chiang mai

I've suffered with bronchitis since I was young, sea/salt air definitely is a huge plus. In polluted air, air purifiers help a lot, as do bronchi inhalers.

No matter how many people post helpful and useful information and try to inform others, and despite hundreds of people being helped as a result, there will always be those people who say what you have. You can please some of the people all the time.....

Certainly not those people who don't read them!

It's trolling, by the usual disruptors.

Not uncommon, the bank staff will complete the form in Thai which most people can't read anyway

Plus at what point in the year is that determined, theoretically, they may not be known for certain until the last week of December, in some cases. Perhaps this is merely the establishing the CRS baseline?

As far as I can tell and @Sheryl can correct me, you can recover from most prolapsed (bulging or herniated) disks, it just takes time. Ruptured disks and disks that impinge on the central nervous canal are a different matter entirely and there appears to be no way to escape an operation in those circumstances. I understand that you will know if there is a rupture or impingement because of loss of function and control. eg bladder/bowel if in lumbar. From what I have read and been told, the most common spinal problems after middle age are in the lumbar region, most are prolapses and the majority of them can be managed. I haven't tried the epidural because that's only a temporary fix, after three months it's rinse and repeat. Age related spinal degeneration is common in older people, mine can easily be seen on and MRI. It is possible to build a scaffold support that will last about one year. Thi is because the load changes to the next vertebrae up which in turn will also need support, in time....and so on. Three months of coping with a lumbar/prolapsed disk is no fun but if you're determined, it can be done. Muscle relaxants, sleeping aids, muscle strengthening exercises, ultrasound, hot and cold packs, you have to try them all and see what works for you. Mostly you have to learn about your posture and try to correct yours, sitting up, getting up from laying flat etc, remember nose over toes at all times. Also whilst I think of it, if you're overweight, shedding some kgs helps because it relieves pressure on the spine, you'll see a large improvement from this. I'm 75 and have been dealing with these problems for 35 years. When it's bad, it's not good but it does get better. By way of example, I've just finished shovelling 6 cubic meters of soil and lifting 30kgs back of stone and my back feels perfect.

I extended my retirement visa last week, no tax documents were requested.

My recommendation also is to put up with it and I say that as somebody with exactly the same issue for the past 35 years. I was offered a discectomy in the UK 35 years ago and instead opted for chropractics, which meant avoiding the knife.....I in no way regret that decision. A year ago I was in hospital for an operation in Chiang Mai and my back was also problematic at the time Since I was already there, I asked for an MRI and a consult with a spinal doctor (Sriphat). The MRI showed the same old problems along with age related spinal degeneration. The doctors immediate reaction was to say, we need to operate, to which I said thank you but no thank you. Note: he works out of Sriphat and Bangkok Hospital and does over 150 spinal ops per year (mines was quoted at 300k/400k so go figure). When I got home I went to see an orthopedic doctor at his clinic opposite Nakorn Ping Hospital. He's a spinal doctor who has worked there for the past 40 years but he reckons operations are the last resort. The problem is, if you fix one disk, a year later you have to fix the next one up, and so on. He told me that back exercises and pain tolerance for three to four months is the best approach, if it doesn't repair itself after that time, an operation might be considered. Heat pads, ice packs, exercises, ultrasound and meds, are all effective to some degree. Gaba 100 at night ensures a good nights sleep and also helps heal nerve issues. It's been a year now since I last saw him and my back has been fine ever since. The MRI still shows lots of nasty stuff but I've avoided the operation......because, you can't un-operate if it doesn't work out properly.

OK we agree, your wording threw me for a moment..

"what about the 2024 accrued interest from that tax exempt account?" You think his 2024 interest is not Thai assessable.....really?

Two reasons, 1, he can't prove that. 2, it's tax evasion.

You, that's who. And it's your job to prove it, if asked.

The interest income is assessable

Our neice attends a country school, English and Chinese are part of the curriculum for all students

Is the income exempt under the DTA or because of Por 161, if not they are likely assessable here.

Potentially yes, if they are assessable here.

We have different opinions about what constitutes taxable income. Income taxed at zero is still taxed, technically speaking.

Returns must be in Thai or English.

Since you're so big on farangs not providing tax advice, advising members to break the law is also against the law plus it's against forum rules also, just so you're clear.

I said all schools teach English, you said they do not. I supplied proof that they do, so now you've become abusive. There was no discussion about the effectiveness of that teaching or the degree of English proficiency that is achieved. Nor was there any discussion about the reticence of Thai's to practise their English in public with foreigners, those are different subjects.....just so you understand what the subject is that was being discussed.

The zero rated tax band is still a part of the Revenue tax tables. Even though there is no tax to pay, taxable income should be applied to the tables and is still considered to have been taxed, albeit at zero percent. It may sound semantic but there is a difference between not being taxed and being taxed at zero percent. I'm pretty certain the TRD wants us to go through the process and show our workings, that can only be achieved by filing the return and demonstrating that TEDA exceeds income and/or that income is only taxable as zero percent. If you don't do those things, everyone will end up not filing and claiming just what you have, ergo, no need to file. But TRD wants some kind of proof, ergo, show your calculations, show your working, I think you'll find that's what they are after.

I agree with your historic assessment, I think the banks are only now completing the work they should have completed a few years ago and that everyone will get one of these forms. As a non-American, the first I found out about FATCA (et al) was when I asked my bank, UOB, to cash a US Treasury and they refused, saying the bank will not transact with American onshore financial entities. Fortunately, CIMB would and they cashed the cheque. Later, when I tried to have my US SSc sent to UOB via IDD, UOB again refused to accept the deposit....those things were the catalyst for me opening a BBL bank account, that was two + years ago. And when I did open a BBL account, the US SSc IDD form was copied and countersigned several times with both BBL and Manilla saying they wanted the original!

I didn't post that, another poster did, I haven't posted anything on this subject.....you need to take a nice lay down in a dark room.

Give it a rest Scottie, it's very clear that everyone is going to get one, just as UK expats did when the UK joined.