder, is not an unreasonable request. In fact, it would be a very smart thing to do for someone remitting big monies. As you said, it's up to me... ☺️ Thank you.

Did you pay tax on that money in your home country that you plan to remit?  If so nothing to worry about.

Was just reading today that the Thai Minister of Justice is flying to Indonesia to "bring him back".  They just can't stop from patting themselves on the back and getting a photo op.

On 5/30/2024 at 5:01 AM, rgrdns said:

Smart cars with facial recognition technology are helping immigration Police 

It won't take long as soon as the Smart cars brigade is operating 🙂

 

Isn't that from about 10 years ago?  Did they ever catch any bad  visa felons?

On 5/30/2024 at 2:58 AM, MalcolmB said:

I have only just left there and moved here.

Believe me when I say the worst place for misbehaving Brits is in Great Britain itself.

Never ending.

 

The current group of 20-35 years olds are just a pack of posing, drunken, drugged out, entitled aggressive animals always looking for trouble while crying the victim.

And that is just the women.

 

While it is embarrassing for me for the constant incidents here and in just about every other country we travel to in numbers it still beats the hell of living amongst them 24/7. 
 

I am moving upcountry soon and am praying there are not any others up there who have jaded the locals.

Haven't run into a lot up here in Chiang Rai.  Check it out.

On 5/30/2024 at 12:28 AM, BritScot said:

In the UK you are innocent until convicted (thank god)! So his passport is his unless it can be shown he is a flight risk and even then it's almost impossible to prove. Let's remember before he is publicly hung drawn and quartered in the uk conspiracy to supply is not exactly crime of the century in the uk. A couple of years at most. We dont know the ins and outs of the accusations and how valid they are. 

It is common in the US for those given bail to surrender their passports.  After all you're not a flight risk till you flee. YankMike

On 5/30/2024 at 12:05 AM, Liverpool Lou said:

...and then what?   He's not wanted in Thailand, UK police have no jurisdiction here and, presumably, he entered legally...it's not rocket science.

Home free?

On 5/29/2024 at 11:26 PM, freeworld said:

If he is hiding in Thailand it will not be long before they catch him.

 

Don't know why people abscond like that, eventually circumstances will catch up with them.

 

Maybe he should have tried hiding in one of the following countries:

The United Kingdom does not have extradition treaties with a number of countries, including Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, and Syria

Lebanon pretty nice back in the late 60's early 70's when I lived there.  Before the "troubles".

8 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

Nuclear power plants in my opinion need to be kept to modern developed nations, who have the capabilities to tackle any major issues that could occur. 

 

The risk of something going wrong in a less developed nation is too risky. 

Like Japan?

11 hours ago, John Drake said:

 

I can see it now.

 

 

You beat me to it.  But didn't have the brilliant graphic you provided. ++

On 5/25/2024 at 11:34 PM, Liquorice said:

 

 

 

 

Never required half the forms it states on that list.

Get a yelloe house book, then you don't need a COR.

Or else get a COR and you don't need a yellow house book.

15 hours ago, JohnnyBD said:

Forgive me for trying to make sure that I won't get hit with a 7 MM baht tax bill next year after remitting monies derived in the same year as remitted. I received one of those emails from the BOI LTR Visa Unit about monies being tax exempt, but after looking at the email more closely, it didn't have an official letter attached, it wasn't signed by anyone, and it had no names on it. It was just a reply email that could have been sent by some low level clerical person with the BOI logo. At the bottom, it had a disclaimer note saying to contact the Revenue Department for further questions. So, I will try to contact the Thai Revenue Department about my questions before remitting big some monies. 

Up to you.  I think you're blowing this way out of proportion..  What do you want personal letter from the Thai Minister of Finance?  If you get hit with a 7mm baht tax bill,  I would just send it to BOI.  Good luck trying to get a response from the Thai Revenue Department.  Keep us informed.

6 hours ago, khunPer said:

Thanks for your info. Recently or when?

I originally opened it in 2019.  With the experience I described.  I forgot to mention I had two Thais as witnesses (?) or to vouch for me (?).  My wife and her nephew (RTP).  They never talked to them.  I was away for 3 years during Covid.  When I returned in 2023 I discovered BB had closed my account (I assume because of inactivity}.  I went to the bank with my old book and explained and they very easily just opened a new account for me.  Chiang Rai.  

On 5/29/2024 at 2:18 AM, khunPer said:

Firstly: Do you own the house: I.e. superficies or similar agreement with the land owner, architect drawing with your name as owner; building permission in your name?

 

The Blue House Book will be issued by tessa ban district office – the office that issued the building permission when the house is 80 percent or more finished – and is used for Thai residents. If you are house owner, you will be registered as "house master/host" and be the one to permit any Thai person to be registered in the Blue House Book.

 

You, being an alien, need to be registered in a Yellow House Book for aliens. To be that, you need to check with the local tessa ban-office what they need of documentation; it can vary (a lot) from district to district. But normally you will always need a certified translation of your passport's name page and two local witnesses, often a neighbour and a government employee, to certify that you are the one, you are.

 

For opening a bank account you only need proof of an address with a letter from the local immigration office, a passport and often a long stay visa. To get that you have to be TM30-registered on the address; TM30 is the name of the form used to register an alien on an address within 24 hours from the alien's arrival. You don't need to be registered in a House Book. However, someone need to be registered as "host" in the TM30-registration system, to register you on the address; it can be done online.

 

For retirement visa you only need a TM30-registration, if you apply for a non-immigrant O-visa domestically; you don't need address proof when applying abroad or in your home country. For annual extension of stay based on retirement, you need a TM30-registration.

All I needed to open bank account was pp and METV (not a long term visa). No proof of address, no letter from immigration. No TM30.  They did it with a smile and didn't take long.  Bangkok Bank.

On 5/27/2024 at 9:32 AM, sabaiguy said:

Pay an agent to renew your passport.  What have we come to.

Who do the agents bribe at the US Embassy?

20 hours ago, mania said:

 

I think it is pretty obvious he meant US consulate

I suppose you're right.  I just thought someone whose been here 17 years would know the difference.

10 hours ago, JohnnyBD said:

The statement below by this tax firm appears to say that we need to wait until the following year after the monies are derived to remit them, for those remittances to be tax exempt. Does anyone know if this is correct? To make it perfectly clear, are monies derived and remitted in the same year, tax exempt or not exempt?

 

FRANK LEGAL & TAX

PowerPoint 演示文稿 (franklegaltax.com)

 

For wealthy global citizens, wealthy pensioners and work-from Thailand professionals:

✔ Income tax exemption applies to income derived in a previous tax year from work or business carried out abroad, or from assets located abroad, where such income is brought into Thailand in a fiscal year subsequent to the year in which the income is derived

I think Frank Legal and Tax don't have a clue.  How many times does BOI have to say money remitted from abroad is exempt from tax.  I prefer to believe BOI not Frank Legal & Tax