TroubleandGrumpy

So far I have agreed with most of what you have said. But there is no requirement to lodge a tax return if you have no taxes to pay IMO and you definitely no not lodge a tax return if you have no taxable income (eg. living off savings). Someone that is living in Thailand using money that is not taxable (or has no income taxes to pay) does not and will not get a tax clearance certificate from TRD. Therefore it cannot be a requirement to extend/renew a VISA because it is not a requirement under Immigration Laws to have lodged a tax return. Certainly Thailand can change those Taxation and Immigration Laws one day in the future, but until that happens there is no legal basis for Thailand's Immigration enforcement to include the provision of a tax clearance certificate.

ROFLOL - it makes me laugh how little people understand about this rule change and yet will argue and die on a hill about their opinions. I will say this in response to the OP (which is below). "I've been visiting and staying Thailand every year, normally 3 months of every year, for the last 6-7 years. This year I already did 3 months around the beginning of the year. I'm planning to visit and stay again from September to end of the year. So that would be the total of 7 months for this year. Not sure whether this would trigger the "residency rule" (an individual is considered a resident when staying in a country for 6 months or more) and qualify me to be taxed as a Thai resident. I think it's kind of an international rule, including Thailand. The question is whether Thailand enforce it? Would they check the entry visa (two 90 day visa in my case) and go after people who stay in Thailand more than 6 months out of a year? Please share your experiences or opinions. Thank you." TECHNICALLY - staying 180+ days in total that means you are a tax resident of Thailand. REALITY - someone coming and going several times on a tourist Visa is not going to be chased for taxation. Plus remember that is is NOT money remitted into Thailand that is taxable income - it is only Assessable Income. There are lots of complications when it comes to what is Assessable Income in Thailand, and what is Taxable Income, and what Allowances and Deductions each person has. And all of that is directly impacted by any DTA that Thailand has with the country that the income or earnings was earned in and where it was remitted from. Short answer to OP - No Taxation Worries IMO.

What a lot of people do not realise about Thais is that 70-80% of them suffer from Myopia, whereas in Europe the numbers are about 30%. Plus Thais have an eyesight (like most SEAsian people) that has evolved over thousands of years whereby they do not see well in poor light. Have you seen how small their writing is?? Thai drivers are dangerous because of their driving behaviours (mostly males) and their very poor vision. Add to that the prevalence of very dark windscreen tints, and of course a total lack of policing, and you have a disaster that is occurring every year. Anyone riding a bike in Thailand is taking a huge risk - up to you/them - but it is what it is and denial of that is total stupidity. Yes there are 'safer' ways to do it - and there are 'safer' places to d it - but it is a huge risk - up to you, but dont deny it.

Chinese have always been in Siam/Thailand, but they really started coming when Mao was in the process of turning the country into a Communist State. WW2 started an exodus from China and the Thainese have taken over large parts of Thai society (especially business, military and courts). People think all the non-Communist Chinese went to Taiwan - they did not only go there - a lot of them came to Thailand.

If you ever have a run in with a male Thai - always think that they have a knife/gun (so many do), and they will always bring all their mates and beat the khrarpp out of you. As said above - stay in the car you idiot - this aint Kansas. And get very dark tinting on the windscreens so they cant see you or passengers. If it is a hire car and they can see you, then stay inside.

All sorted and lessons learned. 1. Get the Police to organise a meeting of all parties together and negotiate a 'settlement'. 2. Always have a working camera in the car on the dashboard/windscreen.

You know how to use a mouse/finger?? Then click/swipe left and move on to another subject mate.

Fair comparison and summary. Trump will win IMO, and then it could be a Vance Tulsi ticket on offer at the 2028 elections. IMO RFKjr should switch to the GOP Party - then he would be a good VP Candidate.

I agree with the OP - behind the scenes Anutin will have made it very clear that he wants it legalised (and controlled is OK). I am sure he hinted that if it is banned then next time around he might support the Ruam Pattana Chart Thai Party Phung Luang Party Future Forward Party Move Forward Party The People's Party - and form a coalition Govt with them after the next election. Likewise, I am sure he also hinted that Buumjaithai will not automatically support PT in the House on all Bills, if they ban cannabis. Bhumjaithai is the 3rd largest Party in the House, and the unofficial largest Party in the Senate. The talk is that all the Buriram Senators (15) and a large number of the other Senators are 'linked' to Bhumjaithai - they played it very cleverly in the Senate elections and seem to have 'paid for' many Senators. One Question - not a user myself (these days) - but can anyone recommend any online store that sells cannabis pills and/or oil for pain treatment. I have a bad back and we play golf each week (wife loves it). I would like to give it a try at least for a while, rather than taking the Pharma pills all the time.

I agree - the new Thaksin Govt has already canned the 10K Handout. I reckon they will just quietly let this one fade away (like when they stopped enforcing TM30s for short overnight trips). Either way I will be happy to pay any taxes above VAT when I get something in return (Residency?) - until then I will be happy to be like the 30+million Thais who do not lodge a tax return and never have in their entire life.

Thanks Sheryl - I am still looking for Dr Ken or any good GP type Doctor in KK. All good - I have the meds - It is just that I had to wait 2 hours - but that is better 6+ as the wife said. I can go to a private hospital like Bangkok Hospital and they will see me in 5 mins - but I did that once (in Rayong) and they charged me almost 1000 Baht to see the Doc, plus the medications for 30 pills were more expensive than what SMC in KK charges me for 3-4 months (100). In fact it was twice as much as what RAM in CM charged me some years ago for 3 months.

