Karma80

For many, it's not so simple, including those of us who are not just sitting in the sun in retirement but actively working or in business. Thailand has long since been a destination of choice, as you can strategically structure your business around the lack of CFC rules and remittance-based taxation policy. But with all of that seemingly in a U-turn and core long-standing economic policy being focussed on tax collection, you're right that it's sensible, depending on your situation, to look to somewhere that offers stability. We have a visa application lodged elsewhere now and are eyeing the exit door before the end of the year. It just makes more sense to us financially, but for many, I doubt the changes will make any real difference and just be annoying in additional accounting.

Or we could see some tanks roll around Bangkok. Overdue now.

I agree with your view of how it will wash out. Because 180 days means that Thailand won't have to deal with the tax residence issue. Japan's newly released digital nomad visa had a similar condition. 180 days in the country a year, you can reapply each year, but stopped DN being a headache to the revenue office. If you did extend it once and stayed for 360 days, you would firmly then be in tax resident status for that year, and all your income earned whilst performing your remote work is Thai sourced, even though it's paid by an overseas entity. Will be interesting to see if there is anything said about that and tax/work permissions.

Whether intended or not, the consequences of this open-door policy for longer term visits will rapidly increase the cost of living for expats areas in general. LTR failed to come close to 5% of target numbers with a structure that actually prevented 99% of remote workers from being eligible. But the DTV will allow every remote worker with modest savings in the bank just come and live and work from Thailand. And Thailand underestimates the appetite for a lower-cost-of-living destination in the sun with every flavour or wholesome or unwholesome drawcard you might want. Look toward the other countries that allowed this loose policy and its destructive impacts on destinations when unchecked. I think this is another poorly thought-out policy, but one that will irrevocably change the landscape of life here, and not for the better.

A renewable 180 day visa for remote workers in a country with a low cost of living, "flexible" territorial taxation, drugs, and sex on tap. Well, there goes the neighbourhood. The only hurdle that has ever existed in Thailand is the visa to it being the remote worker mecca.

Well that's gonna be fun for everyone with multiple family numbers under a mobile plan.

You could probably start with plain old clean air or water.

It's quite unbelievable how this comedy of lies is playing out in full public view. We could just skip forward to the part when he denies that he has had anything to do with his daughter being appointed when Strettha is pushed aside. It would save everyone time.

It's a den of thieves just stabbing each other in the back. In Thailand, unexplained wealth is just ill-gotten gains without a decent lie yet.

Into a different tunnel at best.

With the Yen in freefall and down 12.6% on the THB since covid, good luck with that.

We are already there. We just normalise it now. People die from pollution, a certain Thai city consistently ranks as the number one polluted city on earth during the season. The government asks workers to WFH, sucks to be you if you have to make a living on the street and die from the heat. But it's only 30 this heatwave so far today. The Thai government is a circus of corruption and nothing will ever be done about it while there is a political skin on the line and a baht to be made.

Totally. The Thaiger is total garbage clickbait. Ran the article through a Chat GPT detection - 100% probability hit. It's just sad that it ends up reposted here.

I hate to break it to you, but Thailand is a kleptocracy, and the RTP is corrupt from the top down. There would be nobody left.

The behaviour of the guy in the video and comments like this is why stereotypes about Americans exist.

Pretty much. My Phuket Thai friends are full of hating on Ferang right now, "but not you... of course." - it's an easy audience to play to. However, the overall shift in tourist quality downwards, and the large Russian demographic taking up long-term residence-establishing networks are a real issue, too.

They didn't really win this one, in fairness. So it doesn't really matter.

Maybe they misheard and thought it was the Summit for Kleptocracy. Strettha would be well suited.

Unfortunately, it won't matter. The sheer weight of the democratic kleptocratic system is being used to ensure that none of them holds office again. It's just a puppet show. There will undoubtedly be attractive offers for members to jump ship early and save their skin, coupled with personal pressure on those who won't. Either way, MF is dead, and just another stained footnote in Thailand history.

What do you mean people don't want to invest in a corrupt den of thievery that could turn on a dime? I am shocked.

And, let's be honest, it will still be after then also. Thailand is a kleptocratic state painted with a thin white wash of democracy.

In Thailand, democracy is just a fig leaf for kleptocracy. No better than Russia in most respects. Light on killings in recent times, and more evolved into weaponising the legal system and layers of corrupt bureaucracy. Thailand has had 13 successful and 9 unsuccessful coups in 100 years. If anyone dares really implement change, then no doubt another will follow.

Sad to see really. There must be thousands of people working remotely in Thailand without a work permit on ED visas, a whole bunch of Russian business fronts, and whatever lies between. But let's focus on some technicalities for people who probably had work permits and at least tried to do the right thing.

I feel like that's a pretty poor choice of words! But, more seriously, BA running their oldest planes to Bangkok should have anyone looking for another carrier. It's not like there is a shortage of choice.

Varies by card and bank. There are now only very few options for AU no international fee credit cards, most will slug you 2.5%-3%. Some debit cards can be int transaction charge free. Australian banks are some of the worst for this, and one of the few countries where even paying by card domestically will allow the merchant to pass on a transaction fee to you for the privilege of paying them. I'm surprised it's taken Thai banks so long to work out they can get free money.