TroubleandGrumpy

I will point out that the first one was an 'accidental fire' caused by the occupants (does not state what they did to cause the fire - smoking?), and the second fire was a moving (hot) vehicle that the owner was driving (hot). Both were very old ICE cars I believe and who knows what work had been done over the years. I am referring to EV cars that spontaneously ignite while parked and cold - such as on that shiop. Porsche EV battery blamed for ship fire in Mitsui O.S.K. lawsuit - Nikkei Asia Electric Cars Have One Problem: They Keep Lighting People's Houses on Fire (futurism.com) Yes they both burn - but ICE fires can be contained - EV fires cannot be stopped and they are much more toxic too.

I saw a Youtube interview today done 2 days ago with a tax expert - it was a follow up to a previous interview. He stated that Thailand does not receive financial data on ATM withdrawals made from an overseas account (debit or credit cards). They can only get data on transfers made overseas to Thailand banks. The local Thai banks are not capable of detailing which overseas account made each transaction via their ATMs.

What sort of answer is that ?? Come On !!

I will do the lefty thing on this - proof please with verified links. I have seen/read many EV fires, but very few ICE fires. And no ICE fires when the car is parked and 'cold'.

Thanks - much appreciated. See my post above.

Somchai in the local TRD Office is probably not aware. And as someone pointed out already, many TRD Offices do not have training or knowledge on the applicability of DTAs. Business returns are often centralised in Bangkok where the vast majority of DTAs are applied in taxation. As PITs are done in the Provinces usually, then this will be a problem probably.

You should have stayed away - but it is great that I can now disagree with you, prove you wrong (maybe) and not get suspended/banned. I meant Internationally accepted 'rules' as outlined here:- International Tax Rules | TaxEDU Glossary (taxfoundation.org) And as under the OECD that Thailand is trying to join. Taxation - OECD No - USA taxes all its Citizens irrespective of where the income is earned. It is not about type or class. Read it up. Yes it does - the IRS does not easily support other countries taxing its Citizens on the money they make in the USA. Yes there are exceptions made by the IRS, usually for employment based arrangements overseas, but a blanket attack on USA Citizen's money earned in USA by other countries is generally rebuked by the IRS. USA is one of the few countries that imposes taxation based on Citizenship and not on Tax Residency - it does not matter where you live as a USA Citizen and things like their DTAs reflect that. U.S. citizens and resident aliens abroad | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov)

Some will say you are being negative, but in my experience, you are rightly concerned and there is ample evidence to have those concerns. And the other thing is how much will one of those experienced Thai tax and DTA experts cost for a PIT. If I was not married to a Thai and living in 'our' house, we would have left already - the 180 days from January 1 was up yesterday (29th June).

Unfortunately you are correct - it is unclear and uncertain how it would all be employed by TRD. The official international tax rules are that all USA Citizens are only taxable in USA - they use a Citizenship based approach to all worldwide income. Most countries use a Residency based tax approach, and anyone who lives in their country for more than X number of days (around 180) is a tax resident. But most Residence based countries do not tax overseas incomes unless remitted into their country - it is assumed the income earned overseas is taxed there - and that is why DTAs exist. However, USA is extremely strong and powerful about them only getting taxes on money earned in USA, and although they will 'allow' their Citizens to be taxed in another country, they only allow that to be applicable for income earned in that other country.

Sorry - but from what I have seen and heard from tax experts (direct and online), TRD requires 'documented proof' of any evidence provided when investigating tax compliance - an online printout is not enough.

Ditto regarding having all the records and documents ready and prepared, just in case the TRD comes knocking. But as we both know, the problem will be if Somchai in the local TRD Office accepts those records/documents, and agrees that the money is/was not taxable in Thailand. If he/she does not, then they can hit you with a tax bill that you have 7 days to pay, and then (and only then) you can lodge an appeal against that decision, and good luck winning that. The thing is that the TRD does not have to prove that the money brought over was income, it is up to the Expat to prove that it was not income - firstly to the satisfaction of the TRD Officer, and then to the Appeals Tribunal - and in Thai too. My Plan B includes the option of me leaving on the next fight/ship out of here, if the TRD sends a letter asking me to attend a compulsory meeting about 'unpaid taxes' over the years since 2024 - followed sometime later by the Thai wife (I hope). I know some have already left, and some are now living in Thailand less than 180 days each year, and some are planning to leave if/when things do get implemented, and some if/when some Expats are nailed. I want to stay as long as possible and I am hoping to stay forever - we have a house and life here. But we will leave rather than pay a load of income tax on the 1 million+ baht that I bring into Thailand every year (much more when buying things like cars or property). Even those guys on just the Pension could get a decent tax bill - and if TRD does not accept that all the listed exclusions and allowances apply equally to all foreigners, their calculated tax bill could be much higher. That is the problem, unlike the Tax Office in Aust (and everywhere else in the 1st world) where the rules are fully published and detailed, in Thailand the tax rules are vague and subject to the interpretation of each Officer. There is a Youtuber that was living in China with a wife for many years, and then it all went pear shaped, and he had to flee. He now publishes a lot of stories about the negatives on China - and some of it is really bad. I reckon the same thing w/could happen if one of those Youtube channel Expat gets caught out and is screwed over by the TRD, and forced to pay a big tax bill. Not that TRD gives a rat's rear - but this move is just the wrong thing to do IMO. The Philippines and Malaysia and Indonesia have both excluded retired Expats incomes from overseas, why is Thailand not doing the same. Surely they know that Expats overall pay more in VAT alone, than the vast majority of Thais pay in VAT and Income Taxes combined.