Money in Super is in two 'types' - they all start as Accumulation. Accumulation - working and contributing (pre and post tax) etc etc etc. Retirement - no longer working, and not contributing etc etc etc. Earnings/interest etc in an Accumulation account is taxed at 15%. Retirement is not - compulsory to switch to that type/phase when 75 - optional before. Tax on super benefits | Australian Taxation Office (ato.gov.au) I am staying in Accumulation phase because once in the Retirement phase 'pension payment' withdrawals are counted as taxable income. Those are monthly regular payments - just like the Age Pension. The downside the Govt is that they miss out on taxes on earnings, the upside is that they get to include Super's pension payments as taxable income in your tax returns. It is 'income' and can affect your age pension (if over the limit) and can also affect you with other monies received (like inheritances) . The old Defence/Commonwealth Super Fund is taxed differently from others because it has minimal/nil taxes applied to the Fund earnings in Accumulation phase - only to certain contributions. All very complicated and I dont know all of it because I dont have that type of Super.

Go to this website if you want to work out if you have to lodge a tax return. Guess what?? If you are only getting the Pension you do not !! Not because of SAPTO - because of Age Pension. One last time - SAPTO is for income earned ABOVE the Pension. I give up - why do I bother - 20 years dealing with ATO - what do I know. Work out if you need to lodge a tax return | Australian Taxation Office (ato.gov.au)

Dr Donna is in Bangkok and I commented about her - her clinic is OK IMO. The rest is for 'general info' to anyone - that is all the GPs I know/found. It was not all about you.

Yes - they all seem to 'specialise' here in Thailand.. There are not many GPs, like in the West where they are the 'front line' of patient treatment. In Thailand it is clear that people go straight to a public hospital for everything - because they are basically free for Thais. Dr Donna is AOK if you know exactly what you want - more of a western clinic than a 'diagnosis centre'. There is a good western GP Doctor in Jomtein - Dr Olivier Meyer - we used him while living in Rayong. Lots of older men in there are getting 'treatments' - but he is also a very good GP - he can diagnose and test and provide treatment for many things, or refer to a good specialist https://dr-olivier-clinic.com/ And of course Dr Morgan in Chaing Mai. Still looking here in Khon Kaen. We went to a specialist clinic in the big Uni Hospital this week and it was packed - took almost 2 hours to see the specialist. Wife pointed out that for the public hospital people are arriving at 5am and waiting for half a day to see a Doctor. Looks like I might have to find another option - not a private Hospital/Clinic because they charge a fortune for the specialist medication I need prescribed (and only available at Hospitals)

Lots of confusion - I will try to explain yet again. The total Single Age Pension payments in a year in Aust is $29,021 The Tax free threshold is $18,200 The Pension payments total is $10,832 above the tax free threshold of $18,200 The SAPTO maximum is $2230 for a single pensioner The threshold ($18,200) plus max SAPTO ($2230) total is only $20,430 The total Single Age Pension payments in a year in Aust is $29,021 Pensioners do not pay any income taxes on their Pension payments - fact Even though the total money received is above the threshold plus SAPTO - fact That is because ATO does not apply taxes to the Pension (and other Govt payments) They are included in 'taxable income' in order to calculate total taxable income. The SAPTO is only for when a Pensioner earns additional income during the year (eg. a short term part-time job). If you have come this far then you do want to know why it is so confusing - below is my views on why it is a classic cluterpharrk of government idiocy, combined with the general ignorance of the public because of how complicated the tax system has become. The ATO website advice is all about how to complete a Tax Return (it is not general advice). So any Google search will inevitably take you to a section within the ATO online guide to complete a tax return. It is all very misleading and confusing - and any complaints get ignored because the ATO claims that if they advised that the Pension was tax free people would not include it in their tax returns as 'taxable income' in their declared list of incomes. In the past many people made that mistake and it was a big problem trying to explain to them that they dont get the tax free threshold when they have received the Pension. My Mother and Father received the Age Pension until very recently, and neither of them had to pay income taxes - ever. I receive the Age Pension (both in Aust and here) and I have never had to pay income taxes - and I complete a return every year just to make sure (I have a Super Fund). Please dont confuse the Age Pension with a 'Pension payment' which is an option that is regularly paid by a Super Fund to someone that has reached the qualification age. I have not taken that option, even though it would mean that my Super Fund earnings would not be taxed. I did not do that option because any money received under that 'pension' is taxable income, and I would have to pay tax on it. So I kept my Super Fund in 'accumulation phase' and the Fund pays tax on the earnings, but I can withdraw money as and when needed, and it is tax free.

Mate - thanks for asking - I have no idea how to answer people like that guy (and I tend to be aggressive towards them).

I see you are one of the confused. Let me try this. Tax free threshold is $18,200 Single Age Pension payments in a year is $29,021 No pensioner pays taxes on the amount above $18,200 - which is $10,832 - that is a fact. Yes it is taxable income - but only for totaling with any other earnings - the pension amount is not taxed.

That is one way to look at it.

ROFLOL - I hope you used lots of yellow and brown 😁

Any chance of a google maps link ? I cannot find anything on google.

That definitely sounds like a conspiracy theory - despite your denials. But maybe you are right - so just in case, I have reported what you said to the Police Station in Chaiyaphum and they said that they will soon be around to get your statement and commence an investigation.

Thanks mate - much appreciated.

Conspiracy theorist mind at work me thinks.

He let them search his bike because ................. ??