Exactly the problems predicted by the US tax expert, are what most Expats anticipate will be the biggest problems - Thai bureaucracy in the TRD. 9 months to approve a $900 credit under a DTA - that is how TRD will affect Expat's lives when they are lodging a tax return in Thailand and expecting DTAs to be able to be used. Of course the lunatic Thai apologists think and say, that it will all be unicorns and milk and honey - but the reality will be very different. The Thai TRD staff do not know the rules, do not comply with the rules, and do not care about the rules - and unlike the Immigration Police they are not trained or staffed to deal with Expats - and a lot less speak English. IMO the best strategy is to avoid dealing with them if at all possible. Some say you must get a TIN and lodge a tax return, some say you only need to apply for a TIN if you have to pay income taxes. Either way, Thailand is no longer a recommended destination for Expats to retire (or marry), and as the Aussie bloke on the Overboard in Asia site states, there are much more Expat tax friendly countries to retire to, and The Philippines and Malaysia are just 2 of them.

Do you mean raging burnt to the ground fires - or fires that are isolated to the engine - or fires after severe crashes - or fires accidently started by the occupants. If you are - then you are talking nonsense. Let me say this - maybe think about it - ICE cars parked somewhere dont suddenly burn to the ground.

Well said - great summary of their lives.

I read it in an early story in a magazine/online new organisation that is not allowed to be posted here. Search for quotes attributed to the new TRD GM Kulaya Tantitemit.

Easy to find if you look for them.

Sure - no problems - up to you - good luck.

Exactly the point - they are targeting Expats - the new Boss of TRD has specifically stated that Expats have to start contributing. PLUS - and this is the big point - if they do 'catch' you in a few years, they will go back to 2024. This is not a 'one off' like a speeding fine. TRD will comb back through all your banking records since 2024 and question where those amounts came from and why did you not lodge a return and pay taxes. No they are not going to investigate ordinary Thais. But they might investigate any Expat whose bank accounts show a large amount of money being deposited/transferred - and a large amount here would probably be over 500K Baht in any year. The average salary here is 200K per year, and the majority of Thais earn less than that.

Like many have said - most EV supporters are like religious fanatics - full of emotional nonsense and feelings - as per your response. Example - You are obviously an ICE Hater !! Have you heard someone who dislikes EVs say that? No ! Why? (try thinking about it). Point - It is not about you - I am responding to your words 'EV Haters'. You (and others) use words like that as an emotional descriptor targeted to personally criticise those who views you do not agree with and/or those that do not support your own views. ICE Supporters (we are not EV Haters) - we have listened to the debates on both sides and we have formed another view than what the EV Fanatics have. EV Owners - not only do they not 'hang out' on diesel truck discussions, they dont 'partake' of any other views. That is because they have decided and made the ultimate commitment of buying an EV, and they refuse to accept that maybe that was not a rational decision. Anything that contradicts their decision and commitment is attacked with emotional argument and criticism. That is because most people that bought an EV made an emotional decision, and there is nothing wrong with that - what is wrong is trying to justify it as a rational decision and that anything criticising EVs is a criticism of their decision to buy/commit to EVs. No it is not - and much of it is valid. Your time is no more important than mine or anyone else's - if you have better things to do then go and do them, and stop emotionally making demeaning statements towards others who dont support your decision to commit to EVs.

In addition to all the others - Makes my Thai wife happy to live here Travelling is cheap and not always looking at speedo (SFA cameras and fine not ludicrous) OK to have a few drinks (not drunk) and drive home Movies are cheap Golf is great (but not cheap) Can travel cheaply to a fantastic beachside resort when they offer a special deal on short notice

And there is the virtue signaling woke left-wing fool.

Good point - indeed they are just like religious fanatics.

Why is it that ideologues always brand those disagreeing or questioning their beliefs, to be 'haters'. Wait on - now I remember - because they are woke and they will 'cancel' any other opinion. I dont hate EVs - but I will not be buying one anytime soon - and if/when I get one it will be a Tesla. What I do dislike is self-serving virtue-signalers who drive EVs to 'save the planet', and who ridicule and abuse others who disagree with their delusional reasoning.

The reality is that those stats are a statistical manipulation. More EVs burn than ICE - but there are so many more ICE vehicles that the total numbers are incomparable. But the fact is that EVs (L-I batteries) burn far hotter, far longer, and emit far more toxic smoke - the damage from an EV fire is vastly more than a fire in an ICE vehicle. I will never take a long ferry ride with my vehicle in Thailand or anywhere else. A short trip is OK, but an over-nighter with a potential EV fire than can sink the ship, is a genuine concern. Especially when Somchai can and does install things himself to 'make it better'. EVs are early days and I am sure over time they will develop a solution to the fires issue - but I also know that there is a concerted (if misguided) push to get everyone to buy EVs to 'save the planet' - which means negatives like this about EVs will not be 'publicised' as much as they should. The PR should be greater, both to warn people, and to also make the developers solve the problem quickly.

Get registered at the local Hospital you want to be taken to if you have an emergency/accident. Ask them how to call an ambulance that will bring you here if ever needed. If you live in Bangkok then you will have a problem in traffic - know exactly where the closest Hospital is - and register there. If the 'ambulance' is not from the hospital and is a 'private contractor', do not let them take you to a private hospital - the charges will be horrendous, and they take you there because the private hospital will pay them a lot more than the local Thai ones. Good to see some Expats thinking ahead about medical problems, that will happen as they get older - it happens to us all. Living in a remote village or on a nice island has it ups, but the downside is a medical emergency. I reckon Shane Warne would still be alive if he had that heart attack in a city location and they were able to get him there quickly.